Robin
Well-known member
Wow what a weekend for a 1st crossing, anything now might seem a bit tame! So chalk a point or two up for an AWB.
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Cherbourg Trip Statistics
- Thread starter Robin
- Start date
tome
New member
Seismic survey boats stop working above ~2.5m swell due to the acoustic noise on the streamers which render the internal hydrophones too noisy. The streamers are long (twice the length of the deepest target, and typically 2 - 7 km) and kerosene filled with lead ballast. They are towed some 6-8 m below the surface - deeper gives less surface noise but degraded dynamic range. I can picture the log entry 'WOW' (waiting on weather), though I suspect she would still have her streamers out unless really bad weather was expected. The streamers can be dived to deeper water when WOW.
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iangrant
New member
The shaft seal is the Volvo type - needless to say I will replace it anyway!!
Ian
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Ian
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squidge
New member
Re: Arcturus
Here here, First class Skipper,skillfully sailed in and onto a pontoon, thanks for letting me join your crew .Brian well done on the pin point navigation and being able to stay below long enough to do it given the conditions (cast iron constitution),I was not so fortunate.
Yes we encountered some trials but nothing that dampened our sprites,Arcturus is a strong and seaworthy yacht, i had no dought that in the hands of her skipper she would get us safely home.
I hope that Tony is feeling better and that nothing is broken,i bet he has the mother af all bruises though.
Best wishes to L , she is an angel.
You will be pleased to know that i got my kabab, although 24hr later.Crawled into bed at 2.30am , (speeding tickets to follow)
All in all an enjoyable and memorable trip,a lot learned in a short space of time.
Can't wait to see the photos.
With regards and respect
Squidge.
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Here here, First class Skipper,skillfully sailed in and onto a pontoon, thanks for letting me join your crew .Brian well done on the pin point navigation and being able to stay below long enough to do it given the conditions (cast iron constitution),I was not so fortunate.
Yes we encountered some trials but nothing that dampened our sprites,Arcturus is a strong and seaworthy yacht, i had no dought that in the hands of her skipper she would get us safely home.
I hope that Tony is feeling better and that nothing is broken,i bet he has the mother af all bruises though.
Best wishes to L , she is an angel.
You will be pleased to know that i got my kabab, although 24hr later.Crawled into bed at 2.30am , (speeding tickets to follow)
All in all an enjoyable and memorable trip,a lot learned in a short space of time.
Can't wait to see the photos.
With regards and respect
Squidge.
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bedouin
Well-known member
Re: That\'s another point to Kim Holman then
Two boats - two fast comfortable passages with no dramas or breakages.
Shame about Indigo spoiling the record
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Two boats - two fast comfortable passages with no dramas or breakages.
Shame about Indigo spoiling the record
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Robin
Well-known member
Hi Ken
A small sample statistically but a wide choice of different boats and if anything it seems to me to show that no one type is superior to another. That bigger is better is not surprising at all giving as it does more speed as well as a more comfortable and possibly drier ride.
One thing is for sure and has been said before, the best boat is the one that you have at the time, if it wasn't that then you would have bought something else!
Well done for overcoming your own crew problems and making it regardless, I'm sure Indigo will forgive you in time.....
Robin
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A small sample statistically but a wide choice of different boats and if anything it seems to me to show that no one type is superior to another. That bigger is better is not surprising at all giving as it does more speed as well as a more comfortable and possibly drier ride.
One thing is for sure and has been said before, the best boat is the one that you have at the time, if it wasn't that then you would have bought something else!
Well done for overcoming your own crew problems and making it regardless, I'm sure Indigo will forgive you in time.....
Robin
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tome
New member
Ian
I replaced ours with a PSS seal last year and this has been great. It was fitted together with an Ambassador stripper rope cutter by John Cutler of Cutler Marine who I can highly recommend (not cheap though). He's Dereks brother BTW, but this didn't seem to get me any discount!
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.cutlermarine.com/>Cutler Marine</A>
Regards
Tom
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I replaced ours with a PSS seal last year and this has been great. It was fitted together with an Ambassador stripper rope cutter by John Cutler of Cutler Marine who I can highly recommend (not cheap though). He's Dereks brother BTW, but this didn't seem to get me any discount!
