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Category Archive for 'Safety'

The bobstay

Posted in Posts by Edvin, Safety on Jan 5th, 2012

We have in previous posts written about our concern with the bobstay that is attached from the waterline to the bowsprit. I have always considered this to be a weak point of the boat since the force of an impact here would be transmitted to the mast and rig and in a worst case scenario would damage the attachment points of the back and forestay. After our experiences in the ice of Greenland we realised that we will not be able to avoid ice collisions and in some conditions may need to purposefully ram ice. Therefore we are reinforcing the stem of the boat with a stainless steel cap so we can attach the bobstay higher above the waterline.

We will hire a smith to manufacture the cap in 3 mm steel to cover 30cm above and below the waterline and attach it with several through-hull bolts. In the middle of the steel cap we will have a triangle of 10mm steel to attach the bobstay. The triangle will also act as a ram.

The thought of jointing two materials with through-hull bolts below the waterline is not appealing so if anyone has any ideas or experience of doing something similar we would be happy to hear from you. Another question is how the steel cap will be manufactured since an asymmetrical bowl shape cannot be rolled.

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Protection From Pack Ice

Posted in Boat, Planning, Safety on Dec 26th, 2011

While in Greenland we experienced two major types of ice: Iceberg’s and the bergy bits that accompany them; an, pack ice. Both have their inherent dangers but pack ice was by far the most intimidating because it could encircle the boat in a short time and crush it.

The large icebergs move like slow Goliaths taking about three or so years to travel around Greenland to the coast of Newfoundland where they melt adding their fresh water to the gulf stream and sediment to the Ocean floor. These massive icebergs move with the currents and maintain a somewhat predictable path.

Pack ice on the other hand is much more unpredictable. Pack ice is ice that has formed during the winter from the surface of the Ocean freezing. It can be several meters thick but when summer arrives the ice starts to melt and crack and these chunks of ice begin to move becoming serious navigation obstacles travelling in condensed packs across the Arctic. Pack ice tends to move with the currents but are far more influenced by the wind and can quickly encircle, trap and crush a yacht.

Understanding the way pack ice moves and being able to predict its movements is the key to successfully sailing across the Arctic but this is close to impossible to do correctly all the time. In nearly every account I have read about boats sailing in the Arctic they have spent a certain amount of time trapped by pack ice. These accounts have included pack ice pushing the boat out of the water on to the ice, or pushing right on to shore or most commonly puncturing the hull, bending the rudder post and sheering the blades off the boats propeller.

Being able to push through certain types of pack ice without damaging the boat is essential. Boats have long tried various techniques to protect the bow of their boat by reinforcing the bow or by building ice deflectors around the prop and rudder. We will be reinforcing the bow this spring and would like to buy a backup diesel outboard just in case we lose both rudder and propeller we can still navigate without requiring assistance.

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Lesson learned from a summer in ice

Posted in Enviroment, Heat, Posts by Nick, Safety, Uncategorized on Oct 6th, 2011

Lesson 1: Clothing

It seems really obvious, probably the first thing you think of when you think of going to Norway, Scotland, Iceland, Greenland and Canada…………..bring really warms cloths!!! We did, we brought several warm hats each, tons of different types of gloves, lots of long underwear, winter clothing and several types of sailing gear but still we were all at one point or another humbled by the weather we were in.

One of the greatest challenges is that often on the boat you assume a position for hours at a time with occasional bursts of action to put a reef in, or shake one out, scan the horizon but regardless of those bouts of effort you are largely static. It is during these periods of time when the wind and damp cold began to penetrate the layers of your clothing.

We started off with four hour watches but after Iceland it became to cold to maintain body temperature for that long so we switched to three hour watches but had to wake the next person on watch half an hour before because it would take them that long to dress into the necessary gear. Often during a watch you would have to make several tips into the boat to top up on warmth grab another pair of gloves or a hat. There were marked differences in temperature when you were a mile from ice or 100 meters away. Often we could feel the ice before we ever saw it.

Bring multiple pairs of everything dampness and or sweat affects everything!

