De Re Non Disputandum Est

There is, incidentally, no way of talking about cats that enables one to come off as a sane person.
– Dan Greenberg*

Actually, there’s no way of being declared a sane person unless you talk about cats. 

De re non disputandum est.

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

*Who IS this guy? No one I’ll be sharing my mouse with anytime soon.

Quote of the Day
Next: Anchor Yourself in Wise Counsel

Previously: Wise Words from the Great Ones on Sailing Safety

Spain – Destination Dreamin’

 

You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.

–Yogi Berra

We may have a line on a catamaran delivery from Spain to Greece… It’s with a guy we met at the Cruising Dinner. Will it pan out? Who knows?! At least we feel like the ball is rolling… and that feels great!

Now we’ve got somewhere to aim for. We’re pretty good at dreaming of Greece. And now’s as good a time as any to start dreamin’ of Spain…

 

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Captain Cat: Incidentally, Can Opener. How goes the Spanish studying?

Can Opener: I’m plugging the podcasts into my head as we speak… ¿Qué tal?!

Destination Dreamin’

Previously: Croatia, the Med – Destination Dreamin’
 

Sail Training – Where To Get It

How to learn to sail fast so you can get cruising faster? 

Okay. You want to cruise the world. 

Sailing is easy. A few basic concepts and off you go… around the harbour. For the new sailor, sailing upwind (should you end the day downwind) and docking back at land are the first-time big challenges.  

Teach yourself? 
Sailing safely, in all weathers, long distance, offshore – takes years of study. The more you know, the safer you are. Boats are kinda like planes in complexity. Would you buy a jet and take off without any training (or just a few trips round the airstrip) and figure you’ll teach yourself ‘by trial and error’?  Exactly. 

Learn to Sail from Friends? 
Hmm. Remember how much fun it was learning to drive a car with your dad? Right. Moving right along… 

Depends on the friends of course, but learning to sail with friends somehow has a habit of changing into the atmosphere of a car lesson with dear old dad. If your friends are sailing instructors, could be different I guess. 

Friends are great overall for introducing sailing as a sport in general. One daysail will addict most people to sailing for life. 

So where to learn to sail? 
The most important thing sail training teaches is… how much you don’t know. Once you know this, everything else falls into place. 

Then you can start planning your timeline, sail training courses, when to sell the house, buy the yacht, move job onto boat, quit the job, loan out the dog (not the cat), set up remote finances, pack the boat, etc. 

Community Sailing Clubs 
Are there any community or co-op type boat clubs in your area? It’s worth a quick internet search. 

If you’re near any size city with a waterfront, there is usually a community boat club. The club fees aren’t too much, everyone becomes part owner in the club’s boats with membership and there are usually adult sailing lessons available. 

These tend to be small, friendly, social clubs with lots of BBQs and informal get togethers. The boats tend to be small responsive dinghies (the best for learning the sailing basics in the Can Opener’s opinion). 

It’s a good way to find out if you really like sailing and if the reality is as good as the dream you envision. 

Yacht Clubs 
If you’re near any size city with a waterfront, there are usually also a few yacht clubs. Club fees tend to be higher, some (but not all) of the social get-togethers can be more formal and there tends to be a larger club membership and more keelboats. 

These are bring-your-own-boat kinds of places though they also accept non-boated members. This is what the Can Opener and I have joined. And all those boat-owners need crew to help sail their yachts – that’s us!

Commercial Training Centres 
And finally, any waterfront city should have at least a training centre or two. These are for-profit centres with certified (and insured) instructors who follow a curriculum defined by the national sailing association of the country they are in. 

Making it through all the levels should ensure you cover all bits of amassed sailing wisdom (see also Cruising Courses – Quick Cost Survey for 3 Countries). 

Conclusion 
EVERYTHING you learn about sailing before you start crossing big bodies of water, will keep you and your family safer. Read as much as you can. Volunteer to crew on other’s yachts – this is an important step to learn more about seamanship and what kind of boat you prefer to buy. 

The Can Opener says if he were starting again from zero, he’d first take lessons at a community club with dinghies. After mastering the basics, he’d join a yacht club to pick up experience crewing for other club members on a variety of yachts. 

Good to do as much on-the-water yacht design research as possible before you commit yourself to one design with your purchase. 

How did you learn to sail? Or… What’s your learn to sail plan?

Was it a good experience? Would you choose the same way if you had to do it over again? 

