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 Contents Issue #291 July/August 2024
14

Features
Ocean Voyaging
30 Indian Ocean Passage
A rough sail over a treacherous sea
by Bill Morris

Special Section
34 
Getting a charge out of
thunderstorms
Protect your boat from the
4 ravages of storms.
by Ann Hoffner

Departments 40 
Big Ocean Waves:
When and Where
Chartroom Chatter They Occur
4 Rolex China Sea Race 2024 
Understanding waves is
5 Nigel Calder seminar in Portland, Maine
6 Marina Bahia Golfito
key to navigation.
by Ken McKinley
34
7 Notable New Titles
Marine Tech Notes
8 Boat Monitoring Systems
b y Bill Morris

Boat Focus
12 Doggersbank 60 Offshore: a new take
on a time-honored classic
by Julia Zaltzman

Power Voyaging
14 Cruising Quebec City,
7
20
Montreal and Ottawa

by Harry Hungate

Short Tacks
20 Storm tactics for small vessels
by Bill Morris
26 Using satellites to “sound”
atmosphere and ocean
by Ann Hoffner
28 Protect Your Boat from Lightning 8
by Bill Morris
On the cover: M/V Minnow, an 80-foot Doggersbank,
Nav Problem anchored in the San Blas Islands of Panama.
44 Captain Nat Palmer, discoverer, Photo courtesy of Doggersbank.
designer, sailor

30
For more voyaging, follow us on:
by David Berson
@oceannavmag @oceannavigator @oceannavmag

www.oceannavigator.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 OCEAN NAVIGATOR 1 1

 CONTRIBUTORS

T H E V O YA G E R ’ S R E S O U R C E

PUBLISHER
Dave Abrams
Ken McKinley (Special Section, “Big ocean waves: when and where [email protected]
they occur,” page 40) earned a bachelor’s degree in Atmo- Kathleen Ford, general manager
[email protected]
spheric Sciences from Cornell University and attended 949-393-5440
graduate school at MIT where he participated in research
applying Doppler radar data to meteorological applica- EDITORIAL
tions. He worked for a large meteorological consulting EDITOR Bill Morris
[email protected]
firm for 10 years, providing forecast services for a variety
of clients worldwide. In 1991 he founded Locus Weather. DESIGN/PRODUCTION Kim Goulet Norton

While he serves a variety of clients, a significant portion COPY EDITOR Jennifer Vigil
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS John Kettlewell
of the business is focused on the marine community. Twain Braden
McKinley is well known in recreational yachting circles Ann Hoffner
Nigel Calder
and has provided weather routing services for many yachts Ellen Massey Leonard
worldwide. David Berson
Ken McKinley

Ann Hoffner (Short Tacks, “Using satellites to ‘sound’ atmo-

ADVERTISING/MARKETING
sphere and ocean,” page 26), and (Special Section, “Getting a
charge out of thunderstorms,” page 34) has been a sailor since US & CANADA Daniel Voet
INTERNATIONAL [email protected]
she was nine years old. She learned on dinghies and
949-973-7745
small keel boats, but her first voyage on a “big” boat CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Jon Sorenson
BVIs charter showed sailing could be a way of life. She’s MANAGER [email protected]
TOLL FREE: 800-887-1615
lived, taught, raced, worked and crossed oceans on boats
EVENTS/MARKETING
much of her life and has written about her adventures
EVENTS & MARKETING Lee Auchincloss
for over 20 years. Along with Tom Bailey, husband and COORDINATOR [email protected]
photographer, they downsized from their Peterson 44
BUSINESS
Oddly Enough to Ora Kali, a shoal draft Sabre 30 that is
BUSINESS OFFICE [email protected]
teaching them the joys of Maine Coast cruising.
SUBSCRIPTIONS/CUSTOMER SERVICE
[email protected]
Harry Hungate (Power Voyaging, “Cruising Quebec City, Montreal 1-619-313-4322

and Ottawa,” page 14) and his wife, Jane Lothrop, completed
Ocean Navigator (ISSN 0886-0149) is published bi-monthly in January/February,
March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December by
Maritime Publishing, 3980 Sherman St., Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92110. Periodi-
a west-about circumnavigation of the world aboard Cormo- cals postage paid at San Diego, CA and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to Ocean Navigator, 3980 Sherman St., Suite 100, San Diego,
CA 92110.
rant, their Corbin 39 cutter. They recently completed the Copyright © 2024 by Maritime Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this pub-
lication may be reprinted in any way without written permission from the publisher.
Great American Loop aboard their Nordic Tug 32. Their Subscription rate is $35.00 for one year (seven issues) in the United States and its
possessions. Canadian subscription rate is $49.00 U.S. funds. Other foreign surface is
2024 cruising season plans are to return to Canada and $49.00 U.S. funds. Multi-year discounts are available, call (619) 313-4322 for details.
Distribution: Newsstand distribution, domestically and internationally:

cruise the Trent-Severn Waterway and Georgian Bay, end- Maritime Publishing, call (619) 313-4322.
Contributions: We solicit manuscripts, drawings and photographs. Please address

ing the season in the US inland rivers.

all material to Editor, Ocean Navigator, 3980 Sherman St., Ste. 100, San Diego, CA
92110. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the safe handling of contributed materials.
All other departments, (619) 313-4322.

TM

www.maritimepublishing.com

2 OCEAN NAVIGATOR JULY/AUGUST 2024 www.oceannavigator.com

Chatter
Chartroom

two fishing nets on the

way down to Subic,
but in general, we had
a pretty good journey
down. The whole team
performed very well, and
we hope that our partic-
ipation can inspire more
Chinese boats to join the
Rolex China Sea Race.”
Third overall, as well
as third place in the IRC
Racer 0 division, went
to Philippines entry
Ernesto Echauz’s R/P
75 Standard Insurance
Centennial V. “This was
the most exciting Rolex
China Sea Race that I
have ever experienced,”
said Echauz. “It was so
exciting from the start
on the first day and all
Rolex

the way up to the finish.

I am very proud of my
Rolex China Sea Race 2024 team and proud of the
The final yachts of the ance Centennial V, but other competitors as
2024 Rolex China Sea Happy Go ultimately they are very competi-
Ryan Mann and Race arrived in Subic finished the race a mere tive.”
≪

Casey Benjamin’s Bay, Philippines, in the five minutes ahead of Father and son
Taswell 56 Day- late afternoon of April 2 her rival, taking both double-handed entry
break placed third with a total of 21 boats Line Honours and the Philippe and Cosmas
in the Rolex China and 191 competitors IRC Overall win. Grelon’ s A Plastic Ocean
Sea Race 2024 from 26 British territo- Chinese entry Wil- took first place in the
Double-Handed ries having taken part in liam Liu’s Seawolf Double-Handed Divi-
Division. the 2024 edition. claimed second IRC sion and IRC Race 2
It was a fierce battle Overall and IRC Racer Division. On arrival,
between TP52 Happy 0 second place. Skipper they commented, “This
Go and Standard Insur- YY Yan said, “We hit year was a bit difficult

4 OCEAN NAVIGATOR JULY/AUGUST 2024

because of the weather
forecast and because it
Nigel Calder seminar in Portland, Maine,
was totally and absolute- October 29/30, 2024
ly incorrect! No model Electrical systems installing electric cir- not mean it will be easy,
was correct. Unfor- are the leading cause cuits in compliance even for those with prior
tunately, we couldn’t of problems on boats with ABYC standards; experience, including some
push the boat, and we that have more than a critical safety issues professionals. Class sizes
had a max of 16 knots rudimentary electrical related to AC systems; are limited to maximize
of wind. And we work system. Most of these corrosion and ground- interaction with the partic-
more and more solo problems are prevent- ing systems. We high- ipants. We send everyone
now, not necessarily able; they arise from a light commonly seen home with a “to-do list” of
waking up the other one failure to abide by core electrical installation critical checks for any boat
to do a sail change or design and installation errors, including on and a deck of 600 slides
put the code zero on, or principles. new boats, and how for future reference.
whatever, so that’s much To take a deep dive to rectify them. We OPE is holding the
easier.” into both design and include hands-on ter- seminars in the spring
Rolex is Title Sponsor installation issues, minal crimping prac- and fall, just outside of
of 15 major interna- OceanPlanet Energy tice because poorly the main tourist season,
tional events, from such (OPE), in collaboration made terminals are the in the renovated Hyatt
leading offshore races as with Ocean Navigator bane of many other- Place hotel in downtown
the annual Rolex Sydney magazine, Professional wise decent electrical Portland, Maine. For
Hobart Yacht Race and Boatbuilder magazine installations. more information, con-
the biennial Rolex Fast- and BoatHowTo.com, is We cover a lot of tact OceanPlanet Energy:
net Race, to grand prix sponsoring an intense, ground! This seminar sales@OceanPlanetEnergy.
competition at the Rolex two-day seminar devel- is designed to be acces- com. For Registration, go
TP52 World Champi- oped and presented by sible to the inexperi- to oceanplanetenergy.com/
onship and spectacular tech guru Nigel Calder, enced, but this does seminars.
gatherings at the Maxi author of the best-selling
Yacht Rolex Cup and Boatowner’s Mechanical
the Rolex Swan Cup. and Electrical Manual. ≫ Nigel
Rolex also supports the Topics include key Calder
exciting SailGP global design criteria for both tests
championship, in which DC and AC systems; marine
national teams race iden- how to keep batteries in DC cir-
tical supercharged F50 a healthy state; newer cuitry
catamarans on some of technologies that are with a
the world’s most famous transforming the per- multime-
harbours. formance of electrical ter.
Rolex systems; sizing and

www.oceannavigator.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 OCEAN NAVIGATOR 5

Chatter
Chartroom

Living Lodge, along with

La Playa Restaurant and
the MBG Crew Lounge,
offer world-class services
for those visiting on land
and those who arrive by
sea.
Bordered by the Osa
Peninsula where the
rainforest meets the sea,
Marina Bahia Golfito
offers a sense of visiting
the heart of creation.
Here you will find
unlimited opportuni-
ties to explore through

Edward Herrero
guided concierge ser-
vices while experiencing
conservation traditions
Marina Bahia Golfito that are fundamental to
Marina Bahia Golfito Blancas National Parks Costa Rica and its way
on the shores of Golfo and home to some of the of life.
An aerial view of Dulce—a southern richest biodiversity in Marina Bahia Golfito
≪

Marina Golfito in fjord considered one the world. This is where is a property of Costa
Costa Rica. of the most biodiverse cruising sailors, big game Rican hospitality com-
places on Earth—offers anglers, eco-adventur- pany Enjoy Group and
incomparable yachting, ers, boaters, surfers and part of IGY’s global
sportfishing and wildlife outdoor lovers of all ages network. Expanded in
experiences that epito- and interests can recon- 2023, Marina Bahia
mize the very essence of nect with nature through Golfito now features 54
Costa Rica. an array of exhilarating slips, a new marina vil-
Located in one of adventures and activities. lage with diverse kiosk
the most vibrant desti- This lush spot on the shops—from jewelry to
nations in Costa Rica, Pacific coast of Central massage and Vespa rent-
Golfito Bay is a “gulf America offers all the als—and every amenity
within a gulf,” a pristine necessary amenities with supporting real estate
landscape framed by berths from 40 to 350 and vessel owners, char-
the lush mangroves of feet in length. The ocean ter companies, crew and
Corcovado and Piedras front hotel Amaka Ocean sportfishing enthusiasts.

