EP68 Sailing Bay of Biscay Twice: 1 "usual"; 2 in Gale Conditions
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- Опубликовано: 23 июн 2024
- I do a quick back and forth across the Bay of Biscay -- once in 'normal' (acceptable) conditions, and 2nd in unexpected Gale conditions. I demonstrate 'scandalising the main' as well as putting in a reef in challenging conditions. I also show/discuss problems with Volvo Penta engine mounts, my Lewmar windlass and a malfunctioning solar panel. Finish with discussion of Code Zero vs Gennaker (large asymmetric spinnaker) and a celebration of 30 Biscay crossings.
![mgk - Sun to Me (Zach Bryan Cover) [Live from Cheshire Cottage]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_ZnbTEs4O6U/mqdefault.jpg)
Awesome episode! Sure like your go-to sail set-up in heavy winds and seas.👍 Q. curious why did you not heave to when you decided to drop the main?
Exactly. I've reefed and lowered sails while hove to in the past. Probably should have done so here too. In summary, options for lowering/reefing a sail include:
1) Heave to: it does require you to either tack or gybe across the wind, which can be difficult or even dangerous in high winds, but once hove to, everything calms down quite a bit, and reefing lowering sails is routine.
2) Head deep downwind: center the boom and head deep downwind and pull down the sail by releasing the halyard (slowly) and pulling the leech down with the highest reefing line. Is easier to do if you have straight spreaders (rather than swept) but I've done it before in up to 22 knots with swept spreaders and a square top sail (which falls over to the side very easily).
3) Harden the genoa and pull up into the wind to 30° apparent and then flag (ease completely) the mainsail. This is the traditional reefing method. Works well, but coming up into 4-5 meter seas can be a wet/interesting experience.
As always: reef before you think you need to.
@@patricklaine6958Echoing your last sentence, "prevention is indeed better than cure".
Truly a delight to be a phantom shipmate. Thank you for the real life action demonstrating the knowledge and skill required to change sails in windy conditions. A wise man is this Captain.
Far too kind. Many thanks.
I greatly appreciate the detailed explanation for what you do. You teach me things with every video. You have the best channel on “the tube”
Thanks for the kind, but far too generous feedback.
Hello, I am Paul from Belgium and have been sailing myself for 20 years in the North Sea and on occasion I charter a sailboat in the Mediterranean.
I like your RUclips very much and find it very inspiring how you approach things. Your way of sailing, I like that.
Especially how you address the various recognizable problems in sailing.
Thank you for the hours of pleasure I have enjoyed your performances.
I wish you all the best and hope you can enjoy so intensely for years to come.
Greetings.
Paul
I've almost smelled the breeze while you were hoisting the main sail... Thank you! And God bless for you next trip!
Beautifully filmed and presented.
Thank you Patrick for both taking your time to make these wonderful films and also allowing us into your sailing life.
You're the best sailing Skipper on RUclips. Thank you for the amazing content.
Calm and collected throughout the entire passage. Well done.
Got the reference; Walking in Memphis. Like your sailing philosophy, take a nap in 30 knots. This is pure poetry to a sailor.
Bravo. That song is a classic!
@@patricklaine6958 Thanks, looking forward to your next meditation on sailing. Navigare necesse est, vivere non est necesse.
For someone with the nose to the grindstone still, it's an inspiration to see you out sailing. I wish you the best of health and happiness from here in Norway.
I hope to get back to Norway, as I did not do its tens of thousands of islands justice last season!
The best sailing channel on RUclips look forward to every video have fun and keep safe
Thanks for sharing that video Patrick. It is useful to learn from seeing you tackle these challenges on a human scale. Take care, look fwd to your next.
Many thanks. Much appreciated.
Thank you Patrick for yet another great adventure. I learned a lot from your experience. I liked the comment about better to be in the crew room wishing you could go flying. So true! Cheers.
Always admire your matter of fact and calm approach to challenging conditions. Most other sailing channels would have a dramatic soundtrack, people crying and out loud wondering if they were going to die 🙄. Since you always welcome comments form your viewers, here are some observations and my answer to your question.
1. You really should consider a high torque portable driver with winch bit. Would make hoisting your sails much easier. I know you have a legitimate concern over power winching but after a year of using mine I can tell you it is not hard to know when there is abnormal resistance.
