sailboat2adventure

Jules Verne Trophy Record Smashed by Maxi Trimaran Banque Populaire V

2012-01-11T12:03:00.000+11:00

The Jules Verne Trophy is about high speed sailing which we don't normally delve into much on our sailboat2adventure site. However, boat speed, fast or slow is something we are all vitally interested in, as once we set sail on any passage the speed of our vessel becomes an integral part of what we do and largely determines how we carry out our days at sea.

In her second attempt the maxi tri-maran Banque Populaire V skippered by the famous French sailor Loick Peyron has once again smashed the previous record by two days in completing the circumnavigation in forty five and a half days!

Their average speed was 26.6 knots, so you can imagine what speeds they reached at times to average that. Check out the video where you will see the camera focussing on the log when it is hovering around 41knots - incredible. This is an amazing feat when you compare this time with a normal circumnavigation of a modern yacht and then compare with the great voyages of earlier times when ships and crew were away for years at a time. I wonder what Columbus, James Cook or Joshua Slocum would have thought if they had ever a glimpse into the future?

The following article is a press release from Banque Populaire at the finish. Also, check out the video where the camera is focussed on the log hovering at 41 plus knots! Imagine how long they would have had to keep up that sort of speed to average 26.6 knots.

Jules Verne Trophy claimed by maxi trimaran Banque Populaire V

In the 2011 Jules Verne Trophy, the 14 sailors on-board Maxi trimaran Banque
Populaire V just burst into the history of offshore racing by becoming the fastest
men around the globe with crew, after 45 days 13 hours 42 minutes and 53 seconds
of sailing*. Loïck Peyron and his crewimproved the reference time of the Jules Verne
Trophy held by Groupama 3 since March 2010 by two days eighteen hours one
minute and fifty-nine seconds.

Departed on November 22nd at 09:31:42 Paris time (08:31:42 GMT), after having
crossed the imaginary line between Ushant (Finistère-France) and Lizard Point
(southern tip of England), the Maxi Banque Populaire V crossed the finish line of
the Jules Verne Trophy at 23:14:35 Paristime (22:14:35 GMT) this Friday. She
undertook this sailing around the world in 45 days 13 hours 42 minutes 53 seconds
days at an average speed of 26.51 knots, covering a total distance of 29,002 miles.

Launched in August 2008 in Lorient (Morbihan-France),the giant trimaran holding
the colours of Banque Populaire has also established several referenced time on
various partials officially listed by the WSSRC for her first world tour:

Equator / Equator record in 32 days, 11 hours, 51 minutes and 30 seconds

Indian Ocean crossing record (Cape Agulhas / South of Tasmania) in 8 days
7 hours 22 minutes and 15 seconds

Under the leadership of the skipper Loïck Peyron, Thierry Chabagny,
Florent Chastel, Thierry Duprey du Vorsent, Kevin Escoffier, Emmanuel Le Borgne,
Frédéric Le Peutrec, Jean-Baptiste Le Vaillant, Ronan Lucas, Pierre-Yves Moreau,
Yvan Ravussin, Xavier Revil, Brian Thompson, Juan Vila and onshore router
Marcel van Triest, are the new holders of the Jules Verne Trophy*.

Loïck Peyron, skipper of the Maxi Banque Populaire V: 'The feeling from the
guys onboard: Emotion and Happiness ! We have filled a good part of the contract!
We will now appreciate our victory between us and will return in Brest tomorrow
morning to share this beautiful story with everyone. Our memories are full of
wonderful images: the departure, icebergs, albatrosses, the Kerguelen Islands...
When you sail around the world in 45 days, you see many things.
The only one we did not get is Cape Horn but this frustration is quickly forgotten
with the recordwe now have in hands. We are very proud!'

Jules Verne Trophy:

Start date and time: November 22nd 2011 at 09:31:42 Paris time
(08:31:42 GMT)

Arrival date and time at Ushant: January 6th 2012 at 23:14:35 Paris time
(22:14:35 GMT)

Distance: 29 002 miles Average speed : 26.51 knots

New reference time on the Jules Verne Trophy* : 45 days 13 hours 42 minutes
53 seconds

Time difference with Groupama 3’s record in 2010: 2 days 18 hours 1 minute
and 59 seconds

* Under the WSSRC approval (World Sailing Speed Record Council).

By Banque Populaire

Article and images courtesy Banque Populaire, video courtesy YouTube

You can read much more about boat speed and passage times in my ebook
'Sailing Adventures in Paradise' downloadable from my website
www.sailboat2adventure.com

Sailboat and Sailing Tips for Reefing Sails

2011-12-21T11:55:00.012+11:00

Reefing the mainsail of your sailboat is always a tickly question and one that is forever discussed when a bunch of sailors get together over a few drinks. Of course, it is always better to be reefed down well ahead of any weather conditions that may be approaching. This is one reason why it is so important to keep a good 'weather eye' at all times when at sea.

As we all know the weather can change so quickly and now, with more and more intense weather incidents occurring around the globe, it is even more imperative to be constantly aware of what is happening weatherwise around you.

As the old salts always say, 'if in doubt - reef!', it's always a simple task to shake it out again if nothing arrives.

I recall the first time I did the ARC Rally, the last boat to arrive in St.Lucia by several days was an elderly German couple who, through a moment of inattention, only three days out had been caught by a squall and had all three sails (she was a ketch) completely ripped to shreds. They never had a spare set, so had to jury rig a patch up sail and limp in the rest of the way. This was a major chore for a couple who were in their sixties. Needless to say almost the whole crews' from the other 150 odd boats in the rally were on the dock to cheer them in when they arrived which made them feel a whole lot better!

However, they learnt a very valuable lesson from their experience - apparently, both of them had been below decks when the squall struck. In tropical seas when squalls are around you can see them coming for fifteen to twenty minutes before they arrive - so they must have not looked out for quite sometime.

Well reefed for storm conditions

The following extract is from an article written by Grant Headifen of NauticEd which looks closely at this subject, with good tips plus data on the 'righting moment' of yachts.

'When do you reef a boat when bay, harbour or ocean sailing? Any why? Have you ever REALLY understood why a keel boat on a level sea simply cannot roll over? Here Grant Headifen of NauticEd gives a few tips for both skippers and crew for when sailing.

While all sailing boat designs are different and will sail optimally at different heel angles and reef points, there are a few generalities.

One piece of general preliminary reefing advice for skippers:

Don’t scare the pants off those on board by heeling the boat over too much. While you may be singing and enjoying yourself, others may be frozen solid. Here's an example:

One time sailing off beautiful Corsica we encountered a 40 knot Mistral breeze. We were sailing a Beneteau 50 and what a delight it was. The waves were about 8 feet and consistently washing over the deck. It was a beautiful day and we all had a blast – EXCEPT one person on board who had not been sailing much before. When we reached the marina in Bonifacio he jumped off the sailboat and lay flat on the dock kissing the dock boards. I learned that he had been so terrified that he could not speak and was looking between each wave where to jump clear of the boat it in case we went over.

After that incident I make sure that everyone new on the boat knows to look first into my face when and if they start to get scared. I tell them that if I’m smiling then it’s all ok and that they are only allowed to get scared if they see worry and fear on my face. This keeps the crew thinking straight and following instructions instead of worrying about jumping clear of the boat.

Heeling moment explained - .. .

Heel angle and reefing in non-spinnaker/gennnaker situations: (broaching or getting knocked down with those sails is a different topic)

In light winds some heel angle will ensure your sails have some airfoil shape to them so position your crew to leeward to create at least about 5 degrees of heel angle. As the winds pick up you can begin to move your self moving ballast (crew) to the windward side to balance the wind force aloft in the sails.

In general, for most cruising sailboats, once you reach about 25 degrees or so the sailboat hull design and sail rig design will begin to reduce the ability of the boat to increase in speed in an efficient manner. That’s a very general statement but it’s a statement that will allow you to watch, learn and experiment with your own boat.

A weighed keelboat typically is not in danger of capsizing for three main reasons:

1. As the boat heels over the distance aloft to the center of pressure of the wind is lowered and thus the heeling moment is reduced. As an example, lets say the boat leaned all the way over. This heeling moment then is reduced to zero. So theoretically the wind can’t heel you all the way over anyway.

2. As the boat heels over the vertical area of the sails presented to the wind is reduced which reduces the actual heeling force.

3. As the boat heels over the weighted keel is lifted to windward thus creating a righting moment. The more the keel is lifted to windward the more the righting moment.

Heeling Moment vs Righting Moment:
From above then, the more the boat heels over, the less the 'heeling' moment from the sails and the more the 'righting' moment from the keel.

Or put more simply: In a full laydown situation there is no more tipping over force left and only straightening up force remaining. It might not feel like that when your hanging onto the rails for dear life but it’s pretty much the reality of the nature of forces and moments.

What is 'moment'? Moment is the ability to use a screw driver to open a paint can. Imagine a very stubborn paint can and a very short screw driver. Now use a longer screw driver you can imagine the force needed becomes much less. That’s moment. It’s not the force that opens the can but the moment. Moment is mathematically force x distance. In the same manner it’s not the force that heels the sailboat over it’s the height of the wind times the force of the wind.

Sail forces explained - .. .

Wind force on sails:
Mathematically, when you apply wind pressure to a triangle (sail) the center of force can be equated to be at the position of 1/3rd of the way up the triangle/sail.

Here’s a few more equations. Lets assume a right angle triangle.

Force = pressure x sail area presented vertically to the wind = pressure x foot length x sail height x (cosine (heel angle))/2
Pressure = ½ (density of air) x (wind velocity)Squared
Height of force above the sail foot = 1/3 rig height * cosine (heel angle)
Moment = force x height

Or to wrap it up, moment is proportional to the following:

wind velocity squared
the cosine of the heel angle squared
the rig height
the foot length.

In practical terms if the heel angle is 30 degrees the heeling moment is reduced to 75% or if the heel angle is 90 degrees (laying down flat) the heeling moment is zero.

Also note that in the above, if you go from 5 knots to 20 knots the heeling moment goes up 16 times. In most sailboats you should be looking at reefing anywhere from 12-15 knots. The other thought process to use is when you are starting to think about reefing, you probably should have reefed ½ an hour ago.

What effectively is reefing the sails doing?

Well, it’s just reducing the sail area and the height of the position that the wind force acts upon the sails. As an example if the sail was reefed down 15% of its height the area is reduced by 0.85 squared = to 72% of it’s original but the heeling moment is reduced even further because the center of pressure on the sail is lowered. So reefing has a cubic effect on reducing the heeling moment.

Another consideration regarding reefing and heeling is that the more you heel over the less effective is the rudder because you’ve reduced the vertical presentation of the rudder to the horizontally flowing water. So at a 45 degree heel, you’ve lost 30% of your rudder area which gives you less ability to handle the weather helm from a gust.

This can put you into a dangerous rounding up position. And believe me rounding up can be VERY dangerous. One time when sailing along I saw two things about to happen – a gust was on its way across the water towards us and a boat was heading towards us to pass to windward. A rounding up in this gust would drive us right into the oncoming boat. I reached over and let out the mainsheet. This twisted out the top of the sail and effectively lowered the heeling moment but keeping the bottom of the sail powered. The gust passed with out a round up and without that potential collision.

A seasoned saiing lboat skipper friend of mine put reefing philosophy into a nutshell: If you’re thinking about reefing, you should have yesterday. If you’re thinking about shaking out the reef, wait until tomorrow.

So, summing up, when should you reef?

So as you’re not scaring the crew
At about 25 degrees of heel angle
At about 12-15 knots of breeze'

Extract and illustrations courtesy Grant Headifen of NauticEd at www.nauticed.org

You can read much more about sailing in all weather conditions in my ebook 'Sailing Adventures in Paradise' downloadable from my website www.sailboat2adventure.com

Whale Incidents and Collisions on the Increase with Sailboats and Yachts

2011-11-14T12:17:00.002+11:00

Sailboats and yachts are featuring more regularly around the globe in incidents with whales. A collision with a whale in your vessel is no minor incident and in the worst case scenario could bring to an end your 'adventure of a lifetime' cruise.

Fortunately, to date, the majority of collisions have caused only minor damage and after backing off, both parties have been able to carry on to their destinations with only scratches and headaches.

Whale breaching

However, there are three reasons why collisions are going to become more frequent in the future. The first is that every year there are more of us out there cruising. The second is that as boat design constantly improves and also boats get bigger, boatspeed is ever increasing, so the likelihood of collisions goes up accordingly. The third reason of course is that since the moratorium on hunting whales has been practiced by the majority of countries, the global whale population has been gradually increasing. At what point this will reach critical mass, no one can tell, but obviously there are many more whales out there now than say twenty years ago.

A recent scientific report by Fabian Ritter highlights some of the possible dangers and outcomes and has been summarised on the 'Attainable Adventure Cruising' website by Colin Speedie which I include here for you:

Collisions with whales and dolphins are becoming an increasing concern for offshore cruisers, as I outlined in a previous post. But up until recently there has been no serious attempt made to quantify the level of actual collision events, or to plot their geographical distribution. Obviously, having some idea of where and when collisions might take place would be really useful information for any crew intending to sail through areas where whales are prevalent, especially as the consequences of a collision with a whale can have dire consequences for both yacht and whale.

Thankfully, a recently published scientific paper by Fabian Ritter has made a good start in correcting that deficiency. Through an intensive internet search, and subsequently via a co-operative link involving an online questionnaire with destination voyaging website Noonsite, he has been able to piece together a picture of the current situation with regards to whale collisions with yachts worldwide. The paper is well argued and accessible, and makes for interesting reading for anyone with an interest in whales and dolphins, or planning to sail through waters they are known to frequent.

What Is The Scale Of The Problem?

The numbers are sobering, with a total of 111 collisions and 57 near misses recorded between 1996 – 2010, with 75% of all incidents between 2002 – 2010 suggesting an increasing trend. The North Atlantic topped the regional list for incidents with 41.8%, followed by the South Pacific with 16.4%. There were several reports of crew members being hurt in collisions as well as damage to the yacht involved. In 42.9% of the cases where damage was reported, sailing could only be continued with some restriction, whilst seven strikes (11.1%) resulted in a total loss of the vessel – ouch!

Not that it was all one sided – in 18.3% of the cases blood was seen in the water after the collision, and in a couple of cases the whale was either definitely dead or considered certain to die. And previously published research suggests that this is likely to be an underestimate, due to the difficulty in ascertaining the severity of injury to the animal in the aftermath of a collision.

Injured whale following collision

Is It All Our Fault?

It is not the case that all of the incidents involved a vessel simply ramming a snoozing whale – in some cases surfacing animals hit the underside of vessels, which might support the generally held idea that running an engine or generator in the presence of whales may help avoid such incidents. And there were several reports of animals displaying inquisitive or aggressive behaviour, including physical contact with vessels of varying degrees of severity, perhaps the most extreme of which can be seen in this video clip from South Africa.

The study identifies a number of factors that may play a part in causing a collision, and unsurprisingly speed is top of the list. As many of the reports came from the racing and regatta world, maybe it’s the case that with fast moving boats the likelihood of the boat or the whale avoiding a collision due to higher speed may be a factor, slower cruising boats may allow whales more time to get out of the way, or have more time to alter course around animals in their path.

What Can Be Done To Minimise The Risks?
Keeping a good look out must help, and should certainly be considered in areas known to be hotspots for whales, as in 48.6% of collisions the animals were not seen beforehand. Many whale species gather in loose aggregations, so seeing one whale may be a sign that there are others around. Obviously, this is a lot easier with a large crew, and it’s also the case that many collisions (17.1%) took place during the hours of darkness where a careful watch might not make much difference. And understanding ways that might help you avoid a collision when in the company of whales, as I outlined in my previous post, should be required knowledge for any offshore sailing crew, especially those about to cross the North Atlantic in the annual migration – like us.

Russell Leaper, a whale researcher with the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and himself a keen sailor has been co-ordinating data collection on collision incidents for the IWC. He commented that ‘ we have received no reports of apparently pre-meditated aggressive attacks from whales and most reports of aggressive behaviour towards yachts are likely to be whales that were startled and then thrash around’. He also added that ‘we still don’t really know if making noise like switching on the engine reduces risk but if you know that whales are around the safest thing is to slow down and keep a good lookout. If you do see a whale in the distance remember there may be others much closer.’

It’s unlikely that the full picture emerged during this study, though, and given that the statistics indicate an increasing level of near-misses and collisions, the International Whaling Commission have initiated an online Ship Strike Database with specific reference to yachts. So if you missed out on the original survey and have been involved in a near miss or collision with a whale or dolphin, a report submitted through the IWC Database will help to build a more complete picture of this worrying trend, and help researchers come up with more informed ways to help us, and the whales, sleep more easily.

Extract article courtesy Attainable Adventure Cruising and Colin Speedie. Video and images courtesy YouTube

You can read more about sightings and incidents with whales and dolphins in my ebook 'Sailing Adventures in Paradise' including '101 Dollar Saving Tips for Cruisers' downloadable from my website www.sailboat2advenute.com

Antifouling Environmental Advances for Sailboats and Yachts

2011-11-01T11:01:00.000+11:00

Antifouling of sailboats and yachts in these southern climes has been, or about to be actioned along with the usual scraping, hosing, sanding down and rolling on the obligatory odorous very expensive and get everywhere antifoul. Most of us still go through this onerous task with gritted teeth, making it as much fun as we can and espousing to the roped in volunteers that the subsequent summer fun on the water will far outweigh the current misery.

Ultrasonic anti fouling system

Some brave and adventurous owners have escewed tradition and tried out various alternative options that have presented themselves - some working and some not working with many falling in between - it's all a matter of degrees.

However, as in all things, including marine, progress and advances do occur and in the case of antifouling these advances are mainly prompted by environmental concerns.

The following in depth article is from Roger Reeder who has studied this problem, has some good information and I thought worthwhile reproducing for you here:

'Fouling by marine life is a problem for all yacht owners and has been with us for centuries. My yacht currently requires dry-docking every 12 to 15 months to remove the marine growth from the hull, and new coats of antifoul paint applied.

The new copper-based products are not as effective as the previous tributyltin (TBT) based antifouling paint and must be used more often, has anyone considered the increased effect on marine life of the ‘lesser toxic’ copper-based products applied more frequently?

Tributyltin (TBT) and organic biocides:

TBT – the old antifoul paint was effective but its toxity could devastate marine life and accumulated in the top layer of the open sea in far greater concentrations than expected. The pollutants include toxic metals, carcinogenic organic compounds and highly-poisonous tin compounds.

While the performance of copper biocides cannot approach that of TBT, they remain the most effective of the alternatives for the foreseeable future. To achieve as high a performance as possible from current antifouling products, a ‘booster’ biocide is normally used as copper is not fully effective against all fouling species.

There is currently a great deal of research into alternative forms of biocides, particularly those of organic origin.

These, however, tend to be less universally effective than other biocides and, in particular, may deter only specific types of fouling organism. As a result of these ‘species-specific’ characteristics, such biocides will almost always be used with other biocides, including copper.

The organic biocides are also very expensive to develop and register. They are therefore usually developed and registered in other industries first, such as the agrochemicals industry, for use in other applications. Furthermore, although they are from organic sources there is no assumption that they are inherently less environmentally harmful than any other biocides.

Coral Spawning:

Every November/December, corals spawn all over the reefs of Australia, releasing larvae into the water. These swim free for about two weeks before attaching to an existing reef and developing into juvenile coral polyps – a process that is crucial for the renewal of the reef.

While sailing across the Indian Ocean from Fremantle to Christmas Island my wife and I witnessed the evidence of this mass spawning for days as we sailed north-west in December 2009, the ocean was covered in a layer of orange coloured larvae as far as we could see as per above photograph.

Current antifouling paint (AFP) and its impact:

Copper is the new toxin within AFP (usually cuprous oxide or copper thiocyanate).

An unpublished 2003 study showed that even low levels of copper contamination – below that recorded around inshore reefs off Queensland – reduced the number of larvae that survive to the juvenile polyp stage by at least one third.

The study collected samples of two species of hard coral from part of the Great Barrier Reef near Magnetic Island, off Townsville. Coral samples were placed into “clean” seawater containing two to three parts per billion (ppb) of copper, some in seawater containing 5ppb, and others in seawater containing 30 ppb. The coral was noted to spawn within each sample.

The level of copper had no impact on the total number of larvae produced. But at 5ppb, 30 per cent fewer larvae developed into juveniles, compared with larvae in the clean seawater. At 30ppb, the number was reduced by 70 per cent.

Furthermore, larvae that did successfully mature took much longer to do so in the copper-laced waters than in clean water. The study will continue to test coral samples for any long-term effects. Unfortunately I could find no further information on the web and I invite readers to tell me if further studies have been conducted since 2005.

One of the reasons that studies are not available is that copper is a common seawater contaminant. While it is increasingly used in antifouling paints and is often present in urban and industrial run-off, it does occur naturally in our seas.

Copper is a naturally occurring element and is essential as a trace element for metabolic processes in living organisms. However, it can also prove extremely toxic in high concentrations. Therefore if copper accumulates to a significant degree in the aquatic environment it can have a detrimental effect on marine life.

Copper is present in all human and animal wastes, and non-human activity, such as natural weathering, also leads to copper input into the environment.

Traditional pre-season antifoul

However, the major sources of copper contamination in inland and coastal waters are industrial wastewater discharges and atmospheric deposition, particularly from foundries and metal plating and cleaning operations. Fungicides, wood preservatives and boat antifouling paints can also contribute to high levels of copper in the aquatic ecosystem.

