A Chronicle of Discovery: Bay and Coastal Cruising

October 2008 Rambling Reflections on Cruising
February 2008 Oregon Coast
December 2007 Storm
November 2007 Cruising Update
September 2006
August 2006

August 2006
One of the intended uses for Libations Too was Bay and Coastal cruising. This meant longer distance sailing complete with anchoring, overnight outings, anchor watch, and provisioning.

Preparations

For me, sailing as a cruiser came after the more immediate tasks of fully acquainting myself with the boat and refreshing my sailing skills. I also needed time to add some equipment and verify that the boat and systems were operational in a way that supported longer distance sailing.

Depowering the Boat. First among these tasks was to be sure that I could depower the boat in conditions of higher than desired winds. This was no problem here in the Bay since winds of 25+ knots are not uncommon. As I mentioned in my Racing pages, this involved several outings to practice reefing and furling until I knew that I could shorten sail without hesitation should the need arise. During the process I developed my own list of preferred methods. This included heaving to from port tack when reefing the main. By starting on port tack and heading up to backwind the jib, the boom and main fall off to port and I can easily reach the reefing lines (located on the starboard side of the boom) from the cabin top. This also means that I work from the high side of the boat. If I start on starboard tack, I end up on the low side of the boat with the boom to starboard and me pinched between the mast, lifelines and boom trying to set the reef). I can work from this pinched in condition if I need to, but I also know that if I have room to tack before starting the process I'll be happier.

I also learned that in heaving to, at least in winds of any consequence, it is necessary to furl the jib to about 90% or less so that the boat will balance in the hove-to position. At 80 to 90 % the jib is still sizable enough to blanket the main and prevent it from flogging badly, but not so large that the boat will not stabilize in the hove-to position. With a larger headsail set and even with the helm hard alee, the wind will push the head right on down into a situation where an accidental jibe is possible. Furling the jib is quick and easy if I just ease off to a broad reach, shelter the jib with the main, and quickly take a few turns on the roller furler. At any other point of sail in a strong wind, the forces on the jib combined with the lack of good lever arm on the furler make it very difficult to furl the jib. So, when needing to reef, I need to be sure that I have plenty of room to reach off a bit to furl the jib, and then room to drift in the hove-to position while reefing the main.

By trail and error I also found that the boat sails faster and has an easier motion if not over powered. For example, it is not uncommon here in the Bay for me to reach boats speeds in excess of 6 knots with just the main. With a hull speed of about 7 knots, it certainly begs the question about whether or how much jib is necessary. And with the roller furler, it is easy and sometimes prudent just to furl it completely.

Rig Inspection. Most of my early sailing was within the Bay. I was careful, but I also knew that if needed, help was close at hand. Sailing out the Gate and up and down the coast is quite another matter. I had been to the top of the shrouds and had looked closely at all the fittings but my eyes were not practiced at seeing signs of weakness or inappropriate detail. For these reasons, and for added peace of mind, I felt it necessary to have the rig inspected by professional riggers. This was accomplished at Svendsen's Boatworks in Alameda, and the boat and rig came away with a good bill of health. What I did learn confirmed that Pearson built boats of quality with many components oversized or built with heavy use in mind.

Coastal Navigation. Navigation is not a task that frightens me, but neither is it a task that I have practiced in the past. In order to bring myself to an acceptable level of competence and confidence, I started picking up books and reading with interest. But as is often the case with self-instruction, I was unsure as to whether I was missing something or, more importantly, misunderstanding some of the very basics. I needed to find a navigation class for coastal cruising.

Lucky for me Olympic Circle Sailing School, undoubtedly one of the best sailing schools in the country, was just a few minutes away. I soon found that they offered a class specifically tailored to coastal navigation in sailboats. Shirley Doell was and excellent instructor and brought loads of personal experience to each class. Shirley had not only cruised extensively for several years, but she also tutored prospective skippers who were training for their U.S. Coast Guard's captain's rating. I came away with a renewed appreciation for not only the "rules of the road" but also the very practical matters associated with navigation. We practiced and reviewed all of the basic skills, learned what navigation tools and resources were necessary for cruising, and had plenty of "practice trips" to exercise our new-found skill.

