How much time and money should I spend planning for failure?

[PhillM]

You have got me thinking now....

Thanks for the help and clarity of thought. Apologies for the long post. As you can see you have all got me thinking.

I think you are right that the skills to lead a team onboard are not too far removed from leading a team in the office. The differences are that to fix problems you pick different tools and of course the consequences can be more serious at sea.

To clarify, I am Solent based and the longest trips we have planned for this year are Portland in June and Chichester in July. Other than that, it’s going to be day or weekend Solent sailing. Max weather F4 gusting F5, anything higher and I am in the pub. I am not worried about my ability to cope with the sailing we have planned. I am just thinking forward so that I develop skills by the time that they are needed.

Over the last 18 months I have personally sanded down every bit of the (wooden) hull, inside and out; then primed, painted / varnished, etc. Any problems found have been sorted out with expert support – so I am very confident of the hull / keel etc. New bilge pumps (manual and automatic) professionally installed last year. Cockpit reconstruction is underway by a shipwright.

The engine is old, but I have had it professionally checked over and serviced. The engineer has changed the fuel tank, installed a new prop shaft, coupling, cutlass bearing etc, so again a high level of confidence in that gear. I have a full set of tools and engine spares onboard. A hands on engine course seems like a good idea because while I have some theory from watching and reading, I have no practical experience .... and I don’t really want to start playing with my own engine without support.

The rig is old but seems to me to be fine. I had a rigger fit a new VHF and after a quick inspection he was happy to go up the mast. That tells, me the rig cannot be too bad. Does anyone know of a good 1 day rigging course. I do have bolt cutters onboard (although never cut anything with them, so perhaps that is a job to do .... just so I feel confident that I could.).

Old main, no1 jib and storm job sails are in for repair. Extra reef points are to be added to the main so we will have 2 reef points. I also have a new Genoa on order.

Electrical stuff was re-done last year by an electrician. I helped with that job and I am quite confident that I can fix or get around anything electrical except starting the engine if the start battery failed.

Seacocks are serviced professionally annually. I don’t know how to do that, so perhaps that’s for the future? I do have wooden bungs (and think that I have worked out what to do with them).

I have thought about how to deal with a hole in the hull. I carry spare canvas and small wooden patches etc. However, I have no idea just how I would react to a underwater hole in real life.

I plan new running rigging in March. I might not be able to do the whole rig, but new halyards will be a priority.

I did the RNLI sea safety last year and acted on all recommendations except guard wires. We always clip on and have reliable points and jackstays.

So, what have I missed?

 

[Searush]

Now you need to go sailing & learn to stop worrying.

 

[DJE]

Sounds like you're much better prepared than many boats in the Solent. In reasonable weather the biggest hazard you are likely to face there is the traffic. To deal with that you need a good understanding of where the shipping channels are and a good lookout. Also charts, compass, tidetables and tidal atlas.

 

[Searush]

Sounds like you're much better prepared than many boats in the Solent. In reasonable weather the biggest hazard you are likely to face there is the traffic. To deal with that you need a good understanding of where the shipping channels are and a good lookout. Also charts, compass, tidetables and tidal atlas.

& eyes in the back of yer 'ead!

 

[jwilson]

+1.

& please stop calling it safety kit.

Most of it is "emergency kit". It doesn't make you safer but it might help you survive a dangerous situation that you shouldn't have got yourself into.

Agree entirely - mosts "safety equipment" is "emergency stuff".

To the original poster, the best thing you can do is think "..what if" as much as you can.

As a most basic example - coming back into harbour under engine - what if it dies? What is the wind doing, and have you already put the sail covers on? What is the tide doing - could you carry the way on to someone else's buoy or mooring/pontoon, etc.

Apply the same (what if...) thoughts to everything. Most of the options that can get you out of most difficult situations do not necessarily involve any bright yellow bits of equipment, flares or a radio.

 

[Havant a Clew]

& eyes in the back of yer 'ead!

I really can't recommend this tip enough............well, anyway not after being nearly run down by the boat that used to do the wind turbine blade run from Soton to Newport. I kid you not, I could almost hear the rolling eyes on the bridge

 

[Seajet]

One thing I would strongly recommend; get the best waterproofs you can.

A warm dry crew is a major safety factor in itself, and the oilies go with you if & when you change boats.

