Cold Beer

Although never one to turn down a beverage, politely offered, I do marvel at the folks that chill beer to the very edge of freezing, killing any taste it might have. Perhaps in our PBR college days that was a necessity, but now that we enjoy a universe of craft brews, we owe it to the brew master to serve them correctly.

From the micro-brewers association:


          Proper Serving Temperatures (allow 2F for warming caused by the glass)

1. Cold, no lower than 41° F (5° C) Lighter styles of beer — Sparkling wines/Champagne
   
   
2. Chilled, no lower than 46° F (8° C) Most craft beers — White wines
   
   
3. Cellar, around 53° F (12° C) Higher alcohol, richly flavored beers — Red wines
   
   

Since I like IPAs and stouts, and a bit warmer than this, I find the bilge is generally enough, although the inside of my lunch cooler (about 50F) is preferred in hot weather.

If you are going to broaden your tastes, then own it. No more ice-cold beer. Ice water is still good for cooling down, but drinking ice cold beer to cool down and rehydrate is just a recipe for sloppy sailing!

Outland Hatch Covers

September 2016

After nearly a year in service, 2-thumbs up and nothing I would suggest they do differently. A great product that is both durable and sharp looking.

Measure carefully (they are all custom cut), clean the hatch, and install on a warmish day.

Press the buttons on firmly.

 This one is located near the base of the mast, and thus, I've stepped on it many times.

Kind of pricey, but they do a nice job of keeping the sun out (the cabin is significantly cooler and the AC works less) and they can be left in place sailing. Although I would try not to step on hatches on principle, this hatch is at the mast, I stand near there every time I hoist or reef. As a result, they've been stepped on roughly a good many times in rough weather. Not at all slippery and evidently durable. One owner (Boat Galley.com) reported dropping a wrench from the masthead, saving the lens from a certain crack. The only evidence was a tiny dent.

March, 2018

After 5 years on the PDQ, I liked them so much (they are still like new), I added one to my F-24. The forward hatch gets stepped on a good bit and the cover offer some insulation, keeping the cabin warmer in the winter and much cooler in the summer. The the hatch lens will last longer (no UV), making it worthwhile for that reason alone.

Fixing a Lame Bowsprit

It's not that I work slowly, but often I make changes in small increments, careful to make certain each change and the entire project is optimized. This one took nearly 6 months to completion.

I didn't photograph the original mess of cracked welds and failed screw repairs. I just ground it all away.  The original fitting did not cradle the butt end of the bowsprit and did not extend completely to the end.

The Failure. The original hinge mechanism included an undersized butt cradle that ended up cracked on most F-24s. It was simply under-designed.Often the sprit was also dented. There was no line to hold it up, and sheets often snagged down low, around the jib furler.

The new aluminum cradle is both wider and built from heavier material. The plastic insert is curved to match the pole. These dimensions are approximate--you will need to measure your own.

This should be as strong as the pole. However, I always tension the up-haul snugly to carry the opposing load, should the bobstay be inadvertently over-tensioned.

Larger bolts (#10) were tapped into the side pieces. Additionally, the cradle is wider and reaches to the end of the pole.

Then there was the matter of articulation. The original design incorporated a fix bobstay and could only be folded or extended at dock, or by hooking your legs around the pulpit and reaching for a pelican hook at the waterline. Not fun under way in any weather. Some owners fitted a tackle using blocks, but they're certain to collect junk and accumulate lime. Ball bearing blocks large enough to handle the sustained high load would be awfully bulky. I also wanted more purchase, to reduce the load on the line clutch. Enter low friction rings (LFR). Although higher in friction than ballbearing blocks, this tackle is not adjusted under load.

Fortunately Amsteel is super easy to splice. The yellow is a Dyneema Climbing sling. The safe working load of this tackle is about 3000 pounds, stronger than original.

