Boating chit chat thread.

PhoenixParker

Only three people on board and no word on their experience levels. That's very limited to sail a 31.7, I'd usually say 5 as a minimum in good weather for a casual sail around the bay. In windy weather and tight quarters 3 people and a set of sails would be more dangerous than being on anchor.

neris

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

Genny ready to go but sailcover still on the main..... decision time when engine conks out - .....will I try to restart engine, will I drop anchor in the main channel, or will I take off mainsail cover, ties, etc., hoist sail and try to claw off....?? Always best to be prepared.......

feck the main just get the jib up and try sail off under that. tide looks high enough that if they had got the jin up on time they could have at least got up the river, headed towrads clontarf/sutton, headed towards sandymount/DL or back down the channel.

pedroeibar1

It's easy to be wise from a distance and we do not know what the windspeed/direction were - it looks southerly, maybe a bit of W in it, and quite strong looking at the wave height, so the only option was to get the anchor ready, then get the genoa unfurled, gybe and run back out. No way could you sail off from that position with genny/jib only.

Tom Dunne

So here's a random question for experienced sailors - do you still get scared on a boat?

I'm only sailing about one and a half years now, and I'm still not over that fear. I'm only now getting to a stage where I can confidently handle a laser Pico in relatively calm seas and plenty of other boats around me. But anything bigger, especially when I am at the helm, I'm still nervous.

I presume that's fairly normal, is it?

BrensBenz

I started sailing fifty years ago and yes, I still get nervous. But only enough to motivate me to take precautions before, during and after the sail. All of the "what if....." questions need good answers but, when they're in place, go out and have a good time.

There are many old sailors;
There are many bold sailors;
But there are very few old, bold sailors!

Deenie123

I'm sailing 17 years now and I rarely get properly scared... I'm long since used to big wind by now and once you're on a boat designed to handle it, it's fine. But sometimes get a bit worried/hesitant/cautious about certain things. Usually involving marginal conditions, a gung ho skipper and a spinnaker...

pedroeibar1

Of course fear is normal, it is caused by a need for self-preservation. Fear is an effect of not knowing an outcome and usually arises from a lack of experience. However, do not confuse fear with stress. Like stress, fear is necessary and good in small (ish!) quantities and like stress there are different types of fear. Experience is the cure:)

Fear scale Weather Conditions Descriptions Appearance of Skipper’s face
1 Calm Lovely day, let’s take the boat out Unruffled

2 Light air Let’s have a G&T Beaming

3 Light breeze Pity we forgot the ice Smiling

4 Gentle breeze This boat is leaning a bit, I hope I do not spill my drink Grinning

5 Moderate I’d better not put my drink down Frowning

6 Fresh breeze If this continues I will have to put away my drink. Cross face

7 High wind OK everyone, let’s put the drinks below Concerned face

8 Gale Was that the glasses smashing? Very concerned face

9 Strong gale Damn, if this keeps up the bottles might break Worried face

10 Storm FFS will somebody pour me a stiff drink!! White face

11+ Silence Keeps looking at trousers

neris

From hyc.ie taken during spring warmers saturday

fergal.b

Doing 50 MPH on a few wooden planks you glued together with a V8 between your legs scares the crap out of me every time :D:D:D





.

Tom Dunne

neris wrote: »

From hyc.ie taken during spring warmers saturday

Not helping.

pedroeibar1

Very hairy, great series of photos Neris, really shows when early season teamwork is emmm……not very cohesive! IMO the spinnaker is much too full at the head because the pole was not hauled down sufficiently. That helped cause the rolling. So, before the gybe, when easing the pole forward (as appears to be the intention) the person on the guy should have had somebody else take in the downhaul to keep the spinny flatter. The weight of a body on the foredeck does not help trim or steering and can exacerbate the roll by digging the bow in.
For those very windy conditions there is an interesting argument to be had on reefing the main down and goose-winging the genny. (instead of a spinnaker)

@Fergal – I’m tempted to reply, but as this is not “After Hours” my comments on what is best to place between your legs might not be deemed as appropriate.

neris

duno what was going on here but the lad in the boat on the slip was lucky aswell shortly before not to hit the mud or rocks in front of the breakwater

neris

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

Very hairy, great series of photos Neris, really shows when early season teamwork is emmm……not very cohesive! IMO the spinnaker is much too full at the head because the pole was not hauled down sufficiently. That helped cause the rolling. So, before the gybe, when easing the pole forward (as appears to be the intention) the person on the guy should have had somebody else take in the downhaul to keep the spinny flatter. The weight of a body on the foredeck does not help trim or steering and can exacerbate the roll by digging the bow in.
For those very windy conditions there is an interesting argument to be had on reefing the main down and goose-winging the genny. (instead of a spinnaker)

@Fergal – I’m tempted to reply, but as this is not “After Hours” my comments on what is best to place between your legs might not be deemed as appropriate.

had a quick word with the driver tonight and they were rolled. Wasnt a planned gybe. man up near the bow coz they had no ties for the jib. The spinnaker being used is probably a mast head kite flown off the lower halyard but is way too big for that wind even on a lower halyard. Those 1/2 tonners roll like crazy anyways

HeidiHeidi

Boat lift-in day - hurray!

