Earth Day Top 10 Tips – Green Boating for Cruisers

10 Green Boating Tips for Cruisers, Alternative Cleansers, Protecting the Waterways

1. Choose Green Products: Look for the EPA-certified “Design for the Environment” (DfE) label, which assures you that the product has minimal environmental impact and is safer for the person using it. Benefit: Safer products. Reduce water pollution.

2. Use The Right Prop: Use a prop with the right pitch so your engine reaches its designed wide-open-throttle RPM. An adjustable-pitch propeller allows you to dial in the optimum pitch angle in single degrees. Modular props, let you swap props while keeping the same hub. Benefit: Reduce fuel consumption, improve performance. [ flexofold.com ].

3. Add Alternative Energy: Solar panels and wind generators are getting more affordable and smarter. Most systems can be self-installed and will reduce your fuel costs significantly. Benefit: Reduce Carbon footprint & Reduce fuel consumption. Go to www.emarineinc.com for good comparison of the two options.

4. Keep The Bilge Clean: Avoid the accidental discharge of oily water by using a sorbent in each bilge area. Consider a bioremediation product designed to convert hydrocarbons into safe compounds. Benefit: Safer products. Reduce water pollution

5. Retire That 2-Stroke Outboard: Although it may be possible to get a few more years out of your old-technology outboard, you’ll be much happier with the reduced noise, fumes, fuel consumption, and pollution of a modern injected four-stroke outboard. For an even quieter ride, try an electric outboard. Benefit: Save gas and reduce water pollution.

6. Recycle your Lead-Acid Batteries: 12V batteries are among the most recycled products in the world. Benefit: Save money and conserve resources. [ earth911.com ].

7. Prevent Fuel Spills: Use or install a device to prevent overboard discharges from your tank vent. Benefit: Save gas and reduce water pollution

8. Use an autopilot: Modern autopilots can steer better than most helmspersons—and they don’t have a limited attention span. Benefit: Reduce fuel consumption

9. Recycle Your Monofilament Fishing Line. If your harbor doesn’t have a recycling location, see the website [ fishinglinerecycling.org ].

10. Eat Responsibly Harvested Seafood: Choose sustainable seafood at a restaurants or grocery stores to ensure that the fish stocks are plentiful for your children and for generations to come. Go to eartheasy.com/eat_sustainable_seafoods.htm  for informational guide.

Support Yacht To Be Green!

More Tips:

Clean Boating at BoatUS Foundation

Florida Depart of Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Boating Practices

Vessel Cleaning:

Alternatives to Toxic Products

Product ➛ Alternative
Bleach ➛ Borax
Detergent & Soap ➛ Elbow grease
Scouring Powders ➛ Baking soda, or rub area with one-half lemon dipped in borax, then rinse
General Cleaner ➛ Baking soda and vinegar, or lemon juice combined with borax paste
Floor Cleaner ➛ One cup vinegar in 2 gallons of water
Window Cleaner ➛ One cup vinegar + 1 qt. warm water. Rinse and squeegee
Aluminum Cleaner ➛ 2 Tbsp. cream of tartar + 1 qt. of hot water
Brass Cleaner ➛ Worcestershire sauce, or paste made of equal amounts of salt, vinegar and water
Copper Cleaner ➛ Lemon juice and water, or paste of lemon juice, salt, and flour
Chrome Cleaner/Polish ➛ Apple cider vinegar to clean; baby oil to polish
Stainless Steel Cleaner ➛ Baking soda or mineral oil for polishing, vinegar to remove spots
Fiberglass Stain Remover ➛ Baking soda paste
Mildew Remover ➛ Paste with equal amounts of lemon juice and salt, or white vinegar and salt
Drain Opener ➛ Dissemble or use plumber’s snake, or flush with boiling water + one-quarter cup baking soda + one-quarter cup vinegar
Wood Polish ➛ Olive or almond oil (interior walls only)
Hand Cleaner ➛ Baby oil or margarine
Head & Shower ➛ Baking soda; brush thoroughly
Rug/Upholstery Cleaner ➛ Dry corn starch sprinkled on; vacuum

Support Sailors Without Borders

Protect the Oceans!