2. Until you get a ball bearing mast track/car system, consider placing a dousing line from the halyard shackle to the deck run through a turning block so you can winch if needed.
3. Another option when you needed to douse the main would have been to furl the jib, run the engine and have the autopilot drive you directly into the wind.
4. When you were having floppy sails downwind in low wind an option would have been to sail a little higher- say 140 true. Adds a little distance but much easier on the sails.
5. Regarding the gennaker vs Code 0: I have three downwind sails- an A2 assy, an A5 runner and a Code ). The A5 runner is smaller and made for high wind but in reality doesn't get much use. I'm not comfortable flying a kite in big wind. The A2 is great for runs from 120 to 160 true in 5-15 kts wind/ I don't have it on a furler because it's large mid girth makes furling difficult and unpredictable. Instead I have a line from the tack to the companionway. To douse I turn downwind to about 160 true then blow the tack and bring the foot and tack to the companionway. The sail is now totally collapsed behind the main and by blowing the halyard it falls straight down onto the deck in front of the mast and I can easily gather it into the companionway. The Code 0, on the other hand, is cut flatter and works very well with a furler. It sails from 60 to 150 TWA and from 4 to 12 kts wind. If i am going deep downwind ( 145-160) I can use it in up to 20 kts wind. If I could only have one I would have to say the A2 because of the limited wind range and angles the Code 0 is really best. Its only in very light wind and very close reaching that the code zero is noticeably better than just main and jib. Having said that, though, having a choice of several sails (including also my stay sail) makes sailing in all conditions easier. The stay sail/ reefed main combo makes the 15-25 wind range upwind very manageable.
Many good ideas there. I would like to blow the tack too, but it is extended out on the bowsprit. I'd have to rig some kind of long distance pull device. I'll give it some more thought.
Heureux de retrouver vos navigations Patrick. Merci beaucoup
Thanks for this thoughtful video.Full ,as always ,of useful advice.This, to me, is indeed the best sailing channel on you tube
Thanks a lot skip for the lovely video. Fairwinds.
Patrick...you should call your site ...lessons in sailing...by far one of the best on you tube..keep it going👍
Many thanks Brian. Much appreciated, but I'm far from the level of professional instructors. Fair winds.
I am enjoying your extraordinary insights into your experienced seamanship. Your videos for sure are some very decent appetiser to cast of lines. And your videos kept us committed to do so while our refit was dragged along quite snailishly in the boatyard - have a great time and thanks for the ride⛵
👍 magnifiques vidéos, merci Patrick. et quelle aventure encore ! je revis certaines traversées dans le golfe de Gascogne....oups ! repose toi et à bientot... Marilou/Mike
Merci pour tous les conseils et encouragements à ce "jeune" marin qui avait beaucoup à apprendre. Amitiés.
I have heard of people placing partially deflated fenders under their engines and then inflating to lift the engine slightly but have not had the need to try it myself. Our Volvo is in fresh water and I have not seen that level of corrosion. Thank you for the great videos, keep them coming!
Great video -with some helpful tips - thanks Patrick, you are an inspiration! You always sound so calm as the boat is being rolled around in the waves!
Thanks for the video Patrick. Absolutely a code zero allowing good progress in light air and not always needing to resort to the engine.
Patrick, you are amazing. I always learn more stuff every time I watch your videos. Brilliant! Thank you. Fair winds, you are certainly due some. 😀
Patrick, I always enjoy your videos to the most. This one has taught me a new trick, which will serve me well, and that is "scandalizing the mainsail" - brilliant. I will try this next weekend! :-) Thanks and best wishes from Lisboa, PT, Frank
What a wonderfully timed video! I’m in the Isles of Scilly about to take on Biscay for the first time. It’s as if you were my phantom mentor!
Thank you from a fellow solo sailor and former aviator for sharing your experience and in such an entertaining fashion!
If you have a fast boat, it takes 2.5 days to cross Biscay. if you have a slow boat, it takes 3.5 days. Just choose a weather window that fits those criteria and you will be fine. Fair winds.
Always full of useful information rather than just 'look what i did'.
As always a fantastic sailing update from you! ⛵️👏🏻👏🏻
Now, the long waiting again for your next release. 😊
Good to see you sailing again Patrick, inspiring as always! Personally I went for a 155% Genoa, light strong modern material, but I also have a cutter rig setup.
