Rants from the past

Occasionally, I have been known to rant, rave, and foam at the mouth on a topic or two using the services of one or another of the sailing related web site BBs. I will replicate some of these rants here. I reserve the right to ignore critical comments about my trips to the soap box and to praise favorable comments. For those who disagree and feel I am in need of adjustments to my level of medication - SORRY - but after all, this is MY PAGE and I will be biased!

July 2001 on the Trailer Sailor BB

I do not choose reject all the modern conveniences of sailing. I have more than my share of electronics and modern toys aboard. However, I feel that often the sailing community does not take advantage of the knowledge accumulated during more than 1,000 years of sailing history.

By way of example, when asked about self steering, the knee jerk reaction is to suggest one of a handful of models of electric auto pilot or alternatively expound on the virtues of one of four or five wind vane models. It is easy to fall into this trap since these are the only items currently offered on the glossy pages of the trade rags. Totally lost in this discussion is the concept of sheet-to-tiller steering. Why ?? - since it is not an advertised commercial product, the knowledge of this classic technique has dropped out of common usage. No one makes a successful commercial product that can be assembled from a few blocks, some scraps of line and a sheet of directions. Yet, sheet-to-tiller self steering is a very workable solution.

Another example is found in the frequent discussions of headsail reefing. Many sailors stand up and recommend one or another manufacturer of roller furling gear - totally lost is the concept of simply adding a reef point to your jib. Why?? - since it is not an advertised commercial product, the knowledge of this classic technique has dropped out of common usage. No one makes a successful commercial product that can be assembled from a few blocks, some scraps of line and a sheet of directions. Yet, jib reefing is a very workable solution.

Many more examples of this almost lost sailing art and experience can be found. Modern and commercially available solutions to sailing issues can always be found. If there is a problem to be solved, someone is always ready to step up to the plate where they can make a buck or two. I merely suggest that many of these problems are not new and our sailor ancestors had them solved more than 500 years ago.

We should not throw out the knowledge of a simple solution just because a modern replacement is the only thing advertised in the magazines we all read. Spending a bit of time to research and assemble a more traditional sailing solution is not as easy as paying a manufacturer several hundred or even several thousand dollars - but the old and inexpensive methods are often just as good.

Of course that's just my opinion - I could be wrong

September 2000 on the Trailer Sailor BB

Ok Folks, I'm now Two for Two in the winch department. I've had the pleasure of owning two sailboats and both had their winches mistreated. A winch is a piece of precision design. It requires the appropriate type of lubrication in controlled amounts. This is not rocket science.

My first boat had three Lewmar number 6 winches - their lubricated surfaces were dry and caked. The winch would operate mostly but occassionally the pawls would slip. Two hours of light maintenance, a tiny amount of high quality grease and light machine oil and everything was peachy again.

Now, I'm faced with two Lewmar number 16 self tailing winches that are stiff and the pawls sound like they are sticking. Ok, dry and caked again -- NOT!!!

This time, I open the winch to find the entire gear cavity filled to the top with something that looked like it came from a tube of grease left over from a rusted out '56 Chevy. Two rolls of paper towels, one box of cue tips, a lot of solvent, and this congealed mess is once again down to bare metal. The pawls that sounded like they were sticking were in fact just that. Stuck closed with axle grease in the cavity behind them - the little spring just did not have enough power to overcome the viscosity of the grease.

Reassembly only involved a light coat of grease, pawls oiled with machine oil and the whole thing is back and functioning as new. Not even a single part sacrificed to Neptune during the process nor any parts left over when it was finished.

Winches are designed to have a LIGHT coat of appropriate grease on the gears and bearings. The pawls are designed to have a coating of machine oil only. Once a season, a cleaning and renewal of the grease and machine oil and these devices will serve a boat's owners well for years to come.

Failure to lubricate the winches appropriately will result in slipping of the winch when you most need it to function or worse, wear out of very expensive parts. Also, the next owner of your boat will write bad things about you on the Internet!

Of course, that's only my opinion, I could be wrong.

February 1999 on the Trailer Sailor BB

Some of the recent invaders from the CWBB crowd have tried to insist that their view of the world from the deck of a floating 40 foot condo is the only way to go if you intend to sail out of sight of land. I beg to differ!

The sea has not changed in the last 24 years since Chuck Paine designed the boat that Tom Morris built as the Frances 26 and Victoria builds as the Victoria 26 in the UK. And Chuck Paine is still one of the best-recognized designers of cruising boats. After all, the Morris 34 designed by Chuck was just awarded the boat of the year honors by Cruising World. Chuck designed the Frances 26 for his own use with the intention of sailing yearly into the islands from his northern home. He commented that two people really did not need more than the Frances 26.

Nor has the sea changed in the 27 years since Bruce Bingham designed the Flicka 20. Bruce also designed the Flicka with his own needs in mind and sailed Hull #25 with his significant other for more than 2 years - they even lived aboard! This on a 20 foot boat that one of the refugees of the CWBB dismissed as too cramped for a significant cruise.

I suggest that some individuals have spent too much time reading sailing magazines and attending boat shows where only the newest, greatest, and most expensive toys are displayed to attract the boys with their need for speed and glitz and big dollar spending sprees. Don't get me wrong, there have been significant improvements in some aspects of sailing hardware. However; the costs of some of these items far outweigh the benefits. The latest high tech sail cloth that get the last bit of thrust from the gentle breezes are nice for the racing crowd that feel the need for such eye candy. However, a plain dacron sail will do fine if you're heading down island with the intention to take the time to enjoy the view. Also a nice single speed winch for $80 and one of those cheap rubber adapters will serve well as a self tailer on a 25 foot boat. The $2,500 three speed electric assisted winch is really not a necessity.

Contrary to the trade rags a base price boat for $175,000 with an additional $3,000 in refrigeration systems, $7,000 in electric generators, $5,000 in air conditioning, and $10,000 worth of radar, autopilots, SSB and other electronic gadgets is not a minimum requirement for a cruising vessel. If you want the latest in toys and have a job that will support the budget required for one of these palaces, more power to you! However, if you want to take a used 1978 Flicka with a small outboard auxiliary engine to the islands, this can be done for a lot less!

Block Ice is great for refrigeration and you really don't even need that all the time. An oil lamp or two with a 1 inch wick provides more than enough light for any needs. A small solar panel provides more than enough electricity to keep you legal with the running and anchor lights. A small computer fan from Radio Shack provides all the breeze you need in addition to a few open hatches. And a simple VHF with a sub $100 GPS and a simple windvane system is more than enough for the true pocket cruiser.

The demands of the sea have not changed in the last 100 years since the first small cruisers set out on circum-navigations - just our expectations have changed - and that only during the last few years. Small is Beautiful and simple is better that bigger. Life does not come with a promise of tomorrow - so if you really want to cruise, go earlier and smaller rather than spending more years working every hour to get those last expensive toys for the bigger boat.

Of Course, that's just my opinion - I could be wrong.

This page was last updated on July 17, 2001 12:28 PM

Reload The Home Page For This Site