Gloves: Gloves may only last a few hours before you need to change them, bring packs of cheap glove liners that you can insert into the shell whenever they get moist, bring oversize water proof gloves as well as neoprene gloves for working in water

Boots: Normal sailing boots with heavy socks is not a long term viable solution. We found that at least two pairs of insulated water proof boots are needed to keep you nice and toasty warm during watches. A problem with insulated boots it that they take for ever to dry out one the insulation is wet and for next year we are installing air hoses for the Webasto heater to be able to dry out our boots.

Hats: Bring it all 70% of body heat escapes through the head, we had lots of warm hats on board but next time I am also brining earmuffs for under my hat or even a balaclava.

Foul weather gear: We all had two pairs of foul weather gear our normal offshore gear and our amazing hardcore Salus suits that kept us warm in the coldest of nights. However we found that we need a third option in between our foulies and Salus suit possibly a lighter weight flotation suit.

Underwear: we had both wool and synthetic longjohns but after trying the boat we left the synthetic ones in the bag. Sometimes we would go for weeks in the same warm underwear and it felt really nice to have organic material next to the body that didn’t start to smell after 24 hours.

Apart from that we did well with plenty of long underwear and wool sweaters, hoodies and mounds of warm socks.

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Safety drill no1

Posted in Safety on Jul 16th, 2011

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Safety First

Posted in Posts by Nick, Safety on Jun 13th, 2011

Safety has always been a priority for us in planning this voyage. It is a very technical trip through one of the harshest marine climates in the world. The environment of ice, katabatic winds and uncharted waters is constantly changing and presents formidable challenges. I found that on my other long distance sailing adventures having the top of the line safety equipment on board the boat allowed me to stop worrying about the safety of the crew but to focus on the task at hand.

For this voyage we required the highest quality survival equipment in case of an emergency. In freezing Arctic waters a liferaft that is durable enough to handle the ice and rough weather while protecting those on board from the outside environment was paramount. We wanted a liferaft that could self right itself in the heavy winds of the Arctic, that has an insulated floor to protect us from the freezing water extending our survival time, as well as a liferaft with an extensive survival kit to give us the best chance until rescue comes. After indepth research we found all of these qualities in one liferaft, the Viking RescYou Pro self-righting liferaft.

Viking is now supporting our expedition and has shipped us a RescYou Pro liferaft last week from there headquarters complete with cradle and hydrostatic release. Upon reciept we were very happy to figure out how well it fits on board and how easy it was to install the entire system on deck. With our Viking liferaft, survival suits and grab bag we have improved our survival odds in an emergency situation and boosted our confidence in our expedition knowing we have the best emergency systems available and that we can focus on getting through the tough times.

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Arctic Ice

Posted in Boat, Planning, Posts by Nick, Safety on May 19th, 2011

The greatest obstacle to the North-West Passage arises from the dangers inherent in the ice movements. The waters of the Passage, extending over a distance of 5000 miles, carry a mass of floating ice the mobility of which is governed by the various thrusts of currents and wind and by the geographical characteristics of the route. Success is largely to be found in the ability to form a general picture of the effects on the different factors which govern the movements of the ice at a given time. This ability makes it possible to make short-term predictions as necessary.

The thing to avoid at all costs is getting caught in the ice.This involves many dangers. The first is that the boat may be crushed by the pressure of the ice if the pack drifts up against an obstacle. There is a risk of also being carried further north, where there is little seasonal thaw, and you may be imprisoned in the ice for an indefinite period……which could run into YEARS!

For hiding from packice you need to find shallow waters ideally protected by a shallow bar. This arrises from the fact that seven-tenths of the volume of the volume of ice floating is beneath the surface. A shallow bar will therefore exclude all larger peices of ice. The same conditions underlies the whole strategy of safe navigation in icy waters. It is often necessary to choose a course through shallow waters in order to find a way through ice feilds.

Whatever precautions are taken, an accident is always possible and it may become necessary to abandon ship and in that case on must think about survival on land! The absolute best in equipment is required if especially trapped on a moving flow.

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A Passage through Ice

Category Archive for 'Safety'

The bobstay

Protection From Pack Ice

Lesson learned from a summer in ice

Safety drill no1

Safety First

Arctic Ice

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