New Boat 4 Sled

[AlanH]

Beginning this time of year, I begin to be asked about emergency steering. The first thing I say to prospective participants is this:

Whatever emergency steering (ES) is chosen should be able to be fitted offshore and in a seaway. It should work at speed using white sails balanced on a reach and with twin jibs downwind. The emergency steering system should also work with a tiller pilot and/or wind vane, and get you to the finish line before the race deadline. Otherwise your belt buckle is for naught.

ES is an issue for everyone. I'm pleased to see Jackie organizing an on-the-water gathering for Jan. 11 & 12th at RYC.

Some solutions are easier and cheaper than others depending on transom configuration and pocket book. Some worry less about weight, complexity, and speed and say "I'll use a drogue to steer."

I do know everyone's ES works in theory. In practice, less so.

The problem is keeping the back of the boat at the back and the bow pointed at the destination. Easier said than done. It involves some sort of lateral resistance aft to keep the stern inline.

The resistance provided can be a spinnaker pole, a drogue, anchor chain or milk crate. The trade off is the more the drag, the slower the boat speed. Going slow for a long distance gets old fast.

Emergency steering doesn't have to be mounted exactly on centerline. Transoms are often thin laminates and structure needs to be considered often with hefty back up plates

The SC-70 PYEWACKET had a cool and tested ES rudder that mounted on a transom track. Their main rudder went away in a TransAtlantic race and the ES rudder was quickly deployed and steered nicely at speeds to 9 knots. Robbie wanted to go faster, so they set their spinnaker, the boat jumped to 12 knots, and the transom track ripped off.

If I were an inspector, which I'm not, I'd want a video of one's ES being mounted in the ocean in wind and seas greater than 15 knots. I'd also want to see the boat tacking and/or gybing, and then steering a couple of miles in a reasonably straight direction.

Two after thoughts. One is carrying a substantial bung to pound into a rudder tube to knock out a damaged or bent rudder shaft.

The other is the goal of getting downwind with twin jibs and no rudder.. For a sprit boat to accomplish this, two poles are needed, and two butt end attachment points on the front of the mast. How many sprit boats have a mast attachment point? Slim to none.

Questions? I can be reached at eight3one-four75-zero278

I've tried the spinnaker pole-backstay-piece of plywood thing...though it was a "dedicated" aluminum pole, not a spinnaker pole and it didn't work on my H-Boat. I mean...."it worked" as in if I had seriously reduced sails, I could move the boat around, to one side or another of a straight line. Tacking? No. How? You have to let go of the pole to move the jib around to the other side....round-up! Besides, how to you sleep? On a 32 foot boat with eight crew...MAYBE.

Maybe. After all, steering oars worked for the Vikings and the Polynesians, but they had a LOT of crew. If you're alone the system HAS to work with a self-steering system of some kind. That seems obvious, yes? .....but I've seen

oh, never mind.

 

[Philpott]

Is there any likelihood of a summary video? Ants

The ER Seminar video will probably look like this one from 2018: https://vimeo.com/261427394

For sure, if other people make their own videos and post them here, that would be awesome.

 

[sleddog]

Walking at dawn this morning, I came upon a sad sight. a 27 foot "H" boat, especially popular in Europe.



Though CBC's membership encourages sailing on a budget, this incipient shipwreck is not what was in mind. In talking with the owner, he bought the boat for cheap in Redwood City, and with "his girl" aboard, set sail for points south. No safety gear, no radio, no anchor, no sense.

Improbably, after 2 weeks they made Capitola last evening, where the shoreline proximity exceeded their skillset. ...the rudder is now gone, the boat filling with water and sand. Owner says maybe he can buy an anchor and get it off. Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary officials are skeptical, and say if the boat is not removed, there will be financial consequences.

Between a rock and a hard place, the owner has no money. Says " I'm willing to donate the boat. Or maybe I can buy an anchor for $10 and pull it off at high tide."

When pigs fly.

 

[Howard Spruit]

I have been under the impression that when pigs do fly thet go south at the end of october, so I suggest the owner of the beached boat test the power of prayer.

