A Stranded Mariner’s Experiences in China and Beyond
On one of the forums about cruising I frequent, I found the site Animated Knots. It’s the coolest site about knots I have ever seen. The contents of the site also can be purchased as a program, to run independent from the internet.
A few pictures of the inside of ‘Waratah’s hull. The first 3 give a view towards the stern, the last one shows the base for the mast compression post.
In the next series of pictures, the first one shows a bush made of Vesconite. Vesconite is a sort of hard nylon, and ideal for water lubricated bearings. Unlike nylon it does not swell in water, which could cause binding, and it’s resistance to wear is 10 times that of bronze. We are going to use it on ‘Waratah’ for the propeller shaft bearings, and for the rudder bearings. It’s a coincidence that Vesconite is being manufactured in Virginia, Free State, South Africa. Only a few kilometers from Welkom, where ‘Waratah’ is being built.
The second picture shows the mast compression post. ‘Waratah’ will have a deck stepped mast, and the compression posts transfers the forces to the hull. The third picture shows the engine bed. Also visible in the picture are the tank tops of the fuel and water tanks. The last picture shows the sump. This is the lowest part of the bilge, and located in between the water tanks towards the bow, and the fuel tanks aft.
The next series of pictures shows the massive rudder and rudder stock. Note the square part on top of the shaft. This is where the emergency tiller will fit.
And last but not least two pictures of the engine on its foundation. It looks almost lost in this huge hull.
Much has been written about storm survival tactics, and much of it is about the different systems of sea anchors. Sea anchors have the function to enable the boat to hold position in a storm, and keep the hull in a direction towards the waves to minimize the chance of serious damage due to breaking waves.
There are basically two main schools of thought, each with their own supporters. One camp favours deploying a parachute type sea anchor from the bow, the other system consists of a series of small cones deployed from the stern. I will not go into all the pro’s and cons of either system, but refer to the website of Melbourne based Bryan Glover, where this series drogue system has been documented in detail.
I will buy a series drogue system for ‘Waratah’ from Bryan, once I am ready to sail. The system for my boat will consist of 139 nylon cones, spread out over almost 100 meters.
I asked Bryan to send me something for my blog, and he was kind enough to write this article about his own boat ‘Asgard’.
I bought Asgard in May 2000, she is a sloop rigged 28ft Swanson, 10 ft
beam with a 20Hp Bukh diesel, built in Sydney in 1982, 18mm fiber glass,
built like a tank. Asgard was in Sydney and I planned on sailing her
home to Melbourne, the route was much the same as the 1998 Syd - Hobart
disaster except I would turn right into Bass Strait and follow the 40deg
south line. I had some dingy sailing experience but no blue water, and
since I intended going solo I needed something to stop my eye from
twitching.
Voss, and David Lewis “Ice Bird” relied on drogues as do retired old
salts you find mumbling obscenities in boat yards, problem fixed, heavy
warps, or large cone or Delta drogue or drogue chute or para drogue or
Galerider or tires or drogue stones, they all have vocal supporters
which is perplexing because like all single unit devices logic dictates
the tow line will go slack when the vessel is in a tough, or pull out of
the face of a wave and kill you (RNLI life boat team) or tumble forward
in a breaking wave causing slack in the line and possible broach.
Trucking from Sydney was even money, until I read the US Coast guard
report CG-D-20-87 all about the series drogue and its ability to save a
vessel in a once in a life time wave strike, this put a spring in my
step, my eye began to perform as designed and I started eating again.
The Jordan U.S. coast guard report told me for Asgard’s 4500
Displacement I needed a 100 cone series drogue, with a 10 to 15 kg
weight on the end that would sink when the vessel was in the trough of a
wave preventing slack developing in the line. I would travel through the
storm at 0.5 to 6 knots averaging 1.5 knots. The drag produced by the
drogue would be:- Volume (0.27) x no of cones x speed in knots Squared =
drag in lbs@ 1 knot drag = 12 kgs
@ 2 Knots drag = 48 kgs
@ 3 Knots drag = 108 kgs
@ 5 Knots grag = 300 kgs
@ 6 Knots drag = 432 kgs
@ 10 Knots drag = 1200 kgs
@ 15 Knots drag = 2700 kgsDonald Jordans research and development of the drogue giving specific
data which allows us to construct drag to a given displacement, not
relying on a single unit, but spreading the stress loads over 100 or
more units was survival poetry.
I had a wonderful sail home, nearly hit by a ship off Port Kembla, blown
semi out of control into Jervis Bay, ran aground in mud at Eden, spent 3
nights at Refuge cove Wilsons Prom, managed to pump all 200 liters of
fresh water into the bilge, ran out of gas, spent 5 blissful nights
sheltered behind Erith Island in Kent group, fishing, reading, cooking
on the beach and exploring this uninhabited Bass Strait island group.
When I glided into my berth in Melbourne and tied up I felt blissful, I
had completed a journey, overcome a fear. I didn’t have to use the
drogue on that trip but I had in my own way.
Last but not least I want to share this picture about Bryan’s special ‘dry-testing’ method for series drogues.
I stumbled upon this site called Engineering ToolBox. It’s an engineer’s treasure chest when it comes to find resources and information for engineering calculations. It helped me a lot with the design of systems on my boat.
