S3#21. Atlantic Crossing - Surviving the storm on a Leopard 50 Catamaran

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Join Barefoot Doctors Sailing as we move into Day 2 of the storm with fluctuant winds and worsening seas on a Leopard 50 sailing catamaran. This 8000 mile Atlantic crossing had to start with us going through a low pressure system to get far enough north to escape worse systems later.
We share many of Paul's strategies for sail setting and preventive steps to protect the boat, its lines and its sails. This is valuable stuff for any sailor but essential info for those crossing oceans on journeys of several weeks.
If you want to know what it is like to sail 8000 miles across open ocean, jump on board with us!
Our exciting Patreon option from only $3 per week, will allow our supporters to enjoy live updates on positions and daily logs on the Atlantic crossing as well as join us for sailing events in Gocek, Turkey (Sept 2023), Aegean Greece, May 2024. Then in Dubai Jan 2025 (aboard the new Portofino 52) join us for the launching party and test sails!!! We are also offering boat build tours with sailing off Dubai to share the progress of the P52 build and provide whatever sailing or life discussions that YOU want us to provide during all of these events..... It is a very exciting prospect and we have been requested repeatedly to give advice, take folk sailing, teach sailing techniques etc etc.... So here it is!!!
Any Patreons will have the choice to join us for these events which are usually about 5 days to be up close and personal with Eli and John and learn from their expertise... There will be sailing trips, excursions and chats during the events and the subjects will be designed to suit the participants that will be there. Patreons will receive all the sailing and talks with the Barefoot Doctors without any cost but will only have to cover their own travel, food and accomodation costs.
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Binge watch and come barefoot with us as we travel and explore the planet, mostly from the water but sometimes through the minds of others as we provide aid and support where needed through the amazing TUFMINDS solutions!
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[@carolkar5687]

for an ocean crossing, longer videos give us a feel for the trip.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks Carol, lots of people want more and longer and some don’t want more than 40mins. We will try and keep as many as possible happy!

[@bill2292]

I vote for longer videos with more tips from Paul.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Duly noted, Bill. Thanks!

[@constantinealexandrakis]

I'm enjoying every minute of your videos. It feels like I'm living an unattainable dream through you guys.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Glad you're enjoying them and that it allows you to experience what it is like, Constantine! Never consider it to be unattainable - there are many ways to go sailing without having to buy a boat so if you truly want to do, you can!

[@FamilyManMoving]

There are so many "lifestyle" sailors out there, and was glad to see my first video from you was different. As someone who is contemplating the move to cruising in a few short years, I like seeing some of the more 'mundane' tasks like handling sails in rough weather, managing provisions, fuel and energy, and just staying on top of the passage. You're inside a machine. There have to be some moving parts that need a little percussive maintenance from time to time. Please share. My wife commented that the recent portion of video I rewound from Nikki and Jason Wynn, was them learning how to change water filters on a rented boat. Those kinds of details are interesting to me. They help me form an understanding that might translate to better decisions when I move up when I retire. But...I'm just the one guy hoping to use you as KZbin University. You be you, and have fun doing it. I'll enjoy it all the same. Thanks.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks for watching our channel, Family Man and hope you find it valuable. Good luck with your move to a boat at some point and really the best way is to actually do it as a lot of the "painful" stuff you just can't film, like having disturbed sleep because of Side swell, or mosquitoes, or passing squalls... Our next video is all about changing the impeller in the toilet and in our outboard, so if you're into the practicals, you should love that... Still get out and charter a few boats to get the hands on experience o the good and the bad and make sure your wife likes it too! Have fun!!!

[@laurenhansman3447]

Great video guys!

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks Lauren!

[@OnTheFlipSide]

Show it all, yes make them longer, if some don't like it, they can skip through.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks for letting us know, OTFS!

[@papa.mike01]

I really enjoy the everyday stuff as you said. It brings me back to when I was able to be out there. I’m glad you are so knowledgeable it makes for less distractions.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@davidnichols147]

We are praying that Sonya's health improves and her nausea or seasickness doesn't spoil the voyage.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks David, yes after about day 3 she had recovered and has been fine ever since!

[@greatpix]

I like to see the longer videos on something like a long crossing. Because of health issues I'm stuck in the house so I'm watching videos and imagining I'm there.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Good to hear, thanks for the input!

[@pred7949]

so so happy to finally see a leopard 50 sailing in these conditions

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Yes, Fred, it did really well!

[@abbiehoffman5002]

Full running clips of what's going on sounds good to me. Thank you !

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

OK, ta!

