Whewwwwwwww, I’m tired I finally got to take my ASA Cruising Multi-hull class with Captain Mary at the Afterguard Sailing Academy. It was Tai Hen (a struggle)!
It was a two day class over Sat and Sun. Saturday was Cold, misty, and foggy with little to no wind. We started out of Treasure island just west of Berkeley and east of the Golden Gate Bridge. The class was held on a Gemini 34 ft Catamaran. A very nice boat.
It has centerboards like Zen – II so that was good to work with, even though we did not do much with them. It had a sonar drive, meaning the rudders and the propellers turned together also like Zen. The layout of the boat was nice and much newer than Zen-II, but Zen-II is heavy enough for Blue Water, this was not.
The Gemini had a hard dodger and a windshield, which was both good and bad. It blocked the rain and mist, but it really cut me off from feeling the wind direction, which disoriented me badly!! Another thing that was a pain was the steering wheel was offset enough so that you could not stand directly in front of it. When one stood where you had to be, part of your stand was on some obtrusion.
The things that really really gave me problems was the wind gauge. Since I could not feel the wind I had to use this gauge to tell how was positioned in relationship to it. It gave me enough of problem That I thought I was not going to pass the class. Because I was always being corrected about which way I was turning or fall off or heading up. Sigh! I was stressed. Also Captn Mary was like a watch dog on me for being off, slowing the boat, etc, etc. I could not find my flow, the groove. Finally the only way I could get sorted out was to hang my head out the side of the Dodger and put my face in the wind like a dog in a car. I hated that gauge!!!!
Now add to that, trying to read a GPS, and a compass, see and listen to Captn Mary, make headway with no wind, or a little wind. I was on sensory overload and at the same time deprived. It was a struggle.
Meanwhile, the three bridge fiasco was in progress on Sat. So we got to see the boats, from the race, sort of. We saw a few batches of them, but it was so foggy we could not see them unless they were fairly close. The distance ones, were just ghostly images in the distance.
The drills on Sat were, tracking, and docking. Not much when you think about it but with no wind, and fog it was a challenge. The docking part was fairly easy for me. As was the motoring we did and the setup. The other part was a stressful drill.
Sunday:
After sleeping in on Sat until 7:00 am , Sat night I was up late and up early Sun. at 6:00 am studying for the written test. I was feeling so so about it. I recalled enough to figure I would pass ok. I have had the book for a couple of months and at this point I was just reviewing . Sunday the plan was written test in the morning, then water test and drills in the afternoon after the rain from the storm stopped.
As forcast it rained Sunday morning… a lot!
The written test went pretty well. We got a small lecture befor taking the test on this n that. The test itself went better than I expected with a pass grade of 100% !!
I was shocked, but feeling good. especially after the Sat struggle!
After lunch we headed out to the Treasure island marina. It was looking nice outside, the rain had stopped and there was sun here and there and importantly some wind!
After the other student and I got the boat ready to sail we did a few docking drills, that went pretty well. Not really a big deal for me, I have been use to docking my CAT. Next after those was the anchoring with a bridal. I was a bit concerned about having to make a hitch knot. I had not had to make that which I thought was going to be the in several years. Lucky it was not, the knot, it was just a simple hitch. We anchored for a short while with a short lecture from the Captain headed out on to the bay. Our next thing to cover was MOB drills.
We were told on the CAT doing the figure eight was a exercises in frustration and we were going to do the Quick stop method. It had been several years since I did that drill so I was not feeling comfortable, but not really concerned. What I was concerned about was steering by that gauge yet again!
The other guy did the drill a couple of times, then my turn. gulp! I went through it several times. I did not have a sense of what I was doing , beside the frustration of dealing with “gauge”. I tried several time to make the “rescue” with bad results. Captn Mary was noticeably frustrated, as was I, too many corrections, too many things to keep track of, and absorb, too much tension. I had accepted in my mind I was going to fail.
I switched off again with the other guy, he made several times at a pickup, missing two or three then got it. Then back to me, sigh… I started off making the wrong turn, but continued anyway after the correction. This time It was a perfect rescue, Yatta! I was so relieved!! I did it. However still feeling on the bummed side about the struggle and feeling Captn Mary wanted things perfect each time. I had taken several tries to get it right.
It was now time to head back, as it was getting late, I was at the helm. To myself I said screw this wind gauge and did the dog head thing and had a smooth ( uncorrected) sail back to TI ( Treasure Island). After creeping pass a new sand bar at the entrance to TI due to the new Bay Bridge construction, we docked and put the boat to bed.
We had a small talk about this and that about the class, question answered etc and the other guy and I were both passed for the course Yatta!!
I was pleased and shocked! I will practice some of these things this up coming next Sunday while LZ is taking her Basic Keel Boat Class.
