Rambling Reflections on Cruising - October 2008
Routine of Exploration
Provisions
Anchoring
Engine Use
Battery Bank Capacity
Tankage
How Did Libations Too Perform
It’s early on Wednesday morning September 10. I am into the 43rd day of my 2008 cruise to the Channel Islands of southern California and life is good here aboard Libations Too. I have settled into a routine that works for me, and is flexible enough to accommodate the uniqueness of the different places that I have stayed. This is certainly not big time cruising, as in wintering in Mexico or transoceanic passages to Hawaii or points further west and downwind. But it the longest cruise that I have accomplished thus far and I have learned from the experience. These are my reflections on the experience…started now, and finished after completing my cruise.
The most repeatable part of my daily routine aboard Libations Too during this cruise has been that of beginning each day with morning coffee and checking the NOAA weather forecasts. Sometimes this was as easy as turning on my computer and using a local WIFI connection, but more typically it meant listening to the radio over coffee and early morning boat chores (i.e. dishes). This routine was balanced at the end of the day by another weather forecast check. I recorded both of these forecasts on a little form that I made so that I could refer back to it later and so that I could see how the forecast was changing over time. Usually I could keep up with the electronic “Iron Mike” voice used by NOAA, but if the boat was in motion or I was tired, I used a little hand held tape recorder to make sure that I didn’t missed something. I started this practice after Brain Fagan’s book about cruising in the Channel Islands made it clear that weather could change quickly. And since I was unfamiliar with the weather patterns in southern California I wanted to do something that quickly allowed me to gain some degree of understanding and familiarity with the weather knowledge of the Channel Islands.
My mornings also usually included exploration. The idea of seeing something new, of expanding my own horizons, was one of the main reasons that I wanted to visit the Channel Islands and southern California. By doing so in my own boat I also had the opportunity to be my own tour guide and expedition leader. This gave me freedom to come and go as I wanted…and the mornings proved to be good times for me to explore.
So after my morning routine of coffee and NOAA weather and while at the Channel Islands I usually took the dinghy out to explore a bit. This early morning exploration allowed me to get out before the winds filled in for the day (which made extensive travel in my dinghy all but impossible). My morning practice was usually to row the dinghy in a direction that would be upwind when the winds filled in and, in that way, I could easily drift back to my anchorage later in the morning. I grew especially fond of these little morning outings. I think it was the combination of being out early and of seeing and visiting places that I had never seen before that held my interest and attention. Some of these places included sea caves accessible only from the water and other unique features that could not be seen from land. But most of the time these were simple excursions around the anchorage or upwind for a distance of a mile or less.
The anchorages at the Channel Islands were ideal for these types of excursions and they suited me perfectly. Harbor seals were plentiful…with many being curious about a guy rowing around in a bright orange dinghy. Sea birds were always present, and when I rowed close to shore I could see starfish of many different colors, colonies of purple urchin just a few feet below the water’s surface, and fish of various colors….orange, blue, iridescent silver-blue-green. The daily patterns of wind, sea, and sea life were mostly new to me and held my attention.
When I was at harbor (especially Santa Barbara and Channel Islands Harbor, but also at Morro Bay, Monterey, and other harbors that I have visited in the past) I also enjoyed myself as a visitor…or as a transient resident of sorts. At Santa Barbara I wanted to explore the waterfront and city by bicycle. And at Channel Islands Harbor I needed to make a minor repair to the boat, so that gave me an opportunity to see the area in a different light. Several stops (Santa Barbara, Morro Bay, Monterey) included visits to local farmer’s markets, which not only made provisioning a bit easier but also was simply an entertaining thing to do.
The two items of equipment that made this exploration possible were my dinghy and my folding bicycle. Both were purchases made to support cruising and I am very happy with both. My dinghy is the smallest that Achilles made at the time…the LT-2, and the bicycle is a low-end West Marine model (modified slightly by installing a longer seat tube that made the bike a better fit for me). At the Channel Islands I saw many boats with kayaks, and indeed the kayak may make more sense at the Islands than a dinghy…but for me, the dinghy is what I had and it worked just fine. In the calm conditions of early morning I found excursions of up to a mile were quite reasonable. For me to go cruising without these two items would no longer make sense. The ease of use and the utility make these items of equipment indispensable in my mind. And they greatly expanded my cruising experience…the trips ashore at the Islands would not have been possible without the dinghy. And the bicycle made provisioning, laundry, and exploration ashore much more practical.