 

[sleddog]

Sadly, the Safari tourist helo on Kauai encountered bad weather when descending Nualolo Valley (above photo) on the Napali Coast, Island of Kauai, and crashed into a sheer cliff, falling 100 feet before exploding into flame.

Flying through a narrow canyon in near zero viz, rain, cloud, and wind is chancy at best. Why a "safety conscious" senior pilot with 12 years experience but no instrument rating took his 6 passengers down this gorge at sunset is unknown.

100 feet above ground is well below FAA requirements for helo tours.

"Flying under the cloud layer for better views" has been mentioned by knowledgeable sources.

This disaster has been only the most recent of 18 civilian helicopter crashes in Hawaii in the last 5 years. It's big business. Apparently no one is willing to say it's also dangerous when big money is involved.

 

[sleddog]

Walking at dawn this morning, I came upon a sad sight. a 27 foot "H" boat, especially popular in Europe.

View attachment 4976

Owner says maybe he can buy an anchor and get it off. Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary officials are skeptical, and say if the boat is not removed, there will be financial consequences.

... the owner has no money. Says " I'm willing to donate the boat. Or maybe I can buy an anchor for $10 and pull it off at high tide."

When pigs fly.

3 days after taking the ground, this stout little, Finnish designed and built yacht persists. The owner has skipped town, and the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary is left holding the ball for removal.

The H-Boat is filled with water and sand, and the keel is buried. Low tide is after dark.

MBMS, a Federal entity, had to go with the low bid, passing up some more qualified operators with bigger equipment.

As I watched this afternoon, the little front hoe that could gave a valiant pull on a large diameter, braided, 3 strand, nylon hawser secured around what remains to be seen of the H-boat. "Twang!" The hawser, clearly having seen better days, snapped and recoiled, nearly taking the front hoe operator's head off.

What happens next is unclear. With nylon hawsers breaking, pigs aren't flying here at CBC, at least not yet.

 

[sleddog]

A sunny New Years day. Somehow, last evening, the remains of the hull, minus most of its underbody and keel, was dragged up the beach about 50'..*..

The chainsaw and dumpster await.
*
Turns out today's big surf broke the hull free of the keel and keel structure and washed the hull up the beach 50 feet, saving possibly hours of toiling with the front hoe excavator.

 

[sleddog]

Waiting until the last day of 2019, the winner of our local Santa Cruz CBC station Darwin Award goes to:

https://www.ksbw.com/article/dramatic-video-of-boony-doon-beach-goer-swept-away-by-wave/30370540

 

[AlanH]

NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

That's my old H-Boat!!!! That's my old "Quiet Victory" !!!!! NOOOOoooo........ She was in Redwood City, just two months ago, I left a note in the companionway! I did a Longpac on that boat!


Awwww. SHIT.

 

[AlanH]

Skip, do you know the name of the company that pulled her up on the beach and cut her up?

 

[AntsUiga]

Turns out today's big surf broke the hull free of the keel and keel structure and washed the hull up the beach 50 feet, saving possibly hours of toiling with the front hoe excavator.

Do I spy the remnants of footprints of the gypsy salvage brigade as the surf washes away all traces?

Ants

 

[sleddog]

Do I spy the remnants of footprints of the gypsy salvage brigade as the surf washes away all traces?
Ants

Yes. 3 workers from a commercial salvage company, the lady head director for Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary Water Quality, and I worked until well after dark last night removing all traces of Alan's H boat from Capitola Beach. The only thing we didn't do was rake the sand.

The was some equipment on the boat, notably 2 Harken primary winches, that possibly would have been worth something. But the sharp fiberglas edges of the remains made it too hazardous to think about "gypsy salvage."



Sorry, Alan, to bring this sad news about your ex-QUIET VICTORY. I do not know the name of the salvage company that hauled her away.

 

[Intermission]

The was some equipment on the boat, notably 2 Harken primary winches, that possibly would have been worth something. But the sharp fiberglass edges of the remains made it two hazardous to think about "gypsy salvage."

