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1. Rough water
handling
2. Matt Layden Letter
3. Flat Bottom boats
4. Value of little boats
5. Seaworthiness
6.
Sea Anchors
7.
Real
Dangers
8. More Flat
Bottom
9. Problems in
Paradise
10. Remote Islands
Rough water handling
We've been meaning to write an
article about Little Cruiser's rough water
performance, and the various techniques to deal
with those conditions. However, for now we'd
like to point out that LC is a heavy displacement
cruising boat, and she does not behave the same
way a light displacement boat does. Years
ago, when we went weekending in our lightweight
Blue Jay class boat (13'6"), and it was always a
white knuckled affair if the winds got much above
20 knots. You had to be quick to release the
sheets if you didn't want to risk a knock down in
heavy gusts. In LC 20 knots is a nice
breeze, and we don't really start worrying
until the winds get over 30
knots.
Little Cruiser is pretty darn
stable with all her ballast down low, and at 1600+
pounds things don't happen real quickly.
However, if you are reaching in a good breeze in 8
-10+ seas, she can start surfing at 7 -10 knots so
you have to be more alert on the tiller.
Generally, we just reef down and go slower,
traveling at a more comfortable 5 knots. In
really large breaking seas the hatch is usually
kept closed in case of a knockdown or for the
possibility of getting pooped, though this has
never happened. Matt says that he ran inlets in LC
when there were up to 10 foot breakers, and he
recounts that in one instance LC was covered in
foam up to her windows as she surfed in!
Mindy and I have personally come into inlets on 10
-12 foot waves, though there wasn't a strong ebb
tide like in Matt's case and the waves weren't
breaking heavily. Needless to say, LC is a
tough little boat, but like any boat, the right
wave could roll her. We imagine the "right"
wave to be a 15 footer, breaking just on the beam,
and then LC might go over. On the other
hand, she just might slide sideways instead.
We don't think we will test this idea out
though.
Matt Layden
Letter
Matt Layden sent us a
letter reporting the results of a series of tests
he did to determine if any performance
improvements were gained by extending the port
chine runner about 16-18 inches forward. This note
also answers questions about Paradox' windward
performance. He
wrote:
I took Paradox out to a part of
the Indian River ... where there is practically no
current, uniformly deep water and little boat
traffic, and did a series of timed runs to try to
quantify her windward performance and determine if
the modified chine runner on the port side was an
improvement.
I tried to do what I reasonably
could to keep inaccuracy from accumulating, but I
don't really know how good the results are.
I laid out a triangular course with legs over a
mile long, using fixed channel markers and a point
of land that were all on my chart, but I don't
know for sure how accurately they are plotted on
the chart. I took compass bearings and did
some timed runs to other charted features nearby;
everything checked out reasonably well, so I'll
use the data as they stand, but I would really
like to double check the mark positions by GPS or
survey from shore some
time.
I did 3 circuits of the
triangle, timing the downwind leg as well as the 2
upwind ones, as a control for changing wind
strength, etc. At the end of each leg I
measured (by timing the run) any offset distance
to windward or leeward of the finshing mark, to
use in calculating distance made good to
windward. I dipped the standing lug sail to
leeward of the mast at each tack (which I don't
ever
normally do) to reduce any error from the
otherwise asymmetric rig. I had no way to
accurately measure wind direction (compass
bearings are not accurate enough to be meaningful
at this level), so I used half of the total angle
between the windward legs as sailed in calculating
VMGW. This may not be a true representation
if there was a difference in leeway between the
new and old chine runner, but any difference
should be very small and anyway it was the best I
could do with the instruments at
hand.
The data all seemed okay, but
there were fluctuations of several percent from
one run to the next on each leg, and the last 2
legs were complicated by the arrival of a short
raain squall that made the wind a little uneven
for about 30 minutes, so I would say that there is
a margin of error of at least 1/10 knot in the
results, I think doing much better would probably
require a towing tank.I will include a copy of the
raw data in case you are interested, but the short
results, averaging the 3 runs for each leg, go
like this:
Downwind leg VMG: 4.53
kt.
Starboard tack VMG: 3.63
kt.
Starboard tack angle made good to wind: 51
deg.
Starboard tack VMGW: 2.29
kt.
Port
tack VMG: 3.49 kt.
Port tack angle made good to
wind: 51 deg.
Port tack VMGW: 2.21
kt.