According to the Ocean Conservancy, there are five general ways boaters can protect our oceans and waterways, and conveniently enough, each of the five tips starts with a letter that ends up spelling the word “BOATS”.

Be a leader in your community. Talk about marine litter prevention with members of your boating community, from your neighbor in the next slip to boating clubs and marina managers.

Offer your time. Volunteer in boat and marina cleanup programs, especially at sites only accessible by boat. And participate in Ocean Conservancy’s annual International Coastal Cleanup, the largest volunteer effort of its kind for the ocean.

Accidents happen. Be prepared with absorbent pads to clean oil or fuel spills. Dish soap doesn’t work. It just causes those liquids to sink and contaminate the bottom.

Take it all back to shore. Don’t allow cigarette butts to go overboard; small but significant, they are the most prevalent marine litter item found during the International Coastal Cleanup. Dispose of them properly onshore.

Set the pace. Recycle everything you can, from beverage containers to propeller-snarling fishing line or plastic bags.

Read more at the Daily Boater

Of course the greenest thing sailors can do is to just…………Sail!

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Rolex Regatta, St Thomas – The fun begins!

St Thomas YC -Home of the Rolex Regatta

Thirty eight years ago the first International Rolex Regatta took place in St. Thomas and so began a long tradition that endures to this day.  With 71 boats signed up, the 2011 International Rolex Regatta began on Friday, March 25, and ran through Sunday, March 27. Attracting some “Big Guns,” such as Boewe Bekking, Gavin Brady, Ed Baird, Steve Benjamin, Richard Clarke and Chris Larson aboard the keelboats, but those veteran professionals were by no means guaranteed victory-or a good time-in the eight classes, which included two for IRC, four for CSA, and one each for IC 24s and Beach Cats. They were up against some first timers who would give them a run for their money!

First up on the three-day race schedule – some colorful “town races” that started at St. Thomas Yacht Club and finished in Charlotte Amalie Harbour at lunchtime before starting up again for a return to the Yacht Club.

Kialoa V, Big Booty & Spirit of Juno on downwind run

Getting out in the midst of the action, I hopped on a 26 footer, “press boat” with Capt John and some fellow photographers. With bumpy conditions and a lovely tradewinds breeze, we found a good spot to view the start of the first race, on the east end of St Thomas and just off St James Island. I was attempting to pick out two particular yachts, each racing in different classes and with various start times. It was good to have a seasoned Rolex Regatta photographer onboard with us to help direct, as this was my first time.

Sailors check the courses at the Yacht Club

The International Rolex Regatta is one of the top sailing events on the island circuit with competitors coming from as far away as the UK and The Netherlands, and sailors lucky enough to win the top classes can also take home a Rolex Explorer watch. Parties are legendary, including a Saturday evening reggae music and food fete at Yacht Haven Grande, adding the requisite luxury backdrop and an unforgettable prize giving event on Sunday hosted by Rolex.  Racing includes a mix of short courses and long distance races that take place off St. Thomas Yacht Club and along the waterfronts of St. Thomas and St. John.

“With dependable trade winds, great racing is assured, and we work hard to make it easy for sailors and their families to participate,” said Regatta Co-Director Bill Canfield, explaining that the St. Thomas Yacht Club is the central meeting place for breakfast each morning and socializing after racing.

“One of our traditions is the ‘town race’ on Friday, where the entire fleet races from the east end of St. Thomas right to the heart of the bustling commercial harbor of Charlotte Amalie,” added Canfield. “Once the fleet has finished, we start them again for the race back home. The spectacle of a mass of colorful spinnakers against the backdrop of the surrounding hills of  St. Thomas makes for postcard perfect photos and give the locals, as well as others who are visiting, an opportunity to see St. Thomas’ beautiful and historic capital in it’s historic racing glory.

A Beautiful Day for Racing!

