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The Sailing Weekly Roundup brings you the latest in sailing news, trends, gear, events, and training. Every Friday we’ll send a curated list and analysis by Capt. Teresa and Ben Carey. Instead of sifting through a ton of articles and videos each day – let us do the work for you.
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Pushing the coal barge towards the power plant in Baltimore Harbor
Analysis:
The grounding of the Ever Given last week was fascinating. My immediate thought was that it grounded due to bank suction. For most small boat sailors, bank suction is something you read about in textbooks when studying for a boating license or certification. It rarely applies otherwise.
As I began to think about shallow water's effects, I remembered my teenage years working the mudflats of Stony Brook Harbor, NY. I earned my movie and mall money by digging clams and selling them to local restaurants.
The only way I could putter my 12ft skiff into shallow waters would be to precariously hold the outboard at the surface or get out and walk the boat to the sandbar, a less than ideal option, given the cold water.
But I had to access the good clamming spots – and fast. So, I revved my engine and put my trusty boat on a plane. As I transitioned from deep to shallow water, the boat would accelerate – skimming the surface like a wild-and-free, wind-in-my-hair movie scene.
The Ever Given isn't much different from a little skiff – aside from the 219,079 tonnes of displacement. The same laws of physics and hydrodynamics apply to boats large and small. The Ever Given also isn't much different from any boat I've sailed -- especially the tugboats I drove in Baltimore harbor.
Each barge I delivered to the power plant was filled with approximately 15 million tonnes of coal, and had a 13 to 14 ft draft. Once I turned out of the main shipping channel, towards the power plant and onto the "flats," it was only 15' deep – a foot deeper than the barge's draft.
At that point, the barge had a mind of its own.
"She's hunting," the captain would say, "Bring'er back."
The boat would "hunt for water," as we called it. We had to work hard to keep the barge going straight because it was all over the place – even with rudder hard over and full reverse on one engine. If we didn't get it under control quickly, it could easily have ended up sideways in the channel like the Ever Given. The only difference is – we wouldn't have the satellite news photos to prove it happened.
~ Ben
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Don’t forget to check out our sail-training expeditions at MorseAlpha.com.
From Morse Alpha:
Rigging Simplicity - The Con of Leading Lines Aft | Sailing, Simplicity, and the Pursuit of Happiness
I’ve heard many accounts of owners performing the ‘all lines led aft’ upgrade. The belief is that lines led to the cockpit make sailing safer and easier. By not having to leave the cockpit to adjust your sails, you reduce the risk of injury or falling overboard. By having all lines led to your fingertips, you can remain safe under your dodger or bimini, while staying dry and in control.The Morning Muster Podcast Ep 3: Nighttime & Limited Visibility (Fog) Sailing
Captain Dan ran a windjammer in Maine for many years, and then worked on tugboats in Maine and New England. Captain Julia Carleton has worked for Hurricane Island Outward Bound and aboard educational schooners from Maine to the Caribbean. They both have extensive fog and night travel experience, and share with us some insight into staying safe and the seamanship protocols they follow.
Now for the best of the web...
News:
The bank effect and the big boat blocking the Suez
When you drive a boat, you are always in drift. You are attached to nothing. Stuff happens in the water beneath you that does not make any intuitive sense!
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