Voyaging Tips Newsletter - Ocean Navigator

31 Aug

No drama anchor recovery

Ocean NavigatorVoyaging Tips Newsletter

By Daniel Carrigan It was a relatively benign morning. Glassy water. Light wind tickling the burgee at sunrise. A boat here and a boat there in the anchorage. Yet it was the setting for another lesson in anchoring. The nice sloop that had anchored almost too close to my ketch, Teloa II, a Wells 34 design, the afternoon before, upwind, was now behind me and closer. Then it had been blowing fresh from the west. But the fitful breeze now was from the east. When the wind veered overnight they were stern to, and closer by a boat length. I’d…

29 Jun

Dinghy parts are important

Robert MacFarlaneVoyaging Tips Newsletter

The ship's dinghy is such a simple thing: a rubber tube, some floor boards, and a motor. What could possibly go wrong? During my six months in Pacific Mexico I got to find out. As an early indication of unexpected required maintenance — my girlfriend flew in to Mexico, I picked her up in the dinghy, we motored out to the open roadstead anchorage a mile and a half out and just feet from my 45-foot Morgan sloop Tiger Beetle the outboard died. In 18 knot winds and choppy water we started to drift offshore towards the Pacific Ocean. I…

26 Apr

What is a MMSI number and why do I need it?

Ann HoffnerVoyaging Tips, Voyaging Tips NewsletterAIS, EPIRB, FCC, MMSI, VHF, VHF DSC

by Ann Hoffner A wellfound sailboat making its way across the South Pacific strikes a whale; within minutes water enters the bilge. It’s impossible to find the source and those on board decide to seek assistance. The crewmember assigned to communications hurries to the nav station, pushes the red distress button on the VHF radio. Why did they do that? It’s only a short range radio, how can it help from the middle of the ocean? Because the red button means its equipped with digital selective calling (DSC), and pushing that button automatically sent out a message and will keep…

08 Mar

Obtaining local knowledge on the fly

Robert MacFarlaneVoyaging Tips Newsletterlocal knowledge, ocean voyaging, voyaging tips

My 45-foot Morgan sloop Tiger Beetle is currently cruising the “gold coast” of Pacific Mexico, Zihuatanejo to Puerto Vallarta, with many interesting and fun small coves and bays along the way to visit. A key item upon arrival is learning what the routines might be and what is going on here — something the cruising guides can’t necessarily provide as the information goes out of date or is not sufficiently detailed. Prior to anchoring I’ll ask around to learn what I can about what’s happening. The best method I’ve found is to arrive at an anchorage, look for the boat…

24 Feb

Fire extinguishers on the boat

Robert MacFarlaneVoyaging Tips Newsletter

My boat Tiger Beetle is a 45-foot sailboat, basically a long fiberglass tube with three exits onto deck from the interior: a large foredeck hatch anybody can get through, the companionway with a ladder and steps, and a smaller hatch aft set into the cockpit floor. You need relatively narrow shoulders to fit through the cockpit hatch. These are the ways out if there's a fire inside the boat. I keep two types of fire extinguishers onboard: three small dry chemical ABC units for attacking a generic fire, and one Halotron 1 unit specifically for an engine box fire. The…

30 Dec

Voyaging Tips, December 2021

Robert MacFarlaneNewsletter, Voyaging Tips, Voyaging Tips Newsletter

Catching dinner from a sailboat on passage is completely unlike sport fishing from a stationary boat. The goal is to get a fish on board for the grill and dinner. On passage the sails are up and you're making the best possible speed, so stopping the boat to fight a fish is not much of an option. A rod and reel is one solution, though you're working with lightweight line, a rod that can break, and if the fish is large enough you'll have difficulty boating it without a net or gaff. Alternatively, a simple, strong, inexpensive handline pays big…

01 Sep

Voyaging Tips, August 2021

Ocean NavigatorNewsletter, Voyaging Tips, Voyaging Tips Newsletter

Good skippers don’t experiment with long-standing shipboard routines. They know how to delegate important duties to qualified people and then let them do their jobs without micromanaging them. Choose one cook to be in charge and one assistant cook to occasionally help out. Don’t make the cook stand watches and swab the decks too. Meals take time to prepare, cook, serve, and clean up. Multiply that by three meals per day, and that’s enough work right there for anyone. Don’t forget to give your cook some days off by using that assistant cook as an occasional relief. No one wants…

29 Jun

Harry HungateNewsletter, Voyaging Tips, Voyaging Tips Newsletter

A hole or break in your boat’s hull is among the worst situations you can face offshore. If your boat is sinking, sort out what to do immediately and what can wait. The first priority is to determine how much water is coming in the hole. Flooding means water is coming in faster than the bilge pump(s) can pump it out. Any lesser amount is leakage, not flooding. Though the difference may seem obvious, it is an important distinction. Leaks can be controlled by pumping alone — no other immediate action is required. Flooding, on the other hand, must be…

29 Apr

Harry HungateNewsletter, Voyaging Tips, Voyaging Tips Newsletter

Fire! It's a scary enough thought while ashore. Just imagine cowering in the cockpit of your boat, staring down the companionway as ugly black smoke starts to pour out. What do you do now? If you don't have an answer, think the problem through before you head offshore again. Aside from any knowledge of firefighting techniques, there are three basic steps that will make it much less likely to have to abandon a vessel because of fire. First and most important is to take all action possible to prevent a fire from starting. Second, prepare yourself for fighting the fire…