Sailing
Chavurah
Cruising Guidelines
Although Sailing Chavurah members enjoy activities both on and off the water the real heartbeat of our club lies in what we do on the water. And what we do most that brings us together is cruise to near and far locations. We communicate via VHF radio and, sometimes when we’re lucky, we get the chance to brush with each other on our ways to and from cruise locations and we raft together when we get there.
In
order to make the trip to a destination more enjoyable, encourage informative
and friendly communication and assure safe and effective raft ups, these
guidelines for cruising are offered.
II.
Signing Up
III.
Cruising to a Location
A. Radio Communication
Since very few boats sail from the same location it is both beneficial and enjoyable to “link in” to the rest of the flotilla at your earliest convenience.
Boats on a cruise should communicate via VHF Channel 9. Skippers, including the Cruise Director, ordinarily monitor VHF Channel 9. The channel to which hailing boats then switch should be a “standard” for the day or for the entire cruise.
It is every skipper’s prerogative to intermittently monitor Channel 16 or the weather channels.
B. Reaching the Destination
Skippers are encouraged to freely request and relay information on routes, waterway entrance considerations, aids to navigation and other information that may facilitate the safe and timely arrival of all cruisers. Early-arriving boats should disseminate any pertinent route and navigation information to boats that are still enroute.
When approaching the
rafting site, arriving boats should hail on the VHF for final information and
directions.
IV.
Rafting
When the cruise/leg destination is an anchorage, boats may cluster together in the spirit of camaraderie and sharing. This clustering, where one or more boats drop anchor and tie up to each other, is called rafting. Boats reaching the destination are free to either anchor by themselves or join a raft.
A. Establishing a Raft
A raft is begun as soon as a boat sets an anchor. The skipper of the boat that sets the anchor is referred to as the Raft Captain. The raft increases in size as other boats tie onto the one(s) already in the raft. At the Raft Captain’s request or with the Raft Captain’s permission, one or more additional boats may set an anchor; the skippers of these boats should coordinate their roles as anchor boats with the Raft Captain.
The composition of a raft is anywhere from 2 up to about 8 or 9 boats, depending on size and weight of the boats, weather conditions, and preference of the raft and/or Raft Captain.
Typically, one of the larger boats, with larger anchor and ground tackle, will take on the role of anchor boat (and Raft Captain). Being the anchor boat is a voluntary job – no boat irrespective of size is required to be the anchor boat. The intent, when possible, is to congregate the larger and heavier boats in the center of the raft with the boats getting progressively lighter toward the (port and starboard) raft ends.
Matching size and weight on starboard and port sides is an important consideration for anchor holding ability, security of the raft and safety of the rafted boats. It is the role of the Raft Captain to regulate the order (and side of the raft) in which boats are added. It is the Raft Captain who determines the number of boats on the raft and decides each boat’s location in the raft.
The decision to declare a raft as completed, with possible startup of an additional one, should normally be a joint decision by the Raft Captain and Cruise Director. The decision to break up a raft for anchor holding or other safety reasons is a decision of the Raft Captain. Of course, any boat should feel at liberty to leave the raft based on its own considerations for safety and comfort.
B. Rafting Gear
Every boat in the raft should minimally have the following gear:
1. Two adequate-sized fenders to act as a buffer between the subject boat and the boat onto which it is tying. Manufacturer fender sizing guidelines, for fenders having a continuous hole through the center, are:
· 25’-40’ boats – 8” x 20”
· 40’-60’ boats – 10” x 26”
2. Four
lines, preferably nylon or other designated docking line: 2 bow and stern
breast lines and 2 fore and aft spring lines.
The
diameter of all lines should be equal to the boat’s regular docking or anchor
lines. The spring lines should be at
least 80% of the length of the boat.
Since any boat in the raft may be a candidate as an anchor boat (first or additional), boats should carry an adequate anchor and ground tackle. An anchor boat should have ground tackle capable of holding a raft of several boats in normal situations. An oversized anchor and long chain, with at least 7:1 scope, make rafting feel much more comfortable during the night.
As a measure of comfort for both crew and boat 2 additional fenders are recommended; use them where most needed on either side of the boat.
Also, as needed, any boat in the raft must be ready to set an anchor light and to operate its motor for maneuvering or breaking up the raft.
C. Joining a Raft
When the anchor boat has set its anchor, deployed its fenders and is prepared to accept boats that will tie on to it, the Raft Captain will notify the members of the fleet that they may join the raft. Boats usually join a raft on a first-come-first-served basis but size/weight considerations might suggest otherwise.
A boat already in the raft is designated as an inside or receiving boat. A boat joining the raft is referred to as an outside or arriving/approaching boat.
When, after communicating with the anchor boat, a boat has been designated as next to join the raft, it approaches on the side (port or starboard) of the raft specified by the Raft Captain. The arriving boat should visually/verbally verify that the inside boat is ready to receive it.
