SHIP'S LOG:
I am looking out the window and IT IS SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOW BAD IS THAT!??!?!? Granted t is not a raging blizzard, but it is snow. I AM SOOO Depressed!
Did another trip to ABISHAG yesterday to continue the stripping out. Out went everything in the aft cabin and with all that free room, I couldn't help but do a little "destructive" maintenance. I took down the headliner and exposed the underside of the deck. There have been some leaks back there and I am not sure whether they are from the hatches ( there are two of them back there) or from some other source. From a first cursory glance, there isn't any obvious leak-source that I can see though it is clear that there has been some leaking going on. The mold and mildew on both the headliner and the underside of the deck make that clear. It will take a serious washing down to get it all out. The raw fiberglass of the deck and topside is thick but rather rough and uneven. I have a couple of months to decide whether to paint it or level it, fair it and then paint it.
I though I was a lousy "marine electrician," but which ever former owner who installed the goose-neck lights in the aft cabin was far worse than I. The wires had no support of any kind, just laying on the panels. Half of the connections were simply wires tied together, wrapped in yards of electrical tape. It is a wonder that the boat didn't catch fire when the lights were energized.
I will have to add some fairing strips in the aft cabin. The panels were "formerly" held in place by being screwed along their edges into the ferrying strips. This will not provide enough support when I use Velcro to replace the screws, that and the fact that the panels will be smaller as well. One other disappointing discovery is that there is no direct access to the fasteners for that stanchion bases. The hard fiberglass liner that exists will require holes be cut into it to developed that access. There is the old boating proverb that basically says that doing one project reveals four more that also need doing. In this case, not only will I have to cut into the fiberglass liner to create an access hole, I will also have to eventually come up with a way of camouflaging it less the interior look as though insane, fiberglass-eating moles, have been at work. Once the interior is stripped out, this is some work that I can begin. I won't be able to pop the nuts and re-bed the stanchions until spring, but creating access will make that job a lot easier. I was thinking that perhaps a thin wooden panel, with a Delf tile depicting a sailing scene, could eventually be used to cover the access hole. Now I only have to find the tiles and the cut the wood and figure out how to affix the tile to the wood and the wood to the liner. That's FOUR!
I am hoping that sometime this week, I can prevail upon Russ to help me haul up the last of the stuff in the boat. My new/old car actually has less room that my old P.O.S. Not that it matters that much as I would not have been able to haul the cushions and remaining sail in it anyhow. Once that is done, all of the headliner panels can come down and if it is above freezing, I will hit the interior overhead with mold/mildew killer. And then the last thing will be to wrap ABISHAG up. I HATE WINTER .. . . . . . . . AND IT IS STILL SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Monday, November 11, 2013
SNOW! They Are Actually Calling For Snow Tonight!
SHIP'S LOG:
Lethargy can get you into some uncomfortable situations. I took yesterday to "finally" start emptying ABISHAG. I had taken a load of stuff up to Russ' basement last week, but surprisingly it didn't seem to make much of a dent in the nautical collection aboard. It was simply a "stripping of the surface" and yesterday was much more a plunge below the surface as it were.
I started in the forepeak and I found stuff that I didn't recall that I had aboard. I found a set of the most "garish" bed linens that you have ever seen. Pier 1 Imports would not have carried them. I also re-discovered the drogue. A drogue is pear-shaped device made of webbing that one trails behind one's boat should one want to slow down in bad weather. I knew I had it, I just didn't know where it was. But Sunday's exploration and packing turned it up. In addition to the drogue itself, indeed stored with it, was 300 feet of 3/4 inch line (seemingly brand new) and 12 feet of 3/8 inch chain. The idea is to attach the drogue to the chain and the chain to the line and the line to the stern of the boat and toss the whole mess over-board. The drogue pays out to the end of the chain&line and creates a drag which slows down and stabilizes the boat. According to all that I have read it works wonderfully well. I can't confirm this from personal experience as I have never used it. And that is just as well as the worst weather incident I experienced, aside from the trip down the New Jersey coast where we actually were well in control of speed, was the micro-burst at Fort Pierce. In that case, I wasn't even moving, less you call being pushed slowly down in the water at anchor "moving." Get the drogue itself to the stern of the boat would have been no problem. The problem was trying to drag the 300 feet of 3/4 inch line and the 12 feet of 3/8 inch chain from the fore peak, through the salon, up the ladder, across the cockpit, over the back deck to the stern without giving myself a hernia. I don't know how much it weighs, but even carefully tied up, it was a pain to move and Sunday the boats was still and on land. The thought of doing it in a blow was, shall we say, "most uncomfortable." Me going out in bad weather is anathema! Not that ABISHAG can't take it, or even me know that I have don it, but rather I don't look at sailing as a survival sport. If the weather is bad, I stay at anchor. So the drogue is going to the Consignment shop. The chain and the 3/4 inch line stays here. Where exactly I don't know but that stuff is something I can realistically use.
