The Blue View - Keeping Busy

Marcie and her sister Lin have a very enviable relationship. Although they are 11 years apart, they are as close as twins. They don't look alike, but do share many of the same mannerisms and have very similar personalities. They're inseparable when we visit Boston, and their farewells are always tearful when it's time to return to Nine of Cups. They also sound alike on the phone. In our early days together, if I was out and about and called the home phone, I sometimes thought I was talking to Marcie when, in fact, it was Lin I was talking to. Lin was all too happy to play along, and it sometimes led to some embarrassing conversations. Now I've caught on, and if I'm not sure which sister I'm talking to, I use my own set of 'security questions' – “Where do we keep the UHT milk on Cups?” or “What unusual anatomical feature do I have on my backside?”.

We aren't in Boston all that frequently, so when we are, the sisters spend a lot of time with each other catching up, and I've found that it's best if I find a project to immerse myself in. Sometimes it's a household project that Lin has been saving for me from her to-do list – install some motion-activated lights on the back steps or clean out and reorganize the garden shed. This time, however, there were no pressing household projects, and I have time to complete the design of our new wireless windlass controller.

The design will consist of two modules – the handheld, battery- powered module and the controller module located in the forepeak locker, close to the windlass. The controller starts and stops the windlass and keeps track of windlass revolutions. The handheld module monitors the Up and Down buttons and displays the amount of rode deployed. The two modules communicate using matching RF transmit/receive radio modules.

I've been working on the handheld module, and it's coming along nicely. It is quite small and incorporates a sunlight readable, graphics display (one of the shortcomings of the previous design was that it was hard to read in the bright tropical sun). The wireless range (500 meters) should be more than adequate for our use – we rarely try to lower or raise the anchor from shore.

I've finished most of the breadboarding phase. I am using a prototyping breadboard to connect all the components, get everything functional and working, and to work out any hardware issues. As of today, the display is functioning and I'm able to communicate wirelessly between it and a wireless transceiver connected to my laptop. I'll start the fabrication phase next. Lin provides me a place to work, a few handy tools like a drill press, and all the power I can use, so I want to take advantage of it while I'm here. It's much more convenient than using the Nav desk aboard Cups as a workbench and having to rely on solar and wind to power my soldering iron.

After the handheld module is built and functional, I will build the control module. This part of the design, other than the wireless communication, will be similar, to the previous design. The old design had a tendency to occasionally reset with the large electrical spikes that are generated by the windlass motor, so I will enhance its noise immunity in this version. The last phase will be to perfect the communications protocol between the two modules and complete the user interface software.

When it is finally complete and tested, I'll provide the design details to anyone who's interested.

The Blue View - Prepping Cups for Storage

Saying goodbye to Nine of Cups, even for a couple of months, is always difficult. She looks so forlorn, sitting high and dry, as we leave. We'll try to make it up to her with some new paint on her topsides and new varnish on her brightwork when we return, but in the meantime, she's clearly unhappy.

There are always a number of things that must be done to prep her for an extended stay on the hard. In some climates, like the cool days of Tasmania or the hot dry days of South Australia, the list isn't all that long. When we are leaving her in a hot, tropical climate like Trinidad or Panama, however, there are a number of other things that should be done to prevent an outbreak of mold or an infestation by the local critters.

We have a checklist (yet another of David's @*%* checklists!) of things to do before leaving Cups for any length of time on the hard. We've never left her in a place that was likely to drop below freezing, so our list doesn't contemplate prepping her for the cold, but it does address the additional things that should  be done when leaving her in the tropics. We thought it was pretty complete until we made a new friend here in Trinidad who is the real expert on the subject. Frederick VerPlanck, aka Fast Fred, has been spending part of each year in Trinidad for longer than we've been sailing. He's put together a much more comprehensive list, and I added several things to our list after reading his. Here are the highlights of what we do.

Heads. The heads will really stink if left for more than a few days with seawater in the intake hose or pump. I drain the intake line to the head, then pump fresh water mixed with a little mineral or vegetable oil through the system. Then I fill the bowl with fresh water mixed with a few teaspoons of bleach and seal the top of the bowl with plastic wrap to keep it from evaporating.

Bilge. The only time our bilge high water alarm has ever gone off was when we were on the hard in Uruguay. We had shut off the automatic bilge pump, and enough rain water made its way into the bilge to slowly fill it up. Now I remove the water speed transducer, which is located low in the bilge. Any rain water that collects in the bilge will run out of this thru-hull before it gets deep enough to set off the high water alarm. The same thing could be accomplished by removing the hose from a thru-hull and leaving the valve open. I leave a big note on the saloon table to remind myself to replace the transducer before we splash.

