In Arabic if I said I knew how to law a kedge and you said, "Anna kedge," that would be quite the come-on. Just sayin.
New guy, first sailboat
- Thread starter Gybe Talker
- Start date
daan62
Super Anarchist
congrats and have fun!
SpongeDeckSquareFoil
Anarchist
- 610
- 36
Left Shift
Super Anarchist
Well, technically un-marked. But it's a little bit of the wild west out there.
The problem was that the navigational marks that are supposed to be out there, on the two largest reefs, have a history of not staying put or just going missing. They are plunked on top of pinnacles, completely exposed to Pacific swells and storms (These are NOT wimpy meteorological events.), and often go walk-about. That day, other than being "not to close, but not too far" from the lighthouse, we had nothing to way-find by. We were the unlucky ones in the middle of a cluster of 40 boats setting up for a race start.
When we hit "our" pinnacle, which was roughly only 15' in diameter, 7' - 10' down, and surrounded by 20 fathoms of water, I was on deck with paper charts in hand, binoculars in hand, GPS running and Navionics on my iPhone (which only worked when a couple of 100' from the lightkeeper's residence) and depthsounder running. I couldn't find anything to get a bearing on in the PNW typical haze because the marks simply weren't there.
The result of our bang was motoring 300 NM back to civilization with a questionable keel and a serious visit to Betz' shop in Anacortes.
So maybe not so "egregious".
I've been going on too much about this incident, but sometimes "unmarked" is the right answer.
Best of luck to the new OP boat owner. Go sailing. Get a depthsounder anyway.
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This isn't said enough.
As long as the boat can move in and out of the marina under it's own power, the only maintenance you should ever do on a sailboat in the first five years should be to limit the amount of water coming in to the boat so that it is slower than the speed at which the bilge pump can push it back out again.
it's a lot less painful to run into the dock at full speed because your transmission cable failed when you didn't just repaint the whole boat. And a thousand other things that can/will go wrong.
Sail more. Plug leaks with chewing gum. Refloat as necessary.
That said, LED running lights are a wise investment at about $20 each, you'll roughly triple the life you can get out of the onboard battery.
Cool boat. My first boat was 34'. I wish I'd bought a 27 footer or similar. Everything for a 34' costs about double what it does on a 27'.
AJ Oliver
Super Anarchist
Those Pearson 26's are built like tanks - solid glass both deck and hull, right team?
You will look back on that boat as the best you ever owned.
And they like bigger air - perfect for the lee shore of Lake Huron
We have three of them at our club on Erie - they are indestructible
You will look back on that boat as the best you ever owned.
And they like bigger air - perfect for the lee shore of Lake Huron
We have three of them at our club on Erie - they are indestructible
Sail4beer
Starboard!
Indestructible forever
Steam Flyer
Sophisticated Yet Humble
On the plus side:
Suddenly, you did not need those bearings or that fix. You KNEW exactly where you were!
FB- Doug
Left Shift
Super Anarchist
As our navigator said on one Hawaii race when the crew kept bugging him about "Where are we?", he pointed to the cabin sole and said, "We're right here."
Grande Mastere Dreade
Snag's spellchecker
I love it when PRO's setup start lines with obstacles in them... got one guy that likes to setup the boat end about 30 yards from shore, (we're on a lake) , but still a clusterfuck ... other times we have logs sticking up, c'mon it's not that hard to look around before dropping the anchor..
daan62
Super Anarchist
'
That said, LED running lights are a wise investment at about $20 each, you'll roughly triple the life you can get out of the onboard battery.
Cool boat. My first boat was 34'. I wish I'd bought a 27 footer or similar. Everything for a 34' costs about double what it does on a 27'.'
thanks for the advice! will put led on my wishlist...
looked at bigger boats... then buying a 26 ft... amazing amount of money when looking at the current wishlist... (about 3 times what i paid for the boat...)
Foreverslow
Super Anarchist
Nice boat
I had a 74 One design Pearson for 8 years as my first monohull.
Great boat to learn on.
Simple and as stated built like a brick house.
Have been T-boned by a Catalina 27 and its bruce anchor at full tilt when they could not release the mainsheet trying to take our stern and rounded right up right behind the chain plates. Had if fixed in 2 days.
The bearings do wear out if you like a tight feel. You want the black delrin units. I also used to make shims from coffee can lids to get rid of all the slop in the tiller.
Anything for a Pearson can be had from D&R in Assonet Mass https://drmarine.com/products.asp?cat=290
Also as stated, a Danforth anchor is fine as long as you have some chain.
It will take a blow. Have raced her in the aftermath of a hurricane where we launched off a wave and got the keel and rudder out of the ocean.
You swallow hard, but she took it.
