TUFFY Preps for Alaska
Preparing a 25-foot Cruiser for the Inside Passage
Article by John Hughes
Only a matter of weeks now before embarking on another stab at Alaska via the Inside Passage. Thwarted two years ago in Devlin’s “Banjo” a 20-foot outboard cruiser, I was forced to return to Campbell River with a faulty starter, and then pinned atop the Strait of Georgia by a ten-day storm. I lost my time window and figured that was it for my Inside Passage ambitions. But as happens to old skippers with unrealized goals, I came upon a better design for this sort of solo adventure when Sam called to say that “Tuffy” was for sale (a Devlin Black Crown 25 I had some history with).
A malleable sail plan has me heading north and doesn’t turn south until Glacier Bay (about a thousand miles each way). I depart Port Townsend in mid May and hope to return by the end of July. I promised Josh at SCA I would send a few updates along the way, starting with a “Preparations” piece… keeping them short and, hopefully, of some interest to those harboring similarly crazy ambitions.
I’ve been busy this winter/spring working Tuffy’s checklist in her covered slip at MCYC on Multnomah Channel just outside Portland. A good day meant there was more checked-off the top than added to the bottom, although they were scarce. Making sure the engine was ready to go was top on the list, with cleaning out the the floats of the bilge pumps just below. Just figuring where to put everything, let alone what to bring, is a real challenge on a small boat. Every SCA reader knows “heavy” means down low, and an even dispersement from front to back and side to side—no wasted crannies—with frequently used items up top for easy access. Hours were spent on packing and repacking to find the right combination of replenishment provisions (2 boxes of 35 dinners and breakfasts each), tools, fluids and spare parts (Tuffy’s 66 hp Yammar 4 cylinder will need a servicing en route), guidebooks and all the assorted gear for staying alive in a remote waterway. I added some racks and hooks strategically to make the tiny galley more functional. I added shelving and more hooks to hold gear in the cabin. A new table leg, a few hammocks (and more hooks) down below will help stow bedding and clothing that need to be accessed daily. I’ve replaced multiple fittings, plugs and wires, unstuck some windows, repaired gaskets, drained/scoured/refilled the water tanks, repositioned some electronics (and added some more), updated the propane system and added a reserve tank, rigged up a stern tie system (utilizing an existing “Scotty” base plate by the transom) and way too many other little “must dos” to bore you with.
Anyone planning a long cruise in cold waters—especially alone—must have good ship- to-shore transportation. With the mothership being only 25-feet long and less than 8-feet wide, I faced a problem most small-boat cruisers have—where will the tender live out of the way and still be easily and quickly deployed. As a longtime trailersailer I’ve had a plethora of kayaks that I would tow or strap somewhere (inflated or delfated) out of the water but under the sails and away from the tiller. For this trip I wanted something that met these qualifications:
Allow me to board without getting wet
Can carry at least one other person
Have enough room to carry provisions and laundry
Possess the ability to cross the bay safely in pretty much any weather
Stow and maintain in “ready to go” condition
Stable enough I could—God forbid—grab my ditch kit to hop aboard in case our resident Orcas have learned some new tricks from their Portuguese brethren.
I love hard-sided dinghies, and one would look just right following Tuffy, but with her narrow beam (and just one of me on board) a right-sized inflatable with small outboard was the answer… and I found it in the Scout 245 Inflatable Raft paired with the EPropulsion EVO outboard.
The Scout comes in at just 8-feet long and a scant 3 1/2-feet wide, yet has big 14” tubes and a drop-stitch floor for stability. At about 40 pounds it can be manhandled by one guy, fit nicely atop Tuffy’s cabin top (even aside a cargo rack) when crossing the more exposed passages, and tow well behind her in protected waters. The transom is stout and there are oars and integrated locks for rowing… yet it’s narrow enough you can sit on the padded bench seat and paddle along with a kayak paddle (I plan to bring both but find the kayak paddle the ticket). The seat has a removable zippered bag hanging underneath to carry a patch kit, foot pump, water, lunch, phone and whatever else, and the bottom is reinforced with an extra layer of tough PVC for dragging up a rocky beach. The bow has a small air chamber to support a hitchhiker, and the max load spec is 500 pounds.
To power Ruffy (current favorite name, but do let me know your suggestions) I found what I think will be a terrific motor and system. EPropulsion makes a 3 hp (equivalent) called the EVO that has a “hydro-regeneration” feature. Living on the retractable kicker motormount, it can be lowered into the water as I’m motoring up the passage, spinning its propeller and recharging the battery, enhancing the burning of that diesel fuel. Of course it can be recharged with an inverter as well (or solar if you’re going south!), but my thought for SCA readers was sailing small pocket cruisers…recharging your auxiliary power while sailing up the sound wing on wing.
I looked into the new EPropulsion “E-Lite” (1 hp equivalent and very tiny and light), which would have provided a great alternative (sans hydro-regeneration), but wasn’t sure of availability before my departure day. I decided the hydro charging and the increased horsepower made sense anyway for this journey. The maiden voyage test run propelled Ruffy at 4 knots upriver, and just under 5 knots down. The boat was steady and stable, and she ran atop a stiff surface chop keeping me dry. It’s my hope that the EVO’s power is sufficient to serve as a redundant motor to push Tuffy out of harms way in an emergency situation should problems develop with the Yammie, but I have yet to test that performance level. The E-lite would not push Tuffy I’m sure, but it would be wonderful for the lighter rowing/sailing cruisers SCAers love. I look forward to reporting on how Ruffy and her power plant perform along the trip and the adventures she discovers and enables.
The work continues… but with any luck at all the next report will be from somewhere north of the Salish Sea. •SCA•
Dragging the electric motor to recharge the battery is not nearly as efficient as just using the alternator on the engine….
A friend of a friend says he starts out each spring with a list of 25 projects to be done and goes sailing when the list is pared down to 100 remaining . . .