As you have likely watched our latest episode on YouTube, you may have some more questions about how and why we made these fiberglass repairs to our sailboat. Here we will try to give you all of the dirty details.

What Caused The Fiberglass Damage?

In mid-November, during our sail from Tenerife, Canary Islands bound for Mar de Plata, Argentina, we struck an unidentified floating object (UFO) about 800 miles off the coast of Sierra Leone, Africa.

We were only moving at about 3.5 knots in very light air as we approached the doldrums. It was raining and there were intermittent squalls. Kate was on the helm, and I (Curtis) was sleeping off shift down below in the aft cabin.

There was a very loud set of bangs as the boat heeled and spun 180 degrees. Kate yelled that we had hit something, but she could not see anything. More about this in Episode 71 on YouTube.

We immediately made ready our life raft and ditch bags and commenced inspecting the boat for damage. That night, we could find none and the boat was able to continue sailing. We inspected the boat in the water when conditions allowed, also finding no damage.

Quite some time went on, and we sailed over 2000 miles since, dove on the hull with SCUBA gear twice, and even won a race, but we finally found damage from a small hole made by the aft edge of our rudder contacting and cracking the hull many months later while sailing the coast of Brazil, as evidenced by salt water entering through the laminate.

What We Did After Finding Damage

After docking in Itajai, where we knew from following the Volvo Ocean Race that there were good facilities and a travel lift available, we moved all of the weight forward to minimize water entry and sent a professional diver into the murky brackish water to do yet a 4th inspection. He also found nothing.

At this point, we knew we had to haul the boat out to find the cause. We also contacted the manufacturer, J-Boats, to gain a greater understanding of the fiberglass hull construction in the affected areas and enlisted the help of a local professional boatbuilder and naval architect at Magma Yachts to inspect and consult on the repair.

We determined that the UFO collision we had months ago was likely the cause. It had flexed the rudder shaft some, which allowed the rudder tip to contact the hull. We also learned that the rudder shaft was designed for this and that this is a common occurrence in boats with spade rudders. It was also determined that the boat should be hauled immediately and the rudder pulled to inspect the surrounding area and rudder bearings as well.

Planning For Fiberglass Repairs to Our Sailboat

We formulated a few plans to haul the boat, and even had a contingency plan to haul at a different location if need be, with the help of Gabriel @ Magma Yachts, whose help was instrumental throughout the repair process!

Despite his company producing his own brand of yachts (check out their 38’ racer/cruiser which IMO has fantastic build quality and awesome options like a lifting keel) he is also part of the J-Boat family, as he races J/70s in international competitions.

Lifting Our Sailboat & Removing the Rudder

Luckily we were able to schedule a haul out at Marina Itajai. We had to wait for almost a month at the dock though, to make room for us, as their boatyard can only accommodate a limited number of boats on the hard.

We were able to remove the rudder before setting the boat down onto its keel during the initial haul and blocking process. Before moving the boat to the travel lift, we had already removed the autopilot components, loosened the bolts for the steering quadrant, and had the tools at hand to complete the job. It is important to do this quickly to save from having to pay for an extra lift.

Inspection – Looking For Hidden Fiberglass Damage

With the rudder out of the boat we could finally inspect the hull, keel, rudder, and rudder shaft, visually and by tapping it out. We also inspected the rudder bearings, luckily finding no damage to our Jefa bearings which we replaced way back in Episode 12!

We did find delamination and a small, fingernail-sized hole in the outer laminate just above the aft tip of the rudder. This was a cored area, so we knew we would have to dig out and replace a substantial section of the core to make a proper repair.

The good news is, we could find no further damage to the boat except for a few scrapes in the paint.

Sourcing Project Materials – Where To Buy Fiberglass & Core?

If we were at home in the USA we can source almost everything we need online, included are some links to similar materials we have used on Amazon.com so you can easily obtain items similar to what we used to make these repairs.

Instead, a few excellent new friends in Brazil helped us out by allowing us to place the transactions using their information. Brazil actually has some excellent composite providers, one of which is E-Composites. We were able to arrange delivery through Gabriel. We purchased fiberglass, epoxy resin, core material, and vacuum bag materials. Gabriel loaned us his portable vacuum pump which was a huge help and cost saver!

Fiberglass Repair Steps

It was now time to make the fiberglass repair. Here are the steps we used to complete it.

Step 1 – Grinding

Step one is the removal of all of the bad material. To get to the bad core, we would first need to remove the skins on either side. We started from outside the boat and drilled a hole using a cordless drill and standard drill bit through the punctured area. This gave us a good location on the inside to start.

Next, we started cutting, grinding, and peeling away anything on the inside laminate that was at all questionable, cracked, or delaminated from the core itself. This turned out to be approximately a 1.5-square-foot area.

We used an orbital saw and grinder with sanding pads for most of this part of the process. Sanding disks mounted in a grinder or drill were also helpful. The key takeaway here is to grind away anything that is compromised, delaminated, cracked, or unattached.

