TransAtlantic Video !

[Feral Cement]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

always worth your thoughts on what rig/set you would use in the circumstances.

Sa-weet video, Mark! What a gorgeous day for sailing.

As to rig, I run almost exactly what you do: wing on wing with a whisker pole and a gybe preventer. I like a stronger preventer, to PREVENT a gybe, not warn me that 'her she comes'. Like Boatman, I drop the main at night or for napping, so that the foresail does the work. And like you, I reef early, often, and deep - sometimes there is no loss of speed with reduced sail.

Keep those pics and videos coming, mate!

John

[crashkahuna]

Very cool video. Please post more of these. Must be pretty warm. Did I see forward hatch open?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Eleebana

Your running Wing and Wing downwind while your awake. What about when you put your head down for a kip? Do you stay wing and wing or do you go for a safer option of maybe a bit more headsail and put the main away? Do you set the auto pilot to wind angle or to the preferred course?

Greg

Hi Greg,

I think its really important to keep the same rig at night or when off-watch etc. I am up every 20 to 30 mins anyway. But yes, making sure that the boat is not running by the lee when going below is important. Its easy to come up a few degrees to 160 deg apparent (or what feels safe).

For a couple often I have heard people say they reef at sunset, or when 'the wife' takes over.
1) Thats a friggin insult to a sailor to have a reef put in for alledged less competance. Everyone must be given the oportunity to run the boat to a good rate or it becomes boring! Try 30 nights running at half speed! (By the way, Nicolle often logged more miles in her watches that I did in mine. So don't underestimate females or newer sailors!)
2) Everything you can do in daylight you should be able to do at night. Without exception, and, without torches.
3) I find (and I'm interested to see if others agree) that the wind seems to change half hour before and after sunrise and sunset often coming up 5 or 10 knots. Therefore people reefing/shaking a reef out in that hour may well be wrong as the wind goes back again.

Love peoples thoughts on that one.

Originally Posted by Jatkins

Incidently, where did you anchor at Naples or Salerno?

Took at marina in Salerno for 60 Euros for the night, jumped a train to Pompii and Rome. They were the most expensive nights of the whole trip as we paid the 60 euros and hotel accmodation. But WELL worth it!
Anchoring at Capri is possabel (we didnt do it because or a weather change) but its deep and you need a fair bit of chain.
There is a marina on the bay in front of Pompii and I would love to chuck the boat in there.

Sainta Marghareta near Portafino is free and easy great town and close to everything.

[Palarran]

Thanks for the video Mark. I think, given your parameters, which where clearly spelled out, you where doing just what you wanted and needed to do.

Being a catamaran sailor, the difference for me would be figuring out vmg. I probably wouldn't (can't) sail ddw but rather broad reach at a higher speed. What is your hull speed? Would it have been better during the daylight hours to haul up more sail and broad reach, jibeing every hour or so? It also may have decreased the rolling you where experiencing.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Palarran

Would it have been better during the daylight hours to haul up more sail and broad reach, jibeing every hour or so? It also may have decreased the rolling you where experiencing.

No because I broke my forestay a few days later when the wind at a similar strength was dead abeam. So I think when I made that video I was probably doing the best I could reasonably be expected to do. The the forestay broke I may have just put out a tiny extra roll to much of genoa.... Its hard to tell because the 4 strands that were previously broken 1 cm up inside the top swage wern't known. So when is enough enough? I would have thought its good to always sail so that your stress on the boat isn't to the last 4 strands!!!!!

Cats 'must' gybe downwind... it adds a lot of extra miles and at an extra stress to the rigging - I spose the designers already have worked it all out - but I reckon I might be a convert to the insurance rule of a rigging change ever 10 years. Or a very detailed check!!!!

15-30 days x 24 gybes per day? I don't think so. Cruising is meant to be fun and relaxing! The best set up must be one where to general day to day cruisng state is restfull

As for rolling: Love it!

[Liam Wald]

Hey Mark,
Really nice video. Thanks!
All boats are different. So I don't know how your boat sails best, but my guess is that with all the miles you have logged you probably sail SEALIFE about as well as she could be sailed.
I am with you as far as the consevative approch to sail plan as I also sail mostly singlehanded. To me it makes really good sense to sacrifice 1/2 to 1 knot of boat speed to reduce the working loads substantially and make things more comfortable.
On my boat in similar conditions I usually set up with a little more genoa and a little less main. Seems to keep the bow pulling forward and reduces the stern motion.
As was suggested, I sometimes will crack off a bit to a broad reach rather than sailing dead down wind. Given the sea room I only jibe every 8-12 hours or so. If I were crossing the Atlantic I might only jibe every 24 hours. Might cost a little bit of time but the VMG would be close.
Thanks again for the terrific video.
Best regards, Liam.

[Palarran]

Mark, I'm wondering if you pooped your shorts when the forestay broke. What keeps your mast up afterwards? Did the rollerfurler fall?

I had three strands broken on my port shroud when I purchased Palarran. The boat was 9 years old and lightly sailed but I went ahead and replaced all the standing rigging. Now I figure I've got at least 10 years to go.

