SHIP'S LOG:
5:30 AM Monday Morning . . . . and I awake to pouring rain! More rain! God and I have a serious discussion and the rain ends by 8:30AM. Following the morning ablutions, I brought ABISHAG to the dock and filled her water tank. She was now all ready to depart. I walked out to where my car was parked, intending to drive to CVS to pick up a few things and to the bank to pick up some cash. As I walked to the car I received a sign that it was time to leave . . . some dear person had sideswiped my car leaving a streak of white paint down the side and taking out the driver's side mirror! Was that a sign or what??????
I did my tasks and got back to TYC and parked the car. Friend Ray would be by to pick it up in a day or so and it was time to pick it up and keep it safe until I need it again . .. months from now! Down to ABISHAG, engine on, line off, back out of the slip, transmission to forward and out into the river. It was SEPTEMBER 29th - 9:35 AM - "D-DAY & H-Hour".
There was no real wind so I motored down the river and headed west down the Sound. I am on my way! Huzzah!!!!
I motored for about and hour and the wind started to fill in. Off Millstone Nuclear power plant in Waterford, I raised the sails and shut down the engine. The wind really filled in and I was on a beam reach (wind coming directly over the side) and with the tide rushing down the Sound, I started moving at over 8knots! It was glorious! It was as I hoped it would be!! It was as I wanted it!! HUZZAH!!!!!!!!
As I sailed down the the Sound, I was passed by a fleet of 12 Meter Yachts, the former boats of the AMERICA'S CUP Races. No names were visible but the sail numbers indicated that they were #15, #16, #18, #20, #21 & #22. I'll have to look them numbers up and see which of the 12's there were. They must have been racing though from where and to where ( possibly Newport) I have no idea but it was terrific to see them sail by and to get a wave from the crews. We are sailors all!
Early in the afternoon, the wind began to die and, as it did, for some reason I was assaulted by the last horseflies of summer. I must have been 5-6 miles offshore (taking advantage of the tide going down the Sound) and I have no idea where they came from or how they got there. They were obviously trying to get ready for winter because no matter how may times I shooed them away (evening turning 5 or 6 into ex-horseflies). I spent most of the afternoon dealing with them. They were the worse part of the day . . . so I thought.
By 4PM, the wind had died sufficiently to make arriving at New Haven in daylight questionable and so I kicked on the Iron Genoa ( the engine), motoring toward the days anchorage. The sun was going down - right into my eyes - and so I kept a little more out in the Sound to avoid dealing with the Thimble Islands ( some "islands" and lots of rocks). With the sun going down in my eyes and holding out into the Sound, I ended up missing the mark at the mouth of New Haven Harbor that marks the main channel into New Haven Harbor. Rather than looking right (toward the shore) for the mark, I was looking left (further out into the Sound) for the mark. Those who have never tried to find a mark don't understand how difficult this can be at times.
As the sun went down, all of the flashing marks came on, blinking in their own rhythm. Some red and some green. Some 2 seconds, some 2.5, some 4, some 5 or 6. The darker it got, I lost depth perception and the more difficult it became to figure out which mark was closer and which was farther away. Not being able to find the New Haven mark, which should have been visible to my left (wrong!), I kept heading west. I began to doubt my GPS ( Global Positioning Satellite) handheld receiver ( which said I passed it) and went below to check the chartplotter (big brother of the handheld). The Chartplotter indicated I passed it. #%&*%$! I suspected that I was too far out and that I missed the mark. I figured that I was an hour's worth of motoring passed where I wanted to be. Now that the sun was down, I would have to motor to a mark and identify it. From there, I would pilot my way from it to the where I wanted to go.
The wind was now blowing again and motoring right into it, I was getting water over the bow and one out of every seven or so right in the face, something like the the trip down Delaware Bay last year. An hour and a half got me to the end of the western breakwater and moved along it until I got to the main channel. I found the main channel ( I was very proud of myself) and headed into New Haven Harbor. It is a little difficult at time heading into a harbor following the blink lights on the marks with the lights of the city as the background. More than one sailor has run their boat aground following a "flash mark light" which turned out to be a Rolling Rock Beer neon sign in the window of a harbor bar. But slow and steady eventually gets you there. I made my way up the harbor channel till I got to the waypoint I had marked and turned into the area behind the breakwater. I had made it, even in the dark! I really felt great. It was the first big step on the journey. Now all I had to do is anchor.