The boat joining the raft should have deployed its 2 largest fenders facing the inside boat. When joining the raft, if possible, the boat should approach from astern. A crewmember of the approaching boat should be at or near the bow ready to pass or toss the end of the bow breast line to crew stationed about midships (fore and aft) on the receiving boat; likewise for crew near the sterns of the approaching and receiving boats.
While paralleling the inside boat the approaching boat should coast to a stop. Rather than bumping into the inside boat the approaching boat should stand off at some small distance and the bow and stern breast lines should be used to pull the outside boat to the raft. The arriving boat should be under control of its skipper and crew at all times while approaching and must not power into position anticipating that one or both crews will arrest boat motion and bring the boat under control.
Starting with the bow line, ends of the bow and stern lines are handed off to the inside boat. The ends should not contain a loop. With the crews making sure that the fenders are effectively placed, the bow and stern lines are made secure, i. e., cleated, on each boat. Skippers of each boat should ensure that the cleating is to their satisfaction. By cleating, rather than using a loop, either boat can free itself up, i. e., initiate separation, at any time during the raftup. The breast lines should be adjusted so that the fore and aft centerlines are parallel. Spring lines are applied to minimize back and forth surging motion between the boats, establish desired relative fore and aft position, and to ensure that the athwartships plane of the masts and spreaders are separated by at least 2 feet.
D. Modifying a Raft
If a boat has special rafting needs or a desire to break off prior to the time the raft will be breaking up, the Raft Captain should be so informed prior to joining so that provision can be made to accommodate those special needs.
If at all possible, a boat planning to leave early should be an outside boat in the raft. Despite well-laid plans it may still be necessary to slip a boat into or out of a raft, i. e., bring a boat into, or have a boat leave, an inside position in the raft.
1.
Slipping
an Inside Boat Out of a Raft
2.
Bringing
a Boat Into the Inside of a Raft
E. Breaking Up a Raft
While most rafts stay together throughout the
night, severe weather, storm threat or other potential for a raft dragging
anchor or excessive boat motion are causes for breaking up the raft. The Raft
Captain decides if and when a raft will be broken up, and has the
responsibility to communicate clearly the decision to all boats in the raft.
F. Dinghies
G. Rafting Dos and Don’ts
There are many aspects to rafting and much detail on things recommended and discouraged that it would serve us well to have thumbnail lists of dos and don’ts:
1. Rafting Dos
a. Before joining a raft make sure that 1) you have the “go-ahead” from the Raft Captain, 2) you have identified the location of the inside boat and 3) the inside boat is ready to receive you.
b. Have at least 2 large fenders on board. When joining the raft, deploy the fenders to face the inside boat; use any other fenders as you deem prudent including buffering the boat that will raft to you. Fenders should be rigged prior to approaching the raft.
c. Have 4 docking lines on board with which to tie up to the inside boat. The lines should be long enough to act as bow and stern breast lines and fore and aft spring lines with the boat you’re rafting up to.
d. Keep your boat under control when pulling alongside the receiving boat. Rather than “bulling” into the inside boat and its fenders, err on the side of caution and rely on crewmembers to toss and catch lines to pull the arriving boat abeam to the inside boat. Try for a distance of 3-5 feet between the parallel boats.
e. Place fenders at the points of greatest contact.
f. The crews of adjoining boats should approve of how docking lines they share are cleated.
g. Ensure that no portion of the masts, spreaders and shrouds of adjoining boats share the same athwartships plane.
h. The approaching boat should keep its engine running, but out of gear, until after docking is completed.
i. As soon as possible after your boat is secured, stand by to receive the next arriving boat.
j. Once the raft is established, when crossing other boats, always walk around deck in front of the mast to respect the privacy of those on board. Also try to step lightly, so as not to disturb those whose sleep patterns may be different than yours.
k. The anchor boat should be the last to leave the anchorage.
2. Rafting Don’ts
a. Don’t power up to the raft expecting others to arrest and control your boat.
b. Don’t inch up to the stern of the inside boat expecting others to “horse” your boat into position.
c. Don’t use loops to secure docking lines at any time on any boat in the raft.
V.
Assisting Other Boats
Any well-crewed boat out on the water has an implicit obligation to assist in maintaining the safety of any other boat and the people on it. That is why boats stand by to help in urgent or emergency situations. This should be especially true of boats on the same cruise.
If you can assist, do so. If you can only throw a line or a flotation device and wait for additional assistance, that may be all that is warranted in a given situation. Avoid endangering yourself or putting others at risk.
Conversely,
be prepared to take care of your own situations so that you won’t require
assistance. Common sense, safety and
knowledge of your vessel are the most important factors. However, when help is needed (and, at one
time or another, we all need it), don’t hesitate to ask for it.