[@papa.mike01]

God Bless!

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks Prof!

[@StaunchRepublican]

I like to hear about how you have the boat set up for the weather conditions and why it is that you have the boat configured this way.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

OK, we will keep that in mind and try to explain the different things that we do. Thanks for watching and the comments!

[@chrisstephen4563]

Totally agree. Show more. Real sailing. Well done guys

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks Chris!

[@geniexmay562]

Very enjoyable vid. Good info and teaching on boom preventers and why they help with sail balance, pressure on the rudders and autohelm. Thank You 😀👍

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Glad it was helpful Genie!

[@Mountainchip]

Just found ya and just subscribed. I have to admit to living my dream of living aboard through your videos. Everything from the “mundane” to the technical, and whatever would help convince my wife to do it is very much appreciated. Keep it up!

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Welcome aboard, Chip and hope you can get your wife enthusiast to go ahead with the adventure too! Perhaps have a holiday with another couple or two and charter a boat somewhere nice to have that experience to begin with and who knows...

[@elizabethjocollins4313]

UNCUT!! Very exciting... Thank you. GOD Bless every one of you...

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks Elizabeth - we will try and give you MORE....

[@scarletbegonias2359]

I like your videos long or short. I do enjoy watching the sea go by, so a long one here are there would be very relaxing

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Good to know! Thanks Scarlet.

[@davidfrancis8899]

Yes uncut ..

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks David :)

[@briangray6461]

Right on guys - this is super helpful and informative - great job!

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks Brian! Glad you liked it. More on its way…

[@dc1544]

showing the wind angle/sails/speed and what direction the boat is going would be awesome. Most do not understand those and who knows one day If I am on my own catamaran I would have a basic understanding.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks for commenting DC and we will add more detail to explain those aspects....

[@umitaltay465]

Show us all, as it is ,Cheers from Melbourne Australia !!

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

OK, I will show as much as I can! Thanks for watching.

[@andymarr7610]

Great downwind advise. Never used three preventors but looked spot on. Great vid as always. Thanks.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks for watching Any and yes, Paul is giving us great advice and great tips on many things that we will share in the videos coming up too!

[@Boody523]

Great balance of everything, I just want to experience it all, as much as I can

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks for letting us know and hope we can show you IT ALL!

[@juergenzenner4219]

Perfect video! Nothing to complain! Love it

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Glad you enjoyed it again Juergen!

[@mangowalter8239]

Oh my goodness John! I told you to keep the wind to your back but I didn’t want you guys to battle 30 knots and 8’ waves. 😮 This is frightening and your calmness is definitely reassuring. It scares me every time I hear a thud or groaning coming from the boat. Thank goodness she’s new and has the latest electronics. Your videos are definitely awesome and they sure put me right on the boat hanging on with you! Please be very careful and I will continue to keep you and the other men in my prayers. 🙏

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks Mango! We appreciate your support and enjoy the ride!!

[@ksr1991]

All I keep thinking while watching the boat rock is “UGH!”

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Yes KSR, we know that sailing across the oceans is some people's dream and other people's nightmare! It is something you get used to and you really appreciated to good times later!

[@peterbowler4521]

Great video Enjoyed your remarks and comments about the different aspects Keep doing it 👏👏👏

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks Peter, glad there was value in it for you!

[@LondonCarnaval]

Awesome video👌 and super cool sailing minus the annoying noises of so called music😢. I love watching sailing videos with natural noises(waves, wind, odd silence and your very well appreciated advice and chat... But no need for music) when i want to listen to music, i have my own library of music for all different moods. Lot of vudeos with music 🎶, i just 🔇 🔕 🔇 and watch until i get bored looking at the screen then swich over. I love your videos long or short and of course the longer the better 😅 BTW we still talking about videos 😅 I wish you the very BEST and fair winds ✌❤☘ 🌬⛵

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

We hear you! We will keep the music to when we are not speaking and if the real sound is ok- sometimes it is just roaring wind in camera which we need to have some sound…

[@nickcooper14]

Great idea having the 3 preventers, we had the mid cleat rip out of the hull with just that one on🤟🏼🤟🏼

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Sorry to hear that and yes, Rob earlier on went through the details of why we should use the bow cleat to reduce the risk of that! Check out his detailed physics and reference to a monohull accident that killed two people with a poorly designed preventer system.

[@Seagole]

It's good to see informational videos, Good sailing ⚓⛵ liked n shared 👍

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Awesome, thank you!

