Sea Knowledge And Training – Updated

 

Here’s the sea knowledge and training programme I’ve planned for the Can Opener – with updates: 

On the Water 

• RYA Yachtmaster Offshore

Theory

• RYA Yachtmaster Stellar Navigation theory – done!
• RYA Yachtmaster Coastal/Offshore Prep Theory   done!
• RYA Day Skipper Theory   done!

Specialist 

• Diesel Engine Maintenance
• Marine Radio Short Range Certificate/VHF Operator – done!
• Sea Survival/ Emergency Preparedness
• Offshore Safety
• Veterinary Offshore First Aid
• RYA Offshore First Aid – scheduled 

Other

•  Courses run by manufacturers on servicing and maintaining their equipment – Feb 2013 – done!
• Electrical Systems and Solar 
• Spanish 

That should do it… till I think of something more to decree the Can Opener shall study.

The best thing about sailing is there is always something new to learn. Constant challenges and education. What could be better?

We’re getting there! 

Any other critical courses / topics to add to the study list? 

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Sea Sickness – The First Mate Succumbs

Photo by: Erik K Veyland

 
Mal de Mer

There we were last weekend, just setting out from Weymouth on the southern shores of England. We were repositioning an Arcona 37 so as to be well placed for the race start the following day. 

The Can Opener discussed race details with the tactician. The skipper gazed stoically out to sea. I stood over the rest of the crew poking them judiciously from time to time with the motivational sceptre. All were shiny bright and waxing optimistic.

Then suddenly we gurgled forth from the protective arm of the headland curving around the east side of Weymouth Bay… and met a quartering four metre sea…

The rest of the crew had been over to Cherbourg and back in the last month (thus inuring themselves – or at least upping their resilience – to the unsettling motion of the waves). My dear Can Opener had not.

This put him outside the mythical ten week* ring fence since he last had faced rolling seas (on the Spain to Greece delivery). ‘Twas as if my First Mate had never been to sea at all.

First he began to yawn. That’s the first sign. Then he was careful to keep hydrated and even popped a few of my ginger biscuits I had ear-marked for later. But greener and greener did he glow.

Signs of sea sickness include**:

• drowsiness (yawning)
• lethargy
• cold sweat
• pale face
• nausea

Ways to combat sea sickness before you leave the dock**:

• get enough sleep before you leave
• don’t drink alcohol, carbonated drinks, coffee, or greasy or acid foods (citrus juices for example) for several hours before you leave
• eat breads or mild food to put something in your stomach
• drink water – stay hydrated 
• take an anti-motion sickness medication eg Stugeron, Dramamine, etc (consult with your doctor) 
• use accupressure wrist bands
  
• and long before you leave the dock – be in good physical condition overall

Ways to combat sea sickness on the water**:

• avoid gas and diesel fumes
• avoid confined spaces or going below
• eat soda crackers or ginger 
• don’t sit near others who are being sick
• sit at the centre (amidships) of the boat
• look at the horizon
• steer the boat
• lying down amidships with eyes closed

I clipped his tether to the jacklines… and not a moment too soon. The Can Opener was sick as a dog.

I will not regale you with vivid descriptions of projectile ginger biscuits, nor the inelegant way he convulsed and spewed. Suffice it to say… (Alright, alright Furrball! Enough. I puked, okay? Stop yer giggling… ). Ahem. Er… yes, well.

… I firefighter-lifted him tenderly down the ladder to the saloon and dumped him behind the port bunk lee cloth where he neither moved nor whimpered for nearly three hours. After which point, he woke up and was perky as a Pomeranian.

There is not much misery worse than sea sickness. Even Captain Cat succumbs from time to time. But after it passes, it’s like a whole new dawn. 

I took it easy on the Can Opener thereafter and for the rest of the trip. Seated in his lap, I regaled him with pithy wisdom (mine) from my book of memorable quotes. From time to time, I enhanced my delivery with operatic embellishment, further illuminating its hidden meaning. The Can Opener was most appreciative – opining that yes, the meaning was, indeed, well hidden.

It’s just in rough draft now, but one day I will publish my genius for the benefit of humanity. The Can Opener says he looks forward to it.
 

