Great video. Helpful hint on spinnaker sock dousing at night. When the shoot is up, mark the line that one needs to pull to douse with tape. In that way when dousing at night and the deck lights preclude you from seing the top of the mast, you will know which line to pull to douse.
Hey Ron! Hope your sailing season is going well!!! That is a great idea, no doubt from your shorthanded racing experience! We will have to do this. That would even help make moves faster in the daytime.
We had a rudder problem in Sumatra, repaired with glass and epoxy resin, but our hull was solid glass not sandwich. Please take your time thinking it through, perhaps waiting another season. Cape Horn is waiting for you. Another point is awards. How can I vote for Sweet Ruca as the best emerging channel?
@@SailingSweetRuca i know Roxy will do a proper job. Our rudder problem happened during our citcumnaviation in the 1980s. Hopefully we can make it to Ilhabela without incident.
Your subscriber rate should be through the roof. We watch some other sailing vlogs but no one compares to your skills when it comes to sailing. I can't wait each week for your videos just to see you sail. Someday I might even be familiar with all the jargon, but what an education for sailors. You guys are terrific.
@@SailingSweetRuca A beautiful Lady like Kate is never a distraction from your video's. It is a plus to the exceptional over all content you all put together.
I keep on admiring your sailing skills and calm reaction to issues, which cannot be escaped or ignored.. These "Unidentified Floating Objects" together with abandoned fished nets are becoming more and more prevalent. Hope the damage, whatever the severity, can be repaired..
WOW. Amazing video. To date this is the best CZcams video about sailing I have ever seen. I can't get enough of this. You two are amazing. Thanks so much. Keep having fun and stay safe.
Hey fantastic sailers I really love your videos!!!! Your autentic, real people and its really about sailing!!!! Keep going, keep loving each other, hope the boat will be okay so you can continue your fantastic journy!!!! Your both fantastic people! Warm greetings from Johan in Holland!
Y’all have got your stuff together! So awesome that you teach as you go along, please don’t stop that! I’m 60 and trying to buy my first live aboard, y’all are inspiring!
Great video guys! Katie Bikini is genius and yes Curtis, she did an incredible job that solo night!! Hope the fiberglass repair is minimal. Keep her outfootin the dolphins!🇺🇸
What safety precautions do you take for a man overboard event? I do not see deck personnel ties or on deck life vests. When solo sailing I always dragged a 100 ft of rope. On one trip to Anacapa Island I actually fell overboard, but was able to grab on to the skiff I was towing. I climbed aboard the stern of the skiff and pulled myself back to the stern the sloop. It gave me a new respect for safety. Falling overboard is easier than you think! 😳
Yours is a scary story that really puts things in perspective, thank you for sharing. We are glad you are here! We do use harnesses and lifejackets often, any time the conditions call for them. It would not hurt to wear them more often.
I was much younger in the early 1970’s and had an attitude of invincibility. That wake up call changed all that. Safe Travels. Glassing that through hull post shouldn’t be a huge problem once you are out of the water. My guess it is damage from whatever you hit in the Atlantic.
It is important when sailing at night with only one person on watch that a harness is worn and no one should leave the cockpit without calling the person below.
I heard one captain describe his man overboard process. Soon as the call goes out you park the boat immediately and do you best to hold position. The man overboard then swims to the boat. The reasoning is that it's extremely difficult for crew to spot person in water, but easy for person in water to spot the boat, and, if the captain is sailing back and forth trying to find the person, he or she might just be sailing further and further away from the person. This was a professional captain who had sailed in the clipper race. I believe this is the best way unless crew never loses sight of the person. And either way, practice is key to success when it really happens.
I've never seen a CZcamsr say "no biggie" when analyzing an approaching front. 🤣 And, best dolphins yet I'd say! Realistically, seems like a blessing in disguise to find the extent of the damage when you did. Seems like a much worse scenario if it held on until you were closer to or around the horn!
Nice work!!! We recently started sailing, bought a Catalina, invested in the repairs and hurricane Ian has severely damaged her. We are heading south this week to start doing the repairs needed, so we can get back out asap. Thanks for sharing, looking forward to watching more.
Thanks Dream Aloud. Our hearts go out to you and all those sailors (and everyone else) affected by Ian. We are glad to hear you are enjoying the videos though. Be safe and best wishes!!!
Curtis and Kate, I hope that the hull damage turns out to be a quick fix. Awesome sail and videos. That was more Dolphin than I have seen in one area; video or personal sightings. Thank y'all for sharing. Blue Skies, Fair Winds, and Following Seas. Faithfully, James
It's an interesting reminder that downwind sailing in light airs is actually pretty irritating! The very fact that there's a need for a preventer speaks to the bad things that can easily happen in these conditions - a far cry from the very romantic images of a brightly colored, billowing spinnaker eagerly pulling a sailboat across azure seas :-) Nice teamwork on the takedown!
