New Boat 4 Sled

[sleddog]

The paved bike path to Woods Hole took us along an abandoned railroad right-of-way, along the southern coast of Cape Cod. Woods Hole, MA, is a village (900 residents), physically about the size of my home town, Capitola, CA.

Woods Hole lies at the extreme southwestern tip of Cape Cod, and, besides lobster tacos, is best known as the center of several famous marine science institutions, including Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Marine Biological Laboratory, the Woods Hole Research Center, NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center, a USGS coastal and marine geology center, and the home campus of the Sea Education Association.

For such a small town, there are a lot of other maritime interests, including the Coast Guard Headquarters for SE New England, the 1876 Nobska Light lighthouse, and the ferry landing to the island of Martha's Vineyard.

At the two room Woods Hole Yacht Club we met "Skip," the harbor master, who filled us in on the history of the place. Overhead was a navigation light and weather instrument tower that was no longer functioning due to a large osprey nest, one of more than 100 on Cape Cod.

There were about 100 moorings in Woods Hole Harbor, and 25 more inside Eel Pond, a landlocked hurricane hole, reachable only through a narrow channel bisected by a drawbridge.

I queried Skip about the beautiful, double-ended ketch in the anchorage. He said it was the WALTER GREEN, sister to the 42 foot Sidney Herreshoff ARION, the first big boat ever built of fiberglass, in 1950-51. ARION, an ultralight at 10,500 pounds, also featured a spade rudder and fin keel.

Check out the pics of ARION and the cold moulded WALTER GREEN sailing side by side.

https://static.squarespace.com/stat...ff7/1361224319987/WoodenBoat_JennyBennett.pdf

We stopped at the nearby Nobska Lighthouse. The breeze was blowing SW, 25, gusting 27 knots, for the downwind bike ride back to the car. Vineyard Sound's 4 knot tide made Woods Hole's offshore waters look like the entrance to the Golden Gate with wind against tide. Rough would be an understatement if you were attempting to sailing southbound.

 

[sleddog]

The recent court ordered re-opening of access to Martin's Beach, near Half Moon Bay, is good news for all Californians who value the beauty and recreation of our Pacific Coast. Without public access, coastal and ocean fronting property down to the high tide line can be bought by the very wealthy, and getting to a favorite surf spot or ocean view can be gated off, and beaches can become privatized.

I am currently in the NE United States on recon as to this area's suitability for potential future exploration with my 22', shallow draft, catamaran. Here in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, private property extends seaward from the high tide line to the low tide line (Mean Low Tide).

By 17th Century Colonial Law, four other states (Maine, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Delaware) have similar tideland restrictions. Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey are different, and private property ends at the high tide line. In many places in the NE, if you leave footprints in the sand, surf, or scuba dive, you can be trespassing.

Although there are historical easements for "fishing, fowling, or navigation" on private Massachusetts tidelands, exact definitions are hard to come by. Apparently, legally, you can carry a shotgun to hunt birds ("fowling"), but not binoculars to bird watch. Likewise, carrying a harpoon or fishing pole aboard your dinghy or SUP may help gain access to coastal waters and beaches. But carrying a surfboard can land you in trouble.

Due to the shallow, rocky, tidal, and environmentally sensitive nature of many East Coast harbors, private mooring buoys occupy many potential anchorages. Anchoring is either illegal or actively discouraged here, and visitors have the additional navigational challenge of determining where to drop the hook if they don't want to pay $35-$50 a night, or more, for a guest mooring.

 

[sleddog]

Since being a kid, lighthouses have been like catnip. Aboard L-36 HOLIDAY we would regularly pass Angels Gate Lighthouse at the entrance to San Pedro Harbor (S.Cal) The Lighthouse was built on the tip of the West San Pedro breakwater, and we would see laundry drying on the line, and wave to the lighthouse keeper's kids as they played on the rocks.

I recently visited Cape Cod's 50 mile long eastern shoreline, a lee shore in most storm conditions and historically a magnet for shipwrecks. Over 1,000 wrecks recorded since 1623. Thanks to President JFK in 1961, this 50 mile beach is now a protected National Seashore, its history, beauty and wildlife preserved for future generations. Cape Cod National Seashore could be generously compared to our own Pt. Reyes National Seashore. They have a lot in common, including shipwrecks.