6 OCEAN NAVIGATOR JULY/AUGUST 2024 www.oceannavigator.com

 Notable New Titles
Whether seeking a
charter license, kayaking Finding Serendipity: The book’s title
in mangroves with roots An Adventure of Boating refers to the joys of
that touch the sky or on North America’s chance encounters with
anticipating the perfect Great Loop people and places, for
scoop of ice cream, the by John L. Gray Finding Serendipity is
marina excels in creating JL Gray Co., 377 pages; more than a cruising
a lasting sense of “pura $18.95 on Amazon log. As the author
vida” through the unfor- guides readers through
gettable prism of Nature. John Gray’s Finding waterways of the cel-
Embracing principles Serendipity recounts ebrated passage, he
of sustainable devel- a journey on his punctuates his narrative
opment, Marina Bahia 29-foot motor yacht, with chatty episodes
Golfito is now offering a compact Ranger of yarning with fellow his account of closing
modern tropical villas, Tug called Andiamo boaters and introduces on a string of towboats
condominiums and a (Italian for “Let’s us to a wealth of infor- pushing barges down
small hotel—all branded Go”). On a flawless mation on museums, the Illinois River. Gray’s
and managed as Auto- February morning, marinas, state parks and wife radioed the tail-
graph Collection by the author and his historic battlefields of end laggard, called Miss
Marriott Internation- wife, Laurie, set out the Civil War. T:
al—and an expanded on what boating Gray, based in Wash- “This is recreational
marina experience with enthusiasts describe ington State, has writ- boat Andiamo behind
new restaurants and as “looping,” a circuit ten an engaging book, you.”
shopping. beginning on Florida’s but one plagued by “Go ahead, darling.”
Every detail of Mari- west coast. The cou- significant omissions. “We would like to do
na Bahia Golfito, from ple then cruised north Readers are likely to a slow pass when con-
architecture to guest along the Atlantic become confused work- venient for you.”
experience, has been Intracoastal Waterway ing through a narrative “Pass on my star-
curated through the lens to Chesapeake Bay of rivers, canals and board side, and I will
of minimal impact and and New York’s Erie lakes without sectional ease over and pull back
maximum attention to Canal. From there, maps to help identify on my throttle.”
the habitat and biodiver- the route crossed them, and photographs “Thank you so
sity that brings guests, the Great Lakes would have added much.”
conservationists, yachts- before veering south immeasurably to a sense “Y’all have a
men, sportfishers and on inland rivers of of the journey. safe trip, and I’ll let the
those seeking natural America’s heartland, Still, the author’s other tows know y’all
experiences to the Golfo including the Illinois, uncluttered prose is are downbound. Miss
Dulce region. n Mississippi, Ohio and gratifying to read. Tout.”
Marina Bahia Golfito Tennessee. Here, for instance, is Alan Littell

www.oceannavigator.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 OCEAN NAVIGATOR 7

 MARINE TECH NOTES

Boat Monitoring Systems BY BILL MORRIS

T he more we streamline and

centralize our vessels’ myr-
iad navigation and propulsion
This diminutive instrument is
easy to install and allows you
to make customized settings,
your vessel.
Paneltronics can accommo-
date virtually any onboard sys-
systems in one place, either monitor battery data on a sin- tem with a high-quality panel
gle screen and view historical or multiple-panel array, from
data. a basic panel with six rub-
You can connect the circu- ber-coated toggle switches and
lar monitor to a current shunt amber LED indicator lights to
with 10 meters of standard a large, custom panel with over
RJ12 telephone cable and fuse. two dozen switches and two
After installing the Victron charge meters.
BMV-712, take advantage of Blue Sea Systems, a name
its programmable relay, which familiar to many coastal and
turns off non-critical loads and offshore sailors, has a wide
even starts a separate generator selection of 12V/24V panels
Garmin

if needed. covering a wide range of sizes,

in the pilot house or in the The Victron records battery from a small-boat, six-position
Compatible nav station below decks, the usage patterns and critical device selling for around $200
Garmin virtual safer crew and vessel are while charging events, including to their large, 36-position Blue
engine mon- underway on the water. time left for charging, ensur- Sea 8382 DC Panel. While the
itors may be The core of any vessel mon- ing the overall health and 8382 normally sells for rough-
configured to itoring system must, of course, longevity of your vessel’s bat- ly $1,700, you can occasional-
display RPM, include today’s standard array tery banks. Despite its small ly find it at a bargain price of
battery voltage of compass, GPS chartplotter, profile, the Victron BMV-712 around $1,300 online.
and other data, depth sounder, wind direction battery monitor and shunt Xantrex as well produces a
depending on the indicator and battery charge can handle up to 10 amps of broad assortment of electrical
vessel’s electri- indicator. More advanced sys- power, more than enough for panels and controls, starting
cal system. tems include engine monitor- small to mid-size vessels. wih their Freedom X/XC
ing, a radar screen and sensors You will find a wide remote charge indicator panel,
for water and fuel levels. selection of control panels at which uses a blue graphic dis-
Paneltronics, from their water- play to indicate battery charge,
Battery Monitoring proof, six-position DC toggle load measured in watts and
A small day-sailing vessel and rocker switch panels to a three battery lights. The unit is
with an engine used only for 12-position panel with LED available for roughly $80 and
propulsion and nav lights can charge meter. Paneltronics offers peace of mind when we
be well served by a Victron also produces many custom need a quick read on battery
BMV-712 Smart Battery designs fitted to the specific charge.
Monitor, which features a space allowance and onboard At the upper end of their
small LED charge indicator. electrical grid requirements of product line, Xantrex also

8 OCEAN NAVIGATOR JULY/AUGUST 2024 www.oceannavigator.com

 MARINE TECH NOTES

designs and produces large, custom easy access. At under $40 for a prod- compass with heading costs just over
AC/DC panels for luxury yacht uct well known to many coastal and $1,000, a lot of value for a modest
builders. Large arrays come with one offshore sailors, it’s hard to imagine a investment.
or more Xantrex Gateway touch- better buy for a small boat.
screen panels, which are customized For those seeking a genuinely Engine Monitoring
to meet the demands of large luxury custom switch array on your floating Having a dependable engine
yachts. palace, take a look at the electrical monitoring system is essential to a
Yet another familiar name is Sea panels from AC/DC Marine in Car- successful voyage. Normally, your
Dog, which specializes in panels for son, Calif. The company produces engine will already have a control
small boats. Their six-gang break- a long list of customizable gauges, panel installed. If you are purchasing
er-rocker switch panels come in sev- engine panels and charging systems, a new engine, make sure you order
eral styles, from an LED-illuminated giving you a choice of either tradi- the best, highest-priced control panel
panel with power socket to an unlit tional analog dials and switches or available, not the cheap one with
version with a silicone rubber splash touch-screen digital displays. so-called “idiot lights.”
cover. While a set of AC/DC Marine The panel should have nee-
Each of Sea Dog’s toggle gauges starts at $450, a NMEA dle gauges for the tachometer, oil
and rocker panels comes with a 2000 touch-screen, multicolor dis- pressure, coolant temperature, and
push-button fuse holder on the front play, including vessel speedometer, alternator, plus an odometer-like
of the panel, allowing for quick and tachometer, depth sounder and engine hour counter. In addition to

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10 OCEAN NAVIGATOR JULY/AUGUST 2024 www.oceannavigator.com

these standard features, the panel may waterproof and, since they are sold as the Garmin Remote Input Device
include alarms and, yes, “idiot lights” separately, offer you the advantage of (GRID), allow you full access to all the
for low oil pressure and excessive being able to install them in whatever functions on the main panel, a feature
temperature. Oil pressure in the U.S. manner you wish, which could be a you will certainly appreciate in the
is measured in pounds per square panel of your own design, tailored to middle of a sustained full gale.
inch (PSI), and the alarm is set by fit the exact spot you have in mind. The latest, top-of-the-line engine
the manufacturer at the minimum Garmin, Lowrance, Raymarine, monitoring technology integrates an
allowable oil pressure for that specific and other manufacturers of marine incredibly diverse array of systems,
model. Maximum engine tempera- electronic controls offer virtual engine including depth sounder/fish finder,
tures also vary among diesel engines, panels, each one with a set of graphic radar, weather, iPod and iPhone menus,
but they all tend to lie just below meters that are probably easier to read Sirius SM Satellite Radio, DVD play-
212º F, the boiling point of water. than the gauges currently installed on er, stereo speaker controls and various
If your vessel does not have needle your boat. The bright, colorful gauges memory functions in addition to the
gauges for the engine, you can pur- are set against a dark background, standard GPS and engine panel dis-
chase marine gauges a la carte in a making them easy to read at night. plays.
variety of attractive styles from Faria, You can access the virtual panel on Check out the latest monitoring sys-
Sierra, Stewart Warner, and Teleflex your GPS chartplotter at the helm tems at your local chandlery, and invest
(makers of Morse engine and trans- or through a remote display at the in the package best meeting your needs
mission controls). These gauges are nav station. Remote panels, such and the needs of your vessel. n

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www.oceannavigator.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 OCEAN NAVIGATOR 11

 BOAT FOCUS

Doggersbank 60 Offshore: a new take

on a time-honored classic BY JULIA ZALTZMAN

Below, the inte- IBenefitting

ntroducing the all-new
Doggersbank 60 Offshore.
from more than
evoke a light and
contemporary
look and feel. “It
rior space and
rear deck of the six decades of Doggersbank will be comfort-
Doggersbank expertise, the proven platform ably finished with
60 allow every- retains the comfort, layout and solid materials,
one onboard characteristic look of the steel- tactile fabrics, soft
ample room for hulled Offshore models, set furnishings and
comfort and within a manageable size range. lighting to create
enjoyment. In addition to the time-hon- a truly warm
Right, The oured classic, Vripack Design ambience,” says
Doggersbank has developed a contemporary Joost Mertens,
60’s elegant sister model—the Doggers- Doggersbank sales director. “In popular Offshore models, just
lines belie the bank 60X Offshore—aimed at essence, the warm and homey on a slightly more compact
strength and a younger, outdoor sport-ori- Doggersbank vibe with a reju- scale,” explains Mertens. “For
power below ented owner. venated family focus.” a family, it’s the perfect step up
her decks. The planned interior for the “Its interior layout has from a GRP 50-plus footer.
Doggersbank 60 Offshore will similar features as the other Alongside Dutch design and
build quality, it’s an easy size to
handle.”
While the Doggersbank
60 Offshore is well suited for
enjoying the great lakes or
coastal cruising, it is also a seri-
ous, ocean-going vessel capable
of efficient transatlantic cross-
ings. A 2,115 US gallon (8,000
litre) tank provides a 3,000
nautical mile range when cruis-
ing at medium speed.
With top-of-the-range
stabilisers, remote-controlled,
in-docking assistance and a
maximum speed of 10 knots,
it’s a future-looking trawler
built for family cruising.

