It was getting close to 5pm as two small sailing boats luffed up into the easterly breeze which although moderating a bit, was still fresh and blustery. As the sails snapped and flogged, one person from each boat dropped over the side into knee-deep water and each grabbed hold of a boat by the bow.
In the bigger of the two vessels, Mike Rowe quickly released the main throat and peak halyards and the mainsail dropped neatly into its lazyjacks. Already the small jib was rolled up around the wire-reinforced luff which also served as the forestay, leaving the boat with a single sail standing on the mizzen mast which pierced the aft deck adjacent to the stern transom. This mizzen sail was undoubtedly a complication to the rig, but Mike knew it was superbly practical, and paid its way handsomely. Right now, the mizzen sail was sheeted in tightly, and was holding the little yawl securely head-to-wind.
Having come to a halt a short distance away, the 15-foot sailing dinghy which formed the second boat in the fleet, was also being stripped of sail by her young skipper, although he did not have to trouble with a mizzen. He conducted his sail lowering operation one-handed by leaning over the deck of the boat while keeping hold of her bow with his remaining hand.
Mike and his two sons were feeling the effects of a long day exposed to the elements. They had started early from a roadside camping area, arriving at the launching ramp mid-morning. As usual for people with busy lives, it had taken some time for them to sort their belongings and the ships stores, so that by the time both boats were afloat, loaded, and tow vehicles safely parked, the sun had passed its zenith. However, although the travelling and loading arrangements took a while, the operation of the two boats was efficient and neat. This was due to a combination of design, development, and experience. Not one of the three was a slave to fashion.
So, at the risk of boring some readers, but hopefully passing on some useful information to others, here are some details.
The larger of the two boats was a V-bottomed plywood yawl of 17-1/2ft length-on-deck, sporting a transom bow (i.e. a praam or scow hull - blunt at both ends), and a small cabin whose sides extended to the gunwales. She had a large cockpit with wide side seats and a small, watertight and self-draining foot-well. Down below the cuddy-cabin was unusually voluminous and airy for a boat of such modest overall dimensions (17ft 6ins by 6ft 10ins), due to the cabin sides extending to the gunwale, and most importantly, because of the transom bow. This made her usable space comparable with that of a conventional boat four or five feet longer.
In terms of volume, the shape of the boat was a really important factor, but what made her interior particularly open and uncluttered was the total absence of a centreboard and centreboard-case. Instead of a centreboard the small yawl carried a pair of leeboards slung externally on each side. Many people understand that leeboards are very effective and efficient as a means of providing lateral plane for getting to windward and for reaching, but it is less well understood that certain hull shapes are better suited to leeboards than others. This little cruisers hull was close to ideal for leeboard use, and in many ways was similar to that of the wide, shallow craft of the Netherlands and Germany where leeboards are so common.
The other boat was a light sailing dinghy of 15ft by 5ft, sporting a short, free-standing mast which supported a sprit rig of generous proportions and a smaller flying jib. The boat was set up specifically for cruising, with a useful galley box wedged under the main thwart, and substantial ground tackle (i.e. anchor, chain and rode) well located between the forward bulkhead and a purpose-built semi-bulkhead.
Large emergency buoyancy tanks were built-in under the fore and aft decks and also under the large stern sheets (rear seat). The emergency buoyancy, combined with the light-weight hollow wooden mast, meant that this boat was fully capable of self-rescue. So far on this boisterous trip, the young skipper had kept the jib stowed, and had a reef tied in the mainsail.
Having done a temporary stow of the sails and setting light anchors in the shallows, the three headed up the beach to stretch their legs and to have a snack at the tree line. That idea lasted about two minutes before the cloud of mosquitoes and midges sent then on a hasty retreat to the relative safety of the water. Piling into the larger boat, Mike and Geoff upped anchor and allowed the breeze to blow them back into deeper water. Mike then lowered the small outboard (a two horsepower air-cooled Honda four-stroke which weighed only 12.5kg) and motored to a spot where they could ride out the night regardless of the state of the tide, and the strength of the wind, as long as it stayed anywhere from a north-westerly around to a southerly. Mike felt confident they would have a safe night.
With the anchor set and the anchor rode safely wrapped with padding where it ran through the bow chocks, Mike and Geoff looked up to see Dave rowing towards them in the sailing dinghy. Knowing just how important it is to reduce windage when rowing, he had lowered the mast, which lay to one side in a bundle with the sail and sprit. Because the mast was free-standing, lowering had taken him no more than thirty seconds, and he was enjoying the sensation of rowing a boat which had been designed with the rowing thwart in the correct place and height. Dave had made the oars with his own hands, just as he had the boat and spars, so the whole operation was filled with pleasure and satisfaction.
