I'm on my boat right now. Not "living" on it, but definitely spending more than 49% of my life at the moment on it.
Very much with you in terms of feelings towards increasing that %'age somewhat.
So many little issues come to mind though when thinking of losing the land based abode...
What about the car?
What about my post? Where will that go?
What about the doc, the dentist, the credit record address list.
I'm very lucky in that my job is totally internet based so I can work anywhere I can get online, which I can do on my boat as you can attest... but even with that, it's not an easy decision.
"Voyaging on a small income" solves all of that tho. I've read it and it's inspiring. But something tells me I need more safety net than the authors have, otherwise I wouldn't enjoy it.
On a little reflection though, maybe that's the point - it HAS to be a challenge to be enough to keep you occupied and interested. If it was easy, you'd get bored bloody quick.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Rocna 15 kg on a Westerly Tempest
Thought I'd share my initial experiences with my Rocna 15kg on here with some pictures I just took of it.
When it first arrived I realised pretty quickly that it wasn't going to fit nicely in my bow roller without chiseling huge chunks out of my hull. As you can see in the photos, the bow roller on a Tempest doesn't protrude from the stem very far, and the pick of the Rocna 15 comes back at quite an angle - so unless I could work out a way to have it sticking out about a foot or so - it wasn't going to work.
Also I noted that when pulling it up with the chain over the roller, before I could reach through to grab the shank and pull it up while clearing the stem, it had made contact with the stem. This was exacerbated by the fact that this anchor is seriously heavy.
I was so sold on the product after watching the Rocna You Tube video that I persevered and eventually, after much headscratching, found a way to stow it which solves all of the problems - and cost next to nothing. I wound some rope around the pushpit tubes, and added a length to go across between them with some reinforced pipe over it, and the anchor sat very neatly in place as you can see. I added the two red lengths of rope to really lock it in place. It's extremely well locked in place, but undoing two knots (in the red rope) means it's free to let go in about 10 seconds flat.
Also - because it's stowed outside and above the bow roller, when weighing I can now pull in the chain over the roller as normal until the anchor just clears the water - then lean over the front and grab it well before it has chance to damage my stem, invert it, and drop it down over the pipe covered rope.
Have now spent 3 nights on it. All in the recent high winds we've been having. I have a Garmin handheld which I leave running at night with an anchor drag alarm set on it (paranoia from my CQR days has brought this practice on) and it keeps a nice track log which is always interesting to look at in the morning.
Once in hard sand (at Cawsand bay) in about 7 meters. It set instantly. I swam down to it and noted very little disutbance up-wind of it. Looked like it set after about 50cm. Only the tip was in at first. In the morning I had to use the swell to help break it out. The track log on my Garmin showed we'd not dragged a mm, despite clearly having gone right round the anchor a couple of times.
Once was an unknown bottom off Salcombe. Dropped it in 9m. Wind was really going for it all night - and some rain - so didn't fancy the swim to check it out, hence unsure of the bottom. Thick kelp on the anchor when I brought it up next morning might indicate weed on the bottom, but I can't be sure. Anyway - was a bouncy night and wind strong enough that we didn't turn in the tide (was neaps mind you). Again, no movement.
Last time was in 2 meters far up the Salcombe estuary in weed covered mud. Again in very strong wind. And again, zero sign of any dragging whatsoever. Kudos to the young harbour master who spied us hiding up there, and picked her way up the channel to get her £7.90 off us!
So thus far I'm very impressed with this anchor. I might be retiring the anchor alarm very soon.
Only caveat I have is that if the design of this anchor is so great, then why does it need to be heavier than the CQR I had before, to do the same job? Surely if it's so great I could get away with a smaller one... but when it comes down to it my CQR has dragged, and this has not. My CQR sometimes would not set, and this has ALWAYS set instantly (have tried this more than the 3 overnights I've done, due to bad choice on where to drop it).
When it first arrived I realised pretty quickly that it wasn't going to fit nicely in my bow roller without chiseling huge chunks out of my hull. As you can see in the photos, the bow roller on a Tempest doesn't protrude from the stem very far, and the pick of the Rocna 15 comes back at quite an angle - so unless I could work out a way to have it sticking out about a foot or so - it wasn't going to work.
Also I noted that when pulling it up with the chain over the roller, before I could reach through to grab the shank and pull it up while clearing the stem, it had made contact with the stem. This was exacerbated by the fact that this anchor is seriously heavy.
I was so sold on the product after watching the Rocna You Tube video that I persevered and eventually, after much headscratching, found a way to stow it which solves all of the problems - and cost next to nothing. I wound some rope around the pushpit tubes, and added a length to go across between them with some reinforced pipe over it, and the anchor sat very neatly in place as you can see. I added the two red lengths of rope to really lock it in place. It's extremely well locked in place, but undoing two knots (in the red rope) means it's free to let go in about 10 seconds flat.
Also - because it's stowed outside and above the bow roller, when weighing I can now pull in the chain over the roller as normal until the anchor just clears the water - then lean over the front and grab it well before it has chance to damage my stem, invert it, and drop it down over the pipe covered rope.
Have now spent 3 nights on it. All in the recent high winds we've been having. I have a Garmin handheld which I leave running at night with an anchor drag alarm set on it (paranoia from my CQR days has brought this practice on) and it keeps a nice track log which is always interesting to look at in the morning.
Once in hard sand (at Cawsand bay) in about 7 meters. It set instantly. I swam down to it and noted very little disutbance up-wind of it. Looked like it set after about 50cm. Only the tip was in at first. In the morning I had to use the swell to help break it out. The track log on my Garmin showed we'd not dragged a mm, despite clearly having gone right round the anchor a couple of times.
Once was an unknown bottom off Salcombe. Dropped it in 9m. Wind was really going for it all night - and some rain - so didn't fancy the swim to check it out, hence unsure of the bottom. Thick kelp on the anchor when I brought it up next morning might indicate weed on the bottom, but I can't be sure. Anyway - was a bouncy night and wind strong enough that we didn't turn in the tide (was neaps mind you). Again, no movement.
Last time was in 2 meters far up the Salcombe estuary in weed covered mud. Again in very strong wind. And again, zero sign of any dragging whatsoever. Kudos to the young harbour master who spied us hiding up there, and picked her way up the channel to get her £7.90 off us!
So thus far I'm very impressed with this anchor. I might be retiring the anchor alarm very soon.
Only caveat I have is that if the design of this anchor is so great, then why does it need to be heavier than the CQR I had before, to do the same job? Surely if it's so great I could get away with a smaller one... but when it comes down to it my CQR has dragged, and this has not. My CQR sometimes would not set, and this has ALWAYS set instantly (have tried this more than the 3 overnights I've done, due to bad choice on where to drop it).
Sailing
You can sail a bilge keeler at sea no problem. There's just a few degrees knocked off your ability to sail upwind, and I think the motion in the water is a little different. But we took our bilge keeled Westerly Centaur on many a successful sea journey.
"Heaving to" "hove to" all the same thing. You configure the sails and tiller/wheel of your boat so that if any speed was gained forwards due to wind in the sail, your boat would round-up into the wind. Result is a stable state pointing slightly up wind, while you drift slowly slightly down wind. The boat reduces how much it's bobbing about and tends to be facing at an angle into waves which is quite good. I've heard that heaving to is a good technique for riding out a storm provided that you have plenty of sea room downwind of you. I've only done it once or twice myself, and then just for a few minutes to try it out and see how it works. So far I've avoided being in a situation where I needed to "use" it.
Technique to heave to is as follows (I think):
1. Go as if to make a slow tack, and let the bow pass across the wind, but leave the jib sheet as it is - ie ending up on the upwind side of the boat.
2. Let off the main sheet a bit (amount required varies boat to boat).
3. Once turned across the wind and when you have little speed, push the tiller/wheel all the way so the boat is trying to turn back the way you just came, and lash it there so it can't move.
4. Put your feet up and have a cup of tea.*
Fantastic trip
I'm currently sat at anchor in Jennycliff bay. I figured with these north easterlies we're having, we'd have a bit of shelter. No such luck! At least the sun is shining.
Last night we initially went over to Bovisand bay, but, after a barbeque, realised the swell just wasn't going to decrease - so motored around to Jennycliff. It's less bouncy here - but still bouncy enough.
Anyway - nice surprise yesterday when we arrived at Bovisand Bay - our friend was already anchored up. Wondered where he'd gone! Took a few photos because the sun was shining - they came out quite well:
Last night we initially went over to Bovisand bay, but, after a barbeque, realised the swell just wasn't going to decrease - so motored around to Jennycliff. It's less bouncy here - but still bouncy enough.
Anyway - nice surprise yesterday when we arrived at Bovisand Bay - our friend was already anchored up. Wondered where he'd gone! Took a few photos because the sun was shining - they came out quite well:
Jeff's journal on sea
Fantastic - just had a brilliant 3 nights anchored off Cawsand!
We headed across Plymouth Sound on friday afternoon at about 4pm. Took about an hour to make the approx 4nm journey. Not a lot of wind so we motored. Swell predictions and wind looked great for some peaceful waters to anchor in for a couple of nights. Weather forecast was a but mixed.
Not sure why I bother with forecasts really.
The swell was wrapping around and heading up to Cawsand beach, not a vast amount, but enough to make you think twice about anchoring up for the night. But it was getting dingy by now and I was keen for a well earned end of week beer, and didn't fancy having to motor all the way back - so the decision was made fairly quickly to drop the hook and make the best of it.
After I'd let out about 50m of rope and chain, I went to the stern and noticed a fisherman's net about 5m behind us - nothing for it but to relocate - so I weighed the anchor (it was very heavy!) and Rose motored us 50m forwards thinking we'd be well clear, then re-set the anchor.
It turned out the swell was absolutely fine. We concluded we'd experienced more bouncing around in Plymouth Yacht Haven (our summer marina berth). I think perhaps the beer helped too
Next morning we awoke to blue skies, and a fisherman's net around our rudder. I prodded at it with an oar and eventually it drifted away from us. The owner of the net arrived shortly after. Turns out it was a "bottom net", and should not have been on the surface at all - and the reason it was so poorly buoyed as to be near invisible is that "thems that lives in Plymuf is rats and will steal anything they can get thur 'ands on".
--
That was Saturday morning. It's now monday afternoon and we've just got back after 2 more nights at anchor, lots of pints in pubs and a walk out to Rame head. We sailed back all the way in winds from the NE touching 25 knots on occasion. Had to tack and sail hard into the wind all the way. It was excellent!! Still grinning as I type this. Got to try out the AIS Rose got me for Christmas too, as the Navy were on manoeuvres.
Got back to find our Echomax radar reflector had arrived. It's massive! And I have no idea how to install it. I need, I think, to get myself some rivets and a rivet gun thing.
Here's a selection of photos from our awesome weekend:
Lunar, very excited about going ashore, Isabella in the background
A gig comes in, with Isabella in the background. Not often you get Cawsand's anchorage to yourself!
Me, rowing, Isabella behind
Lunar looking at the morning fog (I got to use my fog horn! Yay!)
Rose admiring the vista from Rame head
Sunrise
Sailing back to Plymouth - Rose in her silly hat
We headed across Plymouth Sound on friday afternoon at about 4pm. Took about an hour to make the approx 4nm journey. Not a lot of wind so we motored. Swell predictions and wind looked great for some peaceful waters to anchor in for a couple of nights. Weather forecast was a but mixed.
Not sure why I bother with forecasts really.
The swell was wrapping around and heading up to Cawsand beach, not a vast amount, but enough to make you think twice about anchoring up for the night. But it was getting dingy by now and I was keen for a well earned end of week beer, and didn't fancy having to motor all the way back - so the decision was made fairly quickly to drop the hook and make the best of it.
After I'd let out about 50m of rope and chain, I went to the stern and noticed a fisherman's net about 5m behind us - nothing for it but to relocate - so I weighed the anchor (it was very heavy!) and Rose motored us 50m forwards thinking we'd be well clear, then re-set the anchor.
It turned out the swell was absolutely fine. We concluded we'd experienced more bouncing around in Plymouth Yacht Haven (our summer marina berth). I think perhaps the beer helped too
Next morning we awoke to blue skies, and a fisherman's net around our rudder. I prodded at it with an oar and eventually it drifted away from us. The owner of the net arrived shortly after. Turns out it was a "bottom net", and should not have been on the surface at all - and the reason it was so poorly buoyed as to be near invisible is that "thems that lives in Plymuf is rats and will steal anything they can get thur 'ands on".
--
That was Saturday morning. It's now monday afternoon and we've just got back after 2 more nights at anchor, lots of pints in pubs and a walk out to Rame head. We sailed back all the way in winds from the NE touching 25 knots on occasion. Had to tack and sail hard into the wind all the way. It was excellent!! Still grinning as I type this. Got to try out the AIS Rose got me for Christmas too, as the Navy were on manoeuvres.
Got back to find our Echomax radar reflector had arrived. It's massive! And I have no idea how to install it. I need, I think, to get myself some rivets and a rivet gun thing.
Here's a selection of photos from our awesome weekend:
Lunar, very excited about going ashore, Isabella in the background
A gig comes in, with Isabella in the background. Not often you get Cawsand's anchorage to yourself!
Me, rowing, Isabella behind
Lunar looking at the morning fog (I got to use my fog horn! Yay!)
Rose admiring the vista from Rame head
Sunrise
Sailing back to Plymouth - Rose in her silly hat
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