Archive for 2009

Half Way Party!

We are half way to Spitzbergen. The wind has gone light and clocked to the ENE. Swells still on the nose with light wind waves crossing. Motion is barely perceptible. The GFS weather model is performing well and the lighter winds projected to our west have been realized. Wind speeds are a little underforecast, by three to five knots, but this is the norm for GFS. We are back on course for a waypoint 20 miles west of Hornesound.
Water temperature is hovering around 48F (10C) which is amazing considering we are at 73.15 north latitude!
Have backed off the RPMs a hair and are powering at 10.8 knots with half a knot of favorable current.
For a half way party we have had a lovely salad, eggplant parmigiana, chocolate chip cookies and ice cream. Have to build our supply of body fat for the frozen north.


Posted by Steve Dashew  (July 2, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Getting our sea legs en route to Svalbard

We are getting our sea legs back after two months of mostly protected water cruising. Winds are as predicted at 15 knots from the north, on the nose of course. There is a slightly favorable current which steepens the waves. Have backed off the speed to 10 knots as we are carrying an extra 4 tons of fresh water (1000 gallons) because we expect the cold and salty ocean of Svalbard to reduce watermaker output and we have grown accustomed to nightly baths and hot showers.
Chocolate chip cookies are holding out and we are enjoying some extra sleep with a two hour on four off routine, one of the benefits of having our friend Joe Kutschka aboard.

—–
7/2/2009 6:46 AM (UTC) position 71°26.82’N 018°41.62’E spd 10.1 hdg 346T


Posted by Steve Dashew  (July 2, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Weather and Ice Tactics Towards Svalbard

We have an interesting tactical situation between the forecast change in the wind pattern and what is likely to happen with the sea ice clustered around the southeast of Spitzsbergen.
The wind is presently from due north. It is forecast to go light to the west in the next twelve to eighteen hours, but strengthen to the east and clock to the northeast. On a sailboat you always want so head into the header, and then tack on the shift. In this case it means adjusting course to the ENE until the wind switches (if it does) and then changing tack to head right at the south end of the island.
The ice poses a problem with this tactic. The prolonged period of north winds will shift some of the ice south, and the current may carry it around the bottom of Spitzsbergen and up the west coast towards the north. It could block Hornesound, or at least make it necessary to give the bottom of the island a wide berth.
With Wind Horse we are taking a different approach. We are sagging to the west 20 degrees to head towards the projected area of lighter winds. This is more comfortable and efficient, if the wind does lighten. This course also keeps us more clear of any of the sea ice which has drifted south. We will approach the coast from the west, and if we run into ice, be able to skirt the edge and head further north to (hopefully) clear water.
At present we have 14 to 20 knots of breeze and five to eight foot (1.5 to 2.4m) waves. Not ideal, but it is what we are designed to deal with


Posted by Steve Dashew  (July 2, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Back at sea and heading north

Wind Horse is on her way north and we are excited to be at sea again. Weather news is good and bad. Northerly ten to 20 is the forecast, so on the nose. But north winds are cold, which means less fog mixed with ice which is good.
—–
7/1/2009 10:13 PM (UTC) position 70°06.55’N 019°37.05’E spd 10.2 hdg 347T


Posted by Steve Dashew  (July 2, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

FPB 64 Update 13

FPB-64-6-30-09-100

We love looking at the progress photos, especially the engine room (which is really hard to photograph). It is getting closed to being wrapped up and there is less confusion and more order now. This shot is taken from the engine room door, looking aft towards the port corner.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (July 1, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Tromso, Norway – Wrapping Up

Tromso-Friends-101

Ice and geography herd cruising yachts headed to Svalbard into Tromso this time of year. It is always interesting to meet the folks headed for adventure and exchange visits. Allain, the owner of the yacht above, was our dock mate for a few days. He has covered the same territory in Greenland, Labrador, and Newfoundland as we have.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 30, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

FPB 64 Furniture – Final Finish Coming Together

FPB-64-June-29-09-112

Furniture for the first of the FPB 64s is now being completed and we thought you might like to see the level of finish quality. New Zealand is known for its wood workers, “Chippies” as they are called, and you can see why (although it is tough to really get a feel for finish without viewing it in person).

