Tips & Lessons Learned 2016

[kismet]

Originally Posted by Maka

I learn new things weekly ..
I guess the Big one I learned last year was: Don't believe every thing your told ..even by Old Salts.
I was told by many that I could never get rid of all the mold on the boat I just purchased.
On line research revealed that Ozone Generators kill mold. In two weeks ALL the mold on my boat was DEAD. Even in inaccessible places.
Caution: Ozone kills everything. Don't leave a pet in an ozone filled confined space. Be careful re-entering your Ozone filled boat ... ventilate thoroughly 1st.

Sorry, forgot to quote post. What ozone unit did you get, $, vendor, etc.

[TheThunderbird]

What i learned in 2016

When singlehandling, sleep is paramount, and sailing should go accordingly.
Have visitors fly to boat, not the contrary.
Never buy sheets of no brand (from a chandler). I blew a 14mm rope and replaced w a 16mm Marlow.
Keep anchors (2 or 3) on deck ready to use, not elsewhere as dead spare.
Do not trust insurance for trauma and accidents, as largely ineffective.
Dyneema on the main's clew, but polyester on reefs.
Stay out of marinas.
I need an outboard on the dink. Best compromise is 6HP 4S (mercury), no less no more.
Wireless on AP and windlass is a real must for comfort and safety.
A full canopy around bimini has completely changed my boat life in the cold/rainy season, yet staying in touch to reality cant be lost under sail/power.
Why do people use fridges!? I eat fresh and need none (have 3)
Pointless, to have large food reserves, when living in the civilized world.
Proud of having installed a sump pump with 6 independedent areas of suction around the bilges. Soo good!

I want to know more in 2017

[UNCIVILIZED]

TheThunderbird, why no Dyneema for reefing lines? I've long been a fan, & even use replaceable pendants of theh stuff in high wear areas. Like the last few feet which go through cringles.

As to learned lessons:
- If someone's been drinking, & yells "hey, come watch this". Run far away, & film from a "safe distance".
- Don't stand in puddles when working on electrical stuff.
- A mouth full of cooking oil for 30sec. puts out the "fire" from anything that's too spicy.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by buzzstar

You do not mention what caused the problem that provided the dink fuel lesson. Is there a lesson there as well?

I had plumbed the fuel supply for the generator and the engine to come from a "T" fitting coming off a single Racor filter. When I ran the generator, it would suck fuel from the engine fuel line. This along with 12 year old and possibly nly micro cracked fuel lines allowed air to get into the engine fuel lines.

Now the genset and engine each have their own separate Racor filter.

[SoundWave]

Learned from a class, not an emergency.

- Zip tie the right sized bung to the each sea cock.

- Make boat map showing location of every thru-hull & every fire extinguisher. Post prominently for crew & guests.

[TheThunderbird]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

TheThunderbird, why no Dyneema for reefing lines? I've long been a fan, & even use replaceable pendants of theh stuff in high wear areas. Like the last few feet which go through cringles.

As to learned lessons:
- If someone's been drinking, & yells "hey, come watch this". Run far away, & film from a "safe distance".
- Don't stand in puddles when working on electrical stuff.
- A mouth full of cooking oil for 30sec. puts out the "fire" from anything that's too spicy.

I was told so by a seasoned chandler in catania, for having some elasticity (whilst dyneema is best for the basis)

I tried a 3M tape against chafe but it proved miserable (and awfully expensive)

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by TheThunderbird

I was told so by a seasoned chandler in catania, for having some elasticity (whilst dyneema is best for the basis)

I tried a 3M tape against chafe but it proved miserable (and awfully expensive)

Hmm, don't fully concur. But if you want to keep some stretch, you can make replacable Spectra strops that are just long enough to go from one side of the sail, through the cringle, & then connect to your Dacron reefing lines. That way the bits which wear faster are made of a more abrasion resistant, slipperier material, that's easy to replace. Thus you needn't replace a full length reefing line when it wears. It's cheap to try anyway.
Edit: Also, try painting the high wear areas on your lines with Maxi Jacket/Maxi Jacket II or RP25.