A small industry flourished on Cape Cod, scavenging wrecks. Nothing was wasted, neither wood, cloth, nor metal, when a ship came ashore. Even Native Americans got into the act.

Life saving stations were established every five miles on Cape Cod. Lighthouses were built, topped out by the technologically new Fresnel lenses, which magnified the light for a distance of 20 miles.

Famous Highland Light was the first (and tallest) lighthouse built on Cape Cod in 1797, and shone a single white light seaward at the NE tip. At the southern end of Cape Cod, the twin Chatham lighthouses were built, so as to show two lights seaward. And midway between, three identical lighthouses were built side-by-side in 1836. The Three Sisters' three lights were then distinguishable from Highland Light's single light to the north and Chatham's two to the south.

The Three Sisters are still there, although decommissioned and moved 1/4 mile landward from the edge of the cliff, which is eroding at an average of 3' per year. Cape Cod's shoreline, being mostly sandy, is under constant erosion .....same as our Pacific Coast.

Below is a pic of the Three Sisters I took. Legend has it they were named "Sisters," as they appeared to have identical black bonnets and white skirts.

Interesting concept: building three lighthouses side by side.

 

[sleddog]

As the fog burned off, an apparition of an island appeared about a mile off the Santa Cruz Harbor breakwater.

There are no islands out there. It's open ocean.

The fog burned off some more, and the island took the shape of a warship, specifically an aircraft carrier.

Radio contact between the carrier and the Santa Cruz Harbormaster revealed only that the floating island was a "Naval warship conducting anchoring practice."

Rainer's I-Pad AIS went into action for further identification. It was the USS CHESTER NIMITZ, CVN 68, a 1092' "Super Carrier" with 6,000 crew visiting Santa Cruz waters. I guess no one told the captain we are a "Nuclear Free Zone." As if that might matter.

The NIMITZ's anchors weigh 30 tons each, shackled to 1,082 feet of chain, with each link weighing 365 pounds. That's 735,000 pounds or 367.5 tons of anchor and rode on the NIMITZ's bow. And there are two, or 735 tons total. You wouldn't want a super carrier to drag anchor.

My contact aboard the NIMITZ revealed their "anchoring practice" off Santa Cruz was really to test the efficacy of lighter anchors and chain. The new anchors were half the weight, at 15 tons each, the links in the chain weighed 136 pounds each, and they were carrying 1,440 feet of all chain rode per anchor.

Clearly, Chuck Hawley, safety officer from West Marine, had given the Navy a sales pitch. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wardroom wall when Chuck announced, "Captain, your anchors are too heavy." "Bow down trim went out with the IOR."

In 1993, Chuck chartered the SC-70 MIRAGE for a morning of anchor testing off Santa Cruz Harbor. With a 10 person contingent of West Marine staff and sales reps watching in amusement, Chuck slipped a new 4 pound West Marine anchor, attached to 6 feet of chain, over the bow. Chuck paid out about 75 feet of rope and gave the order: "slow astern!"

In retrospect, I now know Chuck knew exactly the composition of the bottom where MIRAGE was anchoring. Not only did the 4 pound anchor hold the 25,000 pound, 68 footer, but it held in full reverse, 3,000 RPM's spinning the 18" Martec prop. The 3/8" nylon line was singing.

OK, granted Martec props aren't very good in reverse. But Chuck proved his point, whatever it was.

I don't know if the new, lighter anchors on the NIMITZ passed their test. After a few hours she steamed away, west bound, back into the fog.

 

[red roo]

From the SF Examiner: Skip and WILDFLOWER in the 1978 SHTP. As most of you may know, by 1978 Skip was regarded as the best offshore skipper in the world, having helmed IMP to victory in both the ultra prestigious, record turnout 1977 Fastnet Race and the 1977 SORC series. With Skip at the helm, IMP also achieved top boat status in the 1977 Admiral's Cup, informally known as the World Championships of Offshore Racing. Earlier in the decade, sleddog had skippered IMPROBABLE to numerous important international wins.