Ah, lethargy! If I hadn't been afflicted, this is something I would have done right after ABSIHAG go hauled. Then again, the need for gas for the car and the lack of funds to fill the tank, even part way, put a real crimp in my plans. Now, it is a rush against snow and it appears that the snow is going to win! Damn!!!!
I received a couple of emails from club members who have made the trip to sunny Florida. I must be infected with "powerboat-itse" for while wouldn't mind being there with them, the prospect of the trip, with all the motoring and anchoring and all that stuff down and back was the real deterrent. They all sound like they are having a great time. At least they have the weather this year. Truth be told, I wish that I could start working on ABISHAG today to get her ready for the Spring. I really must be getting old or something for as much as I complain about the maintenance, I can't wait to start!
Lethargy can get you into some uncomfortable situations. I took yesterday to "finally" start emptying ABISHAG. I had taken a load of stuff up to Russ' basement last week, but surprisingly it didn't seem to make much of a dent in the nautical collection aboard. It was simply a "stripping of the surface" and yesterday was much more a plunge below the surface as it were.
I started in the forepeak and I found stuff that I didn't recall that I had aboard. I found a set of the most "garish" bed linens that you have ever seen. Pier 1 Imports would not have carried them. I also re-discovered the drogue. A drogue is pear-shaped device made of webbing that one trails behind one's boat should one want to slow down in bad weather. I knew I had it, I just didn't know where it was. But Sunday's exploration and packing turned it up. In addition to the drogue itself, indeed stored with it, was 300 feet of 3/4 inch line (seemingly brand new) and 12 feet of 3/8 inch chain. The idea is to attach the drogue to the chain and the chain to the line and the line to the stern of the boat and toss the whole mess over-board. The drogue pays out to the end of the chain&line and creates a drag which slows down and stabilizes the boat. According to all that I have read it works wonderfully well. I can't confirm this from personal experience as I have never used it. And that is just as well as the worst weather incident I experienced, aside from the trip down the New Jersey coast where we actually were well in control of speed, was the micro-burst at Fort Pierce. In that case, I wasn't even moving, less you call being pushed slowly down in the water at anchor "moving." Get the drogue itself to the stern of the boat would have been no problem. The problem was trying to drag the 300 feet of 3/4 inch line and the 12 feet of 3/8 inch chain from the fore peak, through the salon, up the ladder, across the cockpit, over the back deck to the stern without giving myself a hernia. I don't know how much it weighs, but even carefully tied up, it was a pain to move and Sunday the boats was still and on land. The thought of doing it in a blow was, shall we say, "most uncomfortable." Me going out in bad weather is anathema! Not that ABISHAG can't take it, or even me know that I have don it, but rather I don't look at sailing as a survival sport. If the weather is bad, I stay at anchor. So the drogue is going to the Consignment shop. The chain and the 3/4 inch line stays here. Where exactly I don't know but that stuff is something I can realistically use.
Ah, lethargy! If I hadn't been afflicted, this is something I would have done right after ABSIHAG go hauled. Then again, the need for gas for the car and the lack of funds to fill the tank, even part way, put a real crimp in my plans. Now, it is a rush against snow and it appears that the snow is going to win! Damn!!!!
I received a couple of emails from club members who have made the trip to sunny Florida. I must be infected with "powerboat-itse" for while wouldn't mind being there with them, the prospect of the trip, with all the motoring and anchoring and all that stuff down and back was the real deterrent. They all sound like they are having a great time. At least they have the weather this year. Truth be told, I wish that I could start working on ABISHAG today to get her ready for the Spring. I really must be getting old or something for as much as I complain about the maintenance, I can't wait to start!