While at anchor at the Channel Islands after my late breakfast, the days were
somewhat varied. Usually during the middle of the day I was at the boat. Sometimes
doing laundry or giving myself a wash. Being constantly in a salt-laden environment
I found that the cabin sole soon became covered with a greasy film of salt
and grime. This was inevitable and easy to clean up with a damp cloth, but
took some time from my day. I was also surprised by how much dirt and dust
would accumulate in the cockpit in just a few days time. I admit to being a
bit picky about these things, but I could not enjoy relaxing in the middle
of a mess, so some time on a regular basis was spent keeping the boat clean.
I brought plenty of reading materials with me on my Channel Islands cruise,
but found it difficult to sit below and read when in the midst of the islands.
What reading I ended up doing was mostly during my marina stays, and at night.
Cruising may sound like an open-ended schedule full of free time, but in
actuality it proves to be a little different.
Late afternoons often found me exploring again, sometimes on hiking trails ashore. At Prisoner’s Harbor my afternoon hike to Pelican Bay was probably the easiest afternoon exploring on shore. At a few of the other anchorages I ended up hiking in the mornings because that is when a landing was most practical for me. This was certainly the case at Little Scorpion (where I needed to row upwind to the Scorpion landing site) and at Pelican Bay (where the landing area was directly onto a rock ledge and was marginal in the best of conditions). I also chose the morning to hike at Coches Prietos, which was a perfect time since the uphill hike was easier (cooler) than later in the day when the full sun was out. When I couldn’t hike, the afternoons (or early evenings) were times to take the dinghy out again…usually just to explore the anchorage itself since winds usually prevented going further.
I also used my afternoons as times to consider options for the next anchorage, review my charts and cruising guide, and generally make sure that I was ready for the next day’s activities. Afternoons were great times for naps and for watching the other boats at anchor. In some anchorages (Pelican Bay) I made it a point to be on my boat in the afternoons since this was when other boats often arrived and I felt it a good idea to stay with Libations.
While at the islands, I was usually back from exploring by about 1000 and my routine then switched in earnest to food. I am not sure that I have mentioned it here before, but I honestly believe that my daily calorie intake more than doubled on this trip…at least during those days when I was sailing frequently. It seemed at times like I was eating continuously…and at times I’m certain that I was! So after my dinghy exploration I fixed the first regular meal of my day. This was usually a hot meal of pancakes or eggs/potatoes/ham. On days that I was sailing I usually enjoyed a breakfast of instant oatmeal since it was quick and easy.
After breakfast I usually ate and snacked nearly continuously until my evening meal, which again was a more substantial meal. My snack food consisted primarily of cookies, cheese, apples, mixed nuts, tuna salad, trail mix, bagels, dry salami, peanut butter, pretzels, or leftovers of any kind…nothing was safe when I was hungry, which was most of the time. My original provisions list did not include crackers, which proved to be a great addition for snack-time food.
I am not an accomplished cook, but I have eaten well on this trip. Fresh tomatoes with mozzarella cheese and basil have been possible due to the number of farmer’s markets that I have found (Santa Barbara, Morro Bay, and Monterey). And fresh berries from the farmer’s markets have served for dessert and breakfast when available. Canned salmon or canned chicken sautéed along with garlic and zucchini and served with pasta and pesto sauce has become a regular dinner menu item. A simple stir-fry of potatoes, zucchini, onions, and ham is also one of my favorites as is salmon loaf. I have baked biscuits on a couple of occasions, and they disappear alarmingly fast…usually to serve as shortcake to go with fresh berries or as a snack served with honey. And I found that melon keeps well in the icebox and makes a great addition to any meal or snack.
The hospitality offered by other boats has been one of the most pleasant discoveries of this trip. Dinner aboard King’s Gambit, Mandarin, and Barbara Ann has provided a pleasant way to share and socialize at anchor. And late afternoon drinks aboard Mañana and Playcation have made for a satisfying way to end a day with my boating neighbors. The point here is that I am glad that I have had a supply of my favorite wines to share…though next time I will probably take more so that I too can invite others to Libations for…a little libations.
When anchored I spent a good deal of time just making sure that Libations was not moving and that other boats were not moving toward me. This turned out to be much more of an issue and chore than I would have guessed. Usually when setting a new anchor I did not leave the boat until I was certain that the anchors were holding and that my swing pattern would not put me on the rocks or put other boats at risk. I learned to use my GPS track (the little breadcrumb trail) to see what the swing pattern looked like and to then use that pattern to judge whether Libations was moving or swinging within familiar territory. This was more reassuring than just setting the “anchor drag” alarm since the absence of an alarm was not a positive indication that the boat was securely anchored…it could just as well have meant that the GPS had failed. And even if the alarm did sound, it provided no information about how the boat was moving.
