FEBRUARY 25, 2020: SAIL FASTER / HOMER LIGHTHALL

FEBRUARY 25, 2020

SAIL  FASTER!

Homer Lighthall

I have a friend that likes to say “all sailing is, is doing 1000 things exactly right!”  The more I learn about sailing, the more I see the truth of this statement.  Rules, tactics, strategy, steering, crew synchronization, the list goes on and on.  Tonight’s presentation by Homer was an excellent recap of things you can do to make your boat go faster. He broke it down to cheap and easy things you can do, more expensive things and things you can do when hauled-out to make your boat faster.

Homer had a comprehensive list of inexpensive things you can do to make your boat lighter. Unloading things not needed and emptying holding tanks will make your boat lighter.  I like to think that if I can lighten my boat and get it to sit ¼ inch higher out of the water, the energy saved by not pushing through this much water is substantial.   Homer emphasized the importance of getting people out of the cockpit and up on the rail.  Keeping your bottom clean is critical to reduce drag. It is also critical to watch for loose kelp so you don’t get “hitchhikers” that will really slow the boat down.  You can reduce windage by eliminating dodgers and life rings hanging on the stern pulpit.  You can move the anchor from the bow to the cabin sole, right behind the mast for better weight distribution.  Using a bull nosed anode on the prop just ahead of the strut will decrease drag and setting your folding prop so the blades are vertical and locking the engine in reverse to prevent prop rotation is critical also.

More expensive options are to get a folding prop (about $1000) and when replacing equipment consider the weight of the item you are replacing. Homer talked about the difference between the weight of cargo versus moveable ballast (crew in the right place). You can also remove clutter like all the manuals and stacks of paper in your chart table.

There are more expensive options that can be employed when hauling your boat out.  You can move up to at feathering prop (Gori or Maxiprop) which can cost about $2000.  Feathering props work better in reverse than folding props (Martec).  When applying bottom paint, you should use a thin knap roller with thinned paint or even better, have the bottom paint sprayed on.  You can have the bottom faired to take out all irregularities and remove all transducers and thru hulls that are not being used.  Homer spelled out the difference between the two types of Trinidad bottom paints.  There is a Trinidad Pro which is marketed to boatyards and Trinidad S marketed at stores.  There is not difference between the two paints.

Other options are to fair the rudder and keel removing all irregularities that create turbulence and drag. It is also important to make certain the back edges of rudder and keel are square, not round for proper release of water flow. Fairing the bottom of the keel is often overlooked since it needs to be done when the boat is suspended.  One amazing thing that Homer pointed out was the importance of using the proper track on your forestay.  When you know you are going to be on one tack for a long time, like sailing back from Monterey, use the track that causes the least turbulence.  For instance, if you know you are going to be sailing predominantly on port tack as you would coming back from Monterey, use the starboard track.  If you have 40 feet of luff and create smooth flow by employing this technique, you could actually see a difference over a 20 mile sail.

Next Tuesday will be our last Tuesday night seminar.  We will spend this time discussing potential changes that are going to take place this year in our Tuesday night sailing.  I am working on getting our Tuesday night sailing recognized by the yacht club.  If all goes as planned, we will have a Notice of Race, proper Sailing Instructions, new course cards and there will be a registration process in order to be recognized in our event.  I have presented this to the board of Santa Cruz Yacht club and it needs to be approved by the regatta committee.  If all goes as planned and we are all registered for the year, there will be no difference in the “fun factor” between last year and this year other than knowing the rules we are following. I will have a copy of the proposed NOR, SI’s and course cards that I will have printed up and laminated for distribution once approved by the regatta committee. Be sure to show up for this discussion.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

FEBRUARY 18, 2020 CRUISING SOMALIA AND THE RED SEA / CAPTAIN JOSEPH RODGERS

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

CRUISING SOMALIA AND THE RED SEA

CAPTAIN JOSEPH RODGERS

This was an enthralling presentation by Captain Rodgers about sailing Randy Repass’s boat “Convergence” across the Indian ocean, through the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea and to Turkey.  The excursion took place in the fall of 2011.  I am certain there were many stories that could have been told about sailing the Indian Ocean, but Joe concentrated on the most interesting part: dealing with pirates and sailing in the Red Sea.