I used rings from Antal, Ronstan, Harken, Nautos, Wichard, and Scheafer, all part of a Practical Sailor research project. Though I reported my favorites, they all work just fine. An up-haul was also added, not apart of the original design. This relieves the load from the butt cradle and keeps the reacher sheets from going under the pulpit where they can hang-up. It also secures the sprit against the pulpit when not in use (I wrapped a sort section of the pulpit with 3/16-inch line so that it would not bang when stowed). A lucky coincidence of geometry, the travel of the 4:1 down haul and the 2:1 up-haul are the same, making a continuous line a neat solution. Because Amsteel is slick, I covered (bury splices) the center section of the line with polyester cover so the clutches would hold properly.

A surplus Easy-Lock clutch is mounted to an aluminum plate (tapped), which is in turn mounted by bolts through the hull flange, neatly out from under foot. Another LWR keeps the line tail neat.

The final result is easy to use, and lighter and stronger than factory. The side stays are looking a little rusty, so they will be replaced with Amsteel soon as well.

How fast? Over windspeed on a reach. Mid-teens are common, though a little scary if it's gusty.

Getting my Small Boat Anchoring Mojo Back

I've done a lot of testing related to anchoring, almost always related to anchoring with all-chain. After all, that is what cruisers do. It is cut proof, reduces swing in tight anchorages, and is easy to handle with a windlass.

But my cruising started on a Stiletto 27 catamaran, weighing only 1300 pounds and anchoring with rope and hooks of no more than 12 pounds. Soft mud, sand, rocks and packed shell. I did a lot of things differently, by instinct, and now I'm determining by load cell and scientific method just how many of my judgments were right.

The new break-down 13-pound Mantus anchor is a godsend for shallow lockers, fitting where only pivoting fluke anchors once would. Disassembly takes only 20 seconds and requires no tools. This is the only new generation anchor that will work in this locker. The only other non-Danforth style anchor that fit was a 12-pound Northill Utility, which although a nice anchor, has an exposed fluke that is a little scary if you swing overnight.

Note the red webbing chafe guard. I use only 5 feet of chain, so this protects the first 20 feet of rode. It is slid over the first few links of chain and sewn in place, through a seizing might wear better.

I still like Fortress/Guardian Anchors for soft mud. They have no equal.  

Bridles and Snubbers. Multihulls always used bridles to reduce yawing. However, where I have long pitched nylon for use with chain, to reduce snatching, with a nylon rode the rule is reversed. A non-stretch bridle is more stable (does not bend from side to side), and by reducing the amount of nylon, horsing (fore-aft surging) is reduced. I used polyester double braid on the Stiletto and I am using Dyneema on the F-24.

Scope. I don't care what they say about new generation anchors holding at short scope. Based on every bit of theory and testing of many anchor models, it just ain't so. Because smaller boats can anchor is shallow water, long scope is no big problem. I very, very rarely use less than 8:1 scope.

Scope Holding
Greater than 20:1 100%
10:1  95%

7:1 80%
5:1 60%
3:1 30%
Less than 2:1 variable to nil

[This relationship is based on testing of anchors of all styles, including new generation, and holds true for mud and sand, and for sizes from 2 pounds to 5 tons. The exceptions are pivoting fluke anchors by Danforth and Fortress, which are much better at short scope, but only if well set first, which is basically impossible for most small sailboats (the engine is too small).]
<2:1 nil="" p="" to="" variable="">

Rode Size. Go bigger than recommended, not because you are paranoid, but because if you check the numbers, most rope recommendations seem to be based on fishing and lunch stop anchoring. I guess they figure you would use chain if you were a a "real" cruiser. Remember that the WLL is only 12% of the breaking strength (ABYC H-40, Table AP-1), and that is before UV and chafe are included. Finally, larger ropes are easier to pull by hand and wear MUCH slower (lower load/area and the rope fibers are under less stress).

Chafe Guards. We use tubular webbing on dock lines and mooring pendants to prevent chafe. Why not on the anchor rode? Because it floats loose, it is practically wear proof. 2-inch Blue Water ClimbSpec webbing slides over  a 1/2-inch chain splice and 1/4-inch chain. $0.45/foot.

Coating with Yale MaxiJacket or Flexdel RopeDip is also effective against chafe, but not cutting. It also stiffens the rope slightly.