Step 2 – Core Removal

Now that we have access to the core itself, we can start to determine what parts of the core have been affected by the damage. There are two parts to the core damage. The first is impact damage and crushing of the core from the collision itself. The second is damage to the core from water intrusion, which softens the core and if left alone will rot the balsa core in our boat.

Just a note, there are many types of core. Depending on the way your boat is constructed you could have solid fiberglass with no core, wood or plywood core, end grain balsa core, foam core (of which there are several types and uses), or other composites like a honeycomb.

Any damaged core, either by impact or water needs to be removed. We do this by carefully using a hammer and chisel, as well as our orbital saw to remove it. You can also grind out the core, but we find in large areas such as this it is easier and less messy to extract with a sharp edge.

The key here is to make sure to remove all core that is compromised and keep digging until everything is dry and firmly attached. This may be a mentally painful step, tearing into your beautiful and loved boat, but it must be done to make the repair like new later.

Step 3 – Prep for New Glass & Scarf

Now that we have ground away all of the damaged fiberglass and removed all of the questionable core material, it is time to finally begin the actual repair steps.

Because we are going to be applying new epoxy and fiberglass to the old, there will be no chemical bond, only a mechanical bond. It is important to give the new repair a large area to grab onto, so to speak. The technical term for this is called “scarf area” or “scarfing.”

Scarfing means sanding or grinding an angle in the old fiberglass to which the new fiberglass is attached. The normal scarf angle is about 12:1, or for every 1 unit of thickness of the repair, you need to sand away at an angle from it 12 units. Another way to think of this: if your fiberglass is 1” thick, you need to grind or sand away an angle 12” from the hole.

Since our fiberglass outer skin is only a few thousandths of an inch thick we only need to scarf a little more than 2”. After this is done the area should be cleaned of dust and wiped down with acetone. This step is perhaps one of the most important to achieve a strong bond for your repair.

Step 4 – Repairing Outer Layer

Because our hull is cored, we have to repair 3 different layers, making the repair much more complex. We could repair all three layers at once, but we find it easier to repair the outer later in this case first.

• Pre-Measure, mark, and cut your cloth before mixing your epoxy.
• Use the same cloth and thicknesses as the original layup if possible to maintain the designed structural strength.
• Stack your repair layers in a pyramid shape, the largest in the first layer touching the old fiberglass and the smallest as the last layer.
• Wet out your cloth and the scarfed area before applying if possible.
• Use peel-ply cloth to smooth out the repair and remove any air bubbles.
• A vacuum bag is not needed, but using it will increase the strength of the repair.
• Repair from both inside and outside if possible.

Step 5 – Inserting New Core

After we completed the repair to the external skin we moved on to the rest of the repair, of which the most important part is the insertion of the core material.

The core material gives the laminate most of its strength. In our case the core in our boat is made from balsa wood, cut, dried, and arranged on a backing material in an end-grain fashion, increasing its stiffness and strength when laid up properly. The core material on our boat in this area is 5/8″ end grain balsa core.

The core needs good adhesion to both the outer skin and inner skin. It is important to sand the repair to the outer skin smooth and use structural epoxy and filler to aid in its attachment. In our case we also filled the core sections with epoxy to mimic the original SCRIMP construction done by J-Boats as we found it was beneficial to the original structure.

Step 6 – Apply Fiberglass for Inner Skin & Using Vacuum Bag

Vacuum bagging our fiberglass repairs was probably not a requirement in this case, but to us, we felt it was needed to obtain the greatest strength and contact between laminate layers. Using the vacuum bag technique does add a level of complexity, but once learned it can make repairs stronger and less messy.

After we had our core in place, we wetted out and applied our inner skin layers. Now we apply our vacuum bag tape to allow the area to seal when the other layers are applied, in a pinch one can also use butyl tape, or even duct tape (this does not work as well and is just a field patch). After this we applied a layer of peel ply, then breather material, then absorbent material.

The breather material allows the air and excess epoxy to flow to the vacuum. Spreading out the area of suction amongst the entire repaired area. It also acts as an absorbent material sucks up any excess epoxy drawn out by the vacuum. It is important to remember that the fiberglass is what gives the structure strength, extra epoxy beyond what can be absorbed by the fiberglass actually weakens the repair. This is where vacuum bagging has a great advantage over conventional wet layup repairs.

Step 7 – Fiberglass Finishing and Painting

The last step in the progress is finishing the repair to make it pretty. This can be as simple as removing the peel ply and moving on with your day, or more steps of sanding, fairing, sanding, priming, sanding, and painting to achieve a show quality perfect gloss finish. In our case, we finished the outside portion of the repair nicely, but left the inside repair bare epoxy. This way we could monitor the repair (the dried epoxy is clear), and we could paint it later to match the rest of our bilge.

Balsa Core vs Foam Core

Many people have asked us, why not use foam core instead of balsa core? This is an excellent question. Before we answer it, we need to give you a little background on core materials.

Balsa sometimes has a bad wrap. This is because many boatbuilders have taken shortcuts in construction using this core material. When balsa gets wet, it rots. That is well known. If it is sealed in epoxy and fiberglass, it will last almost forever, and it is stiffer than its foam cousins.

