Ocean Navigator 172 2008.09

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Oil-eating bugs H Finding crew via the Internet
September 2008
Issue No. 172
$4.99 U.S. $4.99 Canada
www.OceanNavigator.com
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Nordhavn will display at this year's fall boat shows. Visit nordhavn.com for details.
NORDHAVN Compatibility
Nordhavn was the only choice that satisfied
my dream of long-distance cruising
and my wifes expectations for comfort.
Jim Lyle, owner of Nordhavn 43

Special Blend
Special Blend at anchor off of Vavau, Tonga where the Lyle family connect with nature and fall in love with the stress free life their Nordhavn 43 gives them.
comfortable in my home. I wanted my
things around me and I wanted the
feeling of security.
Jim and Martha Lyle had been

boaters for 40 years cruising
locally around the waters of
their Florida home. They decided
to expand their cruising grounds to
include the Bahamas and the Caribbean
until Jim learned about the Nordhavn
40 that P.A.E. had taken around the
world. It had never occurred to me
that a motorboat could do that, said
Jim. Suddenly, the Bahamas and
Caribbean werent big enough.
Space-wise, the Nordhavn 43

was the ideal length for them:
not too big that Jim felt overwhelmed
handling her and not too small that
quarters seemed cramped. The couple
recently finished a 10-month itinerary
that brought them from Florida to
New Zealand and were pleased at how
well they got along. Says Jim, We
have been married 40 years and never
Bulletproof construction, a
Special Blend offers Martha a home anywhere in the world. thought spending 10 months within
highly efficient full displacement
43 feet of each other was possible. But
design, predictability at sea and a
only choice that satisfied my dream of
we
didnt
want to leave. We fell in love with
notable track record impressed Jim. Finally, long-distance cruising and my wifes
the
stress
free
life our Nordhavn gave us.
his childhood fascination with exploring
expectations for comfort.
the South Pacific seemed within reach, but
You, too, can get closer with your family by
taking such an extended cruise with
Indeed, Martha wanted to take hot showers, going far away in a Nordhavn. Call, click or
Martha by his side was unlikely. Martha
lounge in air-conditioned comfort during
fax today Nordhavn today. 949.496.4848
has gone along with me on most of my
humid climes, enjoy drinks with ice and
Fax 949.240.2398 www.nordhavn.com
boating expeditions, but I soon realized
kick back in a great-looking salon. After
that she wasnt going to go camping for
cruising for nearly a year, the boat becomes
any extended cruise. Nordhavn was the
your home, said Martha. I wanted to be
40II
43
47
52
55 56MS
60 62
64
68
72
75EYF
76 86 120
Pacific Asian Enterprises 34179 Golden Lantern, Suite 101 Dana Point, CA 92629
949.496.4848 Fax 949.240.2398 www.nordhavn.com
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Contents
10
Departments
Chartroom Chatter
6 Newport Bermuda Race 2008
8 Raider breaks Bermuda Ocean Race record
8 Cynthia Woods sinking
9 Junk raft
10 400th Alerion design delivered
10 Pilot Cutter Review Championship
12 Yanmar approves biodiesel fuel
13 The Fairhaven project
14 Notable New Books
Marine Tech Notes

16 Tiny bilge-cleaning crew
By Tim Queeney
Power Voyaging
18 A synchronizing inverter allows for
a smaller genset
By Nigel Calder
18
Correspondence
24
24 Trouble in spades
27
27 Crewing in the age of the Internet
Voyaging Tips
56 Super Wi-Fi antenna
By Harry Hungate
Nav Problem
64 Alone around the world with just
a screwdriver
By David Berson
14
For bonus materials, check out the

current issue at www.OceanNavigator.com.
www.oceannavigator.com
7/29/08
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Page 3
32
OCEAN
NAVIGATOR
MAR I N E NAVIGATION AN D OCEAN VOYAG I NG
Issue #172
September 2008
Features
43
Ocean Voyaging
56
32 A sail on the wild side

A passage from the Indian Ocean
to the South Pacific is a lonely slog
along the lee shore of New
Guineas north coast
by Ann Hoffner
Voyaging Weather
38 Weather communications
A case study on how voyagers
commonly gather weather data
while passagemaking
by Josh Warren-White
43 One arrow in the quiver

Grib files provide excellent weather
info but arent a sole source for
voyaging decisions
38
by Ralph Naranjo
10
10
20
30
Africa
Ocean
40
80
80
80
70
70
n
ea
Oc
fic
Paci
60
South
America
60
50
40
50
Many large vessels now use fiber

instead of metal rigging
by Nigel Calder
c
anti
Atl
20
49
30
49 Fiber rigging comes

of age
100
80
0
13
14
0
Australia
15
0
40
160
170
180
170
160
0
15
13
0
12
0
60
50
14
0
0
12
O
ce
an
110
70
ic
cif
Pa
110
100
On the cover: Nat Warren-White standing watch on

the aft deck of the 43-foot cutter Bahati, halfway
through a 3,000-mile passage from the Galapagos
Islands to the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia.
Josh Warren-White photo
90
South
Pole
64
7/29/08
10:48 AM
Page 4
CONTRIBUTORS
OCEAN
NAVIGATOR
MAR I N E NAVIGATION AN D OCEAN VOYAG I NG
Ann Hoffner (Ocean Voyaging, A sail on the wild side, Page

32) and Tom Bailey set off in the early 1990s to sail
around the world. Two-and-a-half years later they
had only reached the Virgin Islands. They bought a
bigger boat, fixed it up and in 2000 set off again. In
their Peterson 44, Oddly Enough, Hoffner and Bailey
sailed from the Bahamas to Maine, down the coast
to Florida and through the Caribbean and the Panama Canal. From the Galapagos they sailed to the
Marquesas. They zigzagged across the South Pacific,
spent time in Darwin, Australia, then returned to
the South Pacific and are now crewing on another
boat on a voyage to South Africa.
Josh Warren-White (Special Section on Weather, Weather
communications, Page 38) is a 27-year-old graphic designer who recently returned to San Francisco after sailing
12,000-plus nautical miles from the East Coast of the
U.S. through the Caribbean and across the South Pacific
to New Zealand, aboard his parents boat, Bahati. In
2005, Warren-Whites father and mother (Nat and
Betsy) purchased a 43-foot sailboat, refit it and set sail on
a westward circumnavigation of the world. WarrenWhite served as first mate on the voyage and hopes to
buy a boat for a future circumnavigation. He can be
reached at jwarrenwhite@gmail.com. More from the
voyage of Bahati can be found at: www.bahati.net.
ALL DEPARTMENTS: 207-772-2466

FAX: 207-772-2879
www.OceanNavigator.com
EDITORIAL
Editors@OceanNavigator.com
EDITOR
Tim Queeney
COPY EDITOR Deirdre Bannon

ART DIRECTOR
Kim Goulet Norton
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Susan Sargent

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Scott Bannerot
Twain Braden
John Snyder
Nigel Calder
Steve C. DAntonio
Eric Forsyth
Chuck Husick
Jeff & Raine Williams
David Berson
ADVERTISING/MARKETING
Advert@OceanNavigator.com
WEST COAST/CANADA
INTERNATIONAL Susan W. Hadlock
MIDWEST / GULF / FLORIDA Bruce Cole
EAST COAST
MARKETING MANAGER
Charlie Humphries
Matt Geoffroy
PUBLISHER/
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Alex Agnew
BUSINESS / CIRCULATION
Janice Fowler
Doreen Parlin
EVENTS COORDINATOR Sarah Grimm
RETAIL PARTNERSHIP Josh Roberson
FINANCE/PARTNER Michael Payson
CIRCULATION MANAGER
BUSINESS MANAGER
WEB SITE
Webmaster@OceanNavigator.com
Nigel Calder (Features,Fiber rigging comes of age, Page 49)

and his wife Terrie have built or finished the hulls of two
70-foot canal boats and a 39-foot Ingrid cutter. They
sailed a Pacific Seacraft 40 for five years, and then had a
Malo 45 built in Sweden. They are now building a second Malo 45 with an experimental electrical system. An
acknowledged marine technology expert, Calder is best
known for his books Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual and Marine Diesel Engines, both in their third
editions. In addition to more than 200 magazine articles,
he has also authored several books, including Cruising
Guide to the Northwest Caribbean; Cuba: A Cruising
Guide; Nigel Calders Cruising Handbook; and How to
Read a Nautical Chart.
WEB SUPPORT Carrie Fowler
CUSTOMER SERVICE
oceannavigator@pcspublink.com
866-918-6972
ISSN 0886-0149
Ocean Navigator is published in January, March, May, July, September, October
and November, with an annual special issue of Ocean Voyager in April, for
$27.95 per year by Navigator Publishing LLC, 58 Fore St., Portland, ME 04101.
Periodicals postage paid at Portland, Maine, and additional mailing offices.
Postmaster: Please send address changes to Ocean Navigator, P.O. Box
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Copyright 2008 by Navigator Publishing LLC. All rights reserved. No part of
this publication may be reprinted in any way without written permission from
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Subscription rate is $27.95 for one year (eight issues) in the United States
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to Coast Newsstand Services LTD., 4230 Finch Ave. East, Suite 1, Toronto, ON
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Contributions: We solicit manuscripts, drawings and photographs. Please
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04112-0569. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the safe handling of contributed materials.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES BY THE LANE PRESS
4 OCEAN NAVIGATOR
SEPTEMBER 2008
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7/29/08
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Page 6
Chatter
Chartroom
BY JOHN SNYDER
Barry Pickthall/PPL
Newport Bermuda Race 2008
<<
Above, the start of the

da Race. Moonracer,
an LH60 owned by
Michael Hudner
(right), gets a good
start in the Class 14cruiser division, ahead
of Twilight (538), a
Cook 51 owned by
Robert Kiley.
Right, Speedboat,
<<
Privateer and Il
Mostro at the start
of the Newport
Bermuda Race.
IN THE 46TH RUNNING OF THE

NEWPORT BERMUDA RACE,
Peter Rebovichs Cal 40
Sinn Fein won Class 1 and
the St. Davids Lighthouse
Trophy making it the Raritan New Jersey Yacht Club
skippers fourth successive
Class 1 win and his second
Lighthouse win in a row.
Rebovich and his amateur
crew of six sailed the mostly upwind race in an
elapsed time of 104:43:57
6 OCEAN NAVIGATOR SEPTEMBER 2008
Daniel Forster/Talbot Wilson/PPL
2008 Newport Bermu-
corrected to 61:06:38
under ORR rules and
100:13:44 under the IRC
rule. In addition to the St.
Davids Lighthouse Trophy, Sinn Fein also won
the newly established
North Rock Beacon Trophy for winner on corrected time among all of the
122 IRC-rated boats in
both divisions.
Julien Dougherty of
City Island, New York
sailed Tenacious, his
Beneteau First 36.7 to a
win in the Gibbs Hill
Division of traditional
keelboats with professional
crews against the ReichelPugh 90 Rambler, ReichelPugh STP65 Money Penney and Reichel-Pugh 69
Bella Mente. Tenacious
arrived at the finish line
with a total elapsed time of

103:00:28 corrected to
56:53:20.
Other silver was taken
by Paul Hubbard on
Bermuda Oyster whos
101:07:11 elapsed times
corrected to 81:38:51
making them first in
Class 12 and winning the
Carleton Mitchell Finisterre Trophy. Twenty-time
Bermuda veteran Rich du
Moulin and crewman
Chris Reyling won the
double-handed division
for the fourth time aboard
Lora Ann with a corrected
time of 80:37:47.
The 635-mile Newport
Bermuda Race has been
sailed from Newport,
R.I., to Bermuda since
1936. It will be sailed
again in June 2010.
7/29/08
10:49 AM
Page 7
37 49.6' N 122 28.2' W
I feel that the passage itself should be one of the pleasures of the cruise.- W.I.B. Crealock
Come aboard Pacific Seacraft yachts at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, MD, October 9-13th
Attend the Pacific Seacraft Sailing Symposium on the waterfront in Washington, NC, October 25-26th
www.pacificseacraft.com info@pacificseacraft.com 252.948.1421 phone 252.948.1422 fax
7/29/08
10:50 AM
Page 8
Chatter
Chartroom
Cynthia Woods
sinking
TRAGEDY STRUCK THE 40TH
ANNIVERSARY OF THE REGATA DE
Amigos, a 610-mile race
from Galveston, Texas to
Veracruz, Mexico, when
one of the race boats sank.
The sailboat Cynthia

Woods, a Cape Fear 38R
owned by Texas A&M
University, foundered 11
nm south of Matagorda on
June 6. The boat began
taking on water at about
2345 and within seconds
capsized. Search and rescue
commenced after commu-
<<
RAIDER, A CUSTOM-BUILT S&S

48-FOOTER SKIPPERED BY DAVID
Ross of Annapolis, Md.,
set a new record for this
years 16th running of
the Bermuda Ocean
Race, a 753-mile race
down Chesapeake Bay
to St. Georges, Bermuda. Averaging more than
8 knots, Raider broke
record-holder Chessie
Racings 2006 time by
45 minutes, finishing in
three days, 13 hours, 18
minutes and 58 seconds.
The Bermuda Ocean
Race was established in
1979 and
is sponsored by
the Eastport Yacht
Club in
Maryland
and the
St.
Georges
Dinghy and Sports
Club, Bermuda. The
race is intended to be a
biennial event open to
both cruising and racing
vessels. This years race
included 26 competitors
in four divisions: double-handed, mini 6.5,
multihull, and PHRF.
Texas A&M University
Raider breaks
Bermuda Ocean
Race record
Salvage divers recovered

Cynthia Woods hull and
its detached keel. Note
that the keel bolts are still
in place. Texas A&M University has vowed to
determine the cause of
the tragic accident that
claimed one life.
nication
was lost
and the
boat
missed its
0800
radio call.
Five of
the boats
six crewmembers escaped
and were rescued by the
Coast Guard after an
exhaustive 26-hour search
about 23 miles from
Freeport, Texas. A sixth
crewmember perished.
The cause of the sinking
is thought to be keel failure. Divers found the keel
32 miles off Freeport using

acoustic equipment. The
hull went down about 27
miles off Freeport. Officials
from Texas A&M vowed
to spare no expense to
determine the cause of the
accident that sunk the
donated boat. The university has contracted T&T
Marine Salvage to recover
the hull.
Cynthia Woods had a
history of grounding. It is
reported that the boat ran
aground between three and
seven times since it was
given to the university in
2005. A 2007 grounding
was significant enough to
separate the keel from the
hull fore and aft.
After the grounding the
boat was repaired by the
same yard that assembled
the boat when it was
donated, but it is not clear
whether or not a marine
surveyor used ultrasound
to inspect the work. While
there was no annual
inspection of the boat, at
least three people, including a painter and a diver
cleaning the hull before the
regatta, noted no damage.
As a precaution, a sister
vessel has been taken out
of commission. The accident is under investigation
by Texas A&M University
and the U.S. Coast Guard.
7/29/08
10:50 AM
Page 9
Algalita Marine Research Foundation
Junk raft
<<
A KON-TIKI-STYLE RAFT APTLY

NAMED JUNK SET SAIL FROM THE
Long Beach Aquarium in
California on June 1.
Buoyed by some 15,000
plastic bottles and built
entirely of trash, Junk hopes
to reach Hawaii and raise
public awareness about the
plastic debris that now fouls
the worlds oceans.
Dr. Marcus Eriksen, Joel
Paschal and Anna Cummins conceived the project
while serving as crew aboard
the ORV Alguita. Sponsored
by the Algalita Marine
Research Foundation of
Long Beach, Calif., the
team was studying plastic
marine debris in the North
Pacific gyre. Eriksen, a science educator, Weather
Channel personality and
Gulf War veteran and
Paschal, an experienced
sailor, will be aboard Junk
while Anna Cummins
manages shoreside support
for the voyage.
The raft is built entirely
of recycled material, which

includes rope woven from
plastic bags and the fuselage
of a Cessna 310 serving as a
cabin. While there is no
motor, the raft is equipped
with navigation and communication electronics. A
wide range of corporate and
private sponsors has made
the project possible.
To spread their message
that our oceans are at risk
from plastic debris the team
has partnered with schools
as well as civic and environmental organizations.
For more information
including video links visit
their blog at
www.junkraft.blogspot.com.
Alerion 33 Onne van der Wal Photo
MAKE CRUISING SAFER AND EASIER