I checked the depth sounder and when it read 16feet I stopped ABISHAG and dropped the hook. I have down this more times than I can count and the procedure is always the same. i used the danforth-type anchor because it is supposed to be better in the soft mud and the New Haven Harbor bottom is mud - black, soft, stinking mud. The hook hit the bottom and I let out some extra line and tugged as the boat drifted back. It seemed as if it had bit so I let out more line and tugged some more. Felt good. I let out a total of 60ft and motored backward and ABISHAG swung on the anchor, the sign that the anchor had dug in. I let out more line so that I had 120ft of line in the water. That gave me a 6-to-1 ratio ( 6 feet of anchor line for each foot of water depth) which is an excellent ratio. And, on top of that, I put a kellet, or anchor weight, on the line. The extra 30lbs dropped the angle at which the anchor pulled, increasing its effectiveness almost double. I checked and everything looked great and I went below to start supper, make some calls and started the blog.
I made some calls letting Russ and my sisters know I was safe and sound. I started the blog and as I was typing, I happened to look at the depth sound on the chartplotter. It read 15ft . . . . then 14ft . . then 12ft as the boat swung at anchor . . . .then 10ft . . .then 9ft . . was I dragging? How was that possible? The 7ft!!!!!! Holy Crap! I shot up into the cockpit and there off to the side where the huge boulders that make up the breakwater I anchored behind! Bloody hell . . .down into the boat and grabbing the key to the engine, into the ignition and as I turned it, ABISHAG struck the breakwater. CRUNCH! !@ ! !! !. Engine on, into gear and the prop must have hit the ricks and the engine stalled out. Tried again. Stalled again! It was time to get help!!!!!!!
I got a hold of the COAST GUARD and sat inside ABISHAG, bouncing up and down on her keel on the rocks, waiting for the Coast Guard to arrive. As quickly as they could ( 30 minutes - let's hear it for government cut-backs) the Coast Guard arrived and asses the situation. Luckily, ABISHAG was beam to the rocks so that the keel kept the side from impacting the rocks. Still she was bouncing up and down on the rocks. The sound inside was something you need to experience but I pray you never do. Every time the keel bounced on the rocks, everything in and on the boat rang! Not being able to see, I could only imagine the damage being done. That bang, a hole in the side. Than slam, snapping off the rudder. That crash, the bending of the shat and the destruction of the prop. Imagination is such a situation is awful. I kept checking lockers and the sump to see if water was coming in. I couldn't believe it was still dry. Waiting was horrible. Looking at the rocks and feeling all of the impacts, I expected that it was only a moment before there would be a gush of water and it would be a total lost.
SEATOW showed up and we had to wait for high tide (11:30pm) before they could get me off. It was the worst time, waiting til I could get off. High tide came and the tow began and off she came. I went below and looked for water again and found nothing! Whew! Now the tow began to Bruce and Johnson in Branford. New Haven, despite being a major seaport, really didn't have a facility to care for a boat like mine. The two took an hour and I took the time to discuss the situation with a claims representative. What a great conversation that was!!!!! The best part was that the policy will pay for the salvage and the repairs! Let's hear it for insurance.
I got slipped into a slip at Bruce & Johnson, tied up the boat, and went to sleep. I got to sleep maybe by 3AM and was up at 6AM. Took a shower and cleaned up the boat. There was lines everywhere, the anchor line, the kellet line and the anchor were in a mass up on the foredeck. Inside the boat, everything was on the port side of the boat as I had to move it all to check for leaks. About 8AM, Jeff and John came by. It was clear quickly that both of them really knew what they were about. The check the boat and said that they would haul it at 11AM for a survey for damage and evaluation.
At 11AM, ABISHAG was towed to the service yard and set in the travel lift, and raised out of the water. It felt like going to the doctor. All that banging, all that bouncing, all that slamming! How bad would the injury be? Slowly up she rose out of the water and . . . . and . . . . . Wow, no holes. Hallelujah! A careful examination showed that the keep took most of the damage. Luckily, the slamming was on the lead billet in the keel. The fiberglass on the bottom was scored and cracked. The rudder was still in place but was also scored and gouged and the rudder shaft moved inside the rudder. The prop had a bite out of it and one of the fasteners used to hold it to the shaft was missing. The prop was loose on the shaft and it appeared to be more worn than damage. It would have to be removed, along with the shaft ( to see if it was straight and fair) and sent to a company to see if they need to be refurbished and/or repaired. The prop may have to be replace with a new one but because it was already in a worn state, it may not be covered by the insurance. It is a special feathering prop, usually found on racing boats, and would cost $3,000 to replace. If it can't be fixed or refurbished, I'll have to buy a standard fixed blade prop. There were a few more scrapes and gouges but there was remarkably little damage. Considering what it sounded like and what my imagination suggested was going on, it could have been a lot, LOT worse.