“Convergence” is a 65 foot Wyliecat ketch which many of us remember seeing in the harbor before Randy started his voyage around the world.  Joe described some of the drawbacks in the design of the boat.  Many of us that sail use shrouds and Stays for stability while going forward on the boat.  The design of the Wyliecat has no shrouds or stays.  In addition to not having these devices to hold for stability, there is nothing to stabilize the mast, so going aloft gets even more exciting.

On their way to the Red Sea, they visited the Maldives.  Joe had many photos of the gorgeous beaches and waters of the Maldives.  Sailing up to the Gulf of Aden, they studied the prospects of dealing with the pirates.  At the time, 22,000 ships sail through this area yearly and there were 266 attacks by pirates.  Most of these attacks were attempts to commandeer ships to hold the crew and ship for ransom.  There was an impressive map showing where the attacks took place in the area.  There was a small area that had fewer attacks and Convergence sailed through this area.  Joe described the sense of uncertainty every time another boat appeared thinking they could be pirates.  It seemed to be the predominant theme, every boat fearing every other boat until they found they were not pirates but just other cruisers.

Joseph got acquainted with some cruisers that ultimately lost their lifes to the pirates.  I think this was one of the most important points that Joseph made.  The inhabitants of the boat were Christians and were passing out Bibles and preaching to the Muslin population.  Joseph said that on Convergence they even took down their SCYC burgee (because it has a cross on it) to avoid attention.

Joseph also noted how the poverty in the area would be unbelievable to most Americans.  Joe and crew made a positive impression on the locals bearing many gifts for the kids and for adults.  Joe noted, they just want to live which can be very difficult with such poverty.

Joseph emphasized the importance of travelling as fast as possible and using physical barriers at night: thumb tacks on deck (ala J. Slocum), razor blades and greasing handrails.  He said the Red Sea was very windy and had an incredible amount of traffic with transiting ships.  He also said that the wind blowing across the desert carried a lot of sand, making it impossible to keep the boat clean.

 

The journey was a success with the safe delivery of Convergence to Turkey after a 50 day voyage.

Thank you, Captain Rodgers for an excellent presentation.

Next Tuesday, Homer Lighthall will talk about  physical changes to make to improve boat speed.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

FEBRUARY 11, 2019: SAILING SVEA WITH BRENT RUHNE

FEBRUARY 11, 2019

SAILING SVEA

BRENT RUHNE

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to crew on a large professional sailboat?  Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be  175 feet above the deck while sailing and competing?  If you have ever pondered these conditions, this night was for you.

Brent has crewed on Svea, a 143 foot aluminum hulled J-boat for the last 5 years.  He displayed incredible photos of the boat.  Everything from drone photos, and photos from up the mast and photos of building the boat.

Backing up a little, Brent explained the whole J-Boat phenomenon.  The J boat class was developed before world war II and some of the hulls have been resurrected to sail again.  These boats look like rocket ships, with long overhangs on both ends.  These are classic full keeled boats that are not like modern boats with plumb bows and flat sterns.  To put it in perspective, Svea is 143 feet long and has a beam of 20 feet! The resurrection of the J boats came with the 12 meter Americas cup boats which were similar in appearance.

Brent described being one of 32 crew members.  True to form, Brent said that when one of these 32 crew members was not present, it affected the whole team.  He described the mechanics of handling such massive sails.  Those of us that sail and race in local amateur circuits are accustomed to a lot of yelling and cursing.  Brent said that sailing professionally on a big boat is very quiet as everyone tends to their task.

It is impossible to do justice to Brent’s presentation in a blog.  You had to be there to see the photos to appreciate it.  To get a deeper appreciation of these boats, I encourage you to watch these two videos on you-tube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If35AoCDt80

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRAGzKJvQ7Y

I must express appreciation to Steve Niemann and Jim Skinner for setting up the chairs for this presentation and the crew that helped put everything back together after the presentation.

Thank you Brent for an awesome presentation.

