There are a number of things I have on my boat that I wouldn't want to be without. I never would have guessed when I started out I would make use of these things. Here are some of those things, and if it isn't obvious, how I use them.
ELECTRIC CARVING KNIFE: (HUH???) Yeah. You can get "Memory Foam" pretty cheaply (right now, $100 for twin-sized at Wal-Mart). A layer of memory foam makes most berths markedly more comfortable. However, you will have to cut it to fit, and electric carving knives cut all kinds of foam very well.
DREMEL: Probably not a surprise to see that, but I didn't realize how much I would use it when I first started sailing. Among other things, it cuts PVC pipe extremely well, and PVC pipe can be handy for all sorts of things (not boat plumbing, however -- boats flex too much for rigid plumbing).
BARKEEPER'S FRIEND: (in the dry form and the spray form, but not the liquid). This product gets up all kinds of stains.
FORMULA 4-0-9: Does a great job of cleaning many things, but it won't get rust stains up (however, Barkeeper's Friend will).
SNATCH BLOCKS: Snatch blocks open to clasp the line it will be working, and can then be attached to all sorts of things, including any spot on a perforated toe rail and the base of stanchions (be careful about how much strain you put on your stanchions). Many people recommend keeping them out of sight when they're not being used as they are a tempting target. New ones cost around $170 and up, but I have gotten mine at marine flea markets for $20 - 30. They can be used for all sorts of things and can be incredibly useful in an emergency.
CONCENTRATED LIQUID BOULLON: It comes in several forms, including foil packs and small jars. You *can* use real boullon when cooking without having to store the leftovers in your finite refrigerated space.
MAYONNAISE: It enhances many dishes and sandwiches. It does not have to be refrigerated (read the label -- it even says that!) Mayonnaise actually has a high acid content and is inhospitable to salmonella. It isn't the mayonnaise that grows food poisoning bacteria -- it's the food it's mixed with. So *always* use a clean knife or spoon to scoop it out. By the way, refrigerate any left over pasta or rice -- or feed the crabs with it. Pasta grows salmonella very easily. But keep your jar of mayonnaise free of contamination and you can use it for months. The one I'm using now has been open for five months (including hot summer months). I learned this from my mother-in-law, who kept her mayonnaise, opened, in a cabinet. She was French, and when I questioned her about this, informed me rather archly that the French had invented mayonnaise and that she knew a bit about it (she did -- she studied cooking at the Cordon Bleu in Paris). 'Nuff said for me!
P-TOUCH LABEL MAKER: I label all my storage boxes. My top companionway step is actually a small storage box. Everything that goes in there has a "1" on it (made by the P-Touch, because those labels stick so well and last forever). 95% of the time, whatever tool I need is in that little box. I also have everything labeled that goes in my cockpit box. It makes it much easier to put things away. P-TOUCH labels are impervious to weather. I know someone who has had his headsail train track labeled for years with where the track should be for close-hauled, broad reach, etc. All the lines on my boom are labeled: topping lift, top reef, bottom reef, etc. My line clutches are labeled: spinnaker, headsail halyard, mainsail halyard, etc. This makes things much easier for people new to my boat.
KNEE PADS: Once you have them, you'll keep them handy.
SAILING GLOVES: Don't give me that macho attitude that real sailors don't wear gloves! If "macho man" cuts his hand or gets a serious friction burn out of pride, he's still a handicapped crew member. Get gloves and wear them. I keep them in my "skipper's cockpit box" -- I'll write about that shortly -- so they're always handy. That way I always put them on.
I would love to hear from other posters regarding things they have found useful enough on their boat to let them take up some of their finite storage space. I know this board can be hard to respond to. If you can't do that, just email me at
Rakuflames@gmail.com
I'll be glad to post it and give you the credit. I know I have lots to learn from you guys. Bring it on!
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Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Monday, December 16, 2013
Do you REALLY have towing insurance?
