NUTS & BOATS The twice monthly newsletter for to-be and already-are cruisers Volume 2, Issue #16 - August 15, 2004
Publisher: Trish Lambert
www.takehersailing.com
(C) P. Lambert 2004
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AUGUST SPECIAL Get individualized input from me for as little as $20 per hour! "I would like to have more than a half hour with you.
Why is your half-off offer only for that package?" More than one person asked me this after distribution of the last issue of Nuts & Boats. And my answer was, "Gee! I don't know!" So, ALL of the Take Her Sailing Cruising Teleconsultation packages are half off, and can be found on the web site in a new Services section. For the month of August, a half-hour teleconsulting session is on sale for $23.50 an hour session is $33.50 a three hour pacakage (over a three month time period) is $78.50 a six hour package (over six months) is $123.50.
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CRUISING STRATEGY
Preparing for the Big Blow by Skip Randall Note from Trish: It’s a little spooky that Skip wrote this article before Tropical Storm Bonnie threatened the coast where he lives. He implemented his check list to prepare for the strong tropical cyclone she was being forecast to be. Unlike Charley, though, Bonnie turned out to be far weaker than anticipated, so the dreaded storm surges and high winds did not manifest themselves. Still, he is glad that he prepared the boat for the storm, and will do it again in the same circumstances. *************** I dearly love Nehalennia, my Baba 30 home on which I've spent many hours keeping in Bristol condition. However, no boat is worth risking your life over, and I'd head inland in a New York minute if a really big storm (say a Category 2 or stronger hurricane) was headed my way. I'm convinced that in winds of 90 mph or higher, I would be unable to do anything useful topsides to help the boat, and would probably be risking my life. I do have a hurricane evacuation plan to minimize losses. (Note: I'm at a fairly protected marina with well-maintained wooden fixed docks and pilings in the panhandle of Florida, just east of Fort Walton Beach.) Use plenty of dock lines. I use 5/8 inch three-strand nylon lines, ten in all, so the boat ends up looking like a spider in the middle of a web. I have bow, stern, and amidships lines, plus long spring lines leading from the rear piling to the bow and forward piling to the aft. My storm strategy is to adjust all lines so the boat is in the center of the slip with just enough tension to keep it off the pilings and finger pier, but enough slack to allow for storm surge. To protect from chafing , the lines are covered at the boat end with one-foot lengths of plastic hosing and at the pilings with scraps of fire hose.
Tie everything down that moves. I tie off the wind generator blades, the jib furling drum, the boom, and secure the main cover at three to four foot intervals with gaskets (webbing straps).
Remove as much as possible from deck. This would include the dodger and bimini canvas, the solar panels, the offshore life raft, the dinghy (an Avon roll-up), jerry cans, cockpit cushions, and boathook.
Gather up valuables and documents. I keep an empty canvas tote in the nav station for this. I have a plastic container with the boat documentation, insurance papers, car title, car insurance papers, my professional licenses and papers, my passport, checkbook, and other key documents. Along with this go the binoculars, portable GPS, VHF handheld, camera, laptop computer, and personal stuff like jewelry and keepsakes. Also, a change of clothes, some foulies, my medications (I have a two-week supply all set to go in a spare bottle), and my cell phone and charger.
Turn off everything at the breaker panel. The automatic bilge pump is wired directly to the battery bank. I'd turn off all thru-hulls except the bilge outlet, and I'd turn off the propane at the bottle.
Disconnect the shore power, coil the cord, and throw it in the bag.
Head inland as far as sensible, check into a motel, contact the marina and my family and let them know where I am, turn on the TV, and hope for the best.
Generally, I make a point of keeping my car gas tank topped off if a named storm appears to be headed this way, and I keep two Nalgene® bottles filled with water in the trunk. I also have a flashlight and spare batteries in the car. I hope I never have to put my plan into action, and I hope you don't either. It’s still important to have a plan, though. To end on a pertinent cliché: Better safe than sorry.