12 OCEAN NAVIGATOR JULY/AUGUST 2024 www.oceannavigator.com

 As an option, the Dog- Offshore represents the Bentley wider, creating a sense of space
gersbank 60 Offshore can be of owner-operated trawlers. and better vision on the water,”
equipped with a PTO/PTI In addition to the typical, explains Mertens.
inline shaft generator and traditional Doggersbank 60 Exterior seating on the
engine. It allows for an ocean Offshore look and feel, a more upper deck and bow is swapped
crossing at medium speed contemporary model will out for Pelican storage boxes. The Doggers-
using just one engine, saving launch during the Trawlerfest There are more grab rails, fix- bank handles
the other engine hours and Boat Show in Anacortes from ings for fishing rod holders and well in virtually
fuel while it generates electrical May 16 to 18. The Doggers- fender racks. Space has been all kinds of
power. When the battery bank bank 60X Offshore takes every- reserved for gym equipment, coastal and
is full, there is no need to run thing iconic about the tradi- paddle- and wakeboards and offshore condi-
the generator. With just 135 tional Doggersbank Offshore two kayaks, while inside the tions.
kilowatts, the Doggersbank series—an emphasis on safety, lazarette, there is further pro-
60 Offshore can cruise fully comfort and experience—and vision for expedition gear and
electric for four to six hours on reframes it for a younger, out- spare parts. And then there
lower speeds or run the hotel door sports-oriented owner. are the vintage colour options,
load when at anchor for eight The rejuvenated exterior such as eucalyptus green, sky
hours in complete silence. design brings modern design blue and sand grey, showing a
With its muscular appear- changes that include bigger subtle, softer palette, suggest-
ance, explorer-focused details windows in the wheelhouse ing elegance and warmth, and
and numerous system efficien- and owner’s suite, and “beefed something altogether more
cies, the new Doggersbank 60 up” exterior aesthetics. refined.
Design changes include “With the Doggersbank 60X
a sharpening up of the soft, Offshore, we’re staying true to
VESSEL
SPECIFICATIONS
classic Doggersbank corners.
An inclined bow with more
the Doggersbank heritage but
giving it a modern facelift,” says
flare and exterior angles gives Mertens. “The result is a boat
the boat a knuckle edge with built for outdoor activities and
Doggersbank 60 Offshore an adventurous vibe. Modern, onboard pursuits with lots of
LOA: 60 feet
Beam: 18 feet, 7 inches black window mullions frame open deck space that owners
Draft: 5 feet, 9 inches a bank of glazing in place of can really get behind.” Future
Main engine: two 225 hp diesel
Fuel capacity: 2115 gallons
the classic smaller windows— owners have the ability to
Cruising speed: 8 knots three windows instead of five choose the all-new look and feel
Range at cruising speed: 2000 nm in the wheelhouse. “It means of the Doggersbank 60X Off-
Fresh water capacity: 400 gallons
Back water capacity: 200 gallons the view from the central helm shore for any of the Doggers-
Gray water capacity: 200 gallons position is much bigger and bank Offshore models. n

www.oceannavigator.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 OCEAN NAVIGATOR 13

POWER VOYAGING

Cruising Quebec City, Montreal

and Ottawa STORY AND PHOTOS BY HARRY HUNGATE

M uch has been written

about boating on the
St. Lawrence River—mostly
mis-informed or outdated
Right, Jane information, as we soon
and Harry with learned. In summer of 2023,
AGLCA Gold we cruised the St. Lawrence
Burgee. Below, River between Quebec City
St. Lawrence and Montreal and the Ottawa
River from River to Ottawa, and we are
Quebec. pleased to report the entire trip
was a delight.
We completed the Ameri-
can Great Loop in a clockwise
direction and crossed our wake
at the Statue of Liberty in late
June 2023 aboard our Nordic
Tug 32, Bessie. With a com-
fortable and economic cruising
speed of 8 mph, the Nordic
Tug can also attain 16 or 17

mph if necessary. The point is and the Trent-Severn Waterway

that it is not necessary to have and were determined to return
a high-speed boat to safely for another season. A season’s
cruise on the St. Lawrence and pass for the locks and moorings
Ottawa Rivers. from Parks Canada is a bargain
We thoroughly enjoyed the if cruising plans are longer than
summer of 2022 along the 10 days. We obtained ours
southern border of Canada early in the year to take advan-

14 OCEAN NAVIGATOR JULY/AUGUST 2024 www.oceannavigator.com

tage of the early-purchase discount. rienced cruisers, we confess to some answer is “ship’s stores.” They offered
We headed back up the Hudson level of apprehension upon entering that we could have tied up for the
River and entered the Champlain the St. Lawrence River. night on their dock. They stamped
Canal at Mechanicsville. We refueled We hoisted our Canadian courtesy our passports to provide proof of
at Ferry Dock Marina in Burlington, flag as we crossed the international entry.
topping off our tank as Canada fuel border and cleared into Quebec Prov- Remember to set your VHF radio
prices are much higher. Pump-out ince at Lacolle, south of St. Jean. We to Canada frequencies. It’s very easy;
is free. We continued north through specifically state Quebec Province just look it up in your VHF owner’s
Lake Champlain, the Chambly Canal, because Canadian provinces have dif- manual.
the Richelieu River and the St. Law- ferent clearance procedures. We tied We prefer AquaMaps on our iPad
rence River at Sorel. Like many oth- up to the Customs and Immigration while cruising in US waters, but we
ers, we had heard conflicting reports dock on the left ascending bank. Two think Navionics is better suited for
about 10-to-15-foot tides, adverse very friendly bilingual officers cleared Canada. We have read that Aqua-
currents and commercial shipping us in with two questions: currency Maps has improved their Canadian
encountered on the St. Lawrence over $10,000 and firearms. Alcohol coverage—we will check it out this
River. Even though we are very expe- was not mentioned, but the preferred summer.

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POWER VOYAGING

We left the Richelieu River

and entered the St. Lawrence
River at Sorel, a large indus-
trial city and shipping port.
Commercial ships monitor
VHF channel 10 in Montreal
and channel 12 in Quebec
City. Vessel-to-vessel calls are
on channels 68 and 8. The St.
Lawrence River at Sorel is very
Right, Flight of wide, so we had no problems
locks from Ride- staying clear of the ferries and
au Canal into the ships. The entry to Marina de
Ottawa River. Saurel is on the right descend-
Below, Floating ing bank at the upstream
dock in Carillon side of the small island at the
Lock. entrance to the marina. Do not
attempt to enter on the down-
stream side
of the island.
The marina
has informa-
tion on tides
and currents.
We quickly usual 8 mph. In retrospect, we able current, and we arrived
determined we should have continued farther at Vieux Port de Quebec
would have to take maximum advantage Marina only 5 1/2 hours after
more favorable of the favorable tidal current. departing Batiscan. The Que-
conditions The St. Lawrence River is well bec Province Marine Police
in two days buoyed, the channel is very boat stopped us enroute to
for our jour- wide and we had no problems check the entry stamp in our
ney down to staying clear of the several ships passports. They were very
Quebec City. that we met. The marina is professional and friendly and
There is a good quite isolated, and the docks did not come aboard, just tied
restaurant at the marina, but are in terrible shape but fine alongside as we hove-to.
we can’t say much about the for one overnight. We saw The marina is protected by
city. several sailboats while on the a lock due to the large tidal
With the current in our St. Lawrence River, providing range. Call on VHF channel
favor, we arrived at Batiscan additional proof that high 71 for lock transit and berth
Marina 5 1/2 hours after horsepower is definitely not assignment. The marina is very
departing Marina de Saurel. required! secure and has excellent facili-
The current boosted our speed An early morning start ties (fuel, water, pumpout, gar-
over ground well above the made the most of the favor- bage, toilets, showers, laundry,

16 OCEAN NAVIGATOR JULY/AUGUST 2024 www.oceannavigator.com

package receipt) and is right in upriver, which in our case was wakes from passing tourist
the heart of Quebec City. 0500, one-half hour after dead and pleasure boats, so fender
We enjoyed the usual tourist low tide. We transited the lock the best you can. Pumpout,
attractions, walking every- late in the afternoon, as it clos- water and power are available
where, enjoying a meal at the es at night, and tied to the lock at each slip, but it has no fuel.
Chateau Frontenac and tour- outer wall docks for the night The marina is very secure and
ing the Citadel, the Governor at no charge. Fender your has excellent laundry, toilets,
General’s residence and Parlia- vessel well because the harbor showers and garbage disposal.
ment. Quebec is a beautiful, tugboats moor at these docks, They will not accept packages.
old city with a distinctly Euro- creating huge wakes. The next Museums, restaurants and gro-
pean ambiance. Now we have morning, we departed right on cery stores are within walking
a much better understanding schedule and arrived at Trois distance.
of the Quebecois’ attachment Rivieres Marina nine and a half Entry into the Canal de La
to their French culture—Je me hours later—favorable current Rive Sud at Seaway Locks is by
souviens. the entire way! Trois Rivieres reservation online, and separate
If ethanol-free gasoline is Marina is in a beautiful park
needed for your outboard with extensive walking trails.
motor or portable generator, Fuel, water, electricity, toilets,
be advised that in Canada, showers and garbage disposal
premium gasoline (the highest are available.
octane and most expensive) is The following day, we
ethanol-free. It is available at encountered 2 to 3 mph of
a service station a short walk adverse river current and
from the marina. anchored overnight off the
We rented a car and drove right ascending bank in 20
down the river to view the feet over good holding mud
minke and beluga whales at at Isle de Grace anchorage. It
Saguenay, a very large fjord off is a quiet, beautiful place with
the St. Lawerence River. No many birds to watch and very
need to go out on an expensive good protection all around.
whale-watching boat when you The river narrows near the
can easily view them from the approach to Yacht Club Mon-
park observation station on the treal and is an “exhilarating”
shore. And, knowing what we run against the river current for
know now about the tides and the last couple of miles. Navi- payment is required. Refer to Quebec City
currents, we could have easily onics shows only 4.5 knots of www.Greatlakes-seaway.com. view of St.
made the trip aboard Bessie. river current, but we slowed These locks are huge in order Lawrence to Old
(Check your insurance policy to 2 mph speed over ground, to accommodate container Town.
because some do not cover even with much higher power ships. St. Lambert Lock has
downstream of Quebec City.) settings. Stay close to the right a telephone on the dock to
The marina can advise on ascending bank to minimize call the lockmaster to confirm
the departure time for favor- the adverse current. your arrival. Your clearance to
able currents for going back The marina suffers from enter is by loudspeaker, and the

www.oceannavigator.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 OCEAN NAVIGATOR 17

channel is wide and clearly marked. restaurants and ice cream shops in this Locks after an easy, three-hour run.
Cote Ste. Catherine Lock is next. area. The eight locks lifted us 80 feet from
Plan your route from Ste. Catherine Carillon Lock is immense with a the Ottawa River up into the Rideau
Lock carefully as the canal leaves the dam and a large hydroelectric plant. Canal. From arrival at the locks to the
St. Lawrence River. The good news is Tours are available. The very well-shel- top of the locks took over five hours.
that currents are no longer a concern tered dock before the lock where We tied to the canal walls in the heart
once past St. Lambert Lock. we spent the night has a large park of the city. Security is a concern
Ste. Anne de Bellevue Lock is the adjoining it. The lock contains a float- here, as several homeless people were
entry into the Ottawa River and is ing dock, eliminating the need for line encamped about. Ottawa has beauti-
a Parcs Canada property. Call the handling. The lockmaster cautioned ful parks and historic buildings, and
lockmaster on VHF 68 from the blue us not to moor at the top of the lock we enjoyed the colorful flag ceremony
line for entry. The lock contains a because it is exposed to weather and in a nearby park. Now, in the Rideau
floating dock, eliminating the need can become dangerous. The following Canal, our adventure continues. n
for line-handling. There was a lot day, we anchored overnight on the
of pleasure vessel traffic in this area, left bank in 11 feet over good holding Harry Hungate and his wife, Jane
so a good lookout is essential. We mud at approximately 45° 34.881 Lothrop, spend the summer months
tied to the downstream lock wall for N and 75° 14.176 W. It is a remote aboard Bessie, their 2004 Nordic Tug
the night and transited the lock the anchorage with no shore access. 32. They are now in their fourth year
following morning. There are many We arrived at Ottawa’s Flight of of cruising in eastern North America.

