New Boat 4 Sled

[sleddog]

Nah, if I'm going to hit something I want a good run at it.

!!

 

[BobJ]

That guy had too much time on his hands. Like the friend who built me a submarine, described WAY back in your thread.

 

[sleddog]

This is NOT BobJ's DIY childhood submarine.....rather a mystery submarine recently sighted in Monterey Bay raises more questions than answers...children "pilots" going to 600 feet after learning online from a Berkeley based co-op WTF?

https://www.ksbw.com/article/mystery-submarine-spotted-in-monterey-bay/28403451

 

[Howard Spruit]

Well now, a sinking of a SC 70, is another FIRST out of the Santa Cruz sailing scene.
But not one to celebrate.

Mahalo, to the Disney gang for their comradery, and excellent sportsmanship.

 

[sleddog]

Who is Ian Ferguson, from Emeryville, representing the Singlehanded Sailing Society in the Transpac? I don't remember his boat in any of our races.
Name: "Nådeløs" - NOR 8620
Design: Wasa 55
Year: 1982
Length: 44
I take it back. Sailed doublehanded in the Three Bridge Fiasco. So the SSS has a pony in the race. Go, Ian! Hang onto your rudder!

NADELOS, Norwegian for "reckless" or "no mercy," is skippered by Ian Ferguson, at 29 years, youngest owner/skipper in the 2019 Transpac. Ian is on his first ocean passage and first time skippering any ocean race boat. 5 crew total.

NADELOS is an interesting design: narrow, light (12,500 lb.) smallish frac rig. Aft cabin, partial skeg hung rudder, tiller steered. Extreme (45 degree) sweep to leading edge of keel, NADELOS will be unlikely to snag stuff in the Transpac that vexes other more modern designs with more vertical keels.



Though an older design (1976) and cruiser/racer, the boat is obviously fast and currently leads all the Cal-40s boat for boat.



Phipott asks "who is Ian Ferguson?" Here's his story:

I am 29 years old and grew up in Orinda, CA. Social status: figuring it out haha. I currently work for Elvstrøm sails as the Bay area sailpoint/ West Coast Rep and Hansen’s Rigging. I enjoy both of them greatly and couldn’t be happier with this decision to working in the boating community.

2. You have got several boats, what types and when do you sail them

The main boats I own: Lido 14, Flying Dutchmans. The collection grows and shrinks as needed (is there ever a thing as owning too many boats?) I mostly sail the Lido with my family and very close friends on a San Pablo Dam (a lake in my home town). I learned to sail the Lido with my father and younger brother. It is still my favorite boat to sail due to all of the memories associated with it. The Flying Dutchman came about due to my skipper Zhenya on the Melges 24 taking me out on his FD. I was hooked from then on out and ended up buying one (despite Zhenya repeatedly telling me not to). I sail the FD weekly with friends in the south SF Bay and have many great laughs and learning experiences. This boat has helped me become the sailor I am today.

3. What is your best sailing moment?

This is a difficult one. Almost all of the times I go sailing are great moments. I like sharing the time with my friends and family. It brings the people around me together.

The most difficult sailing moment was actually a couple of days ago in fluky conditions in the middle of the Pacific!

4. Nådeløs is a Wasa 55. What made you decide to buy this boat?

A few reasons: 1) the week before meeting Karl Otto and Maren, I was shopping around for a boat that met a few criteria: live aboard, ocean going, can be raced. I checked out several other boats but there was always an issue or two that made me reluctant. Too pricy, too beat up, not a good layout, not the right feel or vibe you could say. I narrowed my list down to 3 possibilities. The day I saw the Wasa for the first time was when I was sailing with my Uncle and Veronika (current TransPac crew) in a race. When we arrived at Encinal Yacht Club, there was the Wasa. Rodney told me I had to go take a good look at the boat and meet Karl and Maren. When they mentioned that she was looking for a new owner and the price range, the rest was history. It feels like fate that I met Karl and Maren and their Cubaneren. I see this friendship lasting for a long time.

