23 May 2016

Spring Fever

Off-Season Blues....

After two seasons, with a lot of single-handed sailing, I have started to get a feel for the boat, how she handles, what she might need, and what I might want to add.  This winter I had a very specific list of to-dos and to-gets.  I worked my way through most of them, reconsidered a couple of them, and never got around to a few of them.  The tarp came off on 14 April, and I got to work.  My launch date was scheduled for 7 May -- a mere two-week window!

Time to get to work!  Clock is ticking.  T-minus 14 days and counting.....

I was eager to re-varnish the brightwork, but had to wait for temps to climb into the 50s.  I sanded down the toe rails and prepped them for varnishing.  My neighbor advised me to put a minimum of eight coats of varnish, but I confess I ran out of time after five coats.  It is not a Herreschoff, after all, and I am only doing the toe rails.  For the metal rails and stanchions, I used "Spotless Stainless."

I also made a couple of wooden racks, all painted and varnished, to hold chart books, pamphlets, notebooks, and other publications inside the cabin.  I am tired of having to pick up so much stuff off the cabin sole after a day of sailing.  Things get tossed around too much.  I strung bungees to help keep things on shelves and mounted some stowage netting, as well.  I also put in a small Weems and Plath Trident Bimini barometer ($70).



Hardware Updates
'Piao' is a southcoast local, as is my wife.  The Admiral comes from Fairhaven, the boat was built in Fall River, and its rigging fixtures are Schaefer, based in New Bedford.  I like the wife, and the boat (in that order of preference), but I have never liked the fiddle block on the boomvang.  It uses a V-jam, which I find annoying.  So this year I splurged a bit and bought a new Lewmar 50mm fiddle block with becket and cam cleat at West Marine for $60.

Out with the old....

....In with the new.

I have been frustrated with the few (and small) cleats that Piao has on her deck.  In particular, there are no cleats amidships on which to attach spring lines.  As a quick and easy fix, I ordered a pair of stainless steel chock cleats ($197) that are mounted on the genoa track with an adjustable locking mechanism that permits you to move them forward and aft along the track, as needed.  I also discovered my dock lines were oversized, so I bought a new set (bow line, spring line, stern line).  I kept the old ones because, you know, you can never have too much line on a boat....


The original foresail leads were pretty much worn out and disintegrating, so I ordered a pair of replacements ($163).  When I bolted them in through the deck, I noticed some water dripping down into the cabin.  Not a good sign, since that signals moisture in the deck core.  That will be an issue to address next year.  Hopefully, it is a relatively localized problem!

The rusty discoloration on the deck is a sign of water egress from the old blocks.  Not good.

Furling Line
I also bought a new furling line for the foresail.  The existing line (5/16") was a little big for the CDI furler, and was chafed in places.  When I check the specs for the furler, I discovered I could downsize to 1/4" line -- which fit much more nicely in the drum.  Fortunately, R&W Rope in New Bedford had their annual "RopeFest" sale going on, I got 50' of 1/4" line (way more than I need) for only $8!

New furling line installed -- old line on the left


I also picked up a Davis Echomaster Radar Reflector ($40).  While I have no plans to be out in conditions of poor visibility, I figured this was a prudent safety device that could not hurt.  Piao is too small a boat to mount radar or even AIS.  But at least this may help others see me.



Keep Calm and Anchor Down
I want to start overnight cruising this season.  While I would much prefer the security of being overnight on a transient mooring, I also want to be able to anchor overnight if necessary.  Piao came with a 14-lb hinged fluke Danforth anchor, to which I added ten-feet of 1/4" chain and 150' of 3-strand rode (which I marked every ten feet).  Last year, while out sailing with the wife, we came across a line floating on the surface of the water, and fished up another 14-lb Danforth that someone had slipped or lost.  So, I have two more or less identical anchors.  The hinged fluke design has been fine for a "lunch hook," and performs well in the muddy bottoms characteristic of many places around my area.  However, they are known to hold poorly in grassy bottoms.  So, after much consideration, I dropped by Defender Marine one day on my way home from Stony Brook and bought a 14-lb Lewmar Delta fixed plow anchor ($133) and 20-feet of 1/4" galvanized G4 chain ($52), along with 150' of double braided rode ($80).  The anchor is a little oversized for Piao (Lewmar recommends their 9-pounder for a 23' boat), but I hope that (and the chain) will bring added security.

