Today's the big day

sfgary · May 16, 2009

Congradulations Steve, the boat looks great but be very careful where you anchor and how you anchor. Stay out of all navigable channels and be sure to let out enough scope(amount of rode). You should have at least 4 to 1. If your in 25 feet of water you should let out 100 feet of rode. Be sure to back down on the power to set the hook. You should have your buddy go out with you 1 time to help you with anchoring. Have a great time and be safe. Gary

RECESS · May 16, 2009

I would keep the boom tent. Shade is a real nice thing to have. There may be a better person that is familar with your area's sea floor for the anchoring question.

Have a great time, and expect to have challenges.

Bad Obsession · May 16, 2009

That is the way it always goes. You always find more to put in the boat when you are getting ready to go.

The only way to learn is to get out there and do it. You will be fine as long as you have safety gear with you. If you make a mistake it is a learning experience and all of us on here have made them from time to time. Do things slowly and cautiously and even if you make a small mistake you will get through it. Enjoy your weekend.

Joe · May 16, 2009

Steve.... the only place you can anchor in mission bay over night is in mariner's cove. there is no fee. Call the lifeguard/harbor police if you are unsure about where to anchor. They monitor Channel 16 or call them on your cell.

When you anchor in the cove, let out at least 5-7 x depth for your scope, then throttle in reverse to set the hook.

Pick a spot where you won't interfere with other anchor lines if the boats swing around.

If you want a guest slip, check over at my place...Marina Village Marina.

Prime Time · May 16, 2009

congratulations

Congratulations! Now the adventure begins. Might I recommend a great text book to keep with you onboard. It good information for what you are about to do. http://www.amazon.com/Chapman-Piloting-Seamanship-Elbert-Maloney/dp/1588160890

biggio · May 16, 2009

Becareful of your battery usage. Check your bilge pump and make sure it is working.
I would recommend a five gallon bucket and a hand pump back up to the bilge pump.
Be very careful going forward to raise the headsail. There is not alot of room for a mistep.
Teach your son to turn into the wind to stop the boat.
I have a Cat 27 and have had to use the hand pump
and bucket after a bilge pump failure.

Bad Obsession · May 16, 2009

Catalina 22 should have a dry bilge. You don't have the shaft going through the hull so it won't drip at all. you may see some water in the boat after some rain but my Hunter 22 NEVER had water in the bilge.

Battery power should be a huge worry for you. Get a nice solar or battery powered lantern to light up the cabin at night.

As far as the anchor, back down on it pretty good with the engine when you set it. The boat should lurch forward after you put the outboard in neutral. Scope should be set at 7 to 1 most of the time. Odds are that someday you will drag anchor...it is no big deal as long as you catch it before you hit anything. It is normal to swing on the anchor. My Hunter 22 did that big time and my Catalina 30 does it as well.

Enjoy your trip and hopefully your son will become a big fan of the boat. It is always nice to have someone to share your passions with.

Bad Obsession · May 16, 2009

If it is settled weather and storms come up you are usually okay with a shorter rode. The other thought is what type of anchor do you have out? I would assume that you have a danforth out because that is really common and that is what my Hunter 22 had. Other consideration is what type of bottom are you anchored in?

I just put a bruce anchor on my Catalina 30. I love the anchor and it sets really well.

When you pan out the rode it easiest way to ensure a set is to have your boat going backwards when you play out the rode. Once you have put out about 30 feet (this is for 8 feet of water and adjust it to what depth you are in) take the rode and put it around the cleat. You will feel the anchor set. If it continues dragging along the bottom it didn't set. Pick it up and get yourself back into position and re-deploy the anchor. With a danforth this can take a few attempts.

If the anchor sets the rode will pull tight and the boat will stop it's progress backwards. Once that is done let out the amount of scope that you are going to use and cleat off the line. The boat will drift backwards with the wind or current. Go head and back down on the anchor again and give it a descent amount of force backwards. If it is truely set it will not break out of the bottom and the boat will not make any progress backwards once the rode is stretched. When you shift to neutral the boat will move forward as the rode slackens up. This is okay.

Another good idea is that once you are set in a place and you believe that you have a set, pick two points and observe your relation to them. If this relation makes a change then you could be drifting.

sailingdog · May 17, 2009

I'd point out that your scope calculations should include the height of the bow roller off the water and the expected depth of water at high tide...this can make a huge difference in your calculations.

For instance, say you're anchored in 10' of water at low tide, and the tide will rise 7' and the bow roller of the boat is 3' off the surface. A base calculation of a 5:1 scope with 10' of water depth gives you 50' of rode out.. However, at high tide the distance from the bow roller to the bottom would be 20', making your scope actually only 2.5:1—which is really too short for good holding in most situations.

Now, if you were to account for the bow roller and tide change, you'd have put out 100' of rode, rather than 50'. At low tide, this gives you what appears to be a 10:1 scope, but in reality, at low tide, it is only a 6.9:1 scope or so... since the bow roller height makes the actual depth 13', not 10'.

sfgary said:
Congradulations Steve, the boat looks great but be very careful where you anchor and how you anchor. Stay out of all navigable channels and be sure to let out enough scope(amount of rode). You should have at least 4 to 1. If your in 25 feet of water you should let out 100 feet of rode. Be sure to back down on the power to set the hook. You should have your buddy go out with you 1 time to help you with anchoring. Have a great time and be safe. Gary

sailingdog · May 18, 2009

I'd recommend you stay inside the harbor until you know the boat a bit better.

Jim Seamans · May 18, 2009

Way to go Steve

Your boy looks like he was having fun driving Daddy's boat.

One thing for such a young lad. Get a better life vest. If he goes into the water with that one, he can slip out of the arms. Get one that has straps that go through between his legs then he can't slip out...

Have fun, it is a great treat having the kids on the boat...

Bad Obsession · May 18, 2009

I trailer sailed my Hunter 22 for one year. After that I put it in a slip. Stepping the mast every time is a PITA.