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Fall Planning
SHIP'S LOG:
With the onset of "winter," I have got to get to work winterizing ABISHAG. Some of it will be done by the Boatyard crews, but there is still plenty I have to do. The biggest job, though in one sense the easiest, is emptying the boat. I will be taking everything out of ABISHAG and store it at Russ' for the winter. And when I say everything, I mean everything, from cushions to spare parts to galley items to electronics to sails to cordage . . . I mean everything. And I will be most careful as to what gets hauled back aboard come the spring.
The Main & Genoa are already at the sail-makers as they have had the most use and need the most work. The Cruising Spinnaker, Mizzen and Storm Jib will winter in Russ' basement as they had only easy use. Time and energy permitting, I may wash them but then again, maybe not!
I've got loads of spare parts that I took on for the ICW trip. I was certainly glad that I did so as there were several times when i made use of them, especially in jury rigging to correct problems. Unfortunately, they add a lot of weight to the boat. You would not think that stainless steel screws and bolts would weigh that much, but when you have lots of them they do! And if you multiply that by fittings and other spare parts, it really adds up. It has gotten to the point when I am not sure exactly what I have available. There is nothing I hate more than going out to buy something I need for the boat only to find I already have it on-board, a fact I find usually after the purchase. What I really need now for coastal cruising is a lot different than what I needed for making the ICW trip. Removing these items and putting back aboard only what I might realistically need will create more storage space.
I have a locker filled with topside paint, caulkings of various kinds, solvents, all sorts of adhesives, fiberglass and resin and hardeners, tools for using fiberglass to make repairs, paintbrushes(bristles and foam) and paint sticks, etc. all of which have been useful but most of the time they just sit there, taking up room. Doing the spring commissioning hopefully will use up most if not all of these times and so free up another locker.
Of course there are also items that can go away permanently. I have a "GALE-RIDER" Drogue which is really great if you are running downwind in a gale (40 knots or better) but won't get a lot of use on the coastal cruising. It is a likely candidate for the "Consignment" Shop in Mystic, or perhaps the one in Wickford in RI which is owned by the same people but is bigger and seems to have a larger turnover.
I also have a portable generator which I haven't used since I got back . . 2 years ago. In fact the only time I needed it was once during this summer, when there was no electrical power on the TYC dock, and it wouldn't start! Chuck the launch driver had the same one and his stopped working as well. He took it off to a HONDA dealer and they charged him over $400 to get it working again. It might be worth getting it going again, though I have no idea why it is not running. Doesn't seem to be any spark so that it would seem to be an electrical problem and you know how I feel about electricity. Perhaps it would be a good thing to get running as the memories of Sandy and Irene and the power outages would make it a useful item to have. Then again, during both Irene and Sandy, the generator rested safe and sound aboard and never got use, so maybe it would be another item for the Consignment Shop. Or perhaps I could give it to TYC in lieu of dues.
Of course there are also plates and pot and cutlery and linens of all types, and while most f them get used regularly when I am "living aboard," I seem to have more than I need. As a reuslt, some deteriorate and have to be tossed. So perhaps it would be better just to keep what I use and "consign" the rest.
Then there are all the cushions, inside and outside. The cockpit cushions are really falling apart. They are low density foam and as a result, unless I remove them from the cockpit when they are not in use, they soak up moister like a sponge which is basically what they are. The vinyl coverings are split along most of the seams and have become so fragile that they rip if you look at them the wrong way. This summer, I got a roll of "Shrink-wrap tape," what they use to hold the shrink wrap on boats before they shrink the wrap on the boat as a winter cover, and re-did the seems ad cover most of the holes. It was not as easy task afloat, but it seemed to work quite well. However, I need to re-do them for two reason: 1.) the finished job wasn't the neatest; and 2.) there is still moisture in the foam. A winter in a nice warm and dry basement will dry them out completely and will allow me to seal them completely for the upcoming season. To replace them would be about 4 Marine Units, none of which I have. And the inside cushions, well at the least, they need cleaning. They have at least seven years of interior dirt and diesel odor to be removed. They covers on all are all in need of being "de-mildewed" and in the case of the cushions in the fore-peak, they need new covers. New covers will not be coming unless I an find a really generous seamstress or tailor. Otherwise, it is a matter of "match-&-patch" by me to cover the really bad holes and then waiting for Publishers Clearing House to find me.
