Arpex rig options

It is a rainy Saturday. I'm at home.

Luiz Fernando is again stuck with back problems. He has pain in his back, and is going to see the doctor. Since Monday is a holiday in Brazil, we agreed that I will drive out to Itaipú on Monday morning. He reports that the construction has advanced as planned this week, despite his health issues.

I will use the day to think more about the rig configuration. I will try to use the free time productively, and detail the configuration. I'm pretty well decided on a Wharram rig option. It is a simple set up, that uses only little hardware, thus keeping cost low. Also the sail cut is easy, which should decrease production cost. The short gaff keeps the center of effort low. The mast can be homemade out of wood. It is buoyant which is high on my whish list. And I find it visually attractive.

I think it will fit nicely on Arpex. What I need now, is to define the exact location of the mast step, supporting structure, geometry (CE vs. CLR). The CE of the rig that I will design will have to meet the designed CE. This should not be too hard to achieve. Let's go to work.

Wharram rig on a Tiki 30. Nice boat. Nice rig.

This is the scheme of a "modified Wharram Rig". I found it on the Harryproa Yahoo Group page (http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/harryproa/). I don't know who posted it. But it seemed interesting to me. I ask myself if it is possible to include buoyancy where the sail goes over the short gaff. That would be a nice feature.

Too calm - South East Pacific Tour

Big Marlin following in the wake of S/V Columbia in mid-Pacific Ocean

As the calm persisted, the crew on Columbia became stressed and nervous. We progressed for days with average speeds of 0,5 to 1,5 knots, in very feeble winds. We still had 500 miles to go to the South American coast. The visit to the Juan Fernandez Islands was canceled. The wind pattern was one of consistently weak winds, over a long period of time, in an El Niño year.

It was obvious that the now substantial barnacle growth was threatening our very safety. Water and food was rationed.

I silently started to draw different scenarios and options, considering progress compared to the amount of water and food that we still had on board. And considering crew morale too, which was low. Very low. Non of the scenarios was too positive.

As the most experienced crew member I had been put in a trust position by the captain, from the very beginning of the trip. It was a difficult situation, since I found myself trying to defend the erratic behavior of the captain in front of the crew. In the eyes of the crew I was on “his side”.

Many of the crew did not understand the need of discipline and hierarchy on such a trip. I therefore, as "first mate", saw it as my duty to defend the captains decisions. Despite finding it sometimes difficult, due to his bad technical and personal decisions. Crew mutiny was definitely not an option for me. And, believe it or not, some crew members expressed ideas in this direction! Not once and not twice... It was getting serious... I newer thought I would find myself in such a situation. I was in a dilemma.

The situation was exacerbated, since the captain didn't draw scenarios, did not point options, solutions, or tried to comfort the crew in any way.

We had an operational engine and a full tank, with autonomy for 800 miles.
Under the current average speeds we wound not reach land with our food and water supply, even rationed. Of course we could ration further, but already the crew was weakened. I had lost considerable weight. We had a flat sea.

I decided that it was time to start making some questions to the captain. Despite my very careful approach, he reacted most violently. He was obviously already aware of the mutinous atmosphere - there was no way to miss it. And apparently he thought that I, until then his most reliable crew member, was going the same way! But I had to get some answers, and urged him to talk to the crew, alerted him of the critical situation, and asked him to tell us what his options were.

Our relationship deteriorated. But, under pressure, he decided to take some decisions. He decided it was now time to dive, and clean the bottom of the boat. In the current situation, in mid ocean, high latitudes, this was, of course a very dangerous undertaking. We had seen many big fish, following in our wake over long periods of time. Sharks mostly… they seemed to enjoy to stay in the shadow of the boat. As did big tunas, dorados, and even a big marlin. It is the one seen on the picture above. It must have measured at least 3,5 meters length. It’s eye was the size of my fist.

So, a war operations was set up, with lookouts, wetsuits (water temperature was at 12 Degrees Celsius! We were still in the roaring forties…), tools, safety lines, tie-ups, hot beverages and emergency plans. This time I stayed on board.

After hours of hard work we freed the vessel of the thick cover of long-necked barnacles. Something we should have done long ago! They girls sighted in relief… they were the ones which were most affected by the critical situation. One of them silently, and only half ironically, suggested to me we should leave the captain in the water…

Of course the boat should have had a clean bottom from the start, which it didn’t. Galapagos and then Easter Island would have been other possibilities for cleaning. We knew about the problems with the barnacles.

