Chapter 5 - The Fun Of Sailboat Living

In the Preface I stated that sailboat living was for the entire family. And the most popular of all family boating sports is cruising. This may range anywhere from a few hours' trip to a week or more.

When cruising, the size of your boat has nothing to do with the amount of fun you and your family can have. Even small open prams have a world of possibilities for young fellows who don't mind roughing it a bit. Many teenagers have cruised for hundreds of miles along sheltered waterways, sleeping under a cockpit tent and cooking their chow on the beach.
 
However, less ambitious cruises in one-designers can be just as much fun, especially with a craft that's light enough for trailer carrying. With an outfit such as this, you can drive to your favorite cruising area, launch the boat, and spend as much time as you like aboard. When your week-end or vacation is almost over, it's a simple matter to put the boat on the trailer and take it back home or moor it locally until you get away again. By doing your cruising in installments like this, you can extend your range and visit places that would normally be inaccessible.

Piloting Your Sailboat

Whether you are going out for a short cruise or for weeks, you must be able to pilot or navigate your craft toward your destination. To help you in this task, nautical charts of the area where you are sailing are almost a "must." These are available from United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Office, Washington 25, D. C, or from one of its local offices, or at some fishing tackle, boat, and map stores. On a typical chart, every little indentation and point is clearly marked. Each reef, rock, or other obstruction is marked. On shore, the contours of hills and such landmarks as church steeples, factory smokestacks, towers, and water tanks are clearly shown for a distance of a mile or so from the waterfront. Each buoy and light is clearly marked in its exact location, and alongside it are its number and type.
 
Dangerous and restricted areas are clearly indicated, and any notes of caution should be observed. The charts give you the exact depth of water, usually at mean low tide, in feet or sometimes in fathoms.

You will also find a gridwork of vertical and horizontal lines over the surface of the chart. The vertical lines are the meridians of longitude, and the horizontal lines are the parallels of latitude. These lines run true north and south and true east and west. The scale of latitude indicated along the vertical edges of the chart can be used as a scale of distance in miles, as well as the scale of miles indicated near the title block. One minute of latitude equals one nautical mile. The horizontal scale (longitude) can't be used to measure distance, as it won't give an accurate reading, except at the equator, because of the way the charts are made.

In addition, compass roses appear at intervals over the chart. The outer rose is aligned with the north and south, east and west grid-work of the chart. This compass rose is. used for measuring and laying off a course and bearings referring to true north. Every sailboat that is going to be used for cruising should be equipped with a good marine compass. If you wish, it can be built in as shown in Chapter 8.

It's a good idea to purchase your charts early in the season. Spend a few evenings going over them carefully you'll be entertained as well as being educated. Then, when you go out in your sailboat, take them with you and check the various buoys, landmarks, and lights. In a short time you'll become as proficient at piloting as if you had been born and raised on local waters, and you'll be able to pilot; your craft with absolute safety and confidence.

U. S. Buoyage System

Even if you don't have a chart, you should know the signals and buoyance systems on the sea, which might be called seagoing signposts. They are the extensive system of lights, buoys, beacons, and markers called "aids to navigation" which are operated by the federal government on navigable waters of the United States. At first glance, the system appears rather formidable, and it is but it can be one of your best friends.

To the sailor who cruises most extensively in sheltered waters and rivers, one of the most important of these guides is buoys. In fair weather or foul, night or day, the boatman can use buoys to steer safely through channels and fairways the avenues of the water into port. The function of buoys is to warn the mariner of some danger, obstruction, or change in the contour of the bottom. Together with charts the road maps of the waterways compass, bearings, and landmarks, buoys are used to keep boats out of dangerous areas and within the proper channel.

The buoyage system has been in use in this country since at least 1767, so it's not exactly a newfangled scheme. At least three distinct methods of identification of buoys are used to reduce confusion and possible error in recognition: shape, color, and number.

Portion of a typical U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey chart.

Entering a channel from seaward, or a harbor from the main channel, buoys marking the starboard (right) side of the fairway are red and even-numbered consecutively 2, 4, 6, etc. Buoys marking the port (left) side of the channel are black and odd-numbered 3, 5, 7, etc. Thus, the sailor should stay between the two strings of buoys, keeping red to his right and black to his left, and he should keep to the right side, just as ashore.

Red starboard buoys may be nun buoys, shaped like an inverted cone with the top sliced off, or spar buoys, which look like a long tapered pole. Black port markers may be either spar or cylindrical can buoys.