Due to its complex nature and the uncertainty over its level of interaction with other substances, it is difficult to establish the precise effect of elevated levels of copper in the marine environment. Furthermore, although it may be possible to detect the presence of copper concentrations in sediments by sampling, it is rather more difficult to identify the source of such concentrations.

Depending on the location, sediments can be highly mobile and resuspension of copper in the water column can result in the transportation of the metal to areas away from the main sources.

Therefore, before assumptions can be made concerning the impact of copper-based antifoulant on the marine environment, it is vital that further research is carried out. This should be focused on identifying the sources of elevated levels of copper found in the marine environment and establishing the exact nature of any subsequent environmental impact.

Copper sampling surveys on the reefs off Townsville are few and far between. But the most recent in 2000 found levels of 8ppb in open water – note this is before the majority of the recreational boating industry started using copper-based AFP in lieu of TBT-based AFP. Wet season storms can increase this markedly by stirring up copper-laden sediments.

My local marina is located within Port Stephens and antidote evidence indicates the majority of local yacht owners are still using ablative type AFP like Micron Extra. Yes we have all read about the miracle solutions, and after checking them out realise that very little is available to ordinary yacht owners with limited budgets.

Some local research indicates that the copper-based AFPs may not be destroying the marine life immediately adjacent to hardstand areas where boat cleaning takes place – usually via high pressure hose with the waste product being captured in special purpose tanks.

Jump forward to 2011 and the future:

A search of the web for more current evidence or published research on the impact of copper on marine life was very disappointing. I suspect that eventually the current copper-based products will be banned and yacht owners may be left with few options that actually do what AFP is meant to do – that is stop micro organisms from establishing a foothold on the hull as these little marine organisms are soon followed by their bigger cousins – barnacles, oysters etc.

Current research has suggested that slime, electric charges, laminar air flow, ultra-sonics, nanoShell Metal coating, teflon and even seaweed may help control marine growth on our hulls in the future. In the mean time it remains an expensive and frequent exercise to apply multiple coats of copper-based antifouling paint – there has to be a better solution for yacht owners and the marine environment.'

Roger Reeder is an Electronics Engineer in the aviation industry. He has been sailing dinghies, skiffs and yachts for 56 years.

Extract and coral spawning image courtesy Roger Reeder and Afloat Magazine

You can read more about antifouling, especially in the tropics, in my downloadable ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' by clicking on my website www.sailboat2adventure.com

Sailboat and Yacht Decking Alternative to Teak

2011-10-21T11:44:00.002+11:00

Teak decking on your sailboat or yacht is something to be admired and traditionally has been the first choice of boat builders to achieve that voluptuous, hard wearing finish to your decks.

With environmental concerns and cost of teak for new decks and replacements, a number of products have emerged in recent years as a replacement. None of the them have measured up to the standard and quality of the finished job that teak can offer.

Now however, we may have a product from Norway in Kebony that just might be a suitable alternative to the time honoured beauty and functionability of teak. Kebony is produced from sustainable forests of European Maple and treated by the infusion of bio waste to give it texture and toughness. The finished product retains the look and lustre of teak (see images), wears better and after a few months settles to that lovely silver grey patina of teak - a true 'Norwegian Wood'.

The following is an article from The Green Blue Marine site dedicated to the greening of our oceans and all vessels sailing upon them:

Texture

'Traditionally, high quality yacht decking has been made from teak, but supplies are increasingly difficult to source and harvesting is causing major environmental damage. Alternatives to date have not delivered the aesthetic and performance qualities of this endangered tropical hardwood. Kebony is now being heralded as the first viable alternative, not only to tropical wood but toxic treated softwoods.

Kebony wood is an award winning product that is not only environmentally friendly but harder than teak and as durable and stable. It weathers in the same way, producing a silver-grey patina finish and non-slip surface. It has taken years of research to develop a sustainable technology of ‘Kebonization’ that permanently transforms sustainable wood species like Maple, being used for Calypso. Recent environmental studies also demonstrate that Kebony maple has a substantially lower carbon footprint than unsustainable Burmese teak.*

Kebony decking has undergone rigorous testing and recently opened a full scale production plant which opens up opportunities in the international boat market. ‘Kebony has the right solution for the future,’ comments Sandøy Båtdekk, the leading supplier of decking to Norwegian boat builders. ‘Kebony has launched a revolutionary new product. It meets all our quality requirements, and it is just as beautiful as teak. Our experience so far has shown that Kebony is more resistant to wear and easier to keep clean than teak.”

Kebony’s environmental credentials have been endorsed with the Nordic region’s eco-label, the Swan and ‘Blue Ocean’ product award. They have also received Norway’s national environmental prize, the “Glass Bear” for sustainable consumption and production and were asked to present their revolutionary concept at the CC8 Climate Conference 2008.

A recent study by Norwegian environmental consulting firm Bergfald & Co demonstrated Kebony maple to be a suitable substitute for unsustainable Burmese teak in maritime and other applications, with a substantially lower carbon footprint.'

Weathered

Article courtesy 'The Green Blue' and images courtesy Kebony and 'The Green Blue'

Kebony offer a full description in a PDF file you can access by clicking on the following: http://www.kebony.com/#/product/applications once in scroll down to yacht decking and click on pdf button at foot.

You can read more about teak decking, their beauty and upkeep in my downloadable ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' by clicking on my website www.sailboat2adventure.com

Sailboat and Yacht Cockpit/Deck Shower Head and Installation

2011-09-30T10:48:00.000+10:00

When passagemaking in the tropics a shower head in the cockpit of your sailboat is a wonderful thing. Following on from a canvas bucket salt water shower and soap scrub, the freshwater rinse down, standing in the cockpit and basking in the warmth of the late afternoon sun is sublime.

Shower head fitting

Here is an extract from my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' describing the system we used whilst on passage in the Pacific:

'Her crews’ ablutionary needs are somewhat more complex however, although the execution is quite simple. Every other day, or whenever the need takes them, the crew in turn, grab a canvas bucket, head for the amid ship deck area and strip off. Dousing themselves thoroughly with several buckets of sparkling sea water, they then set about themselves with a bar of salt water soap.

With vigorous application, this stuff lathers into a semblance of foam, sufficient enough anyway for the recipient to at least feel their skin has been attacked by some cleaning emollient.

Shower ready

Several refreshing buckets later they make their way back to the cockpit and hose down with a final rinse of fresh water from the port shower hose fitting. This fresh water, sitting in the pipes, is always warm and therefore would be thought not to be refreshing. Actually, it is the most delicious way to finish off a salt water shower – the oohs and aahs of pure pleasure coming from her crew, as this welcome warmth cascades from head to toe, corroborates this for her. It is also economical in that only a litre or two of precious fresh water is used.

When finished, the crewmember feeling completely refreshed, launches themselves back into their rigorous duties with renewed vigour. Mid afternoon on a fine downwind tropical day.....'

It is also useful for sluicing down the cockpit area following the landing, gutting and cleaning of fish. This can be quite a messy procedure on board and in the tropical sun, all blood, scales and the like need to be washed away immediately. Blood especially can leave permanent stains on teak decking if not removed quickly.

There are many systems available on the market of course, the following animation video showing the installation of a Whale product being but one. You can check out their other products on their website http://www.whalepumps.com/

You can read much more about water conservation, the cruising life and daily maintenance chores in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com/

Sailboat/Yacht Chainplate Checks and Maintenance

2011-09-22T14:20:00.014+10:00

The chainplates of your sailboat are critical integral parts of your vessel and need to be checked regularly that they are in good sound condition. Whilst on passage, if a chainplate is fractured or broken you are likely going to lose your rig - and if this happens it won't be on a nice calm day - it will be when a squall hits you or during boisterous conditions, which will make your job that much more difficult to secure your boat, minimise damage and then commence with your jury rig.

I had over spec'd very strong chainplates on my boat and it was always very comforting to open up the locker doors and have these clean, dry, mirror finish steel plates bolted on with clean bright nuts reflecting back at me.

The following article describes what can happen when cruising in remote areas and the hurdles that have to be overcome to effect a repair.

It also illustrates the benefits of regular checking so that the job can be done, if needs be, whilst at anchor. In this case, there are virtually no facilities in the Marquesas and whilst it doesn't say, I suspect the they had to sail on to Papeete in Tahiti, which is a further 800 nautical miles - a long way with a jury rig if it has come down at sea!

Here is what Ann Hoffman writes:

After completing our longest passage ever—3,300 miles of downwind sailing—my husband, Tom Bailey, and I anchored 'Oddly Enough', our Peterson 44, in a quiet cove in the Marquesas. As part of our maintenance routine, I checked the deck-level rigging before we sailed farther into the Pacific. I wasn’t expecting to find any problems—regular checks on the long passage hadn’t turned up anything—but when I got to the backstay, I found a pronounced crack in the top of the chainplate running through to the clevis pin.

Our options for replacing the chainplate were limited. A friend suggested we might use leaf springs from a big truck, which should be available even on an out island. We could then replace the mild steel with stainless steel when we returned to civilization. Luckily, there was a less-dramatic option. The chainplate extended far enough above the deck to cut off the top and drill a new hole for the clevis pin, which we could do using our boat tools and a drill press carried on board by the friendly owners of a powerboat.

Failed chainplate

Chainplates eventually fail due to the same factors that affect standing rigging: corrosion and metal fatigue. Corrosion can occur in the open air or in places—such as where the chainplate runs through the deck—from which oxygen is locked out; the latter is called anaerobic corrosion. Metal fatigue happens at the points where plates are subject to working—the side-to-side movement that leads to fracturing of the crystalline structure of the metal. Dyes are available that can be used to check for cracks, but it seems that chainplates are rarely tested and aren’t often removed for inspection.

When we bought 'Oddly Enough', we removed our chainplates and took them to a welder for inspection. They were in good enough shape to be used after he spot-welded a few areas of minor corrosion. Washers had been welded to our plates to increase the thickness of the top and so distribute the load on the pin. The welds probably weakened the metal and contributed to corrosion.

When we were finally berthed in a port with good marine facilities, it was time to replace all of the chainplates. To do this, first remove the shrouds and/or stays. Be sure you know what removing the stay will do to the rig. If you’re in a marina or a calm anchorage, it’s likely that a keel-stepped mast will continue to stand by itself if any of the shrouds are removed. But if you have any doubts, run a halyard to take up the strain. Before removing forestays and backstays, you must arrange backups. For the backstay, we rig a bridle to hawse holes at the stern, and we attach the main halyard to the bridle. For the forestay, you could use an inner forestay, if your boat has one, or better yet, rig a halyard and tension it to take the forestay’s place. Half a dozen turns off a turnbuckle will loosen the wire enough so that the clevis pin can be pulled out.

Remove all deck plates, and scrape away any sealant. The chainplates can then be unbolted and pulled up through the deck. Often, access to the bolts holding the plates to knees or to bulkheads is hidden behind interior furniture that must be dismantled. On 'Oddly Enough', we’d removed the locker linings to have ready access to the knees; this arrangement looks shippy rather than elegant, but it allows us to pull bolts to check for problems.

Chainplates mounted on the outside of the hull should also be inspected, as they, too, are subject to fatigue and corrosion, especially on the side facing the hull. Such chainplates are generally easier to remove and replace than the ones for inboard shrouds.

When you have new chainplates made, specify exactly what’s needed, especially if you’re sailing in remote areas. Rigging and fasteners may be specified in either metric or U.S. measurements, and it’s best to give sample pins and bolts to the machine shop. In our case, stainless-steel stock in a thickness appropriate for our lower shrouds was available in town, but not for our uppers or backstay; we had to pay for a sheet of stainless steel out of which the new chainplates were cut. The new plates came out beefier than the old, which was fine with me—chainplates should always be oversized—and it was easy enough to enlarge the holes in the deck. Finally, if your plates are bent, be sure to specify the angle you want or give the machinist the original to match.

Factors that lead to early chainplate failure can often be prevented. Clevis pins must be matched to hole size. A pin that’s too small causes point loading; instead of the upward pull of the rigging being distributed around the circumference of the hole, it’s concentrated on just the metal surface that touches the plate. Use either a larger pin or a bushing that narrows the hole to the proper size. The pin should fit snugly, but not so tightly that it must be hammered in.

Check out this chainplate punch

One contributing factor to anaerobic corrosion is moisture trapped between the deck and the chainplate. Cover plates are bedded with sealant and screwed to the deck to help form a protective sealing rim around the straps. The cover plates can be pulled up, the straps inspected at deck level, and the covers resealed without removing the chainplates. Adding covers on Oddly Enough prevented the kind of minor corrosion that we’d had spot-welded.

It’s easy to ignore your chainplates and just hope they’re in good shape. Pulling chainplates as part of regular maintenance isn’t practical, but if you can get to your belowdecks fasteners, you should remove a few to check for moisture, which usually means there’s a leak at the deck level. Any corroded bolts should be replaced with new ones. It’s a good idea to mark which ones are prone to corrosion and check them occasionally. Pulling the clevis pin, a good maintenance practice, allows you to assess the condition of the top of your chainplates. A bent chainplate may crack at the bend, especially if the bend isn’t exactly in line with the pull of the stay. Any pumping of the rig will cause the chainplate to work back and forth. As the bend is usually at deck level, this makes pulling chainplate covers and digging out the sealant a critical check.

Regular maintenance of your chainplates, as with any piece of sailing gear, builds up a picture of what that equipment looks like when it’s in good shape and will aid you in recognizing when it’s time to make appropriate repairs.

Article courtesy Ann Hoffner and Cruising World, images courtesy Ann Hoffner, Cruising World, video courtesy YouTube

You can read more about maintenance and repair whilst cruising, in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website www.sailboat2adventure.com

Cruising Sailboat Asymmetrical Spinnaker Roller Furling

2011-08-27T13:40:00.000+10:00

With the ever increasing popularity of these systems for cruising sailors, it is timely to look at the following video to see exactly how it may be advantageous to install such a system on your own yacht.

The particular system shown in the video is a Bamar Rollgen Furler from Ocean Sailing Enterprises in Canada. Installation is very simple and can be brought out when required. It rolls out cleanly, fills very nicely and rolls away again easily.

A good sailor of course, will always be keeping a keen eye on the weather to make sure it is taken down in plenty of time preceding any weather changes.

The following is an extract from their website:

Bamar’s roller furlers turn asymmetric spinnaker handling into a simple job and give the short handed sailor the confidence to furl and unfurl from the safety of the cockpit in seconds.

Doyle Sails Australia is the Australian distributor for Bamar’s range of reefing and furling gear. Bamar is a world leader in the field of sail management and furling systems for the yachting industry having designed and supplied equipment to yachts of all sizes.

They also make available a clearcut pdf file which you can download from here:

http://www.bamarusa.com/PDF/rollgen.pdf

Spinnakers can be a problem at the best of times and as a cruising sailor it is great to see more manufacturers producing these systems that work so that they don't have to be watched every second they are up.

Extract courtesy Doyle Sails, video and image courtesy Bamar

You can read more about passagemaking with spinnakers and many more cruising adventures in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' and '101 Dollar Saving Tips for Cruisers' downloadable from my website www.sailboat2adventure.com

Sailboat Insurance for the Cruising Voyage Planning Sailor

2011-08-25T22:02:00.003+10:00

Insurance for your sailboat prior to setting sail on you 'adventure of a lifetime' can prove to be a minefield - but one that needs to be negotiated and finalised well before your departure date. With the plethora of insurance companies out there it can become a confusing exercise. Once you have narrowed it down to a chosen few, then you need to start asking them some hard questions.

Here is a list of five of those questions, the answers to which will give you a good guide as to the efficacy of the insurers' you are talking to:

1. Does my insurance company expect me to pay salvage costs that should be paid by them? Most people say the main the reason they buy insurance is to cover the 'big things.' The most common types of catastrophic insurance claims are sinkings - which can happen to anyone - or storm claims, which destroy your boat and can leave it in pieces or in someone's back yard.

In both of these cases, it is the policy's 'salvage' coverage that will pay to remove your boat from the bottom of the lake or the rocks on the shore. A good policy has separate and full salvage coverage (up to your policy's limits) for the costs to remove the boat that is not less than or limited to a percentage of the 'hull' value (which is the part of the policy that reimburses you for actual the loss of the boat). A bad policy reimburses you for the loss of the boat, but could make you pay some salvage fees out of your own pocket - and isn't that's what insurance is for in the first place?

2. When I have a claim, how much help will I get? When insurance companies handle a claim, there are two schools of thought: those that are 'hands-off' and those that are 'hands-on.' A hands-off insurance company believes you should do all of the work.

With a big claim, that could include finding a salvor, crane company, barge and trucking service on your own, and then reimbursing you. A hands-on insurance company - usually a specialty marine insurer - has access to these unique services 24/7 and wisely negotiates pricing, hires and pays these contractors for you, and can arrange for and even guarantee repairs.
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3. Does the policy have 'consequential damage' coverage? In the world of boat insurance, catastrophic losses that include fire, explosion, sinking, demasting, collision or stranding are considered a 'consequence.' For example, when your boat sinks due to rusted, through-hull fitting breaking off, the sinking is a consequence of the broken thru-hull.

Good boat insurance policies include 'consequential damage' coverage for these specific catastrophes. In plain English: if consequential damage is not covered in your policy, almost every sinking or fire could be excluded as a result of 'wear and tear.'

4. Do you want me out of harm's way? A better insurance policy will offer 24/7 emergency claims response that can immediately step in with the necessary resources to prevent further damage. And if you live in a cyclone zone, it will also share the cost of a haul-out to move your boat to high ground or pay a captain to move it to a cyclone hole.

5. What are you doing to reward me? A good insurance policy will give you credit for not having claims and reward you with things like diminishing deductibles that reduce the amount of your deductible for each year you remain claims-free.

If you're not satisfied with your insurance agent's answers to these questions, it's time start shopping around for a better policy.

From my own experience I found Pantaenius Yacht Insurance to be an excellent company to deal with. They send out the forms to you (or online), you fill out all the details and bingo! job done. No awkward questions about crew qualifications and distances off shore etc. as so many insureres insist upon - just a straight forward deal. Fortunately, I never had to call upon their services in anger so I was more than happy.

Everybody has different requirements, so the main thing is to select the company who meets your criteria the best and go with them - good hunting.

Questions courtesy Sail-World. Image Sail-World.Video courtesy YuoTube

You can read more about insurance matters and long range passagemaking in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website www.sailboat2adventure.com

Sailboat Battery Selection and Installation for Cruisers and Voyage Planners

2011-08-12T13:49:00.005+10:00

The subject of sailboat batteries is a never ending discussion, with every sailboat cruiser having his or her strong opinions on what is best and what type to purchase, balance between house and starting, power, location, fixing and maintenance. Discussions can sway between mild and knowledgable to aggressive and stubborn and can even lead to blows exchanged (fortunately only verbal in the main).

The following article is from Gavin Sorrell of Professional Solar Designs Australia who adds his sensible comments for the cruising sailor to browse and assimilate:

'The battery, reports Gavin is something that boatowners buy, install in the least attractive part of the vessel and then forget, until something goes wrong.'

Together with loss of cooling water, the battery and its associated wiring is probably the prime culprit in disabling boats.

In a car, the battery provides a short burst of high current to start the engine. Then the alternator quickly replenishes the charge so that the battery is seldom below its full capacity. However, in a boat, the engine is run relatively infrequently, often specifically to charge the battery; and other means of charging such as solar, wind or shorepower are available intermittently.

Boat electrical systems are called upon to operate even when no charging is available, which requires a battery that can provide current at a low but steady rate for long periods between recharging. Hence the requirement for a deep cycle battery in addition to the engine cranking battery.

In a traditional battery, lead plates are suspended in an acid electrolyte. The chemical reaction between the lead and the acid creates the current flow. Lead is eroded from the plates and once it is depleted, the reaction slows and current reduces. By applying power from an external source, the chemical process is reversed, lead is deposited back on the plates and the battery is recharged.

The rate of electricity flow, in amps (A) is proportional to the area of lead exposed to the acid. A high current results from many very thin plates in a battery. Such a battery will give a short burst of energy that will rapidly diminish as the plates are eroded. This battery is ideal for starting which requires a high, brief cranking current.

The alternative is to use thicker plates, so that long term surface plate erosion is reduced. But fewer thick plates can occupy a battery case and the lead surface exposed to the electrolyte is reduced, resulting in a battery that can supply only low current for a long time. This is a deep cycle battery, able to supply relatively low current to run the electrical and electronic systems for sustained periods and also able to accept far more charge/discharge cycles than a dedicated starting battery.

Typical criteria to compare battery capabilities are: Cold Cranking Amperage or CCA: An indication of the ability of a battery to crank an engine or for powering winches or thrusters, defined as the discharge load measured in A that a battery operating at -17.8°C can deliver for 30 seconds whilst maintaining the voltage above 7.2 V.

Obviously this temperature is unlikely to be experienced in Australia, but conforms to a global standard.

The 20 hour discharge rating, measured in Amp-hours (Ah): This rating indicates the ability to deliver current over a protracted period. A 100Ah battery theoretically delivers 1A for 100 hours or 2A for 50 hours. But no deep cycle battery should be discharged below 50% of its rated capacity. Also, the capacity depends on the discharge rate due to the rate at which the chemical reaction occurs. So more Amp-hours can be drawn from a battery at a low current rate. That is why the discharge time is specified for the Ah rating, typically 20 hours.