I had a cutter/slutter rig on my two previous boats. i sure miss that......but a bit complex to put on a boat that already has the complexity of running back stays rigged at the top of the mast.
Welcome back! Cant wait to watch
I am sure these winches could be EASILY waterproofed , but , less sales for lewmar . This type of manufacturing really lets us down . Thanks Alan for your helpful videos.
Knowing what gear to avoid is just as useful as recommendations what gear to get 😅 Thank you so much, Patrick !
Yeah, I hate to be negative about products and companies, but when there is something seriously wrong......
Best sailing tips ever! Thank you for having us all along for the ride. Looking forward to your next video.
Amazing travels Patrick! A true inspiration and gentleman of the sea 🌊 Un o’r Werin as the Welsh say
Wonderful, stay safe, fair winds & plenty of Chateauneuf du Pape 🍷⛵️
To lift the engine, buy a new leather football & pump, slide it under the engine & inflate it to the ‘just right’ diameter, the lifting power in what is, effectively just an airbag, is astonishing. If the void below the engine is too deep for the diameter of the football, pack the excessive space with scrap timber, ply etc..
Excellent idea. I will probably do this in the off-season.
@@patricklaine6958There are small tools made for this purpose. I have one that’s about eight inches square, about an inch thick, it’s a “pillow “ with a hand pump bulb attached. Not sure how thick it gets at max inflation, but it’s rated to lift 300 lbs. Less than $40.
It's called "AirShim", various models available, up to 500 lbs lift.
Another great sailing video
Always a pleasure to see your ability’s and knowledge
So relaxed in such demanding conditions
Thank you
All the best 🙏
Many thanks for the kind feedback.
Loved the Fleetwood Mac quote at 5:33
Well spotted. Not many got that one, yet it is fairly obvious!
Fantastic video, as always. Informative and inspirational. Thank you, Patrick.
Another great episode Patrick, Thanks for sharing ,your knowledge benefits us all!!
Patrick, thanks for the shout-out to Martin. Both Martin & You are my favorite Sailing Channels. Keep up the good work. Cheers & Fair Winds.
Cannot agree more….love these two
I admire how Martin handled a very difficult situation with calm and determination. A shame he lost his boat, but he handled it brilliantly.
I indeed love the channel of Patrick! How can i find the channel of Martin?
hi Patrick.i am Evandro.you have made nice videos.i have been watching them since 2 years ago.thanks for your knowlwdge and for share your experiences with us.congratulations .good winds!
And fair winds to you as well.
Lovely stuff.
Really enjoy your videos, Patrick.
Just sailed from Lanyu (Orchid Island, Taiwan) to Taidong and Hualien where I’m watching this in a 7/11!
Good for you. We don't see many videos from that part of the world. Get to work!
@@patricklaine6958 sailing not popular in Taiwan. No marinas on East coast of Taiwan and apparently only two sailing yachts! Our mainsail tore so we tried a genekar but too difficult to control for us even in light winds. Our boat a 49 foot Jeanneau.
Great entertainment captain and thank you for sharing yet again.
Excellente vidéo, comme d'habitude. Pleine d'enseignements. Après tant de commentaires élogieux, il est difficile d'en dire plus. Navigateur débutant dans le Nord-Ouest du Pacifique, je suis admiratif et envieux.
Et bonne nav à toi !
Glad to see you online!
Thanks for the video, Patrick! Great information.
Thank you for your videos, and greetings from Seattle!
Thank you for taking us on your adventure Patrick.
Love watching your videos Patrick. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinions.
Great video Patrick, thank you so much for sharing your adventures.
Thank you for sharing your experiences. You have encouraged me to follow suit. I am going to Scotland from my home in Norway end of summer. Planning is not my force, but I have planned the title: Uneventful voyage to Scotland.
If it bears out; it will be thanks to practical info from you and others on youTube..
I'm sure that will be a great adventure. Love that part of the world.
I am so glad you left that part in where you pull out the wrong sail. Thank god I'm not the only one!
That is really embarrassing. I would never survive as a regatta racer!