No one could figure out why the boat dragged. Nor could I. And all would impressed by the the strength of ABSIHAG and how well she took the pounding. It will take a week, maybe more to effect repairs and Ken came by and picked me up and took me to my car. I went off afterwards to find a place to crash.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Having not eaten all day Monday and most of Tuesday, and running on 2-3hours of sleep, and dealing with all the worry and anxiety, I crash and slept 12 hours. Waking up, not on ABISHAG, was a shock and a big, bitter disappointment. God and I had a big discussion about the situation but I can't quite figure out what God is trying to tell me. Hopefully it is not that this is not what i should be doing. I have a friend who want to marry a guy but wouldn't take the hints from her friends that he was wrong for her. Even when the church she was to be married in burned down she didn't take the hint. It turned out to be a bad marriage and they eventually divorced. I hope putting ABISHAG on the rocks was not God's way of dropping a big hint that I am not getting the plan.
I say one thing though, all of the little frustrations and problems and difficulties that i have had to deal with over the last year made it a lots easier to deal with this situation. I didn't explode. I didn't sink into deep depression. I am not too worried about what lies ahead. ABISHAG will get fixed and I will get going South again. If it doesn't happen this week, it will happen next week. God's in control and when God decides it is going to happen it will happen. I say that i have enjoyed meeting the two guys that ran the SEATOW boat ad the guys at the boatyard. True, I would have better liked not to have met them in this way, but they were wonderful people and it was a joy getting to know them. I guess this is part of the plan. I can't wait to see what other wrinkles God has in mind.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
D-Day minus 14 Hours Give Or Take
SHIP'S LOG:
All things being equal, I should be departing the Thames Yacht Club in New London at approximately 9 am. . . . .but don't hold me to that. It all depends on tide, time, weather, the bank, breakfast and how long it takes me to drop that last mooring line. Unlike skydiving, with sailing you can always turn back, though once I start I am gone. How far I'll get the first day , well that's another matter. I am hoping that I will anchor tomorrow evening behind the eastern breakwater in New Haven. It that doesn't work out, I have fifty or so alternatives, the ultimate fall back position being New London.
The rain finally stopped today and there were blue skies to be seen. The weather for tomorrow looks quite favorable and I can not see anything that would technically stand in my way. ABISHAG is as ready as I can make her with my financial situation and , after all, it is only a bunch of day hops.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Lots of anxiety but I suppose that's normal. Once I am underway, I am sure that it will pass. Doing the first day, port to port and dropping the anchor for the night, that will be a big relief. And after that, it is repetition. As I noted sometime before, "Good Harbors rot men and ships" so I must set off before the rot sets in, and certainly before the frost. I wonder if I'll sleep tonight?
All things being equal, I should be departing the Thames Yacht Club in New London at approximately 9 am. . . . .but don't hold me to that. It all depends on tide, time, weather, the bank, breakfast and how long it takes me to drop that last mooring line. Unlike skydiving, with sailing you can always turn back, though once I start I am gone. How far I'll get the first day , well that's another matter. I am hoping that I will anchor tomorrow evening behind the eastern breakwater in New Haven. It that doesn't work out, I have fifty or so alternatives, the ultimate fall back position being New London.
The rain finally stopped today and there were blue skies to be seen. The weather for tomorrow looks quite favorable and I can not see anything that would technically stand in my way. ABISHAG is as ready as I can make her with my financial situation and , after all, it is only a bunch of day hops.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Lots of anxiety but I suppose that's normal. Once I am underway, I am sure that it will pass. Doing the first day, port to port and dropping the anchor for the night, that will be a big relief. And after that, it is repetition. As I noted sometime before, "Good Harbors rot men and ships" so I must set off before the rot sets in, and certainly before the frost. I wonder if I'll sleep tonight?
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Rain, Rain, Go Away!!!!
SHIP'S LOG:
Somewhere, someone with a large garden or a farmer or a greens keeper is finally getting their prayers answered. Like Friday, today has been one downpour after another. The wind may have subsided but the rain sure hasn't. Sunday will see the passage of Storm "KYLE" and then, hopefully, this rotten weather will end.
It actually got into the high 60's/low 70's for a while and the rain made it rather oppressive and humid. The held the New England Regional Championships for FORCE 5's here at the club. Didn't have much in the way of wind and the rain kept the turnout low. I watched a few of the races, when it wasn't raining, but they were more driftings than races. It seemed that the rain would stop just as the race was finishing. It wouldn't rain during the pre-race maneuvering, but when the countdown to the start of a race began, so did the rain. Twice the rain and the race started at exactly the same moment. God bless those guys sailing in the races, they were truly crazy!
Found and fixed a couple of more leaks. I suppose the rain is good for that. I try to find where the rain is leaking in from the outside rather than just plugging its entrance inside. doing that just forces the leak to migrate somewhere else and show up as a "new leak."I am running out of places on deck to caulk as possible entrances.
