Coastal Cruising Club of Australia Inc.

Risk Management Handbook

YELLOW BOOK

CCCA 1 20-Mar-15 INDEX Page Risk Management – Yellow Book 3

Yellow Book Support Articles Check List Index 15 Recommended Reading Index 25

- Research, Mainsheet Articles 26

- Research Articles 45

- Books 46 Mainsheet Articles Indexes

- Safety 50

- Seamanship 65

- Strong Wind 82 Document standard

-Editing 140 Notes 141 This document is intended for use only as the publisher and authors intend that it is used which is for the exclusive benefit and information of CCCA and CYCT members. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information and data of the Yellow/Blue book at the time of publication, to the extent permitted by law, the CCCA and its Members/authors disclaim all liability and responsibility (including indirect or consequential damages) and costs which might be incurred as a result of the information and data being inaccurate or incomplete in any way for any reason.

CCCA Risk Management 2 20-Mar-15 RISK MANAGEMENT

The purpose of this document is to offer recommendations to members to encourage safe cruising. These recommendations are based on the experiences of members and published information from recognized authorities. Experienced members of CCCA are always eager to share their experiences. A Risk Management Strategy should be implemented by members undertaking enclosed, coastal waters and blue water cruising. The best way of reducing risk is to gain experience. “With repetition come good habits, with good habits comes good seamanship, with good seamanship comes security, and with security comes enjoyment.”

- John Rousmaniere, Author: “The Annapolis Book of Seamanship” and quoted in “YA Cruising Yacht”. The idea of risk management is to reduce the likelihood of undesirable events. Fundamentals • Members are subject to the “Boating Handbook” for the State in which they . Each State has different requirements so passage planning must take this into account. • Members are subject to the “International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea” (update 2003) when not subject to the State Boating Handbook, • Members are subject to the “CCCA Objects and Rules” and “Protocols” when participating in Club events. • Members covered by comprehensive Insurance should ensure that they use their Yacht subject to their Insurance Policy, especially those conditions titled – General Conditions and Exclusions.

Assumptions • Members who sail the coast of Australia could sail in conditions referred to as Ocean, Long Coastal, Short Coastal and Inshore in the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club cruising Regulations (Green Book). • Members participating in ‘Sailaways’ may be subjected to conditions referred to as Inshore in the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club cruising Regulations. • Members are the only and final judge of their competence to handle conditions during Sailaways.

CCCA Risk Management 3 20-Mar-15 Education Prior to cruising, inexperienced cruisers should educate themselves in all aspects. This is distinct from training which is covered later. This education should take the form of: Extensive reading including: • International Regulations for preventing collisions at sea (published by the Royal Yachting Association) which include notes and explanations. • Each State Boating handbook • Novels on cruising by respected authors • Cruising guides for targeted areas of interest • Mainsheet Articles from the Mainsheet library that support this Handbook follow. • CCCA Information, Hints & Tips Handbook.

Texts on skills needed: • The RPAYC Cruising Regulations (RPA Green Book) • Yachting Australia’s Cruising Yacht • Yachting Australia’s Navigation

• Electrical & Electronic Systems (Boat owner’s Mechanical and Electrical Manual by Nigel Calder, third Edition.) • Mechanical Systems

• Boat Maintenance (refer to the CCCA Services Directory).

Check Lists • Study check lists which follow in Mainsheet Articles Discussions • With experienced members which is the great benefit of being a member of CCCA. • Participate in the Help section at CCCA monthly meetings.

CCCA Risk Management 4 20-Mar-15 TRAINING

Training Courses. Members are encouraged to undertake training courses such as: • Yachting Australia Training Schemes: • National Small Boat Sailing Scheme • National Yacht Cruising Scheme • CCCA and other club Courses • Privately Managed Training Courses • Coastal Skippers course

Cruises • Volunteer as a crew on an experienced member’s yacht during a cruise. • Use a professional or experienced skipper for your first offshore cruise. • Participate in a cruise in company with another CCCA member • Undertake multiple short cruises prior to undertaking a more difficult long cruise.

Trial Systems (refer to following Mainsheet Articles) • Practice in various weather conditions • Trial MOB drills. However, all systems should be installed to reduce the risk of being MOB as retrieval systems do not guarantee success, especially with only one partner left to handle the boat and undertake the rescue. • in enclosed, sheltered waters of various depths and sea levels • Follow by anchoring in exposed locations in deteriorating conditions but close to a sheltered location for backup. • Shorten sail in enclosed waters in various and increasing wind strengths • Practice navigation using dead reckoning on paper charts. • Practice night sailing in home waters especially leaving and returning to port. • Test systems after maintenance or repair, irrespective of source of work.

CCCA Risk Management 5 20-Mar-15 • In home waters undertake a full mechanical service including motor, replacing the impeller, servicing breather, bleeding the fuel lines, cleaning sea strainer, changing fuel filters, checking hoses and wiring and checking engine mounts and coupling. • It should be noted that the following recommendations in this document supplement the above education and training and are based on particular experiences of members.

RECOMMENDATIONS – Coastal Cruising: The following recommendations are based on actual incidents and accidents experienced by members over the prior 20 years, This document focuses on the 3 main causes of incidents experienced by members whilst coastal cruising, the use of dinghies, anchoring in strong tidal areas and entering anchorages in difficult conditions. Incidents reported in State Maritime Annual Reports and the National Assessment of Boating Fatalities in Australia 1999-2004 closely align with CCCA experiences • Use of Tenders • Seamanship • Seamanship at Sailaways

Use of Tenders Each State Boating Handbook should be used as the minimum guide. The Handbook is accessible on the WEB. NOTE: Each State has different rules. The following additional recommendation should be implemented for further protection: • Seriously consider wearing a PFD even when the Boating Handbook does not require its use. The wearing of a PFD increases the chances of survival (refer National Assessment of Boating Fatalities 1999-2004.

NOTE: The exemption of wearing PFD for rowing boat/dinghy and tenders (Boating Handbook NSW Maritime p31, 2008-2009) should not be implemented at Sailaways • do not overload your tender • Hard dinghies are more unstable than Inflatables and require enhancements to improve safety. One improvement would be the addition of flotation devices to the sides to increase stability (refer following Mainsheet Articles ) • entering a dinghy from the water is very difficult so a dinghy should have a device to aid re-entry (refer following articles )

CCCA Risk Management 6 20-Mar-15 • Wear appropriate footwear for protection to reduce the risk of injury arising from stepping on sharp objects and stingrays. Footwear will also reduce the chance of breaking of bones due to impact when boarding or leaving a dinghy. • Always enter and leave a tender from the centre of the floor and not from the sides. • Remove the outboard from the tender when towing the tender. • Do not tow the tender in open waters or in risky conditions in enclosed waters (risk of overturning the tender). • Use a lifting system from the yacht for raising and lowering the outboard. • always use a floating rope for a dinghy tender

Seamanship A member needs to know more than just the mechanics of sail trim and steering and will need to develop a wide range of skills in cruising in various conditions and in maintaining a yacht. There are good examples of high seamanship skills displayed in supporting Mainsheet Articles under Seamanship and Strong Wind Sailing.

Reduce Risks: • choose an anchorage recommended by the Cruising guide but reduce risks by preferring the anchorage least affected by strong tidal flow • use an anchor buddy in strong tidal areas to reduce the risk of fouling the chain on the or • Avoid a sudden change of plan without reassessing consequences. In shallow waters you may not have time to recover. • Do not enter port when it is safer to remain at sea. • Do not remain in an anchorage knowing conditions will deteriorate and there is a safer anchorage available. • Secure storage below to reduce the risk of moving objects causing damage. This applies to both open shelving and inside lockers. All locker doors and lids should by secure so they cannot open in a knockdown or rollover. Pay particular attention to heavy objects like batteries, gas bottles and spare fuel and water containers. • Systems should be designed and tested for heavy weather. • avoid tiredness which causes human error

CCCA Risk Management 7 20-Mar-15 Seamanship at Sailaways • Members should follow the CCCA Protocol for use of Club Moorings (refer protocols.doc) • Members should follow the CCCA Protocol for Raft Ups (refer protocols.doc)

• Etiquette on anchor is important. If conditions deteriorate then the last boat to drop anchor should move if staying could cause damage or inconvenience to another boat. • always use floating ropes for mooring lines at Raft Ups

RECOMMENDATIONS – Blue Water: There are Mainsheet Articles under Strong Wind Sailing that detail the range of experiences that members are likely to face. Study these Mainsheet Articles and talk to members about their experiences. The research Articles aid the understanding of this form of Cruising.

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS These recommendations are directed to cruisers and supplement those detailed in the Yachting Australia’s Blue Book, RPAYC Cruising Regulations and Yachting Australia’s Cruising Yacht and the Boating Handbook. Each member should also analyse these publications to determine any suggestion they find appropriate and useful.

• Requesting help All efforts should be made to avoid calling for the help of a Marine Rescue organization. If help cannot be avoided, then attempt to sail close to the home location of the Rescue base. This will reduce the rescue effort and cost. If your yacht is damaged and cannot be moved, all effort must be made to avoid or reduce further damage (refer Comprehensive Insurance Policy) The training of your crew is important for these stressful events including the use of radios and all safety equipment (refer Instructing Crew below) • Attaching Points for additional short tethers A short harness tether fixed permanently to a strong point at the can be clipped on without removing the normal tether used to move along the . This adds the security needed when using two hands to or when securing a halyard.

CCCA Risk Management 8 20-Mar-15 Also, using the Navy method extra strong points at strategic points in the and down below to restrict movement in dangerous conditions reduces the risk of personal accidents. (Refer Book Review, Perfect Storm). • Fire prevention and fighting Training in recommended methods is important • Anchors and ground tackle should be carried according to Tables below. The primary anchor should be carried assembled and attached to the ground tackle. Secure the bitter end of the chain/warp to a strong point on the boat using rope so that when the anchor needs to be abandoned the rope can be accessed easily and quickly released.

CCCA Risk Management 9 20-Mar-15 Table 1 Number of Anchors and Length of Warps

Function Minimum length of Chain Plus length of Rope Primary Anchor 50 metres Not recommended Secondary Anchor 10 metres 50 metres rope Dinghy Anchor 3 metres 20 metres rope

Table 2 Based on LOA Rope LOA Anchor Type Min Chain link Poly Nylon Up to 9 m 9 kg Owner’s choice 8mm 16mm 12mm 9 to 13m 20 kg Owner’s choice 8mm 24mm 16mm > 13m > 20kg Owner’s choice 10mm 24mm 16mm

NOTE: If the anchor can handle 10mm chain then the 10mm is recommended Table 3 Based on Displacement

Displacement Anchor Chain

Less than 5000kg 15kg 8mm 5000 – 9000 kg 20kg 10mm 9001 – 13000 25kg 10mm 13001 – 20000 35kg 13mm

As a general rule, the ratio of chain length to water depth for various wind conditions when using a CQR type of anchor should be as shown in the table below. Bear in mind that the holding power of anchors varies according to design, and the nature of the seabed also need to be taken into account.

CCCA Risk Management 10 20-Mar-15 Ratio Wind Scale inside/outside Anchorage

3:1 < Force 2 5:1 Force 2 - 5 7:1 Force 5 - 7 Experience and > Force 7 seamanship applies

NOTE: Sea state is important for both inside and outside the anchorage as the wave motion on an anchored boat has a direct relationship to the selection of ratio. The higher the sea state the higher the ratio. Also, where the depth of water is less than 3 metres, a minimum ratio of 5:1 is appropriate even in winds below Force2. All members should test their systems over various scales to prove effectiveness.

Anchoring • The should include a bow roller designed to take the intended load • Use anti-chaffing gear on anchoring lines, mooring lines and the snubber. • An Anchor Winch is a must have aid to anchoring. Even a manual winch is better than lifting by hand of the anchor and chain which is a certain recipe for serious injury. • The anchor chain should always be accessible from the deck. A crew member should not have to leave the deck and go below to untangle the chain. If this is the situation on your boat, obtain advice on redesigning your anchoring system. • In crowded anchorages special care should be taken before dropping anchor. It is recommended to drop at the of another boat. However, it is advisable to ask other anchored boats the location of their anchors as over time the position of an anchor bears little relationship to the position. Also, the ratio of the chain to depth can affect your decision.

Snubber Refer Mainsheet Article for the design and use of a snubber

CCCA Risk Management 11 20-Mar-15 Charts, Piloting Equipment and Books • All navigational charts for the current cruise (not solely electronic), and chart plotting equipment should be carried. • Charts should contain details of likely ports of refuge. • List of lights or navigational charts which show details of lights. • The current “International Regulations for the Prevention of Collision at Sea”. • Boating Handbook relevant for State(s) where cruising. • charts for State of cruising. • How to keep your admiralty charts up-to-date NP294 • Symbols and abbreviations used on admiralty charts Chart 5011

Navigation Equipment • All modern electronic equipment should be considered as a supplement to traditional methods. A skipper should never rely on any one electronic navigation aid as electronic failures do occur. • A chart plotter will add to the pleasure of cruising with the many features and an Australia Wide C Map cartridge contains over 600 individual charts. • An example of a feature is tracking the movement of the yacht. This track can be used to retrace the entry to an anchorage if required to leave an anchorage at night. Additionally, if arriving in daylight by recording the track, visit multiple safe anchorages close by. Then movement at night, using the proven track, safety is enhanced. • As a plotter uses minimal amps, power may be left on at night so that re-anchoring is facilitated.(0.2-0.5 amps) • Many members have coastal cruised without radar or AIS but these should be considered.

Boarding Ladders Stern or side ladders have been successful. However, critically the strength, length in the water and the stability are very important. Also, being able to pull the ladder into the water whilst in the water is important.

• The ladder should also go as deep into the water as possible so that one can easily board. 3 steps underwater should be a minimum standard.

CCCA Risk Management 12 20-Mar-15 • Stern and side mounted ladders can be dangerous in rolling or pitching conditions so extra care must be used to board when dangerous. If possible delay boarding until conditions improve.

Sailing at Night • When sailing at night methods should be used to isolate the cockpit from lights below. It can take 30 minutes to recover night vision if blinded by a white light below. This isolation can be achieved by curtaining or use of red lights below in critical areas but an amber light if preferable above the chart table. (refer COLREGS Rule 5, Look-out)

Injury to Crew • A lot could be written on but the highest priority should be reducing risk of injury. First aid courses are recommended and all boats should carry a First Aid Kit relative to the type of cruising and the skill of the crew. • Consider Helmets for crew that undertake deck work such as sail setting, and damage repair.

Tools/Gear to enhance safety • Effective tools to reduce risk need consideration. These include a brake which, if installed correctly, slows the boom whilst jibing. A injury is the most likely result of a flying boom which can also throw a crew member into the water. This also applies to Staysails on a boom. • Consider a permanent instead of a boom brake. (Cruising Club of America – CCA) https://cruisingclub.org/sites/default/files/items/PermantlyRiggedPreventer%20201 4%20Edition.pdf • Other precautions include handholds at appropriate positions and non-skid on areas where crew may slip. • Install a safety belt in the galley area for support in rough weather. • Use safety glasses or ski goggles to protect your eyes, especially during long periods exposed to the elements.

CCCA Risk Management 13 20-Mar-15 Instructing Crew • The crew should be instructed on the workings of the boat. An is essential. • All crew and visitors should also be instructed on important features including the location and use of safety equipment. • It is also important to ask visitors if they can swim and their general fears. All concerns of crew and visitors must be addressed and managed. • Consider the question – Would your boat pass occupation and safety inspection if it was a workplace?

CCCA Risk Management 14 20-Mar-15 CHECK LIST INDEX Page Passage Preparation 16

Gale Check List 21

Dinghy Check List 23

Dinghy Etiquette 24

CCCA Protocols 24

CCCA Risk Management 15 20-Mar-15 CHECK LIST

Passage Preparation, By Roger Smith and Mike de Burca 08/2003; updated 01/2011

1. integrity 2. Rig integrity 3. 4. Motor 5. Safety issues 6. Electrical 7. Navigation and Planning 8. Deck 9. First Aid 10. Communications 11. Dingy & Out board 12. Steering 13. Life Raft Certification 14. Grab Bag 15. Miscellaneous

1 Hull Integrity Aim to keep watertight at all costs. Check all places through which water can enter the hull – cockpit lockers, storm boards, hatches, portholes, stern gland and rudder post, thru hull fittings and attached hoses (have wooden plugs). If water does get in make sure you can get it out – quick! Check all manual pumps, electrical pumps, (including float switches, strum boxes and alarms) buckets, use of engine and possibly holding tank pump for pumping . Carry underwater epoxy for emergencies.

CCCA Risk Management 16 20-Mar-15 2 Rig Integrity Check everything involved in keeping the mast in the boat including fitting, chainplates, mast fittings, through bolts in mast, (F&A lowers). If necessary, remove & replace stays, running rigging and furlers. If the worst happens, know how to rig a jury rig. Have spare rigging wire, clamps, ropes, shackles, tools, spectra. Get a good rigger to check if necessary. Have a boom brake or suitable main boom preventer.

3 Sails Check sails for chafe, stitching and sheeting positions. Have a Sailmaker check all your sails. Is your boat prepared to sail to windward? Carry a sail repair kit.

4. Motor Check everything and fix well in advance of departure. Carry plenty of oil and filters. Know how to change filters and to bleed the engine. Carry a good set of tools, spanners to fit every bolt & nut (sometimes 2 of each) and spares, particularly if cruising to remote places. Consider the need for spare diesel cans (and funnel). Carry outboard fuel (petrol) in a suitable container (always above deck totally full). Carry spare V belts and make sure they are correct V& length. Carry hoses & clamps to fit unique parts of your engine. Fit inline filters to water & fuel breathers. Bring them inboard out of the weather and high up.

5. Safety Issues These have been well documented and discussed in many publications, including the AYF blue book, so are not duplicated here. Consider the benefits of 406 EPIRBs, depending on the extent of the Cruise.

NOTE: EPIRBS are compulsory when 2 miles off the coast.

Before departure collect relevant details of all radio stations, and Marine Rescue bases from which you can obtain weather forecasts, weather faxes, or call in the event of emergencies,

CCCA Risk Management 17 20-Mar-15 including frequencies, times, operating hours etc. Make sure the information is readily accessible. Talk to long-time Cruisers Consider the benefits of sea anchors and drogues, particularly for offshore passages.

6. Electrical Ensure batteries are in good condition, and charging arrangements are adequate. Carry a mains operated battery charger for use at marinas, and consider the benefits of various mains appliances such as fan heaters, toasters, jugs, lights etc. Have a multimeter, continuity tester, spare fuses and globes, spare wire and necessary tools for wiring work, Carry a hydrometer to check wet cell batteries. Carry a soldering iron and preferable a 60 watt electrical iron to the small gas powered ones. Check and calibrate all instruments, especially depth, and know how to operate them. Carry a spare drive belt if you have an autopilot that uses them. Check the anchor winch and its wiring and connections – current draw is very high, so connections must be good. Carry a spare Isolation Switch as it could be a single point of failure

7. Navigation and Planning Thoroughly research the likely weather conditions, etc. for where/when you are going, particularly for offshore passages; Study books, cruising guides, and pilot charts. For coastal work-study charts and cruising guides for details of anchorage’s and alternate anchorage’s before departure. If using VMR’s, know where they are and the channels they use. If using marinas, get their phone numbers or calling channels for booking a berth before you arrive (write them in your cruising guide). If cruising in tidal waters (i.e. Queensland), understand the tides and know how to use them to your advantage. (Ref. Queensland Transport Tide tables). If cruising overseas understand the arrival and departure clearance requirements, visas etc. Naturally have the required charts on board, updated as necessary.

CCCA Risk Management 18 20-Mar-15 List all shore-based contacts with addresses & phone numbers including rigger sailmaker, electrician, and fridge mechanic. Do they have your boat specs on file?

8. Deck: Check all lifelines, stanchions & bases. Replace lashings. Check Jack lines, MOB equipment e.g. block & tackle, life sling and danbouy. Check that deck cars, travellers, turning blocks, pulleys are in good condition. (Some acetal sheaves deteriorate in sunlight). Service all , 6v-lantern light (yellow in colour) in cockpit area to throw at M.O.B. Check the date on the EPIRP, batteries and flares. Check all harnesses, lanyards & lifejackets and carry spare cartridges if applicable.

9. First Aid Equipment. Replace out of date items. If you are unsure what to take, consult the Blue Book. Always take too much as you may find yourself in an isolated area. Ask cruising members.

10. Communications The minimum requirement is a VHF radio and in addition a hand-held VHF is recommended. A mobile phone is invaluable. For offshore cruising or for remote areas, a satellite phone or a HF radio is recommended. Install charging systems for all radios. Carry a Loud-hailer.

11. Dinghy & Out board Have the outboard checked by someone you trust. A 1x19 s/s wire strop & padlock should be used to secure to shore points. Always assume it won’t work when needed.

12. Steering Systems These should be checked thoroughly, whether they are hydraulic or cable. You should carry a spare cable & clamps. How does your emergency system work and is it handy? Does your crew know where it is stored?

CCCA Risk Management 19 20-Mar-15 13. Life Raft Certification Check that your Raft has been serviced by an authorized agent. As some agents are not represented in your home state, extra time should be allowed.

14. Grab Bag Kit a Grab Bag with items to supplement the Life Raft including flares, 2 litres of water in a plastic container, torch, spare batteries, and items replaced in the last Raft service, medications including sun cream. The Grab Bag could can also used for multiple purposes and be kitted for your tender when exploring remote areas.

Note: A water proof grab bag is preferable.

15. Miscellaneous Also know how to maintain the head, fridge, outboard, windvane and stove and take relevant spares. Alternatively, remember Slocum and many others had none of the nice to haves,

If heading for the sun, have a suitable sun awning and or Bimini. Carry a repair kit for inflatable and fit wheels. Buy food/drink in cans as crushed cans take up less space in the garbage. But don’t stow aluminium cans where they will get wet with sea water. Have a thermos for hot drinks during night passages Ask the experts about fishing and crabbing Use cryovac meat which lasts much longer Don’t make any major changes to the boat, or have major work done on it, immediately before setting off on a cruise. Allow plenty of settling in time for any problems to show themselves before you depart.

CCCA Risk Management 20 20-Mar-15 CHECK LIST Gale Check List, Don Dunn, Nicely Done II; Mainsheet 367 1. Snug the boat down. Which means safety harness on (under wet weather gear – I don’t like taking off the harness just to use the piddle bucket), think about it. Just try to find and put on your harness in the dark in a seaway. Ladies with their lifelong practice with bras-‘n-things leave blokes for dead. I sleep with my harness on. 2. Shorten sails 3. Tie down all deck gear and spinnaker bits. I bet your boat hook isn’t tied on! Don’t send a boy on a man’s job, use strong lines. 4. Don’t shut off the exhaust if you plan to use the motor. A constipated exhaust pipe is a hindrance to engine starting. 5. Fuel cocks. Some people close them. You should know your boat; do what you think is best. 6. Ensure cockpit drains are clear. 7. Turn off all sea cocks including the head. 8. Secure all hatches and cockpit lockers. 9. Position your hatch covers and make sure it is tied to the boat. 10. Are all vents watertight? But don’t suffocate the poor devils down below. 11. It is too late to worry about the rigging! You should not be at sea if it is not 100%. 12. Storm sails. I bet you wish you had tried them on once or twice in the last six months. They should have their own sheets already tied on. And it is so easy to forget which blocks the sheets go through. Loose lines are a . 13. Stowe your spare sails. If you want to lose them, tie them down on deck. 14. Things fly about when Huey gets a ’cracking. Winch handles on the loose are lethal. 15. How does your boat sail with an anchor locker full of water? Check it out. It should have a good drain hole. A chunk of rag in the hawse pipe may not go amiss. Is the anchor secure? They have been known to punch sizeable homes in the hull. A regular hose out of the anchor locker should be normal maintenance. 16. Put a “go-to” on your GPS. Visibility isn’t real good in a storm. You could be flying blind. 17. Put a big position cross on the chart, at least you know where you were. Note it in the log. 18. Which gets us to your radar reflector? It is useless in the locker below. 19. Sickie pills. Don’t wait until your crew is head down over the gun whales. Are their dentures in their pocket? Spectacles should be tied on. 20. Bilge pumps. Make sure they work – all of them. 21. Secure everything. Don’t forget the stove. 22. Lights – try them all. 23. Tucker. Make some sandwiches. It is no fun doing them later on a rocking table. Bickies and bites should be handy and sealed. 24. Gee, I bet you wish you had a big thermos.

CCCA Risk Management 21 20-Mar-15 25. Flares. You can’t read the damn instructions in the dark. Flares injure more people than they save: don’t let novices have a go. Flares must be immediately available. 26. Can you find the hacksaw with lots of blades? 27. Don’t you wish you had practiced heaving-to? 28. Break out Adlard Cole’s “So this is heavy weather sailing”. There are at least ten hours of reading for each person on board. 29. So, in a quiet time, go from the sharp end to the back. Make a progressive note of what must be done on your boat when it hits the fan. 30. Would you believe, after so, so many years, I still go over my check list? Γ

CCCA Risk Management 22 20-Mar-15 CHECK LIST

Dinghy Check List

• Oars that allow rowing the Tender against wind and tide • Rowlocks that are secured in position • Bucket/Bailer on Lanyard • Outboard Motor, regularly serviced • Spare fuel secured to tender • Wire cable or chain with padlock to lock tender to shore • Hand held VHF radio • Small bag containing • small fisherman’s anchor and sufficient rode to keep you in the anchorage until help arrives • tool kit • Spare spark plug and spark plug wrench. • Permanently mark dinghy with Yacht Registration or mobile phone number

Good practices are:

• Never leave your boat without an anchor light set, (LED anchor lights use little power, 0.2-0.5 amps)) • Check your outboard for fuel • Check your spare fuel container for at least one refill • Charge both your hand held VHF and Mobile phone before leaving your boat and take ashore • If possible, let another boat know of your plans

Leaving dinghy ashore

• Remove outboard Kill Switch • Lock dinghy and outboard to strong point e.g. tree, dinghy rack • Take valuables with you. • Check tide range before deciding on location. REFER: CCCA Hints & Tips, Anchors Aweigh – Mainsheet 478, Page86 for practical examples.

CCCA Risk Management 23 20-Mar-15 CHECK LIST DINGHY ETIQUETTE – Making room for others, Mainsheet 467 by Jim Sinclair, No Qualms Have you ever tried to go ashore at an overcrowded dinghy pontoon/landing when all dinghy bows are tethered so short to the landing, you can’t separate them? You have to climb over them to get access to the landing. While Terry and I were travelling north, we noticed that other boaties tethered their dinghy to the landing, leaving approximately 3 metres of line. This allowed easy separation of the dinghies and made access to and from the pontoon/landing safer. We now do this to tie up our dinghy when we go ashore. If more boaties used this technique, there would be more room for everyone on the landing. It’s also safer for all, plus your dinghy is less likely to be tampered with or damaged.