Short Chain. I hate handling chain. If you have to use momentum to break out the hook and have no roller, chain will tear up the top sides.  I don't need chafe protection if I use a guard, and the rode + webbing cleats easily.  The weight of 10-20 feet of chain makes no difference once the wind is above 15 knots. It's off the bottom, I've checked. It doesn't change the way the boat swings. Skip the long chain.

Use Two Anchors. Not all the time. But learn how to lay two and you will see that it takes only a few minutes on a smaller boat. [One simple way is to set the first anchor at 20:1 scope, walk the second anchor to the stern and lower, and then bring the boat to about 10:1 scope and tighten them against each other. You can even use a cockpit winch. Then moor the second rode to the bow--I don't believe in fore-aft anchoring. Add 20-50 feet slack, since you  don't actually want the anchors in a straight line, you want a triangle.] .A particularly good idea if you have only pivoting fluke anchors, which don't like direction changes. The trick is to have a relatively short (100 feet?) rode on the second anchor so that if the boat spins, untangling is easy. Put eyes in the ends and it is easy to extend with needed, which will probably be... never.

Minimize Yawing. Taking the dingy off the bow helps (like a riding sail at the wrong end). Lift the rudder (moves the lateral plain forward). Take down the furling reacher. Use a hamerlock mooring.

Puny Engine? No Engine? Bump Set! After getting your initial set and deploying full scope, power set with reverse. Then gather up some slack and back up at speed; 2 knots for heavier boats, 3 knots for multihulls. So long as you have at least 50 feet of line out, the effect will be no more than a severe storm (I've measure the forces). No engine? Haul up slack and the let the wind push you back (you may need to wait until there is some wind).

----

I like to anchor with absolute certainty.

A Locking Carabiner... That Isn't

This the SECOND warning regarding Gibb-style hooks. The first warning related to with low side force strength.

I mentioned earlier that I had been testing carabiners as a result of the Clipper Race fatality. There is a long article in Practical Sailor that describes, among other things, how certain carabiners can fail as low as 275 pounds if loaded from the side or clipped improperly. It gets worse.

You know how ISAF and ISO rules require locking carabiners because non-locking carabiners can twist off?

This was done with one hand, while the other held the camera. No special test gear.

The Spinlock Race Clip. The Plastimo Gibb hook behaves exactly the same way.

It seems that the original Gibb patented hook has been modified over the years. No only is it weaker, it does not really lock.

And this isn't just about u-bolts. In this video we show what happens if the carabiner is on a jackline and is pressed against a cleat or similar object.

Did this contribute to the Clipper accident? In fact, I think it may be the primary mechanism. The carabiner was clipped to a jackline that ran beside a cleat. When forced to the side against the cleat, the gate opened and the carabiner hooked the webbing. The resultant nose-hooked condition is very weak (failure starts at 275 pounds) and it soon failed.

Notice the white jackline on the deck behind the mid-bow cleat. I believe the clip was pressed against the cleat and opened, resulting in a nosehooked condition, which is very weak (~ 300 pounds). This results in a carabiner tnat EXACTLY matches the failed hook. 

 This shows a progression from 500 pounds through 1200 pounds, matching the final hook condition (Clipper hook, top).

So the Gibb-stle carabiners have not one, but FOUR fatal weaknesses:

•  Gate can be forced open at 10-15% of EN climbing carabiner standard (20-30 pounds vs 225 pounds)
• Nose hook strength is 15-30% of typical (as low as 275 pounds).
• Side load strength is 10-20% of typical (as low as 275 pounds)
• Nose is prone to hooking. Should be key lock style.

I'd retire them if I was you. Obsolete and scary.In my opinion, the companies involved should issue a recall and are opening themselves up if they do not.

100 Best--Chapter 15

Safety Gear


Seven years ago I posted this rant about the notion that you could buy safety and some of the ridiculous things new sailors are persuaded to believe they need. Safety comes from understanding your situation and knowing your limitations. However, there is equipment that comes in handy from time to time.

86. PFDs. In fact, I don't wear these very much. For the most part, I rely on a harness and tethers. I do wear a PFD when whitewater kayaking and occasionally in the dinghy when condition suggest it. But mostly I try to stay out of the water.

