@@Grimberian72 If its just the length from a breakaway wrist strap to the water it should be safe its only got to be strong enough to allow a slip from the hand to recover it or being nocked over the side whilst underway. Velcro or qd plastic wrist strap like on an outboard kill. Most cruisers will run line cutters on their props to clear kelp and ghost fishing gear anyway.
@@NicklegHi Nick. I’m just wondering why you sub, since all you seem to do is sh^tpost in the comments? I’m also wondering how much bluewater sailing, or indeed coastal cruising, you’ve got under your belt and how much experience you have over a range of multiple vessel types? Or are you just one of those pointless idle idiots who thinks that trolls are cool? Over to you….
Quick tip!: @5:55 furl your headsail before heading to wind to reef the main and you will greatly prolong the life of your Doyle GPL Lightskin headsail. It will sound less scary too. Keep up the great content and glad you are figuring out the anchoring!
I noticed that too. Couldn't the headsail be sheeted in hard, then point up to about 40 degrees apparent and reef the mainsail with the headsail still giving some forward drive and also causing the main to luff?
@@pageadventures Yes, spot on. You could sail close hauled and ease the mainsheet to luff only the main but keep the foresail filled. We did that often on Archer.
An inexpensive way to get the footage when stuff gets crazy is to get a 4 or 8 channel security system with a terabyte or 2 hard drive. They are only a couple hundred bucks, have HD or 4K cameras. With good camera placement you never miss the crazy stuff and you have far improved security on your boat. Might help you figure out some of the little things that bug you too. Just a thought...lol (You can install the cameras with silicone instead of screws.)
I enjoy your channel a lot and I´ve been following you for quite a while. About the anchor/bridle problem: the bridle actually is ment to be clicked into the chain after the chain is tensioned hard. It´s built much weaker than the chain for that reason.
Around 7 minutes, while likely there may have been some editing and possibly some confusion with what was meant, what I heard was that the windward boat is stand-on vessel. This is quite incorrect. The windward boat must give way to the leeward vessel.
Enjoyed this video. I know these are delayed and you’ve already worked out a solution. In case you haven’t, ditch that expensive and heavy Mantus chain hook and go with a Dynema soft shackle. They actually hold onto the chain, are light (less finger smashing possibilities) and easy to make or cheap to buy. I used to buy them but now that I’ve learned to make them, I never have to worry about being without a shackle. I also use. A soft shackle to connect my jib to the sheet. 😎👍
What I’ve found works best to set your anchor is to either let the wind blow the boat away until the anchor chain comes tight or to back down gently on it to achieve the same thing, BUT before it actually comes tight, go out of reverse into neutral so that it’s just the momentum of the boat pulling on the chain. This will be more gentle on the chain and anchor and allow it to dig in easier. Repeat the process several times to ease the anchor in well and only then apply constant pressure in reverse, first at little more than idle, whilst watching your transit and then with increasing revs until you’re at at least half or two thirds throttle. It’s very rare that it’ll move again, especially if you’ve got 5:1 scope out and once it’s well set and you’re in a confined anchorage with boats everywhere you could even come back to 3:1 if you like. Oh and yeah, the marriage saver headsets totally work. Real game changers
There was a boat in our cruising group did that, so in 5 metres of water you need a minimum of 100 metres between boats. Just enough for 3 charter catamarans to fit in. Then you find yourself with around 20 metres between boats if you are lucky. They are of course over your chain. My approach. If Jimmy Cornell and Tom Cunliffe say, do it this way. That's what I do. Usually works well. However RTFM, because Rocnas come with specific instructions. I don't carry 200 metres of chain for the times I turn up at the only anchorage and can only get into 20 metres.
Teresa was right about overtaking boat being the give-way boat. The windward boat would be the give-way boat otherwise. Glad your figuring things out and you're looking much happier this episode. Our simple chain hook on the end of the bridal never failed us in 2 years living on the hook. Fair winds. -SV Roundabout
@@richardwyman5975 overtaking gives way first. Once they've passed, then they become leeward boat and only then does the windward boat need to give way. It is all in the collision regulations.
Thank you for the info… I do know that actually , but that didn’t stop an ignorant leeward overtaking yacht swearing at me to get out of the F..king way 🤔
Hello, watching this episode I noticed your anchor chain which looks small to me for the size of your boat. I have a similar size Cat with much larger chain - 3/8”. This could contribute to you anchor dragging issues.
Lovely, well done gang! Looks like you're a step closer to cracking the anchoring conundrum. Love the way the chain and anchor doesn't appear to drag over the deck bringing a load of mud with when you weigh, excellent 👍🤗🤗.
