Beyond My Known 2017

[David Patterson]

Had a similar question myself. He mentions the dynamite, which is pretty stable, with underwater fuse and of course blasting caps. His idea was to drop a quarter stick at a time near a closing boat to stop them without necessarily harming them. Stowage would of course require the items be kept separately. In a 53' medium displacement full keel boat, he probably found options. Blasting the coral reef passage was probably a more sensible use than his original intentions. His actual brush with pirates turned out okay without explosives. A large animal vet. He saved his health and sanity by going to sea. Adventure followed. Can't make this stuff up, can you?

[David Patterson]

My goal of experiencing winter months here is quickly being met, as the coldest period since 2008, locally, is just around the corner. Yet this day was warm and sunny as I wandered the marina. In the triple photo are a sternwheeler, WATERFALL, which is lovely in the winter sun; also a row of masts and bows along a dock; plus, a pair of Nordic Tugs just in on a year-end cruise to the San Juan Islands. From the uncrowded marina a pair of ferries can be seen, the larger on its way to a highway access, the smaller one coming in from the inter-island run. Last is a large-ish cutter (at least to me) sporting more of a "sea hood" over the hatch than a conventional dodger. With all that running rigging led to the cockpit, perhaps they needed it not to be in the way. The sheets aren't even run at the moment. The modest size of the hood certainly must minimize windage.

[David Patterson]

Certainly I'm getting experience aboard of the coldest period of the local winter. Frigid northern air is pouring down across the Salish Sea toward a somewhat slow moving low off the Oregon coast, as you can see in the windytv.com screen shot. Doesn't look like much, but relatively rare NE winds of Force 5 and 6, gusting as high as 36knts, or Force 8, have made the last day and more pretty cold. Wind chills have reached the teens. For once I'm glad to be in a slip. Not that the motion is as pleasant as when swinging to anchor. The port marina has been compelled to take the infrequent step of turning off water service to the docks to avoid frozen pipes. I've not seen before the flag they are flying to inform incoming boats. It's a dripping faucet with red circle and bar. Before the gale I snapped a photo of a wooden work boat I enjoy, having just brought some passengers with luggage in from a nearby island, one without ferry service.

[Sea Hunt Video]

David:

I saw a weather report on TV that showed SNOW in your area (or near your area). Yikes

The January/February 2017 issue of Cruising World has a very nice instructional article on using "smartphones" to take photos. It is titled "A Sailor's Guide to Great Smartphone Photography".

I did not understand much of the article as I am computer challenged. I have figured out why they call these things "Smartphones". It is to warn people like me to stay away from them. They are for smart people, not dummies like me.

If you do not have access to Cruising World and would like a copy send me an email/pm with a good mailing address and I will send it to you ASAP. I have access to USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.

[David Patterson]

I've learned ways to stay warm on my 25D, with adequate clothing layers, in temps in the low 20*s and Force 6 and higher north winds. My heater is only 9000 BTUs. More would be better. Below are photos of a morning sun over water vapor rising into 23* air from 45* waters; a frosted dock; and an 18' or so work boat in from an outlying island, at a very high tide judging by the dock ramp. The last day of a notably cold period.

[David Patterson]

While learning what I have wanted to know about being aboard in winter here, my "cruising" is limited to wandering about the marina and the town. Here are a few photos: two views of someone's attractive motor yacht, firefly-like lights in trees in a tiny waterfront park, and a compilation of views of the Port of Friday Harbor marina. Every couple of days there has been a gale wind warning or a small craft advisory. The anchor on the motor yacht appears to be a substantial Northhill, or perhaps a Navy pattern one, neither one often seen anymore.

[John Schafer]

MV Stitch has a Forfjord anchor, once very popular in the Alaska fishing fleet. I had a 145 lb one on last boat for a storm anchor. Used it a few times, had to use main halyard to get it back on deck.

[David Patterson]

Looked up the Forfjord. Found them available online. With that anchor and chain (7/16"?) STITCH should stay in place. Doesn't look like she uses it much, however. Thanks, John.

[David Patterson]

A couple of weeks left for me to experience the local winter, before leaving the boat for the month of February. After several days of a cold NE gale, the sun, low as it still is in the south, is nonetheless enticing me out for photography. The first photo pair is of San Juan Channel yesterday, outside the Harbor, covered in whitecaps from winds Force 5, gusting Force 6. Not much fetch involved, given the islands just across the channel. The highest gusts of the gale, that I saw recorded, were at 38 knots. Hitting my 25D on the port bow, the gale heeled my boat in the slip meaningfully. I woke from time to time in the night briefly because of it. The road to the ferry seems to go right into the Harbor. Mount Baker, in the second single photo, is freshly covered in white. Always a good subject, I didn't catch it in the sun, and my now 7 plus phone camera can't really reach it. The group of four photos includes two just for the light, and two of good-looking cutters. The cutter to upper right rolls in the slightest water motion. I'm curious about her underbody, and her general sea-kindliness. Close up, all of that encumbrance on the mainmast, with more at the masthead, looks as though it could affect her rolling. Maybe not. Perhaps she is simply tender. The pilot house cutter, lower right, looks like quite the boat.