Numbers on both types increase from seaward. But remember, if you're heading the opposite way, everything is reversed. Thus, heading out toward sea, right-hand buoys would be black and odd-numbered and left-hand markers would be red and even-numbered, and the numbers would decrease. These buoys mark the curbs of our water avenues.

Afloat, we don't have a white line down the middle of the street, but we do have mid-channel buoys. These are black-and-white (vertically striped), and may be of any shape. They'll tell you if you're wandering over into the "oncoming traffic lane."

Buoys are also used to mark obstructions, channel junctions, sunken wrecks, and other areas of special precaution. Junction and obstruction markers are red-and-black (horizontally striped). The top band indicates the best channel. Thus, from seaward, a red top band means that the channel is to the left of the buoy in other words, keep the buoy off your starboard. A black top band means that the best channel is to the right of the buoy. Some buoys have a white top to enable searchlights to pick them up easily; however, the white color has no significance. Some other types occasionally met by sailors are white anchorage buoys, yellow quarantine buoys, and white with a green top which mark dredging areas.

Small British outboard that has become very popular with sailboat enthusiasts because of its small size.

Another method of propelling a small sailboat.

Leaving the dock with bare-poles and outboard power is often easier than leaving it under full sail.

Returning to a dock can also be easier under outboard power.

A camping-cruise is one of the greatest pleasures of sailboat living. The boat can be beached and the tent pitched ashore.

Bell buoys are generally used to mark channel entrances and obstructions such as hidden rocks, wrecks, and shoal water. These have a metal framework in which bells are mounted. As waves cause such a buoy to rock, the tongue swings back and forth, striking the bell. Some buoys of this type are equipped with whistles or groaners in place of bells.

Lighted and fog-signaling buoys are usually built of an open steel framework, but may be red, black, or striped just as the others, depending on location. In other words, these physically resemble unlighted channel markers, but at night they show lights of various colors and durations. Although they are not spaced as closely together as unlighted buoys, they're near enough to each other so that you can proceed from one to the other with little danger of leaving the channel.

Heading into a strange port, then, we'd first consult our chart to pick the best channel; then we'd use buoys to stay in the channel and we'd follow the numbers into port. Not so confusing, is it? A couple of well-worn memory hints are always helpful: "Right, Red, Returning" and "B.P.O.E." (Black, Port Side, Odd Numbers, Entering from Seaward).

As we pointed out, buoys are maintained by Uncle Sam. He doesn't like to have boatmen tie up to navigational buoys or alter their position or appearance in any way. If you should notice, however, that a buoy has broken loose or isn't where your chart says it should be, get in touch with your local Coast Guard office immediately. You may save another skipper from misfortune.

If you wish, it is possible to camp aboard your sailboat. A boom tent can be utilized for this purpose.
 
Local channel markers put out by fishermen and local boatmen usually are wooden stakes, stone monuments, cage structures of wood or metal, reinforced concrete tripods, or even small trees with the leaves still rattling in the breeze. As a rule, unless you know the local waters, it is risky to pass through such a channel. Sometimes the markers are not channel markers at all but indicate fish traps, nets, or setlines. There is no way of telling, so it's best to keep clear.

Sailing In A Tideway

When cruising in tidal waters, it's just as important to know the condition of the tides as when racing. As we mentioned earlier, you'll save a great deal of time and effort by going with the tide instead of against it.
 
Various techniques for sailing with and against the tide have been discussed in earlier chapters. Another trick that you might keep in mind is that of lee-bowing. For example, suppose you are sailing windward and have set your course so as to take the tide on your lee bow your progress will be fast and your actual course will be closer to the wind than your apparent course. In other words, the tide on your lee bow pushes your boat to windward. With this in mind, it's often a good idea to attempt to sail to leeward of your objective rather than to windward of it, since the tide will more than compensate your leeway and will carry you up to windward.
The tides and currents of both coasts and the Gulf of Mexico have been studied and diagrammed so that the mariner may use them to help him along his course. Even when stemming an adverse tide or current, certain areas may be found where the current is lighter, or even from astern. Information concerning tides and currents can be found in two publications of the Coast and Geodetic Survey: The Tide Table and Current Tables.

By dropping your sails and anchor, your sailboat makes an excellent fishing craft. If you wish to troll, an outboard motor can be attached to a transom outboard bracket.