The real reason for the "stripping out" of ABISHAG is the fact that there are several spring projects that require it. I am going to have to create access panels to allow me to get at the bolts and machine screws securing the stanchions. A couple are leaking and the rest, if not, are surely over do from removal and re-bedding. Cutting wood and fiberglass create a lot of dust and detritus and clean-up is easier if the boat interior is bare. The overheads have to come down as well so that I can get at the wiring they conceal. Too many fixtures throughout the boat don't function and the wiring needs replace. At the very least, all of the connection have to be check and the bad ones re-done. The overheads also have to come down because all of the deck hatches have to be removed and re-bedded as they all leak. The overheads are some type of fiberboard and are as old as the boat and really showing their age. They are not simple to remove, held in by dozens of screws, and the wood into which the fasteners are screw are falling apart as well. In addition, the back of the main cockpit hatch leaks and the wood of its framing is bad and it has to be ripped out and replace. Before I can do that job, I have to find the leak so the problem just doesn't continue. I would like to be able to install a new overhead of some type of type so that I can have ease of access, but that will depend on (naturally) the cost. It is all just one fun thing after another
With the onset of "winter," I have got to get to work winterizing ABISHAG. Some of it will be done by the Boatyard crews, but there is still plenty I have to do. The biggest job, though in one sense the easiest, is emptying the boat. I will be taking everything out of ABISHAG and store it at Russ' for the winter. And when I say everything, I mean everything, from cushions to spare parts to galley items to electronics to sails to cordage . . . I mean everything. And I will be most careful as to what gets hauled back aboard come the spring.
The Main & Genoa are already at the sail-makers as they have had the most use and need the most work. The Cruising Spinnaker, Mizzen and Storm Jib will winter in Russ' basement as they had only easy use. Time and energy permitting, I may wash them but then again, maybe not!
I've got loads of spare parts that I took on for the ICW trip. I was certainly glad that I did so as there were several times when i made use of them, especially in jury rigging to correct problems. Unfortunately, they add a lot of weight to the boat. You would not think that stainless steel screws and bolts would weigh that much, but when you have lots of them they do! And if you multiply that by fittings and other spare parts, it really adds up. It has gotten to the point when I am not sure exactly what I have available. There is nothing I hate more than going out to buy something I need for the boat only to find I already have it on-board, a fact I find usually after the purchase. What I really need now for coastal cruising is a lot different than what I needed for making the ICW trip. Removing these items and putting back aboard only what I might realistically need will create more storage space.
I have a locker filled with topside paint, caulkings of various kinds, solvents, all sorts of adhesives, fiberglass and resin and hardeners, tools for using fiberglass to make repairs, paintbrushes(bristles and foam) and paint sticks, etc. all of which have been useful but most of the time they just sit there, taking up room. Doing the spring commissioning hopefully will use up most if not all of these times and so free up another locker.
Of course there are also items that can go away permanently. I have a "GALE-RIDER" Drogue which is really great if you are running downwind in a gale (40 knots or better) but won't get a lot of use on the coastal cruising. It is a likely candidate for the "Consignment" Shop in Mystic, or perhaps the one in Wickford in RI which is owned by the same people but is bigger and seems to have a larger turnover.
I also have a portable generator which I haven't used since I got back . . 2 years ago. In fact the only time I needed it was once during this summer, when there was no electrical power on the TYC dock, and it wouldn't start! Chuck the launch driver had the same one and his stopped working as well. He took it off to a HONDA dealer and they charged him over $400 to get it working again. It might be worth getting it going again, though I have no idea why it is not running. Doesn't seem to be any spark so that it would seem to be an electrical problem and you know how I feel about electricity. Perhaps it would be a good thing to get running as the memories of Sandy and Irene and the power outages would make it a useful item to have. Then again, during both Irene and Sandy, the generator rested safe and sound aboard and never got use, so maybe it would be another item for the Consignment Shop. Or perhaps I could give it to TYC in lieu of dues.
Of course there are also plates and pot and cutlery and linens of all types, and while most f them get used regularly when I am "living aboard," I seem to have more than I need. As a reuslt, some deteriorate and have to be tossed. So perhaps it would be better just to keep what I use and "consign" the rest.
