2017 & 2018: Reviewing Safety & Security

Ongoing Saga: #8

Main Hatch Storm Lock.  I decided that our main hatch should have some better means of securing the hatch in the closed position and also for the storm boards to be securely held in place.  On the top storm board (there are 3, one on top of another) I mounted simple ss slides so that, when the bolts are slid into their respective holes drilled into the side of the hatchway, they locked the top storm board in place.

For the sliding hatch, which is just a flat piece of acrylic, I drilled two holes, one on either side of the hatch, so that I could slide a pin down into a length of plastic beading that I had screwed to the sides of the hatchway.  I can lock the hatch closed in this position by sliding the pin in place from either top or bottom, and if necessary, the person inside the boat can also slide the pin out without anyone’s assistance from the cockpit.  I can also lock the pin from below to provide security and prevent anyone entering the inside of the boat eg when on a town dock in a place with doubtful security.

Flares.  I needed to add to my considerable stock of rescue flares as they were all out of date.  You cannot purchase flares in Portugal without going through a very convoluted and involved bureaucratic process as the authorities have designated flares as explosives.  So, I guess if people there are interested they travel to another EU country, purchase flares there then bring them back to Portugal without declaring them.  A very stupid policy.  I might add you cannot purchase them via the web as it is illegal to mail them around the EU.

So, on our arrival in the Canaries (Spain), we were able to purchase a new set over the counter at the local chandlery.  Apart from the obvious of having up-to-date flares on board, yesterday as I write this (15Apr18 at Brunswick Landing, Georgia, USA), we were boarded and inspected by the US Coast Guard as we approached our marina.  They were happy that I had current flares and, interestingly, didn’t care about all the other out of date ones that were stored with them in our getaway bag.

Jordan Series Drogue.  Years ago I had purchased a kit from Sailrite and laboriously attached 138 cones to the line they supplied.  With the Atlantic crossing looming I decided to finish it off properly and have it instantly available in the cockpit to deploy whenever I needed to.  There’s more to having a series drogue than just a line with the recommended number of drogues.  A lot has been written about them since I purchased mine 10 years ago and some pretty good lessons have come out as a result of sailors using them under extreme conditions.  Interestingly, many sailors did not agree on all aspects so I had to make some decisions myself. I also consulted my son, who is a rope access technician, and spend his work days with his life dependant on the lines he sets for himself.  He had some good advice about rope stress points and where best to secure the drogue on the boat.

The attachment point for the bridle at the stern is very important ie it’s recommended that it needs to be something a bit better than the stern cleats or cockpit winches, although some boats have utilized these in extremes when they had to deploy their series drogue.  I decided that the base of the legs of my standard stainless steel arch would be adequate.  There are two base plates each side bolted (4/plate) to the deck with metal backing plates. 

There is also much discussion whether one should rely on knots or utilize splices.  Splices won hands down when it came to tests.  I did need to rely on a knot where the bridal lines were attached to the arch and I chose to use a knot called the double fisherman's loop, which held up about the best in one particular testing by Yachting Monthly (YouTube video) that I reviewed ie it’s about as strong as an eye splice.  

So I purchased new 18mm braided nylon line, spliced it then attached the bridle to the eye that I also spliced into the leader.  The ends of the bridle I attached to the base of the arch.  At the far end I linked a bunch of chain of various lengths that I had on board and moussed the  shackles used to join them all.  Finally I put it all into a bag (old sail bag) and secured it with line to various points on the pushpit and arch nearby. 

In the event I had to use it I planned to flake the drogue on the cockpit floor before launching it or, if in a hurry, I could just deploy it straight from the bag but you can never be sure that it won’t become tangled and it’s too late if it’s on its way out being pulled by all the drogues filling.  Anyway, I have never had to use it thank goodness but it certainly provides peace of mind knowing that it is all done and ready to go at very short notice.

Hydrovane.  Yes, it was time to put the Hydrovane back in business ready for our Atlantic Crossing.  I find it adds an extra rudder giving me some backup if ever we need it too.  It all fitted on well, except I noticed that the vane was connecting with our solar panel framing.  Not good for the vane fabric.  So whilst waiting for the mast repair to be undertaken, I used the time in Portimao Marina to move the solar panels forward a bit.  Easier said than done.  Time well spent.