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

How to Cruise

Next: The Plan to Get Trained for Blue Water

Previously: How Sailing Works

Stay Alive – How to Cross Shipping Lanes

  
I took the Can Opener to a lecture this week on How to Cross Shipping Lanes. Why? Because I wrote the book on how to have a good time. 

It was given by Captain Edmund Hadnett of the Port of London Authority.

Between gentle indications from me for another slice of the Fortnum & Mason smoked salmon I made him pack in his bag, the Can Opener scribbled the following notes…
 

So what’s a Traffic Separation Scheme? 

It’s essentially a highway marked out by buoys in high traffic shipping areas. The body of water between two opposite lanes are no-go areas. These TSS can notably be found, for example, in the English Channel and at Cape Horn. 

And why should we care? 
In 1972 the International Marine Organisation made the (previously voluntary) Traffic Separation Scheme mandatory. Apparently this was motivated by some pretty horrific pre-1972 shipping lane accidents. So not a bad idea at all.

How do you cross a highway safely? 
Very carefully. And you must: 

• give room to a vessel under power if you are a yacht under 20m
• cross at right angles to the shipping lane (your keel at right angles to the shipping lane) 

Hm. Pretty straightforward.  

To see all the details and original wording, take a look at Rule 10 in the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.

Key things to remember and do 
Captain Ed says remember and do the following before and while crossing shipping lanes: 

• acquire a good understanding of the COLREGS (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972)
• keep a good lookout at all times
• do NOT impede vessels using the TSS – they have right of way
• in a close situation, attempt to keep clear
• monitor the VTS (Vessel Traffic Services) channel for the TSS because the ships do use this
• keep white flares and a large torch (flashlight) available at all times
• buy an AIS type B transponder – this tells you approaching vessels’ positions and tells them your position too
• NEVER attempt to cross in poor visibility (unless you have good radar)
• you can call the VTS Coast Guard and ask them to tell you your position. This is called ‘Assisted Navigation Service’ and they are happy to help out. Just call
• do NOT cross near a termination or a junction in the TSS – this is where traffic is most congested
• if you can, it is best to simply avoid the TSS completely if you are a yacht  

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)
 
Cruising Lectures
Next: Diesel Bug 
Previously:  Why Yacht Surveys Save Money

Thanks For All The Fish

The Cruising Kitty gives thanks for… all the fish in the sea.

         Every

                     single

                                   one.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

–Captain Cat

(transcribed under duress by the Can Opener)

Can Opener:  Furrball, do you really have nothing else more uplifting than this to be grateful for??

Captain Cat:  Hey – my life is one endless series of ankles and trouser cuffs coming and going. I lift mine eyes up for just about everything, mate.

Except for fish, of course. The old fish category deserves an annual bit of uplifting then, surely? Uh-huh. As I thought.

Why Yacht Surveys Save Money

Tips on Surveying Boats 
from the 2nd half of the Cruising Association lecture 

Here are our notes from the second half of the lecture with Paul Stevens on: SurveyingYachts and Small Craft at the Cruising Association last week. 

The first half of Paul’s lecture covered a serious issue he has helped to build awareness for recently: the use of brass skin fittings below the waterline in salt water-sailed yachts – and why this is a very bad idea. 

The second half of the lecture covered some general tips on surveying. In one short hour, this is what we covered… 

Keel, Rudder and Hull 

• Look for weeping, staining on the keel
• Look for ‘tide mark’ inside the bilges from keel staining
• Look at the boat in slings to see the keel ‘in tension’. Is there light visible between the hull and the keel where it joins the hull? Yikes!
• Look at the hull surface when the sun is low in the sky. This will throw the bottom into relief and show up imperfections
• Check for crazing where the skeg is attached
• Hammer tap test over hull to find voids in laminate (ie. if delamination has occurred). If you hear a change in sound as you tap, you will notice immediately. It sounds like rotten wood
• Scrape off anti-fouling to see if there is blistering – you always have to do this, no excuses
• Test the rudder – can you move it relative to its stalk? Is it loose?
• What is the propeller made of? Very often they are made of manganese bronze – this means brass! Avoid. 

