Return to the home page...

Go Back   Moyer Marine Atomic 4 Community - Home of the Afourians > Discussion Topics > Safety

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #26   IP: 24.224.152.244
Old 06-30-2013, 04:20 PM
Mo's Avatar
Mo Mo is offline
Afourian MVP
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Halifax NS,
Posts: 4,470
Thanks: 292
Thanked 411 Times in 272 Posts
Smile

Quote:
Originally Posted by roadnsky View Post
Mo-
I'm mostly a solo sailor too...

In the summer months where I sail, I've learned to keep a wary eye out for similar "sneaky" winds.
The summer thunderstorms that build in the desert around here can easily push a wind front with gusts in the 50's and even 60's sometimes.
The advantage here is that you can "see" the wind coming much farther out.
Typically, the first thing to spot is the building thunderclouds.
Once I see that, depending how far out I am, that's when I make a decision to either head in or start prepping for the inevitable squall.

I'm also always watching in every direction for the telling dust clouds that warn of something strong coming.

Before I learned to spot these tell tails, I got knocked down a few times. Even ripped an old sail.
Let me tell you... THAT gets your attention!
I now can give myself a good 4-5 minutes to get prep'd for a coming blow.
My headsail isn't a roller, but I have it rigged to get it down and lashed quickly when I need to.
It still gets the blood pumping when I see that dark boiling water coming my way like a freight train.

It's during those times when I have to ride one out, that I really depend on my little A4 to make the difference.
Riding out a blow here with just sails can be very challenging because I'm surrounded by land.
Granted, it's usually miles away, but running along at 6-8 knots those miles disappear quickly and pretty soon you're looking at coming about.

As Neil advises, checking the forecast can sometimes keep me in the slip to do a chore or project.
But our weather forecasts in the summer are almost always the same, so if I wanna go out I have to always keep a wary watch.
I hear ya Jerry,
In 2009 I was caught offshore a ways and the wind came up gusting up to 45kts. Rode those conditions 4 hours and the boat was fine...I was tired but the boat was fine. I saw that coming and was able to get the main down, survival suit on, harness etc.

Yesterday's little incident was different. Winds were as forcasted...20 with gusts to 30 or so. Vis was 2 miles at the best with drizzle and rain but we had that period around 3pm where it really gusted up.

When that squall hit the boat didn't go over gently...it was slam. Winches were in the water, cockpit curtains underwater, water coming around the edge of the dodger (now flat in the water). Lazarette hatch flung open and water swuirlling by and in. Funny how it seemed in slow motion, I hooked my foot on the hatch and as it was heavy with water, raised my knee and closed it....stood straight up on the side there while still over turning the helm to port to keep her from crossing the wind...and then the wind let up, boat came up and sailed on.

I figure she took 10 gallons of water through the lazarette...half of it as she started righting herself....as she came up part way that whole seat on the low side was level across with a triangle of water sitting in it...it all drained into the lazarette.

I agree, it's nice to see them coming but I don't think I'll allow the incident to hold me back from taking advantage of a good sail. Learning experience and that's about the size of it. If I had even an unlocked lock through the lazarette latch I it would have been a minor technical difficulty...as it stood, I had a hugh hole in the boat for a few seconds that could be catastrophic if not closed promptly... the main reason I posted.

Lets face it guys...the ocean, she be nice ... BUT she will try and hand you your own ass if you give her a chance.
__________________
Mo

"Odyssey"
1976 C&C 30 MKI

The pessimist complains about the wind.
The optimist expects it to change.
The realist adjusts the sails.
...Sir William Arthur Ward.
Reply With Quote
  #27   IP: 96.244.238.12
Old 06-30-2013, 04:42 PM
msauntry's Avatar
msauntry msauntry is offline
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Annapolis, MD
Posts: 505
Thanks: 0
Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts
A comment on the anchor ready to go...

A handy tip from my days on a Pearson Triton with no engine...

Had a 22lb Bruce anchor that sat nicely on a corner of the stern pulpit. The anchor chain ran outside the lifelines and standing rigging, nestled in the toerail. It was tied off at the bow.

To deploy, reach back and lift the anchor off the pulpit, let fall in water. The chain would automatically fall over the rounded toerail. The bruce would set instantly in the Chesapeake muck. This is practically an emergency brake since the boat would round up as soon as the anchor hit bottom.

Time to deploy about 5 seconds. Distance travelled from deployment... less than 60 ft. (30 ft. rode, 28 ft. boat). Couldn't ask for better than that!