Bravo! on the way your preventer is rigged. A proper preventer is rigged only one way, and that is from the boom end to as far forward as you can get it on the bow, and then back to a winch in the cockpit. It is all about physics; example, a proper preventer would be about 1200 pounds (540 kg) as against some 7,000 pounds (3300 kg) or more on an amidships attached alternative! Of course, on a smaller boat the loads will be lower, but the strength of the gear will be lower too, so the dangers will remain. I have seen numerous booms broken from preventers set from mid boom to mid rail. I have enjoyed your channel immensely, be safe Bo S/Y Aurora
Hey Bo! Right on! Great info. We haven't done the math on the loads, but we have seen a fair share of bent and broken booms after tough races. Our preventer setup isn't perfect, kind of a jury rig as we haven't installed dedicated hardware for it :-)
@@SailingSweetRuca Hi, hope you are OK Please send me details on your sailing rout in real time so that I can follow your journey on my map. Safe Sailing From Danie South Africa
Hi @@danieoosthuizen144 you can track us in real time on our website www.sweetruca.com, you can also find more behind the scenes details, photos, and stories on Patreon (patreon.com/ruca), where you can contact us directly as well. Cheers!
Great vlog episode guys ‼️ Bummer on the hull leak😢😢 yet confident you will take care of it. Kudos to Brooke for the evening sail watch. ✨ 🌊 💨 ⛵️ 🏝 👙 🌞 ✨
Hi Richard! Sorry it took us so long to get to all the comments this week! We hope you are having a wonderful day, and appreciate your vote of confidence :-) Stay well and see you next week!
Another great episode, you get a really good balance of technical info, just sailing, navigation, where you are and daily life in every episode ive watched .. well done. A thought for you, as a seasoned sailor, both cruising and offshore long distance racing, ive seen plenty of boats use preventers and whilst i personally wont use one due to the danger they provide from the over confidence they can create, I know many people who do. One thing ive seen time and time again especially with systems were the preventer is bow based like you have, is lines snapping (even super strong lines) or other hardware failures, eg cleats that you would never have expected to fail due to the sheer power that can be in the mainsail when it tries to jibe unexpectedly on a bad roll. Since the Preventer is a safety device, and one you obviously rely on, have you tested it? To test is is fairly simple, and can be done in sheltered waters, all that is required would be to set the mainsail in say 15 or 20 knots of wind, (no jib required your only testing the main) and then deliberately set your helm 5 or 10 degrees past gybe point. it may take a few minutes to actually gybe without rolling water to help, but it will do it, and make sure your both out the way of it when it happens. The guage of your preventer line i suspect may not be sufficient to stop the gybe and it would be better to know before you need it in a rolling sea!
Hi Ollie! You may have set the record for longest CZcams comment :-) Haha! We like your eye for detail and helpful points though :-) 6mm dyneema has an average break srength of around 8000 lbs. We would prefer the rope to break before the deck fittings. Keep in mind there is also a mid-boom brake, which will absorb some load also in the case of a broken line. Kind of a failure path cascade. We have soft tested it as you suggest and it is OK, but a violent chinese gybe would make for some pretty extreme loads we can only guess about. If you can figure our the line load on the end of the boom in a broach we would love to know what that is! This may call for a spreadsheet!
So sorry to hear about the cracks in your hull! I think another preventer is in order......a governor set at 6 knots will keep the stresses on your boat to a minimum. Speed kills, and breaks stuff. Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare, will save lots of money and trouble. Cheers!
Heya Bob! Check back to episode 72. We hit a whale at ~3-4 knots near Africa. That is the cause of the issue. Don't think we can keep the reigns in to stay under 6 all the time, but it is not a bad idea. Cheers! :-)
Think I'd be clipped on at all times on deck. You only need a life jacket if you go overboard only by then its too late. Wearing a Personal Locator Beacon is next best thing to being saved from the ocean.
Would be nice to have a sailboat that doesn’t break for a year or so! I have like $9k in repairs and refits this year already and mine is only a 23 1/2 FT Reve De Mer, that has included a new motor, lots of fiberglass repair, complete repaint including auto fouling. Thank goodness my sailboat is in The Philippines where such things are more affordable.
Haha! Our feelings exactly!!!! B.O.A.T. Always feels good to check off the projects though! Hopefully we will get a chance to stop into the Philippines one day!
Good engineering; or seamanship if you like, understands that every system has a weakest point-a fuse, if you like-and it pays to be mindful and intentional about where there point are.
Wondering if you might have less cyclic action on the outhaul connection if you had a clew strap around the boom? Your video shows a lot of movement going on there at the clew. Lots of wear going on with all those cycles and dynamic loads with the clew jumping around like that. Another armchair sailor comment which I'm sure you guys love!- using a stretchier line for your preventer, dacron or covered nylon, might be good to reduce shock loads in the event of an accidental gybe. That dyneema would stretch very little and may snap or transfer high loads to the rig causing something else to break. An application where a lower tech line might be better.