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| Mike and Dave leathering home-made oars |
Leaning over the stern transom of the yawl, Geoff made the sailing dinghys painter fast to a cleat on one side of the aft deck, while Dave grabbed the gear required for a night aboard the mother ship. The two boys worked together to set a boom-tent under the bundle of sail and spars, all well supported by a topping lift and lazy-jacks. The boom tent was a very simple affair, being a four-sided piece of fabric with a series of ties sewn along the centreline. These were passed over the sail and spar bundle and tied off with reef knots. Once the outer edges had been laced onto the line of hooks under the gunwale moulding, there was a large tent over the cockpit seats, allowing all three to sit protected, and giving Dave his own bedroom as he slept on the cockpit seat for the night.
A key to the success of the boom tent was the fact that the forward end extended well past the aft end of the cabin. This meant that even during periods of rain, the cockpit remained fairly dry, while lots of air was able to come in to ventilate the living space. Mike really enjoyed the sensation of being under the boom tent, or inside the cabin, while rain drummed down at the end of a hot summer.
All three were ready for sleep, even though it was still only evening. An early start, salt-air, exercise, and sun had all combined to produce a feeling of healthy exhaustion. Mike was aware that food was important in this circumstance, and he also encouraged everybody to use fresh water and towelling to wipe encrusted salt from their faces. It is amazing what a morale-booster it is to get the salt off, even if it is just the face.
Food was simple to prepare. Mike sat on the end of one of the bunks in the cabin, and passed out some large cans of beef and vegetables. He was very careful to select high-quality canned food for these trips, and had discovered that many of the better companies were offering the option of low-fat and low-salt menus. Normally, he removed the paper labels and wrote the name of the contents directly on the can using a felt-tip pen. They all drank a good amount of water, and Mike also downed a couple of glasses of red wine in a contented fashion.
The plan was to meet up with a friend and Mikes third son prior to lunch the following day. They were following in a long, slim powerboat that Mike had designed for his friend, but they had been delayed by transportation issues. However, the speed of the powerboat meant that their trip from the boat ramp would only take an hour-and-a-half, so all would be well.
Meanwhile, our three adventurers were settling down for the night - Mike and Geoff comfortably arranged on their individual bunks below, and Dave, already asleep, on a sleeping mat on the port cockpit seat.
The occupants of the boat slept soundly, and elements of the design of the boat aided in the sleeping process. Firstly, the bunks in the cabin were a full 24 inches or 610mm wide for their entire length of 6ft 6ins or 1981mm. It is usually said that a bunk should be at least 22 inches wide, so for such a small boat, the bunks were exceptionally well proportioned. This was made possible because of the transom-bowed shape of the boat. Secondly, the boat design incorporated a large vent in the forward cabin bulkhead, and this vent was baffled so as to allow a full flow of air, but keeping rain and spray out. Mike was astonished at the large number of boats which had stuffy cabins because of poor ventilation.
Lastly, although the boat had a very shallow vee-shape amidships, the bottom panels twisted significantly to produce a vee of 32 degrees deadrise in the forward sections. This meant that the drumming of wavelets under the hull was reduced to a pleasant lapping sound, which seemed to help true sailors descend into a deep and healthy sleep.
Next day promised to be exciting, with a convoy of three boats and the likelihood of some serious exploration.
Morning sunlight was flickering and reflecting off the paint inside the cabin as Geoff woke the next day. He could see his father quietly reading as he lay on the bunk opposite, and it was only then that Geoff started to take notice of the stowage arrangements in the boat. The previous day had been too busy for him to be aware of such details.
Behind Mikes head as he lay on the bunk (i.e. forward in the boat) was a low bin formed by a semi-bulkhead at the head of the bunks, and the main cabin bulkhead 11ins (278mm) further forward. This bin was 7ins (176mm) deep and 4ft 10ins (1474mm) wide. The bottom was formed by the vee-shaped bottom of the boat. Geoff noted that it currently held things such as a hand-held GPS, a couple of rolled up charts, two PFDs and a dry-bag which he assumed contained things like his fathers car keys, wallet, and camera.
Moving his glance further forward, Geoff noted two cut-out openings in the lower part of the cabin bulkhead which lead into more stowage spaces. It turned out that big storage bin behind the openings was 9-1/2ins (246mm) high by 4ft 10ins (1474mm) wide, and 11ins (278mm) deep. Plenty of handy space for loose items that would be needed in the cabin.
Just then his old mans smiling turned towards him, and he knew it was time to start having some fun on the water!
