One Single Mom, Two Boys, and a Very Small Boat

A lot of people think I’m nuts when I tell them I took my two children out on an 18 foot
power boat last summer for a total of seven weeks, but let me explain to you why I did it.
Growing up on the island I spent many idyllic summer days on boats with my parents.
Ten years ago I finally bought my own 15 foot power boat. It was ancient - even older
than ME but it floated and that was my only requirement so I was thrilled.

Being a single mom (hence the only adult on board) and having a healthy respect (read
fear) for the ocean’s strength, I stayed fairly close to shore and was happy to do so.

Two years ago I read the coastal classic The Curve of Time by M. Wylie Blanchet.
During the 1930’s and 40’s, Ms. Blanchet, a widow, took her 5 children out on their 25
foot boat for four months every summer. I thought if she can do it, so can I... but first I
needed a boat with beds. I lucked into an awesome deal and bought another OLD boat,
but it was 30 feet and had all the conveniences of home, even a shower... how divine.

During our first few day trips, I quickly realized that it was too much boat to be the
captain of, while simultaneously being the mother of my two boys, ages 8 and 13. So at
the 11th hour I sold the 30 foot boat and bought an 18 foot power boat with none of the
luxuries of home except for a cuddy with a bed almost big enough for the three of us.
Thank goodness my boys are small.

This new boat was perfect for us, it was manageable on my own, put out a lot less
pollution and the 100L fuel tank was a lot cheaper to fill than the 400L tank I had on my
previous boat!

We provisioned the boat for our first trip which was to last two weeks. I finally faced my
fear of straying away from shore and set out across the Georgia Straight mid June,
heading for Jervis Inlet poking in and out of harbours along the way. It was a fantastic
success. In early August we set out again, this time for five weeks. We went as far
north as the Thurlow islands and as far south as Horseshoe Bay, stopping up and down
the Sunshine Coast and Desolation Sound.

One of my favourite memories is also one of my scariest. We had been out for about
two weeks in August when I had to face my first rapids. We wanted to visit a cabin on
the Octopus Islands that many mariners have left crazy pieces of art made from
driftwood and other items found on beaches. To get there though, I had to cross
through the Hole in the Wall rapids. For days before hand I sought advice from
numerous people on docks, I researched online anytime I could get a wifi connection, I
watched youtube videos and poured over the tide and current books. We finally arrived
at the edge of the rapids. I floated just outside of the rapids for an hour watching,
waiting, for someone else to go through first.

I felt like a big chicken but I also felt the responsibility of getting my two little boys safely
through this passage. When a little sail boat started through and it was just about slack
tide so I mustered up all my courage, gave my boys a big lecture about sitting in one
place, not getting in the way, not making noise and keeping a sharp look out for deadheads, debris, tidal pools and standing waves. I’m sure they felt my fear because for once they listened to my directions and didn’t budge.

Not surprisingly, we made it through without ANY problems. As we neared the exit of
the rapids, I started to relax and finally let out the breathe I’d been holding the entire
time.

And then... the best moment of the whole summer happened. My youngest son threw
his arms up in the air and triumphantly screamed at the top of his lungs, “YAYYYY!!!
Mommy face her fears and she DID IT!!!”. Wow! It suddenly occurred to me that
not only was I facing my fear of rapids, but more importantly, MUCH more importantly, I
realized that I had taught my boys a very important lesson - that you never quit. Even
when you’re terrified, you just prepare as best as you can, and then you blunder on
through. Any doubts I had about taking taking two kids out on such a small boat for
such a long time instantly evaporated. I felt like a very good mommy at that particular
moment.

The rest of the trip was just as great. We spotted killer whales four separate times and
watched a pod of dolphins play in our wake for an hour up in the Cardero Channel.
Sure there were fights between my boys, bad weather (we even missed my youngest
son’s birthday party in Courtenay while stranded in Powell River due to high winds) and
the catastrophic moment when the pee bucket washed over board, but we survived it all
and came away with great memories. We also learned a lot of valuable lessons that will
serve my boys well for the rest of their lives. We look forward to our three month
adventure this summer!!!

Daphne Stuart is a local music teacher and resides in Comox with her two boys. To
contact Daphne email her at ithinkican73@gmail.com

Mantus Anchors

Guest Writer: Deneen Taylor, Mantus Anchors - when not playing with anchors, Deneen is a Chief Engineer for NASA and sails on Galveston bay

Anchors…. Just mention the word among seasoned sailors and the tales of woe will run deep into the night, far outlasting the rum & cervesas.  We’ve had our share… Coconut proudly sported a CQR as a primary & a Fortress as a back-up when she left Houston and sailed to Galapagos.  The CQR is a “Goldilocks anchor” – it doesn’t like anything too soft or too hard – the bottom must be juuust right. It drags in soft bottoms and getting it to set in harder bottoms requires diving. The Fortress on the other hand thrives in soft loose soil – the large blades offer great holding and it stows away nicely, but trying to set it in harder grounds is useless.  Ideally we wanted something that would set when deployed first time regardless of soil conditions… Is that really too much to ask? When we see a problem our minds instantly start creating solutions.

