NS 30 # 432, Atlantic Crossed

[Simon James]

Today, after 14 days and 14 hrs Julie Marie and her crew of three arrived in Martinique, after departing Cape Verde islands on March 6th, I’ll write more later, but for now Just wanted to share the good news. boat and crew are safe and sound, after 2000 miles and good winds. Hand steered the whole way and never saw a single other vessel during the passage. Best day was 163 miles, worst 139 miles. Today is the boats first day back if the America’s since she was launched in London , UK in 1987. Such a comfortable trip in a comfortable boat.

Simon cleaver

NS 432

West Indies, Martinique.

[Ernie Abugov N22 - #56 "Moustaches" Toronto]

Well, how cool is that, skipper !!  Congratulations on a job very well done. 

Ernie A. in Toronto 

[Bob Neches (Me Gusta, Nonsuch 26U #233)]

Some context, in case of interest.  Congrats, Simon!

-- Bob

   Me Gusta

   Nonsuch 26U #233

[Joe Valinoti]

Outstanding, Simon!!

 

Joe Valinoti
S/V iL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA

~~~~~(\_ ~(\_ ~(\_~~~~~~~~~~

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[Mike]

Congratulations Simon! Looking forward to hear all about the journey. If you happen to run into an Aussie sailor named Mark Jenson in Martinique say hello for me.

Mike

BIANKA

1986 30U

biankablog.blogspot.com 

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[Sprio]

Congratulations Simon! Now you are officially allowed to wear red pants. Welcome to the club!

just one question: did you enjoy steering by hand that much or did the autopilot gave you troubles?

mark, n36#25, europe-NL

[Ernie Abugov N22 - #56 "Moustaches" Toronto]

Simon -

Red pants notwithstanding, when I congratulated you, I forgot to mention the fact that I (and, likely, others) may be gagging a little on some crow. I am certain that I wasn't the only one of us whose eyes rolled when you first signed on and began discussing your plan to cross the ocean in a Nonsuch.

Granted, these boats weren't designed, primarily, to do this type of thing but, in the hands of someone like you, Well, it sure is do-able and I misjudged your experience and abilities. 

My apologies !! You should be very proud.

Ernie A. in Toronto

[George Berntsen]

Bravo Zulu

Well done!  A testament to the NS30's seaworthiness.

George Berntsen

Wave Dancer, 30U #283

Black Rock, Connecticut

On Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 8:47:38 PM UTC-4 ogle...@gmail.com wrote:

[Terence Cutts]

Congratulations from Toronto
#404NS30U

Terry Cutts C.E.T.

647-856-0377

On Mar 21, 2022, at 4:25 PM, 'George Berntsen' via INA Nonsuch Discussion Group <INA-Nonsuch-Di...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Bravo Zulu

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[Peter Grabow]

Congratulations Simon!

Glad you had a wonderful crossing!! Most impressive!!

Peter Grabow

S/V CAKE WALK III

1987 30U 430

Jersey City, NJ
 

On Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 8:47:38 PM UTC-4 ogle...@gmail.com wrote:

[Thor Powell]

A wonderful accomplishment Simon, bravo!

[Michael Jabara]

WOW! Congratulations from the Left Coast! What an accomplishment!!

Will love to hear more about the trip (prevailing winds/strength, biggest challenges/joys, what broke, etc) after you rest a bit...

Also, what kind of comms did you have on board?

Michael Jabara

Hobbes II - 1995 Nonsuch 354

San Rafael, California!

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[Simon James]

All rested up now, I’ll write a bit about the planning, preparations and voyage if anyone’s interested. 

Firstly ,Making  the desion to take a 35 year old Nonsuch ( with a 35 year old mast) across the Atlantic:

I use to own NS #142 from 2012 -2014, this boat I bought in Contenticut and sailed down to the Bahamas and around Cuba. So when I was at home in New Zealand in 2019 and saw my current boat NS423  sale in the UK I knew the type of boat I was buying and bought it sight unseen, subject to a 2 hr inspection by my me. During this inspection I noticed there was slight kink In the mast at the joint point, I turned to the owner and asked him about it.. he said nothing ànd shrugged his shoulders… a couple of months later I had the mast on the wharf in Dartmouth UK and Epoxyed the joint together (west systems GFlex).

Then off to France, Spain , Portugal over the next 8 months, popping into lots of beautiful little harbors on the way, planning to head into the mederteranian. I would spend 8 months a year on the boat, and 4-5 back in NZ. I didn’t worry to much about COVID stopping my travels, until I got COVID in Spain , got sick, then got better again.