Geoff clambered out of the cabin of the small boat and sat under the boom-tent in the roomy cockpit. On the cockpit seat opposite, his brother lay asleep in his bedding, squinting each time a small patch of sun passed across is closed eyes. Looking aft from under the boom-tent, Geoff could see that low tide was once again approaching, and a fringe of mud lay between the blue water and the green of the hillside. Being an impulsive sort of a person, Geoff was tempted to dive over the side for a morning swim, but the combination of an unknown water depth and the possibility of lurking crocodiles made him think better of it. Reaching over the transom, he swept a handful of salt water over his face and flicked the remainder at his sleeping brother.
Down below in the cabin, Mike Rowe was attending to far more important matters. His home-made galley box was open and a dual fuel stove was already beginning to boil water for his morning coffee. While the water was heating, Mike had been perusing the chart covering the days proposed trip. The idea was that Mikes third son, Steven, would join them that morning along with their family friend, Ian, both of whom should already be on their way to the anchorage aboard Ians powerboat. The convoy of boats would then head north-east and east for about 35 km (19 nautical miles) to their final camping destination. Because Ians boat would be so much faster than the two sailing vessels, Ian, with Steven and Geoff aboard, intended to detour about 10 km offshore to investigate a rocky island which he hoped to climb in the coming days.
For the next hour and a half, Mike attended to housekeeping jobs aboard the boat while Geoff and Dave explored the nearby coastline, having rowed ashore in Daves boat after a hasty breakfast. He left the boom tent erected so as to protect himself from the tropical sun which was already making itself felt despite the early hour. Just as the others returned to the boat and Mike placed himself against the main bulkhead to drink his second cup of coffee of the day, they all heard the sound of a distant outboard motor. It appeared that for one of the few times in his entire life, Ian was on time.
Mike dived below and quickly returned with a set of binoculars and rapidly trained them on the approaching boat. Although he had been out on the boat himself several times, this was the first opportunity he had had to observe her action in open waters. There was a moderate sea running in from the north-east and he was interested to see how the boat would handle a quartering wave pattern. Although she was fully 26 feet long, her 66" beam made her a much smaller boat than most people would have imagined. Mike had designed her at Ians request, and both men were very keen to gather information about her performance. The pair shared the opinion that the majority of planing powerboats are overpowered, overweight, and designed to operate at speeds which are rarely practical on open water. The boat which Mike had designed for Ian represented a strenuous attempt to produce a boat which was both economical to operate, and economical to build.
Three Brothers as the boat was known, had been proportioned to operate most effectively at a speed length ratio of 2.2, which in this case is a speed of 10.5 knots or 19.5 km/h. As part of the design process, Mike had produced the following performance estimates for Ian to think about: -
· Displacement 0.82 tonne including 288kg of passenger weight
· LWL 22.6 ft
· Power to achieve 10kts - 13.9hp
· Power to achieve optimum SL ratio 2.2 - 15.6hp
· Speed with 30hp (Crouch’s Planing Speed Formula) - 19.3kts
· Speed with 40hp (Crouch’s Planing Speed Formula) - 22.3kts
· Speed with 50hp (Crouch’s Planing Speed Formula) - 25kts
Ians boat was being powered by a 30 hp two-stroke Yamaha outboard with three cylinders in-line, for the simple reason that this was the engine he already had. It had originally been his plan to purchase a four-stroke motor of about the same power, but the current one was performing so well that he no longer saw the need to change. Although the boat could achieve the 19 knots predicted, Ian normally throttled back to cruise at about 12 knots, a speed at which both the engine and boat felt comfortable, with the lean and sharp hull cutting through waves without pounding.
After meeting up and swapping gear, crew members, and stories, the flotilla set off for their destination. The skippers of the two sailing craft were both avid sailors who enjoyed the technical side of the sailing and never became bored along the way. The remaining three in the powerboat were made of different stuff, and relished the thought of a run out to the off-shore island prior to heading into the camping spot for the night.
Now, there will be some among you who say that ten or twelve knots is not very fast, but let me tell you it is a lot faster than any sailing most of us will ever experience. Yes, I know that weve all had rides on catamarans or skiffs which have travelled fast on a particular point of sail, but taken over over a number of trips, not many people can truthfully claim an average of more than four knots. This takes into account calms, tacking, adverse tides and other things. There is no doubt that if you are on a schedule, a powerboat is what you need, and twelve knots (22km/hr) will get you over a lot of water in a day. The high-speed planing boats with huge, fuel-guzzling motors might get you there faster if the weather is kind, but will you be able to enjoy the scenery and ride? Not in my experience.