Woke up this morning to a very loud and very low fog horn. It had to be one of the ferries coming or going to or from Orient Point. The trouble with fog is that it plays havoc with you senses. You really can't see anything which messes up your depth perception and sense of direction.It even muddies the sound so that you can only tell in a general direction from where it originates. It doesn't help that the sound also bounces off stuff and the echos can make things even a bit more confusing. The ferry was moving quite slowly and for a while I was sure it was coming at me. I was concerned but resolved to be unafraid until I heard it crashing through the boat moored around me. Since it didn't I rolled over and went back to sleep.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Got into more of the routine today. It was more comfortable today. I must be getting use to it. The routine actually makes the day move by quicker. I am not sure whether that is a good thing or bad thing just yet, but waiting out the weather, it seems good.
One does get to think a lot when you are alone on a boat. Even though I am only a few hundred yards from shore, it can seem like the other side of the world. I have had a lot of free time just to think and to be. No amazingly deep thoughts yet. I'll keep you informed. Time for Saturday night at the movies
Somewhere, someone with a large garden or a farmer or a greens keeper is finally getting their prayers answered. Like Friday, today has been one downpour after another. The wind may have subsided but the rain sure hasn't. Sunday will see the passage of Storm "KYLE" and then, hopefully, this rotten weather will end.
It actually got into the high 60's/low 70's for a while and the rain made it rather oppressive and humid. The held the New England Regional Championships for FORCE 5's here at the club. Didn't have much in the way of wind and the rain kept the turnout low. I watched a few of the races, when it wasn't raining, but they were more driftings than races. It seemed that the rain would stop just as the race was finishing. It wouldn't rain during the pre-race maneuvering, but when the countdown to the start of a race began, so did the rain. Twice the rain and the race started at exactly the same moment. God bless those guys sailing in the races, they were truly crazy!
Found and fixed a couple of more leaks. I suppose the rain is good for that. I try to find where the rain is leaking in from the outside rather than just plugging its entrance inside. doing that just forces the leak to migrate somewhere else and show up as a "new leak."I am running out of places on deck to caulk as possible entrances.
Woke up this morning to a very loud and very low fog horn. It had to be one of the ferries coming or going to or from Orient Point. The trouble with fog is that it plays havoc with you senses. You really can't see anything which messes up your depth perception and sense of direction.It even muddies the sound so that you can only tell in a general direction from where it originates. It doesn't help that the sound also bounces off stuff and the echos can make things even a bit more confusing. The ferry was moving quite slowly and for a while I was sure it was coming at me. I was concerned but resolved to be unafraid until I heard it crashing through the boat moored around me. Since it didn't I rolled over and went back to sleep.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Got into more of the routine today. It was more comfortable today. I must be getting use to it. The routine actually makes the day move by quicker. I am not sure whether that is a good thing or bad thing just yet, but waiting out the weather, it seems good.
One does get to think a lot when you are alone on a boat. Even though I am only a few hundred yards from shore, it can seem like the other side of the world. I have had a lot of free time just to think and to be. No amazingly deep thoughts yet. I'll keep you informed. Time for Saturday night at the movies
Friday, September 26, 2008
IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT . . . . .
SHIP'S LOG:
......And day as well. The wind blew, the sky rained, the waves went up and down. It was a crackerjack storm and I was safe and dry on ABISHAG. A cartoon i saw years ago came to mind. It was from a book called "The Gaff Rigged Yacht." I never read it, I only saw the cartoon which features two worthies in the cockpit of a rather dilapidated sailboat in the midst of a storm. One says to the the other, "It must be hell ashore on a night like this!"
The wind was really something, with gust hitting 44 mph. I would lay in bed listening to the wind humming through the rigging and the tone would go up the scale as it vibrated the wire shrouds. When it gusted the tone would drop lower as the wind got strong enough to vibrate the thicker wire shrouds. The rain pounded, and I mean really drummed on the deck, and at times would be so loud that it woke me up. There is, of course, no attic above my head so it is something like sleeping in a car. Add to that the waves that occasionally struck the hull in just the right way and made it vibrate and you will get some sense of what it was like. The motion was not bad at all. No longer on the dock and free to move with the wind an waves, ABISHAG produced a rather gentle rocking motion that was almost pleasant.
I was stuck inside the whole day as the rain fell without a let up. I finished most of the storage, fixed a leak in the main salon hatch, took a nap and started "DRACULA". Not a bad day at all, especially considering the weather. The wind died down by 4pm which meant that since it was Friday, the club launch would be running and so I gave it a call. It was and and I took a trip into the club for a shower and supper and then back out to ABISHAG for round Two. The weather is supposed to continue to be bad for the next two days but should blow out by Monday. . . . And then, well I see what happens when I get to Monday!!!!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
It was not the least bit scary being on the boat during this storm. I never felt the least bit in danger. I am not sure what I would have done if something had "happened," but nothing did, so I will have to await the next storm. Providentially, it arrives in a few hours. Chuck the launch driver, who left almost 10 days ago, called from Atlantic City. He was holed up in a creek near the city with 7 or 8 other boats heading south. They were all sitting three waiting out the storm. He suggested that I do the same in New London and I told him that I was way ahead of him on that score.