Dehumidifier. We rent a dehumidifier to keep the interior humidity low, which helps prevent mold from growing. We saw a boat in Panama that was left for a few months without one, and the walls and header were coated with black mold when the owners returned – nobody's image of a warm homecoming. We set the dehumidifier over the galley sink, so water from the hose and any drips will go down the sink drain. All cabinet doors and drawers are opened to help dry them out, and we put dryer sheets in all the clothes drawers. Since its operation depends on shore power, we arrange to have someone check on the boat once or twice a week to make sure it is working and that  the shore power hasn't been disconnected.

Vermin.  Rats, roaches, ants and termites are common in boatyards. We seal or screen every opening we can to make it as difficult as possible for them to find a way below. Since the sink drain and the speed transducer thru-hulls are open, we stuff these with stainless steel scrubbers, which block most vermin, but allow water to drain out. We sprinkle boric acid liberally on counters and the edges of the sole, and make up dozens of roach cookies as treats for any roaches or ants that do make it aboard.

Bees, wasps and birds like to nest in our boom, so we stuff a rag in the end to prevent them from getting in.

Refrigerator. Marcie cleans out the fridge, turns it off and leaves it with the door open. She stores a bowl of baking soda inside.

Food. Any perishable food is removed. Any open containers of food, condiments or staples that could conceivably go bad are given away or dumped. With the boat closed up and the dehumidifier running, it is going to get quite hot inside, so anything that can melt is eaten or removed. (We were forced to eat the last few remaining chocolate bars in the days before our departure from Trinidad).

Power. With the fridge off and most of the DC and AC circuits shut down, the solar panels have no problem keeping the batteries topped up. If anything, they are likely to become overcharged unless a reliable solar power regulator is in place to divert or disconnect the solar output when the batteries are charged.

Propane. We close the tank valves, then open the solenoid valve and burn off any propane in the lines. Then we close the solenoid.

Electronics. If the boat is in an area where the possibility of thunderstorms exists, we disconnect any antennas and power connections. We store handheld electronics in the microwave in the hope it will act as a Faraday cage and protect the circuitry from electromagnetic impulses.

Dinghy and engine. We stow the dinghy on our foredeck and cover it with a tarp. I add a fuel stabilizer to the dinghy fuel and run the engine in freshwater for several minutes to flush it out. Then I shut the gas line off and let it continue to run until the carburetor runs dry.

Flags and halyards. I remove all flags and burgees, and tie off the halyards to prevent them from slapping against the mast or shrouds.

Security. On occasion, we've had a few things go missing from the boat while it was being stored. Now we remove or lock everything on the deck that might find 'legs' in our absence. The hatches are secured and the companionway locked. We leave the combination with the boatyard in case of an emergency.

Fred's list is much more comprehensive, and he has given us permission to distribute it. If you would like a copy, send us an email and we'll happily send it along to you.

The Blue View - Hauling out in Trinidad

We hauled out in Trinidad a few days ago. Nine of Cups always looks a little morose when she is on the hard. I don't think she likes sitting on her keel with seven or eight supports holding her upright. Nor does she like having her bottom exposed for any passerby to check out. I think it's sort of like having a physical done in the middle of a busy airport. Hopefully, she will forgive us when we clean and wax her topsides and treat her to fresh bottom paint and a new bootstripe.

We've hauled out in a lot of different ports around the world, but no matter how many times we do it, I dread the process. The wind always seems to pipe up – or die down - just as I'm trying to maneuver Cups into the narrow concrete pen or the wake from a passing tug generates a big surge at precisely the wrong moment, and poor Cups has a lot of dings and gashes in her teak as a result. That repaired section of the port side caprail? That's from an overzealous marinaro in Venezuela who was helping us into the pen with a dinghy and pushed us into the concrete wall. The big ding on the starboard rub rail? That's my fault when I misjudged the wind as I maneuvered into the pen in Papeete, Tahiti.

Being as prepared as possible helps. Here are the things we do ahead of time to prepare for the haul-out.

Haul-out method. First a caveat. While we have seen several different methods of getting a boat high and dry – everything from careening at high tide, to cranes, to wagons mounted on train tracks that are winched out of the water, we have only ever hauled Cups using a Travelift type of lift.

Reconnaissance. Every place we've been does things differently. Sometimes we are expected to tie up to the walls of the pen while the Travelift maneuvers into position, sometimes the operator 'catches' Cups with the straps as we maneuver into the pen – sometimes there are cleats, sometimes not – sometimes there are 10 men standing by to help fend off, sometimes there's no one – sometimes the operator expects us to have fenders deployed, in other places fenders are a problem. If possible, we visit the facility ahead of time and check with the operator or manager to get as many details as we can. Ideally, we watch another boat being hauled out.