I also learned to use my GPS track to good effect when setting anchor. My practice was to motor around the anchorage until I found a spot that suited me. If I was going to deploy only a single bow anchor the anchoring routine was pretty simple…approach the drop point from downwind, drop anchor, drift back downwind while letting out the proper scope, and then use the engine to properly set the anchor and confirm that it was holding. By watching my GPS track I was able to get a sense of movement and keep track of the location of my anchor drop point.
When setting both bow and stern anchors I found the GPS track even more useful. Once I had settled on an anchoring spot I would clear the track so that I would have a clear image of what I was doing. I would then motor to the spot where I wanted to drop the stern anchor, make a turn toward the spot where I wanted to drop the bow anchor, motor to that spot, and make another sharp turn, thus marking that location on my GPS track. While motoring toward the bow anchor spot I monitored distance traveled by watching the GPS. For example, if I was anchoring in 20 feet of water and wanted 5:1 scope on both bow and stern anchor that meant that I wanted the anchors about 240 feet from one another (200 feet for scope, 40 feet for boat length and some margin for chock height above water). To achieve this I would set the scale on the GPS screen so that the distance of 240 feet would be clear, and use the track on the screen to determine when I had covered the desired 240 feet between anchors.
Now I had a clear picture of my anchoring spot: a straight line between two sharp turns. The turns marked my chosen anchor locations and the straight-line path between showed where I wanted the boat to swing. With this track I now motored back to the chosen stern anchor location, dropped the anchor, then motored to the drop point for my bow anchor, dropped the bow anchor, and finally adjusted anchor rodes so that I was riding at the desired midpoint of scope. This might sound overly complicated, but setting both a bow and stern anchor singlehandedly and ending up in the desired spot took some practice…on my first attempt I had to set anchors three times before I was satisfied. Thankfully I had the anchorage to myself so no one was witness to my failings.
My setup for a stern anchored evolved with practice. I started with 200 feet of braided anchor rode, 20 feet of chain, and a small Danforth anchor. The problem with this setup was that I was limited in my ability to lay a scope more than about 100 feet on both the bow and stern anchor unless I wanted to row the anchor out after setting the bow anchor…difficult to do in any breeze or current. I ended up modifying this setup by adding another 92-foot length of braided rode…giving a total length of 312 feet. This line was loosely flaked into a 5-gallon bucket with the Danforth set in a bracket on my pushpit. This gear was modified further still to add a float so that in emergency I could slip anchor and return later to retrieve this valuable gear (I never had to do this, but once I realized how much trouble I could get into being singlehanded, I wanted to have the option of slipping the stern anchor if needed).
Deploying the anchor was as easy as dropping the anchor over the side and motoring toward the bow anchoring spot. The loosely flaked line fed out without tangling and allowed me to concentrate on getting the boat in the correct spot for dropping the bow anchor. I don’t think this would work well with conventional three-strand line since that type of line is not as flexible and tends to twist and tangle too easily. My bow anchor was my large Delta on 26 feet of chain and 270 feet of three-strand rode.
Retrieving bow and stern anchors required a bit of planning and working with wind and current. In the best scenarios, either no wind or a light breeze would be blowing from the bow and I could, increment by increment, extend the bow rode and take up the stern rode until I was above the stern anchor. I would then retrieve the stern anchor and simply pull myself back to the bow anchor and retrieve it. And if by chance, the wind was blowing from the stern, I would reverse the process and retrieve the bow anchor first. As I said, this was the procedure in the best scenarios.
When the wind blew more strongly I would need to use the engine to move the boat back upwind to retrieve the second anchor. The worst scenario was when the wind was on my beam. In such a situation, retrieving either anchor would then allow the boat to swing downwind…often toward another boat or toward the rocks. This was a problem sailing singlehanded, and resulted in a couple of “work around” strategies. The first was to simply retrieve anchors early in the morning before any breeze developed. This was best in any case and was my preferred strategy. The second strategy was to row out a second bow anchor to windward, retrieve the stern anchor, and allow the boat to swing from the newly set bow anchor while retrieving the original bow anchor. While this procedure worked, it was a major work effort and revealed just how poorly fit the skipper was. It also necessitated increasing the rode on my second bow anchor to match that of the primary…about 300 feet. Fortunately I was able to do this by using a spare rode.