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 29, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Svalbard Ice and Weather

Svalbard-Weather-101

The Tromso waterfront is a hive of yachting activity, with fifteen or so yachts making preparations to depart for Svalbard. On Wind Horse we’ve been busy with provisioning, working with the arms race, and a few last minute systems checks. With departure day drawing near we hiked up to the Norwegian Met Service office to get a feel for ice and weather conditions in the near future, and to learn more about how the Met Service professionals do their jobs.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 29, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Polar Bears and Cruising in Svalbard

 

Svalbard polar bear

 

One of the risk (and reward) factors of cruising in Svalbard is the presence of polar bears – 1500 of them – in the area. They are at the top of the food chain, and have no fear of humans, not even groups of humans. They are far more dangerous than Alaskan grizzlies.

Everyone we have met who is Svalbard savvy has stressed the need to be careful, even to the point of checking the deck before opening the main door.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 27, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

FPB 64 Update #12

fridge-compressor-2

Most motor yachts these days use household fridges and freezers. This has substantial cost advantages, but brings with it enormous power consumption. We have stayed with our highly efficient specially insulated box design, and these 24 volt DC Danfoss compressors connected to evaporator plates. There are three independent systems, each capable of being used as fridge or freezer. The combination of this hardware and our box design has proven to be the most efficient system we have ever used.

The compressors are cooled in the same fresh water tank that is used for the air conditioning system (discussed in the previous post). This is accomplished with a passive “keel coolers” mounted through the top of this cooling tank. We first tested this approach on Beowulf 14 years ago and it works so well that the compressors receive sufficient cooling even when the boat is hauled out for storage.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 26, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Arctic Flowers and Aviation

Tromso-Norway-361

Torejorn is a commuter plane pilot. He flies twin engine turboprops for the local airlines. Flights are short, often just eight minutes. The 38 passenger -8 Bombardier he flies is STOL equipped, and often lands on 800 meter (1/2 mile) strips with terrain “issues”. This is not a boring job folks.

Torejorn came by to have a look at Wind Horse and we were happy to trade his questions about cruising with our queries about flying in Norway.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 25, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Jack London Lied – New Friends in Tromso

NorwegianSled-Dog-23-2

Being tied to a dock is a trade-off. It is uncomfortable being in the public eye, but that is compensated by making it easier to meet locals. They are interested in you and your boat, and it provides chance to learn about your host country, and make some good friends. Occasionally unsettling facts come to light.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 24, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Tromso, Norway – A New Neighbor

Tromso-Norway-363

We’ve moved Wind Horse a short distance across the harbor to where we are not so much on display. This makes our outboard topside eligible for rafters, which we usually enjoy. Especially when it is a 1927 vintage converted Norwegian fishing boat.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 24, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Tromso, Norway

Tromso-Norway-82

We’re ensconced in Tromso, known in Norway as the “Paris of the North”. We’re not sure about the comparison, but this could be our favorite Norwegian city

Tromso is very much a college town, with a large teaching hospital, a variety of restaurants, and numerous interesting museums.

Being located at almost 70 degrees latitude it is also, appropriately, a center for polar research.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 23, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Wharram style “soft wing sail” viability on a monohull

Hi Steve,

I am designing a rig for a 42′ cruiser (monohull). Due to the nature of the hull I need a lot of sail area and a low center of effort. James Wharram, about 20 years ago, developed what he calls a “soft wing sail”. It is a gaff rig with the leading 1/4 of the sail made up as a sock which slides over the mast, in place of hoops, lacing, etc.
It’s obviously efficient aerodynamically.

My concern is that friction between the sail and mast could cause problems with reefing/dropping the sail. Wharram has been using the design now for decades and says that there is no problem, that it can be dropped on any point of sail. He has lots of boats sailing with this rig.

It seems to me that if this works on a cat it should work on a mono as well. I’ve crunched the numbers on rigging loads and mast compression and these can be made to work.

I’d greatly appreciate your thoughts any any experience you have to share on how this rig might work on a mono.

Regards, Paul

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 23, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Marine Air Conditioning Notes

air-con-cooling-9101

Our yachts are designed to not require air conditioning at anchor. With just a few knots of breeze, the combination of hatches, vents, and awnings promotes good air flow. But at sea with water flying, if the wind quits, the bugs are hungry, or tied to a dock, a good air conditioning system is a blessing.