Left Defender Marine 29-pounds heavier and $265 lighter....

One problem I had to solve, however, was where to stow the Delta.  I do not have a bow roller or windlass, and it does not fit in the anchor locker in the bow (where I stow the Danforth).  I didn't want to put it in the lazarette, as I feared it might tumble around in rough conditions and bang a hole in the fiberglass hull.  Since I usually sail alone, I use the V-berth up front for storage.  I hooked the nose of the Delta in the space at the bow, beneath the anchor locker, and then mounted some bungees to secure it in place.  I can't call this "readily accessible," and I will have to tie the anchor to the boat before I use it, but I do not plan to use this often -- only if overnighting somewhere with a grassy bottom (such as Hadley's Harbor).



Plumbing
The O'Day 23 has a small galley sink.  The hand pump on the sink was broken when I got the boat.  The Previous Owner said it was "unfixable," and suggested that I just forget about it and use the sink as a storage bin.  That was okay the first year, but last year I began to regret not having somewhere to wash my hands.  I figured these things must break all the time, just like on RVs.  A few minutes on the Google confirmed as much.  So I ordered a Whale Flipper Mk IV water pump through West Marine for about $109.

 Old broken sink hand-pump faucet

New (and fully functional) sink faucet installed

Well, if you want to have a functioning sink, you also need to have functioning water lines.  This 
opened the proverbial Pandora's Box.  I had to squeeze myself into the cockpit lazarette and into the tiny space beneath the sole of the cockpit.  This was no easy task for a guy my size.  I tried to get my 12-year-old stepson to do this for me, but he wanted too much money to do the job.

What could possibly add to the fun of working in a space more appropriately sized for a twelve-year-old?  Well, it could start hailing....

Just fitting in there was challenge enough: there is probably only 18-24" between the cockpit floor and the hull.  It was like that scene in "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" where Uma Thurman is buried alive inside the coffin.  I decided to take my phone in there with me, in case I got stuck and needed to call for help.  Once I squeezed in, I had to unscrew all the old hose clamps and remove all the old hoses from their fittings: sink drain, sink drain air vent, water intake, water intake air vent, etc.  The old hoses were real nasty looking: green and black with biological growth.  Eww.  Good thing the sink pump was broken!

 The colorful old water hoses.....

The old water tank line to the sink faucet.  Thirsty?

One thing led to another and I ended up pulling out the entire freshwater holding tank.  This made it much easier to install the new hoses and work in the bowels of the boat, since I now had an additional two feet of leg room.  It also gave me an opportunity to give the water tank a good cleaning.  It is 34-years old, after all, and as far as I know it has never been cleaned.  I disinfected it for good measure, even though I don't intend to use it for potable water.

New hoses attached to water tank

Here are two photos showing the BEFORE and AFTER on the water line replacements.  Line to the left feeds from the tank to the sink faucet, the one in the middle is an air vent, the line on the right is the sink drain.

Old hoses....

New hoses....

Along the way, as I was trying to pull the old sink drain hose off its thru-hull fitting, the plastic fitting snapped off in my hand.  Added to my frustration was the fact that this was probably the least accessible of all the places down under inside the boat.

Oops....

That meant something else to replace.  But better the thru-hull fitting failed here and now, 'on the hard,' than when the boat was in the water.

Material Fatigue.... Owner Fatigue....  Credit Card Fatigue....

Mast Work
For some projects, I was very fortunate to have the assistance of Ed Van Kurtin, owner of Buzzards Bay Yacht Services.  Ed did some work on the mast, including running a new coax cable ($28) and installing a VHF antenna ($64), mounting foam pads inside the mast to reduce clanging of internal wires and cables when the boat rolls and pitches ($9), and upgrading the wiring for the steaming and anchor lights ($28).  He also mounted a new bail ($50) at the foot of the mast, to replace the old one that broke last season.

Busted Bail (compliments of Schaefer) 

New bail seems a bit more durable....

Along with the new wiring running inside the mast, Ed installed new Cable Clams ($40) in the deck through which the wires and VHF cable could pass to a terminal block inside the cabin.  This would keep the connections out of the weather.