Then there are all the cushions, inside and outside. The cockpit cushions are really falling apart. They are low density foam and as a result, unless I remove them from the cockpit when they are not in use, they soak up moister like a sponge which is basically what they are. The vinyl coverings are split along most of the seams and have become so fragile that they rip if you look at them the wrong way. This summer, I got a roll of "Shrink-wrap tape," what they use to hold the shrink wrap on boats before they shrink the wrap on the boat as a winter cover, and re-did the seems ad cover most of the holes. It was not as easy task afloat, but it seemed to work quite well. However, I need to re-do them for two reason: 1.) the finished job wasn't the neatest; and 2.) there is still moisture in the foam. A winter in a nice warm and dry basement will dry them out completely and will allow me to seal them completely for the upcoming season. To replace them would be about 4 Marine Units, none of which I have. And the inside cushions, well at the least, they need cleaning. They have at least seven years of interior dirt and diesel odor to be removed. They covers on all are all in need of being "de-mildewed" and in the case of the cushions in the fore-peak, they need new covers. New covers will not be coming unless I an find a really generous seamstress or tailor. Otherwise, it is a matter of "match-&-patch" by me to cover the really bad holes and then waiting for Publishers Clearing House to find me.
The real reason for the "stripping out" of ABISHAG is the fact that there are several spring projects that require it. I am going to have to create access panels to allow me to get at the bolts and machine screws securing the stanchions. A couple are leaking and the rest, if not, are surely over do from removal and re-bedding. Cutting wood and fiberglass create a lot of dust and detritus and clean-up is easier if the boat interior is bare. The overheads have to come down as well so that I can get at the wiring they conceal. Too many fixtures throughout the boat don't function and the wiring needs replace. At the very least, all of the connection have to be check and the bad ones re-done. The overheads also have to come down because all of the deck hatches have to be removed and re-bedded as they all leak. The overheads are some type of fiberboard and are as old as the boat and really showing their age. They are not simple to remove, held in by dozens of screws, and the wood into which the fasteners are screw are falling apart as well. In addition, the back of the main cockpit hatch leaks and the wood of its framing is bad and it has to be ripped out and replace. Before I can do that job, I have to find the leak so the problem just doesn't continue. I would like to be able to install a new overhead of some type of type so that I can have ease of access, but that will depend on (naturally) the cost. It is all just one fun thing after another
Monday, October 21, 2013
Frost!!! We're Talking FROST!!!!!
SHIP'S LOG:
Yesterday was the second to the last race. Next Sunday will bring the racing season to and end and probably just in time. When I got up this morning int he woods of Griswold, there was Frost everywhere. And I am not talking just a light, frosty coating but a serious hard frost. Now that I pretty much have abandon checking the weather every day, except for Sunday because we race on Sundays but only for one more weekend, it caught me by surprise to say the least. Thank goodness I am off the boat as it would have been rather difficult to get out of the sack this morning. Not to mention what a trial it would have been to plunk my butt down on that cold, cold toilet seat in the head! Still, ain't it just a bit early?
The mooring field at TYC is getting rather barren and empty. Saturday, pretty close to a dozen boats left to get hauled for the winter. And Sunday, more left, even a few racers who at least waited until the race was over. Next weekend will see the great fall exodus as the TYC "closes" on November 1st and everyone "must be gone."It will still take a couple of weeks but the only ones who will remain will be those few who haul-out locally. The Saybrook or Portland or Stonington or Westerly crowd will be gone by Sunday next Westerly as the weather gets more hinkey and the temperature starts to head for the basement. Except for those who are into "frostbite" sailing, the season will be over and any time spent on boats will be for winterizing, wrapping and emptying. It is such a terrible time of the year. The only good aspect is that all those things one has somehow "lost " on the boat during the season will suddenly and miraculously reveal themselves.
I will head up to Portland today to see if I have been hauled and to pick up a few small items. Once I get out of the water, a major "stripping" will be done and then I'll wrap ABISHAG for her winter snooze. It gets SOOOOOOOOOOOOO Depressing!
Yesterday was the second to the last race. Next Sunday will bring the racing season to and end and probably just in time. When I got up this morning int he woods of Griswold, there was Frost everywhere. And I am not talking just a light, frosty coating but a serious hard frost. Now that I pretty much have abandon checking the weather every day, except for Sunday because we race on Sundays but only for one more weekend, it caught me by surprise to say the least. Thank goodness I am off the boat as it would have been rather difficult to get out of the sack this morning. Not to mention what a trial it would have been to plunk my butt down on that cold, cold toilet seat in the head! Still, ain't it just a bit early?