Over the years we have installed all sorts of systems. Everything from massive water chillers with auxiliary boilers for heating, to single compressor pallet gear. And we have learned a few “secrets”, which will be employed on the FPB 64s.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 21, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Tindsoya Island – Facing the Norwegian Atlantic

Skipness-Linden-Norway-111

Enough of these protected waters already. Lets stick our nose out into the North Atlantic and see what the west coast of the Vestralen Islands are like. After more than a month of calm seas, it feels really good to have Wind Horse moving a little under our feet. And as you will see, this little visited area does not disappoint.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 19, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Beauty On A Cloudy Day

Clouds-Vestralen-Is-Norway-140

Even cloudy and wet days have something to catch the eye. The following photos were taken a few days ago, on an otherwise unremarkable day. Low clouds, drizzle, and rain. We were shooting with the camera enclosed in a rain hood.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 18, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Maintaining That New Boat Smell

Insulation-Isolation-Transformer

We were reviewing the weekly batch of photos from New Zealand today when we were interrupted by some cruisers wanting to chat. We traded sea stories for a while, discussed where they and we were headed, and generally got to know each other in the time honored cruising fashion.

They were astounded when we told them that we’d just turned the clock on 4000 hours of engine time. “But your boat smells so new” was their reply.

We hear the smell (or lack thereof) comment a lot.

We are so used to having a fresh smelling boat – we learned the secret years ago – that we have forgotten how nice it is.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 17, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Wave Piercing Design In Action

MBY-Sea-Trial-Wind-Horse-2

We’ve received a lot of comment on the Motor Boating and Yachting story about their sea trial aboard Wind Horse. They have been kind enough to allow us to share these photos from their story and a few others. To see their story click here.

To begin with, as they describe in their text, this was a blustery day off the Needles in the Solent of the U.K. There was a four to six foot (1.2 to 1.85m) close spaced chop running, and Wind Horse was knifing through these waves with her usual ease. Not very interesting photos with hardly any spray.

In order to make things more interesting the photo boat, with its three foot (90cm) wake, cut back and forth in front of us,adding its wake on top of the wind waves.

What you see here is Wind Horse doing exactly what she is designed to do, piercing the resultant combined sea.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 16, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Long Distance Cruising Insurance

Steve:

Your note brings up a question that I assume many people would have. You mentioned insurance (notice I am not fretting over the family worrying issue) and I was curious how you handle insurance on an ongoing basis. Are you buying on an ocean by ocean basis with specific riders if you venture “too far north?” what to such riders cost or more to the point if you were to average your insurance costs over the 4000 hours you have traveled, what are you paying per hour, or per year? I would imagine the design of the boat brings these costs down as does your experience, but I am curious.

Thank you.

Your blog continues to be a great source of diversion and jealousy

All my best

Scott

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 16, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Where To Next? The Votes Are In and Counted

Svalbard Ice Chart

 

A big influence on our cruising last year and this has been Jaja and Dave Martin’s book, Into the Light . Ever since we first read it we’ve been captured by the images conjured up by their wonderful descriptions of Norway, Svalbard, Iceland, Greenland, and Scotland.

Wrestling with the decision on where to go next we decided to reread this wonderful book.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 15, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

A Day of Records and Firsts

Clouds-Vestralen-Is-Norway-150

Today has been a day of firsts for Wind Horse and crew. Hence this celebratory afternoon desert while underway heading north.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 14, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Best Fore and Aft Trim For Efficiency

100-4-00-521

If you have raced sailing dinghies you know that bow down trim is fast in light air (going slow) and stern down (within reason) is the mode for breezy conditions. The same rules apply to larger sailboats and displacement power boats.

The Norwegian trawler in the photo above has quite a broad stern, so it will benefit more from this approach than would be the case with a fine rear end.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 13, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Hunt For The Trophy Photo

Lofoten-Norway-5-108

In each cruising area we look for one perfect photo – a balance of content, color, contrast, clouds, sky, and water – which creates a heightened emotional response for us (or you might say evokes a major buzz) and reminds us of what we loved about that part of the world. Eventually it may end up on a wall in the house, the equivalent of a hunter’s mounted trophy head.

This morning, when the sky was unusually clear, with a hint of cumulous clouds to come, we broke camp in search of a prize catch.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 10, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

The Next Leg

options-chart001

We are starting to think about where to head next this summer. From this part of Norway (68 degrees north latitude) we could easily continue north and east to Russia, north two days to Svalbard, or east three days to Iceland. We could also head south and spend a leisurely couple of months in Scotland and maybe the west coast of Ireland.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 8, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Launching and Retrieving the Dinghy

launching-Dinghy-on-Wind-Horse-2

We have had several questions about our booms and how we launch and retrieve dinghies so we’ve done a photo series on the process.