Today I want to give a heads-up for OceansWatch, an organisation I recently joined, and which deserves to be promoted. I will provide below, unedited, some information on their organisation and goals.
OceansWatch is a not-for-profit Trust with a rapidly growing membership of individuals. Although we are based in New Zealand our membership is worldwide and is made up of - medical doctors, dentists, engineers, dive instructors, underwater photographers, international development specialists, nurses, midwives, researchers, academics, tourism operators, outdoor educators, radio operators, scientists .. the list goes on!.. and many others interested in making a difference to coastal communities and their associated marine environments. By linking these island communities to those who are actively involved in marine research, education, humanitarian work and conservation we are able to offer practical solutions to their problems.
As we are a very young organisation, in this first year of operation projects are being focused in the Western Pacific on Vanuatu, Tonga and PNG where OceansWatch team members are already familiar with the local conditions.
OceansWatch offers its members a variety of opportunities to participate in marine conservation and humanitarian assistance programmes. As there are thousands of issues concerning the marine environment and thousands of solutions, OceansWatch has chosen to start with something that the Marine Biologists on our team www.oceanswatch.org/team are certain will be of benefit.
Having looked carefully at Reef Check www.reefcheck.org they are happy that the science is good and the results meaningful and of value. Reef Check is a system of monitoring reef health with particular reference to the effects of pollution, over-fishing, and the aquarium and curio trade. The Reef Check scientists have chosen their indicator species carefully to measure these pressures on the reef. The results go into an international database accessible by anyone and Reef Check regularly report on the state of the world’s reefs.
It was important for us that it was relatively simple for members to be able to help in a meaningful way and we feel that Reef Check fulfills our criteria. This year we are running a training programme in Tonga, but we ultimately aim to have bases worldwide where members can receive training. Once trained, members will be able to help out on the 2008 projects in Tonga, Vanuatu and PNG, with the possibility of more in Fiji and the Solomon Islands. We can only work in countries defined as “developing” by the UN.
In addition to this in Vanuatu, OceansWatch will be working alongside Project MARC (Medical Assistance to Remote Communities) who welcomes our assistance on education and marine conservation projects. We will set up new Reef Check transects in an MPA (marine protected area) established by the local Chief; help the Fisheries Department mark established MPAs, as well as supporting current Reef Check programmes. In addition OceansWatch members yachts will distribute resources to local schools and items such as reading glasses under guidance of the local Red Cross. More details will come out shortly.
As well as practical projects, OceansWatch is also a forum for discussion and networking amongst like-minded people and as a member we encourage you to actively use our forums via the website. www.oceanswatch.org/forum .
I am adding a few links to related articles and information for further reading.
oceanswatch-general-introduction
One of the things that had to be sorted out, is the choice of navigation and communication equipment. When you are building a new boat, you have the chance to select the system you want to have in one go, and select equipment that will work well together.
For most of the equipment I selected Raymarine. I have sailed with their equipment before, and I liked it.
In the cockpit I will have a multifunctional display unit, the C80 (a 8.4″ TFT VGA colour display), which can display charts, radar, and AIS information. Also in the cockpit I will have the ST60+ wind system (analog), the ST60+ Tridata digital display for depth, speed through water, and miles logged. In addition to a magnetic steering compass, there will be the ST60+ fluxgate compass. For the GPS input of the chart plotter I will use the Raystar 125 GPS transducer.
For the radar I selected the Raymarine 18″ 2kW radome. It will be mast mounted. Belowdecks at the nav station I will have the ST60+ Graphic repeater, which can display all data which are gathered. Here I will also have the Ray55E VHF radio, and the AIS receiver.
The transducers for speed and depth are both of the through hull retractable type, which allows for easy cleaning and maintenance without having to haul the boat, or having to dive.
Raymarine has a new product, which is a satellite weather radio. It is called Sirius50 and can be integrated with the multifunctional display. Problem is that so far it only covers the USA and part of the Caribbean. So I had to look for another solution. It will be a combined HF Weatherfax / Navtex receiver from Furuno. The information can be displayed on any PC, without having to install additional software.
All the equipment will be supplied by Central Boating from Cape Town.
I will purchase a hand held satellite phone (Iridium or equivalent), which I can also use ashore in remote area’s.
With the hull and deck basically completed now, we are looking into the placement of all deck equipment. The majority of what we need has been delivered by Central Boating. Wynand has made the cutouts for the hatches. All cutouts have to be made prior to blasting the hull and applying the primer.
The first picture gives a view towards the bow. Through the port side hatch the anchor chain locker can be seen. There is a separation in the middle for the two anchor chains. I will use full chain for both anchors, about 80 meters of 10 mm chain each. My primary anchor will be a 25 or 30 kg Bruce or Rocna anchor. For the secondary I am thinking about a Fortress. They are light and compact in relation to their holding power, and I can use the Fortress anchor as a counter weight for the series drogue system I intend to buy.
The second picture shows the cutouts for the hatches for the aft cabin, and the sail locker.
The last picture shows the rudder of ‘Waratah’, which looks truly impressive. The rudder will be filled with oil, to prevent corrosion from the inside.
Meanwhile I have sorted out all the navigation, and communication equipment. I will post separately about this.
