Time's a Flyin'

Well, hello there.
It has been a few months since either of us have put words to screen for our Flota-Navium blog.
Jeff's new Kingfisher Craftsmen business has kept him hopping--so much so that a 65-foot annex had to be erected next to the original boat shop and there are now five boats underneath the tent.

For myself, I've spent the last three months putting 76,341 words to a manuscript. I am at chapter 26--there are 14 more chapters to go. (Needless to say, blog-time is low on my radar).

If you'd like to read an excerpt from the upcoming novel, entitled "Sea of a Thousand Words", you can click on the link and peruse Chpt 7. (My advice to you would be, don't read it if you've booked a vacay at the Oregon Coast anytime soon).  

Astoria's bridge (pre mega-quake).

Chapter excerpt from "Sea of a Thousand Words"







Jeff has promised to sit down and write a few posts about the various projects on some of these classic yachts he has in the tent. Right now, we have a Stephens 48-ft yacht and a Chris-Craft as well as a 1927 Ashcroft sloop, not to mention the new-to-us Lightning Bianca that will join Zeta, (both are classic wooden daysailers from the early 1940s).

Additionally, he will be blogging about the projects in store for our 36-ft Magellan ketch Sugaree, due to be hauled out in the next few weeks for some pretty serious off-shore refitting and re-powering.
(Plans for our South Pacific cruising are definitely still in the works, just got to get that kid through her freshman/sophomore year at University).

--But hey, that's Jeff's job to write about. Mine is to check back in and reconnect with our blogging friends and followers.
Rest assured more adventures to come!


I hope that you enjoy the chapter from my latest project. I am truly having a blast writing about it. (yeah, sorry 'bout that, Astoria).

You'll be hearing more from us again soon... Promise.


~ Chris and Jeffery

Calculating the Breaking Strength of Line...

2.5 X 1.57² X 900 = 5, 546 pounds of breaking strength

"Knots and splices will reduce the breaking strength of a line by as much as 50 to 60 percent. The weakest point in the line is the knot or slice, but a splice is stronger than a knot."

      Walk down the docks at any given time and take a gander at how the various boats are secured... 

     Now you have your yachties- the weekend (if that), warriors whose fiberglass boats are docked 90% of the year. The main issue with these vessels are that they have all sorts of expensive braided synthetic lines to moor the craft with, but usually are all run from the same hawse hole to the same cleat. (Same spots orignating and terminating)...So, if there is going to be a failure, what makes them think that doubling up is going to work? (and that is really not "doubling up")

     Now, the fishing fleet, (big sturdy lines made fast in varying terminating points) -  the common problem is thus: [see photo to left].  Most fishermen are reluctant to drop any money on their boats or gear until they absolutely positively have to do so....resulting in frayed dock lines and bulwarks that are rusting or rotting away.  This puts the tension on the weakest link in the chain, so to speak.

[the best part of this photo is that the line that looks as if it is two lines doubled, is actually the same line wrapped twice... So when it frays through, the entire moorage point is a lost cause!]

     The boat next to us has three of the five dock lines abraded away to almost nothing.  I wish I had a formula for what the breaking strength of a synthetic line is when it gets to THAT point... not good I wager.

Having seen a 3/4" line snap under strain (and been fortunate enough to not witness the cleat come flying overhead-- I put great stock in correctly and safely tying vessels correctly to the dock.

On the other hand, there haven't been any runaways in the marina this year....yet.