Racing is rounded out on the weekend by a mix of island races and windward/leewards designed to test skills and showcase the stunning shoreline. Classes include IRC, CSA (Spinnaker Racing, Spinnaker Racing/Cruising and Non-Spinnaker Racing), One-Design IC 24s (Melges) and Beach Cats. It has been hosted by St. Thomas Yacht Club since 1974, making it the oldest regatta in Rolex’s portfolio of international sailing events. The Rolex portfolio includes famous offshore and grand-prix events such as the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Rolex Fastnet Race, Giraglia Rolex Cup, Rolex Middle Sea Race, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship.

From (in part) Media Pro International and RegattaNews.com.

Photos by Nancy Birnbaum, 2011

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San Blas Cruiser Dissapearance Update: Fugitive Apprehended in Darien

In a post on his Cruiser-Network-Online Yahoo Group, Moderator Glenn Tuttle (M/V Tothill) reports that Javier Martin, the top suspect in two recent murders of cruisers in Panama, was arrested in a small town named Santa Fe which is along the Inter-American highway in the Darien section of Panama.  He was most likely headed to Colombia.  Reports state that Martin had been staying in a hostel there, registered under the alias of “A. North”, assuming the identity of Don North, whose middle name is Arthur.  When arrested, he was in possession of a shotgun and two handguns, a large sum of cash (over $13,000), and Don’s credit card.

 

Missing Cruiser Don North

According to recent posts by Don Winner on his Panama-Guide.com site, the first known victim of this supposed mass murdered, Jean-Pierre Bouahard’s body has now been found.

 

“Jean-Pierre’s Body Floats To The Surface: The first word I received of this situation came on Saturday, 5 February 2011, when I was in Playa Blanca to cover a meeting between property owners in the area and the Minister of Tourism Salomon Shamah. During the meeting I received a phone call and email from a friend in the area of Portobelo who told me the body of a Frenchman named Jean Pierre Bouahard had been discovered in the ocean by a group of scuba divers. I mentioned the discovery of Bouahard’s body in my interview with Minister Shamah, precisely because he was a tour operator and he used his sailboat to take backpackers from Panama to Colombia, and I thought the Minister might be aware because of the tourism connection. It turns out that he had no clue about the discovery, and he called this people in Portobelo and chewed them out on the phone in front of me. Then we moved on to other things in the interview.”

The search of the Bouahard’s catamaran, Levante revealed traces of blood inside the boat along with documents including Don North’s passport. The authorities now plan to conduct a crime scene search of Don’s sailing vessel, Windancer.  Says Tuttle, “As of now, Don’s body has yet to be located, and it’s undoubtedly in the San Blas, the island paradise he loved.  And what about his little Schipperke dog, Kuna?  Did the low life scumbag Javier kill the poor dog as well?  Maybe he gave the dog to one of the Kuna Indians, so all cruisers need to ask about the dog.  She is all black and about 20 pounds.  Also, Don had a turtle as a pet which lived aboard his boat.  Perhaps the turtle is still on board, so please somebody ask about the turtle.

S/V Windancer has been located, but North is still missing

All those who helped in this investigation should be commended.  Those who didn’t help, or worse yet, put out false rumors and misinformation, shame on them.  I can only hope the Panamanian authorities get to the bottom of this horrible matter, and all those harboring knowledge of the crimes get prosecuted.  And if anyone out in the San Blas receives any type of threat, or hint of reprisal for their cooperation in this investigation, please contact me or the Panamanian authorities immediately.  The San Blas needs to be rid of any scoundrel who would interfere with the investigation or intimidate other cruisers.”

 

Read my previous post for more info.
All facts and photos here are courtesy of Don Winner and the Panama Guide.

 

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A Holiday Wish from Your Cruising Editor

Nancy Birnbaum, Freelance Writer/Editor

land:
P.O.Box 667826
Pompano Beach, FL 33066

air:
(954) 770-0900
cruisingeditor@gmail.com 

Skype: nbirnbaum2008

see:
www.yourcruisingeditor.com

yourcruisingeditor.wordpress.com/

@sailingnanc

http://www.linkedin.com/in/nancybirnbaum

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SSCA Needs Your Help To Bring Text Books to Bahamas

Passing on some important info from the Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA)…

We Need Your Help!