The Tide Table lists the times and heights of high and low tide for every day of the year at many major reference stations along the coast. The table also lists a multitude of intermediate stations, with differences and constants to apply to the tide at the nearest reference station. Many newspapers also carry tide tables.

The Current Tables are used to find the time of high and low slack. They also show the times and velocities of the maximum floor and ebb currents (currents induced by the rising or falling tide). In addition, another section of the Current Tables gives "Current Differences and Constants," to be applied in a fashion similar to those in The Tide Table.

Anchoring

Of all the equipment aboard a boat, the ground tackle (anchors and moorings) usually gets least attention. So long as there's some sort of anchor aboard with a heavy line in fairly good shape, you might feel that is all that is necessary. Yet, without realizing it, you're neglecting one of the most important details in the handling of a boat. If the boat drags anchor a bit while you are swimming or fishing, it makes little or no difference. However, if you're on a cruise and anchored for the night, it's a different story, because a sudden squall might cause your boat to drag anchor and hit some other boats, doing serious damage for which you could be held responsible under marine law.

The secret of successful anchoring rests on two things: making the length (scope) or anchor line (rode) as long as possible, and making sure that the anchor holds the bottom. Necessarily, the type of bottom will have a lot to do with the holding power of the anchor. If the anchorage is charted, symbols and abbreviations will tell the kind of bottom surface. Generally, a mixture of sand and clay is regarded as excellent, and soupy mud or loose sand makes for poor holding power.

Fishermen's Bend.
Racing can be great sport. As shown here, two Gannet owners are racing downwind.

Although it's acknowledged that there is no such thing as too much scope, experts agree that the anchor rode should be six or seven times the depth of the water. When anchoring in rough water, the longer the scope the better. To keep the anchor horizontal to the bottom, a length of chain should be used between the line ½-inch manila or ⅜-inch nylon is sufficient for sailboats under 25 feet) and the anchor itself. If heavy seas are running and the boat is being pounded by severe surging, try attaching lengths of chain or other weights to the anchor line at intervals they will materially reduce the wave shock. If chain isn't available, use a splice rather than a knot to bend (or attach) the anchor line to the ring of the anchor. Whereas splices weaken the rode about 10 per cent, bowlines will cut the strength of the anchor line by one-half. If a knot must be used, the "anchor (fisherman) bend" is recommended.

Select your anchorage spot with care. Try to find a quiet location out of the wind and sheltered from troublesome waves. Once you find the spot, come up into the wind and drop the jib. Unsnap the jib from the forestay and stow it in its bag out of the way in the cockpit. This clears the foredeck so that there's plenty of space for the proper handling of the anchor. Then lower the anchor until you feel it touch bottom and carefully note the amount of line played out. This will give you the approximate depth. Then measure six more equal lengths of line. This will give you the proper scope. If the boat should drift because the anchor isn't holding to the bottom, you should of course, immediately haul it up and try another location some distance away.

If you're anchoring in company with other craft, watch the radius and direction of their swing and place yourself accordingly. Be careful of fouling someone else's line or allowing a sudden wind shift to cause a collision or beaching. If you are anchoring among boats of your own general size, locate your boat atleast three or four boat lengths away from the nearest boat, whether that boat is ahead, astern, or on either beam. If you anchor among larger boats, allowances must be made for their greater swinging radius. With a normal scope (6 or 7 to 1), you will be three or four boat lengths from the nearest boat.

When you're ready to weigh anchor, you follow much the same procedure as when leaving a mooring (Chapter 4) except that the anchor and anchor line must be contended with. To leave an anchorage, shorten the scope by pulling in the anchor line until the boat is over the anchor. Then hoist the mainsail but let it flap in the breeze. Haul up the anchor and clean it off before bringing it aboard. Then coil the anchor line and stow it and the anchor in the cockpit. Attach the jib and remove; the boom crotch, letting the mainsheet run. Raise the jib and put it aback and bear off in the desired direction.

Laying To

While cruising, there are often times you wish to lay to to stop the boat and maintain its approximate position without the use of an anchor. As was already explained, a boat can be stopped from going ahead by pointing it into the wind. But, as you will remember, when in this position the boat will begin to drift backward until it falls off the wind and fills away, at which point it will start sailing again. If you wish the boat not to fall away, you can place the tiller toward the leeward side of the boat and trim the sheets to the point where the craft won't sail. The exact position of tiller and the trim of sheets varies from boat to boat", and only by practice can you determine the proper positions for laying to.