In keeping with this strength and stretchy goal I have used a 7/16″ (11 mm) Ultrex Plus high modulus rope for the boom line to keep the mass down and make stowage along the boom work better. The deck line is good old 5/8″ (16 mm) Dacron (polyester) double braid with a break load of ~16,000 pounds (7250 kg). I could have made it smaller by using high modulus rope, but thought it better to have a bit of stretch in the system and, anyway, larger diameter line is easier to handle on a winch.
The crack in the hull is easy to repair with Marine Tex. It dries in water, underwater, in any water. And it last for years. You can overcoat the dry Marine Tex with epoxy fiberglass. All from the inside of the hull. And it will last forever. Never leave the dock without it.
Right on Gill! We carry underwater epoxy on board, but by the time we noticed it was better to get to port than try to repair at sea with an incoming storm. Check out Episode 88 for the final repair
I live in Cedar Key Florida and they said Starlink was not here at this time yet. Today we got the dish and when we hooked it up we are watching you at this time on Starlink. This is fun because the picture is so clear. I remember Joe Anderson who was at a church in Belo-Horizonte Brazil when an angel appears and they called him tabasco because of his color. This angel came to Jacksonville Florida my hometown and showed up in a picture there. I have the photo but I don't want people to worship angels so I just tell of the event.
Awesome teamwork you guys gotta play some Enya carribien blue while those dolphins are swimming with the boat lol. How's the dog like being on the water? Stay safe out there and thank you for sharing your journey
Sounds like a good plan! Who can say? Lol Roxy loves it. She is with us nearly 24/7, loves meeting new people, new smells, birds, dolphins, swimming, hiking, and laying in the sun. She is a great boat dog! Thanks for the comment! 😊
@@SailingSweetRuca anytime. I love watching the channel that's awesome that the dog loves it. Safe travels you guys thanks for the response and your awesome content 🙂 ⛵️ ⛵️ ⛵️ ⛵️ 😊
OH Kate and Curtis you are killing me! Racing boats with only an auto pilot and very sensitive to weight are not voyaging boats! Sure it is a blast to go fast and I used to do that also but when I am 2000 miles from land in the middle of the Pacific in a squall I need a boat that won’t BREAK and so do you! Your Displacement/L = 160, mine is 400+! That says it all. Ben S/V DAWN in the South Pacific
Hey Ben, thanks for looking out. We like all sorts of boats, and each have their pros and cons. We will keep going fast for now though, we are having a blast :-) Hope to see you somewhere down the road in a beautiful anchorage. Cheers!
The best thing I ever saw, when I was in the merch. The captain stopped the ship, so we could see a sword fish and shark fighting. He said it’s not everyday you see this happening Also another time, which happens quite frequent. The first time I experience this. There was a banging noise on the outside of the ship. When I looked over to see what it was. It was a whale rubbing his back. whales do this quite often, Some of them are massive 👍👍 I hate to be in your little boat when that happens 😂
What are the reqular checks you do for finding issues? I think that checking the qvadrant and the rudder area is not something that many do. Sad thing that you have issues in the hull, good content for us and stuff that one can learn, but still unfortunate thing to happen. Still enjoying your sailing skils and the professional way you two manage the boat. Is the area affected with a core material or solid?
Great questions Topc! We do check the steering regulary as part of our regular rounds (bilge, through hulls, keel bolts, steering, mast/boom, standing rigging, running rigging, if motoring that too). We don't specifically look at that area of the hull regularly though, but in this case internal salt water made us look closer. It is a cored area, so will require a proper repair. (Coming soon!)
Great video! Loved it all but just one criticism. From 3:37 to 8:30 this should have been your background music: czcams.com/video/XBw25CrUS-o/video.html ......Sometimes I just crack myself up!
"Windy" as we have named it is a D400. It doesn't make much at low wind speeds. Here is a link to our blog where we went more in depth about its worth on board. sweetruca.com/is-a-wind-generator-sailboat-worth-it/
I wish my boat had enough sail area to break any rigging. It can't generate enough force to break anything, let alone hardly get us moving. It is the standard rig Catalina 30, which for my family might actually be more than enough for a bunch of novices. It also ca'tn sail straight in a very balanced manner like your boat. It has a huge belly, and it's like sailing an 80 year old man that really needs a diet. The boat tends to really rotate on it's belly with a lot of weather helm. I am so unhappy that your rudder has been over stressed. I'd bet a dollar that you folks hit a whale. Especially if there isn't bash damage on the rudder. If you had hit a log or container typically it will create a bit of impact damage at the spot where the contact occurs. I'm guessing you don't have any of that from your inspection in a previous episode. Whales tend to wrap around a boat and spread all the impact out over a very large surface area from a "blubber goo impact." I don't know how else to describe it. If it stopped you dead then it had to be a large sucker likely double or triple the tonnage of your boat. If it didn't actually hit the rudder and instead the keel, I'd bet that the animal wrapped around and gave the rudder a big love tap, or the boat pushed the animal down a bit and it hit the rudder in passing. I'm thinking if the rudder took the entire stopping force it would have snapped anyway. If the boat leaned in at initial impact it was a keel hit, if the boat stayed level it would have been a rudder hit I'd think. Just my 2 cents. The Bed Pirate Roberts says "He doesn't want to be woken up from a nap in the middle of the night by anything." You have his lazy eyed sympathy.