Worked great when I singlehanded since I didn't have to leave the cockpit.
Micah
Reply With Quote
  #28   IP: 24.142.188.2
Old 06-30-2013, 05:30 PM
Skywalker's Avatar
Skywalker Skywalker is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Stony Brook, NY
Posts: 621
Thanks: 0
Thanked 17 Times in 12 Posts
Checked in from Ohio. Nice thread guys!

Chris
Reply With Quote
  #29   IP: 24.224.152.244
Old 06-30-2013, 11:20 PM
Mo's Avatar
Mo Mo is offline
Afourian MVP
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Halifax NS,
Posts: 4,470
Thanks: 292
Thanked 411 Times in 272 Posts
Was talking to my friend at Coast Guard Hfx Traffic today...he made a call and gusts at lighthouse bank hit 45 kts there yesterday...at the time I got knocked down. Lighthouse bank is that little just of land coming off the island in the google pic about 800 feet from where I got laid over. Considering I was headed into the wind at between 6 and 7 kts my wind recording was taking in boat speed. So, mine hit 52 - 7 = 45 ... not that I could tell the difference

We used to have a site last year where you could go and look at the wind speed in real time and peak gusts, the time etc. That site is not operational anymore and I find it very hard to get accurate and realtime info anymore.

1315 it hit 38 kts then settled back to 22 gusting to 30
1440 gusted to 37
1502 gusted to 45..that's when I was right there.
1600 gusted to 51
1850 gusted to 57
Gusted between 40 and 50 until 2300
__________________
Mo

"Odyssey"
1976 C&C 30 MKI

The pessimist complains about the wind.
The optimist expects it to change.
The realist adjusts the sails.
...Sir William Arthur Ward.
Reply With Quote
  #30   IP: 75.48.78.31
Old 07-19-2013, 12:47 PM
domenic's Avatar
domenic domenic is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 467
Thanks: 0
Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts
Think like an 1800 Sea Captain. People today get into trouble because they are thinking of their land life. "Have to get back to the dock so I can pick the kids up by five."
With sail, there is no time clock. Land means danger in bad weather. Engines are for getting in and out of the marina. Never think of an engine as safety.
Never sail into anything you can't sail out of. Learn damage control. If you don't know how to plug a one foot hole in your hull, learn before you go out. If you can keep her afloat your safe. If you have to go into the water...RIP.
Reply With Quote
  #31   IP: 71.118.13.238
Old 07-19-2013, 01:21 PM
Dave Neptune Dave Neptune is offline
Afourian MVP, Professor Emeritus
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Grove, Oklahoma
Posts: 5,035
Thanks: 711
Thanked 1,289 Times in 839 Posts
Thumbs up Oh yeh!!!

Domenic, well said!

I've seen more than one boat go down because the operator(s) were more worried about getting help than getting the hole plugged. I actually saw a group abandon a 28_30 foot PB that hit the breakwater and holed just below the waterline. With the five of them on the port side the hole was above the water line and easily manageable. They shut the engines off and climbed on the first boat they could and watched the boat sink SLOWLY. A pillow or a towel would of done the trick.

Dave Neptune
Reply With Quote
  #32   IP: 24.224.152.244
Old 07-19-2013, 02:38 PM
Mo's Avatar
Mo Mo is offline
Afourian MVP
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Halifax NS,
Posts: 4,470
Thanks: 292
Thanked 411 Times in 272 Posts
Smile

A friend had a rough passage across NorthHumberland Straight around July 1st. That night his wife woke him "there's water in the boat". A thru hull had just fallen off, corroded, in a locker, nothing else in there to hit it....she calls 911, he goes looking for the leak and hits the pumps. He had a plug and hammer it in there...Coast Guard showed up but he was winning then...

A quote from him: "you wouldn't believe the water that will come in through one thru hull"

His pumps kept cutting in....found another one and when he touched it...let go and water was coming in again. Another plug...pulled the boat next morning and replaced both thr hulls in the bow.

Makes one wonder...
__________________
Mo

"Odyssey"
1976 C&C 30 MKI

The pessimist complains about the wind.
The optimist expects it to change.
The realist adjusts the sails.
...Sir William Arthur Ward.