Reefing downwind is a technique you need to develop - turning into the wind to reef is dangerous and potentially very risky. On our cat we can reef with any wind angle - if it's forward of 60* AWA then we'll do a standard ease mainsheet reef (and always make sure your topping lift is engaged so the boom doesn't hit the cabin top/bimini!), but if it's wider than 60* apparent then we use a different technique that keeps the mainsail off the rig. It's a bit of a mouthful to explain so let me know if you want me to describe it for you.
You're getting there with your anchor, super! One suggestion would be to engage the chain stopper (or whatever way you can secure your chain independent of the windlass and the bridle - we use a short strop and hook for that), let off enough chain to take the load off the windlass, and then set your anchor. That way, if the anchor doesn't set, you don't have to mess around with your bridles. Once your anchor is set then attach your bridles to the chain and let out more chain so that you've got a good lazy loop.
Nice to see a more relaxed cruise and happy to hear you may have solved your anchoring issues. 🤞. Might have to rethink that boat hook situation, it’s been “jumping overboard” a few times already.
I am seeing so much more confidence from you both. Even when something goes wrong like dragging . After it's over you are no longer in panic state. It's so nice that you are enjoying your new home.
Previous video I recommended headsets and a spare boat hook. Same recommendation on the headsets but make that two spare boat hooks. Lovely video. Happy to see you back cruising.
Fresh bread? I'd recommend the little Japanese bread machine, Zojirushi BB-HAC10. You can set a timer and wake up to warm bread. It kneads, rises, bakes. You can also use it for cookie dough, pasta dough, etc.
I feel like the unlocked clutch for the main sheet is one of those few highly contentious things. I keep it open, as well. But I have heard some be very passionate about keeping it locked. How many times to go around a cleat for a cleat hitch, or the safety loop around the winch, or leaving the winch handle on the winch are other great topics to make polarize a group of sailors :D
When its really gusty or your racing its the one way a powerful single mast rig can take a cat into dodgy territory. Funjin got flipped like that ... now they have the line hand held.. when going for it. The Broadblue R550 cats use an automated French designed mast system that monitors the forces constantly and can be set to de power the rig the instant the forces reach the set limits. ..but its still a decade ahead of most modern boats for cruising or solo sailing.
I never NEVER leave the mainsheet fast in the rope clutch. I always have it in the top of the self tailer where it can be released quickly & easily under load
No question for me, unless it’s set fair for hours, there’s no other traffic and without the possibility of a squall, or an acceleration zone if near to land. If any of those conditions are in play the mainsheet never gets made off on a cleat or clutched, just left on a self tailer, ready to dump if necessary.
If a sail sheet is through a clutch and onto a self-tailing winch, then we always leave the clutch open and never leave the winch handle in the winch and leave the absolute minimum of wraps on the winch (only two wraps for our main sheet). On a cat particularly, being able to release the sheet(s) in a hurry is absolutely essential. In gusty conditions we will also lead the tail of the sheet that is locked in a self-tailing winch back around the winch the wrong way. This way you can just grab the tail and pull - it automatically pulls out of the self-tailer and releases.
Just an observation, not advice because I’m not a catamaran sailor. But on my monohull at 25tonnes I never set with a bridal and use less scope to set then lay more chain/rod end set the bridal once dug in. I have a friend in his 59 ft cat do the same and asked him if he uses the bridal to set the anchor. He, as yet say no as it’s the weaker point in the link and designed to stretch. I have no idea if it wld make a difference on RR2 but maybe worth a try. Drop at 3 or 4 to 1, back up and set. Lay the remaining scope and the bridal. Away good luck and hope you don’t have an AA meeting on the horizon. (Anchor Anxiety)👍🏻
Hello from Sydney. Thailand looks amazing. I agree the best part of the day is when your sails are up and you turn the motors off. My happy place. 😁 Someone mentioned the redundancy on cats, two hulls etc. We have two boat hooks. One under the targa and one near the bow. Very handy when picking up a mooring. Keep up the great work.
Hopefully the new anchoring method works and stays put where you put it. I haven't been to too many overseas locations, but I do recall that some of the best bakeries were found in remote locations. For example, the hands-down best-tasting French pastry I have ever experienced, so far, was found in a little French bakery on the West End of Roatan Island, Honduras.
Ahhh you two are awesome. Happy to see you've solved the anchor issue. We live in Thailand and looking forward to following in your footsteps sailing throughout those islands. Especially in smokey season. Enjoy! 🎉🎉
I have always bedding the anchor in on a short length of chain the dump the rest overboard after that. If you don’t want to drive back on your winch just tie off on a short hook until the boat is set. Take bearings and then put the bridle on. I’m thinking you’re just moving the anchor but all the effort is going into the length of chain and the bridle stretch. Love the videos and the amazing scenery
As much as I liked and learned from your exploring boat options and the building of the new boat, I really do enjoy seeing actual sailing. Wind, water, sun, relaxing and thinking and exploring. Thank you! :-)
We’ve had amazing luck with the Suncor Anchor hook. We even had to drop it in an emergency when we had to manually let out more chain and it was there after the storm when we pulled the anchor up. 10/10 recommend it.
