Small Boat on the Inside Passage

[Bruce Bateau]

Through a little luck, a little planning, and a lot of hard work, I've secured two months off from work. Starting in August, I'm going to sail Row Bird on a meandering portion of the Inside Passage, from roughly the Broughtons in British Columbia back to Seattle. I'm going to post technical and fact based things here, and feelings about my preparations on my blog.

The first thing I did was get a whole bunch of charts details on that here I've got a list of other stuff that I'll back post.

Right now, I'm thinking about anchors (again). I've had a lot of success with an eight-pound Danforth-style anchor and 15 feet of chain, but the more I think about the amount of time I may be on the hook waiting out tide cycles, the more I worry the fluke won't reset itself well.

I've narrowed down my choices to a nine-pound Rocna or a eight-pound Mantus. I hear they're both good. Mantus is 25% less expensive, but is bolted together, which logically I realize is fine for a small boat. But in the back of my mind, I keep thinking that it will be a problem someday. Right now I'm ready to put my money on the Rocna. What's been your experience?

[WI-Tom]

Bruce,

good for you! I can't wait to hear how your trip goes.

Rocnas are impressive--I got to test a bunch of anchors at one of Howard Rice's small boat seminars and the Rocna was pretty much best of all I saw (no Mantus was tested). A pesky size and shape to stow, but probably worth it if you're living at anchor for weeks. They're only about $150 in a size for a small light boat if I remember right.

Good luck getting ready for August!

Tom

[WX]

Enjoy and fair winds.

[swoody126]

THANKS

that was nicely presented

and the horizontal balance scale tells me a lot

sw

[Bruce Bateau]

I saw that video and a similar one Chris Cunningham did for Small Boats Monthly:



The thing that I wonder about, is how often is your boat pulling the rode/anchor along at a 10 degree angle, unless you're anchored at 10:1 scope?

[wizbang 13]

All anchors work well in sand.
Ive had my Manson get jammed with grass because of the "roll bar", and its difficult to clear.
Much kelp or grass where you'll be anchoring?
If you will be aboard, Id use a fisherman.

[Woxbox]

The thing that I wonder about, is how often is your boat pulling the rode/anchor along at a 10 degree angle, unless you're anchored at 10:1 scope?

This why chain is critical. The catenary created by the weight of chain delivers the strain to the anchor parallel to the bottom. You don't need a 10:1 scope, and in fact the rode shouldn't even lift to 10 degrees where it meets anchor.

[Zane Lewis]

Not really impressed with that test as neither anchor disappeared into the sand. Having said that anchor performance under water is very different to in the air.

Other factors to consider. Soft bottom favors large area. hard bottom favors smaller fluke area and more tip weight to penetrate.
My personal experience is with the Spade type. Having said that many others here in NZ like the Rocna. Have not had first or second hand experience with the Mantus.

This is a good place to look for independent anchor info
https://www.petersmith.net.nz/boat-a...ce-testing.php

He summarizes a number of different anchor tests from around the world, and excludes those done by marketing teams that are setup to ensure their anchor comes out on top.
Also has some extra reading for expert's down the bottom.

One of the European boating mags did a large review some years back but I have not gone looking for the link

Z

[auscruisertom]

Sounds like a fabulous trip departing at the right time of the year for some good sailing with the wind at your back. Are you planning to launch Row Bird from Telegraph Cove or Port McNeil.?
Weather permitting the killer whales in Robson bight are always a highlight, as are several abandoned Indian villages in the Broughtons ,at least one used to have some totem poles still standing in the eighties. The shell beaches in front of those abandoned communities may still yield some glass trading beads . Enjoy your trip.

[Bruce Bateau]

Not really impressed with that test as neither anchor disappeared into the sand. Having said that anchor performance under water is very different to in the air.

Other factors to consider. Soft bottom favors large area. hard bottom favors smaller fluke area and more tip weight to penetrate.
My personal experience is with the Spade type. Having said that many others here in NZ like the Rocna. Have not had first or second hand experience with the Mantus.