A low-friction Harken CB (Captive Bearing)
Battcar system lets you quickly raise,
reef and douse your full-battened main on
all points of sail from the safety of the cockpit;
a dependable extra hand when youre sailing alone
or with inexperienced crewno matter what
the weather.
Harken Battcar systems cost far less
than in-boom or in-mast furling. These systems must
sacrice sail area and efciency to furl properly, but a
main with Battcars has plenty of power to drive
the boat through the water. Sails reef quickly
and easily to keep your crew safe.
Harken Battcars are easy to install without hiring a
professional rigger. Cars roll smoothly off the track for
cleaning and maintenance.
Aptly named, Junk is built

entirely of recycled materials
including more than 15,000
plastic bottles and plastic
bags woven into rope. Sailors
Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Joel
TECH TIP: Our low-friction Battcars drop

the main so fast, we advise a wrap on the
halyard winch to slow your take down and
maintain control.
Paschal hope that by sailing

the raft to Hawaii they will
raise awareness of the risks
plastics pose to the ocean
environment.
1251 E. Wisconsin Ave., Pewaukee, WI 53072, Tel: 262-691-3320

Fax: 262-691-3008, Email: harken@harken.com, Web: www.harken.com
7/29/08
10:51 AM
Page 10
Chatter
400th Alerion
design delivered
WARREN, R.I., BOATBUILDER,
PEARSON COMPOSITES LLC,
delivered its 400th Alerion
Express 28 in June. The
R.I. boatbuilder also builds
J/Boats, 44-foot sail trainers for the U.S. Naval
Academy, True North
expedition express powerboats, PDQ power catamarans and several other
brands of sail, power and
commercial vessels.
Pearson is often credited
with introducing this popular style of elegant day
sailer, a modern boat loosely based on the 26-foot

sloop of the same name
that Capt. Nathaniel Herreshoff designed for his
personal use in 1912.
The popular appeal of
the design gave rise to
countless imitations over
the years. Today a number
of boatbuilders are meeting
the demand for these boats
with a variety these gentlemans day sailers. With
delivery of the 400th Alerion Express, Pearson may
well have produced more
of this style day sailer than
all other builders com-
bined. It seems only fitting

that the Alerion is alive and
well in Warren, R.I. not far
from its Herreshoff roots in
Bristol, R.I.
The popularity of the
boats (available in a range
of lengths from 20 to 40
feet) comes from their ease
of sailing in a wide range of
conditions and their handsome classic looks. They
maintain strict one-design
standards and are easily
handled by one person,
thus eliminating the need
to line up crew, etc. For
more information on the
Alerion Express 28 or other
Alerion models visit
www.alerionexp.com.
Classic Sailing, UK
Chartroom
Pilot Cutter
Review
Championship
Pearson Composites LLC
<<
After almost 100 years, the

enthusiasm for Nathaniel
Herreshoffs classic Alerion
design is still strong. Pearson Composites LLC, of
Warren, R.I., builds several
boats based on Capt. Nats
original Alerion. The company recently launched its
400th hull, a 28-foot Alerion Express.
THE THIRD ANNUAL PILOT CUTTER

REVIEW CHAMPIONSHIP WAS
held at St. Mawes, Cornwall, U.K., from June 2022. The race was established in 2006 as part of
the Fal River Festival as a
celebration of the pilot
gigs and sailing pilot cutters that serviced Falmouth and St. Mawes in
the 19th century. The distinctive plumb-bowed
craft with their gaff-rigged
mains sporting distinctive
pilot letters competed in
racing from Fowey to St.
Mawes in Falmouth Bay.
St. Mawes was an important base for the 19th-century pilot, given its view
of shipping traffic out
beyond the Manacles
The overall winner of
this years event was Iris,
7/29/08
10:51 AM
Page 11
<<
Above, with their distinctive
Cornwall, England, for the
plumb bows and gaff rigs on
third annual Pilot Cutter
display, pilot cutters com-
Review Championship held
peted in the waters off
at St. Mawes.
SHORE POWER
CANT HANDLE
EVERYTHING
AT ONCE.
Plug into shore power. Turn on the A/C, the coffee
maker, the water heater, and CLICK the shore
fuse blows! But with a Phoenix MultiPlus you
can draw more current than your shore
connection can provide! The battery compensates
for insufficient shore power. Excess current is used
to recharge. And parallel operation of two or more
units lets you meet even
the greatest power
demand. For more
information on Victron
Energy products,
including our FREE book,
Energy Unlimited, visit
www.victronenergy.com.
skippered by David Brunyee, finishing first in all

three individual races.
Other boats to compete
were Marian, Mascotte,
Chairman, Lizzie May,
Annabel J., Hesper, Eve of
St. Mawes, Polly Agatha,
Agnes, and Jolie Brise.

The event is sponsored
by Classic Sailing, a
British-based sailing
organization that offers
charters on a variety of
classic boats, large and
small.
Thomaston, Maine | 207-354-0493

www.victronenergy.com
SEPTEMBER 2008 OCEAN NAVIGATOR 11
7/29/08
10:51 AM
Page 12
Chatter
Chartroom
Morris
Yachts
chooses
Nanni
"Nanni Diesel makes
good sense for the
cruising sailor.
Nanni is a smooth
and reliable engine.
They are slower
turning, quiet and
fuel efficient. Nanni
and Waterway
Power Center give
excellent service"
Tom Morris
IN THE USA
1 - 800 - 286 - 8758
e-mail: nannidiesel@waterwaypowercenter.com
2017 Renard Court Annapolis, MD 21401 410-266-0590
Nanni Industries
S.A.S.
www.nannidiesel.com
See Nanni Diesel at the Newport & Annapolis Sailboat Shows!
Yanmar
approves
biodiesel fuel
YANMAR MARINE ANNOUNCED
THAT IT HAS APPROVED THE USE
of B5 biodiesel fuel in a
number of its marine
engines. Biodiesel is the
name given to clean-burning alternative fuel produced from domestic
renewable resources. It does
not contain any petroleum
products and is blended
with petroleum diesel to
produce a cleaner burning
fuel releasing less particulate
matter and greenhouse gas
emissions. It is biodegradable, nontoxic and free of
sulfur and aromatics.
The B5 blend contains a
maximum of five percent
biodiesel mixed with standard diesel fuel. It must
conform to ASTM D6751
or ISO EN14214 specifications. Yanmar warns that
biodiesel blends can
adversely affect certain
metal, rubber and plastic
engine components in the
fuel-supply and return systems and recommends customers contact their Yanmar dealer before using the
fuel. Owners must verify
that the correct fuel-supply
and return system materials
are being used or risk voiding their engine warranty.
The Fairhaven
project
NORTHEAST MARITIME INSTITUTE IN FAIRHAVEN, MASS., IS
partnering with the U.S.
Department of State in a
project aimed at building
bonds of friendship
between youths whose
homes and communities
have been torn apart as a
result of political conflict
and war. The project will
focus on a small group of
Palestinian and Israeli students. They will be brought
together in southeastern
New England for three
weeks of sail training aboard
Fritha, a 74-foot Murray
Peterson-designed brigantine. The six students will
learn the basics of coastal
navigation and seamanship
and be challenged through a
variety of team-building
exercises designed to build
long-term friendships and a
spirit of reliance on each
other as a community. They
will also study marine ecology as a means of teaching
the future leaders of these
countries that there are
alternatives to violence. The
hope is to have these same
six students return to
Fairhaven and Fritha in
2009 and serve as mentors
for the incoming group.
Approximately 77 stuwww.oceannavigator.com
7/29/08
10:52 AM
Page 13
Nanni Diesel
looks out for the true
sailor and fisherman
with
marine engines
from 10 to 320 HP
for fishing & sailboats
Northeast Maritime Institute
Administration-approved
and STCW-compliant
courses and a variety of professional development and
licensing upgrades. NMI
has plans to build a 65meter barquentine to
accommodate future students.
For more information
visit www.northeastmaritime.com.
<<
dents, ages 16 to 18, are

expected to be served by the
program over the next few
years. Students are selected
for the program by the U.S.
Department of State and
American Embassy Cultural
Affairs staff. The State
Departments Bureau of
Oceans and International
Environmental and Scientific Affairs will be supporting
the scientific content of the
programs marine and environmental components.
Northeast Maritime Institute will be handling the
navigation and seamanship
parts of the program.
Northeast Maritime
Institute offers a wide range
of U.S. Coast Guard and
Commonwealth of
Dominica Maritime
The 74-foot Murray

Petersen-designed brigantine, Fritha will serve as
home and classroom to a
RELIABLE, POWERFUL,
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7/29/08
10:52 AM
Page 14
Chatter
Chartroom
Notable New Books

Sloop:
Endless Sea
Restoring My Familys Wooden

Sailboat An Adventure in
Old-Fashioned Values
Alone Around Antarctica

as Far South as a Boat Can Sail
By Amyr Klink
Sheridan House, 2008
272 Pages
www.sheridanhouse.com
By Daniel Robb
Simon & Schuster, 2008
336 Pages
www.simonsays.com
What Daniel Robbs

new book Sloop is not is a
guide to rebuilding his
familys 1939 Herreshoff
12 1/2, Daphie. Yes, there
are hints on moving an old
boat, building a steam box
to bend frames, constructing a temporary building
shed thats capable of withstanding a New England
winter, chalking, talk of
rivets and much more.
The books real subject
is an elegantly written
meditation on the process.
More than fastening plank
to frame, it explores the
deeper meaning he finds
in restoring the old boat.
Robb reflects on Thoreau,
Chucks
corner
As to the vast and possible ocean

Tell these escutcheons you see
That the bounded sea may be Greek or Roman:
The endless sea is Portuguese.
Fernando Pessoa, 1918
whose spirit seems to
silently guide Daphies
restoration. As he seeks the
advice from old timers and
veteran boatbuilders he
establishes new friendships
and explores old-fashioned
values. Rebuilding the
boats fragile timbers connected him to his past, his
familys history.
In the end, he has
restored much more than a
beautiful little Herreshoff
12 1/2, he has restored
himself.
Theres nothing like talking

with a knowledgeable friend
and getting good advice. What
if that friend was ON contributing editor Chuck Husick
giving you insight on your boat
and its systems? You can get
that advice by listening to
Chucks Corner, the podcast
So opens Amyr Klinks

Endless Sea, a recount of his
solo circumnavigation
below the Antarctic convergence zone. While not very
well known in the U.S., this
is the Brazilian sailor,
author and businessmans
first book to be published
in English. The translation
by Thomas H. Norton
makes for exceptional reading.
Sailing aboard Paratii,
his custom, 50-foot aluminum AeroRig sloop,
Klink embarks on a cir-
thats a recurring conversation

between Chuck and ON editor Tim
Queeney. Go to the ON Web site
and subscribe to Chucks Corner.
And dont forget Running Fix, the
Ocean Navigator blog.
Chucks Sound Advice
Listen to Chucks latest podcast at:
www.oceannavigator.com/chuck
cumnavigation through the

planets most unforgiving
salt water: the Southern
Ocean. Klinks storytelling is
captivating and reminiscent
of Bernard Moitessier as he
takes us along on his fourand-a-half-month voyage.
We share his loneliness, joys
and fears as he expertly navigates treacherous stretches
of ice-choked sea. He struggles to stay warm yet still
manages to find joy in every
day of his journey even
when he finds his toothpaste frozen stiff.
His skill as a sailor and
calm, common-sense
approach to problems and
mishaps are apparent
throughout the book. Even
given the dangers he faced
during this remarkable circumnavigation, Klink still
imbues his account with a
gracious modesty.
7/29/08
10:53 AM
Page 15
16_17_ON172_TECH
7/29/08
11:00 AM
Page 16
MARINE TECH NOTES
Tiny bilge-cleaning crew
Keeping the
bilge clear of
oil, diesel and
other contaminants can be
messy work.
One clean
approach to the
problem is to
unleash
microorganisms
to do the dirty
work.
Its a fact of boating life, oil

and diesel fuel will find its way
to the bilge. Methods for getting this oily water out of the
bilge range from a sponge and a
bucket to absorbent pads to the
use of microorganisms that
eat the oil and convert it onto
less objectionable materials.
Two of these companies are
Clean Water Solutions of Newport, R.I., and Bio-Sok from
Hampshire in the U.K.
When it comes to this bioattack approach, there is a new
product that harnesses a mysterious third domain of life.
Clean Water Solutions offers a
BY TIM QUEENEY
line of products based on the

microorganisms from the
domain called Archaea. These
tiny critters can convert oil and
other objectionable chemicals
into a harmless material that
can even be eaten by fish.
Scientists currently shoehorn all life on earth into three
domains: 1. Eucaryotes (which,
just as youd guess, includes
plants, animals, humans, fungi
and slime molds), 2. Bacteria
(everything from spirochetes to
thermotoga and aquifex
dont worry, I dont know what
that means, either) and 3.
Archaea, tiny organisms that
John Snyder
the average person would have

a hard time differentiating from
bacteria.
It seems that these microscopic, single-celled Archeae are
very similar to bacteria, but differ in some important ways
(well, important to biologists,
anyway). These include their
evolutionary history and their
biochemistry. Another difference that makes Archaea
unique is the materials they can
use for food, such as metals,
ammonia, hydrogen gas, and,
of course, hydrocarbons like
diesel fuel and engine oil. Its
this ability to eat hydrocarbons
which includes a long list of
chemicals such as MTBE,
nitrates, benzene, cyanide, vegetable oil, even animal feces and
fish blood that makes these
diminutive Archaea so useful.
Given the right combination
of water, oxygen, temperature
and motion, the Archaea in
Clean Water Solutions products will go wild on hydrocarbons in your bilge. At the end
of the digestion process, the
waste produced by Archaea is
fatty acids. According to Clean
Water Solutions, these nonhazardous lipids can be safely disposed of you could even
feed them to your fish.
Clean Water Solutions uses
a mixture of 100 different
16_17_ON172_TECH
7/29/08
11:00 AM
Page 17
strains of Archaea in its products.

Mixed in with a clay-based carrier,
the Archaea lie dormant until conditions are right, then they multiply
every 20 minutes and live for 90
days. According to Susan Homer,
CEO of Clean Water Solutions, these
microorganisms are not the result of
tinkering in the lab. They are not
genetically modified, Homer said.
They are naturally occurring strains
found throughout the world.
Clean Water Solutions offers their
Archaea in a variety of packages. For
boat owners looking to clean up a
messy bilge, the most likely product
appears to be their Oil Eradicator
series. These combine the Archaea
microbes with a sponge-like foam
carrier. The unit floats in your bilge
for months, consuming oil. At the
end of the summer, you can throw
the foam unit into the trash with no
worries about oil contamination.
These Oil Eradicators come in a variety of sizes based on boat length.
Clean Water has another product
called MicroTabs. These are small
packages of a clay/Archaea mixture
that can be dropped into a sewageholding tank. The Archaea consume
the nasty items in the holding tanks,
especially odorous items like ammonia that make holding tanks so
unpleasant.
Another company that uses
microorganisms to clean up oily bilge
water is British-based Bio-Sok in
Hampshire. Bio-Sok operates a bit
differently than the Clean Water
Solutions products, however. The
primary ingredient in Bio-Sok is a
petroleum remediation product
(PRP), a type of modified beeswax
that floats and holds oil and hydrowww.oceannavigator.com
and the Bio-Sok unit can be safely

disposed.
These and other products cleverly
make use of microorganisms to fight
the natural propensity of oil to find
its way into the bilge.
carbons within its wax matrix.

