Tradewinds Sailing Blog

Sadly, “stuff” happens on a sailboat. The good news is, planning and preparation for the things that go can go wrong actually go a long way to preventing the situation from coming up. Checking tide tables prevents groundings. Examining standing rigging locates problems and helps prevent the mast from coming down in the middle of a sail. Checking coolant flow from the exhaust keeps the motor running smoothly.

Practice, on the other hand, is what gets you through a problem when “stuff” does happen. We practice crew overboard recoveries … not because it’s a fun part of sailing … we do it because if someone does go overboard we want to get back to them quickly and safely. Without practice, crew overboard recovery is not an easy task.

Sailing into slips is another thing that requires practice. Anyone trained at Tradewinds was introduced to sailing into slips on the second day of Basic Coastal Cruising. You had at least two opportunities to do it, one upwind … one downwind. Have you done it since? If not, you are not ready for the time your propeller gets fouled, the fuel line gets plugged, or the motor overheats because the impeller goes out. Tradewinds preventative maintenance program stops most of these things from happening, however, as I said, “stuff” happens. Each of these three problems came up during April! Knowing how to sail the boat back to the dock or slip was the perfect solution in each occasion. But, that’s not a fun thing to do if you haven’t practiced ahead of time.

Start small and work up. The Capri’s are great boats to develop, practice, and refine skills of all kinds.

• Start by using the practice buoys. Learn how much speed it takes to stop the boat beside the buoy on a close reach … upwind … downwind.
• Put the fenders out, move to the “D” Dock pump out station and practice side tie docking under sail. Have the motor running in neutral as a safety backup.
• Once you are comfortable with how the boat handles, find a couple of nice padded slips and practice docking in slips. On any weekend, after about 11:00, there are a number of Tradewinds slips available to practice on.
• Move up to a slightly bigger boat and repeat the process.

You will be amazed at how much easier it gets with a bit of practice. And when you do sail in it’s great for the ego because of all the ewwwws and ahhhhs you hear from the spectators.

After studying the chart for water depth, swinging room, and bottom type, try to foresee if the anchor spot you have chosen will shelter you from the wind and seas. Check wind and current direction and predicted weather, then position the boat so that you won’t be set onto shore if the anchor should drag or if conditions change.

If other boats are already anchored, do a “drive by” and see what they did. In a crowded area, follow their method, e.g. one anchor off the bow, or two, or bow and stern, to minimize the chance of collision while swinging with the wind and current.

As you are making up your mind where best to anchor, look for alternate locations, in case you need options. Have a plan ‘B’. Consult charts and cruising guides for information where to anchor and to find anchorages for pleasure craft.

My friend Salty Clay says it’s a good idea not to anchor in marked channels, in busy traffic, and in shipping lanes. Also stay away from areas marked on the chart as prohibited, such as restricted areas, cable crossings and anchorages for explosives.

Be kind to your playground and never anchor on top of coral. Also be kind to your fellow boaters: if you have a choice, don’t drop your hook right next to someone else. Finally, don’t make wake in the anchorage.

In “Sailing, A Sailor’s Dictionary” by Henry Beard and Roy McKie, ANCHORAGE is defined as: “1. Destination at day’s end. Always found at the junction of two charts, or on a chart not aboard. 2. Any location on the water where at least twenty boats may be accommodated in sufficient proximity to one another so that a sound of 10 decibels (roughly equal to the noise produced by folding a paper towel in half) made by a member of the crew of any one boat may be heard clearly by a person of average hearing on any one of the other boats.” The selection of an anchor site requires more consideration than just finding an idyllic spot that is away from it all. Before dropping the anchor, make a plan. Use your chart to find out the depth at the desired site and use your tide book to figure out if you will have enough depth to stay afloat at low tide, but not too much to lift your ground tackle out at high tide. Make sure that the water is deep enough throughout the entire “swinging room”, the circle your boat can make while at anchor when wind and current change. The radius of that circle is equal to the length of the boat plus the length of the rode let out, with a little safety margin added for good measure. Is there enough space around to prevent hitting another boat or a shore nearby? The chart will also let you see what kind of bottom your anchor is going to land on. Sand is good. Avoid rocks (known for trapping anchors) and weeds, (known for letting anchors slip and slide).

By Tradewinds member Peter D.

Hi Matt!

We chartered a Jeanneau 45 for 10 days from San Juan Sailing in Bellingham.  That company just gets better every time.  I know that you’ve worked with Roger Van Dyken on your own trips.  He runs a smooth operation.

This was a guy-trip (our patient wives stayed home).  It’s the year we all turn 65 years old.  We all graduated together from Saint Mary’s College (over the hill in Moraga) in 1971.