Last edited by Mo; 07-19-2013 at 08:48 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #33   IP: 71.118.13.238
Old 07-19-2013, 03:43 PM
Dave Neptune Dave Neptune is offline
Afourian MVP, Professor Emeritus
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Grove, Oklahoma
Posts: 5,035
Thanks: 711
Thanked 1,289 Times in 839 Posts
Exclamation Dun't panik

Mo, we were anchored at Santa Barbara Island one night in an old 26' wooden gaffer. There were 2 thru hulls one for the cockpit and the other for what was the head which was plugged as my bud converted to a bucket, this was in the late 60's. The boat was equipped with a pot belly stove for cooking and warmth~really nice~ and one bunk. My buddy was sleeping in a bag on the bunk and I on the floorboards next to the stove. It was a rocky night and forward where the head WAS was now the anchor locker of which 3 were still stored and rattling away as we rolled around. Sometime around 2~3 in the am I woke up because I was getting wet. I yelled and grabbed a flashlight only to see an anchor sitting where the plug was and a nice stream of water gushing in. My buddy grabbed a tapered plug and immediately went over the side and found the hole as I was shinning the light on the HOLE. A couple of good smacks and we were OK with just a tiny dribble. We pumped her out with the Whale manual Gusher and once we figured the plug was OK we went back to try and sleep. In the am when the sun came up we removed the plug and reinserted it with a small towel wrapped around it from the outside. We could secure the towel from the inside with some line and sailed home the next day. We had to pump about every 5~6 hours to keep the water below the shallow boards~no worries. The boat was hauled 2 days after we got back so my bud could get a weekend rate to do his own repairs.
We didn't even get the wood for the stove wet so we warmed right up after tossing in a few pieces of oak.

Dave Neptune
Reply With Quote
  #34   IP: 24.224.152.244
Old 07-19-2013, 09:02 PM
Mo's Avatar
Mo Mo is offline
Afourian MVP
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Halifax NS,
Posts: 4,470
Thanks: 292
Thanked 411 Times in 272 Posts
Smile

Bill and Helen's Blog.... he told me the story last night below is a copy from their blog. Funnier with him telling it. LOL

http://helene8h.blogspot.ca/2013_07_01_archive.html

ok so sitting in Timmy's having coffee and relaxing to write this.

So we anchored at 11:30....and went to sleep. Bill mentioned that he heard the pump going on a lot but did not investigate.....we were really tired.

Just to help this ...the night before I had a dream that the water was in the boat and covered us in bed

2:30 a.m. I woke up. Pitch dark. I was cold and wanted my sweater. I heard water sloshing and it didn't sound normal. Grabbed my flashlight beside the bed and looked. our shoes were floating around in about 8" of water in our cabin.

Woke Bill really fast. After he said a few interesting words he got to the hand pump and started pumping....but the water was coming up faster than he could pump. I called 911. Got them and told them we were taking on water. They put me through to Coast Guard.

I tried to explain where we were. So they said they were coming to get us. Told me to get our life jackets on and have our small boat ready.

Woke up Matthew He kind of freaked out. Got him to climb over beds and put on his life jacket. and wait outside. I took over pumping and Bill went to look for the leak. By this time there is over a foot of water in the cabin. Bill found the leak and put in an emergency plug that we had on board. So now was a matter of pumping. He took over that and I went out and watched for the rescue boat.

I loosened the small rowboat on top just in case we had to get in it. Then watched for lights. After about 1/2 an hour the boat caught sight of us. And came over.

By this time Bill had most of the water pumped out. They called in and cancelled the helicopters.

For the record....if Bill had not found the leak, the boat would have sunk and we would have been sitting in our wee boat waiting for them

The other rescue boat came and once all the water was out they waited while we pulled anchor and started the motor...then the led us into the Charlottetown Harbour and got us tied up at the town wharf.

Phewwwww!!!!

As the Coastguards left they wished us a Happy Canada Day!!!!!
__________________
Mo

"Odyssey"
1976 C&C 30 MKI

The pessimist complains about the wind.
The optimist expects it to change.
The realist adjusts the sails.
...Sir William Arthur Ward.
Reply With Quote
  #35   IP: 71.178.85.239
Old 07-20-2013, 10:22 AM
sastanley's Avatar
sastanley sastanley is offline
Afourian MVP
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Solomons, MD
Posts: 7,016
Thanks: 1,134
Thanked 600 Times in 442 Posts
Ok, you guys are making me feel a little better. One evening after sailing, I pulled the speedo paddle wheel, but inserted the plug backwards (unbeknownst to me until 4 days later when i visited the boat) and there was 6 inches of water in the boat.

This was prior to having an auto bilge pump switch...which incidentally has never come on by itself since.
__________________
-Shawn
"Holiday" - '89 Alura 35 #109
"Twice Around" - '77 C-30, #511 with original A-4 & MMI manifold - SOLD! (no longer a two boat owner!!)
http://www.moyermarine.com/forums/signaturepics/sigpic3231_6.gif
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:12 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.


Universal® is a registered trademark of Westerbeke Corporation

Copyright © 2004-2024 Moyer Marine Inc.

All Rights Reserved