Beaching Your Sailboat

There are occasions when you may wish to beach your boat or bring it aground (this shouldn't be done with a keel-type craft) in order to camp or picnic in some secluded spot where there are no docks or small boats available for going ashore. In this case, be sure to select a good sandy beach and watch out for underwater obstructions. Beware of muddy locations. Before you go in for the landing, lay to off-shore, and study the beach condition. Then head into shore in the proper sailing position as slowly as possible, bringing up the centerboard as the water gets shallow. With an onshore wind, douse your mainsail and come in under the jib alone. If the wind is strong, furl both the mainsail and jib and then drift ashore under bare poles, or paddle. With a wind that is offshore or blowing parallel to the shore, drive the boat ashore with the mainsail. (If the water is too shallow to use the rudder, sails must be dropped and the boat paddled to the shore.) Once your craft touches ground, douse the sail and pull the bow slightly out of the water. (When beaching, be sure to consider the tide so that you aren't left high and dry.) Anchor the boat as detailed earlier in this chapter or bend (tie) it securely to a stationary object ashore. If you have air rollers aboard, you can haul the boat up on the beach without difficulty.

When you wish to leave, remove the anchor or mooring, push the craft back into the water and then follow the procedure described for launching a boat from a trailer (Chapter 6).

Racing is usually done in larger groups or fleets. As illustrated here, the top photograph shows a fleet of racing Raven class boats, while the bottom one shows International 14's preparing to round a racing buoy or mark. (Sailboat KB25 has already accomplished this feat and is on its way to victory.) Information on racing rules can be obtained from the North American Yacht Racing Union, 37 West 44th Street, New York 36, New York.

Outboard Power And Cruising
 
A small outboard motor can be useful in a variety of cruising situations ... a harbor separated from sailing water by a highway bridge that creates tricky tacking situations, strong tides, heavy motorboat traffic, mud flats, etc. When the wind gets too brisk, you can lower your sails and use the outboard. When the; wind dies down, hoist the sails. Also, if your sailing time is limited and you want "home in a hurry," that plucky little outboard will get you there quicker and easier.

For the average sailboat, an outboard motor should be from 3 to 5 horsepower. The dangers and disadvantages of overpowering your boat are several and serious. Too powerful a motor could tear the transom right ofl1 your boat and sink to the bottom with it. Too powerful a motor could slowly shake your boat to pieces by loosening every fastening. If the motor is too heavy, your boat won't sit right in the water, and your back, after carrying it around, just won't sit.

Many of the new family-living sailboats have available outboard motor mounting brackets. Stern mounting is the answer on many larger sailboats; it has been effective with smaller ones, too; however side brackets are available. The tendency of an off-center motor to turn the boat is countered by the keel area. A lower freeboard permits your motor to be mounted nearer the hull's pitching center, allowing the propeller to be submerged more constantly. And it's within easy reach for installing, starting, and refueling. Larger hulls mean higher transoms, which sometime necessitate brackets to assure adequate propeller immersion. Ready-made brackets are available for mounting motors about halfway down the transom. Measure your boat's transom angle when you choose a motor bracket. Determine the adjustment range of the clamp and the bracket's ability to hold the rig properly. You may need to reinforce your transom.

Outboard boats are generally built with standard transoms 15 inches high, which means that you can use a standard outboard motor. Determine, before you buy, whether your boat will take a standard outboard. You may want a "longshaft," an outboard adaptable to a 20-inch transom; it's a good bet if you want proper immersion for your propeller even when your boat rolls and pitches, and its powerhead is high enough for easy access to the controls from over the gunwales. But the longshaft takes up more storage space, which is a consideration. For example, if yours is a small centerboarder, you'll have to stow it under the forward, side, or after deck while sailing.

If you have an afterdeck, your outboard can't be fastened directly to the transom. One answer is a "motor well" built into this after-deck and fitted with a cover. The recess should be tailored to fit the motor's transom clamp handles, and should have a small drain hole through the transom. This is a neat arrangement for craft that can take a 15- to 20-inch motor in her transom.
If you're interested primarily in short runs, and bulk and weight have to be limited, your better choice is a motor with an integral fuel tank. Remote tanks hold 4 to 6 gallons but take up valuable space. You can carry a reserve can of gas, unless you anticipate long runs. While gasoline won't harm the fiberglass hull, it will effect the styrofoam that is sometimes used for flotation purposes so store it carefully.