As we left Bellingham on Wednesday May 26, I hoisted the TWSC burgee and we were off to Shallow Bay (Sucia Island) for our first overnight.  We were on mooring balls at Shallow Bay, Prevost Harbor (Stuart Island), and the cove at the back-door of Butchart Gardens.  We anchored in Port Browning (South Pender Island, BC), Sidney Spit (Sidney Island, BC), Watmaugh Bay (Lopez Island), and Inati Bay (Lummi Island).  We were side-tied at the public wharf at Ganges (Saltspring Island, BC) and at Friday Harbor (San Juan Island).

The TWSC/ASA anchoring and mooring class gave me the confidence and skills I needed to put my bow (and stern) exactly where I wanted.  And my line handling crew seemed grateful!  This charter was my first experience using a bow thruster and it was really helpful in tight spots (e.g., turning around inside the Friday Harbor breakwater & getting away from the Bellingham marina’s pump-out facility).

Leaving Port Browning, South Pender Island, BC. Can you tell that I’m having fun?

The happy crew of “Misty Blue Yonder” at Friday Harbor.

“Misty” at anchor with stern-tie, Inati Bay (Lummi Island)

Letting our anchor “soak” and settle, Shallow Bay (Sucia Island) 

Thanks again to Tradewinds for building my skills!

– Peter D.

by Tradewinds Member Art E.

After reading Matt’s post some time ago about depth sounders, and with my practice of spending the night at shallow Ayala Cove, I decided I really needed to know where the the keel ends and the bottom of the Bay begins for each boat I take out.

This simple lead line was made for less than $10. Nylon string, a fishing weight, some colorful duct tape and, for a whopping $1. 57 at Home Depot, an electric cord wrap.

Each time I go out on a boat (even the same boat repeatedly) I turn on the instruments, see what the depth gauge reads, and then slip my line over the side before I leave the dock. For the first couple of depth marks I spaced the measurements several feet apart. But after 10 feet I marked the string every two feet up to 25 feet.

Gives me lots of confidence in the depth of the water everywhere I go in the Bay.

We have all heard about Murphy’s Law, “whatever can go wrong, will go wrong,” however, the truth is that Murphy was an optimist, and that was his downfall. There was a lack of preparation and planning on Murphy’s part that caused a test he was responsible for to go totally wrong. Sadly, it’s like that on boats quite often.

Listening to channel 16 on the VHF on a “busy day on the bay” Saturday can be quite an educational experience. Yesterday was a great example. There were a lot of boats out on the bay, too little experience on the part of some of the captains, and a good amount of wind. Added together you have a recipe for disaster. The Coast Guard got called with “emergencies” several times. The one that caught my attention was a 54’ sailboat that had lost all steering. The Coast Guard ran through the normal questions. What is your location? Just South of Angel Island (with the wind blowing from the South). How many persons on board? Seven. Does everyone have a life jacket on? Yes. Are you in immediate danger? The captain responded, rather tentatively, “Not for about 15 minutes.” Vessel Assist came on the radio about this time advising they were in the area and would respond. A few minutes later, the boat safely in tow, the danger was past.

What does all this have to do with Murphy? Preparation, planning, and practice. There are things that can be done to steer a vessel without rudder control.   The sails for example can be used to steer a boat. In this case, the sails were down. Get them up and use them. Trim the main and ease the jib … the boat turns to windward (you can actually do a tack this way). Ease the main and trim the jib … the boat turns to leeward (don’t try to jib this way). Is there something that can be rigged as an emergency “tiller?” Check out books like Chapman’s and the Annapolis Book of Seamanship. Both have some great ideas, and we have copies in the office for your use.

Now to the point of this tip. There are generally things that can be done, however, the middle of an emergency on a 43’ boat is not the time to miraculously come up with a solution. Plan for and practice what you would do. To learn using the sails to steer, take a Capri out and practice it in Marina Bay. Then take a 30’ to 32’ boat out and practice in a safe area. Keep building on the skill … bigger boat … more challenging wind and sea conditions. I have on a couple of occasions sailed back from the San Francisco city front never touching the wheel. Preparation, planning, and practice are what get you through when Murphy’s Law rears its ugly head … and it will.

Sailing ABC  by Marianne Wheeler

A is for Anchor – Anchoring, VI

Anchors hold a boat best when they are allowed to dig in and stay flat on the bottom while the rode runs far back at a flat angle of pull to the bow of the boat. The longer the rode, the more horizontal it can tug on the anchor keeping it down and buried. A short rode will make a steep angle of pull to the bow and tug on the anchor vertically, pulling it out and letting it drag.

The angle at which the boat pulls on the anchor is determined by scope, the ratio of the length of rode let out to the distance from the boat’s bow to the seabed. Usually, a ratio of 7:1 is recommended for anchoring overnight in normal conditions.

To figure a 7:1 scope, add the depth of the water to the height of the bow above the water and multiply by seven. Estimate the scope including the tidal differences for the time at the anchorage.

4:1 scope may be enough for a short stop if the wind keeps down.

