Preperations continue

It's all in the preperation.

I have found over the years that a good way to get yourself prepared for a long voyage is to read, and read, and read some more. About sailing.

The ineternet has made it so much easier and all the info is there. You must just get going with it. And VERY important, make sure that what you read has in fact been written by someone who knows the subject. Because JEEEEZ, there is a lot of bull out there too.

Anyway, there are not too many folk out there racing small 9 meter trimarans tran-Atlantic. Or cruising them trans-Atlantic. So info is a bit hard to get.

Luckily two Brits have just raced a sistership in the two-man Round Britain and Ireland race. This is traditionally a heavy weather affair and the entrants need to be well prepared to stay in one piece all the way around. The boat in question is Freebird and Grant Kelly has written a very good piece about their adventure on http://www.familykelly.org.uk/ .

From that I've learnt where we can mount the liferaft. It was a bit of a challenge for me until now cause the raft is very heavy and it's weight in the wrong place can be a real speed killer. At the same time the raft must be in a position where cold and wet hands can easily get it deployed if need be. Rafts are seldomly activated in fair weather.

I also got a few good pointers on where to fit the escape hatch. The escape hatch is something unique to multihulls. Yes, monohull sailors love this bit...............multihulls can capsize. Not too often, but it can happen. The plus is that a well designed multi will not sink. So the drill is that should you capsize, you open the escape hatch and that gives you easy access into the upturned hull for shelter.

On Banjo, the hatch is on the list of things to do. It will be put below the cockpit floor. Should the boat flip, the two of us can/ should be able to live in some style on the bottom, (which will then be the top) of the cockpit floor and hopefully have no need for the liferaft.

Modern day technology would enable us to activate an EPIRB (emergency position indicating rescue beacon) which would enable potential rescuers to find us pretty soon.

Yep, the EPIRB, all R 5 000 of it, is on that list of things still to buy with our non-existing race funds. Right up there with the payment for the service of the liferaft. A lot of money for disaster management. But as the saying goes, when it all goes pear shaped, he who has the most toys, wins (survives).

The liferaft left for Cape Town today for its service (by road). In Cape Town my co-skipper will hopefully cast an eye over it when the service agents pop it open.

Comming up next time....................

Checking out the new spinnaker.

a.n.a pontoon sailing.

Regards,

Frans.