{"id":8655,"date":"2015-11-19T13:22:35","date_gmt":"2015-11-19T17:22:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bwsailing.com\/?p=8655"},"modified":"2016-04-26T11:35:31","modified_gmt":"2016-04-26T15:35:31","slug":"a-brief-introduction-to-high-latitude-outfitting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bwsailing.com\/bw\/a-brief-introduction-to-high-latitude-outfitting\/","title":{"rendered":"A Brief Introduction to High Latitude Outfitting"},"content":{"rendered":"

Preparing a boat for an ocean voyage is a big process, and it requires even more effort and planning if you intend to cruise the world’s higher latitudes\u00a0 (published October 2015)<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve refitted three boats now: for a circumnavigation, for a U.S. East Coast trip and for the Bering Sea and Arctic. Each case was different because each boat and each voyage was different, although that\u2019s not to discount the importance of a high safety standard in any refit.\u00a0 So what are these differences and how should they affect your outfitting?\u00a0 Of course, it\u2019s impossible to cover every consideration here, especially the less tangible elements of mental stamina, effective risk evaluation, flexible plans and contingency plans. So I\u2019m sticking to the boat herself.\u00a0 For simplicity’s sake, I\u2019ve broken the outfitting precautions into four challenges presented by high latitude sailing: weather, ice, staying warm and lack of supplies.<\/p>\n

WEATHER
\nHigher latitudes tend to have less fine weather and less predictable bad weather than lower latitudes. Approaching the Bering Sea, I found that forecasts were only reliable for 24 hours and sometimes much less.\u00a0 Between the rapidly moving fronts and the micro-climates of the islands and mountains, it was hard to predict. The lows also tend to be more severe (excepting hurricanes, of course): a gale I encountered while sailing to Fiji from New Zealand had sustained 40-knot winds, whereas this past August in the Gulf of Alaska, the forecasts often mentioned 50-knot winds, which is an average. Finally, gales are more frequent. Those Gulf of Alaska forecasts lasted an entire month with only the smallest breaks, often less than 24 hours.<\/p>\n

\"Sat<\/a>
Sat phone antenna<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When outfitting for severe weather, the first consideration is avoidance.\u00a0 Don\u2019t overlook the humble VHF radio, especially if you\u2019re sailing to Alaska or Canada. Both governments provide excellent forecasts over VHF.\u00a0 A single sideband radio is a good idea as well, so that you can receive these same forecasts at longer range.<\/p>\n

HF signals are weak or non-existent in the Arctic, however. So too are signals from most satellite communications providers, making Iridium the only option in the far north. The set-up is slightly more expensive than the SSB and Pactor modem but it\u2019s worth it to have reliable communications. My Iridium phone hooks up to an external high latitude antenna from OCENS on the stern pulpit; it never dropped the signal even when surrounded by mountains.\u00a0 To connect to my computer, I use a router which creates a Wi-Fi hotspot and a firewall that blocks unwanted traffic and thus keeps airtime to a minimum.\u00a0 I found it easier to install than our SSB and also incredibly simple to use. For software, I use OCENS WeatherNet, which compresses weather files for practically instant delivery. WeatherNet also delivers ice charts, a key consideration for the Arctic.<\/p>\n

No matter how good your forecasting set-up, you will almost certainly encounter inclement conditions on a high latitude voyage.\u00a0 Being at sea for an extended time makes it likely that at least one storm or gale will hit you.\u00a0 Furthermore, you might have to set out in heavy weather simply because it\u2019s either not going to change or only going to get worse.\u00a0 This happened to me three times on my voyage to the Bering Sea.<\/p>\n

Preparation for this starts with your boat\u2019s design. As for any voyage, the boat\u2019s angle of vanishing stability should be high: Peter Bruce in Heavy Weather Sailing<\/em> recommends 140 degrees.\u00a0 Also important for high latitudes is windward ability.\u00a0 You don\u2019t want to be on a lee shore in this kind of weather and not be able to claw your way off.\u00a0 The engine can help but isn\u2019t the answer: almost all sailboats are designed to sail better than they motor.\u00a0 Having a fast boat is also advantageous since fast passages decrease the probability of meeting a storm.<\/p>\n

