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5 Day Cruise - lessons learned.(with pics)

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britinusa
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5404 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/02/2005 : 22:51:40

We're back from a 5 night 6 day cruise on Joint Decision. Lot's of lessons learned!

#1 Book early. Slips are not a problem until you can't get one, So book them early.
#2 Watering holes. If you are near a hose, then refill!
#3 Pumpouts. If you are near one, use it!
#4 The cooler - sucks, ditch it and replace it with a 5 day igloo.
#5 Standard battery lasted 4 nights (with about 5 hours of motoring) thank goodness we installed a second battery.
#6 Porta Pottie. 2 people 2 days. (See #3)
#7 TV - Needs Antenna - up high! (else just ch#6)
#8 Bug Screen on fore hatch - awesome. Now need to add flap that allows lowering hatch when weather turns bad.
#9 DEET DEET and more DEET (SoFla is a friendly place, we have bugs to prove it.)
#10 Wrap halyards around mast over night! (Clang Clang, ok enough of the Clangs!) And roll up that furled jib tight! We listened for about 30 mins as it threatened to blow apart in an overnight storm. Trust me, we furl it tight now!
#11 Check nut on Wind transducer at mast head before launching.
#12 Open the Air vent to the fuel tank.. After 5 hours it really sucks, literally! The tank collapses on it self. Worse, the engine stops!
#13 Carry an Extension lead that connects to shore power lines!
#14 Cold Provisions. Cooler can hold 3 days not including beer or wine!
#15 Princess Gas bottle. 5 nights and it's gone. carry several spares.
#16 Magma Grill Gas - Seems empty when you use it once. (More spares)
#17 Soft link to engine - needs hard link mod to prevent prop hitting rudder (just a metal tube covering the soft link)
#18 When tightening the Main Halyard, twang it at the mast, was able to raise main an extra 2"
#19 Standard Gas Tank seems ok for 6 hours motoring below full throttle.
(less if you don't open that gas tank vent - see #12)
#20 Ten bottles of fluid per person per day. (water, gatoraide, etc.) (and those protein drinks are great pickUups.)
#21 Air pump for the water ballast - Thank you Thank you Thank you! pump until you hear and feel water bubbling from the open tank.
#22 Non-Slip shoes: Deck is sure hard on feet after 4 days.
#23 Ball ended bungees are your friend! (check out the dollar store for great values)
#24 Polarised Sunglasses - without them the GPS is almost invisible.
#25 Tylenol - add to the first aid kit.
#26 Carry spare glasses ( spectacles )
#27 Black Plastic bags in one of the cockpit lockers - holding tank for garbage!
#28 If you don't have a place for it, don't take it! (So make a place for it!)
#29 Spare Batteries for Camera, MP3 Player, etc. (AA, AAA)
#30 Email the float plan to a second supportive.

Now the fun stuff....
Tacking south in Biscayne Bay - testing! (isn't that Turkey Point --- Again!), Sailing down from Biscayne Bay on a broad reach ocean side to key largo - 6 hours, even had time for a man overboard drill. Snorkel trip under motor - priceless. 10 hour sail from pennekamp to sands key in flat water, up to 5+ knots, sailing through the card sound transit...
Time on board relaxing - ok, not so much relaxing but not working! Diving under boat to check the keel and transducers. Cooking on the Gas cooker and on the new Gas Grill... Awesome.

End of the day beverage. Priceless.

An awesome trip... can't wait till the next one (Labor day weekend - 4 days.)

Joint Decision. (Sold)
PO C250WB 2005 Sail # 841.

Moved up to C34 Eximius

Updated August 2015

Edited by - britinusa on 08/03/2005 23:03:10

cathluk
Admiral

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513 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2005 : 09:06:22

Glad you had a great time (and learned a lot).

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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1768 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2005 : 10:35:50

Hi Paul,

'Sounds like y'all had a GREAT time, and you passed on some really good tips, too ... thanks!

BTW ... 'got any photos?

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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1913 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2005 : 17:43:19

Yea! wheres the pictures.

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Bubba
Admiral

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542 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2005 : 21:19:57

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Yea! wheres the pictures.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Or should we refer to:
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">#29 Spare Batteries for Camera, MP3 Player, etc. (AA, AAA)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

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britinusa
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5404 Posts

Response Posted - 08/03/2005 : 23:02:47

Ok, here's the pics...

<center>

Skipper at ease - (Admiral on deck)

The Windchute in action

Check the Masthead before raising!
(Halyards wrapped around mast to stop clanging.)

Anchoring - Wrap that furler tighter next time!

Anyone recognize the Boat?

Got Stuff!

North Bound Ocean Side of Key Largo

The best place to Celebrate a Birthday - Onboard our own Cruise ship

Just some Ocean waves - pretty smooth going.
(Takes a few moments to load)
[url="http://www.ourfaqsite.com/faqs/imgs/BDayCruise4.MOV"]Quicktime movie 44[/url]</center>

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

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1913 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2005 : 14:51:29

Great pictures! only now I wish I didn't ask to see them

cause, now have the itch for some light green water

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Derek Crawford
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3321 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2005 : 17:41:43

Paul - instead of wrapping your halyards around the mast (with the risk of not getting them unwrapped before hoisting sail), just get a bungee with a large "hook" and pull them all away from the mast hooking the outboard end of the bungee on a shroud.
(Just a KISS thought from a fellow ex-pat!)
Derek

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Arlyn Stewart
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2980 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2005 : 05:36:39

Paul, great report and pics on da cruise. I see Derek on his bungee and halyard...thats the way I do it... but raise him one halyard and suggest the jib halyard be wrapped around the headsail while slipped or at anchor... doing so will prevent the jib problem encountered.

