Too Much Sail Up!

I heard about a sailor the other day who, as they say, ended "up to his neck in alligators." I'll call him "Dick."

Dick had taken a several-day sailing trip with a couple of friends who had sailed some with him before but who didn't have a lot of experience yet.

Dick was the person at the helm. they were sailing with an asymmetrical spinnaker out. An asymmetrical spinnaker flies to either the port or starboard side of the boat, not out in front while running downwind, as a symmetrical spinnaker is used.

Asymmetrical spinnaker deployed on port side
Source for photo: http://www.yagersails.com/spinnaker.html

As you can see, that's a lot of sail. Now, there are some basic rules about sails.

• The heavier the weather for which the sail is designed, the heavier and stiffer the fabric will be. My ATN Gale Sail is only tricky to attach to the roller furler because the fabric is so stiff. But because it is stiff, I can make that sail completely flat, something you want in higher winds. 
• The higher the wind, the smaller you want your sails to be. This is why mainsails can be reefed. 
• The higher the wind, the stronger you want that sail fabric to be, so it can take the extra wind pressure without ripping.
• The higher the wind, the flatter you want the sail to be. A big belly in a sail catches a lot more wind than a hard, flat sail. Look at the belly in that picture above -- wowsa!

A spinnaker sail fails on all four points. Spinnaker cloth is just about the lightest-weight sail cloth made. When the winds pick up significantly, at some point it's time to take the spinnaker down, or "douse" it.

Well, Dick didn't pay full attention to what we call "rising conditions." Both the winds and the waves were picking up. All of a sudden his boat took off, racing on the overpowered spinnaker. The boat was out of control.

So now he had some decisions to make -- who does what? (Remember my article "Ten Minutes to Prepare?") Part of deciding who will do what is making sure that the person will know how to execute his or her designated task. Unfortunately, Dick is an optimist and did not anticipate this change in conditions. He also didn't assign tasks ahead of time, and he didn't train those people for their assignments.

But I know what the BIG thing is that went wrong for Dick -- he's a helm hog. He doesn't want to share the helm. Because of that, he did not have a skilled backup helmsman.

When he found himself overpowered, he had to go up to the bow in rough seas and douse that great big sail, keeping it under control and out of the water (having that sail go into the water would have been extremely dangerous. It could have pulled the boat over and then under like a submarine.) He had two relatively inexperienced people back in the cockpit, one of them on the helm. The person on the helm couldn't hold a steady course with the increased wind and waves, and who could blame him? You need to have someone else who can take the helm, but you have to teach that person and give him or her time to practice. Otherwise your backup helmsman is going to have a hard time. You have to share the helm if you're going to have an adequate backup helmsman in a pinch.

Dick called out instructions, but the new helmsman either didn't understand the instructions or couldn't execute them. It could have been a combination of both. In any case, they ended up with a line in the water AND wrapped around the rudder. When the people in the cockpit realized they couldn't steer, they started the engine. That is only a good choice if the helmsman and crew are certain that there are ... no lines in the water. The line then very efficiently wrapped itself around the propeller as well.

Again, this is a problem resulting from poor crew training and lack of time doing important things on the boat, what a friend of mine calls "time over water" (and not just as a passenger). There are extremely directive skippers out there, who give so many detailed instructions that the crewmember is just an extension of the skipper, doing no thinking for himself (picking a sex). The more prompts you give as a skipper, the less your crew member will actually learn.

Your crew has to practice these things under calm conditions, and "checking for lines in the water" needs to be drilled into everyone's head before they go *anywhere* near that engine -- in fact, all the time. That line wrapped itself around the rudder without any help from the engine. If you're going to take beginners out on your boat, you have a responsibility to teach them those basic things. If something happens, starting the engine is a very reasonable thing to do. They need to know how to do it safely.

He had to cut the spinnaker lines and let it drift away, but all's well that ends well. The skipper also had to go over the side to untangle that line from the rudder and propeller. That's not so good; he had to leave his boat for the water with crew on board who were already struggling. Again, all's well that ends well.