Another problem associated with anchor retrieval was hardware related. The bow anchor is properly equipped with a bow roller and nearby anchor well, making retrieval and line storage relatively easy and straightforward. The stern anchor, however, had neither of these conveniences. As indicated earlier, the line storage problem was addressed by flaking line into a 5-gallon bucket. And while that worked, the bucket was somewhat in the way and not secured to the boat. When moving from one anchorage to another or sailing in unprotected water the bucket and its line needed to be stowed in a cockpit locker. Similarly, I did not trust my pushpit anchor bracket in a seaway and always stowed the stern anchor in a cockpit locker when moving into unprotected water.
The absence of a stern anchor roller meant that I needed to hoist line, chain, and anchor over my precious brightwork. This was made unusually difficult by the fact that the line ultimately needed to be routed under the pushpit…meaning that I needed to retrieve the line/chain/anchor while bending over and reaching out beneath the pushpit. When the line was retrieved and I was left with anchor and chain, the job became more difficult…and ultimately the brightwork suffered. Some additional thought regarding this setup and some hardware additions/improvements are probably warranted.
This experience taught me a few lessons for future reference:
1. Braided anchor line is much easier to handle than three-strand. The braided
line flakes more easily, is less prone to tangling, and occupies less space.
2. At the Channel Islands many anchorages are in 30 feet of water, and a few
are in 40 feet. Using a 5:1 scope on both bow and stern anchors suggests at
least 400 feet of rode on both anchors. This may sound like a lot but the conditions
at the Channel Islands warrant this type of gear.
3. The ability to slip anchor in an emergency and come back later to retrieve
it is a welcome addition to ground tackle. I was able to rig this on my stern
anchor setup but did not have this capability on the bow anchor. Next time,
I’ll have this capability for both bow and stern anchors.
4. A third anchor and rode, in my opinion, is a must.
5. In the Bay, a 20-foot chain leader at the anchor is generally sufficient.
It adds weight and helps keep the anchor dug in. The mud and sand bottoms here
generally do not call for more. However, at the Channel Islands anchorages
exposed rock is often present and more chain is warranted to prevent chafing
as the rode is dragged back and forth over the exposed rocks. I didn’t have
any real problems, but it was evident from my inspections of the line after
retrieving anchor that it had been dragging back and forth through mud, sand,
and weed. I would have been more comfortable if I had more chain…say
a 50-foot minimum.
6. And that brings me to my last observation: a windless would be a great addition
to Libations. My anchor evolutions were accompanied by lots of grunting and
sweating…and most typically were concluded with some Ibuprofen to ease
the back pain that routinely followed. And things would only get worse if I
increased chain length to 50 feet.
Tomorrow I am going to change oil in the engine and reverse gear on Libations…it has been a little over 100 hours since my last oil change. Fortunately, here in Monterey a West Marine store is a short bicycle ride from the marina and I’ll make a morning trip to buy oil for this important chore. When setting out on this cruise I was unsure of how much many hours I would actually use the engine. I debated about whether to bring my oil-changing tools (a vacuum pump and receiver tank, associated hoses, etc.), and ultimately decided to bring the tools and buy the needed oil if and when I needed it.
As it turned out, I used the engine more than I would have guessed. Most of this usage was on long windless passages, or on the upwind legs on the trip north along the coast. Thus far this has included 67.8 hours of engine time on the legs from San Simeon to Morro Bay (5.6 hrs.), Morro Bay to Cojo anchorage (10.5 hrs.), Santa Cruz Island to Santa Barbara (5.4 hrs.), Channel Islands Harbor to Santa Barbara (6.3 hrs.), Santa Barbara to Cojo anchorage (7.8 hrs.), Cojo anchorage to Morro Bay (12.7 hrs.), Morro Bay to San Simeon (5.5 hrs.), and San Simeon to Monterey (14 hrs.). The remainder of the engine time was associated with anchoring, anchor retrieval, and short hops between anchorages while at Santa Cruz Island. I ran the engine less than an hour while at anchor for the sole purpose of charging the batteries.
This experience brings up the whole question of how much sailing is actually done while cruising. For me, the reasons to motor were usually straightforward: I wanted to be at my next destination before dark (or before the end of office hours for Harbormaster staff), or the wind simply was insufficient to make any reasonable progress. By judging from the activities of other boats around me, this was not a boat-specific decision. Rather, it simply seemed to be the expedient way to move from place to place. I bring this up here because one of the things that I had considered doing prior to this cruise was to add a light-air reaching spinnaker or large genoa to Libations’ sail inventory. I obviously did not do so and in retrospect I am not sure it would have made a significant difference in the amount of motoring that I did.
