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Request for Advice, Coastal Camp Cruising


Don Silsbe

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Hi Don,

 

I'm enthusiastic about this topic.  Dinghy cruising was really the adventure I had in mind when I built my CS 15.

 

About shelter, I used fire resistant polytarp for my boom tent. I worried that if my tent caught fire, there'd be nowhere to escape to.   I also bought a cheap mosquito netting shelter from Wal-Mart that I attached to the inside of the tent.  I can roll up the tent walls and let the breeze flow through. 

 

I second the recommendation of http://logofspartina.blogspot.com Steve Early is a great photographer.  Also Roger Barnes youtube videos.  Roger has a book out, The Dinghy Cruising Companion, which you might enjoy.

 

Nobody mentioned cooking and sanitation, so I'll add my bit on those topics.

 

I like my 1-burner butane stove for cooking.  Compared to many backpacking/camping stoves, it has a very low center of gravity.  The downside is that the butane canisters don't produce enough gas when it's cold.  BTW, for starch with a dinner meal, I like couscous instead of pasta or rice.  Dead simple to cook and clean up.  I always end up dropping a few "cousies" in the bilge, though.

 

Sanitation:  I pack the solids out, just to do my little bit for the Chesapeake where I sail.   Here's a photo of my wag bag Taj-ma-John, which is made to fit under the center thwart.  The inside-out bottom corner is an "oops" fix that allows me to work my bailer.  Inside the box, I store a supply of wag bags, hand sanitizer extra TP and wipes.  Ollie the cat stays home.  As a bonus, my wife loves having it along when the two of us land-camp in our big family tent.  I built an additional base to hold it upright on level ground.

 

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@meester— thanks for the detail.  I’ve been experimenting with a ramen bowl and dumping on a foul packet of chicken.  Where do you buy your wag bags?

 

@Designer & Meester— Roger Barnes is awesome! Thank you for the tip!  It cracks me up how he drags his anchor chain across his seats and inwales.

 

 

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I bad a moment of clarity last week.  (Doesn’t happen often enough.) I realized that a purchased tent will not work.  My mainsheet cleats are in the way.  I plan to camp on shore most of the time this year.  Once I’m done with my current lineup of projects, I’ll see if I can make a Roger Barnes-style tent.

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That really cleared up a lot of space!  I have a feeling you are going to have trouble sailing close to the wind though.  I never thought of this before and it would help my situation on my CS17 as well, but what if you installed some quick disconnect pulleys where your cleats used to be? 

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1 hour ago, mattp said:

................. but what if you installed some quick disconnect pulleys where your cleats used to be? 

This would be my suggestion. Maybe mount your swivel block/cleats to a block of some sort that can be connected with bolts and wing nuts?

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Good questions, all of you!  

 

The whole problem was not the sheets, but the hardware.  The fairleads and jam cleats would have made for a lumpy mattress.

 

Since the opposite block is also outboard, the ability to sail close-hauled is not compromised.  In fact, this is the location recommended by Graham on the original plans.  But he calls for clamcleats, and I prefer jam cleats.

 

For sleeping, I will need to move the mizzen forward, and raise the yet-to-be-built floorboards.  The space you see in that photo is only 6’ or so.  Not enough for your average tent.

 

I thought about wing nuts, but it seemed like a big hassle.  

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1 hour ago, Thrillsbe said:

What do y’all think of using marine grade Baltic birch for this?  It’s cheaper than Meranti, and I’m going to paint it anyway.  

Baltic Birch isn't really a marine plywood, but it sure lasts like it is. I used it for my foot brace for my Spindrift.  The only really down side in either or our cases is weight.  It isn't part of the boat and can be inspected often if need be.

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I put the tent in place, to see how it all fits.  I think it’ll work, once I build my floorboards.

 

The plan is to make the area forward of the tent a cooking, lounging area.  I have plans to make a sort of tent/dodger for this area eventually.  But that’ll be later.

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58 minutes ago, Thrillsbe said:

@mattp— I think this is sufficient for sailing close-hauled.  Don’t you agree?

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Yeah, I guess the resultant (right word?) points right to where your block was.  I am trying to think of a reason not to like this and all I can come up with is the friction in your cleat when playing the mainsail since the angle coming out of the cleat is now variable.  If you tend to shorten sail early in weather, maybe this isn’t an issue for you. 

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