What is needed is to prepare for the worst... those really high winds off a thunder head that can rip a furled sail loose and to shreds. The wrapped halyard will hold the sail in one of those events. There have been reports of headsails lost on 250's where wrapping would have saved them.

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britinusa
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Response Posted - 08/05/2005 : 07:21:51

As a major supporter for Bungees, that sounds like a great idea.

Re wrapping the furler, I now keep tension on the stbd jib sheet while winching in the furler halyard on the port winch, and I continue to winch in the furler halyard until the entire jib halyard is wrapped around the jib. The figure of 8 on the end of the jib halyard is then up against the traverller block. Then I wrap a couple of bungees around the Jib (Belt-n-Braces) while at anchor.

Edited by - on

bear
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Response Posted - 08/05/2005 : 07:31:26

After spending several nights on "Brandy" this year I unhook the halyard from the mainsail and clip it to either a lifeline or the stantions that support the baby-stays.

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tinob
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Response Posted - 08/05/2005 : 15:11:19

Hi Paul,

The sail logo is that of a Triton. A Carl Alberg 28 footer similar to the Cape Dory's. Good boats with lots of history to back it up. First built in the '50's, with a run of some 700 units.

Val on Calista # 3936

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britinusa
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Response Posted - 08/05/2005 : 19:05:16

Val, thanks for the input on the boat type.

Here's a larger segment of the boats sail.
Note the patch on the logo and the mast ladder attached.

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Bubba
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542 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2005 : 21:59:10

Thanks, Paul, for sharing the great pics and lessons learned. I guess you did have camera batteries.

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coldducks
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Response Posted - 08/05/2005 : 23:07:35

sounds like a great trip. and a great post. i am sure we can all relate to most of your discoveries.

we just spent two weeks aboard FANTASY, in boston harbor. we took day trips mostly but spent a couple nights out on the out islands.

you are right about the cooler, we ditched that long ago and replaced it with the igloo 50. it is ten times better, but still not good enough, but makes a great seat on the fuel locker for the captain though. i think we spent more on ice than anything else! we used the old space where the cooler used to be and installed a microwave oven and a "goody" drawer.

you are also right about the porta potty, what a pain.

the tv reception stinks, so we have a vcr/dvd player, with all the boat disaster movies aboard!

we have made a screen "door" for the companion way hatch that attaches to the pole for the pop top and one of those "umbrella" things for the front hatch in case of rain.

bungies on the lines to prevent the clanging is a must. CLANG, CLANG, CLANG!!

but all in all, what a great time... cant wait to do it again..

Edited by - coldducks on 08/05/2005 23:15:33

britinusa
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Response Posted - 08/06/2005 : 08:02:15

Another Pic of the Triton.
From our boat it seemed they were sailing well, but it looked like they had a lot of 'stuff' on board.
In this pic I can see they are out of St. Pete on the West coast of Florida, so that would explain the number of cans on the deck. There was a second crew on the bow but not seen in this pic.
I was snoozing on the port cockpit cushion when Peggy woke me to annouce our nearby companion.
The Triton was steadily passing us. So, as most everyone does, I went and trimmed our sails. Managed to pull the Main up fully, take out the sail creases with the back haul and we inched up a bit of a knot. They still sailed away.

<center>What on earth is that contraption on the back end?

</center>

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aeckhart
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Response Posted - 08/06/2005 : 10:33:32

The Triton was built by Pearson Yachts, one of the first builders to use fiberglass in boat construction. We have one in our YC fleet. It is comprable in speed to my C25 tall rig. It's one major drawback is a rudder integral to the full keel and thus turns poorly when under engine power, a problem one must be aware of in a crowded marina.

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tinob
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1883 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2005 : 15:21:10

The contraption seems to be a self steering device but it's a heck of alot more complicated than any I've ever seen before. The white dagger board shaped thingy is the wind activated portion of the mechanism. Directly below it we see a pipe like device that I assume the rudder is attached to.

There seems to be excess tubing about that might be a hoist of sorts. It would come in handy juggling the outboards. The original power for the Triton was a Universal Atomic Four gasser. Perhaps they use one or both of the outboards as aux.power if they did no longer use the Atomic Four.

Val on Calista # 3936

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JoergK
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Response Posted - 08/18/2005 : 14:28:32

Re: securing furled jib from blowing open: I guess you mean wrapping the jib sheet rather than the halyard. Halyard wraps can happen (especially if the lead angle of the halyard from the top of the furler to the mast head is too small)and that may cause severe damage to the furler. Been there, and lost my forestay in the process!

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britinusa
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Response Posted - 08/18/2005 : 20:24:24

Well spotted Joerg, you are correct, I should have written 'Jib Sheet'.
Although I do 'hang' the wind chute from the unused fore-halyard when at anchor.

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DUBHE
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Response Posted - 09/13/2005 : 16:05:22

YOU MAKE REFERENCE TO A BACK UP BATTERY, WHERE AND HOW DO YOU STOW SAME?

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