Next time two Harken winches wash up on the beach, call me, I've got this battery powered reciprocating saw that would have had those out in 3 shakes.

 

[Philpott]

Next time two Harken winches wash up on the beach, call me, I've got this battery powered reciprocating saw that would have had those out in 3 shakes.

They looked like small self tailing Harkens. Just the right size for DM's main halyard on her starboard cabin top. Oh well. I guess I can't hang around with Skip every time a boat comes ashore. What is it about Capitola Beach, anyway? It's like a boat magnet.

 

[sleddog]

They looked like small self tailing harkens. Just the right size for DM's main halyard on her starboard cabin top. Oh well. I guess I can't hang around with Skip every time a boat comes ashore. What is it about Capitola Beach, anyway? It's like a boat magnet.

The most spectacular beaching came early one September morning in 1980. There were 14 boats at anchor in 15-25 feet of water off Capitola Beach the previous evening. I heard the surf rise overnight, and hustled down to the beach at dawn to see the happenings.

13 boats were totally gone...the biggest piece on the beach was a hatch board.

But wait, there's a yellow Santa Cruz 27 still at anchor in the midst of the 15-25 foot surf.

As we watched, SUMO broke loose and headed for the beach bow first. Then something unexpected happened: SUMO was bodily picked up by an extra big wave and did 3 consecutive forward somersaults (pitchpoles) before landing on her side high on the beach.

We couldn't believe it if we hadn't seen it. The only damage to SUMO was a broken mast, bent rudder and bow pulpit. Bobbo retrieved the trailer and SUMO was hauled to Bill Lee's for further examination. Nope, no damage. She was racing the next weekend and still competes to this day.

 

[AlanH]

Nate Tuffanelli installed those Harkens. I sold the boat to Nate, he raced her in the SSS under the boat name "Locadai". Nate sold her to whoever had her in Redwood City.

H-Boats don't have bow pulpits. I had that pulpit made for Quiet Victory so that I could put on lifelines to race outside the Gate.

How about the mast? ...the boom?

Was it Bridgit Hoover you were working with? I've e-mailed her.

 

[Philpott]

Woo hoo! Great story! You see that we have a Santa Cruz 27 signed up for The Race? The fella who rides ... er, sails her lives on Rattlesnake Lane in Missoula, Montana. What’s that truck advertising phrase: “Ford tough”? Santa Cruz 27s are “Lee tough”. Obviously.

 

[BobJ]

Nate Tuffanelli installed those Harkens. I sold the boat to Nate, he raced her in the SSS under the boat name "Locadai". Nate sold her to whoever had her in Redwood City.

H-Boats don't have bow pulpits. I had that pulpit made for Quiet Victory so that I could put on lifelines to race outside the Gate.

How about the mast? ...the boom?

Projects carefully considered and then completed. I'm sorry Alan. I can't imagine seeing Troubadour or Ragtime! wrecked like that.

 

[sleddog]

Older wooden wharves on our coast line have always been subject to damage from powerful winter surf. This year is no different as the Capitola Wharf, down the hill, is closed due to damage. It appears the area near the hoist is collapsing, closing off access to the restaurant and store.

 

[sleddog]

What is it about Capitola Beach, anyway? It's like a boat magnet.

For a New Year's quiz with a local Capitola history walk as a prize, what else has washed up nearby? More than one answer may/may not be true. Any/all correct answers win.

1. hundreds of large, attack squid.
2. an armada of of port tack sailors, unable to tack or gybe and gain searoom.
3. a fully armed US Naval submarine.
4. Santa Claus
5. Thousands of deceased mutton birds, inspiring a famous movie.
6. A tank ship built of cement.
7. A fully crewed ocean racing sailboat following it's GPS chartplotter to Santa Cruz Harbor, only to become painfully aware that's its shortest course had taken them overland.
8. A 25 boat fleet of 7 foot, non-rightable dinghies in an ocean ("Transpac") race.
9. A classic, 125 foot black schooner.