 

[sleddog]

Spectating the "Premier Ocean Race in the World," the current edition of the Volvo Around the World Race, makes baseball look like a NASCAR Racing. Knotmeters aboard the seven Volvo-65's, with their multi-million dollar programs and professional crews, have been stuck on triple Zeros as sails flap in the Doldrums. The Doldrums, aka ITCZ or Intertropical Convergence Zone, is the area of low atmospheric pressure just north of the Equator that produces frequent calms, squalls, and stifling heat.

Having crossed the ITCZ six times, I can imagine life aboard the Volvo-65's: to save weight, the interiors are unpainted, black, carbon fiber. There's no fans, vents, sleeping sheets, pillows, or a cold drink. What you get is the sticky sweat of your bunk mate and maybe an energy bar.

The origin of the word "doldrum" comes from old English "dol," "dolt," and "dold." All meant "stupid," or "foolish." Granted, the best prepared and most experienced Volvo crews will invariably come out ahead. But as the Volvo crews currently drift through the doldrums, the Race is being headlined as a "lottery."

Who dreamed up the current Volvo course that takes the fleet crisscrossing the Doldrums six times on their lap around the world? What happened to the old days when the same race, then known as the Whitbread, saw the fleet digging deep into the Roaring 40's, even the Furious 50's, surfing for weeks on end, often in Westerly Gales?

Oh, I forgot. It's about the money.

Wake me as the Volvo Race approaches Cape Town.

Maybe the second leg from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi in the Persian Gulf will create excitement as the Volvo fleet sails through pirate ville offshore Somalia, thence into the neighborhood of Middle East warring tribes, smugglers, warships, and air force weaponry.

If you want to spectate a fun and less expensive sailing race, consider visiting San Francisco the last weekend in January and assisting the SSS Race Committee on the Bridge Deck of the Golden Gate Yacht Club for the 3 Bridge Fiasco.

 

[BobJ]

There's something wacky with the forum - you have to keep hitting the refresh button to see your posts. Maybe pogen can inquire?

 

[H Spruit]

AT 8M sunday nite My computer gave me an "ERROR" message and said they could not open it at all.

"I saw Sleddog at Coffee Club at Santa Cruz Harbor on Sat. Morning. He misses being able to read and post on the SSS Forum, and hopes technical difficulties will be reconciled soon."

 

[red roo]

Agreed, BobJ. Even though the thread keeps rejecting my attempts to log in, when I hit 'refresh', I discover that the thread has logged me in after all. Apparently sled's tech issues are more complicated so hopefully they'll get sorted for him, pronto. I'm looking forward to a possible future sleddog editorial on technology.

In WestMarine recently, I spotted an attractive photo of boats on the cover of a Gougeon Epoxyworks brochure. And there's WILDFLOWER (with sleddog)!

 

[sleddog]

"Banned in Boston" is no idle threat.

On a recent lap around New England, my last stop was Boston. Shortly thereafter, my access to the SSS Forum was denied. Couldn't Log-In, Read, or Post/Edit.

Unsung SSS Webmaster/Administer Dave N advised that my IP (Internet Protocol) address somehow got on a list of "banned addresses."

I didn't know whether to feel chagrined or honored. After all, I was in good company. Also banned at one time in Bean Town was Walt Whitman's ", Leaves of Grass," and Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" and "A Farewell to Arms." Even the Everly Brothers became persona non grata in Boston when they came out with their classic "Wake Up Little Susie"

I thought back, trying to remember where I had been overly salacious or seditious.

I changed my IP address. Difficulties persisted. A pop up box would appear, telling me "you cannot be processed because your token has expired."

The only "token" I could think of was needed to ride the Boston MTA (subway.) Some of us remember the Kingston Trio's hit song, telling us about Charlie, doomed to "ride forever 'neath the streets of Boston." Was I to be like Charlie: "the man who never returned?" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7Jw_v3F_Q0

If you are reading this, I'm back. Which may be a good or bad thing. Thank you for the concern. And thank you Dave N.

 

[sleddog]

At Coffee Club last Saturday morning, the denizens were discussing how to increase my catamaran's stability. Water ballast tanks and plumbing were mentioned, but discarded as being space invasive and expensive.