Enjoyed! Fun passage! Code 0….solo sailing, easy to manage. Thanks, Andew
Yeah, my Code zero has the torsion cable sewn into the luff of the sail. That makes it much easier to furl for sure.
Appreciate another video, Patrick. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing that video Patrick.
Thanks Patrick another great one, 🎉 have you thought of fitting a 'downhaul ' to help bring down the main? I have the same problem on one of my engine mounts, the other three are OK but it's a Beta Engine, I can't work out why either, Fair winds 😊
Someone suggested it is a stray electric current causing the problem.....I'll look into how to put a grounding wire on it.
Thank you. Formidable !! Great as always !!
I'm glad you're going out in it - so I don't have to!
Just so amazed how you're so relaxed in those conditions, making sound decisions over and again
I edited out the panic and screaming parts. ;-)
Hi Patrick another beautiful informative video cheers from greece happy sails my friend
Great sailing Patrick!😊
Two additional comments ... Erik the viking is jealous ... you are a serious contender. You are sailing faster 🙂
This RM 890+ is a serious boat, with the right captain it sails really well. Perfect !!!
Many thanks, but I think Erik is in a class by himself -- great videos, great narration, great editing.
Great vlog, keep them coming!
Exciting, sir.
Thank you.
Getting older is no problem. You just have to live long enough. 😊
Cheers to your adventures!
That's the key!
Wow, what a ride back Patrick. Really nice job through the thick (and thin) of it. Thanks for sending salty spary across my deck this morning! Impressive as always. Stay safe. To your question for cruisers if could only have one, depends on a situtaion. I have an asym but would love a furling code 0 for lighter air.
Welcome back. I'm fortunate in that I have both. I do struggle with the top down furler on the gennaker, but love its power.
Thanks for this informative video.
Thanks for the warning regarding the Lewmar Windless and the MyShop Solaire panel...
That new track and cars should greatly assist in raising and lowering the main, even in unfavorable conditions.
Smart raising the topping lift raising the main with the lazy jacks great tip Thanks Patrick
I should use that topping lift more often, but it does add an extra step (actually two -- you also need to release the boom vang when you do that too).
Hi! If In can choose only one light weather sail... It will be a traditional spinaker. With a boom you can everything with it. Also solo with some practice... Nice channel! Keep sailing!
Thanks for the informative video. I have the same issue with one of my engine mounts.
Very frustrating that. I suspect a stray electric current.....
what a fantastic sail Patrick ....Biscay/Gascone at its best ... Fair winds and good luck in your next sail ... and always Cheers from Muros !!!!
Many thanks. I may stop in Muros on my way to or back from the Azores later this year. Fair winds.
@@patricklaine6958 HI Patrick ... do please let me know if you stop in Muros .. it would be a pleasure to meet you ... Cheers
Hello
Nice sailing with good safe optic.
I go for the genaker
Best regards
Godbless Skipper. Retreating here from headline news stories that should never have been written, and I'm probably therefore more the idiot for reading them. "Sanity" appears now to be a locus around a small sailing vessel, doing what she's meant to do in the hands of someone who appreciates her and who so kindly brings all his phantom shipmates with him. Fair winds...🤗🤗
I have to agree. The news has become more than depressing in recent years......
Great video Patrick. Thank you. I suddenly found a similar Volvo engine mount problem. I would also find the odd drop of salt water around. I suspected a faulty syphon break valve, but one day I happened to see a single drop of water from my water pump. Stopped the engine but it was dry. Re ran it with a mirror under the pump and found there was a regular drip of water hitting the belt and being flicked onto the engine mount. Because of our hot climate it was always dry when I looked. I found the culprit. A tiny nick in the $740 pump shaft where the water seal was. I repaired it with a speedy seal and so far no more drips. My Lofrans windlass motor was the same (37,000 miles old). A slight prod with a screw driver went right through the casing. My new one has been coated with lanolin grease and I must check it this week with fingers crossed.
I will replace this motor and coat a new one with some kind of anti-corrosion treatment for sure!
Great to see the adventures Patrick! Eminently preferable I feel to be watching this on youtube than rattling around in a bunk 🙂!
Ha! Good one.
Thanks for this new page of bravery Patrick.
