How Not to Tie-up

With the coming of winter, most boats on the Chesapeake will not be sailing. They may be hauled-out, placed in long safe rows that almost never topple like domminos. Or the owners may winterize them in place, pouring glycol where needed, tarping the cockpit, taking the cushions home, and double checking the lines and all wear points; they'll put her to bed properly.

Others just walk away for 6 months or more, hoping for the best or not thinking at all. A short walk down my home pier found these fine examples within just 8 boats. Some will "move" on their own before spring unless I retie them... and I may. Self preservation is a part of my motivation. Some is altruism; I would hope someone would do the same for me, though I don't expect it. Is there liability? Not unless I do it wrong and leave a note.

 Springline over the anchor. This is tight at low tide. The water here will rise as much as 3 feet without a storm, just the tide and a south wind. Really, this anchor should be removed from the roller if the slip is this tight.

Port and starboard chocks are reversed. Better, he needs straight chocks and chafing gear too. He saws through several lines each year but won't fix the chocks. Someone replaced this line (a dock mate) a few weeks ago, so it's not bad yet.

A crying need for chafing gear.

A washcloth, probably old, for chafing gear. Fortunately, the edge is so smooth and it won't be tested.

A rather short tail  on this knot. A minimum tail length of 10-15 rope diameters is typically recomended. Under any real strain it will pull through. Rock climbers are taught to tie a back-up knot, typically a double over hand, tying the tail  around the standing par; impossible to do if the tail is not long enough. There is a similar rational for always breaking matches when hiking in the woods; you have to wait until the match is cool before you break it or you will burn your fingers.

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What can you find on your home dock? Check your neighbors, before you find them sliding through the marina on a windy day. Hope they will do the same for you.

The Humble Wet Suit--Safety, Seamanship and Maintanance in a Bag

For those of you sailing in the tropics, please return to your regularly scheduled margarita; I don't want to hear about it.

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For the year-round, or even extended season sailor, some manner of safe cold water immersion system seems as basic to me as a PFDs or VHF. In my case, I have a farmer john wet suit from my beach cat days, a shorty that's great for surfing Jersey beaches in summer, and a Gore-Tex paddling jacket. If it's cold enough I'll pull on all three, an additional fleece top layer, and matching neoprene boots and socks. That's enough to make anything comfortable for 20 minutes, and anything that will keep you from shivering at 32F through 20 minutes of moderate activity is enough; a real cold water divers suit is overkill unless you're in year around cold water territory.

Why even go in cold water?

• I had a rudder fall off my Stiletto in February once. A little ice was clinging to the jetty, and unfortunately, the wet suit was at home. It was a very brisk experience. Yup, I did that alone, violating every safety rule. Unfortunately, with the tide flowing as it was, I had only minutes. I was wearing wind-blocker fleece, which is a big help. Not too safe.
• Ever snag a crab pot line on the prop or rudder?
• Scrubbing the bottom before the water is pleasantly warm?
• Rendering assistance. I helped right a capsized keel boat (yup, stable inverted). I got pretty wet helping the hypothermic sailors out of the water, and later, had to swim over to get the last one, since she wouldn't release her grip on the boat.
• Snapped lifting line on outboard.
• Outboard jammed lowered.

Each of these would have been either inconvenient, expensive or dangerous without a wet suit. In some cases, an inconvenient problem (line around rudder and prop) can become life threatening, with the approach of night, bad weather, or a lee shore. Seems obvious to me.

Yes, a dry suit is a great alternative, but they are $$$ and perhaps less versatile. You can horse around in a wet suit with less risk of tears and swim more easily. There are no finicky hand and neck seals to tear. On the other hand, a dry suit is more likely to fit if your size or shape changes; I still wear the one I bought 25 years ago, but if I eat too many doughnuts, it lets me know. The fit of wet suit is quite unforgiving. Too loose--any wrinkles at all--and it's not warm. Too tight and your eyes pop out. Mostly I see this as a good thing, a little reality check from a judge unmoved by pleas for leniency.

Tired of Bird Poop on the Windscreen? I am.

For reasons I can't understand, birds like my boat above all others in the marina. At least the red-berry-eating birds do.

UV killed my last enclosure and I would like to do better this time. A clear view is nice, particularly in the winter when I don't lower the glass. I procrastinated a good long time, not seeing a simple way that didn't require a lot of holes, but I think I like this plan. If it makes it through the winter and proves to be as convenient (easy-on, easy-off) as I hope, we'll make one of Sunbrella in the Spring.

I added another tie in the lower center after taking the picture; that made it drum tight.

 

A simple tied strop at each of the upper corners is quick and requires no adjustment.

A strop can also be tied into a loop at the end of a line. Again, no adjustment required.

The tarp is a good 8 inches from the window. The trouble with typical snap-on covers is that they rub on the Strataglas, causing more damage than they prevent.