CCCA Protocols

• Protocols for Raft Ups • Protocols for using Club Mooring

(Refer CCCA Web Site)

CCCA Risk Management 24 20-Mar-15 RECOMMENDED READING INDEX RESEARCH

Mainsheet Articles Page

Facing the Gale, Mainsheet 324 26

Is running in heavy seas a good idea? Mainsheet 295 30

Running In Heavy Weather, Mainsheet 301, 33 Safety Stuff, Mainsheet 326 - some conclusions from the 1998

Hobart Race Investigations. 36

Research

Research Articles 45

Book Review 46

Books 49

CCCA Risk Management 25 20-Mar-15 RECOMMENDED READING MAINSHEET RESEARCH ARTICLES

FACING THE GALE, Mainsheet 324 1998 Sydney Hobart Race reminded us that even very experienced sailors can get into difficulties in extreme conditions. Most of us would not expect to be sailing our own boats in such conditions, yet weather can change dramatically even on a sail to Pittwater. All of us should know what to do when faced with a gale at sea, and Joe Adams has sent us this article that he wrote some years ago. He comments that most racing yachts today do not have staysails, but when the wind is strong enough the mast, being forward, is sufficient windage. Cruising or racing, you should not go to sea unless you can handle a gale. Most certainly, if you go to sea, you will encounter gales. You will enjoy plenty of good weather but you will get your share of bad weather too. Face up to this fact and prepare your boat and yourself to handle any situation, When you have prepared and you know what you are going to do, you will find yourself more confident when the wind howls and the waves rise. SAILS: Make sure that you can reduce sail without having to work for hours on deck. You should be able to reduce the mainsail to one third of its original size. Roller reef or slab reef as you prefer, but if the main cannot be fully reefed by one person in a whole gale, get another system. If you want to enjoy cruising use a cutter-rigged fore-triangle, preferably a Yankee and a staysail (you can still use a genoa in very light breezes). With this rig you will not have to be continually changing headsails, when the wind increases. Taking down the Yankee will leave you snug under staysail and main sail. The staysail should not be large and definitely not overlapping. A trysail is a good back up sail in the event of mainsail damage. I do not believe that it has to be of enormously heavy cloth nor should it be over small. The time you'll need it most will probably be on a lee shore and then you will require a lot of power: to work your boat clear. Trysails should always be stopped with strong wool and kept that way in their sail bags. It is comparatively easy to winch a stopped trysail up the mast in 40 knots of wind but try doing the same to a flapping, loose-footed sail and the penny will drop (I wonder how many of our ocean racing yachts' "compulsory trysails" are now stopped, coiled in their sail bags ready for use?). If your mast has a bolt-rope groove then your trysail should have light eyelets up the luff to facilitate stopping; or else be fitted with slug slides. HANDLING: Assume we are sailing well clear of any land: the wind increasing, the sea getting progressively rougher. The yacht has been reduced to staysail and reefed main sail and here I should point out, particularly to owners of ketches, that in heavy weather, the sails should be brought progressively closer to the mainmast which means that the

CCCA Risk Management 26 20-Mar-15 mizzen is the first to be taken down. Sailing a cruising boat to windward in increasing wind and sea conditions, you will find it easy to decide when to heave to for you will eventually find you are going nowhere at great discomfort. Off the wind, it is much harder to decide and it is most often that mistakes are made by misjudging how long it is safe to run before increasing wind and sea. To continue running in severe conditions will lead to heavy broaching, rolling over or pitch poling. Warning of dangerous running conditions are usually distinct enough but they must be recognised. Broaching may be all right for racing yachtsmen, but if it occurs in large steep seas, severe damage may result. The more usual indication that the time for heaving to has been reached is heavy water breaking over the deck from the quarter, not just a dollop or two, but large quantities. When this state has been reached, it is time to heave to, to stop the boat and wait for the weather to pass you by. A boat that is being hit by heavy water from must be sailing with the wind on the quarter, for if she ran straight downwind, no water would come on board. Now you may ask: Why not run square? The answer is that you will increase the danger, for your boat could then fall into a with a pitch pole condition that comes without warning. You should allow the boat to slide diagonally down the waves so that the falling effect is not so pronounced. Surfing is great fun but beware of over doing it. Surfing is simply speed gained by falling. Imagine you are running down the face of a wave, a giant wave 200 yards down the leeward side, with a curling, breaking . If you run square down the face, you will pitch pole and if you cut diagonally down, the breaking top will roll you anyway. You should have hove-to earlier. It is worth noting here that the shape of a boat's hull determines also at what stage heaving to should take place. A boat with a small stern canoe cannot run with safety in the way a wide sterned boat can. A boat with over high freeboard is dangerous and an overloaded boat of any shape is worst of all. HEAVING TO: This is a very simple operation. Simply take off all sail except a small staysail, back this to windward and lash the helm to leeward (see Figure I). This will effectively stop all forward or aft movement and the boat will lie broadside to the waves and the wind. It will drift off to leeward leaving a slick to windward. No waves will break through this slick. Almost all the noise will be gone and you will be delighted with the sudden peacefulness of it all. You can expect a drift of one and a quarter to one and a half knots which is little enough and with any sea room at all, you will have enough time to allow tl1e worst to blow itself out. The slick acts just like oil on the water. The breaking crest thunders past tl1e bow and the stem but just disappears under the boat. It's no use quartering down the face of a wave, seeing the crest form and thinking you can stop the boat and make a slick. You cannot; you must have a developed slick. Sea anchors are useless, in my opinion. Some experts say that streamed from the bow, they will head to wind a yacht that can set

CCCA Risk Management 27 20-Mar-15 a flat, riding sail aft. But the boat will still make stern-way and the rudder will be broken or damaged. Towing a sea anchor astern, on the face of a big wave, the boat and sea anchor are both in the wave and the sea anchor is liable to end up on top of the boat. If the sea anchor does happen to be between crests, the of the boat falling down the face of the wave will leave the sea anchor behind. The rope securing it will break or wrench the cleat off the stem of the boat. The same problems occur when streaming warps from the stern. The boat and warps is only a little item on the face of a big sea; the crest is liable to throw the wave on top of the boat. If you are caught out on a coast with onshore gale force winds: Do this: Decide which is the most favourable (it is seldom that the wind will blow at right angles to the shore) and put your boat on this tack. Sail with a small staysail and a close reefed main. Judge mainsail area so that there is sufficient to provide positive forward motion. Set up the boat so that it is sailing very close to the wind, closer than you would normally sail, so that the boat lifts more slowly up and over the seas. This will cut down the slamming effect of braking wave tops as the fine bow will knife through the seas rather than having them crash heavily into the topsides and deck. Check that you are making forward progress and are not in fact being washed further inshore. If you need more forward speed, allow the boat to fall off the wind slightly more. While the boat is slowly sailing off the lee shore you should overhaul the trysail. Make sure that the wool stops are in order and not liable to break too soon. Bundle it up on deck and lash it down near the mast. Reeve the Trysail sheet through the lead blocks and make it as ready for hoisting as you can, in case you split your mainsail. Figure 2 Next, check that your engine will be ready to start, as a last resort. The engines of most sailing yachts are too under powered to be of much use in the conditions we are discussing and I advise most strongly against starting the engine unless as the last resort and preferably use with mainsail. When all has been attended to it should be possible to go below and get some rest. Don't start calling on the radio for help unless you really need it. In these trying conditions, it is essential that you get as much rest as possible. Don't fool around on the cost of running your little motor. Get off and away and relax. Don't rely on steering vanes for they will let you down when you most need them. If you must use a vane, make it strong. For those who do not have a favoured method of making their boat self-steer, here is one I have used on all types and shapes of sailing craft with very good results and mostly with better steering over a wider range of wind strengths and directions than can be achieved with a wind vane. You need three things to implement this system: A tiller (the emergency tiller can be used on a boat with wheel steering), a free running mainsheet and a length of shock cord. Figure 3 Set the boat on course, adjust the jib to the wind and set the mainsail so there is very small lift down the luff area. Run the mainsheet through a block on the windward coaming (or similar convenient point) and back to the tiller. Rig a heavy piece of shock

CCCA Risk Management 28 20-Mar-15 cord. Adjust the position of the mainsheet along the length of the tiller to suit the wind strength. On a light day, the sheet will be towards the rudder, on a heavy day, towards the other end of the tiller. A boat may be made to steer on the wind reaching and running as indicated in Figure 2 or running (with the help of a staysail or jib poled out to windward) as indicated in Figure3,) This system is as simple as it sounds. Try it. Do not expect with this method, or a wind vane, to steer a compass course when the wind is varying as it does close to land. But try it at sea and you will be delighted with the result. Make sure your sails and gear are up to the job. Sail cloth becomes brittle with age and easily torn, rotten sails may lose you your life.

Wind

Shock cord

.

wind slick

f1gure 1 figure 2 figure 3

CCCA Risk Management 29 20-Mar-15 RECOMMENDED READING MAINSHEET RESEARCH ARTICLES

Is running in heavy seas a good idea? Mainsheet 295 An important question was not considered in detail at the recent CCCA meeting on heavy weather sailing. What does a skipper do in winds too strong to continue under reduced sail? There was a question about towing drogues, and sensible remarks about not going out with an unfavorable forecast. Can it happen? Boats like Cutty Sark and Nimbus II have been lost and others have suffered damage as the result of strong winds and rough seas on the North coast. Cutty Sark left Lake Macquarie with a favorable forecast and had 15 Kns. WSW off Avoca at 1430. When the crew was taken off by HMAS Swan at 2235 the ship recorded 75 Kns, and later 90 Kns from S to SE. Some club members have plans to go further offshore, so it would be prudent to have a plan for these circumstances. A frequent story from people who got into trouble is that they were running with strong southerlies when they broached or were pooped. This is not surprising as the wind will often be blowing against the set, giving a giant version of the wind over tide effect that is often seen at the mouth of Broken Bay. Running with short, steep, breaking seas seems a poor idea. Too fast and you broach after the bow digs in, too slow and you get pooped. The other problem is an effect that is not often commented on. In any wave, the water flow in the top of the wave is travelling in the same direction as the seas. In a big breaking sea there is more water going this way and faster. When it meets the stern of a yacht it may cause the water flow over the rudder to slow or even reverse (Fig 1). If the yacht goes off course she may broach even if you try to correct the swing, because the rudder won't be working properly. This may be an argument for towing warps or drogues from a bridle. If the boat starts to swing the pull on one arm of the bridle may help to keep her stern on. But I don't want to broach or get pooped; the thought of it makes me consider bushwalking as a sport. A few days after the meeting, I read the Pardeys' new book, Storm Tactics Handbook. In it they expand on the ideas in their article in Cruising Helmsman, May, '96. They speak highly of heaving to under trysail or reefed mainsail and a sea anchor, so that the boat lies about 45 degrees to the wind (Fig 2). They sounded convincing, but I was prepared to ignore them as a single voice opposing the common view. A review of Research Articles and books showed that running, often combined with towing ropes is the most popular suggested tactic. However, a series of drogues is becoming a more common suggestion in the last few years. But some have broached doing this, others have been pooped. In his book, Seaworthiness, The Forgotten Factor, Marchaj suggests that it may be appropriate to tow warps while the waves are steep and then run without them later but his argument does not convince me. The normal method of heaving to with backed jib and drawing mainsail is generally regarded as not an option because of the excessive sail area.

CCCA Risk Management 30 20-Mar-15 The Pardeys are not the only dissenting opinion. Nigel Ridgway took a Duncanson 29 to South Africa and back. At the suggestion of Jon Sanders he had a deep reef fitted to his mainsail. Sanders suggested that he heave to with helm down, deeply reefed main and no jib. Later Ridgway met two storms. During the first he adopted Sanders suggestion and found that the boat lay quietly, "She just bobbed up and down like the seabirds" During the next storm which he considered less severe, Ridgway tried a Sea-squid drogue which slowed the boat. "Instead of being free to dance through the seas, she was held trapped." After being pooped he took in the drogue, and ran under a bit of Jib at 5-6 knots. While running he was broached by a breaking sea. This seems to be a valid comparison trial supporting Sanders ideas. Comments by Sanders seem to have been ignored. He was interviewed by Cruising Skipper (No 28), after his triple circumnavigation in Parry Endeavour. This gave him a total of five solo circumnavigations in the southern oceans as well as many other offshore miles. When asked about his storm tactics he said "I had a storm reef and additional slides on the mast and additional laminates down the luff and leech. My tactics in severe conditions were to jog about 40 or 50 degrees off the wind, using the vane gear to steer. No headsail. He goes on to say. "Running down wind the yacht would fly down waves, broach and get knocked down past 90 degrees. So as soon as the wind gets over 50 knots running downwind is an unsafe tactic, whether you're dragging warps, under bare poles or whatever. In these conditions I turn upwind, which is boring, slow but much safer." It is possible that Sanders and the Pardeys are getting the same result with slightly different methods. The Pardeys sea anchor helps slow the boat and keep her in the slick developed by her drift. Sanders may be getting the same result by using a smaller sail area. From measurements on photographs, I estimate that Sanders deep storm reef was of 22% of the full mainsail and the Pardeys 39%. These areas may seem too much sail in really strong winds. It is my observation, in less severe weather, that when you heave to under mainsail, only the leech area of the sail is driving and the rest is back winded, so the sail will be generating less heeling force than normal. Other points in favour of the Sanders tactic is that it gives some control in avoiding with a choice of tack and the ability to head up or bear away. Also, Marchaj points out that a boat falling off a wave is not held up by her ballast but by her inertia. If you are heading into the seas you benefit from this, as the yacht is falling at the back of the wave. If you are going slowly this should be a shorter drop. My final argument is the simplistic one. Yachts have a sharp end and a blunt end, they are designed and built to go sharp end first. For my money, Sanders makes sense, and there is no sailor alive with more experience. (By way of qualification I stress that I have not met the ultimate sea and survived. I am a learner crew, who has read a bit that seems to make sense and now seek the opinions of members) John Pennefather, crew.

CCCA Risk Management 31 20-Mar-15

Fig 1. Yacht in following sea Fig 2 Pardeys Sea anchor

Sanders Wind

Wind

CCCA Risk Management 32 20-Mar-15 RECOMMENDED READING MAINSHEET RESEARCH ARTICLES

Running In Heavy Weather, Mainsheet 301, April 1997 Members will recall an article in the September '96 issue of the Mainsheet headed "Is Running In Heavy Seas A Good Idea?" by John Pennefather, a crew member of Caballero and frequent visitor to our Club meetings. Although John sought opinions from Club members at the time none were forthcoming but the same article printed in the S.A.S.C. Club News drew several comments from some of their experienced members and without copying in full their comments I have extracted parts which I feel will be of interest to our Members. John Emery. Neville Chidgey. Mystic Seven (a Swanson 36) Given their structural integrity and a reasonable curve of areas, yachts of seagoing size should not fear hard downwind sailing. Perhaps a factor is that the hull body will surf on the fast moving crest break but the rudder remains in the slower moving body of the wave. Under these conditions steering sensitivity actually improves. Subconsciously I have used this noticeable improvement in rudder feel t o gauge the overall safely of the slide. For example: the long rollers which build up on Cape Howe after a couple of days of hard southerly weather. This is an exhilarating fast passage on the run home from Hobart if you can trust your equipment. It might not be wise however to contemplate running before wild weather as an ultimate escape. A reasonably proportioned hull will handle gale weather comfortably enough with the head ranging off 40/50 degrees when the boat is stood fairly upright and its speed suitably reduced. Eventually as the wind increases above 50 knots or so the yacht should do this under bare poles and a set helm although the angle may increase. But may I also suggest that all yachts contemplating winter sailing in the Tasman or further south install a strong deep mainsail reef, say 18/20%, of full sail. It saves messing with a trysail under extremely difficult conditions. Although of course, storm jib and trysail should always be aboard for other reasons. When on-wind sailing becomes impossible just pull the deep reef, set the helm, install the washboards and leave the youngest crew member in harness near the helm. You may find that with the startling lessening of the noise and motion the rest of the crew can retire below. Sydney sailors are most likely to encounter these conditions returning from the Noumea race in July or August. Three to five hundred miles out the "cathedral" gives the first warning of the approaching SW gale. It's time to get the gear off. Make sure you've got

CCCA Risk Management 33 20-Mar-15 a t opping left prefixed to the boom end. At 70 knots you will not be able to gel the main down without it. From Jim Lawler, Charisma (a Cavalier 43) It seems clear that there is a wind speed limit at which it is no longer safe for most yachts to run before the wind. I am sure that this point will vary a great deal with the type of yacht and the steepness of the seas. As my experience has been restricted to moderately heavy displacement yachts I comment only on such vessels, but can well understand that lighter modern designs, which surf more readily, do run before the wind in much stronger conditions than heavier displacement yachts. From experiences in Charisma and other similar yachts, I have felt running and surfing with sails set in steep seas in winds around 45 knots, the boat is over limit of control and with eventual knock down or broach very likely. Running under bare poles and t owing warps or drogues probably keep the boat running under control in stronger wind but if conditions should deteriorate further, "heaving to" would appear to be the next option. Whilst we have "laid a hull" quite successfully in Charisma in heavy weather, I feel that in very strong conditions we would probably "heave to" with trysail set (or the 3rd reef in the mainsail) and maybe set the sea anchor" From Jim Davern In the 1977 Sydney to Hobart race on the S & S 34 Aries, we weren't sure what the strength of the southerly was off the NSW coast because the anemometer limit was 60 knots and there the needle stuck for several hours. It's a tribute to Sparkman & Stevens that Aries under storm jib and trysail went to windward at over 6 knots in these conditions, unfortunately mostly through the air. We took the jib down and lay under trysail forereaching at 2-3 knots about 50 degrees off the wind in safely and comfort. That lesson learnt, we adopted the same tactics with the S&S 34 Morning tide in the 1984 race. With the Southerly hovering between 50 and 60 knots. This race was notable for the steepness of the waves, undercut by a fast south going current. But even in those conditions we felt reasonably comfortable and safe forereaching under trysail. In 1993 after three days punching into plus 50 knot winds on the 40ft Beneteau All That Jazz, I decided, against the protest of the crew, to rest awhile and get some sleep. So for eight hours we again forereached comfortably under trysail only, and then put the storm jib up again, eventually arriving in Hobart without damage. Can you carry a trysail in 80 knots plus? I don't know, and I don't particularly want to find out, but the trysail is a tough and strongly built sail and I'd certainly carry it as long as I could. After that I'd try the Pardey's sea anchor rather than run.

CCCA Risk Management 34 20-Mar-15 One important element to consider is crew fatigue. You may well be able to control a yacht running before a storm for four or five hours. But you'll get no guarantees it will stop after that. I n the 1993 Hobart the southerly gale blew for four days. In my opinion forereaching is much less demanding than running and less dangerous.

CCCA Risk Management 35 20-Mar-15 RECOMMENDED READING MAINSHEET RESEARCH ARTICLES Safety Stuff -. Some conclusions from the 1998 Hobart Race Investigations, Mainsheet 326.by John Pennefather, Safety officer.

I have spent time reading the CYC Hobart report and some of the papers in the University of NSW Workshop on the Safety of Ocean Racing Yachts. On some problems no clear outcomes are reported. In other areas the findings seem to be sound and I have selected some of them to discuss later. I went into both documents with the question that I suspect most CCC readers would ask: What can I learn on what I should do if, God forbid, I was faced with a storm of this severity and awful sea state? I think the facts support my previous conclusions on the subject. There is conflicting evidence in the CYC report on how best to manage a yacht in these extreme conditions. In answer to the question on how their yacht best handled the conditions the answers were beating, 1 4%; easing off up to 15°, 36%; reaching off 25% and running, 12%. The other choices each attracted less than 10%. It is hard to relate the finding that 25% favour reaching with the statement "...being beam on to the waves was exceptionally dangerous". But the detailed evidence from the yachts suggests that this may have referred to yachts that were lying a hull and beam on. There are statements that some yachts that continued to "actively sail" were better equipped to cope with big waves. I think they may be alluding to tactics such as that used by Wide Load, as discussed below. There is another statement favoring heaving to. But the report then gets this confused with what I would describe as lying to a sea anchor or drogue. Another problem with this part of the report is that it does not indicate what conditions were experienced by the people favoring any of these options. This may mask the relevance of the responses, for example the "runners" may not have experienced severe seas. Given this conflict in views, I went back to look at the reported initial events in the incidents where yachts were abandoned, I n summary these were: • Business Post Naiad, bare poles, surfed sideways; a 360 ° roll caused a broken mast, coach house damage and loss of a window. • Winston Churchill, knockdown, structural damage, rapid flooding.

CCCA Risk Management 36 20-Mar-15 • Sword of Orion, retired and heading to Eden, presumably a run or broad reach, but this is not stated, a 360 ° roll caused loss of the mast and the deck to separate from the hull. • VC Offshore Stand Aside, under bare poles, beam on to breaking sea, a 360 °roll caused the deck to implode and loss of windows. • Midnight Special seems to have been running or broad reaching under storm jib, after several knockdowns a 360 ° roll caused the cabin to be stove in. • In the case of Miintinta there seems to have been a structural failure in the keel or mast step area and this may not be related to the tactics being used.

In the University symposium there is an interesting comment by Warren Anderson, the skipper of Wide Load, and a highly experienced seaman. They met some of the worst conditions and experienced four knockdowns. He stated that the knockdowns were mostly caused by the boat being sailed too square to the waves as they were forced to use a spitfire jib because their trysail was too big. In the last knockdown they lost a window and were later rolled to 160-170° while heading north. I called Warren and asked him what he would do if he had the same conditions again. He thinks the best tactic is to head up as you climb the wave and then bear away before reaching the crest and run across the back of the wave at 60-70° to it, then luff up again in the trough, so the boat travels in a series of s curves in a manner that keeps slamming to a minimum. Without a sail aft of the mast he could not luff up quickly enough and hence his comments. Warren also stressed the need for a harness that restrained the helmsman. One of their knockdowns was caused by him turning the wheel the wrong way as he held on. By elimination from the above, I am left with the conclusion that, for the typical CCCA boat with a small crew, the obvious first choice is to avoid the conditions. By having a good picture of the weather and an anchorage or a move to deeper water, with less current, planned. But what if this does not come off and one is caught? The best option is probably heading into the seas as much as possible, possibly under main reefed to a very small area or a small trysail to reduce the risk of being overpowered, and to slow the speed at which the yacht hits, and goes over, the oncoming seas, in the manner used by Sanders and others. If the boat slams too much then Anderson's approach is the logical alternative rather than any approach that leaves the boat lying across and below a . Hopefully, your crew will have the endurance to steer through the worst of it. The idea I first heard from I an Anstee, of having a pair of ski goggles for the helmsman, to reduce eye damage is also worth remembering. The other important conclusion from the accidents reviewed is that failure of the windows, deck or coach house was a major factor in the abandonment of these yachts (except Miintinta). It is of concern that the measurement rules seem to allow yachts with inadequate deck and cabin strength to race offshore. Prof Joubert, the yacht designer was in the storm area. He suggested that we need to look critically at

CCCA Risk Management 37 20-Mar-15 the strength of our yachts. He considers that decks and topsides need to be as strong as the underwater parts of the hull. I would add and windows too, for you metal boat owners. Readers may also be interested in other aspects of the CYC report; in some of the areas chosen I have added my comments. Injuries were reported by 5%, of 53 crew members. These were mainly broken ribs, concussion and cuts. This suggests that we need to consider more and better hand holds. As was observed at a CCC meeting, if the RAN has bunk belts, should we not have them on our boats? Four crew had their harness slip off when they were being lifted. Don't reach up and expect your harness to stay on. Five crew from inverted yachts reported difficulty in undoing harness clips. Possibly a clip like the old tongue in slot seat belt mechanism is needed. The problem of the choice of life jacket was commented on. Some with a standard pattern jacket had difficulty in working in them. Others, with inflatable jackets had a problem with unplanned inflation. Crew from yachts that were knocked down or rolled reported that loose gear and equipment was a hazard. Harnesses and webbing jackstays need protection from U V light. Some found that their jackstays had too much stretch. I was surprised to read that it was necessary to recommend that yachts carry a barometer. I have neglected some of the material in the University symposium. By its nature its contents are not readily reduced to a series of points suitable for a column of this length. . If you are interested in this aspect of our sport, much of it is worth reading (A summary of the University Symposium appears below.) Safety of Ocean Racing Yachts This workshop has held on Sunday 28 March 1999 at the University of New South Wales. Organised by the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (Naval Architecture Course), in association with The Royal Institute of Naval Architects (Australian Division), and supported by Institute of Marine Engineers, also Baird Publications Pty Ltd. The collaborative objective of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the Royal Institute of Naval Architects (RINA) was to facilitate a workshop to provide the following: 1. Leadership on the subject of safety of ocean racing yachts 2. A forum for the exchange of information 3. To make a contribution to maritime safety.

CCCA Risk Management 38 20-Mar-15 The goals of this seminar are to examine all aspects of the recent Sydney to Hobart tragedy, this includes presentations on: 1. The facets of yacht design contributing to seaworthiness. 2. Construction requirements and regulation thereof. 3. Skipper and crew training, qualifications and experience. 4. The role of yacht clubs and race management. 5. Metrological considerations and the role of the Australian Bureau of Metrological. 6. The issues associated with safety equipment and procedures. The workshop was opened by Associate Professor Lawrence Doctors, Head of the School of Naval Architecture, University of New South Wales. Professor Mark Wainwight (UNSW) then gave the first welcoming address. This was followed by a second welcoming address by Sir James Hardy. The presentations then commenced. These were, in order of appearance: Organisation of Ocean Yacht Races, by Mark Pryke, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. Mark outlined the hierarchy of the Australian yachting management bodies and how each interacts with each other, also their respective responsibilities. These are in order of their hierarchy, as follows: 1. ISAF: International Sailing Federation. Manages the interaction of Australia with the rest of the world. 2. AYF: Australian Yachting Federation. Manages all sailing matters within Australia. 3. MYA: Member Yachting Associations. This is the association that all sailing clubs belong to e.g., CYCA. 4. CYCA: Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. This club like most has a racing committee and a sailing committee. The racing committee is responsible for organising race details, while the sailing committee is responsible for processing the applicants and ensuring each vessel and crew are fit to race. Mark then outlined several handicap rules, these included: • IOR Now outdated • IMS Currently in vogue • PHS Performance Handicap System. This system uses historical data and ongoing performance of the yacht. • Yardstick Used for small yachts, class to class. • CHS Channel Handicap System. This system is little used but is still current. • Thames This system uses a time handicap and is not used widely. • Arbitrary As the name suggests. Following this Mark outlined the bodies responsible for ensuring the safety of racing Yachts.

CCCA Risk Management 39 20-Mar-15 • ISAF Have responsibility for ensuring Australia participates in the world sailing safety standards. • AYF Have responsibility of the prescription and regulation of sailing safety standards. • ORC Offshore Racing Council. Are responsible for the enforcement of sailing safety standards. Mark concluded his presentation by repeating the ruling on the decision to race i.e., "It is the responsibility of the skipper for the decision to race and the decision to continue to race". Can We Predict the Weather? by Mr Patrick Sullivan, Bureau of Meteorology, Darlinghurst. Patrick started his presentation with a detailed discussion on the natural processes that make up the weather. This was followed by a detailed discussion on the systems used by the Bureau to predict the weather. Weather data is collected from other weather stations around Australia and the World, ships at sea, drift buoys, weather balloons, satellites and input (e.g., rain gauge readings) from a large number of dedicated individuals spread all over Australia. Having discussed the data collection systems used by the Bureau, Patrick gave a fascinating insight in to the process of predicting the weather and the computer modelling used. He then compared the Australian weather modelling systems with those used throughout the World. Australia has a modem sophisticated system that ranks well by World standards. Finally Patrick gave us a detailed outline of the lead up to, and the manifestation of, the low system that initiated the tragedy during the Sydney Hobart race. What is wrong with Modem Ocean Racing Yachts? by Mr. Warwick Hood, Naval Architect, Blackheath . Warwick started his presentation by dedicating his talk to Jim Lawler a friend who lost his life during the Sydney to Hobart race. Warwick's presentation discussed may facets of modem yacht design and compared them to the older style of ocean cruising yacht. The topics included displacement comparisons of older and the new designs, keel design, rudder design, construction and strength considerations, mast construction, sail plans and rigging considerations. Finally Warwick concluded by proposing a new yacht measurement formula and spent some time describing the benefits of his new rule. Safety or Performance, by Mr Andrew Dovell, Murray, Burns and Dovell Pty·Ltd, Newport. This presentation concentrated on the construction integrity considerations of ocean racing yachts. Andrew has been heavily involved in a large number of ocean racing yacht design projects and his presentation summarised much of his findings, these include: 1. All large yachts will surf down a large wave at the same speed, i.e. approximately 25 knots.

CCCA Risk Management 40 20-Mar-15 2. are very highly loaded structures, and require detailed structural analysis at design time. 3. Vessel behaviour in a seaway requires careful analysis. 4. Deck structures should be as strong as the hull to accommodate wave action on the deck. 5. Current structural analysis of the forward sections of a hull requires further review, as frequent structural breakdown in this area has shown inadequacies. Andrew concluded his presentation by commenting on the need to review the safety equipment required by each race classification.

Yacht Stability and Seaworthiness- by Mr Christopher Murman, Floating Point Designz, Mosman. This presentation commenced with a brief outline on the formal definitions and mechanics of yacht stability. This included a discussion on the types of stability a yacht hull is subject too. This was followed by a comparison of two yacht hulls to contrast the different stability characteristics of traditional and modem yacht forms. The comparison clearly showed the modem yacht tends to have a smaller range of stability and a dramatically diminished tendency to right itself when inverted. A photograph of the French Around Alone (1995-1996 race) sailor standing on his upturned yacht (in heavy seas) with her keel pointing skyward served to graphically illustrate the point. A graph was then presented to show that the increase in stability due to the stacking of crew on the windward rail, (a method frequently employed on modern ocean racing yachts) decreases dramatically as hull length increases. For example a vessel of approximately 6 meters can expect an increase in. stability due to crew mass of approximately 28.5 percent. However a vessel of 18 meters (a typical maxi-yacht) can expect an increase in stability due to crew mass of approximately 3.5 percent. The presentation then illustrated the effect of moving the centre of gravity (G) and the resultant hydrostatic stability characteristics of the vessel. This analysis showed that it is very difficult to achieve realistically low centres of gravity (G) in the modern light displacement yacht hull form, thus the range of stability will always be compromised. Christopher then presented some research on design trends, which showed the following: 1. An increase in the tenderness ratio of yachts. 2. An increase in the beam to length ratio of yachts. 3. An increase in yacht beam in relation to displacement. 4. A decrease in the displacement of yachts. 4. A decrease in the displacement of yachts.

