Hi Folks,
One of the first things I did when I purchased my 83, 22 C-dory Angler was to fill in the sides of the Motor well with storage lockers. I then made a splash board to bring the hight of the forward part of the motor well up to the hight of the storage lockers, which about 2" below the deck. (Got this idea from Magoo a few years ago.) The board is held on by four slide bolts.
I have a bulge pump on a removable board so it sits in the indentation by the drain plug. To this day, I don't know how it works, because I have never had enough water in the boat.
On my trip from New Bedford to Nantucket in 25 to 35 knot winds, I had no problem, but I was always thinking about a poop wave.
As for an electric anchor hoist, that is in the works for next year. while out anchored in Nantucket Harbor, the wind piped up. the tide turned creating the problem of tide and wind going the same way. It took some doing to get the anchor in, so I decided that Bill Ferio is right. An anchor windless beats a chiroproctor's bill.
It takes stories like the CD swamping to wake us up and rethink things. The 22' C-dory is a great boat, but it does not have the self-bailing cockpit. We have to watch our weather, but for that we get great economy and versitility. I was on a 22' Glacier Bay twin hull, with twin 150's the other day. Great stability and speed, but at one gallon per nautical mile. We get about five nautical miles per gallon on my 75, four stroke Yahama. You can not beat that.
Before going out on patrol yesterday with the USCGAux, we had to make out a GAR Form. This form is a risk assessment for taking in the boat, crew, leadership (me), the weather conditions, the area, and the difficulty of the patrol. (Towing exercise is more difficult than showing the flag.) I made it out without getting feedback from the crew, and got called down for it. After the Senior Chief explained it and its use, I relaxed that it is something all of us should use when going out. The process makes us think about what we are doing, and how dangerous it may be, or could get to be, because it reminds us of what we are doing.
GAR stands for Green, Amber, and Red. We add up the numbers, and if it is under, say 22, it is a good (green), if it is over, say 30, then we review it to see if it is a go or no-go. Over,say, 30, we stay ashore. This GAR came about after a Coast Guard Boat was lost on the Niagara River. If the Risk Assessment was done, they would not have gone.
If I had done a GAR Report before leaving New Bedford, I would never have left. (Oh, but what a great experience.)
As for PFCs. When we teach safe boating classes in the Auxiliary, we can not emphasize enough the importance of wearing a PFC. When I do the lecture on Boating Equiptment at the BS&S Course, I wear tan inflatable PFC that I wear all season long. I tell the students that if it is comfortable, you will wear it. It works.
Thank you for letting me share.
Fred Heap