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| Selections from "Sail Away" | ||
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Part 3 - Outfitting
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| Deck Layout The deck of any boat must be a safe place for the crew to efficiently manage the operation of the craft. On a sailboat, that generally means sail handling and no matter how cleverly the boat is set up, sailors still need to be on deck to deal with the sails. Given that venturing up to the foredeck is much more dangerous than staying in the cockpit or below, then the best way for a crew to safely and efficiently operate the boat is to: 1. Perform most operations from the cockpit. 2. Maximize the safety factor when crew must go forward. On Two-Step we have led most lines back to the cockpit. We can set, reef and furl the headsail, and even reef the mainsail all without leaving the cockpit. The ability to reef both the main and the jib has been a great feature. It means that whoever is on watch can tuck in a reef without having to disturb the off-watch crew. We have agreed that neither of us will go forward in bad weather unless the other is on deck, and never without a safety harness. Setting and gibing the downwind pole, dealing with a spinnaker, and changing headsails, are jobs that must be done on deck, but by reducing the number of trips forward, we feel we have a safer boat. 
A roller-furling headsail will be simple to handle from the cockpit but what about the mainsail? Two-Step has a conventional slab reefed main, and normally these require that an eye at the tack be put over a hook near the boom gooseneck fitting. Instead, we have a line tied into that eye so that both the clew and the tack can be pulled down remotely. Both these lines could be led aft but there is a tricky arrangement in our Isomat™ boom that means only one line need be led aft -- pull it and both corners of the sail are pulled down tight. When the trip forward cannot be put off, you will be grateful you have done everything possible to make it a safe trip. In fact, it is not just during a storm or at night that a safe efficient deck layout is important. Coming alongside a dock, setting an anchor and just living on a boat all require a seaworthy, safe platform. An unobstructed walkway is important. Too much gear tied on deck is bound to trip someone up at exactly the wrong moment. The route must have plenty of handholds -- an extra handrail might be added to the cabin top if there are places where you feel you have to scurry from one safe place to the next. The stanchions and lifelines are often overlooked and sometimes not as structurally sound as they should be. What might feel sturdy when you just wiggle it, may give way if a crew member fell against it. Check that the stanchion bases are through-bolted with backing plates, or at least large "fender washers". Check that the stanchions are secured in the bases and not corroded, and that the lifelines themselves are not about to part. On Two-Step we rigged jacklines from the bow to the stern. These are lines that we can attach our safety harnesses to, so we can walk right to the bow without ever unclipping the harness (We have used regular 5/8" rope but many people are now using a flat webbing to eliminate the problem of the line rolling underfoot.) The jackline is run along the deck where we walk, so I can nip right up forward with my safety line dragging along behind. And when I'm lying below, off watch, it is a reassuring sound to hear Sheryl dragging the clip along the deck -- I know she's safely tied on! In rough weather we put in the washboards (companionway door panels). These should be able to be secured so that they cannot be knocked out or lost somehow. There were yachts lost in the British Fastnet race solely due to losing washboards, then taking on water through the open companionway. |
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