OK fellas make a bit of room on the water for me. Bought a M26 nearly three months ago and have just got it insured. Boatyards are busy. Looking forward to sailing the bluewater instead of the Gippsland Lakes. Sailing out of Newhaven, Phillip Island. Great Club there and very helpful. Does anyone know of how to get an economy type windvane for a transom hung rudder please? Aletta is a fine folkboat with all ropes easily handled from the cockpit for single handed world circumnavigations if the opportunity arises. Probably get as far as Sydney I suppose.
Have been monitoring Meteye for last few months...do you guys really sail in 5 meter waves??? Where do you go to learn how to manage a yacht in wild seas? Any advice would be appreciated . John B. the newbie bluewater sailor.

I would initially contact the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria in regard to one of their many training courses .

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hipopp said..
OK fellas make a bit of room on the water for me. Bought a M26 nearly three months ago and have just got it insured. Boatyards are busy. Looking forward to sailing the bluewater instead of the Gippsland Lakes. Sailing out of Newhaven, Phillip Island. Great Club there and very helpful. Does anyone know of how to get an economy type windvane for a transom hung rudder please? Aletta is a fine folkboat with all ropes easily handled from the cockpit for single handed world circumnavigations if the opportunity arises. Probably get as far as Sydney I suppose.
Have been monitoring Meteye for last few months...do you guys really sail in 5 meter waves??? Where do you go to learn how to manage a yacht in wild seas? Any advice would be appreciated . John B. the newbie bluewater sailor.

Hiya Hipopp,
Its not the wave height so much as the wavelength ( distance between two wave peaks) that is a cause for concern. If you want to play in big waves just have a few hundred metres of water beneath your keel. Its normally only when you get the wave action interacting with the bottom that gives you really nasty sea state. Example , Bass strait with 5mtrs is pretty scary, whereas 5mtr seas with a wavelength of a few hundred meters and a period of 10 secs or more is idyllic by comparison.
The shallower you get the more horizontal the movement in the water, so you're being pushed more into the wave on front of you (or pulled backwards depending upon your direction). It also stands up more, slows down and gives you steeper faces. In deep water there is little to no horizontal movement, its all up and down, so much more easier to steer over.
Just go slowly. And go sailing when its windy , but if you're still getting used to the boat avoid going out in fresh conditions when the wind is against the tide and areas of shallow water with a long fetch.
Best of luck with your new boat!

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hipopp said..
OK fellas make a bit of room on the water for me. Bought a M26 nearly three months ago and have just got it insured. Boatyards are busy. Looking forward to sailing the bluewater instead of the Gippsland Lakes. Sailing out of Newhaven, Phillip Island. Great Club there and very helpful. Does anyone know of how to get an economy type windvane for a transom hung rudder please? Aletta is a fine folkboat with all ropes easily handled from the cockpit for single handed world circumnavigations if the opportunity arises. Probably get as far as Sydney I suppose.
Have been monitoring Meteye for last few months...do you guys really sail in 5 meter waves??? Where do you go to learn how to manage a yacht in wild seas? Any advice would be appreciated . John B. the newbie bluewater sailor.

The M26 would be an easy boat to steer with a windvane self steering gear. The usual choice is either an Aries, Monitor or a Fleming but they would be too heavy on the stern of an M26. Something like a Seafeather would suit but I would suggest building your own.
In the mean time check out this forum for info.

www.cruisersforum.com/forums/tags/windvane.html

I'm no expert on windvanes, but can I ask whether you have an electronic autopilot? Personally I'd go for one of them, first. Kankama told me I wouldn't realise how much better they make life on board, and he was right. The thing about an autopilot is that you can use them when you are just doing little jobs, like wandering forward to remove lines and fenders after leaving a jetty, adjusting sail trim, getting a coffee or a chart, etc. A windvane is (as I understand it) much slower to set up and can't be used under power.

As for handling 5 metre seas; if you're going well out into the Strait, get lots of experience in handling your boat (reefing, balancing it, cooking while bouncings, etc), learn how to sail when exhausted, use your harness, and get and use good storm sails. A guy I knew, a very experienced dinghy sailor with some coastal experience, singlehanded a good 30 footer from Tassy into the Strait. The last radio call was from him saying that his sails had blown out, and from what I understand he had no storm trysail or storm jib. They found the boat, but not him.