Most people don’t realize that foam cores can also get wet and delaminate, so choosing foam as a core material does not necessarily isolate you from the problems caused by poor construction and water intrusion, it usually only delays the damage. For the most part, any core when damaged and infiltrated with water will eventually begin to delaminate and lose its strength.

Because foam has a different density than balsa core, it is also used in different thicknesses in layups. For us to achieve the same stiffness, we would need to use a thicker foam core. This would change the internal shape of the hull and make for a more complex repair. We could use the same thickness of foam as the original balsa, but that would also mean our repair would not have the same strength as the original hull in this area.

We firmly believe that a balsa core that is well taken care of is just as good, if not better than foam. In our case, using the same size core, and restoring the boat to its original design and layup specifications was the best course of action.

Professional opinions may vary on this. Many fiberglass repair persons will just fill the area with epoxy rather than re-core or may fill in with foam, wood, or whatever is “on hand.” This happens in boat yards around the world and most consumers or yacht owners would never know the difference. It is much cheaper and faster, and some of these repairs are OK depending on the use of the boat, for example, if she will be a dock queen, appearance may be of more value than strength.

Basically, there are many ways to accomplish a good fiberglass repair, so discuss these options with your repair person if not doing it DIY. We prefer to take an engineering-based approach rather than a patch repair approach and like to do things the right way one time, even if it takes more time and costs a bit more.

Tools Used For Our Fiberglass Repair

Chisel
Hammer
Screwdriver
Knife
Orbital Saw
Grinder
Cordless Drill
Shop Vac
Vacuum Pump

Materials Used For Our Fiberglass Repair

Tyvek Suit
Respirator
Mask
Masking Tape
Duct Tape
Plastic Sheet
Fiberglass Cloth
Epoxy
Core
Sandpaper
Grinding Disks
Grinding Pads
Drill Disks
Peel Ply
Breather Cloth
Absorber
Butyl Tape
Vacuum Bag
Hose

The post This Is How We Repaired Our Fiberglass Boat & What Tools and Materials We Used appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

Let’s talk safety! When beginning to prepare for cruising on your sailboat it is important to think about safety. We carry many safety items on board. The USCG and many other governments have some specific requirements, most items can be found at marine stores and chandleries, one however can not be and is usually overlooked: a cordless angle grinder.

If you ever have a situation at sea where your mast or standing rigging fail, it is very important to be able to safely remove it from the boat. The rig can damage the hull and be a safety risk to people, especially if there are rough conditions, when, of course it is most likely to fail.

Most carry on board some cable cutters and a hand-saw in their emergency tool kit. This is excellent, and we agree a must have. But….have you ever tried to actually cut through rigging, shackles, or a mast? It is tough.

If you need to remove the rigging, you will likely need to do it fast! That is where the cordless angle grinder comes into its own. Yes it is expensive, but when the mast or boom is possibly going to punch a hole in your hull, it is worth every penny. A good battery powered angle grinder with a metal or all purpose cutting disk will make quick work of almost anything you would possibly need to cut through on deck.

Why You Want a Cordless Angle Grinder On Your Boat

Ok, so we know a cordless angle grinder can improve your safety by jettisoning your rig in an emergency. That is a pretty extremum situation that is hard for most to envision and justify. But here are some other uses for your grinder that will make happy to have it on board.

1. Fiberglass Repair – If you ever need to repair any fiberglass on your boat, you will have the proper tool start the repair properly.
2. Polishing – you need to be careful when using one to polish with, but with the proper skill and pads you can quickly make your bright work shine, especially stainless steel. What would have taken you days will now only take you a few hours at most.
3. DIY Boat Projects – Let’s face it, if you have a boat, you are always doing some project. If you need to cut or trim anything, with the proper disks you can make short work of it, especially popular stainless steel tube for dodgers and biminis.

Which Cordless Angle Grinder is Best For Sailing

Our favorite is the Milwaukee M18 Cordless 4 1/2″ Angle Grinder. It is very powerful, lightweight, has good battery life, and built a little tougher (in our opinion) than some of its competitors. If you look around and see what the professionals are using, you will see a lot of red in their power tool boxes. If the SHTF we want the best tool available for the job.

What Other Equipment Uses the Same Batteries

Now, as a side benefit to having our angle grinder, its charger, and batteries on board there are lots of other useful items we carry that use the same batteries. It is really nice to be able to carry tools that all use the same battery and charger, as space is a premium on board and keeping the boat as light as possible is important for sailing performance.

Vacuum – The Milwaukee M18 Cordless Vacuum is perhaps our favorite item on board which uses the M18 Lithium battery system. As you know, we sail with a dog on our boat, so a vacuum is a must. This shop vac can do much much more though. We use for cleaning, fiberglass work, removing that last bit of water from the bilge, and vacuum bagging clothing and even our spinnaker. It is really powerful and durable. This is one purchase we are over the moon with and is an on-board life changer.