My age didn’t have much to do with it. It was more to fulfill a dream I had to sail the world (a few remember when all this came about). The Transpac I feel is just a jumping off point for what is to come. Preparing for this race has been nothing short of extremely difficult. For the past year, I would go to work for 8 hours and then come back home (the boat) and then spend the rest of the evening working on all of the little details to get the Wasa to the point that I wanted her to be in. The Category 1 offshore race boat standards is a long list safety checks that had to be met to be able to compete in this race. I had friends and family cheering me on and sometimes alerted me to some harsh realities that I was dealing with. I would like to thank my Uncle George and Aunt Kim for really lighting my fire in the final 3 weeks to pulling everything together. It feels like a miracle that I made it to the startline.

7. Could you ever have found a better crew for this race?

I really don’t think so. After these 4 days at sea, the knowledge and skill of everyone on board has been priceless. Karl and Maren probably know the Wasa 55 better than anyone else and Veronika with her sail trim and fine attention to detail makes this easier on my role as Captain and person in charge. It was weird having the boat pulled out of the slip a few of the times with me below deck working on last minute details. I am sleeping well during my off shifts knowing the boat is in great hands.

8. A bit over 1/3 of the race is done. Has it been as expected so far and where will it end?

I honestly didn’t fully know what to expect, I entered into one of the most prestigious offshore races in the world without ever completing an ocean passage, only coastal races on others boats. I was extremely nervous in the moments leading up to leaving the dock. So far, the boat and crew is performing beautifully and I couldn’t be happier. The chart plotter says we are 1445nm from Hawaii and I am optimistic with the outcome!

 

[sleddog]

With Philippe's encouragement, I've built a website, http://skipallan.com , detailing my 22 foot custom expedition cat WILDFLOWER.

The goal of this exercise is to document the concept, history, and specifications of the boat. Someday she will be offered for sale or trade and with access to my website, it is rather more easy to describe the full package to interested parties.

If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to post them here on the Forum. Or e-mail skipallanatsbcglobal.net

 

[sleddog]

7/18/19

Dear Friends of SSS,

Santa Cruz County, home of Capitola Boat Club and Maritime Museum, has led the way nationally in banning single use plastic that ends up on our beaches, in our oceans, and in landfills.

Santa Cruz County is proposing to further explore single use plastic bans, especially ones harmful to the environment.

One proposal is a ban on helium balloons, a cause dear to my heart. Mylar balloons are made of foil covered plastic. Helium filled balloons often are intentionally released or escape their tethers. If the wind is offshore, they often end up in the ocean. I've seen many on Monterey Bay, on local beaches, and well offshore as well.



As can be imagined, once deflated, helium balloon remains can be mistaken for food by fish, turtles, birds, and other sea life.

I encourage you to check survey item #10 below and mark "agree with banning helium balloons in Santa Cruz County." I have spoken with the head of the survey and he said even though respondents may live out of our local zip codes, all responses will be delineated and noted to our County Board of Supes. In this case every vote counts wherever you live and maybe we can begin a movement to ban helium balloons.

Also, I'd request considering forwarding this survey site to friends. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SantaCruzCountyPlasticPollutionSurvey

Thanks!
~skip allan
Capitola, CA


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[AlanH]

NADELOS, Norwegian for "reckless" or "no mercy," is skippered by Ian Ferguson, at 29 years, youngest owner/skipper in the 2019 Transpac. Ian is on his first ocean passage and first time skippering any ocean race boat. 5 crew total.

NADELOS is an interesting design: narrow, light (12,500 lb.) smallish frac rig. Aft cabin, partial skeg hung rudder, tiller steered. Extreme (45 degree) sweep to leading edge of keel, NADELOS will be unlikely to snag stuff in the Transpac that vexes other more modern designs with more vertical keels.

View attachment 4540

Though an older design (1976) and cruiser/racer, the boat is obviously fast and currently leads all the Cal-40s boat for boat.

View attachment 4541

Wasa 55... That's actually 44 feet long. I think the "55" is for the displacement of 5500 kg. It looks a LOT like a Lady Helmsman...39 feet Håkan Södergren designer.

 

[sleddog]

A tough year for rudders and rigs in this year's recently concluded Transpac. Two masts broken for unknown reasons. Fortunately, the Fast 42 UHAMBO was able to finish at Diamond Head, looking a bit sorrowful.



