Climbing Gear for Sailors--Jacklines and Harnesses for the Unemployed

 rev 3-25-2012, rev. 4-6-2024

 
Yes, I am cheap. As much as I would love to lavish buckets of money on my sailing habit, there are 401-Ks, college funds, boat payments.... More to the point, I hate throwing money at West Marine or Lay Line for things that are not so well engineered and for things that are not inherently "marine" in nature. Climbing gear is an example: sailors know sailing, climbers know falling.

Example: a few years ago special rope-handling gloves for climbers became the rage. All sorts of designs came out, none as good as sailing gloves. Eventually, the designs morphed into re-branded sailing gloves, which had already been perfected. Example: a few years ago the marine outfitters all began selling climbing-style seat harnesses for work in the rigging. Harken rep at the Annapolis Boat Show had the cheek to tell me that they had engineered in additional abrasion protection, as though the deck non-skid was more abrasive than a granite boulder! They are easily twice the price of a top-quality big wall harness sold for rock climbing.

So often vendors pretended they've had invented something new, while simply marking-up something that has been perfected in a different application over many years. In the case of climbing gear, UIAA standards set the bar for all of the fall protection standards that followed:

UIAA Standards for climbing equipment. Standards Downloads

Recently the sailing industry has started to catch-up, though only a few short years ago they were woefully behind, yet still charging premium prices.Safety at Sea Harness and Tether Testing

Finally, a few more relevant standards, for those who crave detail. and back-up documentation:

ISAF on Jacklines
http://www.sailing.org/tools/documents/OSR2010Mo1101209-%5B8154%5D.pdf

ISO harness and tether standards
http://jsaf-anzen.jp/pdf/ISO_12401_2009%28E%29-Character_PDF_document.pdf

The point is this; much of the BEST equipment for jackline and harness systems is available from rock climbing equipment sources, not marine stores. The history is longer and and the QC is better. It's not all about price.


Multihull vs. Monohull Caveat: all of my comments are directed towards families with 27- to 40-foot cruising catamarans. I'm staying with what I know. Specifically regarding jacklines, some of what I will say is all wrong for other boats. You have been warned.

Marine vs. Climbing gear Caveat: Not all climbing gear is appropriate in a marine environment. Not all marine gear is suitable for crew retention. This may be a matter of function or materials of construction. For example, rock climbing seat harnesses are not designed to serve as deck harnesses and are dangerous for that purpose (they'll drown you, dragging through the water), and conventional solid gate climbing carabiners are not corrosion resistant and will seize after repeated exposure to salt water. Some climbing gear--slings, wire gate carabiners, bolt hangers--is of superior design for either environment. We'll try to keep the distinction clear.

Crewed Boat vs. Single Handing  Caveat. If you are single handing in anything other than warm inshore waters, assume getting separated from the boat is certain death. Keep your tethers very short and don't plan to release under any foreseeable circumstance. If you are on a crewed boat in moderate conditions, you may want to release if you are dragged, may use a longer tether, and may do without a tether entirely. A PFD alone may be safer. But as night falls, the water temperature drops, and conditions become wild, even crewed sailors may feel falling in is a death sentence. So we must realize there are a continuum of situations and more than one right answer.

Personal Testing Caveat. I have tested all of the theories presented here, either rock climbing or on the water. Be very careful if you take this approach.

Personal Responsibility Caveat. My blog, my rant. I deviate from the conventional wisdom here and there, with reasoning that satisfies me. I have very extensive experience climbing and mountaineering, am very comfortable on-deck, and am very comfortable with this style equipment. But ANY equipment can be misused, and I've seen very good quality marine safety equipment rigged in an unsafe manner. Just because you bought the best from a catalog doesn't mean you know how to apply it. Read everything, learn the engineering, visualize the forces involved, and be careful.

Capsize Caveat. A tether on a sailing dingy or beach cat would deserve a Darwin Award. What about a sport boat driven hard or a high performance multi-hull driven to the limit? Certainly a high priority needs to be placed on releaseablity. But be warned, recent testing suggests not all quick-release attachments work under load and that some are not accessible once PFD inflates. Practical Sailor Magazine is investigating this one. For cruisers, I think this is minor concern.

Jacklines. On monohulls, where these must lay on the deck, webbing is the most popular choice since it won't roll underfoot. If that is where the lines must run, then there is little choice in the matter. However, in many ways webbing is exactly the wrong material.

Durability. Any outdoor rock climber has seen many examples of webbing that have been left on a cliff somewhere to back-up a rappel anchor; after 15 years of sun exposure, they can often be removed with a good yank, their strength reduced from over 4,000 pounds to a few hundred pounds. The general consensus is that blue tubular webbing looses about 15% of its strength per year in continuous exposure in temperate latitudes, and that lighter colors weaken more quickly.  Rope is a far more durable material, since there is more thickness for the UV to penetrate.  Numerous long term endurance tests have been performed on braid and core ropes; generally at least 55% of the strength of the line derives from the core, and even after 10 years of use and 10 years of sun exposure, at least 60% of the strength remains. Good Old Boat and Practical Sailor have both done this sort of testing on old docklines. Still, I wouldn't push it beyond 5 years in a safety-sensitive application.

Ease of clipping. Webbing can be fussy, hanging up on the gate when I least want it to. Rope is lightening fast, particularly when paired with climbing carabiners.

Hand hold. Webbing is poor by comparison.

I use jacklines as a single hander because I don't like the idea of my boat sailing to England on autopilot. A PFD is not going to bring help and I'm not sufficiently optimistic to think help will find me.  In cold weather a PFD is little help unless someone actually sees you enter the water.

I don't understand the habit of rigging jacklines only when needed. "When needed" is pretty often:

• When you go on deck alone, at night outside of the cockpit.
• When the wind is over 15 knots.
• When a thunderstorm blows up.
• When something needs repair in an awkward position while underway.
• When the chute is up.

In other words, nearly every day when cruising. Jacklines should be permanent, like seatbelts, and rope jacklines can be set permanently, like the rest of the boat's rigging. They should not be a temporary measure or an afterthought; they should be a designed part of the boat suitable for everyday use without getting in the way. You need to practice with them.
Once I watched a video of an ocean racing boat losing a man overboard (he was recovered, with some difficulty). It wasn't very rough; he simply was less than mindful of the action around him, was not clipped in, and simply slid across the cockpit and between the life lines (the center line had been removed in the quest to save weight). The main reason people don't clip in, right behind not taking the dangers seriously, is that it's a hindrance. That may have been a factor. Like many racing boats the cockpit was a cluttered mess of ropes and the jackline went over and under the many control lines. The jackline and tethers were a safety after thought, not a reality that the boat or sailing practices were designed around or a reality that the sailors trained with. Removing the center lifeline was just plain stupid. If you're going to use jacklines and tethers on your boat you need to practice with them, day after day, integrating them into the flow of lines and work so they are NOT a hindrance but rather a useful part of the rigging. Climbers are tied in all the time, and we spend years working out systems and routines that prevent us from getting caught up in our knitting.

Spare Halyard as Jackline--Don't Do It. I have heard of a spare halyard being used as a tether in fair weather only; nothing to add, nothing to trip over, and easy to get back on deck. I tried it. If there is enough slack in the halyard to reach the bow sitting down, then when standing on the cabin top there is enough slack to wrap the halyard around the spreaders. In a monohull, you will swing out over the water and drag until the boat tacks. This system is unsafe.

Location. Multihulls have a huge advantage when setting jacklines; they have a wide bow area. A common rational for having very tight jacklines is that the working area at the bow goes to zero and the sailor must to be held very tight to stay on the boat. He is safe from excessive jackline impact forces because he is not going to fall/slide far enough to generate them. Multihulls also have a disadvantage in that there is a lot more deck to cover, and that means longer tethers. Longer tethers mean longer falls and more fall energy. A tether of adjustable length, with multiple clipping points or 2 legs, is required.  Mine have 2 clipping points: one very long where I can reach everything from either jackline, and one much shorter. I use the former in fair weather (when the only risk is tripping over my own feet) and the latter when it's nasty. both options are long enough to be remain clipped to the jacklines while re-entering the cockpit.

Even with adjustable tethers, this additional beam means the multi-hull sailor must design for greater impact energy.