Traveling on the coast I would meet people prepping for their trans Atlantic voyage, and started to realize that a trans Atlantic is perhaps not as daunting as I had always thought, but still this would be my first ocean crossing in a yacht. Turns out  the voyage from canneries islands to the carrabean is a very safe and comfortable passage, with the trade winds blowing constantly from the NW at 15-25 knots all year, so right on the quarter, or straight down wind. It’s the perfect trip for any sailor who is not super experienced.

But I didn’t want my mast to snap… so I inspected it closely, before the voyage and deliberately left a full sail up in 25-30 knots of wind on a few ocasiones,..pushing my luck… but the mast stayed strong, with no signs of stress cracks developing, during the passage I was the opposite, sailing very conservatively. But with the wind from behind, and not too strong, the mast did not seem to be too stressed, and I had a couple of smaller spars onboard , just in case I needed to made a jury  rig to get me to the other side, in case the worst happened.

If anyone has any questions Im happy to a answer.

Simon

NS 423

Martinique.

[Kevin S. McQuiston]

Thank you! I'm a full-time Captain on the West Coast and am planning to voyage a Nonsuch soon. Thanks for the intel!

Be well,

Capt Kevin McQuiston

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[Mike BIANKA]

Simon

First I'd like to hear more about how you epoxied the mast joint. Prep and photos would be great if you have any.

Mike

BIANKA

30U

Long Island

[Bob Neches (Me Gusta, Nonsuch 26U #233)]

Everyone interested in these questions might want to look at the material on the INA website at Nonsuch.org  under the MEMBERS  - MAINTENANCE tab, where there are five different documents that bear on the topic. 

Relevant ones to this question include:

• Under "Hinterhoeller Memos", take a look at "Mast Joints sm88-02.pdf," a 1988 factory bulletin on how to epoxy mast joints
  
  
• Under "SPARS & RIGGING TECHNICAL INFO" there  are two general articles on assessing and caring for our masts: "Maintenance of spars.pdf," and "Mast 1985 reprint.pdf" (the latter was also republished in a recent INA Update publication).
  
  
• Also under the same subheading is: "N36 mast repair report.pdf" a really interesting pictorial description of repairing stress cracks on a 36 rig
  
  
• And last, but definitely not least, under that same subheading is: "Rob Mazza comments on Nonsuch off-shore sailing .pdf" a five-page 1991 list of recommended modifications for safety if taking a Nonsuch offshore.  Mazza, who is now an editor of Good Old Boat magazine, was at the time working under the Nonsuch designer Mark Ellis.
  
  
• Also on Nonsuch.org under the MEMBERS tab for ARTICLES is "No Visible Means of Support GOB 9:10 2020.pdf".  This is a reprint from a really informative  recent article by Rob Mazza on the technical issues of freestanding rigs.
  

In addition, Mike Quill (who folks may recognize as the original yacht rigger for Nonsuches) also has a good pictorial on his website.  That one is at: https://www.mqyr.com/joint_repair.html

As far as I've been able to discover, there are no cases of in which age alone is a failure cause, nor any failures in a mast which has been properly maintained or repaired by following the guidelines in these documents.

(A previous owner of my boat, however, did manage to bend the original mast beyond repair.  He did it by snagging the topping lift on a buoy in San Francisco Bay while trying to cut too close when rounding it as a mark in a race.  Thanks to him and his insurance company, it now sports a nice carbon fiber replacement.)

-- Bob

   Me Gusta

   Nonsuch 26U #233

[peter millington]

I would like very much to know more regarding your Atlantic voyage.  We keep our 30 ultra in La Conner WA.

Peter Millington

30 ultra

Jasmine

https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/INA-Nonsuch-Discussion-Group/d69189d3-8357-4878-93f0-9659dab44fb1n%40googlegroups.com

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[Simon James]

Hi Mark

Yes, auto pilots are famous for breaking down, and my one had a damaged seal that leaked from the begging, no help from the supplier, and no chance of a repair in Cape Verde, so we hand steered. The auto pilot was 3 weeks work, and around 6k USD, all for nothing in the end, but hand steering with 3 people was fine really, 2 hrs on, 4 hrs off.