Next Tuesday, Captain Joseph Rodgers will speak about cruising through the Red Sea and Somilla.  Talking with him, he has some unique ways of dealing with piracy in the area!  We will be meeting downstairs next week. Barbecue from 5:15 to 5:45 with presentation starting at 6PM.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

February 4, 2020, MARINE DISASTERS OF MONTEREY BAY / CAPTAIN JOSEPH RODGERS

FEBRUARY 4, 2020

MARINE DISASTERS OF MONTEREY BAY

CAPTAIN JOSEPH RODGERS

ABOUT: Capt. Joseph W. Rodgers is a licensed U.S. Coast Guard merchant marine officer, who from 1978 to present has been professionally involved as a Certified Marine Surveyor, (CMS) with the National Association of Marine Surveyors and appointed by major insurance companies, financial institutions, yacht brokers, law firms, corporations, and individuals needing comprehensive appraisals on ships, yachts and private vessels of all sizes and types.  His firm of Rodgers & Associates represents American and London Institute of Marine Underwriters. Capt. Rodgers is a senior member of the American Society of Appraisers, Machinery and Equipment section, holding a degree in Technical Valuation of yachts and ships.  He is also a American Sailing Association instructor who has sailed small craft around the world. His life on the water has given him some  insights few have enjoyed.

Capt. Joseph W. Rodgers CMS ASA

PO Box 5306

Santa Cruz, California 95063 – 5306

(831) 475-4468 (Office)         

jrodgers@rodgersandassociates.com

www.rodgersandassociates.com

 Joseph has been a marine surveyer in Santa Cruz since 1978 and has reported his share of marine disasters.   He presented photos and talked about the many marine disasters that have occurred in the area since the late 1800s to present. 

I found it interesting that the combination of fog and wind which are prominent in this area has lead to the demise of many boats.  In fact, many coastal points have been named after boats that went aground at that location.  It only makes sense in the age of celestial navigation, if you can’t get a sight on celestial bodies for a long period of time the only way to navigate would be dead reckoning.  In unknown coastlines and waters, navigating by dead reckoning can lead to dead ends. 

Where navigating errors was the cause of many marine disasters in the early days of sailing on this coast, the age of GPS should help decrease this problem.   On my GPS I have a waypoint set for about 300 feet off the entrance to the harbor, then another waypoint set for the center of the entrance to use if the fog gets intense.  Joseph showed multiple photos of boats that were beached on our harbor beach because they missed the harbor entrance.

From Joseph’s presentation, it seems like most of the recent marine disasters have involved mechanical failures, fires, anchors dragging and still some navigation errors.  With the advent of autopilots, it is too easy to set the autopilot and tend to other chores.  Joseph emphasized the importance of always having someone on watch and to always avoid collisions, even if you think you have right of way.

Most of the fires seem to be caused by using gasoline which is much more combustible than Diesel. When using gasoline, it is critical to be more diligent with regards to fuel leaks and always use the blower to clear any fumes before starting your engine.  Fires and fiberglass are not a good mixture since fiberglass is even more flammable than wood.  Another cause of fires (explosions) is propane use and leaks. When using propane for stove use, it is important to turn the stove off by turning the solenoid off to clear the lines. Don’t turn the stove off at the stove like you would at home.  It is also good to install and use a propane sensor alarm.  Propane is heavier than air so will settle to the lowest parts of the cabin and will not dissipate like lighter gasses will.

Mechanical failures usually involve failed thru-hulls or stuffing boxes.  It is important to inspect thru-hulls for signs of failure or corrosion.  If a thru-hull is not being used, it should be fiberglassed  and never capped with a threaded cap since these can fail from corrosion.  It is important to always use ball cock valves rather than faucet type valves that are made for land use.

From the presentation, it seems that many boats end up going aground because of anchors dragging.  This can happen when the wind changes direction or from mechanical failure such as a rusty chain rode.  I was surprised how many anchors drag in Stillwater cove with its rocky bottom.  My impression was that most of these anchor failures were due to a south wind dragging the anchor.  I learned how important it is when anchored there to be diligent when there is a change in wind direction.

Thank you Joe for an enthralling presentation.

Next Tuesday we will have Brent Ruhne talk about crewing and racing on a 140 foot sailboat. The presentation will be upstairs next week on 2/11 and the side bar will be open so no BYOB.  The presentation will start at 6pm.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice