Safety & Seamanship

Our testing made us wonder whether we are better off with a core-and-cover lifeline with a tough cover, like New England Ropes WR2, or an uncovered rope like Samson Amsteel, which is much stronger than the smaller-diameter WR2 core. (Because of the way WR2 is spliced, the cover should not be counted toward strength.)

To see how chafe points can develop on stanchions, we ran standard steel cable through our test stanchion holes for an hour. As expected, the sawing action wore a rough-edged groove, but several other things became apparent.

Sailboat performance varies based on the eye of the beholder. Racers want light-air alacrity and a willingness to plane while cruisers want directional stability and reasonable speed with moderate sail area. A boats design dimensions and a few simple ratios give some hints about these attributes.

Those who use citronella or Skin So Soft for an insect repellent will not appreciate these high-octane anti-itch remedies. But it is safe to assume that such a conservative attitude is reserved for those who are not in the thick of battle with a foe as formidable (and miniscule) as battalions of Lilliputians.

We recently checked out some equipment that illustrates the challenges of designing and marketing new safety gear, one of the more tightly regulated sailing-equipment categories.

When it comes to speculation, it makes sense to do some research before second-guessing any maritime mishap. And with this in mind, Ive spent the last couple of months sorting through statements, Race Control press releases, and information deduced by the authors of the Volvo Race Independent Report (VRIR) into the stranding of Vestas Wind.

The International Hydrographic Office has a six-level rating system that indicates the accuracy of the data used to create a charted area. This zone of confidence (ZOC) layer is included in all digital charts approved by the International Maritime Organization for use in Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS). By selecting the overlay (a pattern of small asterisks, see photo), the user sees a graphic representation of the accuracy in a charted area. Most charts rely on numerous surveys, each with a different degree of accuracy, so these overlays provide vital information.

Pinpoint navigation is a pipedream that the industry has been silent about for way too long. Just read the I accept contract on your multifunction display (MFD) screen, and youll run across phrases like electronic charts are inadequate as a primary means of navigation. Or, if you don't believe the chart makers disclaimer, just listen to what the U.S. Air Force, the owner of GPS, has to say about a system that was never intended to be a standalone navigation alternative. And yet thats just what we recreational sailors have accepted it as.

The air surrounding us on the surface of the earth weighs about 1.2 kilos per cubic meter, and when we stack up these invisible building blocks of the atmosphere, they add up to tons of pressure pushing down upon us. Its little wonder that when air at the surface starts moving sideways, it has a profound effect on sails and the sea surface.

Many electronic barometer/barographs feature an auto alarm that warns of pending bad weather, and we found them to be accurate enough to heed. But whats most interesting is how an instrument that only tracks pressure and temperature can make such accurate calls. It all boils down to how rapidly atmospheric pressure is changing, and according to Alan Watts in his Weather Handbook (a longtime favorite among cruisers), a change of 3 millibars or more per hour is a reliable indicator that gale-force conditions are likely to be headed your way.