Never Anchor in the Impact Zone

 

 ... or How Quickly Things Can Change...

I've been following the adventures of SV Footprint for some time... since I first started looking for a cruising cat. Just a few days ago, after crossing oceans and cruising for years, they made a gamble on an exposed anchorage that turned out badly. Fortunately, no one was injured and the insurance company came through like a champion. The experience would leave me in shock. They are looking inward, I'm sure, wondering where life will or should point next.

The blog of SV Footprint

In a nutshell, the cove turned into a shore break, the anchor somehow failed, and the boat was lost. I believe they had a Spade 80 (33 pounds), all 1/4-inch G43 chain rode, and a bridle, but I'm working from memory and a cursory search or older blog posts. If we consider the case of a catamaran on an all-chain rode in exposed conditions (based upon the this calculation) we must quickly conclude that there was simply no way the anchor could hold--the strain peaks at 7,550 pounds, well over the breaking rating of 1/4-inch G43 chain. This is before the effect of breaking waves is considered. Any veteran of ocean beaches has felt the difference between the gentle vertical undulations of a wave in deep water and sharp impact of a breaker, which would throw the boat up and backwards with a force exceeding the displacement of the boat.

They might have survived this on a combination rode--20 feet of chain plus 1/2-inch nylon 3-strand--for much the same reason a big fish can't escape light tackle in open water--he can't get a good solid snatch on the line, it just keeps stretching. But we can't truly know.

 I've just converted to an all-chain rode, for reasons of convenience--the windlass handles it more easily--but now will need to find a solution for this scenario, should I (...when I...) face it. One solution would be a 50- to 100-foot snubber secured to the chain with a prusik knot or locking chain hook... but how would it be deployed in quickly worsening conditions? It couldn't. Would it be more practical to lengthen the bridle with extensions made of softer stuff, perhaps 7/16-inch nylon, perhaps 70 feet long, capable of stretching 4-6 feet in extreme conditions? I carry a retired climbing rope meeting just these requirement, designed to absorb climbing fall energies in exactly this range. Yup, I think that's the plan.

What can we take away from this expereince, and this discussion?

• Shallow anchorages are very bad when waves move in. There may have been no effective mooring solution in the waves they saw.
• All-chain may be a mistake in some circumstances. We all need to consider a way to ease the impact load.
• They had a bridle and it didn't matter. Two 15-foot lengths of 5/8-inch nylon simply don't stretch enough to change the math. Longer, undersize bridle lines would help, but most sailors over-size them for better durability. Unless they were 75 feet long and more slender, I doubt the outcome would have been any different.
• Jackline Insurance gets top marks.

And by all means read their blog. They've had some wonderful adventures and tell the story well.

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Strengths of all-chain rodes:

• Excellent chafe resistance, where rocks and coral are present.
• Quiets the motion of the boat in shifting winds. Thus, better holding in moderate conditions.
• Matches the swing to other boats on chain.
• Can help the anchor re-set on a shift by slowing the rate at which the direction of pull changes (the chain has to pull across the bottom and through the mud if deeply set, making the change more gradual and allowing the anchor to slowly redeploy to face the new strain).
• Easier to handle with a windlass.
• Generally longer life, though this is only true in areas with abrasive bottoms. In the Chesapeake, corrosion often destroys the chain of  the weekend or occasional sailor before abrasion gets the rope. The rope-to-chain splice should be remade every year or two, depending on chafe.

Weaknesses of all chain rode:

• Greater surge forces in gusts than a mixed rode--about double.
• Greater surge forces in waves--about four times--if combined with strong winds, which serve to straighten the chain and eliminate the shock absorbing potential of the catenary. The chain itself cannot absorb the surge as it has no stretch, and thus, has reduced holding in extreme conditions.
• Expensive. Not really important, in the grand scheme of things.
• Harder to handle without windlass. Need a chain stopper or equivalent, in addition to bow cleats.
• Harder to handle as kedge or secondary rode.

