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YOU'RE DRAGGING: WHAT DO YOU DO?
I WANT TO CHARTER A SAILBOAT
BAREBOATING vs. A CREWED SAILING VACATION
LITTLE THINGS MAKE A DIFFERENCE: PART 1
THE WILDLIFE IN THE SEA OF CORTEZ
CHUBASCOS
KEEPING COOL DURING THE SUMMER AND WHY AWNINGS SHOULD BE WHITE
DINGHIES AND MOTORS, THE BIG DECISION
A CHUBASCO IS COMING! Why does that news strike fear in the hearts of sailors in the Sea of Cortez? First of all, you have very little time to prepare for one, and when one does hit, most people don't know what to do first. A chubasco is basically a strong thunderstorm. Out in the open ocean they are commonly known as squalls. Generally you'll see one coming, and you'll have more than enough time to reduce sail. Starting in the middle of the summer there will be tropical storm cells passing through up and down the entire Sea of Cortez. They can hit anywhere, and at any time with wind strengths to 60 knots and more. Local conditions can intensify these windstorms tremendously. As it gets later into summer the storm cells are a lot more active. In La Paz these systems build up over the local mountains, and most of the time will come from the east. They are usually in the 20 to 30 knot range, and you will have plenty of time to take the awnings down and batten down the boat. As you travel further north into the Sea of Cortez chubascos are more unpredictable, and can be a lot stronger. No matter which anchorage you're in, and no matter how calm it is when you go to sleep, a chubasco can hit. They usually arrive in the early morning, and from a direction that might put you on a lee shore.
What we want to do is prepare sufficiently, so that when a chubasco does hit, we will be able to take care of the boat and ourselves. I strongly believe that this should be a daily ritual. Every evening we take down all the awnings on "Irish Mist". This accomplishes two things. We don't have to worry about getting it down in strong winds, and it also lets the heat build-up of the day leave the boat. We don't leave any thing in the dinghy, so that if it does happen to flip over, we won't lose the oars, gas can, or any snorkeling equipment. For obvious reasons we don't leave anything loose on deck, and we are also prepared to cast off the anchor rope if we have to leave the anchorage. This we would do only as a last resort. The determining factors for us would be the size of the waves that are being generated by the storm, the strength of the wind, and whether we have sufficient time and room to pick up the anchor without putting the boat in danger. If you are lucky enough to see a chubasco coming, there are other things that you can do that would make a big difference in whether the anchor will hold or drag.
There are certain precautions you can take to try to anticipate a chubasco. Leave your VHF radio on the local calling channel. If there is a chubasco coming, someone in an anchorage up-wind of yours may put out an advisory. If your boat is secure, and one hits your anchorage, do the same. State the name of your boat, where you are anchored, the wind strength and direction. This will give other boats a chance to prepare if it's going their way. A lot of lightning activity in the distance and a change in the normal wind pattern are good indications of a chubasco coming your way. If you wake up in the middle of the night for no apparent reason, get up and look around. Did the wind die or shift? Do you see a lot of distant lightning? Do you hear thunder? Is it moving your way? Is there a swell coming into the anchorage? These indications will help you to decide if you need to take further precautions. Try to develop that sixth sense.
If you think a chubasco is coming your way, now is the time to prepare for it. If the awning is up, take it down along with any side curtains. Close all hatches and ports. Store anything on deck that might blow away, make sure the dinghy motor is up and out of the water, and that any loose items on deck are secure. If you have an inflatable put one or two jerry jugs of gas or water in the bow. Tie them down. Bring the dinghy up close to the transom of your boat. Let out extra scope for the anchor, and make sure the chafing gear is secure. Turn the engine on and back down on the anchor facing the direction that the chubasco will be coming from. If a strong chubasco does hit, put the engine in gear to take the load off the anchor, and keep the bow into the wind. If the wind isn't that strong, keep the bow into the wind without the engine in gear. If you keep the bow into the wind, it won't blow off, and there is a better chance that you won't drag.
Now we'll go into the worse case scenario, a 50-60 knot chubasco hitting with no warning. No thunder, lighting, rain, or swell coming into the anchorage. This has happened to us twice. Both times we were in an anchorage with steep high sides, and no view of the approaching chubasco. As the wind hits, the boat will be beam to the wind, and moving with it quite quickly. When the boat hits the end of the anchor rode there will be a tremendous strain on the anchor. The first thing you can do is to turn the engine on, check the dinghy painter to be sure that it's clear of the prop, and put it in gear to take the strain off the anchor. Try to get the bow into the wind. Hopefully the awnings will already be down, and everything in the dinghy secure. If not, you will have to try to get them down, and get the hatches and ports closed. Your main priority is always the boat. If you are dragging, you'll have to let out more scope. If you can't let out more scope because you have a boat behind you, or you are too close to shore, you'll have to get the anchor up and re-anchor. If there is another boat over your anchor, you'll have to cast off your anchor rode and re-anchor with a second anchor, or leave the anchorage, and ride out the chubasco at sea.