This is a good place to look for independent anchor info
https://www.petersmith.net.nz/boat-a...ce-testing.php

He summarizes a number of different anchor tests from around the world, and excludes those done by marketing teams that are setup to ensure their anchor comes out on top.
Also has some extra reading for expert's down the bottom.

One of the European boating mags did a large review some years back but I have not gone looking for the link

Z

On anchors, yes, I agree that Peter Smith's tests are very thoughtful. Well worth watching.

[Bruce Bateau]

Good sailing, yes indeed, but the prevailing wind in August/September is SE. I’d consider making Seattle the departure point and cruising northwards to the Broughtons.
Nice boat, Bruce.

Thanks for the idea. I've considered doing the trip both ways, including doing a loop. I have up to eight weeks. My biggest goal is to take my time and to really soak in the places, making art along the way. Sailing when I can, rowing or sketching at anchor when I can't.

No matter what I've come up with, there's always someone who has a contrary experience about the best way to go... I've also come to understand that there's not a lot of wind in August either way, especially if I start in the south. Does that match your sense?

I figure the main thing for me is to just go.

I've based some of my decisions on a really interesting book called Taken By the Wind: The Northwest Coast: A Guide to Sailing the Coasts of British Columbia and Southeast Alaska by Marylin Johnson. She has compiled dozens of windroses and other information based on historical data from different reporting stations. You can get a preview on Amazon- it's a unique book, very thoughtful. It describes all the technical parts of making this voyage with wind and using tides in different portions of the passage.

[Stephen]

I figure the main thing for me is to just go.

That’s perfect. Not having a schedule and being free-spirited about where you go/end up is a great attitude for small boat cruising, and it’s nice you’ve got such a big chunk of time to play with.
Yes, the Gulf Islands can be particularly void of wind at times in the summer.
Are you going to keep your blog updated as you go?
Perhaps our boats will cross paths out there this summer.

[Zane Lewis]

Sounds like a great trip and as you say you don't have to rush which will make it much more relaxing.
I'm envious
Z

[Bruce Bateau]

Are you going to keep your blog updated as you go?
Perhaps our boats will cross paths out there this summer.

I'm kinda torn about the blog during the trip. I'm working really hard to make my trip low-pressure, low-tech. But I love the storytelling and I'm sure there will be a point in a long voyage where I could use the encouragement. I'm bringing limited electronics, so I figure if I pull into port or a marina and they have wifi and I have the inclination, there maybe a few little updates, otherwise blackout until the fall! Maybe my wife who is keeping the home fires burning might help me out. Part of the depth of the voyage from me will be isolating myself from daily doings, aside from what happens on the boat or with the weather... I don't want to look at e-mail and responsibilities awaiting me and thinking about those things, but we'll see.

And YES, I looked at your blog and look forward to seeing you and Quinque on the water- Maple Bay is now on my list!

I'll post about my electronics later.

[WI-Tom]

Hmm... I think you are wise to be considering limiting your electronics exposure, Bruce. I find a lot more satisfaction in writing a journal during the trip, and using that as notes to do Internet posts and magazine articles after the fact. Remember to be there while you're there. That's the whole point.

Just my own opinion...

Tom

[Bruce Bateau]

Yeah, in this age, it's almost expected that we're never physically and mentally in the same place. There's an amazing amount of marketing that makes us feel obligated to be "on" all the time via electronics at work and socially. Being off will be nice.

I think there's a place for electronic things- they're exceptionally good at capturing images that are hard to put into words- though it is worth the effort to try. I especially like coming back from my cruises and doing a short, note: short, presentation/discussion about journeying with friends and colleagues. I try to share enough to inspire and give a flavor of the adventure and leave people wanting, rather than to share everything that I personally thought was cool.

