Sailing vs Cruising

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Hi Thom (Thomm?),


Not poking at you, at least not very hard. *grin*



Failure cascades can bite you pretty hard, especially when you are "sure" you know what the problem is and it turns out to be something else and then a second and even third thing goes wrong.



Story: Bringing a Moody 39 from Ft Lauderdale to Barnegat Bay I noticed that my bunk (I try to sleep close the companionway and preferably under the cockpit) was hot. Not warm - hot. Pulled everything apart and the batteries were all hot and some where boiling. Testing showed they weren't holding a charge (not hard to figure out - under sail the instruments kept rebooting and ultimately failed). Jiggled units around and got 225 Ah that seemed to work. Ran the generator. The batteries and a lot of other things were new or serviced at sale. Told crew that we were going back to Ft Lauderdale. They are thinking, we have generator, aircon with gen running, why not go to West Palm Beach (heading in the right direction) and sort things out. *sigh* We turned back. Got in cell phone range and called the owner who asked why not go to West Palm Beach. *sigh* Got all the contact information for the service provider in Ft Lauderdale and started making calls. Surprised the owner of the company at home (a longer story). Good guy and he started things moving. About the time we crossed the three mile line the generator failed. Crew looked at me like I was prescient. *grin* Main engine alternator wasn't charging either. Called TowboatUS and got a meet up inside the turning basin just in case. No tow, just a shadow. They called the three bridges we had to pass to get back to our slip. Service guy showed up a couple hours later (very early on a Sunday morning) and found five shorted cells in four brand new batteries. Replaced all six batteries. Generator turned out to be a bad temp sensor. Alternator was a bad crimp. On and off the dock in four hours. What are the chances the provider would have been able to get to West Palm on a weekend? Now suppose that debris had kicked up from the fuel tank (been sitting for sale for a while) and we lost the main engine? When something goes wrong my scar tissue tells me not to soldier on.



I use depth for navigation as much as piloting so I like true water depth. YMMV. I like North-up on chartplotters (just like paper, which I don't carry anymore) also. Maybe I'm just old and cranky. Cranky anyway. *grin*

Thanks for that info, but I know the deal.

Last year I was sailing to one of my normal anchorages but decided to anchor close to a barrier island near current

On the way, my jib head strap failed and the jib came down. No big deal since I was close to my destination. I dropped the jib on deck and later anchored, ate, and hit the rack

Later the wind changed and brought in ocean waves breaking over the boat. At 3 am, I took a wave over the side and was soaked.

I immediately went below for my glasses (I'm old) and then put in a few companion way boards.

Then I went forward to pull the anchor but the jib was all over the foredeck.

I managed but understand your point

I moved maybe a couple miles and re-anchored in maybe 3' waves but in 25' of water so the waves were not breaking like they had been in 7' like I had been in before

Afterward, I had to talk myself asleep knowing the wind and waves were laying down a bit so I wouldn't blow chunks!


The next am I got the head swivel down (whipping mostly) then raise the jib and sailed to a good anchorage to brew some coffee.


I forgot I may have been able to use the topping lift as a halyard

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Thanks for that info, but I know the deal.

Last year I was sailing to one of my normal anchorages but decided to anchor close to a barrier island near current

On the way, my jib head strap failed and the jib came down. No big deal since I was close to my destination. I dropped the jib on deck and later anchored, ate, and hit the rack

Later the wind changed and brought in ocean waves breaking over the boat. At 3 am, I took a wave over the side and was soaked.

I immediately went below for my glasses (I'm old) and then put in a few companion way boards.

Then I went forward to pull the anchor but the jib was all over the foredeck.

I managed but understand your point

I moved maybe a couple miles and re-anchored in maybe 3' waves but in 25' of water so the waves were not breaking like they had been in 7' like I had been in before

Afterward, I had to talk myself asleep knowing the wind and waves were laying down a bit so I wouldn't blow chunks!