Which Brand Cordless Power Tools Are Best For Cruising

Before leaving land to go cruising for a long time and setting of to foreign ports, make sure you have all of the equipment you need. Sometimes the tools you want become hard to find in far away places. Voltage issues (220 vs 110) will also make it hard for USA visitors to find items they need in the EU, and vice versa. Having all of your tools use the same batteries and chargers is something we would have worked harder at before we left if we could. If you don’t choose Milwaukee, Bosch, Makita, and DeWalt are also reliable and fairly well supported worldwide.

Note: We do use these items on board and by you purchasing the items through the included links, it helps fuel our voyage, blog, and vlog, at no extra cost to you. We think it is a win/win. We help you by sharing our knowledge, mistakes, and victories. We test the products in the real world and let you know what we really think. In turn, you help keep us going! Fair winds and safe sailing!

The post Why You Should Carry a Cordless Angle Grinder on your Sailboat appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

The post [Ep. 17] Hot, Wet, and Salty in the Bahamas appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

0:00 Intro

0:36 Bahamas Sailing

We raise our anchor at the deserted island in North Eleuthera Bahamas and head west. We sail through the crystal clear but shallow water of the Bahama Banks to Chub Cay, Whale Key, Bimini, and then on to Miami.

3:49 Gulf Stream Crossing

We crossed the gulf stream with a northeast wind, perfect for some downwind spinnaker sailing on the way to Miami and Biscayne Bay. We hit 10.9 knots of boat speed during some great and fun sailing conditions.

7:00 Stiltsville

We entered Biscayne National Park through the Stiltsville Cut. It was pretty cool to sail between the old houses and buildings on stilts, which have been long since abandoned. This is a tricky entrance and we must be careful as we draw over six feet.

7:25 Coconut Grove Sailing Club

We got the last open mooring ball at CGSG, which thankfully was the only one that would fit our 46 foot sailboat. We were very thankful for the clubs hospitality. What an amazing place with excellent staff and friendly members. It helped that they were a racing club and we had visited there before while racing Melges 24’s.

7:41 Sail Loft

One of the main reasons for coming to Miami was to get our staysail fixed up. When it was originally re-cut down from a #4 jib in Annapolis the sail loft there made a mistake and made the sail longer than the hoist. So we were able to have the sail re-recut and fixed in under a week. We were super thankful to get this done.

8:39 Melges 20 and Bacardi Winter Series in Miami

It just so happened that the Melges 20 Winter Series and Bacardi Miami Winter Series was going on. Was this planned? Well, it certainly was a good enough reason to sail back to the USA and see all of our racing friends. On top of that, the race committee boat broke down, so we volunteered to be the RC boat for the day. It was lots of fun, but there were a few close calls. Luckily no boats were harmed in the filming of this video and SV Sweet Ruca came away without a scratch in her Awlgrip!

12:52 Coconut Grove

We ended our time in Miami with a stroll through Coconut Grove. It is a lovely little suburb on the south side. We took advantage of this time to get our last meals out in the USA for what we be a long time. We were also invited to go to the CGSC staff Christmas party, so we celebrated the holiday in style with our new friends before we sail away again to the Bahamas.

#sailing #boatlife #bahamas #sail #sea #boat #yacht #sailboat #yachting #travel #ocean #sailor #yachtlife #boating #boats #sailingboat #sailingyacht #adventure #yachts #vlogger #youtubesailing #vlog #rescuedog #sailingdog #boatdog #snorkeling #paddleboarding #desertedisland #jboats #saltydog #saltlife #sailingvlog #liveaboardlifestyle #rocna #anchoring #cruising #sailaway

The post [Ep 15] Hard Decisions…Do We Turn Around? appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

We are sailing offshore from Cape Fear North Carolina, across the gulf stream, directly to the Bahamas. 0:32: Catch a Mahi Mahi Usually, we bring our fishing gear in at night, but this night, we forgot to. Fish On! We reel in a Mahi Mahi in the dark while going 9 knots under sail. Kate fries him up and we have a delicious fresh fish meal.

2:47 Offshore Sailing

We keep on trucking! We are almost to the Bahamas. We can feel things getting warmer, which is much needed. We needed shorts weather, rather than the nasty cold of the East Coast in November. Luckily we didn’t have to dodge any storms or hurricanes, but we did sail through some winds up to 35 knots on the way down, making for an exciting sailboat passage.

9:31 Arrive in Eleuthera

We made it to Eleuthera, the Bahamas after almost a year of hard boat work. It seems like everything is coming together. We navigate the shallow waters, dodging coral heads, on the way to Meeks Island (one of the Bahamas Pig Islands) in the crystal clear turquoise waters of the Bahamas.

10:53 Anchor Down

This is what we went sailing for. Dropping anchor in the Bahamas and cooking some steaks on the grill! Yes! Watch a beautiful sunset with us.

12:04 Good Morning

We wake up in the morning and Kate climbs the mast to get the lay of the land. What other girls would do a mast climb? Kate is a superwoman! The water is glass calm and beautiful clouds dot the horizon. We jump in and dive our Rocna 33kg anchor to see how it is set!

15:02 Paddle Boarding

It is time for some paddle boarding and to explore a beach at a deserted island in the Caribbean! Woo Hoo!!! We made it.