A couple of weeks after that, another mate with a similar background did the same trip, also on a 30 footer without storm sails (because the storm trysail I sent him after finding he didn't have one had not been delivered to the right address). So I ended up with a very unpleasant phone call from AMSA, asking me for details of his boat after he hit the button on his EPIRB. Luckily they found him and towed him in. In that case, the lack of proper storm sails (and of experience in being tired at sea) was definitely the problem.

A standard rig of double reef mainsail and roller furling #2 sized headsail just isn't suitable for Bass Strait IMHO. Last time I sailed it was years ago, and the navigator of the Round the World Racer Illbruck called the waves "horrendous". A couple who have been British Ocean Racers of the Year a couple of times, won top awards from the Royal Cruising Club and the Cruising Club of America, won the Fastnet and cruise Cape Horn and from NZ to Alaska for fun list the seas of Bass Strait as the worst they have experienced, because they are so short and steep. At the time they met those seas we were close to being within sight of them, and even on a lightweight 30 ft racer it was actually quite fun sailing because we had good storm sails and could keep the boat trimmed properly - and the helms had all done plenty of other Hobarts so knew how to sail in bad conditions and when tired.

In conditions like that, a slender small boat with a fractional rig and long boom like the M26 could either be a nightmare to handle or rather sweet, depending on your rig and its trim. A good storm trysail, perhaps set from the boom so cut so that the boom would be above horizontal, and good storm jib could make for a combination that would be balanced and efficient. The typical double reef main/crappy roller furler #2 combo would be neither. Just IMHO.

Take it easy hipopp - baby steps. Bass Strait sailing is perfectly doable, but you must take your time to learn. First learn your boat from top to bottom in WPB, in calm conditions, then in 10 knots of wind, then 15, 20, 25. Learn sail rasing/furling, reefing, how do do it if the engine fails, anchoring, how to fix basic engine problems, the electrics and electronics etc etc. Always have a plan B and if possible a plan C whenever you sail, even locally. It's a really good discipline to get into the habit of contemplating these even on day sails.

Learn all about the very strong tides there, and how to find shelter if your engine fails, or you get caught by a blow, or stuff up the tide times and can't get back under the bridge. And develop an obsession with the weather and forecasts. Watch the forecasts every day, sailing or not, then the next day follow the actual observations to see how it works out. There will be local (katabatic) wind effects that the BoM won't describe, so talk to locals in the marina and elsewhere. These days the forecasts are so good, you really have to be a bit of a dill to be out there in weather that's beyond your abilities.

Eventually you'll be ready to head out. I spent 4 years in PPB learning before my first trip to King Island. You're very fortunate at Newhaven as you can poke your nose out for a quick looksee and scurry back into Cleeland Bight and change your undies if necessary (but obviously not in a howling northerly).

And as Chris 249 said, get a tiller pilot. It will take 1/2 a day to install and then you're good to go solo while you learn. It will take months to find and fit a windvane. I've done many Bass Strait cruises with tiller pilots and no windvane.

And buy a copy of the CYAV's Cruising Victoria book.
www.cyav.com.au/cruising-victoria

Enough from me, I'll shut up now. Good luck, enjoy!
Graeme

My recollection is that that particular boat comes with an ST 1000 tillerpilot but l don't think it's fitted yet. Agree that would be a good first step.

I think we have discussed before sailing to Portland (or anywhere via bass straight) is a fairly large and serious undertaking so agree that a lot of preparation and planning is required.

Yes, Stephen/MM,
we have discussed in detail the equipment and training for this boat to Portland in the weeks before the memorial service of our Queen and the other long weekend since then. Offers were made to help. Apparently it seems that nothing has transpired since. This boat would be already in Portland if the advice given was undertaken.