It was a boring day today. I was able to establish a rhythm to the day and it will become habitually I am sure. But with not sailing to do, as well as being trapped inside, there was not a lot to occupy my time. It was, in fact, difficult to manage any enthusiasm to do anything. The leak in the hatch that I have fixed a half dozen times was inspiration to do that job again(the good part being that at last I knew when the thing was actually plugged), but I spent a lot of time ruminating about stuff to do. It took awhile to set a plan of tasks and go at it. It wasn't a long list but I set it and got most of them done. Adjusting to living on the boat is going to take time . . . . but at least I am getting lots of sleep! I guess God wanted me to start out slow.
......And day as well. The wind blew, the sky rained, the waves went up and down. It was a crackerjack storm and I was safe and dry on ABISHAG. A cartoon i saw years ago came to mind. It was from a book called "The Gaff Rigged Yacht." I never read it, I only saw the cartoon which features two worthies in the cockpit of a rather dilapidated sailboat in the midst of a storm. One says to the the other, "It must be hell ashore on a night like this!"
The wind was really something, with gust hitting 44 mph. I would lay in bed listening to the wind humming through the rigging and the tone would go up the scale as it vibrated the wire shrouds. When it gusted the tone would drop lower as the wind got strong enough to vibrate the thicker wire shrouds. The rain pounded, and I mean really drummed on the deck, and at times would be so loud that it woke me up. There is, of course, no attic above my head so it is something like sleeping in a car. Add to that the waves that occasionally struck the hull in just the right way and made it vibrate and you will get some sense of what it was like. The motion was not bad at all. No longer on the dock and free to move with the wind an waves, ABISHAG produced a rather gentle rocking motion that was almost pleasant.
I was stuck inside the whole day as the rain fell without a let up. I finished most of the storage, fixed a leak in the main salon hatch, took a nap and started "DRACULA". Not a bad day at all, especially considering the weather. The wind died down by 4pm which meant that since it was Friday, the club launch would be running and so I gave it a call. It was and and I took a trip into the club for a shower and supper and then back out to ABISHAG for round Two. The weather is supposed to continue to be bad for the next two days but should blow out by Monday. . . . And then, well I see what happens when I get to Monday!!!!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
It was not the least bit scary being on the boat during this storm. I never felt the least bit in danger. I am not sure what I would have done if something had "happened," but nothing did, so I will have to await the next storm. Providentially, it arrives in a few hours. Chuck the launch driver, who left almost 10 days ago, called from Atlantic City. He was holed up in a creek near the city with 7 or 8 other boats heading south. They were all sitting three waiting out the storm. He suggested that I do the same in New London and I told him that I was way ahead of him on that score.
It was a boring day today. I was able to establish a rhythm to the day and it will become habitually I am sure. But with not sailing to do, as well as being trapped inside, there was not a lot to occupy my time. It was, in fact, difficult to manage any enthusiasm to do anything. The leak in the hatch that I have fixed a half dozen times was inspiration to do that job again(the good part being that at last I knew when the thing was actually plugged), but I spent a lot of time ruminating about stuff to do. It took awhile to set a plan of tasks and go at it. It wasn't a long list but I set it and got most of them done. Adjusting to living on the boat is going to take time . . . . but at least I am getting lots of sleep! I guess God wanted me to start out slow.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Journey Of 1,000 Miles Begins With A Single Step!
SHIP'S LOG:
Or in this case getting off the dock and onto my mooring 100 yards away. Hey, it's a big step because it is the first one and now I have to wait out the weather. The next couple of days will be nasty and out here on the mooring, I will be able to "safely" learn about living on a boat full-time.
I went out and did the shopping today and got the food stuffs for the next couple of weeks. Even doing the shopping at BJ'S Wholesale club was a bit of a shock. I kept it simple, no prime rib or chicken Kiev. Moving onto the boat is akin to moving into your first apartment. You really have to get everything - salt & pepper, sugar, the odd pot , dish washing liquid, soap, shampoo, etc., etc., etc. Once you have the "staples, you buy the "luxury items" like FOOD.
And as with your first very small, tiny, have-to-go-outside-to-change-your-mind apartment, you are then faced with where are you going to put it all. Thankfully, I didn't buy that much - couldn't afford to - but I was still faced with the problem of storage. The interior of the boat was still littered with boxes and bags of important "stuff" all needing a place to go an d not all that many place to go. It was a seller's market so to speak. So out on the mooring I got to work storing all the stuff - food and otherwise - all over the boat, keeping a careful record of where everything went so that when I need it, I can find it. The chances of that are slim and none and slim just left town. But at least I can move around the interior easier than before. Truth be told, it is not all done, but with the storm acomin' I'll have plenty of time to finish it off and correct any mistakes.