Microorganisms are attracted to the
PRP and then break down the hydrocarbons. After roughly 30 days, the
microorganisms attracted to the BioSok PRP will have run their course
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18_23_ON172_POWER
7/29/08
11:03 AM
Page 18
POWER VOYAGING
A synchronizing inverter
allows for a smaller genset
BY NIGEL CALDER
Steve DAntonio
A power voyager will typically use a

variety of
sources for AC
power, from
shore power
to genset to
an inverter.
The ability to
synchronize
these sources
provides flexibility and
other benefits.
Steve DAntonio
he ability to synchronize
your inverter to shore
power or a genset can provide
substantial benefits. For
power voyagers, more than
for sailing voyagers, alternating current (AC) is an important source of power. And
sometimes you find you are
using AC from different
sources, such as shore power,
an inverter and a generator.
How can those different
sources be synched so their
output is in phase?
If an AC source is a clean
one (such as the main power
grid), the oscillations of the
changing current form a
series of smooth sine waves,
but if the source is not a
clean one (as is the case with

most small onboard AC generators) the waveform is
ragged, and may be constantly varying.
These waveforms are a
function of changing magnetic fields as the rotors in
generators spin inside their
stators. In other words, the
waveform produced by a
generator is a function of the
relationship between two
heavy pieces of metal, one of
which is rapidly spinning
and as such has considerable
momentum.
Lets imagine two generators running independently.
Lets say that if we plot their
waveforms on the same
screen, they do not coincide.
This is known as being out of
phase. If we connect these
two generators to the same
output circuit, tying them
together electrically, in effect
the momentum of the two
spinning rotors is counterposed, creating a violent
shock load. Something is
likely to break. I once worked
18_23_ON172_POWER
7/29/08
11:04 AM
point a switch was

thrown to bring the
new generator on line.
Nowadays, synchronization is done with
sophisticated electronics.
In 2003, Victron
Energy, a Dutch company and a technical
leader in the DC-toAC inverter market, released
its MultiPlus inverter. This
has the ability to electronically synchronize its AC output
waveform with that of shore
power or an onboard AC
generator. Although such a
Nigel Calder
on a 2,000-hp generator
whose crankshaft was
snapped in half through
being brought on to a
foundrys power grid when in
an out-of-phase state.
To prevent damage, if two
AC sources are brought onto
the same line, the waveforms
must first be matched both
in shape, and in time. This is
known as synchronization. In
the old days, we did this by
manipulating the governors
on the generators to slightly
slow one down, or speed the
other up, until the two waveforms coincided, at which
Page 19
capability had previously

been available in the offthe-grid home-power market (notably from Trace),
this was the first time it had
been available in the marine
world.
Reinout Vader, of
Victron Energy,
adjusting an oscilloscope during testing of Victons synchronizing inverter
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18_23_ON172_POWER
7/29/08
11:04 AM
Page 20
POWER VOYAGING
Synchronization brings with it

substantial potential benefits for
power voyagers.
Boosting the
shore-power cord
Lets imagine your boat is at the
end of a long dock with undersized
AC cabling and many other boats
plugged in. You will see a substantial voltage drop in the shoreside
supply. If you plug in and add
additional high loads (such as air
conditioning) you will drag the
voltage even lower to the point that
this may cause much AC equipment on your boat to run poorly,
may damage some, and can, in
some circumstances, create a fire
risk. For most people, its not a
good idea to plug into low dockside voltage, but in your case you
are the owner of a MultiPlus connected to Victrons VE.Net display
and control unit, or else have a
similar inverter from another manufacturer (there are other companies entering this marketplace).
You plug into shore power.
Within 10 to 20 seconds the MultiPlus has synchronized with the
shore-power supply, and switched
to its pass-through mode. Your AC
systems are now running off shore
power. You see on the VE.Net display that the extra load is dragging
the shore-power voltage down to
unacceptably low levels. If it goes
below some user-settable minimum (the factory default is 91
volts on a 120-volt system and 180
volts on a 240-volt system), the
inverter will automatically disconnect the shore-power cord and
switch to invert mode, which is
now likely to happen every time a

heavy load comes on line (such as
your air conditioning). This will
put a heavy load on your batteries.
However, you have the option
to limit the current level (amperage) that is taken from shore
power, with the inverter supplying
anything that exceeds this level,
drawing its power from the boats
batteries. By adjusting the current
control knob on the panel, you can
find a level at which the shorepower voltage is kept above an
acceptable minimum, with the
inverter picking up any additional
load. Instead of being either on
shore power at an unacceptably
low voltage, or else on inverter
power, which will rapidly drain the
batteries, you can take as much
power as possible from the shorepower cord and simultaneously
supplement this from the boats
batteries via the inverter.
Now lets assume your load is
quite variable. For example, the air
conditioner cycles on and off.
When it is on, its load exceeds the
amp limit you have set on the
shoreside supply, and as such the
inverter is called upon to meet the
additional load, discharging the
batteries. But when the air conditioner cycles to off, the load is less
than the amp limit. The inverter
will switch into its battery-charging mode, adjusting the charge rate
to load the shore-power cord to
your preset amp limit until such
time as the batteries are charged to
the point that they cannot accept
the available charging current. The
battery-charging voltage regulator
will now scale back the charging
18_23_ON172_POWER
7/29/08
11:05 AM
Page 21
amps, reducing the load on the

generator below the preset limit.
Finally, lets assume another boat
on the dock upstream of yours
brings on a heavy load, dropping
your shore-power voltage such that
the amp setting you have in place
is now too high to protect against
low voltage. As the input voltage to
the inverter falls towards the cutoff threshold, the inverter will scale
back any battery-charging output
to try and sustain the input voltage. If the voltage still falls below
the low-voltage trip point, following a small delay (to protect against
nuisance tripping when loads with
high-inrush currents kick on) the
inverter will seamlessly disconnect
the shore-power cord and switch to
invert mode.
The hard life of generators
These two functions boosting
an incoming AC source and maximizing battery-charging opportunities have even greater benefits
when applied to onboard generators instead of a shore-power cord.
The typical life of an onboard
generator is a miserable one. Lets
assume, once again, that the primary reason we have a generator is
to run air conditioning. Most air
conditioners have high start-up or
inrush loads that are up to six
times the running load. If the generator is not to stall when the air
conditioner first kicks on, it must
be sized to handle this inrush load,
but now it is grossly oversized for
the running load. When the air
conditioner has cycled to off, there
is no load at all on the generator.
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18_23_ON172_POWER
7/29/08
11:05 AM
Page 22
POWER VOYAGING
ning loads and no load is a terrible

operating environment for the
diesel engine driving most marine
generators. It is extraordinarily
inefficient from a fuel consumption point of view, creates a high
level of exhaust pollutants, and
results in soot formation in the
engine that accelerates engine contamination, increases maintenance,
and reduces engine life. Additionally, at light loads the generator is
likely to be operating inefficiently.
Synchronizing inverters
If a MultiPlus or similar synchronizing inverter is added to the electrical system and wired down-
stream of the boats shorepower/generator selector switch, it

will parallel itself with the generators output whenever the generator is on line. Now we can size the
generator to handle the running
load of the air conditioner (or
other loads), rather than the peak
load, and use the MultiPlus controller to set the current limit for
the generator at a level that will
keep it from overloading and
stalling during inrush and other
high-load events. In many cases,
generator size can be reduced to as
little as 25 percent of what would
be used in a conventional system.
Any time the demand on the
AC system exceeds the current

limit setting (e.g., the air conditioners inrush current) the inverter
will seamlessly meet the excess
demand by pulling the necessary
energy from the boats batteries.
Any time the demand on the AC
system is less than the current limit
setting, the inverter will switch
into battery-charging mode to
recharge the batteries. During the
off cycle with the air conditioner,
so long as the batteries have the
capacity to accept the charging
current, and so long as the inverter
has a battery-charging capability
that can utilize the generators output, the inverter will keep the gen-
18_23_ON172_POWER
7/29/08
11:06 AM
Page 23
erator loaded to the preset amp

limit. This will not only keep the
diesel engine that is driving the
generator operating at, or close to,
its maximum efficiency whenever
it is running, but it will also keep
the generator operating at, or close
to, its maximum efficiency in converting mechanical energy to electrical energy.
Victrons testing has demonstrated that most diesel engines and
generators run at peak efficiency at
something less than full power
(typically, around 80 percent of full
power). This correlates well with
the recommendation from generator manufacturers not to run gen-
erators at full continuous rated

power. If the peak efficiency load
can be determined, or is available
from the maker, for optimum efficiency it can be used to set the
current limit on the generator.
We have now substantially
downsized our generator, with
concomitant savings in cost,
weight and volume, while also
improving the generators operating efficiency by ensuring that it is
loaded to its most efficient operating point. This will reduce fuel
use, lessen maintenance, and
extend the engines life.
At one level, synchronizing
inverters are nothing more than an
evolutionary development of existing technology. At another level,

they represent a qualitative leap
forward. In particular, the ability
to boost what would conventionally be considered a grossly undersized generator, and to then keep it
well loaded by charging a buffer
battery bank at those times when
AC loads are light, can transform
the power equation on a power
voyaging boat that uses an AC
generator.
Contributing editor Nigel Calder

is the author of numerous books,
including The Boatowners
Mechanical and Electrical Manual.
24_31_ON172_corresp.qxd
7/29/08
11:06 AM
Page 24
CORRESPONDENCE
Ulla Norlander
came up on the radio one

evening sounding worried as he
announced water spurting in
from the gland around his rudder shaft. The automatic bilge
pump was clearing about 30
gallons per hour. We tightened
the radio schedule in case
things worsened. Sunrise
arrived safely at anchor at Mindelo a few hours after us.
Bill found that it was not the
rubber lip seal around the top
of the through-hull bearing
that was leaking. A considerable
gap had appeared between the
rudder shaft and the stainless
steel collar that was intended to
rotate inside the bearing. In
port there was no water coming
in as the top of the bearing was
just above water, but even in
the gentle swell there was an
ominous clunk each time the
rudder swung side to side.
We had sailed to Cape Verde
to meet Rod and Lu Heikel.
Rod is author of many sailing
guides and co-authored Ocean
Passages and Landfalls with me.
This was the first time that we
had crossed track on our ocean
Trouble in spades
Above, Andy
OGrady corrals the rudder
of Sunrise, a
43-foot sloop
from New
Hampshire,
after he and a
group of voyagers removed
the foil from
the sloops hull
in the Cape
Verde Islands.
Right, Rod
Heikel and Bill
Stephan
rebuild the
rudder on the
foredeck of
OGradys boat
Balaena.
who exhibits paranoia when he

talks about an uncharted rock
that pops up ahead in one
ocean after another. I am
beginning to feel the same
about spade rudders. Two years
ago my wife Ulla and I towed a
disabled yacht in from the open
Atlantic after she had lost her
rudder. Since then I have read
of three boats being abandoned
in last years ARC trade wind
crossing after losing their rudders, and heard of other similar
problems and mishaps over the
oceans of the world.
Sailing between the Canary
and Cape Verde Islands we
formed an informal radio net
with our boat Balna, our
friends Rod and Lu Heikels
Skylax and Sunrise, a 43-footer
from New Hampshire skippered by Bill Stephan. Bill
Andy OGrady
To the editor: I have a friend
wanderings. Rod is a New

Zealander a Kiwi.
Rod and I sat down with the
dispirited skipper of Sunrise to
mull over our options. It was
possible to haul the boat,
though this would be on a
marine railway and necessitate
digging a deep hole to drop the
rudder. The yard did not look
too encouraging on this idea
and there was no epoxy available on the island. Clearly the
professional solution could take
a while to organize and be of
doubtful quality. Bill was not
used to the idea of taking on
major work without help from
a yard. But Rod and I were able
to convince him that to a Kiwi
the difficult can be done; the
impossible just takes a little
longer. We were a little overawed as Bill accepted our proposal to drop the rudder in the
water, build up the shaft with
layers of glass and epoxy before
refitting the collar and then
neatly pop the shaft back into
place. Could we really do this?
The rudder was foam-filled
and buoyant and we had to
7/29/08
find a way to sink it. While Bill

dismantled the steering gear,
Rod and I made a rope harness
around the rudder blade and
shackled lengths of chain to it.
When we thought that it was
no longer buoyant, Bill
removed the heavy nylon collar
at the top of the shaft and
nothing happened. The buoyancy of that blade was amazing,
I had to dive under to add
more weight and wedge myself
between the rudder and the
hull and push down. Suddenly
it came free and immediately
turned bottom up as I frantically pushed it away from the hull.
We had it free and clear but to
get it back in would require
delicate adjustment of the center of buoyancy to ensure that
it could be maneuvered vertically into position.
By this time Bill, a physician, had thrown off the doom
and gloom and was beginning
to smile and joke as we towed
the rudder out to Balnas waiting foredeck repair shop. This
is not so different from physicians work, he mused. You
make a diagnosis, decide on a
treatment and then get on with
the job.
We lifted the rudder aboard
with a halyard and laid it on
deck. Now the team swung
into action using the materials
that both Skylax and Balna
carry as a matter of course. The
cloth was cut, the shaft rough-
11:07 AM
Page 25
ened, the epoxy mixed. We

wound epoxy-saturated layers
of heavy double-bias cloth to
build up the shaft to the
required diameter. When we
were nearly there we added a
couple of turns of a lighter
woven cloth, a layer of epoxy
microfiber mix for bonding
and gap-filling and slid the
newly sanded and degreased
stainless collar back into place.
The epoxy kicked off quickly in the tropical heat and after
20 hours we were able to swing
the blade back into the water
and tow it back to Sunrise.
Now we had to fix weights that
would hold the bottom down
and preferably give the shaft the
same angle as the hull bearing.
Working on the surface this
time it was easier to make a
snug rope harness around the
blade and tie bundles of 0.5inch chain onto the bottom,
forward side of the blade. Eventually we had enough that it
floated upright with minimal
buoyancy so that I could press
it down and under the hull. For
safetys sake we called upon
help from a local scuba diver to
steady the blade as it went in.
With no fuss the shaft popped
back into place and only 24
hours after removing it, Bill was
refitting the hardware.
Now came the difficult
part. Sunrise had to wait as
long as possible for the epoxy
to cure. Seven days is the cure
time at 68. But we reckoned

that six days should do it in
the tropics. With a friendly
restaurant in which to celebrate and good local music,
the time did not hang too
heavy on our shoulders. Sunrise set off down the trade
wind passage to the Caribbean
and reported not a drop of
water in her bilge.
Ulla Norlander
In our opinion, unsupported spade rudders are not seaworthy, especially on a yacht
that is going to make long
downwind passages, which can
put enormous loads on the
steering gear. Bill Stephan knew
this too; he had tried hard to
find a suitable boat with a skegsupported rudder but failed to
find one that pleased him.
We have seen that rudder
Andy OGrady
and Lu Heikel
guide the
rebuilt rudder
back into the
waters of Mindelo harbor.
7/29/08
11:07 AM
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Page 26
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Sharon Stephan waves as she and Bill

Stephan tow the rudder across Mindelo
Harbor to their sloop Sunrise. The rudder
was lifted back into place and the repair
was deemed a success.
failure is all too common and have

now had first-hand experience of how
a bearing failure, due to the stresses
placed at just one point, can lead to
serious leaking and potentially to
structural damage that could imperil
the boat. Along with Rod Heikel, I
feel strongly that its time for designers, builders, insurers and buyers to
reject this type of rudder for voyaging
boats.
As if to reinforce this conclusion,
two days later, at the very same dock,
we saw a 47-footer that had her rudder sitting on deck. The owners had
encountered exactly the same problem and used Rods left over epoxy to
make the same repair.
We demonstrated that anybody
competent to sail the seas should also
be able to undertake most repairs the
boat may need, even in the most outof-the-way places. And lastly, voyagers
should never depart without a good
supply of epoxy and glass fiber cloth
on board.
Andy OGrady and Ulla Norlander
voyage aboard their 42-foot gaff cutter
Balaena and are currently in the
South Atlantic.
Crewing in the age

of the Internet
To the editor: At the customs
dock of Ordnance Island,

dwarfed by nearby cruise ships,
Captain Tom, his wife Jean and
friend Dick stood to greet me.
After a brief round of introductions, we marched through
balmy, 20-knot gusts into St.
Georges Parish, passing Kings
Square and the replica ship
Deliverance on the way. Once
on the mainland we sat down
at the table of a small diner.
There, over a traditional
Bermudan breakfast of eggs,
mouth-puckeringly salty cod,
fried potatoes and coffee, final
arrangements were made to sail
the 1,900-nm voyage from
Bermuda to the Azores. All
were in good spirits, and it was
not just the coffee.
This had been our final
interview. It was my first
meeting with the crew of
Canard Azl, after having
found their listing on the Internet a month earlier. All had
looked forward to this
moment, yet we were not
alone.
Ours was just one of many
parallel meetings around the
world that day, all the result of
crew-finding Web sites.
The Internet is flattening
the traditional and provincial
world of crewing. Crew-finding Web sites have experienced
a dramatic increase in popularity, with captains and crewperwww.oceannavigator.com
11:08 AM
Page 27
sons now finding one another

digitally, and in droves. The
most popular Web site within
this genre,
www.FindaCrew.net, registered
184,000 visitors in April 2008;
nearly triple its 2006 monthly
average.
So why now?
One reason is that Internet
access is finally reaching the
remote (and previously unconnected) sailing destinations of
the world. The Caribbean, for
example, has reportedly seen an
832 percent spike in Internet
access since 2000. Much of this
is broadband access. Hotels,
Internet cafes and even locally
owned coffee shops have
hopped on the bandwidth
wagon, resulting in a sailing
community that is never too
far from email access, Internet
telephony or a crew-finding
Web site. Captains can now
search for crew months in
advance.
Another reason is that crewfinding sites have taken a
much-needed cue from popular social-networking ventures,
allowing users to create detailed
profiles to find the right match.
There is much more to crewing
anonymously than a complimentary itinerary. Now, hidden
amongst the Internet flotsam
of broken sailing sites, collapsed commercial ventures
and woefully outdated forums,
a few crew-finding Web sites
are changing the way sailors
find each other. A few have
risen above the rest.
Profile-based: In the profile-based category are the Australian www.FindaCrew.net

and English sites
www.CrewSeekers.net and
www.Crewbay.co.uk. These
sites are the sailing equivalent of
MySpace, Facebook or
Match.com: they are professional, expansive and require a
subscription for anything more
than casual perusing.
To use them, captains and
crew create personal profiles,
within which a sailing timeframe is established, a region
of the world defined and relevant sailing experience listed;
Find a Crew and Crewbay also
allow crewmembers to post
photos. Then, with beating
hearts and clammy hands
(okay, so maybe its not quite
as exciting as Match.com),
captains and crew search for
one another.
The perks vary between
sites. A quick look at
www.CrewSeekers.net shows a
stunning design, an intuitive
Conor Dillion
7/29/08
Above, Conor
Dillon aboard
Canard Azul en
route to the
Azores. Below,
Canard Azul
alongside in
Bermuda. Dillon
joined the crew
of Canard after
finding the opeing via an Internet crewing service. From left,
Dick, Barbara
(whom Dillon
replaced), the
author, Jean, and
Captain Tom.
Conor Dillion
7/29/08
11:08 AM
Page 28
CORRESPONDENCE
layout and many sailboat listings.