Pump Rebuilds. One of the unexpected problems that became the focus of my attention over a two week period was related to my foot-operated galley pump. I rarely used this pump at dock and on day sails, but when I started doing a few overnight cruises within the Bay I thought it appropriate for me to use this pump. Without going into all of the details, I'll simply mention that a combination of a leaking pump diaphragm and my practice (then, not now) of leaving the foot pump shut-off valves open allowed my fresh water tanks to empty into the bilge. It took me a while to figure out exactly what was happening but once identified, the solution of rebuilding the pump was rather straight forward. I similarly found the the hand pump at the head simply not working one day. It too needed a rebuild, which was easy enough to do.

With these two pumps rebuilt and operating perfectly, I have only two more to go: the electric fresh water pump and the sump pump for the vanity sink and shower drain pan. The manual bilge pump located at the front of the cockpit was the object of a rebuild project due to leaking when in use. But when I had it all apart I found the parts like new, and simply put it back together again with an extra emphasis on getting all of the fastenings tight. It now works just fine, and the leaking has stopped.

Diesel Fuel Polishing. One of the pieces of information that I've picked up from various sources is that offshore sailing can be just what is necessary to thoroughly stir up all of the sediment and gunk in an old fuel tank. And once this is done, it is only a mater of time before fuel filters are clogged and the engine is inoperative. On Libations Too the Racor fuel filter and glass sediment bowl initially showed perfectly clean fuel with no sediment or water. But after just a few months of sailing I started to notice a layer of sediment or gunk in the bottom of the bowl. I thought at first that this layer would drain easily from the bottom of the bowl, but this proved to be inaccurate. When I opened the fuel filter and examined the filter itself, it was quite dirty and nearly clogged. After consulting with my diesel engine mechanic, I decided to have the fuel polished and the the tank cleaned.

According to both my mechanic and the service technician who polished the fuel, this type of maintenance should be infrequent. The process is inexact since "cleaning the tank" is not practical with the tank in place. What is cleaned is the fuel, and it is simply pumped in a loop for half and hour or so in an attempt to pick up all of the sediment and water from inside the tank. Because the tank has baffles, the only way to help the process is to try to move the pickup line around within the tank, and to draw fuel from both sides of the baffle. When this was done on Libations Too a fair amount of "sludge" was removed, but I was surprised that not more sediment and water were produced. This proves to me how just a little sludge in a tank can lead to problems.

After polishing the fuel and replacing the primary fuel filter (0.2 micron) I feel more confident that my engine will be there for me when I need it.

EPIRB. I currently do not have a life raft on board Libations Too. And even though I always wear my life jacket, have rigged jack lines and harness, have a new radio with handheld backup I still felt a bit vulnerable outside the Bay. This feeling was no doubt strengthened (and confirmed) by two deaths earlier this year caused by simple man overboard situations. One was singlehanded sailor, and the second was on a crewed boat where a combination of light air, strong current, and an inoperable engine made it impossible to get back to the man in the water. And on the return trip from this year's (2006) West Marine Pacific Cup race the 40-foot Mureadritta's XL was lost 450 miles north of Hawaii after being struck by a whale.

So given this background I thought it rather silly not to take some step that would promote increased safety and a fast rescue if something extreme came my way. The ACR AquaFix 406 I/O was my first step in this direction. I think that for more extensive coastal cruising I'll eventually end up with a dingy or life raft, but for the moment the EPIRB will serve. It is small enough and light enough that I have it attached to the strap of my inflatable PFD, and is thus with me at all times.

Anchoring. The process of anchoring sounds as if it should be fairly easy and straight forward. And on a light air day in an anchorage protected from swell and current that assumption is reasonably accurate. But in more active conditions the situation calls for more a more thorough understanding of anchoring basics, and anchoring etiquette opens another whole world of challenges and opportunities.