“This is our 7th year and SSCA Humanitarian Effort “Operation Bahamas Project” needs your help to provide each child in the Out Islands of the Bahamas with a retired Math Book. We have completed packing retired text books, workbooks, etc. for the schools in the Bahamas. This year we have 60% more retired text books to pack. Our partner, The Charlotte County Public Schools were very generous in donating twelve (12) huge pallets of retired Math and Science Books, Workbooks, Dictionaries, etc. The supplies range from Grades K thru 9th.

We will be distributing to the follow schools in the Exumas: Staniel Cay, Black Point, Little Farmers, Georgetown (3 Elementary Schools and 1 Middle School), Ragged Island and we have added two (2) Primary Schools in the Acklins. The majority of the boxes will be going to Georgetown (350 boxes) and Staniel Cay and Black Point (110 boxes).

The boxes are small (11”L X 9”W X 7”D) or (14”L X 9”W X 7”D) and can be easily placed in a dinghy. The average weight is 8 to 12 lbs. Boxes can be picked up in October thru January in Ft. Pierce, Florida; Vero Beach Municipal Marina, Vero Beach, Florida; Punta Gorda, Florida; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; St. Petersburg, Florida and at the Melbourne Convention.

If you are able to participate (SSCA Members or Non Members / Sail – Power ), please contact Bruce & Marilyn Conklin (Reflection) at goldconk@yahoo.com. Cell: 772-559-1235.

Let us know your boat length and your choice of islands and approximately how many boxes you might be able to take comfortably. We will need 40 boats for Georgetown.

This past year, we visited with the Principals of the Schools and students who expressed sincere gratitude for the donations. As Sharon Bethel, Assistant to the District Superintendent of Schools in Georgetown stated “The materials will assist us in helping to improve the students’ literacy and numeracy level.”

If you are not able to help this year, please pass the word on to other boaters who will be traveling to the Exumas this winter. Together we can touch the lives of more than 800 Bahamian Children.

Bruce and Marilyn Conklin – “Reflection”

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Sailing Women are Invited to Join the Fun & Excitement in St. Thomas, March 2011

Escape the winter blahs and join the fun and excitement of participating with an all-woman crew
in beautiful St. Thomas, USVI, March 2011

Sausalito, California – October 7, 2010 – Safe Passage Sailing, LLC invites you to “sail with the best” in a world class regatta with world class skipper and mentor Suzette Smith, leading an all women’s crew. This will be an experience not to be missed!

Whether it’s the adventure of cruising or the excitement of racing, there’s no place like being on a Safe Passage Sailing Charter. If you’re an intermediate to advanced female sailor, now you have the opportunity to join in on all the fun of the 38th International Rolex Regatta. The only requirement – Just The Desire To Be Part of the Team, Race and Have Fun!

The St. Thomas Yacht Club and title sponsor Rolex are the hosts for this regatta known as the “Crown Jewel” of Caribbean racing that boasts “reliable breezes, warm azure waters and world-renowned Island hospitality.”

SPS Program includes:
• Exclusive charter of a Swan 51’ – Northern Child
• 2 race training days, lay day, 3 race days
• Racing pro (Suzette Smith), licensed skipper, 1st mate and additional racing support crew (see below)
• All race registration/entry fees
• All berthing fees, fuel, on/off shore maintenance support
• Race equipment including spinnakers
• Breakfast at the St. Thomas YC on race days
• Lunch, snacks and beverages each day on the boat
• SPS stow bag with shirts, hats, and other gifts for each guest
• Event management
• Event and crew photographs
• Transportation will be provided/arranged from/to airport, marina to YC parties

Program Cost: $3275 per person
Participants: 11 maximum
Register now to ensure your spot. Accommodations and airfare not included. Group hotel accommodations and transportation options TBA.