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

* Some say that if you build up ‘immunity’ to sea sickness by surviving it once (usually takes about three days to get though it at the beginning of a passage), then your body will remember how to cope next time. As long as ‘next time’ happens before another ten weeks have passed, you should be okay. It you don’t do a passage for ten weeks or more, then you have to start all over again. Of course these are just rough guidelines. They seem to fit the Can Opener’s experience, however.

** This info is nicely summed up with more detailed explanations at http://www.goddesscruise.com/SeaSick.htm

 

Crew Overboard – Steps for Rescue

  

If the worst happens and a crew member goes overboard, what are you going to do? 

Best to have practiced in advance to get them on board. That’s exactly what we did with Bernard Mitchell last week while we were training with him.

And practicing in advance gives two great learning outcomes – one is how to actually do it. The other is just how hard it is to get the boat back to the right place by the crew in the water, to hold the boat steady nearby and to get a wet and exhausted person back on board.

 

Here are the ‘Crew Overboard – Steps for Crew Rescue‘ notes that the Can Opener recorded – undiluted wisdom straight from the snout of the awesome teaching genius that is Bernard:

 Crew Overboard  

Steps for Crew Rescue –  

How to Get ‘Em Back on Board

1. notice
2. shout
3. point – one person continuously pointing at crew in water
4. stop – heave-to 
5. toss Dan buoy over
6. check for lines overboard
7. start engine
8. press MOB button on VHF/GPS to send distress signal
9. sailing/reaching backwards and forwards in front of  crew in water (no more than 75 yards away) while equipment to pick them is readied (on the side you are going pick them up on)
10. approach them at 40-60 degree angle – don’t gybe, always tack
11. lasso crew and attach them, squished up against side of boat
12. then use hoisting equipment to get them on board

‘TO DO’: When your boat is at its berth, practice using your hoisting equipment to lift various team members from a prone position on the dock… up into the boat.

The more we practice in advance, the better prepared we’ll be. We have a ‘skills & drills’ list for the team – this is top of the list.

Anything else we should add to the ‘Steps for Crew Rescue’ list? How often have you practiced Crew Overboard procedure this season? We know we haven’t practiced nearly enough.

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Safety Walk – Newcomers On The Boat

The ‘Safety Walk’ – introducing newcomers to your boat

I like keeping the Can Opener safe. And all our friends and visitors to the boat safe too.

We’ve always moved from the stern to the bow as we walked newcomers through the boat and introduced them to the safety and emergency items aboard in that order. It’s an okay method, but the Can Opener and I realised it still leaves room for some little thing to be forgotten. And that’s not okay.

So last night, I had the First Mate type up a formal and full list of things to show newcomers to the boat. Safety things. Those things you don’t really want to think about – but absolutely must. 

Best to think about them when everything is calm, organised and at the dock. And when everyone is fresh and focused.

In order to be super methodical, we ordered the Safety Walk topics under the following headings: fire, flood, famine, float and first aid.  

Here’s what we are going to show newcomers to the boat and in the following order:

 
Fire

• fire extinguisher locations 
• one by the galley
• one in each cabin and 
• an automatic one in the engine compartment (or if you do not have an automatic, then the extinguisher should be held nearby the engine compartment)
• fire blanket (near galley)
• smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• bucket/s
• flares
• torch (flashlight) locations

 
Flood

• bilges
• bilge pumps
• auto 
• manual
• seacocks & bungs
• loo operation

  
Famine

• food location
• water location
• victual plan (when the food rations will be doled out)
• how to turn on the stove & propane safety

 
Float

• life jackets & tethers – how to put them on how to use them (hint: all the time. Research shows life jackets only work when they are worn!)
• jack lines
• life raft
• life ring
• danbuoy
• heaving lines
• paddles
• rescue sling
• Crew Overboard procedure

  
First Aid

• first aid kit – what’s in it, where to find it

Safety is our number one priority. All else follows from there. 

And having a list for the Safety Walk gives us something we can easily convert to a Safety Equipment Checklist. Something to refer to, to make sure on a regular basis that everything is up to date and in good order.