  

Inside and On the Boat 

• Look for crazing at the cockpit joins, roof joins etc.
• Tap around bulkhead. If the chainplates are leaking, then the bulkheads might be rotten
• Do hatches close properly?
• Check for corrosion at stanchion bases – it’s very common to have stainless steel stanchions in an aluminum base. Different metals together accelerate corrosion
• At rigging attachment points, sealing plates should be removed, retightened and resealed once a year!
• Take a winch handle with you to check that winches move in 2 directions and are not seized
• Does boat conform to light regulations? Are all the lights working?
• Does boat conform to bilge pump regulations? Check pump is working. MCA Code of Practice tells what number and type of bilge pump is required for each size of boat. These are sensible recommendations

Engine

• Look in ‘rocker’ box. Is the oil all creamy?
• Do a dip stick check
• Check the coolant. How clean is it?

How do you know if your yacht surveyor is qualified?
You don’t. This is an unregulated industry.

How can I tip the odds in my favour when looking for a good yacht surveyor?

• Ask friends for recommendations
• Ask people at your boat club for recommendations
• Ask your cruising association for recommendations
• Don’t use the yacht surveyor the yacht broker suggests you use
• In the UK, you can check to see if they are members of the Yacht Designers and Surveyors Association (YDSA) and/or British Marine Surveyors Europe (BMSE). Neither of these memberships are required and it is not a fool proof guarantee – but it is the best there is in the UK

There’s a lot more to yacht surveying than this. But this is all the time we had in Paul’s lecture. His book apparently covers much more in excruciating detail.

The Cruising Association has this to say about Paul’s Surveying Yachts and Small Craft: ‘…the book seeks to appeal to boat owners either actual or prospective… a good prior knowledge of FRP boats, their construction and equipment is assumed by the author… this book is an excellent tool.’ 

I’ve got a long list of books on surveying for the Can Opener to read this year. Another surveyor-guy might have different tips and ideas. We want to know it all.

Any problem that comes with the boat we buy becomes our problem. For a long time. Even a short time will feel like a long time if it’s a big problem. And sometimes big problems can be life-threatening.

We don’t want to be surprised by a lemon. Our lives are worth rubies.

Are there any USA (or Canada or Oz…) equivalents to the YDSA and BMSE found in Europe? 

What has your experience been with surveyors who are registered members with this/these organisation/s?

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Cruising Lectures

Next: Stay Alive – How to Cross Shipping Lanes
Previously: The Wrong Seacocks Can Sink Your Boat

Going to a Cruising Dinner

Going to a Cruising Dinner at the Red Tabby
 

We’re off to a Cruising Dinner at the Red Tabby! Our first official event and rumour has it, it will be chock full of… FOOD! 

There’s a good chance Mia Meow will be there too*. 

It’s for members of the Cruising Section to meet up, reminisce about the exploits of the past cruising season, and look forward to next season. And for new members to get introduced to the old – that’s us! 

This coming year we’d like to volunteer to crew, do deliveries, help out with boat repair, and get as much on the water experience as possible with like-minded souls. 

What could be better? 

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener) 

* Yo Fuzzball! What happened to your favourite, Pussy Galore, the one that you trashed our phone bill on last month??  Hmmph, Pussy Who. The one-who-never-calls-me-back?? Old news, Can Opener. Mia’s the bomb.

The Red Tabby Yacht Club
Next: Christmas Lunch at the Red Tabby

Previously: A Visit to the Red Tabby Yacht Club

10 Reasons To Sail Off Into The Sunset

The Cruising Kitty’s 10 Reasons To Sail Off Into The Sunset

1. new places
2. new faces
3. new food groups!
4. freedom from onerous societal expectations
5. independence – no boss! *
6. self-reliance, self-sufficiency, time to yourself
7. the beauty of wind and the waves and the feel of it on your fur
8. fish – for eating: mahimahi, dorado, tuna, flying fish, every kind of fish…
9. fish – for watching: whales and dolphins

       and most importantly (this one is the Can Opener’s)… 

   10. sailing naked! **

So, what’s on your list? 

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener) 

* Well, the Can Opener has a boss, of course. Me. But this is mostly my list. 
** This is yet another quirk of the Can Opener’s that makes me despair. What’s the big deal? I sail naked… always.

The Wrong Seacocks Can Sink Your Boat

 

Cruising Association Lecture Notes:  

The Wrong Seacocks Can Sink Your Boat 

Another great lecture at the Cruising Association earlier this week, this time on Surveying Yachts and Small Craft with Paul Stevens, yacht surveyor, lecturer and author. Paul currently teaches at the International Boat Building Training College in Lowestoft, UK. 

Did we like him? Yup. He was passionate about his topic and it’s clear he knows his stuff. He cares about getting it right and keeping people alive on yachts that are safe. 