To that end my electronics for the trip are:
* A DSLR camera from about 2008- good enough for a nice picture, not so good that if it gets doused I'll feel bad.
* A nice point and shoot as back up.
* A cell phone, mostly turned off (though, thankfully I understand it won't work on large portions of the trip!)
* An InReach satelite unit that can send out an emergency signal, basic text messages, and can give a GPS location. (I don't intend to use it frequently).
* A LuciLight solar lantern/phone charger.
* A headlamp!

That's it. No electronic charts/chartplotter, no tablet, no laptop, no dedicated GPS, no smart watch.

-Bruce

[swoody126]

might i suggest...

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th-2 2.jpeg

sw

[Geftb]

What an awesome trip you have in mind. Look forward to reading about it in the fall!!

[AJZimm]

Yeah, in this age, it's almost expected that we're never physically and mentally in the same place. There's an amazing amount of marketing that makes us feel obligated to be "on" all the time via electronics at work and socially. Being off will be nice.

I think there's a place for electronic things- they're exceptionally good at capturing images that are hard to put into words- though it is worth the effort to try. I especially like coming back from my cruises and doing a short, note: short, presentation/discussion about journeying with friends and colleagues. I try to share enough to inspire and give a flavor of the adventure and leave people wanting, rather than to share everything that I personally thought was cool.

To that end my electronics for the trip are:
* A DSLR camera from about 2008- good enough for a nice picture, not so good that if it gets doused I'll feel bad.
* A nice point and shoot as back up.
* A cell phone, mostly turned off (though, thankfully I understand it won't work on large portions of the trip!)
* An InReach satelite unit that can send out an emergency signal, basic text messages, and can give a GPS location. (I don't intend to use it frequently).
* A LuciLight solar lantern/phone charger.
* A headlamp!

That's it. No electronic charts/chartplotter, no tablet, no laptop, no dedicated GPS, no smart watch.

-Bruce

Bruce,
You might want to consider something with a little more capacity in the way of solar charging and storage. Depending, of course, on whether your point-and-shoot is USB-rechargeable and whether you are using your cell phone to connect to the InReach for text messages, as I do. My Inreach typically lasts a couple of days, and I turn it off at night. I have found, in the same waters, that if you get a couple or three cloudy days in a row, you will appreciate the storage capacity of a larger panel and battery to tide you over until the sun returns.

[auscruisertom]

Starting your trip from the North makes more sense to me . If the weather becomes too soggy in September you can always pack up down island or in the SAN Juan Islands.
August and September still have a good number of days of NW winds which from memory tend to be lighter. While living in Port Hardy I still remember cruising the Broughton’s in August picking up several small salmon while sailing down Knight inlet.
If you are planning to fish one of those pink plastic divers combined with a flasher will produce good results, or alternatively a hand line and a buzz bomb should get you a feed.

[noyb72]

I was in Port Townsend last weekend watching the Race to Alaska send off. Several boats similar to yours, although almost every one had solar panels and some electronics, it sounds like you have worked hard at preparations and I wish you a trip of a lifetime.
Can't wait to live vicariously through your experience.
Ron Jones

[Bruce Bateau]

Bruce,<br>
You might want to consider something with a little more capacity in the way of solar charging and storage. Depending, of course, on whether your point-and-shoot is USB-rechargeable and whether you are using your cell phone to connect to the InReach for text messages, as I do. My Inreach typically lasts a couple of days, and I turn it off at night. I have found, in the same waters, that if you get a couple or three cloudy days in a row, you will appreciate the storage capacity of a larger panel and battery to tide you over until the sun returns.

My point and shoot is indeed USB rechargeable, though I can usually get it to go a week or so just fine. I'm more concerned about the InReach. I'm assuming you leave yours on all day? Do you use it for navigation or just to leave a GPS track of your travels? I'm also not totally immune to the charms a down-home marina with a shower and electricity to charge up every now and then.

What solar systems are people using? The ones I've seen at my local shop are pretty expensive and the sales people didn't enthusiastically recommend any of them...

