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The Sailboat Cruiser
The Sailboat Cruiser is the free monthly (OK, monthly-ish) newsletter of sailboat-cruising.com and sets out to bring you the news, views and general musings of the writer - Dick McClary, a sailboat cruiser and creator/owner of sailboat-cruising.com.
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The Sailboat Cruiser #73
July 2022
What's in This Issue:
I've previously described the issue of 'The Sailboat Cruiser' as being monthly-ish, but even that now seems somewhat optimistic as it's several months since issue #72 landed in your inbox.
This prompted several of you to enquire whether I had been called upstairs or locked up - well, I'm pleased to report that I'm neither dead or incarcerated, but I'm touched by your concerns.
There are several reasons for my apparent indolence, not the least of which was Mary's requirement for a new hip.
I've checked the marriage contract and it does clearly include the words in sickness and in health - a tacit reminder that you must always read the small print - so I clearly have a contractual obligation to look after her and attend to all those myriad household tasks which seemed to get done as if by magic when she was in full working order.
I'm now fully acquainted with the operation of cookers, microwaves, washing machines, tumble driers,
vacuum cleaners and other appliances that I previously went to some lengths to avoid.
I am however encouraged by the fact that I'm getting a new woman, albeit in instalments.
But I'm sure we'll both be back aboard 'Alacazam' in December and continue drifting around the islands of the Eastern Caribbean. In the meantime, I'd better get on with this newsletter...
Over the years that Mary and I have been sailing 'Alacazam' around the Caribbean we've taken many pics of other cruising boats. It occurred to me that I could put the best of these to good use on Sailboat-Cruising.com in the form of a sailboat directory, with the general specification and sailing characteristics of each one.
A daunting task and a little nerdy perhaps, but so far I've amassed around 300 of them, which
you can find here...
I hope you find it an interesting source of information, especially if you're researching a particular boat, although Murphy's Law dictates that the one you're looking for won't be on the list.
Just before the pandemic put a temporary hold on our boating activities, Jim Peever, owner of the Canadian company Boat Gadgets (of EasyMoor fame) sent me a selection of his 'Winch Widgets' to try out. It was only during our 21/22 cruise that we had the opportunity to do so.
These devices enable you to get good use out of your winches when they're not otherwise engaged.
Essentially, a base unit locks into the winch socket, providing a mount for a number of 'widgets' including:
- a solar light;
- a smartphone holder;
- a camera holder;
- a mug holder;
- a mini-tabletop;
I wasn't expecting much from the Solar Light as, with all of the cockpit winches shaded by the bimini, I didn't think it would get enough sunlight to charge its battery. But I was wrong - it did.
It turned itself on at dusk, which is at around 1830hrs in the Caribbean and remained on until just before dawn. It made it easy to
pick out our boat from all the other anchored boats when returning in darkness from a run ashore, and provided enough light to avoid all the stuff that conspired to trip us up when clambering aboard.
The Smartphone Holder widget I didn't make much use of, but I can see if you wanted a steady platform from which to take a video it might be handy.
But for that purpose I'd rather use the Camera Holder widget with my Go-Pro, which was a great combination as the GoPro can be operated independently from an app on my Smartphone.
My boat has a tiller which means that it doesn't benefit from the secure locations for mugs and cans that are usually provided by the binnacle of wheel-steered boats. Consequently the Mug Holder widget was useful. Incidentally, you may at this point want to take a look at the perennial
tiller versus wheel argument...
For similar reasons, the Table Top with its non-slip rubber surface was useful at anchor.
You can see all of the Winch Widgets on the Boat Gadget site at
www.boat-gadgets.com/WinchWidget.html
All in all, these devices are well-engineered and thought-out. The ones I found particularly useful were the Solar Light and the Go-Pro widgets.
WARNING - Those of you of a delicate disposition should look away now!