The Bay of Biscay / Golfe de Gascogne is like the cadets Edmond Rostand spoke of in Cyrano de Bergerac: « Ce sont les cadets de Gascogne (...) bretteurs et menteurs sans vergogne" / "They are the cadets of Gascony (...) shameless swordsmen and liars" : it is passionate, hot-blooded, quarrelsome, speaks loudly, unpredictable and, sometimes, deceitful... Gascon in a word. 🥴
Now I'm eager to know if Peter Café Sport serves Chateauneuf-du-Pape 🍷
Been there twice. Great memories.
Patrick, you are very brave!! I would not even think of going out to sea in 30 to 40kt wind. But you handled it beautifully. Your suggestion of raising the boom to hoist the main is very interesting. I could not understand why I could not get up the last 10 cm, then I found out I just had to ease the main sheet.. that's way I say I am a beginner...after doing solo the Channel, Biscay, dodging orcas on the portuguese coast to Gibraltar to bring my Island Packet 40 bought in Antwerpen to the Med.
As to your question, I agree, Code 0 all the time. Unfortunately I have a Gennaker!
Congrats on the successful completion of a pretty challenging series of passages. Well done. I'm sure you learned a lot along the way. Experience is a great teacher.
Thank you Patrick. Yours has been the first sailing channel I had watched, and you sre still my model.
Great video Patrick. I really appreciate getting the honest advice re your experience with some of the products (windlass), etc. Very refreshing compared to some other channels which can be more like continuous infomercials. Lol
Much appreciated.
I took my tiny 20 footer out on the lake in the weekend with my son again. This is the life.
Good for you. I love taking my two daughters out for local sailing when they come to visit. Quality time.
You really deserve a bottle of Chateauneuf du pape - Mont-Redon now 😊🍷 I’m eyeing the beautiful Alubat Ovni 430 in the background, dreaming of the Ovni 370 🥰
Already tapped into my reserve as soon as I got home. 🙂
Hi Patrick. Try taking the foot off the engine along with the bracket the attached the foot to the engine. That how I do it on my Kubota engine.
I looked at this this morning. There are four big bolts that attach the bracket to the engine. It might be possible to do as you say, but access to those bolts in my tight engine compartment (and how tight they are) might be a problem. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll give it some more thought.
Encore une fois bien fait Patrick.
Merci beaucoup.
Awesome, you are a great teacher. And yes, Erik 'the viking' would enjoy a trip like yours. But I think he is busy going to Greenland :) Cheers, and thank you.
I love Erik's videos. A great story teller and sailor.
Hello from Minnesota Patrick, on board with you capn
Enjoyed the video, sail on Lake Superior in the US/Canada and I will not do a crossing if the weather is projected to be ify. It is an unforgiving place. Always enjoy your advice, thank you for taking the time. Chris
I used to live on Lake Michigan. I know how ugly things can get very quickly on those Lakes. You are a wise man.
"I hate to say that," regarding two failed solar panels. No, it is good that sailors share information. We are a small, tight community, and we share data points to help each other out! Thanks for the heads-up.
Yeah. I hate to criticise products, but when something is seriously flawed or inappropriate for use at sea......
Hi Patrick, quietly enjoying all your videos. In answer to your question (with far less experience) I've used symmetrical Spinnakers and cruising chutes, the latter wins hands down as a set-and-forget light wind sail. I'd love to try a code zero, but it seems to be a sail that works in quite tight parameters. Love the spot-the-lyric references, keep em coming!
We are on the same page on sails !
288th phantom shipmate view; 57th LIKE posted... tagging along for the adventure.
"Scandalizing The Mainsel" - sounds like an act of the US Congress... they're masters at that kind of stuff. :0/ "BOOM!!"
Especially this particularly ineffective Congress. It truly is a scandal that they can not find a way to work together for the common good.
Great video Patrick. I had the same corrosion problem with a brand new Muir windlass motor in my anchor locker. It was badly corroded after one year. Muir replaced it under warranty and when it was refitted I wrapped it in Denso tape. I recently removed the motor to service the windlass and it was in good condition after 10 years protected by Denso tape. Needless to say, the motor (and the terminals) were rewrapped in Denso tape and hopefully will last another 10 years.
I am going to replace that motor in the off-season. You can bet I will put some kind of corrosion treatment on it before installation.