[@seawench555]

Hi John, I'm sure I can speak for a lot of the Barefoot Drs armchair Crew, we all want to learn, we want to sail, we want to be apart of both u and Eli's lives, so we all have something in common, be it boating, watersports, sailing, architecture, boat design, specs etc. So anything that u both wish to teach us, will be happily received. Ultimately the decision is up to u both, as ur the ones creating content, editing, hey living the Dream!! So I am very grateful to get anything wonderful, exciting, or informative advice, or just plain fun. So give it to me Baby aha aha Give it to me Baby!!!!🤣😂😃👍🇦🇺🌈

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Aha, Aha! Thanks Karlene!

[@seawench555]

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 Ur welcome Capt. I have a ? With the infared camera system OSCAR, that were having on our magnificent, luxurious, one of a kind masterpiece, do u know what the maximum distance and width it can scan to? Please

[@seanhanlon5867]

amazing scenes from the big blue 👏

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks Sean, glad you liked it!

[@mrtelechi]

Amazing footage, superb episode again.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Glad you enjoyed it Telechi!

[@wendywilson9760]

Great following your journey. Also following Sailing Nohoa. No wonder Sonya is sea sick. I'm not the best sailor. Do get much time to relax or is it very busy. You have a few crew.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Yes, we love Nahoa and what they are doing without babysitters or crew to help sail! We spent a lot of time together in Cape Town talking about Aluminium boats (and Starlink) too... Thanks for your Support Wendy and yes we have plenty of relaxing time so I am able to get video editing done to keep the videos moving and QUITE UP TO DATE...

[@abbiehoffman5002]

Slo Mo waves was cool too.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks Abbie!

[@Susan-fg9jb]

Love how you capture the waves and boat movement. I am slightly anxious about the lack of life jackets and tethers though.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Glad those pictures came out cause it is very hard to film, Susan and it always looks smaller than it seems in real life! In relation to life jackets, if you see, we are never outside of the cockpit or near the sides of the boat and at the back of the boat we have run safety lines that are chest high to prevent MOB over the stern. When Eli and I were in rough water, we wore lifejackets because when short handed, any retrieval is much more difficult but it is always a decision to be made in each circumstance.

[@quarryboats9285]

This is Beaufort scale 3-4 sea state with the following seas. I had been sailing for 13 years, and this was normal weather. I would be very happy with it.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks for the comment but the winds through the night when we were putting out the drogue was 35-40 knots and by the morning, as I said the winds had reduced to under 30knots as there was no streaking of foam. It is hard to film the big seas well and certainly at night you can't see a thing.

[@jeffsallus8406]

Love the added tips

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Great! Thanks for watching Jeff.

[@jeffsallus8406]

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 I’m looking at possibly building a portafino I do like the 57 with the galley down. I would probably customize it a bit with expanded master and bath. As well as a utility room and converted guest cabin next to the galley

[@sailingnusa4228]

We just found your channel through this video which was awesome, well done I’ve certainly picked up a few tips. I started watching a few different heavy weather videos after having a very rough time in the Coral sea and this one is the best I’ve watched.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Glad you found it useful guys! The coral sea with the big tides and currents and shallow water make it very exciting at times!!! Where are you based?

[@sailingnusa4228]

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 Based in Coffs Harbour but we we’re sailing Gladstone - Noro (Solomons) when we ran into very heavy weather around the halfway mark and diverted to Cairns to run downwind 500nm. Looking for next window to resume the journey as we have a considerable amount of aid onboard for the remote communities of the Solomons so we are very keen to get going again. Really enjoying your videos.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

@@sailingnusa4228 Have a great trip for the next leg and enjoy the Solomons. I did similar work in Vanuatu - great experience…

[@christerjeppsson5922]

Nice Talk Show.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Glad you enjoyed it, Chris...

[@dc1544]

most people have no ideal how big waves can get. its scary the first time. I was 4 my first time and I was more shocked than scared. we had 2 fishing boats and now you see them now you don't, we were about 200 feet away or so. the boat you are on is way bigger.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Yes, DC, the power of nature is just phenomenal and needs to be treated with respect.

[@marktaylor484]

Great tip's.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks again Mark, glad you enjoyed it.

[@ianfirth-clark5975]

rough and raw (that's what she said)

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

OK, thanks Ian!

[@mountaindweller9118]

Great stuff! I like the format as is. Really like the sail management topics and weather decision making. Noticed you are utilizing a barber hauler on the genoa, in addition to the main sail preventers. Paul knows his stuff. Curious about bridge deck slap and if the 50 has much? I recently did a 5 day passage on a higher performance boat and the slap was often, sounded like a canon going off, and shook the whole boat. Safe travels!

