Cruising Sailors Become 'Citizen Oceanographers' To Help Save Our Oceans

As cruising sailors we are all aware that our oceans are in danger from pollution and the ever growing threat of increased traffic moving along the global routes. But as the changes are incrementally small, we tend not to notice the changes until we make comparisons over longer time blocks. So, at some level we are all in denial to a greater or lesser degree. We know that something has to  be done, but what is it? and how can it be achieved?.......and as individuals, what can we do that can make a difference?

Well, now there is an organisation called 'Indigo V Expeditions' that cruising sailors and anyone for that matter that are interested in helping to save our oceans, can join and become Citizen Oceanographers.

Here is an article explaining how they work - read on:     

Planning an open ocean cruise? If so, you are the key to helping scientists better understand the health of the world’s oceans. When we look across the limitless horizon of a vast ocean, it’s easy to believe that one little action can’t possibly hurt or help something so large as the world’s oceans. Dumping a small bucket of toxic cleaning product into the marina water, for example, or tossing some trash overboard, maybe a plastic bottle. But the sum of all parts is turning out to be a staggering whole when it comes to the faltering health of the world’s oceans. 

Cruising sailboat at sunset

Why Do the Oceans Matter? 

Oceans cover 71% of our planet and play a critical role in buffering the atmosphere, cycling nutrients through the food web and absorbing the massive release of CO2 since the industrial age. They also provide every other breath that we take. Taken in sum, the oceans serve as the backbone to sustaining habitable life on planet earth. 

Yet our oceans are under unprecedented stress. Overfishing, ocean acidification, dumping, increased usage of oil pipelines and deep sea drilling all contributes the destabilization of this increasingly fragile ecosystem. As world population rises and our demands grow, the prognosis for the oceans is not good. While these effects can be readily seen and appreciated, the biggest threat is to the invisible majority: microbes. 

What are Marine Microbes? 

Though they may be tiny, marine microbes are one hundred times more abundant in the ocean than there are stars in the galaxy and make up 90% of the ocean’s total biomass. They play critical roles in converting carbon dioxide to organic matter and in regulating nutrient cycling, which serves as the bedrock to the food web.

Marine microbes - building blocks of our oceans

Without healthy functioning microbial communities, we would not have any air to breath and the food web would collapse. They are also the first to respond to changes in ocean chemistry effectively functioning as the proverbial ‘canary in the coalmine.’ With all the pressures our species places on the ocean, now more than ever, monitoring the health of these organisms is of urgent priority. 

Data Collection Woes 

Because the ocean is a dynamic and tremendously large eco-system, millions of observation points are required to better understand the ocean environment. However, traditional oceanographic research vessels are unable to cover this vast space. Traditional oceanography is restricted to large and expensive research ships where only a few samples may be taken at a time. A modern research vessel typically costs more than $30,000 per day to operate and research vessels only cover a fraction of the world’s oceans. 

The existing missing data limits our ability to predict ocean weather, determine the stability of the food web and better understand the impacts of ocean acidification. Without more data points, much about the true state of the ocean will remain largely unknown. 

With global cutbacks in government research funds, citizen science (research conducted by nonprofessional scientists) offers an elegant solution to solving the lack of global data collection. 


By putting data collection in the hands of world cruisers, we will dramatically reduce the cost per sample, which means more information can be gathered per research dollar spent. 

Ocean Sailing Microbial Observatory (OSMO) 

Last year, Indigo V Expeditions carried out a concept cruise aboard our flagship vessel, S/Y Indigo V, a 61’ Nautor Swan. We sailed from Cape Town, South Africa to Phuket, Thailand, covering over 5,800 NM, developing and testing instrumentation and defining the parameters needed to better understand ocean health. 

Indigo V, OSMOS Swan 61ft

We developed the Ocean Sailing Microbial Observatory (OSMO), which is an auto-sampling device that collects meta-data such as temperature, pH and salinity. The OSMO records time, date and location of the vessel at the time of sampling. The raw data is sent to the Indigo lab via satellite SMS and we are able to put a time and location stamp on every sample. Microbial data is also collected via seawater filtration to be further analyzed onshore. 

By harnessing modern technology and equipping as many ocean-going vessels as possible with small instrumentation, scientists will be able to collect invaluable and large-scale data sets about bacteria, plankton and the marine eco-systems that have never been possible before. 

Global ocean vessel tracks

The Rise of Citizen Oceanographers – Participation is Easy and Free! 

By using what’s known as ‘citizen science’, Indigo V Expeditions set out to prove that the concept of crowd-sourcing oceanography can solve the great data collection bottleneck. Joining cost-effective cutting edge technology with existing world cruiser routes, we can monitor microbial communities in the world’s oceans year after year in the same locations. This is crucial to building a baseline of ocean health that can be closely monitored for changes. 

The data collected from citizen oceanographers will be released publically and the models produced will be used to raise public awareness and assist policy-makers as they make better scientifically based decisions that will lead to the protection of this very precious resource for generations to come. 