We consider this to be one of the most dangerous things we do while cruising. The dink is heavy – 700 pounds/340kg – and there is an electric winch involved. So care in the use and maintenance of the system is required.

The process which follows has evolved over the years and in reality takes less time to accomplish than to read about. It is very simple in a calm anchorage, working at deck level, with high life lines at the deck edge.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 7, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Wind Horse Fuel Burn – April 2008

We’ve just finished filling our fuel tanks in Ensenada, Mexico (US$2.40/gallon). Since last fueling in Alaska we have put 422 hours on the engines, 34 hours on the genset, and used the diesel heater.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 7, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

24 Hour Lofoten Weather Cycle

Lille-Molle-Norway-Beach-71

The last 24 hours have been a good example of one of the attractions for us in the higher latitudes. It is the contrasts you experience visually and with weather. The morning starts out with a trek to that lovely beach we showed you yesterday.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 7, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Lofoten Surprise – Lille Molle

Lille-Molle-Lofoten-Norway-202-1

We’ve found a hidden Norwegian paradise, just five miles east of Svolvaer. This could easily be an island in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. The beach, rocks, and vegetation (sans cactus) are right in line with what you’d expect just south of the US border. We are just shy 45 degrees F (24C) of temperature to make the picture perfect.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 5, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

FPB – Magazine reviews

Three new magazine articles about the FPBs:

mby Motor Boat & Yachting, June 2009
Power and Motor Yacht is the leading magazine in the UK covering the power boat field. As is the case with English journalism in general, they are fiercely independent and not afraid of making negative comments about the boats they visit. Click here to see what they thought of Wind Horse on a breezy day in the Solent.

more

More (Croatian magazine), June 2009
Click here for a PDF of the article and photos in More (which means The Sea). The article is in Croatian!

vg-thumbnail

VG (Norwegian daily newspaper), May 2009
Click here to read the article (and practice your Norwegian). The author translated the first lines: “By the first glance it could look like a dubious Vietnamese navy vessel. But behind the modest exterior there is hidden a luxurious yacht stuffed with smart design and technique…”

Posted by Sarah.Dashew  (June 4, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Svolvaer Norway – Playing With the Light

Svolvaer-Lofoten-Norway-105

Svolvaer has taken us by surprise. It is a big city (relatively speaking) with four thousand inhabitants, a real estate boom around the harbor, and a variety of specialty stores including outdoor sports, marine chandlery, and electronics. There are cafes and restaurants, and most important, high speed wifi on the dock. In short a great place to stop for few days and take care of things.

In our brief stay in Svolvaer we have met some fascinating Norwegians.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (June 2, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Wind Horse Details From A High Dock

Lofoten-Islands-Norway-20

We recently found ourselves on shore at low tide while tied to a pier, giving us an elevated view of some of Wind Horse’s details. As we needed to send a few photos to New Zealand for the FPB 64s, we thought we would share a few with you here.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 31, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Going Slow – A New Way To Cruise

Lofoten-Islands-Norway-21

We are used to covering lots of territory when we move. In high latitude summer, with constant visibility, we will often put in 200 miles during a day hop. But there is so much to see in this part of the world we have recently slowed down, the better to appreciate our surroundings.

Take the “passages” of the last two days.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 31, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Interpreting Sonar Beam Images

Kjerkfjorden-Norway-Rainy-Day3-215

We’ve had several questions about interpreting the sonar images. So we sent a couple of photos to our sonar guru, Steve Bradburn at Furuno, and asked him for a clarification.

Steve marked up our photo to show the correct interpretation.

Kjerkfjorden-Norway-Rainy-Day-215 2

And then sent the following comments.

Hi Steve:

It is kind of hard to explain. Sonars have a really difficult time giving accurate depth at shallow tilt angles because how the beam spreads and bounces away (instead of back to) the sonar. Also even in the bottom is pretty flat the sonar will show a rising bottom at the edge of the display.

Regards,

Steve Bradburn
Furuno USA, Inc.