CCCA Risk Management 41 20-Mar-15 All of these factors were then compared to the percentage occurrence of knockdown in breaking waves, based on research from the 1979 Fastnet race, showing there is a clear collation between all of these design trends and the risk of knockdown in breaking waves. The final graph illustrated the correlation between length overall, range of stability of the yacht and the likelihood of recovery from a capsize in breaking waves. This empirical data has been collected over a wide range of yachts stretching over a long period of time (starting from the 1979 Fastnet race). The data clearly shows that all the yachts (that were plotted on the graph); with a stability range of less than 138 degrees did not survive a knockdown in breaking waves. The conclusions from this presentation were: The modern trend towards yachts with the following characteristics: • Large beam • Shallow canoe body draft • High aspect ratio (due to their poor directional stability characteristics) • Light displacement • High centres of gravity Have reduced the stability characteristics and hence the safety of modem racing yachts. Aspects of Classification of Yachts, by Mr John Donovan, Det Norske Veritas, North Sydney. John commenced his presentation with a discussion on the design, construction and approval cycle used by Det Norske Veritas. John's presentation then examined the issues associated with ensuring yachts (especially the modern composite laminates) are constructed in a consistent and measurable manner to ensure the completed structure has a predictable strength. John also mentioned that Det Norske Veritas have found that laminates can vary as widely as 40 percent, (even in the same workshop), by different workers. John's focus was from a Det Norske Veritas perspective and he spent a considerable amount of time discussing the rules and regulations Det Norske Veritas require. The presentation concluded with some thought provoking comments on the need for the enforcement of standards and who should be the governing body and the implication of this enforcement. Value and Quality of Experience of the Skipper and Crew, by Mr Alastair Mitchell, Maritime Consultant to the Australian Yachting Federation, Sydney. Alastair's presentation discussed the training and experience requirements for skippers and crew in order to handle a vessel in a seaway. Alastair expressed concerns that skippers and crew may not be adequately trained in the use, maintenance and operation of many of the

CCCA Risk Management 42 20-Mar-15 safety equipment items that each yacht is required to carry. Alastair also noted that many yachts are well equipped with the required safety, but lack some common items, e.g. strum boxes on bilge pump intakes, etc. Operational Decisions which the Skipper Must Make, by Mr Michael J. Canich, Barrister and Yachtsman, Sydney. Michael outlined the management skills required on a large yacht, carrying a large number of crew. He related the team aspects of managing the vessel's crew as being like that of managing a corporation. He then stressed how important the team effort is, in both environments. He also suggested that while the watch captain has responsibility for the "on the spot" decisions, all decisions are the eventual responsibility of the yacht's skipper. The skipper has responsibility for all sailing aspects of the yacht; this may include the decision of terminating racing, despite the overall opinion or mood of crew members. Michael went on to discuss the importance of crew selection and the characteristics that make for a good crew member. He suggested that sailing experience is not always the deciding factor; rather personality and the ability to get on with the job were more valuable traits. He also outlined some of the crew selection procedures he uses. These were based around extended periods of trial. The Lucky Yachtsman, by John Quinn, Yachtsman and Owner, Wahroonga John spent a considerable amount of time relaying his experience of being of being swept overboard then spending the next five hours in the water and subsequent rescue, during the 1994 Sydney to Hobart race John then outlined his ocean racing experience. • Some yacht design trends do not lend themselves to ocean racing, particularly where heavy weather is likely to be encounter. • Some of the crew management and care practises observed on many of the Sydney to Hobart yachts are not conducive to optimal crew performance. • Insufficient rest and proper food, which is common, in the Sydney to Hobart races leads to reduced response times and less than optimal decisions making. • The crew performance is critical to the survival of the yacht. Finally John produced a graph that related the survival of an ocean racing yacht as being a combination of the following factors: • The yacht itself, this includes design and construction. • The experience of the skipper and crew. • The local environment, the ability to avoid foul weather, (John suggested there is also an element of luck involved). Dynamics of Vessel in Critical Wave Conditions, By Dr Jan 0. de Kat, Maritime Research Institute, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

CCCA Risk Management 43 20-Mar-15 This technical discussion outlined the dynamic and the capsize modes for vessels in a heavy seaway. Dr Jan 0. de Kat concluded his discussion with a summary of the factors that contribute to the survival of vessels in a heavy seaway, these are: • Watertight integrity • Structural integrity • Reserve . Safety of Offshore Racing - the Critical Factor by Dr Martin Renilson, Australian Maritime College, Launceston. This presentation concentrated on many of the technical and theoretical aspects of yachts in a heavy seaway. This included an in depth discussion on statistical and dynamical stability analysis and the factors that contribute to a yachts tendency to self-right. His presentation included some fascinating video of model yachts being tested at the Australian Maritime College towing tank facilities in breaking waves. Dr Renilson also discussed some of the research that is being conducted at the Australian Maritime College. Dr Renilson then outlining some of the benefits of using model testing procedures to refine hull design characteristics. Finally Dr Renilson briefly discussed the effects of breakage of critical components, survival equipment, assistance and rescue of survivors and finally the need for crew training. Where do We Go from Here? by Mr Bryan V. Chapman, President of Royal Institute of Naval Architects, (Australian Division). The workshop concluded with a brief discussion from Bryan on all of the topics discussed by the speakers and some of the conclusions that had been presented. Chapman then thanked all of the speakers and organisers for their contribution to the workshop. Permission to use this article in The Mainsheet was given by Mr Christopher Murman, Floating Point Designz, Mosman.

CCCA Risk Management 44 20-Mar-15 RECOMMENDED READINGS - Research Articles Following Research Articles are available as downloads from the Web as public documents and are best downloaded to member’s home computer/Ipad

• A guide to steering without a rudder (Cruising Club of America www.cruisingclub.org/sas) • Crew Overboard report by the Cruising Club of America (comprehensive on water trial). https://www.cruisingclub.org/sites/default/files/items/COB%20FINAL%20REPORT.p df • How to install a Permanent Preventer https://cruisingclub.org/sites/default/files/items/PermantlyRiggedPreventer%20201 4%20Edition.pdf • Coast Guard report on Jordan Series Drogue http://www.jordanseriesdrogue.com/pdf/droguecoastguardreport.pdf

CCCA Risk Management 45 20-Mar-15 RECOMMENDED READINGS BOOKS

A book and article review on safety at sea – Mainsheet 316, by John Sciacca Rescue in the Pacific by Tony Farrington; Falling Dominoes by Nancy Manheimer (Cruising World Dec 1997); Orions again come to Yachties Rescue (RAAF Historical by Deanna laiacci, May 1998); Offshore Yachting October/November, 1994 As l recently had the delightful experience of spending 50 hours in planes, l took a novel Rescue in the Pacific to help me survive the boredom. Whilst reading t h is excellent book I was reminded of other recent articles on the subject of Safety at Sea and of my own experiences of bad accidents. When I returned to work I also came across an article in South Australia in the RAAF newsletter, Orions again come to Yachties Rescue, which related a tale of another rescue at sea. All these experiences prompted me to write on my observations and conclusions. I felt more confident in writing because use of my personal experiences as they are still vivid to me. My first experience in a violent physical encounter was a roll over in a sports car at Warwick Farm racecourse. Even though the roof of the car was sheared off, my helmet and seat belt saved me from injury. I kept my helmet for 30 years after and the grass marks were a record of my head hitting the ground as the car spun through the air. My wallet suffered a greater injury. My second experience was going backwards down a mountain in the same sports car for I00 yards without hitting anything and avoiding injury as I had my seat belt in place. The third experience was having my baby daughter, who was in a basinet on the back seat of our car, fall out and land on the floor as I avoided an accident on a country road. All these experiences occurred prior to seat belt laws and the availability of child restraints. My daughter is now 32. Why are these experiences relevant to writing about Safety at Sea and the articles above? These experiences at sea were relevant to me because the writers and survivors did not see a link between protecting yourself at sea and survival at sea. There were many deaths on the road before action was taken to enforce the wearing of seat belts in vehicles and helmets on bikes. There are many countries that still do not have these laws even though there is a lot of evidence that these rules have saved a lot of lives and reduced injuries drastically. I can hear you saying - how can you enforce rules at sea? My point is not about laws but that Safety al Sea training should place more emphasis on protection from injury at sea and less on EPIRBs, Radios, Life Rafts, Harnesses and Sea Anchors . Yachties arc being injured whilst in t heir cabins during severe weather and especially as a result of rollovers. The dominant reason boats were abandoned in these cases was the injury of the crew because of violent motion and the crew being thrown against immovable objects. Orions to the Rescue

CCCA Risk Management 46 20-Mar-15 In the early hours of May 30th 1998, 2 yachties on their I0-metre yacht Keep Sake II, I000 kilometres east of Hobart sustained serious injury in rough seas and activated their EPIRB. Damage to the yacht was not reported. The RAAF organised a Russian ship to rescue the yachties and they received medical treatment from the doctor on board OB, the Russian 36,000 tonne bulk carrier. The article did not detail the final fate of their yacht. More than 30 RAAF personnel helped save the lives of Karel Fontain and Kai Olaussen. The description of the rescue is as frightening as those described in Rescue in the Pacific. Falling Dominoes This story starts with "Dazed and bleeding, I couldn't believe this was happening." This tale recounts the pitch pole of a Valiant 40 on a delivery trip from New Zealand to Hawaii by experienced crew. The article's wrapping up stated "we had felt that we were ready for the passage. We had a good safe boat, fine equipment, a reliable crew, and plenty of food and supplies, - all coupled with years of sailing experience". Steve Callahan, Cruising World's senior editor reviewed their experiences and covered the use of the EPIR B, whether they should have called a PAN PAN rather than Mayday, the omission of fixed floor boards and their inability to use a sea anchor. There was no advice of methods of protecti ng the body. Rescue in the Pacific We saw the video at the club but the book gives a very different impression. The story covers the fate of Destiny, Heart Light, Silver Shadow, Sofia, Pilot, Quartermaster, Mary T, Ramtha and Waikiwi II from June 2nd to June the 8th 1994. The biggest i mpression most of us received from the video of the clairvoyant Diviana Wheeler on the catamaran Heart Light, was not complementary. The book left me with an i mpression of Diviana as a focused and calm person with inner strength that was a telling factor in the survival of her family. John Rousmaniere who wrote the Foreword, in his last paragraph wrote, "The human spirit, no matter how it is manifested, is the best survival tool there is. That is but one of the lessons of this valuable, enthralling book". My observations are that you lose a lot of spirit if you are hurt, bruised and battered and cannot help yourself or your partner and as a result are forced to request help. The book has a lot of valuable i nformation for Club members however the value I got was the awareness of the unsolved problem of protection of body and mind during long periods of physical assault. Quartermaster a 45-foot New Zealand sloop and 3 crew was knocked down, sent a Mayday, but was lost at sea. The wife had reported a head wound. Mary T a 23-year-old 40-foot Yawl with a crew of 4 from San Pedro California, had lost steering early in the battle for survival but unlike the other yachts, was at the edge of the storm path and completed her journey. She ran with 300 feel of warp in a bight. They tried to position drogues from the bow but failed. Mary T, like the other yachts had

CCCA Risk Management 47 20-Mar-15 wrapped their warp around the prop and waited for the storm to pass before repairing the damage. Sofia, a 32 fool Will iam Atkin "Thistle" design cut ter ran with I00-foot warp in a bight and was rolled. The crew were down below. Ramtha, a 38-foot Roger Simpson catamaran was not damaged and was abandoned after both crew hand-steered for 4 days. Silver Shadow, a 42-foot Craddock sloop with a crew of 4 was rolled in 50-foot waves and their skipper, who was down below broke his shoulder when he hit the floor. Although dismasted, the yacht was not in danger of sinking, a similar story as the other yachts. Waikiwi ll, a 44 foot wooden Les Rolfe design sloop with a crew of 5 was rolled and dismasted. One crew bounced of the ceiling, hit a bulkhead and landed by the stove; he was in shock, his body severely bruised and he had broken ribs. Heart Light, a 41 foot Tom Lack designed Catalac catamaran with a crew of 4 ran with a drogue and was steered from the inside. They were constantly broached and as a result wrapped the warp around the props. The crew was constantly thrown across the cabin. Destiny was a 15 tonne Robert Perry deigned Norseman 447 sloop. In 100-knot wind, Destiny ran with a Sea Squid drogue at 4 - 7 knots and was pitch poled down a 70-foot wave. Dana the skipper, steering from the cockpit with safety harness was wrapped around the steering pedestal with a broken leg. His partner Paula had shortened her tether and was not injured. Destiny was dismasted. They activated their 406 EPIRB. Dana stated "I never considered that I would be hurt". Pilot a Colin Archer/William Craddock designed double ender Westsail 32 was rolled and dismasted but not damaged and was not taking water. Greg the skipper tried to steer for 18 hours. MY OBSERVATIONS The storm struck the fleet north of New Zealand 4 days after leaving. The weather predictions were good prior to departure. I know that coastal hopping should not be compared to long voyages. However, if a voyage is greater than 3 days, then extra preparation is required and the chance of injury increases greatly. I asked a friend who served in the Navy how they protected t hemselves during severe storms. He explained that all bunks have 3 adjustable webbing straps fitted, for the chest, waist and ankles. They are removable so they don't interfere when not used. Why do we believe it important to use belts in cars and planes but don't design a system to secure ourselves in our yachts. We have all heard "although the seat belt sign has been extinguished, we advise you keep your seat belt fastened". This advice is offered because there have been frequent cases of passengers bouncing of the ceiling during turbulence. We use a harness on deck with jackstays to move about the deck but then go below during a storm and wait to become a missile. We secure hatches and cupboards to stop

CCCA Risk Management 48 20-Mar-15 objects flying around but don't stop ourselves from becoming a missile. Is there a better system and approach to safety at sea? Why can't we install Eyebolts in strategic points in the cabin with short lanyards? Why can't we use the Navy system? Why can't we use helmets? Why can't we install seat belts in strategic positions, such as the Nav station? What do you t hink? I would like to hear your approach to this problem. Maybe a discussion at a Sailaway will be a good venue for discussing this problem. Maybe those with Ocean experience will reply with their ?

Books Storm Tactics Handbook and Video by Lin and Larry Pardey

Heavy Weather Sailing by Adlard Coles

CCCA Risk Management 49 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE INDEX - SAFETY Page

Navigation - GPS can you really trust it? Mainsheet 442 51

Navigation Failures, Causes and Avoidance. Mainsheets 455 and 456 57

Safety First, Climbing the Mast, Mainsheet 440 63

CCCA Risk Management 50 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE - Safety

Navigation - GPS can you really trust it? Mainsheet 442 by John Tylor I know I am old but I am not completely out of date, I even programme my own VCR, so why, when I see how many people rely solely on their modern electronic chart plotters do I feel decidedly uneasy? We are told (by sincere gentlemen at the annual boat shows) they are accurate to within a 1 metre or less. But, people on boats equipped with modern, up to date electronics still come to grief, so what is going on? There are many reasons but a naïve reliance on the GPS plotter is one contributing factor. Despite the reassurances, most GPS positions are not as trustworthy as we would like to believe. While it is true they offer unprecedented accuracy compared to traditional methods, the problems begin when we place too much trust in these impressive devices and use them in situations where they are simply not suitable. Just because the results are displayed to several decimal places on a computer-like screen, does not make them correct. High precision does not always translate directly to high accuracy. Most GPS manufacturers give accuracy data in averages. For example, “for 95% of the time the accuracy will be better than 15 metres”. This is pretty good, but for 5% of the time the error will exceed 15 metres. So, if your passage lasts for, say, 10 hours, then on average the error will be greater than 15 metres for at least 30 minutes. The problem is you just do not know when your 30 minutes of increased error will occur. And even more interesting, how do you know when your GPS is not working properly? If you are still reading this, good, you have a sense of survival and we can move on. All GPS receivers calculate their position based on a model of the earth’s surface (called the datum) by timing the arrival of a stream of data beamed out from a constellation of satellites 20km above the earth, using the average time of travel for the microwave radio beam. This datum nearly replicates the shape of the earth’s surface, but this discussion is mainly concerned with errors in the radio beams; that should be enough to frighten you for now. There are problems with radio signals. As soon as these relatively weak microwave signals leave the transmitter they begin to lose strength. By the time they reach the receiver they are really weak and subject to internal and locally generated noise which interferes with the received signal even more. They can be weakened (attenuated) even more by, for example, wet sails. Signals can be reflected by objects like a building, ship or cliff face, and be delayed by charged particles in the upper atmosphere (the Ionosphere and Troposphere can both introduce this, called group delay). Ducting, where the radio wave bends from its direct path, increases the distance the wave has to travel. All of these make the GPS think it is further from a satellite than it really is. This error really becomes significant if you are demanding more accuracy from the GPS than the designers intended.

CCCA Risk Management 51 20-Mar-15 So, for a device that relies on many assumptions, we have a lot of variables creeping in. Another variable affecting the accuracy of the GPS is the precise location of the satellite. The satellite transmits its location (ephemeris position) to the ground; if this is in error then the calculated position will be out. While the receiver’s clock used in timing the signals is extremely accurate it can drift. Although small, these little errors accumulate and cause incorrect position displays when most inconvenient. It is also possible to lose contact with sufficient satellites to maintain an accurate plot. In this case some plotters simply revert to a Dead-reckoning mode until enough satellites come back into view, then the plotter recalculates before showing a more correct location. A large ship hit a well-known and charted rock because of this error; also, they did not keep an adequate lookout. Another source of error occurs when the GPS receiver has a part of the sky masked (by a wet sail, building or cliff face for example). In this case, the only satellites available for a position are clustered on one side of the sky. This will increase the error in the reported position. While the military have the means to reduce these errors, the units we buy are not so well equipped. Here is an experiment you can try yourself. Turn the GPS (or plotter) on and let it run while the boat is securely tied to an immovable object, a wharf is good. Leave it for a few hours then study the track it produces, it will probably look like a drunk’s progress. I have attached a photo of such an experiment; I left it turned on in the backyard at home. The scattered trace it produced shows the error during the 2 hours it was running. While the true location is probably near the centre of the rambling trace, at any instant, the GPS will think it is at any of the locations shown on the screen. The GPS was stationary, look at the track, the house did not move

CCCA Risk Management 52 20-Mar-15 This is a measure of the lack of precision and accuracy of the device. In this case, all you can be certain of is that you are somewhere within a circle with a radius of 20 metres. While cruising up north we frequently had errors in excess of 30m, the photo shows one with a radius of nearly 65 metres – look at the top right of the screen in photo 2 below. Look at the error; we were in clear water with no obstructions and a strong signal.

CCCA Risk Management 53 20-Mar-15

These errors persisted for some minutes and while they were irrelevant out to sea, if we were trying to navigate a narrow tricky channel using only the GPS we could have been in trouble. Add this to the errors in the charts we use and there is a disaster in waiting. See the article in December 2009 Cruising Helmsman for a discussion on chart accuracy. Do not forget that plotter manufacturers use these same charts. Putting it simply, not all charts are accurate; if you have not discovered this for yourself then you have not been paying attention to your navigation. Remember also to set the datum to the charts you are using. Both my Raytheon and Garmin GPS operator’s manuals advise me not to rely on the GPS as the sole source of navigation information; it is only intended to compliment other forms of navigation. Excellent advice from the makers Here is a common scenario. You decide to enter a narrow channel at night in adverse conditions; you reassure your crew that you have a GPS plotter. Let us examine the consequences. Just suppose the error circle has a radius of 65 metres just when you need your plotter the most. For instance, at Forster and Camden Haven, the entrance width is roughly 110m and 120m respectively. The error of 130m is considerably wider than the channel. At Iluka/Yamba the entrance is 333 metres wide. While this may appear safe, the actual track in is off to one side, this puts the rocks within the error margin. So, to spell it out one last time, the GPS error (of 64.8m) is greater than the actual width of these entrances. You have no idea where you are – you could be up to 64.8m off track and in these channels that means you are either on the sea wall or on the wrong side of the rocks. This error does not include margins for other error (including chart error) or any reduction in the width of the channel due to shoaling. Just because you have not experienced this yet does not mean it does not exist or that you will not experience this in the future. Remember too, the GPS relies on electricity and this can fail at the most inconvenient moment, so always keep a good lookout and regularly back up your position onto paper charts. Keep your plotter; just never rely on it as the only source of information for navigation.

CCCA Risk Management 54 20-Mar-15 Here is an extract from an article by D.D. McNicoll in The Australian newspaper last December 18. “COMPETITORS in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race have been warned not to rely on GPS navigation devices to plot their boats' positions .Following an inquiry by race organiser the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia into the deaths of experienced sailors Andrew Short and Sally Gordon in the club's Flinders Islet race earlier this year, CYCA commodore Matt Allen wrote yesterday to all club members and Sydney to Hobart race skippers. Mr Allen said that although the full report of the inquiry had not been completed, it appeared that the loss of Short's yacht Price Waterhouse Coopers may have been due to a navigation error caused by reliance on a GPS chart plotter.” The last word goes to a letter to the editor of Yachting World in August 2008 from David Thompson of Oxford. In part he states “….Last Easter I did my first solo passage to Falmouth. Off Rame Head my Raymarine C screen radar chart plotter packed up. …..This Easter I crewed one of the former Global Challenge 72 footers form the Canaries to Gibraltar. As we beat into a full gale, the navigation laptop packed up, so again it was back to paper charts. Also, paper charts give a better overview for passage planning and you can, for example, spot offshore buoys which only show up on electronic charts if you zoom in.” Interesting terms. Precision means having a high level of confidence that the results you are seeing are consistent. They may be precisely wrong, but they are consistent. In statistical terms there is little scatter, or the standard deviation is small. Accuracy shows just how closely the result relates to the true location. Reliability means we have a high certainty that the results we see are correct.

Some of the errors can affect the accuracy of a GPS position.

All of these affect the timing signals from the satellites.

CCCA Risk Management 55 20-Mar-15

CCCA Risk Management 56 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE - Safety

NAVIGATION FAILURES, CAUSES AND AVOIDANCE Mainsheets 455 and 456 by Colin and Fran Thorne, Polar Bear II, June 1991: As I came into the cockpit to start my watch, the full fury of the east coast low hit home: 6 metre plus waves with breaking crests, wind gusting way over 50 knots, torrential rain, virtually zero visibility. “Where are we?” I asked. “About 15 miles offshore and just past Port Macquarie,” the helmsman yelled over the roar A minute later a huge breaking wave rolled us 360 degrees. The rig was lying in ruins on our seaward side and threatening to pierce the hull. We were obviously in breakers and not far offshore. An anchor was deployed to keep us head to wind but it dragged and the shout came from below: “The keel is hitting the bottom and water is coming in!” Just then a flash of lightning showed we were off a beach about 50 metres away. With great relief we surfed into shore. That time we were lucky, the worst was a broken collarbone. October 2009: When the yacht PwC struck a rock shelf on the north of Flinder’s Island. Andrew Short and one of his crew were not so lucky and did not survive. The GPS plotter was working and the island is reported to have been outlined against the lights of the port behind it. These are the result of navigation failures. Such failures arise because of inaccuracies of the equipment or mistakes made by the navigator. This article explores these issues and discusses ways to avoid disaster even when such inaccuracies and mistakes occur. This article is in two parts: Part 1 (this part) looks at inaccuracies in our instruments. Part 2 looks at mistakes made by people and then discusses ways to avoid disaster even though mistakes and inaccuracies occur. Equipment and Inaccuracies: GPS The advent of the GPS and particularly chart-plotters has revolutionized and simplified navigation and certainly improved overall safety. Most of the time the accuracy is a few metres but when the satellites are in unfavourable positions, inaccuracies can occur, as discussed in many recent articles. Most GPS units give a value of HDOP (horizontal dilution

CCCA Risk Management 57 20-Mar-15 of position) on at least one of their displays and some show a warning on the main screens when accuracy is suspect. It pays to know your own GPS and to keep a look out for poor accuracy. At sea this is not usually a problem but in close quarters such errors can be serious, and has been suggested as a contributor to the second failure in the introduction. The other problem is that gross failure is always a possibility. In our cruising we have lost GPS fix on four occasions: two in the early days were due to the Americans fiddling with the satellites, one was due to torrential rain blocking the signal to our handheld operating inside the cabin, and one because of failure of a component in the motherboard. Different GPS units react differently to signal failure: some just freeze the screen with the risk that everything may look OK; others carry on with dead reckoning; while others provide a large warning sign: you need to know how your unit behaves. If it used dead reckoning, it will make some assumptions as to leeway etc. These need to be checked before the results can be relied upon. Charts Charts (both paper and electronic) are without doubt our primary data source; however they are of variable accuracy. Paper charts have a Confidence Level on them. In most of the normal cruising areas the best horizontal accuracy one gets is Level B, 50mbut a lot of the coast north is Level C, 500m. Most electronic charts do not provide this information. If the chart is inaccurate where you are, the chart plotter will show you in the wrong position relative to dangers with potentially disastrous results. This too was thought to be a factor in the second failure in the introduction. If the chart has not been recently updated, errors in lights, marks and the position of wave-rider buoys etc. can cause serious problems. Older charts also are often to the AUS66 datum, which can cause differences in position in the order of a hundred metres from the commonly used WGS84 datum, enough to cause major problems in close quarters. Most GPS units and some chart plotters permit the required datum to be selected, but care is needed to ensure this is set correctly to match the chart in use. Depth sounder Depth sounders are vital in shallow water and when anchoring. They are also a good rough check on the distance off when coasting. It is important to calibrate them over a weed free flat bottom using a lead line if they are to be relied on. False readings can arise from weed or fish or debris, even when they are correctly calibrated. Log If you need to use dead reckoning (and this is likely if the GPS goes down) the log is vital. It is easy to calibrate it between two GPS or otherwise known positions, but the accuracy to which it can be calibrated varies depending on the make of instruments. It is important to be aware of how accurate your log is, rarely is the calibration better than 1% and is often poorer. Recalibration is needed every time the log is removed or cleaned.

CCCA Risk Management 58 20-Mar-15 Compasses Most boats have at least three compasses. One magnetic steering compass on the binnacle, a handheld magnetic sighting compass and a fluxgate or gyro compass for the autopilot. It is important to know the deviation of each of these. In Polar Bear we are lucky that all have a near zero deviation card (that is, they all give the same reading). On our power boat in USA, however, we had five different compasses and in spite of all efforts of calibration the smallest spread in headings between them were 15 degrees because of the awful magnetic environment .Ideally a deviation card from a professional should be obtained, however failing that, sighting on some known distant feature can give a good indication. A good way of checking the magnetic environment is to take bearings with the hand compass of a very distant point from different parts of the boat so that safe locations can be worked out for taking bearings. Beware of steel cans or tools near a compass; many a problem has been so caused! Another matter that needs attention is to check that the steering compass and autopilot lubber line (i.e. the reference line) points down the centre-line of your boat. If it does not the boat will not be going in the direction the compass says it is. This may sound foolish but the two often are different! Radar As for the steering compass, it is vital that the zero line on the radar does point directly ahead. This is normally part of the setup but mine seems to need adjustment from time to time. It is important to realize that the radar beam extends out with a moderate vertical angle up and down from a plane perpendicular to the mast so if the boat is heeling more than this the radar may not pick up anything on the windward side. Likewise it may not pick up low shore lines but instead show the terrain higher up and further away. Autopilot Inaccuracies in course keeping occur mainly through errors in leeway or current effects. A major problem on the NSW coast and one largely responsible for the rollover and stranding described in the introduction, is the impact of the coming from offshore. The problem goes like this; Helmsmen and auto pilots work by averaging out the heading. Thus if the boat if off course 10 degrees for 30 seconds one way it is corrected by a like time and amount the other way. Now with a swell and sea coming from offshore the boat will tend to go faster on the inshore deviations than it will where it is fighting out against the swells on the off shore deviations. The differences can be quite large: on Polar Bear this is commonly a deviation inshore of about 1 mile in 25 miles. In bad weather this can be much increased: in the 1991 example above, the boat was forced inshore 10 to 12 degrees from the course steered, so instead of clearing Point the boat got into breakers just north of Plomer Point, over 5 miles inshore of the intended course. The water is shallow there and the seas were breaking up to 2 miles offshore.

CCCA Risk Management 59 20-Mar-15 Eyes A good pair of properly informed eyes is still one of the main navigation instruments. If you see a buoy with the right number and colour then you can be sure of being on the correct side irrespective of any other Data The physiology of the eye is such that it judges distance in part from the faintness of objects and hence tends to overestimate distances at night, something to beware of.