 

[prv]

As a most basic example - coming back into harbour under engine - what if it dies? What is the wind doing, and have you already put the sail covers on?

Yep - having had the engine fail on me (strictly speaking, the gearbox - the engine ran beautifully but the shaft didn't turn) last spring, I'm now much more conscious of the possibility. To those of us who grew up with Yanmars rather than Stuart Turners, the feeling when you push the lever forward and nothing happens is actually pretty disorienting.

As a result (although that incident occurred with plenty of sea-room) I have a new resolution to cast off the anchor lashings just in case, before heading into any tight spaces under power.

Pete

 

[timmygobang]

I'm in a similar situation, I'm doing the arc on a friends boat this year I want to be a bit more helpful than a tea boy.

There's a 5 day diesel engine course that my day skipper instructor said was much better than the 1 day'er, its much more indepth and in the long run you'd make your money back by doing your own engine maintenance and servicing, supposed to be very good.

I also spoke to someone at the boat show about doing the sea survival 1 day course, they said if you can, there's a weekend course where they take you out and run through how to fix a bunch of common issues ie jury rigging etc, and then on the sunday they do half a day first aid training. It may be called RYA/ ISAF OFFSHORE SAFETY COURSES but dont quote me on that.

I don't think there's anything wrong in doing lots of courses to build up your arsenal of knowledge, certainly can't do no harm but there's no courses on common sense so make sure you have ooodles of that

 

[DownWest]

Yes. Keep within your limits.
When I moved here, I met a guy who had built a small gaff cutter and was sailing the local river and the sea when he could find someone who was experienced. We had a few trips and he was very careful about how far he could take things. About a year later,I bullied him into taking part in a festival. Still with some one experienced,in this case his son in law (transat twice) After another two of these and more local stuff he is now happy to go off on his own, and is enjoying it. Still very carefull about the limits/weather. But that is what it is about.
Now planning a camp cruising trip in the spring. On his own.

Interestingly, the OP has a wooden boat. That normally guarentees a lot of DIY skills, or spare loot to employ the yards...
One does not own them,one is just a keeper till the next one comes along...
DW

 

[PhillM]

There seems to be two different set of skills that I need to develop: ones needed when out sailing and ones needed for refit and maintenance needed in the winter. This winter’s regime is well under way. I can pretty much do everything that I need to do to finish this year’s work ready to get back out sailing, so there skills can be parked for now.

Thinking about the practical skills that might be needed while out sailing has occupied me for a few evenings. I know that I lack engine knowledge / skills. Also, I have never sewn anything, let alone canvas, I also don’t know much about rigging so that too needs to be on my list too.

When I talked to my crew (family) about what worried them most about sailing with me, surprisingly the answer was “the food”. Everyone is happy to come providing that we pull into a marina and go to the pub each evening. What worries them most is what will we eat, if we cannot get in and have to stay at anchor overnight. Unfed crew = unhappy crew and might = no crew in future.

Having left from home and got married to a great cook, almost straight away. I have never cooked. Nobody (and that includes me!) wants to eat what I can prepare on our one burner spirit stove.

My plan is to book on the RYA one day engine course. I am also going to have a think about the sort of provisions I can keep onboard that I (with my very limited ability) turn into something that is somewhere between edible and appetising. Then have a practice or two on myself!

 

[Nostrodamus]

Have a look at buying a Cobb barbecue. You can use them anywhere (outside stays cool), cook most things and even move them around. Well worth the investment and food tastes good.

 

[DJE]

When I talked to my crew (family) about what worried them most about sailing with me, surprisingly the answer was “the food”. Everyone is happy to come providing that we pull into a marina and go to the pub each evening. What worries them most is what will we eat, if we cannot get in and have to stay at anchor overnight. Unfed crew = unhappy crew and might = no crew in future.

You really need to have something on board that you can turn into a sustaining meal (very preferably hot!) with whatever cooking facilities you have aboard. Don't be forced out of a snug anchorage for a dicey run to a marina just so you can get to the pub! For one burner in extremis I would go for a tin of curry and a tin of Bombay potatoes in the same pan. Asda's varieties are quite palatable after a day at sea.