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 30, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Prop Nozzle Comments By an Expert

Geiranger-Return-418

There have been several questions about prop nozzles since we posted the photos of this Norwegian trawler. So, to get the most up-to-date information we asked naval architect and propeller expert, Ed Hagemen, for his experience with these.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 30, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Compression Gale – Time To Catch up

Lofoten-Islands-Norway-6

The barometer is sitting on 1017mb and a compression gale is whistling about us at anchor. So once again we have time to catch up with photos and comments on cruising the Lofoten Islands.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 29, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

FPB 64 Update #10 Part Two

FPB-64-May-20-09-305

Let’s switch to the engine room; looking aft here from the vantage of the starboard forward corner. The as yet uninsulated engine exhaust is to the left and the work bench to the right.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 26, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Rainy Day in Norway – Using Sonar To Find A Ledge

Kjerkfjorden-Norway-Rainy-Day-204

We’ve been anchored at the head of a four mile long fiord which runs in a north/south direction. This means that we have a long fetch for the southerly quadrant winds accompanying today’s cold front to work up a bit of chop.

But it is not the waves which have us concerned. It is the rocky lee shore against which we are now backed up. Even though the anchor is set hard, we prefer a more protected situation. If the breeze stays in the mid-twenty knot range, as forecast, we are OK here. But at these latitudes, with the surrounding terrain occasionally mixing stronger winds aloft with surface winds, we decide to investigate the other two arms of this short fiord complex.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 25, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Norwegian Conundrum

Kjerkfjorden-Lofoton-Norway-114

There is a Norwegian cruising conundrum to which we have yet to find the answer.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 25, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Alesund, Norway

We are somewhat behind in our posts, and wanted to get in a few words about Alesund even though it is a week in our wake.

Alesund-Norway-100

Alesund is our favorite “big” Norwegian town (so far). The harbor area is extremely tight, barely enough room to turn Wind Horse around, and high on the fun meter with 25 knots of wind blowing straight down the channel.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 25, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Skegs – Worth It?

Steve,

Some months ago I purchased an uncompleted Turner 46 hull (Tripp design) and
am in the middle of its conversion into a 46′ motorsailer. I realize this
approaches lunacy, but I’ve wanted to build all my life and after two
aborted tries, I’m older, wiser, and have couple of more dollars to spend
and so am off down this road again. Your Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia is
a well worn design reference as is/was your website.

Of particular interest, and the purpose of this e-mail, was a web page on
your old site which discussed the appendages on your first FB. I really
liked the propeller shaft skegs, and wanted to emulate them on my
motorsailer, however the images have been removed from your new site. Not
to worry, as I have the basic idea but I would be very much appreciative if
you could share a few of brief thoughts on the pros and cons of these skegs
(vs. an open shaft and strut) on a motorsailer. I’ve searched in vain for
some internet discussion on the topoic but have not found much.

I guess my question boils down to whether or not you feel the added
protection of a skeg to the shaft and prop outweigh the added surface area
and maintenance complexity (changing out cutless bearings) in a motorsailer
application. I feel that in my case, directional stability and
maneuverability issues are a push, but would be very interested in hearing
your thoughts on the subject.

Best Regards,

Doug Brown

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 25, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Reine, Norway – The Sun Comes Out

Reine-Norway-702

Reine is dramatic in any light, but when the sun is shining and there are a few clouds for contrast, the visual meter spikes.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 24, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

DC System Power Consumption

Regarding the recent question and answer on DC vs big gensets, we are just getting ready to move after sitting for six days. Genset has been run once for two hours during a wash/dry cycle in this period. Prior to warming up the engines just now battery capacity stood at 52%.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 24, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Genset vs Alternators

Steve,

I had a question about the cruising alternators on the main engine. I have been reading Ken Williams’ blog and there was a significant amount of traffic on this subject. Bottom lime was concluding that they drew more power, hence fuel, then simply running there normal 20kw generator. They went on to suggest that Nordhavn as a company was no longer installing them on their boats. I know you area a big fan and I was wondering if you could shed some light on the subject

thanks

Scott

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 22, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Reine, Norway

Rein-Norway--100

Reine is high up on our list of best places to dock a boat. The town is scenic, surrounding mountains’ spectacular, and best of all, this town still earns its living from the sea.

The cod fishery is fascinating.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 20, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Arctic Circle – Three Records Broken

Arctic-Circle-and-Reine-Norway-100

We’ve crossed the Arctic Circle (note the latitude above for official confirmation), setting three personal records in the process. The first record is earliest crossing. Most years by May 18th we are happy to be at 56.5 degrees. And here we are ten degrees closer to the pole.

The second record is warmest water. The 49.6F looks toasty, but a few hours previous we were in a gyre with 55F (13C).