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.cutlermarine.com/>Cutler Marine</A>
Regards
Tom
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iangrant
New member
Tom
I have the same rope cutter and am going to replace the shaft seal.. I know JC pretty well - bloody good engineer.
Ian
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I have the same rope cutter and am going to replace the shaft seal.. I know JC pretty well - bloody good engineer.
Ian
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Robin
Well-known member
We called the Survey boat on VHF on Sunday since we'd had to make a big detour round him outbound on Friday. He said 'they had no gear out and normal rules apply'. They had a trawler working with them and a couple of guard boats, all of them on Sunday were just motoring into the sea occasionally turning round to go back downwind and start again. Poole Bay is always bad in an easterly and certainly was on Sunday, more than the windspeed would suggest too. We recorded a maximum true wind of 34kts, but that was an isolated gust, 28kts or so was steady for a time.
We went into Poole just before the ebb started when I would guess the Swash got really rough. The west going tide is diverted more southwards off Hook Sands I suspect and more into the wind because we found a couple of really bad seas as we turned in. We only had 2/3rds of our genoa and no main and had just rolled even more away prior to gybing around into the channel, SWMBO on the wheel. Just as I took over a vertical wall of water rose up behind us and we took off down the face, I think I saw 19kts plus but by the time I dared take my eyes off where we were going the speed was dropping fast as the bow buried in the wave in front. 16.7 kts we both saw for sure on the clock before the crest we had been beating caught up with us and broke in the cockpit! The rest of the Swash was bad but no more like that one wave, only the 3rd time in about 30 years we have had that happen in that spot.
We had heard Portland CG talking to a boat approaching Poole that PCG had some concerns about , so we actually called Portland to suggest they might like to warn him what to expect, I think that was the deciding factor because we heard PCG say Poole lifeboat would launch to meet them.
We have friends with a Hunter 707 planing race boat who have 14.7kts embroidered on their shirts - we can go 2 better on ours now with 16.7kts! Whatever must it be like on something like the RTW boats that double this and for day after day in the Southern Ocean?
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We went into Poole just before the ebb started when I would guess the Swash got really rough. The west going tide is diverted more southwards off Hook Sands I suspect and more into the wind because we found a couple of really bad seas as we turned in. We only had 2/3rds of our genoa and no main and had just rolled even more away prior to gybing around into the channel, SWMBO on the wheel. Just as I took over a vertical wall of water rose up behind us and we took off down the face, I think I saw 19kts plus but by the time I dared take my eyes off where we were going the speed was dropping fast as the bow buried in the wave in front. 16.7 kts we both saw for sure on the clock before the crest we had been beating caught up with us and broke in the cockpit! The rest of the Swash was bad but no more like that one wave, only the 3rd time in about 30 years we have had that happen in that spot.
We had heard Portland CG talking to a boat approaching Poole that PCG had some concerns about , so we actually called Portland to suggest they might like to warn him what to expect, I think that was the deciding factor because we heard PCG say Poole lifeboat would launch to meet them.
We have friends with a Hunter 707 planing race boat who have 14.7kts embroidered on their shirts - we can go 2 better on ours now with 16.7kts! Whatever must it be like on something like the RTW boats that double this and for day after day in the Southern Ocean?
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ParaHandy
Active member
Re: Arcturus
well done ...... i think we did meet in the gloom as i was going home on the brow at campers and we had a quick chat before the marina gate closed.
hope we meet again
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well done ...... i think we did meet in the gloom as i was going home on the brow at campers and we had a quick chat before the marina gate closed.
hope we meet again
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Robin
Well-known member
We already have an Ambassador cutter but it is good to hear the PSS recommended. Our Deep Sea Seal had to be adjusted closer than they stated or it let in some water every time the engine was put in gear, it also didnt like bad weather probably due to engine movement on it's soft mounts. Our local engineer says it is difficult to get the DSS set up at 90 degs to the shaft, something which is taken care of in the design of the PSS and also the Stopelo seals. I like to see dust in the bilges and water in the ocean outside....
