Course While Crossing an Ocean

Everyone tells me that I need a proper diesel engine to cross an ocean safely. Somehow having a motor makes it “safe” and not having a motor (or having an electric motor) makes it “un-safe”. Perplexed, I asked what is unsafe about sailing across an ocean and how would a motor fix these safety concerns.

According to this person (who I wonder if they have ever done any plotting work at all), the safety concern comes from “getting lost".

Apparently, when you are sailing across an ocean, you have to sail in a straight line. If the winds are not permitting this direction, you need to lower your sails and motor into the wind, always maintaining this very exact course. If you falter from the course, you will get lost at sea and DIE!

All I can imagine is that this person has no charts and is merely following a specific compass heading. If he gets off course, he is lost and would then die alone at sea! The truth is, charts are a mandatory item to carry on the boat, along with all the necessary equipment needed to plot your position at sea.

While electronic charts are convenient, you still need to carry paper charts with you so that you can navigate even if all Hell breaks loose! Imagine getting struck by lightening, frying all your electronics, then a wave splashes into the boat and all your remaining electronic gizmos get soaking wet with saltwater and perish. If this is all you have for navigation, then you will soon fall into the guys narrative about why you need a diesel. If you have paper charts, then you will be able to navigate mostly accurately after you dry out the papers that got wet with that same wave. The ink might run and smudge, but you can still generally see where you are and where you are going!

Now, why is it Not un-safe to sail across an ocean without a proper diesel motor? Because course is kind of a joke on long passages. Imagine that you are sailing from the United States to Europe. What heading would you need to sail? 64*, 77*, 90*?

The correct answer is: “No one cares!”

Europe is East from the United States, so when you leave port, you will sail as far from land as you can, then head East. If the winds take you a bit North, then you will sail North East for a while. If the winds blow you a bit South, then you will sail South East for a while. Eventually, you will cross the Atlantic Ocean by sailing East with the winds you have as they are presented to you.

Let me explain with some actual numbers. Lets say you are leaving from either Charleston, SC or Southern Florida. These two points are 350 nautical miles apart, yet if you leave from either of them heading for Lisbon (and assuming there is no land in the way) your course will not be very different.

Leaving from Southern Florida, the direct line course is 79* and 3644 nautical miles long.

Leaving from Charleston, SC, the direct line course is 84* and 3474 nautical miles long.

What does this mean? This means that if you start sailing from either point, you will sail really far for a really long time with a variation in heading of only 5*.

Five degrees of heading variation from a two starting points that are 350 miles apart. That is quite the difference in starting places and yet the heading is almost the same. Now, in the world of the guy who is frightened to not have a motor where you only have access to charts when on shore, you know where you are when you are on land because you can just ask someone where you are. Imagine if you are out at sea and don’t have anyone to ask? Well, you can vary your position by 350 nautical miles and still generally sail in the same direction without any ill effects on your heading.

This became very apparent to me when we were sailing out in the ocean and spent a full day heading North to avoid a storm at sea. After we sailed past the storm, a full 100 nautical miles off course, our new heading was identical to our old heading. Nothing had changed because we are so far away from our end destination.

Imagine the course as a triangle instead of a single line. The base of the triangle is the line between where you start and where you want to reach. The height of the triangle is how much you venture off course. The hypotenuse is simply connecting where you are to where you want to go. If you have a long enough triangle, the height of the triangle becomes inconsequential as the triangle will merely look like a straight line and not a triangle. If you get significantly off course and the height gets significantly higher, then the triangle will still have a very acute angle which would be the variance you now need to correct for.

In our earlier example, when you are about 3000 nautical miles away, a 350 nautical mile height makes a small acute angle of only 5 degrees at the end destination.

The moral of the story is, sail around weather and don’t worry too hard about your course. Once you get closer to your destination, then you can start plotting your position more closely and actually caring about your heading. As long as you are far away from your destination, all you need to do is sail in a general cardinal direction towards your destination.

Having a sextant and a clock will grant you the ability to plot your position on the high seas and from that you can plot your position and calculate your desired heading as you approach your destination. Every day at noon, I would simply plot our position on the chart and if an adjustment to our course was needed, it could be carried out. The distances were great and stress was low on this passage. We simply sailed to the winds we had as each day came upon us. If you see our course, it varied quite greatly from the straight line course as we made our way across the ocean. At no point did we feel “lost” or “un-safe” while sailing across the ocean.