Hey Allyn! We are still catching up from last week! Hope your week is great! Be careful what you wish for!!! :-) Trust us, it is not fun when you go to the marine store and see the price tag on a big shackle or block! Smaller and slower also has its benefits! That's what we tell ourselves when we end up parked next to a giant superyacht that costs more to fill with fuel than our boat is worth :-) We agree it is probably a whale and like your "blubber goo" theory :-) Give the Bed Pirate a cheek rub for us! Cheers!!! Roxy says hello!
Hence the ? ;-) Got to work the algorithm, we did have a major collision with a possible whale in episode 71. There was actually a chance when we found this of major delamination, escalation of the problem, and possibly loosing the rudder.
That boat just loved it when you put the kite up. Settled right down and started cooking!
We do enjoy this sail! Maybe time to switch to big blue 💙
Great video. Helpful hint on spinnaker sock dousing at night. When the shoot is up, mark the line that one needs to pull to douse with tape. In that way when dousing at night and the deck lights preclude you from seing the top of the mast, you will know which line to pull to douse.
Hey Ron! Hope your sailing season is going well!!! That is a great idea, no doubt from your shorthanded racing experience! We will have to do this. That would even help make moves faster in the daytime.
We had a rudder problem in Sumatra, repaired with glass and epoxy resin, but our hull was solid glass not sandwich. Please take your time thinking it through, perhaps waiting another season. Cape Horn is waiting for you. Another point is awards. How can I vote for Sweet Ruca as the best emerging channel?
They would get my vote for the best also.
@@stubby2822 www.zealous.co/youngcruisersassociation/opportunity/Best-CZcams-Channel/results/submissions
www.zealous.co/youngcruisersassociation/opportunity/Best-CZcams-Channel/results/submissions
Don't worry Rauf, we will do it correctly. The Sweet Ruca will be well taken care of. Bummer to hear about your rudder in Sumatra, is it all good now?
@@SailingSweetRuca i know Roxy will do a proper job. Our rudder problem happened during our citcumnaviation in the 1980s. Hopefully we can make it to Ilhabela without incident.
Well thats bad news but you guys are strong and shur to get it sorted
Thanks Brad!
That boat in the middle of the night without ais was probably a Chinese vessel doing illegal fishing in Brazilian waters. Sadly.
A problem they have in this area of the world sadly
Your subscriber rate should be through the roof. We watch some other sailing vlogs but no one compares to your skills when it comes to sailing. I can't wait each week for your videos just to see you sail. Someday I might even be familiar with all the jargon, but what an education for sailors. You guys are terrific.
Awww!!! Thanks so much Nancy! Comments like this make all the hard work each week so worthwhile. We are glad to know you are sailing along with us :-)
I agree 100% Nancy
Bikini Kate at the helm certainly kept my attention much more than technical Curtis!! Keep them coming, safe passage.
Creeper. Who says that to strangers.
Thanks Ed! Cheers!
Hi Evan, we appreciate you sticking up for us! We can't blame Ed though, Kate is clearly much better looking in a bikini than Curtis. :-)
@@SailingSweetRuca A beautiful Lady like Kate is never a distraction from your video's. It is a plus to the exceptional over all content you all put together.
I was never lucky enough to find a lady who wanted to cruise - did all of mine solo ,10,000 miles for 5 years. Plenty at port
I keep on admiring your sailing skills and calm reaction to issues, which cannot be escaped or ignored..
These "Unidentified Floating Objects" together with abandoned fished nets are becoming more and more prevalent. Hope the damage, whatever the severity, can be repaired..
Thank you for the kind words! Life goes on and we must go forward 😁 thanks for recognizing that!
WOW. Amazing video. To date this is the best CZcams video about sailing I have ever seen. I can't get enough of this. You two are amazing. Thanks so much. Keep having fun and stay safe.
WOW. Amazing comment :-) We absolutely love that you are enjoying these :-) See you next week stubby!
Найдите в юткбе Капитан Герман есть английская версия очень интересно
Hey fantastic sailers I really love your videos!!!! Your autentic, real people and its really about sailing!!!! Keep going, keep loving each other, hope the boat will be okay so you can continue your fantastic journy!!!! Your both fantastic people! Warm greetings from Johan in Holland!