Selecting a battery system that can perform both cranking and deep cycle functions is therefore a compromise. This is one of the main reasons that a boat is fitted with two battery banks, one with a high CCA rating to start the engine and another, often called the house battery, with good deep cycle characteristics to run the electrical systems. The other reason is of course that by having a separate starting battery, it can be isolated from the house loads, thus ensuring that sufficient cranking ability is available to start the engine even if the house battery is flat.'

Article courtesy Gavin Sorrell and Afloat magazine, images courtesy Aflopat magazine and boatfix.com

There is also an interesting article regarding the setting up sequence for your batteries at www.boatfix.com

You can read more about sailboat battery installation and maintenance whilst on passage in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website www.sailboat2adventure.com

Freshwater Pumps for Sailboats

2011-07-28T11:39:00.001+10:00

Part of your sailing 'adventure of a lifetime' planning process will be selecting the correct freshwater pumps for your sailboat. Like everything else these days it is not as simple a process as it has been in the past when you could go into a chandlery, ask for a freshwater pump for you boat and probably be handed the only pump available.

Nowadays there is a whole raft of models to choose from so you need to take into consideration all of your and your vessels' requirements. The following article from Kurt Kupper of http://www.aquavolt.com.au/ outlines some of the features that you need to check for before making your selection:

'On any sailboats other than day sailers or runabouts, fixtures that allow the convenience of water on tap for showering, hand washing and dish washing are no longer considered a luxury. Driving these systems are freshwater pumps.

The most commonly used fresh water pumps used on boats are electrically driven diaphragm pumps. These are ideal for this application, because they are self priming, operate fairly quietly and can be run dry without immediate damage to the pump.

These pumps have built in pressure switches which turn them on and off on demand. The pump thus pressurises the plumbing system that it is connected to until the cut out pressure is reached. The pressure switch then opens to switch the pump off. As soon as a tap is opened and water runs from the system, the pressure in the system falls and the switch closes for the pump to run again. The pressure switches typically maintains a system pressure of about 3bar.

The immediate problem with this system is that when a tap is opened, there is a delay until the switch has been activated and the pump has sped up to restore pressure to the system. This results in uneven water flow. To counteract this, accumulators are often fitted into the system.

Accumulators are usually cylindrical tanks with spherical ends with a capacity of one up to twenty litres. At one end a connection is provided to allow water into the tank. At the other end is an air valve which is connected to a bladder inside the tank. This bladder is pressurised with air. When there is no water pressure, the air pressure in the bladder inflates the bladder like a balloon. When the water pump is run, water enters the cylinder and compresses the air in the bladder. Whenever the water pressure in the system starts to drop, the bladder can expand again, thus keeping the water circuit pressurised. This has a dampening effect and results in more even water flow.

Recent pump developments have brought us pumps fitted with sophisticated electronic control units that regulate the speed of the pump instead of just having a simple pressure switch. These are very responsive to fluctuations in water pressure and can be used without an accumulator in the circuit, yet produce flow smoother than in systems fitted with an accumulator. As can be expected, these pumps are somewhat dearer.

Pumps are available with different flow ratings. Although there are some baby pumps suited just for one washbasin that pump about 4L/min, most boats are fitted with pumps capable of supplying between 10L/min and 25L/min. At the lower end of this range these are suitable for boats where it is unlikely that more than one outlet will be used at any time. Boats with multiple showers and basins require larger pumps to ensure that water pressure and flow are maintained if several taps are run at the same time.

When selecting a pump, carefully consider what your pressure, flow and voltage requirements are. The more pump chambers the product has, the smoother the flow is likely to be.

Diaphragm pumps are very susceptible to dirt and therefore require protection by fitment of a fine strainer before the inlet to trap any contaminants. These are often supplied as standard with the pumps and should be cleaned regularly to ensure optimal performance.

The pipe connections on pumps are sized relative to the flow they are capable of producing. It is important to note that larger pipes should be fitted throughout the system when the larger pumps are used, as the benefit of their capacity will otherwise be lost through restrictive resistance. Great care should be taken to ensure that all joints in the pipes are carefully made and don’t leak. Leaks in the system will cause the pressure to fall, resulting in the pump being automatically activated periodically to boost the pressure again. This can be most annoying, especially at night.

As with all electrical equipment, use only tinned cable of adequate cross sectional area to wire up pumps, make sure that the joints are protected from moisture and fit a fuse or circuit breaker with a rating corresponding to the manufacturer’s recommendation'.

Article and images courtesy Kurt Kopper

You can read more about boat pumps and their repair whilst on passage in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com/

ARC 2011 Cruising Sailboat Preparation

2011-07-26T11:16:00.004+10:00

Having completed the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers two times - once as crew and then five years later in my own yacht 'Tere Moana' - I can thoroughly recommend it as the most wonderful way to set sail on your 'Adventure of a Lifetime', sailing off over the horizon to sail and explore the many oceans of this beautiful planet of ours.

The ARC gives a great insight into planning for an extended voyage, plotting your course, provisioning, navigating, safety at sea and much much more. There are many seminars that you can attend plus practical courses as well. Plus there is the additional benefit of meeting so many other like minded folks at these sessions - not to mention the social functions! - many of whom will become lifetime friends.

It is a mighty experience, the memories from it being cherished forever.

This year there will be approximately 240 vessels sailing from the start line in Las Palmas in November, to the finish in St.Lucia sometime before Christmas. It is fully booked for this year, but 2012 could be your year?

The following extract tracks the preparation of a group of Welsh sailors in their preparation:

'Every year for over 20 years, enthusiastic sailors have ventured from all parts of the globe to join the ARC, or Atlantic Rally for cruisers. Some of these come back year after year, but many others are starting on one of the greatest sailing adventures of their lives so far, crossing the Atlantic Ocean. This is the case for five hardy Welshmen, who are determined to cross this year in the great rally.

Their adventure which will take them from South West Wales to Portugal and then on to Gran Canaria for the start of the rally on 20th November, heading for the Caribbean.

The intrepid sailors, skippered by Ian Williams, left Swansea Marina yesterday aboard the Arabella, a 39ft Bavaria yacht.

Some 240 boats from around the world will be taking part in the event — but the Arabella is though to be the only Welsh craft involved.

The fearless five have spent the past 15 months preparing for the rally and getting their floating home in ship-shape condition.

The first stage is to get the Arabella to Lagos near Faro in Portugal, then later in the summer it will be sailed down to Gran Canaria ready for the starting flag in November'.

More about the ARC:

This annual transatlantic rally starting each November in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, has now become a very popular way to cross the Atlantic, particularly for first-timers. The largest transocean sailing event in the world, every year the ARC brings together over 200 yachts from all over the world.

The Caribbean destination is Rodney Bay in Saint Lucia, one of the most beautiful islands in the Lesser Antilles. The 2700 nautical mile passage on the NE tradewind route takes on average between 14 and 21 days.

Conceived as a friendly race for cruising yachts to make the Atlantic crossing both safer and more enjoyable, participating yachts must carry a range of safety equipment including a liferaft, EPIRB and VHF radio.

Daily radio nets contribute further to the safety of participants. The presence of experienced sailors is another incentive for those with little offshore experience.

The ARC has a special flavour, which successfully combines racers with cruisers, old with young, and provides entertainment for all. A wide ranging programme of entertainment takes place both before the start and after the finish. The ARC enjoys the support of the Tourist Authority of Gran Canaria, the Port Authority of Las Palmas, Rol Nautic and the Saint Lucia Board of Tourism.

For more information go to their website http://www.worldcruising.com/

You can read many more ARC exploits and adventures in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Halyard Lines: Lancelin Introduce New Millenium Cord for Sailboats

2011-07-25T11:35:00.000+10:00

Halyards, like any other lines on your sailboat need replacing from time to time. Cordage companies are constantly researching and developing new and better products. Lancelin of France is one of the leaders in this field and have just launched their 'Millenium' product which is especially suitable for halyards.

'When next you are wanting to replace your aging halyards, there's a new line to check out. French rope manufacturer Lancelin have brought out Millenium, a new rope suitable for halyards. It is the combination of two fibres in the core that makes this a high performance rope with extremely low creep.

It is very pliable with a very good hand, easily spliced and excellent for halyards.
It also confers a good tension and abrasion resistance and ensures a good performance in jammers.

Technical specifications of the composition:
Cover: 24 plait Vectran® or aramid Technora® braid and polyester.
Core: 12 plait Dyneema® SK 75 and high modulus Vectran®.

Interesting in knowing more? If your local marine store cannot help you, Lancelin will be able to tell you where your nearest stockist is if you complete this form.

About French company Corderie Henri Lancelin:
Founded by Joseph Lancelin in 1917, now managed by Nicolas LANCELIN, fourth generation in the business, continues its progress in the world of yachting.

A hundred years of experience and research have allowed Corderie Henri Lancelin to reach an expertise in the manufacture of high-tech ropes and to develop an ability to respond to specific demands, either technical or aesthetic.'

Extract and image courtesy of Corderie Henri Lancelin, France

You can read more about halyard lines and rigging lines in general in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Cruising Sailors and Ocean Plastics Garbage Disposal Update

2011-06-23T14:18:00.000+10:00

All cruising sailors are very concerned at the huge amount of 'flotsam and Jetsam' to use the nautical term, of garbage mainly of plastic origin floating around and polluting the oceans of our planet. You have only to see footage of the recent result of the Japan Tsunami floating islands of detritius, one of which is sixty nautical miles in length, to understand the size of the problem.

These natural disasters will continue to occur and at this time there is not a lot we can do about them, however, as cruising sailors we can all do our bit when onshore and at sea to conserve this rubbish and dispose of it correctly.

When cruising in the middle of the ocean on a beautiful day with soft breeze and surrounded by blue it is hard to see what damage an empty beer can or plastic bag dropped over the side can do and no responsible sailor today would ever think of doing it. You only have to watch the video below to see what very small but irresponsible actions can ultimately cause with trigger fish being netted hundreds of miles from their normal habitat and containing plastic pieces in their stomach.

Sailors for the Sea, a nonprofit organization that educates and engages the boating community in the worldwide protection of the oceans, has written a lot about plastics in the ocean - so-called 'islands of trash' float, trapping fish, choking birds, and growing larger with the passage of time. However, confusion remains, so here is an update from the Sea Education Association (SEA):

Despite widespread concurrence on the subject the confusion remains due to the fact that these gyres are not actually floating mats of garbage the size of entire states, an image fostered by some of the earlier, more publicized reports.

They are, rather, concentrations of surface and sub-surface floating debris at the convergence of ocean currents. But how much plastic is really there? Conflicting reports and opinions have made it difficult to get a secure handle on the magnitude of the problem.

Every year SEA sails the Atlantic, Pacific and Caribbean with upwards of 25 college students and 10 professional crew aboard the Corwith Cramer and the Robert C. Seamans. SEA Semester students combine an interdisciplinary academic program of oceanography, history, literature, marine policy and nautical science with a six week open ocean voyage.

For forty years and one million miles sailed, SEA has been the only program in the world to teach college students about the ocean in this way. From 1986 to 2008, in the Atlantic Ocean, over 4,887 individuals have participated in this study of ocean-bound plastics, collecting and cataloguing over 64,000 individuals pieces of plastic, most only millimeters in size. Through these efforts, SEA has amassed an 'unrivaled dataset' that helps describe the extent of this pollution, and can teach us about the fate of plastics in the ocean.

The following article from 'Sailors for the Sea' gives you an idea of the problem and what projects this organisation is engaged in:

So what did SEA find?

Over those 22 years, SEA conducted 6,136 surface plankton net tows on annually repeated cruise tracks throughout the North Atlantic and Caribbean Sea. Sixty-two percent of all plankton tows contained some amount of plastic, with the highest in a single 30-minute tow being 1069 individual pieces. To scale, that equals 580,000 pieces per square kilometer (about 360,000 per square mile). That sounds like a LOT of plastic, but many of these pieces are less than a millimeter thick. While it makes for a less thrilling visual, it does make for a more dire outlook for the ocean and its fauna. The data reported by SEA in Science only accounts for floating surface debris. It does not account for plastic that has sunk below e surface or to the sea floor, or been ingested by fish, mammals or birds. Over 22 years, that could be quite a lot of plastic.

To get a sense of how much plastic could be in the ocean far below the surface, where SEA's plankton nets could not get to them, try this exercise:

Find a plastic bottle (Poland Spring, Gatorade, etc.). Remove the cap, fill the bottle to the brim with water, and submerge in a tub or a bucket (make sure to get all the bubbles out). Does it sink or float? Now submerge the cap. Sink or float? If you were using a Poland Spring bottle, or another brand with a 1 recycling number stamped on the bottom, it should have sunk (this is one of the most dense plastics). The cap (probably made of less dense HDPE 2) should have floated. Now think about this: Every year between 30 and 50 BILLION plastic bottles are used in the U.S. alone. Of these, only about 12% get recycled. We don't know exactly how many of reach the ocean, but if you've ever seen a bottle lying on the ground and didn't pick it up, chances are, it's in the ocean now. 80% of all marine debris is thought to originate on land.

Gyre North Atlantic - .. .

But back to the Atlantic.

Compiling the data, SEA discovered that plastic does indeed accumulate in the North Atlantic Gyre (see image). Not surprisingly, the highest densities of plastic they collected are concentrated between 22 and 38 degrees latitude in an area also known as the Sargasso Sea (or the Bermuda Triangle).

Though this data set displays no significant increase in plastic accumulation between 1986 and 2008, it does show persistent high concentrations of plastic. During this time period globally, there is a very significant increase in the production and discarding of plastic; however data does not account, as we mentioned previously, for sinking, ingested plastics or plastic fragments smaller than 1/3 mm, the mesh size of the plankton net. Readers should also remember that these gyres are not firmly constrained sites, and that currents carry water and debris constantly throughout the interconnected ocean.

The ultimate message here is that plastic, once created, doesn't go away and a lot of it ends up in the ocean, swirling around for eternity, confusing fish and tainting our food supply.

So what can you do?

1. Reduce - Use less plastic! Give up straws, single-use bottles and disposable forks.
2. Reuse - Used some plastic? Save it, use it again!
3. Recycle - If your plastic is used up, make sure to recycle it properly. Find out if your town has single-stream or separated recycling and only recycle those items your local plant can handle.
4. Read more - Read the full SEA article in Science
5. Check out the more recent data collected in the Atlantic
6. Learn more about SEA and how you can support their work http://www.sea.edu/
7. Enroll in a semester at sea and help SEA continue their data collection, and see how they do collect data in the video below:

Article and images courtesy Sail-World and SEA, video courtesy YouTube

You can read more about conserving boat rubbish at sea whilst on passage in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Hypothermia and Cold Water Capsize and MOB Procedures for Sailors

2011-06-09T12:19:00.000+10:00

If you have ever had to rescue a MOB from water at any temperature of 20 degrees or lower you will know how quickly cold sets in followed rapidly by hypothermia.

Winter sailing is as much fun as sailing in the warmer weather but if you are in the water through going overboard or even capsize, the urgency of fast rescue is extremely important.

With winter setting in here in southern climes here is a timely reminder for all sailors who are venturing on the water over the next few months.

The following is a timely reminder from NSW Maritime how to be prepared and handle this situation if it occurs on your sailboat:

'The risk of falling overboard may be small, but the threat to life of such incidents is extremely serious. They best way for boaters to reduce the risk of an incident is to prepare before they get out on the water. Incidents attributed to the environment most likely could have been prevented if the vessel operator had not overlooked warning signals such as weather forecasts, not made bad decisions or had the proper boating skills for the environment.

Body temperature can cool down 25 times faster when immersed in cold water, with children and older persons being the most vulnerable to effects of hypothermia.

The "Cold Weather Boating and Capsize Education" Campaign seeks to raise awareness in the boating community on how to prevent and/or reduce the risks involved in boating in cold weather and boat capsize.

The focus of the campaign is:

Firstly, to improve the boating public's awareness of the dangers associated vessel capsize, by
ensuring vessel are not overloaded, both with passengers or gear
ensuring there are sufficient lifejackets onboard for each person and are within easy access
ensure all other safety equipment is onboard and in working order
secondly, to improve boaters knowledge of the life threatening effects of hypothermia, and techniques to reduce the affects, such as HELP and HUDDLE, and
finally, monitor boater compliance to licensing and registration requirements.

Capsize
Capsize is a major contributor to boating fatalities, so make sure your boat is appropriate for the conditions and has built-in flotation.

Always check the weather before and during boating and never overload - it"s illegal and dangerous.

If you do capsize, or get swamped, stay with your craft and your chances of rescue are improved.

Weather
The weather is important to your safety. Always check the weather before and during boating. If it looks dicey, don't go out ... and if it starts to turn, head straight for shelter.

A marine radio helps you keep in touch with weather updates.

Learn to understand and read weather patterns. Know the wind and the limits of your craft ... and you'll be right.

Hypothermia: Cold Water Kills
Boaters have a greater exposure to the elements than most and boating in the cooler weather means a higher risk of developing hypothermia from wind-chill, capsize and damp and wet clothes.

Hypothermia is the effect of heat loss from the body.

Immersion in cold water causes the body to lose heat up to 25 times faster than normal and the shock of sudden immersion in cold water can be a serious threat to survivors of accidents, especially people who are older, unfit or under stress from falling overboard or abandoning ship.

Precautions
Take precautions, always remember:

The best way to avoid getting hypothermia is not to put yourself in the situation where you have an increased risk of capsize or swamping. That means checking the weather before you go, and throughout the voyage. If in doubt don't go out.
To wear warm thermal clothing, including a beanie and add wet weather gear over your warm clothes to provide wind proofing.
Children and poor swimmers should wear a lifejacket at all times and this goes for everyone if conditions get rough. Wear your lifejacket. This will keep you afloat if you are forced into the water.

Fit buoyancy to your boat to keep it afloat when capsized. Remain with your craft - this will increase your chances of being located quickly after a capsize or swamping.

Boaters should be wary of using gumboots and waders as these make it difficult to swim should you fall into the water.
Alcohol increases the body's heat loss by increasing the flow of blood to the surface areas of the body where it is quickly dissipated.
Stay under your designated alcohol limit.
For recreational vessel operators over 18 years the limit is under .05.
For commercial vessel operators the limit is under .02.
A nil alcohol limit is in force for recreational vessel operators under 18 years.
Signs of Hypothermia
Immersion in cold water can quickly affect the brain. This creates a dangerous situation because a person may not realise they are in danger.

Obvious signs are:

intense shivering;
slurred speech;
confusion;
slowing pulse; and
dilated eye pupils.

Eventually a hypothermic person will lose consciousness and may drown if not wearing a type 1 lifejacket.

Treatment of Hypothermia
The aim should be to reduce any further heat loss and try to commence rewarming slowly. Consider the following:

Avoid rough handling and exercising of the victim;
Wet clothing should be removed and dry clothes blankets and other warm materials applied (body heat can also be used);
Remember to warm the person slowly, never put them close to a fire or in a hot bath;
If conscious, give warm drinks (never alcohol); and
Commence artificial respiration if necessary.'

Article courtesy NSW Maritime and video courtesy YouTube

You can read more about MOB and rescue situations and equipment in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Lightning Strike Protection for Sailboats

2011-05-29T22:25:00.000+10:00

When at sea at night and the lightning is erupting all around your sailboat you feel extremely fragile and exposed. The dread of the lightning actually striking your boat is very real with the possible results not something you wish to contemplate when you are on passage in the middle of an ocean.

That is when you take some comfort in the knowledge that your lightning prevention system you have installed on your vessel will protect you and your boat in the event of a strike. If you don't already, then it is something you need to look at and have professionally installed before you leave port on your 'adventure of a lifetime' sailing odyssey.

Here is an article written recently by Kurt Kopper for 'Afloat Magazine' and is well worth studying:

'Lightning protection systems do not prevent lightning strikes. The aim is to attract the lightning and conduct it safely to the water, so that damage to the boat and the possibility of injuries or death is reduced.

A good protection system has three components – grounding, bonding and electronics protection.

The purpose of the grounding system is to provide a safe conducting path from a point of lightning attachment to conductors in the water, without producing side flashes (sparks that form between the protection system and ungrounded conductors or the water).

The point of attachment can be a metal mast or a lightning rod. The zone of the boat protected by the air terminal is in the shape of a cone with a 90° apex. If that does not fully cover all parts of the boat, the height of the lighting rod must be increased or additional rods installed at different points of the boat. If there is electronic equipment such as antennas or transducers mounted on the mast, a lightning rod can be fitted onto the mast to reach above these. The equipment must all be within the protected cone.

Lightning rods should have a sharp metal point. The brush type terminals once used have been found to be less effective.

If no suitable metal pathway such as an aluminium mast or metal superstructure exists, it is essential that a low impedance path to ground is. The Australian standard recommends at least a 75mm² conductor, e.g. 25mm x 3mm copper strap. The conductor should follow a direct as possible route to the water. Any bends in the conductor should have a minimum radius of 200mm, as the current can otherwise “jump out of” the conductor. If the base of the mast is mounted onto a fibreglass or wooden structure, a conductor must be used to carry the current further downward.

The grounding system must conduct the current to a point of contact with the water. A lead keel is adequate, and it may be painted. The conductor must be bolted onto the keel in some place that is reasonably dry and where it can be inspected from time to time. Alternatively a grounding plate with a surface area of about 1000cm² can be fitted. This must be separate to any HF radio grounding plates.