Part 2 follows! Part 1 looked at the inaccuracies in our instruments, including GPS HDOP problems, chart confidence level diagrams, ensuring the compass lubber and radar lubber lines point the same way as the boat, compass interference, the tendency of a boat sailing along the East Coast to drift in towards shore because of the wave effect even though a careful compass course is steered, and finally the tendency to underestimate distance in the dark. Common Mistakes This second part first looks at common errors and then describes some techniques to minimise the risk of errors and inaccuracies remaining undetected. Navigators are very inventive when it comes to mistakes. This section describes a few. Perhaps the most common failing is not to use all available resources. In the first failure in the introduction the watch on duty did not get a GPS plot even though it was available, relying instead on visual and compass navigation. In the second the island was visible against the background lights but this does not seem to have been used to check the position. Eyes are a valuable navigation aid, but can be very misleading if they do not realize what they are seeing. In the first of the failures in the introduction, the lights of Kempsey were seen over the flat ground and mistaken for Port Macquarie by the Helmsman. Islands are easily mistaken: two can appear as one or three or four from a distance depending on the peaks and vice versa. For eyes to be useful they really need to know what they are looking at from other sources. Beware the wee hours. The chart below comes from “The Psychology of Sailing” by Michael Stadler (Allard Coles) and was calculated from a large number of performance errors made in an industrial plant at different times of the day. There is a huge drop in performance from midnight to dawn. Yachting folk are definitely not immune to this effect, and allowance has to be made. Even with experienced people it can even be surprisingly hard to count flashes on lighthouses at 2am in bad weather. The counter to this is to try to avoid difficult navigation at these times, and to pre-think everything that can be done beforehand. Allowing or fear in the crew push the skipper into trying an entrance that both he and the navigator know is dangerous has caused many a disaster. Errors in programming GPS routes occur often. With chart plotters in particular it is very easy to miss nearby dangers because of the restricted size of the screen.

CCCA Risk Management 60 20-Mar-15 Minimising Errors and Inaccuracies The first step is to realise is that errors and inaccuracies will inevitably occur, and the task is to use procedures to find or neutralise them before they cause problems. In engineering computations one of the first lessons was that, to check a calculation it should be done two different ways or by two different people. Checking your own calculation using the same method is not very effective because the brain tends to get in a rut and commonly makes the same error a second time. This same principle applies to navigation. The golden rule is to never depend on only one form of position fixing. These days, routes are commonly compiled on a chart plotter. Transferring this route to a paper chart (with a 2B pencil so it can be removed later) gives a very good check both on the bearings and distances and also on dangers close to the route that may not be within the screen coverage of the chart plotter when zoomed in to set the waypoint. Circling the danger points near the route helps to keep them in the watch keepers mind. Never trust a single means of fixing position. Normally this involves a check on the GPS position by some other means. Inventiveness is the key! It does not need to be a classic three point fix (often difficult on the NSW Coast). A bearing on a headland coupled the distance off with the radar is one way, with another rough check by looking at the depth. It goes without saying that anything that does not tally has to be resolved. Never forget to look outside. Especially if passing a danger, identify it visually as well as by other means. This is especially important in charts with Zone C accuracy where rocks could be 500 metres out of the charted position. The good navigators that have sailed on Polar Bear commonly look for a plot every hour with a log reading entry. These points are often checked as above and give a good start for dead reckoning if the GPS fails. It is a good policy to practice with all the systems every time you go out (it is fun too!). A dark stormy night is not the time to try to read an instruction manual! At 2am in bad weather the brain needs to be able to operate everything on automatic and concentrate on the situation and not the gadgets. It is maybe not a coincidence that both the disasters in the introduction happened in the wee hours: the answer is to pre think everything possible. Entering or leaving anchorages at night is a common cause of problems. Preparation is very important in such cases. The best is to have a snail trail from a previous visit or entry on the GPS (provided tides do not invalidate it), coupled with radar distances off from prominent points. These distances can be preset on range rings to make it easy to keep the right distances from the chosen points. The distance off two points can be used as a fix to come back to a known anchorage point even in pitch black conditions. Of course a spotlight to ensure no other boat is anchored there is essential and the depth sounder has to be watched too! Polar Bear navigated successfully from Grafton to near MacLean on a pitch black night using a snail trail, radar, depth sounder and a lot of careful notes on the chart. It should be obvious that before entering any new anchorage the charts and pilot books should be studied carefully. Distances off the main shoreline for use with the radar can be useful even if these have to be taken from the chart (watch out for low lying foreshores though).Beware

CCCA Risk Management 61 20-Mar-15 the offshore swell problem described earlier; the only defence is to make frequent checks on your leeway and to adjust the course accordingly. Likewise, always be aware of any cross currents that can affect your course. Finally Cruising is a sublime and peaceful thing to do, but we must never forget that we are in a potentially hostile environment. If we are to keep our days idyllic we need to be disciplined, diligent and vigilant! This does not mean being all uptight and anal, it just means being aware of what is necessary and doing it well. That’s the way to keep one’s cruising life calm and hassle free. Acknowledgement Kerrin Mills and Roger Smith, the two best navigators I have ever sailed with, were kind enough to make some comments on this article for me. Any errors are mine and certainly not theirs!

CCCA Risk Management 62 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE - Safety

Safety First, Mainsheet 440 by Doug Brooker “Touchwood” Going up, please!! Going up your mast is something which should be approached with due caution, but it should be done regularly, as a normal part of maintaining your boat. Most of the articles written on the subject carry on about getting this person to do this, and that person to do something else. This is not much good with only two people aboard, which is the situation most of the time on CCCA yachts. Preparation First, get a well-made, comfortable Bosun’s chair. It should have a rigid seat; the soft chairs will give you a numb bum, which is not helpful when trying to carefully check out the condition of your mast and rig. The chair needs to have good, big pockets on each side to put things in. A bucket for tools is not as good as it may catch on rigging or a spreader and capsize, dropping the contents on the hoister!! Wear a sun hat and long trousers to protect your delicate skin from chafe and the sun. The chair should be attached to the halyard with a proper screw shackle, not a quick release device. Our chair has a piece of rope permanently spliced on. This is used to tie the chair up or out so the climber doesn’t have to keep holding on. Communication between the top of the mast and the deck is very difficult. Rather than shouting at each other, a pair of UHF radios are great. They can be purchased from an electronic shop for as little as $70 a pair, and will have numerous other uses aboard such as when anchoring or when someone has gone off in the dinghy. Mast steps seem like a good idea, but should always be used in conjunction with a chair. This is easily kept up close to the climber as the halyard person is only lifting the weight of the chair and any tools, while the climber goes up the steps. Then, if you miss your next hand hold, you just fall into the chair instead of 40 feet to the deck. Without mast steps, leading the halyard to an electric anchor winch will take a lot of the pain out of hoisting a person to the top. If that is not available, a big self-tailing winch is next best. Either way, the climber should pull himself up as much as possible to ease the strain on the winch or the wincher. Going up Unless it is incredibly urgent, do not go aloft at sea. The motion up there is incredible, and you will have difficulty just holding on to the mast. It is also very tiring and best avoided. Before leaving the deck, get into the chair and pull the halyard tight. Then, drop your full weight into the chair a couple of times to test the halyard. All the good books say to use two halyards, but a second halyard is no use if they are both rotten, and if they are sound, one is enough. Also, with only one person on deck, one halyard is plenty to look after.

CCCA Risk Management 63 20-Mar-15 Any time you are using an electric anchor winch (whether retrieving the anchor or hoisting a person), first start the engine and get the alternator charging. As long as the wiring is big enough, this will ensure the winch gets sufficient power. If just drawing off the batteries, the winch will only be getting 8 or 9 volts, and it will burn out. Be nice to the person hoisting you. It is best not to embark on a trip up the mast after an animated discussion! Also, any tools you take aloft should be securely tied on. Dropping a hammer on the hoister’s head may not be a good idea. Don’t let this put you off. The view from up the mast is great and the more you know about what is up there in the sky above your boat, the better the chances of it staying there.

CCCA Risk Management 64 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE INDEX SEAMANSHIP

Page

Alone, Overboard and Unable to Re-board, Mainsheet 353 66

How not to get WET, Mainsheet 416 69

Man Overboard! Mainsheet 388, 71

Anchoring Notes, Mainsheet 359 73

Snubbers, Mainsheet 446 75

Overboard, Mainsheet 428 79

CCCA Risk Management 65 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE – Seamanship Alone, Overboard and Unable to Re-board, Mainsheet 353 by Larry Turnure Spring Fever

Our yacht, Spring Fever, is moored in tranquil Lovett Bay. I suppose the mooring is only 30 metres from the end of our jetty and a very easy swim for just about anybody including myself, except for the morning of Saturday, the 18th of August. That was the day that Sydney reported winds of 65 plus knots in a very strong Winter South Westerly. I'm your typical 38-year-old trapped in a 66-year-old body! With no impairments, or restrictions even though I've had a quad bypass and am a diet and pill diabetic. I had taken our 4.5 meter Quintrex with 40 hp. Yamaha out to Spring Fever, a regular routine.to work on re- furbishing the cabin sole floorboards. As was the custom I tied the Quintrex stern-to Spring Fever's stern, so that the wind would catch the canopy on the Quintrex and keep it away from the stern of the yacht. The wind was blowing at about 15 plus no worries knots. While I was working the wind noise had increased considerably and Spring Fever was hunting around on the mooring. When I finished work it seemed like the wind was a steady 35 knots with occasional stronger gusts in the water. "Let's go home." Tools away, lock up the boat; put the covers back in place, a very familiar and easy routine. Grab the stern line to the Quintrex and pull it up to the stern of Spring Fever and hop into the runabout. Today, easier said than done! I could barely pull the boat in between gusts and not at all during gusts. I said to myself "Look mate you may be staying on board until it dies down. But, then I remembered that I had promised Alison that I would be on shore for her telephone call at 12:30pm. So I tried again. I found that I could just pull the boat in during the brief lulls, especially when it approached the lee of the stern of Spring Fever. I managed to get in the stern of the runabout and undo the bowline on the stern line. I was just thinking of grabbing the three floorboards I was taking ashore, when a really strong gust, I guess 50 knots plus, caught the runabout and filled its "canopy sail". I just couldn't hold the runabout in. My legs went with the runabout as my arms stretched away from the stern of Spring Fever. Before I knew it I was in the water watching the stern line of the runabout trail away at a rate of knots. For a moment I thought of grabbing the line, but quickly decided in favour of Spring Fever. Height of stanchion base 1.1meters from the water. Length of arms 700mm. Spring Fever is a high-sided yacht. I could only just grab the stanchions amid ship. I wasn't floating, I was hanging. I had one go at pulling myself up, but it was hopeless. The weight of wet clothing was considerable. Hanging was becoming very tiring so I undid my belt and somehow ...a stroke of luck... managed to buckle the belt around the stanchion thereby lowering me a fair amount, but still not completely floating.

CCCA Risk Management 66 20-Mar-15 I thought of trying to go up the anchor line, but because of the pace of the waves going by I was reluctant to leave the small bit of relative security. "Mate, this has all the makings of a life threatening situation. You'd better make a decision about what you are to do before you get cold and tired", I said to myself. Picture the situation. It was the complete opposite of seemingly benign, placid, familiar and safe Lovett Bay. Now it was a seething mass of white caps, which was surprising considering the short fetch. The high cliffs near the waterfall at the head of the bay accelerate gusts and they hit the bay as bullets. People later said that the winds today were as strong as they have ever felt. Foam was blowing off the chop in the gusts. I saw a circular patch of whole water blown up by a bullet. The wind noise was high. About every third wave broke over me depending on how the boat was slewing. That's why I was scared to go for a swim. I didn't know it but I was already cold and tired after 25 minutes or so in the water. I considered three options and in order of preference: "Holler" for help because there were boats out on Pittwater and I knew that commuter runabouts are always on the move. Swim for the one boat between me and Clareville which I could easily mount - a steel cruiser with a duck board. Down side was that if I missed I would be in the water a long time and end up in Avalon. Swim the 30 meters or so to our jetty or the next two jetties. My conclusion ..., which might seem surprising.... was that because of the wind and waves I would never make it to the near jetties, but may have made Halls wharf several hundred meters downwind. The next stop would have been Taylors Point. My calls for help were heard by a builder just arriving on site downwind after just five minutes of calling, which was amazing considering the wind noise and after some thirty-five minutes in the water. He had to haul me up unto the bow of his low tinny. By then I was experiencing shock. I made it up the seventy steps to our house dripping wet and stood in the hot shower with all my clothes on for thirty minutes before I felt warm again. I phoned Alison who was visiting a friend, a nurse, who sadly advised that a stiff drink was not in order. The runabout, which was said to be making eight knots under canopy, was snared by a Scotland Islander and returned within the hour. How lucky I was on all counts. Reflections I was cold and tired well before I knew it. Adrenalin masked everything. While I am physically active and reasonably strong, I wasn't in any condition for a new kind of exercise ... that is hanging from a stanchion. It has taken four weeks for my stretched shoulder muscles to recover from the strain.

CCCA Risk Management 67 20-Mar-15 My mind has over rated my strength and stamina for high demand situations. If it was night, the situation would have been extremely serious. Three hours later with the benefit of hindsight and after a nice scotch I might add, I realised that I could have taken off my sweater and tied a loop onto the belt. I would then have had a form of ladder to get on board and wait it out. Conclusions The obvious. You must have the means in place to get back on board by yourself. On our last boat, Autumn Leaves, I mounted a folding step on the transom. On Spring Fever the transom overhangs too much for either a step or folding ladder. Mike de Burca came up with the good suggestion of a permanent line in place that has a series of bowlines that can reach down into the water and which is grabable when you are overboard. Assess all your possibilities and then make a relatively quick decision way before you are less capable of making a good decision. I should develop more prudent risk taking commensurate with a more conservative assessment of my capabilities (I'll have to talk to that 38 year old inside of me!) I really should have waited for the winds to die down before I attempted to board the runabout. Have you meant to provide the means of boarding your yacht by yourself, but never got around to it?

CCCA Risk Management 68 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE – Seamanship

How not to get WET, Mainsheet 416 by Greg Neilsen, Windchimes

We have all heard the stories about how we lost the Camera, Phone, Glasses and best bits and pieces etc. when the DINGHY decided to get even with us by turning the colour of our day Poo Brown and tipped OVER. This usually happens at the time when we don’t expect it to happen. On Windchimes this happened at Airlie Beach late in the afternoon as we were going to the Yacht Club and as a result we ended up back on board wet, cold and miserable minus phone, glasses, and had to get rid of all those things that lived in our back packs that were to come in handy when ashore. Back on board we looked at what were our options to stop this happening again and to make plans on what we would do. Our current dinghy was and is a 2.4 metre lightweight aluminium open dinghy, easy to row, one person can pick it up and is easily stowed on board, needs only a small outboard for getting ashore etc. First thing that came to mind was get an Inflatable. What type? Soft bottom, ply floor, air floor, , One chamber, two chamber, pump up seats and the list goes on. Price: Needed to get a bank loan, so out of the question. Bigger Dinghy...problems stowing it on board and Davits were not an option as the amount of STUFF that uses the back yard would make the idea to big a job to change things around etc. A way of increasing the buoyancy of the dinghy would improve the situation and still have the versatility of our 2.4m dinghy and still be able to stow it on board. Having Whitworths and Bias catalogues on board I started looking at those beach boat rollers, there were two sizes so it looked like a long and a short each side attached between the and the water line of the dinghy, started looking into what was available to get all this to work, as we were in Gladstone, waiting for a weather window to head south, the people in the chandlery offered some suggestions using fenders and floats etc. but nothing appeared to be suitable. Talking to a fellow yachtie in the marina he pointed out a dinghy on a large power boat that had something like I needed, the owner of the power boat gave me the contact details of a company in Melbourne(www.airofloat.com ) Using their web site it soon became evident that they had exactly what I needed, so with a phone call and card details their product was on the way to me. Their system uses a strong and durable outer bag with an airtight and flexible inner bladder , fitted to an aluminium rope track fitted to the side of the dinghy, the whole operation took about an hour and when finished made the dinghy look like an oversized inflatable and very stable. They also

CCCA Risk Management 69 20-Mar-15 act as large and long fenders and stop all those watch my paint looks when you come alongside other yachts.

) Since having them fitted we have been able to go diving and and be able climb back over the side without tipping over. I have since added fold down wide wheels and added a propeller guard. We now have the added safety of that extra buoyancy and a more stable platform. 

CCCA Risk Management 70 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE – Seamanship

Man Overboard! Mainsheet 388, by Dave & Penny Kerr, Pastime of Sydney

We were coming back from Lord Howe Island recently and had a really crummy trip (though the island was great), but that's another story. One morning at 0300, at the tail end of a violent electrical storm, our son William was swept overboard. We were about 100NM offshore. I (David) was on deck because we were just finishing tying off a reef on the boom. There was a violent 180deg wind change which flung the boom and Will right across the boat. It was all extremely sudden. I had a dreadful feeling about what I would find when I rushed to the port side. Thankfully, there was Will, surfing along on his back at about 6kts, held by the tether, fully conscious & looking up at me. Fortunately, he is strong, as am I, so I was able to pull him up far enough so he could then assist by grabbing the lifelines. Just dragging him back on board bent two stanchions and a solar panel mount. There was not a scratch on him. He admitted that the one thought as he went (rapidly) over the side was to try and avoid being pulled face down in the water, particularly if knocked unconscious. So, we are very thankful that Will was okay and here are some things we noted about the incident: 1. You never know when something might happen. William, though the youngest (at 17) has the most sailing experience of all our kids and is always meticulous about wearing his Secumar lifejacket (self-inflating, with manual release, integrated harness and crutch strap). 2. I had inspected our 5mm stainless steel jackstays (one each side of the boat) before leaving. They are double swaged at each end because swages are weaker than the wire. I have regularly renewed the swages. Thank goodness! 3. Penny had carefully inspected the stitching on all our tethers before departure. 4. Something we had not realised before: Our tethers, when on the jackstays are just the right length so that a person cannot go face down in the water. NEVER will we be tempted to use longer tethers or to join two together. 5. We have a block and tackle mounted on the wind turbine tower "ready to go" and specifically for MOB situations. We did not need it on this occasion, but could have used it if I was out of action and Penny had to get Will back on board. The effort required to get a person back on board is enormous- particularly if their offshore sailing suit is full of water as on this occasion. Will & I just managed it using all our strength; if Will had been injured or weakened; I could not have managed and would have needed the block and tackle.

CCCA Risk Management 71 20-Mar-15 6. Will had his strobe with him, but I had the personal EPIRB with me. We will get a second personal EPIRB so that each person can have one if there are two on watch at the same time. I also intend to construct an EPIRB direction finder in case we ever have to track down someone in the water with an EPIRB. This allows much more chance of success in finding a MOB compared with satellite positioning. 7. As everyone tells you, if Will's tether or harness or the had broken, it would have been VERY difficult to find him and get him back as the seas were absolutely mountainous and it was very dark now that the "strobe lightning" had thankfully receded behind us. The crutch strap is crucial to avoid coming out of the harness. Will has great resolve and an excellent sense of humour. When he arrived back on deck, he finished tying off the reef! He then announced "I'm so glad I came on this trip!” With that, Penny bundled him below, he got dried and changed and had a well-earned sleep.

CCCA Risk Management 72 20-Mar-15 Anchoring Notes, - Mainsheet 359 by Colin Thorne, Polar Bear At the talk I gave in April there were a few things I have been asked to put in the "Mainsheet". These were a knot I use to fix the snubber rope to the anchor chain and a couple of graphs. The pictures show the snubber rope knot. It is a normal clove hitch with a locking turn, the pictures show the sequence: in the pictures the snubber rope comes from port and the loose end is to starboard. The first turn should be on the aft side (first picture) the second on the forward side (second picture) and the locking turn on the aft side (third picture) and then pulled tight with a reasonably long tail (fourth picture). We lead the snubber rope over the port roller and the chain over the starboard roller, the run out slack on the chain, leaving the weight on the snubber (fifth picture). On Polar Bear we use 10 or 12 mm polyester rope but on Bare Bones III in the USA we used a plaited nylon with equal success. This knot has held us through many blows and has never let go, even when a whale hit the chain in Blue Pearl Bay one night and broke the snubber, the knot was still on the chain and was not difficult to undo. A key to this is making sure the locking turn is aft of the main snubber line so it is not stressed.

CCCA Risk Management 73 20-Mar-15 I do not like fiddling with shackles: the shackle often has to be smaller than the chain diameter with the danger of bending the pin and the same problem applies to hooks. At least with the rope it is easy in emergencies to just cut the rope, though we have never needed to do this to remove the snubber.

The chart below shows calculated catenaries for Polar Bear. The forces shown are the head on air drag x2 to allow for inertia loading. In the graph the sea surface is the top of the graph and the seabed is the bottom. The curved lines represent the shape of the chain running from the boat on the right to the anchor on the seabed on the left. The graphs are for 50 metres of 8 mm chain in 10 metres of water . Of course these apply only to Polar Bear and are only approximations. Such things as the gustiness of the wind, wave conditions and tide flows all have a marked effect! In the chart "kg" means the horizontal load on the anchor chain in kilograms and "k" is the windspeed in knots.

10

m

8

6 above seabed,

4 Height 1256 kg 70 k 105kg 20 k 168 kg 25 k 21 kg, 8 k 2

56 kg, 15 k

0

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Distance from anchor,m

This chart shows the flattest angle that your chain can make without exceeding the angle shown at the anchor.

For instance if you have a 4:1 scope (bottom axis) then if the slope of the chain at the boat is flatter than 2 horizontal

to one vertical (vertical axis) the chain will be pulling up at the anchor, and if it is flatter than about 3 to one it will pull up at more than 10 degrees to the horizontal.

6

bow 5

at

4 10 degree angle at seabed angle

3 Zero angle at seabed safe

2 Flattest

1

0 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Scope, Chain length /Depth

CCCA Risk Management 74 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE – Seamanship

Snubbers - Mainsheet 446 submitted by Colin Thorne Polar Bear II This article came from a discussion with John Sciacca when he enquired how one would design a snubber. Now I had never thought about this, just using a nice bit of spare rope, however it got me thinking more fundamentally about it. This article looks at the function of a snubber more closely. For the purpose of this article a snubber is defined as a short length of rope with its outboard end fastened onto the anchor chain and at the inboard end secured to a cleat near the bow of the boat. My understanding is that the snubber has two main and one subsidiary purpose. The main one is to protect the anchor winch from anchoring stresses. Most of our winches are designed for ½ ton pull. Our anchors are capable of holding loads of 1 to 2 tons, loads which have the potential to damage the winch if applied to it. Also, leaving the anchor load on the winch stresses the gears and shaft and can distort them. The next is to act as a shock absorber to supplement that of the chain, especially when anchoring in very shallow water because in such conditions the chain is not as effective as in deeper anchorages. The final purpose is a comfort one, to avoid the vibrations coming up the chain to the boat when anchored over coral or rubble. Protecting the anchor winch. Most of the anchor winches we use have a capacity of about half a ton. A good anchor like a plough can hold about 50 times its weight in reasonable conditions, and some newer types like the Rocna or Sarca can either penetrate stronger seabed materials like dense sand and stiff clay, or go a lot deeper, in which cases they can hold up to about twice this or even more. Table 1 Strength of Ropes

Rope Type Ultimate load Stretch at kgs ultimate

Rope Diameter, mm 10 12 14 16 mm per metre

16 Plait polyester cover, 2400 to 3400 to 4800 to 6200 150 3 strand polyester core 3000 3510 5450 Braided nylon core, Not 4150 6250 7600 290 plaited polyester cover Available first loading

CCCA Risk Management 75 20-Mar-15 Braided nylon core, Not 2075 3125 3800 200

plaited polyester cover, Available after repeated heavy loading long term loading

Mostly our cruising boats have 20 kg anchors so they can exert forces on the boat of 1 to 2 tons (1000 to 2000 kgs), and can thus cause damage to the anchor winch if they were directly connected. The function of the snubber is to take this load off the winch. The question then arises of what type of rope to use. Clearly it must have a breaking load in excess of the anchor capacity and Table 1 shows the capacity of two common rope types. The strength and stretch vary somewhat depending on the maker, hence the ranges. The higher values are from www.marlowropes.com, and there is also information if you Google “New England ropes”, “Whittam ropes” or www.yalecordage.com . The reduced ultimate for the nylon rope is because it degrades under repetitive loading. Now I looked at this a long time ago and adopted a 10mm plaited rope with 3 strand polyester core. This looked OK from the strength point of view, and besides I had some lying around and it was easy to tie onto the chain! It has worked just fine for around 20,000 miles and three and a half years of cruising (except one time when a whale hit the chain and busted it, but that is another story). A bigger diameter is OK, but see below. Shock Absorber Action I have never thought about how much the snubber acts as a shock absorber, rather thinking it the job of the chain; however, many seem to think this is an important function. In shallow anchorages, maybe less than 7 to 8 metres and certainly under 5 metres if the scope is at all limited there can be grabbing as the boat sails on the anchor in a blow. The windage on the boat is important: at 50 knots the head on drag on Polar Bear II is just over a third of a ton, but the real kick comes because of the sternway the boat builds up in a gust, storing energy in the boat. A 10 ton boat like Polar Bear II has about 0.3 kNm of energy stored up at .5 knots and about 1.25 kNm at 1 knot. (To give some idea, a kNm is the energy needed to lift a 100 kg weight up 1 metre). The anchor rode has to absorb this to stop the boat going downwind. The physics of this is really complex because the boat sheers around, however one way to look at it is to see how much energy that the chain will absorb and how much extra energy absorption comes from the snubber. Table 2 shows the energy absorption for two situations, one with 40 metres of 10mm chain in 8m of water and one with 20m of 10mm chain in 3m of water. The energy absorption of the rope is, of course unrelated to this and is the same in both cases.

CCCA Risk Management 76 20-Mar-15 Table 2 Energy absorption of chain and snubber

Rode segment Anchor loaded to Anchor loaded to 1 0.5 tons ton Energy Absorbed, Energy Absorbed,

kNm kNm 40m of 10mm chain 2.2 2.4 in 8m water 20 m of 10mm chain .44 .47

in 3m water 10mmx 2m Braid .125 .5 Polyester snubber 12mm x2m Nylon .18 .72

Braid Snubber

If you are in a reasonable anchorage akin to the 40metres of chain and 8 metres of water then the normal fronts that come through our area in summer are unlikely to load the anchor above half a ton. In this case the polyester braid snubber increases the energy absorption by 6%; using a plaited cover 12mm nylon is even better, giving 8%. If, however, conditions are really bad and the anchor is really loaded to the point of failure with a one ton load, the improvement is 20% for the polyester rope and 30% for the plaited nylon. The other corollary to this is that a 2m snubber is probably all one needs. It looks as if my humble snubber has been doing more than I thought! In shallower water the increase is even greater, though I doubt anyone would like to sit out a blow in such shallow water as the example. (Actually the best option in this instance is to use a weight of about 15 kilos or more attached to the chain about a metre above the seabed, Google “Anchor Buddy” for a commercial weight though, Hoi Hoi just used a heavy ship’s shackle. Another alternative to keep the boat from whizzing around is to use two anchors) The use of a nylon snubber clearly increases the energy absorption, however it does not do to overdo this, because as the gust passes the energy stored in the snubber and a fair portion of that stored in the chain (water drag on the chain absorbs a lot) is returned to the boat, sending it forward. If you overdo it then the boat will be shot forward like a stone from a catapult! The other thing to realise is that, for a fixed length, the energy absorption actually decreases as thicker rope is used because the rope stretches less and is stiffer: for instance a 16mm snubber will only absorb about 60% of the energy of a 12mm one stretched to the same

CCCA Risk Management 77 20-Mar-15 load. For a boat like Polar Bear II I think a 10mm one is OK but if nylon is used then it would have to be 12mm because they do not make smaller. Bigger boats would clearly need larger diameter snubbers. Noise Reduction In anchorages with coral or rubble bottoms, the chain makes a lot of noise as it drags across the bottom. There are not many places like this, and usually one should avoid them, but the cruising books all say if you do have to anchor there, a long snubber (not long enough to reach the bottom though) will reduce the noise. I have never had much success at this but maybe I used the wrong rope. Practicalities There are a few practical matters. I personally think it is important to let off extra chain once the snubber is in place so there is a loop of chain from the bow roller down and then back up to where the snubber is fixed to the chain. It is essential that there is enough slack to allow for stretching of the snubber, which can exceed three hundred millimetres if a new nylon snubber is used. The extra chain makes a tiny improvement in energy absorption, but more importantly, makes it much less likely that the chain hook or the knot attaching the snubber to the chain will come undone. There are various ways of attaching the snubber to the chain. I do not like bits of metal swinging around on the foredeck and my favourite (and that of a number of my serious cruising friends) is to tie the snubber rope onto the chain with a rolling hitch. I suspect that this method is not feasible with ropes larger than 12mm. Hooks bent from rod can open out under severe load, and if a hook is to be used it should be a proper chain hook designed for the specific chain being used, although at least one member has had trouble even with these. Chain claws can drop off. I do not like shackles, though some of my very experienced friends use them: I am concerned that they may undo or jam and be difficult to undo. You usually seem to need to do this at night with a gale of wind and rough seas. If the snubber is tied onto the chain, then as a last resort, a knife will definitely free it (we have never had to resort to this). It matters how the snubber is lead over the bow. The best is a roller because otherwise it will make a lot of noise as it stretches and then springs back, and this also will chafe the rope. Even with a roller the rope will make some noise as it is dragged sideways and a springy snubber will make a lot more noise than a stiffer one. If the snubber has to go over the same roller as the chain it is important to keep the two apart. In any case, 3 strand nylon is not good for a snubber because it chafes quickly. Most braid nylon ropes have a polyester cover because of this. The preference for plaited rope goes to a lesser extent for polyester ropes too. OK that is all, whoever thought you could write so much about a bit of rope!