Glad you like them! Thanks for the heartfelt and fantastic comment! Cheers Johan!
Y’all have got your stuff together! So awesome that you teach as you go along, please don’t stop that! I’m 60 and trying to buy my first live aboard, y’all are inspiring!
Thanks Mike! You can do it! Enjoy the boat shopping process :-)
Wow i didn’t know Dave Grohl loved sailing
Underrated comment.
Haha! Awesome! :-)
Great video. Love the dolphins. Sailing at night was super cool
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed #sailingsunday :-)
Great video guys! Katie Bikini is genius and yes Curtis, she did an incredible job that solo night!!
Hope the fiberglass repair is minimal. Keep her outfootin the dolphins!🇺🇸
Thank you! 🤙🏻💙🤯😁
I have noticed, and think, that dolphins believe sailboats are just larger dolphins, and they always want to play.
We bet you are right!
I just found your channel, Love y’all!
Welcome aboard Mike!!! :-)
What safety precautions do you take for a man overboard event? I do not see deck personnel ties or on deck life vests. When solo sailing I always dragged a 100 ft of rope. On one trip to Anacapa Island I actually fell overboard, but was able to grab on to the skiff I was towing. I climbed aboard the stern of the skiff and pulled myself back to the stern the sloop. It gave me a new respect for safety. Falling overboard is easier than you think! 😳
Yours is a scary story that really puts things in perspective, thank you for sharing. We are glad you are here! We do use harnesses and lifejackets often, any time the conditions call for them. It would not hurt to wear them more often.
I was much younger in the early 1970’s and had an attitude of invincibility. That wake up call changed all that. Safe Travels. Glassing that through hull post shouldn’t be a huge problem once you are out of the water. My guess it is damage from whatever you hit in the Atlantic.
It is important when sailing at night with only one person on watch that a harness is worn and no one should leave the cockpit without calling the person below.
At dark night we sing while at the jib so the helmsman knows we are on board. It can help.
I heard one captain describe his man overboard process. Soon as the call goes out you park the boat immediately and do you best to hold position. The man overboard then swims to the boat. The reasoning is that it's extremely difficult for crew to spot person in water, but easy for person in water to spot the boat, and, if the captain is sailing back and forth trying to find the person, he or she might just be sailing further and further away from the person. This was a professional captain who had sailed in the clipper race. I believe this is the best way unless crew never loses sight of the person. And either way, practice is key to success when it really happens.
I've never seen a CZcamsr say "no biggie" when analyzing an approaching front. 🤣
And, best dolphins yet I'd say!
Realistically, seems like a blessing in disguise to find the extent of the damage when you did. Seems like a much worse scenario if it held on until you were closer to or around the horn!
Glad you enjoyed the Dolphins, this was the biggest pod of dolphins yet!
I've never sailed these videos are great its easy to tell you know what your doing ! Thanks
Glad you like them Robert! Enjoy!
Nice work!!! We recently started sailing, bought a Catalina, invested in the repairs and hurricane Ian has severely damaged her. We are heading south this week to start doing the repairs needed, so we can get back out asap. Thanks for sharing, looking forward to watching more.
Thanks Dream Aloud. Our hearts go out to you and all those sailors (and everyone else) affected by Ian. We are glad to hear you are enjoying the videos though. Be safe and best wishes!!!
Curtis and Kate,
I hope that the hull damage turns out to be a quick fix. Awesome sail and videos. That was more Dolphin than I have seen in one area; video or personal sightings.
Thank y'all for sharing.
Blue Skies, Fair Winds, and Following Seas.
Faithfully,
James
Thanks James! Cheers! It was the most dolphins we have seen at once also! Quite the sight when they mobbed us!
Hull damage or rudder damage. Rudder filling with water?
It's an interesting reminder that downwind sailing in light airs is actually pretty irritating! The very fact that there's a need for a preventer speaks to the bad things that can easily happen in these conditions - a far cry from the very romantic images of a brightly colored, billowing spinnaker eagerly pulling a sailboat across azure seas :-)
Nice teamwork on the takedown!
Hi Kevin! Hope you are well!!! You nailed it on the head with "irritating!" :-) Flopping around is the worst!
Excellent filming ❤️ dolphin show. Sorry to hear of hull issue 🇨🇦
Enjoyed your sailing....good luck
Hi Yvonne! We love the dolphins also! No worries about the hull, that will buff out ;-)
Thanks Dan!
