DaySailer.org Forum

ChrisB wrote:It's a touchy subject for some but a tip I picked up in a "field first aid" class said to keep a maxi pad in your first aid kit. Paired with duct tape, the tape helps close the wound and the pad will help stop the bleeding.

Hmmm - interesting! Will have to make that "addition" ... ;-P

In addition to a first aid kit, I carry "Vet Wrap" which is a bandage material that sticks to itself. I carry a couple rolls. I first ran into this when I had horses for bandaging purposes. Eventually they started making the same stuff for people. The only difference between the bandage material for people and the "vet" type is that the vet type cost about a third of what the people variety costs. I get Vet Wrap at Tractor Supply for about $2.50 a roll that is 4" wide. If you have a designer flair, it comes in different colors. My crew on the Tx200 last year did not break in their new shoes ahead of time and got bad blisters. They used the vet wrap to wrap on their feet and it kept the injury from getting worse and new blisters from forming.

In addition to all the other spare parts, I also carry my old set of stays and spare spreaders. When I replced my original 3/32" stays with 1/8" ones from D&R, I kept the old set as spares. I also carry a spare set of spreaders. I broke a spreader on the 2012 Tx200, apparently a bird strike while trailering the boat to the coast. Having a spare to put in place was a real help. I haven't needed to use the spare stays, but I carry them just the same. There are very few repair facilities along the route of the Tx200 and the few there are can be a few miles off course for most of the trip. On the Tx200, the small Puddle Ducks (8' long) carry an amazing array of spare parts, they have even rebuilt masts enroute.

Concerning the fiberglass repair that GL mentioned. On the 2013 Tx200, a catamarn pole pitched on the second day and came limping into camp about 9pm with a 2 foot long gash in one of their hulls. They had duct tape over the damage when they came in and were going to attempt a further repair during the night with their duct tape and some epoxy. One of the other boats brought epoxy over to them, and a 10' long boat brought them strips of carbon fiber. In a few hours the catamaran had a repaired hull that they sailed 3 more days with covering about 140 miles. Cruising with a group has advantages.

I also carry spare rudder parts. The Tx200 is rough on rudders. I usually carry a spare tiller since in past events I've seen several tiller repairs. Last year I broke mine, glad to have the spare. As we were replacing my tiller (temp patch of the original while underway, enough to get to camp), another boat beached next to us to start a good repair on their tiller to replace the temp repair during the sail that day.

I also carry sail repair kit, tape with needle and thread.

John

Hmm........extra rope, screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, multitool, misc hardware, blocks, cleats, turnbuckles, gudgeons, pintles, extra spreaders, extra standing rigging, tape, knife, hacksaw, hose clamps, cable ties, epoxy, drill, spare rudder/tiller, oars, prop, carburetor rebuild kit, starter rope, bailers, sail repair, first aid kits, food, water, cooking kit, sleeping bag, thermorest pad, tent (boom or shore), anchors, extra gas, fenders, cushions.....

To quote Chief Martin Brody in the movie "Jaws",

"You're gonna need a bigger boat!"

I'm always amazed by my list of stuff to pack, but somehow it fits and there is still some room.

John

Something like the Texas 200 would make for the kind of cruising that requires the most in-depth preparation; it's essentially a one-way event, with very limited options for early termination, so anything you can bring to help you complete it, no matter what happens, is going to be disproportionately important.

Cruising in company can make a big difference, as well. For example, from the report of the latest Tx 200, there were these Puddle Duck Racers, 8-foot plywood contraptions that had been built for the event. Their rudders proved not strong enough for the purpose and at one point, two of them only made it to the next camp by virtue of lashing three of these boats together and using the rudder on the middle one....

I don't even want to think of what a packing list for the Alaska 750 would look like...

Just a note on the rudders of the Puddle Duck Racers (Ducks). It is not that their rudder systems weren't strong enough, it is rather someone forgot part of the assembly. Many of the Ducks were built in Texas for use by sailors coming from other parts of the country for the cancer fundraiser the Ducks were doing. Five of the boats that were made by the same person were sent to the coast with temporary screws holding in place the gudgeons for the rudder. The temporary screws were suppose to be replaced before the start of the event since final assembly of parts made by someone else had to be done at the coast. These temporary screws ripped loose about an hour into the event on all five Ducks. We started sailing in close to thirty knot winds. All the Ducks stopped at the opening to the land cut and made repairs from the supply of parts that the different boats carried. With rudder gudgeons bolted in place, the rudders worked for the rest of the trip. Besides the broken rudders, the Duckers rebuilt a mast that broke during a capsize of one of the boats (with a good rudder). The Duckers are an interesting slow sailing amazing repair group. It is sometime amazing what they will repair on other boats.

Josh Colvin, editor of Small Craft Advisor wrote an article about this since his Duck was one of the first to loose a rudder. Andy Linn on the Blog page of Small Craft Advisor http://smallcraftadvisor.com/our-blog/?p=4208 wrote an article about the Ducks as well called "Embrace the Suck".

Important lessons, sail a boat you are familiar with, inspect parts before starting out, and carry plenty of spare parts when going on a camp cruise where you may be away from civilization. It is also good to know what your boat will do in a capsize. Knowing how to right your boat and re-board is a good thing to be tested in controlled situation. Securing equipment and supplies is also wise for long trips.

John

This maybe old, but I think it should be read by all new sailor.
It is very informative and life saving.
I will need to take notes of all of these and build my own packing list.
Thanks for all of you.

Thanks for unearthing that. It predates the "cruising" section on our forum. Perhaps time to move it there?

Rudders fail had been mention multiple time in different places.
May I ask what kind of problem it is?
How to prevent them?
My Falcon 16 came with a aluminum rudder.

When you cruise for extended periods and get bad winds/waves, sometimes the rudder isn't up to that and quits. Where and how it quits will depend on its weak spot. This is where you first get to sail your boat and look over the back sometime to see whether your rudder shows signs of bending/flexing etc. And if necessary, re-build it after you know what you have.

Thanks GreenLack.
Got it.