A couple of days ago I wrote about some friends who ran aground while trying to solve a roller furler problem. I wish that the roller furler, followed by running aground, had been the end of their grief, but unfortunately it was not.
I won't name their insurance company because it isn't my goal here to promote one insurance company over another. But it is a lesson in reading the fine print.
My friends couldn't get their boat off the grounding, but their insurance covered towing by the standard towing companies, so they called Boat US, who had no trouble getting them off.
However, the bill was $1,000, which they had to pay upfront and then get reimbursed by their insurance company. They knew that and were not upset by that.
However, that "towing coverage" includes a $500 deductible, so they're only going to get $500 back. That they're not quite so thrilled about.
My car has similar towing insurance -- only worse, really. It covers eight miles, or to the closest Subaru dealership (the brand of my car) -- which ever is shorter. Fortunately, if I want to be towed a little farther the cost doesn't nearly approach the $500 my friends will have to swallow for their boat tow.
Read your insurance policy carefully. My personal recommendation is that you not only get Boat US towing insurance but that you get their best package. I had to be towed about ten days ago because of dead batteries. They towed me to the club, where I had the boat looked at. The great thing about Boat US's best package, which I have, is that if the boat couldn't have been fixed at the club, they would have towed me again, either to my home slip or to a boat yard where they could have fixed the boat. (I was lucky, by the way. I was afraid the alternator had gone bad since all three batteries had died within a couple of days even though the engine had been used a lot, but it turned out to just be coincidence. The alternator is fine.)
Anyone can run aground. If you have a sailboat in waters like Florida, it's not if -- it's when. You will run aground.
My friends now have Boat US towing insurance, and I urge all sailors to do so. Any number of things can happen that could disable your boat even if groundings aren't common where you are. This advice isn't just for beginners, either, but then I have no sympathy for the macho idea that one should never, ever turn the engine on. If I can't use my motor to get back into my slip, I'm not going to try to sail it in through a blind entrance, a narrow entry way, and a long fairway, counting on being able to use the wind in four different directions without hitting anytbing. I'm going to call Boat US. Then if they hit something it's their fault, and I do like that.
Go to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/boldlygosailing?skip_nax_wizard=true
I won't name their insurance company because it isn't my goal here to promote one insurance company over another. But it is a lesson in reading the fine print.
My friends couldn't get their boat off the grounding, but their insurance covered towing by the standard towing companies, so they called Boat US, who had no trouble getting them off.
However, the bill was $1,000, which they had to pay upfront and then get reimbursed by their insurance company. They knew that and were not upset by that.
However, that "towing coverage" includes a $500 deductible, so they're only going to get $500 back. That they're not quite so thrilled about.
My car has similar towing insurance -- only worse, really. It covers eight miles, or to the closest Subaru dealership (the brand of my car) -- which ever is shorter. Fortunately, if I want to be towed a little farther the cost doesn't nearly approach the $500 my friends will have to swallow for their boat tow.
Read your insurance policy carefully. My personal recommendation is that you not only get Boat US towing insurance but that you get their best package. I had to be towed about ten days ago because of dead batteries. They towed me to the club, where I had the boat looked at. The great thing about Boat US's best package, which I have, is that if the boat couldn't have been fixed at the club, they would have towed me again, either to my home slip or to a boat yard where they could have fixed the boat. (I was lucky, by the way. I was afraid the alternator had gone bad since all three batteries had died within a couple of days even though the engine had been used a lot, but it turned out to just be coincidence. The alternator is fine.)
Anyone can run aground. If you have a sailboat in waters like Florida, it's not if -- it's when. You will run aground.
My friends now have Boat US towing insurance, and I urge all sailors to do so. Any number of things can happen that could disable your boat even if groundings aren't common where you are. This advice isn't just for beginners, either, but then I have no sympathy for the macho idea that one should never, ever turn the engine on. If I can't use my motor to get back into my slip, I'm not going to try to sail it in through a blind entrance, a narrow entry way, and a long fairway, counting on being able to use the wind in four different directions without hitting anytbing. I'm going to call Boat US. Then if they hit something it's their fault, and I do like that.