Conditions. Check the wind and current – both on the approach to the pen, as well as in the pen itself. I have the most problem with a current or wind on the beam that is blocked by the pen itself. If I enter the pen too slowly and Cups' stern is still moving downwind or down current while the bow is in the pen, she gets skewed at an angle. If I enter too quickly, a miscalculation on my part will make any damage that much worse. Always a dilemma.

Lift Points. We always provide a diagram of the boat to the lift operator, so he knows what our keel and underwater profile look like. We have lift points marked on the topsides, but different operators using different sized Travelifts often choose to use different lift locations. It's usually not a problem, but if I'm uncomfortable with the operator's decision, I don't hesitate to discuss it.

Headsails. When we were first learning to sail, an instructor once told me that it was a lazy captain who didn't remove his headsails when hauling. Maybe so, and while we do remove our headsails, it isn't because I'm afraid that someone will think I'm a slacker – there are many other indications of my laziness that are all too apparent. Instead, there are a couple of other reasons why I remove the headsails. First, it gives me a chance to inspect the parts of the sail and rigging that aren't visible from the deck. I can check the shackle, eye splices and the section of the halyard that spends most of its life inside the mast. The second reason is that we sometimes have to remove the forestay and baby stay before the Travelift can pick us up (see the next section), and this can't be done on Cups with the headsails furled in place. It is much easier and much less frenetic to remove and stow the sails ahead of time than trying to get the job done in the haul-out pen with the operator and crew glaring at us.

Forestays. Nine of Cups is a 45' cutter, and requires a fairly big Travelift to lift us out of the water. It isn't her weight - she weighs around 20 tons and most Travelifts are big enough to lift this much. It's her size that is at issue. We've found that a Travelift with a capacity less than 50 tons will almost always be too small to lift Cups without first removing the forestay and quite possibly the baby stay as well. We first discovered this after owning Cups a couple of years. We tied up the haul-out facility a couple of hours while I rounded up the necessary tools, used an impact driver to remove a couple of seized screws and figured out how to remove the furler assembly. Quite embarrassing. Having learned that lesson, I now round up all the tools I might need and prepare the forestay for removal ahead of time. I slack off on the backstays, loosen the locknuts on the furler, and loosen or remove any furler parts I can. I also rig a spinnaker line forward to take the strain off the clevis pin holding the forestay so I can remove it without too much drama. I have a couple of old cockpit cushions I use to pad and protect the furler and some short lines to secure it. If I think the baby stay might also have to be removed, I prep it in the same manner.

N.B. Some folks can back into the haul-out pen, but this would require even more effort since we would have to remove both back stays and the wind generator.

Hardware. Anything that could conceivably get in the way of or get damaged by the Travelift is removed and re-positioned. For example, I relocate our dinghy engine so it sits inboard of the lifelines, and tie off the wind generator.

Lines. We always rig two long bow lines and two stern lines. Rather than using our heavy dock lines, we rig lighter weight lines that can be thrown further. They may not be needed, but it's always better to have them rigged and ready, just in case. We keep two other lines – one on each side around midship – flaked out and ready to use. Cups' keel has a sloped forefoot, and although very unlikely, it is possible that the forward lift strap could slide forward as she is being lifted. To eliminate this possibility, we tie a line between the two straps once they are in position.

Fenders. We usually have our fenders rigged and in place as we enter the pen, then pull them back aboard once we are secured. Some facilities discourage them as they may hang up on the straps as we maneuver into the pen. When in doubt, we rig them. We also have a big fat fender we keep at the ready on the foredeck.

Boat hook. We have two boat hooks that can be used for fending off, and keep one lying on the top of the coach roof on each side of the boat.

Disembarking. Occasionally, we are expected to stay aboard while the Travelift lifts us out of the water, but usually the boatyard requests we climb off the boat once the straps are in place and the boat is ready. Sometimes, in a smaller pen, the boat is pulled close enough to the side to disembark that way. Most often Cups is carefully moved forward until the anchor is a few inches from the end of the pen, and we are required to climb over the bow pulpit, and using the anchor as a step, clamber ashore . So far we've been able to accomplish this, if not gracefully, at least without falling into the drink.

Power wash. Once the boat is out of the water, we usually have a power wash done to remove all the sea critters before they dry out and harden. Sometimes we can rent the high pressure washer and do it ourselves, but more often, the boatyard provides the operator. One thing to be aware of is that the operator often shoots the stream of water into the thru-hulls to get all those barnacles out of the hoses and valves. If the thru-hull leads to a sink, the stream of water will shoot up the sink drain and deposit a combination of anti-fouling paint and sea crud on the header above it. We try to remember to close these thru-hulls before the haul-out.

This haul-out went quite well with no new damage or scrapes. The wind kicked up to about 20 knots as we were approaching the pen, but there were two dock hands there to catch our lines and the landing went remarkably well. I'm sure it was due to that tot of rum we gave Neptune on our arrival in Trinidad.