I am slowly getting my 37.5 ready for off shore sailing... I have been working slowly on the basics... I am using the OCR specs from the Transpac race... which lays out a clear todo list on many things - including all the equipment needed... I am interested in issues like - hatch upgrades? mods to the standing rigging? I know the sailing characteristics... have sailed in 40+ knots with fairly good sea state ... I have not had the opportunity to see how she heaves-to and assuming that at Para-anchor will have to be the storm tactic for that manuver... I am just looking for some insight from those that have been there as I move along my 3 year todo list before I go over the edge of the earth. Looking forward to any replies.
37.5 upgrades for bluewater?
- Thread starter Bob15962
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Been there
Just back from a round trip starting in the St Lawrence River to the Caribbean by way of Bermuda solo in a '96 37.6. Changes I would do next time is More fuel capacity( you want your blue water passages as short as possible ), backup autopilot or wind vane. Before I left I added radar, watermaker, solar and wind generator. A hard dodger can be very handy also. The boat worked great but you must reef early so have a good system so you don't leave the cockpit. Had some big seas before Bermuda with square waves that flat bottoms don't like falling off of. Without a back stay you really want to avoid any speed in these conditions. I used SkyMate Email/weather and was happy with their system. Good luck and have fun.
Just back from a round trip starting in the St Lawrence River to the Caribbean by way of Bermuda solo in a '96 37.6. Changes I would do next time is More fuel capacity( you want your blue water passages as short as possible ), backup autopilot or wind vane. Before I left I added radar, watermaker, solar and wind generator. A hard dodger can be very handy also. The boat worked great but you must reef early so have a good system so you don't leave the cockpit. Had some big seas before Bermuda with square waves that flat bottoms don't like falling off of. Without a back stay you really want to avoid any speed in these conditions. I used SkyMate Email/weather and was happy with their system. Good luck and have fun.
forget the para anchor
The para anchor is a useless piece of equipment. It is hard to deploy, does not keep the bow pointed directly into the waves and is IMPOSABLE to recover. Better to save your money or invest in better storm sails or a drogue anchor. The book "Surviving the Storm" has numerous examples by folks that used various storm survival techniques and the para anchor came in dead last. The only thing that worked worse was heaving to. Note that the book is focused on surviving in truly nightmare type of storms where breaking seas are the major concern not high winds. Heaving to in breaking seas or in seas that will become breaking is folly.
The para anchor is a useless piece of equipment. It is hard to deploy, does not keep the bow pointed directly into the waves and is IMPOSABLE to recover. Better to save your money or invest in better storm sails or a drogue anchor. The book "Surviving the Storm" has numerous examples by folks that used various storm survival techniques and the para anchor came in dead last. The only thing that worked worse was heaving to. Note that the book is focused on surviving in truly nightmare type of storms where breaking seas are the major concern not high winds. Heaving to in breaking seas or in seas that will become breaking is folly.
Para-Anchor
...this is second hand, so discount this accordingly. A friend was sailing singlehanded from the Bahamas to the UK on a 40'. He used the Para-anchor twice. Once while riding out the edge of a hurricane and for about ten days between the Azores and the UK riding out a series of gales without a rudder. I posted that experience on this site real-time as he e-mailed me from the boat. I had thought, like Bill, it was a waste of money for the same reasons. However, I am a believer now and it would be on my short list for a long passage. Rick D.
...this is second hand, so discount this accordingly. A friend was sailing singlehanded from the Bahamas to the UK on a 40'. He used the Para-anchor twice. Once while riding out the edge of a hurricane and for about ten days between the Azores and the UK riding out a series of gales without a rudder. I posted that experience on this site real-time as he e-mailed me from the boat. I had thought, like Bill, it was a waste of money for the same reasons. However, I am a believer now and it would be on my short list for a long passage. Rick D.
I disagree Bill
I think a sea anchor is a great tool to have. It's not always the best approach but lets say you've been dodging breaking waves for 10 hours, the weather isn't letting up, and you just got to get some rest. Rig a pullback line, throw the sea anchor into the water, rig up an angle line to keep the bow angled a little to cut down on the swing and then go to bed. When you are ready to retrieve it, let loose the anchor line from the boat and pull the anchor in with the pullback line (just a long 1/4 line attached to the tip of the chute) and off you go. If one is a good wave dodger, then that may be safer and more comfortable then under sea anchor, but once one can't physically handle that anymore, then it's time for the sea anchor.
I think a sea anchor is a great tool to have. It's not always the best approach but lets say you've been dodging breaking waves for 10 hours, the weather isn't letting up, and you just got to get some rest. Rig a pullback line, throw the sea anchor into the water, rig up an angle line to keep the bow angled a little to cut down on the swing and then go to bed. When you are ready to retrieve it, let loose the anchor line from the boat and pull the anchor in with the pullback line (just a long 1/4 line attached to the tip of the chute) and off you go. If one is a good wave dodger, then that may be safer and more comfortable then under sea anchor, but once one can't physically handle that anymore, then it's time for the sea anchor.
thanks - love the storm tactics discussion...
Thanks for the discussion.... sea anchors and storm tactics are always fun to discuss ... I was more interested in hull and standing rigging issues with a 37.5 for bluewater .... the storm tactics will need to be worked out based upon my hull characteristics and sail plan for extreme measures... I am looking forward to some heavy air to play out the options.... Just for the fun of discussion - in use of a sea anchor I would do it in a way that I have atleast a trisail up - heaved-to with a a line running to the anchor line so that my boat sits 50 degrees to the wind... the trisail would be used as a riding sail for steading out the rough ride.... again just one prospective... : )
Thanks for the discussion.... sea anchors and storm tactics are always fun to discuss ... I was more interested in hull and standing rigging issues with a 37.5 for bluewater .... the storm tactics will need to be worked out based upon my hull characteristics and sail plan for extreme measures... I am looking forward to some heavy air to play out the options.... Just for the fun of discussion - in use of a sea anchor I would do it in a way that I have atleast a trisail up - heaved-to with a a line running to the anchor line so that my boat sits 50 degrees to the wind... the trisail would be used as a riding sail for steading out the rough ride.... again just one prospective... : )
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