So nice to see you guys sailing again. I loved your review series and your boat build series, but being able to escape with you while you’re sailing is a true pleasure!
Yep, dig it in hard! We reverse with up to 3/4 or more revs. The boat will go back then stop (as long as the anchor is dug in) and no matter how many revs you put on, she ain't going nowhere. That means you can sleep even if the winds get up to the 30s. Your only problem is having to drive over the Excel in order to get it out-- I won't have a boat that does not have an Excel. Phil
We swore we would stop watching when you abandoned that lovely Southerly for a living room straddling 2 canoes, but here we are enjoying your channel as much as ever!!
I hope you solved the anchor problem. Part of me is thinking you're just in a better substrate in your current location. So iI wish you well with that. Lovely area to visit and explore. Fair 💨's and Following 🌊's.
Until you figure out the boat hook diving over the stern, at least you will always have clean, but slty undies....Thank for the calming video on my Monday mornings...has been really needed for the last few months!!
Love your updates! No doubt will spark lots of views on this.... Effective anchoring is a nightmare. Just some tips from me, although I've not got the liveaboard experience. 1) - you seen to park a long way out. Now that may be from a wide angle lens or from a security perspective. As a result, you're in relatively deep water which requires a lot more chain to come out. 2) - Have you thought, if it works with your 8mm anchor chain, a heavier section at the start. The reason is it will add strength and more importantly, weight. This may not work well with your windless though and needs investigating. That way it will spring itself at the start to the bottom and keep you steady. 3) Pulling back is always worthwhile and should be done every time to dig in. Keep doing that. 4) One issue you could have been facing is wind shift. Without a serious dig into the anchor, any major wind shift is likely to start a drag. 5) Bridle - critical, but it doesn't hurt to put some more slack out after you've set it. I see your bridle, when pulled goes tight on the chain, That limits the use of the bridle, but more importantly you could add a few extra KG by dropping some extra chain in... not too much to catch on anything though. 6) When in a lovely spot and its less than 5 m with visibility to the bottom... take a swim out there. Worth putting your mind at rest that its properly in and you'll sleep a lot better. You can also check on any waste tackle or undulations on the bottom. Hopefully taken positively. Thats just how I do it, but everyone finds what works for them and the boat in mind!
still tho. keep an eye on the anchor as a good anchor setup will bed itself in. A high maintenance anchor is like running 800HP on E85 out of a stock 300 HP motor in a hill climb race. it`s not if it will cause trouble but WHEN.
I’m not sure if that’s what you did but you can’t use a part of the boat for taking a transit. You need two independent navigation marks, like headlands, rocks, buoys etc. Just in case you were using the boat!
A tip... GPS waypoints are really accurate. When pulling the anchor to dig it in, as the boat reaches its maximum in reverse (i.e. chain is tight) drop a gps waypoint right behind the transom of the boat on your nav system (maz zoom in). Now you have 100% peace of mind... that nagging question, "did the anchor drag at all?"... just look at the nav screen and see if the transom shows it has shifted behind the waypoint. You can catch a 3 ft frag and be way ahead of any anchor alarm. In choppy conditions, squalls, or at night, it is amazing peace of mind.
Having listened to your dragging the hook problems we have come up with some possible reasons. Did your anchor come recommended on the weight of the boat? If it did then one has to remember a catamaran has very little displacement compared to windage. You need a bigger hook. Secondly to bed in we run at least 2000rpm in astern going to 3000 if strong winds are forecast. At 3000rpm if you are not moving you can be fairly confident you are not going anywhere fast. We anchor in the Morecame Bay area with a tidal range of up to 10 metres so we had some experience in this . We went from a 15Kg to a 25Kg just to have more piece of mind a delta. Hope this helps.
Would be good to dive on the anchor to see if it's dug in. I noticed you had so many comments from other sailors recommending a big Rocnor anchor & upsizing the chain. Next time you drag anchor in the night think about these comments.
Nice work guys well done on the anchor 🎉Was curious to know if you ever dive on the anchor once it’s dug in to get a visual to see what it’s sitting in?
We sold our sailing boat when we bought us a house in Thailand. Seeing your lovely videos from sailing around all these well (and to us less well) known spots really makes me doubt our decision. Perhaps we should get us a boat in Thailand... Thanks for your stories.
I ment my now husband on koh rong in Cambodia 7 years ago this was before any motorbikes on the island and very bad Internet. I have heard a lot has changed. The parts are not great, but 4k beach is beautiful with a lovely bar called the nest. Love your chanal thank you
I reckon grabbing a pair of Bluetooth headset comms for those moments where distance and wind kills sound and hearing ( ie anchoring) would save a fair bit of angst :) keep on sailing...
