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Read more: A Fractional Rig is Like a GearboxAbove is with the backstay set for light air (about 7 knots true) and mast on our J/109 pretty much straight. Big time power in the mainsail and lots of sag in the headstay powering up the jib. This is the same two sails in 14 knots true at which point we de-powered by pumping […]
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Read more: 49er, 49er FX and NACRA 17 WorldsA friend invited me along to watch some of the races. Amazing how performance sailing has changed since my days in the 505, and yet, in some ways, is still very much the same. Also interesting that of the few races we watched, the women’s teams in the FX seemed by far the most aggressive, […]
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Read more: Don’t Ever Lie AhullI can’t believe that experienced ocean sailors are still making the mistake of lying ahull in heavy weather and then blaming a freak or rogue wave when they get rolled. We have known for over 40 years how dangerous lying ahull is. Extra big waves are a reality in anything over gale force offshore, not […]
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Read more: Slippery Deck Shoe FixMy Gill deck shoes were completely losing their grip. We are talking scary-slippery, to the point I nearly went on my ass, and overboard was a real possibility. We have seen this before. Seems like whatever material deck shoe soles are being made of these days, it develops a hard yellowy layer way before the […]
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Read more: Why We Need a TravelerWe increasingly see boats without travellers, but that’s a big performance hit, particularly in light air going to windward where we want the boom on the centreline but the sheet not too tight. To make that happen the traveler car needs to be well to windward of centre. Check out the nice twist and leach […]
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Read more: Demo of In-Boom FurlingMy friend Hans, who advised me while I was writing the article on the tragedy aboard Escape, took me out on his Farr 56 for a demo of hoisting, reefing, and furling, using his in-boom automated mainsail-handling system. Hans is an incredible resource, since he has owned boats with slab, in-mast, and in-boom furling, as […]
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Read more: Safer Transom Ladder
Our new-to-us J/109 has a robust transom swim ladder that could definitely enable someone who fell overboard get back into the boat, at least in smooth water. But check out the photo above: There’s no way for someone in the water, particularly wearing a lifejacket, to deploy the ladder unassisted. The angle is just wrong […]
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Read more: Nylon Line In Europe 2The plot thickens. I came across this product page at RobLine an Austrian rope maker and they have a bunch of lines for mooring, docking, that will be good for anchor snubbers. Interesting quote from that page: Robline caters to the trend toward using different fibers for mooring and anchor lines, depending on the specific […]
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Read more: John and Andy Schell PodcastAndy Schell and John Harries do a podcast together. Lithium batteries, seamanship, refits, and much more.
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Read more: Starlink MaritimeStarlink are going to provide a solution for moving vessels, but before we get too excited check out the price! Think US$10,000 for the unit and US$7000/month for service! Looks like I will be right that Iridium will the solution for most of us for some time to come. In 2019 I predicted 10 years […]
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Read more: Nylon Rope in Europe
A member was having a heck of a time finding Nylon rope for a snubber, as we recommend, in Europe. After some research I think I have found out why: What we call Nylon in North America, and the UK, is known as H.T. Polyester in Europe and staff in stores sometimes refer to it […]
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Read more: Lessons From a Tragedy at SeaJohn’s take on the causes of the two fatalities on the yacht Escape south of Nova Scotia in June 2022, and some thoughts on how similar tragedies can be avoided.
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Read more: Backstay Adjusters & Fractional RigsWith fractional rigs we are way more interested in how much pumping the adjuster down has shortened the backstay and bent the mast than we are the reading on the pressure gauge (within reason). That’s why the marked batten. Click on images to enlarge
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Read more: Reaving HalyardsYou see people taping messenger lines to halyards, but that can lead to tears when the messenger comes off inside the mast. So way better to put a flemish eye, sometimes known as a reaving eye, in the bitter end of all halyards and internal reefing lines. The key to success is that the eye […]
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Read more: Whip Before CutWhen shortening a line, it’s way easier if we put on two sailmakers whippings and then cut the line between them. Whipping how-to. (Scroll down to #6)
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Read more: How Hard Can We Charge Our Lead-Acid Batteries?Charging batteries fast has all kinds of benefits: less engine wear, fuel savings, less carbon. But how far can we go?
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Read more: Folding Props Not For Cruising
I made a bollocks of sailing off the mooring today and got stuck stern upwind on the chain. Not a big deal to sort out on a light J/109, but I did get a graphic reminder of how little reverse thrust folding props have. Definitely not appropriate for a cruising boat where the bigtime reverse […]
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Read more: Balmar Battery Monitor On-TestAfter two months and four defects: I finally got the SG200 we bought for our J/109 working. I will write a review once I have more experience with it.
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Read more: Whipping not DippingThis dock line came with our new-to us J/109. Not only does it have a loop spliced in one end, which I recommend against (#2), someone first whipped it and then dipped it in some goop for reasons I can’t fathom. There is no better way to prevent a line end unraveling than a sailmaker’s […]
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Read more: Dean Barker is Back
Nice to see that one of the best, and arguably most unlucky, sailors in America’s Cup modern history is back with a team. I’m a huge fan of the quiet Kiwi. The man is a class act. He will be a great coach, I’m sure. Might end up back on the wheel, too, I’m guessing.
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Read more: Choosing & Installing Battery SwitchesSelecting battery master switches and deciding how to wire them is a fundamental part of a good cruising live-aboard electrical system.
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Read more: Most “Drop In” Lithium Batteries Not ABYC CompliantThe way I read this, batteries with BMSs that do not communicate are now obsolete: If a shutdown condition is approaching a battery system should notify the operator with a visual and/or audible alarm before disconnecting the battery from the DC system. ABYC E13-7 Login to continue reading (scroll down) Learn About Membership Get to […]
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Read more: ABYC Publishes Lithium Battery Standard
The TE-13 technical note is now a standard: E-13. To me, a woefully inadequate one that relies far too much on the vendors to do the right thing, but it’s a start. Panbo has a good analysis, most of which I agree with.
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Read more: Great BorescopeA borescope is how we knew what the problem was causing chafe of the main halyard in our mast way out of sight: Black and white messenger is for the main halyard. Deflection is clear. Tor of mast sheave to left. When buying, make sure you get one with a longer focal length.
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Read more: Our Season Savedor at least extended by installing spectra chafe sleeve. Love the stuff. More here. Not a permanent fix. That will take unstepping and some very tricky work.