The jackline in the photo is not rod-tight, though there is less slack than it appears. It can be moved about 12-inches side-to-side. They are 5/8-inch dock line and will retain sufficient strength through 5 years of continuous exposure. They are not underfoot and they can be clipped from the cockpit.

My jacklines are attached to the inboard edge of the tramp about 4 feet back from the beam, and to through-bolted hand holds on the hard top. The front beam could hold any load. I am certain the hard-top supports would distort at peak load, but not fail completely. This compromise makes sense to us, as it places the jackline in a safer position; we recognize this. The jacklines run above the deck, serving as a second railing, and we use these and the life lines as twin railings when going forward.; if you pull upwards against them, rather than lean on them, they add much stability. They are not under foot on the side decks as you walk around the side of the cabin. The side decks are also free of genoa tracks and sheets; these are farther aft, in a non-traffic area. Each boat will present its own challenges and solutions, so don't feel tied to convention. Experiment, but think it through from an engineer's view point. Do be certain that all attachments are through-bolted. Lifeline stanchions, for example, are too often only screwed into a rotted wooden block. Two 5/16-inch bolts or a single 3/8-inch bolt with a good backing are a conservative design basis to achieve 5,000-pound strength in shear (assuming a 1/4-inch solid glass deck--with cores or thinner decks consideration must be given to compression and shear).

Be certain the tethers will not allow a fallen sailor near a prop, a deadly hazard on any boat with a transom mounted outboard. This is not an issue on the PDQ because the engines are well forward and inboard, but it was a serious concern on any boat with a transom mounted outboard.

Be certain the tethers do not allow the sailor to go out of reach of the transom. Self rescue will be impossible. Better, see if you can go over the side, and if you can, see that you can get back on board with the boat moving.On boats with high freeboard, it is generally impossible, even for a fit individual.

A center jackline is another option; I've seen this on a Gemini and it looked practical. On one hand it would be impossible to fall over the side, but on the other, there is less security against being washed to leeward when on the windward side. I do not believe it is as safe on a monohull, which leans. Although there is a new fad, suggesting lifelines should be run down the middle, I have not heard any stories of folks falling of the boat uphill, to windward. It just doesn't happen. A windward jackline is safer because you are farther from the leeward rail. Just make sure you work from the windward line as much as possible.

Children. This generation grows up being belted into a car and wearing bike helmets. My daughter grew up, starting when she was crawling, wearing a harness and tether on-board. She liked it, and Daddy led by example. I much prefer tethers to PFDs for kids. They get more freedom, and Dad doesn't have a stroke every time a little one leans near the edge, gazing at the waves, or stumbles near an edge. Harnesses are much cooler on hot days--when it's 100F and humid, requiring a PFD means staying home. A parental eye is still required, and the harness must be fit  so securely that Houdini couldn't escape. Yes, the law requires PFDs for small children. We very seldom did--they are so uncomfortable for small one--but we used the harness every time. However,harnesses often require some customization; this harness had an extra webbing adjustment added in the back, as the original design was insecure on a small child.

Shock Absorption. Rock climbers rely on both climbing rope stretch to prevent a very short fall from generating impact loads well into the thousands of pounds.  The body can absorb only so much, and the anchor points can only withstand so much. I once had this conversation with the gentleman who was fitting tight stainless steel cable jacklines to his 45-foot yacht, in preparation for a trip to Bermuda.  I explained to him that because his cables were strung guitar string tight, it would take only a modest force to pull the anchors right out of the deck.  He assured me that all components could take a 5,000-pound strain. I asked him, would he mind if I gave the cable a good strong yank, just with my hands, as a test.  He said "knock yourself out--don't hurt yourself. Those fittings can hold a car." I wrapped a rag around my hand, gave a sharp tug, and snapped the 1/4-inch high-strength shackle holding the cable to the aft pad eye. He couldn't decide whether to be mad at me or embarrassed. I apologized anyway, but for a few dollars it was a cheap lesson. He grumbled something about "defective parts." (The 1/4" shackle had a rated breaking strain of 4,400 pounds and a SWL of 1,450 pounds, I was told. After muttering something about "defective equipment" he replaced the 1/4-inch shackle and turnbuckle with a high tech lashing. I'm still not sure he got the point, since the entire system had been strained to the very limit by a weakling.)

A jackline should never be made from material with no stretch (OK monohull guys--breath deep. This is catamaran advice, and the rules are a bit different. The jacklines are inboard and there is no skinny bow.). A jackline should never be rigged absolutely tight. Think of it this way; a jackline is like a tight rope, and the less deflection that is permitted the greater the initial tension of the rope must be.  If only a 5% deflection is achieved, then the applied force is multiplied by about 10 times. You can slice the data many ways with engineering calculations (Sample Calculations for Jacklines); it becomes clear that 200-pound sailor that is propelled across the deck by a breaking wave or loses his balance falling off a wave in just the right way will cross the deck at a modest running speed. His body must have at least 2 feet to decelerate or the stress on the jackline will exceed 5,000 pounds and something will break. That stretch must come from the jackline or from a special shock absorbing tether. Not one of those self-retracting tethers sold at the marine store with a shock cord down the middle and not one of the new tethers with an over-stress indicator; a tether designed with sacrificial stitching for use in climbing or the construction trade. These sacrificial tethers were invented by rock climbers (see Yates Ice Screamer to the left above) and grafted into the construction trade. Most of these begin absorbing force in the 400-800 pound range and extend several feet when fully expended; about right for this application. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see marine tethers adopting this feature in a few more seasons, implying through advertising literature that it's a new invention and not just a new application. The new marine tethers have one row of expendable stitching that indicates over stress but does nothing to reduce the stress. A poor and confusing design choice, in the eyes of OSHA and the climbing community. Rather like closing the barn door after the horses have left; "Oh, see here, your harness nearly failed", rather than preventing the failure.

The longer the jackline, the less stretch is needed, the short the the line the more stretch is needed, within limits. A steel cable or even polyester braid, if employed as a rock climbing rope, would be fatal to the climber; the impact force is too great. A bungee cord would be fatal too; the excessive stretch increases the probability of a ground or ledge fall. For the sailor, the strain on the jackline system must be kept below 5,000 pounds. The strain on the tether must stay below 1,000 pounds to achieve that, which indicates a side deflection of 2-3 feet, which equates to a stretch of about 2-3% at 5,000 pounds of strain. This rules out wire and most high-tech lines if they are conservatively sized. 1/2-inch polyester yacht braid seems about right for catamarans with 30-foot long jacklines. 7/16-inch line would be strong enough, but the extra size allows for aging losses and reduces is stretch into the optimum range. Mine are 1/2-inch nylon dock line and are only 22 feet long--it's what I had on-hand and the math works out the same. Given their size, they will be safe for 7-8 years or until they chafe. For jacklines 40-50 feet long, the math changes and high tech lines should be spot-on with regard to stretch, but the strength requirement goes up to 7,000 to 9,000 pounds. Amazing, but easy to achieve with the new materials. The range of calculated answers is broad, because of difference in geometries. One size never seems to fit all. I suggest you have an engineer friend take a look at your arraignment with these shock absorption concepts in mind.

You can find sample calculations here: Sample Calculations for Jacklines


Tethers--Construction.Why webbing instead of rope? Rope tethers look a lot like running rigging. Webbing is less prone to rolling under foot. Unlike the jacklines, it won't likely be in the sun enough for UV damage to matter. This is the conventional choice.

Don't use Spectra webbing for tethers; it has too little stretch. Yes, climbers use it for anchors but NEVER where it will be required to absorb the energy of a fall without some rope in the system for cushioning. Used as a cockpit tether, it would be equivalent to steel cable and would damage either the anchor or the sailor. Nylon webbing tethers have a small amount of give.

If you opt for 2-leg tethers--and you should--the lengths should suit your boat. The standard 3'/6' split is really too long for most boats. I use 2' for the short tether (including carabiners), which suits work at the bow and on the side decks, and 8' for the long tether (catamarans have broad bows).

We pre-rig tethers to each side, clipped port and starboard. Thus, if we need to go forward quickly and even if we have tacked since the last tether use, there is always a tether rigged on the required side. As I have stated earlier, we leave the tethers clipped to the jackline when we come off the deck. I should clarify that I very seldom harness in the cockpit; ours is very deep, is surrounded by hard-top supports an winches, and falling out would be very nearly impossible. Consider your individual situation.