The next am I got the head swivel down (whipping mostly) then raise the jib and sailed to a good anchorage to brew some coffee.


I forgot I may have been able to use the topping lift as a halyard

One fortunate safety item I have on board which prevents many small lapses of my seamanship from turning into cascading catastrophes is my lovely wife Judy, who is always more conservative than I am, wants everything put away before we relax with cocktails, and everything ready before we get underway. It is a constant argument, which she usually wins, and she is always right.

So we've avoided many bad boat kerfuffle's.

Thank you Judy

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by wingssail

One fortunate safety item I have on board which prevents many small lapses of my seamanship from turning into cascading catastrophes is my lovely wife Judy, who is always more conservative than I am, wants everything put away before we relax with cocktails, and everything ready before we get underway. It is a constant argument, which she usually wins, and she is always right.

I'm with Judy. Do everything you can as early as you can. Worry about what else might break. Among other things, a reason why I always go to the fuel dock on arrival, not departure. NEVER go offshore without fuel and water pressed up.

[carlosproa]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Evidently me too.

Even the yearly 100 mile RTI race we used to do which started in Ft Walton Beach, FL then went out Destin Pass, take a right at the Sea Buoy then sail 55 miles and back in Pensacola Pass for the return to Ft Walton has been made into a two day race

The first day is to Pensacola Pass with the boats stopping at Ft Pickens. Leg two is the inside race back to Fort Walton.

Back when it was a one day race, the white flag went up at 0700 so you had to have already set up and loaded your boat and be at or near the starting line before that which for some meant getting up at 4 am

I've seen the race completed by 4 pm (1995). I completed it in 12 hours on a sloop rigged Nacra 6.0 in 1997. If I'd had a spinnaker I'd have been in the "money." I would have placed. There were 82 boats on the starting line that year

I /we came in Pensacola pass alongside Randy Smyth on his F25C then after turning back East he popped his spinnaker and was gone. I had only become aware of spinnakers on beach cats the year before

My latest finish same race, same start time was 2:30am. This happened twice. Another finish was 9:30 pm and still another just after 7pm

I remember at the Everglades Chalenge races Randy’s boat Running With scissors trimaran made out of a single Nacra hull and the outriggers moving front and aft depending of angle.
Cool boat, broke records

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by carlosproa

I remember at the Everglades Chalenge races Randy’s boat Running With scissors trimaran made out of a single Nacra hull and the outriggers moving front and aft depending of angle.
Cool boat, broke records

Yeah, sometimes he could get everything right and just leave the entire fleet behind.

Once I missed a buoy race due to other responsibilities but got there in time enough to watch a race or two.

The two races I saw Smyth was maybe 500 yards ahead of the fleet using one of his own sails

I'm thinking so much for making progress as a racer. I had totally been battling to compete with the fleet and he comes out and stomps all of them!

It wasn't like this every race but often enough to notice. Now I don't know whether or not Lambert, Curry, or Newkirk was racing that day

I also heard that once there was no room on the starting line so Smyth went OCS then backed in...…..him being lead boat gave him right away or that was the ruling. I've backed up on the start line before, but only so I wouldn't be OCS early

Smyth also was on one of those Maxi Cats as a driver/consultant during their RTW race in the early 2000's. Cam Lewis's boat


https://www.outsideonline.com/1888541/go-speed-racer-go

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

I'm with Judy. Do everything you can as early as you can. Worry about what else might break. Among other things, a reason why I always go to the fuel dock on arrival, not departure. NEVER go offshore without fuel and water pressed up.

Pump-outs are like that, too. Can't assume the pump-out system at the NEXT destination will be working... so if you're at one and anywhere close to needing it, pump out before departure.

-Chris

[sailorboy1]

I ordered a new mainsail last month. My calculations indicate that I could buy enough fuel to motor about 10,000 nm. But I just can't find the room on the boat to store that much fuel.

