Evening sail

Beautiful evening out on the boat with 6 knots of breeze was perfect for perfecting spinnaker gybes!  

Thanks for the great pictures, Chelsea!

Launched!

Mercedes launched today (August 10) at Anchor's Way Marina and found her way to her slip at West Basin Marina.  No cracks opened up on the keel when the boat was picked up from the cradle - nice gratification for all the work in rebuilding the grid structure and re-bedding the keel bolts. 

 Although most of the racing season is past, there is still a lot of sailing and racing to be had!

Keel reinforcement project

 Here are some pictures of the keel reinforcement project underway, in chronological order, older to newer, top to bottom (updated August 7, 2021)...

Sole boards lifted; hoses and wires still in place.

Hoses and wires cleared.

One compartment of the hull liner cut out.  Lateral stringer floors that were molded into the hull liner were obviously twisted and bent from forces acting on the keel.

Looking aft, from the area of the mast.  The furthest aft keel bolt is toward the top of the image.

Two forward compartments of the hull liner cut out, opening both the shallow (aft) and deep (forward) sections of the bilge.

All the fiberglass bits cut out of the liner except for the lateral ribs which I cut out intact in case I needed to reuse them.  (I did not.)

All 8 keel bolts removed one at a time, and mounting surface cleaned, washers replaced, 1-inch studs re-bedded with 3M 4200, and nuts torqued to 300 ft/lbs per specifications.

9 stringer floors cut from 3/4" structural fiberglass composite Coosa board, Bluewater 26 formulation, laid out with their cardboard templates.  Wore out 4 jigsaw blades making the cuts in this tough material!

Rough fitting of the 9 stringer floors.  So far, so good.

All 9 stringer floors shaped carefully, laid up with fiberglass, and bonded to the hull and keel stub, including a double board fit tightly under the mast step for extra support and one board forward under the lip of the hull liner (not in view here).  The forward section of the lightning wire was cleared through the access hole beneath the mast step.  For the bonding, I used a methacrylate (MMA) two-part structural adhesive, a generic version of Plexus (which I could not find available in stock) named Infinity Bond, formulation 310.  Let's hope so.

Stringer floors tabbed in to the hull and keel stub along their full length, and then reinforced with multiple layers of woven glass mat.  I used West System epoxy resin with slow hardener (because of summer temperatures here in Michigan), and supplemented the epoxy with 404 high-density adhesive filler for strength.

Longitudinal braces cut, shaped, bonded, tabbed in, and reinforced with multiple layers of glass.  All access holes for wiring, bilge pump and drain hoses, and for water evacuation were drilled and sealed with multiple coats of epoxy.  The width of support boards for the bilge inspection sole board required deviating from nice alignment of the longitudinal braces, but their strength was not compromised.  I prioritized function over form.  

Fiberglass preparation primer and 1 1/2 coats of white Pettit epoxy BilgeCoat paint applied.

Lightning dissipation grid with 10-gauge bare copper wire connected to bow, shroud bases, engine, and keel bolt.  Bracket holder for water sensor installed in a way that is removable for cleaning.  Bilge pump hoses run and fittings connected.  Head sink drain line and icebox drain line run.  

The first compartment aft of the mast contains a WaterWitch electronic water sensor to turn on the power bilge pump when set in the Automatic setting.  It is not yet wired to the panel.  In the second compartment aft is routed the pickup for the power bilge pump with gross and fine strainers.  This pump is mounted in the engine compartment.  The third bilge compartment aft has the pickup with anti-backflow valve for the manual bilge pump mounted in the cockpit.

Maybe just a few more pictures to come...

About PFDs (i.e., lifejackets)

There is a big variety of personal flotation devices for sailing.  How do you select one that fits your needs?  

For this post, I'll narrow it down to what authorities for long-distance races like the CYC Race to Mackinac require, which is a good specification for any safe offshore sailing.  Their current 2021 safety regulations state the requirement, for an inflatable model, this way:

"Each crewmember shall have a life jacket that provides at least 33.7 lbs. (150N) of buoyancy, intended to be worn over the shoulders (no belt pack), meeting either U.S. Coast Guard or ISO specifications...  Life jackets shall be equipped with a whistle, a waterproof light, be fitted with marine-grade retro-reflective material, and be clearly marked with the boat's or wearer's name, and be compatible with the wearer's safety harness.  If the life jacket is inflatable, it shall be regularly checked for air retention and shall be equipped with leg or crotch straps."

So, for the first decision, models that meet either USCG or ISO certification are acceptable.  Some brands, like Spinlock, are certified by ISO but have not applied for USCG certification for all their models.  The Coast Guard requires USCG approved lifejackets be on board a boat for all crewmembers - Type I, II, III, or V - but Mercedes has spares that meet that requirement.  