I have an aversion to automatic inflating PFD's. As a singlehander, I may need to climb back on board, and doing anything to help yourself in an inflated PFD is comically awkward. I also don't understand the likelihood of falling overboard unconscious and surviving that. The boat is not going to stop and no one is going to help me back aboard. Thus, as a singlehanded sailor I find that absurdly unlikely.

In fact, it is simple to convert automatic PFD's to manual. In the case of the Spinlock Pro series, it is a $20 conversion kit.

87. Harnesses.  The key factors are fit and band width. The strap must fall on the sternum; lower and you can't breath, higher and it will try to choke you. It must be warn snugly enough so that you feel it when you inhale--otherwise, it can slide over your shoulders. What about crotch straps? In fact, I have a new design that will be in Practical Sailor in a few months. Instead of a ball-crusher, it is fully fall-rated (I took numerous vertical falls up to 6 feet in testing).

The other key factor is the width of the band. 45 mm is the standard minimum, but wider, up to 4 inches is proportionally better. Try hanging from the harness before you buy and you will understand. According to the UIAA and OSHA, hanging from a chest harness for more than 30 seconds can cause permanent injury to the nerves in the arm pits.

88. Tethers. Big article this month in PS. It seems the old standby Gibb design has been modified from the original pattent numerous times until it no longer performes at all as originally inteneded. Unfortunatly, the manufacture didn't think to test this. Failures have been documented at forces as low as 275 pounds (bent sideways).

Instead, choose either the Kong Tango (West Marine, Kong, Glow Fast, or DIY), Wichard Proline (only Proline tethers), or one of several via ferrata rated clips. These are rated at 1800 pounds sideways.

89. Jacklines. and Hard Points. The tether has to attach to something, and a system of jacklines and hard points is the answer. In "SingleHanded Sailing for the Coastal Sailor" I discuss this in length. I also have articles coming up in Practical Sailor. In the image below, for example, my tether is attached to a bolt hanger hard point on the hard top with a Kong Tango carabiner.

Recovering a Delta Drogue 7. It's surprisingly easy to fall off when working hard with both hands.

90. Drogues. Perhaps you are in a major storm and would like a little downwind stability. More likely, you either need to slow down to make some repairs or need emergency steering. A drogue is a compact solution, though proper use is a complex conversation. I've published numerous articles in Practical Sailor and discuss this at length in "Faster Cruising for the Coastal Sailor."


The Delta Drogue is the best value. However, there are two things to be aware of. The size, though often described as the diameter by retailers, is actually one of the cloth dimensions before sewing, and the actual diameter is one third of the model number. For example a Delta Drogue 72 is approximately 2 feet diameter. Second, I would go up one size from factory recommendations. Drogues in general, are more stable in storm conditions when sized conservatively. The exception to this, is if you intend to use the drogue for emergency steering. However, conservatively sized drogue is still useful; simply haul it in close so it does not fully immerse in the water, limiting drag.

 My favorites are the Sea Brake GP 24 for storms and the Gale Rider 36 for emergency steering.

---

Navigation? GPS is nice, but I do quite well with a paper chart and a sharp eye. Coms? VHF is obligatory and a cell phone is a powerful compliment. The one time I needed to speak with the Coast Guard I used the cell phone, which was much better. AIS and radar? I suppose it depends on visibility and traffic.

A solid boat helps. I don't mean a "blue water boat;" I mean one that reliably does what you think it will. If the conditions are getting out of hand, leave.

Without question, the most important safety asset is your head. Don't get in situations that require safety equipment. Navigate conservatively. Watch the weather. Make sail changes early. Learn the many ways sailboats are built to adapt to contingencies (sail vs power, and don't forget anchors).

Bump Setting an Anchor

Just as it is Chesapeake Bay lore that you soak an anchor in soft mud to increase holding (I've been studying time effects for upcoming Practical Sailor articles and as a book topic), in hard bottom areas it is common practice to use the momentum of the boat to help drive the anchor point home.

Doesn't everyone go swimming in the Chesapeake in March (48F water)? A dry suit and hood make all the difference.

But how much force is actually delivered to the anchor, for how long, and does it work? So yesterday we headed out to a nice find sand bottom in Herring Bay and proceeded to "bump set" the anchor at different speeds (1-3 knots) and with two different bridles (both 35 feet long, but 8.3mm and 12 mm).