For me the first step was to thoroughly inspect what I had on the boat and confirm that it was serviceable. This meant unloading three separate anchors and rodes onto the dock, inspecting carefully, and measuring and marking the rodes so that I would know how much scope I had out at any time. I confirmed that Libations Too is equipped with three separate anchors, the largest of which is a Delta anchor equipped with 26 feet of chain and 270 feet of three strand nylon line. My other two anchors are Danforth anchors, also equipped with chain and nylon line as their rodes. The Delta is the largest of the three anchors, served by the longest rode, and mounted on the bow roller; the two Danforths are stored in the anchor locker.

The one slight refinement to the system that I felt was necessary was to better secure the Delta anchor to the anchor platform and roller. When I took possession of the boat, the anchor was simply tied in place at the roller. This left the shank free to move about, and left a somewhat challenging job of untying the anchor from the bow roller when it was time to drop anchor. I added a small shackle that held the shank of the anchor tight to the headstay deck fitting, and added a snap hook to the line at the bow roller to make it easier to secure and detach the anchor from the bow roller.

I have spent a considerable amount of time reviewing different anchoring techniques and strategies (see my links page). The common element to all is that after dropping the anchor and letting out the proper scope, it is a good idea to "set" the anchor by using the engine to confirm that the anchor has dug into the bottom and will hold the boat. Other procedures appear to be appropriate to different situations, so the other comment element to proper anchoring technique is to understand that each and every situation may call for a slightly different approach. Anchoring is one of those tasks where one size does not fit all.

I am still learning and gaining experience. My anchor watch practice in most situations is to wake myself every half hour to confirm that all is well as long as wind and current are still significant. And I'll admit that I was surprised at a few of the anchorages in the Bay to find that, due to current alone, my knot meter was still reading close to 2 knots after setting the anchor and coming to a rest. And these types of currents are common to several of the Bay's more popular anchorages. Another practice that I have developed is to ask, where possible, other nearby boats how much scope they have out before I drop and set my own anchor. If the answer that I receive is comparable to what I want to do, then I go ahead and anchor; if the other boats have less scope out than I want to use, I shift my anchoring spot a bit further away or to a different spot in the anchorage.

Anchoring Update #1 - September 2006
Anchoring Update #2 - November 2007
Anchoring Update #3 - October 2008

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September 2006
Earlier this month Libations Too and I took a 9-day, 260 mile cruise to the Monterey Bay area of California. The trip was delightful and involved 3 nights at anchor, 4 nights in transient berths at various marinas, and 2 nights rafted off of another boat who had taken the last available end-tie spot at one marina. I was very pleased with Libations Too's performance, and gained some insight on a few items as noted below.

Refrigeration. One of the features that was important to me when searching for a boat was refrigeration. I didn't really have a basis for the perceived need, but it was on my list nevertheless. After owning the boat for nearly a year and rarely using the refrigeration capabilities, I was beginning to wonder if I really needed it. My cruise to Monterey Bay confirmed its value in a short 9-day period.

When I left the dock at the beginning of my cruise, I loaded the ice box with all of my perishable food supplies and then added two bags of ice to keep things cool. This served well when the boat was under sail as one might expect. When I was at a guest berth and connected to shore power, I turned on the refrigerator unit. The result of this approach was that after 9 days I still had ice in the ice box from the initial day...I never had to buy ice along the way. This was great, and I am sold on the value of refrigeration just by this one experience.

Night vision light for the chart table. Before I left on my cruise I installed a night vision lamp above the ice box. I intended to install one above the chart table also, but never found a lamp that suited my tastes. The result was that I ended up using the galley as my nav area on the nighttime legs of my trip. The idea of night vision lights may seem insignificant to one who sails in congested areas near city and harbor lights. But when away from other light, it is painful to go below after a few hours under the night sky and turn on a regular lamp. And the effect on ones eyes is lasting. The solution for me is to add a couple more night vision lamps below with at least one of them providing light at the nav station.