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks for the comments MD. Yes Paul has a lot of experience in delivering Leopards around the world and he had to get them to the destination without wear and tear so he protects everything! The barber hauler though gives much better performance too as it allows you to create the correct slot shape. Bridgedeck clearance - the Leopard 50 has 1 metre clearance so is higher than most and we get VERY LITTLE underwing slapping at all. However we still had very noisy sailing cause we still got all the hull noise from sailing at 10 knots commonly and waves hitting the sides of the boat.

[@WillN2Go1]

Cool. I'm enjoying it all and I'm just finishing up a passage from Japan to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada ( two days out) 30 days 4000 nM (So half of what you're doing.) Seawind 1260. Great boat, rigging was not competent. Major chaffing problems. Jury rigging the parted 3rd reef at the end of the boom at night in a storm 25+ knots. It's interesting the questions that seem unanswerable. On our travels, from Vietnam (6000 nm total) we've turned on radar maybe three times. The complaint was it's just false signals. When I was sailing in the Bahamas, crossing to Florida, we used radar all the time. Weather, other boats (some no AIS). Really useful and interesting. Similar B&G systems. (If there's a low and higher budget system, then we probably have the budget model.) On this trip: Non AIS: Some small fishing boats, Philippine 3 mile buoys, fishing gear and flotsam weren't AIS. But nothing far out. Some fishing boats would turn on AIS when we were near and turn it off as soon as it was clear everyone was safe. (Figure those guys might've just small batteries on board.) oh and a warship. Taiwan's Cheng Kungg, missile destroyer, very fast, 15 knots? more? No AIS.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Congrats to you Will! That is a great trip and would be excellent experience. We love the Seawards too and your rigging problems surprise me though. Is there a way that the chafe can be reduced by changing the lines or putting on protectors in various places. The other thing is that we did buy some lines in Indonesia when we had our boat there and the lines degraded in 12 months, just form the sun so it was the quality of the lines that was &%$@! We turned our radar off cause it kept alarming with any rain clouds around... And then would continue to alarm with the same clouds 2 mins later! Yes the warships would be on stealth mode as they don't want yo auto see them! Enjoy the rest of your trip! You must have Starlink too! Amazing isn't it!!!

[@billhanna8838]

Thank god it isn't on the nose , Looking good ,

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Yes Bill, we would not have gone out if it was on the nose but when it does happen, we have to deal with it. Perhaps heave to and wait...

[@douglaswilliams1167]

I like the longer video’s as we can skip the parts want. Well done and nice working showing the motion.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Cool, thanks, Douglas!

[@user-ub7mp3hu1s]

Nice footage. One small remark - you dont switch radar on "if you like", but you have to do it by law and I really would suggest you to do it at night time. Best Regards

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks for the comments and very interesting! What law and what country states you have to have the radar on? Many boats don’t have it and it uses a lot of power - I was not aware of any regulations like that…

[@arvischilf2950]

Hi, You are right you dont have to have it, but by COLGER Rule 5 ".. A proper lookout shall be kept at all times by sight and hearing and by all available means to appraise fully the risk of collision.." Rule 7 "...Radar shall be used if fitted..."

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

@@arvischilf2950 Thanks very much for getting the specific Colregs that are international. There are times it is absolutely required but on a clear day does the "shall be used..." mean "must be used at all times"? Obviously in the event of a collision, if you didn't have your radar on, you would be at fault but I would interested in what other cruisers consider to be normal and do they just run it all the time.

[@maldwindrummond6158]

Congratulations on showing the wave height very well. I have just finished a crossing from FLL to the Adriatic and none of my pictures conveyed the wave height as well as you have. I was also impressed with the relative lack of squeaky noises on a small cat like that. I have been told that Gunboats sound like freight trains in the hulls at speed, and I have been on enough production cats at boat shows to be familiar with the “Beneteau squeak” What was your Watch schedule? Are you running 2 man watches? Best, Maldwin

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks Malden, yes no squeaky hulls at all only the fibreglass against water noises- I have recorded the sounds in different places of the boat too (coming later). Carbon fibre is terrible for noise - one little tap in front port hull echoes all the way to aft starboard hull apparently! Watches 4 hours thru day and 3at night, solo so with 4 pax we rotate forward one shift every day.

[@johnphillips8088]

Aren’t we glad it’s a cat, and not a monohull 😂

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Absolutely John!!!!