#sailingvlog #bahamas #gulfstream #sailing #atlantic #bahamas #caribbean #sail #sailinglife #sail #sea #boat #yacht #sailboat #yachting #travel #ocean #boatlife #sailor #yachtlife #boating #summer #boats #sailingboat #sailingyacht #adventure #yachts #vlogger #youtubesailing #vlog #rescuedog #sailingdog #boatdog #snorkeling #paddleboarding #desertedisland #jboats #saltydog #saltlife

The post [Ep 14] Gulf Stream Crossing p2 – Sailing Offshore to Bahamas: Land Ho! appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

0:00 Annapolis

We start out this youtube sailing video where the last one left off. We left the dock at Bert Jabins in Annapolis, Marlyand in the cold November rain! We had a deadline though, our goal was to be at anchor in the warm, clear blue waters of the Bahamas to celebrate Thanksgiving.

0:31 Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay was a mess on the way out. We dodged fishing gear and huge cargo ships and freighters as we motored upwind to make our weather window. The next morning we were sailing, almost to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, the outlet to the Atlantic Ocean. After months of being coupled up in a boatyard, we have finally headed to sea again. We raised our sails and reached down the coast, headed toward Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

1:19 Cape Hatteras

Late that leaving, or should we say early the next morning, we rounded Cape Hatteras in the dark. We dealt with the choppy and confused seas driving at weird angles by the relentless current. We made it through, rounding America’s Great Cape at roughly 2:00 AM. The next morning, as if to celebrate our achievement, we were greeted by dolphins swimming off of our bow. Our first Bow Dolphins on Sweet Ruca!!!

4:20 Dolphins & Fishing for Mahi Mahi

After we crossed into the Gulf Stream the next morning the conditions subsided. And, at times even went to flat calm. We decided to do some fishing and nailed our first Mahi Mahi. Thankful to the gods of the sea for the fabulous dinner. Fish tacos for days!

7:34 Cape Fear, North Carolina

After our first offshore fishing experience, we saw the weather was shifting. To get ahead of it, and make some time in the calm, we decided to tack back to shore and head to Cape Fear, NC. A wonderful little town on the Intercoastal Waterway. We stayed the night and re-filled with diesel and icecream!

8:33 Gulf Stream in Big Breeze

We headed back out to do battle with the Gulf Stream once more. It was the only thing left between us and warm weather. The problem was, the wind was blowing from the direction we wanted to go. We saw big breeze up to 35 knots and Kate experienced a bout of seasickness as we had spray into the cockpit.

12:21 The Morning After

We made it through, but we weren’t to the Bahamas just yet. The trip would continue. We show you what the inside of the boat looks the morning after bashing into big seas offshore. Bluewater sailing at its best. Kate talks about her seasickness and Curtis is having fun discussing autopilot. He is really happy he is finally wearing shorts, a sign we are sailing closer to the Caribbean!

#sailingvlog #capehatteras #gulfstream #chesapeakebay #sailing #atlantic #bahamas #caribbean #sail #3rdreef #sailinglife #sail #sea #boat #yacht #sailboat #yachting #travel #ocean #boatlife #sailor #yachtlife #boating #summer #boats #sailingboat #sailingyacht #adventure #yachts #vlogger #youtubesailing #vlog #rescuedog #sailingdog #boatdog

The post [Ep. 13] Gulf Stream Crossing – Sailing Offshore to Bahamas in November appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

Kate gives a detailed explanation of how the rudder bearings work, and why we are changing them out.

1:47 Gooping

This is a really big project, including lots of fiberglass work and “gooping”. Meaning, it’s messy! We use lots of different glues and sealants as we time-lapse the rudder bearings back in the boat. We also add an extra fiberglass layer, with the help of Beasley Marine making them extra secure offshore. https://www.beasleymarine.me/ – Their website is lame, but their composite work and knowledge are top-notch. If you need composite, fiberglass repair, or carbon fiber work done on the east coast, Mike Beasley and his experienced team are highly recommended!

2:47 Rudder Installation

We slide the rudder back up into the boat. Carefully aligning it. We narrowly miss the wind generator with the travel lift as we maneuver the boat over the rudder. The rudder quadrant, steering cables, and autopilot are bolted in and tested.

5:38 Roxy the Sailing Dog Meets a Deer

We took Roxy for a walk in the local park. She saw a deer for the first time. She was a bit confused, and we think she thought it was another large dog that she could play with. It was really funny watching her try to jump and play with the whitetail deer.

6:15 Mast Mods and Installation

We modified the carbon fiber mast and rig to include a removable Dyneema inner forestay. This would allow us to have a cutter rig when we wished, and change back to a sloop as needed. A staysail jib which will also double as our storm headsail is hanked on and flies in high winds, or with double headsails when reaching. Once again, we enlisted the professionals at Beasley Marine for this composite work.

7:43 Back Together and In the Water

We finally get the boat back together and the travel lift comes to launch the boat on a cold November day. Thanksgiving is approaching as we prep for our next ocean sailing passage.

10:03 Tech Talk

We take a few moments to talk about how all the boat work we did in the yard has held up over the last 4000 miles as we have sailed to the Bahamas, USVI, BVI, Grenada & West Indies. We touch on the rudder bearings, carbon fiber mast, LifePO4 batteries, solar panels, boat life, and more.

#sailingvlog #annapolis #sail #sailing #sailinglife #sail #sea #boat #yacht #sailboat #yachting #travel #ocean #boatlife #sailor #yachtlife #boating #summer #boats #sailingboat #sailingyacht #adventure #yachts #vlogger #youtubesailing #vlog #rescuedog #sailingdog #boatdog

The post [Ep. 12] Back Together appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

0:23 Boatyard Fire

There is a fire in the boatyard, just one row upwind from our boat. It was a potentially dangerous situation that our friend Brian on the boat next to us noticed first and sprung into immediate action. We were working on our electrical system and could smell that it was an electrical type of fire. Worried that it was us we quickly shut everything down on our boat and gave it a full inspection. It was on another boat, but it is a sad story. The owner of the boat had been preparing his yacht for a circumnavigation for five years. He was due to finish and launch this winter. Errant current in an undersized solar panel wire likely caused the fire based on our visual inspection. The good of the story, fellow liveaboard cruisers in the marina saved the day, and likely the boatyard with their quick response.

0:53 Trip Home

We ran a few errands in Annapolis before heading home. We had to drop off our mainsail and #4 jib at the sailmaker to have an additional reef installed, reinforcements put on, and cut down the #4 to a storm staysail which would hank on our to-be-installed removable inner forestay. First, we had to return our borrowed jeep to our new friend and fellow Annapolis boater and boatyard neighbor Eric. Thank you!!!!! Then we picked up our rental car to make the 1000 mile road trip back to Toledo Ohio to see family and go to the Chicago Mackinac Awards party.

2:35 Chicago-Mackinac Race Finish

A short clip of the finish of the 333 mile long 2019 Chicago to Mackinac Race. In July, we sailed aboard Jim Weyand’s 1D35 Turbo sailboat Chico 2, hailing from Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit, MI. Kate was a driver and I was the navigator. For more about our experience on the race, see the link to our blog: https://sweetruca.com/routing-for-the…

4:26 Chicago-Mackinac Trophy

We traveled to Chicago to attend the awards party for the race in November at the Chicago Yacht Club. We were very happy to meet up with our friends from the Chico 2 crew and accept the 100+ year old Chicago-Mackinac Trophy along with the rest of the team. There just aren’t enough good things to say about Jim and his team of amazing sailors. Official results: https://cycracetomackinac.com/results…

5:38 Mast Removal

Our time in Chicago and home with friends was awesome, but now we had to shift modes from vacation and party mode back into boatyard work mode. We were doing some major re-fit work to our monohull sailboat in preparation of further offshore voyaging. First up was removing the carbon fiber mast and rig to install the Dyneema inner forestay. This would allow us to shift between a sloop and cutter rig as needed. It would also centralize the sail plan in big breeze if we were to encounter a storm in the ocean.

9:19 Rudder Removal

Next up was removing the rudder. We had decided to replace the rudder bearings. Ours were serviceable as is, but knowing that we plan to put on 25000 miles, we found it prudent to do sooner rather than later. Bert Jabin Yacht Yard in Annapolis would make our work easier as well, rather than trying to do these major projects in a far-flung tropical island.

11:54 Rudder Bearing Replacement Part 1

After we had the rudder out, a major job requiring heavy machinery. It was time to remove the old bearings. They simply had to be pounded out. Before we install the new bearings, we first must change the bearing race on the rudder itself, from composite to stainless steel. This required quite a bit of cutting, grinding, and sanding. It is always nerve-wracking to cut into such expensive parts.

#sailingvlog #CYCRTM #sail #sailing #sailinglife #sail #sea #boat #yacht #sailboat #yachting #travel #ocean #boatlife #sailor #yachtlife #boating #summer #boats #sailingboat #sailingyacht #adventure #yachts #vlogger #youtubesailing #vlog

The post [Ep. 11] What Could Go Wrong? – Champagne Sailing, Parties & Boatyard Grit appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

0:24 Sailing from NYC to Annapolis via C&D Canal We leave NYC and head to Annapolis Maryland. We sail in the Atlantic ocean off the coast of New Jersey. We duck into Cape May and motor through the C&D canal. Afterward, we anchor overnight.

5:00 Welcome to Annapolis We arrive in Annapolis to lots of boats and kiteboarders. We visit relatives and check out cool new catamarans and monohulls during the Annapolis Sailboat Show in October. We enjoyed the boat show, picking up some much needed (and not so needed) items at great show deal prices. We purchase a life raft, paddleboards, and some more safety gear.

6:33 Goodbye Family After the boat show, our family left with our last big possession, Curtis’ car. We sold it to his parents as we wouldn’t be needing it for a long time.

9:24 Haulout at Jabins We decided to make an un-planned haul out and do some boat projects at Bert Jabin Boat Yard. Initially, we wanted to do this boat work in North Carolina or Florida, before proceeding on to the Bahamas, but Jabin’s is a top-notch yard with some of the best in the industry. We knew we would have access to the resources to complete the projects we wanted and they had space they could fit us into.

