BoatBanter.com - View Single Post - Bluewater C&C 33

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On 30 Dec 2005 09:26:04 -0800, wrote:

What would likely be the points of failure on the C&C 33
were it to encounter boarding seas and squalls. I need to know what
systems will require the most attention.

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Rob, all kidding aside, the first point of failure on most small boats
in those conditions are the skipper or crew. Someone becomes seasick,
injured or terminally frightened. Seriously. Knock downs causing a
man overboard situation or injury are fairly common, as are serious
waves coming onboard. After that you've got all the usual gear
failure possibilities: dismasting, ripped sails, broken boom/goose
neck, engine failure, line/prop entanglement, fouled/failed bilge
pumps, clogged cockpit drains, hatch and deck leaks, rudder failure,
steering cable failure, hose/seacock failure, engine mounts,
batteries, autopilot, etc. None of those are hypothetical, having
either experienced them myself at one time or another, or know people
who have.

Picture your boat being picked up by a 15 foot breaking wave and
thrown down into the trough a few times. Imagine the possibility of
things breaking or coming adrift from the impact. It happens, and
steep 15 foot waves are not uncommon in a storm. Imagine someone
spraying you with a cold fire hose while all of this is going on.
Imagine what happens if these conditions persist for a day or two or
three.

Offshore, any one of these events can snowball into something more
serious, and eventually crew fatigue or hypothermia begins to set in.
That's about the time someone calls the coast guard for a rescue. A
lot of those boats are eventually found floating or washed up on a
beach somewhere, indicating that the rescue could have been avoided if
the captain/crew had been stronger or better prepared.

My advice would be to consult with an experienced marine surveyor and
tell him what you have in mind. Pay close attention to any issues
that he finds and get them all fixed in a first class manor. Then
plan a series of shake down cruises where you will be exposed to open
ocean conditions for 2 to 5 days at a time, preferably with some
experienced crew. Weaknesses in the boat, gear and your own
preparation will begin to show up, and you will learn how to deal with
them when you are not 1,000 miles from assistance.

After that you might be ready to go.

Excellent post!!

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com