 

Eyeballs up-close will always be the best way to investigate an anchor. Normally I detest anchor buoys and tripping lines because of fouling potential, but they make finding the anchors and confirming geometry a lot easier when testing. Small fenders work, just be certain the float is not lifting the anchor!

Although I'm still crunching the numbers, the basic rules of thumb seem to be these:

• Only fine sand. Coarse sand takes a gentler hand, and soft mud requires long undisturbed periods and a soft hand.
• Long snubber, at least 30 feet. Try this with all-chain and you will pull the front of the boat off. The "whump" will also be to brief to move the anchor. 
• About 1.5 knots for monohulls and about 2.5 knots for catamarans. This will be equivalent to 60 knots or wind, give or take, assuming the snubber design I posted in Practical Sailor.
• Two bumps is enough. The anchor didn't move appreciably after that.
• For outboard-powered boats and engineless boats only. If you have a good inboard, just set with that.

I tested at up to 3.5 knots, in the interest of science, and the forces are impressive perhaps twice what my ground tackle has seen in the nastiest thunderstorm. The bridle stretched a good 6 feet in the process, buffering the impact and maintaining the force for several seconds. As a result, the rode tension never exceeded 50% of the working load limit of the chain and shackles.

Before testing I ran all the numbers on an excel sheet, including all I have learned about rope elasticity, damping, anchors, and wind loads. When all of the data were collected and processed, it turns out the calculations were right and I had not learned anything that actually required field testing. But I like seeing actual numbers on a load cell.

Tether Testing

A big article will be coming out in Practical Sailor next month, in the wake of the Clipper accident involving the failure of a Spinlock race hook at only 300 pounds. The clip was apparently caught in an odd bind, perhaps under a cleat, and it just wasn't made for that.

From top left to bottom right: Wichard snap shackle, Wichard Proclip, another Proclip, ISC SH 903, Kong Tango, and one last Proclip. These are 8-10 times stronger than the stamped Gibb-style safety hooks.


And yet there have been products on the market for decades that are stronger, as much as 10 times stronger  when levered over an edge.

I've been using the Kong Tango. It's fast strong, and durable if you clean and grease once in a while. The Proclip has a lot going for it; very hard to release accidentally and nearly corrosion-proof. The ISC SH 903 requires two separate unlocking actions before the gate can move; about the only thing more secure is a moused screw pin shackle. All of these open wide enough to clip a 1-inch railing and are workable with gloves. That's why I'm out testing them in January and February. Read Practical Sailor for the details.

All great products.

---

How do you keep the tethers out from underfoot when you aren't using them? Around the waist like a belt, naturally. I picked that up from a Volvo race guy.

You can spy it just under my elbow, completely out of the way.

100 Best--Chapter 14

Boat Specific Tools

And I don't mean specific to your boat. Just tools that are for boats.

The average boat would float a foot higher if the tools and spares were removed. What about boat-specific tools that you only grew to appreciate after a few years in the trenches? Here are a few of my favorites:

81. PelaOil Change Pump. I really should list this one twice, since most of the time I'm not using it for oil. In fact, I have two of these.

Pumping the bilge. Or rather all five of them. My F-24 has two sumps in each ama (outrigger) and a main sump, none or which have installed pumps or collect much water. The simplest solution has been a clean (don't change the oil with the same pump unless you want a fine for oil pollution) oil change pump. Just give it a few strokes, stick the hose in the sump, and a minute later you are done. No fiddling with hoses or power.  If Ive been good, I can knock out all of the sumps in one fill, if I've been lazy, I might dump it once or twice, which takes only moments... if you keep it separate.

Changing the oil. You'll never grope for the plug again. Not only does it save time, it saves mess and pollution potential. Depending on the motor, you may want to add a semi-rigid extension wot the wand made from aluminum or copper tubing so that you can get to the very bottom. They pump a little faster if the oil is warm, but either way it will only take a few minutes, and they oil is in a nice container to transport it to the recycle center.