CCCA Risk Management 78 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE – Seamanship

Overboard, Mainsheet 428 by Doug Brooker Touchwood

On a short handed yacht, one of the most dangerous happenings is to lose a person overboard. In most reference books, there is talk of deputising various people for all manner of jobs. If the crew is only two, and one has gone swimming, the situation is completely different.

Prevention is the best cure for man overboard.

This means:- 1. A continuous jackstay from bow to stern. It should be made of at least 12 mm double braid rope in good condition as it has to absorb a huge shock load if a person falls off the boat. It should not be made of webbing as sunlight will rot it, while wire and Spectra will not stretch to absorb the shock load as the person stops. Clipping a harness just to a U bolt or padeye is asking for it to break.

2. Always clip on before coming up the hatch. Keep the harness line clipped to the jackstay with its free end led down the main hatch.

3. On deck - NEVER unclip, even “just for a second” to reach something.

If you are faced with a man overboard situation, the person must have broken the above rules, and should probably be left behind as punishment. While just, this is probably not socially acceptable, so we must now try to recover them.

The “Quickstop” Man Overboard Recovery Method

Some years ago, the US Naval Sailing Academy, the USYRU and others conducted extensive research and sea trials. These resulted in a simple man overboard recovery system, now known as the Quickstop. It has been proven successful many times since, especially when combined with a Lifesling or similar.

Its features are - IMMEDIATE reduction of boat speed by turning into the wind, - maneuvering at modest speed, and - remaining near the victim. With quick reactions in moderate conditions, you need not ever be more than 2 boat lengths from them. This has also been called the “Pirouette”, as you keep circling until they get the Sling.

Procedure for the “Quickstop” 1. Immediately bring the boat head to wind, as you shout 'Man Overboard' (if there is anyone to shout to); 2. Stream the Sling, and get a crew member (if available) to watch the victim.

CCCA Risk Management 79 20-Mar-15 With a genoa –

a) Hold the sheet to back the headsail, slowing the boat and turning her more quickly; b) Continue through the tack; c) Keeping the mainsail centred, circle slowly; d) Drop (or roll) the headsail when heading downwind; e) Gybe the boat (still with the mainsail hard on); f) Approach the victim on a course approximately 450 to 600 off the wind; g) Establish contact with the Lifesling; h) Stop the boat completely; i) Effect recovery over the windward side.

With a poled out headsail or a spinnaker – a) As the boat comes head to wind, ease the pole quickly to the headstay. b) Roll the headsail or lower the halyard, gathering the sail on the foredeck. You must be prepared to damage the spinnaker, but the victim will probably be willing to pay for it after a successful recovery. c) You are now to leeward of the victim. Motor or sail back under mainsail to pick them up.

Engine –

The motor may be useful to speed the return and during the final approach, but do not start it until all ropes are clear. Completely STOP the propeller during the pick up! The pickup – a) Have ready at least a rope with a bowline. b) As you come alongside, the boat must stop. Even 2 knots is too fast! c) Hoist the victim aboard in the Sling, preferably using a spinnaker halyard as it is more likely to lead clear.

If a person is conscious, the Quickstop really works.

“Quickstop” pickup, using a Sling.

CCCA Risk Management 80 20-Mar-15

CCCA Risk Management 81 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE INDEX

STRONG WIND SAILING Page

Kyeema Sailing to Lord Howe Island, Mainsheet 334 83

THE Touch'N Go Crossing Mainsheet 340 89

Xebec's Cruise to Tasmania -Bass Strait Crossings Going South, Mainsheet 350 96

Cruising Magnificent Islands, Mainsheet 364 100

Rolldown, Mainsheet 393 106

A Tasman Crossing, Mainsheet 368 113

Downward Passage Making, Mainsheet 424 117

Blue Water Sailing, Mainsheet 433 122

The Great Bass Strait storm, Mainsheet 485 128

Head on with an Island, Mainsheet 362 133

CCCA Risk Management 82 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE– Strong Wind Sailing Kyeema Sailing to Lord Howe Island, a challenging and wonderful experience, - Mainsheet 334 by Nellie and Romul Roman

We first sailed to Lord Howe Island in late December, 1989 and we fell in love with the place. In our opinion, it is the most rewarding destination for a yacht sailing from Sydney for a 3-5 days trip; Allan Lucas in the NSW Cruising Guide quotes the island as the Australia crowning jewel in her list of natural wonders and compares it with Bora Bora and the Marquesas. Someone gave us the explanation to its name after the surprised exclamation of a sailor in times long past who on sighting the island said: Oh Lord, how did this island get here? In those days before the GPS it was not unusual for sailors to miss the island altogether, particularly in bad weather considering that it is only about 5.5 miles long by I mile wide and the 420 odd miles passage is subject to strong currents which can reach 2 knots in places. While returning from our cruise to the Barrier Reef North Queensland in 1998, we decided to visit the Lord Howe Island again during autumn 1999 and did the necessary preparations for the trip. This time we were equipped with GPS and radar which was going to make the trip passage easier. As the prevailing winds were southerly in late April, we decided to start our crossing direct from Sydney. After waiting for a gale to pass over Sydney, we left mid-morning on Monday, 26th April, 1999 with light SE winds and all signs pointed to a slow passage. The evening Sydney weather forecast to our surprise indicated a low developing near Sydney coast with strong wind warning and possible gale. We considered the possibility of sailing to Broken Bay to wait out for a few days the bad weather forecast, but decided to continue as Kyeema handled strong winds well on past occasions. I n hindsight we wish we didn't. During the night and Tuesday morning we had I0-12 knots with a smooth sea and we were awaiting the change in weather. Our 'Erie' wind vane was steering and at midday we went below to have some lunch. I saw a dark line at the horizon indicating that the front was coming. Suddenly, I realized that the front was moving fast and decided to go outside and reduce sail. Coming on deck I saw a low dark cumulonimbus cloud at the Northern end of the front with a very large water spout (our first sighting of such monster), which was about 3 mile away and it appeared to move in our direction. Immediately I put down and lashed all sails, started the engine and as the bearing of the water spout was unchanged, I altered our course 90 degrees heading for the front which was very dark with visible lightening. The relief, we noticed that the bearing to the water spout was changing slowly and decided to

CCCA Risk Management 83 20-Mar-15 take a few photos. We watched a second water spout forming and were relieved when they both passed us less than half a mile astern before we entered the front. Our relief was short lived due to the heavy lightning, large hail and strong winds with visibility reduced to 50 metres. Behind the front, the SW wind intensified and by evening it was blowing 50 knots with gusts in excess of 55 knots. The sea built up rapidly with huge steep waves due to current against wind conditions. We had about 2 sq.m main only and the Erie wind vane was set to keep the bow partly into the wind. Unfortunately, the bolt that secured the water vane came undone and with no volunteers to hand steer, we decided to heave-to. During the night the wind continued to intensify but our wind speed instrument stopped working and we had no record of its intensity Around 3.00 AM that night I had to go out to lash down a solar panel which was being held by the last thread of a fixing bolt (all others came undone due to wind caused vibration),and I felt very vulnerable; by then one stanchion base was broken, the cockpit spray dodgers were in shreds and occasionally with the warning noise of an express train approaching, a huge wave was breaking over Kyeema which was totally e ngulfed in water. During Wednesday, somehow we got used to the intensity of the storm; Kyeema, a heavy displacement yacht with long keel gave us a sense of security. Sydney Radio finally acknowledged the weather as severe storm and indicated the low as moving slowly to N-E. We changed course to N-W to get out of it. Our GPS indi cated a boat speed of 1 Kn.

CCCA Risk Management 84 20-Mar-15 During Thursday the winds started to drop slowly. Unfortunately, during the day the top part of our rudder broke-up and we were laying a hull. I thought on other occasions what I would do if I lose the rudder. O ne idea was to use a Sea Squid sea anchor connected to lines on . One line takes the load and causes a drag on that side. However, that required boat speed something we could not afford in those conditions. We decided to wait for the storm to pass. By mid-afternoon, while checking our position and drift, I realized that we were only 12 miles from the Seal Rocks and our NW drift was taking us there sometime during the night. In order to change course to the other tack I secured two lines, each wrapped few times around what was left of our rudder and brought back to the two jib winches. This way I could get some minor rudder control to on to the other tack to d rift offshore. We contacted by radio the Coastal Patrol at both Forster and Port Stevens and informed them of our situation and possible assistance needed but their advice was that the sea was too big to get their sea rescue boats out. We informed them that we could manage on our own at that stage, that we did not have real life threatening situation and we would contact them later if our situation deteriorated. By Saturday morning the wind dropped to 15-20 kns. The sea abated and we put- up sail, started the engine and headed for Lake Macquarie. We contacted Swansea Coast Guard, explained our situation and requested a tow from the Water Police to get us past the bar when we reached Moon Island, which they provided to our relief We dropped anchor near the Swansea Bridge as it was getting dark. After a good night’s sleep, we inspected for damage and found the following: • One small inflatable secured on deck has disappeared. • Our top light was broken, we assume hit by hail. • The waves braking over us hit the alum. Dinghy lashed on deck over the Samson posts with such force that one of the posts perforated the side of our dinghy. • Two bent stanchions, one broken stanchion base, lifeline spray dodgers ripped and main dodger damaged. • Sea water spray over the radio equipment and mobile phone. • When we removed the rudder for repair, we found that the bottom pintle was badly worn and had to be replaced the pin was missing and the middle pintle pin was bent and had to be cut out. • Radar damaged due to excessive vibration or induction from lightning. • Electric autopilot damage, electric bilge pump burnout, wind i nstrument vane bearing seized.

CCCA Risk Management 85 20-Mar-15 overboard. We put any sense of fear at the back of our mind and both thinking and actions were done in very slow motion .By comparison, when the wind dropped to 30- 35 kn., it looked like picnic time. It is a good idea to think beforehand of things that could go wrong and be prepared to cope with heavy weather or equipment failure. The important part if caught in a storm in open waters is not to panic, position the yacht for minimum stress and avoid possible injury to crew. Speed and course have little relevance as long as we are away from land. I have to say that even after the above experience we prefer blue water sailing than coastal sailing as the main danger to a good craft comes primarily from close proximity to land and ships traffic. During winter we made a tri p to Europe and on our return we carried out repairs to Kyeema, making sure that the rudder, after repairs, was stronger than before, and all equipment and electronics thoroughly checked. We decided that trips to Lord Howe should preferably be in summer and considered to have another go at it in mid-January, 2000. When we indicated our intention to other club members, we were delighted when Joy and Vladimir on Touch 'N Go' expressed interest to come with us. We decided for an easy, comfortable passage. In order to avoid the seamounts and mini mize the effect of contrary currents on the way to Lord Howe and at the same time

CCCA Risk Management 86 20-Mar-15 allow us to keep a course in both northerly and southerly winds, we decided to start our crossing from Port Stevens. After provisioning with solids and liquids (including water and fuel we sailed to Coasters Retreat Pittwater where we rafted with Touch'N Go'. Next we sailed to Swansea and the following day in light winds we continued to Port Stevens where we took a day rest and briefly met with Nicely Done II who were on their way South. Vladimir obtained a 4 days weather forecast which indicated a number of lows over parts of Australia with the promise of stronger winds from the North and a Southerly change later which was to give us a good push towards Lord Howe. As we considered that there was no advantage in waiting for the ideal weather for the duration of the trip, we agreed to leave the following morning. The weather forecast was for winds increasing to 15-20Kn NNE going to NNW on Thursday. After we started close hauled and with the wind gradually freshening, it was clear that Kyeema, with her wide bow, was not going to keep the course with Touch 'N Go' so we eased sails a little heading East. The wind increased gradually, we reduced sail further and kept heading east. The sea started to built-up and it was a bit confused due to the southerly set current. A front passed us by hrs. With NNE winds 25-30 kn. then the winds eased leaving us with a lumpy sea. A SSW wind 15-20 Kn. came early the following morning but eased to 10 Kns by midday and calm at 3.00PM then turned to light NW later in the afternoon. A seam opened-up in our genoa just serviced by Hood) and we took advantage of the calm to replace it with a No.2 we carried on board. The wind change repeated several times during the trip to just about all points of the compass and strength from calm to 25 kn. creating at times a confused sea. On day 3 we caught a Dorado, beautiful fish more commonly seen in the tropics, which I filleted ready for cooking once we reached our destination. The current was against us for at least 50% of the trip and with us for a while once East of the Dampier Ridge. 75 miles before reaching Lord Howe, the wind turned 1O-15Kn from ENE (you guessed, that was our heading) and with a 2 kn. WNW setting current we decided to start the engine and motor into the wind. The current and wind eased during the night and by early morning a light southerly breeze helped us sail to the island where we arrived at 1O.OOAM. We contacted the Lord Howe Island Maritime, Mr. Clive Wilson on VHF Ch. 12. He gave us directions on course and bearing, through the North Passage, across the lagoon to a mooring South of Blackburne Island, where we were joined by Touch 'N Go' who arrived the night before . We all celebrated the arrival with champagne and red caviar. In the afternoon and the following day I was busy repairing our genoa which was loosely stored and took too much space inside. With help from our club members we replaced the genoa in rather windy conditions. The following days the winds increased to 25 gusting 30kn. SW winds closing the lagoon to other incoming yachts who found shelter anchoring on the other side of the island in good holding sandy bottom.

CCCA Risk Management 87 20-Mar-15 During our earlier visit to the island in 1989, we took a mooring near the North passage which we found rolly and uncomfortable because of the proximity to the reef and ocean swell at mid to high tide. However, we found that the moorings in the middle of the lagoon South of Blackburn Islands were much better being a distance away from the outside reef A yacht can cross the lagoon with care at high tide only; we noticed depth of min 2.5 m on our passage. Not far from our moorings were the best spots for snorkeling where the local glass bottom boats brought tourists daily. The weather improved after a few days with clear skies and light winds. We took many walks, went snorkeling and fishing. For the second half of our 15 days stay there, we took the dinghy outside to reef for fishing or diving. One day I went with the local outfit for a dive at the Admiralty Islands a short distance NE of Lord Howe and had a fantastic experience diving to 18 metres amongst a great variety of fish, coral and sighted even few lobsters. Anchoring is not permitted in the lagoon, but the nominal fee of $ 16.00/day for the mooring more than compensates for the peace of mind should the winds become a concern with limited or no possibility to exit the lagoon. Touch'N Go left before us but we kept in touch by radio and followed their progress. We left at I0.00 AM on Monday 7.20 at high tide via the northern Erscots Pass following Clive's directions with a light easterly and clear sky. We were only using our MPS as the winds were 8-10 kn. By evening, the winds increased to 1 5Kn. We took-in the MPS (which as a rule we do not use at night) and under main and genoa we were making good progress helped by a favorable current. The second day the wind turned to ENE and we sailed under MPS and main and replaced the MPS with poled genoa for the night. On Wednesday the winds gradually increased reaching 28 Kns. from the North during night and early Thursday morning. That day we covered 150 mi les in 24 hrs. We arrived at our mooring in Sydney at 3.00 PM after a very satisfying return trip of 425 miles in 3 days and 5 hrs. The occasional frustrations and a bit of hard work involved in the passage to Lord Howe is more than compensated by the great diversity of what the island can offer and usually a fast and easy return trip.

CCCA Risk Management 88 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE– Strong Wind Sailing

THE TOUCH'N GO CROSSING Mainsheet 340 by Vlad and Joy. This trip to New Caledonia was for us the big adventure for which, in a way, we had been preparing since we got Touch 'n Go four years ago. We set off reassured that the weather would be moderate, no more than 25 knots, and the winds favorable. That is how it went for five of the expected seven day crossing, then a low formed right on top of us and we battled a gale. We deployed a sea anchor and let the low pass over us. Whilst we suffered breakages and injury the backup systems all worked and got us safely to Noumea. Preparations started in 1997 when we bought the boat and had four months of work done on it. We then did two shakedown cruises to northern Queensland in the winters of 1997 and 1998. In 1999 we were ready for New Caledonia and beyond. We set out from Coffs Harbour in company with three other yachts all bound for Noumea. Due to ill health we turned back 10 hours after starting, two of the yachts made it to Noumea in about 7 days and the smallest, called Puffin, sank. Puffin which was slower than the rest was still at sea when a low developed just east of Noumea and during the storm it hit some floating object and stared sinking. The EPIRB was set off and a French military helicopter rescued the crew of two. We were still at Coffs when they returned minus all their worldly possessions but undaunted, they are currently cruising the Pacific in a new boat. A year later we were ready to try again, just the two of us encouraged by a practice run to Lord Howe Island in January 2000. In mid-May we set off from Pittwater for Coffs Harbour our chosen clearance port where we met up with Ratu 7, another Cavalier 37 from Pittwater bound for New Caledonia and Vanuatu. They were three up and ready to go whilst we still had to provision, so sadly we saw them go off on the 16th of May. We had a radio sked with them and followed their progress with interest. I had my weather fax working well and tried to relate their reports to what the fax showed. They had a very uneventful run, no extreme weather and no other dramas, they crossed in 7 days. Their weather pattern consisted of a series of highs loosely linked all the way from the Indian Ocean across Australia to the Pacific. This band of high pressure across the continent was keeping all the fronts and lows south of the mainland. Before we were ready to depart the weather pattern changed. A deep low south of Tasmania pushed its way up the east coast and produced a series of fronts that swept up the coast. Meanwhile an intense high was stationary well south in the Great Australian Bight. This combination sucked cold air from way down south producing record low on the mainland and strong wind and gale warnings along the NSW coast. We could but wait. We were not alone; another two yachts were also waiting to make the crossing. As soon as the strong wind warning was lifted they left and we left the next day, Monday the 5th of June.

CCCA Risk Management 89 20-Mar-15 Remains of Hydrovane rudder and anti-chafe reinforced hosing

Meteorology to get their views about the weather we could expect. They thought we would have moderate, favorable winds until we hit the trades. Nothing more than 25 knots and no nasties appeared to be developing in the Coral Sea. What more could you ask for? After weeks of strong winds and gales we had no wind to start with and had to motor for the first 10 hours! Monday night a NW wind came in with a bang, 25 knots and a chop to match in a matter of 10 minutes. I had taken the Hydovane's rudder off for motoring and with the boat's motion was unable to put it back on in the dark. We used the autopilot until the morning when I put the rudder on with the help of a handle I had lashed onto it during the night. The wind backed around to the SW and stayed in the 20 to 25 knot range but on a rough, swell from the south. Throughout Tuesday to Thursday we only used 1/3 to 2/3 of the Genoa and no main. We could not take full advantage of the favorable winds because of the rough swell and seas on the beam. As soon as our speed went over 7 knots for any length of time the boat would fall off a wave with a shuddering bang which we found unnerving and unnecessary. All this stopped if we slowed down a little. We comfortably maintained 5 to 6 knots with only a fraction of the genoa and this was good for a 6.5 day crossing with no drama. Furling the genoa is a one person operation executed from the cockpit, the Hydrovane did the steering and all was looking just fine. Our watch system worked well and gave us adequate rest. We had roughly 3 hours on and 3 off between 1800 and 0730 and during the day we each tried to get two lots of 1-2 hour rest periods. Whoever was on watch would do 3 hourly position fixes and log entries and do the radio sked. Having the Hydrovane or autopilot do all the steering freed up the

CCCA Risk Management 90 20-Mar-15 crew to do the chores and keep a lookout for ships. After leaving the coast we saw no more ships until 20 miles out of Noumea. On Thursday morning we came up to the trade winds blowing from the SSE and a much improved sea state. By Thursday afternoon the wind had backed from SSE 10-15 to SE 20-25 making us too shy for genoa only so the main came up with the second reef in. The wind backed to ESE and varied from 5-10 to 10-20 knots which kept us busy reefing. The seas had settled and we were no longer falling off waves at speed which was in the 6-6.5 range most of Friday. Saturday was humid, cloudy and rainy, typical of pre-frontal conditions and the wind had backed further to the East. The barometer reading which had been in the 1020 to 1025 millibars range since Wednesday, started to drop from 1020 to 1013 millibars in 4.5 hours from midday Saturday then to 1004 by midday Sunday. Things were changing fast! Saturday's weather forecast mentioned a trough well off the Queensland coast and a deepening low of 1006 millibars moving SE with associated gale force winds. Saturday morning's weather fax from Melbourne showed the trough to the north of us and a front to the south and both heading our way. Townsville radio's Saturday night forecast mentioned the formation of a low at about our location and asked for any reports, so I obliged giving our location, wind and sea state confirming the expected 40-45 knots from the east. I had a horrible feeling that we might be sitting in the middle of an out of season cyclone, if such things exist. They are the sort of thoughts that come to haunt you and you try to ignore. We did get the Para Anchor for just such a possibility but never really thought that we would need to use it. By Saturday afternoon winds were about 30 knots gusting to 38 with more to come. We got the Para Anchor out and prepared it for deployment. Under 1/4. Genoa and 4th reef in the main the boat slowed down to 4 knots and the Hydrovane kept us hard on the wind. Six hours later we had sailed 25 miles in the right direction but it was very hard on the sails. When a new genoa furler rope chafed through at the jammer and the whole thing unrolled and started whipping about it was action stations. Fortunately I had experience in removing the genoa in strong winds and stuffing it down the fore hatch. This time I did not have to pull the genoa out of the sea but the wind was stronger, still it all went in OK but we were not pleased with the amount of water that went down the hatch with the sail! With the genoa out of the way, we decided to put out the sea anchor as more wind was expected from the east and we did not want to be blown back to Australia! We had never deployed the sea anchor and we had to do it in the dark, not a good scenario. The end of a 50 meter nylon rope was secured to the bow cleat with about three meters to spare, the rope was brought back to the cockpit where all the rest had been assembled and checked. We knew that with a partial trip line, once the deployment started there would be huge forces involved and no going back short of cutting the thing loose. We deployed on the windward side from the cockpit, first the partial trip line, then the float and the Para Anchor which I shook out of the bag as it went over. As we drifted away from all this we noticed that the rope was starting to pay out; it went

CCCA Risk Management 91 20-Mar-15 out slowly but in jerks as the boat rolled. All was going well until near the end of the rope a loop coiled around a main winch and Joy's thumb got caught when she went to free it. She shouted and I pulled on the rope until her hand was free. One problem was solved but another created. As I jumped forward I had stepped into a bight of the rope which promptly tried to pull me overboard with it. I was tethered on so I dangled my leg over the side and it unwound. But the rope was not finished with us yet. When I crossed over to pull on the rope I had also crossed my tether over the rope which now tugged at the tether instead of falling free over the safety lines. I could either go over the side, under the rope and back into the cockpit or undo the tether. I undid the tether and the rope went free. It was not for nothing that this rope was christened Houdini on its first and only previous use 3 years before! All this drama was worth it. As we drifted from the anchor the bow was pulled into the wind and stayed there for the next 12 hours. Under bare poles the boat stayed head to wind give or take about 15 degrees and to my surprise the bow rose easily to every wave. I credit the stretch in the l6mm nylon rope for allowing the bow to lift to the seas because the anchor was certainly not going anywhere! In 12 hours we drifted NW 10 miles and our distance to Noumea had increased only 4 miles. As soon as the anchor rope was out we went below to attend to Joy's injured hand. The thumb was bleeding profusely and she was applying pressure to stop it. After a while the bleeding stopped enough for the wound to be cleaned and closed with 5 or 6 steristrips; it was a gash the full length on the inside of the thumb. This was not a simple cut but a tear and bruising which immediately · caused a swelling that persisted for more than a month afterwards. Chafe of the sea anchor rope was a problem. All the time we were at anchor I did two hourly checks of the rope and moved it along so the same spots would not get all the wear; for this purpose I had left three meters before the bitter end. By the time we were finished the one inch reinforced hosing that the rope ran through was completely destroyed.

CCCA Risk Management 92 20-Mar-15 At the height of the gale going to the bow was a pretty miserable crawl on all fours with wind rain and spray lashing at my face. I was lightly dressed for these too frequent excursions, just the weatherproof jacket over my underwear. On the return trips I got hurry up from the wind as the spray blasted up my jacket. Whilst forward I also observed how the bow was rising to the seas, there was another 100 meters of l6mm nylon waiting to be deployed if the bow did not consistently rise to the waves or if the gale lasted longer or got stronger than expected and the waves became higher and longer. I deployed only 50 meters of rope initially because with 40-45 knots of wind the wave height would be about 5.5 to 7 meters at most and crests not too far apart. By keeping the scope short I hoped the boat would be kept more firmly in line with the anchor and we would get the benefit of any slick the anchor may have created. The boat did stay lined up remarkably well and no significant breaking waves hit the bow. Whether that was due to the slick from the anchor I don't really know because the strongest winds were during the night when I could not observe the extent of breaking waves downwind of the anchor and either side of it. In preparing the boat for this crossing I had sealed the chain locker to stop water entering and adding weight to the bow. I had also contemplated moving the IOOkg of chain amidships to lighten the bow and in the end decided not to. In the event it did not matter but if the conditions had been more severe, lightening the bow would be a good idea. To add to our worries, at about the time the genoa was brought in, we noticed a bit of water on the saloon floor and a loud sloshing in the . In a few minutes the electric pump cleared the water from the bilges but we were not sure where it had come from; it was just too much to have come in with the genoa. Did we have a serious leak in the deck, was the stem gland starting to leak for the first time ever or what? Thoughts of Puffin sinking hereabouts last year were hard to ignore. A search discovered a steady trickle off the back of the gearbox and no other leaks. The gearbox is water cooled by sea water before it goes into the engine, so I figured that if the leak got worse we could always turn off the engine seacock when the engine was not in use and that should stop us from sinking. Later I found the leak to come from a pinhole in a copper water pipe and by repositioning a hose that joined onto the pipe the leak was fixed. The big sloshing of water had found its way into one of the lockers where much of our canned food was stored, causing a lot of work when we got to port. All labels had to be removed, cans washed in fresh water, dried and put away. Fortunately the cans were already marked with waterproof texta another of the contingencies we thought would never be used came good. Being on the Pentacomstat network and reporting our position twice a day helped morale on board during this stressful time when we were feeling threatened and alone. We were also cheered up by a message from Rosenkavalier . It was nice to know that people were thinking of us even though we were on our own as far as practical help was concerned. The need for self-sufficiency was never clearer.

CCCA Risk Management 93 20-Mar-15 By mid- morning Sunday the winds had abated, the pressure was still down at 1004 millibars so we were in the eye of the low. We used the lull to install a tough new Kevlar furler rope and hoist the genoa. We spent all Sunday tidying up and were too tired and wary of the 25 knot westerly wind which started up in the late afternoon. We decided to spend another night on the Para Anchor and let the low pass over us. The night was not comfortable; we rolled a lot as the seas were confused by the change in wind direction. Next morning we were eager to get going but there was the job of recovering the Para Anchor. Joy was willing to cut it loose rather than risk snagging the propeller with it or having it drag me overboard. The Para Anchor had caused Joy much pain and suffering so I could understand her readiness to be rid of it. I on the other hand, thought of the cost of the thing and the possible need for it again. The seas were moderate and the wind was 20-25 knots so we had a go at recovery which turned out to be easy even though the partial trip line had tangled around the anchor's float. We motored slowly towards the float whilst taking up the slack rope, the anchor was visible well below the keel of the boat. I picked up the float just like a mooring and hauled it up; the anchor collapsed and was easily brought on deck. We had 200 miles to go to the Amadee Lighthouse and a stiff 20-25 knot "B wind to push us along on a tight reach. Making 6 knots with a 4th reef in the ..din and 1/3 to 112 Genoa, we hoped to make the entrance before dark the second day. All of Monday the winds stayed SE 20-25 and we kept up a good pace but reefed down for the night as Joy had difficulty reefing on her own with the injured hand. By Tuesday, the wind had backed and picked up so we were now hard on the wind to make our landfall. We were using our autopilot which is not as efficient at steering to windward as the Hydrovane. The supposedly indestructible Hydrovane rudder had broken in half whilst we rode on the sea anchor; I should have taken it off but did not because of the earlier difficulty of putting it back in a rough sea. It was dark when we negotiated Passe de Boulari which is not a tricky entrance. The leads on Amadee Lighthouse were very distinct, the GPS and compass gave a confirmation of the course and the radar gave the distances off. The only problem was the wind which did not let up and had us going faster through the reef than I would have wished. Inside the lagoon the buoys all fell into place and we made the anchorage in Port Moselle by 2100 EST. What a relief to be in port. The crossing took 8.5 days of which 1.5 were spent on the sea anchor. After the entry formalities were over at the international visitor’s jetty we got on with washing and drying all the gear we had used including the sea anchor. I washed the Para Anchor and all the ropes and hung them out to dry before stowing them for what I hoped would be a very long time. A 15 foot blue and yellow striped sea anchor hoisted up the mast to dry was soon noticed and word got around from those at the marina who were monitoring the Pentacomstat sked. Soon skippers of all nationalities were stopping to ask how the sea anchor had worked, how it was deployed and also to tell me of the methods they had devised for dealing with their sea anchors if ever they needed to use

CCCA Risk Management 94 20-Mar-15 them. I was surprised to find that only one of the dozen skippers I spoke to had actually deployed a sea anchor in a gale hence their eagerness to talk to someone who had. Joy's bandaged thumb was a reminder that we were not experts at deploying a sea anchor but we could relate what happened and let them draw their own conclusions. One piece Of advice I did give was to deploy in daylight if at all possible, our accident may not have happened if we had done so. What impressed me was the amount of thought and preparation that many of the skippers had given the subject.