However, www.FindaCrew.net
and www.Crewbay.co.uk offer other
advantages. While all three Web sites
allow captains to list sailboats free of
charge, only at Find a Crew and
Crewbay are crewmembers extended
the same privilege. An even greater
benefit is the ability to initiate first
contact privileges. Here members
can establish contact with each other
before fully subscribing, doing so
using a scripted messaging tool. This
policy allows for a reasonable expectation of success for captain and crew.
Also worth mentioning is Find a
Crews highly specific search tool:
users may query by language spoken
onboard, crew gender or even current

port of call. All will help to find bestsuited sailboat or crewperson for you.
Forum-based: The three crewfinding sites under the forum category are notably less formal than their
profile-based cousins. However, they
are useful and available to anyone.
They are South African-based
www.CruiserLog.com, Canadian
www.7knots.com and www.FloatPlan.com out of California. Much as
before, potential crewmembers and
captains post cruising plans and relevant experience, only here it is posted
in an open, Web-forum format.
Of the three, www.CruiserLog.com
is superior in nearly every respect.
The Web site has the most active

users, contains many sailing-related
threads and also sports a recent
design overhaul.
Interestingly, www.FloatPlan.com
looks and behaves like a post, but
technically it is not one. Postings are
emailed to the Floatmaster, who
updates the site once or twice a week.
And for those sailors who are closer
to a postbox than an Ethernet connection, even snail mail will be posted to Float Plan.
Yet all three sites have their utility. These forums are fast, easy and
a minimal amount of effort can
produce results.
In perusing these Web sites,
7/29/08
11:09 AM
Page 29
their willingness to follow directions.

It took daily perusing of these sites
and a few emails before I arranged a
phone interview with Captain Tom,
crewmembers will note the many

experienced sailors looking for
positions. It may feel competitive.
The beauty of these sites
though, is that they are noncommercial in nature. They connect
people with people, and sailing
experience is not always a captains
highest consideration.
Your highest asset will be a flexible
schedule. Parts break, itineraries
change and sailing windows are
reliant upon the weather. Many pleasure-cruising captains I spoke with
said that in the past they had taken
on a number of inexperienced crew,
and some, only half-jokingly, said
they prefer these crewmembers for
owner of a 35-foot Wauquiez Pretorian Canard Azl. Tom and his wife
Jean were in need of a replacement
deck hand, and their voyage from
Canard Azul, a
Wauquiez Pretorian
35, stern to in Bermuda. Using an Internet
crewing site offers a
more comprehensive
approach to finding
crew or finding a boat
than the old method
of posting flyers at a
marina or on a yacht
clubs bulletin board.
Conor Dillon
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7/29/08
11:09 AM
Page 30
CORRESPONDENCE
Bermuda to the Azores was the

approximate passage I hoped to
make. More importantly, our timeframes were compatible.
But perhaps by now alarm bells
are ringing. How can I trust a cap-
JOEL F. POTTER
tain Ive never met? What about

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All are good questions, and all
should be answered. No reasonable
captain will take on a crewmember
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without a minimum of a telephone

interview, during which all of your
questions should be addressed.
When considering a working passage, there should remain no doubt
regarding a captains sailing credentials and safety measures. Nor, from
the captains perspective, should a
potential crewmembers work ethic,
trustworthiness and reliability come
into question.
So ask questions, and ask many of
them. Many intangibles will be
learned over the phone sense of
humor, intelligence and stability
that will affect whether a passage will
be pleasant or unpleasant. This is a
simple, human judgment. If anything
does feel uncomfortable, captain or
crew should politely decline. There
are always other sailboats, as there are
always other crew.
I had multiple telephone conversations with the captain of the boat
Canard Azl before agreeing to fly to
Bermuda. Tom is a former racer,
speaks with a heavy Milwaukee
accent and we found during these
short talks that we shared a similar
taste in music. Our conversations
reassured me of both his competence
as a captain and the safety measures
he would employ on the open water.
I also felt eager to sail with him. Sensing from the telephone conversations
that we would get along well, my
encounter with the good-humored
crew at St. Georges Harbor was
merely the final confirmation.
The Internet journey thus concluded, now the real journey began.
But that is another story.
Gone not, of course, are the days
of hastily scribbled crew available or
7/29/08
11:09 AM
crew wanted notes tacked to marina

corkboards or local ATMs. Nor are
the days of shaking a hand or buying
a cold drink as the means to a quick
passage. All are alive and well at marinas worldwide.
But the Internet has changed the
way this connection can be made,
both for practical-minded captains
and their crew. They number in the
thousands. Perhaps it is a direct reflection of the worldwide scope of this
change that, among the Web sites
shaping this trend, five countries and
four continents are represented. Or
Page 31
perhaps it is just a reflection of sailing

in general.
Crew-finding Web sites are here to
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These journeys begin with a click.
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32_37_ON172_VOYAGING.qxd
7/29/08
11:10 AM
Page 32
OCEAN VOYAGING
A sail on
the wild side
A passage from the Indian Ocean
to the South Pacific is a lonely
slog along the lee shore of
New Guineas north coast
By Ann Hoffner
Photos by Tom Bailey
Ann Hoffner
and
Tom Baileys
Peterson 44
Oddly Enough
on a calm
morning off
Irian Jaya, the
province of
Indonesia
abutting Papua
New Guinea.
hen we imagine the

gate between a pair
of oceans we usually
think of the Suez or Panama
Canals, or the great capes. The
Indian and Pacific oceans,
however, are separated by
many islands and feed into
each other through a web of
channels, of which Selat
Sagewin, the path we chose, is
just one.
We were doing this route,
eastward down the remote
north side of New Guinea,
partly for a second chance at
the South Pacific. East
Indonesia had been an exciting cruising ground, exhausting in its remoteness. But we
definitely wanted to try the
South Pacific again.
But we misread the literature and failed to get visas for

Papua New Guinea ahead of
time. Irian Jaya, the Indonesian western half of the big
island, was closed to yachts
during the time we applied for
entry. As a result, we were
looking at a 1,700-mile passage direct to the Solomon
Islands, which straggle southeast from the east end of
PNG. It was not a comfortable
feeling to be on a lee shore and
denied shelter but we were
used to the rhythm of passagemaking: getting sleep, eating
and meeting daily problems.
The steep green hills of the
Selat Sagewin were like the
sides of a grand entrance hall.
For most of the 18 miles we
traveled the strait from the relatively sheltered waters of

Indonesia, eddies and countercurrents showed where the
western seas fought with the
leading edge of the Pacific to
the east. Even as we struggled
eastward through the last bit of
current we could see a large
ocean swell crashing into the
shores of Batanta Island. We
didnt feel it until we emerged
from the shelter of a bit of
windward reef, when our 44foot Peterson sloop, Oddly
Enough finally began to lift to
the long, lazy roll.
We turned off the engine
and pulled out the jib, settled
into our first long passage in
two years. Theres something
soothing about the limited
7/29/08
choices of offshore sailing. You

dont have to worry about finding a safe anchorage, or where
to go tomorrow. I just put my
head down and face what
comes next.
Reversing currents
Through this whole area, from
northern Australia through
Southeast Asia, the prevailing
wind and current reverse themselves twice a year, so that you
can theoretically flow in and
flow out between the two
oceans, like a floating coconut.
This is the monsoon weather
pattern (monsoon from an
Arabic word meaning season).
Sailboats heading to Asia or the
Indian Ocean on the southeast
trades generally travel through
the Torres Strait between the
south coast of Papua and
northern Australia. The reverse
course is not as easy. Even
though the monsoon pattern
11:11 AM
Page 33
extends to Australia, the

northwesterly wind isnt constant, and is broken by bouts
of strong easterly winds and
boats trying to get east to the
Pacific can be stuck for days or
weeks waiting.
I expected the winds of
Papuas north coast to be variable too. Being in the equatorial zone, they should also tend
to be lighter if we did have to
beat against easterlies.
On this leg we were traveling in company with Auspray, a
40-foot steel sloop owned by
Kevin and Trish Comer. The
Comers were beginning their
first long passage. I didnt realize how jaded Id become until
I suggested in our last idyllic
anchorage in the Kofiau
Islands that Id like to stay an
extra day and they said, no,
theyd prepared themselves and
needed to go or they would
lose their nerve.
For the first day and a half

in the Pacific after leaving
Sagewin, things seemed to go
okay for them. This was a false
sense of security, based on new
cruisers expectations of good
Oddly Enoughs route

Salawati
Biak
Vanimo
Selat,
departure
point
Manus
Wewak
New Guinea.
Ann Hoffner and
sary paperwork to
enter the Indone-
Bismarck Sea
sian province of
Papua New
Guinea
Alfred Wood/Ocean Navigator Illustration
ern coast of
have the neces-
Kavieng
5S
130E
the wild north-
Tom Bailey did not

New
Hanover
Island
New Ireland
Irian Jaya
A dwelling on
New Britain
Irian Jaya or the

country of Papua
Bougainville
New Guinea. They

Solomon
were consigned to
Sea
a long passage
lf of Papua
Gu
Seram Sea
along the north

10S
Torres Strait
Coral Sea
Louisiade Archipelago
coast of the island

of New Guinea.
Australia
135E
140E
145E
150E
155E
7/29/08
11:11 AM
Page 34
OCEAN VOYAGING
Hoffner and
Bailey were
traveling in
company with
another voyaging boat,
the 40-foot
steel sloop
Auspray,
owned by
Trish and
Kevin Comer.
conditions. Both boats had

struggled with autopilot problems in Indonesia, but when
we left Kofiau they appeared to
be solved. Ours, in fact, were
solved. Ausprays autopilot,
however, died for a good
twelve hours into the trip,
although in smooth conditions
they could still lock it and use
it to put some pressure on their
hydraulic helm.
Storm waves from the
north
During the second day the
swell grew to 3 to 4 meters. It
was a long swell from the
north, most likely racing out of
a winter storm far in the North
Pacific. Auspray angled north a
few extra miles for a ritual
crossing of the equator. As the
afternoon waned the wind
came up, and with it a sea from
the west. It crossed the swell,
creating a pattern of humps
and valleys and the occasional
flat plain, which made Oddly
Enough roll crazily. We hadnt
heard from Auspray as the sun
headed toward the horizon,
and I didnt like the look of the
clouds building over the high
mountains of the mainland 20
miles away. We blasted a VHF
signal from the tops of the
swells and at last found a familiar voice. In the slop of the
waves theyd finally been
reduced to unassisted handsteering, and had their main

radio turned off in the cabin so
the one not steering could rest.
Our own watch-setting had
been delayed, and we spent
precious amounts of Toms
sleep time taking down the
mainsail, reefing the jib and
snugging everything tight.
None too soon, as the seas
started breaking just about
sundown, and the wind continued to build. With each log
entry that night, it was
stronger. At 2020 it was 15 to
20 knots; at 2300, 18 to 22;
just past midnight, 22 to 24; at
0200, 26 to 30. By the middle
of my second watch it was 25
to 35 knots, and by 0500, wed
been in a full gale for two
hours. The direction had
stayed steady out of the westnorthwest, which put us on a
dead run. Ive learned, but
couldnt impart to Auspray, that
what gets a sailor through these
kinds of rough conditions is
time. Even the worst storms
come to an end and you have
to find a way to get yourself
mentally through them. Of
course, we had a Sailomat
wind vane tending our boat
when we are under sail we
dont depend on an autopilot.
No fear for the visible
As humans, we tend to always
fear something. Each item to

overcome means the mind just
moves onto something new to
chew. I no longer fear what I
can see; I know Oddly Enough
will pull through a gale with
our help.
Since our two cruises in the
Kimberley region of northwest
Australia, a preoccupation with
the intricate interaction of
wind and current has held me.
My log entry for 2300 that
night says, Wish wind would
ease. Fraid seas are going to be
monster from it. Its the invisible that can work me into a
stew of worry.
Because this passage was
long it gave us the illusion of
being in deep ocean. In fact,
we were coastal; the first night
we didnt make it far enough
offshore to escape the wind
shadow of Irian Jaya, and by
the middle of the second night,
we were 25 miles off, but outside Teluk Cenderawasih, a
vast, ill-surveyed bay across
whose mouth ran the
Schouten Islands, including
the island of Biak, which had
2,500-foot peaks. The monsoon drift the name given
to the current which builds up
under pressure of the wind
under the northwest monsoon
and goes against the normal
west-setting ocean current
had been helping us. Now it
7/29/08
divided at Cenderawasih, one

branch hooking south under
the islands and later rejoining
the branch carrying us east at
a 1.5 knots. So, besides the
ocean swell, we had complicated currents swirling
around, interacting with gale
force winds.
The moon was almost full
and cast its light even through
the clouds, but we lost it
around 0400 and with its light
gone, I felt cold and alone on
watch. I sat under the dodger,
which gave scant illusion of
shelter since the duckboards
were closed and the wind came
from behind, and watched the
waves rear up behind the boat.
Up, shoot forward, down.
11:12 AM
Page 35
Wed had no time to think

about storm sails and were still
under a tiny scrap of jib poled
out, but that might have contributed to the Oddlys good
handling of the conditions.
Four steep waves
I was watching astern when a
series of four waves loomed
up, each of which not southern-ocean high but high
enough; and straight as walls
behind her: short, land-affected seas. The first looked as if it
would break onto her aft deck,
but at the last minute she lifted her stern and the wave
roared underneath her. She
settled, bucked slightly, and
lifted again.
Later I was in the sea berth,

my ear a few inches away from
the ocean, when she did it
again. It happened with a
sound like Ive only heard in
dry country when a flood
stream races into an empty
streambed. The scrap of jib was
held in a vise by our triangulated whisker pole, and its position forward drew Oddly ahead
and helped keep her speed up
and her bow pulling. Wed
crossed the South Pacific running with both mainsail and
jib, but lately had been using
just the poled-out jib downwind, and while one part of
me was uncomfortable,
because I always like to start
with the main up on the theory that it was the harder sail to
raise in a wind, we found that
Oddly tore along comfortably
with a small jib and the triangulated pole held it very stiff.
As dawn crept up, we took
the boat off the wind vane and
I hand-steered while Tom
replaced a block on the control
lines. We also found we had
drifted within sight of a couple
of shallow banks with small
islands. Wed been running by
paper charts, which were too
large-scale for detail, and had
to quickly pull up the electronic charts to figure out what
radical course change would
best miss the banks. I worried
that the currents around the
shallow banks would be horrible, and my heart was in my
mouth as we pointed our bow
Hoffner at the
mast of Oddly
Enough to
remove the
sail cover
from the
main as she
prepares to
raise sail.
7/29/08
11:12 AM
Page 36
OCEAN VOYAGING
Shallow banks
and a lee
shore can
make for an
unsettling
passage.
Above, the
untamed
shore of New
Guinea.
for the passage between the

islands. By now the wind was
down to 15 to 25 knots but
the seas were still huge and
coming from several directions,
so what had been a straight ski
run now became a series of
sharp rolls which arrived
unpredictably. You could be
tucked into a corner of the
cockpit and suddenly be
thrown 3 feet if you lowered
your bracing foot.
Slipping between the
banks
We slipped between the banks
without incident, and later,
with the crew on Auspray
exhausted, we hove to at sunset, well downwind of the
islands. It was a lumpy but
secure night. On my second
watch the skies opened, and
instead of fighting to stay dry, I
let the rain wash the salt out of
my skin, then set up buckets to
catch the fresh water and eventually so much rain poured

