Above the Salish Sea

[David Patterson]

Superstitiously believing (only as a sailor have I superstitions) that sailing from the back of the marina out to anchorage in the harbor's north cove would be auspicious for my cruising year, I pushed back from the slip by hand, hopped aboard carefully, then pulled to my kedge. The plan to kedge away from the slip worked well, and was excellent additional experience. Sailing on out in variable light airs was a satisfying challenge, entertaining at least one cruiser, who teased me for slow progress from the dock. The anchoring and mooring expert Earl R. Hinz says that "Rowing out a kedge anchor is one of the saltier things you can do in this world." Not as salty to me as turning off my engine and moving my boat under sail, maybe especially in tight situations. I felt definitely "salty" by the time I was anchored only 3/4 of a mile away, 2.5 hours later. Kedging out a heavy anchor seems easiest to me if all of the rode is flaked into the dinghy, the bitter end slip-tied to the thwart, the anchor last in but first out. See the photo above. Hal Roth, who writes realistically about kedging, warns kedgers to put in an extra 50' coil of line, to bend on in case of misjudging distance or depth. I do that, and bring an anchor buoy along as well, in case I need to separate myself from the rode. Putting out a lighter kedge, primarily on line alone, seems to work best for me by leaving the bitter end secured aboard the yacht, stretching out the rode, and letting the anchor go last from the dinghy. More work to row against the weight of the line though. Rowing out a chain rode that way is impossible for me. For anyone, probably. People who will deploy kedges as part of their cruising tecniques tend toward hard dinghies, for multiple reasons. This time, having my primary anchor kedged out, recovery was simple over the bow roller...which was good given how rusty I was getting under sail! 5 months without sailing was a long break. My line handling was clumsy. The photo is just for pretty, of a southern sky slightly tinted rose near sunset. Friday Harbor on an early spring evening.

[tjr818]

Nicely done David. What size C-Q-R is that in the picture?

[David Patterson]

Tim, that's a 25. Thanks for the kind words.

[tjr818]

That is what we use on our 27. It must have been a challenge to drop/lower that from the dinghy (does she have a name?). How deep was the water?

[David Patterson]

Not bad, Tim. 2 fathom water. My primary has 12' of 3/8" chain, a swivel, 100' of 3/16" chain, another swivel, and about 225' of nylon. I want chain for good reasons but can't manage heavier chain. No windlass. I had that 100' of 3/16 from a prior boat so used it to make up the rode. 3/8" nylon probably has a greater breaking strength. I'm satisfied though. In my usual 5 to 10 fathom depths the weight helps the boat not kite. A cutaway keel encourages kiting, or horsing as some call it. I do other things to dampen that motion. The tricks I use when letting out chain and line from the dinghy are: 1) protect the dinghy transom, hence the tarp and 2) manage the chain and line by using my shoe sole as a brake, helping to lay it out in a line not a pile. Once secured to the boat, the rode can generally be drawn tight, even slightly setting the anchor. Weight and wind usually do the rest. Each kedging situation seems different for me. I first put out a kedge in 2008, to go to two anchors when I was dragging. Since, I've used one in multiple ways, including "walking" my boat to new anchorage locations. If you think about it, a stern-tie ashore is a version of a kedge. Oh, yes, having a hard dinghy with some fore and aft stability is good. An engine just gets in the way. The dinghy, my CD7'7" Dink, is named LAGNIAPPE.

[Sea Hunt Video]

David and Tim:

In another thread I posted a 40 min video of anchor tests conducted by some guy in the (I think) the Northwest.

The U/W video of the CQR starts at the 14:00 mark and lasts about 1 minute. (15:00). It is interesting. It's a 50 lbs. CQR. The author was not sure if he had a copy or genuine CQR.

From what I could see on the video and the author's comments, it looks like the seabed test area was a hard mud bottom with a lot of sea grass.

The author's comments "suggested" marginal performance from the CQR.

[David Patterson]

Ah, the anchor choice discussion. I have three different anchors on deck, of three different kinds: a plow, a claw (both are bow anchors but one of which is cockpit released) and a very light Danforth-pattern Guardian G-11 (I think) for a stern anchor, rarely used. I use all three in different ways for my Salish a Sea cruising. The plow is best all around for me. Anchoring in grass here is environmentally frowned on, since it is the base of the ecosystem. Happens though. Problematic are thick layers of sea lettuce near "nutrient rich" harbors, and sometimes kelp on the bottom. The claw is very trustworthy except in thin mud and sand, for me. And so on. Anchor choices border on cruising religion, as you know, sometimes with a touch of mystical metaphysics involved. Use what works for you and stay out of hurricanes if you can, right? I do wish I had a storable Luke Herreshoff-pattern for grass and/or rocks. Ever seen a rock-pick anchor? But this topic might be better elsewhere.