BUT:

You can avoid a lot of this by discouraging a casual attitude toward sailing on your boat. Make sure that your crew knows that it can be a little dangerous. Make sure they truly know how to perform the tasks you're going to assign them. Teach them patiently and give them a chance to practice.

I was on the sail school's safety boat one day when the students were learning to dock (those of us on the safety boat call that "target practice.") Each student boat made pass after pass, and we could hear the instructors giving tips and encouragement to their students. If the students were doing the docking, they should have been giving the directions to the teacher and other student, but each time, it was the teacher speaking.

Then one of the boats approached. I looked at the instructor, and she had her hands over her mouth! One student was in charge of the docking with the other student crewing. The student did a great job. Then they made another pass, and the other student executed the "mock dock." He did a great job too, and the teacher still had her hands over her mouth.

Hats off to her. She knows that unless those students can dock the boat without any prompting from her, they can't dock the boat. That's what you should do, too. If you want your crew to be able to tack the boat without your help, put one of them on the helm and one of them on the sheets -- and then zip your lips.

And for heaven's sake, don't be a helm hog. One day it could be your life on the line.

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Freighters are the Big Boys and They Can Smash You Up

Correction: I said below that the sailboat was not found to be at fault. That has not been decided yet. The decision reported here was made by the Washington State Department of Transportation. They looked only at what their ferry captain and crew did. The Coast Guard will look at both boats' actions, and probably assign fault to both, since the sailor acknowledged paying too much attention to his radar at the time.

Some time ago I put up a short-term entry about how I was booted off of Cruisers and Sailing Forum because I said things others didn’t agree with. Those other posters got rude and snarky,

Over and over since then it’s turned out that the things I said that were sneered at – turned out to be true.

When the incident linked a little below (second link), that of a Washington State Ferry sinking a sailboat, was first reported, I suggested that the ferry captain might be at fault. Well, there are several professional ship’s captains on that forum, all of whom took my comment personally. I was told what excellent watches all commercial ships always keep.

Well, maybe not, because then there’s the example below. I could be wrong, but I don’t believe this particular freighter kept an adequate watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-RIM...e_gdata_player

(I hope there were no live-aboards in that marina, and no pets aboard ...)

Then I had the temerity to say that no matter what the COLREGS say, sailboats would be smart to steer clear of big freighters and cruise ships. Then EVERYONE got in an uproar. It was yet another deliberately provoking poke at commercial captains (in their view), and it gave horrible advice to sailors (in their view). Nothing but chaos would follow (in their view).

Well, now the Washington ferry/sailboat collision has been investigated, and the ferry captain and crew have been found to be at fault. They must all go through retraining on keeping a good watch. I didn't see any mention of attributing any blame to the sailboat, which almost always happens -- almost always, both boats are found to be at fault to one degree or another.

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2013/11/Hyak_111313.htm

The powers that be on The Forum seemed to think I said the things I said in order to be confrontational, but the truth is that we are all responsible for our responses to what we perceive as provocations. We’re also responsible for our perceptions.

Your common sense, and that still small voice in the pit of your stomach hollering “Don’t do that!!!” are your FRIENDS. Meanwhile, strangers can give you really bad advice for all sorts of reasons. The more invested they are in being "the one who is right," the further they may go and the harder they may work to convince you that their misinformation is the best sailing advice you'll ever be given.

As for the sailor in the Washington collision, thankfully, he survived. He also apparently had the right of way, but his boat is at the bottom of the channel, and he didn’t have to survive that collision. He was very lucky.

Here’s a video of a collision I’ve put up before, one where the sailboat was at fault. I’m going to point out something I didn’t mention the last time I put this video up: pay close attention to the sails on the sailboat (it has a shocking pink spinnaker). You’ll see that they lose their shape. In all likelihood, that sailboat slowed down as it crossed the freighter’s path. Maybe the freighter blocked the wind, but an experienced racer would have spotted that coming. More likely, the freighter distorted wind flow in some way the helmsman on the sailboat didn’t anticipate. (This can happen under bridges, also.) Either way, the result was devastating for the sailboat. You can hear three of the five warning horn blasts the freighter gave:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tUoUxzt9sI

Give way to freighters. Just stay out of their way. Do it early, and make it as obvious as possible (in other words, make a big turn, not a small course correction). They move fast, and you’ll soon be on your intended course again.

