SHIP'S LOG:
Well that settles that! I woke up this morning to a covering of snow on the ground. Boy, this was the last thing I wanted to see. I had hope, in my naivete, that by this time I would be sucking down the OJ and slathering on the sun screen. I guess that I missed that goal by just a little. Instead of being in Fort Lauderdale, a toasty brown, in shorts and tee-shirt, swimming in the morning, sailing in the afternoon, trying to decided between the Keys and the Bahamas, I am up in Connecticut, freezing, on the hard again, with no prospects of getting South before next Fall if ever. Yup, definitely missed that one by just a smidge!
Someone inquired about what exactly a Marine Unit was. Well, way back in this blog I shared the concept a friend of mine has that one would never spend the money necessary on a boat if you talked in real dollars. He developed and I adopted the concept of the Marine Unit. One marine Unit equals $500. It is a lot easier on one's psyche to spend only "2 Marine Units" on a repair or a piece of equipment than to spend $1,000! True, it is a silly ploy but it has probably saved many a boat owner from taking up golf. And so the haul out, storage and launching is costing 5 Marine Units. The Deductible is a little more that 3 Marine Units. The salvage operation a week ago Saturday was 11 Marine Units. And so on and so forth. Now you know why some boat owners take up piracy!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Today was the first day that I really, REALLY felt like I want to climb back into that saddle once again. Perhaps it was the snow, but whatever it happened to be, i am inspired to begin again. It's not like I am starting from scratch, there are only a few things that need doing, but it is the desire to do them. If not for the cold and snow and the approximate 80 mile one way trip, I would be there today . . . that an the fact that it is 144 days before she will be launched. No need in getting hr all dressed up as she's got no place to go . . . . right now!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
145 Days And Counting! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
It is 145 days until the first of May. the reason that this is significant is that ABISHAG has to go into the water by then. I am not quite clear on what will happen if she would not be ready but it would not be a good thing. It never is.
I did NOT receive a phone call from the yard Boss on Friday so I must presume that the winterization went off without a hitch. I am planning to go down early next week to retrieve the outboard, gas cans and anything else from the boat I overlooked in the unloading on Thursday. I can't think of much or anything really that I left behind, but it always pays to take a good look around. You never know what you will find . . . . maybe several Marine Units that I had forgotten about. I doubt it but, you never know. Maybe the Tooth Fairy has a cousin who works that boating industry or something. The complete winterization will run another probable 2 Marine Units, so here's hoping.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
They have used the "S" word on the weather forecasts several times this week, so perhaps pulling an Edward Smith, he of TITANIC fame, will turn out to be a good thing. After the first of the year, I can get into the serious planning stage for the Spring outfitting. There in little or nothing ABISHAG needs, but there are two or three things I want to change and perhaps continue on with trying to solve the mystery of her electrical system.. It is just a week now and while I am still quite down about the whole thing, I can already feel myself getting reved-up to get started again.It is just too bad that I have to go through the Winter to get to the Spring from the Fall. But who knows, perhaps, with sufficient study, I will be able to begin to make a start on understanding electricity. It is still magic to me!
It is 145 days until the first of May. the reason that this is significant is that ABISHAG has to go into the water by then. I am not quite clear on what will happen if she would not be ready but it would not be a good thing. It never is.
I did NOT receive a phone call from the yard Boss on Friday so I must presume that the winterization went off without a hitch. I am planning to go down early next week to retrieve the outboard, gas cans and anything else from the boat I overlooked in the unloading on Thursday. I can't think of much or anything really that I left behind, but it always pays to take a good look around. You never know what you will find . . . . maybe several Marine Units that I had forgotten about. I doubt it but, you never know. Maybe the Tooth Fairy has a cousin who works that boating industry or something. The complete winterization will run another probable 2 Marine Units, so here's hoping.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
They have used the "S" word on the weather forecasts several times this week, so perhaps pulling an Edward Smith, he of TITANIC fame, will turn out to be a good thing. After the first of the year, I can get into the serious planning stage for the Spring outfitting. There in little or nothing ABISHAG needs, but there are two or three things I want to change and perhaps continue on with trying to solve the mystery of her electrical system.. It is just a week now and while I am still quite down about the whole thing, I can already feel myself getting reved-up to get started again.It is just too bad that I have to go through the Winter to get to the Spring from the Fall. But who knows, perhaps, with sufficient study, I will be able to begin to make a start on understanding electricity. It is still magic to me!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
I Formally Declare It To Be Winter! BRRRRRRRR!!!!