Head. Perhaps I am naive about these things, but after my pump repair I expected the head and holding tank to work without constant attention. What I found was that during the course of my trip, the head became an unwelcome focus of my time. What was the problem? The problem was odor caused by waste draining back into the bowl after flushing. This did not always happen, but it happened enough that some type of repair is now on my to-do list.

I am not sure what exactly is the first cause of this problem. It may be a condition arising from the fact that the holding tank is above the bowl level. This may mean some attention to anti-siphon vents or to a better joker valve at the hand pump. I'll update this section as I research this problem further.

Update February 2007: I did a little research on this problem and found a very interesting explanation in Nigel Calder's book Boat Owner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual, second edition page 369. Apparently mixing urine and seawater can lead, over an extended time, to the formation of calcium-like deposits on the toilet discharge piping and, more importantly, on the joker valve. This latter situation leads to incomplete closure of the joker valve after flushing the toilet and to drainage of waste back into the toilet bowl. If the toilet discharge piping is properly installed with an air vent, the drainage back into the toilet will be limited to the volume in the discharge hose up to the air vent. The solution to this problem involves removal of the mineral deposits that are preventing the joker valve from closing. Calder suggests white vinegar as a mild acid added to the toilet bowl and flushed past the joker valve on a monthly basis as preventive maintenance.

I tried the white vinegar approach and was surprised at how much bubbling and foaming was observed at the initial charge of vinegar. I repeated three or four times, and then settled into the suggested monthly treatment. Within a couple of months the drainage back to the bowl stopped, and as of this writing, the problem seems to have been resolved. I will continue with this monthly white vinegar maintenance and presume that this problem is solved.

Anchor Watch with GPS. I greatly simplified my anchor watch chore by adding a backup GPS unit with an anchor watch alarm feature. I may be among the last to add this feature to my boat, but it is welcome nevertheless. I am still refining the way that I use this tool, but my strategy thus far is to prepare the GPS alarm by setting the allowable drift distance to a very high number. This allows me to activate the alarm and set the anchor without worrying about false alarms. I then carry the GPS unit to the bow with me when dropping the anchor. As soon as the anchor is dropped, I activate the alarm. After the anchor is set and scope determined I reset the alarm distance to match the sum of my anchor scope, the boat length, and a safety margin that I determine based on where I anchor and the conditions that exist at the anchorage. I still get a few false alarms, but the process is much better than waking every half hour to personally check the status of the boat.

Folding bike. My cruise took me to Santa Cruz and to Monterey. Both of these harbors offer great access to downtown businesses and other activities. On this trip I was able to visit them all on foot. But a bike sure would have been nice. So, along with about a hundred other items, a folding bike is now on my wish list. With the generous size of the cockpit lockers on the Pearson 323, this will be a great and easy addition to the cruising gear for Libations Too.

Computer. I have grown very accustomed to using my computer to check weather forecasts, buoy reports, and various web cams that actually show the conditions where I plan to be sailing. Clearly such a tool is not essential on a boat, but I will admit that I find it difficult and tedious to listen to the weather radio and try to copy down the information. I also find the trend graphs that are associated with buoy reports to be extremely helpful in judging conditions and trends (see the Cruising Photo Log for an example) and such a graph is not practical using only the radio...unless I want to be tied to the radio all the time, which I do not.

The solution, of course, is not as simple as adding a computer. There is that minor issue of an internet connection that makes it all work. But even if I have just a WIFI capability, I could take my computer to a local coffee shop and keep in touch with current forecasts, buoy data, etc. Another option would be to install a laptop connect card and subscribe to a cellular service that provides internet connectivity. This is obviously the more costly option, but it would also allow use of the computer in the boat as long as the boat stays within cellular coverage areas. Such a computer and internet arrangement would add little to day sailing in the Bay, but I will certainly consider it as I prepare for my next cruise....I guess I now have another item for my wish list!