[@ianh2674]

John, what you prefer to sail in those condition, a monohull or cat? Great video as usual and liked this format, with the tips inter-dispersed throughout the video.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks Ian for the question. Without a doubt, I would prefer to be in a cat. The motion is less rocky and the boat is drier. We can still cook meals in significant seas and when going downwind especially, monohulls roll really badly while cats don't have that action at all...

[@magnusenamd]

Interesting to see what sailing can look like and how waves meet and more. I wonder if your aluminum boat will be quieter and easier to sleep in. Because I have a hard time understanding why you don't make sure they are quiet from waves and wind noise.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks for your comments and for watching Magnus. The reality is that the waves alone roar very loudly when they are large and breaking at the top, the wind whistles and roars esp in hurricane strength and anyone whose been in strong storms will comment about how loud it is. Then you add in a boat and any small boat will add to that noise not reduce it. Obviously some materials are worse like carbon that echoes all taps and bangs and fibreglass not quite so bad.. Aluminium has insulation inside to protect from heat and cold but it also dampens the noise but to actually block all that noise is not possible except in big ships, I believe.

[@magnusenamd]

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 Thanks for the reply. Yes, I know you insulate your aluminum boat that is being built and I am so curious about how much quieter it will be to live in for you. But also if it will be clearly quieter as in the weather you showed you sailed in this episode. I almost got seasick just watching the video. Gotta blame the 86 inch screen made it a bit more real ha ha.

[@magnusenamd]

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 kzbin.info/www/bejne/q16zfaadapataac&ab_channel=SvenYrvind

[@markaburrell5553]

A day on the boat with no cutting thanks

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

You got that right! Thanks for the input Mark!

[@ronfoord8222]

More info on navigation lat long CMG etc

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

HI Ron, thank for letting us know. Just to clarify please, are you wanting more lat / long positions in each video to see where we are and do you mean VMG (as in Vector Made Good) or are you referring to something else? And please explain what you want us to explain about navigation so I can share that into too please.

[@wkrobbers]

I would love to hear the front cabin noise in the waves near the main bulk heads

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

OK will do WK!

[@MrJerobona]

Everyday videos are great!, basically show us true real-life on a huge passage! Are you catching any fish?

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks Jero, we wo;; keep that in mind!

[@robthompson7174]

Comment on the rigging of those preventers would be that it is widely aknowledged that preventers should be rigged from near the boom end then lead forward to the bow and around a beefy block ( perhaps soft shackled to the bow deck cleat or something equally sturdy), then back to a winch or strong jammer in the cockpit where the line can be managed. The death of 2 crew on SY Platino in 2018 due to a failed preventer rigged similar to on this Leopard showed the risks of preventer rigged incorectly. The Platino accident was analysed by Maritime New Zealand which you can find using Google search. It shows the cause of the preventer failiure, the force analysis and the recommended way to properly rig a preventer. It is a must read. Hope that helps safety awareness re preventers.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Dear Rob, Thanks for that interesting information and I was not aware of this incident at all. However the pointers that the report makes is to: - attach preventer to the end of the boom - make the angle of the preventer as close to 90* as possible - ensure line is strong enough - ensure the attachment points (and blocks) are strong enough There was no reference of taking the line back to the helm position in the report that I saw. However a couple of things are different with out boat - firstly it is a cat so the boom does not go out to 90* and is still rear of the steering position when fully out (as we have it to avoid chafe on the aft led shrouds).That means we get a good angle to the midships cleat and there is no other hardware used - only the extremely strong mooring cleats. We use mooring lines - again will not break and we have three of them each of which is stabilising the boom in the 3 directions. We do not need blocks and we use truckers hitches to alter the tension of the preventers if needed. The rope is attached with bowlines around the boom too so they do not rely on fittings. So what I see is that we achieved all the recommendations made and there is no way that our boom is going to break free.Having 3 independent strong lines all adds to the integrity of the system and those 3 cleats are all heavy duty. I thought the criticisms would have been "overkill" and the idea of taking those lines back to the helm would immediately add weak points to the system. Let me know if you think I am missing something or where you think this set up may break down. Regards, John

[@robthompson7174]