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18 OCEAN NAVIGATOR JULY/AUGUST 2024 www.oceannavigator.com

 SHORT TACKS

Storm tactics for small vessels by Bill Morris

When we leave the safe,
predictable environs of our
local cruising grounds, we
The Galerider find ourselves learning,
is a drogue sometimes the hard way,
formed from how to survive storms at
high-density sea. During my 2000-05
polymer circumnavigation on the
straps, which 1966 Cal 30 sloop Saltaire,
will keep a that’s how I learned to survive
vessel safely gales, groundings and even
sailing down- a full knockdown, always
wind in heavy emerging victorious against
weather. the elements.
Galerider

Crossing oceans on a larger

yacht certainly offers obvious not, slower sailing actually A typical 30-foot sailboat
advantages. We all know a can be safer. Provided you has a theoretical hull speed
larger craft is more stable in have a strong, well-designed of only 7.5 knots, giving the
a seaway, cutting through craft, understanding your 100-footer a huge advantage
swells smoothly rather than small vessel’s abilities and in speed and stability on open
bouncing over their crests, limitations in rough weather water.
and offering a smoother will permit you to make the If you are on a small sailing
ride for her crew. In a small same ocean crossings as larger vessel crossing from Los
harbor, a large yacht is more yachts. Angeles to Honolulu, making
difficult to steer and control. only 100 miles per day of
On open water, though, Weather window progress in a light breeze, you
with its greater weight and If you are within 200 miles can expect a roughly three-
higher freeboard, crew and of a major land mass, the week sail. With only a five-
passengers are guaranteed first and most obvious way day NOAA Weather forecast,
greater protection from the to ensure a safe passage is to that leaves 16 days of sailing
seas during stormy conditions. check the five-day weather up to a roll of the dice. I faced
Smaller vessels, measuring forecast. When the skipper the harsh reality of beautiful
32 feet LOA or less, are of a 100-foot vessel says forecasts followed by many
more exposed to the ravages it’s time to sail, you should days of pain many a time
of storms, posing obvious know instinctively that his during my circumnavigation.
challenges to crew and weather window and yours Saltaire eventually arrived at
passengers. However, contrary are not the same. His vessel the next port, but her skipper
to what many say, these has a much higher theoretical was more than once a nervous
small vessels also have some hull speed, which increases wreck when he finally took
advantages. Believe it or as the vessel heels under sail. refuge at the local watering

20 OCEAN NAVIGATOR JULY/AUGUST 2024 www.oceannavigator.com

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 SHORT TACKS

hole before licking his wounds and the Galapagos and then on to Tahiti making it far safer to sail. By
gathering the energy and nerve to should be an easy ride. Just pole sailing at a faster speed, alternately
pursue the next leg of the voyage. out the genoa, set your self-steering beam-reaching between port and
Sailing within 200 nautical system, pour yourself a glass of starboard across the Atlantic,
miles of any coast requires ample inspiration and enjoy the tuna Saltaire arrived safe and sound
local knowledge and sailing on a fishing and golden sunsets. after 25 days of sailing. Columbus
small vessel brings this to bear with A winter crossing of the Atlantic, had the good sense to “discover”
greater immediacy. On offshore however, is quite another matter. America in only 21 days. But
voyages, though, there actually are Sailing guru Jimmy Cornell, who then, he left the Canaries in early
advantages to being on a smaller organizes the Atlantic Rally for December.
boat. Cruisers (ARC), says in his book, Though I was fortunate not to
World Cruising Routes, “You can face the worst, a stronger wind with
Downwind sailing cross the Atlantic any time of the higher following seas could have
Running before the wind, year, except January.” So, naturally, spelled disaster. If I were to do this
particularly on long Pacific passages, yours truly crossed in January. again, I would take along either a
is quite literally, “a breeze.” As long As I angled my bateau petit Galerider or a Jordan Series drogue
as you control how much sail you onto latitude 15 degrees north to keep the boat sailing downwind
hoist, the voyage from Panama to and headed out west toward the without the fear of capsize.
Caribbean, a winter gale kicked up, Larger vessels, 40 or more feet
throwing steep seas — some over LOA, are exposed to a major
Wind 20 feet high — against Saltaire’s disadvantage on a downwind sail.
Steering stern for two weeks. When I saw Their greater waterline length yields
30°
how closely she was sliding toward greater speed, exposing them to the
the backsides of waves, I started possibility of pitchpoling, which is
turning the boat roughly 30 degrees the capsizing of a boat stern over
off the rhumb line, gybing back bow — the worst cases of which
and forth every 24 hours. can result in the sinking of the
By sailing a broad reach, vessel.
zigzagging my way across the
Atlantic to Martinique, Saltaire Heaving-to
enjoyed two advantages: she Bashing to weather on a small
created a longer, flatter swell and, boat in huge seas can be extremely
by heeling to one side, produced difficult, if not totally untenable.
a longer waterline, which added Generally speaking, areas prone to
to her speed and offset the greater such conditions are well known to
sailing distance. If you split a sailors, so we plan our voyages to
WIND
DIRECTION watermelon lengthwise and cut out avoid beating to windward in those
a piece crosswise, you get a deep corners of the world. Imagine cross-
“U” shape. If you cut a diagonal ing from Martinique to the Canar-
piece, it will have the same height ies along latitude 15° N, any time
Broad reaching back and forth every 24 but with a much longer curve. of year — virtually impossible.
hours can help prevent capsize when On the water, the longer curve But sailing headlong into
running in steep seas. effectively flattens the waves, oncoming seas can occur, such

22 OCEAN NAVIGATOR JULY/AUGUST 2024 www.oceannavigator.com

as on a sail from Kochi, India, to could lick her wounds.
Oman, which I eventually altered, The ability to smash headlong
favoring a smoother crossing to into oncoming seas and still
Port Aden. Well, it was smooth, maintain a respectable speed over
until Saltaire was boarded by ground is obviously one major
Somali brigands, but that’s another advantage of a large, heavy-

Jordan Series Drogue

story. Except for that little setback, displacement vessel. A deep-keel
it was a pleasant sail all the way to craft weighing 10 tons or more has
Port Aden. the capacity to build up enough
In the northern Red Sea, about momentum to cleave oncoming
60 miles south of Hurghada, seas and maintain speed in a Above, the Jordan Series Drogue creates
Egypt, I was forced to heave-to light gale. We on the little boats drag over a long distance, keeping the
under trysail for several hours, generally heave-to in headwinds vessel on a downwind course in a gale.
ultimately suffering a knockdown exceeding 30 knots, depending on
before high-tailing it back to the weight and design of the vessel Servo-pendulum self-steering
Hurghada, where poor Saltaire and the crew’s level of experience. One sure way to keep your vessel

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www.oceannavigator.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 OCEAN NAVIGATOR 23

 SHORT TACKS

“in the groove” in storm conditions pendulum you should be sailing circumnavigation, but thankfully
is to install a servo-pendulum on a broad reach, not a run, when it never saw service. Theoretically I
self-steering system on your boat’s surfing down steep seas. The servo could have used it in that storm in
transom. There are numerous other system keeps your boat on track, the northern Red Sea, but with all
dependable types of self-steering but obviously it cannot override the the ship traffic, I needed the option
systems available, but a servo- vessel’s innate limitations, which of steering away quickly from cargo
pendulum system — such as one include exposure to pitchpole when ships to avoid getting run over. On
of the models offered by Aries, running before the wind. open water in inclement conditions,
Fleming, Monitor or Sailomat — where the sea state rules out
provides a high degree of stability Drogues heaving-to or lying-to, a drogue can
when surfing down high seas in When the wind and seas build prevent capsizing or pitchpoling,
storm conditions. to a level well beyond the navigable allowing you to maintain headway.
To review, a servo-pendulum range, but you still want to make You can choose from a number
system functions by employing a headway downwind, consider of drogue designs available on the
tilting wind vane to transmit changes deploying a drogue off the stern market, given your preferences and
in wind direction to a submerged to keep the boat making headway, the length and displacement of
servo blade via a push rod and a pair however slowly. Drogues come your vessel. Galerider offers several
of bevel gears. As the boat veers off in many interesting designs, the sizes of web cones, which allow
course, the vane tilts, slightly turning simplest of which is two or three water to disperse through the entire
the servo blade, which pulls the tiller car tires bound together with chain length of the drogue. Fiorentino of
or wheel steering until the boat is and tethered off the stern with Newport Beach, Calif., offers an
back on course. As the velocity of three-strand nylon anchor line. array of offshore safety equipment,
both wind and vessel increase, the Storing a stack of tires aboard your including a heavy canvas drogue
servo system operates faster and with yacht may be an imposition, but at design, which is paired with a
greater force. least you will have that last-ditch beefy coupling system designed
The servo-pendulum’s capability option. Check out YouTube to see to weather the worst of storm
of increasing force and precision some of the zany sea anchors some conditions.
with greater wind speed makes die-hard sailors are using out there If there is one major concern
this device particularly effective in but bear in mind there are more regarding drogues, it is the
keeping the vessel on track when workable solutions available. danger in deploying such a device
sliding down mountainous seas. At The more common type of manually while sailing at high
the moment the vessel turns ever drogue takes the form of a heavy speeds in stormy waters. It is too
so slightly to one side, the servo canvas or web funnel, which can easy to lose a finger or even a hand
blade immediately signals the helm be folded and stored easily in a while paying out line and then
to turn in the opposite direction, small hold belowdecks. The drogue securing it to a deck cleat. Even
keeping your vessel surfing “on is weighted down with an anchor when controlling the towline with
rails.” It is rather entertaining, or some other heavy weight, along a deck winch, the stress can be
though sometimes scary, to look up with a short length of chain, and overpowering. It is best to practice
at the wave behind you and witness then tossed over the stern where it this procedure in settled conditions
the perfec https://outlook.office. slows the vessel down to navigable before attempting this in a full gale.
com/mail/ t trough of foam you speed, preventing pitchpoling or
have left starting from the top of broaching and capsizing. Sea anchors
the hill — quite exhilarating! Saltaire carried a canvas A safer and easier way to ride out
Again, even with the servo- drogue during her five-year sustained gale conditions is with

24 OCEAN NAVIGATOR JULY/AUGUST 2024 www.oceannavigator.com

a parachute sea anchor, which you international patents, uses a steel some for under $200, but most appear
deploy off the bow in much the same ring and a patented heavy tackle to be better suited to coastal use
way as a regular anchor. A typical sea system to keep a large parachute where the Coast Guard is only a VHF
anchor comes equipped with a heavy submerged during deployment. call away. A sea anchor, or drogue if
steel harness, swivel and retrieval The Para-Anchor’s retrieval system you prefer, is a must on all offshore
line. Fiorentino has been building encompasses a trip line and an vessels, both motor and sail. Find
tough, dependable sea anchors for exclusive Fast-Pak design, which which works best for your vessel and
over 60 years and has garnered quite allows the whole parachute anchor remember to practice use of the device
a following for its high-quality safety system to be rolled up “in two before attempting this while offshore
systems. minutes or less.” Fiorentino offers in storm conditions.
Fiorentino offers its Para-Anchor 10 sizes of parachutes, the largest Surviving storms offshore can be
for both commercial vessels and having a diameter of 40 feet for just as safe, if not safer, for the small
yachts, designing its products to vessels more than 65 feet in length; yacht as for the gin palace. Knowing
fit the demands of different sizes custom chutes can be made for how to adjust to a changing sea state
and applications of inshore and larger vessels. and deteriorating conditions with the
offshore vessels. The Offshore Para- Less expensive parachute anchors right skills and techniques is your key
Anchor, which has been awarded 14 are available from other retailers, to a successful ocean crossing.