We are just a couple of common everyday cruisers who had a crazy idea that we could design and build an anchor better than anything out there.   Our credentials? Well…, we have a boat.. and an anchor… and we certainly know from experience how anchors DON’T work… so that seemed good enough for us.

We realized, the fault with the various anchors we tried lied not in holding power but more in never having set well to begin with. So our objective going into this project was to design an anchor that would set in all soil conditions even hard-packed clay or weedy bottoms (two bottoms types that proved very problematic to us). It took over a year of design-build-test … a few tweaks, re-design and test again…. more tweaks… more redesigns… more tests… We start questioning if this is even possible and then we start questioning our sanity… Don’t normal people just go to West Marine drop several hundred dollars and walk out with a nice anchor? We’ve certainly spent more on these prototypes than any new fancy anchor would ever cost. Why are we obsessed with perfection? Why do we think we can do it better than all those who preceded us? More tweaks… more testing and…  finally - WAH-LAH! Perfection achieved!

 She is a beauty that grabs and holds even when the others don’t. Plus she disassembles, so now we no longer have to compromise on our spare anchor. Yay! We are so excited. We name her Mantus and make a nice stainless steel one for Coconut placing it proudly on her bow.  Like all proud parents we show our baby off to anyone that will pay attention and even those who won’t.  But then something surprising happens - some of the locals want one for themselves. Hmm… we starting thinking… Is it possible? Would others be interested too? Is there a market? If we are going to make 5 maybe we might as well make 500. Greg’s mother reminds us that we know nothing about starting a business and adds she has not one friend interested in anchors. She recommends we consider handbags – that’s something she thinks will sell! As alluring as handbags are, we decide to risk it all on anchors.

Another year to work out all the manufacturing details and in 2012 Mantus Anchors the Company is launched. Throughout this now three year effort we have performed a lot of testing – A . LOT . OF . TESTING. – with at least a dozen different types of anchors ranging in size from 8 lb to 65 lb; in various soil condition: soft, moderate, hard, weedy, rocky, sandy, silty and coral and in different locations: Galveston Bay, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Based on this, plus our cruising experience and feedback from other cruisers we’ve met along the way, we offer the following observations: 

• It’s all about SETTING baby – If the anchor doesn’t set it will never get a chance to hold. (If you have to dive to set your anchor – you need a new anchor!!)
• Holding strength is directly proportional to anchor surface area and viscosity of bottom.  Size Matters! Many manufacturers underestimate the recommended anchor sizes. I don’t know why, maybe it makes them look stronger or less expensive. Compare sizing tables of similarly designed anchors. Ask fellow cruisers. Call the manufacturer & tell them your set-up and how you intend to use the anchor, they should be able to give a good recommendation. It’s just best not to base your selection on any one table. Even the best anchor won’t hold you if not sized properly.

• New gen anchors are far superior to any of the “oldies-but-goodies”.
• New gen anchors also re-align and re-set better.
• Use at least a 5:1 scope (preferably up to 10:1). Setting ability and holding power is greatly affected when less than 5:1 and dangerously affected at 3:1 or less. (The new gen anchors do pretty well at shorter scopes.)
• If at all possible use a full chain rode.  (Line Rode is easily cut.) For extended voyages, consider carrying at least 300 feet of chain, which will allow for 10:1 scope in 25 feet of water (5 feet allotted for freeboard height)
• Size anchor appropriately – Do you need a Lunch Hook to use in your local bay or are you planning an extended voyage where bottom conditions and weather can vary place to place?  
• Refer to American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) Working Load Table to approximate anchor loads for a given boat length and wind condition. (If you go to ABYC website they charge you for a copy of the standard, but you can find a simplified version here and a 2003 copy of H-40 standard here.)  These are very conservative numbers – no need to add additional “fear factors”.
• Size chain/rode appropriately – similar as anchor sizing – the entire system should be equally rated. Know your weakest link! Swivel? C-Link? Shackle? Line?
• Use a bridle/snubber system. Anchor holding is greatly affected by shock/dynamic/transient loads created by wind or waves.  A bridle acts as a damping system absorbing the shock loads. Not only will you have a more comfortable anchorage but you will also be safer. It’s a WIN-WIN!
• Know the limitation of swivels – they are very weak when side-loaded and can easily fail. Additionally, they can jam against the anchor shank affecting the anchor’s setting ability. To mitigate this don’t attach the swivel directly to the anchor – use a shackle or shackle/chain combo in between.
• Safety wire your shackle securely. Anchors have fallen off during crossings in addition to being stolen while in anchorages. (A highly motivated thief can get through the safety wire but hopefully it deters him enough to find an easier victim.)
• Inspect the entire system regularly. Look especially at contact surfaces, faying surfaces and threaded surfaces and lubricate before re-assembling.  Stainless is NOT stain-proof (yes even 316 SS). Pay special attention to crevices and hidden areas. Flush with fresh water regularly. Galvanization on your anchor will gradually degrade (it’s a sacrificial coating) and wear from being dragged through rocks, coral, sand etc.  A small amount of exposed metal is fine and can even be touched-up with zinc rich paints if desired. (Proper surface prep is very important!).  Once the galvanization is worn enough to expose ½”-1” sized patches you may want to consider re-galvanizing. Check line rode and bridle for chaffing or wear. All your working load ratings are based on gear in like-new condition. Excessive corrosion or damage will significantly affect their strength.