Involvement for sailors is easy and free! OSMO will be attached to the stern pulpit using sturdy integrated hard plastic brackets. It is fully automated, and supplies its own power. Sailors do not need to operate the OSMO and it does not slow sailing performance.

The oceans are in trouble, but hope exists to save them. once we move to protect the fragile balance of the ecosystems, the oceans will recover and flourish. But if we make no changes, if we ignore the warning signs and continue to destroy eco-systems, we will destroy the very ‘organs’ put in place to support habitable life on the planet. Together, we can make a difference. 

What Else Can You Do? 

Every single person has the power to turn the tide even if you aren’t planning an open ocean cruise any time soon. 

Forego single use plastics. Most immediately, we can all work to reduce the vast amount of plastics that finds its way into the oceans via waterways and storm water run-offs. Buy reusable grocery bags and forego using single use plastics in any capacity. It’s well documented that plastics are systematically poisoning our wildlife, but as it turns out plastics are poisoning people too. A recent study by Dr. Rochman et al, (Nature, Nov 2013) showed that plastic breaks down into ‘micro-plastics’ and are ingested by fish. The persistent organic pollutants (POPs) leech harmful chemical into fish flesh that we, in turn, consume. 


Participate in local citizen science projects. Professor Jay Cullen at the University of Victoria, Canada, is heading up an initiative to measure for Fukushima-derived radionuclides in seawater and marine organisms collected in Canada’s Pacific and Arctic Oceans. Participating is as easy as collecting a bucket of water at your local estuary. For more information, please visit here or email Professor Cullen (jcullen@uvic.ca) directly. 

To lodge your interest in volunteering, please contact Rachelle Lauro (Rachelle@IndigoVExpeditions.com) with Indigo V Expeditions.

Article and images courtesy Indigo V Expeditions and Rachelle Lauro

You can read much more about the cruising lifestyle on passage in my book 'Sailing Adventures in Paradise' downloadable from my website www.sailboat2adventure.com

Sailboat/Yacht Marine Survey - To Survey Or Not To Survey?

Buying your dream sailboat can be a stressful business. There are so many factors that come into it so that finding the right boat for your particular requirements can take months, if not longer, of looking at many craft in all sorts of condition from excellent all the way down the scale to a recipe for disaster. 

The fit out and condition are paramount and what you initially view in a brokers image collection and the reality can be worlds apart.......all boats look good in the photos!

It is a very good idea to have a detailed list of what you want in your boat and work your way through it when going to inspect a boat you are interested in. 

Marine surveyor testing hull soundness

A second step that will help to take some stress out of the search is to call for a marine survey once you have had an initial look over the boat and you like it enough to call for an expert opinion. 

I was lucky when I purchased my yacht in that she had been used for day sailing for one summer only and then housed in a air conditioned shed for the following three years without going back into the water. So, by the time I got to see her for the first time, she was still in mint condition. My good friend Mark Clarke of Clarke Marine Surveyors www.clarkemarinesurveyors.com had provided me a comprehensive list of things to look for, so I felt confident working my way through that.

Checking standing rigging

 I spent an hour or two going over her in the shed and and then made an offer on the spot which was accepted. She was then shipped to the UK where I spent the next six months fitting her out for cruising. My luck held and she performed wonderfully well over the next four years, sailing many thousands of sea miles and half way round the globe.

As mentioned, because of the special circumstances, I was extremely lucky, but would definitely not recommend anyone taking the same path. In 2013, over 955,000 boats changed hands on the pre-owned boat market. That meant for nearly a million boat buyers, hiring an accredited marine surveyor to inspect their potential dreamboat was often the first step after finding it. 

Boat Owners Association of The United States has seven tips on how to get the most from a marine survey: 

1. The only good survey is a current one: Relying on an old survey is a bad idea. The marine environment isn’t nice to boats and sometimes a 'little' maintenance issue can quickly turn into more serious problem. If you need to have the boat insured, you will usually need a survey less than six months old – after that, it begins to smell like dead fish. 

2. Don’t miss your own survey: Just like your wedding, you need to be there. Attending and asking questions will reap reams of information about the boat you’re buying, and most surveyors are happy to talk about what they are finding and what needs to be done to fix things. 

3. Experience trumps price: Don’t select a surveyor on price alone. It’s important to find one that has experience on your type of boat that can tell you what you need to know. Surveyors who are members of the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors (SAMS) or the National Association of Marine Surveyors (NAMS) are wise choices as these professional organizations have certification processes and provide educational training. 

Checking propellor, cutlass bearing

4. It’s not pass or fail: A survey is only a guide to determine if the boat is acceptable to the buyer. An insurance company may also use it to provide a list of corrective actions needed to provide coverage. 

5. Surprise, surprise: Boats are a series of complex systems and even brand new boats sometimes have recommendations from a surveyor. The difference is that with new boats, corrective actions are often taken care of through the builder’s warranty. 