The bonding system provides conductors to connect large metal fittings to the grounding system, in order to protect the crew from side flashes. Whereas the grounding system requires heavy conductors to carry the full current of the strike downward, the bonding system consists of mainly horizontal conductors to short out any voltages that might otherwise develop between the metal objects and the path of the lightning current. Lighter gauge conductors are used for these connections, e.g. 8mm² copper cable. Good electrical connections are essential. Items that should be bonded include chain plates, toe rails, steering wheels, engines, engine controls, railings, and the ground connections of electronic components.

Electronics protection limits power supply and transducer voltages to equipment in order to minimise or prevent damage to that equipment. Due to the extreme sensitivity of electronic components to over voltages from DCpower and transducer cabling, merely grounding these components is not enough to prevent damage.

DC electronics are best protected by placing surge suppressors immediately before the DC power feed to each component.

Radio antennas can be protected using coaxial surge suppressors, like the Moonraker type CSS.

For HF antennas, protection can be provided by a horn gap discharge system. This is placed directly in the feed line from the antenna to the ATU, with one side connected directly to ground.

Great care must be taken when making all grounding and bonding connections to minimise the potential for galvanic corrosion.

As with all aspects of lightning protection, 100% effectiveness cannot be guaranteed. Disconnecting equipment in advance of a storm helps isolate it from voltages induced by lightning. Use disconnects in preference to knife switches, and these in preference to switch panels.

Every boat is unique, and expert advice must be sought to ensure that any lightning protection system is correctly designed to ensure the safety of boat users and best protection of assets.'

Article and images courtesy Kurt Kupper and Afloat Magazine

You can read more about lightning and effects whilst cruising in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Ron Holland Opening Design Office in North America

2011-05-09T11:58:00.007+10:00

With our favourite cruising sailboat 'Tere Moana' being a Ron Holland design and performing wonderfully with excellent cruising and racing abilities over the last twenty years, we have followed Ron Holland's career during that time. He has gone on to design some of the worlds largest and most luxurious super yachts. The latest boat is 'Christopher', launched in February of this year.

'Tere Moana'

He still designs more modest cruising sailboats as well with the successful 55ft Discovery range and smaller boats in the 35 - 40ft range.

The following article is from Peter Robson and tells of Ron setting up an office in Vancouver, BC, Canada:

'With half his clients based in North America and increasing interest in new sail and power projects in the Pacific Northwest, yacht designer Ron Holland has opened an office in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Holland says he was also attracted to the area because of British Columbia’s magnificent cruising coastline (which he has explored aboard a client’s Holland-designed Trintella 65), and the area’s historic importance as a custom and semi-custom yacht-building center.

Holland plans to spend about half his time in Vancouver, where he’ll likely hire one or two staff, and half at his design studio in Kinsale, Ireland, which will remain the principal base for Ron Holland Design.

Fortunately, modern technology and the Internet means that it doesn’t really matter where Holland works. “It gives me the luxury of being able to choose where in the world I want to live,” Holland says from his new studio overlooking Vancouver’s bustling Coal Harbour Marina. “I was talking on Skype to the team in Ireland this morning,” he says. “Everyone was sitting around and I was looking at the drawings that they were looking at on the computer screen. It’s literally like you’re there. That’s the reality of it.”

Holland is perhaps best known for his mega-sailboats, including the 247-foot Mirabella V, the world’s largest sloop, and the 190-foot Ethereal, which claims to be “the most technologically innovative superyacht ever built.”

Holland isn’t only about big boats. He got his start designing small boats, working with Gary Mull and Charlie Morgan before striking out on his own and designing the quarter-tonner Eygthene, which won the Quarter Ton Cup in 1973.

He also worked with Nautor’s Swan on several of its 36- to 44-foot designs. In 1994, he began a continuing relationship with Trintella Yachts (now part of Italian builder CCYD) and updated their line of cruising yachts.

Discovery 55

More recently, he designed the high-quality and very successful English-built Discovery 55 and 67 series of cruising yachts. “Most of the boats they build immediately go off around the world,” Holland says. Currently, he has several 30 to 35-footers in small series production in Scandinavia and a 36-footer for a European builder. Holland says he typically designs one or two 30 to 40-footers per year, so despite his reputation for designing superyachts, he continues to produce striking, performance-oriented cruisers.

Ironically, not too far from Holland’s Vancouver office is a Holland 50 (formerly a Trintella 50) that the Italian builder was unable to complete. Its Seattle owner brought the half-finished aluminum sloop to Vancouver where it’s now in the final stages of completion by Platinum Marine (a company that is partnering with Holland on a 100-foot sloop and a 140-foot motor yacht series to be built locally). The fortunate Holland 50 owner must be pretty pleased that his dream yacht can be completed under the watchful eye of its designer.

With more and more cruising yachts coming to voyage up the coast to Alaska, it’s likely that many of Holland’s boats will be travelling right by his studio window.'

Holland’s North American office is at 100-510 Nicola Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6G 3J9 www.ronhollanddesign.com

Article courtesy Peter Robson and Cruising World, image Ron Holland courtesy Cruising World

You can read much much more about the excellent sailing/cruising qualities of the RH43 design sailboat in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Spring Lines for Berthing/Docking Sailboats and Yachts

2011-04-30T12:32:00.000+10:00

Trouble free deployment of spring lines when mooring and docking your sailboat is a most important part of your skills set toolbox as a professional and competent skipper. As in all things, practice makes perfect and as just about every docking situation throws up a different set of conditions; wind, tide, other craft in the vicinity, currents etc. it is good practice to learn this process thoroughly, so that embarrassing incidents don't happen when the whole world is watching! In my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' I write about several incidents where unusual techniques were used.

The following is an extract from Tropicalboating.com and has some useful tips for trouble free mooring and docking:

Using Springlines to Tie up to the Dock

When a boat is docked where the tide will go up and down, there are several ways to ensure that dock lines remain relatively tight and the boat does not move forward or back along the dock in the wind or current. This ensures that fenders will remain between pilings and the boat, rather than hanging uselessly as the boat rubs directly on the piling next to the fender.

Floating Docks with Sliding Tracks if Available

The easiest way to deal with tide changes is a floating dock. The boat can be tied tightly to the dock and it will simply ride up and down with the dock. Some docks are equipped with sliding tracks on the pilings, and the boat can be secured with a short midship breast line to the slide car, which will move up and down with the tides. Other lines are still needed to prevent the boat from swinging, but the short line attached midships to the piling will prevent fore and aft movement. In other cases, there are pilings all around the boat with sliding rings around them or some other method of allowing the rope attachment point to slide up and down with the tide. Docks with these accessories are the easiest to tie up to, but they're not readily available everywhere you might want to tie your boat up.

Spring Lines for The Rest of Us

Most of us don't have any of that fancy stuff, but need to keep our boats riding up and down on one or two pilings, and do not want it to move enough to allow the fender to miss the piling. That means the boat can move forward and aft only the length of the fender (if hung sideways) or fender board set that rides on the piling. So how do you tie up the boat so that it remains in one place at the dock, despite changing tides, winds, and currents?

The answer is to use spring lines to prevent fore and aft motion, and long bow and stern lines to prevent the boat swinging in and out. It also helps to attach dock lines to cleats or pilings that are at the same level as the cleats on the boat at mid tide, if this is possible.

Once a boat is pulled in alongside a dock and some temporary lines are run to keep it from getting away, the first decision to be made is which piling(s) the boat will lie against. This will depend on the spacing of the pilings and the shape of the boat. If pilings are widely spaced and the hull is curved inward at the bow and stern, as in most sailboats, it may be best to set the boat to ride against one piling amidships. If pilings are spaced more closely, it is usually better to plan on having the boat ride against two or more pilings, each insulated from the hull by a fender or fender-board set. The first diagram above illustrates two possible scenarios.

Using one piling or two:

The sailboat (left) lies against one piling. The sailboat has no midship cleat, so spring lines are run from a bow cleat leading aft and from a stern cleat leading forward.

The powerboat (right) lies against two pilings, and has a midship cleat. Spring lines are run fore and aft from that cleat to pilings off the bow and stern.

A boat with properly tied spring lines, and one with improperly tied spring lines:

A boat with properly tied springlines at low tide and high tide. The lines are attached to the piling at the level of the boat during a medium tide, so that they rise up to the boat for high tides and fall down to it for low tides.

Sailboat Running Rigging Lines and Ropes for Cruising Sailors

2011-04-20T10:48:00.000+10:00

Replacing the running rigging on your boat seems like it should be fairly simple, and a decade or two ago, it was. As with electronics, safety gear, and even sails, technology has significantly improved cordage. The downside to all these improvements is that not only are there more options then ever, but you may feel like you need a materials-science degree in order to choose the right line for your new jib halyard. Here, we’ll take a look at what the newer, high-tech materials can do for your boat.

When it comes time to choose new rope for the lines aboard your boat, you’ll need to consider the type of sailing that you’ll be doing (a year in the tropics? racing to Bermuda?), the hardware that you currently have (clutches, sheaves), what qualities you feel are important (soft hand, ease in splicing, weight, durability), and your budget. The type of sails you have is another consideration. “If you’ve already made the investment in laminate sails, then you should really consider upgrading your running rigging to a low-stretch material,” says Brian Fisher of Rig Pro, in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. “But even if you have Dacron sails, you can benefit from a cordage upgrade.”

Halyards
Starting at the top, you should check over your sheaves before replacing your halyards, and if you’re going from wire to rope halyards, you’ll need to change to rope sheaves. (Wire halyards use a V-shaped sheave; rope sheaves are U-shaped.) While you’re aloft, look for any sharp edges that could chafe through your new line, especially if you’re going from wire to rope halyards.

There are plenty of choices for new halyards, from basic polyester double-braid to all the high-tech materials. Whatever you choose will probably be a compromise between such factors as amount of stretch, cost, weight, and ease of handling.

Long the workhorse on many a cruising boat, polyester (Dacron) double-braid is still a good choice for many onboard applications. Polyester is long lasting, resistant to ultraviolet radiation, and costs a fraction of high-tech rope; however, it’s somewhat stretchy and heavier than more modern materials, and if there’s one area on board that could benefit from an upgrade to lightweight low-stretch line, it’s the halyards.

Most cruising boats have a roller-furling headsail, and many have in-mast furling mainsails as well. Since these remain hoisted for possibly months at a time, a lightweight low-stretch line will offer better halyard tension and sail shape over the long run. This is true for non-roller-furling sails as well, especially if you’re heading out on a long passage where the sails will be set for a while. Here Fisher recommends using a Spectra/Dyneema-cored line, since it’s extremely strong, lightweight, and doesn’t absorb water. An alternative would be a Vectran-cored line, which stretches even less and doesn’t creep; however, it’s heavier than Spectra/Dyneema and absorbs water. When switching from polyester to a high-tech line, it’s usually possible to downsize the line by a few millimeters since these fibers are so strong. This is a definite advantage for bigger cruising boats, since polyester line can be quite bulky at larger diameters.

If the price tag of Spectra/Dyneema-cored or Vectran-cored line is a little steep, all the major rope manufacturers currently make “mid-level” blended-core ropes that would be well suited to the cruising environment (and easier on the wallet). A few examples are New England Ropes’ VPC, with a Vectran and polyolefin core, and T-900, with a Dyneema and Technora core; Samson’s MLX, featuring an Innegra-S and Dyneema core; and Yale’s Aratech, with a Technora and Spectra core. Both high-tech lines and the mid-level blends typically have polyester covers, which provides extra U.V. protection and a nice hand, although there are also covers available that blend the polyester with materials such as Technora, for its abrasion-resistant and heat-dissipating qualities. If weight saving is a major issue aboard your boat, note that many of the high-tech ropes available are core dependant, and the cover can be stripped off. On the majority of cruising boats, however, the effect would be negligible.

Sheets
Like halyards, sheets are an area where Spectra/Dyneema-cored lines can improve performance and even your sailing experience. “Since you can downsize your line when you switch from polyester, you end up with smaller, lighter piles in your cockpit and less weight pulling at your sail,” says Fisher. He offers an example of genoa halyards on an Oyster 46, which are 69 feet long. In this application, polyester double-braid lines would measure 3/4-inch in diameter, with a breaking strength of 16,000 pounds and a weight of 11 pounds. A Spectra/Dyneema-cored line would have a 1/2-inch diameter, a breaking strength of 20,000 pounds, and a weight of only 4.6 pounds. And only the polyester cover would absorb water, offering additional weight savings as well as more pleasant tacking.

It’s worth noting that if you’re replacing your running rigging, the time’s right to inspect your deck hardware, too. Since polyester line has more give, it absorbs more of the load from the sails. If you make the switch to high-tech line, be sure that your deck hardware is appropriately sized and reinforced.

Spinnaker sheets are well suited for a high-tech upgrade as well, since a lightweight, small-diameter line that’s also very strong will offer better performance. Examples of good choices for this application are Samson’s WarpSpeed, featuring a Dyneema core and a polyester cover, and New England Ropes’ Flight Line, which has a Dyneema core and a polypropylene cover.

Rope construction for the mainsheet is much a matter of personal preference. Single-braid is usually softer, has a nice hand, and doesn’t kink, but it could snag more than a double-braid line and doesn’t have the additional abrasion resistance of a cover. Yale Cordage’s new Ph.D. rope, introduced in 2010, is a single-braid construction made from polyester-coated Spectra. According to Yale, the polyester coating gives the rope a nice feel and good grip on winches, while the Spectra core gives it strength and weight savings.

All the Rest
While halyards and sheets have been the focus here, there are plenty of other places aboard that could benefit from a high-tech makeover: runners, the outhaul, the traveler, the boom vang, even lifelines. If a major high-tech cordage upgrade is in your future, it may be wise to consult with a rigger to ensure that the chosen material is suitable to the application on your particular boat and that your lines are appropriately sized. “I’ve seen several situations in which customers have forgotten to take into account proper line size with regard to the winches and rope clutches on their boats,” notes Andrew Spiro of The Ship’s Store and Rigging, in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. “It’s simple, but just because you can use a smaller-diameter line with the same strength, they forget that the winches and clutches are limited to certain sizes. The result is often slipping.”

Always on the forefront of technology, raceboats have been using high-tech fibers for years in many applications on board, even standing rigging, and as these fibers have improved and their acceptance has grown, more and more wire is being traded out in favor of these lightweight alternatives. Cruisers can also reap benefit from these advances.

The Right Stuff for ropes

Aramids (Twaron, Technora, Kevlar): Like other high-tech fibers, aramids are strong and stretch little, but they also have the benefit of being resistant to heat. You’ll find aramids in both double-braid cores as well as blended with other fibers in the covers.

Dynex Dux: A relative newcomer to sailboat rigging, Dynex Dux is pre-stretched and heat-treated Dyneema. This process, however, produces an extremely strong rope with virtually no creep that is suitable for service in standing rigging.

H.M.P.E. (Dyneema, Spectra, Amsteel): High-modulus polyethylene has many benefits for running-rigging applications: It’s very strong, lightweight, doesn’t absorb water, has decent resistance to ultraviolet radiation, and it can float. On the downside, it has more creep (see “Rope Speak,” page 80) than other high-tech fibers.

L.C.P. (Vectran): Liquid-crystal polymer fiber possesses high-strength and low-stretch qualities and suffers virtually no creep. L.C.P. is one of the strongest core materials, although it doesn’t have the U.V. resistance of H.M.P.E., and it’s a little bit heavier.

Nylon: Strong yet stretchy nylon is commonly used in applications for which shock absorption is important, such as in dock lines and anchor lines.

P.B.O. (Zylon): Polybenzoxazole is extremely low stretch and high strength. It’s also ungodly expensive and lacks the durability that most cruisers desire. As such, P.B.O. is usually only found on high-end raceboats.

Polyester (Dacron): For decades, polyester has been the go-to rope for cruising-boat halyards and sheets. It’s cost efficient, strong, and resists ultraviolet radiation.

Polypropylene: Usually used in applications like ski and dinghy tow ropes, polypropylene is lightweight and can float. Alone, polypropylene isn’t usually seen in cruising-boat lines since it’s very susceptible to U.V. degradation, but it’s sometimes combined with other fibers that benefit from its lightweight, low-cost qualities.

Extract courtesy Jen Brett and Cruising World.com

You can read more about running rigging and repairing whilst on passage in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http//:www.sailboat2adventure.com

Simrad NSS Touchscreen Plotters Launch for Cruising Sailors

2011-03-31T11:26:00.015+11:00

The continuing updating of this excellent range of chart plotters for sailors has culminated in the launch this month in Palma, Spain of the latest version of the North Star Sport series. This version will allow all those touchy feely folks to satisfy their urge admirably! However, there are still knobs and buttons to play with!

The following article is from Simrad themselves outlining the technical capabilities of the NSS units: 'Developed for maximum ease of use, the Simrad NSS Sport’s Touch Sensible™ technology provides quick and efficient access to the information boaters need to enhance every on-the-water experience.

Available in three sizes, the NSS Sport range includes the NSS7, NSS8 and NSS12. Providing boaters with the perfect combination of control options, the NSS Sport offers touch-screen, keypad and a Simrad-Yachting signature rotary-control knob – enabling the user to remain in complete control in any boating situation.

Designed for performance, the NSS Sport features a bright, clear and highly visible display that employs Simrad Yachting’s unique LED backlighting technology and includes a powerful built-in GPS and BSM-1 echosounder*. Ensuring ultimate flexibility, the NSS Sport can be networked to the Simrad NSO and NSE multifunction displays, as well as Simrad Yachting’s comprehensive range of innovative performance module options -- including the award-winning Broadband Radar™, StructureScan™ Sonar Imaging, SonicHub™ marine audio server and WM-2 SIRIUS® satellite weather/radio module.

The NSS Sport is also pre-loaded with Insight USA™ inland and coastal cartography, and is fully compatible with the complete range of Navionics chart options on microSD. “With the addition of the NSS Sport, Simrad Yachting now offers the most exciting and integrated portfolio of marine electronics on the market,” said Louis Chemi, COO, Navico Americas. “Whether you’re in the market for a touch-screen 7-inch chartplotter or you require a broader range of fishing, sailing or cruising equipment – Simrad Yachting has got you covered with a full selection of award-winning products.” Whether routing to a waypoint, marking a fish or cranking your favorite tunes – operating the NSS Sport is simple with Simrad Yachting’s Touch Sensible technology.

Panning and zooming are fast, responsive, and most of all, easy to learn due to its intuitive icon-driven menu system. The bright LED display also uses less power than traditional display technologies and greatly extends the life of the product. “The NSS Sport is another example of our driven focus to lead with technology that provides meaningful innovation,” continued Chemi. “The combination of a touch-screen display and rotary-control knob enables boaters of all skill levels to complete tasks with absolute ease and precision.”

The Simrad NSS Sport range features high-brightness (1200 NIT) bonded LED displays in 6.4-inch (VGA), 8-inch (SVGA) and 12-inch (XGA) diagonal screen sizes. All support NMEA 2000®, SimNet and composite video input. The NSS series uses little power and is designed for use in 12 and 24V DC power systems. The system has an operating temperature range of 5 degrees to 131 degrees Fahrenheit (-15 degrees to 55 degrees Celsius); like the NSE and NSO multifunction displays, the NSS Sport is waterproof to the IPx7 standard, and protected by a two-year limited parts and labor warranty.

The new Simrad NSS Sport is also covered by Simrad Yachting’s 24-hour exchange program. In the unlikely event that the device is identified as defective within the first year of warranty, Simrad Yachting will ensure shipment of a replacement device within 24 hours. The Simrad NSS7, NSS8 and NSS12 have suggested retail prices of US$1,895, $2,845 and $3,995 respectively.'

Extract and images courtesy Simrad Yachting

You can read more about chart plotting and navigation in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Google Earth Tips for Cruising Sailors

2011-03-24T13:54:00.022+11:00

Following on from my last post about possible GPS problems for the cruising sailor, here is an interesting post from Google Earth blog with some tips that cruising sailors may find most useful.

I particularly like the idea of storing earth views of remote ports of calls, anchoring/mooring areas, navigation hazards, underwater obstructions etc. on your computer, which can then be viewed on approach even if there is no or poor internet connection in that area. Always to be used in conjunction with the correct marine navigation charts, this facility can be a useful adjunct to your knowledge of a new anchorage.

Here's what Frank Taylor of the Google Earth blog writes about some of the interesting techniques he uses:

'A big part of the experience of sailing around the world is meeting up with other sailors doing similar routes. In French Polynesia, we have had numerous opportunities to meet up with the crews of boats we have met along the way, and many new boats as well. As a big fan of Google Earth, I have been making sure to share tips on some of the ways I am making use of Google Earth as we sail. Many of these tips apply equally to many other forms of travel. One thing is apparent, few people realize some of the less-known, but best features of Google Earth for travel.

Here are some important tips on Google Earth's lesser-known features that every sailor (and many other travelers) should know:

1) Google Earth can be used without an Internet connection - As we are traveling, I actually use Google Earth more without an Internet connection than with. Many people aren't aware that Google caches the last 2 GBytes (if your cache is set to the maximum) of imagery/layers you last loaded. What I do is visit the places I'm about to travel to (in particular the anchorages) and make sure to load the imagery of those places most important to me. It's important not to load too large an area or the cache will start forgetting the older stuff. Once we are on a passage (with no easy way to be on the Internet) we can still load Google Earth and view those last places loaded. I can view what the appraoch to an anchorage is like, and the places we plan to visit while reading other guide materials or charts we have. Read more about using Google Earth off the Internet.