Howard Spruit brought up the idea of kick-up leeboards with foils, kinda like an overgrown Sabot. The "L" foils point inboard, and lift the leeward hull, counteracting the sail and rigging force that depresses it.

Mark brought up the idea of inflatable sponsons, something he says they use on kayaks and SUP's.

Inflatables? Hmmmm. Sounds interesting. As we were about to disperse, what should arrive by astral-telepathy from "sicilia" but a pen and ink drawing of a 25 foot inflatable trimaran raft, the American NON-PAREIL, that, 147 years ago, sailed across the Atlantic in June/July of 1867 in the time of 43 days.
(NP's passage took her from Sandy Hook, NY, to Southampton, England, an extra distance of at least a week from the traditional "finish" at the Lizard Point.)

NON-PAREIL had a hull of three India-rubber, inflatable, tubes 25 feet long and 2 1/2 feet in diameter. These large tubes were strongly secured by ropes to a wooden frame 21 feet long and 12 1/2 feet wide, the "bridgedeck" in modern terms.

NON-PAREIL's three man crew lived on deck in a canvas tent, with only an oil lantern for heat, light, and cooking. NON-PAREIL was offered help by a number of ships, both steam and sail, but never needed any, although her crew did accept an invitation to dinner aboard a ship in mid-ocean one calm evening.

The Illustrated London News of August 10, 1867, said the purpose of the voyage was to test the practicability of a life-saving raft for deep-sea work.

NON-PAREIL's crew was welcomed by members of the prestigious Royal Yacht Squadron, at Cowes, Isle of Wight, and she was shown to members of the Royal Family who were on board one of their yachts at the time.

As for WILDFLOWER, my catamaran, the cheapest and most efficient method of increasing stability is, as Howard invariably points out, "Reef Early, Reef Often..."

 

[Santana20Vixen]

Holy Smokes... rubber life rafts over 100yrs ago... boggles the mind.

 

[BobJ]

Traps, a really long hiking stick, and lots more doughnuts.

Welcome back, Sled.

 

[H Spruit]

The comment "Reef Early, Reef Often..." reminds me of the days when the Santa Cruz Harbor first opened,(in the 60s) and many of us new bees thought that too much sail area was not enough, and would let our feelings be heard at the Club. I remember that one of the "OLD Salts" at the time said to me, son "The older you get the shorter your mast gets, the larger your engine gets, and the area used for sail bags gets replaced with fuel tanks.

 

[sleddog]

Some incredulity has greeted the report the Super Carrier USS NIMITZ recently anchored off Santa Cruz without her accompanying strike force and protection.

Below are two photos: first was taken by Rainer shows the NIMITZ off Santa Cruz Mile Buoy. The second shows the NIMITZ doing the Pt.Sur Bash at 30 knots. It must be nice having two nuclear reactors turning four prop shafts to get to windward...

 

[pogen]

Nothing goes to weather like plutonium.

 

[brianb]

Did nt Dennis Conner try that on a keel in an America's cup ?

 

[sleddog]

Tropical Storm Vance has formed SW of Acapulco. Vance is the 20th named tropical in the Eastern Pacific this hurricane season, the most since 1992.

TS Vance is currently headed west, but is forecast to intensify to hurricane status and curve north, then northeast, likely impacting Baja and/or the Mexican mainland the middle of next week. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_ep1.shtml?5-daynl#contents

Despite the Grand Poobah's pronouncement this week that "a late tropical storm forming is remote and just grew more remote," the fleet of 131 southbound Baja Ha-Ha yachts may experience weather to the contrary after reaching Bahia Santa Maria Monday. Bahia Santa Maria is 3/4's of the way down the Pacific Side of Baja, and open to the south, the direction from which Vance's swell will arrive. Surfers should be ecstatic. Others, less so.

 

[sleddog]

Howard Spruit and I have been fortunate to have a job of refurbishing a vintage (1971) Boston Whaler. This boat, a 16'6” “Montauk” version, has, like many of its sisters, been abused over its 43 years, but still has a long and useful life ahead.

Since their initial production in 1958, Boston Whalers have enjoyed an intensely loyal following of owners and admirers. This broad allegiance is primarily due not only to their exceedingly stable hull shape and large carrying capacity, but also to their legendary and trademarked “unsinkable legend.”