It does not like motoring in rough stuff as the prop will continuously come out of the water making it difficult to make way in winds over 25 knots.
Make sure you close the gas tank vent when in nasty stuff so the gas does not slosh on the cockpit deck.
Keep the electronics simple as you really are not going to have a lot of juice from the alternator of that outboard.
Best to supplement with a small solar panel.
Depth sounder is a good idea. A small handheld gps with paper charts will get the job done
Besides the Windex, put telltales on the sails and learn to use them.
Check the hoses between the scuppers and through hull. If they are starting to get soft or rotten, replace them as it is cheap insurance from sinking.
If the front hatch is leaking, add a layer of rubber foam seal to the bottom of it to make it waterproof again. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Frost-King-E-O-3-4-in-x-3-16-in-17-ft-Brown-Vinyl-Foam-Weather-Seal-Self-Stick-Tape-V449BH/10011845
Do not do stupid stuff like add a wheel or a dodger/bimini. Learn the boat and increase your skills. In a couple years you can sell it for what you paid for it when you ready to move up to something a bit more complex.
PM me if you have questions
I had a 74 One design Pearson for 8 years as my first monohull.
Great boat to learn on.
Simple and as stated built like a brick house.
Have been T-boned by a Catalina 27 and its bruce anchor at full tilt when they could not release the mainsheet trying to take our stern and rounded right up right behind the chain plates. Had if fixed in 2 days.
The bearings do wear out if you like a tight feel. You want the black delrin units. I also used to make shims from coffee can lids to get rid of all the slop in the tiller.
Anything for a Pearson can be had from D&R in Assonet Mass https://drmarine.com/products.asp?cat=290
Also as stated, a Danforth anchor is fine as long as you have some chain.
It will take a blow. Have raced her in the aftermath of a hurricane where we launched off a wave and got the keel and rudder out of the ocean.
You swallow hard, but she took it.
It does not like motoring in rough stuff as the prop will continuously come out of the water making it difficult to make way in winds over 25 knots.
Make sure you close the gas tank vent when in nasty stuff so the gas does not slosh on the cockpit deck.
Keep the electronics simple as you really are not going to have a lot of juice from the alternator of that outboard.
Best to supplement with a small solar panel.
Depth sounder is a good idea. A small handheld gps with paper charts will get the job done
Besides the Windex, put telltales on the sails and learn to use them.
Check the hoses between the scuppers and through hull. If they are starting to get soft or rotten, replace them as it is cheap insurance from sinking.
If the front hatch is leaking, add a layer of rubber foam seal to the bottom of it to make it waterproof again. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Frost-King-E-O-3-4-in-x-3-16-in-17-ft-Brown-Vinyl-Foam-Weather-Seal-Self-Stick-Tape-V449BH/10011845
Do not do stupid stuff like add a wheel or a dodger/bimini. Learn the boat and increase your skills. In a couple years you can sell it for what you paid for it when you ready to move up to something a bit more complex.
PM me if you have questions
Gybe Talker
New member
- Thread starter
- #54
Having an issue with the motor that I plan on resolving by the weekend, it's a long weekend coming up here and want to get out sailing!
LED lights are on order, will put up a small solar panel to keep the battery charged, I'm moving to an unserviced dock shortly to save some bucks.
It sure does seem solid, I was under the cockpit through the lazarette last time I was there, fished an old tire(fender?) out of there. Had a good look around, no water to be seen
AJ Oliver
Super Anarchist
They are some of the most rugged sailboats ever built.It sure does seem solid,
Notice I said nothing about speediness
Gybe Talker
New member
- Thread starter
- #56
Wow, thanks for the informative reply, much appreciated! Will keep electronics simple, for the time being I'm just out on the lake in sight of land until I get more experience. Checking all hoses and through hulls is next job. PM incoming, thanks.
Gybe Talker
New member
- Thread starter
- #57
At this point I'm happy to have a boat of my own, rugged over speed is fine with me for now!
Yeah, this has been tested and is questionable. I don't want to thread-jack gybetalker here into (yet another, interminable) argument about anchors, but I think there's a fair bit of evidence that Danforths are not great at resetting after a big veer. Don't have the PS anchor test to hand but can certainly say that the last 3 or 4 vessels I've seen drag ashore have had a danforth at the end of their rode, and broke free on a tide change.
Left Shift
Super Anarchist
Used Danforths all my (rather long) life living in an area with 14' tide changes and had I've had one break free. Turns out I had set right at the edge of an underwater bluff and the bluff edge decided gravity was its friend. Other than that, many happy nights. No more thread drift.
OP: Go get those LED lights and a depth sounder!
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Well. I also live in Seattle and have watched two boats drag them ashore but as they say anecdotes ain't data. I hope OP reads a couple anchor tests and makes up his own mind.