2) The Ruler - I frequently make use of the Google Earth ruler to measure distances between places we are going, or the places we have already traveled. You can change the units (I frequently use the "nautical miles" units) to help convert to local measures. Also, you can trace out paths, not just single measurements (look for the tabs at the top of the window that pops up to find the "Paths" tab). This is very handy for measuring routes. As a sailor, I often use this feature to check distances on passages, determine the best places to anchor, estimate dinghy runs, and distances we'll have to walk to grocery stores and customs offices.

3) GPS Tracks - if you have a GPS, you can take your saved GPS tracks and use many free programs to convert your track to GPX. Some GPS programs will even output your GPS tracks directly to Google Earth's KML. But, Google Earth will read GPX files as well. Simply open your KML or GPX file of your track. The new Google Earth 5.2 presents you with a new option to save your file as a "track". This lets you play back the track with some new features like the time slider. I also recommend a free online program called "GPSVisualizer" to generate highly customized GPS tracks for use with Google Earth.

4) GPS in Real-time - Google Earth can connect directly to many GPS's. Look for the option under "Tools->GPS". If you have a Garmin with a USB connection, it is very simple. You can also use the NMEA option to connect. Read more about that in the Google Earth user guide. Once you have your GPS connected, Google Earth can show your position in real-time. It makes Google Earth into something like a 3D "chart plotter". Google Earth is not to be used for navigation purposes. The data is not intended for that, so it is not guaranteed to be accurate enough to sail by. However, using it as an additional reference has proven to be very effective. The satellite is often (but, not always) good enough to see underwater obstructions (such as coral heads, rocks, and even sunken ships). It has also been handy for seeing the best route through passes. In fact, I have often found GE imagery is more accurately placed than my electronic charts. You need to remember some of the imagery can be several years old though. The imagery is definitely not real-time (read about Google Earth imagery).

5) Many other uses - I also share our position reports, GPS tracks, and photography using Google Earth. You can share your photos for free with Google's Panoramio - which lets you map the positions of each photo when you upload them (or you can do the geotagging with another program). The photos will later appear on Google Earth and Google Maps for everyone to see as icons when the Panoramio/Photos layer is turned on. I also take 360 Panoramas and upload them to 360cities.net, which are also viewable on Google Earth, or you can put them on your web site (see example). Most importantly, I often use Google Earth while on the Internet to do research on the places we are going to find information and pictures about popular places to visit. Turning on the Panoramio layer is a fast way to find popular places (more photos in the most interesting spots). I also showed a bunch of sailors how to use Google Earth to show the best place to watch the solar eclipse that occurred over the central Pacific waters on July 11th.

These are just a few of the many ways I use Google Earth while sailing/traveling. They are all free, and easily available to anyone. All you have to know is that they exist, and how to use them.'

Extract courtesy Frank Taylor of www.gearthblog.com

You can read more about GPS plotting and daily use whilst on passage in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

GPS Accuracy Problems for Cruising Sailors Highlighted

2011-03-20T18:04:00.012+11:00

The question of GPS accuracy when on passage in your sailboat comes up from time to time and the following article from the British Academy of Engineering is very timely.

I have lifted it from www.sailworld.com website and it is well worth bearing in mind when at sea and relying so heavily on our electronics as we tend to do these days.

I can well recall a close call when sailing down to St. Vincent in the Caribbean some years back. It was a minor error but had us almost onto a reef. Fortunately, we were keeping a good lookout so were able to spot the error in time and alter course to avoid the reef. There is no substitute for a pair of eyes looking at all times.

Likewise there is no substitute yet for the traditional forms of navigation including coastal and celestial navigation. Anyone contemplating long ocean voyages must become familiar and be able to practice these forms of navigation. A reliable sextant is not expensive ($200 approx.) and is an invaluable tool to have on board. And, once you have mastered it, you will have tremendous satisfaction from getting good results from it.

Here is the article and a link to the Academy's website for the full report:

'When in doubt, can YOU drag out the sextant and take a position?' .
Leisure sailors and other mariners could find themselves in trouble if they rely totally on GPS systems a British Academy of Engineering has warned.

The report finds that the severity of the errors may be so large as to give noticeably suspect results which can immediately be identified by the users, but the real threat lies in 'dangerously misleading' results which may not seem obviously wrong - a ship directed slightly off course by faulty data could steer it into danger.

This is of vital importance to cruising sailors, when it is known that a large percentage of us do not take alternative methods of navigation and sometimes cannot carry out coastal or celestial navigation.

Dr Martyn Thomas CBE FREng, Chairman of the Royal Academy of Engineering's Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) working group, says: 'GPS and other GNSS are so useful and so cheap to build into equipment that we have become almost blindly reliant on the data they give us.

'A significant failure of GPS could cause lots of services to fail at the same time, including many that are thought to be completely independent of each other. The use of non-GNSS back ups is important across all critical uses of GNSS.'

Society in general may already be dangerously over-reliant on satellite radio navigation systems like GPS, the Academy warns in a report published 8 March 2011. The range of applications using the technology is now so broad that, without adequate independent backup, signal failure or interference could potentially affect safety systems and other critical parts of the economy.

Global Navigation Space Systems: reliance and vulnerabilities looks into the increasing use of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) to gain accurate data for positioning, navigation and timing (PNT). The US-operated Global Positioning System (GPS) is best known as the first major implementation of this technology but other GNSS systems are being planned and built, including the Russian GLONASS and Europe's Galileo.

The Academy's report focuses on our increasing reliance on GNSS and the current limited use of GNSS-independent backups for PNT data. The vulnerabilities of GNSS to deliberate or accidental interference, both man-made (such as jamming) and natural (such as solar flares) are also highlighted.

As well as the ubiquitous satnav, the signals are used by data networks, financial systems, shipping and air transport, agriculture, railways and emergency services. The European Commission, in its mid-term review of the European satellite radio navigation programmes (18 January 2011) estimated that an €800 billion chunk of the European economy is already dependent on GNSS.

All GNSS applications are vulnerable to failure, disruption and interference and the report looks at a range of possible consequences of these, from the inconvenient (such as passenger information system failures) to possible loss of life (such as interruptions to emergency services communications).

There is also a concern over the criminal use of jamming equipment to bypass GNSS systems - easily available technology can be used to block tracking of consignments of goods or to defraud systems that collect revenue using GNSS (such as toll-road charging).

The Academy's report looks at security awareness and recommends that critical services include GNSS vulnerabilities in their risk register and that these are reviewed regularly and mitigated effectively. It says the provision of a widely available PNT service as an alternative to GNSS is an essential part of the national infrastructure - a terrestrial radio navigation system called eLORAN is already in development for this purpose.

The Academy also suggests policy responses including the closing of a legal loophole which allows the import, advertisement and possession of jamming devices. The UK government could trial the deliberate jamming of signals for a limited period to allow users to evaluate the impact of the loss of PNT data and the effectiveness of their back-up plans.

Finally, the Academy advises the creation of an R&D programme focused on antenna and receiver improvements that would enhance the resilience of GNSS dependent systems against natural and man-made threats.

Dr Thomas adds: 'The deployment of Europe's Galileo system will greatly improve the resilience of the combined GPS/Galileo system, but many of the vulnerabilities we have identified in this report will remain. No-one has a complete picture of the many ways in which we have become dependent on weak signals 12,000 miles above us.'

The full Academy's report, 'Global Navigation Space Systems: reliance and vulnerability' is available online at www.raeng.org.uk Professor Martyn Thomas will present the conclusions of the Academy's report to the 2011 GNSS Interference, Detection and Monitoring Conference on Thursday 10 March.

Article courtesy British Academy of Engineering and Sailworld

You can read more about celestial navigation and navigation in general when on passage in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadaable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Kindle eBook Reader for Cruising Sailors

2011-02-15T13:58:00.033+11:00

Remember I did a post last year (April 27/2010) on eBook readers for cruising sailors to take with them on their sailboat for their 'adventure of a lifetime'?

I had held back from purchasing one as the only way was online through Amazon. Fortunately a friend of mine had received a Kindle as a present some months earlier so I was able to get it into my hands and have a play. Meanwhile I had checked out several other ebook readers such as the Sony, Kobo and iPad etc., and whilst they were all impressive and all had varying features, the one main drawback for me was that to an item, they all still gave the impression of reading through glass - which as a reader is quite off putting if one is reading for any length of time.

So, to actually hold the Kindle and test this particular feature was what I wanted. I can report that the reading experience with Kindle is excellent. When looking at the page it is exactly like seeing the printed word on paper. I know this is how the Kindle has been promoted but I wanted to see it for myself. And from that perspective it rates 10/10. I am not sure how this has been achieved as after all it is still a glass screen, but nonetheless, that is the final result and to a serious reader, that is what is important.

I purchased one immediately and have been reading with it continuously for a month now. It was instant lust and it accompanies me wherever I go.

It is light weight and very compact, being about the dimensions of a standard paperback but, even with the cover, only one third of the thickness. It can be read almost anywhere except in the dark. You can see yours truly right here, happily reading in full sunlight - and that is the beauty of the Kindle - from a reading point of view (print on page), it is exactly like a book.

I purchased the Kindle online from Amazon for US$139. The closable cover is an additional US$39. The Kindle is now available in 3G and this I bought for another US$50. Total cost US$228. Compare this price to many other ebook readers which are currently on the market, the Kindle is excellent buying indeed. The Apple iPad for example is very tempting with all the apps available for it, but you are looking at a starting price of $600, less portability and still do not have a proper reading experience.

To say I am delighted with my Kindle is an understatement.

The many features can be explored by clicking on the Kindle banner to the right.

Once you have overcome the initial involuntary response of trying to turn the page with your finger instead of touching the button, you are already on your way to many hours of happy reading. All classics and out of copyright books are free or just a few pennies, and all current titles run out at half to a third of normal retail. A range of newspapers, magazines and even technical books (including marine) are also available - this range will increase massively over time. Your Kindle library will store 3000 books plus (and can be backed up onto your computer so you won't lose them) which should keep most readers happy for many years.

Battery life is always a serious question for the cruising sailor and I am happy to report that Kindle have solved this problem as well. Using a lithium battery and keeping the WiFi turned off except for downloading new books or material, the battery will power the unit for up to a whole month before needing to re-charge. You must always remember to slide the 'wake up' button on and off when commencing reading and finishing. This is very impressive when you compare the power requirements of other units.

You will notice in the image to the right a leather strap attached to my Kindle. I went to my local cobbler who rummaged through his off cuts and came up with a nice little leather strip which he then sewed into the seam of the cover. Ten dollars later I picked it up and it has been swinging from my wrist ever since. I had this sewn in to prevent accidents such as dropping it onto the sidewalk or overboard when boarding etc.etc.

No more will the cruiser have to carry piles of dog eared paperbacks half way around the world, wondering where they can be stored, not to mention the additional weight. And might I suggest that if you were planning on buying Kindle you may wish to make it two, so as to avoid any arguments as to who is going to read it!

Just visualise yourself reading in the cockpit under the canopy on a fine downwind tropical day, on a mooring, or tucked up in your bunk at night or in a cafe on a far away shore - bliss.

Check out the Kindle features by clicking on the banner at right and begin your new reading experience of the future.

You can read more about reading on passage and far away places in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com/

Cruising Sailors Somali Pirate Update

2011-02-07T13:38:00.012+11:00

Any cruising sailor making plans to sail or already sailing in their sailboat through the Indian Ocean and along this part of the African coast is going to be acutely aware of this potentially dangerous situation. As is mentioned in the following article, yachts are pretty small change as far as the pirates are concerned, but the crew can be seen as valuable currency.

The reverse of the coin though is that in percentage terms of the number of cruising vessels sailing through these seas, the chances of being approached and possibly attacked are very slight indeed. However, as in all things, forewarned is forearmed and Colin Speedie lays out a timely summary of the current situation:

'For most cruising yachtsmen there are few more beautiful, peaceful or congenial places to down a cold Tusker beer, than on the Kenyan shore of the Indian Ocean. Such places form the backbone of the dream for so many, and it’s not hard to see why.

But outside in open waters things are less idyllic, due to the presence of Somali pirates patrolling the sea, looking for vessels to hijack.

Generally their interest lies in bigger cargo vessels, but fishing vessels and yachts have also been taken. And the payoffs can be enormous – a record ransom of $9.5m was recently paid for a South Korean supertanker and her crew (plus $170m of crude oil cargo). As a result, despite a much-increased military presence from the navies of the world, the problem is growing fast. By late 2010 NAVFOR (the EU anti-piracy task force) had intercepted over 120 pirate attacks in the area, up from 21 in 2009. At the current moment the pirates are holding 31 vessels and over 700 hostages. And it’s reported that around $238m in ransoms was paid to Somali pirates during 2010 – it’s a huge business.

An Expanding Problem - largely as a result of the increased naval activity, the problem has spread contagiously throughout the region; the pirates, using captured fishing vessels and motor vessels as motherships, have expanded their range to evade capture. The Maritime Security Centre/ISAF guidance for yachts for the region (Gulf of Aden, northern Indian Ocean and southern Red Sea) suggests that the area affected goes down to 15S and 78E, but one of the most recent attacks was at 21 38S and another was close to the South coast of India. This is a colossal problem over an immense area, and almost impossible to control through force, as a senior NAVFOR officer recently admitted.

Yachts, of course, are small beer for the pirates, and with only one attack on a yacht recorded in the region during 2010, it’s worth keeping some sense of perspective about the scale of the problem. But the ransom paid for a UK couple last year was reported to be in excess of $750K – hardly a pittance, although far less than the $7m originally demanded. And it has recently been reported that a ransom of £10m is being sought for the release of a South African couple captured aboard a yacht in the 2010 attack. Big ships might be worth far more, and the yachts themselves may be worth nothing to the pirates, but the crews certainly have a potential value.

Is There Any Defense? So what can be done if you have to travel in this region? Some local sailors suggested that day sailing close to the coast is relatively safe, and that may be one option for part of this huge area. Others transiting the area to and from Suez are often opting to travel in convoys, seeking security in numbers, although with the current unrest in Yemen and Egypt to face along the way it’s no sinecure. And whilst the multinational naval presence will provide surveillance and security for yachts where possible, understandably the force prioritizes big ships. Yachts coming from the East now face the long voyage down to the Cape of Good Hope via Mauritius to stay out of the expanded pirate zone.

Ship your yacht by freighter? Well, this January Somali pirates seized the M/V Beluga Nomination carrying a cargo of yachts from Malta to the Seychelles, with the tragic loss of three crewmembers’ lives. As it stands, it’s hard not to come to the conclusion that before too long this whole vast area might become a no go zone for yachts.

A Global Problem - And it’s not only the Indian Ocean – 445 pirate attacks were reported in 2010 globally, and included such cruising areas as the Caribbean, Central America, Papua New Guinea and the South China Sea.

We hope to visit West Africa in Pelerin, our Ovni 435, this coming autumn, but increasingly there are disturbing reports of terrorist activity targeting westerners in the Sahel countries. Ultimately we don’t have to go there, and we may simply decide, with great regret, that it’s a risk too far – a pity for us, and a loss of legitimate revenue for the countries concerned.

In this internet age, keeping news of such lucrative piracy under wraps is impossible. So, with poverty rife in many ‘pristine’ parts of the world, maybe others in those places are also weighing up the possibilities for conducting their own local wealth redistribution policies. And, although we, like many readers of this website, love higher latitudes, we still have to get there in the first place, and hope to enjoy many tropical places along the way. But that seems to be becoming more complicated by the day, and it seems our cruising world may be rapidly shrinking, and not just in small increments, either.'

Excerpt article Colin Speedie, images courtesy Colin Speedie and Google

You can read more about Pirates in the Caribbean (Columbia coast) in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Sailboat Mainsheet Traveller Repair and Maintenance

2011-01-29T14:30:00.021+11:00

The mainsheet traveller on a friends 43ft (13mtre) sailboat was showing signs of wear. The traveller was installed on the yacht when it was built and so now was twenty two years young. The traveller track itself was still in good order but the bearings inside the car were beginning to disintergrate. When you consider the constant pressure on these bearings when under sail over the years and many many thousands of sea miles, it is not surprising that at some point they will require some attention.

The symptoms of course were that the traveller was wanting less to slide and becoming more difficult to shift and generally getting more stiff - which in turn becomes more of a handicap when racing.

The starting point was to take down the headlining in the aft stateroom and head/shower cubicle underneath the traveller. Let me tell you from the outset that this was the most time consuming and awkward part of the job. Always working in a confined space, the temperature rises along with the fiddly nature of the work.

This part accomplished we moved topsides to remove the sheet lines from the traveller block and sheave of the traveller and secure the boom off. this meant that the car could slide freely along the traveller rail. All eighteen heavy duty screws were removed from the traveller rail so we could then lift the rail away from its position. The end caps were prised off so that we could then slide off the car. As you can see from the image, the bearings (four each side, totalling eight) were in pretty bad shape with constant wear and corrosion over time having taken their toll.

In preparation ahead of time new bearings had been located which were five millimetres underwidth of the old ones. The reason here was that the difference in diameter was to be made up by pressing on a composite material called Delrin. This was done by Polymer Engineering in Mona Vale, Sydney for a paltry sum of AUD20.00 including a spare set! The bearings themselves came to AUD246.00.

These were easily placed into position on their pins and the car slid back onto its rail. The track was then firmly remounted in its position on the bridgedeck. Two Harken sheaves were purchased at AUD50.00 each and positioned at each end of the track and using the existing cleats. The lines were fed back through and the car tested for smoothness of operation. Needless to say, it worked beautifully and with the composite 'Delrin' material the car ran very smoothly.

Apart from time, the all up cost of the job of bearings, Delrin press-ons and sheaves was AUD366.00. The replacement cost of a new traveller system from the manufacturer was AUD2000.00+. So, we felt we were well ahead and even if it were to wear again say in five years time, there is a second set of press-ons available.

The boat has been out racing several times since the refurbished car and traveller was refitted and to date is performing very well indeed. Composite materials are used so widely these days, especially so in sailing and yacht building that there is no reason to suspect that the Delrin coated bearings will not give many years of stirling service.

You can read more about sailboat equipment servicing, maintenance and refurbishing in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Americas Cup Class AC45 Yacht Launched, Sea Trials in Auckland

2011-01-18T11:37:00.011+11:00

The future of Americas Cup yacht racing has arrived ahead of schedule and just this week launched in Auckland to huge anticipation and excitement. These new twin hulled catamarans are extremely fast, manoeuvreable but flighty and will provide tight and exciting racing in the 72ft. version in the next Americas Cup to be held in San Franscisco Bay in 2013.

The following is the official media release from Auckland:

New Cat Class Centerpiece of 2011-2012 America’s Cup World Series
Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour showcased a glimpse into the future of the America’s Cup with the debut of the wing-sailed AC45 catamaran. The forerunner to the next generation of America’s Cup boats, the AC45 made its maiden voyage, the first of many sea trials planned over the coming weeks.

“Thanks to the efficiency of the New Zealand boat building industry and a huge effort by our team, the first AC45 is now ready for sea trials just a mere four months after this exciting new multihull class was first conceptualized,” said Tim Smyth, co-construction manager for Core Builders Composites of Warkworth, New Zealand.

The AC45 will be the centerpiece of the 2011-2012 America’s Cup World Series, which will start mid-2011. The high-tech carbon fibre catamaran is the first in a fleet of the new 45-foot one-designs that will be tested by America’s Cup teams before racing on the America’s Cup World Series circuit.

The AC45 is an essential element of the vision for the 34th America’s Cup, which will feature 72-foot catamarans raced on San Francisco Bay in 2013. Focused on creating more on-the-water excitement for both the teams and the fans, the AC45 is designed for both speed and close racing. While capable of closing speeds of up to 30 knots, the AC45 was designed to remain nimble enough to handle the tight race courses planned by America’s Cup Race Management (ACRM).

“The biggest challenge with multihulls is learning how much to anticipate. With the AC45 being a big, powerful multihull capable of tripling the wind speed, your reactions and skills are accelerated. It’s all about being ahead of the cycle,” said ORACLE RACING skipper James Spithill. “I think the AC45 will enable all teams to advance to hard-core race mentality very quickly.”

The AC45 was designed by the ORACLE RACING design and engineering team, which developed the catamaran on behalf of the America’s Cup community. At task was designing a boat that would not only meet the racing criteria, but could also fit inside a 40-foot container, which is the shipping vessel for the America’s Cup World Series.

“The boat was designed for all-around performance so it can be sailed in wide range of conditions, and that means the next America's Cup will see races start on time,” said Ian Burns, ORACLE RACING design coordinator. “Plus it’s a regatta boat, meant for lots of racing, so quick assembly and disassembly was a must to accommodate an active competition schedule.”

The AC45 had to be robust enough to sail through a wide wind range, from 5 to 30 knots, as well as survive in the event of collisions, which are foreseen as teams learn to adapt to multihull closing speeds.

Utilizing the same technology used in the aerospace industry, the hulls are built in carbon epoxy with honeycomb cores, making them extremely stiff and light structures. The sandwich construction involves two carbon skins less than 1mm thick laminated over an ultra-light honeycomb core.

“The new America’s Cup is for those who are hungry for a challenge and the AC45 is really a fresh take on the multihull,” said Vincenzo Onorato, President, Mascalzone Latino.