Whether the stone hits the pitcher or the pitcher hits the stone, it’s going to be bad for the pitcher. Don’t play “chicken” with freighters.

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A Tale of Two Sailors

“Abilities wither under faultfinding, and blossom under encouragement.”
— Donald A. Laird

The other day, I spoke with two different sailors about two different issues. Neither of them are close friends of mine.

Person A greeted me cordially and then went about his business. Later on I ran into him, and we chatted about several things. This ended with a discussion about the very clever way he has rigged his mainsail halyard to make it easier to pull, using blocks. He calls it his "geezer halyard." He showed me exactly how he made it. He made sure I got safely on and off his boat, showed me how it was all set up, and let me try the halyard myself (easy with one hand -- I hope to have an article about it shortly, because it's not only "geezers" who have bad shoulders or backs). 

Then there was Person B. I had sought out this person's advice because I respected his expertise. I did not know him well.

To my surprise, every single sentence I started got cut off in mid-stream without being finished. The conversation was immediately derailed to some thought that what I had said had triggered in his mind. The observations were always negative, and the comments always condescending.  I was there to gather information, while he was there to prove that he knew more (uh -- no contest -- could we please move on?). This person still has no idea of what I know and do not know, what I have and have not done, and, I am quite certain, thinks he knows a great deal more about me as a sailor than he actually does. In fact the interchange ended with some really bad advice, that "with the kind of sailing I do" (something we didn't discuss) I "don't even need a chart plotter. Just use your cell phone."

Really? I should cross Florida Bay using a cell phone to navigate? I don't think so! There really isn't any cell phone reception out there. But we didn't discuss my intention to sail to the Tortugas one day.

So what was going on?

Well, both people wanted validation for their knowledge and expertise. Don't we all? One person has my renewed respect. He talked to me in a friendly and encouraging way. He has in fact done this since I first started sailing. We have never socialized outside the club, but he has been unfailingly supportive. He's never blown smoke up my skirt, and I came out of this exchange feeling validated as well. This very experienced man thought I was worth his finite time. He was patient and waited to see whether I understood. We both participated in that discussion and demonstration. Hopefully all of you will soon benefit from his generosity of spirit and have great pictures of his "geezer halyard," too. He got his validation from helping out someone with less experience than him.

In my opinion, the second person was so interested in getting validation that he lost track of the conversation. I would say something and he would actually say virtually the same thing not five minutes later, presenting it as something he was sure I didn't know. For instance, I pointed out that celestial navigation will not be a lot of use if caught in a hurricane. Not two minutes later he explained to me that one can't use celestial navigation in a hurricane. He simply was not hearing anything I had to say. He has walked away from our "conversation" remembering only what he thought up, because the only reason he listened to me was to find a new tangent to redirect the conversation to. Those new conversations always included assumptions (big assumptions) that I didn't know very basic things, followed by condescension. He got his validation by looking down his nose at someone else.

I'm not passing that cell phone "advice" on to you. Do NOT rely on a cell phone for navigation. It can be a backup, but you can't count on getting a signal. For instance, I know as a fact that I will get no cell phone signal off the coast of Venice, but the entrance into Venice Inlet is tricky and you need accurate information, and you may need it rapidly.

And there's the "smoke up your skirt" test: I don't know another sailor who would recommend a cell phone over a chart plotter. But it was a great put-down. The more important the advice you're being given is, the more necessary it is to double-check it. 

Standard disclaimer applies: I'm not disparaging charts here, and I encourage people to use both charts and chart plotters. I encourage people to do things like put Navionics on their cell phones. Just don't *count* on it to be there when you have to make a five-second decision about where the sand bar is, because that might be exactly when you "drop carrier."

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My Current Storm Strategy

"Climbing (sailing) is like fun, only different."
     Tom Pattey, Scottish ice climber

When I first started sailing, I had a storm strategy. That’s good; everyone who sails should have a storm strategy.

