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CRUISING TIPS

Coastal Cruising Tips-1

SAILING IS FUN

 

Sure we address a lot of “what ifs” and it is a good thing to do that but don’t forget we are out there to have fun. I must admit sailing has been the best times of my life. Not only getting that boat “in the groove” but the people I meet and the places I go add to the pleasure.

In this column we will consider some basics. Hope it helps.

Anchoring for the Night

 To “put the ship to bed” for the night so you can rest easy, here are a few suggestions.

1-Confirm the anchor is holding by taking several bearings on shore points and check again in a half hour and set your anchor watch on the GPS.

2-See the dingy is riding properly and oars are stowed inboard.

3-Check hatches, screens, canvas covers and vents to make sure all are secure. And how about that laundry on the lifeline.

4-Secure loose gear or rigging that can keep us awake at night.

5-Make sure the anchor light is lit. This is required by Coast Guard regulations in any area that is not a designated anchorage. On a power vessel it is usually mounted on a staff forward. On a sailboat it can be hung on the forestay six feet above the deck or found on the mast head.

 

Offshore Cruising-1

 We are planning a trip to the Tortugas May 5 thru May 28. There will be plenty of coastal cruising involved but also some offshore so we will be addressing some important issues.

First, since we will be on an overnight sail from Key West to the Tortugas and from the Tortugas to Naples lets consider jack lines. It is a must that crew have safety harnesses and are able to attach to jack lines with the tether.

A jack line is not the safety lines which should never be used to for the tether since they can give way. A jack line is a special line or wire run on the deck of the vessel strictly for the purpose of crew safety and on which to attach the tether of the safety harness. You can run them from a forward cleat aft, port and starboard. Run them so crew can attach anytime they are leaving the cockpit. In bad weather and at night I also attach one over the companionway to the helm so crew can attach immediately when coming on deck. You don’t need to buy special lines; your dock lines  will work for this purpose.

We will also be addressing:

Night sailing

Crew safety Courses

Provisioning

Fuel needs

MOB

EPIRB

Overboard bags or GO bags

 

Rafting Up

 THE GREAT RAFT-UP

 We are planning two raft-ups this year. One on April 14 and the Great Buck Moon Raft-Up on May 30. These always turn out to be one of the most enjoyable experiences for a club. It is sure to produce fond memories.

 If anyone is uncomfortable with the raft, just anchor nearby and dingy over to join us.

 Here are a few guidelines.

 We will publish the time to arrive at the raft-up. Please let the raft captain know in advance when she can expect you and the size of your vessel. We will monitor Ch 72 and issue directions for positioning of the boats. Contact the raft captain on arrival.

 Bring your own fenders and lines.

Include: 2 spring lines with loops

2 breast lines with loops

These should be regular docking lines appropriate for the size of your boat.

At least 2 large fenders

Bring the planned food etc.

 Approach the raft from astern at an angle of 15 – 35 degrees

Make lines ready before reaching the raft

The raft captain will direct you to the side to join- Port side to or Starboard side to

Deploy your fenders on the inside of the raft and have all lines and crew ready to tie up

Coast to a stop beside the raft : do not push it around by bumping into it at speed.

Bring your boat along side and stop, There should be no more than a couple of feet between boats

Check spreaders to make sure they are offset.

Pass the bow line and then the forward spring to the other boat

Pass the stern line and aft spring line

Adjust the lines so that the spreaders are at least 5 feet apart

Secure your lines

Do not “squeeze” the boats together too tightly

Double check your spreaders and lines and get ready to

*****PARTY******

Hints to Help

Clear you decks of equipment so sailors may walk across your boat

Cross forward decks and not the cockpits

Secure your halyards to avoid slapping noises

Wear boat shoes-you will be on other boats

Prepare cocktails and food – the moment we have been waiting for!

 

  

Cruising Photo Links

This is a link to an album of photos from Bill Murray and my trip to Everglades City in March. This was my first extended cruise and it won me over to doing more. What a great time in great places.

Everglades March 2005

This is a collection of photos from Bill Piper, one of our solid cruising members. Bill has some photos of other HBYC member’s boats as well as his own.  Take a few moments to enjoy some great photos.

Bill Piper's Photo Gallery

This is a collection of photos from our British Virgin Islands charter in May. We had a Moorings 332 [made by Beneteau] and the trip was fantastic. I urge everyone to do a charter as some point in their sailing life. Enjoy.

Don's BVI Photo Gallery

Cruising Articles - Chronological as submitted.

CLICK image for photo link!