“We plan to run tight race courses that will force boats to engage with each other, creating really close racing situations. Multihulls are very fast boats and will therefore reach the course boundaries sooner, so races will become a true test of skill and strategy, not just speed,” said Iain Murray, CEO, America’s Cup Race Management and Regatta Director. “The AC45 will fast-track teams to state-of-the-art wingsail technology and crew technique in the first season, and will greatly prepare them for the AC72.”
Specifications:

LOA: 44.13’ (13.45m)
BEAM:22.6’ (6.9m)
DSPL:1,400 kg
Mast Height:70.5’ (21.5m)
Sail Area:1430 sq’ (133 sqm) (up w/main & gennaker), 2,259 sq’ 210 (sqm) (dwn w/main & reacher)

For further information please contact:

Jane Eagleson
America's Cup Race Management
Email jane.eagleson@americascup.com

Image courtesy Giles Martin-Paget, video courtesy YouTube

You can read much more about cat sailing, cruising and passagemaking in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Panama Canal Closed to Sailboat Transit Due to Flooding from Record Rainfall

2010-12-27T18:26:00.026+11:00

'The Panama Canal has reopened after being closed to ship traffic because of flooding in the region, officials said.

The canal reopened Thursday, 17 hours after prolonged heavy rains and flooding required that it be closed for just the third time since it was opened 96 years ago.

Flooding in the region forced thousands of people to evacuate their flooded homes. Two 11-year-old children and an adult were missing, Newsroom Panama reported online Wednesday.

The rains, which forecasters say will hang around for months, damaged Panamanian crops and roads, including the collapse of one to the Centennial Bridge.

The Panama Canal Authority said ship transit was "temporarily suspended" Wednesday because the Alajuela and Gatun lakes were at the highest levels ever recorded, Newsroom Panama reported. The 48-mile-long, man-made shipping channel was closed in 1989 when the United States invaded Panama to depose strongman Manuel Noriega, and in 1915 and 1916 because of landslides, CNN said.

Manuel Benitez, executive vice president of operations for the canal authority, said the closure was necessary because transit through the canal could be affected by the currents of the Chagres River, which flows into the channel on the way to Gamboa.'

This news report from UPI brought to mind my transit of the famous Panama Canal in my own yacht and I post the extract from my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana':

'The dinghy pool at the PCYC (Panama Canal Yacht Club, now no more) contains a variety of underwater obstacles to snag the unwary approaching tender. Most of them are sharp and laying at exactly the right angle to slice through or hook into and tear the millimetres thick rubber of the bottom or sponsons. On their second trip, one such of these catches our not so vigilant crew off guard - fortunately only metres from the dock - a quick glance over the side shows an ever increasing stream of air bubbles under pressure, racing to the surface(quite fascinating in other circumstances!) and a hasty retreat with paddles foaming the still water follows, taking the Avon back to the dock - fastest she had ever moved under manpower!

Hauled out, upended and inspected, it is found not to be a life threatening rent and can be patched. Naturally, the repair kit is still with our little ship, moored 1.5 kilometres away, and completely innocent of events. So, our intrepid crew begin the usual search by knocking on the few boats that are actually in the marina berths and naturally again, some tender hearted sailor comes to our rescue - sibling crew is usually called up for this kind of incident, with expectations realised. With thorough drying, scuffing and gluing, our crew are able to effect a suitable repair and retire to the bar whilst curing - there is always an upside to any catastrophe!
Many a steamy night follows with our crew frequently sleeping in the cockpit under the stars, only to be driven below when the next deluge passes through. A tropical rain shower is very different in terms of intensity than what they were used to and once below, conversation can be very nearly drowned out with the drumming on her coach roof. She enjoys the coolness of it and is pleased that it washes the salt out of her sails, off the rigging and topsides - she will have to remind them tomorrow to sluice down the teak decks with salt water from the canvas bucket - this keeps them nice and tight by keeping the teak strips slightly swollen and tight up against the black sikaflex caulking.

Next morning she is rudely awakened with a not too delicate bump on her starboard side - this announces the arrival of the Admeasurer, which in number comprises four swarthy Panamanians with very black moustaches and big boots, clumping around her decks and below measuring everything they can lay a tape alongside or around. Because the majority of their work is large merchant vessels, cruising yachts just don't fit into their matrix. A cruising yacht not having a funnel, bu the box on their form requiring an entry, they measure a starboard dorade vent - necessity is the mother of invention! Many curious questions follow until finally, with a bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label changing hands they depart, instructing our crew to be ready for when a Pilot will be delivered for the transit.

Documentation progress is slow and when the final stamp with payment required is to be at the Panama Canal Commission, a $50 taxi ride takes them to the PCC office. This office is positioned mid way along the canal and most inconvenient - but considering ships travel both ways through the canal, there is a certain logic to it being at the Gatun Locks. With document stamped and USD495 paid (transit fee which has increased currently to USD600 plus a USD850 buffer fee - refundable if not used) our crew hasten back aboard to await the arrival of the Pilot.

Pilot on board by 5.45am next day and informs the captain that 6.5knots have to be maintained for the 21 nautical mile journey. Now, she thinks to herself, that means she should be there on the other side and therefore in the Pacific by lunch time. What she doesn't understand is that in between times she has to negotiate the three locks along the way - up and into Gatun Lock, down to Pedro Miguel locks and finally, Miraflores Locks - this all takes time and will probably use up most of the day. The captain is a little concerned that running the engine so hard for so long may cause problems. She knows that the motor is good enough, but lets her captain fret anyway. Running into the locks, rafting up with other yachts, handling the monkey lines as they are hurled down onto her decks from above and bouncing around in the turbulent waters of the locks all goes well and she is rather pleased with herself and her crew.

They had all heard some awful stories of major damage to small vessels in transit and were somewhat fearful of this leg of their journey. She felt somewhat intimidated in the Gatun Locks by a merchant vessel whose bow some 15 metres up, loomed forward over her own bow and she thought that it could have given her just a little more sea room.

The turbulence in the locks as the water rose and then lowered was quite dramatic, and she had the crew dancing around her deck constantly watching and adjusting her fenders - she was very protective of her unsullied flanks and did not want them tarnished by some unfeeling merchantman, whose only concern was to get out the other end to continue its pecuniary voyage. She also knew that if she got on the wrong end of a small bump from one of them, her hull would pop open like an egg. The captain having to sign an indemnity to the PCC, was also acutely aware of this.

The captain, perched on the stern rail in the Gatun Locks suddenly spots two large porpoising fish astern and close to the lock gates. They are a pair of very big Tarpon and apparently these fish regularly use the canal system to traverse into the Pacific and vice versa - fee free of course!
Cruising between Pedro Miguel Locks and Miraflores she passes the Pedro Miguel Boat Club to port and smugly notes all the yachts out on 'the hard'. They were in various states of repair and many of them looked like they had been there for quite some time - this club was famous for voyagers returning home for respite before venturing into the Pacific, with many of them never coming back to continue. Obviously, she muses, folks from the Atlantic side - but to her crew, the Pacific was their home and held no such fears.

Finally, into Miraflores Lock and the last batch of 'bump and grind', her nose pointing west, the huge massively steel strapped and dripping gates crack open to reveal a sliver of ever widening blue which is her first view of the mighty Pacific Ocean. She feels a jet of excitement pass through her and realises that at last this is the beginning of a great voyage - the crew also seem to be somewhat stimulated and prattle on about how smart they are to get thus far unscathed! Indignantly, she would like to remind them, if it wasn't for her they wouldn't be here at all! She remonstrates by heading for one of the pylons of the great 'Bridge of the Americas', until Anglo crew noticing, brings her smartly back on course and on a heading for the Balbao Yacht Club. She claps onto a mooring, shuts down and releases them ashore and the club bar, to find the first gullible bunch of sailors who will listen to their pathetic babbling! This is the first time using the repaired dinghy in anger again and it holds up well.'

Extract from 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana'. Images courtesy Google.

You can read more about sailing in the Panama and San Blas cruising grounds in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Ron Holland Super New Ketch 'Christopher'

2010-12-27T14:17:00.014+11:00

Having owned a Ron Holland design yacht(albeit only 13 metres)and being blessed with the fantastic sailing abilities of the sailboat from the board of this architect, I have followed the career of Ron Holland and his designs as he has progressed further and further into top end super yacht vessels. As I have blogged before (see my post of August 2008 'My Dream Sailboat')about my dream cruising yacht being the RH designed Discovery 55, I felt that his latest classic design ketch coming in at 46metres(150 feet) should have an airing. Take a look at the following extract from Sail-World.com and marvel at the beautiful lines of this classic design 'Christopher', launched early December:

'Launched in December and due to be finished in January, this week's featured yacht is the 46m (150ft) ketch the SY Christopher, Ron Holland's latest design.

She was launched in the UK's Falmouth waters in early December by ship builders Pendennis, who partnered with Ron Holland Design and Palm Beach Yachts International to build the new yacht.

The launching was something of a celebration as over 400 Pendennis staff were present, along with the owners, at the end of 22 months of hard work, and many more months before that in design mode.

Father Jonathan Bielawski from St Mary's Immaculate Parish Church gave her a customary blessing before she slipped into the water.

Now its enormous masts have arrived at the shipyard, and there's no time to lose, as the Christopher is due to participate in her maiden race at the St Barths Bucket regatta in March.

The carbon fibre rig was shipped from Southern Spars in New Zealand, one of the leading producers of yacht rigging globally.

When she is finished, three staterooms and a study will provide the owners and their guests with accommodation for up to 12, with a further four cabins forward, sleeping eight crew.

Ron Holland says this yacht represents all of Ron Holland Design's latest thinking with regard to a performance oriented cruising yacht.

Designed to reflect the styling of the classic yachts of the past, they have designed a sweeping sheerline and counter stern to emphasise her traditional lines. These aspects, together with the decision to teak clad her superstructure, have given Christopher a close connection to the magnificent sailing yachts of earlier years. These features camouflage the leading edge design detailing that was driven by their clients' desire for uncompromising sailing performance.

The yacht has refined underwater lines, sophisticated bulb keel and high aspect ratio centerboard. Her twin balanced rudders are an obvious departure for a large cruising yacht and have been incorporated to maximise sailing performance in strong wind conditions, and to allow space for a large tender to be deployed from the lazarette.

Christopher is the first Ron Holland design to be fully rigged with both carbon spars and carbon rigging, reducing the yacht's displacement while improving her overall sail carrying ability in strong winds.

Specifications:

LOA 46m (150.9ft)
Draft 3.8m (12.5ft keel up) 9.4m (31ft keel down)
Beam 9.5m (31.2ft)

Ron Holland's collaboration with Pendennis was a natural. They have one of the world’s leading custom superyacht build and refit facilities, and one of Cornwall's most important employers, based as they are at their 6.5 acre prime water front location in Falmouth, UK.'

Extract courtesy www.sail-world.com , images courtesy Sail-World and CharterWorld.com

You can read more about the excellent sailing qualities of Ron Holland designs in my ebook 'Voyage of the little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

America's Cup class AC45 and AC72 Catamarans, Construction in Warkworth, New Zealand

2010-10-23T12:31:00.026+11:00

The new America's Cup Class AC45 and AC72 catamarans are creating a lot of excitement in New Zealand as that is where they are going to be built. Following my visit to the Auckland Maritime Museum and seeing the Americas Cup winner NZL 32 'Black Magic', I decided to call into the new BMW-Oracle production facility in Warkworth, north of Auckland. As I was on my way up to the Mangawhai Heads, I would pass through Warkworth on the way. Warkworth is a delightful rural town about one and a half hours run north of the city.

The first hull of the new AC45 has been released and the following is an extract by Richard Gladwell from http://www.sailworld.com/ :

'BMW Oracle Racing look to be set to put the sleepy northern Auckland town of Warkworth on the technology map with the establishment of a new hi-tech boatbuilding facility that will employ between 50-70 people.

The new facility to be known as Core Composites is off to a flying start with the production of the new America's Cup 45 class of catamaran, but will be also supplying to other boat builders and users of composite components.

Based in the old Rodney and Waitemata Times production facility, previously a major employer in the area, the building has plenty of open floor area and high ceilings – ideal for some of the big gear either already installed or on order.

Already one five axis machining centre is installed - which will handle a component of 6metres x 3 metres by 1.5 metres. Kerry Jones, who is in charge of the machining at Core Composites describes it as 'the Baby'. But it is the biggest machine of its type in New Zealand. A second 'Monster'machining centre will take components up to 26 metres in length.

'We have these two five axis CNC machining centers, a CNC lathe and some other equipment basically to handle the capacity that we have rather than outsourcing all the parts that we do for the rigging', explains Jones.

'We probably will outsource some specialised components – when it comes to America’s Cup boats we will have to do the hulls in America. That is in the Protocol', explains Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Barclay.

The grand scheme is to be able to build all components for the AC45 class on site and thanks to some liberal rules in the new Protocol for the 34th America’s Cup, only the hulls of the BMW Oracle Racing’s AC72 yachts need be constructed in the USA. A special team will be sent from New Zealand to USA to do this. The AC72 wingsail, foils and all other components can be manufactured in the Warkworth facility.

The five head 'baby' machining centre in the BMW Oracle Racing building facility - Warkworth. Capable of taking material up to 6 metres in length (the largest machine of its type in NZ) a second machine capable of handling 26 metres is on its way. 'We have the capability to do everything,' adds Jones, turning to the big five axis machining centre, which he refers to as 'the Baby'.

'This is the smaller one of the two that we have', explains Jones. 'It has a tilting rotary head so we have full five axis of movement on the head and a 6-meter stroke by 3-meter by 1.5 meter on the Z axis. '

Think of three dimensional drawings with width depth and height ('X', 'Y' and 'Z' dimensions) and you have an idea of the composite engineering art forms these machines can produce.

'It is the only one of its kind in New Zealand at the moment,' says Jones. 'We are getting a bigger one which is going in what we call the boat shed (really a huge two or three level room the size of a warehouse).

'This one will fit on the table of the big one', explains Jones to underline the size of the new beast.
'It is designed for the aerospace industry, and making spar component parts, it is quite widely used by Boeing and companies like that. It can machine up turbine blades, and not just marine stuff, but also automotive and aerospace components,' he adds.

'The machine are going to be used for doing a lot of the mould work for the composite construction', explains Barclay. 'We get the designs from the design crew and then we convert that into cutting files and then we basically supply all the mould components to the boat builders.

'In the past we would have to an outside company to get tooling and components made. That cost a fortune and you are beholden to the outside companies in terms of timing and things like that.

'By having these machines in-house we can do all of that stuff ourselves. Of course over time we can amortise the cost of it, so if we have a long-term use it will actually be cheaper for us to be able to handle this capability in-house. '

As mentioned 'the Baby' can handle components measuring 6-meter by 3-meter by 1.5 meter.

And the big one?

'The big machine is going to be 26-meter long by 6-meter by 3.5 metres' says Jones, drooling ever so slightly.

Barclay explains that 'the Beast' is going to be hitting a roof in the boat shed. 'It will be 9-meter high. It is a massive machine that can basically machine a whole boat - the whole hull. It will take up most of this shed - with a sail-loft at the other end.'

BMW Oracle Racing purchased the facility about 18 months ago

'The ambition and reason why we did it was that the team has aspirations of being around for a long time . We spent so much money to finish products around the world so that is really the reason for doing it, it actually saves us money. And of course, we can guarantee the quality which for any big team is really important,' explains Barclay.

About 50-70 boat builders will be employed at Core Composites, the reason for the shift to New Zealand is that the labour costs are less and the skills and engineering expertise are high. 'We are looking at working with a lot of New Zealand’s resource to help us with the AC 45 project and we are actively talking to a number of contracting companies at the moment', says Barclay.

Another plus for the Warkworth facility is that it allows the storage of an enormous amount of kit. 'When you have been an America’s Cup Team in operation since 1990, you acquire a lot of gear', explains Barclay resignedly. 'It will be good to see what we really have in the one place.'

Construction is well advanced with the male moulds for the AC 45 class of which six are expected to be sailing by mid-2011. The first will be launched in January 2011. Each competing team in the 34th America's Cup will own at least one of the yachts, maybe two. The wingsails for the AC45's will also be built in Warkworth on the same floor.

Right now the focus of Core Composites is to get the AC45’s into production.

'It will be America’s Cup Race Management and the yet to be appointed Regatta Director’s responsibility to determine who gets their boats first, and overseeing the training program we are looking to put in place before Christmas,' says Barclay.

'The idea is that all the teams can come down and learn about these, and learn about sailing the boats and learn about the logistics of the wing – all that sort of stuff.

'It is the Regatta director’s job to make sure that all the teams are handled in a way that is fair and equitable.'

'We are certainly up and running.'

Article and images courtesy Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.

You can read more about sailing and cruising from my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website for sailors http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Sir Peter Blake Memorial Maritime Museum Auckland

2010-10-13T13:58:00.046+11:00

The Sir Peter Blake Memorial extension at the Maritime Museum in Auckland was officially opened in December 2009 and on a recent trip to Auckland I took the time to visit this tribute to one of New Zealand's most famous heroes. Up there with luminaries such as Sir Edmund Hillary (conqueror of Mt. Everest) and lord Rutherford (first to split the atom), Sir Peter is best known for his sailing exploits, contributions to sailing and in his later years, work in the environmental arena. It was here, tragically, when working on an environmental expedition in his 'Seamaster' sailboat on the Amazon river he met his untimely end, defending his crew from pirates.

His exploits in the Whitbread Round the World races set his home nation of New Zealand alight, which culminated in the unprecedented clean sweep of all five legs in Steinlager 2 (Big Red) in the 1989-90 race.

He added to that with the record set around the world in the Jules Verne Trophy in the ENZA catamaran in 1995.

But he is probably best remembered for winning the Americas Cup for New Zealand in 1995 and defending it successfully in Auckland in 2000.

The memorial, designed by the well known Auckland architect Pete Bossley is a striking addition to the NZ Maritime Museum. Wandering through the Blake memorial, built as it is over the water, I was struck by the openness and lightness in the hall which so enshrines the character of Sir Peter. The massive suspended hull of NZL32 Black Magic totally dominates the hall and is obviously the centrepiece. The gradually rising walkway lifts you up to where you can look down into the workings of the boat and then leads on into the mini cinemas where videos of Sir Peter's adventures are constantly running. Had to watch them as they contain very powerful footage of high speed ocean racing culminating in the first Americas cup win in San Diego.

Altogether, a great tribute to a true New Zealand hero.

He now has the Sir Peter Blake Trust set up in his memory and the following is an extract from that site:

'From the outset, the sea exerted a powerful influence over Peter Blake. The family lived in a wooden bungalow in Bayswater on the northern flanks of Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour. His father, Brian, was a gunboat captain in the Royal Navy during World War Two; throughout their marriage, Brian and Joyce Blake owned boats and the Blake children grew up with the sea as their playground.

Peter was born in 1948, the second child of what would later grow to a family of four children: Janet, Peter, Tony and Elizabeth.

Peter loved messing about along the foreshore and boats very quickly became a passion. Family summer holidays were spent camping on a piece of land they owned at Mairangi Bay, north of Auckland, next to their grandparents’ house.

The two boys, in particular, spent all their time on the water. "We had banana box boats," recalls Tony. As the name implies, these comprised wooden banana boxes, with a rudder hung off the back, a mast and a square sail. Windward ability was somewhat lacking, but there was no shortage of fun and adventure.

Their holidays were further afield, camping at Martins Bay, where the children would trudge up the hill every morning to collect fresh milk, still warm, from the local farmer. The evenings would be occupied with family card or board games – perhaps planting the seeds of Peter’s later love of Scrabble, a game he engaged with steely and unrelenting competitiveness.

Back at home, schooldays were spent dreaming about boats. Traditional team sports – cricket, rugby, soccer – did not interest Peter. It was boats, boats, boats. Both he and Tony, three years his junior, would pore over English sailing magazines and follow design trends with keen interest.

"I can remember sailing on evenings after school, the sun going down on the water. I’d sail through flotillas of water birds. Really peaceful: I had as good a time then as sailing around the world years later." — Sir Peter Blake

Extract courtesy Sir Peter Blake Trust, images courtesy www.bossleyarchitects.co.nz/

You too can read about his life adventures on the trust site http://www.sirpeterblaketrust.org/

This is a must visit when in Auckland for anyone with a remote interest in the sea and sailing, but also to look at one of New Zealand's most famous sons and a true leader.

You can read more about planning your own 'adventure of a lifetime' sailing voyage on my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com/

Man Overboard Recovery/Retrieval Strategy for Sailboats

2010-09-18T07:53:00.046+10:00

'Man Overboard' yelled out at the top of a crew's lungs is a sailboat skippers' worst nightmare! Even with preparation and practice, when and if the event occurs, under severe pressure and weather conditions prevailing at the time, is everything that has been practiced going to go smoothly? Most of us thankfully, have never been put in this situation, so it is impossible to predict what will happen in the event of this stressful incident occuring - hopefully, it won't ever come to pass for you.

However, it is best practice to be as best prepared as can possibly be. I recently came across this article by Marco Coda (he uses the term COB rather than MOB) and felt it is well worth repeating. Marco is a cruising instructor with many years experience and describes his preferred method here:

'The day has dawned crisp and clear, the radio is forecasting a light to moderate Nor’wester, everything promises a wonderful weekend of sailing. Two hours out of Vancouver on the way to the Gulf Islands the wind pipes up, the boat is well heeled over and everybody is having a great time. Suddenly you catch a movement out of the corner of your eye and one of your crew is in the water! How would many of us react? Sure we’ve taken courses, maybe even practised in light air. How many of us fully realise the seriousness of a COB? Or worse feel like "it’s never going to happen to me, I only sail in fair weather, I’m always careful," and so on...