Re your anchoring problems. I have a SW 1250 with an Excel anchor. It is a great reliable anchor but you must be extremely careful not to drop the chain on top of the anchor. That invariable causes it to foul. and drag. You seem to stop then drop. You MUST have some reverse way on before you drop to avoid fouling. As you noted the Excel seems to need lots of scope, especially with the 8 mm chain. Love your channel. Ron
Also I keep the reverse way on (0.5 knot) until the anchor abruptly stops the boat. Then I put the bridal on. This sets the anchor more firmly that just powering in reverse. I’d guess the abrupt stop is equivalent to 40 knot winds.
Love watching you guys getting the hang of your beautiful new floating home, congratulations!!! I guess you had enough smack about your boat hook ;-), hahaha Just wondering about your anchor bridle. I think many others are hooking it past the roller, even though being a lot more awkward, at least the bow roller is not taking it off or damaging the retainer...
Can you replace the boat hook hooks with something akin to cup hooks? So a hook with a lid on it that is spring loaded. Obviously, it would have to be bigger than a cup hook, but something that is spring-loaded and will hold it in better. Also, can you add something like a wrist strap that will velcro around one end of the boat hook and is anchored to the coach roof it only needs to be like 6 inches long, so that if it falls down it will just dangle there. Another option is to move it from where it is hanging and apply some clips or velcro straps to the vertical area where you can just put it up. Just some creative ideas, I don't know what you access to there, but I am sure you could get some velcro and some nylon strapping to make something then it is just a matter of attaching it to the boat. Obviously, you need a different system to hold the boat hook.
Really enjoyed this one. Thanks! I've often thought it must be tricky to film when everything's full on and, in my ignorance, wondered why strategically-placed CCTV cameras don't seem to be used (generally speaking). Great to see the kill cord (again, not generally used aboard YT dinghies). Thanks again!
I’m guessing you’ve considered using a soft shackle to attach your bridle but if not I highly recommend giving it a shot. We had all kinds of issues with multiple bridle attachments coming off when wind shifted. A few friends suggested soft shackles - it seemed too easy &we were afraid it wouldn’t hold. Finally we gave it a shot 2 years ago & haven’t had an issue since. We have a Leopard 46 & anchor a lot! PS - thanks for your inspiration - you were the first sailing channel we viewed 4 years ago right before we bought the boat. Best, Renee & Dan S/V Numa
Yep. That’s what we’re doing now. The strap is absolutely useless. Another 1370 owner is using a soft shackle too. And thank you! So glad you’re living the dream!
I can confirm your boat-hook has been swimming more in the last few weeks than I have in several years.
one of the things I love about a catamaran is the redundancy of two hulls, two engines etc. Maybe 2 boat hooks????
Maybe a lanyard...🤔😉
risk of entanglement especially if the wind or tide changes
Maybe 2 sailors ...
@@Grimberian72
If its just the length from a breakaway wrist strap to the water it should be safe its only got to be strong enough to allow a slip from the hand to recover it or being nocked over the side whilst underway.
Velcro or qd plastic wrist strap like on an outboard kill.
Most cruisers will run line cutters on their props to clear kelp and ghost fishing gear anyway.
@@NicklegHi Nick.
I’m just wondering why you sub, since all you seem to do is sh^tpost in the comments?
I’m also wondering how much bluewater sailing, or indeed coastal cruising, you’ve got under your belt and how much experience you have over a range of multiple vessel types?
Or are you just one of those pointless idle idiots who thinks that trolls are cool?
Over to you….
Quick tip!: @5:55 furl your headsail before heading to wind to reef the main and you will greatly prolong the life of your Doyle GPL Lightskin headsail. It will sound less scary too. Keep up the great content and glad you are figuring out the anchoring!
I noticed that too. Couldn't the headsail be sheeted in hard, then point up to about 40 degrees apparent and reef the mainsail with the headsail still giving some forward drive and also causing the main to luff?
@@pageadventures Yes, spot on. You could sail close hauled and ease the mainsheet to luff only the main but keep the foresail filled. We did that often on Archer.
or better still, don’t come upwind at all to reef your main. We don’t in a 47 footer and haven’t for years.
Good job, you both are visibly more relaxed and starting to enjoy life again after a tumultuous time with the new boat in the rear view mirror
An inexpensive way to get the footage when stuff gets crazy is to get a 4 or 8 channel security system with a terabyte or 2 hard drive.
They are only a couple hundred bucks, have HD or 4K cameras. With good camera placement you never miss the crazy stuff and you have far improved security on your boat.
Might help you figure out some of the little things that bug you too.
Just a thought...lol
(You can install the cameras with silicone instead of screws.)
