Flicka 'round the world' trip planned

[CapnK]

Simple, old tech would do the trick.

Mount a small cleat (horn or jam) where the barrel bolt body was. Attach a piece of small but strong line to the other part that you want to have locked to it.

Then use the cleat the 'lock' the hatch 'shut' when you want.

There's no way I can think of that wave action would cause *that* to fasten itself... :)

[Captain Smollett]

Heather is safely back in port and has updated the log page of her web site ( http://www.solo-sailor.com/ShipLog.htm ). She writes well. As many of us speculated there is more to the story than we knew, and I'm sure there are yet more details that it would be interesting to have.

All in all, and in my own opinion only, I think she did rather well particularly in light of her experience level.

I believe she will be far better prepared, mentally, spiritually and physically, the next time out.  I also like, as we discussed recently in another thread, that she is NOT afraid to continue learning.  On the one hand, I am sorry she had a rough experience so soon into her voyage (or at all), but on the other, it is nice to see she has turned this into a positive.

[AdriftAtSea]

She does write well, and I believe that this was probably a good thing in the long run of her circumnavigation.  IMHO, it was better to get locked out here, and come back to deal with it than it would have been to be locked out in the middle of her Pacific crossing, and have to make a passage of several thousand miles with a damaged dropboard and hatch. 

She does need to change/modify the locking mechanism to the sliding hatch.  Having it lock unintentionally is a huge hazard to her. 

I hope that the delays of repairing her boat don't have adverse consequences on the rest of her voyage.  She should probably wait until she can get another satellite phone card, since she's back home at the moment.  Not having the ability to use the phone to get weather reports is unwise.

[skylark]

Wow, why do people think they have to jump out into open waters and do big crossings right away?  Is this some kind of macho thing?

It takes a long time to work out the bugs of any sailboat.  For that matter each season the boat goes back into the water, everything goes through tests and checklists before we even get out of sight of the harbor.  And usually there are at least a few daysails near harbor before even thinking about sailing to the next harbor.  Maybe I'm just a chicken.

I'm all for starting an epic voyaging adventure by hopping from harbor to harbor on nice days, or even just daysailing for a week or two to make sure everything is working.  You have to get used to the boat, make minor improvements, catch problems, get used to living on board, etc.

[Auspicious]

I still haven't installed a lock on the inside of my companionway slide, and I'm staring at the thing considering the emotional impact of being locked out. Whatever I decide to do (probably still a barrel bolt) standard procedure on Auspicious is now to unlock all the deck hatches (Lewmar Ocean hatches can be opened from the outside as well as the inside as long as the little lock tabs are flipped to open) before going sailing.

Perhaps a wire tie or rubber band on the barrel bolt to hold it in the "open" position would be cheap insurance as well?

!!! I had an epiphany -- right here, reading Captain Smollett's words!

On my boat, there isn't a good way to mount a barrel bolt including the receiver hood (what ever you call the "target" part of the barrel bolt). The easy answer is to just drill a hole, as has been done over and over. When drilling the hole with a standard twist drill, the bottom of the hole will be v-shaped. I can run a stainless steel wood screw into the hole and bottom it out (okay, I'm anal - I'll predrill). Unless I need to lock myself in, I'll keep the screws backed out so that the face of the screw is flush with the face of the wood and the bolt can't *possibly* slide into the hole unless I run the screw back in to the bottom of the hole!

I'm psyched. This seems to be the answer for me.

Grog to Captain Smollett.

It takes a long time to work out the bugs of any sailboat.

Heather took a number of daysails and a couple of short hops. Sooner or later you have to go. Then you learn a LOT. I did.

[Frank]

Sumio took over Sam L Morris years ago building the Bristol Channel Cutter.( sadly stopped in 07) Before taking over, he had spent several years and MANY sea miles sailing his own.One of the 1st things he changed once involved in production was the latch on the aft cockpit locker.It swung downward  to axcept a pad lock.After being trapped inside that locker for many hours while doing a repair and the hatch accidentaly closing...he made all new latchs swing upward so they would fall open with ease if not locked. This is a very simple item...but you need to have a minor misshap to think of it. After reading Heathers very well written report, I must say I respect her honesty and candor in sharing her experience.Anyone whom has ever been alone and ill offshore knows how totally 'draining' it is....as well as feeling extremely vulnerable.Even simple/minor tasks seem too much at times.I'm happy she is re-grouping and finishing off her 'to-do list'. Wish her well.