The Hydrovane (red vane) rubbing on the solar panels.  Lots of kissing in the night!

Moved further apart - all good now

An Eventful ICW

A clear wake across the Gulf Stream

Lake Worth Anchorage: 2009

Welcome to the US of A!!  An ever watchful Coast Guard made their presence felt not long after we left West End, Bahamas making our way to West Palm Beach.  We nervously anticipated crossing the Gulf Stream but it behaved beautifully and our crossing was without incident.  Except we were intercepted!  Our papers in order & questions answered correctly, we were able to continue on to our destination.   Not before noticing the level of surveillance.  Powerful boats, regular air patrols and even a little grey rib (with Men in Black) as we neared the coast.  

Once anchored in Lake Worth, we were easily able to walk to the Coast Guard Office.  We left Bruce, our faithful dinghy under the watchful eye of staff at the Riviera Beach Municiple Marina.  So, with cruising permit in hand (from the Spanish Virgins) we complete the paperwork to check in.  No fuss, no bother. The experience was nothing at all like rumour mill "advice" we had been given.  Even so, we were glad to have everything in order and to have phoned on arrival (once anchored) for their advice. 

 

Will we or won't we??

Bridges.  Our mast didn’t hit any of the many bridges we encountered while cruising northwards along the Intracoastal Waterway.  Helpfully, at most of the bridges, there was a marker indicating the distance from waterline to the bottom of the bridge.  Our mast is 63’ above the waterline, plus the VHF antenna height – about another three feet – and the bridges were said to be a minimum of 65’ above the water.  I think that turned out to be quite true.  Our antenna never hit but we always (except one time) approached each bridge at minimum speed.  Why?  As you look from the deck, it always seems that the mast is going to hit the bridge or power lines – no matter how high they are.   We became more confident as we progressed though.  With some glee, we watched son, who had joined us for a few weeks, almost fill his pants when we forged full speed under the first bridge that we came to.  I think we entertained quite a few fellow boaters and onlookers as we negotiated those bridges from West Palm Beach to Norfolk for the same reason.

Just give me a helmet &
a black leather jacket and I'm set

Shallow Draft Keel.  Our keel is shallow draft (5’6’’), wing and bulb affair.  Our method of getting off when grounded is simply to try and reverse or accept a tow from some kind people in passing hot water boats.  We found from experience (plus obvious common sense once we tried it), that pulling over our mast or putting the boom over the side, etc only dug the winged keel in deeper in the soft mud. Not helpful at all!  One time we simply put out the anchor then waited with a coffee while the tide came in.  Twenty minutes later we were away again……

Folding Bicycles.  We purchased two folding bikes from West Marine in Vero Beach – they’ve already paid for themselves.   You can see so much more, visit more interesting places than you would just walking around.  Those American supermarkets that are almost always one or two plus miles away from your anchorage are easily accessible by bike.  We’ve loaded milk crates on the back to carry our groceries home and the First Mate has a (girlie) basket on her handlebars.  We also use our backpacks.  If we were ever stopped at a bicycle weighbridge coming back from a supermarket we’d be way over the limit!

Channel Markers come in handy too!

Autohelm Speed/Log.  Originally I had replaced the dial in BVI because it was old and difficult to read.  Later I replaced it with another one in the US (from a great boat spares shop in St Augustine).  This was one of the many easy fixes "on-the-go" as we rolled up the ICW.  We were spoilt for choice in terms of ships chandlers like West Marine and came across some great second hand stores too.  

2008: Couriers in Guadeloupe

Refuelling before leaving St Martin

Work Completed Underway: Part 3

It was now early August and we needed to leave the relative safety of St Martin and the Lagoon.  In our early days (read inexperience) we did not really take the weather into account.  A rough crossing to Antigua became apparent (large seas on the nose) and forced us to rest at St Barts for the remainder of our day. Just before nightfall, while we still had visibility, we took advantage of calmer seas and headed off.  After a pleasant stay in Antigua (and no sign of our rudder) we moved on to Guadeloupe getting as far as the Isle de Saintes before heading across to Pointe-a-Petre, a secure mooring and an airport (with customs office) to take delivery of our rudder.

Thru wind & rain....