 Drilling holes for the Cable Clams

 When he drilled, however, he discovered more wet soft balsa in the core in the area near the mast step.  His assessment was that it is still okay to sail this year, but it should definitely be repaired next winter.  Looks like I will need to find a second (or third) job....

Transducer
For Christmas, my kids got me an Airmar P319 transducer that could be connected to my Garmin 441s Chartplotter to display depth readings under the keel.  My wife thought this was unnecessary, but every party needs a party-pooper, right?  I have a traditional lead line that can be cast by hand, with a recess in which to stuff tallow for bottom samples, but the transducer will be a big help when anchoring or when venturing into shoal water.  Ed was happy to help me mount it.  "It's always fun to make a hole in a boat," he grinned fiendishly.

 Hmmm.  Maybe I should have got an in-hull or transom-mounted transducer....

Mounting the transducer....

 I hope that stays in place.....

Bilge Pump
Since I now had a hole in my hull, it was a good idea to install a bilge pump.  Ed was astonished to learn I did not have an electric bilge pump, only a hand pump.  "I wouldn't take this boat anywhere without a bilge pump," he cautioned.  He recommended a compact Rule 25D automatic (about $38 at West Marine), that runs on a three-minute cycle without a float switch.

 Piao's tiny bilge....

Rather than drilling screw holes into the hull, Ed jammed the bilge pump in there snuggly and suggested I check it regularly

Electrical Work
In addition to the transducer hook-up, Ed installed the bilge pump switch as well as a 12-volt DC charging station with a USB port.  I find my cellphone sometimes runs low on battery while I'm out sailing, and I wanted a charging station inside the cabin away from the wetness of the cockpit.

Not a lot of space to work with, alas....

 Cutting holes for the bilge pump switch and the 12-volt DC outlets

Voila!

I also added a VHF base station.  The first two seasons I had been sailing with a Standard Horizon hand-held VHF radio.  It worked okay, but not great -- rather limited range for both transmission and reception.  So this year I added a Standard Horizon Explorer GX1700 with GPS (about $200).


I also put in a small electrical fan for the cabin.  It gets a bit muggy down there during the summer, and this year I want to start overnight cruising.  I hope this will add to comfort.


With all this new electrical stuff, it was time to upgrade Piao's electrical panel.  The original had four switches: cabin lights, steaming light, deck lights, and anchor light.  Ed helped me install a new panel with eight fuses ($227). 

Piao's original electrical panel

New panel.....

When all was said and done, Ed remarked "You probably have the nicest electrical system for any 23-foot sailboat around here."

"How much did Ed charge you for all that work?" my wife asked one day.  "I'm not sure, off-hand," I answered cautiously.  "A couple hundred for this and for that."  Good thing she never reads my blog....


21 May 2016

April Sailing

Compliments of my buddy, Captain Bob Damiano, I had my first sail of the 2016 season on April 8-9: an overnight journey from Boston to Barrington, RI, aboard S/V Argon, a Tartan 4000.  Last year, Bob and his partner, Linda, sold their house and downsized to a new live-aboard life-style as they began serious preparations for a transition to blue-water sailing.  They will be heading to Bermuda this summer, and then on to the Caribbean.  You can read about all that at their informative and entertaining blog, "Argon Voyages" (www.we-argon.blogspot.com).

Argon's deck, just four days earlier....

Argon was headed down to a boatyard in Barrington for some mast work and other maintenance, and Bob invited me to crew with him on the overnight trip.  On Thursday evening, I took the train up to Boston and grabbed an Uber over to Constitution Marina to join the boat.  Bob and Linda had just added side curtains to the Bimini and dodger, completely enclosing the cockpit, which turned out to be a godsend during the voyage, keeping us dry and warm.

Argon in her slip, with her new toasty little cockpit greenhouse

After victualating, including stocking up on rum and bourbon, and after feasting on some seriously delicious gourmet pizza at Todd English's "Figs," near Bunker Hill in Charlestown, we bedded down for the night in preparation for an early morning departure.