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Another detailed treatment of anchor rode loading, by Don Dodds, author of Modern Cruising Under Sail. This is rather long and convoluted, but arrives at very similar conclusions; anchoring in shallows on all-chain rodes is fatal if the waves pick up.
 Don Dodds Anchor Rode Calculations Part I
Don Dodds Anchor Rode Calculations Part III

And a summary of some on-line discussion:
Compuserve Group Anchor Discussion

My favorite Bottom Cleaning Tools

My last paint job, I used Micron 66. It lasted 2 years, in spite of dire warnings that it would peal in brackish water.. It didn't. I spoke with the factory and they repeated the tale, but I spoke with a rep at the boat show in Annapolis and he explained that it was winter haul-outs that caused the trouble. He also said that if you use the bottom paint up, running for 2 years, scrub a few times, and sand a little before repainting, it's all gone and that reduces the  trouble. I used Micron Extra this time, which I've used before but found slightly less effective. I may go back to Micron 66 next time, unless the new Micron 77 is out, which is brackish compatible. But this is all off-topic.

Notice that the scraper blade is curved; it quickly wears to match the average curve of the hull, making the scraping action both more efficient and more gentle on the paint.

I do end up scrubbing 2-3 times before I consider paint spent. You need a scraper that...

• gives leverage for hard growth and enough handle for 2 hands. I have sore hands.
• is soft enough not the remove paint.
• floats.

Mine is made from 1/8-inch polyethylene sheet and closet rod split with a saw curf. A screw secures the blade. My first version used a Home Depot plastic paint scraper with the handles removed, which was OK but perhaps a bit too aggressive. The polyethylene sheet is better (I generally get it from work, but we have used the heavy dividers that show up in some binders). There is no need to sharpen the sheet; it will wear to something of an edge very quickly. I use the same scraper to clean off my spiffy new Manson anchor; there's just enough handle and it stashes easily in one of the winch handle holders on the bow. I keep a few on the boat, in case I can get helpers--not often, really.

Of course, use the scraper as little as possible. Try to clean before there is hard growth. Even then, use an easy hand, and only where you must.

The best pads for removing soft growth are...

• easy to hold.
• self-cleaning.
• have enough loops to pull off small barnacles.
• don't remove soft paint.
• 5 inches square seems a good compromise of coverage vs. scrubbing pressure. The one in the picture is smaller, which can be better when some of the growth is hard.
• floats, at least for a while.

Mine are berber carpet squares, not pile carpet--that will just smear things around. You need the irregular loop pattern. I got the idea from a professional hull cleaner and I like them to be both very gentle and effective; far better than the 3M pads generally recommended.  Because they are carpet, they conform to the curves of the hull. They work very well in combination with Atlas Fit gloves, which keep them from sliding out of your hand.

And they are free (I have cut-offs from our rec-room carpet installation)!

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rev. 6-10-2013. Yup, the Micron CSC was less effective than the Micron 66. Some hard growth starting at 20 months, though not too bad. But more than Micron 66. Switched to West Marine PCA Gold (great price on sale).

rev. 8-31-2015.  To my surprise, the West Marine PCA Gold is performing just as well as the Micron 66, and for 1/2 the price, and better than Micron Extra. I'm going to try tho stretch it to 2 1/2 years and do it in the spring. It is basically gone now, but it's always good to wear off more paint and the growth will slow when the water cools.

Just me and My Wife

A mid-week cruise, to celebrate our webbing anniversary. Few days of nothing planned and no commitments.

We went to the boat the night before. No morning rush to pack things away and get away from the dock. It got a bit cold, below 50F at night I think, but that's outside, the heat works, and so does close company.

The wind was working in the morning, a nice broad reach with a 10-15 knot breeze and a brilliant sun. In spite of perfect traveling conditions, we weren't headed far. The goal was to have an afternoon in a quiet place with nothing to do.

There's an an un-named creek off Harris Creek, off the Choptank River, between Briary Cove and Cummings Creek, one of the nicest little anchorages in the area, with no mention in any guide. Perhaps the shallow entrance--about 6 feet over a narrow bar during exceptionally low tides--is enough to disqualify it for inclusion, but it's deeper inside, 7-10 feet over most of it's area. If you chose to visit, stay close to the south side of the remains of a blind located in the center of the mouth of the creek-- that is the deepest spot, and it is quite shallow on the north side. Most of the creeks in this area are heavily gentrified. We passed the ever-popular Dunn Cove on the way in, always crowded; I supose folk feel some safety in numbers. Perhaps being in front of a mansion or two makes them feel secure or perhaps they hope something will rub off if they stare at money long enough. Our cove has only a few old houses, well screened by trees, a few blinds, and a few working farms.

We took the dingy and explored the margins, in no hurry. Even in October the water is warm enough for wading, and with the reduced algae population, the water becomes clear. We read books and told stories and listened.

