[Rhodes22-list] Seaworthiness and survivability thoughts.

[S/V Lark]

Brooks suggested this be bumped to a new thread.   It was posted under Jay's
thread Cockpit Drains and inspired by his hard sailing concerns:   

I'm glad to know some push their boat so hard.   I didn't buy a bluewater
boat, but have certainly found myself in unexpected conditions with little
boats.  I've gotten more cautious (wimpy) with age, but its good to have
reserve capacity.   

Jay talked about closing off the space beneath the seats to minimize
seawater in the cockpit if inundated by waves.   However, I believe
decreasing the volume of the cockpit without decreasing the surface area
won't limit the amount of water dumped in by heavy seas or a steep wave at
an inlet.   Therefore you increase the risk of overflowing the bridge deck.  
Increasing the bulkhead separation from the cockpit to the cabin and
lazarette makes sense, but will only help as the boat heals so water levels
are higher then they are at the companionway.   

To my knowledge one boat under power has flipped and turtled from a
following wave.  The stub keel did not right it (of course even Vendee Globe
boats have found themselves in that predicament), but the flotation saved
the boat.   Are there other examples?  She seems a remarkably forgiving
design, and one of the more robust trailer launchable pocket cruisers, some
of the reasons I bought one from Stan. 

How complete of a knockdown will it right from?  100'?   

My thoughts / concerns on surviving extreme weather (besides the obvious of
watching the weather window and wasting precious vacation days instead of
pushing the envelope) is 
1.  A tether would be useful at times.   Where do you secure it? 
2.  The pop top is the biggest vulnerability I see in the event of a
complete knockdown or especially if the boat was rolled.  How do you secure
yours? 
3.  I've had a roller FURLING jib unexpectedly open up or fail to reef.  
Exciting.   A partially reefed jib could become big and ugly if the line
breaks or the cleat fails.    Has anybody who pushes their boat considered a
spare halyard and a stormsail hanked over the furled jib, as a way to secure
the jib and limit canvas at the same time?   
Unless I scare my girlfriend off I expect more excursions on bigger water in
the future.    Marina hopping on a schedule means you have to be able to get
back again, even if the weather deteriorates beyond projections.  I'm also a
calculator who likes backup backup plans (and the radio doesn't count as a
backup plan).   

Rick had responded with advice on jacklines between the fore and aft cleats,
outside of the shrouds, to secure a tether to.  Thanks.   His advice on the
pop top was to use a line and the jam cleat to secure it to the stoop, which
I do but have never been completely satisfied.   He also believes the jib
reefing line and cleat are adequate with a stop knot.    This may be
adequate under most circumstances, but I have seen how fast a sail will
unfurl in a gale, and how quickly it will shred itself.   Failure of any
system is always possible.  I've followed Jerry's lead and added a redundant
lashing to the furled jib in dock.   

I invite all to respond anew.

Alex







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Alex Cole
S/V Lark
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