The mooring field at TYC is getting rather barren and empty. Saturday, pretty close to a dozen boats left to get hauled for the winter. And Sunday, more left, even a few racers who at least waited until the race was over. Next weekend will see the great fall exodus as the TYC "closes" on November 1st and everyone "must be gone."It will still take a couple of weeks but the only ones who will remain will be those few who haul-out locally. The Saybrook or Portland or Stonington or Westerly crowd will be gone by Sunday next Westerly as the weather gets more hinkey and the temperature starts to head for the basement. Except for those who are into "frostbite" sailing, the season will be over and any time spent on boats will be for winterizing, wrapping and emptying. It is such a terrible time of the year. The only good aspect is that all those things one has somehow "lost " on the boat during the season will suddenly and miraculously reveal themselves.
I will head up to Portland today to see if I have been hauled and to pick up a few small items. Once I get out of the water, a major "stripping" will be done and then I'll wrap ABISHAG for her winter snooze. It gets SOOOOOOOOOOOOO Depressing!
Friday, October 18, 2013
At Home In The Woods
SHIP'S LOG:
Well, I am firmly ensconced in the woods of Griswold and will hibernate here until the spring. I am hoping that it will be a pleasant winter, not a lot of snow or severely cold temperatures but since our "hurricane season" hasn't been one, I just get the impression that winter will be rather nasty. I have no conclusive proof or supporting data, just a feeling. It is just that we haven't had one for two years and we are do for a "smacking!"
Getting used to living ashore again is a bit of an exercise. Not going to bed when the sun goes down and sleeping in a bed that doesn't move, not worrying about the weather and especially the strength of the wind, not being overly concerned about the rain or whether the docklines or mooring lines are free from chafe, these are all good things but it takes awhile to re-order one's mind. Getting up in the middle of the night - thanks Mr. Prostrate - can be painful as I haven't quite got the position of the furniture clearly mapped out, but I am getting the hang of it. At least when I step outside I don't have to worry about falling overboard.
There is a new Robert Redford movie out about a sailor cross the ocean, Pacific I assume, who comes to grief when his 39 foot boat is holed by a UFO - unseen floating object - in this case a container off a ship. His boat sinks and he has to save himself through the use of all of his nautical skill. I am not sure if I want to go see it. Watching movies like that for a sailor turn into a "critique fest" wherein you tend to pick out all the flaws and mistakes rather than just enjoy the movie. Another movie out now called "GRAVITY" has been getting all sorts of grief from space oriented scientists who point out all the flaws that you could attribute to "artistic license." In some cases, you just can't separated the movie from reality. So it is that you never really enjoy the movie. Oh well, it is nice not to have anything really serious to worry about for awhile.
Well, I am firmly ensconced in the woods of Griswold and will hibernate here until the spring. I am hoping that it will be a pleasant winter, not a lot of snow or severely cold temperatures but since our "hurricane season" hasn't been one, I just get the impression that winter will be rather nasty. I have no conclusive proof or supporting data, just a feeling. It is just that we haven't had one for two years and we are do for a "smacking!"
Getting used to living ashore again is a bit of an exercise. Not going to bed when the sun goes down and sleeping in a bed that doesn't move, not worrying about the weather and especially the strength of the wind, not being overly concerned about the rain or whether the docklines or mooring lines are free from chafe, these are all good things but it takes awhile to re-order one's mind. Getting up in the middle of the night - thanks Mr. Prostrate - can be painful as I haven't quite got the position of the furniture clearly mapped out, but I am getting the hang of it. At least when I step outside I don't have to worry about falling overboard.