Getting off the dock where I was tied up for three days was an interesting experience. The boat was tied to the dock with two bow line and two stern lines, basically keeping it from moving, and a spring line which kept the boat from surging forward into the dock. Getting ABISHAG away from the dock by myself in a 20 knot wind was a real problem. How do you untie the lines from the dock without the boat blowing away or into some pilings and steer the boat and control the throttle at the same time. God arranged for one of the Diesel Brothers to show up at the Club and he gave me a fascinating lesson in the Art of Spring Line Management.It is rather complicated to explain and I am not even sure I understand the whole process completely myself, but with his instructions and demonstrations, I backed ABISHAG away from the dock with out killing him or me or sinking my boat or someone else's. All in all, a successful maneuver though I am loathed to try it again anytime soon . . . . but you just know that it is going to happen. I kept playing it over in my head while I was storing stuff, trying to get it to stay. It probably will and that is also why I can't recall where half the stuff got stored.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
It is better on the mooring. ABISHAG doesn't fight the wind and the waves and she rides wonderfully smooth. She also makes a lot less noise, less creaking and groaning. I guess she doesn't like being at the dock all that much. I still have my car. I tell myself that it is just for those last minute trips I have to make to buy the odds and ends I keep forgetting but it is really a tie to the land. I guess that sounds rather dramatic but it's a real safety valve. I can get in and drive to the store, the movies, to get a meal, and do all the familiar things that we all take for granted. Having to be confined on the boat will take a little, perhaps a lot of getting use to, and even though I am on the mooring now and getting to the car will entail lowering the dinghy, getting in, rowing to the beach, securing the dinghy and walking to the car, I can do it. When the car is gone, the last tie gets severed. Yeah, that sounds overly dramatic too. The boat becomes your world.
Or in this case getting off the dock and onto my mooring 100 yards away. Hey, it's a big step because it is the first one and now I have to wait out the weather. The next couple of days will be nasty and out here on the mooring, I will be able to "safely" learn about living on a boat full-time.
I went out and did the shopping today and got the food stuffs for the next couple of weeks. Even doing the shopping at BJ'S Wholesale club was a bit of a shock. I kept it simple, no prime rib or chicken Kiev. Moving onto the boat is akin to moving into your first apartment. You really have to get everything - salt & pepper, sugar, the odd pot , dish washing liquid, soap, shampoo, etc., etc., etc. Once you have the "staples, you buy the "luxury items" like FOOD.
And as with your first very small, tiny, have-to-go-outside-to-change-your-mind apartment, you are then faced with where are you going to put it all. Thankfully, I didn't buy that much - couldn't afford to - but I was still faced with the problem of storage. The interior of the boat was still littered with boxes and bags of important "stuff" all needing a place to go an d not all that many place to go. It was a seller's market so to speak. So out on the mooring I got to work storing all the stuff - food and otherwise - all over the boat, keeping a careful record of where everything went so that when I need it, I can find it. The chances of that are slim and none and slim just left town. But at least I can move around the interior easier than before. Truth be told, it is not all done, but with the storm acomin' I'll have plenty of time to finish it off and correct any mistakes.
Getting off the dock where I was tied up for three days was an interesting experience. The boat was tied to the dock with two bow line and two stern lines, basically keeping it from moving, and a spring line which kept the boat from surging forward into the dock. Getting ABISHAG away from the dock by myself in a 20 knot wind was a real problem. How do you untie the lines from the dock without the boat blowing away or into some pilings and steer the boat and control the throttle at the same time. God arranged for one of the Diesel Brothers to show up at the Club and he gave me a fascinating lesson in the Art of Spring Line Management.It is rather complicated to explain and I am not even sure I understand the whole process completely myself, but with his instructions and demonstrations, I backed ABISHAG away from the dock with out killing him or me or sinking my boat or someone else's. All in all, a successful maneuver though I am loathed to try it again anytime soon . . . . but you just know that it is going to happen. I kept playing it over in my head while I was storing stuff, trying to get it to stay. It probably will and that is also why I can't recall where half the stuff got stored.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
It is better on the mooring. ABISHAG doesn't fight the wind and the waves and she rides wonderfully smooth. She also makes a lot less noise, less creaking and groaning. I guess she doesn't like being at the dock all that much. I still have my car. I tell myself that it is just for those last minute trips I have to make to buy the odds and ends I keep forgetting but it is really a tie to the land. I guess that sounds rather dramatic but it's a real safety valve. I can get in and drive to the store, the movies, to get a meal, and do all the familiar things that we all take for granted. Having to be confined on the boat will take a little, perhaps a lot of getting use to, and even though I am on the mooring now and getting to the car will entail lowering the dinghy, getting in, rowing to the beach, securing the dinghy and walking to the car, I can do it. When the car is gone, the last tie gets severed. Yeah, that sounds overly dramatic too. The boat becomes your world.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
"Don't worry, I have a plan." - Gen. George Custer, Little Big Horn, 1876
SHIP'S LOG:
I arose this morning and decided to "test out" the new holding tank sanitation system. Thankfully, my guardian angel suggested that I try and "unloaded" flush. Pump, Pump. Pump. Pump. And nothing went into the holding tank. Thank goodness for the test. Nothing could be worse than a full bowl and no way to empty it. This particular problem was something that I had to fix before departing. I had to have a working head and a holding tank system or a run in with the Coast Guard or local marine police could be a very expensive encounter. The bowl would empty overboard but seemingly not empty into the holding tank. The scary thing was trying to figure out where it was going if it was not going into the tank!
