On Wed, 16 Feb 2011 10:34:28 -0500, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:
"Jessica B" wrote in message
.. .
snip
Jessica, this is a repeat in case you didn't see the one from 'Gregory
Hall'.
Ok, well, I can get pasty. :}
But probably not *as pasty* as those Canadians who live where it's so cold
that their skin never sees any sun for months at a time. At least you go to
the beach from time to time so you might have some evidence of tan lines??
I thiink I did see it.. I suppose I do have such evidence. :-)
I might have to take a flight in the next couple of months, so thanks
for reminding me!
You're welcome. ;-) Perhaps you'll think of me when you're all crammed in
there . . .
Next to obese people? Nah... I'll be thinking of someone in better
shape than that!
Ouch! That means you think I'm in bad shape? Who's your favorite male
celebrity - better shape-wise?
Noooo... not at all. From your pic you look like you're in very good
shape. If you ride even half as much as you said you do, then you're
in way better shape than 90% of the people...
Celebrity? Hmmm.... male celebrity I'm guessing.. ok.
This link is pretty strange, but here's my answer...
http://backseatcuddler.com/2007/09/0...crazy-italian/
snip
Two (anchors) of(f) the front? I guess you could put them away from each
other somehow. Otherwise they'd get all tangled. How deep do you anchor
typically? I guess in the Keys it must be pretty shallow... like 10 to
20 feet? If less than that don't you worry about waves picking up the
boat and letting it land on the bottom.. or is that impossible?
You've sure got a good head on your shoulders, girl. Yes, two anchors off
the bow as in "Bahamian Style" which is anchors placed about 60 degrees
apart as described by the angle of the anchor rodes. In a tidal current
they
are places slightly up current and slight down current so when the tide
and
current changes the boat still lies between both with relatively equal
pulls. In a wind only situation one places the anchors more like 90-120
degrees apart and this holds the bow directly into the wind and it doesn't
sheer around.
So, that's what they do in the Bahamas? I've never been, but it's
pretty close to you? How do you get the second anchor in the right
place? You can't put them in at the same time, so you must have to get
the boat to the second spot. It must be tough to judge where it is in
relation to the first one, since it's on the bottom.
It takes a little practice but it's not overly difficult. Many places in the
Bahamas develop some pretty strong tidal currents and it changes directions
twice a day so, yes, if you want to stay put you really need two anchors set
out across the current and well dug in.
The Bahamas are pretty close by - probably about the same distance offshore
as Santa Catalina Island out there but there are hundreds of little and
larger islands out there. One can sail for months and not come close to
visiting them all. Most are not even inhabited. It's a wonderful cruising
ground.
Sail for months... wow... so cool. I wish I had that kind of time!
Placing the anchors can be made into a comedy of errors using the
'committee' approach and/or using the motor and yacht tender (dinghy) or it
can be done correctly and simply like I do it when single-handing. So called
sailors like Bruce, for example, probably never set two anchors,
Bahamian-style, under sail but I can and do set them that way all the time
and it is a no fuss - no muss operation when done in a seamanlike fashion.
Here is how a real sailor does it.
1) Sail into the anchorage and proceed upwind close hauled on a port tack to
the place a fifty feet or so to the right of where you wish the boat to end
up. I like about ten feet of depth in clear water so the bottom can be
easily seen.
Ok... I looked up close haul and port tack.. so close to the direction
where the wind is coming and going to the right..
2) Pinch into the wind and coast to a halt with sails luffing.
Pinch? So the sails flap around and you lose momentum... got it.
3) Go forward, release the jib halyard at the mast cleat and quickly roll
and stow the sail along the starboard lifelines out of the way. Release and
drop the anchor that is ready on the starboard bow roller and quickly pay
out about 100 feet of anchor rode (easy to know provided the rode is marked)
as the boat slowly gathers sternway. Make the line fast to a cleat.
Umm... don't you have to keep the boat going in the right direction?
Isn't it going to wander off or ?
Sure are a lot of terms to look up... lifelines? For safety? Anchor
rode.. but this isn't chain right? It's rope.
Do you have to worry about pulling the cleat off the boat if it stops
suddenly?? Seems like a boat weighing...? 2500 lbs and a sudden stop?
