Marine Equipment Technology » sail

Yacht Economical Sailboat for Blue water Sailing

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 10:04:41 +0000

Whether used for ocean cruising or family vacations, the Yacht is a sturdy, easy to sail pocket cruiser.
The low topsides, narrow beam and 27-foot length of the Yacht, Vega certainly do not fit the image of a typical ocean-going yacht. Nevertheless several Vegas have successfully circumnavigated the globe. Dozens, perhaps hundreds more have crossed at least one ocean, and one Vega, The Berzerk, sailed through 40-foot seas to Antarctica. Designed after Swedish FolkBoats
Designed in Sweden by Per Brohall in 1964, the fiberglass-hulled Albin Vega is modeled after the narrow-beamed Nordic folkboat. Like the folkboat, the Vega was built to be a sturdy, simple, economical, and easy-to-sail family boat.

Design Features
• Solid Fiberglass hull, with cored fiberglass decks and coach roof for lightness.
• Relatively shallow draft at just under four feet.
• Keel about half the length of the water line for stability, and reduced drag.
• Hull and deck caulked and bolted every 5 inches for a strong, water-tight seal.
• Though topsides are lower than most modern cruisers, the cockpit remains dry and comfortable even in high seas.
Below Deck
Though compact, the Vega has nearly six feet to headroom in the main cabin. There is a small galley with an icebox, sink, and cooktop. A removable table fits between the main cabin settees for dining or charting, and the two settees also serve as 6 foot bunks. The V-berth sleeps two comfortably. With only eight feet of beam, the boat would feel cramped with four adults aboard for any extended period of time, but is well-suited to a small family,

The Sailing Rig
This Yacht is sloop rigged, and can be easily single-handed. The sail area is somewhat conservative for inland waters, but excellent for off-shore. Though the boat doesn’t point exceptionally high, it handles beautifully off the wind, is well balanced, and heels at a comfortable angle even in heavy winds.

Despite it’s popularity, the Vega does have a few issues:
• Random Reversing: The prop is located aft of the rudder, making backing up a bit of a challenge. Many owners have found creative ways to compensate for this quirky flaw.
• Deck Compression below the mast: The Vega’s mast is stepped on the cabin roof, and supported by a beam below deck. Some Vegas have experience sagging of the support beam. Several owners have beefed up the bulkhead and support beam over the years, eliminating the problem, but potential buyers should check the support carefully.
• Weakness of the Rudder Post:The rudder is attached to the aft end of the keel rather than a skeg–normally this is a very solid way to support a rudder, but some Vegas have had problems with the rudder post. Again, this problem has often been corrected by previous owners. To test the rudder, hold the tiller still, and try to move the rudder. If it flexes, it probably needs to be rebuilt.

The Biggest Boat

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 10:01:57 +0000

Have you ever seen the big boat in the world? Passenger Boat or Cruise ship?
New boats are constantly being built, and boat makers are constantly pushing the envelope of size. For the time being, though, the largest seafaring vessel by size ever built is the MV Mont (formerly the Knock Nevis). At a massive 458.45 meters (that’s 1504.10 feet), the boat is over a quarter mile long; it is 68.8 meters (225.72 feet) wide. The MV Mont’s gross tonnage is 260,941 tons, and its capacity is 564,763 deadweight tonnage. This is the highest deadweight tonnage of any boat in history. The boat was built in Japan in 1979 by Sumitomo Heavy Industries.
It was so large, with a 24.6 meter (80.7 feet) draught, that it couldn’t pass through many of the world’s major shipping passages: the Nevis could not sail through the Suez Canal, the English Channel, or the Panama canal. The ship was capable of a sixteen knot speed, powered by steam propulsion. The ship has been renamed the MV Mont by its current owners, who have deliberately beached the ship and intend to junk it.
Though the Knock Nevis is the largest ship by size, it is not the largest ever by gross tonnage. That honor belonged to members of the Batillus class, four of which were built (Batillus, Bellamya, Pierre Guillamat, and Prairial). Prairial, the last remaining ship in the class, was scrapped in 2003. Ships in this class had around 275,000 tons in gross tonnage.
With the Knock Nevis scheduled for decommissioning, the largest active ship is now the Emma Maersk. The Emma Maersk, a Danish ship, is a container ship with a length of 397 meters (1,302 feet). Its deadweight tonnage is 156,907 tons, and is sailed by a crew of just 13 (though it has a capacity of 30). It is capable of travelling at a speedy 25.5 knots.
The largest cruise ship is the Oasis of the Seas, a cruise ship in the Oasis class. The Oasis of the Seas was finished in 2008; it is 360 meters (1,181 feet) long, 60.5 meters (198 feet) wide at its widest point, and has sixteen passenger decks. The Oasis of the Seas has a capacity of 5400 passengers, with a total capacity of 6296 people.
Another ship in the Oasis class, the Allure of the Seas, is currently under construction. The ships are built by STX Europe, the makers of the previous largest cruise ship (Independence of the Seas), in Finland. The Oasis of the Seas holds another record: most expensive commercial ship, at 1.24 billion dollars. The boat features Central Park, a tropical garden; a rising bar, and seven different neighborhoods.

