Less is More

John Passmore, Old Man Sailing

This book is a good summary of a common experience: the bow sail furler that breaks down, "Headsail furling gears are renowned as a mixed blessing. There are sailors who refuse to carry them at all", the engine that won't start, the desire to not depend on anyone, and the desire not to make a fool of oneself, which is ultimately what lies behind the idea of safety

 

ISO Working Group HZXY
Assessment of Seaworthiness

- gentlemen
- "It is extremely difficult to find rigorous criteria for the safety of offshore yachts"
- yeah
- gentlemen, "The Size ... The Size of the yacht is the single most important parameter when assesing safety at sea"

- Yeah, Yeah, 10,000 Tons better than 100 Tons

 

Assessment of Seaworthiness
1-10 Tons Yacht

A) Structural integrity: Hull, Keel, Mast, Rudder

B) Passive safety

B1) Impact against an object: resistance to sinking

B2) Impact of a wild wave: capsizing and righting

C) Active safety: triathlon

C1) Beating: avoiding a leeward shore
C2) Hold still, "hove-to", bow to the waves
C3) Surfing

D) Others

Avoid falling overboard, avoid collisions with ships: lights and AIS

 

It's been raining a ton just now on my old Mini Transat

A SLK ... a Sporty (20-40 sqm per ton) Light (< 150 D/L) and small (Kurz) (6-9 m LWL, 1-3 tons) sailboat ...

it just needs a more civilized interior, a much more comfortable and much safer cockpit, and much safer sail handling for an old man sailing

 

Surely those boots should be yellow?

People get caught out in Scilly mostly due to tidal range. Even the local tripper taxi boat got holed going over a well known rock, with not enough water.

 

It has stopped raining and I went out to the cockpit to take this photograph

I would love to go to the Isles of Scilly, but there's a lot of traffic to deal with. The English Channel really impresses me.

 

My worse ever experience with lane crossing was in NW Spain. I have since bought a second hand AIS, so at least with aging eyesight, the closest point can be seen several miles out. They move a lot faster than they used to.

 

Gunkholing

Gunkholing - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunkholing

I just found out this morning that I'm a "gunkholer"

And I want to be able to travel between gunkholing areas 500 miles away, downwind and upwind.

 

"My worse ever experience with lane crossing was in NW Spain"

Yes

And on top of that, the small fishing boats; on the coast of Portugal i had a close call that fortunately only took the cables and the stainless steel on the port side

---

My impression is that the safest time is the early night, the lights are very visible and the guards aren't tired, and the most dangerous time is in the morning with daylight and everyone sleepy

 

The three things I enjoy most are:

1) Watching my sailboat anchored while sitting in a bar with a cold beer

2) Gliding on the waves, surfing

3) The ability to sail close-hauled in a fresh breeze

On large yachts, all three tend to be mediocre, while on small boats they are, or can be, the opposite: three out of three, a perfect three.

 

JPK 10.50 "Leon"
Fasnet winner 2025

And good sport yachts are astronomically expensive, and besides, I don't feel comfortable on such a yacht

 

Bay of Cádiz

I think at high tide I could leave my 1-ton windsurf board close by and have some sardines and a beer.

 

That "Leon" looks like it will "slap" at both ends while at anchor in any kind of slop. I even moved once when a French Benny anchored so close and kept me awake with its transom slap. Still, boats are for sailing, not sitting at anchor.

And.....I will take a glass of red with my sardines.. See you in Alvor!

 

6 €

---

Pete Goss ... new Yacht

Inox = 0

Pete Goss: a new mini-exploration yacht that’s a bit different - Yachting World https://www.yachtingworld.com/cruising/pete-goss-a-new-mini-exploration-yacht-thats-a-bit-different-143376

 

Why the yachting world repeatedly veers towards absurdity

Varnished wood on the exterior

Soft-touch mooring lines, very expensive and absurd

Stainless steel turnbuckles

1) They get stuck and there's no way to make them turn
2) They corrode from the inside right where you can't see it, and
3) They fracture violently, while cheap steel stretches like a climbing rope

Three out of three, a complete disaster, a spherical disaster, no matter how you look at it

Why the yachting world repeatedly veers towards absurdity