I think what you perhaps are missing is the important conclusions of the report re force multiplier effect of midship rigged preventers. The takeaway conclusion is that the forces can be up to 25 times the windforce !!! on the mainsail with preventers that terminate at a midship mooring cleat due to BOTH the horizontal line angle AND the vertical angle down to the cleat. Do the math for your boat at various windspeeds to appreciate the issue. The kgf figures are daunting. How are you releasing the preventer under high load when you gybe? That's why it comes back from the turning point at the bow to a helm/ cockpit winch. There is a wonderful resource for such information at Attainable Adventure Cruising where this topic and many others are discussed in full by seriously experienced offshore sailors. Midship rigged preventers are bad news, period. See article Amidship "Preventers" - A Bad Idea That can Kill and also 2 articles on how to rig a preventer safely.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Hi Rob, I am interested if you are a monohull or cat sailor. The angles on cats for the boom and hull shapes are completely different. Taking the line from our outward boom position (about 1/2 a metre outboard) to the bow cleat will not change the angle of that relative to the boom at all. This is because the hulls are straight and the line as it is is going straight down the line of the hull anyway. Additionally having the other 2 preventers taking the upward load and gybing olad also reduces the force of that front line. The distance from the boom position to mid ship cleat is 7 m and the bow is 14m so the changes would be using more rope and changing the downwards (vertical) angle from 2m/7m to 2m/14m but the horizontal angle is the same and that is where most of the force is. We use truckers hitches with their leverage to tighten the ropes without winches and they are tied off on the cleat as usual (easy release under pressure) or half hitches on the rope itself that are easy to release cause of the 2 or 3:1 leverage we create. The big difference with the monos is that their boom goes out to 90* almost and ours only goes out to 45*. The mono boom is almost at the mid ship cleat while our is DIRECTLY over the stern cleat! See the stern line running vertically down. So we would not get better angles of approach by going to the bow cleat - cats are very different from mono and all those articles about Platino are using the reference of a mono.

[@robthompson7174]

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 Hi John Re my multihull knowledge/experience I have been a multihuller since the early 80’s (yep, I’m an old fart) and have a strong interest in design and boatbuilding. I’ve helped other owners on their cat builds (4) at all stages, and am now in the final fitout stage of our own custom design performance cruising 15m cutter rig cat, built in Duflex epoxy panels with extensive carbon reinforcing and structural components (bulkheads, turrets, deck and hull straps etc). I also in my time have seen the scary end result of crash gybes on a couple of cats with midship preventers, also where the skipper thought the preventer was plenty strong enough. One of which had 3 M10 cap screws distorted that had 12mm solid glass backing plates on a Vetus midship cleat after an “uncontrolled”gybe. It wasn’t until I read the NZ Maritime engineering analysis that I understood the forces involved. So lets start with that. It’s all about angles. Yes, you are correct, the horizontal angles from boom end to bow cleat or midship cleat are better than an equivalent length mono. But it still isn’t good. Your full mainsail is about 90m2 so say your mainsail area on 2nd reef in 25 knots TWS is about half, so 45m2. The windforce on your sail is therefore about a ton give or take 100kg. ( 20kgf/m2 x 45). Your horizontal preventer angle to either your bow or midship cleat is about 25 degrees, so with that force multiplier from the engineering analysis of a factor of 2.5 your load just became 2.5 tons. Not much you can do about that, but we’re within a manageable range. BUT your vertical angle to the cleats is double the midship compared to the bow cleat. About 30degrees for the midship vs 15 degrees for the bow. And the force multiplier of that is AT LEAST another factor of between 2 and 4, as illustrated by John Harries and discussed at Morgans Cloud site. So now your loads are somewhere between 5 Ton and 10 Ton in a crash gybe. How strong did you say your ropes and knots were again?….. But there is worse news. Your cleats that have very small horizontal deflection angles, where the “boom end is directly over the cleat at the stern” will experience absolutely huge dynamic force. The Platino had a 5 or 6 degree angle and that force multiplier was over 20 times (12 x 2 and that did not count vertical angle multiplier) total mainsail wind force. Small wonder the Platino boom padeye with 4 M8 bolts had all the heads sheered off! I would encourage all offshore cruisers to very carefully consider this midship preventer issue, in the spirit of prudent seamanship. By the way, relying on say a dyneema preventer line may look attractive at first, but dyneema does not handle shock loads well compared to line with some stretch in it, as the climbing industry has recognized for years. Hope that helps.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

@@robthompson7174 Thanks for the detail Rob And I must admit that this is the strongest preventer system I have seen being used on cats so all the others are even more substandard then! We can certainly take that main line forward to the bow cleat and the mooring lines would be long enough. The other purpose of the three lines is to stabilise the boom so the main sheet can be released slightly to avoid wear and tear in the long trips. Completely different benefit as well with the system. Great info and very few people understand it to your level! Ta.

[@MrSamh90]

How does the starlink perform on the healm station roof? Where do you run the cable?