82. Hose Pick. For certain, you want to get one of these before tackling a sanitation hose removal project. Really, any hoses that need to come off barbs. Combined with a pair of rubber faced gloves for grip, these can generally break any hose loose with minimal effort and without damaging the barb. Use a hacksaw an you might as well resign yourself to replacing the barb as well, for it will surely leak. New hose clamps, of course.


83. Refrigerator water container.  Actually, for me it is an antifreeze container. I've adapted all of my water systems (head, fresh, AC) with Ts and valves so that they can be filled without taking anything apart. The nozzle is just the right size for 1/2-inch ID hose to slide on (make certain it is not tapered and that it is a nice fit, though a clamp is probably needed). It has a valve. I set it above the system I want to winterize, open the valve on the container and switch the valves on the boat, and the system pump draws the antifreeze in. Winterizing is the easy work of an hour.

Comfort tip: tape 4-inch wide strips of foam exercise tile inside the leg loops of your harness. Much more comfortable if you are going to be up there for a while.

84. Mast Mate. Although there are many climbing systems, I like the simplicity of a ladder. It is faster, the working position is more comfortable and higher, and the cost per years is trivial; mine is 25 years old and looks like new.

85. Sail Maker's Palm. I'm really surprised at the number of boats that don't have one on-board. It's a sail boat!! Mostly, mine isn't used for sail repair. I use it for whipping lines, finishing splices or even sewwing splices, sewing projects from webbing or canvas, or repairing gear and clothing. Then there are the home uses, including repairing your favorite work coat or repairing the boarder on a rug. Invaluable. Hand sewing skill is basic seamanship as far as I'm concerned.


I really thought I would come up with a lot of boat specific tools, but in the end, most hings were multi-purpose. Perhaps I bought them with a boat project in mind, but they've since been used around the house too much to qualify. That is a good thing. In fact, all but the refrigerator bottles get used at home; I've used the MastMate for tree work.

Mid-Winter Sailing

There is something immoral with leaving the boat along for too long, something like not playing with your children, cat, or dog (notice they are all in the same sentence...). A boat needs exercise and cold weather is no excuse.

Just because some of the marinas are still frozen solid is no excuse.

We have perhaps the hardest freeze in 15 years or so, building enough ice in Deale to walk across the harbor. Ice breakers were dispatched to Smith Island, and The National Guard sent Chinook helicopters to Tangier Island. Although it has warmed, even yesterday  I doubt I would have gotten out.

Sure, it was 65F in Washington and 55F in Deale, but I doubt it got much above 45 F on the water. The water was reading 36F and the light south wind had been in close contact with that for hours.

Below about 50F a balaclava is a mandatory neck seal, and it seems to help keep the hat on. Ski goggles replace sun glasses at about 45 with the wind comes up. They actually add a lot of warmth. 

The primary project for today was finishing the jackline layout. I've been doing a lot of testing of snap hooks and carabiners in the wake of the Clipper CV 30 accident, and one thing that has come out of it is that the Wichard Proline tithers are a top pick. They are about 4-6 times as strong as Gibb-style hooks in many loading situations, are big enough to clip railings, and I really like the light webbing and elastic. There are other good carabiners, but these really deliver the complete package.

By running the jackline along the cabin edge, I can reach the bow, transom, amas, and entire cockpit using the 6-foot tether arm. You can clip with a 3-foot arm for additional security. There are a few places you can fall off, but the boat has low free board and you would have a good chance of muscling back aboard. However, it's better not to fall off. Racing history has shown that sailors very seldom fall off when traveling the deck; it is when they stop to work on something that they are at risk. So use your short tether when working.

This time of year, a PFD really isn't worth squat. You won't last long enough solo, and it could be close even with good crew (hope you don't have the chute up). Wear a tether. Wear a dry suit if it's blowing.

Run the jacklines over control lines and under sheets.

Why edure the cold? Because the Chesapeake is a different place in mid-winter. The power boat wakes vanish; even on a Sunday, I didn't see another boat. The only sounds are the water hissing by the hull and scoters down from Canada for the winter. It is the very definition of peaceful. So long as the wind is not up, it's not that cold.

A rough estimate suggests there were about 50,000 scoters on Herring Bay today.