Congratulation to have chosen a diferent route then majority of the others
Hi Mar, thanks! It us surely not the easy way :-)
Bravo! on the way your preventer is rigged. A proper preventer is rigged only one way, and that is from the boom end to as far forward as you can get it on the bow, and then back to a winch in the cockpit. It is all about physics; example, a proper preventer would be about 1200 pounds (540 kg) as against some 7,000 pounds (3300 kg) or more on an amidships attached alternative! Of course, on a smaller boat the loads will be lower, but the strength of the gear will be lower too, so the dangers will remain. I have seen numerous booms broken from preventers set from mid boom to mid rail. I have enjoyed your channel immensely, be safe Bo S/Y Aurora
Hey Bo! Right on! Great info. We haven't done the math on the loads, but we have seen a fair share of bent and broken booms after tough races. Our preventer setup isn't perfect, kind of a jury rig as we haven't installed dedicated hardware for it :-)
Fantastic teamwork ! way to go guys. Cheers from New Zealand
Thanks Royce, cheers!!!! 🇳🇿🇺🇸😀
Great video!
Thanks!
You guys act like you know what you're doing... Never heard anyone say? "Those damn Dolphins are back again." Great video
Thanks Chappy! Those were the most dolphins we've seen at one time!
Better hope the bilge's and batteries keep up. Sail on Sailors. Hoo-yah
Thanks Chuck! We will keep sailing on :-)
Thanks for sharing details on how instruments work on a boat, maybe you can do that more often.
Safe sailing
Sure thing! We always try to share as much as we can, without being overly technical and putting people to sleep :-)
@@SailingSweetRuca Hi, hope you are OK
Please send me details on your sailing rout in real time so that I can follow your journey on my map.
Safe Sailing
From Danie South Africa
Hi @@danieoosthuizen144 you can track us in real time on our website www.sweetruca.com, you can also find more behind the scenes details, photos, and stories on Patreon (patreon.com/ruca), where you can contact us directly as well. Cheers!
Great vlog episode guys ‼️ Bummer on the hull leak😢😢 yet confident you will take care of it. Kudos to Brooke for the evening sail watch. ✨ 🌊 💨 ⛵️ 🏝 👙 🌞 ✨
Hi Richard! Sorry it took us so long to get to all the comments this week! We hope you are having a wonderful day, and appreciate your vote of confidence :-) Stay well and see you next week!
Another great episode, you get a really good balance of technical info, just sailing, navigation, where you are and daily life in every episode ive watched .. well done.
A thought for you, as a seasoned sailor, both cruising and offshore long distance racing, ive seen plenty of boats use preventers and whilst i personally wont use one due to the danger they provide from the over confidence they can create, I know many people who do. One thing ive seen time and time again especially with systems were the preventer is bow based like you have, is lines snapping (even super strong lines) or other hardware failures, eg cleats that you would never have expected to fail due to the sheer power that can be in the mainsail when it tries to jibe unexpectedly on a bad roll.
Since the Preventer is a safety device, and one you obviously rely on, have you tested it? To test is is fairly simple, and can be done in sheltered waters, all that is required would be to set the mainsail in say 15 or 20 knots of wind, (no jib required your only testing the main) and then deliberately set your helm 5 or 10 degrees past gybe point. it may take a few minutes to actually gybe without rolling water to help, but it will do it, and make sure your both out the way of it when it happens. The guage of your preventer line i suspect may not be sufficient to stop the gybe and it would be better to know before you need it in a rolling sea!
Hi Ollie! You may have set the record for longest CZcams comment :-) Haha!
We like your eye for detail and helpful points though :-) 6mm dyneema has an average break srength of around 8000 lbs. We would prefer the rope to break before the deck fittings. Keep in mind there is also a mid-boom brake, which will absorb some load also in the case of a broken line. Kind of a failure path cascade.
We have soft tested it as you suggest and it is OK, but a violent chinese gybe would make for some pretty extreme loads we can only guess about.
If you can figure our the line load on the end of the boom in a broach we would love to know what that is! This may call for a spreadsheet!
So sorry to hear about the cracks in your hull! I think another preventer is in order......a governor set at 6 knots will keep the stresses on your boat to a minimum. Speed kills, and breaks stuff. Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare, will save lots of money and trouble. Cheers!
Heya Bob! Check back to episode 72. We hit a whale at ~3-4 knots near Africa. That is the cause of the issue. Don't think we can keep the reigns in to stay under 6 all the time, but it is not a bad idea. Cheers! :-)
Great video
Thanks!
Think I'd be clipped on at all times on deck. You only need a life jacket if you go overboard only by then its too late. Wearing a Personal Locator Beacon is next best thing to being saved from the ocean.
We clip in based on conditions. We do have AIS locators in our life jackets.
Best Dolphin footage ever recorded.
This is now my favorite sailing channel. Great content!
Thanks so much David! Cheers!
For some reason, dolphins loves to swim in front of boats. 👍👍
We have heard of the "bow wave play" theory, but it just amazes us how far and fast they come just to play in front of a small sailboat!
Would be nice to have a sailboat that doesn’t break for a year or so! I have like $9k in repairs and refits this year already and mine is only a 23 1/2 FT Reve De Mer, that has included a new motor, lots of fiberglass repair, complete repaint including auto fouling. Thank goodness my sailboat is in The Philippines where such things are more affordable.