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

It runs very well on the helm roof but you do get interference when the boom is directly over it. Once we had the main down and the boom locked out that side to funnel wind into the Oxley and the internet was dropping out all the time and then we realised and it was fixed as soon as we pulled it away a bit. When the sail is up, it never seemed to have that effect, perhaps because the boom was elevated more... The cable was run in the help roof to the SS legs and then pulled out a drilled hole at the bottom and then run into the roof fwd of the steering station to where the router was.... Hope that helps.

[@bill2292]

Could you imagine going south in that sea? 😞

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

No, it would be very bad!!! You would probably be better to heave to rather than try and sail into it...

[@user-qo9jm7oq5u]

I see in almost every single offshore cruising video some version of storm. It's almost as though a storm is the sought after event or purpose of the voyage. Truth is most of these "storms" don't actually qualify as such. Keeps the neophytes interested though.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Unfortunately there is a lot dramatisation and the actual storm is the video before this one but as we mentioned the "storm" in the title, we got more views... Bit sad really but that is how YT works!

[@user-qo9jm7oq5u]

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 I'm afraid you're right, probably stems from many viewers not having the knowledge or experience to appreciate the more subtle aspects of journeying offshore. I'm not much of sailer myself but I have spent many years offshore in the North Atlantic and Alaska.

[@billydaniel900]

👍

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks again Billy!

[@scarletbegonias2359]

After a couple of passages like this do the Leopards start to flex? Will the drawers and cabinets start to stick a bit? I know they are seaworthy vessels, just curious about the long term maintenance regarding flex?

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Hi Scarlet, no there are no progressive distortion issues with the Leopards at all. Because they have historically sailed to their destinations from South Africa to US, Med and Australia, they are made strong with properly fibreglassed in bulkheads and overall strong build. There is also no creaking at all even through those big storms we have been in on this trip and with our own Leopards.

[@bobfitz6358]

Interested in seeing a page of the log. How often do you add comment. During your watch how many entries did you enter?

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

hi Bob, I did the logs almost every day but here is the link if you want to see it directly: forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/SV-SeaSential/

[@bobfitz6358]

Wow Thanks John, plenty of detail to read, it's like just being there with you and the crew. It will take me several days to read all the logs, very interesting.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

@@bobfitz6358 Glad they are interesting - certainly a lot more detail about each day of the trip as we can't get that sort of detail into the videos...

[@user-wk4cb7lc7l]

Spear it Animal painted schools of squid on the bottom of the hull and keel of their boat to attract mahi mahi

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Did it work?

[@user-wk4cb7lc7l]

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 they are on the hard it hasn't been tested yet

[@John_Morrison]

Very good information, but that doesn't look so fun.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

HI John, thanks of rthe comment and certainly not "fun" unless you are into extreme sports... However it was really good to go through that because then you have the confidence in the boat and in yourself so for future storms, you have less anxiety and knows how the boat will handle it and what you need to do.

[@John_Morrison]

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 I really enjoyed the video, I'm getting close to selling my business and thinking seriously about a boat, I've had a few mid size power cruisers over the years (30-40ft) But have lately been drawn to sail. I always equated sea worthiness in a sail boat to a large monohull, and was questioning the blue water capabilities of a catamaran, as I really like the roominess, and the wife isn't keen on spending a lot of time healed over. Your video was really helpful in the respect, although truth be told, I would guess we will spend most of our time in the Bahamas/Carribean. Great work!

[@user-qt2dc9ql5b]

Dont ct anything out!

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks for the feedback!!!

[@gbsailing9436]

Another great video this week John. I thought the information on the preventers was very good. I was surprised at the use of three ropes, but I guess ropes can break and wear out at times so I guess it's always good to be safe rather than sorry. I would have thought, being so far away from governmental influence that, your voyage would not of been hampered by any redtape yet it appears I'm incorrect (see the preventers). 🤣 I'm not too fussed on what you do, and don't include during your blogs, but I can understand if you want to keep them short during these legs, where it's so rough, and editing is a real chore. Nobody wants to be seasick while you're having to make videos. Perhaps you can continue to film yet reduce the length of the videos in rough seas, and yet keep the footage for days to come where it will be, and you will be discussing the voyage at greater length. You can then pop in some of that footage when discussing particular comments at that time. Have you checked whether you are allowed to use your Starlink whilst in motion? I've seen other channels being pinged for that, although it may be an issue with the plan that has been signed up for. Good to see everybody is diligent about looking out for boats. You may consider adding in some shots of the AIS and Radar screens as well for those who don't ever see that stuff. Good to see you're making good SOG, and that the seas are NOT too rough. My heart goes out to the girls. Can you check up and give us a camera shot of the steering ram - I have noticed other sailors having issues with theirs (Harbours Unknown). All the best, and stay safe airing on the side of caution. Fair 💨and following 🌊 for your ⛵and crew 👨‍👨‍👧‍👦 !