11:32 Boat Work We re-wire and optimize the electrical system for LifePO4 batteries, moving the battery bank to a centralized location. We do some bottom work and paint touch up. We install a line cutter on the propeller. Check the rudder quadrant, install new rudder bearings, and refurbish the autopilot. We pull the mast to install an inner forestay for a cutter rig staysail option. We also take care of many small projects like marking the anchor chain, etc. There are lots of trips to West Marine. Most notably we met some amazing people and new friends in Annapolis. We loved it there!!! Thanks to everyone we met and who helped us!!!!

#sailing #diy #boatyard #jboats #annapolis #sail #sailingcouple #sweetruca #yacht #youtubers #vlog #vlogs #boatshow #sailboat #bottompaint #carbonfiber #sails

The post [Ep. 10] Play Time is Over – Boat Show and Boat Work in Annapolis appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.

We had stopped in Annapolis, Maryland, for the United States Sailboat Show in October. We still had a big to-do list for the boat to work through, but we had planned on sailing south and completing it in North Carolina, Georgia, or Florida. We grabbed a dock for the boat show at the famous Jabin’s Yacht Yard. My parents and aunt and uncle were coming to visit, and we felt the ease of walking to the boat via a dock rather than transiting an anchorage in the inflatable would better suit their visit. It did, and it was nice being “off the hook” for a bit.

We enjoyed the show. We picked up some mission-critical items such as a new life raft at great deals. We also splurged on some water toys, a floating inflatable “dock” (Curtis’ storage and weight nemesis), and a second paddle inflatable board. We also met some great industry people that gave us some great help and advice. Thanks, Alden @ Edson and Steve @ Marlow!

It was also interesting to see the impact YouTube was having on the cruising sailor and the sport in general. Many new sailors were drawn in by the appearances of quasi-famous Vlog sailors such as SV Delos, Sailing LaVagabonde, and Tula’s Endless Summer. We also realized just how different we were from those sailors. With our racing backgrounds, we tend to push a little harder and a bit further. Our cruising friends say we need to slow down, we shall see about that, as I am still waiting for our first 200-mile day.

Post boat show, we were about to leave to go south. In passing, we suggested to Jabin’s that we had a worklist requiring a haul out. Surprisingly, they said they could accommodate us if we could be there at 8 am the next day. We took the offer, expecting just to spend a few days on some minor touch up and inspection. What we didn’t count on was meeting up with the experts at Beasley Marine. It just so happens we met once before, in a horse-drawn carriage on Mackinac Island a few months earlier.

As it turned out, Mike Beasley, the owner, and round the record-breaking world sailor himself, offered to do the carbon fiber work to our rig to install the inner forestay that I had wanted all along. We couldn’t refuse and got right to work. He also inspected our rudder bearings and assisted us with the replacement and retrofit of new Jefa bearings to replace the existing Harken bearings, which were no longer in production. Lastly, while we were waiting, we figured we would re-wire the boats 12v system and relocate the batteries under the guidance of Andy @ YES (Yacht Electrical Systems). The autopilot was sent out to be inspected and rebuilt. Lastly, the sails were taken to the loft to be recut to accommodate the forestay, batten pockets reinforced, and a third reef added. What started as a quick three-day inspection and bottom paint touch up spiraled into a month-long major refit.

We didn’t “need” to do anything and could have sailed the boat for years as is, but, seeing as we sail more like racers and less like cruisers, the modifications make the boat much more of a weapon offshore and also safer. The IFS and staysail combination along the with the additional reef in the main gives us the ability to safely and efficiently sail in a greater range of conditions, especially upwind (where most cruisers never venture). The relocation of the batteries gives not only optimal charging, reliability, and balancing; it also centralizes and lowers their weight in the boat for lower COE (center of effort), and increased stability.

The rudder bearings were perhaps the improvement which I am most grateful for. They were expensive, but give much greater confidence in the boat when we are pushing her hard. We routinely reach double-digit boat speeds; having reliable steering is very important. Not only did we glue the bearings in after careful alignment, the man himself, Beasley, also added fiberglass reinforcement to ensure the lower bearing would never fall out.

The bad part, the clock was ticking, it was getting cold. We had to get out of dodge and get south. We used a plethora of portable heaters to keep the boat and materials warm enough to work with. Finally, after the year’s first snow, just before thanksgiving, Jabin’s splashed the yacht just in time. Keith, the Dockmaster, even gave us a free night at the dock to get things sorted before we left. As it was, our weather routing had us setting off the next day, perfect!

As a side note, Bert, Keith, and crew at Jabin’s are top-notch! Everyone from the front office to the travelift drivers were on their game, helpful and friendly. If you haven’t had the privilege of stopping at Jabin’s, you need to. It is a cruisers (and racers for that matter) dream boatyard. They were DIY friendly, but you also had access to some of the east coasts best marine service techs, composites, and riggers. There were cruisers from many places, an excellent social mood, a free stuff trading table, clean laundry, and bathrooms. Some say that it is pricey. I say that you get what you pay for.