Bunker Hill at night

We got underway around 0730 on a glorious but chilly morning, with 7 knots of wind.  Heading out President Roads, Bob had us turn right at Nixes Mate and down the Narrows between Lovell Island and Georges Island with Fort Warren.  The Nixes Mate Daymarker is on the National Register of Historic Places.  Legend has it that it is named after a Mate who was hanged there on the charge of murdering his Captain (Nix) while at sea.  In the 1720s, the corpse of pirate chief William Fly was gibbeted on the tiny island after his execution as a warning to other would-be pirates.  #valarmorghulis 


Nixes Mate

Bob promised favorable brisk winds, WSW to start but expected to veer North later in the day.  That would have made for a quick and comfortable run down to the Cape Cod Canal in time for slack water.  At least that was the plan.  The first part of the weather forecast turned out to be pretty accurate; the latter part less so.  #itsObamasfault

Minot's Light
Our whaleboat team ('Polar Oartex') raced here last fall, in some challenging open water conditions

Winds held pretty steady WSW all day.  At 1020, as we sailed by Minot's Light, off Cohasset, it was blowing a steady 20 knots and gusting to 27 knots.  By 1300, it was blowing a pretty steady 30 knots.  This meant sailing close-hauled into wind and waves.  Bob was no too happy about all this, as it threw awry his sail plan, but I was having a great time.  I had never sailed in such strong winds.  #exciting


Looks like a scene out of an old "Batman" episode, when they tilt the camera angle in the Joker's lair....

Argon is a big boat. Compared to my diminutive 23-foot Piao, she is a dreadnought.  As Bob remarked, Argon "eats for lunch" rather big-ass waves that would pose a much greater challenge to Piao, almost half the size of 40-foot Argon.

Argon eating lunch....

Still, water rushing over the toerail as we raced south at over 7 knots, pounding waves and heeled far over in a starboard tack, was thrilling. There was a lot of spray, and plenty of waves sent cascades of water over the bow and foredeck, and splashing against the dodger.  I was happy to sail with the enclosed cockpit, which kept us dry and warm throughout the voyage.  #bringiton

This is "Yee-ha!" sailing!

There were a few times when the winds were just too strong and we had difficulties holding our course.  Bob had us fall off the wind a bit, but this inevitably blew us eastward, out to sea, obliging us then to tack back toward shore.  But with the winds holding WSW, this meant our in-shore tack put us on a Westerly (or even WNW) heading, meaning we were backtracking and losing ground.  Bob can curse like a real sailor.  #pottymouth

Here you can see where we were obliged to fall off

Engineers are dedicated to solving problems.  Never golf with an engineer: it makes for a long and painful round of play.  At one point, Bob noticed that the foresail was not optimally rigged for the conditions.  Argon's big Genoa has a several grommets at its clew, arranged in an arching semi-circle (whereas the jib on modest little Piao has just one clew grommet).  The sheet was attached to a higher point on the clew, which prevented Bob from pulling it down taut and snug to the deck, as sailing close-hauled in such conditions warranted.  "I'm gonna have to go fix that," he said to me, and disappeared into the cabin to retrieve a tether line.  Wait. What? Are you kidding me?  #NoRedShirt

You are going up there? Seriously?

Leaving me at the helm, Bob directed me to turn into the wind while he went forward, carefully, to adjust the clew of the foresail.  I confess this made me more than a little anxious.  Argon would have been a lot of boat for me to handle alone, in those conditions, should he go for a swim.  I insisted we review MOB procedures before he left the cockpit.  I must say, the dude knows what he is doing, and in just a few minutes he had reattached the sheet to a lower clew point on the foresail and was safely back in the cockpit.  Once, in Tenth Grade, I held my breath for just over three minutes (Joe Ranieri timed me); this time might have been a little longer.  #whew

Despite Bob's best efforts, the wind still seemed to conspire against us.  It was still slow going, and we were getting pounded.  Around 1600, as we were off Plymouth, Bob decided enough was enough, and we brought in the sails and resorted to motoring.  Somewhere south of Manomet Bluffs, at 1755, the Plymouth Harbormaster fastboat chased us down and hailed us across the water.  Bob gestured: got radio?  Yeah, that works better.  They said someone had reported a sailboat struggling off Plymouth and they had come out to see whether we were in need of assistance.  Bob thanked them, and politely declined.  Still, I thought, it's comforting to know someone is watching.  #NSA

That's a rather strong current, Capt'n....