See the decoys in the woods, waiting for the gunning season to open?

Morning found us homeward bound. Though the forecast had suggested no wind, we got 10 knots just behind on the beam and slid across the Bay in no time. The Annapolis Sail Boat Show was starting and I had a press pass waiting with my name on it.

Shhhh....

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A press pass is, first and foremost, an invitation for every two-bit gadget maker to grab your sleeve and pitch his latest must-have-you-can't-survive-without-this-and-mine-is-better doo dad. It gets you more attention when you wander on boats costing more than your house and that would require your entire family and all of your friends to crew. And it's free.

The reason for the visit was practical, a working day to shop for article ideas, for myself and for other reviewers. There is so much, but any thick catalog will convey that. But what things make sense to test, side by side? Many things--clothing, kitchen stuff--boil down more to personal preferences than quantifiable differences. Most of what I write centers on fuels and chemistry, my area of expertise, and that narrows things further.

A boat fell on my head. I was talking with a salesman about a small catamaran that looked particularly fast, when a small gust of wind came up. They had placed several performance dingies up on stands, 3 feet tall, with full sail set perpendicular to the wind and trimmed in tight, on the most windward dock of the show. Fortunately it was a small dingy and the event caused nothing more than apologies and excitement. Pretty dumb, though.

What I should have spent more time doing, was to sit on the edge of the dock and simply listen to the banter. To the comments folks make upon leaving a boat. To people on the boats trying to impress each other or the salesman with some sophomoric display. Lots of mature people, simply enjoying the spectacle, the weather, and boat shopping. Interesting people to meet; Lin Pardey called out to me from her booth--she has a new book out--wondering who else from Practical Sailor was there. We talked a bit about sailing without and engine and writing.

But my wife was waiting, hanging out in Annapolis and shopping, but mostly enjoying a perfect day. We sat at a table and exchanged stories.

Nice.

The Easy Button

Some days it works, some days not so much.

I had business near Annapolis yesterday, and combined with an alpine start, I had a full afternoon to knock out a few projects, and perhaps, take a brief sail. I could sleep on the boat as well, and commute to the office from there.

Project One. Replace foot switch for windlass. Easy Button working well.
On my last several outings the button had been touchy, requiring several pushes. On the last outing it stuck on. Fortunately I realized this with enough time to dash to the cockpit and pop the breaker, so no harm. I called West Marine; nothing under $85.00 which is absurd for a small low amp low voltage switch. An on-line search revealed that the original was from Vetus and was $37.00 from Defender Marine. I ordered 2.

Installation is a simple matter of a few crimps, some heat shrink for chafe protection, and a few cable ties. Piece of cake.

Project Two. Replace sanitation hoses. East Button working better than I expected.
I'm currently working on a series of articles for Practical Sailor Magazine investigating holding tank vent filters, holding tank treatment chemicals, and sanitation hose permeation. It's been an interesting trip so far, seeing how interrelated the subjects are and how complex. Many trade-offs and many user-specific issues. These tests will be running for several years.

 Some of everything!

To the right, Tident 102. Descending, Shields Poly-X. To the left, Gates Rubber petroleum tank truck hose. Yup, I noticed the misplaced clamps in the photo and fixed them later. For some reason, I didn't see them when they were in front of me.

Why tank truck hose? I replaced that piece before I researched the topic with a free scrap of new hose from our fleet. It is very high quality hose, but not the best for this purpose. I suspect I will be replacing it sooner, but at least it is the easiest piece to fit.


Most of the testing is being done with matching 5-gallon holding tanks which contain sanitary waste. Subscribe to the mag if you want the gory details. However, an upside and a downside is that I received many test samples of expensive premium hose, enough to re-plumb my head and holding tank... but I would have to install it. Since PDQ plumbed much of the holding tank system with water exhaust hose, and the plumbing was all 14-year old original, most of the lines were completely shot; a PDQ rep told me those hoses typically were only good for 3-5 years. Those that were very seldom used--only to pump overboard--were OK and I had replaced the pump-out hose a few years ago, since it was cracking. They did use sanitation hose (Shields 148) on the run from head to tank, but it's a low-end white PVC hose and it was badly permeated; wipe your hand across the surface and you'll regretted it immediately. The situation has been livable only because PDQ 32 sanitary plumbing is all in a bullheaded compartment vented overboard. Only 8 inches of hose are in the cabin.