Sailing Lessons

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:59:43 +0000

Sailing lessons designed for beginners can break down the information into lessons that can turn a land lubber into a sailor within a week or less. While most beginning sailing lesson programs will cover similar topics, here’s what a beginner will learn at a sailing school accredited by the American Sailing Association (ASA).
The ASA’s “Basic Keelboat” standard (ASA101) anchors the organization’s sailing curriculum. Most sailing schools cover the lessons within a week, and some offer classes that start Friday evening with classroom work and follow up with two days of on-the-water lessons, with certification by the close of the weekend.
Those taking “Basic Keelboat” can expect to learn:
• sailboat terminology, including parts of the sailboat, sails and rigging
• navigational terminology, such as the meanings of “port,” “starboard,” “fore” and “aft”
• the points of sail, and
• basic navigational rules.
On the water, students will learn to control a small sailboat (the ASA recommends a 20-foot boat) under all points of sail and to retrieve a person who has fallen overboard. In addition, students will learn to tie several knots important to sailboats.
Next Up: Basic Coastal Cruising Sailing Lessons
Those new sailors who want to learn how to captain a coastal cruising sailboat might want to continue with the ASA’s “Basic Coastal Cruising” standard (ASA103). In fact, some sailing schools combine ASA101 with ASA103 into a compressed week-long “learn to sail and cruise” lesson plan.
Those taking “Basic Coastal Cruising” can expect to learn:
• additional sailboat terminology, such as parts of a sailboat that are common on larger boats
• how to use safety gear that’s critical to larger cruising sailboats
• where to get weather information and what to do with it
• how to anchor and
• what to do in an emergency.
Once out on the water, students will learn how to handle a larger sailboat (up to about 30 feet in length) under auxiliary (motor) power. They’ll also learn how to dock the boat under power.
In addition, students will practice sailing to a compass course, picking up a person who has fallen overboard, and learn additional knots.
Basic Sailing Lessons Available in Most Coastal Locations
Most people who live in the United States on the coast or even on a larger lake will have access to an American Sailing Association-certified sailing school. Classes are available on the Chesapeake Bay, San Francisco Bay, and in the Great Lakes region.
Those looking for a sunny vacation might consider sailing lessons at schools located in the Bahamas or Caribbean.
Even though beginning sailors will learn a tremendous amount in a very short time in sailing lessons, the programs can be huge fun for both adults and children. And those who master beginning sailing and want more instruction can move up to bareboat chartering and coastal navigation.

Bell was rung, Boat will sail

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:53:28 +0000

A 24-hour day is divided into 4-hour segments or watches. When a crew member is “on watch,” that means he or she is on duty, and to be off watch is to be off duty. In order to create an uneven number of watches, so that the crew member isn’t on duty the same time every 24 hours, one of the watches is divided into two 2-hour watches called dog watches.
The first watch is the first night watch from 8:00pm to midnight. The midnight or mid watch is from midnight to 4:00 in the morning. That is followed by the morning watch from 4:00 to 8:00am. From 8:00am to noon is the forenoon watch, then from noon to 4:00pm is the afternoon watch. That leaves one watch remaining which is divided into two-hour segments, dog watches, from 4:00 to 6:00pm and from 6:00 to 8:00pm.
Number of Bells During a Watch
The meaning and number of bells during a watch lets the crew know the time, how many half-hour segments they’ve been on duty, and when to change watches. For a 4-hour watch, there are 8 half-hours. When the watch is over, the crew will hear 8 bells. That is because there have been 8 half hours in that watch. That is also when the half-hour glass is turned over to start another half hour and the next watch crew is taking their positions.
After the first half hour of the new watch, there will be 1 bell. The second half hour will be on the hour with 2 bells. The third half hour will be on the half hour with 3 bells, the fourth half hour will be on the hour – 4 bells, fifth half hour – 5 bells, sixth – on the hour with 6 bells, seventh – 7 bells, and the end of the watch – 8 bells.
To use this system as a way of telling time would be 8 bells every 4 hours at 4:00am, 8:00am, noon, 4:00pm, 8:00pm and midnight. The other even numbers of 2, 4, and 6 are always on the hour, and the odd numbers of 1, 3, 5, and 7 are always on the half hour.
The system of bell ringing is still used today on some modern ships and on historic or replicated tall ships.