Cape Ann circumnavigation

[AdriftAtSea]

Hey Guys—

Going out for the next three days as crew aboard a C&C 38.  We're going up from Boston harbor circumnavigate Cape Ann, in northeastern Massachusetts.  Cape Ann is Massachusetts' other cape, and contains famous harbors including Gloucester and Rockport.

I'm planning on taking my pocket digital camera, and should have some nice photos of the trip up on the website after I get back.

Talk to you later. :D

DK

[Pixie Dust]

Have a great trip!!  Looking forward to seeing some picts of the adventure.  Enjoy the adventure.    8)

[AdriftAtSea]

Hey Guys-

I just got back.  Brief summary of the trip below... I'll write up a longer story, with more details on my website this weekend.

We left the marina on Wednesday evening, after getting the boat ready and getting some practice in on the boat. We were on a club boat, not mine, so getting used to all the systems was pretty important.  Went out of Boston harbor and up to Great Misery Island, and anchored there for the night. 

The next day, we rounded Cape Ann, and anchored in a small cove to have lunch.   After lunch, we headed over to Rockport, and were instructed to tie up alongside Motif #1, the most photographed and painted building in the United States (see photo).  Dinner was Hilltop New York Strip Steaks, with a salad, rice and some other goodies.  Walked along Bearskin Neck to get some ice cream for dessert.  Slept on deck and woke to a very beautiful dawn and sunrise.

Next morning, got up and made breakfast while enroute to the Annisquam river entrance, on the north side of Cape Ann.  Went through the two bridges, and exited into Gloucester Harbor, over by the Fisherman statute.   Headed out of the harbor and headed back to Boston. 

:D

[Zen]

Welcome back Dan. Glad you had a good trip. I'll read up on th estory.
I just got back myself.

[Captain Smollett]

Cool trip and great trip.  I'll look forward to reading the longer version.

[AdriftAtSea]

I've posted the long version of the story with a few photos.  You can see it at http://blog.dankim.com/

Let me know what you think. :D

[Captain Smollett]

Couple of comments/questions:

(1) When I was reading the story, the image of Motif #1 only showed a hyperlink; there was no image.

(2) When you said you reviewed navigation needed for the trip, what techniques were used?  Was it all pretty much visible pilotage? Pilotage aided by GPS?  I'm curious when navigational techniques that school was emphasizing.

Interesting trip, and sounds fun.  How was it being shipmates with folks you essentially did not know for three days?

[AdriftAtSea]

CS-

I've since fixed the hyperlink problem. :D  Should be a bit more careful with search and replace in the future. ;)

We were using primarily traditional navigation techniques, including dead reckoning, setting up ranges, taking a fixes using a compass.  Most of it was visible pilotage, even the night sailing.  GPS use was not covered, and no chartplotters were used, relying on traditional navigation equipment—paper/plastic charts, parallel rules, dividers, fathometer, and knotmeter.

The people on the trip were great...and we all had a blast... Tom, Mike and Cheryl are looking to start cruising full-time at some point.  Dren is looking to live aboard, and cruise for a while.

[Captain Smollett]

Re: navigation covered, and no GPS.

Very Cool.   :)

[AdriftAtSea]

I actually prefer traditional navigation methods...and as such, am teaching myself celestial navigation...with a Celestaire Astra IIIb Sextant.

We had beautiful weather...the only way the weather could have been better is if we had had a day with rain and fog... some navigation skills can't really be tested unless in fog and rain.   Night sailing is a pretty good substitute though.

Slept on deck on Thursday night, the stars were stunning above Rockport Harbor.

[Norm]

Hello All:
In the interests of full disclosure:  I am the skipper of the sloop Melissa about which Dan writes.  And... he's a fine shipmate.

The question was asked about navigation techniques used.

The basic navigation skill is observation by sight and sound.  One of the beautiful things about the waters surrounding Cape Ann is the variety of navigational challenges no matter the conditions.  Some of the prettiest anchorages are unbuoyed.  We enter them in all conditions by observinging at the waves and listening for the sound of shore.  Other places are a riot of buoys.  It takes careful observation to select the pertinent ones, ignoring the others.  (Are those "impertinent" buoys?)

To add to the question about what type of navigation did we do.  We used lots of different tools... after we observed the surrounding sea.

[AdriftAtSea]

The basic navigation skill is observation by sight and sound.  One of the beautiful things about the waters surrounding Cape Ann is the variety of navigational challenges no matter the conditions.  Some of the prettiest anchorages are unbuoyed.  We enter them in all conditions by observinging at the waves and listening for the sound of shore.  Other places are a riot of buoys.  It takes careful observation to select the pertinent ones, ignoring the others.  (Are those "impertinent" buoys?)

Welcome Norm,  Glad you found the site.  Did you read the longer writeup I had on my blog??  How was your trip?

What Norm doesn't mention is that not only are they unbuoyed, but have some interesting shoals or sand bars to avoid too. 

Yes, the Mark I eyeball was the primary navigation tool, and one I prefer.  The one thing I had wished I had brought on the trip was my hand-bearing compass. :D

BTW, I think those may be "impotent" buoys, being of little or no help to the navigation challenge at hand.

Here's a link to the longer writeup on my blog.  LINK

[Captain Smollett]

Thanks, Norm, and welcome to the site.

The skills you are covering in your class are, imo, the 'basics' we should all be learning/mastering.  The reason I asked that question was it SEEMS to me that too often, many sailors/boaters run with a GPS while watching the little dot on a computer screen.  At least that is what I gather from reading a lot of posts on other boards.

To give you but one example, I know a boater in the Gulf Coast, who travels 20+ miles offshore, that does not even carry paper charts on board.  He uses that boat in the crowded shipping waters around the Missssippi Sound.

I was just curious about how a Professional instruction group did it.  Thank-you for not taking the 'easy way' and for not succumbing to an ultra-reliance on modern electronics to do what the skipper is responsible for doing himself (keeping the vessel safe).

Regards,

John

[AdriftAtSea]

Captain Smollett—

I was asked why I only use the GPS as a backup to the Mark I eyeball and paper charts. My response is:

The electronic icon of the boat is an estimate of the location of the boat, based on electronics, that may or may not be working properly, on a representation of the world that is the cartographer's interpretation of someone else's measurements of the real world at some previous point in time.   It can not and should not be thought of as an accurate position of the boat, but can be considered a good estimate. GPS can be off by several hundred feet at times, and the charts being interpreted and displayed are often far less accurate than that.

Besides, GPS equipment and batteries are in a very hostile environment, when on a boat, and subject to failure.  The Mark I eyeball works fairly reliably, and if it isn't working properly, I've got more serious problems to worry about.  The magnetic compass, and binoculars are fairly reliable aids to the Mark I eyeball. 

[Captain Smollett]

Preaching to the choir, My Man.  I don't own a GPS.   :)

But, I think I'll be getting one soon.  That doesn't mean I have to use it.   ;D 

(I kid, I'll use it when it is the seamanlike thing to use).

[CapnK]

Good writeup, Dan, and Welcome to sailFar, Norm. :)