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 19, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Interesting Craft Seen in Norway

Stavanger-Norway-120

Given the multi-thousand year seafaring history of the Norwegians you would expect them to have an interesting collection of vessels.

We like two features on this patrol vessel. One is the way the roof over the bridge is treated. The overhang shades the windows and we are guessing the apparent thickness is for buoyancy, to help in capsize recovery.

The second feature is the combination of a fine bow (for wave penetration) and the salon roof forward. The salon roof provides buoyancy and reduces wave impact on the bridge structure.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 18, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Saetervika, Norway – National Day Parade

Saetervika-Norway-246

We’ve been working our way up the coast of Norway, taking time in a region often passed by cruisers headed north.

May 17th is Norway’s major national holiday, their Fourth of July if you will, celebrating freedom from centuries of Danish and Swedish rule. So we had to choose a destination in which to observe this ritual.

Decisions like this are not easy. Big city and a party, or small village? We chose Saetervika, a former fishing outport now remaking itself as a tourist destination.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 17, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Articulating Rudders and Propeller Shrouds

Norwegian-Ship-Design-106

We’ve been fascinated by prop shrouds and articulating rudders for years, so when we passed this trawler in dry dock we could not help but take photos.

Lars Bergstrom used articulated rudders on many of his sailing designs to great effect. Rather than being a means of enhancing lift, he used tiny trailing edge flaps with which the skipper controlled the rudder (in the same fashion that airliner rudders are controlled). Whether with auto pilot or tiller, this is the most efficient means of adjusting rudder angle of attack – at some cost in complication.

The rudder above is flapped for a different reason.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 17, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Norwegian Lighthouses and Navigation Marks

Norwegian-Lighthouses-100

Norway has an incredibly complex array of channels through reefs, rocks, and islands. To assist the mariner through these are a series of sectored lights and light houses. White light means you are on course. Red or green colors of light indicate the direction needed to turn to get back into the white sector.

When laying our a course on the chart plotter we start with the white sectors.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 17, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Norwegian Notes Part Two

Norwegian-Lighthouses-107

With this new website system it is easier for us to upload blogs and photos. We can share more of what we are observing, hopefully without boring you. We are now at 64 degrees North latitude. That’s 300 miles above where yachts normally cruise in Alaska, and where you can walk on ice in the Antarctic. Yet we are told that the green pastures, flowers, and lack of snow are typical for this part of Norway in mid-May.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 17, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Optimum Speed For Powering & Speed Length Ratio

Norwegian-Ship-Design-101

Efficient powering (for sail and motor vessels) is primarily a function of the speed length ratio (SLR) at which the hull operates. To determine your SLR simply take the square root of your waterline length, and divide this into the boat speed. A 36 foot waterline has a square root of six, and at seven knots would be operating at a SLR of 1.18.

For almost all vessels, sail, power, pleasure, and commercial, you will get the most distance for a given quantity of fuel at a SLR of .9. So, for our 36 foot waterline example that’s a speed of 5.4 knots.

With AIS we can check the basic dimensions of the ships we see, note how fast they are going, and get a feel for their efficiency by looking at the bow and stern waves. This is particularly interesting in Norway where ship design is a highly developed art (and has been for at least 12 centuries).

Take the ferry in the top photo.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 16, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Exterior use of 6061 alloy

Hi Steve,
As a long time builder, user and owner of aluminum alloy boats perhaps you can answer this question: How does the odd bit of raw 6061, above the waterline , but on the exterior, fare visually over time in comparison to 5086? In particular, we’re building a Dix 43 Pilot House and I’m looking at using a 3″ half pipe extrusion as a rub rail down each side and it is only available in 6061. The hull plating is 5086 H116. The alternative is to buy vastly more expensive 5086 schedule 80 pipe and rip it on the table saw. I don’t mind spending when it’s justified but don’t want to waste money. We love the look and practicality of unpainted alloy, but my experience in non-salt environments with 6061 is that it can look pretty nasty after awhile. Perhaps it’s just a matter of an occasional scotchbrite rub-down.
The other place we’ll be using 6061 is for the rudder shaft . It’s a spade rudder with a 115mm diameter shaft and Jefa self aligning bearings. Appearance is not an issue here, and I think the 6061-T6 will be stronger than 5086 . Do you think corrosion could be an issue on the 6061 rudder shaft? We will have a comprehensive anode system.
Thanks so much-I love the new site format!