(VMG =
Velocity Made Good along course; VMGW = Velocity
Made Good to
Windward)
These results pretty much bear
out what I have observed before, so I'm willing to
believe them. There may be a slight
improvement in the modifcation to the port runner
(the difference if any is within the margin of
error so I can't say for sure) What this
mostly does is tell me in numerical terms that
yes, she really does go to windward passably well
without a centerboard, and no, the as-built chine
runners are not dismally bad though they may be
susceptible to improvement. It supports my
experience that in real world conditions, the rare
few times Paradox has been near other small
shallow-draft cruising boats, she has usually
sailed right past them, upwind or downwind.
This of course isn't because Paradox is a
particularly fast boat but because, by and large,
other other small shoal cruisers are not
particularly fast either.
Flat Bottom
Boats
Below is a copy of a
comment David made on the Smallboats forum
regarding the seaworthiness of flat bottomed
sailboats.
I've been following with some
interest the subject of whether a flat bottom boat
is seaworthy and it kind of reminds me of the
not-too-old discussions about whether multihulls
were seaworthy or not. In the end it all boiled
down to whether they were designed well and if
they were sailed properly. Personally, I think the
shape of the bottom of a monohull has little to do
with it seaworthiness. If you look at ocean going
cargo ships, you will see that most of them have a
flat or an arc bottom. I think there are several
other factors that are more important such as the
boat's overall design and to some degree it's
size. If a monohull sailboat is not too extreme
(not too narrow and not too wide), sturdy and
water tight, and sufficiently ballasted to be
self-righting, it will prove to be a reasonably
safe ocean boat. Now as for size, it is well known
that a larger boat can keep sailing and generally
handle rougher ocean conditions more easily than a
smaller boat. Scale has it's advantages, and this
has been well documented in offshore races. The
biggest boats always seem to finish in conditions
that stop the smaller boats. Of course there are
some exceptions, but this may be due to the
toughness of the crew or an unusually superb
design. However, it doesn't mean that a smaller
boat will not survive, it probably will be lying
to a drogue while the bigger boat carries on.
Since I cannot afford nor maintain a 60 footer, I
will probably never benefit from this advantage.
Therefore if foul whether is approaching I will
run for shelter in my smaller craft if I am
coastal cruising or shorten sail earlier if I am
on the open ocean. As for keels, I generally don't
like them because they tend to hit underwater
obstacles too frequently, and I've seen too many
"well founded" blue water cruisers meet their
demise on reefs when their keels became wedged
between the coral heads. I would much prefer
having an ocean capable sharpie like "HOGFISH",
"HOFISH MAXIMUS", "LOOSE MOOSE" or "ROMP".
(Incidentally, "ROMP" is a Bolger designed ocean
going sharpie (30' x 8'4" x 1'6") that was used by
her owner to cruise the Pacific. So in the end it
is really a matter of choosing a good design and
learning good seamanship.
The value of tiny ocean
going boats and their skippers
What I like about the tiny
ocean going boats is that they inspire me and they
make me think. The skippers of these diminuative
craft try to push the envelope on what is
possible, practical and even sane. I love looking
at how certain problems like steering, food
storage, sail handling, and boat design are
solved. They give me ideas to use on my own larger
boat. Though most people would consider them
crazy, somehow these micro-nauts appear like
modern day adventurers to me. I remember meeting
Matt Layden in 1992, and he seemed really out
there. He was cruising full-time in these little
dinky home-built boats, and he was having a blast
doing it. I had a business of my own back then
that kept me very busy, but I hoped someday that I
would be able to afford a "proper" 40 footer to go
cruising in. In the meantime, I bought Little
Cruiser for some weekend sailing. However, as fate
would have it, my business went under, my wife
left her job, and we found ourselves with more
time than money, so we gave micro cruising a try.
Now, six Bahama trips later, we have to thank Matt
and all those other intrepid little boat skippers
who made the impossible seem possible. It's
important to remember, that it wasn't that long
ago that only rich folks with big boats and paid
crews went sailing for pleasure. Now we can do the
same in our micro boats.
Seaworthiness
A fellow Paradox owner
received a letter a while back from another boater
stating that he felt that Paradox was not suited
to making the Gulf Stream crossing, and that it
would take only a "4' breaking crest" to turn
Paradox over. After reading these comments for
myself I wrote the following.