I was pleasantly surprised with Libations’ performance related to electrical power capacity during this cruise. As a reminder, Libations has two Group 27 gel cell batteries, and I typically hold one battery in reserve for engine starting. My typical use was to discharge the “house” battery to no less than 12 volts as shown on the analog voltmeter that is mounted at the electrical panels near the nav station. (This meter reads about 13.5 volts when the batteries are fully charged.)
Prior to leaving I was a bit worried that my battery bank capacity would not be sufficient for extended anchoring. But all worked well, and as noted above, only once did I run the engine for the sole purpose of charging the batteries. I attribute this good experience to the LED anchor light and LED cabin lights that I have installed on Libations. It must also be noted that my typical stay at any one anchorage was no more than 2 nights, and my longest stay at a mooring ball was 6 nights (this was the one occasion when I ran the engine to charge batteries). I also made it a point to use cabin lights sparingly after dark, and even then I used the LED lights as much as possible.
I consider this performance acceptable for my type of cruising thus far (singlehanded and moving frequently). However, were I to cruise with another person I would expect that my miserly approach to cabin lighting would not serve. And if I were to travel to an area where extended anchoring at a single spot was the norm, running the engine every few days might become tiresome. In these circumstances addition of a modest sized solar panel might make sense. It would clearly depend on the cruising ground (need sunshine) and other factors, but I think this would be a better solution than simply adding more capacity (a third battery).
When I set out on this cruise to the Channel Islands I had never pushed Libations’ cruising capabilities to the point where I could determine where I would first run out of liquids capacity: fuel, water, or holding tank.
On my other cruises, and on this cruise, fuel capacity was not limiting. On this cruise I averaged about 0.35 gallons of fuel for every hour of engine use. At this rate I could motor for 62 hours between fuel stops. At 5 knots that is equivalent to about 310 miles…plenty of range for coastal cruising. And since my longest period of continuous engine use on this cruise was about 14 hours (San Simeon to Monterey along the Big Sur coast) I was never concerned about fuel capacity.
The same can be said for water. I started out with all three tanks full (total of 78 gallons) and emptied the port 19-gallon tank under the main cabin settee on day 14. After this I used water a little more generously, but never came close to running out. I eventually decided to leave the port tank empty since the boat showed a slight list to port (where the batteries, life raft, tool box, icebox, stove/oven, and boom…when stored at anchor I always pulled the boom to port to make companionway entry a little easier…all concentrated their weight).
But holding tank capacity surprised me as being the first to bump up against capacity limits. I used the head only as needed, and did not flush toilet tissue into the head. Nevertheless, after 15 days it was time to head to shore for a pump out station. Like battery capacity, this was generally acceptable for this type of cruising (singlehanded and moving frequently) but with crew and any intent of an extended stay at a single spot, this capacity limitation would perhaps be more troublesome. As a thought, I have considered revising the piping and pumping arrangement to allow pumped discharge of the holding tank at sea. This would allow any extended stay to be interrupted only as necessary to sail beyond the 3-mile discharge limit (or beyond the Marine Sanctuary Boundaries that encompass most of my cruising grounds here in the West), empty the holding tank, and return to the anchorage. Another option would simply be a larger holding tank, but in the confines of the forepeak I do not see this option as very practical.
How Did Libations Too Perform?
How do I feel about the Pearson 323 as a cruising boat after spending nearly 8 weeks away from my own dock and traveling over 820 nm along the California coast? I have been back now for over a month and I’ll try to provide a measured answer…as free of initial impressions or biases as possible. This is obviously a very personal question, and my answer will obviously be a personal one. One might think of this as a list of “lessons learned” or of “future projects” that might make cruising more enjoyable.
First I’ll say simply that I would go again without hesitation. And to that I’ll add that I had no significant gear failures and no disappointments regarding the boat. Now for the details…
On the positive side I think it important to note that I sailed singlehanded and that I felt confident with the boat in all conditions that I sailed…and that included several days of gale force or near gale force winds, crowded anchorages, and three overnight passages. Could that be said of another boat? I am sure that it could, but I do not have the experience to judge other boats and will not try to do so here. For a singlehanded sailor the 323 proved to be easily handled and yet stable enough to offer a semblance of comfort in the worst conditions that I encountered. The dodger proved its worth as did the Monitor wind vane, the inner forestay and twin headsails, the icebox refrigeration, my AIS, the LED anchor and cabin lights, and many of the other improvements or additions that I have made to Libations Too over the past couple of years.