SHIP'S LOG:
My friend Russ and I went down to Captain's Cove Seaport and emptied ABISHAG, 90-95%. It took about 2 1/2 hours and I am glad we did it while the boat was still in the water at the dock. Four milk crates of books, two large duffles of clothes, a couple of baskets of tools, and assorted bags of food and other stores. The good part of this will be that I have a second shot at doing a culling of this stuff before it goes back into the boat come the Spring. It all got hauled and stuffed back into the garage. It was a long day.
I helped move ABISHAG to the travel lift and she got hauled out and we got a look at the bottom. The good news: the rudder is fine, the prop is perfect . . . it is still shiny. Bad news: at both the front corner and back corner of the keel the fiberglass was busted open. There was also a 2 foot gash in the fiberglass along the port side of the keel and some significant scuffing along the very bottom of the keel. It looks like several Marine Units of fiberglass work but nothing really serious. It could have been worse. It could have been better. As it is, it is what it is and I'll let the Insurance Company and the Captain's Cove Seaport Boat Shop work everything out. They have several month (sigh) until ABISHAG hits the water on May 1st ad I am sure that everything will turn out just fine.
I talked with the Yard Boss and they will winterize the boat tomorrow. That will be 4 Marine Units and counting. It is going to be an expensive winter and I'll be spending money I don't have in a place I didn't necessarily want to be. (Sigh)
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Winter has come. When the keel of my boat leaves the water, it is Winter. It really didn't bother me as much to see the damage this time as it did the last time. I guess that I had come the the conclusion a lot early that the trip was over for this year and so it didn't hurts as much. I get to spend the next fee months planning again and trying to locate a source for more Marine Units. Sometime I am going to have to come up with another deductible (3 Marine Units) which will be do when the work is done. Maybe it is Powerball Ticket Time.
My friend Russ and I went down to Captain's Cove Seaport and emptied ABISHAG, 90-95%. It took about 2 1/2 hours and I am glad we did it while the boat was still in the water at the dock. Four milk crates of books, two large duffles of clothes, a couple of baskets of tools, and assorted bags of food and other stores. The good part of this will be that I have a second shot at doing a culling of this stuff before it goes back into the boat come the Spring. It all got hauled and stuffed back into the garage. It was a long day.
I helped move ABISHAG to the travel lift and she got hauled out and we got a look at the bottom. The good news: the rudder is fine, the prop is perfect . . . it is still shiny. Bad news: at both the front corner and back corner of the keel the fiberglass was busted open. There was also a 2 foot gash in the fiberglass along the port side of the keel and some significant scuffing along the very bottom of the keel. It looks like several Marine Units of fiberglass work but nothing really serious. It could have been worse. It could have been better. As it is, it is what it is and I'll let the Insurance Company and the Captain's Cove Seaport Boat Shop work everything out. They have several month (sigh) until ABISHAG hits the water on May 1st ad I am sure that everything will turn out just fine.
I talked with the Yard Boss and they will winterize the boat tomorrow. That will be 4 Marine Units and counting. It is going to be an expensive winter and I'll be spending money I don't have in a place I didn't necessarily want to be. (Sigh)
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
Winter has come. When the keel of my boat leaves the water, it is Winter. It really didn't bother me as much to see the damage this time as it did the last time. I guess that I had come the the conclusion a lot early that the trip was over for this year and so it didn't hurts as much. I get to spend the next fee months planning again and trying to locate a source for more Marine Units. Sometime I am going to have to come up with another deductible (3 Marine Units) which will be do when the work is done. Maybe it is Powerball Ticket Time.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
And So It Goes! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
I was sent a fax from the BOATSHOP at Captain's Cove Seaport where rests ABISHAG. It was a "Winter Service Contract," listing all the things that could be done to "winterize" the boat before storage. I hadn't had the contract in my hand an hour when I got a phone call from one of the owners of Captain's Cove Seaport. He did some fancy dancing around a couple of concerns he had about winterizing ABISHAG.
First of all was the engine. As you might remember from "The Engine Saga" of this past winter, a metal fixture on the engine crack and led to the engine overheating problem. The problem was exacerbated by the fact that the Mystic Shipyard Staff could not find a replacement part. In a choice between manufacturing a custom part, they chose to epoxy the old piece with a special epoxy designed to hand the heat and pressure. It has worked fine since they did it but the Yard Boss at Captain's Cove is "uncomfortable" winterizing the engine with such a repair in place. He was not very complementary toward the Mystic Shipyard's crew and he wants me to winterize the engine. I am not sure that I can handle it and will try to work something out with the Seaport yard staff. I'll see if they are willing and able to custom manufacture the part.