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www.oceannavigator.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 OCEAN NAVIGATOR 25

 SHORT TACKS

Using Satellites to “Sound” Atmosphere and Ocean by Ann Hoffner

Even when going boating in gather data
my home waters where I think in vertical
Below, CrIS, a I know every stand-alone rock columns
hyperspectral and the boundaries of channels rather than
scanner, will and will only be out for a few just of the
soon be used hours, I check the weather and region
for advanced carry a navigation chart. above the
weather fore- Mariners have done this clouds; it
casting. Right, for as long as there have been could take
Scanners on boats, but the technology for “sound-
satellites like creating forecasts and charts ings” in
Landsat1 and has evolved steadily over time. the atmo- NASA

JPSS 4 carry It’s making big leaps now sphere.

spectrometers through changes in the way This work allowed the atmo- lower water where the bottom
that measure satellites collect data about the sphere to be modelled in 3-D, is visible enough to show col-
different atmosphere and ocean and and had major advantages over ors, generally 30 meters or less.
wavelengths how it is analyzed. high-altitude weather balloons, This happens to be where bot-
of energy. The first U.S. satellite was which previously did the tom measurements are crucial
launched to counter Russia in work but had to be filled and for safe navigation by ships and
the space race, but it was clear released in a laborious process smaller boats, both commercial
from the begin- and were not useful for obser- and recreational.
ning that satel- vations over the ocean. Whether a satellite focus-
lites would be The work of Landsat 1 es on the atmosphere or
of great value led to the field of Satellite the ocean, it is looking at
in studying the Derived Bathymetry, or SDB, energy radiation, specifically
earth. On April bathymetry being defined as the electromagnetic spec-
1, 1960, NASA the measurement of depth trum of radiation. The main
launched the from the sea surface to the sea instrument for this work is
first meteoro- floor. SDB works by capturing a spectrometer which sep-
logical satellite. light reflected off the earth’s arates the spectrum into
NASA

It took 23,000 surface and breaking it down individual wavelengths. This

cloud-cover pictures that were into individual wavelengths, includes visible light (useful
useful in weather analysis. then applying the information for SDB), radio waves, micro-
The earliest dedicated in a well-established theoretical waves, infrared light, ultraviolet
weather satellites carried sensors framework that links how light light, X-rays and gamma-rays.
and cameras to collect atmo- coming from the sun is reflect- The information being fed
spheric data but couldn’t “see” ed by the atmosphere, the sea, into the spectrometer can come
through the clouds. Starting and the seabed before reaching from a camera or a scanner.
with Nimbus 3 in 1969, the a satellite. It doesn’t work in These are familiar devices, and
satellite had the technology to the deep ocean, only in shal- each has its purpose. Landsat 1

26 OCEAN NAVIGATOR JULY/AUGUST 2024 www.oceannavigator.com

researchers started out with both but already had accurate charts derived
quickly realized that scanners were from sonar. The team then “taught”
more efficient, as they gathered data their computers to be smarter, feeding
continually while they moved rather in the satellite data, pondering what
than in a series of pictures that had might be causing readings from the
to be stitched together to show large turbid and sediment-laden regions to
scale phenomena. The multi-spectral be inaccurate, and adding variables
scanner satellites carried could simul- they thought the computers might
taneously record data in multiple be missing in their analysis, until the
wavelengths, including ones for visi- satellite data more closely matched
ble light and infrared. the existing charts. This model can be
Multispectral scanners also useful in future applications of SDB,
became the instrument of choice for especially where taking sonar readings
researchers using satellites to forecast is not feasible.
weather, allowing them to collect A surge in extreme weather over
energy data on temperature, mois- the last few years has prompted
ture, clouds and storms. forecasters to improve their ability to
To make satellite-derived bathym- predict extreme events like tornadoes
etry data useful for mariners, it has to and hurricanes and to understand
be translated into visual charts. For longer-term weather and climate phe-
this purpose, researchers must decide nomena like El Niño and La Niña.
how to assign the colors picked In 2027, the JPSS-4 satellite, jointly
up by the spectrometer to specific operated by NOAA and NASA, will
depths (cruisers to the Bahamas carry a new scanner called a Cross-
know how important this skill is for Track Infrared Sounder. The CrIS
navigating on the shallow banks). is hyperspectral, which means it will
But light reflects differently depend- be able to break down the radiation
ing on water turbidity and the com- energy emitted by the atmosphere
position of the seabed, and getting into 2,000 “channels,” or bands of
consistent performance throughout wavelengths, instead of the previous
different coastal environments has capacity of 19. This will allow much
proven challenging. It turns out that greater resolution and smoother
SDB comes closest to mirroring transitions in images created by the
sonar readings only in clear water. data in the way that a higher number
A team of Korean scientists of pixels in a camera’s image sensor
recently took up the challenge of allows you to zoom in and achieve
closing the accuracy gap. They chose closer resolution and detail.
bathymetry data from three areas The challenge with these new
around the Korean peninsula, each methods of gathering and analyzing
with a different set of ocean condi- data will be to understand what is
tions: clear water, turbid water and being said and to apply it accurately.
one where the seabed contains vari- Without that understanding, you just
ous types of sediments. Each region have more raw data.

www.oceannavigator.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 OCEAN NAVIGATOR 27

 SHORT TACKS

Protect Your Boat from Lightning by Bill Morris

If there is anything equally ber. Fortunately, the odds of are ambling along a side deck,
as scary to an ocean sailor your being struck by light- you could become a human
Below, A zinc
as falling aboard, it is the ning are slim, particularly on light bulb for a tiny fraction
“fish anode”
highly unlikely yet still extant the West Coast. The odds are of a second. In most cases of
hanging in the
possibility of being struck significantly higher on the boats hit by lightning, crew
water and con-
by lightning at sea. Like a East Coast, particularly in are not directly affected, and
nected to the
giant battery in the sky, the Florida and on Chesapeake of those who are, roughly 90
boat’s bonding
negative post on that wispy, Bay, yet still minimal. A full percent survive.
system helps
amorphous blob of a cloud is 33 percent of all lightning Notwithstanding the low
to prevent cor-
always looking for the short- insurance claims in the U.S. chance of being hit by light-
rosion damage
est path to ground, which in are from the Sunshine State, ning and the high survival
from shore
this case means the highly where the lighting strike rate rate of lightning attacks, it is
power.
conductive saltwater is 3.3 vessels per thousand imperative that we as offshore
as opposed to an average sailors do everything possible
1:1,000 throughout to prevent damage in the
the rest of the event of a lightning strike.
coun- Fortunately, a number of
try. manufacturers offer devices to
As protect our valuable onboard
on which you electronics, if not ourselves,
you are may well imagine, from the ravages of lightning.
sailing—or the the majority of boats hit by The first step in protecting
highest conductive point lightning are sailboats and for your boat from lightning is
on your boat. an obvious reason: aluminum bonding all thru-hulls with
So there you are sailing masts offer a copper wire. This includes
Right, A zinc hull
along, listening to Jimmy close all bronze mushroom fittings
anode bonded to
Buffet on the stereo, blissful- for engine raw water intake,
a vessel’s thru-
ly unaware of the big cloud’s deck drains, standing rigging,
hulls and rigging
intentions as it aims its windlass, bow roller and so
helps to prevent
spear of lightning point on. The more dissipation sur-
serious lightning
at the highest of contact face you expose to a lightning
damage.
electrically from the strike, the less likely your ves-
charged cloud sel and electrical system are to
point and a incur serious damage.
on your quick ground You will also need to
vessel, which path through ocean install a grounding plate, or
we hope water splashed on the zinc anode, to the bottom
is not you deck and hull. If your of the hull and connect the
or a fellow Bill Morris
deck shoes are soaked grounding system to a bolt
crew mem- with saltwater while you on the grounding plate inside

28 OCEAN NAVIGATOR JULY/AUGUST 2024 www.oceannavigator.com

the vessel. Regardless of whatever online, and installation is fairly tems, solar panels or other sensitive
other device you install to dissipate easy. First of all, since the device is fixtures.
or absorb lightning energy, the tra- self-contained, it is not connected EMP Shield’s line of vehicle and
ditional thru-hull grounding plate to any cable leading down to a vessel shunts include 12V/24V
is still a necessary yet inexpensive submerged lead or anywhere else. shunts to protect the majority
device to save protect your vessel. Installation involves little more of large systems on your ves-
Every time you haul out your ves- than a small stainless sel, while their inline
sel for bottom painting, be sure to steel bracket on the VHF antenna shunts
exchange the worn-out chunk of masthead. The Light- Regardless are small enough to
zinc for a new one. ning Master may also of whatever be mounted anywhere
The traditional lightning pro- be mounted on the other device along the antenna cable
tection device for boats is the bridge of a large motor- and tucked away neatly
old-fashioned lightning rod, which boat. you install inside the mast or below
can still be found on the mastheads A more sophisticated to dissipate decks.
of many yachts. Forespar, L-Com device used to protect a or absorb For a device capable
and Rohn Products are some of the boat’s electrical system of protecting larger sys-
market leaders in this traditional and sensitive electronics lightning tems, consider one of
form of lightning protection. Priced is a microprocessor-con- energy, the EMP’s three-phase mod-
at under $100, even the humblest trolled shunt, which
immediately shorts
traditional els designed to protect
starter motors, generators
of sailors can enjoy some degree of
protection from lightning strikes on out excess amperage, thru-hull and large battery banks.
their vessels. drawing the energy into grounding Incredibly, most of EMP
A more recent variation of itself and out to a large Shield’s shunts are priced
the masthead rod is a lightning load where the electri-
plate is still under $500, well within
static dissipater, which looks like cal impulse dissipates a necessary the budget of the hum-
a metallic dust broom mounted when lightning strikes. yet inexpen- blest of offshore and
upside down on a sailboat mast. By absorbing the huge coastal cruisers.
As comical as they may look, those surge of electricity in a sive device Protecting vessel, crew
frizzy lightning dissipaters could fraction of a second, the to save and sensitive onboard
save your onboard electronics and shunt prevents current protect your systems from lightning
conceivably your life if installed from reaching sensitive strike will give you ease
correctly. electrical and electronic vessel. of mind while you are
Mounted next to the masthead equipment. underway, particularly
light, a dissipater is, first of all, the EMP Shield, named in tropical regions where
highest point of contact for poten- for “electromagnetic pulse,” is an lightning is common. Make sure
tial lightning. Because the thin wire industry leader in lightning control your vessel’s thru-hulls and standing
strands are so thin and numerous, technology, manufacturing shunts are bonded, and consider invest-
the surrounding air absorbs the for business, home and vehicle/ ing in a microprocessor-controlled
electrical charge immediately, sav- vessel. The shunts are designed for shunt for added protection against
ing everything below that point specific applications and anticipat- lightning. Knowing your vessel is
from damage. ed amperage levels, whether they safe from lightning strikes will give
You can find the Forespar are engine and generator power you ease of mind while underway or
Lightning Master for under $200 cables, radio and navigation sys- at anchor in lightning-prone areas.n

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Passage
Indian Ocean
T
he voyage from
Darwin in northern
Australia to the Gulf
of Aden by way of Sri Lanka
and India’s Malabar Coast
A rough sail over a treacherous sea turned out to be a daunting
BY BILL MORRIS feat for my 1966 Cal 30 Sal-
taire. Gales and calms, along
with bizarre currents, posed
a challenging obstacle course
requiring patience and skill.
Few of the cruisers I met in
Darwin intended to cross by
way of Sri Lanka and India.
Rod Heikell, in his Indian
Ocean Cruising Guide, warns,
“There are few people who
have much that is good to say
about this route, and it can
involve lots of sail changes,
dull, rainy weather and some
motoring.” If Heikell has
erred here, it is only in under-
statement.
A late start from Mooloola-
ba Harbor, Queensland, had
cast a cloud over my original
plan of crossing to Durban,
South Africa, which requires
precise timing. Nonetheless,
the change of monsoon at this
time of year did not make my
new route much easier.