down the decks I simply
opened the fills and let it pour
in. Indonesia had been dry and
hard on our water supply.
At 0200 the next night,
squalls hit again and Auspray
called for a heave to, their voyaging nerves shot. We would
rather have taken advantage of
the wind, which was steady
from the northwest even with
the squalls, as we still had
1,300 miles to go. I also was
eager to get away from land,
which I suspected was generating the squally weather.
While the land was probably generating the squalls, the
gale must have some other genesis, however. What had caused
it? In these days of grib files,
weatherfaxes, and software that
downloads and evaluates satellite weather, wouldnt somebody have predicted a gale?
Not necessarily. Local

weather reporting in this area is
not on much scale or depth,
and faxes out of Australia, Asia
and the U.S. show overall
weather patterns and pressure
gradients but are not detailed
enough to take into account
local effects.
General wind patterns here
are predictable. The offshore
waters on the top of Papua
New Guinea are open to the
full expanse of the North Pacific swells but geographically are
in the equatorial region of the
South Pacific. During the
southern hemisphere winter,
easterly trade winds prevail. In
the southern summer, when
we were sailing, the northwest
monsoon moves into the
region. The monsoon is a
result of pressure differences
that build up between the two
hemispheres.
The monsoon effect
In the southern summer, a big
low forms over Australia, and a
corresponding winter high
forms over Asia. Air is drawn
from the high, south across the
equator, to the low. The trade
winds blowing west across the
Pacific enter the area affected
by this pressure difference, or
gradient. North of the equator
the winds are easterly actually northeasterly, which is the
normal direction of northern
hemisphere trade winds.
Around the equator they start
to bend under the influence of
the gradient-induced flow,
7/29/08
becoming northerly. Below the

equator the trend is northwest.
We call the easterlies the trade
winds, but it was these seasonal
shifting winds that people in
the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia utilized in order to
travel back and forth.
The Papuan coast is very
rugged, with mountains rising
to 10,000 feet. Every day of
our passage those mountains
generated grey clouds and rain,
also a predictable pattern. My
understanding of such coasts at
night would have predicted an
offshore breeze from the
mountains, if anything, not a
slightly onshore gale. As we
were unable to stop in Irian
Jaya, well never know exactly
what happened.
The conditions were
remarkably like the reinforced
trades that we encountered in
the South Pacific. I contacted a
friend of a friend at the Darwin meteorological office, who
replied: When you have a relatively stable air-mass flowing
obliquely onto a shore with a
mountainous range, you could
get this. Because the air is stable, it wont flow over the hills,
but instead the flows converge
and wind is forced to accelerate
along the line of the hills. That
explains why the flow would
have been nearly parallel to the
coast. Good if youre going
downwind I guess!
After the Schouten Islands
the coast angled southeast from
Cape DUrville. We continued
east instead of following the
11:13 AM
Page 37
Left, Oddly
Enough under
sail. Below,
voyaging is
not all hard
work. Hoffner
relaxes in the
cockpit.
coast, eventually reaching 40

miles offshore where the seas
were no longer affected by
shore currents or river deltas,
and we were out of reach of
mountain squalls. The strong
northwesterly held, and we had
several days of glorious sailing.
It was strange to be going east
so easily.
With hand-steering, Auspray
was standing considerably more
than one-hour watches and
even with heaving to, they were
done in. Along the way there
were some gross lapses of

understanding. Auspray was ill
equipped to anticipate what it
would be like to shift to ocean
passagemaking from coastal
work, and we had not found a
way to impart our experience
to them. They couldnt continue to the Solomons, and we
ended up entering Papua New
Guinea at Vanimo, 20 miles
across the Indonesian border.
Ann Hoffner is currently sailing in South Africa.
38_48_ON172_SPECIAL.qxd
7/29/08
11:14 AM
Page 38
WEATHER
When voyagers
leave their home
waters they
must learn to
adapt to the
changing
availability and
differing types
of weather
products.
Voyaging weather communications

BY JOSH WARREN-WHITE
Josh Warren-White
A case study
on how
voyagers
commonly
gather
weather data
while
passagemaking
38
n todays world one need not

be a meteorologist in order
to gather weather data and
utilize it to make informed
decisions for offshore passagemaking. In the information age
there is a wealth of just that
information. So where are voyagers getting their weather
information and how are they
using it?
About two years ago I set sail
with my parents aboard their
43-foot cutter, Bahati, from the
East Coast of the U.S. on a
westward circumnavigation.
Since departing, we have covered 12,000 nautical miles
through the Caribbean, Panama Canal and across the South
Pacific, eventually making our
way to New Zealand. Heres a

real-world example of how one
voyaging yacht gathers and utilizes weather information to
insure (as best we can) safe and
successful offshore passages in
various regions of the world.
Grib files
Aboard Bahati, we have a fairly
simple setup to receive electronic data while offshore: a laptop
computer, Pactor-II modem,
an old but strong Icom 710
SSB radio and a SailMail email
account. As a backup, we also
have an Iridium satellite phone
and the proper connection
cables that allow us to download emails as well as make
emergency phone calls. Weve
found similar setups to be quite

common among other offshore
vessels weve met along the way.
Some rely entirely on the satellite phone, some on the SSB
and many use both.
While on passage, we receive
daily weather grib files via
email. Thanks to a simple program created by the good folks
at Saildocs, any voyager with
offshore email capabilities can
access free weather data by
sending requests to Saildocs (a
similar program is also available
from MailASail.com). All one
needs to do is email Saildocs
with simple text commands,
which automatically uploads
certain files from the Saildocs
server that are then provided to
7/29/08
the user in an automatic email

response.
To request weather information via Saildocs, we have
found the most simple and
user-friendly approach is the
Airmail email client (provided
by both SailMail and Winlink
to their subscribers also
available as a free download to
all amateur radio operators).
Airmail has a built in module
titled Catalogs under the Window menu. Here, users can
make requests for grib files by
selecting the area one would
like covered on the map and
choosing the various parameters desired. You then click
Request, which generates a
query email to be sent to Saildocs. Making the requests
through this Airmail window
allows us to not have to learn
the scripting language and file
names that Saildocs uses to
automatically generate our files.
After sending the query and
receiving our grib file via
email, our next step is reading
it. We often use the software
program MaxSea to navigate
on our laptop computer. Our
Raymarine GPS provides the
program with data via a serial
cable, so in MaxSea we already
have our current position,
course, hull speed and route
plotted on our navigational
charts. We simply take the grib
files we received via email,
import them into MaxSea and
overlay them on top of our
navigational charts. This gives
us a picture of what the
11:14 AM
Page 39
NOAA GFS forecast is for our

projected position over the following hours and days. There
are also numerous free gribreading software programs
available online.
We study the grib files
closely, watching the predicted
pressure, wind and sea-state
for our area. But we also view
the data with a critical eye, as
we are constantly reminded by
marine weather forecasters
around the world that grib
charts are raw meteorological
data. These files are computer
generated and do not have the
benefit of analysis carried out
by a human forecaster. Thus
they are limited in their accuracy, especially as the date the
prediction is valid for gets further and further from the date
it was created. This warning
has borne true for us during
many passages between Maine
and New Zealand. This has
led us to the common conclusion that grib charts can be
very useful, but are best used
in conjunction with forecasts
that carry human analysis. So
where do we get this human
analysis?
Text forecasts via email
One way we get that human
analysis while offshore is
through narrative text forecasts.
These can be gathered from
many different sources. Aboard
Bahati, we receive them
through Saildocs requests just
as we do grib files. We simply
go into the Airmail program,
Josh Warren-White
navigate to the Catalogs module and choose the forecasts for

our region from the list provided. Among this list we have
automated email access to text
forecasts from weather agencies
around the world.
We also access text forecasts
from marine weather forecasters based in various regions
that provide forecasting and
routing services to offshore
voyagers.
Josh WarrenWhite at the

computer as
he gathers
weather data
aboard his
parents 43foot cutter
Bahati.
Voice forecasts via SSB

Forecasts with human interpretation are also available as voice
broadcasts via SSB and Ham
radio (as well as VHF radio in
various coastal regions, of
course). While in port we
often compile lists of frequencies and broadcast times for
weather forecasts in the region
we will be transiting. These frequency lists are readily available on various Web sites and
cruising guides.
Forecasters and weather
routers
There are professional and
7/29/08
11:14 AM
Page 40
WEATHER
Ralph Naranjo
Methods for
capturing
weather data
include HF SSB,
above, and
Iridium satellite
phone, right.
More important
than just the
hardware is
knowing the
sources of data
as a voyager
change with
cruising
grounds. For
example, in the
Caribbean
voyagers will
rely on Chris
Parker, while in
the Atlantic
theyll tune to
Herb
Hilgenberg.
Courtesy Iridium
amateur forecasters, routers

and meteorologists operating
in various regions of the world
who specialize in providing
weather services to voyagers
and offshore sailors. The operating structure of these service
providers varies dramatically
from business-minded weather
routers who charge on an
hourly basis to regional weather gurus who charge nothing
and work from their homes
over amateur radio land-based
stations.
We have used both types of
forecasters, receiving weather
information and advice from
all over the map. We have especially found the services provided by the various regional
marine weather gurus to be of
great help. Sailing from the
East Coast of the U.S. out to
Bermuda and then down from
Bermuda to the Caribbean we
used the services of one of the
weather-routing businesses:
Locus Weather, based in
Maine. We also had daily communications with Herb
Hilgenberg, a weather forecast-
er/router who provides attentive, free services over HF radio

to vessels sailing in the
Atlantic.
While in the Caribbean we
regularly used the services of
Chris Parker, who has a similar
setup to Herbs, but also provides email forecasts and operates through a modest yearly or
monthly subscription fee.
Then in the South Pacific
region, for support with the
potentially difficult passage
south to New Zealand, Bob
McDavitt provides excellent
forecast and routing services to
offshore vessels, mostly
through email communication.
Here is an example of how
McDavitts forecasting support
helped us through a tense situation: Like many other vessels
in the region, our intention
was to sail Bahati to New
Zealand in order to wait out
the South Pacific cyclone season. Heading south from the
equatorial islands, as you get
higher in latitude into what is
commonly known as the variables, storms can whip up
quickly and give even the
most seasoned sailors
a good beating. For
us, what appeared
to be a benign
eight-day passage,
turned into a nailbiting 14-day
ordeal, when an
unanticipated
cyclonic low-pressure system started to bear
down on the rhumb line.

We were among a number
of boats sailing from Tonga to
New Zealand on similar routes
and quickly began tense morning conferences on the SSB
radio to share weather information and discuss each others
strategy for riding out the
strong blow coming down
from the northwest. These
radio conferences (often
referred to as nets) can be very
helpful to share information
and strategy between vessels,
though they often come with a
heavy dose of group hysteria
that ultimately may not help
the situation.
With the aid of Bob
McDavitt, who was watching
the storm develop in real time
via satellite, we were able to
radically change course in order
to encounter the frontal
boundary of the system in its
early, less-developed stages and
then skirt
around the
backside of it,
remaining in the
least dangerous sector.
We were studying the
NOAA GFS grib files, which
painted a terrifying picture of
winds topping near hurricane
strength. But Bob was looking
at many different models and
came to the conclusion that the
GFS model was predicting the
storm too early and too strong.
In the end, his prediction was
correct. It blew, but not at hurricane force. Either way, we
were grateful to be in the least
7/29/08
11:15 AM
Page 41
Split Lead
SSB Antenna
M
dangerous sector of the system, even

if it added an extra week to the voyage. It was in situations like this that
we were quite glad to have local
expert knowledge and a very attentive
and patient friend on our team.
Each of these regional maritime
forecasters carries with them a
detailed knowledge of the region in
which they operate and provide personalized service that voyagers can
count on. That said, we take their
advice as just that advice.
A route to the Galapagos
Some time ago we enlisted the services of a professional weather router
based in the U.S. to help us find the
best window to sail from Panama to
the Galapagos Islands, 1,000 miles off
the coast of Ecuador, which is classically a challenging stretch of ocean
often riddled with calms and countercurrents. We had already started the
passage once and had been forced
back to Panama due to major issues
with our charging system, so we were
familiar with the frustrations this
stretch of ocean could dish out.
Four days into the passage, it
became clear that the conditions were
considerably different then the router
had predicted. They were actually
playing out as the grib files were predicting, in contradiction to the forecast and routing advice we received
via email from the land-based professional. Five days into the passage
300 miles off the coast of Colombia
and still 500 miles from our intended
destination on the island of Santa
Cruz, Galapagos we had to make
the call to defer from the advice of the
router and follow a different course. If
we had followed the advice given, we
M No need
for backstay
insulators
M Easy installation
M No swaging, no
cutting
M Tough, waterproof, reusable
M Highly conductive RF elements
M Watertight leadwire to antenna
connection
M Stiff 34 LDPE
housing secures
firmly to backstay wire
GAM Electronics, Inc.

191 Varney Street
Manchester, NH 03102
Phone: (603) 627-1010
Fax: (603) 622-4738
www.gamelectronicsinc.com
gamelectronicsinc@juno.com
Communications
expert Gordon West
reports
I have done
numerous SSB ham
and marine radio
checks with this system and have found
no discernible signal
losses, even when
used with a wellgrounded backstay
aboard a steelhulled vessel. The
antenna...can bang
out a signal just as
though it were suspended in mid-air.
Sail Magazine
October 2005
7/29/08
11:15 AM
Page 42
WEATHER
would have traveled further south

along the South American coast, then
turned due west around the equator.
Upon turning west we would have
Voyagers
weather data
sites
www.saildocs.com
www.sailmail.com
www.mailasail.com
www.airmail2000.com
www.winlink.org
www.caribwx.com
(Chris Parker in the Caribbean)
www3.sympatico.ca/hehilgen/vax498.
htm (Herb Hilgenberg in the Atlantic)
www.weathergram.blogspot.com
(Bob McDavitt in New Zealand)
www.midcoast.com/~locuswx/
(Locus Weather in Maine)
Josh Warren-White
hit headwinds for days, forcing us to

use the last bit of our precious fuel
fighting our way off the coast.
Instead we stuck to the southwesterly
rhumb line, made a couple of extra
tacks and had a pleasant nine-day
passage, arriving with fuel to spare.
This was a key lesson in the necessity
of making our own decisions utilizing all of our available resources.
Even professionals can be wrong,
especially when it comes to something as unpredictable as predicting
weather. Bob McDavitts own caveat
says it all: Weather is a mixture of
chaos and pattern.
Putting it all together
In preparation, during the week or
so leading up to an offshore passage,
we typically begin talking to forecasters and routers, downloading grib
files and text forecasts, listening to
the weather broadcasts for the region
and getting a feel for the weather
patterns of the area, while starting to
look for a favorable window and
route for our desired passage.
Once we are finally at sea, I spend
a good portion of my day (aside from
eating, sleeping, fishing and actually
sailing) gathering and processing

weather information. At the end of
the day we sit down together as a
group with the information provided
to us by the regional forecasters, with
the local knowledge that only they
have, and couple it with the information we have received through data,
text and voice transmissions and
make our decisions for ourselves.
Our lives and the safety of our vessel
are in our hands and we are ultimately responsible for the decisions that
we make while offshore. Luckily, in
this day and age we have access to
ample resources to inform these difficult decisions.
Josh Warren-White is a graphic
designer who recently returned to San
Francisco, California after sailing
12,000-plus nautical miles from the
East Coast of the U.S. through the
Caribbean, the Panama Canal and
across the South Pacific to New
Zealand, aboard his parents boat, 43footer Bahati. Josh can be reached at
jwarrenwhite@gmail.com. Stories,
photos and position reports from the
voyage of the Bahati can be found at
www.bahati.net.
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7/29/08
11:16 AM
Page 43
While gridded
binary (grib) files
can provide
weather data for
just about any spot
on earth, the
quality of the data
is not always so
uniform.
One arrow in the quiver