Unknown exactly how many steering systems and rudders suffered damage or loss. At least 7. This is definitely the most stressed part of a boat in a breezy, mostly downwind race of 2,200 miles. One Santa Cruz 52, TRIUMPH, finished with its upper rudder bearing and hull/deck joint held in place by a well engineered Spanish windlass.

The Beneteau First 40.7 ONDE AMO was the last to lose its rudder, and is having to be towed to Honolulu. My guess is their emergency steering system didn't make the grade either.

Here's TRIUMPH's story:

On Day 3, we experienced a heavy clunking and thumping underfoot while steering the rudder on the driving platform. We didn't see any movement in the rudder post so we tried to put it out of our minds, for a while. However, the constant thumping and clunking grew worse and our concern grew. If the rudder is not firmly ensconced in its upper bearing, it can break loose and tear a hole in the boat from the inside like a can opener similar to what OEX experienced last week before sinking by ripping open a hole in the bottom and filling the hull with seawater.

The difference between our situation and that of OEX is that we were now 1,000 NM from land and were pressing forward to keep the boat racing while trying to devise a fix that will get us to Hawaii. So, we had a team meeting racing at full speed while making plans to abandon the boat in case we experienced the same fate that OEX did. Having a diverse crew on board is of such help with Gio being a rigger and Steve, Brad and the newest addition to the crew, Kate Shaner, being engineers. With the satellite phone we are, under the Racing Rules of Sailing, able to contact the boat builder and architect to derive a fix for the structural issue, which Gio had scratched out and the on-shore builders and designers confirmed the potential efficacy of. Gio's father and famous boat builder Geno Morrelli provided great reassurance that we had derived a stabilizing rudder repair, so while half the crew was supposed to be sleeping, they were working on the temporary fix while the rest of us kept focus on racing onwards in the high winds and seas. The repairs seem to be working and included Gio's “Spanish Windless” that Gio (and his father) had devised (they separately came to the same conclusion alone and confirmed that each thought the solution to be the best one) and it was installed after being sketched out by Kate. With Gunnar's help, they constructed a supporting structure to an area of the hull that seems to be strangely void of necessary bridging structure in an area of high stress. Removing the pad-eyes from less necessary uses supporting lee-cloth bunks, the spare parts kit was also rifled through for screws, nuts and washers. Gio and Gunnar then fashioned the lashing supports with Dyneema line that now holds the deck and hull together to avoiding a potential disaster. So, with fingers crossed and a strong engineering resolution to the problem at hand, we continue to rip along and we feel very confident that the repair will be adequate to get us across the finish line. The quiet confidence and fortitude of the entire crew was remarkable in keeping focus on moving forward while the steering below was being repaired.

 

[Gamayun]

Nice fix on Triumph! Notwithstanding Bob's recent AP issue, I'm pretty convinced there's almost nothing that can't be fixed at sea with sufficient Dynnema, duct tape and assorted stainless hardware Someone asked the other day what was causing all the rudder problems in this TransPac. I was wondering if this wasn't just the typical attrition rate, but given the sinking of OEX, perhaps there's a greater awareness because of the number of news articles covering the rescue this year. Does anyone have data on this from years past? It would be interesting to see an analysis on it that includes the type of boat, what broke and why (if possible).

 

[solosailor]

Håkan Södergren

Nice work on getting all the doohickies in there.

 

[sleddog]

Holy Cow, my brother and family were in Chatham, Cape Cod, MA yesterday when, without warning, two EF1 tornadoes came through town as part of a 5x15 mile super cell thunderstorm. Their Boston Whaler and outboard were flipped at its mooring by wind estimated at 110 mph. Several 40 foot sailboats on moorings were rolled and dismasted. Hundreds of trees down, a nearby hotel's roof went into orbit, and thousands without power..

https://www.facebook.com/Boston25News/videos/vb.168744703121/1342631082566687/?type=2&theater

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McpQR8Mw_o8

 

[sleddog]

Holy Cow, my brother and family were in Chatham, Cape Cod, MA yesterday when, without warning, two EF1 tornadoes came through town as part of a 5x15 mile super cell thunderstorm. Their Boston Whaler and outboard were flipped at its mooring by wind estimated at 110 mph.