[tjr818]

LAGNIAPPE, That was the name of one of our favorite restaurants here in Saint Louis. I believe it translates as "Little treat or small surprise"

[David Patterson]

I think of it as an unexpected small gift.

[David Patterson]

[The photo is of Mt Baker at sunrise.] A last kedging off story, then I'll drop this theme. October 2011, on 8000 acre Lake Granby CO (8300'), notable for sudden dramatic Force 7 (28-33kt) and Force 8 (34-40kt) blasts anytime of the year, but certainly in the fall. Williwaws from the surrounding Front Range 13 and 14 thousand foot mountains, really. My late teenage daughter and I are aboard aptly named 25D CLOUD GIRL (named partly because I found her up that high, in a ranch yard), sailing all that first season without an engine, having a last cruise of the year. We are up the arm of the Colorado, which exits Rocky Mountain National Park into the lake, in Grand Bay, when a williwaw hits, driving us inexorably onto a lee shore. Seemed like the Magellan Strait. No discernible tide on that lake, by the way. At about a 10* heel on the wilderness lakeshore, kedging off was the option, and a challenging one. I rowed out...as a wet cold snow began to fall...three anchors, one to starboard each bow and stern, and one astern, hoping to pull back out of the groove the keel was making. Then I took a masthead halyard ashore, rocking the boat until it was upright in the rough gravel, just wearing the keel groove deeper, the rudder fortunately off the bottom. Tiring work. Once upright, I ran rodes to the cockpit winches (oh, for a windlass!) and began to work the keel free. At that point a power boat motored into the bay. "What do you think," I asked my daughter, "should we ask for help?" She looked around at the piles of line in the cockpit, snow on her shoulders, the wind whipping the wet hair emerging from her watch hat. "No, Dad," she said, "I think we've got it."




Sent from my iPhone

[David Patterson]

Though at anchor now, visits to the port for mundane tasks like laundry and provisioning continue. From the elevated walk to the laundry (best laundromat views I've ever experienced) I spotted a sail being aired at the slip. The red ball sun emblem sets off the junk main handsomely, to my eye. At a long slip an Islander 44, kept to yacht standards, stretches ahead to infinity, seemingly. Of note is that small partially collapsible(?) sea hood, socketed in the cabin top winches. Could that work under sail? How stowed? I can't imagine any winch being superfluous on a rig that size. Later, out in my anchorage, I spotted Mark on his fine CD32 motoring over to say hello again, after our long winters ashore. I think his is the only CD32 on the west coast, possibly. The ferry and a seaplane are leaving the harbor. In a month this mid-day view might include more than a dozen varied craft in the busy waterway intersection. Crossing wakes will make exiting under sail at that time of day difficult but still manageable. Depending on the wind strength and currents, of course. Best of luck to all who will be splashing their boat this weekend.

[tjr818]

David, that seahood/dodger looks to me as though it is a temporary arrangement, but if those are electric winches I suppose it could still work.

[Dmitche4]

David,

Please keep up the narrative and gives great relief to read this during tax time (as well as any other). I really appreciate it. Thanks, David

[David Patterson]

Out at anchor not even a week yet, CLOUD GIRL swings to a single anchor in a favorite anchorage, sheltered from coming SW winds, strong enough to warrant a small craft advisory (21-33kt winds or Force 6 & 7, wind waves to 5'). Force 6 is "the small boat sailor's gale." My several experiences in upper 6 & 7 force winds have made lasting memories. I've no desire to repeat them in a 25' boat. Such winds are generally muted where she currently is. Once provisioned adequately for a couple of weeks, she came across San Juan Channel nicely. To return to the "lifestyle" of being aboard generally takes me a little while. This time of year, before tourist season ramps up, the solitude of the anchorage helps make the change relatively simple. Probably she'll be back in port by mid-week as I continue to work toward cruise preparations. Being ashore for the winter precluded doing much before coming aboard. The peaceful scenes are a balm on my spirit, so to speak.

[David Patterson]

Island mini-scenes from my quiet anchorage, from which I plan to sail later in the day: An old split rail fence meanders to the cove edge, the pioneer family milk cow of my imagination unlikely to have escaped along the tideline,when the fence was in repair. The greens of the forest are deeply reflected by the water. The madrona (or arbutus) tree's blooming adds a richness to air and forest face as I row around the bay, seeking diversion and a bit of exercise. CLOUD GIRL rides steadily, motionless in the light airs, as though contemplating the coming short passage to her provisioning port, or the longer cruising plan barely set in motion. Tiny LAGNIAPPE, my dinghy, nestles against those fenders when we are at anchor..."we" being boat, dinghy, and self. I do consider finding a ship's cat sometimes.