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Flying Pig Prevention Measures
On 2 Apr 2007 08:22:59 -0700, "Skip Gundlach"
wrote: Let the potshots begin :{)) I look forward to constructive suggestions on additional measures which we might take No potshots from me, not intentionally anyway. I think you've touched on some important points, and I'll add a few comments of my own. My wife and I have done quite a few 24 to 72 hour passages, and being well familiar with the risks, including fatigue, we take certain precautions. Rule 1 - My wife is never alone at the helm during, or prior to, a landfall/harbor entrance. Her skills are just not good enough and probably never will be. We both accept that. I plan to be on deck at least an hour before any approach to obstructions or shallow water. Rule 2 - We pace ourselves and time our rest periods so that violating rule 1 is never an issue. Rule 3 - Never enter into obstructed waters or a landfall situation during the hours of darkness if it can possibly be avoided. We have frequently slowed down and waited for day light before entering unfamilar harbors. Rule 4 - If weather deteriorates, always have a plan B and execute it sooner rather than later. Cockpit instrumentation, etc.: One of our most important navigation devices is the autopilot. It steers straight courses, is easily tweaked to minor course corrections, and most importantly it gives you time and energy to pay attention to everything else. If the autopilot were to fail we would immediately head to the nearest port and get it fixed. You need a good couse plotter and radar at or near the helm. This is easy on our trawler but also doable on a sailboat with todays waterproof pods from Furuno and others. When my wife is on watch the course plotter always has a couse line on it that I have preset and validated. In addition, an XTE display (Cross track error) and depth is always on the plotter screen. My wife knows how to interpret the displays and tweak the auto pilot course as necessary. She can also toggle back and forth to the radar display, change the radar range, track targets, determine their course and CPA (Closest Point of Approach). She has standing instructions to alert me to any CPA less than a mile, any visible lights that she does not understand, or any deviation from the planned course. Anchoring: We secure our anchor with a mechanical chain stopper and also with a chain hook/snubber line to a cleat. They can both be freed up within seconds with no tools. My wife is well trained on how to do it herself if needed. We carry two heavy nylon snubber lines with chain hooks/shackles/thimbles spliced into one end. The breaking strength of your heaviest snubbing line should be about the same as your chain. Use two snubbing lines in rough conditions. There is a risk of breaking the chain or deck hardware if your snubber fails and you fetch up hard on a taut chain. Anchoring the boat, even in miserable conditions, is always preferable to getting into a dangerous situation. Practice makes perfect. Experience: Learn to walk before you run. Get lots of experience (many months) with the boat and all of its systems before attempting long passages, especially those that require watch standing and overnight runs. There is a degree of risk associated with running at night even for the best equipped boats and most experienced crews. We try to avoid it unless the benefits in time and distance clearly outweigh the risks. |
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