After fiddling and fussing for about an hour, I placed a call to the DIESEL Brothers. They know everything about things mechanical and something as simple as a sanitation system on a boat would be a piece of cake so to speak. Luckily they were down at TYC, or rather at Fort Trumbull Coast Guard Station for a stability test - not for the Diesel Brothers but for the Club Launch. After the test they stopped by and it took them all of 1minute to determine the problem and less time to fix it. The "problem" was simply that there was not enough water in the system to fill the hose and move the "product" along the hose to the tank. One there was water through the system, it work just fine. I can personally attest to it!
The whole hooha with the holding tank took most of the morning and it really messed up the day's plans. Once the sanitation system, I had to secure the tank in place. You really don't want a 13 gallon tank filled with . .. er . ."waste" slide around the boat. The chances of an "accident" would be great and the consequences would be too terrible to contemplate. I hit WEST Marine for the items I needed for the tank, as well as a few last minute items and went back to the boat. The whole project took the rest of the afternoon and left no time for grocery shopping. And that means no departure today.
An it turns out that this might be a very good thing. The weather for the next couple of days looks nasty. Rain, and a lot of it. Wind and a lot of that. And nasty seas - any of those aren't good. So the new "plan" is to go grocery shopping tomorrow and then take the boat out to the mooring and wait for the weather to clear. It will not quite be the same as going down the coast but it will give me the time to get into the rhythm of living on the boat. There will be plenty to do, simply storing all the itmes that still litter the salon plus the food stiuffs, will eat up lots of time. As will logging where all the stuff is so that i can find it when I need it. According to the weather reports, it now looks like Sunday or Monday will be departure day but I'll let it happen when God decides it should happen.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I was really disappointed that I didn't get to go today, but I guess that God didn't want me out in the coming weather. Once I decided not to go, I got very peaceful. It allowed me to go do the shopping for the items I need for the projects and to work through the things that need to be done. There was no rush, not anxiety, and everything got done. I have found that making a decision can bring a lot of peace. It settles the mind. It is the indecision that seems to cause all the anxiety and worry. You can't really do any more than what you can do. Still, I am looking foward to getting off the dock . . . . . and get going.
I arose this morning and decided to "test out" the new holding tank sanitation system. Thankfully, my guardian angel suggested that I try and "unloaded" flush. Pump, Pump. Pump. Pump. And nothing went into the holding tank. Thank goodness for the test. Nothing could be worse than a full bowl and no way to empty it. This particular problem was something that I had to fix before departing. I had to have a working head and a holding tank system or a run in with the Coast Guard or local marine police could be a very expensive encounter. The bowl would empty overboard but seemingly not empty into the holding tank. The scary thing was trying to figure out where it was going if it was not going into the tank!
After fiddling and fussing for about an hour, I placed a call to the DIESEL Brothers. They know everything about things mechanical and something as simple as a sanitation system on a boat would be a piece of cake so to speak. Luckily they were down at TYC, or rather at Fort Trumbull Coast Guard Station for a stability test - not for the Diesel Brothers but for the Club Launch. After the test they stopped by and it took them all of 1minute to determine the problem and less time to fix it. The "problem" was simply that there was not enough water in the system to fill the hose and move the "product" along the hose to the tank. One there was water through the system, it work just fine. I can personally attest to it!
The whole hooha with the holding tank took most of the morning and it really messed up the day's plans. Once the sanitation system, I had to secure the tank in place. You really don't want a 13 gallon tank filled with . .. er . ."waste" slide around the boat. The chances of an "accident" would be great and the consequences would be too terrible to contemplate. I hit WEST Marine for the items I needed for the tank, as well as a few last minute items and went back to the boat. The whole project took the rest of the afternoon and left no time for grocery shopping. And that means no departure today.
