20100102 Winds and Waves Keep Angel in Nassau
Well the weather outside is…OK, just blowing from the direction we want to travel AND this is kicking up some major waves. We planned on leaving today, but the wave height is 11-15 feet. We have no plans to challenge the ocean. We will wait for better weather.
I considered my project list and decided to work on my Jordan Drogues. In bad weather in the ocean, yachts use drogues (parachutes) to control their movement in the waves. A 15-20 foot diameter parachute align ships so waves pass under them bow to stern, reducing the probability of the ship turning broadside to the waves, where it could roll. These parachutes also slow the movement of the ship as the waves pass, prohibiting the ship from surfing down steep waves, slamming into the troughs.
WHAT IS THE JORDAN SERIES DROGUE? The Jordan Series Drogue is a safety device designed to prevent the capsize and damage of both monohull and multihull sailing yachts and other vessels operating in the open ocean, in the event of a "worst case" breaking wave strike, as well as improving the motion of the boat in storm waves and to reduce drift.
The Jordan Series Drogue has been at sea for over 15 years. At least 1000 are in use all over the world. The drogue has been deployed through many storms including several hurricanes. No boat has ever been damaged and no crew injured. A typical comment from the skipper is " I did not feel threatened.".
The series drogue has been developed by Don Jordan using modern engineering technology, including model tests in wave channels, computational dynamic analysis, and full scale testing by the U.S. Coast Guard at their motor life boat testing facility where boats are subjected to breaking waves formed on the Columbia river bar.
The drogue consists of a number of small cones (droguettes) woven into a tapered line with a small weight at the end. The maximum design load and the number of cones is determined by the displacement of the boat.
I purchased 124 “droguettes” from a company, and am attaching them to a non-rotational rope to form the Jordan Series Drogues. I am creating two ~80 foot lines containing 62 “droguettes” each. I started making these before we left, but have not had the time/interest to finish. Now I have time. Each droguette requires 12 knots to attach to the heavy (non-rotational) braided line. In addition, the heavy 12 strand line requires an eye splice on each end around a stainless steel thimble to prevent abrasion. Each eye splice takes an hour alone. My fingers are numb from the rough ropes, but the first Jordan Drogue is finished, packed into a duffel bag and stored in the chain locker. I will work on the other one while we wait for good weather to proceed home.
20100103 Winds Still Strong, Temperature Cooling – Still in Nassau
Cathy and I wait for winds and waves that will not be on our nose, when we depart Nassau for Little Stirrup Cay and West End, Grand Bahama Island, as we proceed north and west towards Charleston. Today, we spent the morning helping new cruising friends sharing our experiences with anchorages and recommendations for stopovers in the Exumas, then with dock lines as they prepared to depart. As they left, one by one, we retreated to Angel and worked on projects until noon.
I pulled all 250 feet of chain from the anchor locker and piled it on the bow. I then suspended one of our life jacket bags in the ceiling of the anchor locker to get it out of the way. A simple diamond hitch system use padeyes already in the locker to attach the lightweight bag, but still keeping it accessible. I placed the first Jordan Series Drogue in the back of the locker to keep it accessible, but stored; hoping we will not have to use it.
I have started on the second Jordan Series Drogue, but dread that the finger numbness will not be permanent.
At noon, we dressed up a little, (kakhi shorts & collared shirts instead of nylon shorts & t-shirts), caught a taxi and went over to Atlantis on Paradise Island to the Sports Book in the casino to watch NFL games. Cathy got her football fix, and we had drinks and dinner there. We generally try the conch fritters as an appetizer with drinks. These were the best we have had. Imagine a hush puppy, with chunks of conch inside. Delicious.
20100104 Happy Birthday to Me … in Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas
Well, I am 56 today. A day to reflect, celebrate and treat us both to a GREAT dinner. Motivated to achieve something today, I got up early and got to work on the second Jordan drogue. The first eye splice is complete only 64 more droguettes, now 47 more, 35 more … complete! This is a great birthday present to myself. As I place the duffel containing the 2nd Jordan drogue on top of the 1st in the anchor locker, Angel is ever more prepared for sailing.
I once read that ships are in the best order and repair at the end of their cruisers. I believe this. With each pause to wait for weather, Cat and I both see improvements to our small floating home. We see better ways to store, maintain, preserve or better our environment. While some improvements will need to wait for better tools and resources in the US, many changes have been made. We now have room to move electrical cords and water hoses from deck storage to the stern lazarette. Moving to and from the bow from the cockpit is much easier.
Cathy and I went back to the West Bay Street, around the famous Nassau Straw Market. We caught a cab and got dropped off on Charlotte Street, a couple of blocks from the market. We wandered just a few steps, when Cat found some distinctive fresh water pearls in a necklace, with interchangeable “babbles” to complete the strand. We looked at ALL the babbles in the store, deciding on a black and white onyx piece that really complemented the white pearls. This is Cat’s souvenir, birthday and Christmas present. She wore it out of the store and still has it on. I also like it a lot.
Our biggest decision now is to plan where to have dinner…
Cathy and Jim
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