What about climbing rope for tethers? In fact, that is my preferred solution, as the shock absorption is much have discussed this at length. However, the downsides are that knotted tethers are bulky and sewing climbing rope is only properly done by people that specialize in climbing rope. It is easy to do wrong. I tested many samples of my work.

 The best option is to buy a 2-leg tether from Kong. The price is reasonable, the Tango clips are the best available, the long leg is elasticized, and the price is not much more than the hardware bought separately.

Tethers--Length and Getting Back On-board. In the best of all worlds tether length and jackline position are such that falling off is not possible. That must be addressed on a boat-by-boat basis due to geometry differences. Often having 2 length options on a tether will help. But let's assume for the moment you can fall over.

Can you get back aboard? With a full crew, someone may be able to man-haul you aboard. Let's disregard that option for the typical cruising family; they lack the horsepower, depending on who went over. There is always the option of cranking them up with the spinnaker halyard. Again, not dependable with a family crew. Not enough hands and not enough horsepower.

I suggest trying to reboard without assistance, with you crew slowly motoring ahead. Don't strain yourself either; this must be easy or it will not work if you are injured or unconscious. Gently--there is no point in risking injury--lower yourself easily over the side and see what works. It will be very difficult. Realistically, the victim is likely to be Dad, as he goes forward to wrestle with the jib in terrible conditions. Poor old Dad. Logically, the answer is to combine this with your MOB hoisting practice, as we have. Fun on a hot day. After this sobering exercise you will probably shorten your tethers.

Tethers--2 Legs are Better Than One. For most boats tethers really need to be adjustable in length; a short leg for the bow and getting past the cabin trunk, and a longer length for use around the mast, and in the case of catamarans, on the foredeck. Being able to clip two points, so that you never unhook, can also be vital. My two-leg tethers are described here.


Carabiners.  Wire gate aluminum carabiners hold up very well, and the anodized ones do best.  Conventional climbing carabiners rapidly seize-up due to corrosion--avoid them.  Locking carabiners must be religiously lubricated or they will also freeze up, though I have had good luck with screw gate locking biners on the jackline end--I am very careful to keep them greased several times each year. Even if they only last 4-8 seasons--I retire them to other uses if there are any signs of wear--I prefer them as they are much cheaper and three times lighter than their stainless steel cousins, which means they are easy on the gel coat. I prefer non-auto-locking biners; those are sometimes fussy and occationally fail to lock in ice climbing and dusty climbing environments. However, many have reported that they are very happy with auto-locking biners on jacklines if kept lubricated. Locking biners are required on the jackline or u-bolt end since there are many obstructions that can force the gate open and un-clip the biner. 

The Kong Tango is a popular tether carabiner, 
suitable for either the harness or jackline end.
However, they do require seasonal lubrication.

The text below is from the ISO standard. All conventional (non-locking) carabiners will fail this test. Why is this not deadly to rock climbers? They do not go in circles around the anchors. The weight of the rope generally holds the biner in a fixed orientation. They clip either to runners (short slings) or purpose-designed bolt hangers that resist this action. And they use locking carabiners where there is some risk or redundancy is lacking.

5.4 Accidental hook opening testing


5.4.1 The tendency of the hook to accidentally become detached from its attachment point shall be tested
using the following three styles of attachment point, made from 8 mm diameter rod:
a) a straight rod;
b) an eye bolt of internal radius 10 mm;
c) U-bolts of internal radius 15 mm and 20 mm.


5.4.2 Move the hook by hand as far as is possible in the following directions with the attachment point mounted vertically:
a) move forward and backward, right and left without any rotation, movement being in the horizontal plane;
b) rotate in the horizontal plane by up to 360° using the attachment point as the axis, rotating both clockwise and anticlockwise;
c) rotate in the vertical plane by up to 360° about the axis of the hook, rotating both clockwise and anticlockwise;
d) rotate in the vertical plane by up to 360° about an axis running through the attachment point, rotating both clockwise and anticlockwise.


The hook fails the test if it releases from the attachment point. If the hook closure mechanism is shown to open but not release, this will also constitute a failure, as release would probably occur with geometry of different dimensions.

No hook will fail a test on an attachment point where its use is clearly and permanently warned against in accordance with 6 g).

Not Spinlock Race Tethers. They can rotate off a U-bolt ...

 

.. Or if pressed against a railing.

This is not so clear on the harness end, so I formerly used ordinary wire gate biners there, though now I use the Kong Tango and like it better. There, I've said it, counter to the "new" conventional wisdom that spinnaker shackles should be used on the harness end so that a sailor can free himself in the event of a roll-over or knock down. I don't care for spinnaker shackles--I've seen too many spinnakers fly away when the lanyard hooked on something or because the locking pin was not fully inserted. My thoughts:

• I am not concerned about a carabiner unclipping from a harness; in 25 years of climbing, I never heard of it. Unclip from fixed anchors, certainly, but not from the harness end. However, we have switched to the Kong Tango carabiners, for a little added security.
• I can clip a conventional biner 100 times, in the dark hanging from a cliff, with gloves on, and never get it wrong; I've done it. Same with the Tango. I'm sure I can't get a spinnaker shackle right 100 times in a row on a nice day on a bouncing foredeck; I've done that too and seen a few sails kite away.
• Clipping a wire gate or Tango carabiner is a one-hand job. A spinnaker shackle takes 2 hands.
• I believe the chance of a capsize on a cruising cat, compared to a knock down on a monohull is much lower. Possible, but remote compared to all other risks.
• I have a great deal of confidence that I can un-hook a conventional biner under load in adverse circumstances; after 30 years of climbing, I am very familiar with the tricks and don't have to think about them. I've unclipped while being dragged beside the boat at 5 knots; not easy, but it took only seconds. I am not prone to panic. Better than risking accidental release.
• Most sailors leave the harness end clipped and unclip the jackline end off when going below. We do the opposite; the harness end is clipped off and the tether remains in place on the jackline for the next user. Otherwise, the sailor would have to go on-deck to clip in. For our boat configuration, this is safer and more convenient. It is also a reason why a carabiner works for us at the harness end. The jackline end is ALWAYS a locking biner.
• It has been suggested that a sailor should always carry a sheath knife to cut a tether loose. My personal guess is that I am more likely to inadvertently stab myself than to benefit from the knife's close proximity. My choice. I do keep a folding knife in my pocket and there is always a knife at the helm.

What does the ISAF have to say about carabiners? "Warning: it is possible for a for a plain snap hook to disengage from a u-bolt if the hook is rotated under load at right angles to the axis of the u-bolt. For this reason the use of snaphooks with positive locking devises is strongly recommended." Very true. In fact, even a locking carabiner or snap hook will fail at a small fraction of its rated strength in that circumstance, since the gate is intended to retain the rope but not to carry cross-loading strain. I have seen gates collapse under little more than body weight. Rock climbers discovered this in the late 40s and it became common practice to connect to fixed points with a flexible sling. If you are going to attach to a fixed point, consider extending the hard point with a short strong sling, allowing the carabiner to ride away from the deck and hardware. In fact, this is much easier to arrange at the mast, helm, or bow pulpit, as often no new hardware is required; only a strong loop, easily rigged and easily removed.

On the other hand, this from a sailor with releasable snap shackles on his tether:
"The replacement tether I bought from West Marine (ISAF Specification Safety Tether, No. 9553504) has a new toggle on the snap-shackle release lanyard that consists of an open triangle of plastic.This is dangerous, in my opinion! In my first few hours of using the new tether, in moderate sea conditions, I managed to
snag the triangular loop on something and release the snap shackle. I am now replacing all triangular loop pulls with bead pulls that I have crafted myself."
This is apparently the reason West Marine now uses the Kong Tango carabiner. I suspect we are going to see a general move away from spinnaker shackles on tethers. We'll see. Everything is a compromise.

There is also this counter point, from Andrew evans, one of the world's most expereinced singlehanders, excerpted from his free on-line book on singlehanding:

_______

Some boaters insist on locking carabiners. I have no problem with this concept as long as they can
be quickly and easily fastened and unfastened blindly with one hand. In nine years of running
all over my boat dragging my tether, I have never had a carabiner detach from the jack lines or my
harness, so I don’t feel that a locking mechanism is necessary. I have heard of situations where the
jack line runs parallel to a sheet and the carabiner runs onto the sheet. My suggestion is to move the
jack line to a new position where this can not happen.