What kind of 3M tape are you referring to, & where would you be putting it? And I'm guessing that it's failure mode was slipping off?

PS: On any lines that snake through the boom, or for halyards. Put a reeving or eye splice in their bitter ends. It makes changing them out for inspection or replacement a 3min. job, literally. And the splices only take 5min. to put in. Splicing Guide - Reeving Eye Splice
Primo (essential) splicing "magic wand" (pun intended) Brion Toss Yacht Riggers, Sailboat Rigging::Splicing Gear

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Lesson learned:

Always carry enough petrol/gas for the outboard to fuel the dinghy for ten to twenty miles to be used as an emergency tow boat. Then just lash the dinghy to the side of the mothership and run the outboard as if it were the dead inboard engine. Control steering using the mothership and motor back to port. Of course it helps to have a dinghy and outboard large enough to get the job done.

Or add a engine kicker lift on the stern [for those boats that can have one].

[Kenomac]

Lesson #2

Fishing is fun and rewarding, plus it gives us something to do on passages. Now we don't mind drifing along at 5 knots, sometimes even slower.

[Mirage35]

For us, summer 2016 was for trying things, and included different boats, crews (mostly people we didn't know) and to some extent new sailing grounds.

Learned: when planning shared cruises -
1. Understand what you are looking for on the trip and be prepared to communicate it.
2. Find (or force) the occasion to understand what the others are looking for and ensure that it is compatible. Preferably before you have made the down payment.
3. Once past the first two steps and on the boat, keep communicating, but go easy on the stuff around the margins. You can always learn, and teach, something if you keep an open mind.
4. Communications are important.
5. Did I mention communications?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Situation:

We found ourself dead in the water without an engine or wind a couple of miles off Capri last summer. The situation lasted a couple of hours until we could restart the diesel.

Wow! Is this really a problem for cruisers with shelter, food, etc?

This kind of thing happens every other race for beachcat racers and other small boat sailors/racers that sail without engines especially in distance races of 30-100 miles.

You simply have to wait until the wind comes up......

Hint: for cruisers to be, sail small boats first before buying a big ole cruising boat. It makes these situations much easier because it's been there done that

[TheThunderbird]

3M 471 is the tape l was given against chafe on spinlocks and around winches.

It is sold in white, black, red, green... but it wears off fast and clogs the block.

There is a paint, for gjst purpose, which is surely better.


Many yhanks for the advices about reefing lines, actually the bitter end dies in one season! I'll add Spectra terminals :-)

[Saleen411]

Never climb into the dinghy and attempt to raise the outboard when it's on the davits.....

I swear I didn't think that damn thing could flip.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Wow! Is this really a problem for cruisers with shelter, food, etc?

This kind of thing happens every other race for beachcat racers and other small boat sailors/racers that sail without engines especially in distance races of 30-100 miles.

You simply have to wait until the wind comes up......

Hint: for cruisers to be, sail small boats first before buying a big ole cruising boat. It makes these situations much easier because it's been there done that

Why not try making a helpful contribution next time instead of criticizing?

FYI: Most on this forum already know, but I'll fill you in so you'll no longer remain hopelessly mired in your ignorant haze. Our first boat was an 11ft Kite, and the second was a 19 O'Day we sailed for six years.

[Sailorbob8599]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Let's begin a thread offering up sailing tips and lessons learned from 2016.

Here's a good one to start off:

Situation:

We found ourself dead in the water without an engine or wind a couple of miles off Capri last summer. The situation lasted a couple of hours until we could restart the diesel.

Didn't Larry Pardey say he used a 14ft. Ash Sweep (sculling oar) on Serraffyn? And even though it was only a 24' boat, it was what I would call a heavy displacement vessel for its size. Furthermore, I believe Larry claimed he could propel her at 1.5 knots ... I presume that would be in still waters.
Does anyone on CF use this form of propulsion, or would you even consider it? I believe boating safety requires (Canadians) to have a manual means of propulsion aboard, suggesting 'oars' as being acceptable??? I certainly do not own any. Even if I did, i would be unable to move my boat if needed.