My intent with this article is not to teach procedures but to take sailors who already understand the basics of crew overboard recovery one step further. We all need to keep in mind the possibility, no matter how remote, that this can happen to any one of us and that when prevention fails readiness is our best defence. By this I refer specifically to practice and contingency planning. Thinking about what we’ve learned and how well we understand the procedures we were taught and also coming up with some "what if’s" that are rarely given thought. For example: " Would that heaving line hanging from the pushpit fly or would it end up as a polypropylene bird’s nest at our feet?" or "What if the auto pilot is engaged when someone falls over?"

As a cruising instructor I have taught COB procedures many times and it has come to my attention that there are a few general points that should be further discussed. First, if we practice at all after our course, it is almost always in fair conditions. While I believe that these conditions are required to effectively teach and begin to practice the manoeuvre, chances are that a COB will occur in less than ideal conditions. It is human nature to want to avoid difficult or uncomfortable situations and ironically they remain that way through lack of practice. In the case of the COB manoeuvre we are almost never forced to practice, with potentially dire consequences should we ever need to use it. Reviewing the procedure in a book then trying it is not easy. One way to bridge this gap is to use models and practice the procedure with a bird's eye view. Plasticine, available at the local toystore is ideal for this purpose. Working through the steps in a controlled environment helps the student put them together more easily. For the skipper and crew who have not practiced in a while this is a good way to get back into it. Then go out and practice, in moderate conditions at first but not ignoring the obvious benefits of practice in heavier weather.

Under sail I feel that the triangle method is the most effective because it will work best in all conditions. There are a few points however that may not be fully understood and are crucial to the success of the manoeuvre. There are two common problems experienced by students when learning and practicing this procedure. The first is not going to a beam reach as soon as the alarm is sounded. This happens because the skipper is under sudden pressure and may be confused by so many things to think of at once. The purpose of immediately getting the boat on to a beam reach is for the skipper to "get organized" and go through the steps of spotter, ring, pole,...etc. Four to six boat lengths used to be the rule before the skipper would head up and tack. This is no longer the case. Take only the time needed to get organized. This "organization" phase helps to ensure success on one pass and reduces the chance of a series of panicked and missed attempts. The second problem stems from an instinctive desire for the skipper to head straight back to the COB as soon as the boat has come about. The aim is to arrive at the COB in control, stopped alongside to leeward. If the boat returns directly to the COB it is generally on a beam reach and making good speed. It is impossible to stop by heading up at the last minute and the boat will usually overshoot the MOB. By bearing away to a broad reach and then heading up to a close reach when the MOB is abeam of the bow the boat is brought back to the MOB under control using mainsail only to control speed.

Does the use of power have its place when returning to a COB? What do we do when motoring in heavy weather in a power boat or a sailboat with no sail up? The method for returning to a COB while under power is called the Williamson Turn. As soon as the alarm is raised the boat is turned 60 degrees to the side over which the crew member has fallen. The boat is then brought back around in the opposite direction and on to the reciprocal course, the engines are stopped(put into neutral) and the vessel should drift to the COB’s position. There may be no choice but to return under power to the person who has fallen over while motoring, but extreme care must be taken as the propeller increases the risk of injury to the COB. Some skippers while under sail may be tempted to return under power. Trying to lower sails and motor back, especially in heavy weather, further endangers the COB and remaining crew members, it also presents the risk of fouling the propellor with lines.

Finally, I want to touch on the difficulties of recovering a COB. How many skippers and crew have tried to bring an unconscious or injured victim back on deck? There are many accepted methods, all having their own advantages and disadvantages. Think simple to complex, get the COB to help themselves as much as possible. Keep in mind that rescuers often join victims as double statistics. It may be a simple matter of throwing them a heaving line then recovering them through an open transom. If the COB is injured or unconscious the degree of difficulty and danger to rescuers grows significantly. The point I want to make is that we need to think seriously about how we would get that crew member back on the boat and then consider experimenting with different methods under safe and controlled circumstances.

Thankfully the incidents involving crew members falling overboard are rare but they do happen and we cannot hide from that fact and simply hope that it won’t happen to us. This article has touched on only a few "what if’s". The prudent skipper and crew will be able to come up with more. Many things can be done to prevent such an event but if we fail in this regard and are suddenly faced with this situation we need to be ready. Looking at the big picture, contingency planning and practice will all go a long way to ensure that we are better prepared for that unwelcome, chilling cry.'

The short video above shows a practice run with buoy and there is another sixteen minute production you can view with a real live MOB at 'Open Film'.

Marco's article gives sound advice and worth practicing in a varied range of weather conditions. For retrieval of a MOB I rigged up a simple device which worked effectively in practice. It consisted of a double block at the upper end with snap shackle to hook into the saddle under the boom. At the lower and business end I used a single block with fiddle (for ease of use in the hand), also with a snap shackle. The boom was about eight feet above the water so I ran fifty feet of line through the assembly.

Swinging the boom out over the water it was easy to drop the fiddle block end to a MOB in the water to clip on to their harness. This combination of blocks can easily lift a 100kg wet MOB. If they were unable to help themselves then a crewmember could reach through the guidelines and clip it on as the boat rolled. If the MOB was wearing no harness, then out came the LifeSling to get under the MOB arms and hook on to the snap shackle of the block and tackle unit. It is easy to hoist the MOB up and then swing the boom inboard. I fashioned a sturdy plastic container and fastened it above the clutter to the outside wall of a cockpit side pocket. All crew knew where it was for instant accessibility. Fortunately, it was only used in drills.

Article courtesy Marco Coda and Lands End Sailing School.

You can read more about safety at sea methods whilst on passage in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website for sailors
http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

And finally, I would like to welcome you to our new look and updated blog. I thought it was time to freshen it up a little and I trust that you approve. Feel free to make a comment and post it in the 'make a comment' box.

Broadband Radar for Sailboats

2010-09-12T17:17:00.021+10:00

Broadband radar for sailboats has come a long way in a very short time. It has so many advantages with so little downside that it has to be the radar of choice for all cruisers whether it be a new installation or a replacement for your old tired unit. Apart from the clarity, sharpness and integrity of the image, the marked drop in power useage and instant 'power up' are two other major features of interest to cruisers. Take a look at the image here for a comparison with the earlier pulse systems and Broadband and also the video to see the difference for yourself.

The following article is from 'FishingGear Guru' a website devoted to better fishing:

'Forget about bang suppression, the necessary radar programming that causes that ring up to 100’ around the boat, which shows up as solid on-screen. New Broadband technology fromNavico (parent company to Lowrance, Simrad, Northstar, and others) eliminates the big bang, offering visibility and awesome target discrimination mere feet from the radome. Plus, small boats that couldn’t support the weight and power consumption a radome requires can now see through the fog and the darkness. This system is a game-changer, making it possible to install a dome on virtually any boat large enough to support a T-top or arch.

The dome is a mere 11” tall, 19” around, and weighs just 16-pounds. How can this unit be so light, small, energy efficient, and yet still see up to 24 miles into the distance? Traditional radars send out a microwave pulse, then measure the amount of time it takes for that pulse to be reflected by a target. In doing so, they pull enough juice to drain a single marine battery in a matter of hours. On top of that, they radiate a significant amount of energy and when installed in an improper location, may zap you or your passengers with microwave radiation. But Navico’s new Broadband radar sends out a continuous transmission wave with a 5.2-degree horizontal beam width, which increases in frequency as it moves away from the dome. The difference between frequency in the transmitted and returned wave is how the unit determines target distance. That means this system uses less energy to make radiation-free transmissions, eliminating the power concerns you’d have on a radar-equipped boat with a single battery and close proximity to the dome. Though I had no way to check it for myself, Navico claims the power transmission is a mere 1/2000th as much as traditional radar, which is about a tenth of the power a cell phone uses.

What I could check out for myself was the result of using frequency instead of time reflection, when I jumped aboard Navico’s broadband-equipped test boat at the Miami boat show. Target definition in the shorter ranges is phenomenal, good enough to see the difference between piers and the boats moored at them. In fact – I am NOT making this up – we could see two gulls sitting on the water about 30’ from the boat, on-screen. And that “dead zone” of blank space around the boat is completely eliminated with this system, so you can get returns on boats, land, and other structures just feet away from your own boat. We approached a pole and when the bow of the boat was so close someone had to fend off, the pole still showed on the radar. A sailboat just 50’ away—in the bang zone of regular radar—showed up on-screen clear as day; one of these pictures shows the screen shot at the moment, and the other, of the sailboat providing the return in the lower right corner. Even on longer ranges up to 10 miles or so, you can expect target resolution in the two to three meter range. Plus, the antenna uses all solid-state parts, which means there’s no warm-up time—just flip a switch, and the unit’s up and running.

Put all of these factors together, and you have a unit that can be easily mounted and run on a platform far smaller than any that could accommodate a radar prior to Broadband. Big boats will want it too, for close-use when the fog’s thick…and the blind zone created by bang suppression could cause you to bang into something in your way.'

Article courtesy Lenny Rudow of FishingGearGuru

You can read more about incidents with radar and shipping whilst on passage in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com/

Beneteau Dock & Go System for Sailboats

2010-08-27T10:09:00.024+10:00

Announcing their new 'Dock & Go' system for sailboats, Beneteau will probably go down as changing the face of sailing as Volvo did for powerboating with their IPS system a year or two back.

Initially the 'Dock & Go' will be available in the new Beneteau 50 'Sense' yacht, but shortly after in most of their sailboat range with engines with a rating of 75hp+. No mention as yet if it will be available on the open market. I sense the race will be on now for other manufacturers to come out with a similar system.

Here is a short article from the current Sail Magazine:

'Pretty soon our friends in the powerboating and superyacht community won’t be the only ones with access to joystick boat control.

In a recent press release, Beneteau announced that it has created what it calls its “Dock & Go” system, which employs a joystick to coordinate a pivoting propeller and bowthruster to facilitate easier docking.

According to Beneteau, the “revolutionary” system makes maneuvering even the company’s largest boats so simple that “a child could do it.”

According to Beneteau, “The system makes docking the boat in a restricted space easy and gives a precision of movement that is incomparable.”

The Dock & Go will be available for Spring 2011 deliveries as an option on all Beneteau models equipped with Yanmar 75HP SD engines, including the 50ft Sense, the Oceanis 46 and the Oceanis 50.

Beneteau will officially unveil the new system aboard a 50-footer at the United States Sailboat show in Annapolis, Maryland, October 7-11.

Take a look at this amusing video - it is in French, but I am sure you will get the gist of it!

Here is another article extract, this time from TradeOnlyToday:

'Beneteau is offering docking system for sailboats - Posted on August 18, 2010 Share this: Following the lead of the powerboat industry, which has been offering low-speed maneuvering and docking systems for some time (pod drives and thrusters in various combinations), sailboat builder Beneteau has introduced Dock & Go, a "revolutionary innovation to dock your boat with complete confidence."

The system uses a joystick to synchronize a propeller-driven base unit with a bow thruster to maneuver a sailboat into a berth or mooring.

Here is how it works: A controller synchronizes a 180-degree pivoting Saildrive base and a bow thruster. Maneuvers are carried out using a cross-shaped joystick at the helm, moving the boat 90 degrees to port or starboard, forward, astern and turning on the spot. To go astern, the operator can pivot the Saildrive with no loss of power because rotation is achieved in half a second by an electric motor.

Beneteau calls Dock & Go "fun and very intuitive" and says the system will make "docking the boat in a restricted space easy" with "precision of movement that is incomparable."

The Beneteau system is similar to the ComfoDrive, a German system that was developed for sailboats two years ago.'

Extracts courtesy SailMagazine and TradeOnlyToday. Images courtesy Beneteau photo library.

You can read more about docking and amusing episodes on passage in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Sailboat Anna Catamaran Capsize and Rescue near Niue South Pacific

2010-08-26T20:31:00.015+10:00

The sailing Catamaran “Anna” Capsized While Cruising Near Niue on Augus 2, 2010.

Fortunately the crew, owner/skipper Kelly Wright and his crewman were rescued by the 'Forum Pacific' which was diverted from approximately 80 nautical miles away.

The news of Anna, an Atlantic 57 sailing catamaran, capsized in the South Pacific, was reported yesterday on the Pacific Puddle Jump Cruisers Forum by Scott & Cindy Stolnitz (S/V BeachHouse). Here is the media release from Maritime NZ, pasted from their website:

'Two men have been rescued by a cargo ship after their yacht capsized in stormy seas near Niue yesterday, the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) says. RCCNZ detected an emergency locator beacon signal from the American-flagged 57-foot (around 17 metres) catamaran Anna yesterday about 4pm. The signal was coming from a location around 126 nautical miles (around 233 kilometres) west of Niue. Local weather reports indicated heavy seas and storm conditions.

Repeated efforts to contact the yacht were unsuccessful, despite Anna having a range of communications equipment on board.

RCCNZ dispatched an Air Force P3 Orion from New Zealand and the cargo ship Forum Pacific, 80 nautical miles away from Anna, was asked to divert to the signal’s location. The P3 Orion arrived on scene about 11pm yesterday and found Anna capsized and inverted. However, the American skipper and his New Zealand crewman were safe, one still on board Anna, and one in an inflatable dinghy attached to the catamaran. The P3 Orion maintained a vigil over the men overnight while Forum Pacific made its way to the scene.

RCCNZ Search and Rescue mission controller Mike Roberts said the cargo ship arrived about 6am and the two men were now safe on board and en route to Niue. RCCNZ had broadcast a navigation warning to other vessels advising of the location of the capsized catamaran.

Mr Roberts said the fact the beacon was GPS-enabled had greatly assisted the men’s rescue.
“With GPS positioning, we were able to accurately pinpoint the location of the vessel and send the Orion directly to the scene. Given the stormy conditions, the speed that we were able to reach the men made a huge difference to their safety.

“Furthermore, the fact the beacon was registered meant we were able to contact the skipper’s wife and obtain information as to who was on board and what kind of equipment they had with them.”

The catamaran was designed by Chris White, one of the preeminent multihull designers in the world. Anna was built by Alwoplast, located in Valdivia, Chile. Owner/skipper Kelly Wright has about 30,000 miles at sea on yachts and is planning to circumnavigate the world with Anna. Shortly after setting off, Kelly wrote this on his Blog – S/Y Anna:

“In retrospect we really should have undertaken an extra few days of training before we set off from Valdivia. The launching of the boat had been delayed, though, so the sailing season was getting ever shorter as winter set in, and so we eagerly grasped at the first opportunity to leave, due somewhat to the natural impatience of our skipper.

All would have still been fine had we not been supplied with defective turnbuckles that attach the stays and shrouds – stainless steel cable and rod – to the hulls. We would have made the same teething mistakes anyway, getting used to the gear and the layout, but we would not have been put in the situation we are in now, which is pre-crisis, preparing for the worst case of losing the boat, which is a remote possibility.”

The boat and crew endured more than their typical share of storms and breakdowns. This past June, they had to return to New Zealand after having just set off, to make repairs. Here’s an excerpt from Kelly’s Blog:

“The next day passed comfortably enough for us, lying around in the pilothouse, napping, reading, but the winds shifted back to the Northwest and built to over 40 knots – the high was 48 knots – and the seas kept getting larger and larger. It was quite interesting watching them and observing how well Anna responded, riding gently over the breaking crests and down into the valleys, with the wind blowing the tops off the waves, spume shooting almost horizontally. We congratulated ourselves on how well our boat was handling the conditions, and how comfortable we were. Every now and then, however, a big wave would break right on top of us and crash into Anna beam on, knocking us around, spilling all the books from the bookshelves, knocking the dinghy off its chocks on the aft deck, and making a huge roar. It is always difficult to estimate the height of waves from inside a bobbing boat, but our mast rises about 75 feet (23 meters) from the waterline, and it appeared from my vantage point in the pilothouse that the highest waves were approaching half the height of the mast. They were the biggest seas I have ever been in, I think, and quite irregular, coming from several directions.

I suppose it must have been one of those big crashing waves that jerked the rudders in such a way that the steering cables came off, and we were left without steering. It was getting dark, around 1700 (5 p.m.) and I had just gotten off watch and was down in my berth when John informed me that we had no steering, and the rudders were thrashing around madly in the rudder compartments. The starboard rudder had broken its safety line and was totally out of control, even dangerous to try to tame. We stuck the emergency tiller into the head of the rudder post, but the force of the seas slapped it against the bulkhead and broke the tiller in two. Moreover, working in the confined space of the rudder compartments in the thrashing seas was making everyone seasick."

The blog finishes at that point, so look out for more updates from this blog later.

This rescue and the loss of ones own boat highlights the potential dangers that can be encountered at sea. In reading his blog, Kelly admits himself that they left too late in the winter season and that area of the Pacific is notorious for winter storms. Once a catamaran has capsized it will not right itself, so they were stuck and had to rely on being rescued.

They were well prepared for that and had onboard, and were able to activate their distress beacon. This also highlights the effectiveness in the saving of lives of these brilliant pieces of safety equipment.

The video is worth watching to see the rescue technique of the 'Pacific Forum' and the interesting safety line projector used. The seas had obviously abated considerably by the time she arrived on the scene and I would conjecture that 'Anna' would have received much greater damage if the storm was still up at the time.

What the outcome will be regarding the salvage of 'Anna' is still unknown, but in the meantime I think all parties invloved would be very happy that the saga ended with no loss of life.

News extract courtesy from 'Pacific Puddle Jump Cruisers', images courtesy Kelly Wright, video from YouTube.

For further updates on this incident please check out this blog on wwwsailboat2adventurecom.blogspot.com/

Sailboat2adventure Noonsite Book Review

2010-08-17T12:02:00.024+10:00

I was fortunate enough to have my ebook 'Voyage of the little Ship 'Tere Moana' reviewed by Noonsite recently. Noonsite is the 'Bible' of websites for cruising sailors and has a massive membership. They receive almost two thousand visits (not hits) per day! The following review is by Doina at Noonsite and here is what she has to say:

'Vincent Bossley has had the interesting idea of compiling a practical list of 101 tips with an account 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' of his four year voyage from the United Kingdom to New Zealand on his yacht.

His account of his voyage is written in a vivid style that sets it apart from a standard cruising ebook, and evokes the many places he and his crew visited, from the crossing of the Atlantic, “that cold, leaden, restlessly heaving and intimidating body” to the delights of the South Pacific Ocean.

This reviewer rather liked the fact most of the narrative is from the little ship’s point of view, always raring to sail on towards the horizon and yet stoically putting up with her human crew’s foibles, for example as they complete their transit of the Panama Canal:

"Finally, into Miraflores Lock and ... the huge, massively steel strapped and dripping gates crack open to reveal a sliver of ever widening blue which is her first view of the mighty Pacific Ocean. She feels a jet of excitement pass through her and realises that at last, this is the beginning of a great voyage – the crew also seem to be somewhat stimulated and prattle on about how smart they are to get thus far unscathed! Indignantly, she would like to remind them, if it wasn’t for her, they wouldn’t be here at all!”

Finally after two years visiting the Galapagos, French Polynesia and Tonga, they make it to the Bay of Islands but not before riding through a tropical depression en route from Tonga, and a nailbiting account of a near miss from a rogue wave.

The sailing narrative is followed by “101 tips” intended to prepare you for blue-water sailing as well as save money where possible, without compromising on the safety of the boat and its crew. There are tips on what equipment to buy, how best to prepare for or minimise the need for repairs, as well as tips for life on board (watch systems and provisioning), how to make life at sea more pleasant as well as life on shore – Noonsite especially approves of the tip 91, “A Little Politeness Goes a Long Way”:

“in my early days of planning, a very experienced sailor once told me that when you set sail in your own yacht, you are sailing around the word in your own little consulate of your native country. This places certain responsibilities upon you as a captain, and, that as a representative of your country, you would wish to uphold the good name of that country wherever you go. In addition, it also means that you would observe the protocol and customs of all nations you visit, no matter how tiny or seemingly insignificant they may be. They have their own culture and dignity, and this must be observed. Remembering this course of action, and practicing it, along with a good dose of politeness will serve you well. I will now quote you two occasions, one of it working, and the other, when not observed, not.”.... The two examples which follow demonstrate that the right or wrong attitude to local officials can have concrete results in the amount of time you may be allowed to stay somewhere or even the amount of fees you have to pay!

A useful feature of the book is that the "Tips" are hyperlinked throughout the sailing narrative so the reader can see how that particular tip was used during the voyage.

The package also includes a free six page "10 Point Plan" from an International Marine Surveyor on what to look for when purchasing your dream yacht.

Vincent writes: ”My main thrust is to encourage people to jump that first hurdle in getting started with the planning of their cruising adventure. So many of us say ........"yes, well when I have done this next thing I will begin"........... and then something else comes along, comes along, comes along and then one day we wake up to discover that it is too late. What a terrible shame that is. If I can encourage folks to begin, even in a small way, so that the idea takes seed, grows and grows until it takes on such massive size and passion in their minds, that in the end nothing will stop them, then I will have done my job."

Definitely recommended'.

Review courtesy Doina at Noonsite

You too can read my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' by downloading it from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Sailboat Landfall in 'Bora Bora - The Beautiful'

2010-07-31T11:39:00.016+10:00

For all of you Sailboat 'Adventure of a Lifetime Planners' out there that have still to make the plunge and begin your planning for your sailing oddyssy - still vacillating even - take a look at one of the most beautiful landfalls in the world you could ever hope to make in your voyage. This will spur you on!

