The Blue View - Love to be Snubbed

 

When we were first learning how to sail, we took a “bareboat chartering” class in San Diego. It was a fun class, and we got to live aboard our classroom, a 36' Hunter, for the three days of the class to give us a taste of what was to come. On completion, we were supposedly qualified to charter a boat on our own. We were taught such things as checking the engine oil, the basics of anchoring and maneuvering a sailboat.

The sailboat we were on had an anchor with a short section of chain, and then a hundred feet or so of rope rode. Our instructor, who had sailed a bit in the Pacific, told us that this was fine for the San Diego area. Once we were in rocky or coral strewn areas, however, we would probably use all chain rode, and that the anchoring technique with chain was different than rope rode. We would use something called a “snubber”.

Well, it turns out that he was right. Cups has all chain rode, and we never anchor without using a snubber, a stretchy nylon line attached between a strong point on the boat (in our case a very large cleat) and the anchor chain. In strong winds, the anchor chain will stretch out almost straight, and as the wind and waves cause the boat to buck and jerk, there is no give in the chain, causing tremendous stress on the boat - not a good thing. Even worse, the sudden jerks on the anchor can cause it to break free from the bottom – even less of a good thing. The elasticity of the rope snubber reduces the sudden tugs on the anchor and the stress on the windlass and chain stopper.

Over the years we've gone through dozens of snubbers. We tried smaller diameter line, but found that these would snap when the weather got rough. We tried heavier line, but this didn't have enough stretch. For Cups, the perfect size is 5/8” three-strand line. Now we have two. One is about 25 feet long, and we use it in most conditions. The other is 60 feet long and is our heavy duty snubber for “batten the hatches, lash everything down, take the seasick medicine” kind of weather.

The biggest learning curve for us was how to attach the snubber to the anchor chain. We tried regular hooks, but occasionally they would fall off the chain. We tried a hook with a special retainer that was supposed to hold it in place. It worked well until one particularly bad night. In the morning, when we tried to raise anchor, the retainer had become jammed and it took half an hour with a hammer and pry bar to get it loose. We tried a rolling hitch, but sometimes after a bad blow it would jam, and then take several minutes with a screwdriver to get it free.

Then my old friend, Clifford Ashley, came to the rescue. I discovered an alternate version of the rolling hitch in The Ashley Book of Knots.

It's his knot #1735, and it's never failed us.

Days and Ways to Celebrate

A daily list of mostly obscure holidays and fun ways to celebrate them.

National Anthem Day

Written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812, the national anthem officially became our national song on March 3, 1931. Play it, hum it, sing it today. Here's some help with the lyrics, just in case. My favorite rendition? Whitney Houston.

The Blue View - Fish Hooks

Fishing aboard Nine of Cups is not so much for sport as it is a method of provisioning. This wasn't always true. When we first started cruising, I would troll with a rod and reel, and when we got a fish on the line, we'd douse the sails and I would fight the fish until either he managed to get free or I landed him. This was never an Old Man and the Sea type epic battle, but sometimes it might take an hour or so to be resolved.  

Now we fish more like a single-hook long-liner. I troll with a lure attached to some seriously heavy tackle, and if we hook something, we tow it until it tires, then we crank it in with a winch. If it breaks the line, it is much more fish than we want to try to bring aboard. We catch enough fish that when Marcie is provisioning for a passage, she assumes 40-50% of our protein will be fish.

Since fishing is such a big part of our lives, I have a fair assortment of fishing tackle which was collected over the years. I used to buy expensive lures, but now I find that weighted champagne corks with feathers and tinsel are just as effective and a lot less painful to lose.

Before metal hooks were available, people throughout the world carved hooks from bone or shell. They were bright and sparkly and probably worked as both a lure and a hook. When we were in southern Chile, we were wandering around a small fishing village and came across a local artist who specialized in bone carvings, some of which were stylized fish hooks. They were absolutely beautiful, and after negotiating a fair price, I bought one … as a present for Marcie.

Since then, we have discovered artists in almost all the island cultures throughout the South Pacific who have used the look of the traditional fish hooks of their culture to create works of art. Each culture seems to have its own style. I have collected hooks from Easter Island, French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, Tonga, and New Zealand. They are made from bone, shell, wood and even greenstone (jade), and each is unique and a thing of beauty.