Go to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/boldlygosailing?skip_nax_wizard=true
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Your Autopilot Could Throw you in the Drink -- Really!
I'm a big fan of autopilots. Some people call them their "invisible crew member" or some other crew nickname that shows just how valuable they can be. If you're single-handing, for instance, the autopilot can keep your bow pointed into the wind while you raise the sails. No one ever told me what I'm going to tell you now, though. I heard "You should have an autopilot" over and over, but not one person said, "However, it can throw you in the water" -- until I said it. Then others agreed with me. I think it's just a good rule of thumb that anything you put on your boat will bring risks as well as benefits.
There's a saying about sailing that the number of errors equals the number of crew members -- squared. This includes your autopilot, because they can malfunction, and they can do so unpredictably and at just the wrong time -- just like humans.
An untended autopilot caused another boat to hit mine once. My helmsman had turned the helm over and was on my cabintop photographing the boat that ended up hitting me at the time, so we know exactly what happened. The "skipper" of the other boat 1) had his boat on autopilot, and 2) wasn't at the helm. The photos very clearly show him sitting on a side bench next to his cabin top, nowhere near the helm.
Sorry, but autopilots aren't really crew members, and a human has to be at the helm at all times. If common sense didn't tell you that, maritime law does.
Why is this important? His boat was sailing very fast, at least seven knots. He was only about ten feet away from us, silly really since we weren't racing and there was plenty of room.
So when his autopilot suddenly hiccuped and turned his boat 90º to port, at his speed even if he had known what was going on, he wouldn't have had time to steer away. His boat went right across the stern of my boat, leaving his bottom paint behind. His anchor hit my split back stay. It probably would have pulled the whole rig down except that the stay had a plastic PVC cover on it. The anchor, thankfully, rolled off the stay, damaging only the cover.
Autopilots can do that. They can be steering the boat dependably for quite some time. Then a wave hits the rudder wrong, or the power hiccups, or -- you won't always know why, but the boat suddenly makes a hard, lurching, and completely unpredictable turn.
If this happens to your boat and you're on deck somewhere instead of in the cockpit, and you're moving at 6 - 7 knots, that sudden turn can throw you into the water.
So what do you do? Because we all know we're not going to give up our autopilots.
First of all, any time you're relying on autopilot while you move around the boat, slow the boat down to the minimum speed you need to maintain steerage. That's whether you're going on deck or below decks, because you don't want to be thrown around in the cabin either. I suggest that you slow down even if you have someone at the helm, because humans can control for things like errant waves in ways that electronic gadgets cannot. It's all about keeping the person who is out of the cockpit safe.
Second of all, always remember the old rule, "One hand for the boat, and one for yourself." Don't be up on deck doing something with both hands, and nothing to hold on to. If you have to use both hands, then you should be tethered. For instance, if you're reefing the boat, clip the tether to your PFD, wrap it twice around the mast if it's long, and then clip it to your PFD again. I know someone who did that as a storm approached. The wind hit before he was done reefing, and his boat heeled over nearly 90º. He was knocked off the cabintop but stayed on the boat, which saved his life.
Autopilots are terrific. They let you go down to the head, or grab a sandwich, or get that CD you want. Used intelligently in open waters (not near other boats, for instance -- please, I don't want to be hit again, and you really don't want to hit another boat), they are a tremendous asset. Just remember that they introduce a new element of risk along with all that tremendous convenience.
Beyond this, ALWAYS ask yourself when you get a new piece of equipment: "OK, I know the good it can do -- what can it do that's bad?" A preventer can keep you from a dangerous jybe when you're sailing downwind. I don't know how many times I've heard that. However, only one person ever pointed out that if you attach it to the boom in the wrong place, it can bend (destroy) your boom.