At least now we were free, and the activity increased crew morale. But still, there was no wind. Reluctantly but motivated, pressed, by the crew, the captain decided to start the engine. Finally! The crew cheered!

Feliz Aniversário!!!

Gluing Arpex

The internal structure is being glued with a phenolic glue called Cascophen. It is a traditional boatbuilding glue. The measure of the glue and the hardener has to be exact. Best is to use a scale, like shown here by Luiz Fernando.

Reflections

Bid Bambas e Bitritas

Grafitti

Grafitti found on an abandoned car.

Colagem da madeira nas cavernas

Flores do Jardim Botanico

Flores bizarras do Orquidário.

Bromelias no Bromeliário.

Weekend reminders

Many things during our sunday walk in the Botanical Garden seemed to remind me of the boat construction.

Pergola arches in the Botanical Garden in Rio de Janeiro.

Flores para o meu amor

Obrigado pelos 6 anos, meu amor. E por hoje também.

LulaLaLau

LulaLalau

- 1 lote de lula "piscando"
- 2 cebola
- alho (bastante - pode deixar pedaços inteiros)
- 4 tomates frescos
- 1/2 lata de pomarola
- cebolinha
- coentro
- pimaneta de cheiro
- azeite
- uma pitada de açúcar

faz na panela de pressão. doura a cebola, joga o alho, refoga, azeite.. depois de refogado joga o tomate cortado. não esquece um "grauzinho de pimenta do cheiro. quando estiver bom, depois de 15 minutos, joga o pomarola, mexe, cebolinha, coentro, joga a Lula - fecha a panela de pressão e deixa 10 minutos em fogo médio. desliga o fogo ... e em 5 minutos abre.

Peixe - Fish on Saturday

Cações e corvinas... Levei um lote de R$ 10, por 3 corvinas bonitas. O preço de R$10 por lote é o padrão da praia. Mexilhões também custam este preço por uma sacola de 1 kg.

Exeprimentos... levei umas Lulas também, para ver como é que eu me viro no preparo. Elas tem uma coloração bonita e ficam piscando.

O Rio está logo alí. Quase dá para ver minha casa, entre o Pão de Açúcar, o Morro da Babilônia, atrás da Praia Vermelha. Bem debaixo do Corcovado.

I can almost see my home from here. Sugar Loaf is right there.

All fishermen seem to use the 15hp Mercury engine for their heavy work.

Hands on boatbuilding

Participating in the boat construction is very important for me. Last saturday we spent some time cutting wood. It was very instructive. After years of reading about it I finally got to do it - as an apprentice, of course.

Washing the wood-dust down with a cold beer afterwards was very satisfying too...

Flat Calm on the South East Pacific

The gale which brought us winds of 40kts, gusting up to 55kts lasted three days. On the second day the lower st'board shroud broke. We had to tack the boat to release the pressure on the mast.

When the wind abated, we set to make our repairs. Luckily the boat was well equipped with spares and tools, and so we managed to make full repairs. After 6 days hanging-on, due to the gale and then due to the broken shroud, we set the boat sailing again.

To our despair the wind was getting weaker every day. And soon enough it died off completely, leaving us totally becalmed. The Pacific turned into a placid pond. Even the South Pacific rollers subsided. I had never seen so calm a sea. It reminded me of the absolutely flat waters of the Rio Negro. We had albatrosses sitting around us, waiting for breeze. All they did was keep starring at us, strange visitors.

It was now that the neglect of our underwater body was charging its toll. The voyage was already taking much longer than planned. Our average speed over the voyage was 3 kts! Water and food rations were low. We decided to ration. Crew morale was at a low point.

Instead of calming the crew and communicationg about our options the captain escaped his responsibility. He increased his psychologic pressure on the crewmembers.

Pressão

Portrait from 2006.

Seu Jorge - Tive Razão

There you have some more Seu Jorge. Great voice. Cool singer.

Copacabana

While I'm at it, I might just as well post another one by Chrisitian Gaul.

Note the Copacabana pathwalk pattern quite distinctively printed on the swimsuit. And nice colours too...