CCCA Risk Management 95 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE– Strong Wind Sailing XEBEC'S Cruise to Tasmania - Bass Strait Crossings Going South, Mainsheet 350 by John and Nat.

Our plan for the Bass Strait crossing was to wait for a High to approach the West Coast of Tasmania and to leave into a SE for the first 12 hours. Xebec, Mercedes V and Aquarius left Eden on Dec 02 at 0900 into a 10-15kt SE on a 1.0-1.5m swell. We planned to stop at Babel Island (off Flinders Is) so set waypoints accordingly. After having very little breeze and motor sailing for quite a few hours we were hit at 2200 with 30kts NE just as a container ship was going past - not a good experience. Once we sorted this out we ran with only half the headsail and were doing 8kts. The following day we ended up motor sailing for most of the day under a clear blue sky and not a boat in sight. By 1700 we realised that we wouldn't be near Babel until 2200 and not a good time to find an anchorage. As a light SW was forecast for later in the night we changed course and headed for Eddystone Point. We sighted Eddystone early on the 4th when we were experiencing a strong NW so decided to continue to Long Point, which is north of Bicheno. We reached Long Point at 2000 on the 4th and shared the anchorage with one trawler.

Highlights: • Lying on the cockpit floor watching the brilliant sky as Xebec surged forward in the 3.0 metre swell, the Coursemaster effortlessly steering us across Bass Strait. • Seeing a whale do a 180 behind us followed by a seal and a pod of dolphins performing their choreography. • Not seeing one vessel after we left the shipping channel until St Helens. • Dropping anchor in Long Point after 60 hours of sailing and enjoying a plate of pasta and a glass of red. Return North We departed Bellerive Yacht Club on Wednesday 2nd May after picking up my son Phillip who wanted to do some sailing and fishing. "Mates" had given him "Fatal Storm" to read on the plane and I wondered whether this was a bad omen. We decided to explore areas we missed on the way south, so we called into Port Arthur, Fortesque Bay, Maria Island and then Wineglass Bay to wait for a weather window to cross to Eden. We spent the 8th resting and met Ian and Elizabeth on their Hans Christian 43 Ad Adstra who were also waiting to cross. Over the prior 7 days we had motored as there was no wind even though 5-15 knots was predicted. Ian and I studied his weather map and decided to leave on the 9th as good downwind sailing was predicted with a mild front to pass that night with

CCCA Risk Management 96 20-Mar-15 conditions easing quickly. We departed at 9:00am and Ad Astra 4 hours later. We motored till 6:00pm and we took advantage of the calm and had dinner. At 7:00pm the wind came in from the SE and we started to sail with a reefed main. The seas were building quickly and I remarked that something was happening south of us. By 8:00 we had jibed 3 times as the boom brake could not hold the main as conditions were deteriorating and waves were breaking from the east. Then suddenly a wave hit us on the starboard quarter and the boom flu across to port and snapped the eyebolt holding the main block to the deck and we were doing 12 knots and out of control. We started the motor and quickly rounded into the wind. I dumped the main and was glad of the lazy jacks. This was to be our worst experience and by 5:00 am we were in 50 fathoms and only 15 miles from Vansittart Shs. I took over steering and Phil collapsed below to rest as best he could. I remember as the sun rose I was surrounded by foaming seas and then another wave broke over the stern and filled the cockpit. XEBEC settled beneath the waves and we were surrounded by white foaming water over the deck. We surged forward again and headed north. We discussed our options and decided to fight our way northeast across the waves to deeper water. All day we fought our way across and down the waves, motoring at 2000 revs. doing 6 knots with the sea running at 8 knots. It took 5 minutes to secure the failing sheet and block. We then headed downwind under bare poles, running the motor at 2000 revs. Suddenly another wave tore through the cockpit, down the companionway taking out the clear from the port side of the dodger and ripping the lifebuoy and pole over the side. I remember seeing the Burke pole lying on its side and not coming upright. Nat radioed Lady Barren to advise them of our loss so that if found it would not cause a problem. By this time we were opposite Banks strait in 1300 fathoms. Phil and I were in the cockpit and Nat was wedged in the quarter berth. Phil and I were both sick and thankfully this was the last time during the crossing. Phil steered and I called the waves as we struggled to keep square to the waves. Nat was plotting and she soon found we were being driven towards Flinders Island. By 7:00 pm we were in 2400 fathoms entering Bass Strait directly south of Mallacoota Inlet and still a long way to go. I don't remember much of that evening of the 10th as Phil and I hand steered all night. We all existed on tin fruit and muesli bars. During the night Nat was thrown across the cabin even though she had a firm grip on the handrails, and grabbed the table to stop her fall, taking the table with her. The force reefed the table from the floor removing 6 screws. Water was rising in the bilge and we could not find where it was entering. All 3 bilge pumps failed and we used a Beckson hand pump to empty the water multiple times till we reached Disaster Bay. We passed Gabo Island at 8:00 pm on the 11th. At this time we stopped the motor and unfurled the headsail. I then knew we were safe. Thankfully we did not see any shipping and we were able to have some hot food. We had motored and hand steered for 58 hours arriving in Snug cove at 4:00 am on the 12th. The last 24 hours were a blur.

CCCA Risk Management 97 20-Mar-15 LESSONS LEARNT: Run or heave to. Later when studying photos in the "Small Ships Manual" I concluded that the sea was F10 and the wind F7-8. We believe this was due to the position, depths and wind against tide from Banks and Bass straits. As we do not have a Sea Anchor, I decided to run and not to heave to as we did not have sea room over the 9th and 10th. If Phillip had not been with us we would have had to heave to some time on the 10th once clear of Flinders Island. Ad Astra, which was 9 miles astern, suffered a shredded headsail, bent wind vane steering and decided to heave to under a sea anchor. They lost their anchor after 20 hours but they were able to rest and arrived in Eden on Sunday 13th. Water in bilge. This problem was solved later when I found that the automatic bilge pump did not have a non-return valve and the outlet faced the following sea. On advice from Whitworths, I installed a Scupper valve to the outlet as a non-return valve reduces the flow. East Coast of Tassie. Our predicted SW change - when it arrived - turned out to be a SE, which Kettering locals had advised us is the worst wind to sail in this area. Preparation I am glad I installed new hatches and replaced the Perspex in the portholes before we departed. I also made new storm boards and once we closed the boat we did not have any damage. After reading the report on the 1998 Hobart I had doubled the gauge of the covers in the cockpit covering engine and Coursemaster controls and installed gaskets for these. Boom brake I had reduced from 3 to 2 turns whilst in sheltered waters and believe this was a mistake. Yacht design I have a lot of admiration for Peter Cole after this experience .

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Predicted -

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CCCA Risk Management 99 20-Mar-15 CRUISING MAGNIFICENT ISLANDS, Mainsheet 364, by The Team: David, Penny, Bernadette(22) and William(15) Kerr.

NOTE: Cruising Islands detail was removed to highlight the Seamanship expertise– J. Sciacca

Pastime Dismasted LEAVING HOME: It is six months since we departed Sydney for Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. We had been working feverishly for months in order to get our affairs and the boat in order. We left the house in the capable hands of house sitters whom we found via the . We left Pittwater in April and headed up the East Coast of Australia for Cairns, where we intended to clear Customs. The coastal winds were lighter and more variable than last year, interspersed with the occasional strong blow. We used our spinnaker a lot out and gave the engine an occasional run. Fortunately, Pastime of Sydney is a fast boat, so we were able to sail most of the way, albeit at a slower pace than we had predicted. Bernadette flew home from Gizo to resume her University studies. She was sad to go and we were sad too. Her effervescence, humour, cast iron stomach and sailing ability were all missed. LEAVING: Finally, the time came to leave Gizo on a Saturday morning. If the weather was good enough, we planned to sail direct to Coffs Harbour. The was to make Australian landfall at Bundaberg or Gladstone. We had expert private weather advice from the well-known Roger Badham, via email. The weather was patchy for the first day, until we motor sailed through a small low South of Gizo, then we had S to SSE winds- not quite what we wanted, but we were just able to lay Coffs, by being continually close hauled. We got a bit tired of being heeled over day after day and the Westerly set (of current) at up to 2kts was a bit of a pain. We really did not know about this until shortly before we left Gizo and realised that the “South current” on the chart actually

CCCA Risk Management 100 20-Mar-15 goes west! Tuesday/Wednesday, the wind came around from the SE to ESE and we deliberately headed as far East as we could- about 60NM- as Roger predicted more South to come. It did come, on Thursday at 30kts and we could no longer hold the great circle course. Still, we were only 25NM to the West on the morning of Friday 13th when the wind came back to the SE and we were able to pull closer to our desired course- plus the Westerly set had disappeared. DISMASTED: We had been going well as the end of Penny’s watch neared, at 1150. We were over half way, were 1,300Km South of Gizo and about 1,000Km East of Bowen. We were sailing at 6.5kts with heavy reef (to trysail size for the mainsail) and 70% genoa. We had almost got used to the huge “crash” every 10-15 minutes as we fell off the back of a backless wave. Suddenly, there was a different “crash” and Penny blew the whistle and told Will and me that the mast had gone. We scrambled up on deck to behold the scene: mast in two pieces, sails everywhere, damaged stanchions, pushpit and wind turbine. The sea was rough, but not too bad. We only had an occasional wave over the deck. It was hard to get to the foredeck with the wreckage. Penny, Will and Dave worked calmly and well together. We got out the cable cutters, axe, hacksaw, bolt cutters and all the other stuff we thought we would never need. The wind turbine and MOB block and tackle came in very useful. It was very hard work, but we lashed the mainsail down, winched the top of the waterlogged mast alongside the starboard topsides and got the furler & Genoa on board. This was tough, with the sail full of water. We jury rigged a HF aerial from the wind turbine tower, via the boat hook lashed to the mast stump, thence to the pulpit. Our Selcall to Penta Comstat got through immediately and we told Jeanine of our situation. We then motored for 24hrs to Frederick Reefs. We made over 5kts through the big seas and strong wind but only achieved 3kts over the ground. This used a heap of diesel and our normal 500NM range shrunk very considerably (we had also motor-sailed South of Gizo). As Jos mentioned in his recent article where he was dismasted (by a cliff), the motion of a dismasted yacht in a big sea is appalling. JURY RIG: We anchored at Frederick. It was so rough at high tide that Penny needed the stove gimballing to be engaged! We have never ever experienced this at an “anchorage”. Over the next couple of days, we cut away the rest of the rigging, packed away the sails [we saved the mainsail but the Genoa was covered in anti-foul and had some small tears] and sawed up lots of aluminium alloy.

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We had a choice- sail back towards Townville or Cairns or make something that would allow us to sail to windward (to Bundaberg or Gladstone) against the SW winds that we were experiencing. We had insufficient diesel to make land and it would have been foolhardy to risk it in case the engine died. The diesel fuel we had obtained at Misima Island and Gizo was not the best both (very waxy and rusty). Roger Badham was great and increased our email forecasts to three a day to assist decision making. We managed to erect the top 8.5 metres of mast (thus giving us a 10.5metre mast from the waterline), attach the gooseneck and boom plus a storm headsail (using improvised hanks) and trysail. We were a yacht again! We used winches and lots of school geometry to erect the mast. The spinnaker pole was used to make a crane, along with the MOB block and tackle. The sheet winches and Genoa cars were used to keep the mast straight and then lift it when the angles were right. We had to hinge the bottom of the mast to the top of the mast stump and then cut the hinges when the mast was vertical. We had plenty of Spectra rope (very strong and ultra-low stretch) and this was used for the forestay and part of the shrouds. We were able to tension the various stays to about two tonnes each with the winches and used G clamps to hold the truckie’s hitches while half hitches were applied. A weld had failed inside the deck and underneath the stemhead fitting, which then ripped out of the deck. We used an anchor roller as a substitute. We had a couple of riveters and swaging tools; these were essential, as was the power drill. Those cable clamps that we have been carrying for years were vital, once we remembered where to find them.

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TO GLADSTONE: We set off on a Tuesday morning and sailed/motor sailed to Gladstone. We were close hauled the whole time and had to tack quite a bit. If we were doing it again, we would have put up the mainsail on its fourth reef as the trysail was an odd shape and too small. We could only do three knots with the trysail whereas we knew from past experience that the quadruple reefed mainsail and storm jib gave us 6.5kts in 30kts. Still, it was better not to tempt fate, particularly as we knew a big front was coming- the one that hit NSW and the ill-fated Excalibur around the 15th September. We survived that just fine. The only time we got a real SE wind was when we were 12hrs out of Gladstone and could finally come off a close hauled course. We got into the customs pen at 0130 on the Saturday- tired but happy to be safe and well. We had been two weeks at sea and covered 1,108NM on the GPS (much more on the log). We were not scared at any time and counted ourselves fortunate not to have lost the mast between Misima Island and Gizo when we had been knocked down in those worrying, breaking seas. THE LAST PIECE: We spent 10 days in Gladstone organising quotes and tradespeople before returning to Sydney by train. We spent almost three weeks in Sydney while (we thought) the boat was being fixed up and the new mast constructed. David returned to Gladstone on a Tuesday and Penny two days later. The shipwright started work the day before David returned (i.e. 3 weeks late) and the boom was lost in transit to Brisbane until the day before we were due to sail South. Yikes- it was all a bit of a mess, but the essential work was completed. The new stemhead has been constructed differently as the butt weld in the broken one was of poor design and poor execution (it was a weld with poor penetration and only 50% of the perimeter was even partly okay). The total damage bill was almost $30,000. We had offshore insurance, but still had to pay $12,500 due to the large offshore excess. Still, much better to have been insured than not insured. Club Marine was good to deal with. We encourage everyone cruising extensively offshore to ensure they have detailed rig measurements as it is much harder

CCCA Risk Management 103 20-Mar-15 to put the measurements together when the mast is in three pieces and the rigging has been cut up! Great thanks are due to our wonderful friends Ruth and Peter Carter on Byamee. They timed their trip South from Mackay to be in Gladstone before and during our second stay there. Ruth became the "whip" that galvanised the slow shipwright into action. Both Peter and Ruth performed many tasks to help us complete the re-masting during the time we were there & did everything in their usual professional and highly competent style. Ruth also fed David the whole time, which was wonderful. Penny & Dave set sail from Gladstone on Saturday 26th October- just 2 days after the new mast was fitted. The wind instruments were the only things not working as we sailed down the channel at 8 to 9kts with the outgoing tide. We did the 15NM in less than 2 hours, a far cry from the 5hrs when we originally motored in. The good speed continued all the way down to the Great Sandy Strait. We were trying to beat a bad Southerly change that was predicted for Sunday. We made the 160NM in under 24hrs and beat the change by about an hour. We were in touch with Byamee and anchored with them and another boat just before the storm broke. We sat out the bad weather, and then moved down the Strait for a sunrise departure over the Wide Bay Bar and down to Mooloolaba. Again, we had a great run, arriving hours before we thought possible. We flew the spinnaker most of the way. The next day, the mast makers arrived to finalise some of the rigging which was not completed in Gladstone. On the next day, Ruth Carter flew back to Sydney and Peter, Penny & David set off for the hike down to Coffs harbour. We went approximately 40NM offshore to pick up the East Coast current and had a fabulous run during daylight hours, until the current actually turned around against us and we were forced to tack with the winds dropping. Saturday saw the wind pick up and we passed the NSW-QLD border and began to pick up a favourable set again. The wind also shifted so we could just lay Coffs Harbour and we had a very fast run south from Byron Bay. We were delighted with our 6.2knots over the logged distance of 278NM and we were in time for Penny to catch the train from Coffs Harbour to Sydney so that she could assist Bernadette who was having an operation on both feet a couple of days later (the operation worked well). From Coffs Harbour, Peter and I pushed south, sailing each day but avoiding night sailing on the NSW Coast. Past experience has shown us that there is rarely wind at night plus there are hazards from fish trap buoys and fishing trawlers. We saw whales and dolphins every day and the weather was great. Winds were mostly southerly; however the boat revelled in being close-hauled. Between Tuncurry and Port Stephens, we were "buzzed" by a low flying FA18 fighter jet. The noise was incredible and he was presumably pretending we were some sort of marine target. He came again at slower speed but probably wanted a greater display of greeting from us. So, on the third "buzz", we both madly waved and were rewarded by the FA18 waggling its wings in acknowledgement! Our final leg from Port Stephens to Sydney was very fast once the wind got up mid- morning. We revelled in the conditions with the spinnaker flying most of the time. Once

CCCA Risk Management 104 20-Mar-15 we got the spinnaker up, we rapidly outdistanced the catamaran that had been gaining on us. As we entered Broken Bay, with the sun setting behind West Head, there was a great display from two whales which were leaping right out of the water- a fitting welcome back for Pastime. Our constant companions on the radio for 7 months had been Derek and Jeanine from Penta Comstat. We were able to say goodbye to Jeanine as we entered Broken Bay and Derek the next morning when we logged off for this trip. Many thanks to Peter Carter for helping to bring the boat down the final stretch from Mooloolaba, and particularly from Coffs Harbour once Penny had left. We have (sort of) settled back into suburban Sydney life. We all found life on the boat a lot simpler and more relaxing, so we will be lured back soon! We are planning a return to the Solomons and PNG in 2006 but will reverse our direction for that trip. Brief Stats: Trip started: 16th April 2002. Trip ended: 8th Nov 2002. Log & GPS read: 5,108NM (9,500Km)

CCCA Risk Management 105 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE– Strong Wind Sailing

ROLLDOWN Mainsheet 393, by Ian Mitchell, "Osprey A" After spending three months circumnavigating Tasmania clockwise in our Brolga 33, Osprey A, Jan and I were returning to Lake Macquarie. We departed Lady Barron, Flinders Island, on the afternoon of Tuesday, 10th May, 05. On clearing Flinders Island, we set a course for Cape Howe on the south eastern corner of the mainland. The forecast was for 20 -30 knots westerly winds and a 3m

sea on a 2m swell, easing the next day (Wednesday). Early on Wednesday, Osprey A was on course for Cape Howe. Her speed ranged from 6 to 7 knots, averaging 6.3kts. Only occasionally was a small amount of water coming onto the deck or into the cockpit. The lower companionway board was in place and secured. We were sailing with a triple reefed main and the genoa was furled to the size of a No.5 (storm) jib. The Aires was steering, comfortably keeping a close course. The sea had not reached the forecast height, was even with little break, and just aft of the port beam. At 0220hrs, we were 60nm NE of Babel Island, off the east coast of Flinders, S 39 degrees 15 minutes, E 149 degrees 10 minutes, in about 2000m depth of water. Jan was sleeping in the port berth. I was about to climb into the cockpit to look around. Osprey A began to roll to starboard, then rolled faster and kept on going. I had time to feel astonishment and think "This is it!" before crashing down on my right buttock. I felt and heard plunging water impacting on the port side. The yacht then reversed its roll and quickly righted itself. Something hit me, or I hit something, on the left side of my face. I saw water surging over the companionway board. Jan's recollection was of waking to a sense of being in free fall and of a horrible crash as the yacht came down on the starboard side. She then felt a second crash, sensing the

CCCA Risk Management 106 20-Mar-15 yacht being squeezed. She landed on the cabin floor in water and saw the mast at an angle, its heel out of the step. "Oh ****", she cried out, "the boat's broken!" "Ian, where are you? Are you OK?", she asked. I said that I had been hit on the side of the face and was concussed but not greying out. Jan said she was all right. I remained lying in the 250mm of water on the floor, stunned and incapable of moving. Jan asked what she should do. "Shall I Pump first?", "Yes, pump," I replied the level of water on the floor was not obviously increasing and the boat "felt" whole. I could see that the mast was broken. Jan pumped the forward bilge and there was the sound of the automatic bilge pump starting aft. The water level slowly went down, leaving a sodden mess of books, papers and other items on the floor. I just lay, listened, felt and thought. I was amazed that we had not been more injured by being thrown around or by being hit by unsecured objects. There was the sound of the mast rubbing on the cabin top but only an intermittent dull thump of the mast against the hull. I felt a huge relief that I did not have to motivate myself to do anything urgently. I began shivering and feeling nauseous. Jan helped me into the port bunk, wrapped me in a soggy doona and found a dry woollen jumper to wrap around my head. Overcome by seasickness brought on by the shock of the incident and the motion of the mast-less yacht wallowing broadside on to wind and waves, she lay down in the mess of the starboard bunk. She kept checking that I was conscious. I just lay there addressing the shivering, the pain in my face and the nausea, the latter caused in large part by the blood from damaged sinuses getting to my stomach. After a couple of hours, I got up, went to the toilet, and then lay down again. Eventually, the discomforts eased and I dozed and meditated. Jan slept for a short time too. We lay and waited. The sea rose a little to what was forecast. Daylight came and we felt grateful to be around to see it. Apprehensiveness decreased, spirits rose, a couple of jokes and a short laughter session helped us to feel better about our situation. Jan looked outside to see how much damage there was, and then she set about cleaning up the floor as best she could, throwing away the most sodden of the books. She tried calling on the VHF but there was no response. With the backstay aerial down we did not have HF radio until we rigged another aerial. I still felt quite weak and remained lying down, piecing together the evidence to understand what had happened, planning how to get rid of the rig, how to arrange a jury rig and dozed some more. Jan was repeatedly seasick, and lay down between efforts to clean up enough to get access to the tool locker.

CCCA Risk Management 107 20-Mar-15

By 1330, the sea had started to decrease a little and Jan gently suggested that it would be really nice to get under way, if the engine started, before dark. She asked how she should approach it, but by then I felt I had gained enough energy to begin. After half an hour of collecting tools it was time to start. The mast was kinked at 90 degrees just above the cabin top and broken just below the spreaders. No stays or shrouds were broken at deck level and pulling at them indicated that all were still attached to the mast. I initially intended to keep the boom to use it as half of a bipod mast, along with the spinnaker pole. But the ripped out gooseneck fitting had taken some of the aluminium with it and the boom had quite a bend, so I concluded that it was not worth the effort. I had cut 8mm rigging wire with the bolt cutters on board under ideal circumstances but reckoned it would be too difficult to do it on a wildly rolling mastless yacht. While I clung like a limpet to the deck, Jan stayed in the cockpit, passing tools, taking salvaged items, pulling through lines and keeping an eye to windward to warn me of the larger waves. I cut lines, removed split pins and clevis pins, hacksawed the mast through and undid the last two rigging screws. After two and a half hours work, the expensive gleam of sails, furler, mast and rigging slowly dimmed as it started on its two kilometre trip to the sea bed. The difficulty we experienced in pulling the boom up onto the side deck to release lines indicated that it would have taken many hours to salvage rig and sails. It seemed more important, being rather battered and bruised, to drop the rig and get under way towards Eden while there was a favourable wind, either under engine, or failing that, with a jury rig on the spinnaker pole. After a last careful check for any fouling lines we started the engine. I very tentatively put it into forward, and then slowly brought the revs up until we were doing 5kts. No unusual noise or vibration. We laughed with relief. We set the Aires to do the steering and headed for Eden, pleased that the forward motion eased the rolling.

CCCA Risk Management 108 20-Mar-15 During the fifteen hours we had been lying ahull after the rolldown, the wind and sea were about the same as the moderate forecast. A couple of times a wave thumped the port side, dropping water into the cockpit, but the boat had not rolled more than 35 degrees. We motored in slowly easing conditions for 26 hours and arriving in Two Fold Bay, went to anchor in East Boyd Bay. However, only 7m of chain could be persuaded to come out of the chain locker, because the chain had been turned over on itself. Having prepared ourselves to rest, we had to dig out spare anchor, chain and warp to at last anchor. We spent seven days in Eden, mostly spent tidying, cleaning, washing and drying out. When we first walked along the wharf our gait probably looked like that of average ninety year olds, because of the bruises and sore muscles. I told myself that every professional footballer feels like this every Monday, and it helped a bit. Jan found a therapist who was very good at easing out our spasemed muscles. Before leaving, we set up a jury mast using the spinnaker pole, on which we could hoist the storm jib and trysail. We then motored in very light southerlies back to Sydney, briefly stopping at Ulladulla to refuel. A pleasant bonus was the least adverse current we have experienced on that stretch of coast

What Happened? The incident took only a few seconds and our perceptions were influenced by injury and waking after it had commenced. However, what happened seems to be fairly clear:- Osprey A encountered a very steep wave with a lot of break and rolled down the face, crashed at the bottom on her starboard side and had the break plunge on to her port side. It was a "rolldown", rather than a "knockdown". I had the initial impression that she had rolled only 120 degrees. Jan reckoned 140 degrees. If gravity were the only force, the path of unsecured objects from their usual locations to holes punctured in the plywood cabin ceiling would indicate that the yacht rolled to160 degrees. This angle of roll seems unlikely, given our impression of the yacht righting herself very quickly, and that there was relatively little water inside. We are fairly sure that she rolled somewhere between 120 and 160 degrees. How big was the wave? The usually accepted criterion is that, no matter how stable the yacht, a yacht will not escape being rolled by steep breaking waves on the beam if the waves exceed 55% of the length of the yacht. Thus a 5m wave would be sufficient to cause what happened to Osprey A.

Damage and Loss

CCCA Risk Management 109 20-Mar-15 • Loss of mast, boom, standing and running rigging, furler and sailsThe mast failed without the breaking of any rigging wire. Osprey A had a single spreader rig. All other Brolga 33s that I know of, except for one, have double spreader rigs. For the mast section installed, Osprey A’s rig was not conservative. Although a rigger had certified that the rig was satisfactory, I intended to install a second set of spreaders before we did anything more than coastal sailing. • Mangling of solar panel arch and pushpit. The principal cause of this was the water pressure acting on the area of the life sling bag attached to the arch on the starboard side. • Destruction of 3 stanchion bases on the port side and 4 on the starboard side. All were destroyed by forces acting in the inboard direction. The cause was water pressure acting on the cockpit weather cloths, which we intended to remove but never quite got around to. • The broken mast scratched the underwater hull on both sides of the mast. The worst was some intermittent gouges 8mm wide and 2mm deep into the lay-up, with a total length of about 700mm. The foam sandwich corner of the cabin trunk was damaged over a 300mm length. • Some minor items ranged from the commonplace to the bizarre. The 2.5hp outboard mounted on the port side of the arch had its hinge casting broken and is still with us only because the handle was padlocked to the upright. • The wooden decking on the port cockpit seat simply disappeared, leaving eight protruding screw heads. The dodger survived with minor damage because slipping of a couple of framework joints allowed it to collapse. • The liferaft, mounted on standard chocks on the foredeck, was shifted to port 150mm. The oil lamp made a dent in the ceiling, but the glass chimney survived. • Just before we left Lake Macquarie to head south, we realised that one fire extinguisher had low pressure. Jan bought another, not realising it had a poor holder which did not restrain it from movement upwards. I reluctantly installed it, figuring that it was much more likely to be useful in case of fire than for extreme movement of the boat to turn it into a missile. We think that fire extinguisher hit the ceiling, smashing in some ply, hit me in the face, dented the fuel tank of the stove and then displaced the panel behind the stove. The unsecured items are too embarrassing to list. The most sobering thought was that if we had rolled right over or copped a similar wave on the starboard side, the entire contents of the tool locker, which included items such as a 13mm drill, 18m of chain and bolt cutters, would have all emptied onto Jan's head. We had not secured the one, rather insufficient, retaining strap. I had bought additional straps but not installed them. We were very thankful that we had provided secure hold downs for the new AGM batteries. Jan had installed hold downs for the floors, and had them done up. We had installed stronger latches on most cupboards and had them in place.