I was also thinking 4k dash cams
That’s actually a great idea. We’re trying to set the boat up to be more ‘camera friendly’ so hopefully can get footage more easily
@@sailingrubyrose It works great for me @NancysBareFootBackYard
Nothing more pleasing than finding a bakery and fresh bread.
So happy to see a sailing channel just sailing & enjoying life.
Thank you!
I like how you casually remark 12 knots. that's much faster than Ruby Rose 1 would have sailed yet you are comfy and not beating the waves!
I enjoy your channel a lot and I´ve been following you for quite a while. About the anchor/bridle problem: the bridle actually is ment to be clicked into the chain after the chain is tensioned hard. It´s built much weaker than the chain for that reason.
Around 7 minutes, while likely there may have been some editing and possibly some confusion with what was meant, what I heard was that the windward boat is stand-on vessel. This is quite incorrect. The windward boat must give way to the leeward vessel.
Enjoyed this video.
I know these are delayed and you’ve already worked out a solution. In case you haven’t, ditch that expensive and heavy Mantus chain hook and go with a Dynema soft shackle. They actually hold onto the chain, are light (less finger smashing possibilities) and easy to make or cheap to buy. I used to buy them but now that I’ve learned to make them, I never have to worry about being without a shackle.
I also use. A soft shackle to connect my jib to the sheet. 😎👍
Yep, lots of suggestions for using soft shackles, absolutely something we’re going to try.
Time for a new location for the boat hook
What I’ve found works best to set your anchor is to either let the wind blow the boat away until the anchor chain comes tight or to back down gently on it to achieve the same thing, BUT before it actually comes tight, go out of reverse into neutral so that it’s just the momentum of the boat pulling on the chain. This will be more gentle on the chain and anchor and allow it to dig in easier. Repeat the process several times to ease the anchor in well and only then apply constant pressure in reverse, first at little more than idle, whilst watching your transit and then with increasing revs until you’re at at least half or two thirds throttle. It’s very rare that it’ll move again, especially if you’ve got 5:1 scope out and once it’s well set and you’re in a confined anchorage with boats everywhere you could even come back to 3:1 if you like.
Oh and yeah, the marriage saver headsets totally work. Real game changers
Well done on getting the anchor sorted out ❤
When I anchor, pay out usually 10:1, then back down at 2000rpm.
There was a boat in our cruising group did that, so in 5 metres of water you need a minimum of 100 metres between boats. Just enough for 3 charter catamarans to fit in. Then you find yourself with around 20 metres between boats if you are lucky. They are of course over your chain. My approach. If Jimmy Cornell and Tom Cunliffe say, do it this way. That's what I do. Usually works well. However RTFM, because Rocnas come with specific instructions. I don't carry 200 metres of chain for the times I turn up at the only anchorage and can only get into 20 metres.
Teresa was right about overtaking boat being the give-way boat. The windward boat would be the give-way boat otherwise. Glad your figuring things out and you're looking much happier this episode. Our simple chain hook on the end of the bridal never failed us in 2 years living on the hook. Fair winds. -SV Roundabout
Yeah but what happens if your the windward yacht and being overtaken by the leeward yacht, who givesway then?
I know ……get a faster yacht 😂
@@richardwyman5975 overtaking gives way first. Once they've passed, then they become leeward boat and only then does the windward boat need to give way. It is all in the collision regulations.
Thank you for the info… I do know that actually , but that didn’t stop an ignorant leeward overtaking yacht swearing at me to get out of the F..king way 🤔
Happy to see confidence is rising as you find your way..... keep it up!
Hello, watching this episode I noticed your anchor chain which looks small to me for the size of your boat. I have a similar size Cat with much larger chain - 3/8”. This could contribute to you anchor dragging issues.
WOW..... those sails look amazing fully out!! WOW!!
Lovely, well done gang! Looks like you're a step closer to cracking the anchoring conundrum. Love the way the chain and anchor doesn't appear to drag over the deck bringing a load of mud with when you weigh, excellent 👍🤗🤗.
It's great seeing both of you relaxed after the stress of anchoring
Reefing downwind is a technique you need to develop - turning into the wind to reef is dangerous and potentially very risky. On our cat we can reef with any wind angle - if it's forward of 60* AWA then we'll do a standard ease mainsheet reef (and always make sure your topping lift is engaged so the boom doesn't hit the cabin top/bimini!), but if it's wider than 60* apparent then we use a different technique that keeps the mainsail off the rig. It's a bit of a mouthful to explain so let me know if you want me to describe it for you.
So happy you’ve resolved the anchor issue! That had to have been incredibly stressful!
Love that you three are finally becoming comfortable. Cheers!
You're getting there with your anchor, super! One suggestion would be to engage the chain stopper (or whatever way you can secure your chain independent of the windlass and the bridle - we use a short strop and hook for that), let off enough chain to take the load off the windlass, and then set your anchor. That way, if the anchor doesn't set, you don't have to mess around with your bridles. Once your anchor is set then attach your bridles to the chain and let out more chain so that you've got a good lazy loop.