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 16, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Bergen, Norway

Bergen-Norway-2

We figured we were done with big cities this year after a month in London, but as our route north was within a few miles of Norway’s second largest city, and it comes highly recommended, we decided to make a slight detour.

Yachts tie up in the heart of the city. That’s the good news. You can walk to the main attractions within a few minutes. But it is also the bad news as you are on display, and there is a constant stream of foot and wheeled traffic.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 15, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Geiranger Fiord Waterfalls

Geiranger-Falls-184

We’re waterfall junkies. We love the shapes, textures, and visual contrasts these generate when they are turned on. The falls in Geiranger are substantial, but have a feathery feel, probably due to the great height from which they drop.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 14, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Oil Filter Leak

J-Deere-Oil-Filter-Leak

The last couple of days we have had a small oil leak on the port engine. Not much – what you see above is after six hours of running – but we wanted to find the source before proceeding.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 14, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Geiranger Fiord, Norway

Geiranger-Fiord-Norway-330-1

To visit Geiranger fiord you have to detour 100 miles from the path north. We debated the need to see “another” fiord – we have seen some of the most spectacular on the planet in other countries – and then decided when in Norway one must visit a fiord.

So here we are, taking it in, and what a wonderful surprise this has turned out to be.

This fiord has a softer feel than what you experience in Alaska or Greenland.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 12, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

This Could Lead to an Ugly Chain of Events

chain foul 1

We’ve gotten out of the habit of letting all our chain out at the beginning of each cruising season to check for chain balls and kinks. Not any more. The mess you see above came to light this afternoon as we were anchoring in 90 feet (27m) of water and so using more than the normal amount of chain.

As this twisted section came up through the chain pipe it jammed. Not a nice thing on a good day, and potentially disastrous in a difficult situation.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 12, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Fearsome Statt

Stadt-Norway-110

We’ve been hearing about the Norwegian coast around Statt for the past year. It has a fearsome reputation amongst commercial and amateurs alike. John Harries has warned us, several Brits who we met in the UK talked it up, and two local ship captains (most recently Per of who we spoke in the last blog) spoke of it with awe and respect. Sometimes reputations grow with telling. At other times they are earned with destruction and death. In this case, we can see how the latter applies.

There are a variety of factors which contribute to this situation.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 11, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Maloy – Its the People

Maloy-Norway-8

With all the spectacular places there are to cruise, what we have learned over and over again is that its the people you meet along the way – afloat and ashore – who make the cruising lifestyle so wonderful.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 11, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Sonar Navigation Where It Is Really Tight

Rugsund-Sonar-2

We mentioned yesterday it was hard to drive the boat in tight spots and take photos. But we had such a good example this morning we snapped a couple of quick photos. The next series are of a passage near Rugsund, Norway, which cannot be more than 75 feet (22m) wide in places.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 10, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Towards Rugsund – The Norwegian Scene Gets More Interesting

Rugsund-Norway--5

We admit we are visual adrenalin junkies. After places like Prince William Sound in Alaska and the Prince Christian Channels of Greenland, our tastes border on jaded. We love placid weather… for a while. But at some point it feels good to be out in a stiff blow, to see the sky lowering, and squalls sweeping down to leeward. Today the aesthetic and weather meshed, and Norway got a lot more interesting.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 9, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Ultimate Thermostat Solution

T-Stat-mods-Norway

We’ve been using a digital programmable thermostat to control our diesel boiler. This allows us to program four different set of time and temperature during the day. Our sleeping cabin is kept cold during the day, turns the heat on an hour before bed time, and goes to low heat (but still on) until morning, when we are programmed to warm up just a bit.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 8, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

How Big Should Your Anchor Be?

Big-anchors-are-good-1

We submit the photo above as a baseline for thinking about anchor size. We are ensconced in Vikingevagen, Norway. A tight, protected anchorage. Water depth is 40 feet (12m) and the barometer is plunging. It is gusting 40 knots, and the granite shore is 150 feet (45m) off our stern. This is not a situation in which you want to worry about anchor size.

So, how big an anchor is right?

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 8, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Norwegian Yacht Details – Part I

NorwayOutfit-Details-1-1

One of the things we love about cruising to new destinations is looking at the boats, commercial and pleasure. Since arriving in Norway we’ve snapped a few photos of things we like and others we don’t (the latter are sometimes more instructive than the former).