Transatlantic: Azores to Portugal: Day 14 [Day 62]

June 26, 2019, and we are coming closer to land!

As we approach the North West point of the Iberian Peninsula, we face a Southerly wind which could blow us into the Bay of Biscay. Thankfully we are far enough out that we don’t have to worry much about course and still generally be sailing in the right direction towards our destination. We simply sailed on a beam reach on port tack as we made our way through the calmer seas.

The smoother ride was a huge relief for us being how we had had many days of heavy winds leading up to this point. The calm weather meant that we could relax, cook, and rest up as we prepared to soon be making landfall.

Transatlantic: Azores to Portugal: Day 13 [Day 61]

June 25, 2019, and we are still out in the middle of the Ocean!

Winds blowing off the Biscay Bay are giving us beautiful sailing conditions on our approach to the tip of the Iberian Peninsula. If you notice, we made a concerted effort to avoid entering the Biscay Bay thanks to its notoriety. Stories of square waves and punishing winds gave us good reason to steer clear of the Bay and stay safely away out in the North Atlantic Ocean. Our plan was simple, approach from the North but well clear of any land.

The first land we would encounter would be distant shores of the West Coast of Spain on our way down to Portugal. At this point, we would be broad reaching down current towards our destination in Portugal, arriving with the wind and current for record speed days!

Transatlantic: Azores to Portugal: Day 12 [Day 60]

The winds died, or at least died in the right direction.

We are getting close to Portugal, and the winds shifted to be on our nose (if we were heading East). For part of the day, we sailed North with the wind comfortably ahead of the beam (which translates into: barely past the beam). We can sail to windward, as long as our angle to the wind is somewhere between 70*-80* off the wind. I know this is equivalent to the wind angles that square riggers could sail upwind, but on our boat, we sail rather quickly and comfortably at this wind angle, be it almost a beam reach though!

Our speed holds just as well as if we were beam reaching, but the moment the wind comes further forward of the beam, everything stops! Our speed can be 7-8 knots on a beam reach, and if we try to turn up into the wind, our speed will quickly drop to 3-4 knots. Heading into the wind, the apparent wind on the sails is greater and should therefore generate more drive, but the boat does not want to go and everything comes to a grinding halt!

So, with this experience, we first set sail on starboard tack heading North, then we tacked onto port tack and began heading South. We were not really trying to get anywhere because there was no point. Sailing at these wind angles out in the ocean is the equivalent to parking your car and taking a coffee break. Wisdom was simply holding her position out in the ocean and waiting for the winds to change. Eventually they would and we wanted to be relatively in the same place; not too far North or South, and without drifting West in this East wind.

Now, if you are thinking that a full keeled cutter is dangerous because it can’t sail off a lee shore. Stop right there. 70* off the wind is sailing to windward and can sail off a lee shore. We have many times sailed to windward out of a harbor and that would entail sailing off a lee shore. We can sail much closer to the wind, going as high as 40* to the wind, and when you factor in Velocity Made Good (VMG) it ends up being about the same. Slow but upwind is a shorter route at a slower speed compared to Fast but less upwind with a longer route sailed more quickly. It all depends on which sails we are flying and how fast we want to go.

If we are leaving an anchorage and the winds are nice, we will set our jib and be pulled to windward with considerable speed. Suddenly, we can sail to windward as well as a sloop (being how they also have their only headsail tacked at the stem). If the conditions are pitiful, we are not about to set a full jib way up front at the tip of the bow. Instead, we reef down and fly the staysail and reefed mainsail or trysail. All of these sails move the Center of Effort (CE) closer to the middle of the boat and that also means that we are not being pulled along fiercely by the large jib at the front of the boat. Instead we are more like a well balanced cork floating through the water, staying steadily above the waves.

If we really needed the drive to windward, we could always set our jib with a reef in it like we have done in the past when we were in the Bahamas sailing to windward from one island to the next. It was rough, but it was effective. Pounding into waves at 6 knots made for a very smashing and wet ride, but it also got us to windward. Out in the ocean, we do not have the desire to be beat up like we were then, so we do not set the jib and merely float around as we wait for more advantageous wind in the middle of the ocean.

9 Things to Consider Before You Get Started with Bowfishing

Bowfishing is an exciting sport as it’s enthusiasts will tell you how rewarding and exciting it is to spend the summer bowfishing. As you observe how passionate your bowhunter friends are about this sport, you might think to consider giving it a shot yourself. If you’re worried that you won’t get the hang of it easily, don’t fear. It is not really rocket science. All you are going to need is a good bowfishing kit, a boat, and a good spot for hunting. 