My first plan (just avoid storms) was completely unrealistic (in two ways). That’s bad. See my three-part entry, “Out of the Bathtub!” That wasn’t even a storm – just more wind and waves than typical. We were in 5’ waves, and I was completely unprepared. I noticed on the news tonight that 8’ waves are predicted on the Gulf tonight. There’s nothing in the visible observation of local weather to suggest this. Locally, it’s cloudy with occasional light drizzle. However, to the north of us a cold front is moving south. I’m guessing now, but wondering if maybe north of here, weather is just pushing waves southward. The weather report didn’t give wave direction, and I haven’t checked yet.

It doesn’t really matter, because both weather and weather-related events, such as waves, can’t always be predicted (see my entry “Storm!”, where a significant storm seemingly came out of nowhere.)

In my first wind-and-wave event, I was woefully unprepared, particularly because of my reefing system that was so inadequate and dangerous that it couldn’t be safely used. That led to a cascade of ever-worsening events.

My second storm strategy was “just drop all the sails and motor.” That is also a significantly flawed strategy in my opinion.

First, my first sailboat had an outboard engine. In the waves we had it would have been impossible to run the engine because the engine would have kept coming out of the water, denying it cooling. On my next boat, the engine proved to be completely undependable. Now, with a dependable engine, I need to protect it. I don’t want to operate it if the boat heels more than 10º, because after 10º the oil pump cannot adequately pump oil through the engine.

The reality is that a sail plan in a really significant storm can’t and won’t be that simple, and it partly depends on your individual boat as well as your experience, and your experience with that boat.

For instance, my boat is particularly sensitive to being in balance -- that is, having the size of the headsail and the size of the mainsail matched so they work well together without allowing the boat to become overpowered (too much sail up for the conditions). I discussed this today with someone who has the same boat I do but vastly more experience, and he agrees.

For my boat, the hull shape is important. Its fat stern tapering to skinny bow makes the boat “bow tender.” In other words, the bow is particularly sensitive to wind and waves compared to some other boats.

Now, my friend already knows what I’m going to mention next. I’m still sorting it out because I haven’t been in a storm in this boat in some time and have learned a lot about how she handles since then. The first step for me would be to see where the coast is. If it’s close (I’m largely a coastal cruiser), getting away from or staying away from the coast has to be a top priority. You have to look at the chart closely and account for all possible obstacles, not just the shore itself.

The next concern will be how the hull goes through the biggest and most common waves. Unfortunately, waves don’t march like well-disciplined little sailors. While most may come from one direction, there will be contrary ones, and size will also vary. They are the concern of the helmsman. Right now, the current trend should be studied. In shallower water, the waves will be more confused and harder or impossible to predict. But you’re going to get out of shallow water as fast as you can.  :)

Once a tentative point of sail has been chosen (based on conditions, not destination – destination sailing is over for now) – it’s time to set the sails to help the boat through those waves as smoothly as possible. Wind direction has to be considered. You should have a good idea of where to put your sails, but try tweaking them for best result. “Harden them up” – that is, do things to take as much belly out as possible, such as tightening your outhaul (pulls the sail back toward the end of the boom) and the leech line (tightens the leech of the sail and helps take curve out of it). Why do that? Because a curved sail catches more wind than a flat one.

If you have a traveler, check its position. You probably won’t want to be on a close reach (often called “beating” with good reason), but you probably don’t want to be broadside to the winds either. Someplace in between will probably be best for the winds, but it may have to be a compromise between the wind and the hull, as the waves may not be from the same direction as the wind. You may want your traveler halfway between center and the end of the lee side. That gives you the option of using the traveler to quickly spill wind out of the mainsail in a gust. Simply release the upwind traveler line and let the traveler move all the way to the end. The sail will instantly become less efficient, and that’s exactly what you want.

Tweak your headsail as well. If this sail has height to it (my ATN Gale Sail is fairly short), you might want to use the position of the sheet leads to “twist” the top of the headsail. While sometimes undesirable, it is one strategy for depowering the headsail, because wind will spill ineffectively out of that twisted top.

The headsail can also be hardened up, by pulling the working sheet as tightly as possible. Many headsails have leech lines. Try to get forward to tighten that before any significant wind hits your boat.

