Brilliant boat handling video

[outofthenorm]

This video has it all - old wooden fishing boat, old engine sounds, a tight harbour full of boats ... and a masterful bit of handling. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBOJ7...eature=related

[outofthenorm]

And a follow up of what it's like in the engine room!

- Norm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8IGdmiC9AY&NR=1

[Bill Perkins]

I crewed on an old converted work boat from Sweden that had a similar semidesiel . The prop is variable pitch , and to get reverse you just keep cranking through zero pitch ( neutral ) and on to reverse . That's what the skipper is cranking on ,if it's the same setup . The boat I was on blew smoke rings while warming up , which I was watching for here .

[Saltiguy]

YouTube!
Three cheers for YouTube! One of the best damn things that's happened in my lifetime!

[Concordia...41]

Great videos

It certainly wasn't like I was expecting a video of my boat handling, but if it had been me in that tight harbor, the only question would have been: Who to call first? The local constable or the insurance companies...

[pcford]

Bravo! Best video I've seen in ages. Washed away the slime I picked up in the Bilge.

[willmarsh3]

Nice! There's a whole mother load of these that I could spend all night watching. Cool watching him backing and filling.

[martin schulz]

I crewed on an old converted work boat from Sweden that had a similar semidesiel . The prop is variable pitch , and to get reverse you just keep cranking through zero pitch ( neutral ) and on to reverse . That's what the skipper is cranking on ,if it's the same setup . The boat I was on blew smoke rings while warming up , which I was watching for here .

Around 10% of the boats coming to the RumRegatta still have their old Glühkopf (Hotbulb)-engines blowing smoke-rings in the air.

I even thought about an engine competition: Which engine runs slower

[PeterSibley]

I enjoyed that !Thanks !

[GregH]

What is a semidiesel?

[martin schulz]

What is a semidiesel?

An engine running on diesel AND crude oil (or whatever you put in it).
Those Glühkopf/HotBulb engines that I know of often use old french-fries oil to run them.

[The Bigfella]

Fabulous stuff.

[doorstop]

Very destressing (if there is such a word), it just made me smile, relax and feel goooood.

[Bill Perkins]

I think the term semidesiel refers to the fact that they don't have quite the compression to ignite the fuel ,as a true diesel does . They have a big glow plug , like a model airplane engine , to accomplish this . You preheat this with a propane torch to get things started .They have 2 huge cylinders ,and as Martin said , can run on a wide variety of fuels . We used straight diesel ,back when it was cheap.

[michigangeorge]

It is a real shame all the old boat handling skills are being lost, what with bow/stern thrusters becoming standard equipment even on small craft. I would much rather be sitting in a tight spot with that guy in the big iron boat aiming at my shiny topsides than some fool in his new picnic boat manuvering with his noisy thruster.

[MiddleAgesMan]

The boat seems to turn to starboard with the prop set for forward. I've forgotten if that means it's a right hand or left hand prop....thinking right.

[lagspiller]

This video has it all - old wooden fishing boat, old engine sounds, a tight harbour full of boats ... and a masterful bit of handling. Enjoy!

Recognized the place immediately. That is the Coastal Association (Kystlaget) warf and boathouses down in Sandviken, Bergen. 10 minutes walk from Bryggen past the cruiseboat piers for any of you who have been here....

[martin schulz]

It is a real shame all the old boat handling skills are being lost, what with bow/stern thrusters becoming standard equipment even on small craft. I would much rather be sitting in a tight spot with that guy in the big iron boat aiming at my shiny topsides than some fool in his new picnic boat manuvering with his noisy thruster.

Bow-thrusters are a clever way to make money by selling techy-stuff to inexperienced, overstrained fearful yottie-newbies.

I have seen a modern-type 2-mast yacht with a traditional look to "park" in a Museumsharbour box with 4 people standing around, while the skipper was trying to move the boat against the wind with his bow-thruster (mind you - the same place where usually 30ton ex-working boats get in only using antique engines with variable pitch props).

In the end we were quite embarrassed and had to turn away when the skipper was getting more nervous every second (he wasn't even able to understand that you have to belay the lines to windward first).

[SamSam]

Semi? It sounds like only about a third of the diesel is there.
I was wondering what he was cranking on, post #3 answered that. No wind and slack tide are a help, but it still is an experienced piece of work. So, is it pure prop walk that is maneuvering the boat around?

[martin schulz]

How fun do you think it is when the gears become dis-engaged unbeknownst to you from years of wear and tear?

Still a lot better than those large engines that have to be stopped and started new (with compressed air) to run backwards.

A boat I crewed on had such a piece of iron and the skipper got slippery hands each time he headed for the pier, shut down the engine and prayed to God wishing the engine will start again (and that he hasn't run out of air).

[martin schulz]

Recognized the place immediately. That is the Coastal Association (Kystlaget) warf and boathouses down in Sandviken, Bergen. 10 minutes walk from Bryggen past the cruiseboat piers for any of you who have been here....

The steamer he is passing...is it the Skjelskør (Frederikssund) perhaps?

[Yeadon]

I've watched it twice now, and will probably watch it again before lunch.