Battery chargers. Electronic gadgets are sure great. On this first cruise I had my cell phone, two GPS units, my digital camera, and a hand held VHF. All used different batteries. My solution to this electron provisioning challenge was to buy battery chargers and nickel metal hydride rechargeable batteries. Needless to say this resulted in three or four different chargers and associated cables. Fortunately I have a 12-v outlet at the galley and a hanging pocket organizer that accommodates all of this. (The photo below shows the hanging organizer without my electronic gear). I used all of the chargers, and all of my new batteries during my 9-day cruise and I judge these battery chargers to be an essential part of my cruising gear.

Riding Sail. My time at anchor during the trip to Monterey revealed that Libations Too does not always settle down after the anchor is set. If a breeze comes up, and if there is no current to overrule the breeze, she tends to "sail" at anchor. First on one tack, and then on the other. This motion was not terribly uncomfortable, but when the anchorages were crowded, it was a bit disconcerting to me (and presumably the other boats at anchor) to see my boat sashaying back and forth. I also guess that this constant movement adds to the strain on the anchor, and in a bigger wind, may eventually cause the anchor to loosen and drag.

If Libations Too had a dodger I believe that enough resistance aft of the keel's center of lateral resistance would diminish or eliminate this tendency to "sail" at anchor. But since I do not have a dodger, I am of the opinion that a riding sail will be in my future. A riding sail is typically hoisted on the backstay and tightly "sheeted" forward amidships. The purpose is to provide a plane of lateral resistance to the wind that is aft of the keel. The end result is that the boat will "weathervane" nose to the wind and ride quietly at anchor.

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November 2007 Cruising Update
During this past year I probably spent more than a month on my boat cruising either here in the Bay or on longer coastal cruises. The longest single outing was for 19 days when I sailed from San Francisco Bay to Morro Bay, and back. While in no way does this make me a "cruiser" in the traditional sense, it does provide some insights that I wanted to post here. I find Libations Too to be an excellent coastal cruiser...especially compared to other boats of comparable size.

Updates to a few of my earlier comments on this page and some new thoughts about cruising in Libations Too:

Refrigeration. I have refined my approach to use of my refrigeration and am enjoying it even more. Now I start the cruise with an ice box full of ice and also place two half-gallon jugs of ice within the freezer compartment (that little chamber that is formed by the refrigerant coils). When at a marina dock connected to shore power or while traveling under power I switch the refrigeration unit on and am continuously refreezing the ice in the two containers. This approach both extends the useful life of the initial charge of ice and serves to keep the ice box at reduced temperature even after the initial ice charge has melted. On my 19-day trip to Morro Bay and back I did not add ice during the entire trip, but still had cooled milk, juice, and other items when I pulled into my home port at the end of the cruise.

Night vision light for the chart table. My installation of an LED nav light at the chart table worked perfectly. I want to add another on the port side of the boat in the Galley area to allow better use of the LED lights while under way. I found that while under way I rarely sit at the chart table. Rather, I stand an use both the chart table and the galley work surfaces to view charts, etc.

Head. The head worked just fine this past year, and the strategy of using vinegar to keep mineral deposits at bay seemed to work just fine.

Anchor Watch with GPS. The only way to go! I still get a few false alarms, but I don't mind. After being at anchor for a whole tide cycle, the track feature of the GPS also serves to sketch out the entire swing area and it is very easy (even without the anchor watch feature) for me to see if my position is "outside" of my normal swing zone. This was extremely helpful in those few instances where the wind really picked up and I was worried about dragging. A quick look at the GPS track would show whether I was moving over new ground or still swinging within my original radius.

Folding bike. I took my new folding bike with me on my cruise to Morro Bay. I enjoyed having it and it did allow me to explore some new territory, but I am far from pleased with it in comparison to a "real" bike. The problem may be unavoidable in a small folding bike, but I want to try a longer seat tube to see if I can make this a bike that offers a bit more.

