Storm Tactics

I have been a believer in the Lin and Larry Pardey approach to storm tactics but so far have not had to deploy a vessel stabilisation system such as a sea anchor. I have a medium sized parachute and long lead line (90m) with a nylon bridle to deploy from the bow. The idea being to maintain a hove-to point of sail. The problem that everyone mentions is that the boat might be moving backwards and thereby putting great strain on the rudder and tiller which is already under load trying to hold the bow into the wind. Louisa lies very nicely when hove-to in F9 winds in a breaking sea but I don't know what will happen in stronger winds.

I can see problems with a Jordan Series Drogue (JSD) on Louisa as the transom and overall freeboard aren't great and the risk of being pooped is significant but having been given a JSD which is suitable for Louisa it seems reasonable to set the boat up for this. The drogue consists of a 40m leader line and 40m drogue with 70 cones. I have made chain plates which will lead to fairleads on the transom. I have also made 6m bridle lines in 12mm double braid with chaff protection. A length of chain for weight and all packed in a waterproof holdall. 

Yet another addition to Louisa that I hope I never have to use!

Possible problems include entanglement with the self steering, excessive load on the fixings, being pooped and problems with deployment and recovery. I might test the system when I am next offshore but since I have only tested the sea anchor in the river this may not happen for quite a while.

 

   

Job list but no sailing

 With the lack of wind and prevailing high pressure conditions I have been tackling the job list. 

A while ago my mast head VHF antenna started to lean over at an increasingly alarming angle. I lack the strength to pull my self up the mast on my bosun's chair so I decided to make a mast ladder. Well it worked first go! I was up and down the mast twice before breakfast.

The VHF antenna was leaning over because a previous owner had used a wooden block to clamp the antenna in the bracket which had rotten out. I made a temporary block out of tape and the antenna is back to vertical. I'll leave it until it starts to lean over again before addressing it properly.

Also on the topic of electronics. I installed my French radar detector. It seems to work but with a river authority radar nearby it seems locked on that. I am looking forward to trying it at sea.

Other jobs included a new domestic battery, the last one lasted 9 years of continual use powering fans and an air freshner device. Re-commissioning the diesel heater and making a start on a second depth sounder were also progressed.

Bilge pump problems

I keep Louisa in the water all year round and to lessen the risk, or so I thought, I have an automatic electric bilge pump. I visited the boat last week and could hear a low buzzing sound. I traced it to the electric bilge pump. The battery powering it was very low, 10V or 6V depending on where I checked. As this is a brand new AGM 95Ah battery I was pretty upset. I decided to check the other bilge pumps. The cockpit pump failed to prime even though it worked fine last time I checked. The emergency bilge pump which is a double action pump, fitted so that I can still make a cup of tea if I need to, still needed testing. I filled the bilge up and started pumping, river water sprayed all over the forepeak where the outlet is! It emptied the bilge in seconds but not before there was a lot of water over my spare sails and the heads. I couldn't replicate the fault on the electric pump but another club member who has a wooden boat reckons he gets through 2 pump / switches a year said replace the whole system. So, new electric bilge pump on order with a battery saver cut off. I have spares for the cockpit pump and I think I have sealed the leaks in the emergency pump outlet line. Also, I think I may have saved the battery, several 30 minute runs on the engine at high revs and it seems to be taking charge again. Long story short, I'll be checking my bilge pump systems more regularly and I have left a bucket in the cockpit.

Last sail of the year

 A quick jaunt to Queenborough at the end of December with some other club members. We had a good sail both ways and while cold, we didn't suffer too much. The usual lunch stop at the Flying Dutchman and back to the moorings at sun set. 

Most things worked fine but the heating has an issue where it generates some sort of vapour. It doesn't set off the carbon monoxide alarm but it is a worry. 

Bits of activity

 2025 has been a mixed year, no long trips but several short trips and some upgrades.

I won't show pictures but I have installed a holding tank in preparation for a possible trip to The Netherlands. This is a relatively simple installation but took quite a long time as I did it while the boat was afloat. Fitting a 40l tank and associated hoses on an Invicta 26 was interesting.

Almost finished, is the installation of an electric windlass. Again for coastal trips, I wanted to do this before age caught up with me and hopping around on deck / cockpit became too tricky. Photos will follow once I have completed the installation and tested things.

A couple of trips with club members have been great fun. Many members at our sailing club are in the process of doing their boats up so a trip out helps them remember why they are doing the work.

I have cleaned the hull off in anticipation of some winter sailing. 

Next job will be to re-commission the heating system, brrrr.

Brightlingsea Cruise

Club cruise to Brightlingsea, only three boats there, one didn't make it out of The Medway.

Early start, 4:30 AM from MCC moorings and made every gate. Sun rise over Grain was spectacular.

The wind was on the nose the whole way and died as we cleared Swin Spitway. Made it into Brightlingsea by 14:30PM and on to the pontoon. Engine on the whole time but worth it.

A good fun evening with the other skippers and crew. We were entertained with card tricks by one of the younger crew. 

Set off back the next day, Sunday 4th May, with the wind behind us. The wind was F3 N to F5 gusts and the new boom worked really well. Reefing was much easier and overall control was great. Gybing seemed more secure. Still need to sort out the preventer lines attachment point.

Just over 8 hours to get back to the HNYC moorings and almost no engine hours.

 

Lovely early morning sail

Left the HNYC moorings just before 6AM, I had moved Louisa to a swinging mooring the evening before. I only saw a couple of other boats on my way to Queenborough, they were heading up stream. I turned at Queenborough all tide landing at 9AM. The wind had been a very pleasant F3 WSW breeze. On the way back the wind increased to F4 with very occasional gusts. The only fly in the ointment was the 15 or so MYC boats, all looking grumpy, and sailing or motoring back to their moorings. I was back on my mooring by midday. Back in time to remove the boom and sort the boat out. After the frustrations of trying to rig a new topping lift, this was a very welcome break.