 

 

Racing Pro Suzette Smith International Racing and Cruising Specialist will be onboard Northern Child in the role as coach/mentor. Suzette Smith is a seasoned licensed charter captain with a USCG Masters 100 ton and ASA certified instructor on boats 38’-70’+. In 2006 she was named ASA’s “Outstanding National Instructor of the Year.”

Ms Smith has participated in numerous high caliber sailing campaigns such as Team Pegasus, the first and only all-woman America’s Cup team, America 3, which raced in the 1995 America‘s Cup defenders series, as well as other notable regattas around the world.

Additional Crew:
RYA licensed Skipper/Owner Christian Reynolds and First Mate Lucy Jones will be onboard to assist and facilitate during the regatta.

SPS Rolex Regatta Itinerary
Arrive – Monday, March 21
SPS welcome reception at the St. Thomas Yacht Club to meet your mentor and crew, and enjoy beer, wine and Hors d’oeuvres.
Tuesday – March 22
Training day 1
Wednesday – March 23
Training day 2
Thursday – March 24
Lay day, Rolex welcome reception at the Yacht Club
Friday – March 25
Race day 1 – Harbor Race. The morning course offers a downwind start and stretches to Charlotte Amalie Harbor, giving racers an opportunity to see St. Thomas’ beautiful and historic capital. The afternoon race starts in town and finishes back at the yacht club and festivities.
Saturday – March 26
Race day 2 – St. John Race. Round-the-rocks racing takes you along the south shore of beautiful St. John finishes back at the yacht club and festivities.
Sunday – March 27
Race day 3 – Pillsbury Sound Race. The final day’s racing takes place on scenic Pillsbury Sound, in and around the beautiful Cays.
The Rolex Awards Ceremony takes place on the beach Sunday evening highlighted by the presentation of an abundance of prizes and video by t2p.tv.

 

The S/Y Norther Child

 

About Northern Child
Northern Child was built in 1984 for an Italian owner, who has since become the owner of Nautor Swan. She is one of naval architect German Frers’ outstanding all-round designs and shares the same performance pedigree of Blizzard, a famous 51’ Admiral’s Cup racer, except that Northern Child was also fitted with a lavish cruising interior and the hull sections were enlarged to accommodate the increase in displacement. Fast and easy to sail, Northern Child is a fine balance between a racing and cruising yacht.

Racing Resume
• Northern Child recently recorded her fastest transatlantic crossing during ARC 2009 and was placed 5th in class
• Placed 12th out of 50 in JP Morgan Round the Island Race 2010
• Top Swan Yacht in the BVI Spring Regatta 2008
• 3rd in class & highest placed Swan Yacht in ASW 2009
• 1st in class and second overall on the ARC 2008
• Swan Transatlantic Challenge Trophy

For more information regarding SPS “Sailing with the Best” events, or to register for this event, please visit our website at www.safepassagesailing.com. Please feel free to call or e-mail SPS for more information:
Randee Fowler
Safe Passage Sailing
415/381-4773 direct
415/637-4051 mobile
rfowler@safepassagesailing.com

You can download our Press Release HERE!

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A New Way to Locate Boat Shows Around the World – iBoatShows, iPhone App Available Now!

Finally there’s an App For That! iBoatShows™ delivers boat show information on iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad

Sept. 30, 2010 – iTapTouch, LLC, a mobile applications development company, announced that their first app – iBoatShows™ — has been approved and is now available in the Apple App Store. The application was designed in response to the growing demand for key information on boat shows and other marine-industry events. iBoatShows, available today as a free download at the Apple App Store or through the company website, www.iboatshows.com, helps boaters locate a show near them or anywhere in the world. The app also features a quick-search function allowing users to discover what each show or event has to offer and obtain tickets. The app also includes an “Extras” section that allows users to take advantage of special offers by exhibitors, or access social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to tell others about what they’ve found.