[David Patterson]

A quick note about adjustment to cold aboard, while it's on my mind.... Our hulls are uninsulted, though aided somewhat by the liner. I've closed off stern ventilators on my 25D, blocked the quarter berth mostly, and used cushions on the hatches as insulation. Most useful has been to cover the hatch boards with a thick wool army blanket, held close by a couple of pieces of small stuff. You can see how in the red-light photo below, set up for easy loosening and re-tying. The ends look like my novice work, using what the rigger Brian Toss calls "the infamous butane backsplice." I don't recall doing them. (So much that I no longer recall!) My lowest night time ambient temp has been 20 degrees, a chilly night indeed. Staying warm while sleeping is easy. Plenty of bedding. Day time is also, with cabin clothes similar to what a person might wear in a mountain ski hut. Always a watch cap, and usually fingerless ragg wool gloves. But then, as a type II diabetic, my circulation is compromised. At ambient 30 degrees and above, my 9000 BTU heater makes fairly ordinary clothing adequate. A 60 to 65 degree cabin temp works well. The 45 degree water temp ensures that the hull below the water line gets no colder...or warmer. Wind strips away cabin heat, especially when aft of the beam and under the dodger, a problem unavoidable while slipped. No problem when at anchor. I've averaged about 3/4 gallon of propane a day in the month I've now been aboard, which has included three periods of locally unusually cold weather. She's not on shore power, but could be. A NE gale of arctic air is of course the most challenging. Well set-up NW boats rely on a good diesel heater, the occupants toasty while wearing only tee shirt and jeans. A full cockpit enclosure helps if the sailboat has one.

[David Patterson]

Having now experienced probably the two coldest months of the year aboard, learning about as much as there is for me to learn about managing them on this boat, I'll travel in less that two weeks. I'll be back for the beginning of March, leave the RV park, and get back on the hook then. Hopefully, I won't contract a flu during my travels, for flu is at an epidemic level in WA currently. Meanwhile, I continue to wander the port, enjoying what I find. Cruising on foot, I suppose. The initial photo is of the bow of a 50' or so cutter, seemingly set up for trade wind sailing downwind, given those twin headsails on furlers. I'm curious as to whether the staysail can be kept on the club foot still, when reefed. The second photo is of the attractive topsail schooner DIRIGO II. The choice of color for trim, the same as verdigris brass, is excellent. Her canvas shelters stay up in gales. The angled one at the bow handles northerlies well, for she is lying north, and must act as a helpful windscreen then. She's in the tourist trade locally. She's a pleasure to meet while sailing out in the channel in season. The last photo is of weathered wood on the main port dock, which makes for excellent footing when the dock is rimed with frost. The grain revealed by the wind and sun is intriguing to me.

[tjr818]

Beautiful as always David. What is the backstay look like on that cutter? I cannot imagine the tension that it must have with double headsails and a staysail. Stay well. I am a firm believer in those flu shots. I have heard that those of us considered "Early Boomers" might have already been exposed to this strain of flu.
Tim

[David Patterson]

Didn't look, Tim. Next time I'm over that way I'll check out the backstay. Some say with twin forestays that equal tension on them isn't possible as well. I've no idea if that is true. The staysail no doubt has shrouds or backstays (running?) at the level of the inner stay. Had my flu shot, but not the "senior dose." The clinic was out. Had the flu twice in NJ last winter. I hope to avoid it this year. Recovery was long. At 67 and a type II diabetic, I'm no longer very robust. Oh well, I can still cruise.

[David Patterson]

Tim, this is a follow-on post to your question about the backstay on that cutter with twin headsails. The backstay is a single substantial SS rod. The headsails are on their separate stays, and are over/under, not side by side. One is to the masthead fitting, one just below it to a tang or fitting on the mast. My photos aren't very clear, but the rig is beefy. The inner stay goes to the upper spreaders at the 3/4 point on the mast. Two "backstays" just aft of the lower shrouds (which are attached at the lower spreaders) oppose the inner stay. I couldn't tell where on the boat those running backstays get shackled. Would have to be a strong point. On a track? In the last photo you can see the powerful tackle set up to tension them. The mainsail, by the way, is boom furled, internally. An extra track for the main is installed in the mast track, which must put a lot of weight up the mast. It is all well engineered, apparently, on this Cabo Rico 42. (Clearly I am no judge of length!) One of the pleasures of cruising for me is studying other boats, as I stumble my way toward being better informed. Thanks for the question. It got me to look more closely. Some CD owners, I think, have put inner stays on their sloops. Some A30 owners have for certain, as on JEAN DU SUD, which has an inner stay as well as twin head stays.

[tjr818]

Wow! That Cabo shows some very high quality hardware. Those are very impressive chainplates and a rub strakes for the fender pendants. That gives me an idea for this Spring.
Stay warm,