KEEP AN EYE OUT! I’M HITTING THE SPEAKING TRAIL In addition to THS Teleconsulting in the new “Services” section on the site, I will be adding a “Need a Speaker?” section that summarizes the two talks I am currently offering to yacht clubs, chandleries, boat shows, etc., along with my professional and cruising bios. If you or someone you know needs an entertaining cruising speaker, contact me and let’s talk!
CRUISER'S EYE VIEW
Mike’s Eleven Little Rules for Guests Sailing on Our Boat by Mike Turney Note from Trish: Mike Turney is a fellow curmudgeon and one of the moderators at The Virtual Anchorage, Take Her Sailing’s web-based bulletin board. In Mikes’ words: Even a larger boat is such a small place to be confined with someone. I'm not speaking of someone that you have big personal issues with. I am thinking of even small stuff - taking the last of the orange juice without so much as a "by-your-leave"; jumping on the nav computer to plot the next day’s course when the plan for the next day hasn't even been decided upon or when you are looking at the chart at a critical moment; not offering to pay for a share of the groceries, just to name a few things. Small and petty? - possibly; minor matters in the cosmic scope? - probably; inconsequential? - absolutely not!
Here are Mike’s rules for guests aboard Nelleke. *************** Rule #1 (THE GOLDEN RULE): Only invite known commodities for extended cruises.
We only invite people that we know well for overnight trips. We do have others for evening cruises or afternoon sails, but I have found a boat to be too small a space to put up with anyone that turns out to not fit our idea of a sociable companion.
Rule #2: No drinking while underway!
Absolutely no drinking underway! None! Zilch! Nada! We can party at anchor and then only to moderation. Anyone can't live with that? See Rule #1!
Rule #3: No private alcohol.
We will only have collective alcohol on the boat. We determine what we will likely consume and then take up a collection and buy that. Anyone feel that's not enough? See Rule #1!
Rule #4: One soft bag of private luggage per person.
We have four Canadian military issue duffel bags. We lend these to our guests for packing. They can bring aboard whatever clothing and personal possessions that they can fit in those. Nothing more! We have a suggested list based on the area that we are going to sail to. Absolutely no hard case bags allowed on board. Anyone feel that is not enough? See Rule #1!
Rule #5: No smoking on board.
Don't like the smell. Don't like the increased danger of fire. End of discussion. Anyone can't spend the time at sea without a cigarette? See Rule #1!
Rule #6: No nudity.
Nelleke is not a clothing optional-vessel. I can count on one hand the number of people that I would feel comfortable with them watching me run around buck-ass naked and even fewer that I would care to watch do the same. And if they want to make whoopie - they can do it in their cabin like civilized folk. Too much restriction? Where is my sense of liberation and freedom? Same place that they will find Rule#1!
Rule #7: Properly use the head.
Everyone gets the head lecture and everyone understands that if they violate the pointers in the lecture it will be them standing on their head in the head fixing it. Don't want to get their hands dirty? See Rule #1!
Rule #8: No decorations, everyone works.
Everyone has a specific job and everyone will stand watch, everyone will take a turn in the galley and everyone will take a turn at the helm. Any decorations that we have on board are hanging on the bulkheads. High maintenance people are a direct violation of Rule #1! Rule #9: Everyone will get a minimum of 8 hours downtime in 24, especially the skipper.
Fatigue is the biggest danger of a blue water cruise and it requires some discipline to go below after your watch and get into your bunk, but it is vital. Anyone not able to control their excitement? You guessed it: See Rule #1!
Rule #10: The Three Day Rule.
Three days is the maximum we will take even the best of friends with us. In essence, I have decided that three days is the maximum we will take even the best of friends with us on Nelleke. I have found that is probably my limit for forcing myself to be constantly polite in dealing with other people's foibles and eccentricities. After that I get considerably stressed in keeping my natural grumpiness under control. This is a natural corollary to Rule #1 Rule #11: When in doubt about anything, refer to Rule #1.
Did I mention Rule #1? When in doubt about anything, refer to Rule #1. Whether you agree with my list or not, it is important that you think through your own set of rules for your own bat if you have good friends that you want take sailing and remain good friends. If nothing else, the eleven items may spark your thoughts in this regard, or allow you to review your own rules and see if there are any you want to modify or add. |