There is a new Robert Redford movie out about a sailor cross the ocean, Pacific I assume, who comes to grief when his 39 foot boat is holed by a UFO - unseen floating object - in this case a container off a ship. His boat sinks and he has to save himself through the use of all of his nautical skill. I am not sure if I want to go see it. Watching movies like that for a sailor turn into a "critique fest" wherein you tend to pick out all the flaws and mistakes rather than just enjoy the movie. Another movie out now called "GRAVITY" has been getting all sorts of grief from space oriented scientists who point out all the flaws that you could attribute to "artistic license." In some cases, you just can't separated the movie from reality. So it is that you never really enjoy the movie. Oh well, it is nice not to have anything really serious to worry about for awhile.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
It Could Be Winter Already
SHIP'S LOG:
Since winter actually begins the moment ABISHAG is lifted from the water, it could be winter already! With friend Fred, I brought ABISHAG from New London to her winter home in Portland over the weekend. It was a two day trip, not because it needed to be but because it was part of the TYC cruise, the last one of the season. As a part of that cruise, the boats from TYC stopped for Saturday night at Hamburg Cove. There we had a potluck supper and a Birthday Party for Morgan, the 9 year old nice of one of the members. The sail into Hamburg Cove from New London was what you might call a "rollicking" good time - 17 to 20 knots of wind and 6 foot waves. Since the tide, the wind and the waves were all heading down the Sound, we made excellent time and the ride was pretty comfortable, at least until we tried to get into the breakwater at the mouth of the Connecticut River. Making that turn put the waves on our Starboard stern quarter, giving ABISHAG a pretty good roll and slapping her stern around. It was of course at the moment that somebody with a large boat, lots of money and not a lot of sense decided that he wanted to get inside the breakwater ahead of us. Since he was motoring and we were sailing, we technically had the right of way but he acted as if we were not even there, so we didn't push the point. However, what goes around comes around. As we approached the Lyme Railroad Bridge, it was in the raised position but the tender announced that it would be closing in one minute. The large boat "idiot" called the tend er and ask if he would hold the bridge as he was only 1/8th of a mile away. Truth be told, he was closer to a mile away and the tend, who could see him from his perch simple said "No." So Mr. Large-Boat, Lots-of-Money, No-Brains had to wait around just like everybody else.
I went up to Portland Tuesday to take the sails of the boat and get my clothes out. It was a beautiful day and that made the tasks, if not pleasant, at least a great deal less onerous. Everything will remain on the boat until she is hauled and up on stands. Then I intend to strip her completely, taking absolutely everything out. This will give me an opportunity to clean and repair everything I remove and to discard everything that I really don't need. A Boat is sort of like that "what-not" draw everyone has in their home. It attracts all sorts of items you use once and then don't want to throw away less you need them again. There are also bunches of spare parts and a surprising amount of stuff you didn't even know you had. Once I get it all out and get done all the repairs that are needed, I can "carefully" select what goes back aboard and what goes to the TYC tag sale. In addition, getting all the stuff out will be necessary for the work that needs doing, including removing the overhead. I vow that the deck leaks will be found and corrected this spring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Since winter actually begins the moment ABISHAG is lifted from the water, it could be winter already! With friend Fred, I brought ABISHAG from New London to her winter home in Portland over the weekend. It was a two day trip, not because it needed to be but because it was part of the TYC cruise, the last one of the season. As a part of that cruise, the boats from TYC stopped for Saturday night at Hamburg Cove. There we had a potluck supper and a Birthday Party for Morgan, the 9 year old nice of one of the members. The sail into Hamburg Cove from New London was what you might call a "rollicking" good time - 17 to 20 knots of wind and 6 foot waves. Since the tide, the wind and the waves were all heading down the Sound, we made excellent time and the ride was pretty comfortable, at least until we tried to get into the breakwater at the mouth of the Connecticut River. Making that turn put the waves on our Starboard stern quarter, giving ABISHAG a pretty good roll and slapping her stern around. It was of course at the moment that somebody with a large boat, lots of money and not a lot of sense decided that he wanted to get inside the breakwater ahead of us. Since he was motoring and we were sailing, we technically had the right of way but he acted as if we were not even there, so we didn't push the point. However, what goes around comes around. As we approached the Lyme Railroad Bridge, it was in the raised position but the tender announced that it would be closing in one minute. The large boat "idiot" called the tend er and ask if he would hold the bridge as he was only 1/8th of a mile away. Truth be told, he was closer to a mile away and the tend, who could see him from his perch simple said "No." So Mr. Large-Boat, Lots-of-Money, No-Brains had to wait around just like everybody else.
I went up to Portland Tuesday to take the sails of the boat and get my clothes out. It was a beautiful day and that made the tasks, if not pleasant, at least a great deal less onerous. Everything will remain on the boat until she is hauled and up on stands. Then I intend to strip her completely, taking absolutely everything out. This will give me an opportunity to clean and repair everything I remove and to discard everything that I really don't need. A Boat is sort of like that "what-not" draw everyone has in their home. It attracts all sorts of items you use once and then don't want to throw away less you need them again. There are also bunches of spare parts and a surprising amount of stuff you didn't even know you had. Once I get it all out and get done all the repairs that are needed, I can "carefully" select what goes back aboard and what goes to the TYC tag sale. In addition, getting all the stuff out will be necessary for the work that needs doing, including removing the overhead. I vow that the deck leaks will be found and corrected this spring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
In The Past Few Weeks . . . .