Love the sailing shots. Those sails are pretty damn cool. 😊
I love seeing you happy on your beautiful new boat. Highest Blessings
Thank you. See you next week. 🎉
Nice to see a more relaxed cruise and happy to hear you may have solved your anchoring issues. 🤞. Might have to rethink that boat hook situation, it’s been “jumping overboard” a few times already.
❤❤❤ love your honesty & real life vids❤❤❤
I am seeing so much more confidence from you both. Even when something goes wrong like dragging . After it's over you are no longer in panic state. It's so nice that you are enjoying your new home.
Previous video I recommended headsets and a spare boat hook. Same recommendation on the headsets but make that two spare boat hooks. Lovely video. Happy to see you back cruising.
get the revolve boat hook for a backup. It's rollable and packs up real nice.
Ok!!! - the boathook thing is getting ridiculous 🤣 find a way to fix it to the hull.
Fresh bread?
I'd recommend the little Japanese bread machine, Zojirushi BB-HAC10.
You can set a timer and wake up to warm bread. It kneads, rises, bakes. You can also use it for cookie dough, pasta dough, etc.
I feel like the unlocked clutch for the main sheet is one of those few highly contentious things. I keep it open, as well. But I have heard some be very passionate about keeping it locked.
How many times to go around a cleat for a cleat hitch, or the safety loop around the winch, or leaving the winch handle on the winch are other great topics to make polarize a group of sailors :D
When its really gusty or your racing its the one way a powerful single mast rig can take a cat into dodgy territory. Funjin got flipped like that ... now they have the line hand held.. when going for it. The Broadblue R550 cats use an automated French designed mast system that monitors the forces constantly and can be set to de power the rig the instant the forces reach the set limits. ..but its still a decade ahead of most modern boats for cruising or solo sailing.
I never NEVER leave the mainsheet fast in the rope clutch. I always have it in the top of the self tailer where it can be released quickly & easily under load
No question for me, unless it’s set fair for hours, there’s no other traffic and without the possibility of a squall, or an acceleration zone if near to land.
If any of those conditions are in play the mainsheet never gets made off on a cleat or clutched, just left on a self tailer, ready to dump if necessary.
If a sail sheet is through a clutch and onto a self-tailing winch, then we always leave the clutch open and never leave the winch handle in the winch and leave the absolute minimum of wraps on the winch (only two wraps for our main sheet). On a cat particularly, being able to release the sheet(s) in a hurry is absolutely essential. In gusty conditions we will also lead the tail of the sheet that is locked in a self-tailing winch back around the winch the wrong way. This way you can just grab the tail and pull - it automatically pulls out of the self-tailer and releases.
Just an observation, not advice because I’m not a catamaran sailor. But on my monohull at 25tonnes I never set with a bridal and use less scope to set then lay more chain/rod end set the bridal once dug in.
I have a friend in his 59 ft cat do the same and asked him if he uses the bridal to set the anchor. He, as yet say no as it’s the weaker point in the link and designed to stretch.
I have no idea if it wld make a difference on RR2 but maybe worth a try. Drop at 3 or 4 to 1, back up and set. Lay the remaining scope and the bridal.
Away good luck and hope you don’t have an AA meeting on the horizon. (Anchor Anxiety)👍🏻
Glad to see that the three of you are settling in. And thanks for bringing us along on the adventures.
I’m relieved you solved the anchor problem!! Hoping this allows you all to key down after your harrowing experience!
So good to see you guys sailing your beautiful new boat and exploring!!
Being Dead Kennedys fans just catapulted you to my favorite sailing channel!
You all make my Mondays a joy! Glad things are looking up on the anchor front. Hope you continue to enjoy the new craft! Cheers!
Thank you so much 😊
Hello from Sydney. Thailand looks amazing. I agree the best part of the day is when your sails are up and you turn the motors off. My happy place. 😁
Someone mentioned the redundancy on cats, two hulls etc. We have two boat hooks. One under the targa and one near the bow. Very handy when picking up a mooring. Keep up the great work.
Hopefully the new anchoring method works and stays put where you put it. I haven't been to too many overseas locations, but I do recall that some of the best bakeries were found in remote locations. For example, the hands-down best-tasting French pastry I have ever experienced, so far, was found in a little French bakery on the West End of Roatan Island, Honduras.
Ahhh you two are awesome. Happy to see you've solved the anchor issue. We live in Thailand and looking forward to following in your footsteps sailing throughout those islands. Especially in smokey season. Enjoy! 🎉🎉
Great to you both having fun like previous tripping around. Thanks for sharing with us.
Great video. Thank You for taking us along on another awesome adventure. 😊
Nice to see happy faces again!