STORY AND PHOTOS BY RALPH NARANJO
he term grib refers to

gridded binary files, geek
speak for a compressed
data format favored by meteorologists as a means of digitally
transmitting weather data. It
has become both the favored
buzzword of the weather worried and a topic that experts
continue to debate quite
possibly leaving sailors with
more questions than answers.
Lee Chesneau an ex-NOAA
Ocean Prediction Center
meteorologist, now an engaging weather seminar speaker,
tells mariners to steer clear of
the raw model data that grib
files graphically provide and
opt for the forecasts, surface
analysis and 500-mb information already being broadcast
by the U.S. Coast Guard and

found free to download on the
Web. Other weather-wise
mariners find grib files to be a
racer and cruisers best friend.
A cottage industry has grown
around repackaging weather
data and selling to sailors hungry for a magic touchstone
that will tell them what conditions lie ahead. The best way
to understand whats right for
you is to take a look at both
sides of this argument and get
a feel as to where you fit. But
before we dive head first into
the brewing controversy, a little background information
needs to be shared.
If theres one area of seamanship where knowledge is
power, it lies in the realm of
weather forecasting and the

development of a clear perspective of what tomorrow will
bring. The more volatile the
climate and higher the latitude
or the closer you are to hurricane season, the more advantageous a heads-up weather-driven game plan becomes.
The good news for contemporary sailors is that never
before has there been so much
valuable data within easy reach
of those poking along coastlines or sailing thousands of
miles from home port. Theres
only one catch: if youre after
more than a look at how the
barometer is trending, where
the clouds are coming from
and which way the wind is
blowing, youre going to have
Grib files
provide
excellent
weather info
but arent a
sole source
for voyaging
decisions
43
7/29/08
11:16 AM
Page 44
WEATHER
Computer-based weather tools like grib and

grib readers make analyzing large-scale
weather easier. However, small-scale
weather effects, like local fogs, right, may
not show up on computer maps.
to make some decisions

about hardware and software, along with just how
much of an investment
weather wisdom is really
worth.
There are three schools
of thought when it comes
to weather awareness and
how to keep pace with a
volatile atmosphere. The
first is exemplified by a
dwindling group of fatalists
and stoics who prefer to reject communication technology and take
what comes along. They embrace
the idea of being prepared for weather contingencies and simply picking
the right season for a passage prepared to endure what comes along.
Communication equipment takes a
back seat to storm sails, vessel stability and structural integrity. Their
gamble, like those who set off without a diesel auxiliary, is one of higher
stakes and greater challenges in seamanship.
The second, and perhaps most
sensible approach to weather awareness, is the do-it-yourself process
that begins with the development
of a weather-101 level of knowledge
and an equal familiarity with radio
signal propagation and what it takes
to receive VHF, cellular, SSB and
satellite voice and data broadcasts.
7/29/08
11:17 AM
This approach assumes that the

onboard decision maker can read a
surface chart and make sense of the
contours that make up a 500-mb
chart. The premise is that an
informed decision maker is actually
more reliable than a radio link with
a shoreside weather consultant.
The third option is to relegate
some, or all, of the weather-info
gathering to an expert not on
board. With this abdication of
weather awareness, comes complete reliance upon an external
expert and a communication link
that carries no guarantee. Of
course, most weather-savvy passagemakers see the ideal approach
Page 45
as an amalgam of all
three philosophies.
Buying what youve
already paid for
Do-it-yourself oriented
weather-aware sailors
believe that NOAA has
done a pretty fine job of
sampling and evaluating
the dynamics of the
atmosphere and put that
information at the fingertips of the boating community. So, they ask
themselves, why pay others to use the same model
data and charts to
7/29/08
11:17 AM
Page 46
WEATHER
prompt your decision making?

But this argument only holds
water for those who have done
their homework and can han-
When in coastal
waters, NOAAs
land-based
weather radars
can provide
detailed
precipitation data
and satellite
imagery can show
sea surface water
temps, above. All
this data can be
viewed on
electronic chart
displays, right. But
offshore and in
many lesspopulated areas
of the globe,
weather data
collection is less
complete.
dle tasks like reading information on weatherfax 24-, 48and 96-hour charts and understanding why a teardropshaped isoheight line on a
500-mb chart is an alarm bell
indicative of the formation of a
cut-off low. And if you want
grib files, satellite radar analysis
of the sea surface and its associative relationship to wind
speed for pre-passage planning, its all on the Web. Ben
Franklins wisdom about the
weather-wise and the otherwise seems to sum it all up. If
you are informed and have
developed an onboard decision-making process, you are
better off regardless of whether
or not you also plan to sign up
for a grib-file service, lash up a
Sirius satellite weather radio
receiver to your Raymarine,
Furuno or other networked
digital plotter or intend to pay
for a concierge custom-forecast service.
Most for-a-fee weather

gurus willingly admit that they
base their decision making on
the same model information
and forecast data that NOAA
provides for free in voice and
digital format, promulgated via
the Internet. Their value-added
can be two fold: These services
specifically focus on conditions
in their clients vicinity and the
experts themselves are often
experienced, small-craft-knowledgeable mariners. This localized awareness and their understanding of specific model
shortfalls, associated with the
unique conditions of a specific
water body, can be of considerable value. They rightly refer to
such expertise as value-added
in developing their custom
forecasts. And its exactly whats
missing in every grib file.
Grib data is based upon
purely computer model-driven
calculations using complex
algorithms and theres
absolutely no human intervention, not even a look out the
window. Whats amazing is
how accurate these computercrunched projections can be.
In fact, those voyaging in
remote Great Southern Ocean
regions have been shocked by
how often the grib-file forecast
matches local conditions even
though weather stations and
sampling are scarce. This fact
alone is a great testimony to
how good models are getting,
but despite this glowing up
side, there are times when the
models are 180 degrees out of
sync with each other, one calling for calm seas and sunshine
and another placing a rousing
gale in your path. The grib
charts generated will be equally
contradictory and theres no
human element ready to add
an experts opinion.
Developing grib data
NOAA sifts data from the
atmosphere via weather stations, weather balloons, ship
reports, satellites and ground
radar. Their models GFS,
AVN and Wavewatch III give a
shorthand digital summary of
the information tweaked by
weighted mathematical formulas. For example, the GFS
model covers land and sea
areas and generates wind vectors at a 10-meter height over a
grid that is either 0.5 x 0.5, 1 x
1 or 2.5 x 2.5 degrees in specificity. The data includes wind
speed, direction, temperature,
pressure, humidity and much
more.
Wavewatch III is another
model that streamlines information and offers only high
seas data limited to oceanic
wind, wave and current that is
available in a much smaller file.
Its updated in three-hour
intervals and the model is run
four times a day. Its grid size is
1 x 1.25 degrees, meaning that
each data point is for a rectangular area of sea surface, roughly 60-miles-by-45-to-75-miles
(depending upon the latitude
of the cell). The Navy has put
models like NOGAPS and
7/29/08
11:18 AM
COAMPS in the public domain and

more and more data is being shared
worldwide.
Acquiring grib files
Ashore, the public can use highspeed Internet capability to snappily
download grib files, but at sea its a
Slowsky world out there with baud
rates that make a 90s shoresidedialup connection seem impressive.
This means that either youre going
to spend huge amounts on satellite
phone, Inmarsat or other provider air
time or you will need to purchase a
plan with a provider such as WeatherNet or Saildocs that compresses
grib files and provides them via SSB
or satellite service. Feedback from
competitors in a recent California-toHawaii race had a few owners spending $2,000 on airtime for weather
information downloads!
The next investment is in a gribfile reader, a software program that
turns a binary string into a color
chart depicting wind velocity and sea
state as well as other vital meteorological data. Grib Explorer or another Windows-compatible program
can be nested on your PC and linked
Page 47
to your communication gear

of choice. Inshore, this
might be a dockside landline, cellular provider or WiFi link. At sea, an SSB with a
digital Pactor-III node can
do the job, as can SailMail,
Ocens Mail and other
email/SSB links. Inmarsat and Iridium and other satellite systems can
also tie the grib-file reader to a service
provider. Ham operators use products like Ugrib and their Pactorequipped transceivers to circumvent
the costs of a commercial service, but
the process is less user friendly and
the products are not quite as easy to
handle.
Ideally, grib files should be used as
an input factor in forecast development, just as the trend of the barometric readings or a shift in wind
direction is factored into a forecast.
Basing the whole forecast on a grib
file run is too monolithic. For example, models that are spot-on with
wind-velocity predictions with one
type of weather system often miss the
wind-velocity implications associated
with another. A case in point is the
prefrontal trough squalls that arrive
well ahead of a cold front, which

often pack more of a wallop than the
cold front itself. This phenomenon is
most noticeable on the north wall of
the Gulf Stream and information
garnered from NOAAs GFS model
runs are regularly tweaked by meteorologists developing a forecast. They
look at satellite photos of the streams
constantly changing north wall conditions, and check ship reports as
well as note how different models
read a similar situation.
Leaving a forecaster entirely out
of the loop is a gamble with a serious downside, and its why skilled
navigators use grib files as another
tool in their box not the only
tool available.
Ralph Naranjo is a freelance

writer and photographer living in
Annapolis, Md.
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7/29/08
11:18 AM
Page 48
Index to Advertisers
Page Advertiser
Product
47 Ample Power Co LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Electrical systems

30 Amel Joel F Potter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sailboats
44 Balmar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Alternators
55 Beta Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Diesel engines
58 Cape George Cutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Boatbuilder sail
51 Dr. LED Dynamic Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lights
17 Epifanes USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Varnish/Paint
26 Evolution Shaft Razor Cutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Line cutter/Shaft systems
53 Fawcett Boat Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Boat supplies
41 FloScan Instrument Company Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Flowmeter
21 Fujinon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Binoculars
c4 Furuno USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Electronics
41 GAM Split Lead Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Antenna
60 Gozzard Yachts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sailboats
20 Hansen Marine Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Engines/Generators
9
Harken Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sailboat equipment
47 Hart Systems (Tank Tender) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tank measuring system
58 Hathaway Reiser & Raymond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sea anchors
22 HRO Systems/Sea Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Watermakers
54 International Marine Insurance Svcs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Insurance
26,41 Kato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Davits/Radar mounts
31 Maine Yacht Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Boatyard
19 Maretron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Electronics
Page Advertiser
12
13
44
1
29
59
c2
5
51
7
51
23
42
45
45
48
26
58
54
28
15
55
11
Product
Nanni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Boatbuilder/sail
Nanni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Diesel engines
National Marine Electronics Assn (NMEA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Electronics
Newport International Boat Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Show
Nobeltec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Electronic charting
Nordhavn Brokerage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brokerage
Nordhavn Yachts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Boatbuilder power & sail
North Sails Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sailmaker
Nova Scotia Boatbuilders Association . . . . . . . . . .Boatbuilder/Boatyard
Pacific Seacraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Boatbuilder Sail
Para-Tech Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sea anchors
Pioneer Marketing and Research/Steiner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Binoculars
Rumerys Boat Yard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Boatbuilder/Boatyard
Scan Marine Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stove/Heater
Sea Breathe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Diving air for cruisers
Sea Frost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Refrigeration
Smithwick & Mariners Insurance Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Insurance
Spartite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mast wedge
Spectra Marine Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Watermakers
Surrette Battery Company Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Batteries
US Sailboat Shows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Show
Variprop USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Propellers
Victron Energy NA Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Electrical systems
SEA FROST
CHILLING SECRETS
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Whether its the popular 12 volt BD or
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Sea Frost, Route. 4, Barrington, NH 03825
Phone: 603-868-5720; Fax: 603-868-1040
www.seafrost.com
48 OCEAN NAVIGATOR SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008
49_60_ON172_FEATURES.qxd
7/29/08
11:19 AM
Page 49
Courtesy Future Fibres
etal rigging is increasingly becoming a

thing of the past on
racing boats and large yachts.
During the past decade, four
companies Future Fibres,
Navtec, SmartRigging and
Composite Rigging as well
as several emerging smaller
players, have succeeded in overcoming the considerable challenges that underlie adapting
polybenzoxazole (PBO), carbon fiber and other space-age
fibers to sailboat rigging.
The greatest technical hurdle in adapting the new fibers
to rigging has been finding
mechanisms to attach end fittings without compromising
the strength of a rig. With traditional rigging in mind, initial
attempts focused on bonding
or clamping a fitting to the
ends of the fibers. There are

two considerable challenges:
the first is to ensure that all the
fibers in a bundle are adequately gripped; and the second is to
ensure that they are all equally
loaded. Because of the incredibly low stretch of these fibers, if
loading is unequal, the most
loaded fibers will try to take all
the load, resulting in overload
and failure, and then the next
most loaded will load up and
fail, and so on, producing a
sequential failure.
Early on, Navtec developed
a bi-conic socket-and-cone end
fitting for Kevlar rigging. This
fitting traps the fibers between
a tapered plug inside a cone.
The plug is partially tightened.
The fitting is loaded up to
stretch the fibers, allowing
them to slip between the plug
Fiber
rigging
comes
of age
Many large
vessels now
use fiber
instead of
metal
rigging
by Nigel Calder
and cone until all are equally
loaded, and then the tapered
plug is fully tightened. A traditional threaded terminal screws
into the base of the cone.
Navtec later successfully adapted the bi-conic fitting for PBO,
but Future Fibres simultaneously did an end run around
Navtec with the continuous
winding process (also known as
the sling process), which has
come to predominate.
Continuous winding uses
two titanium or stainless steel
thimbles placed apart at a distance equal to the length of the
finished piece of rigging. Fibers
are then pulled off a spool and
wrapped around and around
the thimbles in one continuous
run until sufficient fiber has
been added to achieve the
desired strength and stretch
Heavy-duty fiber rigging installations

can be found on
large yachts like this
standing rigging termination by Future
Fibres.
49
7/29/08
11:19 AM
properties for
this piece of
rigging. There
is now no risk
of the fibers
pulling out of
the end fittings,
but the challenge of main-
Nigel Calder
Nigel Calder
Above,
Navtecs
braiding
machine for
making fiber
rigging. Right,
a bundle of
PBO fibers,
the raw material of PBO
rigging. Far
right, because
carbon does
not need
waterproofing, in areas
where there
are no chafe
issues, the
rods just need
holding
together in a
bundle as at
left. The
braided
sheath at
right is for
chafe protection.
Page 50
taining an even load on the

fibers remains. In fact, the
loading challenge is greater.
Consider a bundle of fibers
wrapped around a thimble. If,
when under load, the outermost fibers work their way in
towards the thimble, the tension on these fibers will reduce,
transferring the load to the
other fibers, with a risk of the
kind of sequential failure
described above. Future Fibres,
Navtec and SmartRigging have
all developed very expensive,
highly customized, proprietary
machines and processes to
wind the fibers with equal ten-
sion and then to maintain this

tension over the life of the rigging, which requires a mechanism to maintain the relative
position of the fibers on the
thimbles.
Carbon-fiber terminations
Carbon-fiber rigging has
evolved in a different fashion.
In the past, carbon-fiber rods
have been extruded in whatever diameter is necessary to
achieve the desired strength
and stiffness. However, not
only is it expensive to extrude
custom rod sizes, but it is also
difficult to attach end fittings
because the fittings are only
gripping, or glued to, the
fibers on the outside of the
rod. Problems are compounded by the fact that conventional carbon rod pultrusion techniques require a mold-release
agent that inhibits the bond
between end fittings and rods.
Composite Riggings breakthrough lay in finding a way to
both reduce the cost of making
the rods and at the same time
improve the security of the end
fittings. We have to go back to
the fiber optic industry to see
how this came about.
Fiber optic cables are pulled
in bundles. The cables are not
strong enough in and of themselves to withstand the stresses
of being pulled. Another highstrength fiber is added to the
bundle to take the pulling
loads. Composite Rigging created a mechanism for continuously and economically extruding small diameter (1 mm) car-
bon-fiber rods at relatively high

speeds for use as strength elements (Composite Rigging can
produce up to 48 rods at a
time per process line at a speed
of 40 feet per minute; there are
12,000 carbon fibers in each 1mm rod).
When applied to rigging,
instead of changing the diameter of the extruded carbon rods
to match the loads on a rig,
Composite Rigging decided to
bundle up however many of
the 1-mm rods were necessary
to achieve the desired properties. This substantially drops
the cost of the rig over customextruded carbon while greatly
accelerating the pace of rigging
construction. One of Composites engineers, Rob Sjostedt,
was a sailor and devised a
mechanism for preloading all
the rods in a bundle to an
equal tension and then splaying them out inside a cone
where they are glued in place
with epoxy. Once set, the glue
bonds to the surfaces of all the
rods, creating a large bonded
surface area to absorb the
loads. The incompressible glue
plug cannot be pulled out of
the cone.
To keep weight out of these
terminals, the cones are
machined from stainless steel
or titanium that is pared
down to a minimum thickness and then bound in prepreg carbon fiber. This provides the hoop strength necessary to keep the load on the
epoxy plug from splitting the
cone. The net effect is a very
7/29/08
11:20 AM
effective, high-strength terminal

that places a balanced load on all the
rods. Clever stuff!
Protecting the fibers
At this point in the process, whether
its Aramid, PBO or carbon, we have
bundles of parallel fibers with end fittings in place. These fibers need to be
packaged up to minimize their crosssectional area (to reduce windage)
and must be protected from chafe.
Thats about it for carbon, but PBO
and other fibers also need to be protected from various environmental
conditions. PBO, for example, is
damaged by ultraviolet rays (UV)
and moisture intrusion, with the
effect of moisture being exacerbated
Page 51
at higher temperatures. In
practice, at temperatures
below 100 F, which is what
is normally found in rigging
applications, damage from
moisture intrusion is generally limited. For any reasonable life expectancy, PBO
fibers must be kept in the
dark and sealed inside a
watertight sheathing.
All four manufacturers have
devised mechanisms for wrapping
the fiber bundles in a manner that
holds the fibers tightly together. For
example, Future Fibres and Navtec
spiral wrap a high-strength debulking
tape around the fibers to compress
them, then spiral wrap self-amalgaNigel Calder
mating (heat shrink) tape around this