Any other suggestions for additions to our Safety Walk routine as we bring newcomers aboard the boat?  What else can we add? What has worked best for you?

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

List For Loved Ones

Important Note: The Can Opener is in no way responsible for this choice of picture. A Captain Cat pick through and through. And the last time he gets to select the leading image… (Ya think? We’ll see about that, mate.)

Making a ‘Delivery Itinerary and Contacts’ List

What’s on our List for Loved Ones?

…Also a Captain Cat pick.

• flight info
• basic yacht route info
• description of the yacht
• list of all crew and their contact info
• contact info for the owner’s home base
• our doctor’s and vet’s contact info
• health insurance 24 hour helpline number
• customer service numbers for our airline
• list of marine retailers along our route that carry the brand of life jacket I’ve got the Can Opener wearing and their contact info
• contact info for our smoked oyster supplier and Fedex delivery numbers

We’re giving copies of this to the Can Opener’s ex/not-ex/ex/not-ex, better known as She-of-the-eternal-smoked-salmon. Also to the-best-vet-in-the-world and to my mom, Griselda.

Any other items that should be on the list? Any advice gladly received.

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can opener)

Ocean Passage Making

Ocean Passage Making presentation at the Red Tabby

Can’t go under it. Can’t go over it. Can’t go around… 

The First Mate and I tripped lightly last week down to the Red Tabby, eyes aglow, to listen to a presentation chock full of ocean crossing tips. Here are the…

…Highlights


Charts 
You need to have:

• tons of paper charts for the region you are cruising (for an around-the-world race you need an amazing 380 (approx) paper charts on board – which is legally required)
• electronic copies of same
• Broadcast Schedules of the Weather Forecast
• Nautical Almanac – 1 per region
• Pilots 

It costs 1000s £/$ to get all this, so look for as much as possible online – where you can often download it free (and make both paper copies and electronic copies). More and more stuff offered free online every day.

Self-Sufficiency

• On a good boat:
• everything has a back up
• everything is redundant
• eg. backup halyards – alternate tension between 2 halyards every 12 hours to reduce strain.

• Don’t rely on water-makers or refrigerators.
• Plan not to rely on them – treat them as an added bonus if you have them and they happen to still work.
• Use baby wipes to keep clean and save water! 

• VHF range is only 25-50 nautical miles max – how will you get info/data, communication outside this range? Make sure you already have what you need before you go.

Preventing breakdowns – Attention to detail

• Constantly do checks – prevention is better than cure.
• Go through scenarios and plan for emergencies 
• what if the rudder breaks? 
• what if a shroud snaps?…
• Build tools and spares inventory with this in mind.
• Prevent chafe on metal, sails and lines before it happens.
• There’s lots of chafe on trade wind routes!
  
• Get rid of metal to metal connections – eg.. use spectra lines to tie on shackles to boom.
• eg. Use cable ties or seizing wire to secure shackle pins.

Choosing Crew

• Are they medically fit? Do they get seasick?
• Know and confirm the experience and skill level of your crew in detail.
• Can you rely on them to keep a proper lookout?
• Are they reliable?
• Do they have a long attention span?
• Reliability is more important than navigational ability.
• It’s helpful to choose crew with useful, different backgrounds eg medical, mechanical, communications experts…

How will a medical emergency be handled? 

Effective helicopter range is 200 miles offshore – this leaves a big gap in the middle of the ocean where you have to handle medical emergencies on your own.

• Get pre-passage medical training – first aid, wilderness first aid, wilderness dental, pet aid, survival training…
• Choose crew with medical backgrounds, as above.

Clearly these lecture tips do not cover everything you need to know for an ocean passage. But they’re good points to think about. It was an evening well spent.

Have you completed an ocean passage? What are some highlights and tips that you recommend?

Are you preparing for an ocean passage? What other topics are you researching?

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener) 

Cruising Lectures
Previously: Cruising in Oceania

Piracy – The Chandlers’ Somalia Excursion

Last Wednesday at Limehouse, Paul and Rachel Chandler presented a narrative of their experience of being captured by pirates near the Seychelles and held hostage for 388 days. They refer to this dryly as their ‘Somalia Excursion’.