Darwin to Christmas Island

From Tipperary Marina
in Darwin, Saltaire motored
out on the rushing ebb
tide early on a morning in
mid-September, her skipper
anxious to catch the easterly
that promised to carry the
boat all the way to Hibernia
Reef and Christmas Island.
Bill Morris

Later that morning, a slight

www.oceannavigator.com
westerly came up, pegging North to Sri Lanka steady southwest winds punc-
Saltaire on a close reach on Most cruisers have enough tuated by the odd squall.
the starboard tack, 60 degrees sense to take a breather at As the miles to the equator
off the rhumb line. Oh well, I Cocos Keeling before pro- dwindled, steady sailing even-
figured, probably just a diur- ceeding on to Galle. I, on the tually weakened to ever-longer
nal coastal breeze. other hand, decided to take calms. Squalls began to appear
After two days of tacking The voyage the whole passage in one gulp. out of nowhere, first in the
in the light westerly, it was With Saltaire’s relatively flat early evening, and then at all
from Darwin
obvious this was a weather bilges, I’d had my fill of getting hours of the day until there
anomaly. The westerly fresh- in northern knocked around by confused was no way to adapt to a daily
ened after a couple of days, Australia to seas and wanted to avoid what weather pattern. At the peak of
and Saltaire was sailing at the Gulf of certainly would be harsher a squall, the wind would some-
a steady 5 knots. However, conditions farther south. times reach 40 knots, starting
the Timor Sea threw another Aden by way Pleasant downwind sailing from north-northwest and
wrench into my progress: a of Sri Lanka
counter-clockwise current set- and India’s
ting the boat west on the port
Malabar
tack—and back east on the
starboard tack! For a whole Coast turned
day, I seriously considered out to be a Yemen
Aden Socotra
India

sailing back to Darwin, put- daunting

Ernakulam
Sri

ting Saltaire up for sale and Lanka Malaysia

flying back to Los Angeles. feat for my AFRICA

E Q U ATO R

After seven long days and 1966 Cal INDIAN

Indonesia

OCEAN
500 miles, I finally slipped 30 Saltaire. Route of Saltaire
Darwin

between the Hibernia and Madagascar

Gales and
Ashmore reefs and caught the AUSTRALIA

southeasterly that had been calms, along

promised on Kismet Weather, with bizarre
a cruiser weather service based currents,
in Australia.
A fast, easy broad reach posed a under genoa, or drifter when then weakening as it backed to
carried me to Christmas challenging the wind lightened up, typified the west.
Island, where I spent two obstacle the first six days out of Flying One afternoon, a huge freak
weeks hanging out at the Fish Cove, Christmas Island. wave sneaked up and dumped
course
local pubs and waiting for a At about 0730 seven days out, several gallons of green water
chart of the northern Indian requiring the easterly shifted quickly to through the coach roof hatch
Ocean to be shipped from patience the southeast, and a dark squall over the salon, drenching
Perth. Pleasant weather with and skill. line started marching in my books and charts, missing the
a moderate southeasterly was direction. I sealed up the cabin, laptop computer by only a few
the norm for the anchorage reduced the 8-ounce genny to inches. The wave had caught
in Flying Fish Cove, a stan- storm size, disconnected the me totally off guard on a beam
dard stop along the westward windvane and hand-steered reach in a light westerly with
route to both the Red Sea and through the 30-knot snotter. two-foot seas while I sailed due
South Africa. The next several days saw north along the east 80-degree

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 This is just the kind of thing Saltaire darted in and out of
that can get really out of hand the sides of the majestic col-
if not repaired early on. I also umns, her skipper delighting
found time to top off the in his frolic on the floor of this
house battery water, open up heavenly Parthenon.
the 600-watt inverter to clean A hundred miles south of
out salt crusts and reorganize Galle, I was sitting in the cabin
the charts. eating breakfast during a calm
The intense heat and still The Fleming when a strange sound began
air found easy victims in the windvane reverberating through the hull.
food stores. On the eighteenth self-steering It sounded like a rushing river.
day out of Flying Fish Cove, system keeping Having grown up along the
I discovered one of the two Saltaire on banks of the San Gabriel River
remaining eggs had rotted, course. in Los Angeles County, I know
leaving only one for breakfast. there is only one thing that
Two of the three remaining sounds like a river, and that’s a
onions had spoiled, and all river.
but a paltry, few potatoes had I stuck my head out the
meridian. A few more dousings completely rotted. A few pieces companionway, and small
would occur over the next few salvaged from the moribund spikes popped up on the water,
days, so I resigned myself to spuds joined the egg and wilt- just like on a river. “What
using the cabin fan instead of ed onion in the iron skillet for the…?” A quick look at the
the overhead hatch for cool air. the last “fresh” breakfast before GPS confirmed the unbeliev-
Dependable trade wind reaching land. For the next able: a west-setting current
sailing had become a distant, week, breakfast consisted of at 3.2 knots! I leaped out to
fond memory once above 3 either oatmeal or leftover rice. the cockpit, cranked on the
degrees, 30 minutes south. Not engine, and spent the next
knowing what to expect upon Strange Phenomena 20 hours crabbing into the
reaching the final 200-mile The night after crossing the current, which topped out at
stretch to Port Galle, Sri Lanka, equator, having endured an 3.8 knots—I should have had
I decided to save fuel and sit evening of squalls and mad- a tiller pilot for this—mak-
out the calms, waiting for the deningly constant sail changes, ing slow yet steady progress
daily regimen of squalls to give I experienced one of those sur- north. I shudder to think of
Saltaire a nice boost toward real things that seem to be not the conditions a westerly gale,
her destination. I put myself of this world but of some far the kind that had provided the
on stricter water rations and corner of our outer fantasies, sailing power over the previous
prepared for the last stretch indescribable by mere words. week, would have created with
of what had become dismal The wind had settled to a faint an opposing ocean current. I
progress. breeze, so I decided to motor a might not have survived to tell
The calms gave me time while. For miles all around me the story.
to catch up on small chores, in the hazy moonlight, huge, It was shortly after midnight
untenable while sailing. Early towering, bluish-white clouds when I finally passed out while
one morning I sat on the coach formed on the flat, shiny black drifting off the coast of Galle.
roof and repaired an 18-inch water, towering into tall pillars. Since the current was still run-
tear along the mainsail leach. Each pillar was a squall, and ning at about 1 knot, I had set

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the kitchen timer for one hour, gate of the Gulf of Aden, wind days, I slogged to windward in
expecting to repeat the pro- speed never rose above 18 a steady, 25-knot snotter with
cedure throughout the night, knots. Steady progress in stable annoying, six-foot waves break-
checking my position and weather allowed for dinners of ing over the bow. Could I have
looking out for small fishing fresh grilled tuna and wahoo kept up this unnerving bash
smacks until dawn. provided by the bounty of the into low, steep seas with Sal-
The next time I opened Arabian Sea. taire’s bilges slapping the water?
my eyes, it was just a hair past The looming threat of pira- Sure. But I valued my sanity, so
0600. In a foggy, confused cy between the coasts of Yemen I pulled off the wind just north
panic, I jumped out the com- and Somalia had the Red Sea of Socotra and aimed straight
panionway, looked for other Net in a frenzy. When I was into the maw of the fabled Gulf
vessels and sat back down to 200 miles from Socotra, Lisa of Aden.
chart my position. Saltaire had Bailey, who was headed toward Saltaire continued on her
drifted about seven miles north Mina Salalah, Oman, with her own, sailing happily on a beam
by northwest, still staying safely
away from the shore and out-
side the shipping lanes.

India and the Arabian Sea

After a month of sight-
seeing in Sri Lanka, I sailed
northwest to Cochin in the
state of Kerala, India. This was Saltaire broad
early December, well into the reaching under
northeast monsoon, and the drifter on
wind piped through the Gulf approach to
of Mannar at 25 knots, placing Port Galle, Sri
Bill Morris

Saltaire on a lively, fun beam Lanka.

reach between the two coun-
tries while it lasted. The boat husband Bill on the Grand reach, blithely unaware of the
would remain anchored in the Soleil 39 Apollo, hailed me with dangers that lay ahead. She
mud of the Periyar River off a great idea. “Hey, why don’t would go on to survive a full
the Bolghatty Palace in Cochin you meet us in Salalah? That knockdown in a gale in the
until mid-February, when I way you can join the cruiser northern Red Sea and a beach-
headed west through Nine-De- convoy that will be leaving for ing during a violent mistral in
gree Channel on my way to Port Aden.” Porto Colóm, Mallorca, Spain.
Port Aden, Yemen. “Thanks for the offer, Lisa, At this point, though, she was
Saltaire pulled away from but I’m not too worried about only two days away from a fate-
the coast ever so slowly in the pirates,” I replied. “Besides, Sal- ful meeting with Somali pirates
mild northeasterly, wending taire is so small and inconspic- 45 miles south of Al Mukallah,
her way through the Lacca- uous, they probably wouldn’t Yemen. This unfortunate
dive Islands, finally reaching even see her.” encounter did have a silver lin-
open water a few days later. She spelled out her reasons, ing, though: aside from losing
During most of the passage which all added up logically, my radios and cameras, it was a
toward Socotra Island at the so I relented. For the next two beautiful day for sailing. n

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 WEATHER

Protect your
boat from
the ravages
of storms.

Getting a charge out of thunderstorms

STORY AND PHOTOS BY ANN HOFFNER

W
hen I was seven, stand out in an open field in a But what if you are caught
during a family thunderstorm.” “Don’t be the on the open sea? Nothing else
vacation in Maine, tallest object when lightning is around to draw that dangerous
Above, Looking we got caught out in a sum- around.” “Every year, people bolt? At moderate boat speed,
over marina mer thunderstorm. We were get struck on golf courses.” it’s hard to move away from a
in Sabah, parked beside a pond, and I Similar advice is given to storm, and experts say you can’t
Malaysian remember my father telling my boaters: “Don’t be the tallest prevent a lightning strike if you
Borneo, at a siblings and me not to worry thing around.” The greatest are in its vicinity; you can only
thunderstorm as long as we stayed inside our concentration of boats is near protect yourself from damage.
building over car. That’s my first memory of land, where most thunder- It’s not that lightning seeks out
the South a thunderstorm; in the time storms happen. With a sailboat a sailboat mast or a powerboat;
China Sea. since, there have been many in a marina or at anchor, it it takes the shortest route from
more. In a year, the continental usually means cozying up to the bottom of a thundercloud
U.S. sees an average of 25 mil- a boat with a taller mast so to the ground underneath,
lion lightning strikes. “Don’t they’ll get hit first. and anything that stands up

