Swallow Yachts Association

Since Wednesday, ten new spammers have joined our ranks, including several with Russian-language websites and others touting dubious medicines without prescription.  One AnqrnettezeX, who claims to be based in The Gambia, seems to be a fairly prolific spammer and even now is currently online trying to post something on the General Discussion board.  Give up son, you're wasting your time, as your account and all your attempted posts will be obliterated shortly.

Tim Riley, erstwhile owner of BR20 'Ristie', has just completed the NW passage in his aluminium Boréal 47 sailing boat 'Lumina'.  See https://www.yachtlumina.co.uk/north-west-passage for his blog of the passage.  He has just crossed the Arctic Circle heading south.  His current position is north of the Aleutian Islands off the west cost of Alaska - see https://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/SV-Lumina/.

Some pimply youth of a hacker appears to have breached the forum's security and invalidated my user name, which is why my posts as Graham W currently show me as a guest.  I have a fairly good idea who it was and think he (it's usually a he) objected to me constantly removing his spam posts and de-registering his account every time he popped up.  I can't do anything about it at the moment as I am temporarily unable to moderate, so will post here as Mk II until it can be sorted out.

I taped off the window to find where the water was leaking in. I found that the window actually sits on top of the Sikaflex though presumably when wet it was pushed in hence the lovely edge. So the water seems to leak in where the window joins the Sikaflex not where the Sikaflex joins the boat.

This is all theory. So I have now put on 4 applications of creeping crack and they seem to disappear into the very small cracks in the join. It is amazing to watch. But will it work.

I am ( for the first time when it comes to sailing) praying for rain! Then see if it has worked.

I don't  know what's  in it, but it seems to result in reasonably  priced (temporary?) Fixes...


"Capt. Tolley's Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure
About this product
This penetrating water based, co-polymer sealant is formulated to be so thin that it finds its way INSIDE fine cracks by capillary action, and sets to a clear flexible seal. Compatible with wood, rubber, glass, metals, perspex, glass fibre, ceramics, concrete, brickwork and old sealants. Will not disolve polystyrene. Uses about the house Leaks in flat roofs and conservatories; cracks in slates; brickwork & concrete."

https://captaintolley.com/

Quote from: globetrot on 17 Sep 2024, 23:05... As for your description of the ACB system, I am trying to imagine what you mean about the pivoting line placement for re-righting. Is this assuming another boat helps to right the boat after it completely turtles?

With "pivoting line" I mean the set of longitudinal axes around which the hull must be rotated during re-righting. In the original design of the BR (no USA rig and no sealed storage lockers) and in ideal circumstances, no help from another boat was required to re-right the BR.


Lookup the various "BayRaider Capsize" videoclips on Youtube.

C.

Quote from: Llafurio on 17 Sep 2024, 15:24BTW,
it wasn't just the flooded mast.

You capsized to starboard, and apparently the water was not deep enough (7.5 mtrs. min) to invert fully, so it looks as if your the mast top was stuck on the seabed.

@Llafurio Thank you for this and the other insights. The area we were in was not tremendously deep, but I found it hard to believe (though not impossible) that the mast was stuck in the seabed. I suppose I may be able to see some evidence of wear on the masthead when I de-rig for the winter.

As for your description of the ACB system, I am trying to imagine what you mean about the pivoting line placement for re-righting. Is this assuming another boat helps to right the boat after it completely turtles?

@Graham W thank you for all of your questions. My goal here is to help inform others and your questions will help with this.

Q: What was the approximate wind strength, and were you reefed at all?
A: When we departed the marina, the wind was steady at 3-4 m/s. It was expected that the further offshore we sailed the wind could gust up to about 5-6 m/s. We were not reefed at all.