Cruising Tips

To make a cruise a success, everyone on board has to be cooperative. Space aboard the average sailboat is limited, and privacy and freedom to roam around are usually curtailed. But the taken-for-granted comforts that aren't built into a sailboat are more often as not offset by the new, wonderful experiences shared by everyone on board.

Plan your cruise carefully. With a sailboat, however, you must make these plans flexible, since weather plays an important part in your ability to adhere to a schedule. It's a great deal easier both on you and your crew to cover a short distance in a day. Remember that you aren't racing, you are cruising.

As much of a problem as knowing what to take is knowing what to leave behind. But carrying only equipment suitable to the cruise makes good sense. It's hard to piece together a proper ship's inventory; It is also hard for me to make a list of gear required, since every skipper's list will vary according to his tastes, his boat, his family, and the length of the cruise. It will also depend on whether you plan to sleep on board, camp ashore, or stay in a hotel or motel in town, and on where you plan to eat. No boat is too small to afford space for a sterno stove or single-burner alcohol stove. The food itself is no problem, since there's a great variety of compact canned and powdered foods of all kinds.

Most general type sailboats have roomy cockpits, and some have a cuddy-cabin which provides a wonderful arrangement for overnighting, protection from the weather, and storage space for gear. (For suggestions on how to make the cuddy-cabin even more useful, see Chapter 8.) If you wish more covered area, especially when at anchor, boom tents are available. Your local marine dealer will be glad to show the type that is best for your boat and tell you how to install it. You can also rig an awning over the boom, with one end supported by the mast. If you plan to use such an awning, you should try it out thoroughly beforehand, as it's not easy to rig one in such a way that it will stand up to wind and rain without letting in drafts and drops of wet.

As for sleeping accommodations, there's room generally for one to four persons, depending on the size of the craft. Waterproof sleeping bags are generally recommended, but if you are the rugged type, rolling up in a blanket will provide all the luxury you will need. The fresh air and exercise of the day will make any bed feel soft. If you wish, you can sleep ashore under a tent or in a sleeping bag on the ground. In a pinch, you can empty the boat of all gear, drag it ashore, turn it over, prop up the leeward side, and sleep underneath. This hardly spells comfort, but at least it assures one of shelter in the worst of weather. In this respect boat cruising has an advantage compared with other methods of traveling. There are no worries about bed and board, for you always have them with you. For this reason, camping ashore from a boat is rapidly becoming a favorite family pastime.

Fishing And Swimming

Possibly the two most favorite pastimes while on a cruise are fishing and swimming. In this book it would be impossible to go into the various techniques of catching fish. There are many good books available on fresh-water and salt-water angling. The important thing to remember, however, is not to leave home your fishing gear when you go out on a sailboat cruise. The average sailboat is ideal for fishing.

Swimming from a sailboat can be very enjoyable, but it requires a great deal of attention to water safety. Under no circumstances should a group go swimming in deep water from a boat without leaving at least one member on board. It's extremely difficult to climb aboard a small boat without a helping hand from inside or without the aid of a boarding ladder. Even when using a boarding ladder, one person should stay aboard to act as a lifeguard and be able to take off after anyone in need of help. Also, never dive in unfamiliar waters. Slip over the side of the craft into the water until you are sure of its depth. If skin diving interests you, it can also be accomplished very nicely from a sailboat. When fishing, swimming, and skin-diving, lower the sails.

Racing

After you purchase a sailboat and practice sailing it for awhile, the chances are that you'll want to do a little racing. You may get your boat for the fun of sailing, for the quiet relaxation, and for the satisfaction of going places propelled by the wind alone, but often to your own surprise you will find yourself drawn into racing. Actually, it's a natural inclination to see if you can sail your boat faster than the other fellow can sail his. But, while racing is one of the most highly competitive sports, it's unlike many others. It requires more than good equipment to sail the winner across the finish line. It takes experience and sailing skill. After you become proficient in the sailing techniques described in Chapter 4, you may be ready for racing.
There are so many volumes on the subject of sailboat racing that I won't crowd this book with the advanced skills of this great sport. However, there's no reason why the ambitious skipper, even while learning the fundamentals of sailing, can't have the joy of challenging "the other guy" to a clean and exciting race. Nothing sharpens one's skills faster than a good race.

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