The application is the first of several planned applications by iTapTouch, including iBoatShows Custom®, which will focus on individual shows, allowing boaters access to detailed, real-time show information. Customized for any and all shows that want to offer a personalized, dynamic, multi-faceted solution, the apps will provide attendees with convenient mobile access to expo, destination, and exhibitor/vendor information, as well as promotions and sales. iBoatShows Custom will be rolled out later this year.

iTapTouch is the first mobile-only company to join with the Mad Mariner Network, which now includes nine websites, DIY Boat Owner magazine, and the largest social network in the marine industry. iBoatShows for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch will expand Mad Mariner’s ability to connect advertisers with an audience of enthusiastic boaters.

About iTapTouch, LLC

iTapTouch, LLC is a privately held, woman-owned company formed expressly to develop mobile applications for the marine industry. iTapTouch, LLC is owned and managed by Nancy Birnbaum, a long-time boater, U.S. Coast Guard-licensed Captain, and writer/editor in the marine industry. More information about iBoatShows can be found at www.iboatshows.com. iBoatShows can be downloaded at the Apple App Store.

Contact: Nancy Birnbaum

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WiFi Onboard – A Cruisers’ Blog Describes Your Options

Photo courtesy of Christine Kling

A colleague of mine and fellow cruiser Christine Kling recently posted an informative article on her Blog – Write On The Water.

In “I want my WiFi,” Christine delves into the monstrous mountain of new offerings as points out some old favorites, providing us with a useful (though not quite in-depth), look into increasing your connections while onboard.

I’d like to share it with you. Check out her Blog HERE!

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Sailing Catamaran “Anna” Capsized While Cruising Near Niue, Crew Rescued

The news of Anna, an Atlantic 57 sailing catamaran, capsized in the South Pacific, was reported yesterday on the Pacific Puddle Jump Cruisers Forum by Scott & Cindy Stolnitz (S/V BeachHouse). Here is the media release from Maritime NZ, pasted from their website:

S/Y Anna courtesy of http://www.syanna-kellywright.com

2 August 2010

Two men have been rescued by a cargo ship after their yacht capsized in stormy seas near Niue yesterday, the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) says.

RCCNZ detected an emergency locator beacon signal from the American-flagged 57-foot (around 17 metres) catamaran Anna yesterday about 4pm.

The signal was coming from a location around 126 nautical miles (around 233 kilometres) west of Niue. Local weather reports indicated heavy seas and storm conditions.
Repeated efforts to contact the yacht were unsuccessful, despite Anna having a range of communications equipment on board.

RCCNZ dispatched an Air Force P3 Orion from New Zealand and the cargo ship Forum Pacific, 80 nautical miles away from Anna, was asked to divert to the signal’s location.

The P3 Orion arrived on scene about 11pm yesterday and found Anna capsized and inverted. However, the American skipper and his New Zealand crewman were safe, one still on board Anna, and one in an inflatable dinghy attached to the catamaran.

The P3 Orion maintained a vigil over the men overnight while Forum Pacific made its way to the scene.

Anna with Chris White at helm / http://www.syanna-kellywright.com

RCCNZ Search and Rescue mission controller Mike Roberts said the cargo ship arrived about 6am and the two men were now safe on board and en route to Niue.

RCCNZ had broadcast a navigation warning to other vessels advising of the location of the capsized catamaran.

Mr Roberts said the fact the beacon was GPS-enabled had greatly assisted the men’s rescue.
“With GPS positioning, we were able to accurately pinpoint the location of the vessel and send the Orion directly to the scene. Given the stormy conditions, the speed that we were able to reach the men made a huge difference to their safety.

“Furthermore, the fact the beacon was registered meant we were able to contact the skipper’s wife and obtain information as to who was on board and what kind of equipment they had with them.”

The catamaran was designed by Chris White, one of the preeminent multihull designers in the world. Anna was built by Alwoplast, located in Valdivia, Chile. Owner/skipper Kelly Wright has about 30,000 miles at sea on yachts and is planning to circumnavigate the world with Anna. Shortly after setting off, Kelly wrote this on his Blog – S/Y Anna:

Owner/Skipper Kelly Wright

“In retrospect we really should have undertaken an extra few days of training before we set off from Valdivia.  The launching of the boat had been delayed, though, so the sailing season was getting ever shorter as winter set in, and so we eagerly grasped at the first opportunity to leave, due somewhat to the natural impatience of our skipper.