Self Steering Rudder.  Taking delivery of our self steering rudder from the customs office at the airport in Pointe-a-Petre meant having to use a taxi.  Getting out there was easy but getting back to the dockyards near where we were anchored was not!  I made the mistake of getting into the taxi before agreeing on a price for the taxi fare.  The driver just took off at a great rate of knots and then tried to rip me off by demanding I pay an outrageous fare.  I asked him, rather enthusiastically, to stop and let me out but he just kept on driving like a maniac.  I directed him to the Port Captain’s Office where I rushed out (with my rudder) and sort refuge therein.  One of the staff stepped in and sorted things out for me so that I did not have to pay the ridiculous amount demanded by my ‘kidnapper’.  They were nice staff at this office and also allowed us to refill our water tanks before eventually departing.

Generator. Our generator has been well mannered since first using it in 2008.  However, we needed to have a leaking/damaged rubber elbow and also some rather large fuses (which started to blow) replaced with circuit breakers. No generator meant no fridge and no food!  Replacement was undertaken by a French electrician in Pointe-a-Petre (Waypoint) and we can’t recommend them highly enough.  They are a major electrical shop at the yacht docks.  After diagnosing our generator’s problem he then directed us to a supplier (on the other side of the city) and loaned us his car to go and get the required circuit breakers.  Our first experience of driving among the Frenchies turned out okay and we returned his car undamaged an hour or so later, now with full fuel and with said parts, which he duly installed.  Everything worked perfectly so what can one say.  It is this sort of experience that makes the cruising life so enjoyable and restores the occasional loss of faith in some marine technicians/businesses. 

Port of Pointe-a-Petre

Our first Caribbean fish (inedible)

We enjoyed our stay in Pointe-a-Petre.  Supermarkets, restaurants, a bakery and laundry line the docks and within walking distance was a larger supermarket and marine equipment suppliers.  Best of all, we enjoyed our first really good pizza! 

While I'm making general comments, I'd like to point out how thoroughly the French take their maritime security.  We were boarded in St Barts, questioned in Isles des Saintes and watched in Martinique.  It was not intrusive and we welcomed their presence and efforts to make anchorages safer. 

(We also think they wondered about our flag and strange accent! Go you good thing!)

Be Informed from the Getgo!

Whilst in St Martin we started to explore and develop our “local” knowledge of the Caribbean.  We began to appreciate the importance of weather, cruising guides, and security to our voyage planning.  Needless to say, we used the internet where-ever and when-ever we could for information updates and home communications!  Isn’t Skype marvellous?

Trying to get a connection, any connection

Weather:  IF we could pick up an internet connection, our first search was always for weather - hurricane reports as well as local weather.  This is far superior to listening to local anchorage “gossip”. We had a few favourite sites such as Jeff Masters, NOAA and CaribWX.  Later we discovered a few more that were locally specific and quite helpful – windguru and ibiseye.

Cruising Guides: We added to our collection of local cruising guides.  Chris Doyle’s are very good – you would hardly need charts, the descriptions are so clear.  We purchased others to fill in a few blank spots and importantly to get another point of view.  “French for Cruisers” by Cathy Parsons is also money well spent, particularly when you find yourself in a supermarket in French St Martin or trying to negotiate laundry costs in Guadeloupe. 

Guard Iguana at a fuel depot St Martin

Security: We found a monthly newspaper, the Caribbean Compass, gave us an eye on the cruising community.  It made for good reading although we were concerned about news of killings and robberies, especially in Venezuela and even St Vincent.  We chose to just be cautious, lock up and ask locals questions.  We left our dingy strapped firmly to WJ3 & out the water in Dominica.  In St Martin and St Lucia we waited to launch until confirming with marina staff that dingy theft was not an issue.  The crew decorated our outboard with paint and removed evidence of its horsepower.  We also invested in hefty chain & locks.  

The Safety & Security net is also a helpful compilation of reported crime, which makes for interesting reading & useful advice.  Lastly, we came upon regular cruisers’ nets (eg in Trinidad it was VHF Channel 68).  This is a daily update for cruisers on weather, security, general information, equipment swaps/trades and social happenings.
 
St Martin/Sint Maarten was a great place to take stock simply because it caters for all us cruising and/or racing sailors.  There are plenty of well stocked chandleries, all easily accessible and a willingness by staff to assist customers no matter how big (or small) your budget. Then there's the hardware stores but don't get me started....