I wanted to take the instructor training in the fall for Multi-hull and Bareboat charter. However I ‘m not sure if I’m up to that. Captn Mary was as tough as her reputation had said. Doing an instructor course with her is really putting both feet in the fire. If one passes with her, you know your act is fairly together!
Anyway, I’m glad that part is over. Now to practice, train, study and prepare… only 598 days left til cast off…YOOSH!
Great post Zen. A few things. First, the Gemini’s are 34, at least if it is the 105Mc series. They’re just a little longer than your Iroquois, and about 6″ wider, so it is a great boat for you to be on, since it’s similar in size to the Zenamaran. My “second” boat is a Gemini 105Mc catamaran. Also, the Geminis are bluewater capable, and two are currently circumnavigating. Slapdash (www.theslapdash.com) and Ariel (http://www.sailboatfamily.com/) are a Gemini 105Mc and a Gemini 3200 respectively and might be of interest to you.
One major difference between the Gemini and the Iroquois is the hull form. The Iroquois have a more rocker to the hull, rather than a rather flat-hull-bottom profile as found on the Gemini. This means the Geminis will tend to track better, but the Iroquois will tend to maneuver/turn more easily.
The hard dodger/bimini setup on the Geminis does isolate you a bit from the weather, but it can also make sailing in less than pleasant conditions much more enjoyable and gives the boat a bit more living space at dock/anchor, especially if they have the full cockpit enclosure. Setting up a full cockpit enclosure for the Iroquois is a pretty good idea, and makes the boat much more livable for long-term cruising. A bimini and dodger make sailing so much more comfortable. The dodger helps with protecting the cockpit from spray and makes sailing in wet weather or cold water conditions far more reasonable, and the bimini makes the summer sun far more survivable.
However, the hard dodger/bimini also makes relying on instruments a bit more necessary. I’ve found adding telltales to the shrouds can help a lot. If you don’t have them on your Zenamaran, it might be a good idea to do so. One problem I’ve seen when using wind instruments to help steer is that they have to be very accurately calibrated, and that isn’t always the case.
One thing that I’ve rigged on a few Iroquois is vectored steering using the outboard. This is pretty similar to the Stillette Sonic Drive Leg setup on the Gemini, in that it allows the tiller to steer the outboard as well as the rudders. This makes the boat a lot more maneuverable. While not as good as twin engines that are often found on other catamarans, it is a big improvement over having the outboard fixed straight aft. If you have questions on how to do this, let me know. Being able to lift the outboard engine clear of the water is very helpful, since it allows you to pick up 1/2-1 knots in boat speed under sail.
Congrats on passing the test, especially the 100% score on the written part.
BTW, doing MOB recovery on a multihull is a bit different than doing the same thing on a monohull. One issue is that you really need to have someone keeping an eye on the MOB, since a multihull is often moving so much faster than a monohull the same LOA–I’ve had the Gemini up over 9 knots, and my boat to over 14. Also, the issues about tacking and the boat getting into irons is something you have to watch out for, since most multihulls have more windage than do monohulls. Finally, getting the person back aboard itself can be more of a chore due to the freeboard that some multihulls have. Mine doesn’t have this issue, since the amas only have about two feet of freeboard, but some catamarans and monohulls have significantly more to deal with.
BTW, another possible option on a multihull sailing upwind that has to recover an MOB is to heave-to and drift back to the MOB.
If you haven’t gotten a LifeSling, I would highly recommend doing so, since it is probably one of the best MOB recovery tools available. One small caveat with the stock LifeSling setup is that the line often needs to be extended for use with a multihull, again due to the greater speed and usually larger turning radius of the boat compared to a monohull.
I hope this helps.
By: adriftatsea on January 31, 2011
at 8:20 am
Thanks Dan. I could not recall if the Gemini was a 33 or 34. Since we did get into some rain I enjoyed having the dodger for that and I will have one fitted for the Zenamaran because it is helpful. I just put on the shrouds telltales last week, along with a level gauge. The steering on the Zenamaran does that that hookup you spoke of.It makes a big difference.
Lifesling, yes, got one. It came with the boat I just got a new cover for it a couple of weeks ago.
I can get use to the wind gauge, after some time, it just was so disorientating with all the other stuff going on and not having a chance to really just feel how it was working.. wind from the arrow or to where it is pointing, that sort of thing.
Anyway it all worked out so now for some practice.
fair winds, Seadog!
By: Zen on January 31, 2011
at 6:21 pm
Congratulations on passing! MOB is something I would try to get nailed before crossing the Pacific, ne. Practice, practice. I’m not one to talk though, as we have yet to do a capsize drill with Bluesette and I feel that is something we really need to experience (having messed up at the real thing!).
Anyway, good work and keep at it.
By: Pandabonium on February 3, 2011
at 9:33 am
Good to know that even with those challenges brought about by the weather you still had a good time while learning. Practice makes perfect, right? So good luck! Would love to be hearing about your next voyages.
By: Sand Sock Girl on February 21, 2011
at 8:04 am