6. Use the survey to negotiate: Surveys include an approximate fair-market value for use by lenders and insurance companies. If the numbers warrant it, there is also nothing wrong with using this value in an attempt to negotiate a better deal with the seller. 
7. A survey gives you a great punch list: A survey can guide planning for upgrades, repairs and help you prioritize. 

At the outset the cost of having a survey may seem high, but when you consider that it is very small as a percentage of the cost of your dream boat, or possibly the much higher price you may pay for expensive repairs not highlighted prior to sale, then a survey by a registered marine surveyor is a very good investment.

Marine survey list courtesy BOA of the US 

You can read much more about cruising and the cruising lifestyle at sea in my book 'Sailing Adventures in Paradise' downloadable from my website www.sailboat2adventure.com 

Wishing all of our readers a Very Merry Christmas, the happiest of New Years and safe sailing with fair winds in calm seas. 

Mobilarm Latest Release of sMRT SOS Dan Buoy MOB Recovery Device

'Man Overboard!!' - we have yet to get to terms with POP, (hasn't quite got the same ring to it)  - roared at full volume from the deck is a yachting skipper's and crew's worst nightmare. No matter how well prepared we think we are and how many times we have practised the drills beforehand, we are never really prepared for the event when it does happen. 

Practice drills are vital, but are no substitute for the real thing, mainly because it always occurs most unexpectedly, in an instant, and when no one on board is in the least expecting it. It subsequently and consequently has such a sudden impact on our brain that we are momentarily stunned, then requiring cool heads and fast action to effect a successful rescue of the MOB.

The marine industry is constantly developing and improving equipment to facilitate better rescues and one such company has just launched its latest contribution.           

Mobilarm has integrated its latest emergency electronic MOB Beacon, the sMRT V100 Locator Beacon, with the inflatable SOS Dan Buoy marker. It was introduced recently at the Monaco Yacht Show, the world’s largest mega-‐yacht show.

Mobilarm sMRT MOB Dan Buoy

Once thrown into the water and inflated, the SOS Dan Buoy becomes a visual marker and at the same time the sMRT technology is activated which sends out an alert signal automatically transmitting GPS coordinates to your chart plotter via AIS and DSC. The SOS Dan Buoy can also provide flotation for the casualty. Its visual and electronic capabilities can reduce the Search in Search and Rescue.

The sMRT SOS Dan buoy is a major change in marine rescue devices and suitable for many marine applications for vessels and fixed marine installations. Portable and simple to use, the sMRT Dan Buoy can be thrown into the water providing a floating marker for a person to swim towards and await rescue. The integration of MRT’s sMRT beacon technology allows the tracking of the Dan Buoy and also provides an alarm mechanism to alert nearby vessels to assist with the rescue.

Mobilarm's sMRT Dan Buoy deployed

Additional features:
- Patented arm loops
- 2.5 mtre high visibility ribbon
- Flashing LED light and reflective strips
- Large drogue
- SOLAS approved whistle
- Re-usable Pro-sensor inflation technology
- External loop for attaching a lifebuoy
- Rating to ISO 12402 standard

MRT CEO Ken Gaunt commented: “We are continuously looking to provide our customers with all potential life saving solutions. The sMRT SOS Dan Buoy is another solution with which our customers can address their man overboard risks. This product is a clear alternative for those environments in which individual protection is not viable such as large passenger vessels and cruise ships, or those facilities such as oil rigs and wind farms in which additional standby measures address the additional safety requirements needed.”

SOS Marine’s, Ross Spencer added:”We are very excited for sMRT SOS Dan Buoy to become a global benchmark in response to a rescue situation. The sMRT SOS Dan buoy has lifesaving capabilities. It is easy to use; anyone can pick it up and throw it overboard and is specifically designed to make rescue and recovery of a Man over Board incident a simple and reliable operation. The sMRT SOS Dan Buoy is a very easy to use product that delivers improved safety to commercial and recreational seafarers.”

Another feature we like about this unit is that being a Dan Buoy, it can be fitted permanently within easy reach to your pushpit rails and immediately thrown to the MOB. At a little over $300.00 it has to be a vital addition to your boats safety equipment.

Images courtesy sail-world.com and just-marine.net

You can read much more about the cruising lifestyle in my book 'Sailing Adventures in Paradise' downloadable from my website www.sailboat2adventure.com 

  

Ocean Swell Forecast Upgrade from PredictWind for Sailors

Since our recent PredictWind blog (31 August 2014), PredictWind have updated their Swell forecast module on their site.

When you are on passage and in seas as shown in these images, you want to know all you can about wave size, direction, wind strength, location and how long these conditions are going to last in your area of the ocean that you are sailing.

Classic yacht Owl sailing in big swell

 
PredictWind have now combined their forecast data with ocean current data and by accounting for the effect of wind on swells, can give more accurate swell forecasts. 

Large swell sailing

Included is the effect islands and land masses can have on dampening down of the swells and directional changes. Also, more territories have been added.

This update from PredictWind gives the sailor more accurate data of the swell conditions over what area and with the comfort then, of how long he is going to be in them and/or sail out of them.

Images and video courtesy YouTube

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