Dodger and Riding Sail. Since my 2006 comment on this subject I have added a dodger to Libations and the issue of sailing at anchor is greatly diminished. The dodger provides enough drag aft of the center of lateral resistance to keep the stern pulled back and thus minimizes the tendency of the bow to fall off of the wind and act as a sail. The dodger itself is a must-have item for offshore sailing and greatly adds to comfort within the cockpit while at anchor. Except when anchored in strong tidal currents where the boat's position is driven by current rather than wind, the dodger provides a great windbreak and enhances cockpit comfort and utility.

Dinghy. This past year I also purchased a small dinghy. It was a used Achilles LT-2 and is probably the smallest real dinghy that I could find. I use it only as a rowing dinghy (no motor) and find it to be quite functional...for one person and a small amount of gear. I have not tried carrying another person with me, and that may present another challenge entirely. It is admittedly a bit of a chore to dig the folded dinghy out of my cockpit locker, carry it to the foredeck, inflate it, and hoist it over the side. But it is probably easier with this dinghy than with any other that I could find and in this regard I am happy to have it with me. If another person were to be cruising with me the dinghy may prove less useful, and in that case a couple of inflatable kayaks may be a better answer...time will tell.

I have rowed my little dinghy a bit in growing currents and winds and know that it is marginal at best as a rowing dinghy, but it served quite well this past summer. While at San Simeon I took the dinghy ashore through a very mild swell/surf condition and learned how tricky a shore landing can be. I managed to get crosswise to the swell just as I touched bottom and the result was a good wetting below the waist. Getting wet was not unexpected and so was not a problem on this landing. However, I ended up with a lot of sand in the dinghy and that made the job of cleaning and restowing the dinghy a bit of a chore. Another possible use for a deck washdown pump!

Anchoring. As my experience with anchoring grows I am beginning to appreciate some of the nuances of this particular task. My ground tackle is adequate for coastal cruising (a good-sized Delta with 26 foot of chain followed by 270 feet of 5/8-inch, 3-strand nylon with two back up Danforths with chain/nylon) and Libations has a nice anchor platform that helps keep the gear away from the hull. But I have no windlass and when anchored in more than 25 feet of water the chore of lifting the anchor, chain, and any accumulated mud or kelp back on board is significant. This is not a problem if one just considers retrieving the anchor on a quiet morning, but if one adds in a bit of breeze or considers anchoring when it takes a couple of tries to get the anchor to set properly this task takes on a new dimension.

I am not sure that I will run out an buy a windless any time soon, but it is something that I will consider as I continue to sail. An electric windless starts to add a cascade of other projects (more batteries, more charging capability, etc.) but a manual windless may serve quite well for most of my needs.

Computer and Weather Forecasts. I did not have a computer with me during this past year, so I cannot really comment on its usefulness as an onboard source of information. But I do know that while at Morro Bay waiting for weather to clear, I was jealous of other boats who were able to check in on NOAA forecasts via WIFI at any time. I was stuck to the VHF NOAA broadcasts and occasional visits to the library to gather weather data and while that was sufficient, I would have liked more information.

During my four separate attempts at a 400-mile offshore passage this past summer (see the Racing pages of this site) I learned to appreciate the utility of GRIB forecast models as an aid to passage planning and scheduling. Having that same capability while on board would be great...even if only limited to WIFI connections at marinas or local coffee shops.

When offshore and beyond VHF broadcast range, I found my SSB receiver a good substitute for gathering weather data. However, I did learn that a bit of preparation is required to get the most out of these forecasts. First is simply the issue of timing. The forecasts are not continually repeated as are the VHF NOAA forecasts, so one needs to plan carefully to be able to pick up the forecast at the appropriate broadcast times. Second is the job of carefully listening to the forecast and sorting the useful information from all the rest. The broadcasts reference geographic sectors using Lat/Lon data. This is all rather straight forward, but if unfamiliar with the format of the broadcast (where the Lat/Lon information comes very quickly) it is difficult to determine and keep track of the the geographic area that a particular forecast covers. For me this means that I'll be taking a copies of the broadcast map showing Lat/Lon information so that I can quickly determine the area covered by a particular forecast and its relation to my position. And I'll read a few of the broadcasts before a passage (or actually listen to them on the SSB) to help prepare for receiving and understanding the forecast while at sea.