I had the same both issues (windlass and motor feet corrosion). The windlass corrosion i assume is from a leak at the thru hull mounting of the windlass. I sealed it around the winlass a bit from deck with UV stable Sikaflex. The rest maybe from the general salty moisture in the anchor box. I used grease and pole caps to protect the electric connection at the windlass. Have a look at the newer windlasses: It seems they have a plastic protection around the anchor motor. I connected my motor block with the main AC/DC earthing ground which is a big zinc anode in my case. Hope it will be better in future. Your corrosion issue with the motor feet is very close to your sea water pump. Maybe its slightly leaking and dropping a bit salt water in your motor feet? I am non professional, just guessing…
Hi Patrick, I had recently replaced the engine mounts on a Volvo Penta and ended up using a car jack (lead screw type supplied with most European cars). I made an adaptor/adapter to fit under the crankshaft pulley and cut several sections of plywood for the foot of the jack to spread the load across a the bilge. I decided to replace the engine mounts one at time to ensure the engine didn’t shift sideways etc. Thanks for sharing so many sailing inspirational adventures.
Great. Sail drive or shaft and prop?
@@patricklaine6958 Sail drive. The front starboard side mount was badly corroded, which I suspect might be due to it being located under the sea water intake filter. The lead screw on the jack allowed the fine control to lift the engine 2mm allowing the easy swapping of mounts. The engine is the weight of a human, so I decided that spreading the jack load using plywood and packing foam over a square foot would be no worse than a human standing in the bilge.
@@1080sync Excellent. Many thanks.
Hey, phantom Skipper!
To your rusty problem: If it´s always the same engine mount, it seems to me
like an electric problems. Maybe you can reach something with a ground cable
or zink anode...
If you fix a new one or can get it really clean, I would highly recommend the
YACHTICON PREMIUM POLISH! It´s a white bottle with a black cap. I used it for years on my motorbike. I put it on the paint, on the chrome, on polished and not painted alloy, and even on the chromed exhaust! So it should work on a winch motor as well!
I clean it from the white dust and repeat it for a second or third layer,
and it leaves a slippy and stabile surface of Teflon behind.
It´s easy to apply and lasts for several month. And I never had any Problems with corrosion at all!
Thanks for the tip on the polish. I think this one is too far gone. Even though it still works, I think I'll replace it --- and put a rust treatment product on the new one.
@@patricklaine6958
That's what I thought!
But maybe you want to try it on the new one or other metal surface. I love that stuff!
👋😊👍
Great tips !
Marvellous
Love to watch your vids
All great adventures start at dawn! Don't sleep in. ;) golden.
Nice to see you!🙂
Thanks for the video Patrick great stuff
Handling those conditions in your RM with great speed and control shows you know more than most of us
The code 0 is my choice great upwind sail and also works as an acceptable downwind sail
Have you tried having both the code O and headsail out upwind you get an extra slot effect
I bought a small remoran 3 hydro generator to keep batteries charged you can buy a mount for each side to keep it in the water no matter what tack you are on
it avoids having to run engine in those conditions which I learnt to my cost usually meant sucking air into the fuel lines and the hand steering for a while with low batteries and no engine
Safe sailing
Every year I tell myself, "This year I am installing a hydrogenerator" and each year I back down. I really, really need one.
For the rust on the engine mount if you are sure no water is dripping on it causing the issue, you could attach a small zinc anode to that mount. I had a similar galvanic corrosion issue on my 1950's Fordson tractor, whereby the electric winch I fitted somehow was causing a galvanic situation and rusting out my 3 point tow hitch bracket. The tractor is used for saltwater launching and recovery of boats. Could not trace the issue try as I might, and in the end I drilled and tapped a small hole in the bracket and simply bolted a sacrificial zinc anode to it. Now the anode is consumed and I have no rust, every few years I change the anode. As for the lewmar motor, spraying it with fluid film (before the rust occurred or after its been cleaned up) will help massively. I cover everything on my boat with it, and provided its just in a moist environment and its not got high pressure water hitting it directly all the time, it clings on there far better than you would think. Rust is massively reduced.
I really like the small anode solution. I'm going to give that some thought to see how I can install one in my circumstances. Much appreciated.
@@patricklaine6958 glad to possibly have been of some help. 👍
Great adventure as always. Hope to meet you one day in the "golfe de Gascogne".
Avec plaisir.