On the Mantus Anchors website we have an extensive knowledge base with anchor comparisons and details on anchor/rode sizing, c-links, swivels & bridles/snubber systems.

Sloop-D-Doo on More Moving Aboard Transistions

We just moved aboard Jan. 8th 2013 we had no plans no experience and my wife is scared of the water. Well she doesn't know how to swim, that's why shes scared. We lived in an RV until a week before Christmas 2012. Our RV burned to the ground. While I was looking for a new RV on RVtrader she said why don't we turn this bad into something good and go for my dream. Who am I to argue with the wife, so I turned my search to Google. (Boat auctions) up came Chesapeake bay Maritime museum, I looked down their list of boats for sale and saw a 31' Columbia, 68 model, loved the looks of her, sexy lines. I started to research them, found out they are pretty darn good boats. This one had a new 3 cyl. diesel, new wiring, new plumbing, and was very clean. Told the man I wanted her and left Pensacola Fl for Md. We arrived while the man was on Christmas vacation. We went to the museum that Monday he returned and saw her insides and the wife said lets do it. We checked out of the motel on the 8th and started to provision & complete as much of the restoration as we could in the one week the museum gave us at their dock, We cast of the lines on a foggy Jan 15th and headed down the Chesapeake Bay towards the ICW. Well, I'll wait to tell more, and more I've got to tell. What a journey it has been. I have done a video log every day of our trip. We arrived in Fernandina Bch., Fl last Saturday and have been anchored out here waiting for my income tax ck so we can go further south. I'll be looking for a way to earn a little income here and there. Oh ya did I mention we home school our 8yo boy. He is learning so much from this adventure. Book to follow.

The Crew of
Sloop-D-Doo

Steve, Trisa & Gabriel

An RV as Preparation for Living on a Boat

Just some basic input here. We are planning a live aboard this June.

This has been a two year prep and we started preparing before we ever purchased our sailboat.

We sold everything purchased a used 32 foot 5th wheel and lived in it for one year. I figured if I could master small spaces it would help prepare us for boat living.

We loved the 5th wheel and now that it has served it's purpose we are going to sell it.

We are excited about the live aboard and already downsized for less than 300 square feet of living space. I have learned where to skimp, and where not to. We definitely will use ceramic plates and as silver ware. The pressure cooker was a must in the 5th wheel so will be used on the boat. Another thing that is a must have is a bullet for juicing. Great meal supplements and small storage space. You can pick them up at Bed Bath and Beyond. We have learned to make coffee with a ceramic one cup dropper that takes cone filters. Saves space and works just as well as a coffee maker. I roast my own coffee from green beans so I have a grinder too. Will not be roasting on the boat due to smoke unless on open water. Moored at the marina would cause too much smoke for my neighbors. a good casserole dish with a lid that is not to big but will fit your stove oven works great.

any kind of kitchen item you like to use surprisingly comes in many collapsible forms like strainers, measuring cups and the such. Kitchen speciality stores carry many small collapsible space saving cooking gadgets that will take up less space than a household draw size of most items. Try and get "no-sweat" drinking glasses....makes for a nicer item in humidity without soaking your interior table with water rings.

Save small glass containers with lids for breaking down cold storage items in the frig without taking up tons of room as space is at a premium.

If I can think of any more suggestions I will share. Most of this is coming from the adapted 5th wheel living where we learned to do more with much less space. :0)

ArtOfHookie: Does Size Really Matter?