Secondly was the head system. The Yard Boss doesn't like the plumbing for the holding tank in the aft head. He doesn't like the location of the holding tank in the aft Cabin. They don't want to winterize the head system plumbing. I will be able to do that. I am already planning to remove the holding tank from the aft head and use it in the front head, replacing the LECTROSAN Unit, as there are fewer and fewer places where you can discharge it. I'll return the aft head to its former glory as a direct discharge unit.
Three was the fresh water system. He doesn't like the way the hoses run and where the fresh water pump is located. He thinks the hot water system is terrible and he doesn't want to winterize it less it should break down and leak over the winter, possibly making them liable for damage.
Fourthly, the Yard Boss was also concerned about the fact that the interior of ABISHAG was "obviously kept in a very personal manner." In other words, he was concerned with all the personal items that were on the boat and the "chaotic" state of the interior. I tried to explain to him that ABISHAG was a live aboard boat. I also tried to explain that when the boat laid over during the grounding, everything on the port side took it upon itself to transfer to the starboard side and I really hadn't had the time to get it all back in place. Try picturing the scene in the movie "TITANIC" where, as the ship is sinking, everything is falling off shelves and slidding all over the place and you will get a sense. I let Yard Boss know that I would be removing all the personal stuff from the boat and that seemed to cause him to breathe easier.
Suffice it to say, ABISHAG will be winterize and stored and snuggled down for the winter, probably by next Monday. And then the winter truly begins.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
What a drag. The phone call from the owner with the stuff about winterizing was something like pouring salt in an open wound. Thank goodness for all that I have been through because I am fairly sure that had I not had the expereince, I really would have done something stupid, like put ABISHAG up for sale. All of these problems can be worked out and will be, but I want them to go away as quick as possible. I just want someone to make them all go away, but I realize that I am the only one who can do it. So I will. It will be another "root-canal-done-through-the-ear" sort of exercise, but it will get done. the I will have several months to plan and dream and try to figure things out. It was what I wanted to do on the boat but now I will simply be doing it off the boat.
I was sent a fax from the BOATSHOP at Captain's Cove Seaport where rests ABISHAG. It was a "Winter Service Contract," listing all the things that could be done to "winterize" the boat before storage. I hadn't had the contract in my hand an hour when I got a phone call from one of the owners of Captain's Cove Seaport. He did some fancy dancing around a couple of concerns he had about winterizing ABISHAG.
First of all was the engine. As you might remember from "The Engine Saga" of this past winter, a metal fixture on the engine crack and led to the engine overheating problem. The problem was exacerbated by the fact that the Mystic Shipyard Staff could not find a replacement part. In a choice between manufacturing a custom part, they chose to epoxy the old piece with a special epoxy designed to hand the heat and pressure. It has worked fine since they did it but the Yard Boss at Captain's Cove is "uncomfortable" winterizing the engine with such a repair in place. He was not very complementary toward the Mystic Shipyard's crew and he wants me to winterize the engine. I am not sure that I can handle it and will try to work something out with the Seaport yard staff. I'll see if they are willing and able to custom manufacture the part.
Secondly was the head system. The Yard Boss doesn't like the plumbing for the holding tank in the aft head. He doesn't like the location of the holding tank in the aft Cabin. They don't want to winterize the head system plumbing. I will be able to do that. I am already planning to remove the holding tank from the aft head and use it in the front head, replacing the LECTROSAN Unit, as there are fewer and fewer places where you can discharge it. I'll return the aft head to its former glory as a direct discharge unit.
Three was the fresh water system. He doesn't like the way the hoses run and where the fresh water pump is located. He thinks the hot water system is terrible and he doesn't want to winterize it less it should break down and leak over the winter, possibly making them liable for damage.
Fourthly, the Yard Boss was also concerned about the fact that the interior of ABISHAG was "obviously kept in a very personal manner." In other words, he was concerned with all the personal items that were on the boat and the "chaotic" state of the interior. I tried to explain to him that ABISHAG was a live aboard boat. I also tried to explain that when the boat laid over during the grounding, everything on the port side took it upon itself to transfer to the starboard side and I really hadn't had the time to get it all back in place. Try picturing the scene in the movie "TITANIC" where, as the ship is sinking, everything is falling off shelves and slidding all over the place and you will get a sense. I let Yard Boss know that I would be removing all the personal stuff from the boat and that seemed to cause him to breathe easier.