Some races insist on a quick release mechanism for the clip. I disagree with this concept. First, I
have never seen a quick release mechanism that can be easily fastened with one hand. If this can’t
be done, it won’t be used for the reasons mentioned above. Second, I can not imagine the
circumstances were I would want to be detached from the boat. Even if I am thrown overboard and
dragging injured beside the boat, this is a much better situation than watching the boat sail away.
I can see the safety advantage of a quick release on a crewed boat, but not singlehanding.
The tether must be long enough so that the skipper can move from rail to rail without unclipping
during normal tacking or gybing. After a tack, it will be necessary to unclip from the leeward jack
line and clip to the windward jack line in order to walk up the windward side of the boat.

_____

And thus, even with ISAF, the carabiner at the harness end is not required to be locking. Locking is a very good idea--I like the Kong Tango--but it remains a choice.  At the jackline or u-bolt end, I repeat, a locking biner is required by rule, experience, and common sense.

I have heard it suggested that aluminum carabiners are subject to cracking if dropped. There is some minor truth in that, but the caution applies to drops from great heights onto rocks. I've abused biners of many designs on weekly climbing trips, some for 30 years. Two have been retired due to hairline cracks in the gate mechanism; it was a design error that was retired 25 years ago. However, I did pull one of the cracked biners to destruction on a test rig, just to see; it made it to 3,800 pounds. There are no rocks to drop them against on your boat.

Never use a non-locking carabiner as a shackle substitute up in the rigging, for example as a halyard shackle. You'll be hating life when it clips on to the upper shrouds and won't come down! I didn't do it, but I heard the swearing from down the dock. They are nice for hoisting the dingy, securing the boom, and a host of minor conveniences.

Seat Harnesses. For use on deck, climbing seat harnesses are completely inappropriate; in the water they will hold your head under, whereas a chest harness will hold your head-up... sort of. For use up the mast, big wall seat harnesses are best. They were designed for days spent on the big vertical walls in Yosemite. Yates Mountaineering makes some of the best. A few minutes or an hour up the mast is a piece of cake.  The so-called "marine" versions and "riggers" harnesses are just watered down wall harnesses. Also, a harness should fit the individual just as a shoe fits the foot. Go to a store and try the harness on.  Any good climbing store will have a rope that you can hang from for a little while, so your backside can tell you how it fits and your legs can try to go to sleep. Important cautions, marked on the harness:

• The accessory loops on the waist belt are for hanging tools, NOT attaching safety lines.
• Buckling the waist correctly is VERY important; 20 years ago I watched a teenager fall out of a harness from 200 feet up and land 30 feet from me, all because the belt was not buckled properly. It must be snug to the smallest part of the waste in such a way that it cannot be pulled down in the event of an inverted fall. The webbing must double back through the buckle in the require manner and have a minimum free tail length, typically 3 inches (6 inches is better, in case you gain weight or are wearing more clothes).

Chest Harness Fit. I see many worn low and loose at the lower edge of the rib cage. I see this on round-the-world race sailors, but that doesn't make them right, not in this one case. Does it feel safer, like a life jacket? I think so, and it makes it easier to move and more comfortable with foul weather gear. I understand. Still, it's enough to make a climber cringe. Climbers have been killed that way, back in the days when climbers wore chest harnesses. Falls caused a broken ribs and the sharp ends punctured lungs. They need to be worn up higher, nearer the arm pits and certainly above the edge of the ribs. It's likely that if I were sailing the southern oceans for weeks, showered in near-freezing water I would change my tune. I would be a world class sailor and very confident of my abilities. I also have done a good bit of easier (for me) rock and ice climbing without a rope, because it was faster, because it was safe enough for me, and for the thrill of it. That doesn't make it smart; it is a poor habit that experienced climbers can get away with, and it sets a terrible example for new comers.

This poses a challenge for women, something learned as my daughter grew. A full vest of some sort would help, but that is impractical in warm weather and not comfortable the rest. It seems all that can be done if to watch tether length and to wear the harness as high as possible. After I took the above photos I realized the problem and made some adjustments to the fit.

Slings. A staple of the rock climber's anchor inventory, these are sewn loops of various high-tech materials, ranging in length from 6 inches to 48 inches. They can be used for everything from sail tack extensions, to anchors for securing yourself while working at the masthead, to secondary anchor attachment points (prusik hitch them to the rode, and clip the secondary rode to that--it makes untangling after tide swings easier.  A hundred uses that you will only discover over time and perhaps by reading a book on rock climbing. Cheap compared to "marine" alternatives and very strong.

Bolt Hangers. Stainless bolt hangers for climbing are rated at over 5,000 pounds, fit a 3/8" bolt, and can be used many places where you would like to add a strong anchorage point using an existing bolt. For under $2... beat that, West Marine!

Acmeclimbing - Stainless Bolt Hanger 
I'm not generally suggesting these for direct jackline attachments; they present a cutting hazard to webbing (sharp edge--attach the jackline using a shackle or other smooth hardware). On our boat, they work well for cabin-top attachments. Not for use as cockpit tether anchors: they are designed to take load in one direction and parallel to the surface; cockpit tether loads are more variable. Any application would need to considered the above factors.

 

Some Thoughts from Charles Kanter. A guru of catamaran sailing.  Jack Lines. We seem to agree on most everything, for catamarans, except my desire to keep jacklines rigged at all times. He too promotes inboard lines using dockline. I guess we've kicked the same rocks.

I hope you have enjoyed my ramblings; they were just a few ideas I wanted to share.  I've been involved in roped climbing and mountaineering for over 30 years, been on thousands of routes all over the country on both rock and ice, and fallen on a rope thousands of times. I have tested my ideas and never had a major gear failure. In other words, I have had gear failures and learned from them, and always had backup systems in place that were adequate. Just as every sailor should be a solid swimmer, I believe every sailor should learn the basics of climbing and fall protection in order to understand the systems involved. I have not provided that knowledge here. Take a class - you may like it enough to give up sailing. Think of all the money you'll save.

There's nothing like a nice frosty icefall! Sizing-up a New Hampshire waterfall a few years ago.

 

Dog Fish: The New Cod?

Catfish have always been déclassé, a poor peoples fish... until they began showing up as "blackened catfish" in fine restaurants. Many fishermen still scorn them, but perhaps it is in part because they never learned and efficient skinning technique. In part it was because they populate polluted water, surviving in low-oxygen conditions other fish cannot survive. It is certainly about where you catch them.

Sharks have always been summarily thrown back, along with other trash fish. Then mako started showing up at restaurants alongside swordfish and tuna.

Cod have always been the staple of New England fishing: mild in flavor, easy to catch, and plentiful. The cod fishery was temporarily closed when the regulatory folks decided that commercial fishing had brought them to commercial extinction. The fish-&-chips people quickly learned that dogfish (sand sharks) tasted very much the same, were plentiful, and set about catch as many of those as possible. The fisheries people concluded that the dogfish too were under great pressure also and must be protected. Commercial catches of both cod and dogfish remain heavily restricted and populations have rebounded, although both still bare watching. It is a success story from what I can see; when visiting Cape May this summer, dogfish were all anyone could catch close to shore or in the backwaters, and there were hordes of them!

Well, I am converted. In the past I always threw them back; this year Jessica questioned me on that., after I threw 2 back, one after the other. "Why not try them?" We did try them, Cajun style that first time, and she was right and I was wrong; fine eating with no bones.

Even more than catfish, they have an incredibly tough hide and must be skinned. If anything the operation is simpler, though, because they are not slippery but rather like 150 grit sandpaper. In fact, they are quite easy to handle, as they have no teeth, no dangerous spines, and are easy to hold on to. Skinning instructions can be found all over the web, better than what I can relate; youtube is best (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dye0aK4FG6A). Perhaps their best characteristic, at least in preparing smaller ones, is that  they have no bones! No filleting step is needed, minimizing waste. A cartilaginous spine is easily removed leaving a long trunk of solid meat that is easily prepared in any number of ways.

Bleed them as soon as possible after catching. They will taste better. Like catfish, they do not die quickly out of water, so clubbing may be involved. Just taking the head off will not kill them, strangely.