We were off the dock in the dark, heading into a rainstorm, just three days before thanksgiving. There would be no turkey dinner for us, just November rain, but we needed to get south where it was warmer, out of freezing weather. We were routing for the Abacos, Man-O-War Cay, Bahamas. If we pushed through the night down the Chesapeake Bay in the rain, we should have fair weather and optimal winds for the remainder of the trip. This time of year, weather windows can be short and fluky. You take what you can get, when you can get it.

The majority of the first night was motoring into driving rain and 20 knots of wind down the Chesapeake. We dodged 1000 foot container ships and tugs in tow. At one point, we hit a fishnet with the prop; thankfully, we had installed a line cutter while on the hard during our refit. Our experience in Maine would never let us motor confidently at night without one. The net slowed us down for a few minutes, but no dangerous nighttime dive under the boat was required to free us.

The rain subsided early in the morning and allowed us to set sail on the way to Virginia Beach. We desperately wanted to stop in there to re-fuel, but that would have cost us valuable hours in our weather window. Later, we would regret this decision. We pushed on under sail, pacing with a 70ft Hylas. The race was on down the coast of Virginia and North Carolina as we both headed to Cape Hatteras. As we entered the ocean off of VA Beach, the wind clocked off the shore and built to 30 knots. We sent Kate up the rig to clear a halyard so we could three sail reach. We were plowing along at 9-11 knots in flat water.

Conditions sustained, we held the 70 footer off, keeping him and a 500 ft freighter just off our starboard quarter and passing another 46ft cruiser. We were barreling toward Cape Hatteras as night fell. The freighter had been hanging so close it was almost as if he was pacing up. After dark, I gave him a call on the radio to make sure we wouldn’t have any issues through the night. His response was, “you are going around the Cape in that small boat, it is rough tonight.” This wasn’t exactly confidence-inspiring, but we discussed forecast models. After a few minutes and his review of updated forecasts, he realized that my forecasting was better than his companies weather routers. He wished me luck and decided to speed up as he was less worried about the forecast.

If a 500 ft ship captain had been slowing down to miss adverse conditions, what was I doing headed in the right direction at full speed? Kate was sleeping and was soon to be overcome with seasickness. I was single-handed around the USA’s great Cape in the middle of the night in big breeze. Was I worried? A bit. This is where my racing experience kicked in. I knew to have confidence in my weather routing and forecasting. I knew to have confidence in the boat. We were set up to rip to the Bahamas and have our fastest 24 hour run under sail yet. Send it!

Cape Hatteras was as described. A mess of current and sloppy short chop tall waves. We were tossed around considerably as we skirted the minimum distance from shore to avoid the adverse Gulf Stream current. We wanted to cross it at 90 degrees just after the Cape. The motion of the Cape put Kate down for the count. She spent any time not in bed on the edge of the cockpit, sharing her dinner with Poseidon. I felt terrible, but the only choice was to push through the conditions as fast as possible. We put down 185 miles in 24 hours through the Gulf Stream, an average of 7.7 knots. Fast for a fully laden single-handed cruiser.

The next morning the seas subsided along with the wind. We were through the stream but left with less wind than forecast. Not enough to sail. We downloaded the next satellite weather update from Predictwind and IridiumGo. We could sit and wait for more wind, but it would come on the nose and hard. We could motor, making VMG at the Bahamas, but again be met with wind on the nose in 24 hours. We would also use the last of our fuel, remember we skipped our fuel stop in Virginia. We got the charts out and weighed our options. We decided to motor to Cape Fear, NC, just at the edge of our fuel range. It would equate to our first upwind tack, a day ahead of the breeze. Plus, we could fish and get a nights sleep on anchor before we re-fueled.

We crossed the Gulf Stream for the second time in our trip in mirror glass water conditions. We caught a Mahi for dinner, our first offshore fish. We re-fueled and met another cruising couple in the marina; they were headed north to sell their boat and go back to work. They passed us their cruising guides for the Bahamas and wished us luck. We set off once again for the Bahamas. Yet a third crossing of the stream this season (we would end up crossing it five times this year).

We knew we would be slightly cracked off upwind and could one tack Abaco based on our new routing. We set sail off Cape Fear in a gentle breeze and flat water. It would gradually build to 8-foot steep chop and 30 knots of breeze. We sailed loud and fast under reefed main and full #2 Genoa, eventually reefing it and then going to the mainsail only to slow the boat. Banging and jumping off waves at speeds over 10 knots at times, setting us up for another 180-mile day. Kate’s dinner was once again uncooperative, but we had islands on our minds.

Things eventually subsided into an excellent broad reach in 18 knots. Perfect conditions. We let the autopilot drive and relaxed a bit in open water. We were over 200 miles offshore, out of reach of the coast guard. We were indeed on our own now. A day or so later, we would be in warm weather and turquoise water with a Mahi on the fishing line.

‘Till next time.

The post Takeoff – Rounding a Great Cape and Leaving the USA appeared first on Sailing Sweet Ruca.