I'll skip the gory details. No matter how much you flush before working, there is some material cemented to the inside of the hose and some hoses that can't be well flushed. Fortunately the head compartment has a bathtub floor that is easily hosed down and that the bilge in the holding tank compartment was painted and smooth. A few tips:

• Flush a lot of clean water first. We covered that.
• Atlas-Fit coated palm gloves are a big help when muscling hose through bulkheads and onto fittings.
• I only needed to lubricate one fitting. I used glycerine, which is compatible with sanitation hose and will eventually (unlike soap) evaporate and leave no slippery residue. DO NOT use petroleum compounds with sanitation hose; these hoses are NOT COMPATIBLE WITH PETROLEUM and will be damaged.
• Do not use silicone to seal hoses. It only makes a mess for next time and is not needed if everything else is right.
• 2 hose clamps, 180 degrees apart. Obvious. A cordless driver with variable torque and a nut driver head makes this faster and more pleasant. Yup, one is wrong in the picture above--I fixed it later.
• Inspect the barbs. If there are bad spots, either replace or smooth it off with a file.
• Skip the Sea Land Odor Safe Plus hose. It's too damn stiff, requires ~ 200F heat, lube and a VERY firm hand to get on fittings, and is prone to kinking if forced. I wouldn't take it for free; I've only used it here as a necessity of the research effort. I will use it for vents lines as it is the only thing you can find in 3/4-inch; even in that small size it is STILL a battle.
• Trident 101/102 and Shields Poly-X may be the best hoses out there, but they too are somewhat stiff (not as bad as Odor Safe II) and may be a challenge. Raritan Sanigard (very flexible) hose is a dream to work with in tight spots and is still very well regarded.
• Shields Poly-X has a lifetime warranty, Trident 101/102 a 5-years warranty but a perfect 15 year record, and Raritan Saniflex has a 5-year warranty. 
• The Trident 102 is a bugger to keep clean; white and rough surfaced. The Shields just wipes off and the others take some scrubbing.
• The securing points and fit will change if you switch to a different hose type; all have significantly different stiffness and bend radius requirements. No big deal, just don't cut the new hose to length  based upon the old hose.
• DON'T FORCE ANY HOSE TO BEND more tightly than it likes. It will kink.
• Secure the end of the wire reinforcement under the first band. You can try to simply cut it flush but that's difficult and it will work loose in time. It is needle sharp and will cut you someday. Since I often sit on my holding tank, this is important! I learned this practice during many years in the refinery business. 

But other than some exercise, it went smoothly enough. Overall, I liked the Shields Poly-X  best, in terms of flexibility, durability, and easily cleaned jacket... but the price is stout. The compartment is now multi-colored and will be a good test-bed. Like free rigging (the Shields Poly-X is $19.69/foot), it saved a few bucks.

Regarding the practice of pouring vinegar in the head to prevent scale build-up: Scale build-up inside the head discharge hose is thought to be primarily due to precipitation of calcium ions with uric acid, and this precipitation requires calcium to be present at near saturation. Since the mid- and upper-Chesapeake Bay are much lower in calcium than the ocean and far below saturation (the ocean is very near saturation), this reaction does not take place and hoses do not collect much scale. In fact, my 12-year old hoses were nearly scale-free. Skip the vinegar if you are a fresh or brackish water sailor. Boats in the southern Bay do build scale.

Does vinegar actually do any good? From all of the field testing we have managed (side-by-side) it is probably more urban ledge and wishful thinking. If you want to actually remove scale, use CLR; based upon lactic acid instead of acetic acid, it is perhaps 5-10 times more effective and easier on the neoprene parts common in many heads. It's formulated for this purpose, not for salad.

Project Three. Replace carburetor while underway. Singlehanding. Easy button working better than you would think.
The port engine had been starting hard and not idling well for some time. Though I ran it for an hour, just as I pulled into an anchorage, it started to run, then stop. Start hard, run, then stop. I figured I would change the carb back at the dock, but then while sailing, remembered what fun it isn't to back in with one engine. Then I decided that since I had a rebuilt spare and the tools and the sailing was easy....

Of course, it's a bit harder when everything is moving and you have to poke your head up every 5 minutes to keep watch. Not too bad, actually. The port engine is the easier to access (carb faces the cockpit) and only a few things need released...

• 2 bolts
• fuel hose
• 2 wires to electric choke
• throttle linkage clip

... but after replacement it wouldn't run at all. It would start on ether, but not run.