[Simon James]

Hi Ernie

Thanks, I’m not super experienced I would say , the conditions are very helpful on this passage, I would say you have more chance of danger sailing on a bad weekend in the NE USA, than on 2 weeks crossing in trade winds,  you would just to be self sufficient if something did happen.

[Simon James]

Hi Bob

It was hard to find info on mast breakages, apparently mast did break in the early years. But I reasoned that maybe this reputation had grown bigger than the reality. Of the masts that have broken in the last twenty years or so I wonder how many have broken at the mast joint? How many due to holes drilled in the lower 10’,how many due to corrosion growing behind pulley brackets?

If your mast is old but has little corrosion, no holes drilled, and has had the mast joint permanently bonded, then could it still snap suddenly ? I wonder if this has ever happened in normal ( let’s say under 35 knots) sailing conditions?

[Simon James]

Hi mike

Mast repair was reasonably straight forward,  pulled the mast apart, cleaned joint well before sanding (80grt) then acentoned everything

and mixed up about 1 lt of GFlex, with some 406 thickener/bonding silica, then being sure to cover well all halyards and cables. I also used plastic nylon as a spacer to ensure there was space (for epoxy ) all around the circumference of the joint. Then pull mast together (I used block and tackle). Then you have about 40 min to make sure your alignment is perfect.

Job took about 4 days as I was very cautious  about everything.

[Sprio]

Hi Mike,

Did you use the wishbone rig or did you use the Hallberg mainsail all the way? 

Our crossing was a 180 flat down wind sail (Cabo Verde to Suriname) and luckily the boat did not have troubles sailing like that. The swells and waves we had were at some times enough to add serious speed to our heavy 36ft boat going down a wave close to surfing.  

How about that Nonsuch?

mark, n36#25, europe-NL

[Bob Neches (Me Gusta, Nonsuch 26U #233)]

Of the masts that have broken in the last twenty years or so I wonder how many have broken at the mast joint? How many due to holes drilled in the lower 10’,how many due to corrosion growing behind pulley brackets?

Very good question.  I don't have an answer, and would love to know, too.   Most of the breakages are now so far in the past that the information's hard to track down; note that all the material from the factory was 1991 or earlier. 

I've spent too much of my career being cautioned by lawyers to never say never, so I definitely do not want to be cited as saying a breakage can't happen now.

I think I've been fairly comprehensive about reviewing historical materials in the hands of the INA, however, as well as monitoring reports for the last five years.

The one report I've seen of a Nonsuch mast failure during that period was from Ward Woodruff in this discussion group (https://groups.google.com/g/ina-nonsuch-discussion-group/c/oo2p0CN3p2Q/m/tGqEAi19AQAJ) in Feb 2021.   It was at the bolts connecting the two pieces of his mast, and occurred in choppy waters in 20 knots of wind according to him.  

The older reports that I've seen of failures that occurred after the initial spate that prompted the factory advice were in boats offshore in much heavier conditions.  It seems that they had not secured the wishbone boom while bashing under power in much heavier conditions, and the breakages were blamed on that being a factor.

Another question to ask, for which I have no answer, is: has there been any cases of a mast failing  despite being regularly inspected and having all factory-recommended best practices applied?

-- Bob

   Me Gusta

   Nonsuch 26U #233

[Simon James]

Hi Mark

Yes, there was allot of surfing that was done over the 2 weeks, I used the halberg main sail for three days when we had the stronger winds(25knts - see pic) but the rest was done with the Nonsuch sail with  2 reefs in most of the time ( I have 3 reefs possable in my mainsail)

For the last third of the crossing the wind is straight behind you more or less, so the boom is all the way out. I estimate we dipped the boom in the water about 200 times, no damage done.The fixed double sided ‘spiniker pole rig’ worked  better than the Nonsuch mainsail is light winds ( with a spiniker) or in 25knots plus (with the halberg mainsail), due to no boom dipping, no risk of gybing, very little stress on mast, and the power of the sail being inline with the boat, not out to one side.