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks Garth! Red tape - good one Mr Eagle Eye! WRT Starlink - we (Mark) has the maritime version and the ordinary version is now geofenced so does not work outside of about 20 mils from shore. Thanks for the support in the video creation but apart from the first few days, the weather has been good enough to do editing hence I got the videos out in less than a week twice...Will try to get the footage of the Linear drive for you (will have to make up some reason!) and the AIS. There will be radar footage in the next video already... Regards and stay well!

[@gbsailing9436]

@@barefootdoctorssailing8567 Ah I see, Yes I thought there must be differences in Starkink. Good to know. whatever You feel like including in the vlog each week will be fantastic. Cheers.

[@seawench555]

@@gbsailing9436 Hi Garth, stalink, u can purchase the Marine, Rv, Residential version, all with different plans of course, the Marine version is the most expensive then RV, then Resdential. And I will say there not cheap. Cheers🇦🇺👍

[@gbsailing9436]

@@seawench555 Thanks for the info. Cheers, 👍

[@seawench555]

@@gbsailing9436 ur welcome 🌈

[@jesper1406]

7-8 knots in 30 meters of wind?! Why so slow?😮

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Hi Jesper, when you are sailing in big seas and Highwinds, you need to slow the boat down, so you don’t crash into the waves ahead and keep control. Also, this makes it much easier to steer and allows the Auto helm to cope. Capsizes of catamarans occurs when you sail fast down the the waves and crash into the wave in front, or if you slide across the wave and it tilts you over sideways. So the key in big seas with cats is to slow the boat down and make sure you keep the stern to the breaking waves. Hope that helps

[@perfstaas7188]

LOLOL A little storm start at 41 knots. This video was just bait. : (

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

The winds were up to 50 knots and waves to 6m (but we did not get footage of that speed) - any winds over 35 knots are gale force = storm but like all things there are different degrees... It was significantly rough but it's all good experience to share with folk.

[@perfstaas7188]

ROMG. Litle storm starts at 41 knots. Full storm at 48 knot. "Any wind over 35 knot are gale force wind= STORM you clamied. @@barefootdoctorssailing8567

[@franckbrunie4759]

Very unimpressive on a cat. Such seas on a monohull would lean much more

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks for watching Franck and for the comment. Yes, in a mono it would have been very much more unpleasant...

[@jacky3476]

How to wash clothes on the boat? ?

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Hi Jacky - good question but easier than you think - 240V washing machine like at home and do it is good weather so they dry!

[@richmeister1960]

Please make sure that your videos are narrative based and coherent to those watching. Speak slower and clearly so people can understand what is going on, you need to carry your audience and improve your sound quality. Voice overs is a way of keeping the narrative together, this is good storytelling. One episode at a time with a beginning, middle and an end just like any story. A positive summing up and a glimpse of next week's video giving nothing away, always good to leave it on a cliffhanger. As for it's content that is completely up to you, it's your story, so tell your story.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks for all the great advice Rich!! The episode we released this week was the first one where did the narrative based voice over to make the story more clear and the live sound, even with deadcats is terrible if the wind is 20+ knots, so sorry about that... We have considered the cliff hanger end in the past but have gone for the story closure in each episode, so each video stands alone. But thanks for all that advice, we will take it on board, speak slower and consider how we can do the cliff hangers... Please watch episode S3#34 and let us know what you think!

[@brianlegge2743]

I don’t want videos over 40 minutes

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Roger that Brian!

[@ashleykerlin]

Mix it up - some week edited, some full of detail? Surprised to see nobody wearing life jackets or tethers in such huge seas.

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

Thanks Ashley for the feedback and will keep it in mind. Each person chooses for themselves when to wear lifejackets and the risk times are if we on the side decks and transom and are very seldom there.

[@ashleykerlin]

Fair enough.

[@YVARLS]

What a bullshit. River sailors. 😂

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

I've never seen 5m waves in rivers and a 25 tonne Leopard 50 boat doing 17 knots down the waves... The actual storm was the video before where we put out drogues to prevent capsize....

[@hswing11]

WHAT THE HELL FOR

[@barefootdoctorssailing8567]

To get to the other side, perhaps?