Having spent two weeks in Tahiti, then sailing on to Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, all of which are fabulous destinations to sail into and spend time, Bora Bora is in a class of its own. From the moment you raise the two famous peaks, spy the reef and hear the boom of the surf, the lush greenness and finally the translucence turquoise water in behind the reef, you are spellbound.

The following is an extract from my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana':

Poking his head out of the hatch, the salty blast of breeze slaps her captain in the face. Laden with moisture it fingers his face, threatening rain. Lead like, the southern sky is an endless flat grey expanse from the horizon up. Either she is sailing into a weather system, or it is another local anomaly. Running a printout from the weather fax shows no major system in their slice of the ocean. Remembering a similar situation on the run down to the Tuamotus' when she lost her shroud, her crew take a reef into her mainsail just to be sure. Mid afternoon sees the cloud shredding into blue, and, with the sun streaming through, the breeze frees again to the 'Trades'. Her crew shake out the reef and in no time at all she is barrelling along again in fine style, at her customary seven to eight knots. Her waterline, scrubbed before leaving Raiatea, has the water bubbling gaily along her sleek, fulsome waist and sides - she feels great.

Making their goodbyes earlier in Raiatea, the arrangement is to meet up again in Tonga, if not before. Both ships are taking the same course, visiting Niue on the way, but with vhf having a range of twenty five or so miles only in the other boat, it will be difficult to keep in contact with their friends. Passing out of Raiatea, she had headed around the top end of Taaha Island, and looking in one of the 'Passes' our crew beheld one of the most wicked surfing breaks imaginable. Curling in at the point of the Passe, rising up onto the reef, the glassy black rollers boom onto the jagged coral, snow white spray leaping high. A few surfers are actually riding them, taking their life in hand every time they catch one of these monsters. Our crew could hear the whoop of the occasional surfer brave enough to try and ride it out, surviving.

Her captain, gazing at the sea, is once again struck by the multitude of different moods she parades herself - revealing all, but revealing nothing. Every day is different, from blazing blue through to stone grey, sometimes even almost black - from calm to rough and sometimes tempestuous, and back to calm again - sometimes sparkling and sometimes threatening - constantly changing, so that even a half hour can make a difference. The one constant is constant change. No wonder that artists always struggle in their daubs to capture the true image of the sea. She is so elusive, even in a fractured moment, too much for the artists eye. Capture it on film ok, but transfer that with medium to canvas or paper and something is always missing. The restlessness on a human face can be conveyed in a portrait, but the heaving, ongoing, never stopping restlessness of the ocean is beyond our capabilities. The best the artist can hope for is a fairish representation of this element that covers seventy percent of the planets' surface. That statistic, plus the fact that our bodies are seventy two percent water, gets him wondering if there is any connection between the two, and in the end, we are all mixed in together, as in a giant washing machine, and part of this huge juggernautical whirlpool called life. Whatever it may or may not be, water, in all its forms, fresh or salt, sea or lake, river or pond, has a colossal effect on our lives as joint occupants of this Earth.

Wafting up the companionway, a redolent whiff of fresh baking rouses him from his musing, and his thoughts turn to a more basic requirement - food.

'Insufferable glutton!' she taunts her captain. 'That's all you think about - filling your belly!'

There are few things more pleasurable than demolishing several hot buttered scones in the cockpit of a yacht on a fine breezy tropical afternoon, and washing them down with pure drinking water with a touch of lime, from the watermaker.

On to Bora Bora, our little ship cruising quietly now as the breeze moderates, notices an increasing number of glutinous floating objects gliding by. These are the jellyfish of the round, mushroom shaped, transparent type with four darker rings placed precisely in their centre. By the time our crew notice them they have multiplied to legion proportions and her bow is slicing through them, shoving them aside in their hundreds. They travel like this for some thirty minutes and during this time the animals are so thick that they have a deadening effect on the surface of the water, smoothing it down from a regular light to moderate breeze wavelet surface, to a gently undulating mass of these strange creatures.

How far they stretched away from our little ship on either side, they cannot tell, but taking into account the time it takes for her to sail through them, the shoal must number in the multi millions. Our crew wonder idly if these animals have any natural predator - maybe they are whale fodder, and because there are less whales now, the jellyfish has prospered. With this gummy carpet of living jelly heaving all around them, even though the breeze is still there, a kind of eerie stillness pervades the scene. She is ploughing through them at around five knots, but leaving no trail. Her cutwater shovels them aside and they slither along her sides, the full length of her hull, to immediately close up again as they pass under her stern.

There is no trace of where they have been a few moments before. The phenomenon begs the question, why such a concentration of these animals right here? What are they doing here? Are they going anywhere? Or are they just drifting on the ocean currents of the globe? Are they here in preparation for mating? If so, there is no shortage of choice! Nature takes care of her own, keeping a balance, and she no doubt has them here as part of her master plan. Breaking out the other side, the diminishing numbers are shaken off and she surges forward, and away from the mass concentration. Some several minutes later, she has cleared most of them and they have reduced to the occasional laggard slipping by and into her wake.

The twin peaks of Bora Bora are climbing out of the forward horizon and the island is taking shape exactly as described in the pilot. Part of her captains' mind is always surprised at how the geographical features of a new destination, viewed for the first time, are a faithful replica of a printed or photographic description, as if there is the possibility of there being some change or difference, or that the cartographer got it wrong! And so there is this mild feeling of surprised satisfaction that the real thing matches the representation and it has been chronicled correctly. The leisurely approach of a sailing yacht enhances this feeling and gives our crew the opportunity to study this island jewel closely as they draw nearer. Bora Bora is known as 'The most beautiful', and from this distance it is shaping up to its reputation. James A Michener immortalised it in his 'Return to Paradise' with the following : 'I first saw it from an airplane. On the horizon there was a speck that became a tall, blunt mountain with cliffs dropping sheer into the sea. About the base of the mountain, narrow fingers of land shot out, forming magnificent bays, while about the whole was thrown a coral ring of absolute perfection, dotted with small motus on which palms grew. The lagoon was a crystal blue, the beaches were dazzling white, and ever on the outer reef the spray leapt mountainously into the air.'

On this perfect South Seas day, the sun casting its flawless, radiant light into the mountain tops of the island, it is indeed the embodiment of paradise. Blazing white of sand under, the delicate pale aqua of the lagoon is reflected upward onto the underneath of the fluffy white clouds around the twin peaks, creating a unique and dazzling display, floating and turquoise in the skies. The coral reef surrounds Bora Bora like a necklace in that it is almost perfect in its symmetry and equidistant from the main island. Fortunately there is a Passe, the only one, on the western side of the reef. It is named Passe Teavanui and leads into a magnificent deepwater bay right under the splendid, towering twin peaks for which Bora Bora is renowned. Our little ship sails easily through this wide Passe, across the bay and right up to the Bora Bora Yacht Club, nestled in a cove about one and a half kilometres north of the main town, Vaitape. The water off the clubhouse is a dark, still, fifteen fathoms, dotted with vessels of various description and vintage. In addition, there are a number of orange mooring buoys in the bay and, to one of these she heads rather than dropping anchor in this deep water.

'Take the least line of resistance when offered'. She thinks, her captain concurring directly.

She judges it perfectly - no wind here - they hook on, her captain shuts down the engine and she settles to rest in this, another corner of paradise.

If you enjoyed reading this passage, you can read many more similar escapades in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http ://www.sailbaot2adventure.com

Sailboat Stuffing Box/Stern Gland Maintenance

2010-07-30T17:50:00.013+10:00

Stuffing boxes or stern glands on sailboats are one of those vital pieces of your yachts' equipment that very often get overlooked in a maintenance programme. This normally happens because they generally give hundreds of hours of faithful service without anything going wrong. It is when one day you, as the boat owner, suddenly find more water in your bilge than you would wish for and trace it back to the stuffing box, that it rises to the top of the priority list of things to be done.

Don't worry, it has happened to most sailboat/yacht owners at some time or other! Still it is a timely reminder to add it to your list and more importantly, establish the dimension of the packing material you need for yours and carry some of it onboard. You don't need much and it is a good idea to have three pieces already cut to length. You can usually buy it ready greased, so all you need to do is seal it an a ziplock poly bag and it is there ready for use when needed.

The following article is by Steve D'Antonio:

'When properly installed and adjusted, a stuffing box will provide hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of reliable, nearly leak-free service.

The keys to a stuffing box's longevity are twofold. The first and most common cause of chronically leaky stuffing boxes involves the condition of the surface of the propeller shaft directly beneath the packing. If it's in any way irregular, pitted, or damaged, the packing will be torn up each time the shaft rotates beneath it, which may be as many as 1,500 or 2,000 times per minute. The pitting or damage is often caused by the stuffing box's oxygen-poor environment. If this is the case, then no amount of repacking—regardless of the type of space-age "leak-proof" material you use—or adjustment will resolve the problem. Two solutions exist: Replace the shaft, or use a longer or shorter stuffing-box hose to move the location of the packing over an undamaged section of shaft.

The second problem, which also results in chronic leakiness, is often caused by a sailor's response to the first problem: overtightening the nut that contains the flax packing. When the nut is overtightened, the flax overheats, and the wax lubricant melts and runs out. Green or black sticky material under the box means that the stuffing box has overheated; the box must now be disassembled. Clean out all vestiges of packing and wax, then clean the shaft and lightly polish it using 400-grit emery cloth.

Overtightening the packing nut so that the stuffing box drips no water at all can wear a groove in the prop shaft and ruin it. When the shaft is spinning, the stuffing box must allow a few drops of water per minute for lubrication. A variety of formulas exist to establish the number of times a stuffing box should drip while the shaft is spinning. Forget 'em. As long as the box isn't dripping too much and isn't running too hot, then all is well. Some boxes, particularly those used on sailboats, need not drip at all to meet this criterion as long as the packing remains moist. Take the box's temperature after running at cruising speed for half an hour or so; it shouldn't be more than 20 degrees F above the ambient water temperature. If you use an infrared pyrometer, you can carry out this test while under way. If you use a contact thermometer or your hand (too hot to touch is usually between 130 F and 150 F), shift into neutral, then check the temperature right away.

After repacking the stuffing box, use two wrenches to jam the locking nut against the adjustable packing nut. Never use a single wrench for this procedure because you'll run the risk of spinning the nut off. More wraps, by the way, aren't better where stuffing-box packing is concerned. Most boxes work very well with just three rings of packing; place the seams or joints at angles of 120 degrees to each other. Using too many wraps causes the shaft and box to overheat, which leads to packing failure as well as to galling of the shaft.

Finally, carefully inspect the stuffing-box hose and clamps at least once every sailing season. Use only all-stainless-steel, non-perforated hose clamps; avoid using T-bolt clamps because they're prone to crevice corrosion in this application. Replace hoses at the first sign of fatigue, every five years, or whenever the shaft is removed, whichever comes first.'

Article courtesy Steve D'Antonio and Cruising World magazine.

You can read more about mechanical maintenance whilst passagemaking in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Driving a Sailboat Astern/Reversing Technique for Sailors

2010-07-22T21:54:00.026+10:00

Sailboats and yachts are built to go forward on the wind. However, from time to time we need to go astern, so every sailor needs to learn the technique of driving his vessel in reverse and become proficient at it, particularly when crossing stretches of water with a current and also winds. This is one of the most difficult things to achieve in the early days of sailing when there is so much of eveything else to learn. not only do you have to contend with current and wind, but a phenomenon known as prop walk.

When looking forward at the stern of your boat and say the prop spins clockwise (right hand prop), then the action of it through the water will tend to kick the stern to starboard.

When in reverse your prop is rotating anti clockwise, so then its energy will try to kick the stern to port. When you are in forward gear it is never a problem as a minute adjustment on the helm controls it. If the propeller is a left hand prop, then the action is the opposite.

However, in reverse going astern this whole process can be very difficult to manage at the best of times and even more difficult when you are contending with the wind and possibly current as well. Some sailboats are much worse than others! When you are buying yours have the owner or broker drive the boat astern to see how they manage it.

The video below gives you some idea of the problem and how to overcome it. It has been produced by Tom Cunliffe, a well known sailor and instructor of all things sailing.

In my experience, the most simple solution and best way to overcome this problem is to fit a good quality feathering propeller -not to be confused with a folding prop.

A feathering propeller has several major advantages and they are:

The blades follow the flow of water so drag is far less and boat speed increases.

Because the drag is less, improved fuel economy is the result when motoring.

And the real killer is that any good quality feathering prop will give 85% or better driving power when going astern and therefore eliminate prop walk.

This enables you to steer the boat in reverse quite easily even in a strong breeze.

I fitted one to my yacht prior to crossing the Pacific and it was a dream to use when going astern and in addition gave on average 1.5 knots greater boatspeed when under sail. This is a major increase in boatspeed and means an extra thirty to forty nautical miles per twenty four hour period. This is huge when you consider that that extrapolates to four hundred or so nautical miles on a ten day passage, possibly shortening the passage by two to three days.

Video courtesy Tom Cunliffe and Yachting Monthly and images courtesy Google images.

You can read more about fitting and the performance of feathering propellers in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

Sailing Tips: Rounding up and How to Prevent for Sailors

2010-06-17T11:27:00.021+10:00

Rounding up is one of the more annoying things to happen when you are sailing into the wind on a gusty day. It slows your boat down and if uncorrected can put your nose right in to the wind and stall the boat. Then you have to bear away and regain boat speed. Not a good look, especially if there are other boats in the vicinity watching!

The following article from http://www.sail-world.com/ explains clearly what to do when it happens and how to avoid by watching your telltales and competent sail trimming:

'Rounding up is caused by many factors. One is too much wind and force aloft which tends to heel the boat over. This reduces the amount of rudder in the water and thus the rudder’s effectiveness. Another factor in rounding up is that the centre of pressure of wind on the sails is too far aft. This then pushes the aft of the boat downwind and thus the front of the boat upwind.

Our SailTrim clinic discussed this topic and so what we wanted to do was test it out for sure. So last weekend we took out a friend’s Beneteau 373 to test out an anti-round up theory. Read on to find out the results of our experiment:

1. First though, we must first understand wind shear.

The phenomenon of wind shear is pretty easy. Wind moves faster at the top of the mast than it does at water level because the stationary water by friction, slows down the wind the closer it gets to the water. So, if you could see wind you can visualise in your minds eye the water at sea level dragging the wind a little at the surface.

2. Secondly, consider the concept of true wind vs apparent wind:

This is best understood by imagining driving your car in a cross wind with your hand out the window of the car. At stand still you would feel the wind coming from the side of the car. The faster you go, the more you feel the wind coming from the front of the car. But when a gust of wind comes (which is just an increase in true wind speed) then you would feel the wind shift back more to the side.

When relating this to a sailboat, if your boat was standing still, the wind at the top of the mast would be the same apparent direction as at the cockpit level albeit, faster (from the wind shear phenomenon). However as your boat picks up in speed the apparent wind moves forward BUT because of wind shear it shifts forward less at the top of the mast, ie., at the top of the mast the wind tends more to the direction of true wind direction because the true wind speed is higher.

Thus at the top of the mast the true wind is more aft than the apparent wind.

So – the fact is: at the top of the mast the wind is higher in speed and more aft than at cockpit level.

Figure A and B show the boat speed, true wind and apparent wind vectors for cockpit level and top of the mast. Obviously in both cases, the boat speed vector must be the same. The true wind vector is obviously the same direction but due to wind shear it is longer (faster) at the top of the mast. This results then in the apparent wind direction being more aft, in this case from 135 deg to 125 deg.

3. Third, there's wind shear and apparent wind phenomenon:

You should understand that if a sail is sheeted in too tight it creates more heel. This then is exactly what is happening at the top of the mast. Even though at the bottom of the sail you may have perfectly trimmed the sail, the top of the sail is sheeted in too tight against higher wind speed. No wonder you’re getting excessive heeling. And excessive heeling creates roundups.

This is now quite a revelation! It means that the top of the main needs to be “out” further than the bottom of the sail for it to operate efficiently. This is usually indicated by the top telltale. Often the leeward telltale will be stalling at the top of the sail. Especially in high wind because of the phenomena above.

So, the top of the mainsail needs to go further out so that the starboard telltale can fly smoothly. Hence the top of the mainsail needs to be let out further so that the leeward telltale can fly smoothly.

This is commonly referred to as twisting the sail out at the top. Except people believe you are just spilling out (wasting) the wind at the top. Not quite so now, as you’ve just learned. Twisting out the top of the sail is letting the top of the sail fly according to the direction of wind it is feeling.

In the illustration, you can see the top telltale on the downwind side is fluttering. If you let out the main at the top, the wind can reattach to the sail on the leeward side and the telltale will fly smoothly reducing the force aloft.

Understanding all the above. How do we stop rounding up?

Option one: Obviously the first and safe option in higher winds is to reef the sail.

Option two: Let out the traveler which is what most people do when hit by a gust. Just so long as you realize what you’ve done is not twisted the top of the sail out – all you’ve done is let out the mainsail from top to bottom and thus depower the mainsail. This reduces the force aloft and thus the heel. It also moves the centre of effort of wind on the sails forward which reduces tendency to round up. The trouble is that you spend all day fighting gusts with still quite a few involuntary round-ups.

Option three: Let out on the mainsheet. Here again you’ve depowered the entire mainsail to handle the gust. Still, it works.

Option four: Permanently reduce the force aloft by letting out further on the mainsail and tightening up on the traveler. The trick here is to bring the mainsail bottom back in again using the traveler. Yes, bring the traveler to windward up past the center point. Most sailors are reluctant to do this because they’ve been taught that it detaches the wind on the leeward side. But not when you’ve let out the mainsheet. In effect, by letting out on the mainsheet, you’ve allowed the boom to rise up and the leech of the sail to slacken. This creates the desired twist at the top and allows the top of the sail to fly according to its apparent direction. At the same time, the bottom of the sail can fly according to its apparent direction.

By trimming the traveler and mainsheet together you can manage the twist at the top of the sail as desired yet still keep power on the bottom of the mainsail. Keeping power on the bottom of the mainsail keeps your speed up which also increases the effectiveness of the rudder. Increasing the effectiveness of the rudder means it can hold more against any turning effect created by the shifting of center of pressure backwards. Wow – see how it is all connected?

What happened on our 15 knot gusty sailing day? Well, not one round up.

So to summarize, the sailing lesson here is when in higher winds bring the traveler up and sheet out the main. You’ll also need to release the boom vang a little. Letting the boom vang out allows the boom to rise which loosens the leech (trailing edge) of the sail and allows the top part to “twist out”. '

Article courtesy Sail-World and Grant Headifen, images courtesy Sail-World

You can read much more about sail trimming and techniques in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable to your PC, iphone or ebook reader, from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com

World Oceans Day 2010 Recognised by Sailors

2010-06-10T13:12:00.009+10:00

For cruising sailors pollution of our oceans is a major concern. There is nothing more objectionable when sailing in pristine waters to then come across some discarded flotsam disposed of irrresponsibly - as humans we leave a trail wherever we go! I would trust that these days all yachties keep all trash on board to dispose of correctly at the next port. This way we can collectively make our contribution toward keeping our oceans clean.

The more worrying occurences are the major pollution events such as the current Deepwater oil spillage off the Louisiana coast - this is ocean pollution on a massive scale and even after it is finally plugged the ongoing effects from it will be long term.

World Oceans Day is now officially recognised by the UN and celebrated annually on June o8.

The following is an extract from http://www.sail-world.com/ cruising blog:

'World Oceans Day' .
June 8th is World Oceans Day, and never were our oceans more in need of a friend.

With discarded plastic bags killing thousands of precious sea animals, with the world's fish stocks at record lows and the oil well damage on the shorelines of the Indian Ocean, Canada's Pacific coastline and now the Gulf of Mexico, the world that the sailor loves to inhabit is under threat like never before.

Go to the World Oceans Day website to see how you can be involved!

About World Oceans Day:

As a result of a United Nations General Assembly resolution passed in December 2008, World Oceans Day is now officially recognized by the UN as June 8th each year.

The concept for a “World Ocean Day” was first proposed in 1992 by the Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, and it had been unofficially celebrated every year since then. Since 2002, The Ocean Project and the World Ocean Network have helped to promote and coordinate World Oceans Day events worldwide. We help coordinate events and activities with aquariums, zoos, museums, conservation organizations, universities, schools, and businesses. Each year an increasing number of countries and organizations have been marking June 8th as an opportunity to celebrate our world ocean and our personal connection to the sea.

Together, we also developed and widely circulated a petition to the United Nations urging them to officially recognize World Oceans Day. With help from our Partner organizations, tens of thousands of people from all parts of the world signed online or paper copies of the petition. Congratulations to all for helping to make this happen!

Designation of World Oceans Day provides an important boost to those organizations and individuals who have been deeply committed to ocean conservation. Official UN designation is another important step toward improving the health of our world's ocean.

Now we need to capitalize on this fresh momentum! We hope you will be involved in planning or participating in a World Oceans Day celebration near you!

Extract courtesy Sail-world, images courtesy google.

We can all do our bit by acting responsibly when at sea and getting involved with various anti pollution programmes when on land. The long term survival of the marine environment is in the interest of us all as humans. Remember, the oceans will survive without us but we will not survive without the oceans.

You can read more about responsible habits at sea in my ebook 'Voyage of the Little Ship Tere Moana' downloadable from my website http://www.sailboat2adventure.com