34 www.oceannavigator.com
shortens the distance. shape, which we recognize thunderstorm found us. It was
Thunder and lightning are as signaling a thunderstorm. a dark night and we didn’t get
the audible and visible effects At the base of the cloud, the any warning until it was on
of cloud activity in the atmo- charge accumulates until it has top of us and a bolt of light-
sphere. Clouds are formed enough strength to jump to ning crashed out of the sky di-
from water. The simplest cloud the closest object, which can rectly above our mast, lighting
forms when warm moist air also carry a charge. If you have everything in an eerie fashion.
rises from the planet (either heard that lightning also goes But either it didn’t hit us, or it
earth or water) as the surface from the ground
heats up and reaches a height up, this is techni-
where the atmosphere is cool cally true because
enough to cause it to condense when the “step
into water droplets. Morning is leader” from the
a good time for this to happen, cloud approach-
after the sun rises. If conditions es the ground,
are right and the cloud keeps streamers of op-
building, eventually the water posite charge flow
may become heavy enough to up, and when one
fall back out of the cloud as or more of them
rain. If there’s no underlying meet the leader,
condition causing the cloud the connection is
buildup, after it loses enough complete and the
moisture, the cloud can dissi- lightning channel
pate, as we see in its simplest discharges. did and was harmless because
form in sun showers. But if the Open ocean thunderstorms we didn’t suffer damage.
atmosphere is unstable and the are most likely to occur in Proximity to land greatly Leading edge of
buildup continues, the top of the tropics where the water is increases the chances of a boat cold front over
the cloud may grow, reaching warm, and as a cruising sailor, being struck by lightning. Wickford, RI, on
a height where the air is cold I have been around numer- Common boater’s wisdom Narragansett
enough to change the state of ous thunderstorms. While suggests stowing sensitive Bay.
the water droplets. land thunderstorms are most electronic equipment in a
Between -15 and -25 common in the afternoon, out metal oven, a type of faraday
degrees Celsius, supercooled to sea they generally happen cage that blocks out harmful
droplets, ice crystals and soft at night, when the air cools electromagnetic radiation,
hail can form. Movement of but the water stays constant. and clipping chain to the side
these particles within the cloud One of my most memorable stays. Stowing electronics in
causes them to rub against each thunderstorms came after Tom the oven is based on the same
other and become electrically and I dropped anchor off an principle as safety in a car,
charged. If the charge con- unnamed reef in the south end and the chain improves the
tinues to build up, a thunder of Tuvalu to decide whether to chances that lightning striking
cloud forms, and the cloud continue north into that island the top of the mast will take a
rises high enough to hit the country for cyclone season. direct route to the water, not
stratosphere where it can’t rise Eventually, we decided not through the boat’s interior
any higher and starts to spread to, and it was after we turned where it can strike sensitive
out, forming the classic anvil south for Fiji that hours later, a electric and electronic equip-

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WEATHER

ment. Boats on land are by no saw the lightning arc to the sound of thunder about five
means protected from strikes, powerful, vertical Maxwell seconds to travel a mile, you
and I have on several occa- windlass mounted on the bow. can calculate the distance be-
sions seen holes blown in hulls When we returned, we found tween you and the lightning.”
struck while sitting in yards. the electric motor destroyed. It Counting the seconds between
After we sold our Peterson 44 was a pain to replace, as it was flash and thunder and dividing
Oddly Enough in Borneo, she in the anchor locker, a tight by five gives the distance in
space which I fit miles from you to the light-
into better than ning.
Tom. Thunder is a sound wave
The thunder- created by rapid expansion
storm that burnt from the heat of a lightning
out our windlass bolt and the quick contraction
came during of cooling air behind it. Air
Darwin’s wet in the bolt may reach 50,000
season, when degrees Fahrenheit, five times
we returned hotter than the surface of the
to the U.S. to sun, and the sound wave can
work and escape be heard up to 10 miles from a
the rain that lightning strike. Sometimes we
inundated the heard thunder in our Kim-
was hit by lightning that blew region from November until berley anchorages, sometimes
out a hole. May and then shut off like not, but when we did, we were
Squally When we cruised the South a tap. During the dry season within striking distance of a
weather in the Pacific, we had relatively few that followed, we cruised the storm and sitting ducks as we
Kimberley, NW electronic devices on board wilds of the Kimberley. At the couldn’t move out at night. But
Australia. that could be damaged by end of the season during the the dry storms never came any
lightning strikes. All our GPS northern buildup, we expe- closer.
units were portable, and we did rienced dry thunderstorms, So what can a boater do?
indeed try to get them into the which still need moisture Solutions vary depending on
oven when a thunderstorm was to form clouds, but the rain location. If you keep your boat
nearby. Our fixed mount VHF falling out of them evaporates in a marina, you can’t move
and SSB radios were vulnera- before reaching the ground. to a location where your mast
ble, but we carried a handheld At night in anchorages on our is lower than other structures
VHF. I had made the switch way back to Darwin, we could around it, but you can add
to digital charts for harbors see the storms flickering just surge protection to your shore
but used a laptop computer inland from us. power; Marinco makes shore
for viewing them. It wasn’t Which brings up the issue power pigtail adapters.
connected to any other system of distance, and the old saw Boaters on the water either
on the boat, and we had paper about counting the time be- at anchor or underway have
charts for everywhere we went. tween a bolt of lightning and a different set of issues. Given
Lightning struck Oddly Enough clap of thunder. According to that you have to assume if
in a marina in Darwin, Austra- the National Weather Ser- there is a thunderstorm nearby
lia, while we were back in the vice, “Since you see lightning and close enough overhead,
States. Neighboring boaters immediately and it takes the you will get hit, the first and

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most important line of defense the leap to setting up a boat reduction.
is making sure to give lightning that is startlingly dependent on It’s interesting in light of
a safe path from the highest integrated electronic systems, this interconnectedness that
point on your boat to the wa- which makes her vulnerable to discussions of lightning among
ter. On a sailboat, this would the effects of lightning strikes boaters focus on products to
likely be the VHF antenna at and surges. Luckily, Tom and I prevent strikes, which is not
the top of the mast, and an sail Ora Kali in Maine, which proven to be possible, and
adequate system of conductors ranks 41st in lightning casu- grounding solutions, ignoring
and grounding needs to be in alties and accounts for about the how-to’s of protecting
place to isolate that antenna so 60,000 lightning flashes out of all these electronics. People
the lightning can use the mast the tens of millions across the generally have surge protectors
as a conductor, along with U.S. each year. for electronics in their houses.
the stays, to go to the water. Granted they are easier and
There are varying opinions on Surge Protectors cheaper to set up in a home,
whether an encased keel acts as Most modern boats are at but products have existed for
a good ground, which I won’t least as dependent on electron- some time that can be added to
go into here. On a powerboat ics as Ora Kali. Our Simrad a boat system and act as surge
without a mast, or on a sailboat GO7 XSE chartplotter has protectors. Transtector makes
with a carbon fiber mast, it’s come to replace paper charts
necessary to design a ground- almost entirely. I still find the
ing system that may include only way to get a big picture of
a grounding plate on the a cruising ground is through
hull. Again, Marinco makes a a paper chart, but if lightning
variety of plates, and it’s worth struck and destroyed the
putting some thought into chartplotter, we would have no
placement. detailed navigation capacity.
An evolution of thinking in We also wouldn’t have a depth
lightning protection has been sounder because that is con-
going on since ships became nected up through the plotter, a direct current TVSS, or
steel, started carrying engines nor most likely a Raymarine transient voltage surge suppres-
and were electrified. For yachts Cockpit Mk II Wheel Drive sor, for marine or outdoor use Towering
in the days of wooden hulls, autopilot, nor the Halo20+ designed to protect sensitive clouds of the
oil lamps and sextants, even Simrad Radar, which is con- electric and electronic equip- ITCZ.
though a sailboat’s mast would nected into the system, as is the ment from transient voltage.
be the tallest thing around Standard Horizon VHF radio This semiconductor device
on the open sea, a lightning with AIS receiver. In other suppresses lightning-related
strike couldn’t damage sensitive words, one well-placed light- voltage spikes and is widely
equipment. When I cruised on ning strike could destroy all the used in the telecommunica-
Oddly Enough, we had electri- systems. Battery management tions, wind generation and
cal and electronic equipment systems for lithium-ion battery avionics industries.
that needed protection mostly banks like those made by Bat- According to an article by
because it made our lives easier tle Born can also be damaged, James Coté in BoatUS Maga-
and wasn’t crucial to survival. along with electronic control zine from 2016, TVSSs can be
Now on Ora Kali, a Sabre modules that regulate engines thought of as fuses that react
30 coastal cruiser, I’ve made for efficiency and emissions to voltage instead of current.

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WEATHER

They remain an open circuit as long Florida of dense, cold air under warm air,
as the supply voltage feeding the Florida is home to lots of boats; lifting it quite abruptly. Out on the
equipment is in the normal range. it also has hot, humid weather and water, boaters who encounter cold
However, “if a lightning strike causes thunderstorms, the frequency of fronts may experience thunderstorms
a momentary voltage spike and puts, which lends it the distinction of even outside the warmer weather
say 1,000 volts on a 120 volt device, being the lightning capital of the US. regions if the air is moist and unsta-
the TVSS will ‘clamp’ or short circuit While hot, humid summer weather ble enough. Cold fronts can lead to
880 volts and convert it to heat.” is already a recipe for storms, Flor- squall lines of multiple storm cells,
The excessive heat would most likely ida’s geography, a peninsula jutting which extend laterally for hundreds
damage the TVSS, but better to out into warm water, adds to the of miles and persist for hours. On
destroy a $250 surge arrestor than an mix. The land mass heats up much Oddly Enough, we encountered a
Inmarsat broadband terminal that squall line north of the Bahamas
costs thousands of dollars. Bad Wolf, that was deep and wide enough to
a veteran-owned American compa- force us to turn back and wait to
ny, makes TVSS devices. LSP and head north to the U.S. coast until it
Transtector are both Chinese compa- passed.
nies and also make the devices. Like sharks, lightning and
thunder can foster a knee-jerk fear
ITCZ Thunderstorms in humans. Looking back at my
Thunderstorms are not common cruising logs, my writing when thun-
in vast stretches of the oceans, but derstorms were in the area suggests
they do occur frequently in regions foreboding and conveys relief when
popular with coastal and offshore the storms pass. The storm on the
sailors. Sailors in the Caribbean Sea faster than the ocean during the night we left the reef at the edge
and the Pacific and Indian Oceans day, setting up a cycle where cooler, of Tuvalu was followed by days of
encounter the Intertropical Conver- denser air from the ocean pushes squalls with wind and and hard slog-
gence Zone, or ITCZ, near the equa- inland under the less dense, warm ging into high seas. It’s the constant
tor where trade winds of the North- air, which flows out to sea over it. repetition of thunder and lightning
ern and Southern hemispheres come The air movement of the denser air that most sets the scene.
together. It’s a remarkable place, with at the surface is a sea breeze, and on a “Continuous growl of thunder.
towering clouds that reach far higher typical summer day, it moves inland Can’t see lightning. Heading NW to
than anything in temperate zones. from the ocean, which surrounds get away.”
The intense sun and warm water Florida on three sides, colliding in “Went through patch of cells w/
of the equator heat the air, raising its the middle of the state in mid-after- thunder but no visible (here I drew a
humidity and making it buoyant. noon, leading to the creation of often lightning bolt).”
The convergence of winds and air intense thunderstorms. “T-storms all around. Sat foto
masses increases instability and helps shows nothing. Wouldn’t know
the buoyant air rise. The height of Thunderstorms and cold fronts which way we could go.”
the troposphere over the equator can The sea breeze cycle in Florida “Lightning to south, and dark
be 11 to 12 miles, which accounts offers an example of a front, which mass behind.”
for the cloud towers. As the air rises, is defined as a boundary between “Yuck! T-storms.”
it expands and cools, releasing the air masses of different temperatures “Spent last three hours dodging
accumulated moisture in an almost and air densities. Cold fronts are also t-storms.”
perpetual series of thunderstorms. indicators of changes in weather. “For a while we just didn’t know
They move fast and push a tongue where to go.” n

38 OCEAN NAVIGATOR JULY/AUGUST 2024 www.oceannavigator.com

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 WEATHER

Understanding
waves is key to
navigation.