Let the season begin

pedroeibar1

neris wrote: »

had a quick word with the driver tonight and they were rolled. Wasnt a planned gybe. man up near the bow coz they had no ties for the jib. The spinnaker being used is probably a mast head kite flown off the lower halyard but is way too big for that wind even on a lower halyard. Those 1/2 tonners roll like crazy anyways

Thanks Neris,
Brings back old memories – bow digs in, half the rudder is out of the water, no control, pivots on the keel,………………wham! Very little could be done. We had three spinnys, tri-radial, starcut and storm. The old IOR ½ tonners in particular were notorious for being deadly downwind.

pedroeibar1

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Boat lift-in day - hurray!

Let the season begin

Best of luck with it!

neris

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

Thanks Neris,
Brings back old memories – bow digs in, half the rudder is out of the water, no control, pivots on the keel,………………wham! Very little could be done. We had three spinnys, tri-radial, starcut and storm. The old IOR ½ tonners in particular were notorious for being deadly downwind.

shes been modified with a new keel and taller rig but they never filled in the AGS on the stern. The rolls scare the **** out of you afraid to move your body

cricalix

First sail of the season done, yay! Engine works after a minor bit of rebuild work (doesn't spit steam out the back any more, I get water now!), roller furling worked after I took a few turns off of the drum (it was jamming), and generally everything feels right. Still pondering upgrading to a Victoria or Pacific Seacraft though...

neris

Tuesday nights in Howth are back. Gusting up to mid 20s in the start sequences









and they're off

HeidiHeidi

I've just tuned in (late, unfortunately) to the most bizarre programme on BBC4!

It appears to be a camera mounted on the bow of a narrowboat mooching down (or possibly up, there's no commentary so I have no idea) the Kennet and Avon canal, wherever that is.

Total silence, apart from the sound of the wash and birdsong. It's been on for nearly two hours :eek:

What a mad, but brilliant idea for a telly programme! I'd have recorded it if I'd only known about it beforehand - it's the ultimate in self-hypnosis!

(Having been on a narrowboat holiday years ago, I can highly recommend it as one of the most relaxing things you could EVER do!)

ETA - repeated again at 1am tomorrow (ie tonight) in case anyone else, like me, wants to record a ready-to-use relaxation tool!

ezra_

Is a canting mast a normal feature for a cat?!

cricalix

Yeah for the really high performance multihulls, including the MOD 70 trimarans, a canting mast gives them better safety and performance.

Quoting Sailing World:
Deploying the leeward foil, in conjunction with canting the rig to weather, helps prevent the leeward float from fully submerging, thereby reducing drag, in turn improving both performance and safety.

neris

For owners of a certain bank balance if your boat doesnt have somthing that cants then your just not wealthy enough

cricalix

Damn, my keel doesn't cant unless I hit it with a hammer..

pedroeibar1

cricalix wrote: »

Damn, my keel doesn't cant unless I hit it with a hammer..

There is a rock at the back of the East Pier that will sort that out for you - no hammer needed!

pedroeibar1

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I've just tuned in (late, unfortunately) to the most bizarre programme on BBC4! .....Total silence, apart from the sound of the wash and birdsong. It's been on for nearly two hours :eek:

What a mad, but brilliant idea for a telly programme! !

Beeb Four has a silent thingy going at the moment, very "arty" - earlier they ran two programs on craftwork, "Glass" (making a glass jug) and "Metal" (a knife blade). Tonight at 20.00 they screen "Wood"

neris

cricalix wrote: »

Damn, my keel doesn't cant unless I hit it with a hammer..

your just like the rest of us then




poor

pedroeibar1

neris wrote: »

your just like the rest of us then

poor

Mine has two keels. Does that make me doubly richer or doubly poorer?

HeidiHeidi

I presume most boaty types will have seen this already - but for those who haven't, there's a great AMA thread on the go at the moment - a merchant navy officer answering all sorts of questions. Makes for a very good and interesting read.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057421222

neris

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I presume most boaty types will have seen this already - but for those who haven't, there's a great AMA thread on the go at the moment - a merchant navy officer answering all sorts of questions. Makes for a very good and interesting read.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057421222

What happens if someone dies at sea but you are far from land ?
You used to bury them at sea. if you do so there's a whole protocol to follow as it's an extremely sensitive situation.

These days it would be very unwise to bury the body at sea. The police in the next port would be very suspicious of a ship arriving with a death onboard and no body to examine. If it happened today you'd put him in the vegetable fridge and try and land him ashore In the next port. A lot of countries will not accept a body without a family member being present so it is tricky. The main thing is to document the death very carefully and respect the dead crewmember.On cruise ships they would have their own morgue as it's a common occurrence.

Its bad enough on some yachts trying to squeeze a few beers in the fridge, how do you fit a whole person in???