The path our powerboat crew took ended up being about 42km, so excluding exploration their journey time was 115minutes. On the other hand, Mike and Dave, would probably have averaged 3 knots given tacking and an adverse current, so their 35km would have taken 380 minutes or nearly six and a half hours! In fact, for about half of the distance they both ran their outboards and then sailed when the wind increased and the point-of-sail improved to give them an average speed of 5.5 knots - so 3.4 hours for the entire trip.
Both crews claimed to have enjoyed the day - the powerboat people having explored the island for a few hours and done some fishing, while the two sailors relaxed at their sport, enjoyed the challenges, and ended up getting to the destination first. Had the sailing boats not had auxiliary motors, matters would have been different.
Later that evening, Mike and Ian sat on the beach in comfortable directors chairs which had cost $26 each at a local hardware in Mikes town. In years gone by they would both have shunned such luxury, but nowadays they enjoyed the indulgence. The pair were drinking strong coffee laced with a liberal shot of brandy, and were feeling philosophical given the bottle of shiraz they had shared at dinner. The current subject was power-boating in a cruising context, and the data gathered from the last twenty-four hours was fresh in their minds.
"I used to think," said Mike, " That powerboats were nautical appliances - something used to get a particular job done in a certain time. But now Im not so certain. That boat of yours is quiet, smooth, economical, and relatively speedy - and there can be no doubting the fact that the ergonomics are better than my sailing boat and Daves." After thinking for a minute or so Mike continued, "But then again, there is a lot to be said for motor-sailing the way Dave and I did today. We avoided being bounced around in the left-over slop when the wind dropped out, but we were able to sail in a satisfying manner when it breezed up about eleven oclock. We had a good sail, while you had to put up with being a powerboat all day long."
My
Three Brothers design has been selected as one of the runners-up in the recent
Woodenboat Magazine/Professional Boatbuilder Magazine "Design Challenge II", and has been published in the latest issue of
Professional Boatbuilder Magazine.
I havent received my copy yet, but Im very keen to see the write-up, as I believe it gives brief details of about eight of the noteable entries. Given the design requirements of the competition, there should be some interesting boats.?
The final day was going to have big shoes to fill after an incredible reach and row day 2. The rowing group gathered at breakfast to scheme a separate rowing group to explore along MDIs north coast and down to Bar Harbor. We did just that with the generous support of the chase fleet whose member take very seriously there job to watch everyone, help us stay safe, and get us out of trouble when we need it. The sailing fleet (most of the boats) went to Bean Island just east of Hancock Point and the rowing group (5 boats) went south to Bar Island on an absolutely windless morning and a fast outgoing tide. After lunch on Bar, we had a rolicking return as the seabreeze turned on and was blowing a steady 15 kts. Drake shone again as we surfed down the white-capped, following sea. I had left the sailing rig ashore to be a pure rowboat today. The timing was perfect on the way back into Lamoine Harbor area: the entire sailing fleet was also returning. After a little racing in the rowboats, we coalesced into a parade of sails past the state park where onlookers marveled at the sight reminiscent of the age of sail when it was commonplace to see so many sails filling a waterfront view.
Learn more about the Small Reach Regatta
Finisterra took a berth in Marina Palmira on April 24th where I had planned to do some routine engine maintenance, the most important of which was to service the fuel injectors. Rob from Cross Marine did the injector work and gave the engine a complete inspection while I replaced filters, tightened belts and generally puttered around the engine. In the course of his inspection Rob discovered a slight leak in the raw water pump. Fortunately I had a rebuild kit in my spare parts cache and within a day or two that job was done.
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| La Paz with Marina Palmira in the foreground. Its a nice hike up a rocky trail from the marina to the top of the hill where these pictures were taken. |
La Paz is the only city on the gulf coast of Baja California. It boasts a population of around 250,000 including nearby suburbs. Mulege, Loreto, and Santa Rosalia are also located on the Sea of Cortez side of the Baja Peninsula, but I categorize them as towns or villages with populations of 4,000, 15,000 and 12,000 respectively.
Because of its location La Paz is the place where cruisers gather before heading up the Sea. Of course there is a fairly large contingent of cruisers who have become more or less permanent residents of this area, some of whom anchor out in the channel between the city and the El Mogote Peninsula, which lies between La Paz and the Sea. Hurricane Odile ravaged the Baja Peninsula last year, passing just to the west of the city and wreaking havoc ashore and among the boats in the anchorage. As we sailed down the channel on our approach to Marina Palmira, we could see evidence of Odiles fury in damaged buildings and torn up docks in the marina. Odile did almost one and a quarter billion dollars worth of damage in Mexico and took over a dozen lives.