An it turns out that this might be a very good thing. The weather for the next couple of days looks nasty. Rain, and a lot of it. Wind and a lot of that. And nasty seas - any of those aren't good. So the new "plan" is to go grocery shopping tomorrow and then take the boat out to the mooring and wait for the weather to clear. It will not quite be the same as going down the coast but it will give me the time to get into the rhythm of living on the boat. There will be plenty to do, simply storing all the itmes that still litter the salon plus the food stiuffs, will eat up lots of time. As will logging where all the stuff is so that i can find it when I need it. According to the weather reports, it now looks like Sunday or Monday will be departure day but I'll let it happen when God decides it should happen.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I was really disappointed that I didn't get to go today, but I guess that God didn't want me out in the coming weather. Once I decided not to go, I got very peaceful. It allowed me to go do the shopping for the items I need for the projects and to work through the things that need to be done. There was no rush, not anxiety, and everything got done. I have found that making a decision can bring a lot of peace. It settles the mind. It is the indecision that seems to cause all the anxiety and worry. You can't really do any more than what you can do. Still, I am looking foward to getting off the dock . . . . . and get going.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
NOT TODAY< HOPEFULLY TOMORROW
SHIP'S LOG:
Today was spent clearing up a few items . I had gone to my sisters' to pick up some DVDs the other night and have dinner, only to have dinner and forget the DVDs. SO up I went to collect them. The work yesterday in the aft head rendered it not usable, so I took the opportunity of going to my sisters' to perform my morning ablutions. I then collected my mail l and got the propane tanks filled. Taking them back to the boat I installed them and my stove should work just fine now. We shall see.
I then spent the afternoon trying to perform a simple project: connect a y-valve( a diverter valve - a valve that you can use to send stuff to either of two locations). Now what I was trying to do was install the y-valve so that I could send the contents of the aft head either overboard( of which the EPA take a dim view) or into a holding tank( which needs to be emptied periodically). All that was required was to insert one of three nipples into to appropriate hose. The conjunction of hoses was located under the counter in the aft head and could be reached only through a small hole provided by removing a small locker. Imagine trying to insert a small object into the mouth of a small non-cooperative pig through a partially open car window while standing on one foot with not enough light to really see clearly.The 1 1/2" nipple had to be inserted into a 1 1/2" ID hose. The old hose had lost most of its elasticity so the insertion was difficult to say the least. Starting at 1pm, I finished at 4pm! It was not a fun afternoon, one spent bent over and inserted into a hole in a counter trying to put together a valve and three hoses, none of whom wished to have anything to do with one another.
By the end of the exercise, I was in no mood to go shopping so the groceries will wait until tomorrow. With any luck at all, the shopping will be done by noon and I will be able to get away. True, I'll probably not make my first goal of getting to New Haven, but I will get away!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
My sister Karen bailed me out when Bank of America didn't come through as promised. I won't get into the details but suffice it to say that the banking crisis is not only about the big business. They can't seem to do simple things like returning funds they weren't suppose to receive. Big sister came through . . . .and baby sister works for Bank of America! Just goes to show you.
I am down to the shopping and I'll be ready to go. Huzzah!
Today was spent clearing up a few items . I had gone to my sisters' to pick up some DVDs the other night and have dinner, only to have dinner and forget the DVDs. SO up I went to collect them. The work yesterday in the aft head rendered it not usable, so I took the opportunity of going to my sisters' to perform my morning ablutions. I then collected my mail l and got the propane tanks filled. Taking them back to the boat I installed them and my stove should work just fine now. We shall see.
I then spent the afternoon trying to perform a simple project: connect a y-valve( a diverter valve - a valve that you can use to send stuff to either of two locations). Now what I was trying to do was install the y-valve so that I could send the contents of the aft head either overboard( of which the EPA take a dim view) or into a holding tank( which needs to be emptied periodically). All that was required was to insert one of three nipples into to appropriate hose. The conjunction of hoses was located under the counter in the aft head and could be reached only through a small hole provided by removing a small locker. Imagine trying to insert a small object into the mouth of a small non-cooperative pig through a partially open car window while standing on one foot with not enough light to really see clearly.The 1 1/2" nipple had to be inserted into a 1 1/2" ID hose. The old hose had lost most of its elasticity so the insertion was difficult to say the least. Starting at 1pm, I finished at 4pm! It was not a fun afternoon, one spent bent over and inserted into a hole in a counter trying to put together a valve and three hoses, none of whom wished to have anything to do with one another.
By the end of the exercise, I was in no mood to go shopping so the groceries will wait until tomorrow. With any luck at all, the shopping will be done by noon and I will be able to get away. True, I'll probably not make my first goal of getting to New Haven, but I will get away!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
My sister Karen bailed me out when Bank of America didn't come through as promised. I won't get into the details but suffice it to say that the banking crisis is not only about the big business. They can't seem to do simple things like returning funds they weren't suppose to receive. Big sister came through . . . .and baby sister works for Bank of America! Just goes to show you.
I am down to the shopping and I'll be ready to go. Huzzah!
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