I love the look the pilot gives after he's finally in the clear ... his shoulders relax, he looks at the camera and goes "whew!"

Very identifiable feeling.

[Hughman]

thank you.

[Thorne]

Wow! Scooting under that bowsprit was scary...

[pcford]

Recognized the place immediately. That is the Coastal Association (Kystlaget) warf and boathouses down in Sandviken, Bergen. 10 minutes walk from Bryggen past the cruiseboat piers for any of you who have been here....

Lagspiller....There seem to be a lot of classic boat at the wharf. (I saw a sprit rigged Oselver when he is starting out. I have a 21 ft. here in Seattle.)

I assume this is something like a museum dock...I would assume that otherwise Norway is afflicted with modern plastic boats like the US is.

[SaltyD from BC]

Thanks for sharing that video. Kind of warms the soul.



Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianM
How fun do you think it is when the gears become dis-engaged unbeknownst to you from years of wear and tear?

No kidding Brian. Of course the same can be said for a gear box that decides to complain!

A buddy was crewing on the ninety some foot Saida out of Pt Hardy some years back. She's an east coast boat originally. She's a massively built packer made with 2" oak planking, centre hold obviously with the wheel house near the stern.

Anyways she was packing Urchins out of Hardy back then when the boys came in to the Sea Gate Warf on a nice summer's day. There was just enough room to dock her nearest the shore on the warf that is perpendicular to the shorline, as a big dragger had the outside 60 some feet used up. In she comes straight towards shore, the skipper goes to take her out of gear as he's approaching the dragger. He pulls on the lever - nothing - with two hands he jerks harder - nothing! He puts his back into it and really reafs on 'er - no way the gear is siezed tighter than hell. He yells to the boys on deck "get a line on her! get a line on her! Someone get down to the god damn engine room and kill this thing!!"

I guess it was quite a sight for the tourists as the Saida comes in at about 3 knots - Ronny and another guy jump onto the dock and frantically try to get a bite on the lines. The other fellow falls on his ass but Ronny got two wraps and held for all he was worth - the line slipping through his hands some. The other fellow recovered and got another line to hold. Timbers were breaking and the boys looked like they were in a rodeo or something..

Mean while Ivan had made it down the the engine room and killed the 12-71. (The Saida had some issues and no lack of hay wire in use)..

Finally she stopped just short of a finger warf at shore loaded with small boats. Total damage was half a dozen broken risers on the main dock's rail. Bloody and skinned hands on Ronnie but that was it. Lucky! Turned out that the main gear had piled up big time

[5.5 Meter]

I don’t know, personally I think he gave that Gaff rigged sloop a little too much prop wash.

Looks like he also has his prop off-set to starboard. Note he never touches the wheel, that is a characteristic of handling with an offset prop.

When backing, the vessel will go straight regardless of which way the helm is when there is minimal water flow over the rudder (minimal being 1-3 knots) so you just keep the rudder over to the side with the prop, then when you give it the forward you are hitting the rudder hard with 100% of the thrust (as opposed to a centerline prop where 50% hits the rudder and 50% passes the side that is open.

The technique is to keep the rudder over to the side of your prop, back down soft to keep the flow of water over the rudder to a minimum and the vessel will back down strait because in essence she will not answer the helm when reversing so no sense in bothering to spend time spinning the wheel. Plus the rudder is all set, in position and ready to get that thrust.

Growing up we had a 54’ Ketch with an offset prop to port. Made awesome left-hand turns. Whenever maneuvering you always set yourself up for left- hand turns. Looks like he is going for right hand turns and thus I would deduce offset to stbd.

[lagspiller]

Hr.Schulz, I tried to get a look at the steamer but it was too out of focus for me, so I don't know which boat it is. There are a few of the old local coastal boats still being run ... Oster and Bruvik for example. It could be one of them. And then there are the older Hurtigrute boats, the coastal steamer line that serves the towns between Bergen and North Cape. The old ones look like that - saw one called Nordstjernen lieing near this last time I was in the area (a couple of weeks ago).
I don't know the boat you mention and suspect it is stationed in Denmark?

pcford - it isn't exactly a museum. The coastal association is an NGO for coast culture of all types... traditional boats and everything related to the sea is the focus. But unlike a museum, the idea is about keeping the culture alive and in use - not exibiting it. The association in Bergen is one of the bigger ones, but most coast towns have a 'club'.

I was a member back around 1980 when the Kystlag association was founded, but unfortunately I fell in love with classic yachts and there wasn't much interest at all for 'snob boats' in the traditional workboat movement. I got really disappointed with the attitude toward that part of sailing history and have only been passively involved since. It's a shame, but there isn't really room for classic yachts in the Kystlag. They are kind of aggressively anti-yacht. To my mind, that is turning your back on a part of the coast culture. There is a very small classic yacht association, but it is mainly a local eastern norway club... and perhaps a bit too dominated by the 'higher social class' - by default.

Wooden boat seems to be a healthy mix of all kinds of traditional boats.

(Sorry for wandering off topic. It just sort of came out.)

