Tony and Coryn Gooch stopped by this summer in their lovely and beautifully maintained aluminum sloop Taonui. If you don’t know who they are, that is simply because they go out there on the ocean and do incredible things without fuss or drama.
Like Tony deciding, when he was into “senior citizen” territory, that it might be a good idea to sail around the world non-stop single-handed. So he did.
Over dinner the subjects were wide ranging. We learned much about offshore voyaging. Here are a few nuggets:
- The Jordon Series Drogue is their storm survival system of choice.
- The biggest problem with the JSD is getting it back after the storm. They have found that they need to wait until the wind is down to 15-20 knots or so, and even then it’s a struggle. They were interested in our drill-motor based retrieval system.
- They have tried a retrieval trip line several times with the JSD but have yet to get it to work.
- Their worst ever heavy weather experience was a complete roll over and dismasting in shallow water close to the coast. They council that it is always safer to be far offshore in deep water when the weather is nasty.
- They say that the above detailed disaster would not have happened if they had been using a JSD.
- This is not storm tactics, but they really like their rig with two roller furling sails, one a genoa and the other a jib, close together, one behind the other. They find it a particularly useful rig downwind with one headsail on each side on twin poles and the mainsail down. A modern and more flexible version of the twin spinnakers that early cruising pioneers like the Pyes and the Hiscocks used so much.
Further Reading
- Tony and Coryn’s web site—don’t miss it.
- Our heavy weather series with lots more on the Jordon Series Drogue and our deployment and retrieval system.
Matt Marsh September 22, 2010 at 11:56 pm
Very interesting, and another site added to the bookmarks
This is probably the third time this summer that I’ve come across a highly favourable testimonial for double headsails downwind and twin poles. It seems to be a serious-cruiser thing, as I’ve yet to see a club racer / weekender around here with such a rig.
This is probably also about the 20th time I’ve come across strong, experienced recommendations in favour of the JSD coupled with “how the !@#$ do you retrieve the thing?”. I keep hearing about it saving boats from broaching and capsizing, then getting tangled up on the winch drum after the storm. I’d be quite curious to hear more of your ideas, and the Goochs’, about how to manage the series drogue.
John September 23, 2010 at 7:48 am
Hi Matt,
Our full system for retrieval is documented, together with photographs, in our .
As long as you have a large winch drum and someone tailing aggressively to strip the cones from the drum, they do not get tangled. Tony and Coryn confirmed that they have found the same.
Alan Teale September 24, 2010 at 5:44 am
Do you happen to know what form of non-slip deck covering they have? I know you have Treadmaster and like it. We are trying to compare it with the French product TBS (http://www.tbs-nonslip.com/tbs/anti-slip-surface.php) and from the photo I am wondering if that is what “Taonui” has. Alan
Craig Smith September 25, 2010 at 12:10 pm
TBS is excellent, Kiwi Roa has had it for 16 years. Easy on bare feet, but superb grip, and looks good, good functionality from tropics to extreme conditions. Replaced it once so far because it turned out they originally supplied the wrong stuff designed for indoor use – a considerable number of years later, when the problem was found, they shipped replacement rolls to New Zealand under warranty. Recommended.
Various pics on http://www.petersmith.net.nz, notice the different colors (original was red, replacement is green)…
Nick Kats September 26, 2010 at 6:44 am
Craig
Great.
Would you remember which TSB?
Was it a self adhesive, or did you apply adhesive then roll on the TSB?
Thanks,
Nick
Craig Smith September 26, 2010 at 6:47 am
Roll-on, used silicon. Not a fun job on a 15 m boat. E-mail me if you want, my 1st name at rocna.com, will put you in touch with Peter if you want more info.
Richard September 28, 2010 at 1:23 pm
Tony did a very interesting and detailed analysis of the performance of Taonui steered by Simirad autopilot vs Monitor wind vane a while back. If you can find the link it would provide interesting reading.
Fair winds
Richard
Alain Rémi October 26, 2012 at 8:20 am
Most interesting. I read a lot about heavy weather sailing & very early on I learned that safety was offshore which helped me decide to sail a SW gale close hulled for 48 hours off the coast of Portugal rather than risking an hypothetical shelter inland… Back then, no GPS, only not so good radio beacons…(Madeira in glowing sunrise, is one of my best cruising souvenirs!) Now I’m looking for books written in the 50′ or 60′ by an old British couple who sailed around the world several time I think. They wrote extensively in British magazines, had a bigger steel boat built in their latter years &, I think, end up living in New Zealand. Could anybody help me finding their name ? Amazon ? Google ? Thanks
John October 26, 2012 at 8:39 am
Hi Alain,
Very good advice about staying offshore. It is not the sea that kills sailors, it is the hard bits abound the edges.
Sounds like you are looking for Eric and Susan Hiscock.
You might also want to look for books by Peter and Ann Pye, who I had the privileged of sailing with as a boy, and Miles & Beryl Smeeton, both contemporaries of the the Hiscocks. We can all learn a huge amount by reading and rereading these classics.