Departed Skeleton Key Sunday, May 18 for Clearwater.  Very high winds and rough seas Sunday and Monday enroute to Holiday Inn anchorage at St. Pete (Maximo Point). Spent Tuesday at their marina to rest up.  Wednesday travelled via ICW to Venice, made a spectacular exit thru 5-6' breakers at inlet to get outside due to "bridge failure" in Venice.  Sailed to Stump Pass vicinity Englewood.  Another adventure in sailing the "surf" but really a very passable inlet.  Anchored Cape Haze, a 67nm day! Next stop Ft. Myers Beach for four nights.  Rented car to go to Ft. Myers/Edison-Ford museums-very nice.  Departed Ft. Myers Bch. for nice sail down to Naples-spent two nights at marina-very accommodating folks.  $1.50/ft for Boat US members.  Sailed north back to Ft. Myers Bch, then on to Sanibel Island, first night at marina, second on anchor.  Again, very nice folks.  Departed Sanibel Island, sailed around the south tip and up to Boca Grande Pass and into Pelican Bay/Cayo Costa.  After a day at the beach we left and used the "Swash Channel" to go north (a 3-4 mile shortcut) but we had to zig-zag our way thru the 50-60 boats of a Tarpon Tournament.  Big Sarasota pass turned out to be re-marked again so the waypoints we had on record from the yacht club there weren't accurate.  Good news is we reset the 1st marker and found the channel to be better marked, wider and deeper as well.  After a night at Marina Jack with some provisioning and a pizza uptown, we ran the ICW again up to Tampa Bay and into the Holiday Inn anchorage at Maximo.  Next day, Thursday  June 5 we anchored at Clearwater Yacht Club Basin and took the dingy over to Island Estates Marina where we met the Glessners for dinner.  Next day at the beautiful Clearwater beach, a stop at Frenchy's and then a nice sail back into Hudson on Sat. June 7.  Except for the blustery start, we had almost perfect weather the entire time, just a few mechanical issues we resolved with guidance via cell phone from Mr. Piper and our diesel mechanic Mike Kuchnicki.  Log Book shows 477nm.  Any other HBYC cruisers who wish "amplifying information" on Big Sarasota, Stump Pass, or the Swash Channel at Boca Grande feel free to contact us.  Fair Winds, John & Elizabeth.

Hi Everyone,

Got to Malletts' Bay Vt to prepare Voyager II for the trip on 5/27/08.  After 2 weeks of hard work, Voyager II was in the water and ready to go awaiting opening of the Canadian locks.  We left Mallettts' Bay on 5/19/08 in a rainstorm, naturally.  Our first stop was Rouses' Pt, NY on the US/Canadian border.  We sailed through customs the next day.  The town of St Jean at the first northbound lock was our stop for the night.  Very old, quaint French town.  The people were all very friendly & helpful even with our poor french.  The locks on the Chambly canal which we entered the next day are all manually operated by Parks Canada.  Locks are very small and the Parks Canada employees are really helpful.  The last 3 locks in the system are step locks - as you exit one you are entering the next one.  We didn't have to wait for any bridges either as the Parks Canada employee followed us along and opened the swing bridges as we approached.  That night we spent at Chambly...another charming town with excellant food.  We left the Chambly Canal and proceeded down the Richelieu River going through one more lock with floating docks inside the lock to tie up to arriving at Sorel, Quebec at the confluence of the Richelieu River & the St Lawrence Seaway.  Photos will follow once we figure out how to e-mail from Picasa 2.
So far the trip has been wonderful and the countryside gorgeous.
Til later  Les & Judy Emery on Voyager II

We think we finally figured out how to e-mail pictures.  Currently we are at Montebello, Quebec on the Ottawa River about 40 miles east of Ottawa.  Weather is in change mode, raining right now but have had some nice days too.
The pictures are as follows:
1.  The loaded car
2.  The lock at Chambly, Quebec
3.  The lockhoouse at Chambly, Quebec
4.  Voyager II at the downtown marina in Montreal
5.  St Lawrence Seaway lock
6. Chateau Montebello, Montebello, Quebec 
7.  Chateau Montebello, Montebello, Quebec 
Largest log building in North America built in the ' 30's as a private camp.  Now it's a 5-star hotel & resort owned by the Fairmont chain.
Having a great time...If the weather, cooperates off to Ottawa tomorrow.
Les & Judy
Voyager II

 

 

by Laurel Nash

Oh Boy! Paradise.

Fri, Sat & Sun March 23, 24, 25, 2007 we sailed out to Dutchmans and then Caladesi. The conditions couldn’t have been better, not only with the tides but with the winds.

Denny and I on “Here Today” set out Friday morning and sailed to Dutchmans for the night. The winds were great for sailing all day pushing us along at a comfortable speed. The temperature was in the 70’s/80’s so we couldn’t ask for more. When we settled in at anchor for the night the Wind God laid right down with us and gave us a peaceful nights sleep.

Sat. morning we sailed to Caladesi ahead of “Prime Time” coming from Hudson with Gene and Gail on board. The winds were northwest and again we had a great and fast ride south. I went on the outside and came in Hurricane Pass with no problems and plenty of depth. Denny ran from marker 14 on a 212 degree course into the park with just one mishap. He forgot the green goes on the port side – oops. Well when we got off the ground we continued. Ah – remember red right returning? Guess it pays to stay in the channel.

We settled in our slip and watched for “Prime Time” to arrive which they did in short order. They had a much longer sail than I did that day. Gail brought that Catalina right into the slip like a pro. Boy, did they look good.

That evening we had cocktails on “Here Today”, crowed about the perfect day and enjoyed the evening. Since it was so enjoyable we spent another day in Caladesi and set out for home on Sunday. There were a lot of dock parties and sunbathing.

Again on Sunday the tides were right and the wind turned around to the south to push us home. Downright accommodating, don’t you think? Boy we were “screaming” under sail and it took us no time at all. As we approached our channel we watched “Prime Time” sail by on jib alone with a rooster tail behind – well, almost. She was making good time

GREEEEEAT Sail! GREEEEEEAT weekend!

“For the truth is that I already know as much about my fate as I need to know the day will come when I will die. So the only matter of consequence before me is what will I do with my allotted time. I can remain ashore, paralyzed with fear, or I can raise my sails and dip and soar in the breeze.”

Richard Bode

“First You Have to Row a Little boat”