Q: How cold was the sea when you were decanted into it? What were you and your crew wearing? Do you think the temperature slowed you down physically or mentally in any way?
A: The sea temperature was approximately 17C, and the air temperature was around 25C. We were all dressed very lightly, though we brought jackets just in case. I spent the most time in the water and had a pair of sailing shorts and a long-sleeve sun-blocking shirt. I lost my shoes during the incident, so I was barefoot through the ordeal. Two out of three of us regularly bathe in the sea regardless of the time of year, so we have some experience with cold water. The third crew didn't seem too bothered. Luckily, the civilian vessel that offered assistance got my friends out of the water relatively quickly and gave them blankets to warm up. I probably spent at least 35 min in the water and did not feel the need for a safety blanket. But I was also working pretty hard to try and solve the issue. I don't think the water temperature ever affected my decision-making ability. It's lucky that the incident happened last week because sea and air temperatures have already begun to plummet. The sea temperature now is about 15C.

Q: How easy did you find it to clamber back on the upturned hull? Did you come in over the stern?
A: I didn't find this too hard to do, though a good amount of upper body strength was needed. From the water, I pulled myself up onto the keel with my arms and put one foot on the skeg to help me onto the keel.

Q: What sort of buoyancy aids were you wearing and did they get in the way at all?
A: We had 50N lifejackets onboard, ready at hand. We were not wearing lifejackets, but they were easily available. It was the first thing we did as soon as we were in the water. I can highly recommend not stowing life jackets in the lockers but keeping them on deck if you're not going to wear them.

Q: When you eventually righted the boat, was it listing to port, and was the port locker flooded?
A: The port side of the boat was out of the water while she was on her side, so for most of the ordeal, the port locker was dry. However, once I returned to the boat after it was righted, both lockers were flooded (and still locked closed). I imagine the port locker flooded due to water in the cockpit entering through the fuel hose vent hole.

Q: Did the centreboard stay securely in the down position during the whole episode?  In the photos, it looks like it's not fully down.
A: Yes, I also noticed that it did not seem to extend as far forward as I would have liked, but it did remain in place. I became very aware of this when climbing onto the keel because I noticed it would move a bit, so I was very vigilant while climbing around.

Q: Where do you keep your VHF/DSC radio?  You obviously had it reasonably to hand when you activated the distress button.
A: Lacking an obvious place to put the radio that would not interfere with my movement around the boat, I began to clip it on the line used to secure the mast while trailering at the base of the mizzen mast. This has turned out to be a very convenient place to put the radio because it is next to the tiller position, out of the way, and easy to reach from either side of the boat. When we took the swim, the radio unclipped itself from the line and fell into the water next to where we were swimming.
Quite lucky. I will continue to keep the radio in this position since it is too bulky to carry on my person. Instead of a radio, I'll likely attach a PLB to my life jacket. Another backup in my Apple watch that I could use to send a distress signal.


You have several other great suggestions. Rest assured, I have enough projects to keep me busy this winter.

Thanks all for the advice.  Based on added advice from local members of the Dinghy Cruising Association I'm headed for Arradon. The Captainerie says that at this time of year we can park at the school for a week but we will explore other options to see if we can extend that.
We might stop off at the yard in Baden on the way to see if they can accommodate the car and trailer for longer if we pay to use their slipway. I got no answer to an email, whereas Arradon was very responsive.
On the ferry right now, and the weather is looking good!

BTW,
it wasn't just the flooded mast.

You capsized to starboard, and apparently the water was not deep enough (7.5 mtrs. min) to invert fully, so it looks as if your the mast top was stuck on the seabed.

So then the Asymmetric Capsize Buoyancy (ACB) tank could not help, as that is on portside of the boat only.

The ACB System requires the boat to be fully turtled -and both side storage lockers to be floodable- so the ACB system can diminish remaining buoyancy on the port side of the boat so the boat can be rolled back over its port side. Back in the design phase in 2005 we learned that boats this big and beamy as the BRs must be rolled back "through" the water rather than be levered in large parts out and above the water. The trick is that the pivoting line for the re-righting must be fairly deep under water, not too near up the surface. It feels uninspired, to intentionally lower the turtled boat in the water, but that is exactly what makes it work.

IF the mast is not flooded also. There, I mistrust the tapered USA mast over the original cylindrical Gunter mast, with which all original BR re-righting test were done.

You were two to three times unlucky in your accident.

C.