The first half* of Paul’s lecture covered a serious issue he has helped to build awareness for recently: the use of brass skin fittings below the waterline… in salt water-sailed yachts! 

What’s wrong with that? Apparently everything. 

So What’s Wrong With Brass Fittings? 
Brass seacocks in saltwater can corrode to failure in 5 years… or less! 

Dezincification

Brass fittings in fresh water – okay. But in salt water, brass (an alloy of copper and zinc) corrodes to failure. It’s called dezincification. If there is any current in the water (as often happens in a marina) this can happen in less than a year. 

What drives this? 
Well, it costs about a quarter of the price to make a fitting out of brass...

Is this new knowledge? 
Nope. Apparently the downside of using brass in this way has been known for about 90 years or more. 

Why did this happen? 
The new (since 1998) European Community’s Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) ISO Standard 9093-1 was rewritten to require only that fittings should be corrosion resistant for 5 years. (Though who knows why they were rewritten this way??…) 

Huh? Not required to last the life of the boat, you say? 
Nope. Not under the current EU regs. 

And if they corrode through and fail beneath the waterline my whole boat will sink?? 
Uh-huh. Pretty fast too. 

Is there a disaster waiting to happen under my waterline? 
Yacht owners need to prove to themselves that their fittings are NOT brass. 

There is currently no requirement in the EU to mark on packaging what components are made of. And the packaging of valves with and without brass are nearly identical. Even many chandleries are unaware of the difference between them due to this lack of clarity. Big problem. 

How to check 
Got written documentation of what your fittings are made of? Old packages? Documentation from the manufacturer of your boat? Can you write the manufacturer and get this in writing?  If you are buying a new boat, the builder should definitely be willing to write this down… 

You can also hammer-tap test every fitting that pierces the hull below the waterline. Even if the fittings were all put in at the same time and some of those other fittings have tested okay. Fittings may have been subsequently replaced with brass. Or some brass fittings may have gotten mixed in when the boat was first built due the unclear and very similar packaging. 

Brass corrosion shows as a grey pinkish putty colour. It showed up as splodges on the outside of valves and especially in the threads of valves that Paul had to show us. Does the fitting collapse when you hammer-tap it (not a guaranteed test) or break off? Not a good sign. 

If you can’t prove to yourself that all your fittings are not brass, then be safe. Replace them all. 

Prevention is far cheaper than calamity. 

The Right Stuff: Bronze and DZR 
We should be using bronze! Or products that are clearly labelled/confirmed as dezincified resistant brass (DZR). Plastic is a possible alternative, but shouldn’t be installed around heat sources – say in or near the engine box. 

How to be sure you’re getting bronze or DZR 
If you don’t have documented proof that it’s not brass – better to be safe and replace them all. 

How do you ensure this? Here are some ways: 

• If the package states clearly that the product is bronze or DZR, then okay. If it does not mention what material it’s made of… then it’s brass.
• If the valve shows the ‘CR’ symbol on it when you turn it over, then it’s DZR. That’s good. But you can’t necessarily see this when it’s in the package.
• Another clue – bronze fittings cost 3 to 4 times more than brass ones.
• Blake seacocks now use DZR only.
• ISIS make a range of DZR ball valves.
• New Zealand make the True Plastic Range by Lee Sanitation. Also okay.
• ASAP Supplies will supply a list of what things they sell are made of.

Here’s a link to Paul’s site and articles on seacock safety and technical metals info. Here’s info on Essential Seacock Checks. 

After Paul’s talk it looked like the vast majority of attendees would be down at their boat this weekend, checking for documentation and hammer-tap testing away to ensure the integrity of their fittings and the safety of their yachts. 

Do you know what your seacocks are made of? 
Does this situation exist in the US too? 

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener) 

* The second half of Paul’s lecture covered general surveying – tips on things to watch for and check before you buy a new boat (new to you) or during your yearly review of your current boat.  Lecture notes on this coming soon in my upcoming post Cruising Association Lecture Notes: Tips on Yacht Surveying. 

Cruising Lectures 
Next: Why Yacht Surveys Save Money
Previously: Going to a Lecture On: How To Survey A Boat

Croatia, the Med – Destination Dreamin’

Relaxation and study breaks do a body good. 

A tin of salmon and a moment of reflection… put the paws back up, close the eyes and dream. We’re picturing the future in the Med… along the Croatian coast. 

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener) 

Destination Dreamin’
Next: Spain – Destination Dreamin’
Previously: Greece – Destination Dreamin’