Haha! Our feelings exactly!!!! B.O.A.T. Always feels good to check off the projects though! Hopefully we will get a chance to stop into the Philippines one day!
@@SailingSweetRuca we hope to see you in Cebu soon, awaiting your arrival 😇
Good engineering; or seamanship if you like, understands that every system has a weakest point-a fuse, if you like-and it pays to be mindful and intentional about where there point are.
Wondering if you might have less cyclic action on the outhaul connection if you had a clew strap around the boom? Your video shows a lot of movement going on there at the clew. Lots of wear going on with all those cycles and dynamic loads with the clew jumping around like that.
Another armchair sailor comment which I'm sure you guys love!- using a stretchier line for your preventer, dacron or covered nylon, might be good to reduce shock loads in the event of an accidental gybe. That dyneema would stretch very little and may snap or transfer high loads to the rig causing something else to break. An application where a lower tech line might be better.
Good eye r m! We agree with you 100%. Our next mainsail will have a strap!
In the meantime, just popping a sailtie around the boom a couple times through the clew would keep it from jumping around so much
In keeping with this strength and stretchy goal I have used a 7/16″ (11 mm) Ultrex Plus high modulus rope for the boom line to keep the mass down and make stowage along the boom work better. The deck line is good old 5/8″ (16 mm) Dacron (polyester) double braid with a break load of ~16,000 pounds (7250 kg). I could have made it smaller by using high modulus rope, but thought it better to have a bit of stretch in the system and, anyway, larger diameter line is easier to handle on a winch.
Great vid! Lovely lady
You are so kind!
You keep it interesting... good video.
What a pain to find cracks in the hull. Hope the repair is straightforward.
Definitely getting tired of these speed bumps but happy to be safe!
The crack in the hull is easy to repair with Marine Tex. It dries in water, underwater, in any water. And it last for years. You can overcoat the dry Marine Tex with epoxy fiberglass. All from the inside of the hull. And it will last forever. Never leave the dock without it.
Right on Gill! We carry underwater epoxy on board, but by the time we noticed it was better to get to port than try to repair at sea with an incoming storm. Check out Episode 88 for the final repair
I live in Cedar Key Florida and they said Starlink was not here at this time yet. Today we got the dish and when we hooked it up we are watching you at this time on Starlink. This is fun because the picture is so clear. I remember Joe Anderson who was at a church in Belo-Horizonte Brazil when an angel appears and they called him tabasco because of his color. This angel came to Jacksonville Florida my hometown and showed up in a picture there. I have the photo but I don't want people to worship angels so I just tell of the event.
Wow Rick! That is amazing! We hope you are safe in Cedar Key! Congrats on the Starlink connection!
Awesome teamwork you guys gotta play some Enya carribien blue while those dolphins are swimming with the boat lol. How's the dog like being on the water? Stay safe out there and thank you for sharing your journey
Sounds like a good plan! Who can say? Lol
Roxy loves it. She is with us nearly 24/7, loves meeting new people, new smells, birds, dolphins, swimming, hiking, and laying in the sun. She is a great boat dog!
Thanks for the comment! 😊
@@SailingSweetRuca anytime. I love watching the channel that's awesome that the dog loves it. Safe travels you guys thanks for the response and your awesome content 🙂 ⛵️ ⛵️ ⛵️ ⛵️ 😊
Thank you! Fair winds!
OH Kate and Curtis you are killing me! Racing boats with only an auto pilot and very sensitive to weight are not voyaging boats! Sure it is a blast to go fast and I used to do that also but when I am 2000 miles from land in the middle of the Pacific in a squall I need a boat that won’t BREAK and so do you! Your Displacement/L = 160, mine is 400+! That says it all. Ben S/V DAWN in the South Pacific
Hey Ben, thanks for looking out. We like all sorts of boats, and each have their pros and cons. We will keep going fast for now though, we are having a blast :-) Hope to see you somewhere down the road in a beautiful anchorage. Cheers!
Did not see your doggie. I do like all the sailing technical stuff. Be safe out there. ❤️
She's definitely in there! Check the dolphin montage. Hard to catch her mixed in with all those water dogs!
The best thing I ever saw, when I was in the merch. The captain stopped the ship, so we could see a sword fish and shark fighting. He said it’s not everyday you see this happening
Also another time, which happens quite frequent. The first time I experience this. There was a banging noise on the outside of the ship. When I looked over to see what it was. It was a whale rubbing his back. whales do this quite often, Some of them are massive 👍👍
I hate to be in your little boat when that happens 😂
WOW! That would be so crazy to see!!!!
Be safe algorithm
You can fix that !
Thanks JanHB Hugo, we love the positive attitide!
You’ve got this !
So do you think the crack is from that bump in the night more than a month back?
Yes, 100% right on the money!
