After my fun-packed (huh!) weekend in Miami I got back to Fort Lauderdale around midday yesterday (Monday), just in time for an extended lunch on the terrace while pondering the tasks lying ahead of me. However I suddenly jumped out of my comfy chair and into the car, otherwise I’d have been there all day. I’ve discovered that I can spend far too much time thinking about everything that needs doing, and the best way to get things done is just to get on with it.
Luckily the yard had been doing exactly that in my absence, and Odyssey now sports a rather dashing blue bottom. We sailors spend a lot of time and effort keeping our bottoms looking nice and it’s not just for cosmetic reasons, as a coating of slime and barnacles soon affects our performance. And it looks ugly.
I used to scrape, sand and antifoul my old boat myself but after gazing at Odyssey’s considerably larger nether regions I found the whole idea rather daunting, especially in this heat, so decided to delegate to the ever-helpful Pier 17 team. Wise decision, methinks!
Another recent improvement is my brand new Autoprop, of which I’m very proud. Propellors are handy things when the engine’s running as they convert the torque into forward motion, and it’s important to match the propellor size and pitch (angle of the blades) to the boat and engine or you’ll end up whisking the water into a froth while going nowhere fast. Odyssey’s prop was definitely all wrong, being far too small, and also one of the blades was bent which really didn’t help.
However, once we turn the engine off and start sailing then the propellor becomes a liability as the blades generate a lot of drag, slowing the boat down by as much as a knot or so. This has led to the popularity of props with folding or feathering blades which greatly reduce drag, with the blades popping back into place when the engine is started.
Shiny new Autoprop
I decided to go one better and get what is supposed to be the best propellor you can get for a yacht in the sense that it is far more efficient when motoring than a conventional prop, but also reduces drag by around 85% when sailing. It’s all thanks to very cunningly designed blades which each rotate independently and freely around their own axis. Under power they automatically adjust their pitch to suit the exact engine speed, thus producing more power for less fuel. When sailing the blades align themselves to the water flowing past to minimise drag.
Unfortunately quality doesn’t come cheap, and this particular one cost an arm and a leg and had to be made specially for Odyssey in England, but it finally arrived on Friday and is now looking rather swish on the end of my shaft. Let’s hope it delivers all it promises!
PS. Arlene has now departed and the sun is shining again, so I’m pleased to report that I have been able to resume my daily sizzle on the beach. But don’t fret, dear reader, as I only go there for the hottest couple of hours after lunch, then go back to work on the boat just as everyone else in the yard is knocking off, so I’m being sensible – not lazy!