I have always bedding the anchor in on a short length of chain the dump the rest overboard after that. If you don’t want to drive back on your winch just tie off on a short hook until the boat is set. Take bearings and then put the bridle on.
I’m thinking you’re just moving the anchor but all the effort is going into the length of chain and the bridle stretch. Love the videos and the amazing scenery
As much as I liked and learned from your exploring boat options and the building of the new boat, I really do enjoy seeing actual sailing. Wind, water, sun, relaxing and thinking and exploring. Thank you! :-)
Watching you acclimate more and more to your new boat is pretty cool to watch guys. Take care.
Finally you guys get to relax a bit.
We’ve had amazing luck with the Suncor Anchor hook. We even had to drop it in an emergency when we had to manually let out more chain and it was there after the storm when we pulled the anchor up. 10/10 recommend it.
So nice to see you guys sailing again. I loved your review series and your boat build series, but being able to escape with you while you’re sailing is a true pleasure!
Yep, dig it in hard! We reverse with up to 3/4 or more revs. The boat will go back then stop (as long as the anchor is dug in) and no matter how many revs you put on, she ain't going nowhere. That means you can sleep even if the winds get up to the 30s. Your only problem is having to drive over the Excel in order to get it out-- I won't have a boat that does not have an Excel. Phil
Loving watching your videos!
Thankyou 👍
We swore we would stop watching when you abandoned that lovely Southerly for a living room straddling 2 canoes, but here we are enjoying your channel as much as ever!!
I hope you solved the anchor problem. Part of me is thinking you're just in a better substrate in your current location. So iI wish you well with that. Lovely area to visit and explore. Fair 💨's and Following 🌊's.
You seem have to got this sailing thing down pat! So glad you have finally got things sorted so you can start enjoying yourselves.
Until you figure out the boat hook diving over the stern, at least you will always have clean, but slty undies....Thank for the calming video on my Monday mornings...has been really needed for the last few months!!
Love your updates! No doubt will spark lots of views on this....
Effective anchoring is a nightmare. Just some tips from me, although I've not got the liveaboard experience.
1) - you seen to park a long way out. Now that may be from a wide angle lens or from a security perspective. As a result, you're in relatively deep water which requires a lot more chain to come out.
2) - Have you thought, if it works with your 8mm anchor chain, a heavier section at the start. The reason is it will add strength and more importantly, weight. This may not work well with your windless though and needs investigating. That way it will spring itself at the start to the bottom and keep you steady.
3) Pulling back is always worthwhile and should be done every time to dig in. Keep doing that.
4) One issue you could have been facing is wind shift. Without a serious dig into the anchor, any major wind shift is likely to start a drag.
5) Bridle - critical, but it doesn't hurt to put some more slack out after you've set it. I see your bridle, when pulled goes tight on the chain, That limits the use of the bridle, but more importantly you could add a few extra KG by dropping some extra chain in... not too much to catch on anything though.
6) When in a lovely spot and its less than 5 m with visibility to the bottom... take a swim out there. Worth putting your mind at rest that its properly in and you'll sleep a lot better. You can also check on any waste tackle or undulations on the bottom.
Hopefully taken positively. Thats just how I do it, but everyone finds what works for them and the boat in mind!
still tho. keep an eye on the anchor as a good anchor setup will bed itself in. A high maintenance anchor is like running 800HP on E85 out of a stock 300 HP motor in a hill climb race. it`s not if it will cause trouble but WHEN.
I’m not sure if that’s what you did but you can’t use a part of the boat for taking a transit. You need two independent navigation marks, like headlands, rocks, buoys etc. Just in case you were using the boat!
A tip... GPS waypoints are really accurate. When pulling the anchor to dig it in, as the boat reaches its maximum in reverse (i.e. chain is tight) drop a gps waypoint right behind the transom of the boat on your nav system (maz zoom in). Now you have 100% peace of mind... that nagging question, "did the anchor drag at all?"... just look at the nav screen and see if the transom shows it has shifted behind the waypoint. You can catch a 3 ft frag and be way ahead of any anchor alarm. In choppy conditions, squalls, or at night, it is amazing peace of mind.
Having listened to your dragging the hook problems we have come up with some possible reasons. Did your anchor come recommended on the weight of the boat? If it did then one has to remember a catamaran has very little displacement compared to windage. You need a bigger hook. Secondly to bed in we run at least 2000rpm in astern going to 3000 if strong winds are forecast. At 3000rpm if you are not moving you can be fairly confident you are not going anywhere fast. We anchor in the Morecame Bay area with a tidal range of up to 10 metres so we had some experience in this . We went from a 15Kg to a 25Kg just to have more piece of mind a delta. Hope this helps.
Sweet times
Fantastic episode - really enjoyed it - thanks!!👍
Another great day on your new boat. Congrats!