You can see why experienced sailors protect their swinging area in an anchorage, sometimes to the point of paranoia. Don't ever anchor near another boat without giving them sufficient room to be able to pick up their anchor to leave, no matter which way the wind may blow from. Check to see how much scope the other boats near you have out. When you're setting your anchor, make sure that your boat is not over their anchor, including the possibility that you or they may have to let out more scope in an emergency. It's always best to let out the amount of scope you think you'll need when you first anchor. Chain doesn't do you any good in the chain locker!
From the scenario above you can see how important good preparation is. What would you do if the same storm hits, your awning was ripping a part, it started pouring rain (rain in a strong chubasco will feel like BB's hitting you), the hatches are all open, the dinghy has flipped over, and your boat is on its beam ends heading for the beach? Any or all of the above can and has happened!
Good preparation will go a long way to minimize your fears, and after experiencing a few chubascos you will be a lot more confident. Knowing that there are many things you can do to minimize the danger, you can now go to bed with the confidence that you and your boat are prepared for anything that might come up.
A couple of years ago a new cruising friend of mine was complaining to me that some of his fellow first-year cruisers were making fun of his nightly preparation for chubascos. Later that summer he was involved in a very nasty chubasco at a nearby island. He dropped his anchor and left the exposed anchorage for the other side of the island. The next morning he returned for his anchor and rode, and found one boat on the beach and the other five boats' dinghies on the beach. Some of the boats suffered some minor damage. He went on to go cruising in the South Pacific, one other boat is still in Mexico, and all the others went back home. None of the experienced sailors in the Sea of Cortez make fun of any fellow cruisers who are careful and prepared.
Spend the summer in the Sea of Cortez, you've got to be kidding! Isn't it hot? Aren't there chubascos and storms? Yes, it is hot, there are storms, and spending the summer here is not for everyone. We have spent fourteen summers in Baja, and have refined many times our sunshades, wind scoops and fans. Hopefully you'll save time and money by gaining through our experiences and the ways we try to stay cool in the Sea of Cortez.
First and foremost, all awnings, side curtains and biminis should be white. Once you start cruising and spend your first summer in the tropics, you'll see why the full time cruisers have white sunshades. Those nicely color-coordinated sunshades that match the sail covers and dodgers, which you see on most fancy boats, will more than likely be replaced by their second season of cruising.
A colored awning absorbs a tremendous amount of heat. White reflects the sun, as do light-colored decks. Teak decks are pretty, and make great non-skid, but they are impossible to walk on in the heat. The same goes for a colored hull. Just imagine that beautiful dark blue sailboat, with blue awnings, and teak decks. That boat will be at least ten degrees hotter down below than a white boat, with white awnings and light colored decks.
On "Irish Mist" we have a very light gray (almost white) for our decks. Most people think it's white. The light gray doesn't have the glare that white does, and is easy to keep clean.
"Irish Mist has full awnings and a large hard bimini. It is very important to have an awning for the fore deck, and covers for any large windows. We use white Sumbrella for the sunshades, and Textiline for the window covers.
Textiline is a plastic mesh that you can see through, but still allows light to come through. It blocks out about 80% of the sun. Whatever your sunshades are made of, they must be able to come down quickly. Give a lot of thought to this. Otherwise you'll leave them up all the time, and when a chubasco does hit, you'll never be able to get them down safely.
Another efficient way to stay cool is with a wind scoop. The commercially made ones are ok, but I think it's better to make your own. It will be a lot more efficient. A standard wind scoop will only work when you're facing the wind. We use a four-way wind scoop, which will pick up the wind no matter which direction it's blowing from. It is also less noisy, shaking less in the wind. In a bay like La Paz, which has strong currents, it is the only type of wind scoop that is practical, because the boat doesn't always face the wind if the current is stronger than the wind.
As far as keeping cool down below, fans and more fans! Have at least one fan for every bunk and a couple in the main cabin. If you have an inverter and plenty of battery capacity, there are a few 110V fans that don't draw that much, and they move a lot of air. As for 12V fans, I feel the Caframos are the best. They don't draw very much and push a lot of air. It's also a good idea to have at least one fan on a wooden base that can be moved around. You can use it out in the cockpit to keep cool when there is no wind, especially at night, or if you have to do any work in a tight area, it is invaluable. Another trick I use to stay cool, especially when I'm working in the heat, is to put a wet wash cloth in your freezer, if you have one, or at least in the refrigerator. Put the cold cloth around your neck, and this will keep you very cool. One last but important thing is to drink plenty of water. Don't wait until you are thirsty, because by then your body is already dehydrated.
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