moving around the boat

E

echo

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Jul 25, 2012
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Fluid Motion Model
C-24 C
we are interested in the 26, and hope to see one soon ... my question is regarding ease of mobility walking around the boat, specifically for lock handling while we do the loop.
 
Assume you mean the Cutwater 26? That's the only 26. Ranger has a 25 and a 27... :?:

Charlie
 
echo":1l0l0vqy said:
we are interested in the 26, and hope to see one soon ... my question is regarding ease of mobility walking around the boat, specifically for lock handling while we do the loop.
Click to expand...

Going from aft forward or vice versa needs a good grip as the side decks are almost nonexistant.
However, once there the bow area and cockpit are quite roomy, although the C26 cockpit is obviously less roomy than the C28.

I haven't done the full loop, but the locks I have encountered on the intracoastal have always had a very slow rise and fall.
You might consider just using the thrusters to maintain position, or maybe a line from the cockpit and using a thruster to control the bow.
 
good advice!

from pics i've seen the side decks did look skimpy :shock:

going to see one (hopefully) at a show nearby going to walk the decks then and see how it goes.
 
GulfSailor":1mgfn2hc said:
..............I haven't done the full loop, but the locks I have encountered on the intracoastal have always had a very slow rise and fall.
You might consider just using the thrusters to maintain position, or maybe a line from the cockpit and using a thruster to control the bow.
Click to expand...
Actually, that would be a very bad plan for the legs between The Gulf and Chicago. Several of the locks have high lifts and, depending on where you are positioned, most can have significant turbulence when filling. It might even get you a nasty radiogram or a personal visit at the top of the lift from the lockmaster. At least with the latter, he might agree to photograph the scars on your hull for you when he is done.

To tell the truth, the "fastest and cheapest" way would be to go counter-clockwise to run with the current, and that would make locking a bit milder since emptying is less turbulent than filling. We have significant Tennessee/Tenn-Tom experience in both directions.

The average lift on the Tenn-Tom Waterway is about 35 feet. But Jamie Whitten, the upstream lock between The Tennessee and The Tenn-Tom Waterway is 84 feet, Pickwick is 63 feet, and then there is Kentucky or Barkley at 57 feet to get into The Ohio. If you want to get a bit of a thrill, turn east coming out of the Tenn-Tom and try Wilson Lock at 94 feet. It will humble you like nothing else you will ever experience on the water.

A solid midships cleat is essential. You will secure it to the floating bollards (see Locking and Docking Aid at gallery2.php?g2_itemId=31864 for a picture of an "even an idiot can get hitched up" tool.) Large, tough fenders should be used fore and aft, the more the better. Best of all, is to have a long, strong fender board between the fenders and the lock wall. It will help keep you parallel to the wall, and take all the abuse from the concrete walls. Having crew on the bow and in the cockpit with a boat hook is also handy.

But don't give up on making the trip. The locks are a piece of cake, as long as you get secured properly.
 
we'd be going counter-clockwise -- we're in chicago. i really don't have any fear of the locks except to say i want to be sure the side decks allow for sure footing and ease of movement around the boat. that said...the pics you linked to were a very good example for folks!
 
I think Little Lady has given you good advice. The only thing I would add from our Loop experience is having round buoy fenders instead of the long oblong fenders. Maybe it's personal preference but I thought they performed better by keeping us further off of the lock walls, making it easier to maneuver away when the lock doors opened. In addition, if you have not, you might think of attending an AGLCA Rendezvous, where you'll learn a great deal about the Great Loop.

Jim
 
We have an R21-EC now. I think that eye I installed at the balance point (shown in the photos) would be fine for locking through the Tennessee/Tenn-Tom Waterway. I would put my crew on the bow, have him drop the loop (bigger than the one in my photos since that is mainly to pick up pilings) over the bollard as I maneuvered alongside. I'd have the bitter end of the line loosely secured to the stern cleat. I would leave the helm as the boat stopped alongside the bollard and draw in the line on the stern cleat with a turn or so but not jam the hitch, just hold it. One wants to be able to release the line on the one-in-a-million chance that the bollard should jam. The crew would be in a good position to fend with a boat hook if necessary from the bow as would I in the stern.

Both our previous boats were significantly larger (37' and 44') and had wide side decks. Janice would just stand at the midship cleat with the loose turns on it, drop the line on the bollard, take up the slack on the cleat, then move forward when I was available to take charge of it.

Round fenders would reduce the need to carry fender boards. But I like boards. We always carried two 2"x2"x8' redwood fender boards which I built. They came in especially handy if we had to moor against pilings or the steel uprights in covered marinas with no way to get fenders to stay in place. They prevented massive damage one time on The Tennessee when a super-storm came up while we were transients tied on the outside of an exposed covered slip. Tore the daylights out of the uprights but not a scratch on our boat.
 
So what is a fender board? Do you have a picture?
 
Not only do I have one, and a picture but after you see This you'll know how to build your own!
 
If you don't want to use wood, I used 2" schedule 40 PVC pipe about 5 feet long. They fit nicely in the gutters behind the rails on the roof, are much lighter and will never deteriorate.
 
captain's cat":2y7md6zp said:
Not only do I have one, and a picture but after you see This you'll know how to build your own!
Click to expand...
Good reference. We used longer, wider boards and, as I said, used redwood since it is lighter and always looked pretty good. Our boats were both heavy displacement and at 37' and 44' we felt that having 16' of board available would be to our advantage, and stowage on deck was not a significant problem. We also anticipated pretty rough service as we were full-time cruisers.

Concerning the wear and tear on the line: I did not want to drill holes through boards width to run the lines since they would weaken the boards significantly (we were using 1/2" 3-strand nylon). Instead, I got some automotive heater hose that would fit over the 1/2" line and drilled the holes from face-to-face large enough to hold it. The hose covered all the area of the eye-splice that would contact lock walls. In 8 years and about 80 lockings on the Tenn-Tom, the lines were still fine. The picture is in prep for a hurricane in Florida. One board was on each side for that.

Photo0116.jpg
 
Thanks for the photos
 
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