| As usual, organization had been the weak link
in the lead up to the three-day beachcruising trip
planned by Mike Rowe and his friend Ian. This could
be partly excused by the fact that they live in regional
cities which were four hundred kilometers apart –
but the real reason was that things always seemed
to be done in a last-minute rush.
Anyway, here they were with the boat loaded and launched
and their eyes turned in the direction of their destination,
Curtis Island. The time had crept on as launch preparations
were completed, and the two were somewhat concerned
about the mid afternoon south-easter which was blowing
out of the dark and troubled sky. Neither one would
have admitted it, but each man was apprehensive about
setting off into such an afternoon in a well loaded
fifteen-foot sailing dinghy. It is all very well to
talk about these trips, but altogether different actually
doing them!
Soon the exhilaration of hard
sailing and the dowsing with tropical
water sent their spirits soaring, demonstrating just
why it is
all worth doing – despite the hardships.
The boat was a nicely proportioned open cruising
dinghy of 15ft 2in x 5ft 11in which had a loaded draft
of around six inches. She had been used by this pair
of armchair adventurers for over twenty-five years,
and showed the scars of use, along with the benefits
of evolutionary change.
The rig was strong and simple – a Balanced
Lug. Mike Rowe had experimented with many different
rigs over the years, but had settled on the balanced
lug as being a good compromise for this boat. The
rig required no stays or standing rigging of any sort,
and the short mast just dropped through a hole in
the deck to stand in a simple step on the keelson
of the boat. The sail itself was quick to raise (and
more importantly, to lower) and was particularly suitable
for reefing. Being a low aspect ratio, four-sided
sail, it had little heeling tendency while still providing
plenty of drive – including hard on the wind.
Best of all, anything on the rig could be fixed up
with chewing gum and a piece of string.
Inside the boat, large buoyancy tanks were built-in
under the decks forward and aft, with plenty of volume
up high to provide decent righting moment in the event
of a swamping. The pair had stowed clothes, sleeping
bags, self-inflating mattresses and towels in the
buoyancy compartments. It is not a good idea to make
buoyancy tanks into stowage volumes, but in this case
the crew only placed light-weight gear inside. They
were both aware (from past experience) that having
dry clothes and bedding was absolutely critical to
a successful cruise in an open boat. Something of
equal importance which they carried was a mosquito
and sand fly proof cover for each of their bed rolls.
A very small outboard motor was mounted off-centre
on the transom, but the boat was also equipped with
a correctly proportioned set of oars and a set of
bronze rowlocks – all of which were tied into
the boat with lanyards. Experience had shown that
small boats, heavy seas and outboard motors do not
always work out well in combination. A good set of
rowing gear is a worthwhile investment if you are
serious about boating. Forget about paddles except
in the very smallest of boats e.g. sailing canoes
and kayaks.
Both men wore moisture wicking polyester clothing,
spray jackets and pants, and decent lifejackets. All
of the mandatory safety equipment was stowed in the
boat. But each crew member carried his own favourite
bits of safety gear on his body. The boat was fitted
with a compass which was mounted on a bulkhead for
use as a steering compass, but could be lifted out
to be used as a hand bearing compass – by far
the most useful function on a small boat.
They pushed off into the threatening weather and
felt the thrill of spirited sailing spiced by the
slight fear of unfamiliar waters and suspect conditions.
Soon the exhilaration of hard sailing and the dowsing
with tropical water sent their spirits soaring, demonstrating
just why it is all worth doing – despite the
hardships. The boat lifted to the steep waves and
felt as though she was a living creature. Shouted
conversation was punctuated by clouds of spray, and
the self-bailers sucked away at the gallons of water
which ended up in the bottom of the little craft.
Swooping and driving, they watched the oncoming waves
and the sweep of rushing water past the lee gunwale,
while above them the reddish-brown sail strained against
its lashings.
It was almost dark by the time the boat swept around
the head of a tree-covered sand spit on the north-western
tip of Curtis Island, and coasted into the relative
calm of a salt water creek mouth. They spent the first
night of their trip sleeping on the beach, each man
covered with his own insect netting. The boat tugged
gently at her mooring lines with the sail neatly furled
in the lazy jacks. Above her masthead they watched
shooting stars and an amazing number of man-made satellites
hurtle across the celestial dome. A fire, simple food,
and a couple of hours of contemplative conversation
lead on through the evening until sleep swept all
away. Such are the pleasures of beachcruising.
The following two days were filled with sailing across
the entire north face of Curtis Island, exploration,
hiking, photography, tracking animals, viewing a lighthouse,
sitting on the beach admiring the beautiful boat as
she sat at anchor…the list goes on…
After three days, the pair made their return journey.
In four or five hours they experienced everything
from flat calms to a double-reef south-easter and
a near grounding on a surf-pounded bar. A motel room
for the night provided access to a welcome fresh water
shower, and then more talk – mostly about the
next trip and the perfect boat.
Now to Mike Rowe’s mind, a little
adventure such as this was worth more than money could
buy – and yet the equipment necessary is all
so very cheap, especially if you build the boat yourself,
or buy one second-hand. The commercial world would
like to see us all getting our entertainment from
resorts, theme parks, T.V., movies, shopping malls
and so on. But why not find our own way? Coastal cruising
is accessible to most people, the equipment is cheap,
regulations are minimal, and if done properly, the
dangers are slight.
More columns by Ross Lillistone
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