Suffice it to say, ABISHAG will be winterize and stored and snuggled down for the winter, probably by next Monday. And then the winter truly begins.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
What a drag. The phone call from the owner with the stuff about winterizing was something like pouring salt in an open wound. Thank goodness for all that I have been through because I am fairly sure that had I not had the expereince, I really would have done something stupid, like put ABISHAG up for sale. All of these problems can be worked out and will be, but I want them to go away as quick as possible. I just want someone to make them all go away, but I realize that I am the only one who can do it. So I will. It will be another "root-canal-done-through-the-ear" sort of exercise, but it will get done. the I will have several months to plan and dream and try to figure things out. It was what I wanted to do on the boat but now I will simply be doing it off the boat.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
I've Done This Dance Before!
SHIP'S LOG:
Spent a good chunk of yesterday talking with the people at CAPTAIN'S COVE SEAPORT in Black Rock Harbor. They seem to be a very good group and arrangements were made to haul ABISHAG. Tentatively, she will go dry on Thursday about 1pm. I get to go down and see what sort of damage was done. It is funny, in a bizarre, that I was expecting so much damage when I got hung up on the breakwater in New Haven and pounded up and down for a couple of hours and really there was not a lot. The repair work, less the prop and the deductible, was just about what was charge to salvage the boat. I can remember as the boat was lifted out of the water, how everyone looked for "big damage," and found very little. This time around, there was no real pounding, only the initial crashing stop and going aground and the slow lean over and back. Then the pull off. Why is it then that I am expecting "major damage"?
So far the "Butcher's Bill" is as follows:
1.) The "Lite" Salvage: $5,850
2.) Haul, Store & Launch: $2,340
3.) Bottom Wash: $78
4.) Boat Stand Rental: $270
5.) Tax: $17
TOTAL: $8555
. . . . . . AND THAT IS BEFORE ANY REPAIRS ARE DONE! Hopefully the insurance company will be as swift at settling as it was the last time and it will "ONLY" cost me my deductible ($1,600) and the cost of storage and launching. Ouch!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I haven't quite got my head around this yet. I am not looking forward to unloading the boat. I almost want to say "The Heck With It", and let all the stuff sit in the boat for the winter. Some of the stuff will stay but there is other stuff that has to come out or it will rot and/or mildew. Still, I could just let it sit and deal with the mess, and it would be a mess, come the spring.
Another place in my brain is already starting to work of stuff that needs fixing and correcting and changing on the boat, planning for a new trip come the spring. It is all very schizophrenic! I am sure that it will all sort itself out in the days ahead, but right now, it is giving me a headache trying to sort it out. Living in the moment is not as simple as it sounds.
Spent a good chunk of yesterday talking with the people at CAPTAIN'S COVE SEAPORT in Black Rock Harbor. They seem to be a very good group and arrangements were made to haul ABISHAG. Tentatively, she will go dry on Thursday about 1pm. I get to go down and see what sort of damage was done. It is funny, in a bizarre, that I was expecting so much damage when I got hung up on the breakwater in New Haven and pounded up and down for a couple of hours and really there was not a lot. The repair work, less the prop and the deductible, was just about what was charge to salvage the boat. I can remember as the boat was lifted out of the water, how everyone looked for "big damage," and found very little. This time around, there was no real pounding, only the initial crashing stop and going aground and the slow lean over and back. Then the pull off. Why is it then that I am expecting "major damage"?
So far the "Butcher's Bill" is as follows:
1.) The "Lite" Salvage: $5,850
2.) Haul, Store & Launch: $2,340
3.) Bottom Wash: $78
4.) Boat Stand Rental: $270
5.) Tax: $17
TOTAL: $8555
. . . . . . AND THAT IS BEFORE ANY REPAIRS ARE DONE! Hopefully the insurance company will be as swift at settling as it was the last time and it will "ONLY" cost me my deductible ($1,600) and the cost of storage and launching. Ouch!
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
I haven't quite got my head around this yet. I am not looking forward to unloading the boat. I almost want to say "The Heck With It", and let all the stuff sit in the boat for the winter. Some of the stuff will stay but there is other stuff that has to come out or it will rot and/or mildew. Still, I could just let it sit and deal with the mess, and it would be a mess, come the spring.
Another place in my brain is already starting to work of stuff that needs fixing and correcting and changing on the boat, planning for a new trip come the spring. It is all very schizophrenic! I am sure that it will all sort itself out in the days ahead, but right now, it is giving me a headache trying to sort it out. Living in the moment is not as simple as it sounds.