The next personal choice applies for either manual inflation with ripcord or automatic inflation with water immersion (that includes the manual option).  The better lifejackets have reliable automatic inflation systems that do not fire off if drenched with splashes or heavy rain.  Some people prefer manual inflation, and there's an advantage if you have to swim underwater without an inflated lifejacket preventing it.  However, if a sailor is somehow knocked unconscious before going overboard, manual inflation does no good.  

The next decision is tether connection.  Offshore sailing at night requires a tether to attach to strong points or jacklines on the boat.  There are separate, simple safety harnesses that you can wear that support attaching a tether, but lifejackets that have an integrated safety harness to connect a tether mean you have one less thing to wear.  

So, filtering for USCG or ISO, minimum 33.7 lbs. buoyancy, automatic or manual, with integrated safety harness, limits the choices available in the marketplace somewhat.  Now, you can add selection criteria like inflation technology, form fitting, cost, color, brand name, cost of the replacement CO2 cartridge, and whether accessories are included.  There are good options offered by brands such as Mustang, Onyx, Revere, Spinlock, and CrewSaver.  

When you make a choice for your lifejacket, if it is not already outfitted, add an automatic light, whistle, and leg/crotch straps.  These are all available for purchase separately.  Other options include a personal AIS beacon and spray hood.   Buy at least one spare CO2 inflation cartridge to keep with your gear in case the lifejacket deploys accidentally or intentionally.  Write your name in indelible ink or paint on the lifejacket.  When a lifejacket is identified with your name, it's yours, and it will not be in the pool of lifejackets on Mercedes that guests use.      

   

AIS beacons

Personal AIS (automatic identification system) beacons are a great safety feature for offshore sailors.  These devices receive position data via an internal GPS antenna and transmit on AIS VHF channels that vessels within line of sight range (of about 5 miles) can receive.  They are small devices - about the size of a PB&J sandwich (how's that for imagery? ;)  

An AIS beacon unit typically attaches to your lifejacket, and various models activate (a) by lanyard when the lifejacket deploys or (b) when submerged in water or (c) manually.  Once activated, the AIS-enabled B&G chart plotter and the DSC (Digital Selective Calling)-enabled VHF radios on board Mercedes (and other vessels) provide visual and audio alerts and precise continuous bearing and range to the crew overboard.  This is more accurate than the person overboard feature on Mercedes' B&G instrumentation because it accounts for drift.   

SAIL Magazine provides a nice comparison of the popular AIS beacon products available on the market.  Check out   https://www.sailmagazine.com/gear/gear-electronic-lifesavers
Here are some of them...

McMurdo Smartfind S20

Ocean Signal rescueME MOB1

ACR AISLink MOB

SeaAngel AIS MOB ECO Flare

Pricing is pretty consistent and has been that way since these products began to appear a few years ago.  They range in price from $250 to $300, and I have not noticed any discounts off retail.  They are apparently popular - some marine outfitters identify their offerings as back-ordered. 

The CYC Chicago-to-Mac race committee has listed personal AIS beacons in the "recommended but not required" category in the past but indicated that they would promote to the "required" category in 2021 for all crew members on board.  I haven't heard confirmation of this yet, but I'll let you know when I hear more.

Whether someone deems them required or not, Karen and I think that personal AIS beacons are important safety devices for sailing offshore.  I decided to purchase two of the Ocean Signal rescueME MOB1 units based on good reviews, performance testing, combined AIS/DSC functionality, battery longevity, security against accidental activation, integrated automatic strobe light, compact size, and mounting options.  I got them from Defender.com for $280.  

Here, at right, is a picture showing how the device attaches to the inflation tube on an inflatable lifejacket.  

Remember that always compellingly-memorable admonition from the Offshore Safety at Sea seminar that Karen and I attended a few years ago about preparedness for crew overboard emergencies - "you go in as you are!"  If you don't stay onboard for any reason, we want to find you and get you back onboard!

Offshore Safety at Sea course

The US Sailing organization sponsors an "Offshore Safety at Sea" training course that they deliver in person at yacht clubs and also online.  The link for the online course, which costs $85, is below.  

Passing the Offshore Safety at Sea course credentials you for 5 years for offshore distance sailboat racing events, like the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac.  Although the race requirements for the 2021 race, if it is actually held this year :), are not yet finalized, the requirements established for last year specified that at least half of an entrant's crew registering for the race must have completed and passed the course.  

However, whether it is required or not, learning the material in this course is extremely valuable.  It is a great investment in your and your crewmates' safety!    

US Sailing Offshore Safety at Sea online course:
https://www.boaterexam.com/sailing/safetyatsea/

- Chris

Practice and actual crew overboard recovery is always 
conducted in fair weather and flat seas, right?  Not!