In the 1950s, polyurethane foam, a stiff, lightweight, buoyant material, was
invented. Boston Whaler used this new foam in their hulls as the core material. Originally, the foam was just poured into the air gap between the hulls and allowed to expand. But this did not work, and molds were made so the foam could be inserted during the fiberglassing process.

Initial ads, made famous in Life Magazine, showed Boston Whalers being cut in half while afloat, then the back half towing the front half home. Boston Whalers' ability to remain afloat when filled with water is a major reason the Navy and Coast Guard used them during the Vietnam War. Bullet holes had little effect on the Boston Whaler's capabilities. Their load capacity, seaworthiness, speed, stability, and ability of being able to continue operation even when filled with water has, for generations, made the Boston Whaler much prized as a yacht club tender, race committee, and rescue boat.

Boston Whalers were originally designed by Ray Hunt, one of the most innovative and highly respected yacht designers of his era. Hunt was also well known for his designs of the 110, the beautiful and fast Concordia yawl, and the deep V hull of the Bertram “Moppie” ocean racing powerboat.

For the original Boston Whaler, Ray Hunt used a “cathedral hull,” a type of V-bottomed vestigial trimaran where the center hull has two smaller side hulls (training wheels) that extend almost as far forward as the main hull. (photo 3 below) Further aft, the three hulls merge into a flat bottom shape, that promotes planing. This cathedral hull resulted in the Boston Whaler's signature shape: a broad bow and almost rectangular hull form.

As soon as Howard gets new wheel bearings and bunk rollers for the trailer, this Boston Whaler "legend" will be ready to return to its home in Lake Tahoe.

 

[sleddog]

The biggest, baddest, boldest, and most technologically advanced America's Cup defender was not RANGER, the awe inspiring J boat (135' LOA); not the star-crossed New Zealand KZ1 of 1988 (120'); and not the giant BMW Oracle wing sail trimaran of 2010 (120'.)

It was RELIANCE, the 200' gaff rigged cutter designed by the “Wizard of Bristol,” Nathanael Herreshoff, and built by his Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. RELIANCE was launched in 1903, and so completely dominated the challenger, Sir Thomas Lipton's SHAMROCK III, that the measurement rule was changed, and RELIANCE never sailed again and was scrapped 10 years later.

I recently had the pleasure of viewing photos and the remaining parts of RELIANCE on display at the Herreshoff Museum in Bristol. For hours, I couldn't believe what I was reading or seeing.

RELIANCE was the largest gaff rigged cutter ever built. She measured 145' on deck, with a main boom length of 108' and a bowsprit that extended to East Jesus.

RELIANCE's hollow wood mast was 200' (20 stories) and featured a telescoping topmast that could be retracted and extended from inside the mainmast. A single spreader on this massive rig was 34' long.

Her spinnaker pole was 84' and RELIANCE flew 16,160 square feet of sail, more than twice that of the J Boats. RELIANCE's mainsail was so big that a 4” diameter, manila mainsheet, 1000' feet in length and wound on a giant spool, was used to trim the sail.

Despite her 100 ton cast lead keel at a depth of 19', RELIANCE was so tender she went rail down in 12 knots of wind when she was making 15 knots boat speed. To assist steering, RELIANCE's hollow rudder could be pumped full of air or sea water to weight or unweight the force on the steering system

To captain RELIANCE, legendary professional skipper Charlie Barr was in charge. Captain Barr had a crew of 64 pros, of whom 12 were stationed below decks manning the 9 two speed winches controlling the sheets and halyards. Except for these winches, there were no interior accommodations. RELIANCE's inside was bare bones as befitted her sole purpose: to win the America's Cup.

RELIANCE was a tour de force of structural and engineering marvelosity. Every cleat, hook, shackle, and turnbuckle was specially designed to save weight. RELIANCE's deck was aluminum plates, covered with cork linoleum (or canvas) to give good footing to her crew.

More on RELIANCE in a future post. Numbers and photos don't do Nathanael Herreshoff's RELIANCE full justice. To this end, RELIANCE is currently being recreated at 1/6th scale and to exacting detail at the Herreshoff Maritime Museum for all to enjoy. http://therelianceproject.com/