Skates are next on my target list. They show up in restaurants occasionally, fish markets regularly, and occasionally, as fake scallops (cut round with a cookie cutter). There is, of course, the venomous spine to contend with. I haven kept one yet, but I will keep the next one and I will report in!

For more information (regulatory and background) on dog fish and atlantic cod, visit the NOAA information sites:  http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/fishwatch/species/atl_spiny_dogfish.htm and http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/fishwatch/species/atlantic_cod.htm.

For information on skinning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dye0aK4FG6A

Hood Seafurl 800 Bearing Replacement

rev. 7-1-2016

On a pleasant windless day at a dock 150 miles from home, I decided to partly lower our furling genoa so that I could put a few stitches and necessary patches on the sacrificial leech cover. A simple morning task to pass the time in a sailorly way. We were 10 days into a 2 1/2 week cruise around the Delmarva. I released the halyard tension, lowered the sail a few inches, and watched 48 ball bearings merrily dribble onto the trampoline, filter through the netting, and plop into the harbor.

The furler had been prone to catching for the past few days. It would roll fairly easily for a bit, then seize, and after a good tug, roll easily again. The bearings in this furler are half-and-half stainless and Torlon, and it seems the Torlon bearings had worn down to where the stainless bearings would ride up over them. Eventually, the wedging force pushed the lower circlip out of its groove and the lower race fell apart, unnoticed. My genoa is a little to long on the luff but still, it sets very well with no halyard tention; in fact, some wieght rests on the tack, just a little, and this held the upper race in position. When I went to re-hoist the sail the the foil was lifted by normal friction in the groove, the top half of the furler was lifted, and everything fell apart.

Although I could no longer furl the sail, I could still use the luff extrusion as a foil, so we lowered the large geona and planned on using the much smaller self-tacking jib for the 3-day trip home. The weather forecast called for strong winds on the nose the first day, followed by spinnaker reaching conditions for the next two days. That is how it worked out, so the loss of the furler was no great handicap.

Back at home, after considerable stress over the great cost of replacement unit, I set about disassembling the furler drive. It is a simple matter: bring the jib and spinnaker halyards forward and tension with winch; place a pad under the boom and release the topping lift - this relieves some tension from the forestay; remove the plastic set screw between the luff extrusion and the drive tube, remove the split aluminum castings, and while supporting the luff extrusion, gently lower until it rests on the turnbuckle - the luff extrusion will slide right through the drive unit; lift both the luff extrusion and the drive unit and place a vice-grip on the flats of the lower end of the forestay wire - this will support these parts and keep the forestay from turning when the turnbuckle is loosened; remove the cotter pins, and loosen and remove the turnbuckle - it was not necessary to loosen the shroud turnbuckles; remove the vise-grips and slide the furler drive off the forestay, while supporting the luff extrusion; replace the vise grips on the flats to hold the luff extrusion in place.

Replacing the bearings is quite simple. Each race (4 races) contains 48 x 9/64-inch 440C stainless balls, McMaster-Carr part number 9642K31. Parts are also available at Pompanette Co.. They are most easily installed by assembling the races first, and then inserting them from the bottom up, flipping the assembly over as needed. I used waterproof grease, but if you are using plastic balls and wish to assemble the mechanism without grease you will still need something sticky to hold the balls in place; tooth paste works and will rinse out. I have used it on other projects with Torlon balls. Be certain to tap the circlips securely into their grooves. Be careful to position the four
set screws into the matching holes in the drive tube. In my case I was not able to separate the stainless steel basket from the bearing tube and thus was not able to reinstall the furler line in the normal manner. However, a clove hitch around the spool with the stopper knot on a dead-end has proven secure. The heads of the set screws provide extra grip.

 Even fully furled, with the sheet around the sail twice, there should be a few turns on the drum.

 If you cannot a proper knot through the hole (sometimes the drum is stuck to the core due to corrosion) the line can be secured with a clove hitch. The set screw nubs are enough to make it secure.

In my case, since I elected to get rid of the failure-prone mix of Torlon and stainless, I am using grease. To reduce the intrusion of salt spray I fitted a large (~3"x 1/8-inch thick, fitting just inside the tack fitting) polyethylene washer to the top of the stack, just above the top circlip. That is really the only place water can enter. I drilled a small drain in the stainless basket. We will see.

Notice that I also added a plastic ring above the furler as a drip ring, deflecting rain that drips down the forestay. Does it help? Not sure, but they are still smooth after 4 years. In a few more years I will open it up and re-grease, but for the moment, it feels and sounds (no squeaks or vibration--just smooth) like there is still grease in there.

What I am actually doing in this photo (11/2015) is spraying water NikWax repellent treatment on the furler line. I sail all winter and this prevents the line from freezing, which can be a big problem.

Piece of cake. I imagine I will be doing this every 5 years or so, under considerably less mental stress.

_______

7-1-2016 update. Still smooth as glass.

Trip Report - 2009 Delmarva Circumnavigation.

Twice before, in 2006 and in 2007, my daughter Jessica) and I had sailed around the Delmarva Peninsula, stopping at many small harbors along the coast and Bay, and stopping for a week to visit with her grandparents in Cape May New, Jersey. They've been wonderful trips, made adventuresome by the high strung nature of our boat; we had a 1979 Stiletto 27; even though modified for cruising, it was probably the fastest boat of its size. It would easily motor at 10 knots loaded down, could sail at over 20 knots, and became a bit frightening anytime the wind gusted over 20 knots. It was very shallow draft and could go anywhere, but was not accommodating. Living in narrow hulls with no bridge deck is rather like trench living with a view. There was certainly no room on the boat for our whole family. Great father-daughter times.

This winter we bought a new ride, a PDQ 32 Altair. Although not physically much larger, simple comparisons of length and beam are deceptive. The PDQ is a very ruggedly built blue water catamaran and is about as accommodating as possible of that length without unduly compromising seaworthiness or performance. There are two cabins with closet space and queen-size mattresses. There is a galley with refrigerator, stove and microwave. There is a head with a stand-up shower. And there is a comfortable salon for that all-important un-wind time at the end of the day and after dinner. For the first time my wife (Laura) would be able to experience, in a way, what my daughter and I had experienced on the Stiletto. Unfortunately, you can never recreate a first trip of discovery and never recapture time past.

Day One. Deale MD to Solomons Island MD. 40 miles.

To ensure an early start, my wife and daughter drove from our home in Vienna, VA to Deale, MD the night before and I joined them there, flying in from a business trip late into the evening. It was nice that they could get settled in the afternoon rather than feeling pressed in the morning to put everything away and hit the road. Very nice.

As is the custom, I was up at first light and hit the road, without rousing the rest of the family. Lamentably, there was no wind at all, and I began the long slog down the Bay. Sailors always lament not being able to sail, and I agree with that, but early in the morning when the waters flat and no boats are out, it's delightfully relaxing with the boat on autopilot have a leisurely breakfast as the miles melt away. Not stimulating, not challenging, but peaceful.

>

In the past we've stopped in at Calvert Cliffs to enjoy little fossil hunting. I was looking for something different this trip, as I had been there enough times. I spotted a small and isolated beach some miles north of Calvert Cliffs and motored in for a closer investigation. We: by this time my family was up and about. We found 6 feet of water about 200 yards from shore, anchored in hard sand, and Jessica and I dingy over to the beach. There were no houses for quite some distance on either side, so I reasoned it was either a park of some manner or simply unused land. I spotted a sign on the beach from the big boat, but it was too far to read even with binoculars. I reasoned the sign would reveal the ownership status of the beach.

It turned out the sign was a warning to proceeded no wake speed up the creek. The creek was only 6 inches deep low tide. The canoe country.

Parker's Creek / Warriors Rest is one of the nicest hidden beaches on the Chesapeake Bay; however, it is restricted access. It is operated by the American Chestnut Land Trust and as a wildlife refuge specifically targeted at protecting certain endangered insects. It seemed reasonable amount to enjoy the beach and to enjoy fossil hunting along the cliffs to the south. I hope any who follow in our footsteps know enough to walk lightly and to stay on the beach.

During our absence on the beach the wind came up nicely and we enjoyed pleasant close reaching and beating down towards Solomons Island. I chose a course between the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power station and the Cove point LNG plant, taking the opportunity to show the sites to my wife.