Big Ocean Waves:

When and Where They Occur
STORY BY KEN MCKINLEY
NOAA

A
few years ago, Ocean every three hours or so for is occurring, or is expected to
Voyager featured an deep-water ocean waves. occur, within the fetch area
article about how winds This provides our first that is generating the waves,
generate ocean waves. Recall possibility of identifying where or if the waves have propa-
Even when
that ocean waves in any given and when big waves can occur, gated out of their generation
ocean surf
area and at any given time exist and this is simply to look for area and are no longer being
seems predict-
as a spectrum, meaning there areas of high SWH on wind/ impacted by the local winds.
ably calm, a
are waves with many differ- wave charts and double the While within the fetch area,
freak wave can
ent characteristics present. To analyzed or forecast SWH in the waves will still be growing
mean the loss
quantify the wave spectrum, a given area. This provides the until a “fully developed sea” has
of vessel and
a parameter called “significant master of a vessel with some been reached, providing there
crew.
wave height” (SWH) is used, knowledge of areas to avoid is sufficient time. When the
and all sea state analyses and if the vessel is particularly Beaufort wind force and fetch
forecasts make use of this susceptible to occasional larger length are known, these can
parameter. By definition, there waves. With wave forecasts of be used with tables available in
will always be some waves up to 120 hours available from navigation references, such as
higher than SWH. It is gener- NOAA’s Ocean Prediction Bowditch, which will provide
ally accepted that the highest Center, areas of high SWH can the SWH and period of a fully
waves seen within a wave spec- be identified, and decisions can developed sea along with the
trum will be about twice the be made about routing based duration that is required for
SWH, and these larger waves on the areas of higher SWH. those parameters to be reached.
will show up approximately An important delineation Once SWH has grown to a
once every 1,000 waves under needs to be made regarding fully developed sea, waves will
normal circumstances. This SWH, and that is to determine not grow any larger, provided
works out to be once about whether an area of large SWH the fetch, length and wind

40 www.oceannavigator.com
force do not change. The attainment when swell sets pass over seamounts the scale of these wind/wave charts.
of a fully developed sea requires or other shallow areas like banks. However, they were quite large and
the fetch area to persist in the same If the waves get steep enough, they in fact caused significant damage
location for the duration given in break. along the coast, particularly where
the reference table. Within a fetch Large waves that impacted the wave energy was able to get into
area that features strong winds, the California coast in December 2023 smaller bays and harbors.
sea state is likely to be dominated by can be explained by this phenome- Other situations where waves
waves generated by the wind in the non. Prominent on a surface analysis greater than SWH are more likely to
fetch area, and in most cases the seas chart is a hurricane force low, and occur include areas where more than
will be fairly regular. there is a large fetch area to its south, one swell set is present. When swells
Once waves propagate out of a between about 33N and 40N from from two different fetch areas arrive
fetch area, they will no longer be about 145W west to about 155W. in the same region, the waves will
affected by the local wind and are The corresponding wind/wave anal- interfere with one another, and this
termed “swells.” They will no longer ysis indicates a maximum SWH of can lead to constructive (or addi-
grow, and in fact they will begin to 38 feet in this fetch area. SWH along tive) interference between the wave
subside slowly. However, the periods most of the central California coast sets, leading to a few larger waves,
of the waves will remain constant as at this time is less than 12 feet. By perhaps even greater than twice the
they move through the water, and in 1200 UTC 28 Dec 2023, when the SWH of either swell set. This can
the case of a fetch area with strong hurricane force low became weaker occur when swells from two distant
winds, the waves will remain quite and moved northeast to the eastern storms propagate into the same re-
prominent and will keep moving Gulf of Alaska, another very strong gion. It also occurs within one storm
until they run into shallow water or low has moved into the region with system, particularly around frontal
land. The propagation speed of the its center near 38N/146W. boundaries. Typically, abrupt wind
swell is directly related to the period Six hours later, the SWH was shifts occur around fronts, and this
as long as the waves remain in deep 26 feet along the central California means fetch areas can be adjacent to
water. coast. These waves were generated one another on either side of a front,
When swells move into water less from the fetch area and propagated and the waves from one fetch area
than one half of the wavelength in east to the coast. There were very can propagate out of one fetch and
depth, the character of waves will few isobars in the California coastal directly into another, again leading
begin to change as they “feel the waters at this time, suggesting the to the possibility of waves much
bottom.” This process begins as the winds were relatively light in this area greater than the SWH of either
waves are slowed by friction with the despite the big waves. The 24-hour fetch. Constructive interference can
bottom, but the wave periods will wave period forecast valid at 1200 also occur when a faster moving
remain the same. This means the UTC 28 Dec 2023 clearly showed swell set overtakes slower swells, even
wave lengths become shorter to keep the swells moving toward the west when they are moving in the same
the time between successive crests the coast of the U.S. with very long direction.
same as the waves slow down, and periods (17-19 seconds). This means Another situation where waves
the waves become steeper, leading to these waves were moving fast (more greater than SWH are more likely to
greater SWH. Thus we have iden- than 50 knots) and had very long occur is an areas where wind and/or
tified another situation where big wave lengths (more than 1,500 feet). waves are opposing relatively strong
waves can occur, and that is when a The continental shelf is not very ocean currents. This will result in
large swell set from a distant storm wide along the west coast of North the shortening and steepening of
moves into shallow waters, generally America, so the growth of these the waves. In currents like the Gulf
over a continental shelf or in coastal waves as they move into shallow Stream in the Atlantic and the Agul-
waters. A similar effect can occur water will not be shown very well on has Current east of South Africa, it is

www.oceannavigator.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 OCEAN NAVIGATOR 41

WEATHER

generally accepted wave heights can An online search will yield some As these waves encountered the shal-
be up to 50 percent greater than ex- incredible video of this occurrence. lower water surrounding the atoll, they
pected. When doing this calculation, Examining the charts for this event would have become steeper, though
it is important to remember in areas helps us see what contributed to this they also likely would have broken. It
without strong currents, the extreme event. is also worth noting the winds were
wave is generally twice the SWH, so A surface analysis chart valid at moderately strong from the northeast.
within strong currents, the largest 0000 UTC 20 Jan 2024 for the This would have generated another
waves can be 50 percent greater than tropical Pacific shows a large, strong wave set from that direction, and given
twice the SWH. low-pressure system well to the that the larger swells generated by the
In April 2005, a cruise ship was northeast of the atoll. Its center was big storm a couple of days earlier were
sailing in the Gulf Stream off the more than 1,500 miles away at the coming from the north, these two wave
Carolina coast in an area where time of this chart. This system had sets likely interfered with one another,
SWH was forecast to be 7.5 meters. been present for a couple of days leading to additive effects and the pos-
Twice the SWH would have been leading up to the time of this chart sibility of some very large waves.
15 meters, and another 50 percent and had been tracking generally To summarize, when assessing the
more would have been 22.5 meters, east through the western Pacific. Its possibility for very big waves, consider
or nearly 74 feet. This cruise ship large circulation contained several the following:
encountered a wave of about 70 fetch areas, which generated large 1. S WH present or forecast?
feet in this area, causing significant waves that propagated away from Remember that waves of up to twice
damage to the ship and injuries to the fetch areas. On the west side of SWH will occur at times within the
the passengers. Looking at the chart this system, winds would have been wave spectrum.
and seeing expected SWH of 7.5 coming generally from the north, 2. A re larger swells propagating into
meters (close to 25 feet) might not so the waves generated would have shallower water? This will lead to
suggest a wave greater than 70 feet been moving south. This can be seen higher and steeper waves as the
could occur. But by recalling waves clearly by examining the wave peri- waves slow down.
up to twice the SWH can occur, we od forecast chart valid at the same 3. Is there more than one swell set
see a wave could be up to 50 percent time as the surface analysis. While present? Wave period forecast charts
greater, a “freak wave.” this chart does not extend as far show only the dominant wave
A “freak wave,” or “rogue wave,” south as the Kwajalein Atoll, there is period, which represents the swell
is often heard when large ocean a large area of very long period swells set with the most energy. Look for
waves are discussed, and these shown on the chart moving south other upwind fetch areas in different
waves are defined in the Glossary to the west of the International directions or strong winds that will
of Meteorology, published by the Dateline, heading in the direction of build waves in the local area.
American Meteorological Society, as Kwajalein. 4. Is the area of interest near a strong
an “unexpectedly occurring wave of A wind/wave analysis chart valid ocean current? Expect up to 50
great height (and also steepness).” at 1200 UTC 20 Jan 2024, 12 percent greater wave heights than
A recent report of a rogue wave hours after the surface analysis chart, would normally be found. Pay
occurred at a U.S. military base on shows SWH of around 15 feet in attention to locally strong tidal
Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, in the vicinity of Kwajalein. However, currents for the same reason. Even
the tropical latitudes of the western the waves that impacted the base though these currents are of short
Pacific Ocean. There were several were likely larger than this. There duration, they can still enhance
very large waves that swept over the were likely several contributing wave activity.
low-lying island in January 2024 factors. First, the overall SWH field As always, being vigilant about all
and led to a great deal of damage to was large, and waves of up to twice weather and ocean conditions will
buildings and other infrastructure. the SWH could have been present. make voyaging safer. n

42 OCEAN NAVIGATOR JULY/AUGUST 2024 www.oceannavigator.com

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www.oceannavigator.com JULY/AUGUST 2024 OCEAN NAVIGATOR 43

 NAV PROBLEM

Captain Nat Palmer, discoverer,

designer, sailor BY DAVID BERSON

Iitime world, Nathaniel Palmer, cotton bales more efficient. incorporated

n the 1840s, when New York
City was the hub of the mar-
River. The flat bottoms also
made the stowage of the
efficient hull design. He
the ideas of a
sharp, concave bow being
“Captain Nat” to his contem- Palmer utilized this applica- promoted at that time by J.
poraries, was considered the tion years later when design- W. Griffiths with his idea of
greatest of all mariners in that ing his first ship. a fuller, flat-bottomed hull.
port. This was a time when fel- Next, he went into the These ideas were built into the
low captains included “Bully” tough packet trade, sailing design of the ship Houqua,
Samuels, Robert Waterman from New York to Liverpool, built for A. A. Low & Bros.
and Josiah Cressy. Palmer was making a name for himself and launched in 1844, con-
described at the time as “a man with an excellent passage sidered by historians to be the
of great physical strength and from Liverpool to New prototype of the clipper ship.
endurance … his roughness York in October against the End of Part One.
all on the outside, his heart prevailing winds, called the Let’s join Captain Palmer
was filled with kindness and “uphill run,” in just 15 days. on May 10. We will be using
sympathies for the joys and This was at a time when such the 2024 Nautical Almanac.
sorrows of others.” a passage could take as long His DR position is S 54° 40’
Born in 1799 in Stoning- as six to eight weeks. In 1840 by W 62° 10’. The height of
ton, Connecticut, to a family his career advanced again eye is 15’.
of shipbuilders, Palmer was when he went to work with Captain Nat takes a
still in his teens when, as A. A. Low & Bros., the New lower limb sight of the sun at
captain of Hero, a 47-foot York merchants who had 18:12:40 GMT.
Steven Steinberg

sealing ship, he sailed past already made a fortune in the The Hs of his observation
Cape Horn, searching for China trade. is 12° 18.8’.
more hunting grounds. He In 1843, Palmer took Find the LHA.
David Berson was the first American to sight command of Paul Jones for Find Ho.
takes a sun the Antarctic peninsula, and the Low brothers, sailing Find the intercept.
sight on the now the Palmer Archipelago is from Boston to Hong Kong, Plot and find EP. n
wing deck of named after him. arriving in a very respectable
Relentless. By the 1830s, Palmer was 111 days. On this passage,
Answers
running a schooner, hauling the ship carried the first cargo W 62° 12’.
cotton bales between New of ice to China. 4. D. EP is S 54° 45’ by
Orleans and New York. These The passage home was toward.
schooners were designed with very slow, and Captain Nat, 3. Intercept is 14.7 nm
long, flat bottoms, making it frustrated, carved a block of 2. Ho is 12° 26.7’.
easier to cross the sandbar at wood into what he thought 1. LHA is 32°.
the mouth of the Mississippi would be a much more

44 OCEAN NAVIGATOR JULY/AUGUST 2024 www.oceannavigator.com

10" 13" 16" 22" 24"

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