Reportedly, the Whaler and its 40 hp outboard became airborne on its mooring as a waterspout, first sighted near Woods Hole, came ashore as an EF1 tornado just west of Chatham. Interestingly, the Whaler's AGM 12 volt battery was not affected by being submerged and the resulting short circuit fried the engine, wiring, and all the metal on the Whaler. The battery is the only thing still functional.

 

[AntsUiga]

Reportedly, the Whaler and its 40 hp outboard became airborne on its mooring as a waterspout, first sighted near Woods Hole, came ashore as an EF1 tornado just west of Chatham. Interestingly, the Whaler's AGM 12 volt battery was not affected by being submerged and the resulting short circuit fried the engine, wiring, and all the metal on the Whaler. The battery is the only thing still functional.

View attachment 4573

The circumstances and the photo generates some questions, or speculation.

The whaler may have been the lightest boat on a mooring, but there may be another similar skiff behind the red boat on the left side. Was it simply weight that made the whaler vulnerable? All the heavier boat seems to be OK, but no telling how much water in the bilge.

The roof removal on the earlier video was pretty dramatic.

Ants

 

[sleddog]

Hi Ants,
My brother likened the flipping of the Whaler to driving down the freeway at 110 mph with the Whaler on a trailer behind, unsecured...he thought the shape definitely helped the boat become airborne.

Reminds me of a time I was anchored at beautiful Pelican Harbor at Santa Cruz Island. It was blowing so hard my dinghy, an Avon Redcrest inflatable about 9' long, was continually airborne and spinning on its painter behind WILDFLOWER. That was the day I learned you never leave anything in the dinghy when tied up behind a boat. How windy was it? Stones the size of golf balls were blowing off the tops of the surrounding cliffs to windward. An inflatable from a neighbor's boat became detached and sailed by at eye level, coming to rest against a large cactus on shore..

 

[sleddog]

Someone asked the other day what was causing all the rudder problems in this TransPac. I was wondering if this wasn't just the typical attrition rate, but given the sinking of OEX, perhaps there's a greater awareness because of the number of news articles covering the rescue this year. Does anyone have data on this from years past? It would be interesting to see an analysis on it that includes the type of boat, what broke and why (if possible).

Due to missing and incomplete reports, it's difficult to analyze Transpac incidents and their causes.

One would believe equipment failures would lessen in modern times thanks to improved engineering and materials, coupled with lighter, faster boats lessening loads and more prepared and experienced crews. Curiously this has not proven true. The 2019 Transpac had more compromised steering incidents (7) than any previous race partly a result of record entry numbers (90) and the consistent wind and seas that produced high average speeds that put a premium on the steering integrity of both crew and boat.

Though Transpacific Race records date back to 1906, the dawn of fiberglass boats, aluminum spars and spade rudders racing to Hawaii began in 1965 with the appearance of the Cal-40. Since '65, there have been 66 Transpac races from California to Hawaii: 28 Transpacs (to Honolulu), 20 Singlehanded Transpacs (to Kauai), and 19 Pacific Cups (to Kauai and Kaneohe Bay.)

Prior to 1965, Transpac racers were mono-hulls with wooden hull and spars. Such construction was generally less robust: it was an (expensive) badge of honor to finish with a splintered spinnaker pole or a jury rigged (“fished”) main boom. In 1959 the 161' schooner GOODWILL finished first, re-rigged mid-ocean as a ketch after the 2 ton, main topmast broke. (See sleddog post #2789 of 8/27/2018 for this dramatic story.https://www.sfbaysss.org/forum/showthread.php?655-New-Boat-4-Sled&p=21493#post21493)

The 1977 Transpac had the most dismastings, 5 total, all occurring in the same area on a dark night during frequent strong squalls with confused cross seas. Carrying too much sail for the conditions was the primary blame. But there were other causes. Sailing by the lee was one.

Noteworthy, all 5 broken boats assembled jury rigs and logged excellent daily runs to the finish, NALU IV posting 165, 175, 162, and 175 mile 24 hour runs, while the Cal-40 CONCUBINE averaged 164 miles, and INCREDIBLE laid down a 184 mile day. In those days, Transpac racers were required to carry a heavy duty banding tool and stainless strapping for just such jury rig eventualities. For unknown reasons, this requirement has been discontinued.