The main fuel filter couldn't be plugged; it is a huge Raycor and anyway, and the primer bulb would be collapsed by vacuum. However the secondary fuel filter could be bad. I pumped the primer hard and nothing to speak of came through. Yup, I had a spare. It's just a lawn mower filter and the dingy engine uses the same one. The replacement filled right up, before I even pumped the primer. Good. But still it wouldn't run, not even a cough.

I tried running the fuel pump outlet hose into a bottle. Nothing to speak of. Yup, I carry a spare. Only 2 screws and 2 hoses need moved to replace it, and access is easy when the engine is tipped.

Perfection! The replacement carb was taken off the original engines (failed from rusted cooling passages), made in Canada, and is NOT sealed against mixture tampering the way the US carbs are. Runs better than the US carb ever did. If you have an old Yamaha with Canadian carbs, by all means keep them when engines go!

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I backed into my slip without ceremony, enjoyed dinner and a good book, and drifted off to a satisfying sleep.

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Lessons? The Easy Button works best when you are prepared, though even then a cascade of problems can make for a long day. And NEVER assume there is a single cause when trouble shooting engine fuel systems; more often than not it is an accumulation of insults.

The Chesapeake Slalom.

After a 4-day business trip I decded I needed a 3-day fall sailing trip, this one solo. It's only day one.

________________________________

I'm anchored in a small cove off La Trippe Creek, near Oxford, Md. A few cruisers have shown up to share my spot--or I'm sharing theirs, it hardly matters--and they all seem expereinced and curtious, anchoring in a surprisingly accurate 200-foot grid, no one crowding, without fuss.

The Bay is just brown. Flooding, you know. My place of business went under 6 feet of water and 2 feet of mud. Actually, it was good timing for a business trip, just not good timing for a sailing trip.

The wind forecast underestimated the energy of the passing front. Instead of 5-10 knots I saw sustained 20 knots and some good wave action for a few hours, but I was mostly headed down wind, so that simply translates into speed. All good... generally. The challenge was the semi-floating trees, huge things arainged into bands, where ever the flood water cross a ledge and an upwelling current traps or constentrates the flotsom, the aftermath of flooding in Pennsylvania. A sort of slalom played at 10 knots through muddy water with too much canvas up. Reefing would have made sense, but reefing while single handing and doing the slalom in 3-4 to 4-foot waves at 10 knots is just a bit troublesome, and I put it off until eventually I had to head upwind and dance all over the deck. I think I missed everything that mattered--no dents and no big thuds. I'm honestly a little surprised.

However, once up the Choptank River the water cleared, and up this particular creek it's as clear as ever--better--and warm enough for wading on a very nice beach.

After fixing a few things (autopilot busted a belt and the bow light stopped working during our last trip) I took the tender further up the creek and spent an hour, laying in the bottom of the boat, letting the wind blow me back to where I started and wondering if I would fall asleep.



Yeah, I'm OK.

PS. Love the Manson Supreme. Love the air card.

Discount Air Conditioning

I have a Cruise-&amp-Carry AC unit. We have a love-hate relationship. It's heavy, blocks some of the view, and is in the way when stowed below. It snags genoa sheets. I can only use it when plugged in at the dock because of the power demand--I could run a 2000 watt genset, but that's just too much total noise and too much complication.

Lucky folks are enjoying trade wind AC about now. I don't want to hear about it. Actually, the Chesapeake is beautiful this season, but I'm writing about summer. Still air, temperatures in the mid-90s to 100s, and all the humidity you can stand.

A few years ago I was in Annapolis with my parents for an over-night.We'd finished the tourist thing, were fixing dinner, and were listening to thunderstorms grumble in the distance. We were going to watch an old movie around the salon table after dinner. However, even with the slider open, when we close the rest of the hatches it gets darn steamy fast, and the heat of cooking doesn't help. We needed to do something.

Lakewood 20-Inch Kool Operator

When we bough the boat it came with a 20-inch fan, hidden away in the huge under-bunk lockers. I figured it was for drying things out or something, but was clearly too big for convenient use. But desperate times call for desperate measures; I decided to set it somewhere, just to get some air moving. It fit nicely on the chart table, swiveled to point up and over into the salon, and even on low it served as a silent ceiling fan. You can still slide by into the head.