Just a few hundred yards north of Drum Point another attractive beach called to us. Drum point offers a nice park, clean sand in clearwater, and a pleasant tidal creek that alternately fills and drains Drum Point Pond. When the tide it is rising is delightful to sit in the creek and enjoy bay water rushing over your legs, watching crabs scurried this way and that. It is an easy walk on a hard sand bottom in ankle to knee-deep water from the Bay to near the pond, and this stroll is highly recommended on a hot day.

Our traditional anchorage for the night has always been in Mill Creek, heading just north out of the Solomons Island Harbor. The first night out we seldom choose to stay at a marina. Quiet is nice the first night. I did dingy over to the Solomons Island Tiki Bar with Jessica. Quite the scene. For smaller boats, they have free dockage available.

Day Two and Three. Solomons Island to Tangier. 40 miles.

Small craft advisory conditions, all day. Right on the nose.

This was probably the first real sustained test of windward bashing and strong conditions for my new boat. It passed with flying colors. At 20 knots true she rests just on the edge of wanting a reef, and with the sails trimmed full-and-by, the autopilot will easily steer for an hour at a time, the boat making 8-10 knots, though the motion can be a bit much after a time. There is always some concern on a small catamaran that waves will slam the underside of the bridge deck; this is not the case with the PDQ. There were a few slaps, to be sure, but the hard impacts were 15 minutes apart, and only occasionally did the front beam plow into an especially steep wave. The boat would slow to about 6.5 knots and then slowly accelerate to 8 knots. Bracing.

We did pull a winch out of the deck, trimming the genoa under full load. We didn’t lose the winch—she just lifted a bit and made crunching noises. I quickly transferred the sheet to a matching winch next to it. Later discovery, weeks later, confirmed my suspicion; this one winch had been owner-added on a cored deck without adequate backing. I was surprised, though, when I saw that not even simple washers had been placed under the nuts! The nuts simply punched into the foam under what must have been the greatest strain the winch had seen. The factory installed winches were installed with big fender washers into a solid glass area of the deck, reinforced for winch mounting. I reinstalled the winch with and over-sized FRP backing plate.

Because hurricane Bill was still tromping just offshore, we chose to spend two days in Tangier rather than to hurry on down to Cape Charles. Cape Charles is pleasant, but it is pretty dead. Even compared to Tangier.

I don't know how to describe Tangier. So much has been written. It is described as cute, as old English, as a traditional waterman's town; none of these truly fit. Perhaps they all fit, in parts. Many of the residents’ lives revolve around the tourist trade these days, and that's not traditional. Many of the residents seem to resent the tourist trade; they seem to resent life in a bottle, being looked at and pointed at. Many not involved in the trade are standoffish, and that's easy to understand. Still, I think you would need to spend a month in Tangier to feel that you understood it. You still wouldn't belong there. But don't for a minute interpret these words to mean I feel that any of the people are unpleasant. That's not true. It seems only that the gap between cityfolk involved in commercial enterprises and islanders married to the water is so great that it surpasses any simple description.

We found plenty to do. There's a wonderful swimming beach at Tom's Hook. IT is about a 1-mile walk through town from the docks. A town carnival, The Reunion, was in progress as we visited. Few small fireworks. Carnival rides were provided for the kids, all inflatable because traditional carnival rides could not reasonably be delivered to the island. The bull ride was particularly fun to watch, as it was clear that everyone knew everyone, and the dares through fast and thick. Funny; the girls seemed to do best, as they kept their weight forward over the center of gyration.

Another family of cruisers arrived with a boat full of children—my daughter immediately set about entertaining them in guiding them around the island, being an old hand after several visits herself. Fishing, critter hunting, a trip to the carnival, all with Jessica as tour guide for the whole family!

Spanky's ice cream store and the Fisherman's Cove restaurant are very reliable. The General store, 50 yards from the dock, has ice and groceries.

Day Four. Tangier to Cape Charles. 40 miles.

No useful wind. We sailed a few miles from Tangier to just south of Watts Island, but then it went light. We slogged on down to the harbor and slid alongside the bulkhead just past the fuel dock. Cape Charles is typical of the marinas found up Delmarva Coast; it is a state run Marina that serves both recreational and commercial fishing interests, with work boats along the bulkhead and a mixture of work boats and recreational boats between piers. There is a full-time harbormaster and modest facilities.

Perhaps it is just the old part of town, part of town closest to the marina and the part we see each visit, but at least old Cape Charles is dying. Every time we visit it seems that 2 or 3 more stores have closed up, or have been replaced by another venture that is on the verge of closing up. The only restaurant to remain successful—and it's a dandy—is Kelly’s Ginger Nut Pub on Main Street near the water. There's a hardware store, a few knick-nacks stores, and a handful of real estate offices. I guess new houses and condos are selling at the other end of town.

The star attraction, from my daughter's point of view, is hunting the gigantic hermit crabs that inhabit the boat ramp area. Typical of Atlantic Coast beaches are small hermit crabs that inhabit periwinkle and small moon snail shells. The hermit crabs of Cape Charles inhabit conch and welk shells as long as 8 inches! She collects them by the dozen and watches them walk along the wooden docks between boat ramps. We keep a small aquarium on our boat—one of those 3 gallon hexagonal aquariums available in every dimestore. It is a perfect fit for the shelf in her cabin and it allows us to keep a little ecosystem of things that she's collected throughout the trip. Much better than a bucket with a few smelly shells and easier to mange. She's a budding biologist and has a strong interest in the found at the water's edge. We spent hours slowly maneuvering our tender along bulkheads and beaches, cataloging algae, kelp, sponges, sea squirts, and all of the fish, mollusks and crustaceans that call the boundary water home.

Note: If you are going to try a small aquarium you will need to keep the water level lower so that it does not splash underway. Shorten the air lift tube by several inches so that it still functions properly.

Day Five. Cape Charles to Chincoteague. 85 miles.

It wasn't our initial intention to do this as a passage. I would've started even earlier and pushed for more speed. I hope that the two visit one or more of the inlets in between—Sand Shoal or Wachapreague—but the swells from hurricane Bill had caused every inlet from Cape Charles to Lewis to break, including Ocean City. The swell was not uncomfortable in terms of sailing. It was very long-period and not rough at all. Initially there was enough wind to sail, from Cape Charles, around the point, and some way up the Atlantic coast, but as I realized how far we would have to go to reach harbor, motoring became necessary. Very necessary, it turned out.

Alone. We saw only 2 other boats on the passage from Cape Charles, until we neared Ocean City. Miles of quiet, wild beach, in the distance, though. With a swell running it was prudent to stay a good 2 miles out.

As I said, the swells seemed very calm. I called the Wachapreague harbormaster to inquire about the condition of the inlet. He said it wasn't a problem at all, but that no one had been out that day. Hmmmm. I decided to get closer to one of the sandbar areas where I could see the swell breaking, to get a feel for what depth was dangerous. I got a trifle too close. Before I reached the selected bar, with every hatch open, still in 20 feet of water, we took an enormous breaker the full length of the deck. It seems a few are much larger than the average and break in deeper water. No damage, but everything was soaked. Most critically, my wife's blood glucose monitor stopped functioning, and as she has little ability to sense fluctuations in blood sugar without monitoring, she can easily pass out and the Atlantic off Wachapreague is a poor place to have an emergency. We need to get to an inlet where we could reach a pharmacy. No options.

I hadn't planned on passages long as from Cape Charles to Chincoteague. We were prepared for this possibility, of course. It would have been no real strain to continue to Cape May through the night, but we need to get to a pharmacy sooner than that. The immediate danger was that we would reach Chincoteague just at dusk and have to run the channel in the dark. Though I've always felt that the Chincoteague entrance is a very safe in daylight, completely resistant to the effects of swell, running it at night is a different matter. Some of the markers are not lit, it is critical that you locate all of them, and there are sandbars all along the twisting approach. I called the Chincoteague Coast Guard; it is the headquarters station for operations between Lewis and Cape Charles. I explained our situation— that although we had no immediate emergency, we needed to reach the pharmacy that evening and I wanted clarification on the condition of the channel. They took all the relevant information, gave extremely detailed information on marker positions and on one marker that was out of position due to the recent storm, and offered to provide any additional assistance as needed it and we got closer. Very professional. But everything went well, we met with no delays and were able to run the inlet just as the sun set. We tied up behind the Chincoteague Inn (good restaurant, both informal for lunch, informal for dinner) and I did the speed walk to the pharmacy.