Sounds like it's time to find a better way to secure that boat hook.....maybe a light retention line on a carbiner.
Cheers!
Good to see you both more relaxed, certainly time to enjoy :)
Would be good to dive on the anchor to see if it's dug in. I noticed you had so many comments from other sailors recommending a big Rocnor anchor & upsizing the chain. Next time you drag anchor in the night think about these comments.
Keeping it upbeat…..less angst & drama….all good.👍
Well it’s a lot nicer for us too lol
Good stuff
Best thumbnail pic I have seen for years.
Thanks for a really cool episode. I enjoyed it a lot.
Thanks again 😊
That looked amazing,great video
Awesome that the anchor thing is sorting out. The bridal chain claw I'm not sold on.
Nice work guys well done on the anchor 🎉Was curious to know if you ever dive on the anchor once it’s dug in to get a visual to see what it’s sitting in?
When you guy's were walking down that dirt road next to the beach it reminded me of bimini
Good cruise speed
Loved seing the local sites.
We sold our sailing boat when we bought us a house in Thailand. Seeing your lovely videos from sailing around all these well (and to us less well) known spots really makes me doubt our decision. Perhaps we should get us a boat in Thailand...
Thanks for your stories.
Time to take a deep breath and sail on, great channel!
Fun video guys
Are you using the big buyes that are scattered around for protecting the reefd and ground?
On Koh Chang if you ever go back there is in fact a bakery. Its called the crust. Best to get there in the morning
I ment my now husband on koh rong in Cambodia 7 years ago this was before any motorbikes on the island and very bad Internet. I have heard a lot has changed. The parts are not great, but 4k beach is beautiful with a lovely bar called the nest. Love your chanal thank you
Enjoyed, thanks for sharing. 👍
I reckon grabbing a pair of Bluetooth headset comms for those moments where distance and wind kills sound and hearing ( ie anchoring) would save a fair bit of angst :) keep on sailing...
Re your anchoring problems. I have a SW 1250 with an Excel anchor. It is a great reliable anchor but you must be extremely careful not to drop the chain on top of the anchor. That invariable causes it to foul. and drag. You seem to stop then drop. You MUST have some reverse way on before you drop to avoid fouling. As you noted the Excel seems to need lots of scope, especially with the 8 mm chain. Love your channel. Ron
Also I keep the reverse way on (0.5 knot) until the anchor abruptly stops the boat. Then I put the bridal on. This sets the anchor more firmly that just powering in reverse. I’d guess the abrupt stop is equivalent to 40 knot winds.
i wonder did you guys check the calibration of the windalss counter ? it may be putting out less than you think
Yeah we haven’t actually checked that but we were told it was double checked for us. Something for us to consider doing ourselves
Love watching you guys getting the hang of your beautiful new floating home, congratulations!!!
I guess you had enough smack about your boat hook ;-), hahaha
Just wondering about your anchor bridle. I think many others are hooking it past the roller, even though being a lot more awkward, at least the bow roller is not taking it off or damaging the retainer...
so fun to watch your channel
Awesome
Can you replace the boat hook hooks with something akin to cup hooks? So a hook with a lid on it that is spring loaded. Obviously, it would have to be bigger than a cup hook, but something that is spring-loaded and will hold it in better. Also, can you add something like a wrist strap that will velcro around one end of the boat hook and is anchored to the coach roof it only needs to be like 6 inches long, so that if it falls down it will just dangle there. Another option is to move it from where it is hanging and apply some clips or velcro straps to the vertical area where you can just put it up. Just some creative ideas, I don't know what you access to there, but I am sure you could get some velcro and some nylon strapping to make something then it is just a matter of attaching it to the boat. Obviously, you need a different system to hold the boat hook.
Scootering around a place without easily finding a bakery and provisions? Oh my darling! How utterly beneath us isn't it?😂
Really enjoyed this one. Thanks! I've often thought it must be tricky to film when everything's full on and, in my ignorance, wondered why strategically-placed CCTV cameras don't seem to be used (generally speaking). Great to see the kill cord (again, not generally used aboard YT dinghies). Thanks again!
I’m guessing you’ve considered using a soft shackle to attach your bridle but if not I highly recommend giving it a shot. We had all kinds of issues with multiple bridle attachments coming off when wind shifted. A few friends suggested soft shackles - it seemed too easy &we were afraid it wouldn’t hold. Finally we gave it a shot 2 years ago & haven’t had an issue since. We have a Leopard 46 & anchor a lot! PS - thanks for your inspiration - you were the first sailing channel we viewed 4 years ago right before we bought the boat. Best, Renee & Dan S/V Numa
Yep. That’s what we’re doing now. The strap is absolutely useless. Another 1370 owner is using a soft shackle too. And thank you! So glad you’re living the dream!
I am appreciating the different locales, from a part of the world I am unlikely to ever visit. Thank you.