All of this is a matter of judgment and balance. You will have your hardest time with it in your first storm, because you will have to test everything as you go, and make a number of adjustments. In subsequent storms you’ll know much more about what works on your boat. 

Is this my final storm strategy? Of course not.

Should you copy it? Don't be silly -- I haven't tried it yet. I'm absolutely certain it won't all work equally well. I have done all these things, but not all at the same time in a storm.

I'll post when I've done that. It's Florida. Inevitably, it will be tested. 

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Make Your Own Nautical Lamp

"If a man [or a woman] is to be obsessed by
something, I suppose a boat is as good as anything,
perhaps a bit better than most." 
 E. B. White

One of the more complicated lifestyle things to manage on a sailboat is interior lighting. My boat has old incandescent dome lights. The bulbs themselves give off a yellow-toned light, and the plastic domes over them have yellowed as well. They’re not very bright, and they turn on and off by twisting the dome. Since they’re old, they can be hard to turn on and off. Two just don’t work any more.

I’m exploring what to replace them with, but meanwhile I was faced with the reality that I needed better lighting now. So I tried dome-style work lights. I put an LED bulb in one and a fluorescent bulb in the other. I clipped them to the overhead handholds.

They both worked well, except that the clips holding them up kept slipping. Every time they fell, the domes dented more until they both looked like they’d been run over by trucks. They dented if they fell on to a settee cushion. I think they dented if someone sneezed. They had been ugly to start with and now they were truly awful.

So then I remembered old charts I had for another project. I had much more chart paper than I would need for that project.

Here’s the final result:

By using a slightly larger dome with protective bales, as well as the extra strength given by the paper wrapped around the aluminum, so far they have not dented at all. The bales improve the rigidity of the dome remarkably.

To make these yourself, here’s what you’ll need:

     * Aluminum work light:

         I recommend a larger one with two bales that help protect the aluminum from denting.

     * Old charts, enough to cover both sides of the work light (one large chart was more than enough to cover two work lights) 

     * Sand paper (I used 150 grit)

     * Elmer’s glue

     * Water

     * Cup or glass

     * Plate or wide bowl

     * Scissors

     * X-acto knife with sharp blade

     * Damp paper towels

     * Brush

    Time needed: about two hours

First, set the bales aside and sand the aluminum cover very lightly, inside and out. Wipe the aluminum down with a damp paper towel.

Look at your collection of old charts, or ask friends. I had no trouble finding some.

First, pick a circular section about 5” in diameter that looks interesting. Cut a small area in the center, and TEAR the outsize edge of your circle. The circle doesn’t have to be perfect and will look better if it is not. Torn edges will absorb the glue better, and layer under other pieces of chart more seamlessly.

Lay that circle in the center of the inside of the work light. It will not lie flat yet. Cut or tear from the outside edge toward the center in several places until this piece of chart does lie nearly flat. (You may find that tearing all the way from the outside edge to the center in several places may work best.) This is the tightest curve, except for the lip, that you will have to cover.

First piece, after it’s been torn and fitted, glued on

Mix the glue in a plate or wide, shallow bowl, about 50/50 with water. Soak your piece of chart in the glue/water mixture for at least 30 seconds, until the chart becomes softer and more pliable. This takes a little while because most charts are lightly coated to make them slightly water-resistant, but they will soak up the glue and water.

Lay your first piece of chart so that the center hole lines up with the bulb socket. You may need to trim that more. Try to trim it to the edge as well as possible. It does not have to be absolutely perfect as the bulb will block that edge. If you go too far, don’t worry – you can always patch it.

Chart paper, soaking in glue and water before application

As you look at your maps, study them and consider what sections you want to use. I found that my chart had notes written in on them and I wanted to make sure those pencil notes went on the lamp and that they were not later covered up by other pieces of chart. Likewise, I felt that large expanses of water were boring, and used the most detailed parts of the chart (one large chart covered two large floodlights with pieces left over). The chart I used is of the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

One several areas on this chart with notes made by the old owner. I made sure these sections
went on to the lamp. Also note the quality of the torn edge. It helps with glue absorption
and results in a smoother surface on the finished lamp.