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ParaHandy
Active member
you know, i don't think its much to do with the boat, it's the people that matters. i'd be happy with any of them (even the 2 sleeping dodo's) ............
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jimi
Well-known member
Re: Arcturus
Sh#t!! Well done. It must have been particularly worrying for you with your young daughter on board! It'll certainly be a trip that will remain in the memory banks. Hope you get the boat sorted out soon.
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Sh#t!! Well done. It must have been particularly worrying for you with your young daughter on board! It'll certainly be a trip that will remain in the memory banks. Hope you get the boat sorted out soon.
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jimi
Well-known member
People
Seconded .. there's a few people I would'nt have gone to sleep on in a trip like that!
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Seconded .. there's a few people I would'nt have gone to sleep on in a trip like that!
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tome
New member
Just had a look at the spec for the Geo Mariner, she's a 2-D shallow water survey vessel so would only have a single streamer (max length 5.2km). This makes it much easier to recover the gear. 2D vessels aren't as susceptible to acoustic noise so I guess she had streamer problems and had recovered to fix. She's a tiddler at 723 tons but her shallow draft (max 2.9m) allows her to boldly go where ours wouldn't dare.
Sounds like a very exciting run into Poole! 16.7K must have been really hairy. Reminds me of a wild run past the needles with my wife where I was also too busy avoiding a broach to watch the speed. SWMBO reckoned we were up to 12.8K (on a 28 footer) and it was real adrenalin stuff. At times like this I wish I had recorders for the instruments.
I heard PCG task the lifeboat, but couldn't hear the other end of the traffic.
Totally agree about the RTW boats - it's awesome to think they are doing these speeds around the clock.
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Sounds like a very exciting run into Poole! 16.7K must have been really hairy. Reminds me of a wild run past the needles with my wife where I was also too busy avoiding a broach to watch the speed. SWMBO reckoned we were up to 12.8K (on a 28 footer) and it was real adrenalin stuff. At times like this I wish I had recorders for the instruments.
I heard PCG task the lifeboat, but couldn't hear the other end of the traffic.
Totally agree about the RTW boats - it's awesome to think they are doing these speeds around the clock.
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duncan
Active member
Re: Portland....Sunday
was that Papilion Robin, or however you spell a french butterfly?
we were listening to one side of theconversation (as usual) and didn't get the ending in any event
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was that Papilion Robin, or however you spell a french butterfly?
we were listening to one side of theconversation (as usual) and didn't get the ending in any event
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G
Guest
Guest
Re: Arcturus
Actually, I thought the crew were excellent.
No panic from Tony despite his first real weekend at sea. Reassured by 3 competent people. Brian's excellent constitution and Squidge for adding his handling and experience. (Good suggestion of scandalising the main.) Mind you - if anyone on any boat moans just tell them "Well an 11 year old girl did it!)
(I was also stopped by the police just outside the marina. Wanted to know if I had been drinking. No - but I could have done with one!)
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Actually, I thought the crew were excellent.
No panic from Tony despite his first real weekend at sea. Reassured by 3 competent people. Brian's excellent constitution and Squidge for adding his handling and experience. (Good suggestion of scandalising the main.) Mind you - if anyone on any boat moans just tell them "Well an 11 year old girl did it!)
(I was also stopped by the police just outside the marina. Wanted to know if I had been drinking. No - but I could have done with one!)
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Robin
Well-known member
Not wanting to contradict but...... Geo Mariners guard boat that chased us well north on Friday (we wanted to divert via south and actually would have cleared him no probs even if we had just held our course) told us he had two cables down between him and the big red trawler thing with the flashing light. There seemed to be a couple of yellow torpedo shaped floats side by side (25yds apart maybe?) near the boat if not both boats, can't remember now. Yes he seemed to go very close inshore in shallow water off the beaches before turning last week and had the local hotels complaining too about the bangs and vibrations upsetting guests at night! One of the spare boats about on Sunday seemed to be a smaller version of Geo Mariner too, wasn't there before that I saw though.