The truth is
that Paradox and Little Cruiser easily deal with
seas that small. Personally I have sailed in 8
foot plus breaking seas offshore with Matt and the
boats always handled beautifully. Little Cruiser
has been out sailing in 10 - 12 foot seas when the
average cruiser stayed in port. This includes our
first trip to the Bahamas at the tail end of a
strong Norther when the waves were higher than the
mast. This year we beat dead to windward in the
Tongue of the Ocean in 22 - 27 knots of wind and
up to eight foot seas from Morgan's Bluff, Andros
to West Bay, New Providence. LC averaged over 4
knots and encountered some really confused
breaking seas right off the Southern tip of New
Providence where there was a strong contrary
current and nearby reefs. Of course we never saw
another boat out that day as a cold front had just
passed through that morning. With a broken motor,
we decided to take advantage of the windy
conditions to make our crossing. On our return
trip we sailed from Red Bays, Andros to Bimini for
close to 70 miles in winds of over 30 knots. The
waves got up to seven feet and broke frequently on
the transom. I've heard it said that we only sail
during perfect conditions, but the truth is that
we also sail in windy conditions if it suits us.
LC can handle it, but we don't
always like
pushing the gear and ourselves that hard. In
reality it doesn't really matter what people
think. I guess we'll just keep sailing, and
everyone else will keep making excuses of why they
stayed in port or had to SPEND SO MUCH MORE MONEY
to go cruising. I've figured that Little Cruiser
has about 10,000 miles under her flat bottom hull,
many of those deep water miles; and in all those
miles she has never once given us or Matt reason
to worry. The original Paradox, which is probably
a little more seaworthy that LC, probably has 3
thousand miles on her with no mishaps. I guess
those miles count for something.
(Note: I
am not endorsing Paradox or Little Cruiser as
offshore sailing craft, but I want to simply
pointing out that they are tough coastal cruisers
that can handle their share of bad weather.)
Sea
Anchors
My recommendation for
deploying an anchor from the stern is for normal
anchoring. Sitting with the anchor tied to the
stern is for protected anchorages only, like in a
creek or something. As for sitting to a drogue or
parachute anchor in open water, we've conducted
some informal tests of our own over the years in
the Bahamas.
Our first test was with a 9'
parachute anchor in about 6 foot seas and 30 knots
of wind in the Exuma Sound. We tied the anchor to
the bow with about 150 feet of 3/8 inch line along
with a large swivel at the anchor end. What we
found was that the boat drifted very little
according to our GPS. However we weren't exactly
pointed dead into the wind and the waves, but
rather at an angle of around 20 degrees. This was
with our centerboard and rudder all the way up.
Putting the centerboard down improve things only a
few degrees. Maybe a bridle would improve things.
We've also done the same test in about 25 knots of
wind with our tiny 3 foot parachute anchor. Here
we found that we drifted considerably more, and
again we didn't head directly into the wind but
rather at an angle. Finally, we've experimented
with a small drogue off the front. This proved to
be the worst performer of the lot, and
it might
be better suited to trailing off the stern to slow
the boat down while running in big seas.
As
I mentioned in the Micro Cruising article, Mindy
and I have never been in conditions where we
absolutely needed a sea anchor, but we do carry
one in case we want to rest or we get caught out
in something really ugly. The 9 footer is complete
overkill, and the one we have is identical to that
used by the Pardeys on Serrafyn. The 3 footer is
probably too small in our opinion, but it was army
surplus and cheap. I think the ideal size would be
a 5 - 6 footer. I think this would be a fun
project to make out of heavy nylon. The other
option would be to make a series drogue, if you
don't mind sewing up a zillion cones.
Maybe
the question, one might ask oneself is whether you
should be out sailing when conditions are that
rough. I can't imagine sailing Little Cruiser in
20 foot seas and 45 knot winds off the Columbia
river in the winter time. Paradox, Swamp Thing and
Little Cruiser are coastal cruisers, and they
probably should be snuggled up some creek when
it's blowing that hard out
there.
Dave
Real
Dangers
I have to agree with
Glen that some of the real dangers while
making long passages are often other ships
and unseen obstructions. I've personally heard
numerous stories by quite a few cruisers of being
run down by other boats and of sinking after
hitting a submerged object. Chris Morejohn, a very
experienced sailor and builder of the "Hogfish"
sharpies has had the unfortunate experience of
sinking in the Gulf Stream and of being run down
by a ship. In the first case he was sailing in a
small lightweight sailboat when he hit something
in the middle of the night, sinking quickly
thereafter. His story about his long swim in the
Gulf Stream would be a fitting tale for the
movies. Later on he built "Hogfish Lips" using the
"NORTHE" system, NO Other Route Thought Heavy
Enough. (I believe that is what it stands for).