Why dont you look at the Class 5.80 Windvane. The reviews seem to be positive and the quality looks good.(I dont own one so!!!) Don Mcintrye seems positive about them and his brand name is tied to it if that is worth something as an opinion.

www.south-atlantic.com.ar/index.html

I think you just have to get to know your boat in varying conditions. Just start with day sails
Don't shy away from days with a lot of wind or leftover waves unless of course it is really berserk.

When I was younger I had a crazy mate who was up for anything and we purposely went out when weather was predicted to be berserk just to see what it was like surfing down big waves etcetera. This was mostly in my Hutton 28 which got hard to handle in heavy weather but a few years prior to that my dad had a folkboat with the same hull as yours minus a couple of inches of freeboard which was added to the m26. I used to single hand that a lot between Pittwater and Sydney harbour as a teenager and it is such a sweet boat to steer. Takes ages to veer off course when you have to run forward to do something and is easily steered back on course in almost all conditions. The only bad thing about the boat was the water that came into the cockpit at heavy angles of heel due to the stanchions and I think winch placement picking up water plus a generally low freeboard. I expect the m26 mitigated this slightly although would still be a wet but very seaworthy boat. Reportedly even larger boats of similar design like the Clansmans suffer from the same problem. Mostly a comfort issue rather than safety.

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FabulousPhill said..
Yes, Stephen/MM,
we have discussed in detail the equipment and training for this boat to Portland in the weeks before the memorial service of our Queen and the other long weekend since then. Offers were made to help. Apparently it seems that nothing has transpired since. This boat would be already in Portland if the advice given was undertaken.

Phil the M26 has just recently got insurance...has taken near three months to sort this out. What a bother! It will stay at Newhaven the sailors there need a few more boats on the water and they have been most helpful so......thanks to all the input and suggestions here folks so much to digest, extremely good advice thanks for your time. Maiden voyage next week darting out into bass straight see what big waves are all about. Bought Immersion suits on ebay just in case for about $50 each....yes The M26 has an unfitted tiller pilot and will be fitted in due course. the whole boat needs to be "' learned'' since I have never used a chartplotter or had to rely on GPS etc etc I am over the moon with the yacht it was built at the Commonwealth Aircraft Factory in fishermens bend and seems solid as a rock. Will keep you posted gents. Hope to keep you all within arms reach while learning the bluewater stuff. Many many thanks...johnb

You will have a lot of fun around westernport and the island. You could go to Flinders via the south side of Phillip Is for example.

Sad state of affairs the M26 still has not had a sail up yet...looking very sad tied up at the marina at newhaven. Have a new water pump to fit $1000 from minards diesel. Have replaced all the ropes with canary yellow and green and blue and red. Sealed some bolt holes. Organised the interior with everything stowed as best as could be. Toolkit and spares onboard and clothing and food. Organising a crane to lift the heavy mast back but not before refurbishing the mast step retaining screwholes into the embedded timber. best solution to fix small damp areas is very thinned epoxy poured into timber soaks in and preserves a beaut///longer screws to reach into good timber then glue step to cabin top. not a small job as thought because mast is very heavy. New rigging to be fitted. Maps still need to be purchased and pay someone to teach how to use chartplotter and rig and advice on how to go over waves and stuff, anybody interested?. leaving portland saturday to go to yacht. Nice pies and cappuchinos at the newhaven bakery. ps...has anyone fitted a water pump critter? the pulley has small movement when bolts all done up. Not a wobble but rocking motion a few mm. Bad weather out of portland at the moment. Girl sailor with two kids on board going to king island and home to tassie got caught in 50 knot winds and ripped all her sails. Limped into port fairy under motor took eight hours to go 9 nm. Selling her compass 29 for $4000 as is. Old fella pulled in here for respite with young fella crew going to bundaberg. Has done two circumnavigations and he is in his eighties...WOW. Looks to be a 36 footer. Like a lot of other places marina here filling up with all manner of power boats. Big racer still here skipper had a heart attack offshore he is from adelaide been gone many months.

Hi Hipphop.

RE; ps...has anyone fitted a water pump critter? the pulley has small movement when bolts all done up. Not a wobble but rocking motion a few mm
What engine are we talking about?
If you bought from Minards I am guessing a Yanmar YS.


gary

yes mate ysm8