Notes: the new town marina is nice, with power, water, and showers nearby, but getting in the piers with the tide is trick to impossible. There is one good bulkhead spot. The others are for trawlers, leave you far out, and have no power. The only marina with any draft (over 3' at MLW) selling gas quit. IF you stay at the town dock, however, it is only about 150 yards to a Valero gas station. The swing bridge is being moved about 1/2 mile north. This will put all of the marinas on the ocean side and reduce openings. Construction should be complete about February 2010.

Day Six. Rest.

With northeast winds forecast for the day and west winds for the next, why fight it?

Lacking wheels—we could have rented these just down the road but we elected to stay together as a family on the waterfront area—there is really not far to go on Chincoteague's front street. Main Street is populated by restaurants, nick-nak stores, and a few bookstores. Jessica and I made a run up to the pharmacy once again to collect a package of medical supplies that is been sent overnight in which they have been so gracious to accept. Homemade ice cream store on the way back from the pharmacy call to us required a substantial detour, at least in terms of time.

A lazy day.

Note: we have rented bikes in the past and there is plenty to keep you bust for an afternoon. The beach at Assateague is a few miles down Maddox Boulevard - there are good bike trails there, weaving through the sanctuary - and there are plenty of streets to pedal in Chincoteague.

Day Seven. 125 miles.

By unanimous consent we decided to skip Ocean City. Jessica and I have been there twice, and found it has little to recommend it. The harbor is subject to surge, it's noisy, and we're not boardwalk people. Fortunately, the wind gods concurred with our decision and provided steady broad reaching conditions all the way to Cape May. Not strong winds, mind you. Only about 10 to 12 knots and just enough to keep the boat moving at 6 knots or so. We had already resigned ourselves to a nighttime arrival in Cape May, and having only visited Cape May about 35 times and only arrived at the ferry terminal entrance (Cape May Canal) about 40 times I was fairly certain I would have no difficulty.

Really, on a long transit like this there's very little to report. We saw dolphins a few times. We watched the para-sailors off Ocean City. We saw the ongoing construction of the new bridge at Indian River. All my trips with a Cherokee son I was unable to enter Indian River Inlet because of a 35-foot bridge in the 40-foot mast. Now they are raising the bridge to 45 feet and I've purchased a boat with a 49-foot mast requirement. Darn.

A minor but significantly irritating design flaw of the PDQ Altair is the mechanism for raising and lowering the outboard engines. It is done with a system of ropes and pulleys, and of the engine latched becomes corroded or if the operator allows a little too much slack in one of the ropes while lowering—and this is easy to do if the boat is sailing while the engine is lowered—the rope can get wrapped around the prop. Sure enough, I went to start the port engine near the mouth of the Delaware Bay and found it fouled. Since we would be crossing the Delaware in the dark and I would be both engines in order to maneuver safely through the canal (there are very strong currents at ebb tide) I need to go for a swim immediately to sort things out. No hesitation. And I learned it in the 200 miles in the past since Cape Charles the water temperature had dropped dramatically. Fortunately, the tangle was very minor and only took a few moments to straighten out.

The rest of the crossing was uneventful. Very little shipping or recreational traffic. We were able to follow a ferry into the Cape May Canal, which turned out to be very useful. Though I have entered the canal many times, I never entered at night. The shore lights make it nearly impossible to pick up the entrance markers from a distance. Following the ferry made it very straightforward, even though he was miles ahead, because as he entered the canal he blocked all of the shore lights and made spotting the markers much easier. A few words of caution to other sailors transiting the canal at night: there is a pipeline area and dock on the north side just a fraction of a mile past the ferry landing marked by a fast red flasher - that flasher is not a channel marker and you should stay to the south of it; the railroad bridge has a substantial current under it you should try to hit it well centered and at full throttle - it can be as much as 3 knots at peak ebb; there are buoys in the water marking a side channel just before the canal reaches the Cape May Harbor - watch out for these as they are not lit. There are several other buoys in the canal as well, toward the sides. Keep sharp lookout.

We chose to anchor near the Fisherman's Memorial at the far south end of Cape May Harbor, in the midst of a small mooring field used by pocket cruisers. This is only recommended for fairly shallow draft boats. When we arrived we had about 6 feet of water, but by low tide this had dropped to less than 4 feet. Larger boats will want to anchor near the Coast Guard facility further to the north. Also the harbor is large and can be rather rough in strong north winds, particularly where it gets shallow at the south end.

What a glorious place to anchor, though. Morning came with light northeast winds and a break in the oppressive humidity is been a constant companion during this trip. We're surrounded by small boats: some beautiful and classic wooden day sailors, some older fiberglass boats, some shattered dreams - boats in need of more repairs than they will ever receive. To the east lies the lobster House and the Cape May fishing fleet. To the south a delightful wild beach that brackets the Cape May Fisherman's Memorial. To the east, a small beach and behind that the Cape May Nature Center.

The beach by the Fisherman's Memorial is a favorite Jessica's. As soon as she wiped some sleep from her eyes, found a quick bit of breakfast and her last few clean-ish clothes, she was of in the dingy to tour the harbor and the beach. I joined her of course, always the little kid.

By early afternoon we move the boat over to the marina where we intended to stay; South Jersey Marina. It is a bit higher priced than some of the other marinas, but it is very nice, convenient to everything, and is well suited to catamarans with lots of bulkhead space available. Ever since I bought my new boat, though only 32 feet long, I've often felt that I was showing off. Don't like that feeling. I would rather have a simple boat that is not ostentatious at all. I only bough the PDQ because I liked where she could take me. I like the Stiletto because it was so minimal and always “comfortable” in out-of-the way spots. Quirky, perhaps, but not ostentatious. Well, South Jersey Marina is all about being ostentatious. We shared the bulkhead with a 125-foot megayacht, which was flanked by two smaller megayachts, only 94 and 110 feet, and a 75-foot Viking sportfishing yacht. Each had a crew in charge of keeping the yacht perfectly clean. Immediately upon docking they would turn out with hoses and buckets and squeegees, for they had to was AND dry their charge. In fact, after one short absence I came back to find that all of my dock lines, my hose, and my shore power cord had been recoiled to more picturesque standard. Oh my.

We stayed in Cape May for a week, visiting with Jessica's grandparents and enjoying this wonderful Victorian in seaside resort. We went day sailing on two occasions, taking my parents and friends on short trips around the immediate area. We did all of the things tourists do on vacation. But those are our family stories and I won't them relate here.

Day 16. Cape May to Chesapeake city. 71 miles.

The weather forecast had been the same for days and would be the same for days; brisk north to northwest winds. Exactly the weather all sailors avoid going up the Delaware Bay, but we had no time to wait. The Delaware is notorious for building steep chop in wind-against-tide situations, that's exactly what we found: 3- to 5- foot square walls of water, one behind the other. The first hour was atrociously rough, and in trying to set sail I managed to rip the tack shackle right out of the jib. The roller furler also chose this time to lock up completely, and I got to spend a stimulating 15 minutes on the bow of a submarine wrestling the jib down. We left the main up and motor sailed the length of the day, tossing a bit for the first hour, without event. The PDQ, because of the forward position of the keels, will not sail to the windward in anything but calm conditions under main alone—she just keeps rounding up.

Chesapeake City was predictably crowded. I had to get up on deck and leer at a few people who were anchoring to closely, all well within our swing radius. A few times, I used a bit of a stage whisper with my daughter, relating how we have moved to a different creek in the past when faced with such crowded conditions. It was the truth; we have moved on to Cabin John Creek or the Bohemia River. There's no reason people can't move on. Even so, one small powerboat anchored rather too closely beside us, and by morning was within 3 feet of our transom. But we all emerged unscathed, thanks to very light winds.

Day 17. Chesapeake City to Rock Hall. 45 miles.

Little wind, but broad reaching conditions with the spinnaker up. Convenient, since using the jib would have been inconvenient.

The upper Bay is clearly powerboat country. I've never seen so many express cruisers and large power yachts with such large wakes in my life. I have seldom seen less courtesy and less awareness of the hazard presented by large wakes. Pure thoughtlessness, as though they HAD to pass right next to you, when the whole Bay is available. As though they HAD to stay in the ship channel, though most of the water in the area is quite deep. To state that “I am a ship.” To state the “I am a powerful person.” Would they behave so, outside the armor of their vessel, and push a little old lady out of line at the local Safeway? No, this sort of people only demonstrate such manners and such courage behind the wheel of a boat or car. Not naked, not on the street, mano a mano. We had more things fly around the cabin than at any other point the trip, including the biggest ocean waves.