My loving wife swears to me that size doesn't matter. But does it?

I was recently told that my boat is too small. Living in the boat yard I meet all types: boaters, builders, workers, and dreamers. We fall somewhere in between the lines. At a whopping 24 feet with a displacement of 6500lbs, by today's standards our boat is considered small by any measure. I recently read an article titled Pocket Cruiser Of The Year. It was a 38-footer. I guess our boat is now considered a dinghy. Our Allegra 24 designed by Fred Bingham has 6'1" standing headroom and four berths. The shortest, our double, measures 6'5". The Roo has a full galley with a two-burner propane stove and oven. Even though we choose to use a cedar bucket we do have a very nice enclosed head which is small enough to be considered seaworthy but large enough to actually pull your pants down while inside. With two adults and two dogs this might sound small but it works for us.

Because we are financially challenged there aren't many boats in our price range to choose from. Even if we go up to 30' we won't get much more usable room. Having such a small boat we can get away with an outboard engine and no marine head. This leaves us with the usable space of a well-built 30-footer with no prop drag and lighter displacement. Being of a traditional design but built with modern building techniques and materials, our boat is incredibly strong but lighter and faster than she would appear. Sure we could sell our boat and put a nice down payment on a larger boat. Then in 20 years when it is payed off we could spend another three years rebuilding everything on it and sail away. I would be 62, Lizzie would be 50, and we would have a boat that is older than the one we currently own. By then we might not be quite as adventurous as we are now and may not be able to happily live without hot water, plumbing, full electronics, and all of the power it takes to run these luxuries. We can't support fancy electronics so we don't have them.

Instead we have to be better sailors and navigators adding to the pleasure and satisfaction of cruising. Outfitting and refitting our boat cost less because marine equipment is basically priced by the pound, inch, or foot. We also purchase used equipment where we can. After all, once you use something it really isn't new anymore. Is it really worth paying more than double to have gear that is new for one use? With a very small initial investment we don't feel the need to carry insurance. Every part of our boat takes less time to maintain and is easier on the budget, leaving us more time to play which is what cruising is really all about.

Click on The Monkey's Fist to read others bloggers on this topic.

Living with a dog is interesting: Dogs on board

Some advice from Dave (You Me and the D):

OK, living with a dog is interesting. For the most part I would say he is a great security system, but he did just sleep through the theft of our locked outboard up on the stern of the boat while we slept with the doors open. It might possibly be our fault as he did bark but didn't go out into the cockpit. We are now convinced he is afraid of the dark.

Pros: entertainment, security, companionship (Dex spends the night watch out in the cockpit with us)

cons: dog hair everywhere ( and Dex doesn't shed much or have much hair), he barks at everyone nice guys included, he shits on the deck which means we can't collect deck water for drinking.

unknown facts:

clearing your pet into a country only has to be done if the officials come on to your boat while your quarantine flag is up. Once your in, no one is going to worry about a dog, DOGS ARE EVERYWHERE. Ex: we were so pissed off about having our motor stolen before we even got to clear into Costa Rica that we just happened to forget about our dog for the day.

In Jamaica the locals told us we could take Dex to a deserted island for walks as lots of people have done it, even though the dog has to stay on the boat. The reality is there are way more serious laws for officials to be avoiding to enforce to worry about dogs.

The other thing is look for other cruisers who have well trained boat dogs and get your dog to socialize with them. Then anchor next to them and leave your dog on the boat for a week. Our friends did this and thir 115lbs mastiff watched Dex all day and eventually started doing her business on the deck. (in the same spot as Dexter was on our boat.

Dex falls into the drink only wwhen attempting to jump from dinghy to boat, and only after a really good run on the beach.

He also loves dolphins and turtles, even the mention of either word gets him going, and don't even think about hinting at pelicans. Most of the time when sailing he sleeps in the cockpit or in the quarter berth in rough weather, and the rest of the time hanging out on the bowsprit (seriously).

medically just watch out for ticks and make sure cuts are healling well, also keep their claws well trimmed for the sake of your teak and holy sole.

Click on the monkey's fist to read others bloggers on this topic.

A comment from Skip about Going It Alone

Skip Adams aboard s/v Misty in Mobile dropped us this comment:

"I am a single hander on a 35' yawl (steel). I sometimes think that a crew of one would be nice. I will be leaving for Culabra in the Spanish VI's soon as sea trials are done. I love sailing alone. We will see if i feel the same when I am on the hook in some beautiful harbor. I have been a loaner for most of my life... so we shall see.  Good luck with your blog."

Click on the monkey's fist to read others bloggers on this topic.