Paul, a civil engineer, and his wife Rachel, an economist, decided to retire early and go cruising in 2005. By the end of 2007, they had done enough shakedown cruises in the Med and headed for the Red Sea.  

After sailing around the Indian Ocean, they headed back towards Africa and in October 2009… the Seychelles.

What was unusual about the Chandlers’ capture at the time is that 

• it happened 600+miles offshore and
• normally pirates don’t target small yachts. Cargo ships are more lucrative targets.

Organisation of Pirates
Previously pirates had not been seen so far offshore (usually they were limited by the amount of food and ammo their tiny boats can carry.) These pirates were able to overcome these limits by using an (often captured) ‘mother ship’ to launch smaller boats from to look for targets.

Pirates were:

• heavily armed – with AK47’s, grenades, etc
• in boats packed with food, gas and people – little room, little shelter
• with very basic means of communication – had handheld GPS, no radar, no satellite phone…

And in general, pirates are:

• desperate 
• with a short expected lifespan
• usually not experienced and are on their first (and only) mission. Most that go out do not succeed and do not come back alive. The goal/dream is to do one mission and make enough money to set them up for life.

The Chandlers’ pirates were no exception.

When the Chandlers’ were taken to Somalia where they were held for 382 days

• they were guarded by 5 to 20 men at all times who carried machine guns
• they were fed 3 times a day and given water, but ultimately experienced malnutrition as it was all carbs and goat liver
• moved repeatedly
• sometimes separated
• housed in tents and mud huts
• not beaten, except once when they tried to refuse to be separated

Government positions on negotiating with pirates:

• France & USA: have made active attempts to rescue their citizens taken hostage with varying success rates
• Italy: flatly refuses to negotiate with pirates for hostage release (do not pay ransoms). They further freeze the accounts of hostages so that their family cannot pay ransoms either.
• UK: flatly refuses to negotiate with pirates for hostage release (do not pay ransoms).
• The Chandlers are British. The only rescue attempts made were by their family who ultimately negotiated and paid £600,000 for their release. Also a Somali-born London taxi driver was also involved in helping ensure their release. 
• (The UK Foreign Office claimed they were ‘doing everything within their power to effect their safe release’. According to the Chandlers, there’s no clear insight on what actual action this might have been, if any.)

 Lessons learned

• First 6 days (or so?) after capture are critical – news blackout recommended (while negotiations/ rescue attempts made).
• Pirates want to ensure publicity and world awareness to drive up ‘the value’ of the hostages. 
• (Unfortunately, the Chandlers’ family were not given this advice when the Foreign Office spoke to them.)

• Have an EPIRB or a way to make distress signals. 
• Paul did manage to set off their EPIRB. It was only on for 30 minutes (until the pirates found it.) 
• However, this did get the message out that they were in distress and their family were informed. 

• Carrying guns or grenades is not going to help you out against what the pirates are carrying. And there’s an excellent chance that it will aggravate/escalate the situation. 
•  If you are in business, a foreign aid worker, journalist or perhaps a celebrity you would have access to insurance to pay ransoms and other support.  

• This is helpful once you are captured – but also can serve to make you a target in the first place. 
• The Chandlers’ did not have insurance or backing and the pirates refused to believe that a rich country like the UK wouldn’t pay for them. 
• Therefore they continued to hold them hostage waiting for ‘the big prize’ money to arrive. 

• It may be a helpful strategy for hostages to make a connection/ relationship with the pirates 
• so they will treat them better. 
• This is not realistic/feasible for women hostages due to the status of women in countries that pirates come from.

Controversy

• The Chandlers say they had no idea of the pirate risk in the area. 
• They say they had researched this online and talked to yachts that had recently come through the area. 
• They note that while in undeveloped areas of the world it is difficult to get online to get up-to-date info.
• They did most of their research while on trips to the UK, so research was not done at exactly the time they were leaving to sail the Seychelles.
• They say no one checking them out of the country (the Victoria Coastguard at the Port of Victoria) as they left mentioned anything about pirate risk.  
  
• Media reports and yacht forums cast doubt on whether they really could not have known about the risks.
• The UK Foreign Office confirms their site had an online warning of pirates in the Northwest Seychelles at the time.