[Bruce Bateau]

Starting your trip from the North makes more sense to me . If the weather becomes too soggy in September you can always pack up down island or in the SAN Juan Islands.
August and September still have a good number of days of NW winds which from memory tend to be lighter.

The idea of starting up north in August where the weather can be rougher and working towards milder southern, rain-shadow areas was definitely part of my rationale. It also helped that a buddy agreed to drive me up to the north end. We're going to launch from Alder Bay RV Park & Marina. Alex tells me they're pretty laid back there and less fancy than Telegraph Cove.

If you are planning to fish one of those pink plastic divers combined with a flasher will produce good results, or alternatively a hand line and a buzz bomb should get you a feed.

I love the idea of catching some wild food. Salmon are OK- that's a lot of fish for one guy to eat. Catching a real crab is more meal sized! I'm inexperienced with fishing. Any advice would be valued.

[AJZimm]

My point and shoot is indeed USB rechargeable, though I can usually get it to go a week or so just fine. I'm more concerned about the InReach. I'm assuming you leave yours on all day? Do you use it for navigation or just to leave a GPS track of your travels? I'm also not totally immune to the charms a down-home marina with a shower and electricity to charge up every now and then.

What solar systems are people using? The ones I've seen at my local shop are pretty expensive and the sales people didn't enthusiastically recommend any of them...

Bruce,
I don't use my InReach for navigation, just GPS tracking and text messaging. I turn it off at night.

I have a Goal Zero Nomad 7 folding solar panel, paired with a GoalZero Venture 30 battery. The battery is 29 Wh capacity. The combination has been enough for my needs.

Marinas are good, but you might get weathered in/windbound and unable to move for for a few rainy, cloudy days. That's when the spare capacity is welcome.

[WI-Tom]

That's why I prefer to use non-rechargeables like AA batteries for my camera (and radio when I take one)--you can carry the capacity you need without needing to recharge. But most modern electronics probably don't give you that option. Even in cameras it's getting pretty rare.

Tom

[Dale Gamble]

Bruce,
you've got a really nice outline for a solo cruise!
A couple of things I'd recommend (from working on the water in that area, & from a couple of 10 day canoe camp trips in the Broughton Group).
1) Count on there being at least a few days of grey/rain & potentially some serious wind, particularly into Sept. The main point being having sufficient amp hours for your emerg electronics, even if going with solar.
2) I don't see a portable marine VHF in your list - it's the primary com unit for the area and lets you check weather + cruise ship traffic. The latter is important because those big monsters really fly, and having one round a headland and close on you in a narrow channel at 15 - 20 knots can be scary. It'll also give you pretty decent access to help should an emerg occur. There's lots of traffic up there this time of year. Mine has a rechargeable plus can use AAs, so I'm (almost) never stuck.
Hope this is helpful,
Dale G.

[Small boats rock]

Sounds like a nice cruise, I'll be following this. Stuff the electronics, just enjoy the sailing. The rest of us will just have to be patient. As for anchors... I started sailing in the very early 80s and have yet to work out what is the ideal anchor, but I don't believe that the 'new generation' of anchors is anything other than marketing hype. Go a fisherman and learn its strengths and weaknesses.

[cstevens]

Bruce we are planning to be up in that area with Skookum Maru (40' Ed Monk cruiser if you don't read that thread at all) in August as well. Perhaps we will cross paths. Regarding blogging, etc. while cruising, I'm with those who prefer to keep the experience separate from the subsequent writeup so I can enjoy the trip without trying to compose a narrative at the same time. I keep a ships log using my phone during the day that I copy into the paper log book at night. I also take many, many photos on my phone. The combination gives me time, location, weather, events and imagery all in one place. Then at the end of the trip I have everything I need to tell the story. I keep the phone on "do not disturb" while cruising so I don't have to deal with outside interruptions when there is a cell connection. That turns the phone into just a handy device for recording events. How well that would work for a sail-and-oar cruise might depend on whether you can use the phone while underway given weather and the demands of the boat though. Another option might be to use a recording app with a voice transcription feature. But that might be getting too far away from the spirit of the journey...?