[Marc]

So has anyone heard when Heather will depart again, this is so exciting for my 11 yr old daughter and I.  We even have a world map on the wall in her room to plot her course.

[Captain Smollett]

So has anyone heard when Heather will depart again, this is so exciting for my 11 yr old daughter and I.  We even have a world map on the wall in her room to plot her course.

Not to steal from Heather's thunder at all, but you and your daughter might like to check out Donna Lange's Circumnavigation completed last year.  Her trip was in some ways polar opposite - much less fanfare.  Her site has log entries (under Log Archives) of the entire journey.

[Auspicious]

So has anyone heard when Heather will depart again, this is so exciting for my 11 yr old daughter and I.  We even have a world map on the wall in her room to plot her course.

"When she is ready." <grin> I think 'soon' is a good answer. She just wants to fix all the broken bits. Watch her web site for updates. I'll pass along what I hear from Heather and her Dad.

sail fast, dave

[Lost Lake]

Sumio took over Sam L Morris years ago building the Bristol Channel Cutter. One of the 1st things he changed once involved in production was the latch on the aft cockpit locker.It swung downward  to axcept a pad lock.After being trapped inside that locker for many hours while doing a repair and the hatch accidentaly closing...he made all new latchs swing upward so they would fall open with ease if not locked.

HEY!! I never knew why in the world the hasps on my CP19 swung upward, but that makes sense now!

And I don't think I even have a lock on the companionway hatch. Well, from the inside I mean. I should put one on there if I'm planning to sleep on her on Lake Superior....

[AdriftAtSea]

When she and Flight is ready is a good answer... I don't that she should rush back out, even though I think the publicity of her venture does create some pressure for her to do so.

I'd second Donna Lange's website.  Her story is an inspiring one, and the boat she did it in isn't much bigger than that some here on Sailfar.net have.  She was in a Southern Cross 28. 

As for locks... I would always recommend that they be installed so that they can't be accidentally locked if at all possible.  Out at sea, there are no locksmiths, and if you have to damage a locker lid or hatch, you may not have the materials to repair it immediately available.  That's one reason I chose to put a deadbolt on a drop board for my sliding hatch.

[CapnK]

Anyone heard anything? There are no recent updates on her ships log as of last night, which is what- 10 days or so since her return? Hope she hasn't run into some type of very big, long-term/expensive problem...

[Captain Smollett]

Her site did say she something to the effect of she was going to 'back off' a little bit, by which I mean she was going to slow down.  She's realized the folly of sailing to a landbased schedule and also that she has a lot to learn.  So, an extended silence while she makes repairs and regroups her mind does not seem too terribly out of the way.

I think I posted this either here or on another forum, but I was gladdened to see that she has turned what some might label a 'negative' into a positive.  I don't think she will give up her 'dream' but will learn from the experience and forge on a better sailor and stronger person.  My hat is off to her for that.

I emailed her about a typo on her last update (wherein she stated Force 7 winds were 60 kts, when she meant 60 km/hr) and she very promptly replied and fixed the typo.  I was amazed she responded as quickly as she did, and again, struck me as having a very positive attitude.  That was the day of or day after the last update, however, so no new news since.

[Auspicious]

Heather has decided not to go, and to sell Flight of Years. See her log (page down to the bottom): http://www dot solo-sailor dot com/ShipLog dot htm .

[Captain Smollett]

Well, now, that IS sad news - in a way.  From reading her words, I think it fair to repeat that again she is turning what will seem to many like a negative to a positive.

[AdriftAtSea]

Ouch... I do hope that at some point in the future Heather doesn't look back on this time in her life and regret not going though. 

[Zen]

That is sad. I  did not see the part about selling her boat...if she does somebody will have a sweet float. Wish it was me!

[AdriftAtSea]

I don't see that it does say that she's selling the boat... but raiding the sailing kitty to go traveling strikes me as a bit off, unless she's willing to refund her sponsors what they've invested in her and Flight of Years. 

If I were a sponsor, and helping fund someone's circumnavigation attempt... and they decided to bail on the attempt, I'd likely want my funding back...

[CharlieJ]

At the bottom she asks for addresses so she can return money.

[Captain Smollett]

I don't see that it does say that she's selling the boat... but raiding the sailing kitty to go traveling strikes me as a bit off, unless she's willing to refund her sponsors what they've invested in her and Flight of Years. 

If I were a sponsor, and helping fund someone's circumnavigation attempt... and they decided to bail on the attempt, I'd likely want my funding back...

According to her web page, she IS refunding ALL donations.

In reference to selling the boat, she made the comment "unload the boat."