My jaw ached from hours of clenching. My fingers grew numb from white-knuckling the companionway as a brace. We were crossing the Sea of Cortez from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with our course set for Chacala on the mainland. There, we planned to rendezvous with my partner’s family.  

We had disobeyed the cardinal rule of cruising: You can choose a time or a place, but you can’t choose both. 

Despite the weather reports predicting sporty winds blowing into the 20s with moderate northwest swells, we were 40 miles southeast of Cabo when the northwest swell grew to 10 to 12 feet, every six to eight seconds, breaking frequently over the beam of our 41-foot Cheoy Lee sailboat, Avocet. The wind was sporty, as predicted, but at a much higher speed of 25 knots sustained with chronic gusts into the mid-30s from behind us.

I was on the first watch of the night, my harness clipped into our dodger, my eyes on the horizon. The only light to fill the ink-black space ahead of us came from the breaking waves that painted the sea with moments of phosphorescence.

Then, the faint glow of the moon began to rise. It was around that time that things took a turn for the worse. 

Bang is a sound you never want to hear at sea, let alone at night. Chris sprung from below as I tried to free myself from the dodger. “What was that?” he asked, thinking we had hit something. 

“It came from the rig!” I yelled over the deafening wind and sea. “I can’t see anything!” 

It took a few moments to realize that our 130 percent genoa that was heavily reefed had completely unfurled, leading us to become overpowered very quickly.

We disengaged our autopilot and immediately broke off, putting the swell more on our aft quarter to prevent further rounding up. Avocet became a sled with hull speeds into the double digits as we tried to figure out a plan. 

I clipped into the helm. Chris secured himself to the jack lines and walked to the bow with a new furling line in hand. 

In horror, I watched waves break over the bow and snuff out his headlamp. He would soon realize that our furling line had chafed through at the drum. 

At first, he tried to install the new furling line within the drum, but there was no way he could get enough wraps. Chris returned to the cockpit to grab another line, kissed me on the forehead, gave me a reassuring smile, and scrambled back to the bow. He attached the bitter end of the line to the sail’s tack and wrapped as many loops around the top of the drum as he could, essentially creating an external furling unit. 

Then, Chris sat, feet braced against our bulwark, and pulled in the furling line. The wind was howling, but it couldn’t muffle his cheers as the sail began to furl in. 

We then used the same technique as dousing our spinnaker to have our main sail shade the genoa, removing as much power as we could from the sail before blowing the sheet to make it easier to pull it in. Once the secondary furling line was secured to a cleat, Chris could remove the defunct line within the drum, install the new one, and reef the sail again to get us back on course. 

This was a worst-case scenario for a furler failure, but the method worked in a pinch. It prevented us from having to pull down the sail, which would have increased risk for us and for Avocet. In high winds, you should actively avoid coming into irons because there is a high probability that it will shred your sails to oblivion or tangle your lines. Or both.

In calmer seas later, after further investigation, we concluded that the furler drum had been set incorrectly and went undetected until the furler line was tested under tension, causing the abrupt chafe and snap. Ever since then, we have reset the furler drum and replaced the line, and have not had a single issue in the additional 2,000 nautical miles under our keel. 

We hope you never have to try this yourself, but we urge you to run through a Plan B, C and D if you should ever experience a failure like this.

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Marine technology manufacturer DAVCO has announced the launch of its new AquaChocks removable and adjustable chock system.

The Gold Coast, Australia-based company’s new AquaChocks product provides stability of a secure cradle system for storage of tenders and personal watercraft (PWC) while underway, giving boaters peace of mind while out on the water.

Synthetic grip pads keep the tender in place without causing damage to the hull. When not in use, AquaChocks can be completely removed to leave a true flush deck surface and eliminate trip hazards. The chock is designed to fit a wide variety of tenders and PWCs, while the adjustable design ensures a snug fit to keep all sizes and shapes of watercraft secure.

Built with 316 stainless steel, AquaChocks is designed to survive the harsh maritime environment with long-lasting durability and a mirror finish that shines.

“We know that no matter the size of your vessel, deck space is at a premium,” said DAVCO CEO George Geros. “The innovation behind the AquaChock system is that it is a secure system for stowing your watercraft, adjustable to be perfectly tailored to each vessel and removable allowing users to reclaim valuable deck space when not in use. We believe that this system will change the way you use and stow your dinghy.”

AquaChocks are available in two kits to offer versatility. The AquaChocks Foredeck kit is designed for installation in the forward deck and includes chock mounting brackets for stability without the need of drilling deep into the deck.

The rear AquaChocks kit features a vertical support to keep the tender or PWC secure when facing forward. Swim platforms provide easy launching and access to a tender or PWC.

The release notes that both kits have been designed to ensure maximum stability and safety of a tender when stored. For more flexibility, the chocks can be removed from the bases, allowing boaters to enjoy the swim platform area when the tender is in the water.

AquaChocks come in a tough case which includes everything to safely store a tender of PWC, including hardware, tie down straps and more. The case acts as storage on board when the chocks are removed, allowing owners to keep all the equipment in one place.

The AquaChocks start at $1,749 and can be installed professionally at the boatyard or by savvy do-it-yourselfers. The kit comes with a QR code with detailed installation videos. AquaChocks are also fully customizable for a variety of uses.

The post AquaChocks: Secure Tender Storage, Simplified appeared first on Cruising World.