Night on the water

[Scott Dunsworth]

The wife and I spent a night on our Belhaven and this is what the morning brought with coffee.

We talked to the folks in the power boat later that morning and they where writing a book on crusing the Ohio.

It was the most relaxing time I have had on our boat so far.

Anyway I thought I would share a little bit of what it is like to awake on the water.

Scott

[JeffM]

Scott, how did you and your wife find the cabin space and so forth? Reality will always be a little different from imagination, or even "dry runs!" I'll be trying out the latest incarnation of my "tarp roof" this weekend (in pretty severe conditions, too), but I'd like to know how the other half lives.

[Scott Dunsworth]

Jeff She is fine for a couple and a kid. You do have to keep things picked up and put away. Thats hard for me i'm a bit of a slob :oops: . We don't have the galley built yet, or the berth cushions so its a long ways from being as comfortable as it will be. The forward hatch above the vberth is a must. It scoops air right down into the cabin even at anchor. When you are underway its keeps the cabin really nice.

I hope to get the sole installed this week, then I'll start on the galley. The idea of building in a sink and stove isn't going to happen. We will use our camp stove and a stainless tub we got from a restaurant for a sink.

Scott

[Howard]

Sleeping on a boat is probably the best sleep you will ever get. Gentle breezes and whipperwills singing at night. Sunsets are often spectacular and being awake at sunrise allows you to experience things you won't often see from inside a house. An awful lot happens during that magic hour of first light. Morning coffee doesn't taste much better.

I can also recall a few years ago while anchored out, I was awakened by a distant noise I didn't recognise. Looked out into a pitch black night to see a dancing light on a nearby shore. Moving and flicking around all over the place. Hmmmm....aliens? Nope, fall turkey hunters walking to their blind. Back to sleep.

Then there is the excitement of a middle of the night thunderstorm, complete with lighting and a 50 MPH squall line. A dancing, rocking boat that might be ready to drag anchor. But that too passes and it's back to sleep.

And aside from all that, you get to sail to the place and sail back the next day. Or better yet, you set off cross country and just keep going!

[Tom Lathrop]

Scott,

Smart move with the portable stove. I have been using prtable propane stoves on boats for many years. The best rig was one I built containing the stove, propane, utensil drawer and space for a pot and pan. This allows cooking in the cockpit without running in and out of the cabin for things and keeps cooking smells outside. We also arranged for up a portable in Graham's new van for camping.

[JeffM]

No cushions yet, huh? No sole? I couldn't sleep a wink without at least an air mattress! Howard, I have to do my real sleeping ashore. I once forgot my earplugs, and the waves lapping the hull kept me awake all night. Even with the earplugs, the wind and waves on the bay aren't usually calm enough to allow me a good night's sleep aboard the Beatrice Ann. I don't know that a cabin would make that much difference, but it might simplify some things (move the mast, put up the roof, blow up the mattress, etc)--if I were willing to trade my 11 foot open cockpit/11 foot cabin for a much smaller cockpit and permanent cabin!

[Howard]

Ooops, forgot to remind Scott about the air mattress. He probably has that covered. The self-inflating jobs from Therm-a-rest. If the bunk is wide enough, get a camp rest. Very comfy and won't get wet like fabric covered cushions do. And while we are at it, get your sleeping bags from Wiggy:

http://www.wiggys.com/

The insulation doesn't absorb water, so it drys out fast and still insulates and feels warm even if it gets wet. I didn't believe it until I stuffed mine into a 5 gallon bucket, filled it with water to soak it, pulled it out and let it drain for about half an hour, then crawled in to test it. About 55 degrees. Yikes! It was slimy, wet and cold. About half an hour later my daughter woke me up to tell me to come back inside. The neighbors could hear me snoring. It felt warm inside and was no longer slimy, wet feeling or cold. Damp, but keeping me warm.

Jeff: The waves slapping are just part of the normal boat noises. They tell you what's going on. Once you get used to it, they just sing you to sleep.

Tom: I'm guessing you are talking a Coleman two burner propane, or something similar? Have you rigged any type of potholders? I've never, ever cooked underway, but once had a crab boat pass by close enough to my anchored boat that the waves sent my cooler flying. I use a one burner Origo with potholder, or else the pan of hot water that was on would have flown too.

I know the cheap propane stoves are not thought of for marine use, but they cost about $50 vs. 5 or 10X that for the equally functional marine stoves. Look close the next time you watch "Jaws". The "Orca" was fitted out with a Coleman stove. I even have a Coleman oven for mine.

[Scott Dunsworth]

As for noises I have been a lite sleeper anchored on the river. First I have an anchor that Graham told me was one of his least favorites. But it has been holding solid all night, probably because the currant keeps the line tight. IF I ever get a strong wind blowing up river I may fine it pulling up.

It is one of my major worries to break lose and drift into the channel. Then get run down by a tow! So until I get a new anchor we are a bit nervous.

One noise that I got rid of was the spirit banging back and forth when a tow would go by. I pulled them off center with a shock cord.

She does rock when a large tows goes by but not that bad.

I think Charlie uses a gimbaled stove.

I have some junk air mattress that will do until I make the real ones.

One other thing on my mind is lightning. I didn't build any protection in while I was building. I read where people make up some chain to hang from their rigging down into the water. One article said they knew it did the job by the scorch marks on the rail under the chain after a strike.

Scott

[JeffM]

I, also, get to wondering about lightning protection when I'm far from home and hear "chance of thunderstorms." On the one hand, grounding the (aluminum) mast and staying away from it increases your chances of surviving a strike. On the other hand, providing a low-resistance path to the water increases the chances you'll get struck in the first place...

I use a coleman two-burner (gasoline). I cut up some bits of aluminum and got bolts and wingnuts and made up some simple stops to keep pots and kettles from sliding. It works well: I made a pot of tea underway on last April's cruise just to see if I could. The weather was cold, the tea was hot! But I'll probably stick to cooking at anchor and use a thermos.

[JeffM]

That was a very useful comparison of cabin layouts, Ray. I've been quite pleased with the bucket head system that I read about in Duckworks (Rob's article). (Basically everything goes into a bucket in which you toss a couple handfuls of pine chips or other organic between uses, then compost at home after the trip.) A very simple system with only two drawbacks: first is managing a compost pile for human waste (must be kept separate from garden compost and not used for at least a year), and second is that pine chips can make a mess if you use in a windy location. The first drawback could be eliminated by bagging the lot, the second by using organic material that doesn't fly so easily. Because the waste is covered and somewhat aerated (because of the organic material), this is the most practical, least smelly and least unpleasant-to-manage head I've heard of. For personal hygiene, I'm very fond of rubbing alcohol. A little on a washcloth for my face is enough to start the day. A bit more mixed with water makes an adequate sponge bath. I carry a few of the B&D alcohol pads (made for medical use) in my toilet kit.

[ChrisObee]

The porta pot that we have in our trailer seems to do pretty well with two people for 4 days. I don't recall any smell. I don't think that I would want to use a separate system for solids. Too much effort involved there. Its interesting the range of convenience that people require for fun. My wife just got back from a back packing adventure. 4 people no tents involved. just a couple of tarps, ropes and walking sticks. I think my camping level has settled at the pop-up camper lever. Pretty swank accommodations. I am unsure where I would fall when it came to sleeping aboard a boat. Probably the potter 19 would be about as low as I could go. Hmmm..... I wonder if someone has made a pop-up daysailer. I suppose thats a boom tent when I think of it.