Tips from Crewing for a Two-Time Circumnavigator By Arthur Barlow Campbell
Two-time circumnavigator Jim Huber in the navigation station on board Champagne.
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to jack lines when you go forward at sea. Lesson learned: It is your life; do not always depend on the vessel owner to provide your safety equipment. My U.S.A.F. sea survival training over 40 years ago was very helpful. Crew briefing: Capt. Jim did a good job in briefing the crew on safety procedures (man overboard), how to send a mayday over the radio, use of head (men sit down at sea), starting the diesel engine and water conservation. Lesson learned for my own boat: When I am the captain, I have a good role model to follow. Give the safety briefing at the dock and during the first part of the voyage. Cooking: Capt. Jim uses skin-diving weights in the bottom of his Force 10 gimbaled stove to counterbalance heavy pots on the top of the stove. Turn off the LPG switch after using the stove for safety reasons. A pressure cooker uses less LPG, cooks quicker and safer in rough weather. Docking: Loops in a dock line are difficult to release while under tension. I learned this lesson while in a 15sailboat raft-up. The first line on the dock is a spring line. This will hold the sailboat in place, and with the engine in gear you are held to the dock. You now have plenty of time to rig your bow and stern lines. Sleeping bag: Worked out great. Easy to stow, no sheets to wash, and it was warm. It is a lot simpler if you can bring your own. Towels and washcloths: Thin is better than thick. They dry quicker, and take up less room. Crew duties: An orderly sailboat is a happier sailboat. Everyone is part of the crew/team, and it works best
was a crew member for the delivery of a 43-foot ketch (a Swan) from Fort Lauderdale, FL, to Chestertown, MD. Jim Huber, the owner, was sailing his ketch home to the Chesapeake Bay. This was an opportunity to sail outside to Beaufort, NC, see the Intracoastal Waterway up to Norfolk, VA, and sail on the Chesapeake. Jim was a two-time circumnavigator, and I knew I had many lessons to learn from someone of his experience. The trip began with our departure from Fort Lauderdale on May 14, 2005, just prior to hurricane season. Jim was a great captain. He was patient and answered every question about his past voyages, and why he did things his way on his ketch Champagne. I kept a notebook and logged most of the lessons learned. Onboard I made a few mistakes but did no harm to myself, the crew, nor to Jim’s ketch. And I never went aground—easy to do on the ICW and the Chesapeake. Below are some of the major lessons I learned from the trip and sailing with Jim.
■ Electronic charts: If using electronic charts, go forward to the next screen to see any hazards, and if using paper charts, study them prior to going on watch. Repeat the commands of the person you are relieving on watch. The U.S. Navy and U.S.C.G. do it for a reason! Do not rely on the autopilot; it cannot see or hear. ■ Safety: As a crew member, it is best if you can furnish your own safety equipment: life vest, safety harness, whistle, strobe light, flashlight, and signal mirror. I brought everything except my own life vest. I could have brought a life vest from my steel cutter, but flying home without a life vest made flying much easier. Use your harness connected
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February 2007
SOUTHWINDS
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