Day 19- Flying objects; Kay

Every day there is a lesson to be learned.  Today's lesson: Always be prepared.

After listening to the weather report on the VHF radio, after viewing Fitz Hugh Sound from the calm of our anchorage in Fury Cove, after securing the dinghy, and items in our berths, the salon, and the galley, donning our foul-weather gear, we pulled anchor and headed out to begin passage from south to north, up Fitz Hugh Sound.

The south end of Fitz Hugh Sound is open to Queen Charlotte Sound and subsequently open to the Pacific Ocean.  We just needed to get out of our anchorage, get out into Fitz Hugh Sound a bit and take a right hand turn.  Get the wind on our stern, and head north.   

Sounds easy.  It was intense…..

The galley had been cleaned up and put away quite well. The navigation station had appeared tidy and organized.  The 'head' seemed fine.

However, as things got rough on deck a peek below showed utter chaos from flying objects in the cabin.  Books littered the floor and the 'head' was wet from open hatches. Stepping into the swaying melee, I watched as items seemingly secure behind the sink slide from one side of the counter, then back again before toppling into the sink.  The coup de tat was the cutting board flying out of it's slot across the salon! 

Day 19 - Anchor crew technical note; Bob

Anchoring when we arrive in a bay for the night and pulling up the anchor when we are ready to leave the following morning are things we do every day.  They are part of the routine of life aboard Quijote.  If you are planning to be part of our crew this summer, this blog post will give you an idea of the anchoring procedures.

To lower the anchor we start by activating the windlass circuit breakers.  Then one person stands by at the bow and waits for Rod to give the signal to lower away.  Remove the anchor tie and lower the anchor with the deck switch and call out the depths as the markers on the chain go by twenty feet at a time.  When the right amount of chain is out, Rod will yell stop.  He will then set the chain and may ask for more chain as conditions dictate.  The crew at the bow can assist in this by laying a hand on the chain near the windlass and feeling for vibrations that indicate the chain is dragging.  In the absence of dragging, the chain will grow taught and will not vibrate.  The crew can then agree that the anchor has set and the engine will be shut down.  At that point, a snubber is added to the chain that takes the stress off the windlass and adds a little stretch to the system, which is easier on the chain and the boat.

To raise the anchor in the morning we start by digging the yellow deck hose out of the cockpit locker.  The hose is connected to the deck-wash connector on the deck and the deck-wash circuit breaker is turned on that will pump sea water though the hose.  We use the deck wash hose to clean mud off the chain and anchor as it comes up.  The engine needs to be running to raise the anchor, so Rod will start the engine.  With the engine running, the bow person will start by raising enough anchor to allow the snubber to be removed.  After removing and coiling the snubber, the bow person and Rod will make eye contact and give each other a thumbs up to indicate both are ready to raise the anchor.  The bow person will then raise the anchor by engaging the deck switch as seen in the image  above.  Depending on how the chain was laid onto the sea bed or how it has moved during the night, bringing up chain can move the boat around.  If the windlass starts to labor audibly, the bow person should stop raising and let the boat position catch up with the chain.  Pointing at the direction of the chain can help as well, since it will allow Rod to use the engine to help with moving the boat.  As chain comes up muddy, the bowman hoses it with the deck was hose, so it comes on board clean.  The person also calls out the depth as the markers come up, so Rod will know when the anchor has been lifted off the bottom.  Also call out when the anchor is in sight. The bow person allows the anchor to hang from the bow roller and washes it with the deck-wash hose.   When the chain and anchor are clean of mud, the anchor can be lifted into place on the bow roller.  This sometimes manual effort if the anchor wants to come up backward.  After the anchor is in place, the line to secure the anchor is tied and the tension on the chain is removed with the deck switch.