A poker run—a sort of muscle boat rally—began just as we exited the Elk River. Nearly 100 go-fast boats from multi-thousand horsepower cigarette boats to 25-foot dual outboard speedsters poured pell-mell down the Bay and over the horizon almost before their wakes reached us on the other side of the Bay. But unlike express cruisers which send a 3-foot wall of water your way, these speedsters didn't sit far enough in the water to cause anything more than several minutes worth of ruffled water. It was fun to watch, quite a spectacle. About 20 minutes later I heard a VHF radio call to the Coast Guard

from a cruising sailor near Sandy Point complaining that he was being harassed by powerboats. A few moments later he stated that the harassment of dissipated. I wonder… was the behavior of the power boaters inappropriate, or was he simply surprised and shocked to see such a wall of high-speed boats coming at him? I imagine had I been in front of the race and not to the side, it might have been more startling. No, I think not. I think it was obvious these boats were moving with purpose.

Our docking Rock Hall was comical at worst. Management was quite certain that their travel lift slip—unused for the weekend—was 17 1/2 feet wide would be a good home for our catamaran. After a bit of confusion when one of my engines refuse to lock in the down position, I managed to thread the eye of the needle and get my boat headed straight towards the slip. We got about 30% of the way in and… we stopped. As it turns out, the slip is only 16 3/4’ wide, which management continued to deny even after it measured my boat and the slip. Technically, the tracks are 17 feet wide, but there are fixed fenders nailed to the entrance pilings and inflatable fenders tied to those. We were quickly relocated to a bulkhead next to travel lift, and everything else went smoothly. ( I believe they have lifted wider boats, as they claim. If the widest section were far above the water, typical of a large power boat, then it would pass above the restriction.)

Jessica made a beeline for the pool. I was right behind her.

A prime eating spot in Rock Hall is the Waterman’s Restaurant. It is only a few hundred feet across the harbor from the Sailing Emporium where we were staying, but probably 5 miles by car and we didn't have a car. The best way, of course, is by dingy.

There was a short wait for dinner. We chose an unoccupied spot at the end of a long high table near the bar. Well, really it was a part of the bar I suppose. Holiday weekend revelers spilled over and kept us company. Many were fairly loaded but harmless enough….

Until it was time for them to leave. We followed one particular group, a group we had watched imbibed heavily, and there was no designated driver. We were curious to see what would follow, and perhaps a bit concerned. We hope they weren’t going far. They wobbled down the floating dock, which of course did its part to upset their equilibrium. They piled into their muscle boat, pinballed out of the dock in a manner that suggested substantial impairment, and motored off slowly to a neighboring marina. Thank goodness.

Day 18. Rock Hall to Deale. 38 miles.

A late start with the fine this day. The wind was supposed to fill-in by late morning and give us 10- to 15-knot broad reaching conditions all the way to Deale. A good spinnaker day. Jessica and I took off early to snatch some continental breakfast and visit the local beaches in a dinghy. A nice relaxing morning.

The Bay off Annapolis is a sailboat racing spectacle on Labor Day weekend. A dozen fleets and many hundreds of large and small sailboats cover the Chesapeake Bay from shore to shore, from the Bay Bridge to the Rhode River. Though there is no legal requirement to avoid sailboat racing fleets, it seems to be good courtesy. Additionally, the fleets are so dense that crossing situations can require repeated jibing that no cruising crew is interested in or perhaps even capable of doing with extreme rapidity. Even so, the afternoon was filled with crossing situations with other cruisers and perhaps lagging racers that required careful calculation of course and occasionally a jibe or other avoidance maneuver. By the time we passed south of the Rhode River we had put a fine polish on our jibes.

The wind continued to rise. The GPS read 11 knots for extended periods and 12 knots for a few monuments. Not surfing—we were too close to shore for that—just sustained speed. And as a cruiser and not a racer, we took the chute down. Those where the strongest conditions yet for that sail, and I did not wish to risk troubles. With the squeezer and 2 days back-to-back practice, it was an easy one-man job.

The rest is anti-climax. Rainclouds and small craft advisories were approaching from the east, it spit rain, but nothing came of it and we easily made it home. After two weeks of tying up at unfamiliar marinas with cross winds strong tides, parking at home, in a calm Chesapeake creek, is as simple as parking a car.

At home you trade increased space and room to move about for more chores and more stuff to be tracked, stored and manipulated. Funny… when you start a long trip life afloat seems complex compared to this simplicity of life at home. Driving a car is as simple as stepping on the gas. Home is roomy and contains everything that you can need. After weeks of float, being on a boat seems simple, at least within the protected confines of the Chesapeake Bay. Simple navigating. A simple schedule. Not much room but fewer things to store and maintain. Different.

Keeping a Cruise-and-Carry AC unit On-deck: Good Idea, or Dissaster in the Making?

rev. 6-27-2016

Note: this is my experience with a catamaran, with a relatively level deck. If you have a leaner (monohull) your experience could be different. Additionally, our cabin top is high above the water and the ride is generally dry; if you have a chronically wet deck, that would be very different.

Spring 2016 we replaced this with Dometic Turbo installed air conditioning. Expensive, but slightly less weight, much quieter, much more even cold distribution, more BTUs, less amps, clear deck, better visibility, less lugging, and no blocked hatch. Yup, it's better all around. If you can do the installation work yourself, installed is the far better value. However, installed is a little complicated. I have an article scheduled for publication spring 2018. Quite a lead time.

I posted this question on several forums and received the expected doomsayer advice: it will slide off and kill someone; it will slide off and kill someone every time there's rough weather; because it will slide off an kill someone you must figure out some way to get it below every single time you move the boat. Given the narrow side decks of my boat and given the unreliable character of my back, if I had to tote the unit around and down below, if the unit has to go below every day, then I might as well throw it over the side the first morning be done with it.

The reality was not so grim.

I carried our A/C unit on deck for the better part of a 500 mile cruise around the Delmarva Peninsula. I carried it on deck through small craft advisory conditions, close reaching up-wind at 8-9 knots, spray covering the boat. We carried on through rain. We carried on through 8-foot swells generated by hurricane Bill, taking green water the length of the boat on one occasion. With two simple straps through the carrying handles, the unit never shifted an inch. We did get a few drops now and then when there was heavy spray or rain. When we took green water probably a teacup came around the edges. Thankfully, that was one stray breaker; if it had been more than that we've certainly would've taken it below. We get nearly as much leakage from condensate in humid conditions. We learn that a large beach towel laid over the hatch shroud as insulation eliminated the condensation.
The straps are the sheet from the self-tacking jib (we use the 150% genny most of the time) and a length of 5/16-inch low-stretch line tied with a truckers hitch. This was very secure and took only a minute to rig each time.
We also learned that it's a simple matter, at least on the PDQ 32, to lower the unit down through the slider at the far outboard edge, and then forward onto the port saloon bench. It is a one-person job and settled weather and an easy two-person job even when it's little bouncy. Do pad the open vinyl window with a towel to prevent scratching.

Would I keep the unit on deck as much as we did before, knowing what I know now? No. I would take it down anytime 20 knots of wind as predicted or anytime large breaking swells are a likelihood. If a thunderstorm approached I would probably put down the hatch, if I believed that waves would be an issue. It is also a bloody nuisance if frequent tacking is anticipated. But for cruising in fine weather and light rain, were tacks tend to be far apart, yes, next summer it will live on deck.

Tip: If you cover the canvas hatch adapter with a large beach towel, dripping from condensation and leaking during rain storms will be less, and efficiency will be greater. Do not block the cooling fan grating.

Tip: Cut a 24-inch square foam floor tiles to fit the AC unit and opening. This greatly reduces both condensation and rain leaks.

Tip: The existing leveling leg will not maintain its position underway and under the pressure of lashings; the cam will slip. Drill holes, about 9/32- to 11/32-inch or as needed to produce a light push fit, through the leg athwart ships to accommodate a section of FRP tent pole. I also added a layer of EVA foam to the bottom of the foot, for additional padding, after the original rubber moulding fell off.