I bet most engine deaths are greatly helped along by owners.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Pump-outs are like that, too. Can't assume the pump-out system at the NEXT destination will be working... so if you're at one and anywhere close to needing it, pump out before departure.

I agree with you for inshore boating. Offshore I focus on whether the Y-valves work. *grin* Once you're offshore (it's only three miles to the line) all that waste goes overboard.



Coming in is the opposite:
DAVE: "20 minutes to the 3-mile line. This is a good time for head calls. I'll take the watch."

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I ordered a new mainsail last month. My calculations indicate that I could buy enough fuel to motor about 10,000 nm. But I just can't find the room on the boat to store that much fuel.

I bet most engine deaths are greatly helped along by owners.

That must be a mighty nice sail, I know you will love having it.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by wingssail

That must be a mighty nice sail, I know you will love having it.

No it's a basic cruising sail. Got it from the UK Sailmakers, which is the loft that build the OEM sails for the boat. It was $5500, which included a new Dutchman fittings that added cost, and a discount because it is off season for the loft.

I got 4 quotes, including 2 overseas quotes, and by the time I got the Dutchman added etc it was about the same price and more hassle. The UK sail was make in a US loft with various locations, had a little better cloth, and had the OEM pattern file.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

No it's a basic cruising sail. Got it from the UK Sailmakers, which is the loft that build the OEM sails for the boat. It was $5500, which included a new Dutchman fittings that added cost, and a discount because it is off season for the loft.

I got 4 quotes, including 2 overseas quotes, and by the time I got the Dutchman added etc it was about the same price and more hassle. The UK sail was make in a US loft with various locations, had a little better cloth, and had the OEM pattern file.

And I'm certain you will get good service from UK if you need it.

Nice.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I ordered a new mainsail last month. My calculations indicate that I could buy enough fuel to motor about 10,000 nm. But I just can't find the room on the boat to store that much fuel.

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

No it's a basic cruising sail. Got it from the UK Sailmakers, which is the loft that build the OEM sails for the boat. It was $5500, which included a new Dutchman fittings that added cost, and a discount because it is off season for the loft.

Woof! That's maybe enough to buy fuel for 10K NM on BOTH of our boats!

Oh, well OK, maybe not QUITE that much for us, but a fair chunk o' NMs anyway.

-Chris

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

I agree with you for inshore boating. Offshore I focus on whether the Y-valves work. *grin* Once you're offshore (it's only three miles to the line) all that waste goes overboard.

Coming in is the opposite:
DAVE: "20 minutes to the 3-mile line. This is a good time for head calls. I'll take the watch."

Heh...

Of course for us here, it's about 120NM to the place where that 3NM range starts...



-Chris

[Briggers]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Have I tried retirement. Yes! I was off for two weeks between the military and my civilian job. I was 24 then

That’s not retirement, that’s a short break - not even a real holiday.

I have just returned to the UK after 10.5 weeks sailing in Croatia. A few times in a marina but mostly on the hook. I could easily do that full time but my girlfriend misses me 😁

[Briggers]

Originally Posted by Sojourner

On the subject of keeping yourself from going bonkers, it was never an issue with me. I can sit in the cockpit and literally stare at the water feeling great for hours on end. Cooking is another thing....I'll spend an hour trying to decide what to make, another hour prepping it, another hour eating it. Yet another hour if it involves a little greengrocer dinghy trip. Snorkelling/diving also. In a mask even without tanks I can kill an afternoon even if the bottom looks like a swimming pool.... watch the stars. Write your memoirs. There's almost always a boat task a day to take care of, even if it's something super simple like polishing the cabinetwork or tightening a loose hinge.

The trick is to get out of the mindset that you SHOULD be doing something PRODUCTIVE. No you shouldn't. You live on a boat now, honey, you do you. Google the book called "How to be Idle". It is a fun little paperback very well written about the philosophy of doing nothing. It'll help change your life

Excellent post; I’ve spent the last 22 years doing that and am now an expert