Be a seaman, not a headline.

[domenic]

I love my A4...but, my little ship is a sailboat. My A4 is to get in, and out of the marina. I Keep her ready for the worst storm ever...even in bays, and sounds. I never sail into anything I can't sail out of. Engines are great, but folks die because they fail. At sea I have to do everything myself. Spare parts for engine, and rig, are only a part of being ready for the worst.

[hanleyclifford]

As a confirmed coward I try to do everything possible to avoid the "worst", which is why I never venture very far offshore. Still, for some reason I seem to get tagged at least once on every trip. Losing (voluntarily by plan) the mizzen and going with the short rig on a deep full keel has helped to make Destiny "idiot proof". When I bought the boat the PO admonished me never to rely on an engine - it was poor seamanship. I'm still chewing on that one.

[mike7a10]

As a former Emergency Manager I agree that you can never rely on one "system" at sea. You should always have redundancies aboard your vessel.

There is an old saying in risk management..."If it is predictable it is preventable".

Boating/sailing in general is a complex operation. There are many variables that need constant attention:

-weather conditions
-water hazards (waves/reefs/rocks/shallows)
-hull integrity
-propulsion systems
-fuel
-standing watch/es
-cooking systems
-propane/alcohol/CNG
-open flames
-general condition of equipment (anchors/rodes/sails/lines/rigging/dinghy/life saving equipment/lifelines/generators...just to name a few)


We had a senior couple evacuated off of their boat just off of Sanibel Island a few weeks ago due to carbon monoxide poisoning. We had a sailboat burn up at anchor the other night...the liveaboard sailor was rescued but he lost everything he owned due to another vessel that was anchored close to him catching fire and then slam into his boat. Due to high winds he was unable to fend off the burning boat and his caught on fire and burned to the waterline...

As much as I love my A4 I am constantly vigilant about having a gasoline system aboard. I try to sail as much as possible when underway but I rely on my motor to get me to my destinations when there are no winds...I will motorsail as well when there are light winds or if the winds are working against my course. As a weekend sailor I don't have the luxury of taking 2 days to make 15 nautical miles due to big winds on the nose. I also rely on my engine to move me out of the way of the summer thunderstorms that we see almost daily here in the summer.

Due to the high amount of engine maintenance I have performed over the years on my A4 (it was in sad shape when I bought the boat that resulted finally in a full rebuild early this year) I have learned to not trust my engine soley. While it does a great job overall I am never surprised when something occasionally goes haywire. BUT...you need to have your anchor at the ready ANYTIME you are entering a harbor or marina. Try to rig a permanent stern anchor as well. You should be constantly planning evasive actions that you can take should your engine act up in close quarters (or those pesky puffs on the beam in close quarters!).

To wrap up...Murphy's Law is alive and well. We all have a lot of fun on our boats but lack of vigilence and and maintenance will certainly increase Murphy's odds.

Fair winds to you all and Merry Christmas from SW Florida!

Mike
S/V Plan Sea

[hanleyclifford]

Mike - I especially like that part about having an anchor ready to deploy. In the case of running the ICW, "ready" means practically instantaneous. When approaching a bridge on a fair tide I always run forward and loosen the anchor and set it on it's roller and pull chain onto the deck. The consequences of engine failure in such a circumstance is my worst nightmare. It is also important to stand well clear of the bridge until it is open since deploying an anchor too close to a bridge could result in an unpleasant "snag"!

[Dave Neptune]

I'll add my $.02 here on this one. My practice is to be aware of what might happen weather wise and to be ready for the worse case as far as the wind goes. I seldom have to tuck in a reef as I usually have the reef in if there is a chance I will need it, I am better known for shaking out the reef because I didn't need it and that is much easier to accomplish.
Out here on the west coast there aren't the bridges, estuaries, and channels that are on the east coast. I have a mooring at my primary destination and the privilage of being able to trade. I have good ground tackle and at the bow the rhode and chain are at the ready however the anchors are stored below in an easily accessable spot low in the boat. However I do keep my stern anchor ready all the time and I have needed it a few times over the years. Most of the time I single hand and the family arrives later with someone else. I like the stern anchor for emergincies because I can deploy it from where I operate the boat no back and forth to the bow. If I need to be anchored for a while I just walk the rhode to the bow when all is under control. This practice has worked well for me and it does save time when you don't have much of it.

Dave Neptune

[Mo]

Today I was sailing in 25 gusting to 35. Thunderstorms rolled in and I saw rain coming at me 1/4 mile. As the rain hit my face it was so hard and painful that I thought it was hail...had to look twice to ensure it wasn't.

At this point I let go the main and pinched the boat onto the wind...the wind on the water couldn't be seen at this point for the rain... and I waited...and waited...and SLAM. Down hard and fast to the port side (was sailing on stb tack anyway with the prt side low in the water)... the lazarette popped open and I was taking on water. Reached downward with my foot and closed it but residual water on that side (seat area) of the cockpit still drained in over the inside edges of that cover...wild or what!.

The squall passed and I continued on for another 5 or 10 minutes, then tacked across the now lowered wind (25 or so), and headed the boat for home. After setting the sails, put on the autopilot and figured I was due for a cigarette after that. As I came to the companionway door I could see all the gear that had fallen over, floating in water on the cabin sole....my deck shoes miraculously were floating like boats and dry!!. My sweater was soggy wet as were the little cushions that I had for pillows on each end of the settee, two lifejackets floating etc etc.

Both pumps were running and in no time all was cleared. I didn't think that much water came aboard in those few seconds...but its a big hatch. I wondered why the pumps had not cleared the water by now...but soon realized it was because it (water) settled at the aft part of the boat as she made her way into the wind. Once the boat was turned off the wind she dug her bow in as she sailed on... wind coming in over her prt quarter. Then the boat leveled ...the water moved forward and activated the pumps.

So, I sailed for another hour or so then went home. Currently my wet gear and cushions are in the washer downstairs here at home. I never thought of water incursion through a lazarette popping open in a slamdown. Keep it in the back of your mind. By the way...gusts over 50 kts reported in area where forecast was gust to 30. When my C&C 30 gets slammed on it's ass you know something is up for she's a very stiff boat. My wind meter showed 52 kts, but trust me, I wasn't looking at it at the time. Funny how I saw that coming and it looked so benign...an instinct told me to release the main sheet when I couldn't see the water anymore and stick her into it. If my rig had been loose I have no doubt it would have come down.

So, now I will come up with an easily removed clip to pin the latch securing the lazarette covers.

Max wind speed 52 kts
Max boat speed 9.0 kts. ( I saw that happen on the way in with the wind coming in over the quarter) She held an easy 8 all the way home...about a 1.5 kts above her hulls speed.

Good day...nothing broke Rig check in the morning...a must.

EDIT: June 30...rig all checked out and OK; a few grommets got pulled free and small tear in cockpit curtain.