 

[fireball]

To clarify, I am Solent based and the longest trips we have planned for this year are Portland in June and Chichester in July. Other than that, it’s going to be day or weekend Solent sailing. Max weather F4 gusting F5, anything higher and I am in the pub. I am not worried about my ability to cope with the sailing we have planned. I am just thinking forward so that I develop skills by the time that they are needed.
So, what have I missed?

Go out and Sail!!
The solent is enclosed enough - your biggest concern will be the other vessels - just learn where the big boys go and stay out their way and the rest - well, you'll dodge them - or them you ...

 

[te2070]

As a boatie & lifeboat crew , I have a foot in both camps.

If your worried about your lack of practical expierence, getting as much training as you can is a good idea, but as has already been said , the best tool is between your ears, in a situation - think - decide - act..... and carry on thinking

One shout we had was to a guy who had bought a 24' 1960 wooden boat in a pub in Birkenhead & decided to sail to Bristol, we ended up towing him off a rocky lee shore and found the boat had a dinghy rudder, dead engine & although he had tried shooting the anchor - the anchor chain had been connected to the samson post & not the anchor .

Also remember " if you can keep your head while all around are losing theirs - you havn't got a full grasp of whats going on "

 

[Seajet]

As for cooking on board, completely agree with DJE; a tin of curry with tinned new potatoes mixed in can be surprisingly good.

Ditto chilli; I find Tesco tinned stuff very good.

A flask of ( originally boiling ) hot water can be handy too for drinks & cup-a-soups, but do have a kettle on board, and a large bottle of fresh water.

As a snack I usually have 2 Jacobs cream crackers - butter or Primula cheese spread - and cheese in the middle, either real cheese or the Kraft 'plastic' squares of cheese which are user-friendly on a boat ( don't do as my crew once did and leave the plastic film on ! ) ; surprisingly tasty.

Make sure you have rudimentary plates & cutlery, and a tin opener, not all are the ringpull type...

 

[Stemar]

I'm no cook, either. I wind SWMBO up by saying I've been marrried far too long to far too good a cook to be any use in the galley, but it's true. Nonetheless, a few well-chosen tins will always provide a meal.

Tesco's do a decent ratattouille; add a bit of grated cheese & you've got a decent meal. Cassoulet's another favourite, expensive in the UK, but dirt cheap in French supermarkets. Add some pre-prepared salad & cheese & biscuits afterwards, all washed down with an honest red as you watch the sun go down from the cockpit - heaven!

 

[mcframe]

So, what have I missed?

Probably not much.

An eye for detail is handy - I've been known to sit in the cockpit drinking beer after a race and casually, err, 'fondling' nearby objects thus discovering loose shackles on spinny blocks and loose stanchions, etc.

It might be a bit OCD, but I often give genoa car blocks & unloaded deck/mast sheeves a quick flick when walking past.

 

[PhillM]

Thanks all. I have found this thread particularly useful. I am not at all worried about sailing next year and am really looking forward to it. If we do half of what I have “planned” it’s going to be a fantastic year on the water.

Spending the last couple of weeks doing a SWOT on myself has been interesting, to say the least. I am enjoying reviewing my skills and identifying how to be a better sailor.

Summary of advice:

1) Get out and sail.

2) Emergency kit is useful but the point is to try to avoid having to use it.

3) Do regular maintenance and regular checks to spot problems before they develop into something more serious.

4) If uncomfortable about a skill, go learn it, but unless it’s fundamental to safety, don’t let it stop you going out sailing.

5) Get-me-home skills are more important than in-depth specialist skills.

6) Safety should be built in to the way that the boat is setup and used. I particularly liked Seajet’s idea about MOB recovery using the boom.

7) Don’t push the boundaries on purpose there is plenty of time to learn. Boundaries will grow because circumstances will dictate e.g. higher wind, because it blew up more than forecast; night hours caused by arriving late, etc.

8) Happy crew = safe crew – keep them warm, dry and well fed. In my case particularly: Learn to cook basic hot meals – having pre made flasks of drinks, soup, etc is useful and so are tins and other long life pre-prepared food is useful to have on board in case we don’t make the pub. Remember to take a tin opener & corkscrew!

9) Be adaptable – flexibility and open minded. Keep thinking and use common sense.

10) Dam, it was going to be a "top-ten tips"!

 

[fireball]

10) Dam, it was going to be a "top-ten tips"!

10) Enjoy it!


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