Three corners and the center front edge are attached with strops, so no adjustments are required. The forward port corner line goes forward around the toe rail and back to the midships cleat where it is easily tensioned. Very fast.  Much faster than washing windows.


rev. 3-11-2013, 9-22-2016

Finally, after several years of testing, a more neatly tailored and more permanent Sunbrella version. Should last the life of the boat. about 9'6" x 37". with lap felled 2" hem on all sides (uses a standard width without trimming).

Winter Sailing

Keeping a stiff upper lip, and all that.

Actually, the Chesapeake is a beautiful, if lonely, place in the winter. Sailing near Annapolis for 6 hours today I saw not one boat. On Labor Day you can hop decks across and not get your feet wet.

Of course, the cabin heater's running, I've got a nice dodger, and I'm wearing ...

• Fleece socks
• Soccer training long pants
  
• Wind pants
• Turtle neck
• Sweater
• Shelled fleece jacket
• Fleece balaclava
• Fleece hat
• And gloves... 

... so I'm perfectly warm.

Dock Walking

A favorite pass time of sailors, we examine how each boat is secured for the winter season or against summer storms. We study how she is outwardly equipped reach distance places, either in comfort or safety or both. Is she a racer, compromising comfort for speed, or is she more tame? Is her design emotionally moving or comforting, or just functional? Has the owner molded her to his purposes, or do the changes simply follow the latest fashion or build-up first impression? Perhaps he thinks these things are "done" by  knowledgeable sailors and he aspires--perhaps successfully, perhaps not--to be one. Is the boat new, or immaculately cleaned, or instead well maintained but with a suggestion that utility is valued above impression? We look for errors in seamanship or rigging. We search for things they've done smarter than us, differences we might adapt ourselves. In each case we weigh our boat against what we see, not perhaps in grandeur, but at least in execution of the details designed purpose.

It's said the master comes to resemble his dog. Is it like that with boats? Clearly we work to remake the boat to match our own image of what a boat should be; the changes, at least, reflect who we are.

Do we examine people in the same way, mall walking? Do we rap on the planking to see if she's is sound? We can, with a few careful questions or at length in conversation. Are they cautious people, following the crowd? Do they explore life's possibilities as far as they want or can?

“Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting: ‘holy shit… what a ride!’”              

George Carlin

Do we spend our time at the mall, collecting fabric signs that we can hang on our body to proclaim that we conform or that we don't conform... but we we bought them at the mall anyway, so what do we think of that? Do we focus on learning new skills and trying new things or stretching what we know, or do we take in the evening movie and enjoy our adventure safely, efficiently... vicariously? Do we look at other people to see what we like in them and what we can learn from them, what we can do better in ourselves, or only to compare fashion sense? Are we always dock walking?

I say that whatever compelled that first caveman to size up the male competition and leer at potential mates, to consider what body decoration or dance would make them more intimidating or more attractive, that force is still alive on the docks, even when we are walking quietly, alone. We are the product of our genes. The things I enjoy most--climbing, sailing, cycling, my wife--all appeal to the inner caveman. I'm good with that.

It explains why the utilitarian aesthetic of my boat doesn't bother me. It explains my utilitarian wardrobe. My wife, of course, would point out that this all makes a statement. Women can interpret anything.

Dumpster Diving and Thrift Stores--Going Green

I have no pride. I'm too old for that.

I'm also not sharing my very best "shopping" spots. Sorry, but I guard such secrets more closely than the elusive magic fishing hole. Some have produced many thousands in savings and I ain't sharing.

Note: none of this is from actual "dumpster diving." That just made a good title. Only "free cycle" bins and thrift stores.

My most recent score was a complete floor to a 9-foot inflatable sport boat, a discarded display model that was too sun-bleached to be saleable, but which had always been on display under cover. Much nicer than the wooden model my boat came with. The timing couldn't be better; my existing floor has just rotted out and I was in the process of pulling it out so that I could copy it! I'll be leaving the patched-up rotting floor in place through the winter, and install the new one in the spring.

Other scores:

• Milwaukee Port-a-Band ($250), barely used. The blade was missing. $5.
• Multiple sets of Gore-Tex foul weather gear, most with the tags still on them. Now we have pant/jacket sets for the whole family, at home, on the boat, and in the car. This particular thrift store gets a lot of high-end outdoor store old model donations. $8-$15.
• New Gore-Tex paddling jacket, very sweet. $5.
• New Perception white water PFD. They mixed it in with the worn-out cheapo horseshoe vests. $5.
• Numerous ropes, cast off by riggers. It's amazing what their racing customers throw away, often replacing good lines after a single season. I haven't bought line in years, I'm spoiled. Free.
• 2-year old skis (K2 ACT old model but new. Plenty of side cut. Were $450, $5 to me).
• Bug netting for my boat, cut from surplus cot bug bar, $3.
• Most of my gas cans, or at least all of the ones I actually use; I hate the new CARB models. Cheap, but that's not the point here.
• Materials. Most of the materials for projects are scavenged, from precast FRP, to metal plates for chain locks and bridle plates, to new wire for solar panels. Mostly from refinery construction projects. I'm spoiled in this regard.
• Fenders. Some are junk, but many are donated or pitched because they are dirty or the owner got a new boat. Generally free.
• Boat hooks. I bought one 30 years ago. Since then, I've found many for free or cheap. I don't even tie them down anymore, they just sit on the tramp, good weather and bad, and I very seldom lose one.
• Luggage. I fly almost weekly, and I refuse to worry over the scratches baggage apes impart. But some fool is always donating a nice roll-aboard with a few scratches; I'm actually quite picky regarding quality, since fall apart luggage is not acceptable. I reason that worn luggage is the badge of a veteran traveler.
• Furniture salvaged for quality lumber, all my own. My modified nav table was cut from a very nice SCAN computer desk that I had no further use for--I still have the original cherry table, in case some future owner prefers it. My salon flip-up bunk was fabricated from the same desk. Good quality teak laminate for free.
• Bike rack. Always available in thrift stores, and easily modified to carrying old non-folding bikes on the stern rail.
• Sheet bags from shoe bags. About $1 each, since several come from each bag. Add grommets in the corners and lash to small pad eyes. I tried the twist-lock canvas fasteners but have found them less durable and versatile.
• Marine antiques. The best deals are found in thrift stores with untrained staff. My daughter's room is collecting some real show pieces, but mostly it's just fun, since each piece has a story. Cheap or free.

I could go on much longer. These are typical, only examples, not even highlights.

Seriously, it's about finding things you actually need or plain materials that can be turned into something of new quality, not about collecting junk. It should be recycling of the very best sort, a very green practice, far better than pretending you're recycling newspapers (which are often processed into absorbents and other nearly junk applications) or bottles (generally melted down) rather than reused as-is.

I spent too much on my new PDQ; I've got to stretch the maintenance and improvement budget to the very limit. My 401-K and my kid's college fund are more important. I enjoy the process of thinking things through, and most of the improvements I've made aren't the sort where you buy some do-dad and bolt it on, adding adding more to clutter than functionality. They are more subtle. Other than the propane heater, solar panels, AC, and davit block installations, very few of my project posts represent more than a few dollars.

Heavy Duty Mounting on Cored Panels Without Through-Bolts

One constant aboard performance cats and even semi-performance cruising cats is cored hulls. If there is anything serious to mount, it's a long and methodical process:

• Drill through.
• Route-out the core.
• Fill with epoxy.
• Wait.
• Redrill.
• Add a backing plate. Yup, perhaps that should have been FRP and epoxied on before you drilled. 
• Through bolt with washer and sealant.

The previous owner added a winch without following these steps, and I managed to tear it out of the deck. Cored construction can be very strong, but point-loads need to be distributed.

Front of the mount      

  

             

What if the mount is on the inside of the hull and you don't want a bolt sticking out the side? A sump pump mount. Some hooks to hang weighty objects. Screws are possible, but the skins are thin and the space between the inner skin, which must fully engage the threads, and the outer skin, which cannot be touched, is less then 1/2-inch, sometimes only 1/4-inch. Since screws come in 1/4-inch increments, this can be a real problem. The answer is a thickened patch on the wall, and to mount real equipment, built-up glass is probably best. Of course, there need to be bolts or enough thickness to get some real screws in it, so glassed in wood is common. But wood rots. There is a simple, faster way, if the surface is close to flat:

Back of the mount

• Mount the object to pre-laminated FRP about 1/4-inch thick. In this case I tapped-in threads, mounted the hooks with machine screws, and ground off the excess. T-nuts could be used for heavy duty mounts, or simply thicker glass; at 3/8-inch the threads are typically stronger than the bolts.
• Screw (very short screws only used to apply clamping pressure) and glue (3M 4200 if it's not too heavy and you might remove it, thickened epoxy if it is and you won't remove it).

Piece of cake, easily pre-fabed in the shop, and will last as long as the boat. I'm sure solid glass hulls face the same problem; you still can't just tape a screw into the hull, not unless it is well over 1-inch thick. In someways, the problem is more ticklish. But glued-on pre-laminated FRP still makes for a tidy solution.

Finished mount. This holds heavy mooring lines and spare rode, perhaps 20-30 pounds on each section. The coils hang well below the  hooks, cow-hitched with slings. The hull is ~ 5/8-inch thick with 3/32-inch triaxial glass skins. Screws alone might hold... for awhile... assuming I don't step on the coil while wading through sails and fenders, which I will.

The hooks are 1/8" x 3/4" aluminum flat bar bent around a double mandrel and ground smooth. I also store my chute in this locker, so I wanted a hook that would hold line but not snag sailcloth. When you can't find what you want, you make it.

I cheat. I get pre-laminated FRP as cast-offs from chemical plant projects. Free is nice. But I've gotten it other places--old signs, cut from old boats. The flat bar were electrician cast-offs. Scrounging 101.

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.