and shrink it down. SmartRigging
has a mechanism to slide a continuous heat-shrink tube over the fibers.
This is then shrunk down. In all
three cases, the heat shrink provides
both UV protection and waterproofing.
Composite Rigging pulls the car-
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7/29/08
11:20 AM
Page 52
Above, the
Open 60 Hugo
Boss had a
wide variety
of fiber standing and running rigging,
including
components
from Future
Fibres, Smart
Rigging, and
Composite
Rigging. (Boss
was later lost
due to a keel
failure.)
Right, carbon
standing rigging from
Composite
Rigging, carbon chainplates with
titanium
inserts and
pins.
bon rods together with Kevlar

thread. As noted, the carbon
needs no additional protection
against the environment.
For the three PBO users, so
long as the heat shrink is not
damaged, it does a good job of
keeping moisture out along the
length of the rigging. Waterproofing the cable itself is thus
relatively easy.
What is not so easy is making the terminals watertight,
and ensuring the watertight
integrity of the transition from
the terminal to the heat shrink
on the rigging itself. Each manufacturer has a somewhat different approach to this. Navtec,
for example, has a carbon shell
glued around the terminal and
to the thimble, and sealed to
the heat shrink on the rigging
with additional heat shrink.
Whereas SmartRigging has
devised a mechanism to create a
poured terminal in which the
PBO and thimble are fully potted in a dense, hard, rubber-like
substance. Future Fibres clamps
a mold over the terminals and
injects resin. Naturally, each
thinks it has the best approach

to this rather critical issue!
Finally, whether PBO or
carbon, the rigging needs protecting against chafe. This is
provided by a braided sheath.
Future Fibres and Navtec have
a weaving machine that allows
the density of the weave to be
varied along the length of the
piece of rigging according to
the anticipated chafe. SmartRigging has devised a mechanism to slip the sheath over the
rigging and then tension it.
Given the inherent durability
of its pultruded carbon rods,
Composite Rigging only
applies chafe protection in areas
where chafe is anticipated. In
all cases, the sheath is invariably
some exotic material such as
one of the Aramids (e.g.,
Kevlar or Technora), or highdensity polyethylene (e.g.,
Spectra or Dyneema), chosen
for such properties as its moisture, UV and chafe resistance.
Aramid versus PBO versus
carbon
The finished pieces of rigging
Nigel Calder
Nigel Calder
have different properties. Typically, when comparing one

technology to another, the
baseline that is used in any
given application is the stretch
of the Nitronic 50-rod rigging
that would have been used
prior to the advent of fiber rigging. Because Kevlar stretches
more than PBO, it takes more
to achieve an equivalent stretch
and as a result it ends up being
larger and heavier. This is why
PBO has largely supplanted it
in recent years. Today, when
money is no object (for example, many high-profile racing
boats) the primary comparison
is between PBO and carbon.

Here we see, at least on the
surface of things, that for a
given amount of stretch, carbon is significantly heavier.
Then there are the end fittings
and spreader fittings that must
7/29/08
11:21 AM
also be taken into account. Given the

fact that the thimble-style fittings
used in continuously wound PBO
rigging tend to be lighter than the
socket-and-cone approach used by
Composite Rigging, once again,
PBO would appear to have the edge.
However, its not this simple.
Almost all modern high-tech rigs
have discontinuous rigging, which is
to say that any part of the rig that
comes to a spreader terminates at
that spreader. This is in contrast to
traditional rigging, which is continuous from the masthead to the deck,
bending around the spreader tip.
Discontinuous rigging adds more fittings than continuous rigging, but
whereas, for example, a two-spreader
continuous rig would have cap
shrouds and intermediate shrouds
both coming over the lower spreaders and down to the deck, the discontinuous rig will have a single
shroud running to the deck from the
lower spreader, reducing the overall
weight.
Composite Rigging has devised a
mechanism to build prestressed continuous rigging in which the various
shrouds and their associated diagonals (from the mast to a spreader tip)
are tapered down and bonded
together such that the carbon bundle
at any given point is only as large as
is needed to support the load at that
point. This results in the weight efficiencies of discontinuous rigging
without any of the multiple spreader
fittings normally needed. Composite
Rigging claims that the net effect is
to cancel out the normal weight
advantage of PBO with the added
benefit of significantly reducing
windage. Future Fibres counters that
in a recent independent study of a
Page 53
maxi project, their discontinuous

rigging was still found to be 5 percent lighter. Finally, in 2006, SmartRigging launched its own version of
continuous PBO rigging, with five
boats already rigged, and claims to
have restored a 15 percent weight
advantage over continuous carbon!
Two types of costs
This leaves the cost issues. There are
two aspects to this: the upfront cost
and the lifetime cost, which is not the
same. If two different approaches cost
the same up front, but one lasts half
as long as the other, then it is twice as
expensive over its lifetime.
Up front, Kevlar is about twice the
price of rod rigging, PBO is about
one-and-a-half times the price of
Kevlar (which makes it about three
times the price of rod), and carbon is
about one-third more expensive than
PBO (i.e., four times the price of
rod). If you start adding titanium end
fittings, costs can go considerably
higher.
But then the rigs are 70 to 80 percent lighter than rod. In the case of
superyachts, this can literally translate
into tons of weight saved aloft. A
recent refit of a Baltic 147-foot sloop
by Future Fibres reduced the rig
weight from 2,869 lbs (1,304 kg) to
769 lbs (350 kg) for a saving of 2,100
lbs (955 kg). The schooner Meteor,
built at the Royal Huisman yard in
Holland using Composite Riggings
carbon rigging saved an estimated
1,600 kg (3,520 lbs) as compared to
rod rigging. These savings translate
into improved motion and stability,
improved performance to windward,
reduced fuel bills and/or a substantial
reduction in the keel weight (in some
superyacht examples, by several tons).
Since 1985 Ocean Navigator has been the

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7/29/08
11:21 AM
As we have seen, for the same

stretch as rod, PBO and carbon are
approximately 100 percent stronger.
Lets assume rod rigging that would
be loaded to 25 percent of its ultimate breaking strength. The load on
the replacement PBO or carbon rig
will be the same, which means a rig
with the same stretch will be loaded
to 12.5 percent of its ultimate breaking strength. In theory, there will be
reduced fatigue degradation and
enhanced life expectancy for the
fiber rigs.
In practice, no one knows what is
the reasonable life of these rigs. The
longest that any of them have been in
service is eight or nine years. As the
years go by, the manufacturers are
Page 54
The other inspection point for

PBO rigging is the connection
between the terminals and the heatshrink sheathing. Over time, there
may be a tendency for the heat
shrink to pull away from the terminal. There is an inner glue layer that
provides additional protection, but
clearly if the PBO is exposed it will
lead to problems. Navtec terminal
covers also need to be inspected for
signs of cracking or opening at the
glue seams (unlike Future Fibres and
SmartRigging, the terminals are not
filled with any kind of sealing compound).
Its easy to forget that PBO and
carbon rigging is less than a decade
old. In that time, it has been thor-
becoming increasingly confident

about life expectancy issues.
Maintenance
When it comes to maintenance, the
key requirement is to inspect the rig
for damage to its sheathing. With
carbon, the only concern is that the
rods are not damaged through abrasion, shock loading and impact.
With PBO, there is the additional
critical need to maintain the protection from UV and moisture intrusion. In general, damage to the
sheathing is easier to detect than the
kind of incipient cracks that threaten
failure with rod rigging (this is
because most rod rigging cracks are
hidden inside terminals).
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Page 55
Nigel Calder
Above left, a finished terminal

with titanium
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right, a lightweight racing terminal does not
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oughly tested on the racecourse, including many of the

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lower cost solutions (e.g., Powerlite Rigging and EasyRigging). As volume goes up and
price comes down, we can
expect fiber rigging to increasingly work its way down into
more price-conscious markets.
We will likely test a fiber rig on
our next boat.
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Nigel Calder is the author of

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7/29/08
11:22 AM
Page 56
VOYAGING TIPS
1
Super Wi-Fi antenna

STORY AND PHOTOS BY HARRY HUNGATE
Voyager Harry
Hungate with
the super Wi-Fi
antenna he
built from plans
obtained on
the Internet.
The result was
increased Wi-Fi
range for
roughly $35
plus setup and
assembly time.
ractically every marina

worldwide now provides
WiFi access, but you may be
assigned a berth that is either
completely out of Wi-Fi range
or where the signal is marginal.
If you are on a mooring or at
anchor you can lose your Wi-Fi
connection completely each
time the boat swings around.
Commercial high-gain external
omni antennas such as the Netgate ANT-H2415-Pro are readily available for $130 or so, but
if you are reluctant to part with
your hard-earned cash, here is a
cost-effective solution (around
$35) that will greatly extend
your Wi-Fi range and earn
extensive bragging rights on
your electronic prowess.
On the Internet you will
find lots of detailed information on antenna design and
construction. The actual construction of the antenna
requires careful attention to
detail, as the dimensions are
critical, but it is generally within the capabilities of most do-ityourself boaters who can measure and solder.
The omni-directional antenna is the design of choice for a
boat, as you do not have to aim
the antenna at the Wi-Fi site.
In the parlance of the antenna
engineer, the omni antenna has
no nulls.
To get started, google
homemade omni Wi-Fi
antennas and a number of sites

will appear. Review several of
them to get a general idea of
whats available. I selected the
antenna described in
www.wireless.gumph.org/articles/homemadeomni.html, due
to its apparent ease of construction and use of readily available
materials. The antenna
described on the gumph site is
a collinear dipole design. This
means that each segment of
one-half wavelength cumulatively adds gain to the Wi-Fi
signal to produce an effective
gain of 6 dB or more, depending on the number of segments.
While the plans show an antenna of eight segments, I added
four more segments, hoping for
a further increase in gain.
Print out the instructions
from the Web site and follow
them very carefully. Dont
despair at the details its
surely not rocket science. Heres
a somewhat digested version
plus a few helpful hints:
Obtain 3 feet (or 1 meter) of
RG-213 marine-grade coaxial
cable, 6 inches (150 mm) of
RG-58U marine-grade coaxial
cable, three small FT-50A-67
ferrite toroids (www.amidoncorp.com), one USB Wi-Fi
adapter, such as Netgear
WG111v2, or equivalent, oneinch (25-mm) PVC conduit
and fittings, hand tools, 60/40
rosin core electronic solder, etc.
The heart of
Hungates
antenna is a
length of RG213 coaxial
cable. 1) The
length of each
segment is
critical. Cut Vshaped grooves
into the coax,
without cutting
through the
braided shield.
2) Assemble the
cut lengths
using a jig and
solder together.
3) A USB Wi-Fi
adapter. 4)
Scratch
protective
coating from
the patch
antenna and
ground plane.
5) Wi-Fi adapter
connected to
the lowest
antenna
segment. 6) Cut
a section out of
the PVC pipe
plug to create a
channel for the
USB cable. Seal
the section back
to the plug
with silicone
rubber. 7) The
completed
antenna before
final assembly.
7/29/08
11:23 AM
Page 57
Lay out the length of the

RG-213 coax on a flat surface
and carefully work it into as
straight a length as possible
before you do any cutting at all.
Any curvature will be much
harder to cure when the coax is
cut into the shorter segments
for the antenna, and curved
segments will degrade the performance of the antenna. Use
only marine-grade coax, such as
Ancor, as it is tinned and will
not corrode as quickly in the
marine environment as will
bare copper coax.
Cut the RG-213 coax into
segments to the lengths specified in the instructions: 11 segments of 49 mm and one segment of 74 mm. Measure twice
and cut once! Compare all of
the sections and discard or
rework any sections that are too
short or too long. After a few
trial cuts with a hacksaw yielded quite crude results, I hit
upon the idea of using a tubing
cutter (a new one with a sharp
cutter wheel!) to cut the segments to length. A sharp hobby
knife was used to cut away the
6 mm bits of shield and dielectric on both ends of each segment down to the center conductor. A wire stripper was used
to remove the dielectric from
the center conductor. Cut away
31 mm of the braided shield
from the 74 mm segment to
form the one-quarter wavelength top segment, leaving the
dielectric and center conductor.
Use the hobby knife to very
carefully remove a small Vshaped section of the outer
sheath on both ends to gain

access to the braided shield, taking special care not to damage
the shield. Mark a dot where
the point or apex of the Vshaped cut should begin and
mark a corresponding dot
exactly in line with the first dot
on the other end of the segment. This will insure that the
connected segments will line up
exactly, rather than take on a
twisted shape, which will
degrade the antenna performance. Tin the center conductors
and exposed shields prior to soldering the segments together.
Assemble the segments with
a jig as described in the instructions. I placed the segments
over a dimension guide to
insure that the spacing was
exact at 40.5 mm the most
critical dimension.
Examine the completed
antenna to insure that no
strands of the shield or center
conductor have gone astray to
create a short circuit. Doublecheck your work with your digital multimeter set on continuity or ohms to check for
open circuits or short circuits:
continuity between the center
conductor of the lowest segment and the tip center conductor; open circuit between
the braided shield of the lowest
segment and the braided shield
of the tip, as per the instructions you downloaded from the
Web.
The commercial omni
antennas have a coax connector
at the base or have a length of
coax (the flylead in the Web
instructions) attached to the

base, both of which require the
use of a Wi-Fi card in your laptop or desktop computer that is
capable of accepting an external
antenna. If you already own a
Wi-Fi card with a connector for
an external antenna, such as the
Proxima model Orinoco Gold
PCMCIA card, then you have
the choice of terminating your
new antenna with a coax connector and either purchasing an
already-made coax cable with
suitable connectors, or you
could simply attach a length of
coax to the end of your new
antenna and connect it directly
to the Wi-Fi card in your computer. But, since coax connectors and coax cables of any type
or length incur a loss of signal, I
reasoned that a design that
would use USB and eliminate
the coax cable and connectors
would be good for at least two
reasons: 1. minimal signal loss
between the antenna and the
computer; and 2. I could avoid
the purchase of a Wi-Fi card
with external antenna connector and instead use a very cheap
USB Wi-Fi adapter.
A Google search of external
Wi-Fi antenna hacks produced
a site that showed how to modify a low-cost USB adapter to
accept an external antenna.
Have a look at
www.xp11.com/g54/g54.htm
and
www.nathanlipscy.com/wireless_usb_hack/ to get a general
idea. All makes of USB Wi-Fi
adapters are very similar in
design, so its easy to apply the
7/29/08
11:23 AM
modification to any of them.