 
Continue to tear, not cut, your chart pieces, roughly, to fit but also overlap. Consider what is already on the lamp that you want to leave exposed, such as the penciled notes on the piece of chart above.

Don’t try to line the chart pieces up so the chart can be read. You can’t force a flat surface to cover a curved one without considerable distortion. When I look at my finished lamps, they give the impression of a continuous chart, not what it really is -- bits and pieces that have been crazy-quilted together.

As you tear your chart pieces, you will have to continue to break up larger pieces so you can overlap them slightly, so they can follow the curves of the lamp. Test your pieces by laying them where you want them to be placed so you can make any needed adjustments. See the next two pictures:

Example of a piece I tore to cover an oddly-shaped bare space

 

If you find pieces that aren’t laying flat, work those spots gently with your fingertips. You’ll find the chart paper softens more and that you can mold it to the curves. You may have to tear  a slit in a piece to get it to lie flat as well. You can also apply more glue/water with a brush after you've placed the piece on the aluminum.

 The piece previously shown, torn again to cover the inside

curve of the lamp without bubbling or buckling.

Have a cup of water handy deep enough to hold your brush in case you have to leave the project, so your brush does not dry out and get hard.

As  you approach the edge of the work light, experiment with several shapes and sizes before covering the rim. This is the place where the chart paper is most likely to become “lumpy.” Soak those pieces well, and go back and check the edge periodically as you continue to work on the lamp, as creases and bumps can appear several minutes after the chart paper appears to have been laid flat. Add more water or glue and water to those pieces with the brush as necessary. Pieces that wrap around the edge will be more likely to buckle and will require periodic checking for lifted edges.

The inside of the lamp is now nearly covered

Continue around the outside of the work light as you did the inside.

When the work light is completely covered, dip the brush in the glue/water mixture and coat the entire lamp with the glue/water. Check the lamp carefully for small places where aluminum is still exposed.

After you’re sure you have covered every bit of aluminum, put the bales on. They will poke through the paper easily. If you can’t see where the holes are, hold the work light up to a light and you’ll be able to spot them. Put the bales on before the pieces of chart paper dry.

After the lamp has dried for 24 hours, check it once more for small exposed spots of aluminum. Some of the paper may have shrunk as it dried and fooled you. When completely covered with all pieces completely dry, take the bales off and spray several coats of sealant on the lamp, inside and out. You don’t want it damaged by a splash of water.

Don’t use incandescent bulbs in this lamp. Of the two bulbs I have tried, I prefer the LED bulb over the fluorescent one for this purpose. The LED has a larger diameter (the bulb shown cost $39 about a year ago, but it was worth it, and they last a very long time), and it gives off an even, bright but soft light.

If you want, you can spray paint the remaining exposed aluminum – the large spring clip used to position the lamp, as well as the bales. For my lamps, I think off-white would look best.

Another view of finished lamp, with LED bulb

I have had a few problems with these lights. First, the clip mechanism often works its way loose. Put Lock-Tite on the screw.

Second, although the smaller work light dented if you sneezed without the protective bales, it also had an on-off switch. The ones I covered do not have that, something I did not notice until I had covered them both. I plan on putting rolling switches in the cords.

Third, the clips themselves tend to slip off the best place for me to hang them from, the overhead hand-holds. I solved this problem by putting a zip-tie through the two sides of the clip above the handhold. I don’t pull it completely tight so I can move the lamp if I need to. It’s not ideal, but right now I have these lights in temporary placements. Once I have replaced the dome lights I’ll be able to judge better where I want these lights placed. I may install dedicated hardware for them, and once they have a permanent place, they can be unobtrusively attached. I may aim them at the ceiling at either end of the cabin for diffused light.

I have more old charts left, and I have another project in mind, but that probably won’t be posted for a little while. Meanwhile, look around you. If you have a table lamp on your boat, chart paper can update its look and make that table lamp look more as if it belongs on a boat. If the surface of your table is in rough shape, you can sand it, apply charts with varnish, and create an interesting table top. Use multiple coats of varnish for things like table tops.

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