In all other conditions the Nonsuch sail was easier to set up and change sail area with, more versatile.

Nonsuches are quite light construction, and have so much bouncy aft that no matter how big the waves , some  20ft +, the boat always popped up, and never felt threatened by the following sea at all.

Simon

[Simon James]

[Ernie Abugov N22 - #56 "Moustaches" Toronto]

Amazing ...... honestly. So well thought out.

Ernie A. in Toronto

[Michael Girardo]

I think we should name your spinnaker setup the Simon Nonsuch Hammerhead rig. After the hammerhead shark profile. That's thinking out of the box.

Question 1:

 I assume you started out with all brand new lines and halyard. If not how old were the lines and did you notice any points where the lines were wearing and'or chafing while sailing 24/7?

Question 2:

Did you rig the boat with a second halyard?

Mike

BIANKA

1986 30U

Long Island

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[Simon James]

Hi Mike

Yes, Julie Marie had two halyards when I bought her, one comes out on the fwd side of the mast, and one on the aft side, i I replaced the old 10 mm  fwd halyard with a new 14 mm line, very little chaffing occurred on the trip, but I adjusted lines a few inches every 2 days where possable to avoid any potential chaff spots, but all was ok I. The end.

[Simon James]

Hi bob, yes, would be good to mow, but no records were ever keeper my anyone, so perhaps the best info is the reports people have heard about on this discussion group… and haven’t heard yet of a brackage that gave no warning signs..

Simon 

NS432

Martinique  

[Mark Powers La Reina 26C Vancouver, B.C.]

Julie Marie is far traveled. In the Summer 2009 edition of the Update p. 8 is an article about here travels to the Baltic.

Mark Powers

[Simon James]

Hi Mark

Interesting, the owner before me had her 20 years, and said he took here up there. To Denmark. She spent her first few years in Spain, with the name ‘lazy jack’ and I have plaque saying she was at D Day comemeratiins in Normandy.( early 2000).

If she was blessed with a carbon mast then I might have taken her thru Panama and back to NZ , but I think I  will sell her in the NE USA about a year from now.

Simon

[Mark Powers La Reina 26C Vancouver, B.C.]

Simon,

 In the Winter 2011 Update at page 19 (INA website) there is a an article "INA Presentations at the Toronto Boat Show which includes a brief discussion of aluminium vs carbon fibre masts.

Mark Powers

[alst...@aol.com]

Simon, give your head a shake, sail her back to NZ !  What a wonderful finale for a marvelous ship and an incredible voyage.  Then there would be two Nonsuch in your home waters, you would be the shining stars at every regatta !

Alan Steward

MagnifiCat 

Sent from the all-new AOL app for Android

On Tue., 5 Apr. 2022 at 2:05 p.m., Simon James

<ogle...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Mike]

Simon

I've got a question on how much water you carried. 

Did you just use the tankage on your Nonsuch or did you have a watermaker on board. 

Did you carry any extra jugs.

Did you gather any water during rains on the trip?

Mike

BIANKA

1986 30U

Long Island

biankablog.blogspot.com 

https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/INA-Nonsuch-Discussion-Group/892934833.1161421.1649185707165%40mail.yahoo.com

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[Simon James]

Hi Mike

My boat has been in Europe most of her life where waste water tanks are less common than nth America, so When I bought her she had 3 water tanks, instead of 2 water , even so we weren’t taking any chances and I took another 150 Lt in 10 liter containers
So all up I had about 500lt (125 gallons) onboard. We didnt fresh water shower.. 

we only used around half this amount, so with 3 people on board for 15 days or so, that works out at 8.3 gallons per day.

Which means 1.4 gallons per person, per day, which sounds about right.

Simon

[Mike]

Simon

Great water usage numbers for three people. Even with access to water I prefer cockpit showers after swimming. My 80 gallons of onboard storage lasts almost the whole season because of this. 

Did you have any solar or wind systems on board or did you fire up the diesel for battery charging? 

Mike

BIANKA

1986 30U

biankablog.blogspot.com 

https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/INA-Nonsuch-Discussion-Group/20eeff5e-e03a-41e6-80d6-c3a720a47d0bn%40googlegroups.com

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