[WX]

To just go, that’s the important part. Enjoy.

[Bruce Bateau]

Lots of good advice and offers here folks. Thank you. A few responses:

VHF. I have two- they are so much a part of the kit, that I forgot to mention them, though I won't forget to use them! Thank you for the reminder. A key piece of equipment for weather and communication.

Socked in. Well worth considering. I have been warned (and probably need to be reminded again) and will plan for that. I don't want to go out in adverse weather beyond a certain point. I'm not a fan of fog either, but will do what I can to be safe.

Horns. I have a manual air horn (Sea Dog's metal one) that has a good sharp toot. I've also been advised to get a nice canister one too with deep loud sound to scare of bears. Makes sense to me. Anyone have a horn that they'd recommend?

Fish. Catch, kill, eat, share; make friends with everyone but the fish! If I can find the room, I will round up fishing gear.

Batteries. My VHFs both need a charger, as do all my cameras. Drats. What new VHF works on batteries? I'd like to know.

Blogs. I am also a journal keeper- I have ship log, as well as a sketch journal for each day. I wrote an article about my log over at ThreeSheetsNW.

[Jim.Montana]

Batteries. My VHFs both need a charger, as do all my cameras. Drats. What new VHF works on batteries? I'd like to know.

Standard Horizon HX300. Nice unit. Buy battery cage separate.

[Woxbox]

Batteries. My VHFs both need a charger, as do all my cameras. Drats. What new VHF works on batteries? I'd like to know.

My last boat had a 60W solar panel feeding a AGM battery and that was more than enough to run lights, charge my devices, and even run the autohelm from time to time.

For my current project I'm cutting back to a 20W panel feeding a lithium all-purpose battery unit that has a variety of outputs (they sell them as "generators" - silly). I won't have an autohelm so I think this will be adequate. What's nice here is that the size and weight of the equipment is fraction of the old setup. A portable, fold-up solar panel could be spread out when conditions were good. The battery, which is full of electronics, would need to be in a dry place, of course. But this might be better than carrying bags of batteries.

FYI, my Standard Horizon VHF will take either a rechargeable battery pack or one that takes AAs. You can swap them back and forth easily.

Sounds like a fantastic trip.

[jtdums]

The Cobra Marine HH600 VHF comes with an optional AA battery tray too. It is also DSC capable. Added to my kit this year, but honestly haven't got too much experience with it yet to review for you.

Looking forward to reading more about this year's trip. Thanks.

[David Cockey]

Consider a VHF radio with DSC and built in GPS, not just DSC. Portable units with these features are now available. In an emergency the radio can broadcast an emergency message with location without needed to be connected to an external GPS. While the Inside Passage has few shore stations there is a steady traffic of boats and larger vessels which should be monitoring VHF.

Portable VHF radios usually automatically switch to reduce power settings when using AA batteries.'

Consider how quickly an anchor will reset when tidal current or wind reverses. An anchor with higher theoretical holding power isn't much good if it does not reset after the boat swings around.

[Breakaway]

[QUOTE=Gib Etheridge;5912667]

Consider a VHF radio with DSC and built in GPS, not just DSC. Portable units with these features are now available.

Oooh, I like that. Thank you Davey Crockett (that's how I first read your name, kind of a flash back to my youth). Now I just need to learn about DSC.

You'll need to register with NOAA, OR Canadian equivalent,and get what is called an, MMSI number. That, coupled with a GPS/DSC radio gives you one-touch SOS capability, that broadcasts your position and a distress signal automatically. Can be picked up my authorities, and any other boat equipped with DSC VHF.

Most newer VHF radios are DSC. Many owners neglect to get an MMSI, however. Still, its a great asset.

Kevin






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