If you are getting ready for your very first bowhunting trip, or want to compete in a bowfishing tournament, here are a few tips to take into consideration:

Tune your bow

Tuning your bow is important if you want to avoid missing the fish and if you want your aim to be true. You have several options like paper tuning, although it might be an unpleasant experience at first, it will prove useful at enhancing your aim. You can also do water tuning. Instead of using paper, you can aim at a leaf or anything floating on the water. If you arrow splashes or doesn’t go in a straight line, you can adjust the rest. If the problem persists, consider that the quality of the arrows you’re using is what may be causing the error. In this case, you’ll have to acquire better ones. This practice will bring you one step closer to perfecting bowfishing. 

Polarized glasses

If you have already been bowfishing, then you already know that having a pair of polarized glasses is essential. When the sunlight is very distracting or even blinding, these glasses will help reflect a great part of sun rays to help you see better. Make sure you acquire a good pair to avoid missed opportunities. Polarized glasses vary in their quality so pay attention as you buy them. They should also have straps to prevent them from falling into the water.

Reels

If you’re a beginner, then it is okay to use line spools or an inexpensive reel, but as you start getting better at catching fish, you will need to up your game and buy some top-shelf reels. Heavy catches will require a strong, durable reel that can hold heavyweights. They need to be strong enough to not break as you reel in your fish. You’ll definitely be able to learn more if you do some research online as well. There are really helpful tutorials and guidelines available. If you want some advice on how to reel in your catch successfully, Archery Edge offers comprehensive guides for beginners on the correct ways for reeling and everything bowfishing related. It’s important to get the angling for the reeling right, and also to be well informed on what the best spots are.

Lights

Since most bowfishing tournaments take place at night, competitors need to install several lights in order to see shallow fish. You can find different types of fishing lights, including halogen lights, LED lights, and High-Pressure Sodium lights. Consider installing one of these to improve your bowfishing experience.

Two-barbed and three-barbed tips

If you don’t want your catch to slip away, a three-barbed tip will make sure it’s secured and the fish won’t be able to work itself free. Two-barbed tips, on the other hand, will have a looser grip and can easily slip from the body of the target, especially if your bowfishing in deep waters. However, this is unlikely to occur if you’re bowfishing in shallow water. So, the best option here is to use three-barbed tips in deep water for their durable hold and two-barbed tips in shallow water since there won’t be much resistance.

Scouting

If you’re going to go bowfishing regularly, you will have to find new bowfishing areas for different types of fish. Don’t hesitate to consult the internet on the nearest spot for bowfishing or the best riverbank side location to catch a certain type of fish. Explore the maps of your area and even check your location on the DNR website where there is a list of bodies of water around you with the different types of fish you can find. You can also explore the environment around you to find out different local species and which waters they prefer to inhabit. This way, you will know where to go fishing for certain species.

GPS

If you don’t already have one by now, you should go to the nearest store and buy one! A GPS will help you come back to your favorite spots and determine where your favorite species of fish lurk. In addition to being a great aid in area scouting, a GPS will help you explore untapped waters where the number of fish is large. It will also help you if you’re a competitor in a tournament.

Practice shooting submerged targets

Practicing in the comfort of your backyard with paper is great, but as you start shooting targets under water, you will find the situation is quite different in the ‘battlefield’. As we all know, light refracts in water; thus, submerged objects appear shallower than they seem. Your first missed shot of a submerged object is likely to have taught you that. This relays how important it is to train your hands to shoot for a deeper target than the water actually shows you, with your muscle memory, you will be able to master shooting submerged fish in no time. 

Coves and creeks 

It is nice to always have the boat to go back to when bowfishing, but why don’t you try bowfishing someplace else? Explore the area around you and discover coves and creeks that cannot be accessed by boat. You are likely to find these places rich with different types of fish and you will find yourself going back for that designated place for more catch. The same goes for bank fishing. If you go bowfishing primarily from riverbanks, then you are missing out on a lot. You also don’t have to have an expensive boat, you can go bowfishing on a canoe, kayak, or rowboat.

Many people will find this sport to be agreeable and satisfying because even beginners can have multiple successes their first time around. Just pick the right gear and scout for the best body of water near you and start bowfishing because every arrow you shoot will help you in perfecting your aim at fish and getting a bigger catch.