We’ll start with the stern anchoring set up here. The combination fairlead and chain/rope windlass is a simple way to deal with storage if you anchor a lot by the stern. The rode can easily stow in the lazarette or a seat locker.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 8, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Two Years & 25,000 Miles Later

GlacierBay 2 -156 2

We’re back in Southern California following a second summer in British Columbia and Alaska. After looking at the engine hours, checking our log, and reflecting on the areas we’ve cruised, we’ve been astounded to find Wind Horse has taken us 25,000+ nautical miles since leaving New Zealand. That’s a lot of miles, but there’s something even more interesting. She’s done this in 17.5 months of on-the-water use. (The rest of the time she’s been docked and we’ve been land based.) That’s an average of 1400+ miles per month of actual cruising. If you add up the direct mileage, point to point, it is more like 18,000 miles. So, a lot of this time has been spent exploring after the ocean passages.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 7, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

FPB 64 Update # 9

fpb64 9 -12

Lots more to share this week, starting with the hydraulic system pulsation dampener (the pipe shaped device mounted on top of the hydraulic pump). We use these to reduce hydraulic noise.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 7, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Back to The Real World of Cruising

Quiet-Cove-Norway-4

Here is a photo we have not seen since Greenland – Wind Horse anchored in a secure, beautiful, unpopulated cove. There is a gale blowing, low clouds are interspersed with rain squalls, and we are catching up on boat chores, writing, exercise, and maybe later today a movie.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 7, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Espevaer – Local Knowledge – Internet Resolved

Espevaer-Norway-2

We’re done with big cities. Stavanger and Haugesund are in our wake, and we’ve resolved our internet situation. Turns out the dongle from the UK has a block, so we needed to acquire a Telenor dongle for the enormous sum of US$150. Nobody said Norway was cheap (but we need reliable daily communications for the FPB 64 program).

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 6, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

bottom paint for aluminum boat

Steve, I have a Lavranos-designed aluminum 13M cutter. The bottom has 6 coats of Interlux 2000e epoxy barrier and a couple of coats of Interlux “trilux 33” bottom paint. What brand of bottom paint do you use in warm climates. Thanks.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 5, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Navigating in Confusing Areas

3-screen-monitor-layout-1

Norway has to be one of the more confusing areas to navigate. There are intricate channels, thousands of reefs, rocks, and small islands, and lots of alternate routes. Add in a significant amount of commercial traffic and situational awareness becomes paramount. Our three monitor layout has been getting a workout.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 5, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Norway – First Impressions

Stavanger-Norway-100

Arriving in Norway on May first is cause for celebration. The locals were out in force to greet us too.

Read the rest »


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 3, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

Norway 5/1/2009 10:00 AM (UTC) position 58°58.27’N 005°43.71’E spd 0.2 hdg 147T

We’re alongside the town dock in Stavanger, Norway, awaiting clearance. A comfortable voyage across the North Sea is behind us. It is quite warm, considering we are at the same latitude as Skagway, Alaska and this is the first of May. We’ll be here for a day or two and then we’ll be off exploring to the North.
—–
5/1/2009 10:00 AM (UTC) position 58


Posted by Steve Dashew  (May 1, 2009)    |    Comments (0)

4/30/2009 3:46 PM (UTC) position 56°13.56’N 004°20.15’E spd 10.6 hdg 009T

Barometer is up to 1020, wind is behind us(go Azores high!) and we are cruising in IFR conditions (heavy fog). However, traffic is light, just oil platforms around here, and between the Furuno 2117 radar and AIS we have excellent situational awareness.

There has been a very small salt water leak in the engine room for several years. Having checked everything many times to no avail, we are pleased to report it is finally crossed off the list. There was a slightly loose hose clamp on the salt water cooling circuit at the forward end of the starboard engine. Just half a turn on the bolt was all it took, and we are back to a dry bilge.

On the negative side of the maintenance ledger our water maker membranes appeared to have deteriorated during winter storage. Productivity is down to 25GPH from 32/35GPH last summer. Water temperature is moderate – 49F – and we doubt the salinity of the North Sea could account for the drop. We’ll give the membranes a cleaning once we get moored. Note that this is the first time the membranes have been during layup. In the past they have been periodically flushed with fresh water.

We have been studying up on Norwegian cruising options, of which there are many. Too many places to visit for one summer. Going to have to come up with a plan.


Posted by Steve Dashew  (April 30, 2009)    |    Comments (0)