All would have still been fine had we not been supplied with defective turnbuckles that attach the stays and shrouds – stainless steel cable and rod – to the hulls.  We would have made the same teething mistakes anyway, getting used to the gear and the layout, but we would not have been put in the situation we are in now, which is pre-crisis, preparing for the worst case of losing the boat, which is a remote possibility.”

The boat and crew endured more than their typical share of storms and breakdowns. This past June, they had to return to New Zealand after having just set off, to make repairs. Here’s an except from Kelly’s Blog:

“The next day passed comfortably enough for us, lying around in the pilothouse, napping, reading, but the winds shifted back to the Northwest and built to over 40 knots – the high was 48 knots – and the seas kept getting larger and larger.  It was quite interesting watching them and observing how well Anna responded, riding gently over the breaking crests and down into the valleys, with the wind blowing the tops off the waves, spume shooting almost horizontally. We congratulated ourselves on how well our boat was handling the conditions, and how comfortable we were.  Every now and then, however, a big wave would break right on top of us and crash into Anna beam on, knocking us around, spilling all the books from the bookshelves, knocking the dinghy off its chocks on the aft deck, and making a huge roar.  It is always difficult to estimate the height of waves from inside a bobbing boat, but our mast rises about 75 feet (23 meters) from the waterline, and it appeared from my vantage point in the  pilothouse that the highest waves were approaching half the height of the mast.  They were the biggest seas I have ever been in, I think, and quite irregular, coming from several  directions.

I suppose it must have been one of those big crashing waves that jerked the rudders in such a way that the steering cables came off, and we were left without steering.  It was getting dark, around 1700 (5 p.m.) and I had just gotten off watch and was down in my berth when John informed me that we had no steering, and the rudders were thrashing around madly in the rudder compartments.  The starboard rudder had broken its safety line and was totally out of control, even dangerous to try to tame.  We stuck the emergency tiller into the head of the rudder post, but the force of the seas slapped it against the bulkhead and broke the tiller in two.  Moreover, working in the confined space of the rudder compartments in the thrashing seas was making everyone seasick.”

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“Microroughness for Smoother Sailing” Now that’s a new oxymoron.

A couple of German inventors (obviously sailors) have applied for a U.S. Patent on a sail membrane impregnated with nanomaterials that results in a surface structure especially suited for sailing with wind astern, which can thus be used for the making of spinnakers and gennakers.

According to its German inventors in U.S. Patent Application 20100000456, Uwe Stein and Heiner Schillings manufactured a “sail membrane of woven synthetic fiber fabric which is provided with microroughness in the form of intersecting groove families or sets arranged so as to achieve a density of 5 to 25 grooves/mm and deposited on or integrated into the fabric structure.  The sail is characterized by hydrophobization achieved by means of perfluoropolyalkylene and a nanoparticle coating.”

The sail membrane is impregnated with a nanoparticle layer aimed at improving the membrane’s water repellency. Its water absorptiveness can be significantly reduced in this way and the sail remains dry even when in use.

The sail is covered with a continuous coating of a water-repellent agent–as well as a coating intended to reduce the permeability to wind which can be dispensed entirely over the sail so that altogether a considerable reduction in weight of both a dry sail and of a sail in use at a given time is achieved.

The term “sail membrane” means any woven fabric made of synthetic fibers suited for and/or employed in sailmaking. Such sail membranes are, in particular, intended for the making of sails used (also) when sailing with astern wind. “The fabrics may be manufactured from fibers of a single type such as, for example, polyamide fibers, polyolefin fibers and polyester fibers but may as well comprise mixed systems. Said fabrics may be coated in a manner known per se with a view to reducing or eliminating their permeability to air and, as a rule, are hydrophobized. To bring down their permeability to air the fabrics may also be rolled and/or treated thermally, for example by fusing a fiber with a low melting point of a mixed fabric consisting of various synthetic fibers.”

From: nanopatentsandinnovations.blogspot.com

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