Been there done that, not much fun.. 100 Nm from shore.
Hi Dennis :-) You know that feeling then! Hopefully all went well for you also!
"I may not have gone where I intended to go,but I think I have ended up where I needed to be."
Douglas Adams ( Dirk Gently.)
LOVE THIS!!!! Right on the money :-)
What are the reqular checks you do for finding issues? I think that checking the qvadrant and the rudder area is not something that many do. Sad thing that you have issues in the hull, good content for us and stuff that one can learn, but still unfortunate thing to happen. Still enjoying your sailing skils and the professional way you two manage the boat. Is the area affected with a core material or solid?
Great questions Topc!
We do check the steering regulary as part of our regular rounds (bilge, through hulls, keel bolts, steering, mast/boom, standing rigging, running rigging, if motoring that too). We don't specifically look at that area of the hull regularly though, but in this case internal salt water made us look closer.
It is a cored area, so will require a proper repair. (Coming soon!)
@@SailingSweetRuca great to see how you will fix it. I recon it is not usual to have under water parts that are not solid.
Gol
I had a great fruit salad when I sailed to Porto belo. I was sailing north.
Haha! A great memory no doubt!!!! :-)
Great video! Loved it all but just one criticism. From 3:37 to 8:30 this should have been your background music: czcams.com/video/XBw25CrUS-o/video.html ......Sometimes I just crack myself up!
Hahaha! This is awesome Les! Now we can't get the song out of our head! Great stuff!!!! :-D
👍⛵🎣🌊💯
Thanks Vinny!!!
What make is your wind generator? Does it work at lower wind speeds?
"Windy" as we have named it is a D400. It doesn't make much at low wind speeds. Here is a link to our blog where we went more in depth about its worth on board. sweetruca.com/is-a-wind-generator-sailboat-worth-it/
@@SailingSweetRuca Thanks for the info for sure. I hope the cracks are repairable on the boat.
Is the preventer line touching the stanchion pole near the cleat at the bow? I couldn’t tell.
Can't remember off hand. At some angles it may touch the stanchions or lifelines and need adjusted accordingly.
you are going near Camboriu , Brazilian skyscraper capital
Yes! OMG the skyscrapers look amazing from the ocean!
@@SailingSweetRuca it's a Brazilian secret. Only Brazilians there and foreigners tourists at most a few Argentines.
That's not looking good , Good luck on the reair & strengthening
Thanks bill!
Yikes!
Happy #sailingsunday Ray!
I wish my boat had enough sail area to break any rigging. It can't generate enough force to break anything, let alone hardly get us moving. It is the standard rig Catalina 30, which for my family might actually be more than enough for a bunch of novices. It also ca'tn sail straight in a very balanced manner like your boat. It has a huge belly, and it's like sailing an 80 year old man that really needs a diet. The boat tends to really rotate on it's belly with a lot of weather helm. I am so unhappy that your rudder has been over stressed. I'd bet a dollar that you folks hit a whale. Especially if there isn't bash damage on the rudder. If you had hit a log or container typically it will create a bit of impact damage at the spot where the contact occurs. I'm guessing you don't have any of that from your inspection in a previous episode. Whales tend to wrap around a boat and spread all the impact out over a very large surface area from a "blubber goo impact." I don't know how else to describe it. If it stopped you dead then it had to be a large sucker likely double or triple the tonnage of your boat. If it didn't actually hit the rudder and instead the keel, I'd bet that the animal wrapped around and gave the rudder a big love tap, or the boat pushed the animal down a bit and it hit the rudder in passing. I'm thinking if the rudder took the entire stopping force it would have snapped anyway. If the boat leaned in at initial impact it was a keel hit, if the boat stayed level it would have been a rudder hit I'd think. Just my 2 cents. The Bed Pirate Roberts says "He doesn't want to be woken up from a nap in the middle of the night by anything." You have his lazy eyed sympathy.
Hey Allyn! We are still catching up from last week! Hope your week is great! Be careful what you wish for!!! :-) Trust us, it is not fun when you go to the marine store and see the price tag on a big shackle or block! Smaller and slower also has its benefits! That's what we tell ourselves when we end up parked next to a giant superyacht that costs more to fill with fuel than our boat is worth :-) We agree it is probably a whale and like your "blubber goo" theory :-) Give the Bed Pirate a cheek rub for us! Cheers!!! Roxy says hello!
You also might consider a safety like around you. I'm just saying
You are not wrong! Thanks for thinking about our safety!
😀👍👍👍❤
Happy #sailingsunday Thomas!!!
More like a leaking boat eh. ;+)
Hence the ? ;-) Got to work the algorithm, we did have a major collision with a possible whale in episode 71. There was actually a chance when we found this of major delamination, escalation of the problem, and possibly loosing the rudder.
Aah gotta love dolphins, perverts of the sea.
They sure are curious creatures!