We're all newer sailors here, but I know for a fact that people who have been sailing for more than 60 years are still learning things. Complicating this process is the fact that we don't know what we don't know. So we don't know that the autopilot can send us for a swim, or that the preventer can bend the boom. Take all the things you have on the boat and make sure you know the downsides as well as the upsides. The internet can be a great help, but use it with caution, as the internet is packed with misinformation, some of it dangerous. As you keep poking around, you'll start to get a sense for what is and isn't likely to be true.
This one is true: your autopilot can pitch you in the drink. Turn it off if you have crew and put someone on the helm before you leave the cockpit. If you're by yourself, slow it down to steerage speed.
And have fun out there!
Go to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/boldlygosailing?skip_nax_wizard=true
There's a saying about sailing that the number of errors equals the number of crew members -- squared. This includes your autopilot, because they can malfunction, and they can do so unpredictably and at just the wrong time -- just like humans.
An untended autopilot caused another boat to hit mine once. My helmsman had turned the helm over and was on my cabintop photographing the boat that ended up hitting me at the time, so we know exactly what happened. The "skipper" of the other boat 1) had his boat on autopilot, and 2) wasn't at the helm. The photos very clearly show him sitting on a side bench next to his cabin top, nowhere near the helm.
Sorry, but autopilots aren't really crew members, and a human has to be at the helm at all times. If common sense didn't tell you that, maritime law does.
Why is this important? His boat was sailing very fast, at least seven knots. He was only about ten feet away from us, silly really since we weren't racing and there was plenty of room.
So when his autopilot suddenly hiccuped and turned his boat 90º to port, at his speed even if he had known what was going on, he wouldn't have had time to steer away. His boat went right across the stern of my boat, leaving his bottom paint behind. His anchor hit my split back stay. It probably would have pulled the whole rig down except that the stay had a plastic PVC cover on it. The anchor, thankfully, rolled off the stay, damaging only the cover.
Autopilots can do that. They can be steering the boat dependably for quite some time. Then a wave hits the rudder wrong, or the power hiccups, or -- you won't always know why, but the boat suddenly makes a hard, lurching, and completely unpredictable turn.
If this happens to your boat and you're on deck somewhere instead of in the cockpit, and you're moving at 6 - 7 knots, that sudden turn can throw you into the water.
So what do you do? Because we all know we're not going to give up our autopilots.
First of all, any time you're relying on autopilot while you move around the boat, slow the boat down to the minimum speed you need to maintain steerage. That's whether you're going on deck or below decks, because you don't want to be thrown around in the cabin either. I suggest that you slow down even if you have someone at the helm, because humans can control for things like errant waves in ways that electronic gadgets cannot. It's all about keeping the person who is out of the cockpit safe.
Second of all, always remember the old rule, "One hand for the boat, and one for yourself." Don't be up on deck doing something with both hands, and nothing to hold on to. If you have to use both hands, then you should be tethered. For instance, if you're reefing the boat, clip the tether to your PFD, wrap it twice around the mast if it's long, and then clip it to your PFD again. I know someone who did that as a storm approached. The wind hit before he was done reefing, and his boat heeled over nearly 90º. He was knocked off the cabintop but stayed on the boat, which saved his life.
Autopilots are terrific. They let you go down to the head, or grab a sandwich, or get that CD you want. Used intelligently in open waters (not near other boats, for instance -- please, I don't want to be hit again, and you really don't want to hit another boat), they are a tremendous asset. Just remember that they introduce a new element of risk along with all that tremendous convenience.
Beyond this, ALWAYS ask yourself when you get a new piece of equipment: "OK, I know the good it can do -- what can it do that's bad?" A preventer can keep you from a dangerous jybe when you're sailing downwind. I don't know how many times I've heard that. However, only one person ever pointed out that if you attach it to the boom in the wrong place, it can bend (destroy) your boom.
We're all newer sailors here, but I know for a fact that people who have been sailing for more than 60 years are still learning things. Complicating this process is the fact that we don't know what we don't know. So we don't know that the autopilot can send us for a swim, or that the preventer can bend the boom. Take all the things you have on the boat and make sure you know the downsides as well as the upsides. The internet can be a great help, but use it with caution, as the internet is packed with misinformation, some of it dangerous. As you keep poking around, you'll start to get a sense for what is and isn't likely to be true.