SHIP'S LOG:
It is sad to say but I have moved from wearing shorts and flip-flops to wearing long pants and shoes. It is sooooooooooooo depressing! It gets cold enough at night on the boat where two blankets are need to sleep through the night. I hate that.
Another boat has left TYC and is underway to Miami via the ICW. Right now, it is somewhere in the Chesapeake, having made the run on the inside, getting a bit beat-up in the Delaware Bay, which actually isn't that much of a surprise. Delaware Bay is the home of "square waves" and even at the best of times is simply an awful piece of water. Another boat from the club is due to take off soon for the same run making three going south for "fun in the sun." I hope that they get there safely and that it is all that they expect.
I don't have any regrets, at least right now, for not making the trip south. ABISHAG certainly could make it but I am not sure that I would. I just don't have the "umph" necessary for the trip, not so much the one down as the one back. Perhaps next year.
This past weekend, five boats left TYC to get hauled for the winter. The exodus has started and will pick up speed in the weeks ahead. I went up to Yankee Boatyard in Portland and made a down payment for winter storage. TYC is sponsoring its last cruise of the season on Columbus Day weekend. The cruise will be from the club to Essex on the Connecticut River. We will cruise to Hamburg Cove just outside of Essex on that Saturday and moor for the evening. There will be a pot-luck supper and then Sunday, those of us going to Portland to haul will go up river, while those who are still going to milk the sailing season will head back to TYC.
My little blue P.O.S. is no longer mine. It got sold for part to an auto graveyard and netted me a few, and I emphasize "few", bucks. My new ride is a 1989 Ford Tempo that belonged to the elderly aunt of a friend. She can't drive anymore and just wanted to dump the car, so it became mine. It only had 24,274 miles on it and seems to run fine. At least it should get me from here to there without the soon-to-be-expensive-due-to-their-number small problems I was facing with the Hyundai. But after 12 years, it owed me nothing.
The search goes on for "lodgings" for the winter months. I am sure something will turn up but there will be anxiety until that happens. Til then, I will enjoy the weather here and keep sailing. It is supposed to be a long, cold, bitter winter. Ugh!
It is sad to say but I have moved from wearing shorts and flip-flops to wearing long pants and shoes. It is sooooooooooooo depressing! It gets cold enough at night on the boat where two blankets are need to sleep through the night. I hate that.
Another boat has left TYC and is underway to Miami via the ICW. Right now, it is somewhere in the Chesapeake, having made the run on the inside, getting a bit beat-up in the Delaware Bay, which actually isn't that much of a surprise. Delaware Bay is the home of "square waves" and even at the best of times is simply an awful piece of water. Another boat from the club is due to take off soon for the same run making three going south for "fun in the sun." I hope that they get there safely and that it is all that they expect.
I don't have any regrets, at least right now, for not making the trip south. ABISHAG certainly could make it but I am not sure that I would. I just don't have the "umph" necessary for the trip, not so much the one down as the one back. Perhaps next year.
This past weekend, five boats left TYC to get hauled for the winter. The exodus has started and will pick up speed in the weeks ahead. I went up to Yankee Boatyard in Portland and made a down payment for winter storage. TYC is sponsoring its last cruise of the season on Columbus Day weekend. The cruise will be from the club to Essex on the Connecticut River. We will cruise to Hamburg Cove just outside of Essex on that Saturday and moor for the evening. There will be a pot-luck supper and then Sunday, those of us going to Portland to haul will go up river, while those who are still going to milk the sailing season will head back to TYC.
My little blue P.O.S. is no longer mine. It got sold for part to an auto graveyard and netted me a few, and I emphasize "few", bucks. My new ride is a 1989 Ford Tempo that belonged to the elderly aunt of a friend. She can't drive anymore and just wanted to dump the car, so it became mine. It only had 24,274 miles on it and seems to run fine. At least it should get me from here to there without the soon-to-be-expensive-due-to-their-number small problems I was facing with the Hyundai. But after 12 years, it owed me nothing.
The search goes on for "lodgings" for the winter months. I am sure something will turn up but there will be anxiety until that happens. Til then, I will enjoy the weather here and keep sailing. It is supposed to be a long, cold, bitter winter. Ugh!
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