The best that our internet trolling has turned up.
The ultimate reference package is in this link. This is an incredible collection of free sailing & maritime related documents. Includes the atlas of pilot charts, sailing routes & planning guides, Bowditch's classic - American Practical Navigator, International Code of Signals, Chart No. 1, Radar Navigation, Ports of the World, Mariner's Weather Handbook. A veritable library of maritime essentials. And all in one link. I love the internet!
Need high quality performance oriented gear to make running & standing rigging more functional? Put your credit card away in a safe place before you go to this site. Tylaska.
Everything you wanted to know and see about anchor performance youtu.be/l59f-OjWoq0
Everyone is putting out summer reading lists, so here is mine. I love to read, mostly maritime non fiction. It's a small & wonderful niche. Here are my top 13. Not in order of priority but my absolute favorites are clumped up near the top.
- The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty - Carolyn Alexander
- Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea - Gary Kinder
- The Venturesome Voyages of Captain Voss - John Claus Voss
- Passage to Juneau: A Sea and Its Meanings - Jonathan Raban
- In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex - Nathaniel Philbrick
- Fastnet, Force 10: The Deadliest Storm in the History of Modern Sailing - John Rousmaniere
- The Proving Ground: The Inside Story of the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Race - G. Bruce Knecht
- Sailing Alone around the World - Joshua Slocum
- The Annapolis Book of Seamanship - John Rousmaniere
- The Billionaire and the Mechanic: How Larry Ellison and a Car Mechanic Teamed up to Win Sailing’s Greatest Race, the Americas Cup, Twice - Julian Guthrie
- Marine Medicine: A Comprehensive Guide, Adventure Medical Kits, 2nd Edition - Eric A. Weiss
- American Merchant Seaman's Manual - Wm. B. Hayler
- Further Offshore: A Practical Guide for Sailors - Ed Mapes
- Ahab's Wife or, The Star-Gazer, Sena Jeter Naslund (it's a brilliant work of fiction)
- Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
One of our most critical calculations when we plan an ocean passage is fuel consumption. We find out optimum running speeds and in the final bit of decision making, we decide how much fuel to carry. At 7.5 lbs per US gallon (or 874 grams per liter), its one of the heaviest items on board and since weight has a significant impacton performance, we like to be as precise as possible without being foolishly stingy. Our best record on a transatlantic crossing was 8 liters of fuel consumed.
Here’s how we calculate fuel consumption on auxiliary motors.
1.Go online to the manufacturer’s website for the engine that is on the boat.
Here’s an example using the 40hp Volvo D2-40.
http://www.volvopenta.com/volvopenta/global/en-gb/marine_leisure_engines/c_diesel_sailboat/enginerange/Pages/d2_40.aspx
download the PDF product bulletin and you will see this.
2. Look at the Torque graph, (torque is what turns your props) see where the engine is the most efficient, looking at the Volvo D2-40 it is most efficient at about 1850 rpm. From the fuel consumption graph we see that the engine uses approximately
At 1850rpm 2l/h or 0.525 US gal/h
At 2000rpm 2.3l/h
At 2200rpm 3.1l/h etc.
This will give a fair indication of how much fuel your engine will use. All engines are slightly different and there will be small variances.
3.We use only one engine at a time when making passage as you get about 80% drive from one engine and only about 20% more speed, if you use both but you will double the fuel consumption. We alternate them daily to keep engine hours matched.
4.Clean props and hull make a huge difference to consumption.
5.Prop selection also is important factor..
6.Motor sailing gives slightly more speed and range. Especially if you canmotorsail your way into more wind.
7.When you know your consumption you can work out your range.
Music is essential to sailing, at least as far as I'm concerned. Here;s a great Spotify playlist. Sorry, at this point you can't use Spotify in Europe:-( www.sailmeom.com/stories/2016/2/5/songs-for-sailing-according-to-sailors
Has the quality of stainless been getting you down? www.boatus.com/seaworthy/magazine/2016/august/not-so-stainless-steel.asp