NW Explorations
ELDEAN OPERATING MANUAL
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19
3B4: Shore Lines
When a shore line is required,
anchors are set 75 - 100 feet from
shore, with the boat backing toward
shore during anchor-setting. The
stern line is put around a tree, and
brought back to the boat. During this
process, be sure to keep clear of rocks
near the shore, and allow for our
Northwest tides, occasionally twelve
feet, and sometimes 20 feet when
further north! Check the present tide,
and high and low tides before beginning anchoring: No sense anchoring in 15 feet of water if you’re at the “top” of a 15
foot tide!
To get to the shore, you will need to have a dinghy down, and then have your mate keep the boat’s stern toward shore
with short bursts of reverse gear. Sometimes a helpful boater already anchored will help you by taking your line to shore
for you with his dinghy, a neat “good deed” that you might reciprocate. We’ve met some nice boaters this way!
The shore line is in the lazarette, and is long enough to usually allow taking it to a tree, around it, and back to the boat
so you don’t have to go ashore to untie when leaving. With a crew member keeping the boat in position, take the dinghy
to shore pulling the end of the shore line with you. Pass it around a tree, and pull it back to the boat if you can, since
then to get away in the morning all you have to do is release the bitter end from the boat, and pull it aboard. Pull the line
tight, as long as you’ve got over 100’ total of line out: there is plenty of sag/stretch, and we want to keep the boat in its
area! If necessary, put a crab pot float or fender on the line to warn others it’s there!
Here is a sketch of a properly anchored boat with a shore line (In this drawing, S=Scope, which should be at least 4 x DL,
the Depth at Low Tide):
3B5: Stabilizer
Eldean is equipped with a Wesmar stabilizing system operated by a hydraulic
pumps on an engine, with hydraulic oil from the tank in the engine room. The
stabilizers have a large fin protruding down at about a 60-degree angle to
the water’s surface on each side of the boat midships; like the ailerons on an
airplane they automatically tilt one way or other to keep the boat level about
its roll axis. In use, they therefore constantly changing position as necessary to
respond to any change in the boat’s roll axis.
Control for the stabilizers is via a panel overhead in at the lower helm. Turn the stabilizers “ON” with the on-off knob;
press the button to “Engage” them (the LED will so indicate”. You can adjust the boat’s trim with the “Trim” control, and
adjust the stabilizer’s “Sensitivity” with that control. (The “Dim” control is used to adjust the lighting intensity — it should
stay fully clockwise). A remote control is on the flybridge.
The stabilizers should be in the “standby” mode when not cruising
,
and anytime the vessel is in “Neutral” or “Reverse”
to prevent stressing them by having water pass over the fins backwards.