Final Outcome

• The Chandlers’ were released unharmed after 388 days. 
• They did/do not seem to have long term mental or physical problems as a result of their experience.
• Their family paid about £600,000 in ransom.
• They are rebuilding their boat. It was recovered by an Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship – a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence – and brought to Portland UK for them.
• They wrote a book about their experience.
• They are going sailing again. This time to Brazil.

Conclusion 

Prevention is the best answer
Find recent reliable knowledge on where pirates have been reported is your best planning preparation. Then avoid these areas completely.
 

• The Can Opener and I will check every site and other info sources we can find before we go anywhere, to make sure of the areas we are sailing in. 
• We will avoid anything with even a hint of warnings against it. It’s just not worth it. There are too many beautiful areas to explore where the odds are so much better.
• There must be more detailed info on how to survive a hostage taking. This research is on our ongoing ‘research to do’ list. 
• It would be tempting just to blame the Chandlers – but it’s also true that sometimes sh*t happens no matter how much you prepare.  
• Most importantly, prevention is better than cure.

• Here the link to the noonsite.com pages with piracy info on it.

Definitely a lot to think about and digest here. Everything has good and bad sides. Piracy is an extremely big ‘down’ side. 

It’s a serious topic to weigh/research/prepare/inform oneself about that sits on the other side of the beauty and dreams of paradise. 

Paradise is worth it. But best be prepared.

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Cruising Lectures 

Next: Cruising in Oceania 

Previously: La Dolce Vita

Psychology of Sailing – Reviewed

Book the Captain just finished snoozing on: Psychology of Sailing, by Michael Stadler 

Trolling the internet for books on improved First Mate management and motivation, I found Psychology of Sailing, by Michael Stadler, and decided to give it a whirl.

Since this is an out-of-print book, the used prices range from nearly free to seriously insane. By checking Amazon weekly, we finally found an offer for less than £7, shipping included. 

Topics covered

• sensory illusions at sea – what sights and sounds can ‘trick you’ at sea and why this happens
• how seasickness happens and why
• crew psychology – interactions of crews on ships, leadership and motivation

The best part 
For us, it was the crew psychology – interactions of crews on yachts, leadership and motivation. That’s why we bought it. 

Wishes 
We were hoping that the whole book would be about crew interaction on yachts and long distance passages – and how to optimize that. Unfortunately, only 45 pages (out of 120 pages) covered this. 

While this section was interesting, I’d like to find a much deeper and lengthy analysis of crew psychology. But this book is the best ( – and the only – one specifically focused on voyaging) that  we can find so far. 

Maybe analyses of parallel or similar situations would be helpful? For example, analyses of interaction of crews on submarines? Or other groups in confined spaces? 

Conclusion 
So – it’s still a good add to the sea library. 

It gives a bit of insight on what I’m doing right in Can Opener management and some ideas about where to investigate to improve even further. I’d really like to find more expert coverage of this topic, however. 

Got any good recommendations on ‘crew psychology’ for the sea library? 
What other books are a must for the cruising life? 

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener) 

Book Reviews
Previously: How to Sail Around the World – Book Review

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Practical Research on Foul Weather Gear

Just back from taking the Can Opener out for some practical research on foul weather gear and life jackets. Time well spent.

Looks like we have narrowed it down to the Musto or the Henri Lloyd ocean gear.

Next, we’ll do some more targeted price comparison shopping before the big invest.

Feels like things are beginning to move along!

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)

Life Jackets – How Much Does Safety Cost?

Crewsaver Crewfit 150N Life Jacket

 

So how much do life jackets cost? 
This short survey samples prices on both sides of the pond, the US and the UK. 

The prices quoted below for life jackets are for offshore sailing (unless noted otherwise). 

These are the prices I could find today at the websites of major chandleries. Of course prices change all the time and brilliant seasonal sales timing and scouring of bargains can totally change the price-value landscape here. 

Since sales tax varies by state in the US (from 0% to 7.25%), sales taxes for the US prices are not included. 

However, for the UK prices, VAT is included already in the price. (VAT in the UK is 20%. But if you buy in the UK and then export to your country of residence, you can claim this back.) 