But rather than go over a long list of virtues that the 323 offers to the singlehanded cruising sailor it may be more informative to focus on the weaknesses or problems that I encountered. Each of the items noted below could be solved with different equipment on the 323 or with a different (bigger) boat. But both of these paths include a long list of impacts that I will not try to identify here…ranging from simply cost to much larger system questions (e.g. larger battery bank and charging capability) or bigger boats (can it be sailed singlehanded?).
So first on the negative side of the ledger must be the fact that Libations Too did not have a windless. As a singlehanded sailor setting both bow and stern anchors I will admit to lusting after a windless. The overall effort in raising two (and sometimes three) anchors is significant and can definitely flavor the way one thinks about anchoring. I say this both because it is real work and because it makes it more difficult to simply pick up anchor and move to a different spot or re-anchor if the first location proves unsatisfactory. The ability to raise an anchor with a greatly reduced effort would, in my view, add significantly to the pleasure and safety of cruising.
Another possible negative may simply be the boat’s overall size. As a singlehanded sailor, I had no problems with accommodations room or storage space. However, I think it would take a very practiced couple to really enjoy an extended cruise in any 32-foot boat. I don’t want to dwell on this since it is only my opinion, but I think it is worth mentioning. And I do not think it is unique to the 323…any 32-footer will probably have the same limitation.
Somewhat related to the 323’s size is its speed under way. Whether under sail or while motoring, speeds in excess of 6 to 6.5 knots were rare for me. If motoring I figured an average speed of 5 knots, and if sailing I reduced that expected average to about 4 knots. Could I motor faster? Sure, but I chose to run the engine at 1700 or 1800 rpm as a means to achieve good fuel economy (my average for the entire trip was approximately 0.35 gallon per hour). And while under sail, hull length and sail area proved to be the limitations to greater speed. How significant is this? I don’t really know, but I mention it here as a point of reference.
Comfort in the cockpit while at anchor was a challenge for me. It was mostly due to the lack of shade, and it prompted me to think more about a bimini. I have a cockpit awning that was designed to provide shade and shelter in the cockpit, but it proved to be less than perfect in the winds that I found at anchor. One of the great pleasures for me of anchoring is that of just sitting in the cockpit and enjoying the view. But in full sun the glare and heat soon diminish this experience. This shortcoming is not unique to the 323 but I mention it here since a longer cruise, or one to warmer (sunnier) anchorages, would be diminished without addressing this issue.
And what about radar? Again not unique to the 323, my lack of radar deprived me of another tool that might be important in some cruising grounds. I had no real problem on this trip, but I did sail at night and in the fog on more than one occasion. Radar could certainly be a useful tool to help with both navigation and collision avoidance. Probably because Libations Too is not equipped with radar I have learned to sail without it. If she had radar, I am sure that I could learn to sail with it. A pragmatic assessment of coastal cruising may put radar on one’s project list. It does come with a long list of impacts…ranging from the need (for me) to add a display capability to the questions of where is the display mounted, does the boat have sufficient battery capacity to support radar, and how much time is needed to operate the radar. When I speak with others who enjoy the benefits of radar I often learn that it can be a rather attention-intensive instrument to use. I’ll simply close here by saying that for me, I can easily be on either side of this issue. On one hand I believe it safer to focus my attention on watch keeping than on instrument operation, and on the other hand I would greatly appreciate the value of another tool that can help with both navigation and collision avoidance.
My last comment here will be about dinghy use and access to and from the boat. On Libations Too, I removed my stern ladder when I installed my Monitor wind vane. The result, when combined with cruising that requires dinghy use, is that I am left without a dedicated ladder to board the boat from the dinghy. I installed some “traction tape” to the larger tubes on the Monitor support structure to provide a better foothold than the tube itself and simply used the Monitor as my boarding ladder. While this worked fine for me, I would not expect others to use this route. So what is the proper solution for a 323 with a wind vane installed? I do not have an answer to this question…but I have seen other removable boarding ladders that hang from the cap rail or jib sheet track. This would be an excellent addition to Libations Too and is something that I will continue to investigate. Without a proper boarding ladder, my ability to extend my hospitality to others at anchor is greatly reduced…and thus diminishes the whole cruising experience.