The motion of a sailboat at sea means, that if you get involved with fish hooks, sooner or later you'll impale yourself on one of them.
There are two ways, short of surgery, to get them out - neither of which bring joy to your soul:
First, clean around the point of entry with antiseptic ointment. If the hook has gone in in such a way that the point is close to the skin, you should consider the ‘push and cut’ method:
- Push the hook through so that the point and the barb exit the skin, then
- Cut off the point below the barb with a pair of pliers, then
- Withdraw the hook in the direction from whence it came.
A disadvantage of the ‘Push and Cut’ method is that it’s quite painful and creates a further wound. A less painful alternative, and the one to use where the hook point has not gone in so far, is the ‘snatch method’:
- Loop a length of line of not less than 20lb breaking strain around the bend of the hook, then
- Get a firm grip on the line, by wrapping it around your hand, then
- With your other hand, press the eye of the hook down towards the surface of the skin and back toward the hook's bend, as if trying to back the hook out along the path of entry. This will disengage the barb from the flesh, and align the embedded part for removal.
- While pressing on the hook eye, give the line a short, sharp pull parallel to the skin and in line with the hook, to snap the hook back out of the wound.
Always wear some form of eye protection - spectacles or sunglasses at least - when using the snatch method. And whichever method you use, always
wash the wound thoroughly, then apply antiseptic ointment and a simple dressing.
Finally, Check that your tetanus shots are up to date, and if not, attend to it at the earliest opportunity.
Note - This is an extract from my eBook
Secrets of Sailboat Fishing...
In his latest article, our favourite guest writer, Neurologist Michael Martin Cohen M.D. explains what we 'mature' cruising types should be doing for our neck and back if we want to stay at the helm into old age.
Now as someone who is considerably past the first flush of youth but who intends to keep sailing until he drops, I read his article with a great deal of interest.
It seems that I've got some work to do. Thanks Doc!
The Senior Sailor Situation, by Michael Martin Cohen M.D.
But here's a tip - If you're thinking of looking at a secondhand sailboat, or just want to be aware of what to look for - and when to walk away no matter what - then you really ought to take a look at
The Boat Buyer's Bundle...
No-one was able to identify last month's mystery boat, so we'll abandon that one.
But let's see how you all get on with this one...
Does anyone recognise the make/model of 'Jan Plezier'?
If so, please let me know
by clicking here...
And remember, the first person to convince me of the correct identification of the boat, gets a free eBook of their choice!
We provide a free platform for owners (but not brokers) to advertise their sailboats for sale on our website. These are the latest submissions:
The full list of monohulls and multihulls currently for sale can be seen at
cruising-sailboats-for-sale.
It's always worth taking a look at what visitors to sailboat-cruising.com are getting rid of. Remember that one man's junk is another man's gold!
Among other items this month, we have:
- CapHorn WindVane Self-Steering Gear;
Lewmar VX3 Motor & Gearbox Assembly;
- 406MHz GPS EPIRB;
- Pearson 30 Parts;
- Coastal Commander 6-man Liferaft;
- 2-Blade Bronze Propellor;
- 50' Aluminum Mast;
- Rainman Watermaker;
- Jabsco Toilet with Locking Handle;
- Flyspray Seawater Hand Pumps;
- Doyle Main, Stack Pack and Harken Stainless Battcar System;
- S/S Davits & Boarding Ladder;
- Lewmar Winches;
- 40-gallon Diesel Fuel Tank;
- Diesel Engine, Universal 25M, 21HP;
- Anchor Rode;
- Lewmar 48 Self-Tailing Winch;
Take a look at these and all the other stuff at
used cruising gear for sale...
And finally...
If you know anyone who might be interested in the contents of this newsletter, please forward it to them. It's not secret!
And this newsletter can be a two-way thing. If you've read anything you'd like to comment on, or perhaps there's an event you'd like to see announced in a future newsletter, then please let me know.
See you next month!
Dick McClary
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