CCCA Risk Management 110 20-Mar-15 The fuel tank shifted, but luckily not enough to disturb the filler connection. The surveyor and I had both missed the fact that the stainless retaining straps were not continuous because the ends were hidden behind a wooden cleat. The dismasting may have been avoided had the yacht had a reasonably conservative rig. Damage to staunchion bases would have been avoided if there were no weather cloths. Damage to the solar panel arch probably would have been avoided if the lifesling were not fixed to the uprights. Damage to the interior and the crew would have been less if more items were properly secured. Musings We have had a yacht roll to about 90 degrees, but that was 32years and 50,000 plus nautical miles ago, and was the direct result of (a) choosing to run instead of heaving to in a very steep sea and (b) being over a seamount with its associated steep sea. We have encountered one "rogue" wave before. It was an extremely steep wave in an otherwise even sea, but it was comical as it was only about a meter and a half high and crashed harmlessly on the stern. It did provoke some lingering thought about what such a wave form could do if it sprang out of a higher sea. We have friends who were rolled in an 11m yacht in deep water with no current in a moderate sea. I've had the optimistic tendency to believe that the chance of such a rogue wave coming out of a moderate sea and coinciding with our position was about the same as being hit by lightning. For a few days after the incident the words, "We just ran out of luck" came to mind. Only after this incident did I look around for a better estimate of the chance. The information from the early 1990's radar satellites indicated that very large waves, over 27m, occur more frequently than previously thought by oceanographers and physicists. Presumably it can be inferred that rogue waves in more moderate conditions are also not as rare as previously thought. However, my quick search did not reveal any estimates of the chance of a rogue wave form in a given average sea. I would suppose it difficult to measure wave form, as opposed to mere height, with any remote sensing method. I see no way of reducing the chance of damage except by not going to sea in over, say, 20 knots, or going to sea in a much larger yacht Part of the reason for our trip around Tasmania was to see if we were still up to taking some rougher weather, in preparation to going to NZ. We enjoy making longer passages (most of the time), so restricting ourselves to 20 knots is not an option. So, given the wish do to do something more than coastal passages, the only positive actions to reduce risk of damage and injury is to be in a conservatively strong boat with a conservatively strong rig, remove weather cloths and any similar flat surfaces and secure all gear. That done, when we are 500nm from land we can console ourselves that we are clear of the higher risk of crossing river bars and that, in our little boat, we have less distance to bounce around inside if we run out of luck again.

CCCA Risk Management 111 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE– Strong Wind Sailing

A Tasman Crossing –Mainsheet 368 by Joe and Helen Roggeveen

Picture this, it is cool but not cold, it is around 0200 hrs. The two of us are lying on the seats either side of the cockpit, face upwards, taking in the brilliantly clear southern night sky. Some half hour earlier, the almost full moon had set and in doing so had cast a wonderful warm glow over the ripple less sea. Dream Catcher rocks slowly and gently on the ever so slight swell as Michael Crawford serenades quietly from the cockpit speakers as only Michael can do. Sounds idyllic, right? And it is, but frustratingly so, as Dream Catcher is becalmed some 140 nm east of Newcastle and 2 days into a 1150 nm passage to Opua, and the Bay of Islands, New Zealand It was at first light on Thursday 13th March that Helen and Joe had quietly cast off Dream Catcher's mooring lines at the new Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club marina, motored out of Newcastle Harbor and headed due east. Throughout the day we had sailed in NE winds that varied from slight to 15 knots. During the evening the winds gradually faded and we motored for a while mindful that we should not be so extravagant with our diesel supplies this early in the voyage. Soon after our regular morning radio schedule with Penta Comstat, on day 3, we are sailing again in 8 knots from the SW and by noon we have 20 knots and are surrounded by rain squalls accompanied by frequent local wind shifts. Dream Catcher revels in the conditions and we sail comfortably at 5-6 knots as the winds gradually settle from the E-SE at 10-15. With the wind from this quarter we struggle to make our 95oT rum line and we are set northwards. Anticipating that as the high we are riding moves through, the winds will move more to the northeast then north, we plan to tack at the first sign of a wind shift. By the morning of the 4th day, the wind has only moved slightly towards the east but has strengthened to 20 knots. The swell has continued to build and we estimate is now around 3-4 metres. Our daily "grib" file E-mail from "Sailmail" courtesy of US NCEP (National Centre for Environmental Prediction) predicts that these conditions are not going to change in the foreseeable future. So at 0900 hrs. we decide to take down our #2 genoa and replace it with our #2 jib to give us a better sail shape than the partly furled head sail Dream Catcher has been carrying. This manoeuvre gave us a few anxious moments as there is nothing to hold the luff on deck as it comes out of the foil. At one stage Joe loses his grip on the 40m2 sail and though still tacked down and with the head still attached to the furling gear, the sail decides to fly free like a heavy duty spinnaker. Getting the sail back on board without dropping it in the water or losing one's head was quite a challenge and when completed had Helen lying prostrate on the sail to prevent a repeat performance.

CCCA Risk Management 112 20-Mar-15 We continue to sail on a starboard tack making 60°T and by late afternoon are just 50 nm south of Ball's Pyramid, i.e. our cross track error around 40 nm. Still believing a wind shift must be in the offing; Dream Catcher forges on into the night with now 3 reefs in the main, still making 60-70°. Mid-afternoon on day 5 a change of sailing angle seems appropriate as we are now 90 miles off our intended course and one would be forgiven if it were concluded that we were headed for Norfolk Island. On a port tack, we find the best we can do is 150°T but even at this angle New Zealand is getting closer so we push on. During the morning of day 7, the winds strengthen to 20-25knots so down with the main. With headsail (#2 jib) and mizzen we now make 115° at 4-5 knots but Dream Catcher falls heavily off the backs of the ever increasing steep swells. It is now 4 days that the beat to windward has gone on and the incessant pounding and pitching is starting to take its toll on the crew so when at noon Helen suggests we deploy the sea anchor and get some rest, she gets no argument from Joe. Our sea anchor is a Tasman 15 from Para Anchors Australia supplied with 120 metres of 20mm nylon rode and two floats, one to support the anchor and the other to assist in recovery. Before setting sail from AUS, we had pre-deployed a bridle (with chafe protection) from cleats on the bow with a line running outside the stanchions aft and within reach of the cockpit. In this way we were able to assemble and deploy the parachute from the cockpit and over the windward side. From the shackle that fastened the anchor warp to our bridle we also attached a jack line that could be made fast to a cleat at the stern and used to bias the boat to best suit the angle between wind and waves. It did not take long for this jack line to become a problem as in the conditions Dream Catcher would sail forward down the swells as they passed under, allowing the jack line to go slack. Depending on the angle of the particular waves DC would sail right across the jack line and there is the problem. After the second fowl up, we dispensed with the jack line by making it fast at the bow alongside the bridle. Four metre swells still make for an animated anchorage, but compared with the pounding and bashing to windward, it all seemed very quiet. Pleased with our efforts, we have a hearty dinner, set up the radar with a 6 nm guard ring and slumber off. It was comforting to be woken up several times during the night when the radar detected rain squalls in the guard zone, and believing that the alarm was indeed loud enough to wake us up in the event we had company. In spite of the easterly winds, during the night we drifted due south some 18nm at a rate of 0.8 knots, clearly due to a southerly current. It is amazing what a good sleep can do for one's morale so after a hearty breakfast we were ready to tackle the passage again. Retrieving the Para Anchor was not as slick as our deployment. As we tried to recover it over the side, the trip line finished up around our rudder so after retrieving the float, the latter

CCCA Risk Management 113 20-Mar-15 had to be cut free to get the line back on deck. Should there be a next time, we will try the recovery from the bow. With the #2 jib and 3 reefs in the main we can hold a course of around 130°. The seas have eased slightly and life on board is becoming more routine, as we are resigned to the fact that this passage is going to take some time. By day 11 we are still sailing on a port tack but now have a full main up as winds ease to less than 20 knots. By day 12 Dream Catcher's position is 360°S 169°02E and we feel uncomfortable that we have now sailed "off our chart" and are some 110nm south of our Rhumb line. We tack to starboard and sail northward for the next 24 hours before crossing our Rhumb line and tacking back. We are still 200nm from Cape Reinga on the NW tip of New Zealand's north island. The forecast is for still more easterlies but now shorter tacks are called for as we are getting closer to our way point. Shortly after the Penta Sched on day 13 we hove too and lay a hull while a series of rain squalls pass over with winds again around 25 knots and the swell starting to build. In the early hours of day 14, we are intercepted by a NZ$ Warship. On VHF they ask the usual questions regarding where from and to etc. Satisfied with our responses they wish us a safe passage and disappear into the night. As the sun rises on day 14, the winds have moved a little to the north and with the help of a north setting current we make 106° - our best angle yet. Unfortunately, these conditions do not last and during the evening we succumb to the temptation of providing some mechanical assistance. During out tack northward (38°) on day 15 we have excellent sailing conditions. In a swell that is less than 2 metres we make 7 knots without the constant bashing and pounding. We feel some excitement as our target is now within reach and to add to the feeling of wellbeing are surround by hundreds of dolphin. We have never seen a pod like this, dolphin a far as the eye could see a truly wonderful spectacle. Around noon we again tack to the east and from the distant mist in a scene reminiscent of South Pacific's Bali Hi emerges the "Three King Island" group. The twenty or so nautical mile beat across New Zealand’s northern shore requires further assistance from the engine as a strong tidal stream plays havoc with our pointing ability. The winds as you might guess, are still (again) from due east. At round midnight, as a last gesture before we can alter course to the south, mother nature dishes up a couple of hours of torrential rain, lightning and 30 knot winds, but now who cares as by 0230 hours we have rounded North Cape and set a new course to the Bay of Islands, some 75nm to the south east. Day 16, our final day and our first beam reach, as we rock and roll our way down the east coast in the continuing easterly swell. Can we make it in time to clear customs today or will the hot shower elude us yet another night? Russell Radio has notified the authorities and we keep him informed during the afternoon of our progress. Our entry into the Bay of Islands is not as spectacular as the brochures depict due to most of the area being engulfed in low cloud and heavy mist following several days of heavy rains. In the fading light we negotiate

CCCA Risk Management 114 20-Mar-15 the well-marked channel leading to the port of Opua and tie up at the customs pontoon that doubles as the marina breakwater. We wait just a few minutes before the customs guy arrives, he gives us some forms to start signing, saying he will be back soon with the quarantine officer. He soon returns with his colleague, but more importantly he bears an envelope with the marina shower key and two one dollar coins for the hot water metre. We could not wish for a warmer welcome to New Zealand! How did we cope? The early days of the passage were filled with great anticipation as we set off on this adventure. Then as the easterly winds continued we took turns at feeling frustrated. There was a time when we considered turning back and then, heading to Lord Howe Island was considered, but that would be giving in and this was never a life threatening situation. Our night on the sea anchor was the turning point. With a good night’s sleep, our morale improved and we both felt much more positive about what we were doing. As well as our twice daily contact with Penta Comstat, we had great moral support from Warwick and Chris on Ambience who, although they were cruising in the far south of Tasmania, we were able connect with on 12megs most mornings and afternoons. Warwick's continued optimism that the winds were about to change was very supportive. Once past the half-way point we were resigned that this passage was going to be a long one and we seemed to get into a more settled daily routine. When at last a landfall was eminent, there was no special rejoicing, just "another day at the office" feeling. Γ

CCCA Risk Management 115 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE– Strong Wind Sailing

Downward Passage Making Mainsheet 424 by Michael Henderson, Cera

Downwind sailing is what every sailor wants to do all the time. So it's surprising that it can often involve more work than sailing the other way. Windward sailing at sea is usually uncomfortable and often wet, but from a technical point of view it really isn't that hard. Headsails have to be changed (or furled) now and again, of course, and reefs taken in and out, but the vane works well and the boat can very much be left to look after herself. Minor changes in trim are quick and easy. Downwind, even minor changes in trim are often difficult and sometimes potentially dangerous. What follows are a few notes on how we handle things on Cera. I stress that I don't think that there are right ways and wrong ways to handle a yacht at sea, only different ways. These are our ways. Gear and tackle First, the hardware on our fin-keeled yacht. She is a sloop, and we can also set a staysail on an inner forestay. We use a conventional spinnaker pole, with a nose which fits into a cup mounted on a track on the mast. The vane gear is a Hydrovane auxiliary rudder system; sailing with the vane, the yacht's main rudder is locked, which makes her directionally very stable. Incidentally, a lot of nonsense is talked about the relative directional stability of long-keel and fin-keel yachts; this quality is a function of the overall design of the yacht, not the length of the keel, and also depends on whether the rudder is locked or not. Further, too much directional stability is not always a virtue when you need to manoeuvre ably or the boat needs a quick response to vane inputs. Light airs In light airs when there is not too much swell we use a 1.5oz tri-radial spinnaker. The easy way is to set it on a 1-metre wire pennant from the stemhead. We clip the tack to the forestay by a snap shackle. We get set up for a broad reach before hoisting, and pull the sail out of a turtle bag just ahead of the mainsail, making sure the spinnaker is blanketed by the main and fully up before filling it by trimming the sheet. It's even easier to hoist the spinnaker ahead of (and blanketed by) a headsail, which is then dropped. This rig, analogous to the "cruising spinnaker", will handle apparent winds from abeam round to about 20 degrees off dead astern. With the wind further aft, we convert to normal spinnaker gear like this. I set up the pole at leisure, with a topping lift and kicker, and lead the brace through the pole end to the tack of the spinnaker. Norma takes the strain on the brace, and I undo the snapshackle holding the tack to the forestay. The brace is then winched back to suit the apparent wind. Very easy, and everything under control the whole

CCCA Risk Management 116 20-Mar-15 time. If we don't want to set the pole, the spinnaker can be gybed from broad reach to broad reach round the front of the forestay. To drop it, whether it is on the forestay or the pole, we set a headsail first (except in absolutely calm conditions), then undo the tack shackle, collapse the kite in the wind shadow of the other sails, and I gather it in while Norma lets the halyard down, maintaining some tension the whole time. We have tried a spinnaker sock ("squeezer", or "snuffer"), but decided that it complicated an already involved performance by adding more strings. However, I can see the benefit of such devices when kites are used by short-handed racers in high winds. Medium airs We generally use the 3.5oz lightweight headsail of about l80% overlap, and Cera prefers wing-and-wing to broad reaching, especially when the wind and seas are building. She has absolutely no tendency to set up a rhythmic roll, so we are comfortable too, and the rig will tolerate an apparent wind between dead astern and about 30 degrees to the windward side.

To safely set the pole to windward, we start from a broad reach. The pole is set up on the mast (actually, on a downwind passage I leave it there most of the time, whether it is being used or not), and the lazy sheet is taken through its end. The topping lift and kicker are clipped on too; they don't need trimming yet, but it can be helpful to have them already cleated at the right place, if you know it from experience. Finally, the boat is turned downwind and the headsail gybed across on to the pole, which comes back into its rightful place as the new sheet is trimmed. Say we're now wing-and-wing on port tack (main boom out to starboard, pole to port). To gybe to a broad reach on starboard tack, we wind in the mainsheet hard, so the boom is firmly amidships before we change anything else. Then we make our change of direction, let the mainsheet out again, and finally drop the pole off the headsail sheet. It's more complicated if we want to gybe the whole caboodle, so that we end up wing and- wing on starboard tack. First, we take the steps outlined above to get on starboard

CCCA Risk Management 117 20-Mar-15 tack, broad reaching. Then, in our case, the pole has to be released from the mast in order to get it round the babystay and inner forestay, which is the only time I miss having a second pole. It is then set up to starboard, and the headsail gybed on to it as we turn downwind again. The third possibility is that we want to go from wing-and-wing port tack, to broad reach also on port tack. All that we need to do is gybe the headsail, but before doing so I quickly lash the pole to the port shrouds, so that it doesn't try to follow the sail across and jam everything against the forestay. The pole can be left up there until it is convenient to retrieve it. I use the same dodge of tying the pole to the shrouds when dropping the headsail; the pole doesn't then swing forward and jam the sail against the headstay, and it is easier to stop the sail blowing around the front of the stay. All the above can be done under control of the vane, but it is more seamanlike and safe if someone takes the helm. Heavy airs All the manoeuvres are basically the same, with a few added features. The key word is control. Control of the boat gets harder as she sails faster, especially in big seas, so the speed must be kept down by appropriate reductions in sail. Headsail changing is easier and drier going downwind than upwind, but shouldn't be left too late. The trap of underestimating the strength of a wind as it picks up when running is one that everyone falls into sooner or later. Reefing the mainsail downwind we find to be no problem, although several do. The problems are that the sail tries to get jammed against the rigging as it comes down, and the battens try to get tangled in the rigging going up. We have lines from the luff reef cringles back to the cockpit, which have always been enough to haul the sail down without the help of a winch. Shaking out a reef, we keep vang tension on, and haul in the mainsheet a trifle if necessary. We have never fouled or broken a batten. Control of the main boom is of critical importance. Let that thing fly and it can kill you. We use a solid vang strut, on a gooseneck at the mast end near the deck, and at the boom end running on a carrier between stops on a short length of mainsheet track. The boom is thus free to move between predetermined limits, but cannot fly up in a Chinese gybe and does not need a topping lift when reefing or handling the main. The boom is also controlled by a pair of four-part tackles, shackled between a boom hanger and U-bolts set in the deck just forward of the mast on each side. These remain in position permanently, and are controlled by tails which run back to the cockpit to cleats, via winches which are rarely needed. The tackle in use acts as a combined vang and preventer, and one is always set up except when sailing hard to windward. The boom can thus be completely immobilised downwind, cutting chafe and improving efficiency, and if the main tries to gybe, all that happens is that the sail billows aft harmlessly and can easily be set to rights. The inefficiency of the sail doesn't matter a damn, because when it's that windy we'd be under reduced rig anyway. As the wind continues to increase, most boats have to have the

CCCA Risk Management 118 20-Mar-15 centre of effort moved forward, so that they end up running, say, under the storm jib alone. Cera is very tolerant, however, and when it's really whistling we drop the headsail Chafe can also be controlled downwind by making sure that the headsail sheets will always run free of obstructions. That means in our case that they are led through spinnaker blocks in the quarters, and I usually bend on a secondary, heavier sheet for this purpose when running wing-and-wing, leaving the upwind sheets in the headsail cars on the deck tracks. The sheet can get quite badly chafed by the spinnaker pole end during several days of running, so using a "spare" also means we don't have to keep shortening the good ones. One way of avoiding this pole-end chafe is to splice in a length of wire with a snapshackle on it, and in any event we try to keep the topping lift and pole kicker set up firmly so that the end does not wave about. Broad reaching, the headsail sheet may rub on the underside of the boom, and is best run through a snatch block. This can be strung on a line from the gunwale or from further out along the boom, or from both if you are looking for real stability. In steep quartering seas, Cera sometimes tries to round up to windward and the poor old vane has a job to keep things in order. Under these conditions I set the staysail, sheeted in hard and flat, so that if she tries to round up the wind blows her back again. The inefficiency of the sail doesn’t matter a damn, because when its that windy we’d be under reduced rig anyway. As the wind continues to increase, most boats have to have the centre of effort moved forward, so that they end up running, say, under the storm jib alone. Cera is very tolerant, however, and when it’s really whistling we drop the headsail and run under main alone, reefing as necessary. Use of the third reef creates a very small sail, and we have never experienced such heavy weather that we have been unable to keep going under it. We do have a trysail, but in practice our next step in even heavier weather would be to drop the main and run under a storm jib until bare poles were sufficient to maintain control. Many long-distance yachts are set up to use twin jibs downwind, and all those that do so are very happy with the system. Like others whose vessels sail well downwind without such special gear, we are happy enough as we are, especially as in average cruising over the years the twins will get relatively little use (depending on your sailing, of course). Finally, control downwind is better if the submerged area aft is increased. Many shorthanded racers use dagger boards for this purpose, but a more practical move for a cruising boat is to shift heavy aft, including the anchors and, if possible, the chain. There's nothing like a glorious run at sea on a sunny day, with the glistening crests hissing behind you as you reel off the miles to your next port. We will always remember a marvellous downwind six-day passage from Tangier to the Canaries, with the north-east wind blowing off the Sahara, including three days and nights under spinnaker. And of course the long leg from the Galapagos to the Marquesas is perhaps the world’s greatest downwind passage if you time it right. But there will usually be work to do, too, which can

CCCA Risk Management 119 20-Mar-15 be safe and enjoyable if you think each step through and keep everything under control. (There goes that word again!).

CCCA Risk Management 120 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE– Strong Wind Sailing

Blue water sailing – Mainsheet 433 by Romul Roman (s/y Kyeema) We have done most of our cruising by crossing oceans instead of coastal. We are of the opinion that ocean crossings offer more flexibility so that a course alteration would avoid beating into a head wind. In most instances proximity to land in coastal cruising gives a false sense of security if a safe harbour is not within reach in the event of an adverse weather change. Heading for a safe anchorage on the East Coast, especially in New South Wales involve crossing a bar, a risky endeavour in a built-up sea. Ocean crossing means several days or weeks of travel, a long distance to cover between anchorages and require certain conditions to be met in order to enjoy the trip and arrive safely at destination. Nothing can give greater satisfaction that cruising faraway places crossing the oceans, especially in tropical waters where storms are rare in the cruising season ( in winter), winds are generally light to moderate and choosing the route to use the prevailing winds to advantage will result in a very satisfying passage. What I am going to say refers generally to cruising in open waters with some specifics to tropical waters. The basis of the successful cruise is good preparation for the yacht and its crew.

Skipper and Crew Cruising faraway destination makes it imperative that everyone is in good health. Medical assistance is generally not available during passages. The usual cruising yacht has two people on board and should one be incapacitated, the other should be able to carry out all tasks. It is a highly recommended that prior to departure; all crew members have a thorough medical check and carry any medication that they may need. As cruising involves long periods without outside technical support, self-sufficiency is a must. A suggestion is to make a list of all maintenance required, action needed if something malfunctions and see if you can do it. If not, better find the answer.

CCCA Risk Management 121 20-Mar-15 Apart from general handling of the yacht in all weather conditions and navigation skills, I would list the following minimum knowledge and skills required to carry out periodical maintenance and minor defects and breakdown fault finding and rectification work: 1. To service the diesel engine when required (service manual required) - Change engine oil and filters - Change fuel filters and prime fuel lines - Service engine water pumps and change impellor and seals if required. 2. Basic electrical skills such as change globes, replace blown fuses including finding cause of short or overload, replace electric motor brushes, check and fix faulty wiring. Faulty wiring is generally caused by corrosion at terminal connections. It helps to put a Vaseline coating on wires which are bare near terminal connections. An electric test meter is required to check for wire continuity of the respective circuit. Provisioning Food and drinks: are subject to individual taste. We allow minimum double requirements for a long passage with a minimum to last 2 months, some items for the whole trip. Fish caught trawling a line represents a good part and a healthy part of our diet. Beer should be in bottles only as cans do not last in sea environment. We like fizzy drinks and carry a soda maker and plenty of cartridges. We take a great variety of provisions and have a list of every locker content. This helps a lot when you look for something. We do not have a freezer. We take cooked food to last for 5-6 days and fresh bread for 7-8 days, after that it is only good to feed the fish. Eggs that have not been refrigerated, last up to a month if turned over daily. We write 1 and 2 on the 2 sides of the eggs carton for odd and even day number as an easy way to remember. Apart from fresh fruits, we take dried fruits such as dates, resins and apricots. Water: we carry 8-10 4lt. plastic containers as our main drinking water, in addition to the built-in water tanks. We treat each water tank with a spoon of plain bleach to prevent algae growth. A rain catcher is a great advantage. In some places we take water in tanks from not very reliable sources for washing. If this water is used for drinking it should be boiled or treated with water purifier tablets first. Diesel fuel and oil: In addition to a full tank we take min. 200 lt. in jerry cans for greater autonomy as winds in tropical waters are generally light and engine is used more often. There are few places to top-up with fuel and even less to go alongside a fuel dock. Generally the fuel, especially duty free is purchased in 200 lt. drums that need to be carted in the dinghy. This is where jerry cans with 200 lt. total capacity come in handy. We also take min. 20 lt. of diesel engine oil, oil filters and 4lt. gearbox oil.

CCCA Risk Management 122 20-Mar-15 Rigging: Our yacht Kyeema is cutter rigged giving, in our view advantages to sloop rig. We also have running backstays, which together with the inner forestay increase safety of the must in the event of rigging failure. We also carry: A genoa poll with one end secured to a track on the mast with lines to position it. We use blocks for the lines operating the traveler and the uphoul for ease of setting up. Pass the jib sheet through the free end of the poll prior to unfurling the genoa. When we reduce sail, the poll stays in place. It is preferred to roll in the jib completely, then bring it out as required to get a better sail shape. The whole operation is carried out safely by one person in all sea conditions. We carry an MPS, great for downwind sailing, especially if wind is light. Suggested spares, tools and materials. Tools: In addition to general tools, we carry a small and a large electric drill, a 600w inverter, a 4 in. angle grinder, large bolt cutters, manual and electric soldering irons. Spares: One set of spare electric bulbs, spare brushes for all electric motors including the windlass, engine starter motor and alternator, filters, injector nozzle, a spare portable diaphragm bilge pump complete with a 4 m hose, spare electric bilge pump and others; sailing material including stick-on material and needles. We carry spare sheets and heavy nylon ropes. Materials: an endless list including silicon, sikaflex, epoxy resin, epoxy glue and epoxy putty (sets even under water), fiberglass matting and resin, hoses and hose clips of all sizes, tail ends 2m.long of all standing riggings from the last replacement with the right size wire cable gal. ties. We also carry several 20 lt. plastic collapsible containers for carting water, a 2 m long 4x2 in hardwood to use as a fender board or to make an emergency tiller. Carry an electric test meter, duct tape, amalgamating tape and water resistant putty. Some comments regarding sailing -When under way and specially when motoring, we always turn off the electric fresh water pump. A loose hose clip can have disastrous consequences. -Sail conservatively. When we cruise, we do not race. Safety comes first. Reduce sail at night. A squall during the night can increase wind speed to 30-40kn in seconds. -Hove to is generally used in a gale or storm. Each yacht behaves differently and techniques vary. Generally fin keelers, back the jib. Some long keel yachts do not use the jib at all. While hove to the yacht drifts sideways at 1-2 kn and the motion is surprisingly gentle even in a built up sea. It is very useful to practice before and hove to in the following circumstances: -To carry out repairs at sea -To do cooking when sea conditions makes it dangerously while sailing. -To calm an upset stomach or to rest.

CCCA Risk Management 123 20-Mar-15 -To kill time when otherwise we would arrive too early at our landfall. Choose and position for the yacht to hove to, port or starboard depending of sea room. NOTE: Hove to can be dangerous in extreme conditions as it puts enormous strain on the rudder. In such situation use of a Para Anchor is recommended. Anchoring in coral We use a 45lbs CQR with all chain 10mm. We had it tested in strong winds to determine how much chain our yacht requires at various depths. Anchoring in coral could be very critical because the bottom coral sand is poor holding and chain snagging on coral may not allow the anchor to dig in properly. As we all know, the anchor will only hold as long as it is dug in and some chain near the anchor will lay on the bottom at the hardest pull. In order to ensure secure anchoring we use the following procedure: TO ANCHOR: Approach the anchoring area slowly; circle the area reading the bottom on the depth sounder. If satisfied, allowing that from the position the anchor drops on the bottom it will drag some 2-3 m before it digs in, release anchor to water level and move very slowly towards desired spot. As we approach, we release further 3-4 m chain to make sure chain would run free when released. When we arrived at the exact spot where we want to drop anchor, yacht should be stationary. Release chain watching, if visibility permits, that anchor reached bottom, then slowly back the yacht releasing more chain, so that chain is laid on the bottom stretched, in a straight line without lumps of chain that may snag on lumps of coral. After moving back about 10m we put break on the chain to force the anchor to dig in. As the chain at water level starts to move forward, we release some more chain, apply break again several times until we have released chain approx. 3 times the depth. We put break again and back the yacht with some revs. to the engine to check when chain is fully stretched. Then we release some more chain as necessary depending on water depth, wind strength, etc. and back strongly to test that the anchor holds. DO NOT use more chain that necessary, as it would make it harder to retrieve it. Secure the chain with a snubber which must be NYLON rope; we use 16mm 3-4 m long to give some springing effect in strong winds with part of the chain caught on coral. It is advisable to note the bearing of the yacht when anchoring. This will help when we retrieve anchor if it snags on coral. If chain is not laid straight, there is a risk that lumps of chain snug on coral will give the impression that the anchor holds when in effect the anchor is only laying on the bottom. As the wind increases the anchor will drag with disastrous effect. TO RETRIEVE ANCHOR:

CCCA Risk Management 124 20-Mar-15 Start engine, never operate windlass without engine running. Motor very slowly forward retrieving the chain so that it comes up vertically. If it snags, stop, release 1-2 m chain and repeat the process with the yacht slightly forward of the snagged chain until it clears. When we reach a position above the anchor, motor slowly forward so that the yacht, not the windlass will release the anchor, then continue retrieving the chain until anchor comes up. Important points: Before retrieving anchor, check if yacht bearing has changed. If possible check if chain is wrapped around some coral head and position the yacht to allow the chain to come up free. REPAIRS ON A YACHT WHEN CRUISING We have cruised in excess of 60,000 miles and some things broke down and needed fixing. Examples: Forestay broke in mid Atlantic. Secured mast with 2 MPS halyards and light chain and continued voyage 1000 miles to St. Lucia. Not all strands of the wire break at the same time. An indication that some strands broke is that the tension in the particular rigging is reduced as the remaining strands take the extra load. Lower shroud broke 6 hrs. out of the Louisiades. Used old wire joined with 3 cable ties to reach Townsville. All 6 flex. Couplings in our prop. shaft broke when dinghy painter caught in the propeller. Coated broken rubber surfaces with superglue then used epoxy glue to join broken parts. Also installed 3 long bolts, loose to take load when reversing. It lasted from Tonga, back to Sydney via Samoa, Wallis Is., Fiji, Huon and Chesterfield Reefs. Replaced worn windlass brushes. Old ones can still be used short time by inserting copper plates 2mm thick (made from flatten copper tube) behind brushes if new brushes not available. Repaired Autohelm 1000 autopilot used in conjunction with Aries windvane. The wheel on the little motor is only press fit and when reaching end of travel it can jam and motor wheel come loose. Used superglue to secure wheel to motor. Repaired plastic “VETUS” engine waterlock muffler. After long passage, the engine seawater pump inlet air locked. The waterlock muffler overheated and blew 2 holes allowing water and exhaust fumes in engine room. Covered holes with water resist. putty and taped with duct tape. Later I fibreglassed over the entire waterlock muffler. It still works after 4000 hrs. I also had to replace the engine sea water pump rubber impellor. Three malfunctions of the radar (Furuno 16 nm) Blow fuses on start-up. Found that the little motor brushes springs were too tight, shorting with carbon the armature. Cleaned and released some of the tension.