Anyway, HogFish was built super-strong and she
survived being hit by a fast moving military ship
during another night crossing in the Gulf
Stream.
You would think that it would be
hard to hit one of the really tiny record-breaking
sailboats. Nonetheless, a ferry collided with Tom
McNally's 5' 4 1/2" "Vera Hugh" off the coast in
Portugal. I can't imagine how hard it was to keep
pumping for the next few weeks until he reached
the Canary Island. Even Hugo Vihlen had problems
in his Atlantic crossing in "Father's Day" when he
almost got scooped up in some fishing nets off the
Grand Banks. It's a good thing he got his engine
started in time or he would have ended up as part
of the day's catch.
More Flat
Bottom
Yeah, it took me even a
long time to get used to flat bottom boats. In the
beginning Mindy and I were sailing around in
Little Cruiser thinking that those "v" bottom
boats were actually better. Then, after we sailed
Little Cruiser for several years in all kinds of
conditions we realized that the sharpie had a lot
going for it- shallow draft, tremendous load
carrying capacity, seaworthiness,
ruggedness
and good performance. I was FINALLY convinced when
I visited the Maritime Museum at Mystic Seaport
and I looked at LOTS of models of ocean going
commercial vessles with their flat or shallow arc
bottoms. Now after 9 years of sailing in Little
Cruiser, I too am a believer. I guess like
everyone else, I was brainwashed into believing
that there was only one way of designing boats. In
fact there are many possibilities available for
creating seaworthy boats, both large and small.
There are good multihulls, deep draft cutter
types, light displacement cruisers and racers and
a myriad of others in between. I'm just happy that
Sharpies are one of them.
Problems in
Paradise
I just recently read a
great article at http://www.islandhopping.com/rants.html which
sums up the topic of piracy and smuggling in the
Bahamas, especially as it relates to the cruising
yachtsman. I agree with practically everything the
author has to say in this excellent piece except
for the last statement in which he remarks that
"you'll never even know they're around."
On each and every one of the six trips
that we have made to the Bahamas, we
have been aware of the often
present drug smuggling activity around us.
Admittedly, some years have
been busier than others. We have seen
lots of "suspicious" cigarette-type boats coming
and going on many islands, along with the
smaller "whaler" type craft headed out on "fishing
trips" for possible "square grouper". If you take
a look around most Bahamian islands you will
see a few fast boats with large engines
at the ready. Oftentimes, the locals will even
tell you if something big is about to go down
on their island; though it isn't hard to tell
something is amiss because everyone is tense
and nervous. Interestingly enough, on our last
trip the locals were talking about the
newest trade, "smuggling" Haitian refugees to the
United States. Finally, you can never
forget the routine "black" helicopter
flights over the Exumas, the frequent
DEA jet flights over the Florida
Straits, the Coast Guard helicopter
patrols , the C130's overflights and
the Coast Guard Cutters patrols in the Gulf
Stream. I would definitely say that you are
aware that something is going on.
Over
the years we have come to accept these happenings
as part of the "flavor and color" of the islands.
We've spoken to other cruisers about this, and
we've been advised to just look the other way when
something suspicious is going on. So far this
advice has served us well despite being close to
some obvious smuggling. I guess in the real
scope of things, a small boat like Little Cruiser
doesn't pose much of a threat or a prize to a
would-be smuggler or a spur-of-the-moment pirate.
I remember once being anchored off an
island a few miles South of
Bimini during a strong Norther several years
ago, when out of the blue a Cigarette boat pulled
into our anchorage at full speed to drop off three
men. After about half an hour, the men returned
from their "excursion" to the interior of this
uninhabited island with some "goods". Two returned
to the boat immediately, but one walked over to me
as I sat on the beach to ask me if I had seen
a "package." I told him that I had seen "nothing"
and he rejoined the others and left. Needless to
say, we did not sleep well that night.
On
an another occasion, we unwittingly tied up next
up to a "fast boat" that was getting ready to
make a run to the United States. We made sure we
weren't around when he made his delivery. Then
there was our last trip to the Andros when we
arrived at our destination at the same time a
drug boat was making it's drop off. Fortunately,
some local fishermen told us to stay away until
the delivery had taken place.
These are
but a few examples of the many encounters we have
had while traveling in the Bahamas. Though we have
never come to any grief, we have nonetheless been
aware of what was happening around us; and there
have been times when we have been nervous and even
a little afraid. Some have suggested carrying
firearms for defense, but I doubt we would fare
well in a firefight against heavily armed thugs.