To be clear on a cat, there isn't that much stress put on the rig during a jibe. The proceedure I use is to center the traveler, tighten the main, and then jibe. The boom barely moves and the sail doesn't snap much. I probably shouldn't have said every hour but I suffer from adult attention deficet disorder (not really, I'm just ansy) and need to mess with something pretty much non-stop.

[otherthan]

Thanks for the video and the solar panel easy bracket tip.

cheers

[Liam Wald]

Hey Mark,
I just now realized that you are crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a... Beneteau!

Holy ****! You are either some kind of crazy fool or you haven't read the "what is a blue-water boat" threads.

Just so you know, I have a Beneteau. Not as big as yours but still. I know my boat is really not a "blue-water" capable boat. Consequently I have never, and will never, take it farther than 1100 nautical miles from any land mass. To go farther would be sheer lunacy. Luckily I am in the Pacific so there are lots of little land masses sprinkled about. I will be okay.

But I don't know... I am worried about you. I will say a prayer and lift a toast to the sea gods for your safe passage. I will also lift a toast to the fish gods that they might provide you with a fine dinner.

Liam.

[boatman61]

Liam... he did that last year... now he's just being an animal in the Indies till he gats bored and circumnavigates... again...
And to be honest your 331 is capable of crossing the Atlantic... mine did from BVI to Europe/UK... just gorra believe it can be done... and before you know it its done... and then like Mark... you can sit in a distant bar and say....
"Yeah man..... I crossed solo.... no big deal..."

[ozskipper]

Excellent Video Mark.

There are so many you tube sailing vids of just dolphins on the bow wave or just horizon shots its fantastic to see one with as story, description and a purpose. Great stuff.

There appears to be four genoa sheets. Is that to allow instant sheeting angle changes?

Cheers
Oz

[Liam Wald]

Hey there Boatman,

"Just being an animal in the Indies."
Somehow that sounds like a really great idea!

Actually my statement about about my 331 not being a "blue-water" boat was just a tad snarky.
Having logged close to 10k miles under the keel I have grown to trust the boat to go anywhere within 35 or so degrees (no ice) of the equator.

Was your 331 Atlantic crossing a delivery or did you own the boat for a while? Did you go solo?
Liam.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Liam Wald

Hey there Boatman,

"Just being an animal in the Indies."
Somehow that sounds like a really great idea!

Actually my statement about about my 331 not being a "blue-water" boat was just a tad snarky.
Having logged close to 10k miles under the keel I have grown to trust the boat to go anywhere within 35 or so degrees (no ice) of the equator.

Was your 331 Atlantic crossing a delivery or did you own the boat for a while? Did you go solo?
Liam.

It was a solo crossing and I was part owner... an investment that proved stupid in the end... got screwed... but thats life... though I did get a coupla years great sailing out of it...
Every silver lining has a cloud....

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Palarran

Mark, I'm wondering if you pooped your shorts when the forestay broke. What keeps your mast up afterwards?

No. Although I got on deck pretty quick!
Its best to not poop shorts and to have a good long think before rushing into any thoughts of how to fix stuff.

Slowly working out what the problem is and slowly fix it. Because, you've hit it on the head, there wasn't anything holding the mast up!!!!!!!! A knee-jerk reaction would have been to drop the mainsail as well as furling the genoa. I furled the genoa, luckily. Turned down wind. But with a deck stepped mast the mainsail halyard goes through a turning block at the base of the mast that must give the stick a lot of compression.

So what I learned is to not worry about stuff when it goes bang. Just slowly get things together. With a catastrophic failure rushing may be fatal. The chances of panic saving the day are very seldom.

Originally Posted by Liam Wald

Holy ****! You are either some kind of crazy fool or you haven't read the "what is a blue-water boat" threads.

Liam.

Hi Liam,

Don't listen to **** from morons.



Mark

Originally Posted by ozskipper

There appears to be four genoa sheets. Is that to allow instant sheeting angle changes?

Cheers
Oz

Hi Oz,

Like a spinnaker I use seperate sheets from braces (guys)
The sheet when poling out a genoa neads to be set outside everything and through a turning block as far aft as you can get it. Like a spinnaker They stay on the pole when gybing or dousing the pole.

Originally Posted by boatman61

"Yeah man..... I crossed solo.... no big deal..."

Yes. Its no big deal.
Last week at the bar some dude came over and said: "You're the guy whose just circumnavigated? I gotta argument with my mate and we both wanna buy Rocna anchors. Come over and tell us what you think."

LOLOLOLOLOL

Mark

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Liam Wald

Having logged close to 10k miles under the keel I have grown to trust the boat to go anywhere within 35 or so degrees (no ice) of the equator.

Why only 35 degrees? the top end of Scotland is just shy of 60 North, weather can be variable but would have no worries about sailing there.

I think Sir Robin Knox Johnston said he was far more concerned about sailing in coastal waters compared to crossing an ocean.

Pete