[martin schulz]

I was a member back around 1980 when the Kystlag association was founded, but unfortunately I fell in love with classic yachts and there wasn't much interest at all for 'snob boats' in the traditional workboat movement. I got really disappointed with the attitude toward that part of sailing history and have only been passively involved since. It's a shame, but there isn't really room for classic yachts in the Kystlag. They are kind of aggressively anti-yacht. To my mind, that is turning your back on a part of the coast culture. There is a very small classic yacht association, but it is mainly a local eastern norway club... and perhaps a bit too dominated by the 'higher social class' - by default.

Thats about the same impression I got when I first started working for the museumharbour. The working-boat freaks do have certain resentments toward yachts, even classic yachts. Over here this mostly has to do with the rather snobby attitude yacht-owners have displayed towards those "rotten old wrecks" in the 70s and 80s (when of course the majority of ex-working boats did look like neglected wrecks people have bought who were to poor to buy "proper" boats).
This is changing now and some owners of working boats have been seen selling their boats to buy classic yachts.
I, as example have always been "between the stools" with my yacht (with working boat pedigree) lying in the museumharbour as well as the newly founded harbour for classic yachts.

But unfortunately I must say that there are still certain differences that are hard to come by. We (talking for the working-boat crowd) don't put too much effort in shiny brightwork, nor do we like any posh attitude. In the classic yacht harbour however I have lately noticed too much "unclassic" stainless steel stuff, knitted fender-condoms and even doormats (my tire-fenders are frowned upon).

[lagspiller]

my tire-fenders are frowned upon

Understand the problem of stools completely. A guy with a workboat attitude who owns and sails a classic yacht like playing Golf in sneakers. You don't really fit in anywhere.

[martin schulz]

Understand the problem of stools completely. A guy with a workboat attitude who owns and sails a classic yacht like playing Golf in sneakers. You don't really fit in anywhere.

True, but the fun in sailing or in playing golf is just the same, whether you wear sneakers or crocks

On the other hand the chap in the Museumharbour who keeps his Colin Archer in top shape (to be honest it was built 1986) has to accept to be the object of fun-making by other Museumharbour members ("this is a boat and not a piece of furniture") all the time.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

[QUOTE=5.5 Meter;1847369 Growing up we had a 54’ Ketch with an offset prop to port. Made awesome left-hand turns. Whenever maneuvering you always set yourself up for left- hand turns. Looks like he is going for right hand turns and thus I would deduce offset to stbd.[/QUOTE]


That's interesting. My experience is just the reverse - Mirelle has an offset prop on the port quarter. She will turn in her own length to port but takes her time turning to starboard! The reason is that the rudder deflects the prop wash off almost at right angles if the tiller is put hard-a-starboard.

[Spin_Drift]

Very nice films, both of them.

Great handling of the boat and beautiful little town. Loved the sound of the engine.

Made me smile all the way through...

Thanks for posting them...

[lagspiller]

True, but the fun in sailing or in playing golf is just the same, whether you wear sneakers or crocks

Agreed. But try telling that to the museum-watchmen.

[Henning 4148]

There is more

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kafaX...eature=related

[martin schulz]

Agreed. But try telling that to the museum-watchmen.

By the way, lagspiller...

During the RumRegatta a couple of people from Kristiansand showed up and wanted me to show them around, which is of course close to impossible, since I have to care about 100 boats and a festival market.
I was able though to spent some time with them explaining the concept behind the museumharbour and how we handle the RumRegatta.
They were very pleased and presented a beautiful book to me "Farmers, Mariners and Lords of Long-Ago" by Frans-Arne Stylegar.

What surprised them most is how we treat the media.
I said that our primary goal during the RumRegatta is to please the skippers and their crews. They don't pay anything, but we welcome them, give them a bottle of rum and celebrate with them. So, since the boats are our "target group" we don't count the visitors and we don't really care about press coverage. If the media and visitors show up, because they like the athmosphere - fine, but we definitely don't strive to satisfy their needs. We believe that trying to create a RumRegatta that pleases the media and the general public will eventually lead to massive commercialization.

[5.5 Meter]

That's interesting. My experience is just the reverse - Mirelle has an offset prop on the port quarter. She will turn in her own length to port but takes her time turning to starboard! The reason is that the rudder deflects the prop wash off almost at right angles if the tiller is put hard-a-starboard.

Ahhh, Tiller hard to starboard means turning left as in turning to port. Of which because your prop was offset to port was a better turn because the trust of the prop was also acting on the rudder. With your turn to stbd (tiller to port) you only had the flow of water over the rudder from fwd movement of your vessel through the water to provide effort on the rudder.

You and I are saying the same thing; a vessel always turns better to the side that the prop is offset to. Mine and yours were to port, from the video it looks like he was favoring “working” the right which implies an offset prop to starboard. “Working” as in working the boat around.

I was talking prop location and its influence on turn direction (rudder angle), I never mentioned mode of controlling the helm (tiller vs. wheel) other than to note that in the video the helm is never touched.. Your introduction of a tiller to starboard (turn to port) may be what is confusing you, which is understandable…tiller opposite way to the turn

[Gulfcoastbreeze]

By my watch that's about 80 rpm at dead idle. Nice!