So far our policy of minding our own business has
served us well, and we hope to continue traveling
safely to these incredibly beautiful islands for
years to come. Finally, I'd like to make clear
that this illegal activity is being done by a
small minority of people, and as a whole, most
Bahamians are law abiding citizens and friendly
people.
Remote
Islands
Nassau, the
capital of the Bahamas, is densely populated, and
it is certainly different in many ways than the
rest of the Bahamas. The resorts are primarily
designed to fleece the tourists of their money
while providing them with a nice time. The locals
tend to be less friendly and more in a hurry, but
Mindy and I still manage to bump into nice people
every trip. Of course there are beggars and
theives about, so it is wise to lock your boat and
your dinghy while in the capital. We have never
had anything stolen,
but then we rarely leave
Little Cruiser unattended. Generally we anchor
with the other fishermen in Potter's Cay
eventhough all the other cruisers anchor in the
main harbor or they tie up at the various marinas.
Because Little Cruiser is so small we seem to go
unnoticed by most, and we are generally left
alone. Of course this past year, Dennis Connor's
keen eyes spotted our unusual little boat while he
was on vacation, and he came over to us to ask
some questions. You might think that some big shot
racer type
would look down
on our low tech boat, but he admired the fact that
we were able to cruise comfortably for 3 months in
Little Cruiser. However, what impressed him the
most was how well we ate while on our trip. Most
people think we must be eating backpacking foods
or MRE rations, but we pretty much eat like we are
at home or even better. At the time I was making a
huge bowl of
conch salad, a local delicacy, and Dennis wanted
to know the recipe. (Incidently, the recipe begins
with freshly diced conch, onions, garlic, green
peppers, goat peppers (hot) and key lime juice.
Next add a pinch of salt and black pepper to
taste, and stir everything up good. Enjoy it with
crackers or just eat it plain. Yummy!) Anyway,
getting back to Nassau. Every year we hear of
someone having a dinghy stolen or an outboard
taken in the capital, so it is wise to keep your
possessions secured. I don't think
that I have
heard of any cruisers being assaulted, but I'm
sure it has happened. I would say that Nassau is
like any other big city, probably not as dangerous
as New York or Miami, but you should still be on
your guard.
Now the less populated and more
remote islands are a different matter, and the
people seem to be nicer as a rule. Oftentimes they
will take the time to talk to you, give you a
ride, or even offer you a drink. I was really
surprised by an old Bahamian man this past trip
when we went to Cat Island. I had just stepped off
Little Cruiser with my gas cans, when this perfect
stranger walked up to me with his bicycle and he
told me to hop on. He didn't tell me his name nor
did he ask for anything in return. He just pointed
in the direction of the filling station which was
two miles away. Then he slowly walked back into
his tiny home. When I got back I gave him a beer
to thank him for his generosity. We've noticed
that hitchhiking is common place in the Bahamas
(excluding Nassau). We've received rides in the
Abacos, the Exumas, Andros and in Bimini by both
natives and foreignors alike . Of course, Mindy
and I would never even consider doing this in the
United States. I guess you just feel safer because
everyone is doing it. I know one American women
who hitchhikes with her young daughter on a daily
basis while the family spends their winter living
in Georgetown, Exumas. Since they have no car and
the little girl needs to attend school, the two of
them stand with other Bahamians at a particular
corner near their home, and people just pick them
up. I don't know if I would feel comfortable doing
this as a women, but I guess she knows the local
people who give them
a ride.
I guess
Mindy and I prefer the less visited islands
because nearly everyone is friendly and life takes
place at a slower pace. Though the grocery stores
tend to be less well stocked and you need to be
more self sufficient, the people more than make up
for any material shortages. Oftentimes, we make
friends right away. This past trip, a fisherman in
Red Bays, Andros, invited us out for a drink at
his local bar. Unfortunately, the bar was closed
at the time; but he was undetered and he just
walked over to the
owner's home and asked him
to open up just for us! This made us feel special.
I remember another time in Sandy Point, Abacos
when we were invited out fishing by a stranger,
and then afterwards, he took us home to enjoy a
wonderful meal with his wife and two children. The
next day they even insisted that we use their
washing machine to wash our stained and salty
clothing. Some people might think that people are
nice to Mindy and I because they feel sorry for us
for traveling in such a small boat, but I think it
is because the average Bahamian can relate to what
we are doing since they do most of their own
fishing in boats not much larger than our own.
Also, I believe that they just are friendly people
who enjoy talking to a new face.
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