With all chain rode a 5:1 scope is sufficient for anchoring overnight in normal conditions.

My friend Salty Clay says it’s a good idea to have more scope than not enough. In this case, more is better. When in doubt, pay it out and don’t be caught in a crowded cove with your anchor up.

Sailing ABC  by Marianne Wheeler

A is for Anchor – Anchoring, V

Cruising boats that lie at anchor for long periods of time and that are likely to anchor in rocks or reefs often use an all-chain rode. Many modern, larger boats do as well.

One good thing about all-chain rode is that the weight of the chain increases holding power by burying into the bottom and staying down flat so that the anchor remains parallel to the sea bed. Another good thing is that using all-chain avoids chafe on the rode as the boat is swinging, tugging and jerking on the anchor.

On the other hand, hundreds of feet of chain are quite heavy when stored on board and that affects the sailing performance of a boat and sometimes even its safety. My friend Salty Clay says that the weight of the chain, usually carried in the bow, front-loads and disturbs the boat’s balance and handling. Chain is also much harder to haul back on board and may require a windlass, a device that makes life at the bow much easier when weighing anchor.

For day sailing, the ideal rode is often a combination of rope and chain. A length of chain, maybe 10 or 15 feet between the shank and the nylon rope, helps the anchor dig in and stay down horizontally. It takes the brunt of merciless chafing on jagged ground while the nylon rope stretches above it and nicely absorbs shock loads on the boat.

Recently, during the Clipper Round the World Race, a person fell overboard while changing a sail. Why he wasn’t tethered to the boat and why he did not have a personal EPIRB, we do not know. In all such incidents, the accounts are sketchy, and often written by reporters whose closest encounter with the sea is a volleyball game on the beach. Moreover, I am against criticizing the decisions of the skipper when I wasn’t aboard and have only third-hand knowledge of the circumstances. They could have had a spinnaker up, for example; we don’t know all the details. In the end, the rescue was successful.
That said, I thought it might be a good occasion to review why we do not teach the method of COB recovery allegedly used in this instance. The skipper was quoted as saying, “We have a well-rehearsed procedure to mark the position, stop racing and engage the engine.” I have heard this same method recommended in more than one national sailing publication, and I’m certain that some of our students consider this their fall-back option if they don’t quite remember how to do a quick-stop or a figure eight. So why don’t we teach it that way?
Reportedly, it took the Clipper boat 90 minutes to pick up the victim. He survived, although hypothermic, because, fortunately, he was wearing a dry suit. I recommend that my students set 90 seconds—one-sixtieth of this time—as an achievable goal for returning to the victim. If you take the time to find and activate the GPS’ MOB function, then fumble with getting the engine going and dousing the main, it is almost certain you will have lost sight of the victim. The chances of this are even greater if you are the only person left aboard. Driving under power, the boat will not be maneuverable in a breeze unless you douse the main, so it’s not really an option to leave it up. Getting it down takes a lot of time, especially if you want to secure it so it is not all over the deck for another crew to slip on and find their way overboard. You’ve also created two new hazards: one, in the chaos, you may have left a line in the water, which will find its way into the prop, vastly complicating the situation; and two, the Coast Guard keeps statistics of people getting killed or injured by the prop during the attempt to pick them up, and it’s not a pretty number.
In a seaway, the quick-stop method may be the best, although the figure eight is preferred by some. These must be practiced not merely until you think you understand them because in panic mode your “understanding” will vanish. They should be practiced until they are completely automatic and you can’t not do them right. In either maneuver, you’ll return to the victim quickly without losing sight of them. The figure eight, if done properly, will take you back to the COB even if you can’t see them. Don’t delude yourself that starting the engine will make the situation simpler. It won’t. By all means press the MOB button on the GPS. But if your man-overboard practice is up to speed, you shouldn’t need it.

Sailing ABC  by Marianne Wheeler

A is for Anchor – Anchoring, IV

Ground tackle, the anchor with the anchor rode work together to keep a boat from getting underway without its skipper at the helm. The length and strength of rode required are dictated by the size of the boat and by different anchoring situations. A 35 foot sail boat may carry 250 feet of rode for its 25 lb. anchor.

Mostly, three-strand twisted or double braided nylon rope is used for anchor rode, because of its strength and elasticity. Nylon can gradually stretch up to a third of its length under load, which is particularly helpful when the boat surges in choppy waves in the anchorage. The anchor rode on a 35 foot boat may have holding loads of 1000 lbs. in normal conditions and more than two times as much in stormy weather.

Rope is relatively easy to store and light to handle, but it can chafe and break, or deteriorate from dirt, salt, and sun.

My friend Salty Clay says it’s a good idea to regularly check for wear and tear on the anchor rode. When hanging on the hook for more than enjoying a lunch, avoid continued stress on points where the rope chafes on deck – the nip on the rode – by easing out a little more line from time to time.