It depends on how fast it's going but still...
4) Proceed back to the cockpit, unsheet the mainsail from its close-hauled
position and put the tiller over to port which will cause the bow to fall
off to port due to the sternway.
Ok, I'm going to have to draw this I think.. sigh..
5) Sheet the mainsail to a reaching position on a starboard tack and the
boat will soon stop its sternway and commence moving forward away from the
dropped anchor which will appear by the direction of the rode to be off the
starboard beam. This all should be accomplished prior to the anchor rode
snubbing up on the dropped anchor or the bow will come into the wind again
and the mainsail will be ineffective. 50-60 feet of 'spare' rode length
would be about right.
I think I understand... basically, you sail up to one spot, then back
off and sail up to the other.
6) As the boat gathers headway, sheet in the mainsail so the sail attacks
the shifting wind at the proper angle of attack until it becomes close
hauled again (but on a port tack this time as the bow slowly rounds up.
7) As the 100 or so feet of the anchor rode off to starboard starts to
tighten up it will be dragged over to about a 60-90 degree angle from the
anchor (180 degrees being directly downwind). When the boats gets as far
upwind as she will go and the starboard anchor pulls the bow directly into
the wind then go forward and drop the anchor that is ready on the port bow
roller.
8) Once the anchor strikes bottom, pay out some line and jerk the rode a few
times to set the anchor in the bottom as the boat falls back between the two
anchors and then pay out about fifty feet of rode and make it fast on a
cleat. Then uncleat the starboard anchor rode and slowly retrieve about
fifty feet of rode and make it fast to a cleat. The boat will then be lying
between the two anchors with the angle described by the anchors of about
90-120 degrees. If one or more of the anchors don't hold the angle will
decrease. If they hold the angle will remain constant.
9) On your way back to the cockpit stop at the mast and release the main
halyard and let the mainsail fall and strap it to the boom.
10) Look around and note some readily apparent ranges (objects you can line
up one behind the other) ashore so you can reference them later to make sure
you're not dragging.
11) Go below, grab a cold beer, sit in the cockpit and enjoy but check the
ranges over several minutes. If the ranges don't change then you can assume
the anchors are both holding. If you really want to feel secure, grab the
mask, snorkel and fins and dive the anchors and make sure they are well dug
in so you can sleep soundly that night.
This scenario is for non-current, wind only situations. It must be modified
somewhat or quite a bit depending on the direction and strength of tidal
currents, if any.
I'm going to print this out! I definitely got the part about the cold
beer, diving on the anchors and sleeping soundly. :-)
I generally prefer to anchor in relatively shallow water - around six feet
at mean low water. Yes, the Keys have very shallow water in many places.
As
for waves picking up the boat and slamming it on the bottom that's not
likely to happen in wind-generated wave action, at least. See, it's the
depth of the water that determines the height of the wave and the depth of
the wave trough in shallow water. In six-foot deep water the largest
wind-generated wave possible would be about three feet. So, that would
still
give a three-foot cushion for a 3-foot draught boot in one fathom of
depth -
one fathom being six feet.
Ok... I get it I think, and if it's really, really bad weather, you
could put the boat somewhere where it's more protected...
Right. They call them 'hurricane holes'. They are generally smaller places
with high sides and good holding.
Do you ever do this?
Tech away! I get jargon thrown at me all the time from contractors...
I was riding with a gf of mine and she tells me she hears a noise from
under the car, so I said I know what that is.. Really??? Well, yeah,
it's the band clatter of either the drive shaft or the transmission...
now if it's the drive shaft then it's not too serious, but if it's the
transmission, well you might be able to get someone to adjust it but
it probably needs to get replaced. She was amazed and then angry when
I told her I made it all up.
See how devilish you are, Jessica? You made it all up. That's funny! Can
you say, "instigator?" LOL!
As for teching away, I probably teched away plenty enough above. LOL! It
wouldn't surprise me if even the likes of Bruce, Waldo, WaIIy, Wayne,
JustinC, etc. are scratching their addled pates and scrambling for the
sailing reference guides.
I was looking on the book wall at the gym and saw Sailing for Dummies!
:-)