CCCA Risk Management 125 20-Mar-15 The belt driving the scanner came loose. Adjusted the wheel on the motor to line up. The radar stopped transmitting. Removed multiple plugs under the radar dome, cleaned with rubber the slight oxidization. Do not use sand paper. Replaced broken tiller with 4x2 tassy oak used previously as fender board. It took over10 hrs.work in heavy seas to remove the bit of tiller left in the rudder. Fix several electrical faults caused by corrosion of wire terminals. Could those breakdowns have been prevented by a more thorough inspection and maintenance work prior to cruise start? Some yes, but not all and that is why we should be prepared and have the means on board and the knowledge to fix problems if they occur. Another advantage for blue water sailing, you have the sea room and time to fix the problem, while it is not always possible when in close proximity to land.

CCCA Risk Management 126 20-Mar-15

nineteen ninety eight was the year of the Great Bass Strait storm that hit the Boxing Day Sydney/Hobart race. Mainsheet 485 by Frank Talbot

A few days before, on 23rd December,we were entering Bass Strait in the 11m catamaran Sally Lightfoot cruising from Sydney towards Hobart. This was our second trip in Sally Lightfoot to Tasmania, but the previous year, when abeam of Flinders Island in half a gale and going too fast, we had hit the trough of a wave hard and smashed a big panel into the port forward cabin. This resulted in a long stay in lovely St. Helens for repairs, then straight back home … but that’s another story. This time, we were seven days out of Sydney, having rested in Jervis Bay and Eden and the cook - a vegan - had made all our meals with various vegetables and not even eggs. We couldn’t really grumble, for with two vegans including the cook on board among the crew of five, we had agreed to this before we left Sydney … but heck, it was becoming too much. On that night the skipper record she dreamed of the smell of frying bacon and eggs, and got up early that morning to make himself at least a fried egg on bread – the log records “very satisfying!” At 11am on 23rd December, the North easterly wind increased and “two reefed main too much for Sally, so drop main. Still running at 6-8 knots with half the genoa. With some of the Jordan Series Drogue out the autopilot works hard, but copes with the steep seas quite well.” (This drogue is a set of stiff canvas cups on a heavy nylon line providing water resistance and with more or less line out, is a flexible way to slow down the cat.) The wind eased as we reached the Eddystone Light on Christmas Eve, and at midnight, running down the Tasmanian East coast we had a gentle argument (“very politely” says the log) on maritime right of way with what was probably a fishing boat off St Patrick’s Head. He came close enough for us to “wish each other a Happy Christmas as we passed.” At 4 am on Christmas Day, the wind was up to 30 knots from the north east in a grey dawn and we put on the storm jib and drop the main … with the wind increasing “we are still

CCCA Risk Management 127 20-Mar-15 going 8-9 knots, so also put out some more of the Jordan series drogue.” Then at 7.30 am with the shelter of Sleepy Bay just ahead, the engines were started, the drogue taken in and with storm jib still up, Sally Lightfoot motor-sailed fast round Cape Tourville into Sleepy Bay. “The wind gives its final screaming anger – and we are in” says the log. Sleepy Bay is a beautiful but daunting spot, surrounded by the tall Hazzard Mountains with steep-to shore rocks splashed with orange lichen. It is a small bay, really a cove protected from the west, north and south, but only big enough for one or two boats to anchor. To the northeast, there was an outlying set of fierce toothlike rocks throwing up spray but giving some protection from that direction. To the south the cove is separated from the famous Wine Glass Bay by a small promontory. Here we lay, protected from the wind, but jerking to the surges coming into the bay. Two of the crew left in the dinghy to get our cook “back to her kitten in Sydney” from Coles Bay town. On the path to town they met the Premier of NSW, Bob Carr, walking hard and alone on Christmas morning with stick and a Canadian hat and seeking Looking Glass Bay; they directed the keen bushwalker. We could pick up no weather signals from the boat, but at 11.40 on Christmas Day, the skipper of the training ship Flying Cloud a few miles offshore, answered my radio call. He said a southerly of 30 knots was expected in the afternoon, and when hearing where we were he told us to “Put plenty of chain out and put your feet up. This may last some days.” The log adds. “Hope the southerly comes cleanly and not through east and southeast.” This would have blown directly into Sleepy Bay. Early on Boxing Day we up anchor and motored further south to the deeper shelter of Wineglass Bay. Wind is now howling in fierce bullets down the Hazzards, and we tuck into the southern corner of beautiful Wineglass Bay with two anchors down (the log records that the smaller fisherman actually does better in the soft white sand than the heavier CQR); and we put a lot of chain out! The log states “Warnings now bad…gales all around Tasmania.” And this is the day that the Sydney/Hobart race is to start! With all this going on down south are they seriously intending to race?! We hear on the radio that they start and wonder if they are wise. Then, as we relax for some days in this idyllic bay (said by some to be the most beautiful in the world) and well protected from the gales around us, we are horrified to hear on the radio of the mayhem that followed the decision to start - with loss of boats and death of crews. And later, of course, we read that a BOM met officer tried to stop them…but his message never got through. Much has been written about the decision to start the race on that day. Sally Lightfoot’s crew, sheltering in our protected Tasmanian bay on Boxing Day, but watching the violent wind and wild seas offshore smashing on the great teeth on the seaward edge of the Hazzards, would unanimously have said “Hey, wait a day or so.”

CCCA Risk Management 128 20-Mar-15 By the fourth day Wineglass Bay is calm, and we up anchor at 4 am and first motor, then sail, south … to catch tasty flathead while anchored for overnighting near Maria Island. We shoot through the extraordinary Dennison Canal (passing the obligatory beers to the net of the passage keeper). The log reads on running the canal that it was “narrow,low and fast” and with our 23ft beam it should have added “and scary!” One more night behind the Spit and we reach Hobart happily on the last day of the year. What a glorious place Tasmania is! We sailed down the ’Entrecasteaux Channel, visiting Kettering, Bruny Island’s Great Taylors Bay and our favourite of all, idyllic little Cygnet bay. There we lay off the yacht club and rowed over to visit a small group of boat builders working on a Herreshoff 45.The hull and the internal fit-out was an absolute poem in wood. As we were thinking of going back to monohulls, and had previously enjoyed owning an H28, I asked the group if they could build me a 35ft Herreshoff. The owner, an old man and a fourth generation boat builder, said “Certainly we can, for we have nothing on the books after this one.” I asked how long it would take. He paused … then said slowly; “Well, that depends.” And what would it cost …? ”Well, we could not tell you that.” Exploring further, I found they would charge me for the wood and equipment as it was needed, start working, and I would pay the weekly wages of the four men - and when it was finished it was finished! Honest men, and outstanding woodworkers … it was tempting, but too open ended, and too difficult from Sydney. Regretfully, we decided against it, but I still think about that beautiful boat … the might have been! At Cygnet the weather is perfect, and the log records “A morning of sunshine and stillness. Suzette is caught by it and uses much film.” After a run south to Esperance Bay,overnighting and having a barbecue on Rabbit Island, we sail back up the D’Entrecasteaux Channel into the Derwent. We lose our crew at the Royal Tasmanian Yacht Club, and take nephew Peter on board for the homeward trip. We are sad to leave, for this is an outstanding cruising ground with lots of interesting places to visit; even when the inevitable strong weather arrives, there are many bays and coves to tuck into. On the 19th January we aim across “a bumpy, wildish Storm Bay,” to enter the shelter of Port Arthur. This is a wonderfully protected harbour, but we found poor holding and the CQR dragged and rumbled somewhat over its stony bottom that night. The gaunt prison buildings overlooking the harbour make one remember its harsh past, reinforced by the massacre of harmless visitors by a crazy gunman in more recent times. We left without regret, to go outside Tasman Island this time. The log reads “Rounding Tasman a great reward - never seen a coast so split and rugged, with its wild vertical sculptures.” We sailed in gentle winds up the Tasmanian east coast, and anchor off Schouten Island, lazing and fishing, and visiting Coles Bay for stores. This time we spend a quieter time in Wineglass Bay, with the water so crystal clear that we could see many small planktonic beasties in the water…the log records, “some blue, some gold.” The ever changing bar at St. Helens is always a challenge. It has killed many fishermen, as the sad memorial in the little town records. We anchored outside and talked to the Coastal Patrol. The word is that “Bobby Bream in Sonia will be going out at 13.30 and will show you

CCCA Risk Management 129 20-Mar-15 the way.” There was wind of 25-30 knots that morning, and a swell coming round St. Helens Point, but it was still a fair anchorage outside. Sonia came out on time and showed us the gap as the seas were increasing, and watched us through before she took off. What kindly people! With the waves on the quarter, we had only spray on deck but were hit by one larger breaker, “throws us off course, but no following big ones to capitalize,” and we are in. Sally moors for no fee at the welcoming town jetty (free showers ashore also included in the ablution block!), and we were able to meet some of the friends we had made the previous year. After the mayhem of the Sydney/Hobart race, the 300 miles of the Bass Strait crossing seemed daunting from the shelter of St. Helens; but on the fifth day it was time to go. We left early on the 30th January, reaching the bar at full high tide but the log records we “do not use the marks (white paint on a rock in line with a fire break on the mountain) as this seems to lead to some breaking waves. Slip out north of this, though get into 2.8m for a brief minute. No white water.” We said farewell to Tasmania at 11am at the Eddystone light and entered Bass Strait to “a day of dropping and backing wind, from SE 25 knots to East, with at one time many hundreds of shearwaters, often in “rafts” on the water and about 50 shy albatross, then late in the afternoon masses of seals, then scores of dolphins … seals and dolphins both racing the boat! Motor into the night.” As we sip our evening glass we reflect on what a great place Tasmania is for the cruising yachtie! With a stop in Eden to take fuel and water, we had an easy run up the coast with good following winds of 10-12 knots, but increasing large swells from some disturbance offshore. We thought to enter Bermagui, but we asked a boat that had just come out what the bar was like. “Shaking” he shouted, which we took to mean bad. We got close and “tasted the swells” but the bar looked dangerous and the Bermagui Coastguard said “7ft depth at the bar but swells larger than usual,” so we took off north into “a lovely night – moon ¾, and we sail down the moon’s path.” We rested briefly in Jervis Bay and when we leave the log says “things become ‘interesting’ with the swell very large and wind increasing to 38 knots from the south. With 1/3 of the genoa out and some of the series drogue she still goes fast.” The log says “the wind howls, seas build, and we get some spray but no water in the cockpit and no heavy water on deck – she is like a cork! Her stern rises fast and she races down a big wave – but the bows lift as she reaches the trough, a little spray shoots through the trampoline, and she is ready for the next one. But to keep her straight demands constant attention - very tiring. Suzette takes a few hours which gives longer breaks for Peter and me. Not a night you would seek to be out in … unrelenting wind and waves bashing Sally from every direction, but I find it exhilarating. Peter slightly queasy. But Suzette keeps us going - teas, barley sugar, a premade stew – there to help with work, take a trick at the wheel, cope with a sheet!” I do not lie … the log says all this!

CCCA Risk Management 130 20-Mar-15 When we reach Sydney Heads the swells are the largest I have ever seen them there. One of the big Manly ferries crosses ahead of us as we enter with our scrap of sail. The ferry rises to a swell, and then goes down and down into the trough until water actually pours over the top of the high bow … a first for me! With the wind too strong to drive up the Harbour, we tuck Sally into the peace of Balmoral and anchor … and feel very proud of the little wooden boat.

We got close and ‘tasted the swells’...

CCCA Risk Management 131 20-Mar-15 MAINSHEET ARTICLE– Strong Wind Sailing HEAD ON WITH AN ISLAND, Mainsheet 362 by Jos Bots Kai-Vai On the 1st September, 1999, at 23:15 hours, the yacht Kai Vai, a 35 ft ferro cement sloop with two on board, struck Lifou Island, doing about seven knots in a following sea. Normally, that would be the end of boat and crew, but it was not so. Read on:- 13 August, 1999 - Black Friday Never start a sailing voyage on a Friday! I am not superstitious, but if something happens, they will say, “I told you so.” So, on this day, we left for a trip from Sydney to New Caledonia, Vanuatu and back. This is Pieter Heemstra, a long- time friend and I. At 10:40, we left our Double Bay mooring under sail. 234 miles to go to Coffs Harbour. August at 0900, we arrived at Coffs, a record run (44 hours). The last few hours we were hitting eight knots. 44 hours is pretty good considering it is against the prevailing current and we never used the motor, even when winds got very light. August, we cleared out with the Customs and at 1500 hours, out of the marina on our way to New Caledonia. We decided that this was the start of the journey (to get away from the Friday start) 854 miles to go. At 1700, we are on a tight reach with reefed main and stay’sl and the GPS insists we’re doing 7+ knots on track. We contacted Russel Radio (New Zealand) to get on the radio sked. Des, who runs Russel Radio is a marvel. Nothing is too much trouble. He gets all the details of each yacht that calls in and gives them their own private weather forecast, no need for a weatherfax! He even phoned a message to Sydney for me, and went out of his way to get help for us when we got shipwrecked. It did not work out, but it was no fault of his. Anyway, so we are on our way to Noumea. We are hard on the wind and cannot lay our course. At 1930 on 19 August, we tacked out to 170° to miss the Capel bank. We find we are tacking through 140°. This happens when the sea is lumpy and you have a bluff bow. 20th August at 1040, becalmed since 2000 last night, all sails down and rolling. At 1230, an Australian Coast Watch plane flew over and wanted to know details. 20th August, 1040, after being mainly becalmed for 24 hours, a light n.w. wind, we are wing-on-wing at two to four knots in the right direction. 23rd August at 0500, at change of watch, Pieter told me a large ship passed us at about a mile off. 29th August, Russel Radio informs us east to ESE winds to increase to 30 knots. Lucky it did not exceed 25, and we were able to keep plugging on, hard on the wind.

CCCA Risk Management 132 20-Mar-15 26th August at 0200, in Passe Dumbea. This pass is about a mile further north than on my chart. At 1300,we tied up in Moselle Marina. We stayed five days in Noumea. Noumea is always nice. I have some good friends there. As usual, I got a loan of a motorbike and could show Pieter around. We left for Vanuatu on Tuesday, 31 August. Switching on the GPS, we found it had frozen in position. And could not be coaxed back to work by whatever we tried. Luckily we had a spare hand-held GPS. It was completely different in use and used different abbreviations, but it gave a position, direction of travel and boat speed. Judging by the speed, I think it was giving us land miles. (Our altitude is 23 feet). At 1630, we anchored in Baie de Pronie. We had been tacking in against 20 to 30 knot winds. No hope in getting out of Passe Havana before dark. 1 September, 0700, left anchorage at Baie de Pronie. Tacking into 25kn SE. wind out of Passe Havanna, with very rough seas. Once outside with the wind on the s.b quarter, we are making good time. Wind increased somewhat in the afternoon and we finish up sailing under reefed main only. After dark, I started my watch from 8pm till 12. I kept check on our position every hour. By switching on the GPS, getting a position and switching off again. For this GPS was murder on batteries ,four double AA batteries in three hours. At my 11pm position, I suddenly found I was only 4 miles off the Island of Lifou. Quickly I adjusted the wind vane a little. I could not give it too much or we would jibe. I sat down again at the nav table considering whether I should jibe or turn right through the wind and heave too for a while. As I was considering this, I felt two little quick bumps under the keel and then an enormous crash!!! This sound will stay with me for the rest of my life! The boat went from seven knots to a sudden stop. The nav table saved me from injury. But Pieter, as he later told me, shot right out of his saloon bunk over the leecloth into the forepeak and hurt his neck. I shot out of the hatch and there in the loom of the nav lights, the bow was grinding into a steep cliff. Waves were crashing all around and coming on board! My first thought, “mainsail down”. As it was standing full with wind and pressing us against the cliff. Halyard loose and trying to pull the sail down. Too much wind in it to come down, and as I looked up, I could see the cliff over hanging us. Bloody hell! The mast is going to come down. Get the motor started, and put it in reverse. I rushed back along the deck and halfway down the companion ladder, the mast came down striking me on the head and helped me down. Started the motor, into reverse. Full revs. I still don’t know whether it did anything, but the boat now went portside to the cliff. Now we are lifted sideways up the cliff face and grinding down. The noise is unbelievable. Water down the hatch. I look at the cliff face for a handhold so I can get off. No go - too smooth.

CCCA Risk Management 133 20-Mar-15 During all this, Pieter has dressed, put on shoes and a lifejacket and handed me one. I was too busy to put it on. Thinking I will put it on when the boat brakes up and I will get off on the weather side. During all this, great cascades of water were coming down on us. Lots of it went straight down the companion way. Our position was hopeless.

Suddenly, an extra large wave ran up the cliff, and on the way back, pushed the bow out. The next wave pushed it further. And, slowly the bow turned through the wind. Now the stern section was being crunched. The rail got wiped off by a protruding rock. Took aerials, etc. And coming down, the rudder got snapped off and the propeller bent.. I had put the prop in forward by then, but could hear and feel the prop hitting the hull. This forceful coming down on this rock must have given us some forward propulsion, as suddenly we were free. As the mast still was standing to the bottom spreaders, the little bit of mainsail filled with wind and slowly we moved out to sea. All this is still unbelievable to me. People tell me what bad luck I had. I believe I had tremendous good luck. All the bad luck was provided by myself. What was I thinking, if at all, to get so close. And with an untried G.P.S. On a dark night, no visibility. Lots of excuses. I wanted to get into the lee off the island (it was rough). I had been there many times before and knew there was no coastal reef. I also knew the loom off the village was behind the cliffs and not in front. Just the same, it puts me in a very bad light. Perhaps the main reason I have not written this earlier. First thing after I was sure we were truly off, was lashing the top end off the mast tightly to the boat, so it could do no damage. The broken end was still attached at the bottom spreaders by halyards and the bronze track (wooden mast). Next thing, was taking stock of our situation . Pieter remarked dryly: “good thing you and I are not the panicking type”. There was about a foot of water in the bilge, cabin sole not awash. The thing to do was to take the raw water hose off its seacock and pump the water out by running the motor. The hose would not come off. Pieter again: “Just cut it off - there is plenty of hose”. The boat pumped dry in minutes. There was ingress of water, but nothing that the hand pump could not handle ( 40 strokes every half hour.) Next thing, calling a May Day. I called and called Noumea Radio until Pieter pointed out the aerial was broken in three pieces and hanging in the water. We taped the aerial bits together and Pieter held it aloft. Noumea Radio came booming in on our May Day and asked if we really wanted to be taken off. Since we were still

CCCA Risk Management 134 20-Mar-15 floating, perhaps the boat could be saved. I had never thought of leaving the boat and changed to Pan Pan. The operator said, “you will be okay, talk to you in the morning”. Pieter said, “What now?” I said, “Nothing we can do, I am getting something to eat and go back to bed”. Pieter: “What!! Sleep? I’ll never sleep again - not on this boat”. Pulling my head back out of the food cupboard, I bumped my head on the pilot bunk. Now the wound where the mast had hit me had been bleeding steadily - now it started gushing. Blood down my back, down my arms. A towel, then a t-shirt, paper towels - it just kept coming. Pieter found a pressure bandage with long ends that tied under my chin. I tore a long strip of a sheet and made a turban. (This turban I was wearing still days later and the kids in the Kanak Village thought I was a Turk.) After having eaten, I went in my bunk and tried to sleep. Pieter kept waking me up to see if I was alright. Until I growled, “for Christ’s sake, let me sleep”. Pieter told me later he did a lot of vomiting as I was sleeping. He thought he might have concussion from being thrown into the forepeak. In the morning (2 September), a French Navy plane came over and talked to us on Channel 16. Asked us if we needed a tow and told us we were doing fine and heading for Passe Havanna. I hastily put them right and told them we were not going the direction we were pointing. They did a few fly overs and estimated our direction and speed of drift. “Don’t worry, you are doing fine.” Easy for them to say! The motion on the boat was horrible without the mast. At one stage, doing some work near the mast, I could feel a big wave. Clutching the mast with both hands, the mast whipped so violently, I lost my grip. Got thrown up and backwards. I thought I was overboard, but I came down flat on my back on the side deck. I mean, I made contact with my whole body, perfectly flat and did not hit any obstruction or fitting. It hurt, but I was not damaged. Except my watch got smashed. Pieter, during all this, stayed true to his word and did not sleep and stayed glued to the tiller. Although our main rudder had gone, our secondary rudder from the wind vane was knocked about and bent, but still working. Later in the day, a navy helicopter came over. They could organise a tow, and it would cost 9,000 Kiwi dollars . It was a shock, but we accepted. The tug would be there at 4 o’clock in the morning. We were doing fine he said, and heading straight for Havanah Passe. I told him no, no, no. We are definitely not heading that way. We were doing about 2.70º and heading in the direction of Papeti Pass (about 60 to 70 miles further north than Havanah). I said to Pieter, “they just don’t seem to understand anything about the wind and the sea”. We spend the rest of the day and night very uncomfortably, with a 25 knot wind on the beam - rolling badly.

CCCA Risk Management 135 20-Mar-15 September. The tug that was supposed to pick us up was not there at 4am, nor at 10am, although we called sporadically on the VHF. By noon, we’d given up on the tug . Pieter went up the mast (again) to run another halyard over the remaining spreader so we could raise a jib before the mast and get some extra speed and better direction for Papetti Pass. The main had slid right down during the night, and we had raised our try’sl instead. Getting closer to the Pass, it looked like we would not make it. We both got the same idea at once! Use the motor. If the prop falls off, at least we tried. The prop rattled and clunked, did not fall off and gave us an extra 1/2 knot and less leeway. As we were struggling with sails and rudder to get the boat set up to go through the Passe, the helicopter came over again, but we were too busy to talk to them. At about 3pm, about two miles through the Passe, safe and sound, the tug turned up - and what a tug. A huge seagoing tug with lots of smiling faces and ready to throw us the towline as thick as a man’s thigh. The faces stopped smiling when we refused the tow. With my stilted French and the little English one of the crewmen spoke, it took a while to get things straight. They had been waiting all night in Passe Havanna! Even the tug people could not get it through their heads that a disabled yacht is not very good to windward. Could we have made Havannah Passe, we would not have needed them and been home and hosed with the wind behind us. The tug hung around a bit and talked some more, but we were adamant, and an hour later, we were for anchor at Port Bouquet. Having been there before was a great help. That night it blew up something fierce. But we were nice and cosy. Except for a tug with a long string of barges also looking for shelter, could have wrapped the whole lot around us. September. In the morning the wind was off shore and the last two barges had run aground on another beach. September. We stayed a full day at Port Bouquet to rest and tidy up. September. We left at about 6am and found we could motor at about two knots into a ten knot wind and made it late in the afternoon to Kua Kue (about 20 miles). We talked with a friendly caretaker from a holiday resort and got some pomelos. September, 0600, away from Kua Kue. (We’d had a good night’s sleep.) Weather is fine and no wind yet 0750 made contact with Noumea Radio (VHF). They relayed a message to Townsville Radio, “boat damaged, crew okay”. At about 1500 hours, arrived at Port Yate. This is a good harbour. I had been there twice before and being quite confident of my local knowledge, I did not bother to read up on details. The two port markers were missing. I told Pieter to keep a good distance from the

CCCA Risk Management 136 20-Mar-15 starboard markers, as there was a sandbank forming there. Said to head straight for the little creek. I had forgotten all about the strong current that always runs in there. Suddenly, we bumped a reef and stuck fast! Full power was useless with our bent propeller. No steerage with our tiny emergency rudder. Now I noticed the strong current. Some Kanak kids came rowing over in a tinny. We asked them to lay out our anchor. Because of the current and having one broken oar, they dropped it downstream in the wrong spot - and then rowed home! Pieter was getting a bit worried. I said, “So what, we are aground. The tide will go up or down and we will get off sometime, unless we ran aground at top high tide”. It turned out we did! After escaping from the Lifou Cliffs and getting safely to the New Caledonia main land (Grand Terre), I had a feeling of nothing can happen to us now. Not so. We had run aground just about where the second port marker used to be. A meter more to the left and we would have got pierced on the jagged steel base of the former marker. Now came the laying out of anchors - three in all. Two CQRs, one with 40m chain and one large Danforth with nylon anchor rope. Lucky we had an eight foot fibreglass dinghy with two horse outboard. It would have been impossible to row the anchors out in the strong current. With the tide out, the reef was not completely dry, but enough to lay the boat over on its bilges. The worst was before the boat settled. The bashing of the hull on the reef with each wave. The same happened when the tide started to come in. The first try to get the boat off was early next morning and still dark. We shifted it one boat length towards deepwater. Only a few feet to go and we would be off. But, the tide was just not high enough. The keel had dug a whole in the reef and would not budge. We kept winching and snapped two anchor rodes mainly through coral abrasion. Now, with only one anchor left, getting off seemed hopeless. Pieter had the good idea of going to the Kanak village to ask the local diver (we had seen somebody splashing about in a ) if he could pick up our anchors. So, we asked the local kids where he lived. As I was talking to his wife and explained what we wanted, he came out of the house, completely ignored us, went to his shed, put on his wet suit and walked to the water. Pieter and I did not know what to think. We followed him in the dinghy, shouting instructions where to dive for the anchors. He still ignored us and started diving in completely the wrong spot and came up with anchor No.1! Swam away and came up with anchor No.2! That is, he handed us the rope so we could pull them in the dinghy.

CCCA Risk Management 137 20-Mar-15 We went back to the boat and I handed him a 5,000 franc note. Standing knee deep, next to our boat, he gestured that he was all wet and could not take it. So, I said that I would come to the village later. We did get there about lunchtime. This time, he was very friendly and insisted we partake in lunch. We did and it was very good. That night, we tried to get off again, but no go! Next morning, again, still stuck. We found out the afternoon tide would be about 5cm higher than the one we went aground on. If we would not get off, then we would need outside help. The boat could not last much longer. So, I rang some friends in Noumea to see if they could get a boat over to us to tow us off if our own efforts would fail again. Claude (a very good friend of mine who I regularly visit on my trips via Noumea), rang back and all he could get us was a small tug for $7,000 Australian. He had to know by 8pm that night if we needed him so he could be there at 6 o’clock in the morning. So, now it was up to us two, one last great effort. We reset the anchors - two out front, one a long way off and to the side going via the top of the mast stump to try and heel the boat. We started tensioning the lines 30 minutes before the tide and kept winding and winding. Anchor winch and two sheet winches. Then, a slight rumble. We did not dare to look at each other and kept winching. A bit more rumbling, and we were off. Unbelievable. Oh happy day (18:15 hours Wednesday, 8 September). After a little rest, ashore to ring Claude to cancel the tug. A good night sleep was had. 9 September - cleaning up, anchors in, resting. 10 September 0545 up anchor at Yateh. 10:00 on the leads at Havannah Canal. 1300, in Canal Woodin doing five knots with motor - jury rig - current and wind from behind. 1800, tied up in Baye Moselle Marina. Now came the daunting task of rebuilding the boat. That is another story, but to put your mind at rest, Kai Vai is as good as ever.

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