This one is true: your autopilot can pitch you in the drink. Turn it off if you have crew and put someone on the helm before you leave the cockpit. If you're by yourself, slow it down to steerage speed.
And have fun out there!
Go to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/boldlygosailing?skip_nax_wizard=true
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Oops -- What Do We Do Now?
I have some sailing friends who, like me, are newer sailors. They're working hard to improve their skills and split their time between improving their boat and sailing it.
They were out a couple of weeks ago when they suddenly had trouble with their roller furler. They were jybing, and I suspect the headsail wrapped around the furler. Jybes can be easy, but you have to keep control of the lines. Of course, a sheet can slip out of anyone's hands (gloves help, but ... stuff happens.)
So they did the logical thing. One stayed on the helm, and one went forward to straighten out the sail.
While they were doing that, they ran aground. Oops. Things tend to cascade like that.
What could they have done to avoid it?
Sometimes there's nothing you can do. One time as I was leaving a marina, my outboard died. It was a lowering tide, and I knew there was a shallow area just to starboard. Unfortunately there was a strong wind from the east. When the engine died, that wind had us solidly aground within five seconds. There was nothing we could have done.
However, in retrospect, my friends had some choices. Here's what I and others recommended to them for next time:
1) quickly check for lines in the water (a real possibility when the headsail is out of control)
2) start the engine
3) notice where you are before deciding what to do.
If they'd stopped to think about where they were, they would have known they were near shallow spots. A better option probably would have been to turn around and move to a place with room to work. The sail would flap around a bit, but that's not the end of the world. Engine power would keep the boat from "sailing crazy" while the headsail was tangled (the time this happened to me, the boat sailed in circles until I got it untangled).
What if you have a different problem, and you don't have power, or you can't steer? I told a story a week or so ago where someone ended up with a line wrapped around both the rudder and the propeller. They were in very deep water, but if you aren't, put the anchor down.
Your goal should be to prevent things from getting worse as well as solving the original problem. If you're lucky you may prevent one thing from leading to another and another and another ...
Go to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/boldlygosailing?skip_nax_wizard=true
They were out a couple of weeks ago when they suddenly had trouble with their roller furler. They were jybing, and I suspect the headsail wrapped around the furler. Jybes can be easy, but you have to keep control of the lines. Of course, a sheet can slip out of anyone's hands (gloves help, but ... stuff happens.)
So they did the logical thing. One stayed on the helm, and one went forward to straighten out the sail.
While they were doing that, they ran aground. Oops. Things tend to cascade like that.
What could they have done to avoid it?
Sometimes there's nothing you can do. One time as I was leaving a marina, my outboard died. It was a lowering tide, and I knew there was a shallow area just to starboard. Unfortunately there was a strong wind from the east. When the engine died, that wind had us solidly aground within five seconds. There was nothing we could have done.
However, in retrospect, my friends had some choices. Here's what I and others recommended to them for next time:
1) quickly check for lines in the water (a real possibility when the headsail is out of control)
2) start the engine
3) notice where you are before deciding what to do.
If they'd stopped to think about where they were, they would have known they were near shallow spots. A better option probably would have been to turn around and move to a place with room to work. The sail would flap around a bit, but that's not the end of the world. Engine power would keep the boat from "sailing crazy" while the headsail was tangled (the time this happened to me, the boat sailed in circles until I got it untangled).
What if you have a different problem, and you don't have power, or you can't steer? I told a story a week or so ago where someone ended up with a line wrapped around both the rudder and the propeller. They were in very deep water, but if you aren't, put the anchor down.
Your goal should be to prevent things from getting worse as well as solving the original problem. If you're lucky you may prevent one thing from leading to another and another and another ...
Go to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/boldlygosailing?skip_nax_wizard=true
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