\"Celeste<\/a>
Celeste covered in fairing compound after GRP and Kevlar layers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Yacht design aside, how to increase your safety margin? I first made sure my hull, rigging, and steering were strong and sound. If your hull is metal, check that it\u2019s free of corrosion. If it\u2019s fiberglass, be certain it\u2019s free of osmosis and that it was built with enough resin originally.\u00a0 Except for considerations about ice, I was happy with my cutter\u2019s cold-molded hull. She was custom built, so no expense was spared on resin and high quality veneers. She was due for a new barrier coat, however, so I took the opportunity to add two layers of fiberglass\u2014standard practice when building cold-molded boats today but not when my cutter Celeste<\/em> was built in 1986\u2014and a layer of Kevlar. My primary motivation was to strengthen the hull for ice and provide better abrasion resistance, but the dividend was that Celeste<\/em> became stiffer and even better able to stand up to foul weather.<\/p>\n

The entire rig was replaced before embarking. For any offshore passage, we prefer to have redundant rigging, an inner forestay and running backstays, which also allows more sail combinations.<\/p>\n

\"Celeste's<\/a>
Celeste’s rudder dropped during refitting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dropping the rudder to check the steering and rudder post is a good idea, as is having an emergency tiller if you have wheel steering.\u00a0 Both this and checking the rigging are important for all voyages, but especially for the more inhospitable parts of the globe.
\nReducing windage, and what I call \u2018cruiser stern\u2019(lots of stuff piled on the stern pulpit or an arch) is another good idea.\u00a0 Not only does the arch and the stuff increase windage, the stuff can hurt you if dislodged by a wave.<\/p>\n

Finally, you want to have the gear to help you through.\u00a0 Storm sails\u2014storm jib, storm staysail, working staysail, and trysail\u2014are essential because you need to be able to sail through gales, both to continue on your voyage and to avoid obstructions to leeward. A drogue or sea anchor to slow your boat in extreme weather and breaking seas is equally important.\u00a0 I opted for the Jordan Series Drogue, comprised of over 100 cones strung out on a line terminating in a length of chain as a weight.<\/p>\n

\"<\/a>
Jordan Series Drogue<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Last but not least, you want a good set of anchors.\u00a0 All sailors try to find the most sheltered anchorages, but many coves in high latitude places are deep and don\u2019t have great holding.\u00a0 After watching a tractor test several different anchors on a beach in New Zealand, we became convinced by the \u2018new generation\u2019 anchors, and so have a 45 pound Mantus as our primary anchor, a 35 pound Mantus as stern anchor, and a 65 pound Mantus as storm anchor.\u00a0 The primary anchor is on 175 feet of chain, so as not to have rope at waterline in ice-prone waters.<\/p>\n

\"Celeste's<\/a>
Celeste<\/em>‘s 45lbs Mantus anchor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

ICE
\nLike weather, your outfitting considerations for ice begin with avoidance.\u00a0 Canada and Alaska issue daily ice charts.\u00a0 OCENS WeatherNet provides many of these, and a family member compresses and emails the rest to us.\u00a0 Again, a good communications set-up is essential, as is careful observation of the changing conditions around you.<\/p>\n

Metal is often the hull material of choice; high latitude voyagers Jimmy Cornell and Skip Novak both have custom metal yachts. But many impressive voyages have been made in plastic boats, notably Matt Rutherford\u2019s Albin Vega 27 and British sailor Bob Shepton\u2019s Dodo\u2019s Delight<\/em>, and even in wooden boats: Amundsen, after all, transited the Northwest Passage in a herring fishing boat.<\/p>\n

Your rudder should be strong and preferably skeg-hung to protect it from damage. You\u2019ll also want to remove your windvane\u2019s rudder, or tilt it up well clear of the water. The ability to maneuver quickly, precisely, and at short notice is essential, which really means having a good auxiliary engine.\u00a0 Even Amundsen had a kerosene engine back in 1903.\u00a0 If your diesel is reluctant to start or has other problems, it\u2019s a good idea to get it overhauled or even replace it.\u00a0 Thereafter, you\u2019ll want to take good care of the iron mainsail; we keep Nigel Calder\u2019s book and an enormous box of spare parts on hand.\u00a0 A spare propeller should be part of this equipment in case the original one gets damaged by ice.<\/p>\n

Two important smaller items are ice poles and an electric anchor windlass.\u00a0 Ice poles, or \u2018tuks\u2019\u2014a metal blade attached to a long pole\u2014are used for pushing floes away from the boat, and an electric windlass helps tremendously for weighing anchor at a moment\u2019s notice if currents and wind start to push ice into your anchorage.\u00a0 Finally, you\u2019ll want warm clothing since you\u2019ll be keeping a bow look-out or even climbing the mast to look for leads.<\/p>\n

STAYING WARM<\/p>\n

\"Celeste's<\/a>
Celeste’s stove-type heater<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n