Since then we've found many uses:

• Ceiling fan. Sit it on the cart table and aim it up. Even on low it moves a lot of area around the cabin, 10 times what the 6-inch fans can manage on low. It is also whisper quiet in that location, perfect for watching a movie.
• Sleeping cabin fan. Place it in the door and try medium if it's really hot, low if not. It's not too high to step over.
• Salon door. Same idea.
• In the cockpit, if stuck in a marina and it's sizzling hot.

It draws 0.6/0.8/1.1 amps @ 110v AC (confirmed by ammeter) (about 6-12 amps at 12 volts from the batteries, post inverter) depending on the speed setting, about 66-121 watts, or about 10x less than AC. About 70 amp-hours if you run it all night on low--though generally at some point in the night we turn it off--a manageable load easily handled with a solar panel system. There are many equivalent models, probably even better models; be certain to get one that is very quiet on low and that swivels up. It moves 1400-2000 CFM: compare this to the 225 CFM and 0.3 amps of a typical cabin fan. Oddly, not as energy efficient, but much quieter than 10  6-inch fans!

One of our best finds.

A New Anchor: 35-Pound Manson Supreme

http://sail-delmarva.blogspot.com/2016/05/irony-splice.htmlRev. 9-12-2016

Though I've never dragged. Though I'm cheap and have put this off for years. Two things talked me into it:

• The Chesapeake Bay is full of wonderful anchorages with terrible holding conditions. While many harbors are good, but many have bottomless silt that won't hold much. While many coves are roomy, with acres all to yourself, some are tight, and at the limits of swing you're not far from other boats, docks and shore.
• ZTC has the same boat and in sold on the Rocna 35. There's nothing like practical field experience.

Why not a Rocna? Price. That they have recently move production to China [note: these problems have since been resolved--Rocna is he better deal now] and it hasn't been good to them. That the Manson and Rocna design are so close there is no practical difference in side-to-side testing; they seem to take turns, depending on the exact sea bed. Rocna is better in sand, and Manson seems to do better in both harder and softer bottoms.

 

A chain to rope splice in progress, with all the required tools: needle and thread, fid, tape, and Black Toad Ale. The ale keeps me from rushing. There is something therapeutic about 3-strand splicing.

Shown, I am doing a conventional backsplice. There is a long splice version that is much smoother through the windlass. try the  "Irony Splice."

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Corrosion like this takes 15 years.

Re-splicing every 5 years is safe.

For those that don't have a windlass, let me explain a little about the splice. In order for the chain-to-rope join to feed smoothly around the gypsy (wheel that grabs the chain and rope) there cannot be a shackle, thimble, knot, or bulky splice. I even tried a long splice (AKA bucket splice) and it would not make the turn. Additionally, because the strands are unlayed and can all bear the load equally, this is one of the strongest connections, and one of the simplest; basically, a backsplice with a link captured at the end. It does have to be redone every 2-5 years as it accelerates corrosion on the last link (keeps it wet). Clip a link and resplice.

How to install a new anchor and 100 feet of chain when your back is acting up? Pull the boat over the dock and let the windlass do all the work. The old anchor was lowered onto a dolly, the old chain into a bucket, and the process reversed installing the new stuff. Easy.

I've been cruising with the Manson for 5 years now. It's a keeper.

• I wish Manson Supreme would get rid of that stupid slot on the shank. Not only does it look stupid, on my boat it is in a bad place for my mooring lines when docked.
• Harder to break-out than the Delta, and easier than the Fortress.
• Easier to set on short scope.
• Easier to set with sloppy methods.
• Better on shell bottoms. Much better, though not perfect, in finding good spots through oyster shell.
• Sand. Super easy.
• Soft mud. Much better, in part do to sheer size (22-pound vs. 35-pound), but mostly due to design.
• Brings up a ton of mud. A significant negative, since the Delta comes up clean and the Bay has nasty muck many places. But I can leave a scraper on the bow.
• Self-launches and retrieves better, but doesn't stow quite so solidly. Manson should have copied the Delta shank design, just as Rocna did.

Is it better than a 35-pound Delta? Absolutely.

I also bought 100-feet of 1/4-inch G40 chain. The old chain was only 30-feet, which meant I had to pass the splice through the windlass every time. Not so bad, but because my windlass will not manage rope without a gloved hand on the line it meant that I couldn't manage the anchor from the helm switch, which is better when the wind is up and you're working alone.  Only once have I anchored in more than 14-feet of water (Horseshoe Lead, Wachapreague), so this should do. I've got another 100-feet of line spliced to it.

I'm happy. Poorer, but happy.