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| The pilings in the upper left are all thats left of the docks at the entrance to Marina Palmira. Notice the boats in the storage yard. |
One day I helped deliver a boat out to the Tramper, a heavy lift ship that was anchored in the bay. The Tramper was on a voyage delivering yachts from one place to another. After its stop in La Paz, it was headed to Ensenada, then British Columbia.
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| As far as I know, the Tramper picked up three boats in La Paz |
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| This 40 racer/cruiser was picked up before our boat. |
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| The boat comes alongside the ship, a couple of handlers descend the jacobs ladder and the slings are lowered aft of the boat. Then a pair of divers, which you can see holding the slings in this shot, align them under the boat, making sure they arent touching the shaft, prop or rudder. |
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Before the boat is hoisted aboard the ship, they do a test lift to make sure it hangs in the slings the way they want it. If all is good, the boss gives the order to load the boat.
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| Our little boat was up next. It has spent many years cruising in Mexico and is headed home to Canada for a rest and refit. It got shoe-horned between the dark hulled C&C and the white boat with the black stripe. |
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| With the job done, we climbed aboard a panga and headed back to shore. |
La Paz is usually a hot place this time of year, with average daytime temperatures of 92 degrees under a usually blazing sun. But over the last couple of weeks weve enjoyed temps in the low eighties with cool Coromuel winds blowing almost every night. Its made hiking and exploring the city quite bearable and weve enjoyed the place more than ever. Of course, friends are what really make a place enjoyable and weve spent a good deal of time socializing with great people.
With Finisterra well provisioned, fueled and ready to go, were heading out tomorrow for the islands to the north of us. The rough plan is to spend a day or two in Puerto Balandra, then a few days in the coves of Islas Espiritu Santo and Partida before heading further north to Isla San Francisco and beyond.
Finisterra arrived in La Cruz on November 30th and we immediately entered a whirlwind of socializing with lots of friends, old and new. Some had recently arrived from the US and Canada while others spent the year more or less full time in Mexico, but everyone was pretty much in a partying mood and we enthusiastically went with the flow. Two days after we arrived here I was surprised to find that Caramba, a boat I had designed way back in 1977 was a few slips down from Finisterra. The owners, Terry and Jo Reish had sailed down from California last year and spent the summer in the Sea of Cortez. It is really nice to know they are enjoying the boat.
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| During her stay in the Sea of Cortez, Caramba acquired a full sunshade as well as an air conditioner. |
While in the slip at the Marina Riviera Nayarit, I went aloft and scrubbed all the grime leftover from our stay in Los Angeles off of the mast, spreaders and rigging. After that, Finisterras hull and deck were polished and waxed, the engine serviced and bottom cleaned. We also got out the sandpaper and varnish and are in the midst of adding three more coats of varnish to the teak cap rails.
Off Cabo San Lucas the autopilot linear drive started making strange noises. I think it was trying to tell me that its getting ready to die. It lasted until we arrived in La Cruz, and is still working now, but the grinding sound it was making is still there. I ordered a replacement drive from Defender Industries in the US, which assured me that they ship to "Yachts in Transit" in Mexico all the time. A "Yacht in Transit" is a foreign yacht that is traveling through Mexican waters with a Temporary Import Permit. Unfortunately the package got stuck in customs at Guadalajara. The paperwork from Defender was incorrect and incomplete and the Mexican authorities wouldnt release it. So it was eventually returned to Defender and I ordered the drive through a local distributor in Puerto Vallarta. It was a hassle getting the situation sorted out but eventually Defender did reimburse me for the parts I didnt receive from them. The lesson here is that its important to have your parts shipped from the US through a customs broker and not to rely on American suppliers that say they ship to yachts in transit in Mexico.
This will be our second Christmas season in La Cruz and the town really gets into the Christmas spirit. Last night we were walking up to a restaurant in town when we came upon a large group of locals who were watching a reenactment of the night Joseph and Mary showed up in Bethlehem looking for a place to stay. The kids did a beautiful job but I didnt have a camera with me so youll have to take my word for it.
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| Finisterra dressed for Christmas |
A few days ago we drove through Puerto Vallarta toward Mismaloya and stopped at the zoo. It was a nice zoo as zoos go, but some of the animals, particularly the big cats, looked fairly miserable in their rather cramped quarters. Im coming close to making the decision to boycott zoos in the future.
We plan to sit tight here in the La Cruz Vortex another couple of weeks, until some parts I ordered from the States arrive. There are few places in the world Id rather be stuck in. Until then, Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano Nuevo!
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