Marine Knife

A week or so ago I purchased a couple of marine knives for Dave and I to take with us on our sailing trip.    I got them in the mail a few days ago.  At first, I ordered just one for him, but then I called them back and asked them to modify the order so I could have one for myself, too.   On past trips, we've always carried on our baggage and so we didn't even considering bringing a knife.  However, for longer trips and on trips in which we will fly into larger island airports, such as St Martin, we end up checking our bags.  So I thought it would be a good idea to equip ourselves with knives for this trip.

I actually didn't know much at all about the type of knife we should have, but my primary concern was that one of us or one of the crew could become entangled in the lines on the boat, and we needed a way to cut the lines.  The kitchen knives that are stocked on the boat are not suited to cut even a dill pickle,  let alone a line. 

I ordered these knives from Mauri Pro Sailing (http://www.mauriprosailing.com), an online sailing shop that I used once before to order some sailing gloves.  While they don't have a huge selection of knives,  it's fine for our purposes.    I ended up ordering the Gill Marine Tool for a very reasonable $29 each.  This tool has a knife with a 6cm serrated blade, a marlin spike, and a shackle tool.   It comes with a carrying case that attaches to your belt.  Some marine tools come with a smooth blade, but I felt the serrated blade would be a better choice for cutting through lines.  I think the marlin spike will come in hand for removing knots from lines that were overlooked by the boat preparation team.   

Since my knife  purchase, I have found out that the TSA  will begin to allow passengers to carry on small pocket knives beginning April 26, 2013.   I checked on the regulations for these knives, and I believe this knife will pass through the security checkpoint if we do need to carry on.  The TSA regulation permits knives that a a maximum 6cm non-locking blade that is up to 1/2 inch wide.    I am not sure if the marlin spike will be permitted, but the knife should not be a problem.

Now I just need to figure out how I'm going to attach mine to my bathing suit!

Welcome to the new Blog!

Welcome to my new blog!

I think you will enjoy this blog if you are a fairly new to cruising, if you are interested in easy to prepare vegan meals, or if you just like to read about food and sailing!

My partner Dave and I are amateur sailors and have been sailing for about 4 years now.   We decided a few years ago that sailing would be a great way to see the British Virgin Islands, so we signed up for a few classes at our local sailing school here in Colorado (http://victoriasailingschool.com/), got our basic certifications, rented a boat in the BVI and went sailing for a week!  Now we are hooked and take every opportunity to we can to get away and enjoy a sailing adventure.

We were omnivores when we first began to sail.  Late in 2009 we switched to primarily a plant-based diet, eliminating all animal products from our diet.  Our first sailing adventure as vegans meant that we ate a lot of peanut butter and jelly while under sail, and a lot of salads while relaxing on the boat.  Grilling vegetables just didn't seem to have the same appeal as grilling a fresh-caught snapper.  And scouring the tropical grocery stores for ingredients to use in a vegan recipe is not exactly how I prefer to spend my free time on the island.   When eating at restaurants, it's often difficult to order items that are strictly vegan, so we'll often ask for a vegetarian option. 

We have really improved both as a team and individually.  Every trip we go on we learn something new about sailing or about ourselves.  While I really intend this blog to be focused on the challenges of preparing healthful, simple vegan meals while on a sailing excursion, I think that there will be several opportunities to discuss what we are learning with regard to sailing and vegan cooking in general  so other new sailors and new vegans can also take advantage of my experiences.  Please feel free to comment on any post!  I'd love for you to share your experiences, too!

Preparations for the Trip: Let's Tie one on!

Today felt like a good day to begin organizing the trip we are going to take with  5 other friends in May.  We are headed to St. Martin for a 10 day bareboat charter with Sunsail.    Dave and I sailed there a few months ago for the first time and had a really great time.    We liked the island, the French Flair, and all of the little anchorages around the island.  Anguilla was really beautiful, too, and an easy sail from St Martin.  We did not get down to St. Barth's on that trip, so we need to go back.

We decided to ask a few of our friends to join us on the next trip.  We have found that as newer captains and first mate, it's best if we go someplace on our own before asking a crew to join us.  That way we will know what we are in for!

This time we will have two people on our boat that have never sailed before - Marty and Nikki.  We are excited to introduce them to this new experience.

Since it has been well over a year since our last group trip and because we have some new crew members, I thought I would send out an email today with instructions on tying some of the knots we often use while sailing.

The knots I suggested everyone learn are:


Cleat Hitch: (may be difficult to practice without a cleat, but take a look at how a good one looks).  This knot is used for various things, such as tying the dinghy to the boat, securing a mooring harness.
http://watercraft.wonderhowto.com/how-to/tie-cleat-knot-easily-250534/

Clove Hitch:  This knot is used for tying fenders to the boat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aewgmUeHpuE


Bowline: A secure loop knot used for various things, such as man overboard.
http://www.animatedknots.com/bowline/index.php?Categ=boating&LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

Round Turn and two half hitches: One of the many knots that can be used to secure a boat or dinghy to a piling:
http://www.animatedknots.com/roundturn/index.php


I actually enjoy learning how to tie knots.  I think it's one of the fun parts of sailing.  I hope the rest of the crew will agree.

The most problematic knot for me is the darned cleat hitch.  I can get it perfectly right about 3/4 of the time, but sometimes it is just impossible.    I wish I had a cleat mounted to a board so I could practice.  They don't sell them at Home Depot here in Colorado, and I've searched online but they are going for $40-$70 (and more!)

I am also beginning to think about the menu for our trip.  More on that later!