Needless to say, we arrived at the Cape Cod Canal a bit late (well, okay, very late -- 6:25pm), and the current was running against us.  The seven-mile transit -- which usually takes Argon about 45 minutes -- took more than three hours that night, as we struggled against the contrary current.  

Entering the Cape Cod Canal, hours behind schedule

But sheltered from the winds, this was some welcome "down time."  While I watched men with flashlights fishing in the darkness along the banks of the canal, Bob went below to heat up some tasty tomato soup to warm our bellies.  #traderjoesyum!

Speed [thru water]: 7.0 knots; Speed Over Ground: 2.0 knots
That's 5 knots of contrary current!

But wait, there's more!  That night Bob and I both learned that one should monitor VHF Channel 13 when transiting the canal.  Just after 9pm, as we approached Mass Maritime Academy on the western end of the canal, I noticed the lights of the Bourne bridge behind us became eclipsed by a large black mass.  A few minutes later, Argon was lit up from astern by massive floodlights reminiscent of a Foghat concert in the 1970s. WTF?  Then we were hailed on VHF by a tug pushing a massive barge, that had come up behind us in the darkness, catching us at unawares. #holyshit


Hey, Bob, where did the Bourne Bridge lights disappear to?

"Canal Control has been trying to reach you on 13," the tug captain told us.  Bob adroitly maneuvered over to the northern edge of the channel to give the behemoth a wide berth.  "Geez, you'd think they would try [Channel] 16 [for emergencies and initial hailing] if they got no response on 13," Bob muttered.  But he did not say that into the radio.  Bob's far too polite than that.  #classyyachtsman

Emerging into Buzzards Bay, my neighborhood, we discovered the winds on this side of the canal had diminished to only about 12-15 knots.  However, Bob noticed that there quite a few ATONs (navigation aid buoys) that were off-station.  We motored on in the darkness past Marion's Bird Island Lightuntil we reached Mattapoisett harbor around 2300.  Bob decided that we would put in there for the night.  The harbor channel is marked with unlit local navigation buoys, and we carefully threaded our way in the darkness, ahead slow, up to the mooring fields, scanning continuously with a hand-held spotlight.  Sometimes we couldn't see the markers until we were right atop them.  Finally, after skirting around a forest of winter sticks in the mooring field, Bob selected what he deemed to be suitable anchorage.  We dropped the hook in 12-feet of water, made all secure, and retired below for a welcome hot meal.  #destinationknobcreek

Luxurious accommodations compared with Piao

The next morning we weighed anchor around 0700 and headed down Buzzards Bay toward Newport.  Again we were under motor power, but this time because there was virtually no wind: a paltry breeze of only 4-6 knots.  We passed New Bedford around 0900, and Cuttyhunk an hour or so later


Very different conditions on Day 2

As we passed the "Hens and Chickens" off Gooseberry Neck, a fog bank was rolling in from the south.  Off the port beam, to seaward, it was difficult to distinguish the horizon in the blended blur of grey, although to starboard, toward land, there was a crisp blue sky.

View to port

View to starboard 

Bob decided we would turn in and run up the Sakonnet River, rather than making for Naragansett Bay.  This was a new route for me, as we followed the east side of Rhode Island (the actual island), with its picturesque seaside communities such as Quaker Hill.  At its northern tip, we zigged sharply SW until we cleared Hog Island, and then zagged northward onto the Providence River as we made for Bristol.  There we took the Warren River and threaded our way up its rather narrow channel to Warren, where we turned left on to the even more narrow Barrington River.

The twisty-turny Sakonnet River route

As we approached our destination, Stanley's Boat Yard, Bob took care to rig the fenders neatly and smartly.  "We will be tied up next to the Barrington Yacht Club," he explained.  "Everything has to be 'yachtsmanly.'  Besides, Linda will be watching.  It's really her boat."


Trying not to run us aground while Bob rigs lines and fenders

Linda was indeed waiting on the dock to catch our lines.  I threw her the wrong line first (Bob had rigged two spring lines, one thicker, one thinner; "throw the big one first," he said, but I failed to heed him).  #deckhand_fail


Ever the gentleman captain, Bob forgave me and still offered to drive me home.


Trip distance: 133nm (by my iPhone app)
Trip time: 31hrs 57min (including 8hr 18min stoppage time)