Polling 66 Transpac Races (I do not include the Victoria to Maui Race as I don't have sufficient records) I have posted below the average percentage of racers per race suffering breakage or other disabling events. The average combined fleet size for the Honolulu Transpac, Pacific Cup, and Singlehanded Transpac has been 47 boats. These are not definitive numbers, some are estimates, and I welcome alternate thinking.

Dismastings = 3%
Broken spar or attachment (boom, spinnaker pole) other than mast = 5%
Steering Loss, all or partial = 7% (broken rudder, chain, quadrant sheave, bearing, tiller, etc.)
Loss or Reduction of Charging Ability = 3%
Significant Loss of Potable Water = 2% (leak, pressure water or watermaker failure,)
Sail Breakage = 50%
Loss of an AutoPilot or self steering (SHTP only) = 65%
MOB = .5% (4 in 49 races, excluding SHTP)
Failure of Compass Light = 20%
Detritus fouling keel, prop, or rudder, or hitting something = 65%
Instrumentation, Tracker, Radio Failure, All or Partial = 35%
Serious Medical Issue = 5% (skull fracture, perforated ulcer, broken ribs, staph infection.)
Sea Sickness = 75%
Retiring from Race = 6%
Abandonment of Vessel during Race = (5 total, 2 in SHTP, 1 in Honolulu Transpac, 2 in Pac Cup)
Loss of Vessel after Finish and Before Return to Mainland. = (9)

Other Unanticipated = 5%. Loss of mast on port tack J-36 GRYPHON in 1981 in prestart maneuvers when snagging rigs with mizzen of NATOMA; loss of skeg on 73 foot maxi GREYBEARD; loss of MEDICINE MAN just upwind and inshore of finish line when colliding with Diamond Head Reef; professional cook jumping overboard at West End of Catalina and retrieved by spectator boat; missing the finish due to navigational error (3).

In 1979 Transpac MERLIN lost cooking ability half way due to failure of a $12 propane regulator. (The top of the engine was used to heat water and fry eggs.) A Santana 35, FRIENDSHIP, with a broken rudder, was lifted aboard Navy ship in the 1980 Pac Cup.

The potential for jury rigging repairs while racing Transpacs has been part of the sport since early beginnings, and remains a valuable skill to this day. Needless to say, the better prepared and tested a boat and crew are, the lessening of chances of calamity.

Just because the rudder has gone, or the mast broken, doesn't necessarily mean DNF. In some exceptions broken boats have won trophies. Here are just a few memories . The schooner FLYING CLOUD in 1949 sailed the last two days with jury rigged steering after watching their rudder bob to the surface and float away behind. FLYING CLOUD continued racing, won Class A, and was only a few hours from winning overall.

RAGTIME in 1981 came flying down the Molokai Channel with no rudder, steering with twin jibs.

And who can forget CHEVAL in 1995 losing her mast on the last jibe before the Molokai Channel, her crew quickly jury rigging allowing CHEVAL to average over 8 knots for the last 40 miles and win the Barn Door Trophy.



And of course there is our own RUBEN on the 26' SPARKY who sailed the last 500 miles of the 2008 SHTP under jury rig.



PS: If you have a question or would like further details about above incidents or percentages, please post here and I will try to be more definitive.

 

[AlanH]

That's a fascinating compendium of mishap, Skip...and really valuable to think over.

 

[Gamayun]

Wow, that's an amazingly thoughtful and comprehensive analysis. There's so much there there that I don't know where to begin. I do have "change LPG regulator and rest of hoses" as an item for the PacCup next summer. That one does worry me, but I'd really like to hear you expand on the issue with "Failure of Compass Light = 20%." Is this because of hand steering at night? Dang. I would have thought a jury-rigged small flashlight in the right spot would be the answer to that. I am going to have to put "fix the broken compass wire" back on the To Do list....

 

[Philpott]

I am going to have to put "fix the broken compass wire" back on the To Do list....

I remember when you bought that new, beautiful compass. I have a crimper and a bic.

 

[Howard Spruit]

When moving a flash lite around a compass the little needle keeps pointing at the flash lite, Having the tools on board to repair the light is advisable.