Another Internet search resulted in
the online purchase of a Netgear
WG111v2 USB Wi-Fi adapter. Netgear is a known brand, and this item
is cheap (about $12 cheap enough
for experimentation!). It is a simple
exercise to peel off the label and then
pry off the plastic housing to reveal
the bare circuit board. Discard the
plastic housing, as it will not be needed. Identify the patch antenna to
which the external antenna will be
connected its on the end opposite
the USB connector. Use a sharp
hobby knife to reduce the patch
antenna to a small square section
nearest the lead from the RF section.
(The RF section is whats under the
Page 58
shiny metal cap.) Scrape off the protective coating over whats left of the
patch antenna and the ground plane.
The ground plane is the outer
perimeter of the circuit board. A magnifying glass will no doubt be of great
help in this task. Tin both areas in
preparation for attaching the connecting coax. Work quickly to avoid overheating the adapter.
Connect your new super Wi-Fi
antenna to the USB adapter with a
short length (two inches or 50 mm)
of RG-58U (small-diameter 50-ohm
coax). Solder the RG-58U braided
shield to the ground plane of the
adapter and the center conductor of
the RG-58U coax to the adapter
antenna lead. Slip the three FT-50A-
67 ferrite toroids onto the RG-58U

coax and then solder the other end of
the center conductor to the braided
shield of the lowest antenna segment.
Solder the RG-58U braided shield to
the center conductor of the lowest
antenna segment. The ferrites absorb
RF energy on the outer surface of the
braided shield and prevent reflected
RF power from damaging the Wi-Fi
adapter. The antenna will work just
fine without the toroids, but I cant
say for how long!
With completed antenna in hand,
visit the local hardware store and hunt
through the plumbing and electrical
sections to find a length of one-inchdiameter (25-mm) PVC conduit.
Conduit is thinner than pipe so the
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7/29/08
11:24 AM
Page 59
P R E V I O U S L Y
O W N E D
NORDHAV N 55 ('05)
Y A C H T S
NORDHAV N 62 ('01)
Honu Kai is the 55

that took the cruising
world by storm and is hull
number one of what very
well may become the
biggest success story
ever by PAE/Nordhavn.
She has cruised the
Hawaiian islands and
has ventured back to
California and then
returned home to Hawaii
where she is presently
moored. She is equipped
with the majority of the
popular factory options
and had been carefully
looked after by her
thoughtful owners. Located in Hawaii.
Patty M is the first

Nordhavn 62 to conquer
the globe! Delivered in
2001 she toured the world
from California to England
with her original owners.
Her current owner did an
extensive upgrade fit out
in 2006 before crossing
the Atlantic and Patty M is
back in the Pacific.This is
a captained yacht which
has been given professional attention and shows
much younger than her
years. Shes ready for a
second lap around the
planet. Located in California.
Asking $1,499,000
Asking $1,675,000
For details contact

Jeff Merrill at
949-496-4933
For details contact

Jeff Merrill at
949-496-4933
NORDHAV N 57 ('98)
NORDHAV N 47 (' 04)
This twin engine, 1998

model, Nordhavn 57 has
been kept in pristine condition and is loaded with
gear. Cruising New England.
Susan J is a beautifully equipped Nordhavn 47

located in the Pacific
Northwest and designed
for northern. Located in
Oregon.
Asking: $1,098,000
For details contact
Larry Gieselman at
949-496-4933
Asking: $945,000
For details contact
Jeff Merrill at
949-496-4933
NORDHAV N 50 ('04)
Inisfail is a one of a
kind. She comes with
hydraulic windlass, bow &
stern thrusters, emergency bilge pump, custom
interior, teak and holly
throughout. Located in
Massachusetts.
Asking: $950,000
For details contact
Ray Danet at 772-223-6331
64
64
62
62
57
55
47
47
47
47
47
Asking: $1,100,000
sistership
For details contact Dave

Balfour 401-293-0910 or
Jeff Merrill at
949-496-4933
NORDHAV N 57 ('02)
(07)
Pending
(06)
$2,750,000
(96)
$989,000
(93)
$995,000
(02)
Pending
(07)
$1,899,000
(06) $1,050,000 Euros Vat Paid
(05)
$795,000
(04) $1,325,000 NZ Tax Included
(03)
$895,000
(03)
$905,000
NORDHAV N 43 ('06)
Miss B Havn is a well
thought out Nordhavn 43
and shell take you to any
corner of the Earth. She is
the preferred two stateroom
layout with built in office
desk. Located in Florida.
This 2002 model is new to

the market and loaded
with gear! Some of the
items include the John
Deere engine with only
1,190 original hours, wing
engine, 20 KW generator,
Trac Stabilizers, plus
much more. Location:
Seattle, Washington.
Asking: $1,250,000
For details contact Larry
Gieselman at 949-496-4933
A D D I T I O N A L
Nordhavn
Nordhavn
Nordhavn
Nordhavn
Nordhavn
Nordhavn
Nordhavn
Nordhavn
Nordhavn
Nordhavn
Nordhavn
NORDHAV N 47 ('04)
Dance is a thoroughbred
throughout and will delight
you as you cast off for
adventure to wherever you
want to go. Located in
Rhode Island.
Asking: $895,000
For details contact
Ray Danet at
772-223-6331
L I S T I N G S
Nordhavn 40
Nordhavn 40
Nordhavn 35
Nordhavn 35
Viking 48
Ocean Alexander 43
Beneteau 42
Saberline 36
Chaparral
Catalina 36
Glacier Bay 34
(07)
(00)
(04)
(01)
(05)
(00)
(05)
(98)
(98)
(03)
(06)
As a division of P.A.E., the developer and builder of Nordhavn trawlers, we are intimately familiar with each vessel on the market.
We also have listings of other quality power and sail vessels. Please call our office nearest you. www.nordhavn.com
$665,000
$465,000
$459,000
$299,000
$995,000
$549,000
$395,000
$225,000
$29,750
$139,900
$299,000
N-ON-Sept08
Nordhavn Yachts NE 222 Narragansett Blvd. Portsmouth, RI 02871 Tel: (401) 293-0910 Fax: (401) 293-0914 nesales@nordhavn.com
Nordhavn Yachts SE 600 NW Dixie Hwy Stuart, FL 34994 Tel: (772) 223-6331 Fax: (772) 223-3631 sesales@nordhavn.com
Nordhavn Yachts NW 901 Fairview Ave. North, Suite A100 Seattle, WA 98109 Tel: (206) 223-3624 Fax: (206) 223-3628 nwsales@nordhavn.com
Nordhavn Yachts SW 24703 Dana Drive Dana Point, CA, 92629 Tel: (949) 496-4933 Fax: (949) 496-1905 swsales@nordhavn.com
Nordhavn Europe Ltd. 10-12 Firefly Road, Hamble Point Marina Hamble, Southampton SO31 4NB UK Tel: +44 (0) 2380 456342 Fax: +44 (0) 2380 457741 europesales@nordhavn.com
Nordhavn Australasia Ltd. Level 30, AMP Place 10 Eagle St. Brisbane Qld. 4000 AUS Tel: +61 (0)1300 783 010 Fax: 61.7.3102 6253 peter@nordhavn.com.au
For more brokerage listings, visit www.nordhavn.com
7/29/08
11:24 AM
signal attenuation will be slightly less.

I found a piece with the enlarged end
for joining which handily accommodated the USB Wi-Fi adapter. Aesthetics are an important consideration
here! A PVC pipe coupler or union, a
pipe cap for the upper end and a pipe
plug for the lower end completed the
parts list for the watertight housing.
Drill and cut the PVC pipe plug as
shown to create a channel for the USB
cable. Drill the hole slightly larger
than the USB cable. A dollop of silicone rubber (RTV) will seal the cable
channel and the top cap when you
have completed the assembly. The
Netgear WG111v2 USB Wi-Fi
adapter comes with a 5-foot (1.5meter) USB cable, but I substituted a
16-foot (5-meter) USB cable for max-
Page 60
imum mounting flexibility. Choose a

length suitable for your application.
The completed antenna can be
permanently mounted to a rail or can
be hung from an eye installed in the
top cap of the antenna, or just use a
length of light twine. If you install an
eye, seal it with a dab of silicone rubber (RTV) to prevent water getting
in.
The inexpensive Netgear
WG111v2 USB adapters power output is a measly 50 milliwatts. While
you will be able to receive signals from
distant Wi-Fi access points, you may
not be able to connect with them due
to the low-power output. Higherpowered Wi-Fi devices are available
up to 500 milliwatts if you need additional range, and the antenna will eas-
GOZZARD
ily handle maximum legal power.

Shop around on the Internet for the
best deal on Wi-Fi devices.
Performance testing of the omni
antenna consistently produced significant gains over that of my Netgear
WN121T, which is a costly directional antenna and is not weatherproof. In
fact, when my WN121T was unable
to find any networks at all, my super
antenna found six and I was able to
easily connect to and use the Internet.
Total cost of the homemade omni system was less than $35.00.
Harry Hungate and his wife Jane

Lothrop are currently Wi-Fi-ing aboard
their Corbin 39 Cormorant in Southeast Asia, having departed Annapolis,
Md. in 1997.
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IT TAKES MORE THAN WORDS

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email: info@gozzard.com website: www.gozzard.com
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61_64_ON172.qxd
7/29/08
11:25 AM
Page 61
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advertising
Text-only classifieds
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7/29/08
11:25 AM
Page 62
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Weather Services
OCEAN VOYAGE WEATHER
FORECASTS
Custom forecasts address your specific
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Medical Services
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baseball caps
Royal Blue cotton caps or Navy Blue 100% wool caps with
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Send check or money order to: NAVIGATOR PUBLISHING
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Fax: 207-772-2879
canvas
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A distinctive carry-all
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Send check or money order to:
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OR call/fax with MC/Visa # and
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WebSmart
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NORTH SAILS produces more cruising sails to higher standards of performance and durability than any other sailmaker in the world. All are manufactured using premium fabrics from North Cloth as well as other quality suppliers. All North cruising products are built to give you years of trouble-free sailing. www.northsails.com
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HARKEN, INC. is a leading manufacturer and marketer of quality sailboat

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ICOM fixed mount VHF: Practical Sailor editors rate the Icom M302 the best
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KATO MARINE Stainless Steel sailboat and powerboat davits, outboard lifts,
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Retail Partners
California
Maine
Seabreeze LTD
1254 Scott St., San Diego, CA 92106
888-449-7011 / 888-449-7012
www.seabreezebooks.com
Hamilton Marine
100 Fore St, Portland, ME 04101
207-774-1772 / 800-548-6352
www.hamiltonmarine.com
Colorado
Hamilton Marine
20 Park Drive Rockland, ME 04841
207-594-8181
GeoMart
516 Villanova Ct, Ft. Collins, CO 80527
P: 800-248-6277 / F: 800-321-6277
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Connecticut
Rex Marine Center
144 Water Street, South Norwalk, CT 06854
203 831-5234 / 203 866-2518
store@rexmarine.com
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Hamilton Marine
155 E Main St, Seaport, ME 04974
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Landing Boat Supply
106 Lafayette St.
Yarmouth, ME 04096
(207) 846 3777 / (207) 846 4791

www.landingboatsupply.com
landingboat@aol.com
Portland Yacht Services
58 Fore Street
Portland, ME 04107
(207) 774 1067 / (207) 774 7035
www.portlandyacht.com
Joanna@portlandyacht.com
Maryland
Fawcett Boat Supplies
110 Compromise St.
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 267-8681 / (410) 268-6528
www.fawcettboat.com
info@fawcettboat.com
North Carolina
Marine Electronics
of the Outer Banks
4711 Croaton Highway Nags Head, NC
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rocketman@beachlink.com
Pennsylvania
Pilot House
Tupper Barrett
1600 South Columbus, Philadelphia, PA
19148
215-336-6414 / 215-336-6415
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NAV PROBLEM
T
20
10
10
20
30
Africa
an
tic Oce
30
40
80
80
80
70
70
n
ea
Oc
fic
Paci
60
South
America
60
50
40
50
an
Atl
here is only one singlehanded sailor that I know

of who has had a statue erected
in his honor. That distinction
belongs to the great, yet overlooked, Argentinean, Vito
Dumas, who during
World War II set out on
his 32-foot doubleender and became the
first solo sailor to
round the three great
capes of the world. The
statue stands at the
southern tip of South
America, where, dressed in foul
weather gear with a souwester
hat snugly in place, the great
Dumas looks out to sea.
Dumas, like Bernard
Moitessier was a man in love
with sailing boats and the sea.
He was an accomplished
painter, poet, cattle rancher,
and a man of great faith who
supposedly took only a screwdriver on his circumnavigation.
He lost this sole tool somewhere along the way. A circumnavigation during the second world war must have
seemed like madness, but
Dumas was already age 42 and
he figured time was short to
achieve his dream.
His boat, a ketch-rigged
Colin Archer type that he built
100
90
100
90
South
Pole
80
0
13
13
0
12
0
60
50
14
0
Australia
15
0
14
0
0
12
O
ce
an
110
ic
cif
Pa
110
70
40
160
170
180
170
route took
him eastward
around the
Southern
Ocean during
the height of
World War II.
Alfred Wood/Ocean Navigator Illustration
Vito Dumas
160
0
15
in the 1930s, was named Legh

(for the initials of his sweetheart) He departed
Montevideo in June of 1942,
sailing with no radio as he was
concerned that if stopped at sea
he might be thought a spy.
Almost immediately he got
into trouble, the hull sprung a
plank, and Dumas injured his
arm. The injury developed an
infection that, despite injections of antibiotics, caused him
agonizing pain. He become
delirious and contemplated
amputating his arm with an
axe or his knife in order to stay
alive. Before he set to that task,
though, he passed out. When
he awoke the wound had
begun to drain. He later cut
out the infected abscess.
Dumas arrived home 13
months later to a heros welcome. He was the first recipient of the first Slocum Prize
awarded by the Slocum Society
and was honored by the Royal
Cruising Club of London.
Perhaps his greatest contribution to solo sailing was eschewing heaving-to in the southern
latitudes choosing instead to
run before the waves.
Dumas continued sailing
after the war and retired to an
estate in Buenos Aires where he
BY DAVID BERSON
lived until 1965. Legh was
given a place of honor in a
national maritime museum.
Dumas wrote of his exploits in
his book Alone Through The
Roaring Forties.
Of course, Dumas was a
great celestial navigator, whose
work at sea was spot on. An
example for all of us who think
that celestial navigation is outmoded and quaint. In our
nav problem, we have him on
his boat on June 18 somewhere
off Cape Pillar, bound for
Cape Horn. He is not sure
how far south he is so he takes
a noon sight to get an LOP
(and a noon latitude line). He
is at a DR of 54 39 S by 73
37 W. Height of eye is eight
feet. There is no sextant error
and there is no chronometer
error. He shoots a lower limb
shot of the sun at 16:56:20
GMT and gets an Hs of 11
45.4.
A. Calculate the latitude of
his position at LAN
For a complete solution,
visit www.OceanNavigator.com.
Answer
Latitude at LAN: 54 40.5
Alone around the world

with just a screwdriver
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Page c3
Whats wrong with this picture?
Make a Difference
the waterfront challenge
The Waterfront Challenge is a competition created by Interlux and supported by this publication to
encourage people who care about their local waterfront including lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans to
improve their environment. This contest is open to any group of three or more people who want to spend a
minimum of one weekend between April 1, 2008 and November 1, 2008 making a difference to their
environment and encouraging others to do the same. A total of $60,000 in prize grants will be awarded to
seven winners and one grand prize winner. For more information and official rules, visit wfchallenge.com
Our World is Water

Based on various criteria, a panel of seven judges will award seven prizes valued at $5,000 per region and one overall grand prize of $25,000. The regions include: Canada, Caribbean, Mid Atlantic US, Mid West US, West Coast US, North
East US, and South East US. Proof of your project will need to be provided. No Purchase necessary. Closing date for submissions is November 5, 2008. The winners will be notified on January 5, 2009. The chances of winning will depend
upon the number of eligible entries received.
and Interlux are registered trademarks of Akzo Nobel. Akzo Nobel 2008
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11:51 AM
Page c4

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ON172_cover_final.

Oil-eating bugs H Finding crew via the Internet

Jim Lyle, owner of Nordhavn 43

Jim and Martha Lyle had been

Space-wise, the Nordhavn 43

Marine Tech Notes

27 Crewing in the age of the Internet

For bonus materials, check out the

32 A sail on the wild side

43 One arrow in the quiver

Many large vessels now use fiber

49 Fiber rigging comes

On the cover: Nat Warren-White standing watch on

Ann Hoffner (Ocean Voyaging, A sail on the wild side, Page

ALL DEPARTMENTS: 207-772-2466

COPY EDITOR Deirdre Bannon

Kim Goulet Norton

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Susan Sargent

Nigel Calder (Features,Fiber rigging comes of age, Page 49)

WEB SUPPORT Carrie Fowler

Newport Bermuda Race 2008

Above, the start of the

IN THE 46TH RUNNING OF THE

6 OCEAN NAVIGATOR SEPTEMBER 2008

Daniel Forster/Talbot Wilson/PPL

2008 Newport Bermu-

with a total elapsed time of

37 49.6' N 122 28.2' W

www.pacificseacraft.com info@pacificseacraft.com 252.948.1421 phone 252.948.1422 fax

The sailboat Cynthia

8 OCEAN NAVIGATOR SEPTEMBER 2008

RAIDER, A CUSTOM-BUILT S&S

Texas A&M University

Salvage divers recovered

32 miles off Freeport using

Algalita Marine Research Foundation

A KON-TIKI-STYLE RAFT APTLY

of recycled material, which

Alerion 33 Onne van der Wal Photo

MAKE CRUISING SAFER AND EASIER

Aptly named, Junk is built

TECH TIP: Our low-friction Battcars drop

Paschal hope that by sailing

1251 E. Wisconsin Ave., Pewaukee, WI 53072, Tel: 262-691-3320

sailer, a modern boat loosely based on the 26-foot

bined. It seems only fitting

Pearson Composites LLC

After almost 100 years, the

THE THIRD ANNUAL PILOT CUTTER

Above, with their distinctive

Cornwall, England, for the

plumb bows and gaff rigs on

third annual Pilot Cutter

display, pilot cutters com-

Review Championship held

peted in the waters off

skippered by David Brunyee, finishing first in all

Agnes, and Jolie Brise.

Thomaston, Maine | 207-354-0493

SEPTEMBER 2008 OCEAN NAVIGATOR 11

See Nanni Diesel at the Newport & Annapolis Sailboat Shows!

12 OCEAN NAVIGATOR SEPTEMBER 2008

dents, ages 16 to 18, are

The 74-foot Murray