Wind and Seas. I read somewhere that a patient sailor always has good weather. And after this summer, I believe it to be true. As noted in my Racing posts for this summer, I had my share of problems with boat motion caused by wind-induced, short-period swell. And my landfall after my 400-mile offshore passage was influenced by local weather conditions. The lesson here for me is to exercise patience when setting out and to have a "Plan B" in case of bad weather enroute. This lesson probably sounds obvious to anyone who has made any number of offshore passages, but for me it was hard-knocks lesson learned this past summer.

In all cases for me this past summer, Libations performed exceptionally in all of the heavier conditions that we encountered. During my second attempt offshore and before I had learned to manage my seasickness, Libations made very good progress (6 to 7 knots) in winds of 25 to 27 knots and seas in the 8 to 10 foot range. This was with a double-reefed main and my 95% jib furled to the end of its reef patches. In retrospect, I probably had Libations over canvassed for the conditions and would have been more comfortable and safer had I shortened sail further. A third reef in the main or my storm jib may have been the proper configuration for my chosen point of sail.

As an aside, the Offshore Racing Council calculated maximum storm jib area of 84 sq. ft. for the Pearson 323 is about the same size as my 95% jib furled to the end of its reef patches. For this reason, I would prefer a smaller storm jib than the ORC allowed maximum.

In another instance during my fourth and final attempt at my offshore passage I found myself reaching in building winds and seas. I think that the worst conditions that I saw were winds slightly above 30 knots true, and very short period seas at a height of about 8 ft. In this instance I gradually reduced sail until I was under triple-reefed main and a completely furled jib. Libations made steady progress at 6 to 7 knots with a relatively easy motion. I had heaved to earlier in these same conditions and found that boat motion was pretty extreme and the seas were nearly on the beam. I grew concerned as some of the waves were breaking and decided that we would be better off moving under sail. Luckily I had plenty of sea room and moving along at 6-7 knots did not pose a problem.

The best aspect of my heavier weather sailing this past summer was that it gave me some experience in conditions that were much heavier than I would normally choose. It seemed to confirm that Libations is a good sea boat in such conditions, and that I was able to set the boat up reasonably well to handle the winds and seas that I encountered. However, I did learn that slowing the boat down can be difficult and that earlier and perhaps better intervention on my part may be justified in the future. A sea drogue of some type may be a prudent addition to my heavy weather gear...or more patience and better planning on my part.

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December 2007 Storm
Cruising on Libations Too has been great fun, and the unique experience offered by traveling on the water is immediate and impressive: beautiful sunsets, close encounters with all sorts of marine life, meeting fellow cruisers, making a landfall after a few days away from shore, exploring new coastal anchorages and ports, and very real challenges of wind and sea.

A less immediate and more subtle affect of cruising has been my increased interest in weather forecasts. I tend to focus on marine weather, and the actual conditions associated with specific weather events. The result is that I have spent a fair amount of time surfing the web and looking for weather sites that are most useful to me. And when an unusual weather event comes along, I tend to follow it closely asking myself all sorts of hypothetical questions...What would I do in these conditions? When will the wind shift? How much of a delay between increased wind and the resultant increased seas? How will the swell period change? Where would be my closest port of refuge? How long would it take me to get there?

The latest of these little drills left me with one resounding opinion: I am sure glad I wasn't out in the middle of (or anywhere near) this storm! The storm in question was the one that visited the Pacific Northwest during the first week of December. The results were incredible, as a sampling of news indicates:

The following real time data images were pulled from NOAA National Data Buoy Center and NOAA QuikSCAT.

To satisfy my own curiosity, I took the raw data from the Port Orford NOAA Buoy and plotted the relationship between wind speed and significant wave height. It showed a lag of a bit less than 24 hrs as the wind was building, and much less as the wind was dropping.

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