11-15-2012:

While I'm still well satisfied that this was the best available choice and the correct size, any who say "this anchor can never drag" don't anchor much. There are many hard clay bottoms or sand over clay where it won't dig, not if you dive and try to kick it in. Same goes for shell. A good bottom is still required for good anchoring.

In sand and mud, it always reset and always held.

A Beach Vacation Without the Boat

I didn't want to do it, but Irene made off-shore sailing seem ill advised. We would have arrived in Cape May NJ at precisely the same time as the eye of the storm. So we drove.

I spent hours, it seemed, hanging out and staring at the harbor. Shoal Survivor should have been there, slowly turning on her anchor. We should have woken up each morning with a fair wind and a view that can't be beat. We woke up in a hotel.

We took a kayak and gave it good use. I poked around the wetlands and harbor. I tried fishing from the kayak for the first time and scored 3 big dogfish in no more than 30 minutes. It's fun being towed around the harbor! Later, I rented a kayak so that my daughter and I could go together. Very nice, paddling easily and enjoying the slow pace of life just a few inches above the water. We wondered out into the harbor just in time to watch a PDQ 36 tie up at South Jersey Marine...

...and we met the owners of said PDQ 36, Pretty Penny. They had been in Canada, via the canals, and had just headed south, delayed by the hurricane. It was nice speaking with them and sharing... It made me feel better, and at the same time worse, for not having my boat.

Nothing is the same as having home base on the water. We'll be back next year.

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A perpetual problem for the sailor living on the hook is where to leave the tender while ashore. I hate freeloading, so I asked. This is the response, from the owner of Utsch's Marina:

"This should answer your inquiry.  We have several spots for dingy landing at the marina.  Our policy has been, 'No charge', for the spots and subject to availability.  Most of the boaters purchase ice or something, some do not, and it has never been an issue.  If they are anchored up, they only need to call on the radio, channel 16 and we switch them to 09.  Some call on the phone, no preference, for the marina.  Whatever works is OK. 

Overnight dockage is $2.00 per foot, AC included, and we offer weekly and monthly rates as well.  At present there is no shuttle service into town as the owner does not it to worth his while.

That should sum it up for you, I think"

Ernie Utsch"

Nice folks. Please buy gas while your in the neighborhood. Their marine store isn't too bad (better than the local WM I think) and Tony's Marine is next door.

Slippery Sidedecks

rev. 7-22-2024

I've enjoyed too many small slides on the side deck, and during our last trip I very nearly broke a collar bone on a stanchion tip. It's not a place you would consciously place a foot; every slip has been when I was distracted, carrying something or working on something... but a slip is a slip. Builders love to mold cool curves but sailors hate them. My last boat (Stiletto 27) had similar slope and every owner wiped out a few times; many built a cover or step to hide it. I plastered mine with 3M tape and liked the result.

Yes, I could move more slowly. No, actually, I can't.

I'm big on 3M non-skid tape. We've added wide strips on the steps and lower seats edged in the cockpit where it has eliminated a lot of wet bare foot dances. It's aggressive as hell but still reasonably skin friendly. Its hot in the sun and not particularly cheap, but I keep running into roll-ends from projects at work, so my cost is agreeable. And in this case it was easy enough to hide in the black gel coat area.

Now there's enough friction to stand on the slope. Cool.

(Three 4 x ~18-inch strips each side)

(Eventually I added non-skid to all of the steps and seat edges on the PDQ. The more the better. In many cases, the tape also makes it easier to see the edges.)

----

This spring I added a bunch of 3M grit non-skid to my F-24:

• Steps down into the cabin. A near disasters fall motivated that. Lucky I got off with a pulled muscle.
• Strips along the cabin chime forward. For stylistic reasons they left a 6-inch wide strip of plain gelcoat, which I have slid along too many times.
   

Wi-fi versus 4G

I was all set to order a booster antenna. Had one all picked out. It's all the rage with cruisers: free with world-wide access as long as you are in harbor. Weather info at your finger tips. Blog posting at will. Sail Magazine even did a spread this month on how to run your antenna up the mast.



Then I realized I was simply behind the times. My office provides air cards for all of the traveling managers. 100% hastle-free access all over the coastal US and certainly the Chesapeake, even when I'm NOT in a harbor.

So today my office is in 6 feet of water, as I split time between work, trivial boat projects, and hurican prep. I think I detect more sailing time in my future.

Sweet.