This is just a baseline price trawl for rough budget estimating purposes. 

Here we go… 

Some Ballpark Price Checks in the USA 

westmarine.com 

• Mustang Survival Automatic Deluxe with Sailing Harness $309.99 (£198)
• Ocean Series Hydrostatic Inflatable Life Vests $299.99 (£192)
• Offshore Automatic Inflatable Life Vests $179.99 (£115)
• STOHLQUIST Rocker Life Vest (for day sailing only) $129.99 (£83)
• MTI Adventurewear underDOG Pet Vest $39.99 (£26)
• West Marine Deluxe Pet Vests $24.99 (£16) 

Defender.com 

• Revere ComfortMax Plus Inflatable PFD with Sailing Harness $211.59 (£135)
• Mustang Commercial / Work Inflatable PFD $220.79 (£141) 

BoatersWorld.com 

• First Watch WaveBarrier Inflatable Universal Fit $180.94 (£116)
• Mustang Deluxe Auto Hydrostatic Inflatable With Harness: Universal $279.99 (£179)
• Mustang Inflatable Collar PFD: Universal $167.28 (£107) 

Some Ballpark Price Checks in the UK

Helly Hansen (http://shop.hellyhansen.com/GB) 

• Inflatable inshore £115 ($180)
• Crotch Strap £10 ($16) 

sailingclothingstore.co.uk 

• Baltic Race 150N Auto/Harness Lifejacket £179.95 (inc VAT) ($282)
• Kru Sport Pro 175N Automatic With Harness £149.95 (inc VAT) ($235)
• Crewsaver Crewfit 275N Automatic Lifejacket £147.50 (inc VAT) ($231)
• Crewsaver Crewfit 150N Hammar Auto & Harness £139.95 (inc VAT) ($219)
• Seago Automatic Standard 275N £89.95 (inc VAT) ($141)
• Crewsaver Petfloat (2370) £39.95 (inc VAT) ($63) 

force4.co.uk 

• Crewsaver Crewfit 275 Lifejacket Hammar Auto + Harness £159.95 inc. VAT ($250)
• Seago 180 Classic Manual Lifejacket with Harness £55.95 ($88) 

marinesuperstore.com 

• Crewsaver Crewfit 290N Lifejackets Plus auto & Harness £249.95 inc. VAT ($391)
• Crewsaver Crewfit 190N Zip Plus Lifejacket & Harness £149.95 inc. VAT ($235)
• Crewsaver Crewfit 150N Life Jacket Hydro & Harness £109.95 inc. VAT ($172)
• Crewsaver B/AID PET Cat £27.50 inc. VAT ($43) 

oceanleisure.co.uk 

• Crewsaver Crewfit 190N Zipped Lifejacket With Harness £187.50 ($294)
• Crewsaver Crewfit 150N Plus Harness £182.95 ($286) 

Observed 

• Harness, crotch straps, jack lines, lights, spray hood etc – not optional extras. Some models include them, some don’t and you have to buy them as extras. These keep you strapped to the boat (and/or as visible as possible in the water). Of course, you’re gonna want to stack the odds as far as possible in your favour.
• West Marine has a helpful ‘How to Choose the Right Life Jacket’ video here .
• A useful list: Top 10 US Boat stores/chandleries online
• Not so many life jacket options for cats in the UK.
• More choice available for cats in the US. 

USA/UK price comparison 

Hard to compare pricing as it looks like different brands are sold on each side of the pond. And each design/brand has a different mix of bells and whistles offered. 

Roughly eyeballing it though, it looks like prices are better in the US for life jackets – possibly driven largely by exchange rates. Any advantage in buying in the US, however, could be wiped out by a really good sale at a UK chandlery. And visa versa. 

However, using UK pounds sterling to buy in the US is certainly something for the über-shopper to consider. Especially if they are planning a trip to the States anyways. 

Where did you buy your life jacket? Would you buy it there again? Any recommendations for good price-value brands? 

–Captain Cat 

(transcribed by the Can Opener) 

Safety Gear 
Next: Sailing Boots – Dubarry or not? 
Previously: Life Jackets – Safety Gear Upgrades