Since the beauty of the hooks is their artistry and material, I spent some time mounting them into a shadow box display which hangs in the salon. And since I can now call it artwork, Marcie has less trouble accepting the fact that I've accumulated more fishing tackle.

Days and Ways to Celebrate

A daily list of mostly obscure holidays and fun ways to celebrate them.

Tell a Fairy Tale Day

What's your favorite fairy tale? Cinderella, Hansel & Gretel, Snow White? There are hundreds to choose from. Pick a new one, read an old favorite or make up a new one. Download fairy tales for free...Hans Christian Andersen, Grimm, Aesop...just tell a tale today.

The Blue View: Recycling Old Line into Ocean Plait Mats

 

On Nine of Cups, there is not a single piece of rope that is actually called rope. We have halyards, sheets, outhauls, vangs, preventers, reefing pendants, dock lines, snubbers, anchor rode, painters and lanyards, but no rope. Even a coiled, spare section of rope is called “line” and not rope.

Some mariners will say rope becomes line as soon as it is brought aboard a boat. Others say it is rope until it is cut from the spool. I've also seen a definition that states that it is only called rope if it is greater than a given diameter, otherwise it is generically called line. By any of these definitions, we have no rope aboard Cups. I couldn't always make this claim. A few years ago we had an outhaul made of stainless wire that is called wire rope. So we did have some “rope” aboard, even though it was made of stainless, but even this “rope” has now been replaced with synthetic line.

While we may not have any rope aboard, we do have many hundreds of feet of line on Cups, and all this line is constantly wearing out, due to chafe, UV, fatigue and old age. We probably replace two hundred feet of line a year. So what do we do with all the old line that is no longer usable? It seems a shame to just throw it away.

One of the uses for old lines is to make Ocean Plait mats or rugs. Traditionally these mats were used aboard ships as chafing gear. We sometimes use them for the same purpose, to protect the deck from being damaged when setting a propane tank on it, for example. They also make nice welcome mats on the dock to wipe our feet before coming aboard and they're are easy on the feet when we have to stand at the helm for long periods. They are very nautical and quite attractive, and make great gifts. You can use small line, 1/8” diameter or so to make coaster sized mats, or large line, 3/4” or so to make rugs.

My old friend, The Ashley Book of Knots, describes how to make the Ocean Plait mat (“Ocean Plat” knot #2243). I started with his directions to make the pattern shown below.

I make so many, I drew the pattern onto plywood, and drove finishing nails into the plywood to help hold the line in place. You could also put nails or tacks into a piece of cardboard, or just print out the pattern on paper.

You will need about 45 feet of line for a reasonable sized mat made of 1/2” to 3/4” line. Find the middle of the line and start on the left side of the pattern as shown.

Follow the pattern, paying close attention at each intersection as to whether the line passes over or under itself.

After you complete the first pass of the pattern, check to make sure your mat is correct. It's much easier to undo it and correct a mistake at this stage than it will be later.

When you are happy with the first pass, take the end of line A and follow line B as shown in Figure 5, doubling the knot.

Depending on the line size, you will make 3-5 passes to complete the mat. You want the ends to meet in the middle of the mat.

You will have to tighten and loosen some of the loops until the rug looks even and symmetrical, then cut and whip the ends. Stitch the ends to the adjoining line segments and you are done.

Patience is key. My first mat took hours and I pulled it back apart several times because of mistakes. Now I can make a mat in about 30 minutes.

Days and Ways to Celebrate

A daily list of mostly obscure holidays and fun ways to celebrate them.

Mardi Gras

Christians celebrate Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, before the austere Lenten season begins. Wear beads and masks of traditional gold, purple and green. It's Carnival...live it up.

Abraham Lincoln's (real) Birthday

He is one of our most honored and brilliant Presidents. From the penny to Lincoln Memorial, we've immortalized our 16th president for his contribution to the country. So lift a toast to Honest Abe tonight and maybe read a little more about him.

International Darwin Day

It's Charles Darwin's birthday, too! Think evolutionary theory and natural selection. Check out our visit to the Galapagos Islands.