We had been at between 8kts and 8.5kts steady all the way from Hurst really with an occasional 9kts plus, about 2/3rds genoa and on autopilot, lazy sailing and had an easy lunch sat out either side in positions A against backrests inside the dodgers, warm and sunny too. I suspected Poole would be bad with that tide once the ebb started after 2nd HW so left early on the tide to make sure we got in beforehand. With a fast ebb due to start running I would expect that to make the Swash pretty awful, hence why we called PCG since their customer wasn't due for nearly an hour.
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We had been at between 8kts and 8.5kts steady all the way from Hurst really with an occasional 9kts plus, about 2/3rds genoa and on autopilot, lazy sailing and had an easy lunch sat out either side in positions A against backrests inside the dodgers, warm and sunny too. I suspected Poole would be bad with that tide once the ebb started after 2nd HW so left early on the tide to make sure we got in beforehand. With a fast ebb due to start running I would expect that to make the Swash pretty awful, hence why we called PCG since their customer wasn't due for nearly an hour.
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Robin
Well-known member
Re: Portland....Sunday
Papillon (I think). Yes I think so, we only heard snippets of PCGs side of the conversation. We heard them say to tell them when he was 30 mins away so assumed some kind of problem. He would therefore be arriving with the tide starting to ebb fast and it was already pretty rough so hence we called PCG. SWMBO said they seemed a bit uninterested but we did hear them say later to Papillon that they had asked the lifeboat to standby. We were too busy really to hear any more though much later heard Papillon call PCG to say he was safely in and thanks.
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Papillon (I think). Yes I think so, we only heard snippets of PCGs side of the conversation. We heard them say to tell them when he was 30 mins away so assumed some kind of problem. He would therefore be arriving with the tide starting to ebb fast and it was already pretty rough so hence we called PCG. SWMBO said they seemed a bit uninterested but we did hear them say later to Papillon that they had asked the lifeboat to standby. We were too busy really to hear any more though much later heard Papillon call PCG to say he was safely in and thanks.
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tome
New member
Robin
Geo Mariner must have been doing a 3D survey then, though her spec says she's a 2D boat. The two yellow paravanes support the underwater 'doors' which (like trawl doors) keep the streamers separated otherwise they would get tangled. The trawler with the flashing light would have been acting as guard ship, marking the ends of the streamers where you may have seen a pair of tailbuoys. There would be additional floats behind the Geo Mariner to support the towed airgun arrays. She's equipped with Bolt airguns with a capacity of around 2,000 cu inches operating at a pressure of 150bar (2,000 psi). All that pressure is released in a bang, but it's the subsequent implosion which generates the seismic shock wave.
When I first went to sea on these ships I wondered how I would sleep. The whole ship shudders every time the arrays fire - about once every 10 secs. After a few days, I used to wake up if they stopped!
It's quite common in obstructed shallow water to use 2 boats with 1 firing guns and the other towing streamers (recording). They pass either side of the obstruction and so map the area below. A smaller vessel can be used as the gunboat and this could have been what the other boat was doing.
Regards
Tom
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Geo Mariner must have been doing a 3D survey then, though her spec says she's a 2D boat. The two yellow paravanes support the underwater 'doors' which (like trawl doors) keep the streamers separated otherwise they would get tangled. The trawler with the flashing light would have been acting as guard ship, marking the ends of the streamers where you may have seen a pair of tailbuoys. There would be additional floats behind the Geo Mariner to support the towed airgun arrays. She's equipped with Bolt airguns with a capacity of around 2,000 cu inches operating at a pressure of 150bar (2,000 psi). All that pressure is released in a bang, but it's the subsequent implosion which generates the seismic shock wave.
When I first went to sea on these ships I wondered how I would sleep. The whole ship shudders every time the arrays fire - about once every 10 secs. After a few days, I used to wake up if they stopped!
It's quite common in obstructed shallow water to use 2 boats with 1 firing guns and the other towing streamers (recording). They pass either side of the obstruction and so map the area below. A smaller vessel can be used as the gunboat and this could have been what the other boat was doing.
Regards
Tom
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