Monday, December 1, 2008
You Gota Watch Out For That First Step! ! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
Well, I'll have to say that the hook went down and stayed out all night. I don't think I quite sleep well as I was expecting it to drag and have to go through the whole process of setting it again . . . . . . in the dark. But no, it held tight, so much so that it was a pain in the but to get it to break out in the morning. In fact, I had to motor a couple of times on a shorten scope ( move the boat forward so that the rode was straight up and down, decreasing its holding power) to get it to pull out. I do wonder why this did not happen the first time in New Haven, but "in the Gulf" at Millford, it I could have held the Queen Mary.
Once again, the wind was right on the nose blowing against the tide, creating those square wave that you have to punch through. It actually was a beautiful day and I was making decent time but once again I decided not to push it. A good 20 miles would be a fine day as the next two there were supposed to small craft advisories and I decided to put into Black Rock Harbor in Strafford, tie up at Captain's Cove Shipyard and wait out the impending storm.
The charts I use are from MAPTECH and they come in a 1 1/2' X 2 1/2' format chartbook. They show a particular area in varying degrees of detail, with large format depiction of harbors, rivers and the like. They are excellent so long as use them well. I am not sure exactly how it happened by I missed Black Rock Harbor by a mile and a half. The chart I was using had about 15 miles of the Connecticut coastline, plus 3 smaller detailed inserts of Bridgeport, Black Rock and Southport. Unfortunately, I must have miss read the Charts and ended up in Southport rather than in Black Rock Harbor. I guess that I was actually going faster than I thought I was to miss it by that much. I also think that with one big chart and the three little insert charts all on the same page made getting confused about exactly where I was a real chance.
And so it was that leaving Southport Harbor to go to Black Rock Harbor, I looked at the chart, set the autopilot and . . . . . went aground again! I am not sure if the auto pilot messed up or I inputted the wrong course ( garbage in=garbage out) I ended up on a shoal at the entrance to Southport Harbor. It was a good thing that UI was that far off the beach as the string of Anglo-Saxon expletives that escaped my lips would have curddled the hair of saltiest of old salty seadogs. I was moving at about 6 knots and the grounding was "relatively soft", more sand and gravel than rock, but rocks were there. The ground got me up enough so that I couldn't motor off. I shut of the engine. I center the rudder and locked it down. I got my phone and called Tow Boat/US. and sat down to wait.
In that the season had ended, they had no Captains on stand-by and it would be a couple of hours before one could get to me. I went aground at 2:10pm, which I was informed was near mid-high tide and that ABISHAG was going over on her side long before they could get there.
It was long couple of hours, during which everything on the port side of the boat decided to move to the starboard side of the boat. The farther the boat leaned, the more the water in the bilge came into the cabin, more than there should have been as I was slow in shutting the seacocks on the starboard side of the boat. Slowly but surely over ABISHAG went until she rested on the bottom (sand and gravel), about 45 degrees out of vertical. The towboat got there about 4:30pm but couldn't get near me. Actually he could have walked, barely getting his feet wet, but there was nothing he could do about getting ABISHAG off her side and out of the predicament I put her into by missing the buoy. He did take the time to plan a route back out into deep water so that we would avoid the sizable rock that were present. The good thing about it drying out that much is that they were easy to spot and chart. There was one about 50ft behind me that could have done serious damage had I hit it and several in front that were equally nasty. They were to be avoided on departure.
The Coast Guard showed up as well and there was nothing they could do either, though once they got my cell phone number, they called every half hour to make sure I was OK. Other than that, the time between the grounding until 10PM was taken up adjusting to the increasing heel and, after 6:18pm when the tide ebbed and changed, the decreasing heel. Trying to move around the boat, I jammed my left ankle and pulled a muscle in my back so I decided that before I ended up seriously injuring myself, I took a nap - one punctuated by calls every 30 minutes from the Coast Guard.
At 10pm, ABISHAG was pretty much upright an lines were attached to the tow boat, keeping a strain on the boat to keep her from moving forward with the tide into the rocks. Every 10 minutes or so, the towboat tried to pulled the boat out. About 10:45pm, off she came, with a bang or two as she skidded over the bottom. Free at last!
The towboat escorted me into Black Rock Harbor, to the fuel dock at Captain's Cove Shipyard, just where I wanted to go in the first place. The rudder seemed untouched as she steered as well she ever had. The engine ran fine and the prop as well as it had before the grounding. The inside of the boat was a shambles and water from the bilge, with nasty oil drippings was on part of the floor in the main cabin, adding that wonderful bilge smell to the mess. Anything on the floor got soaked and somethings, like footwear and pillows, are probably ruined and have become trash. I spent a little time trying to straighten things out but since I was going to be stuck in port for a couple of days, there would be time enough for that so I went to sleep. Do you believe it?
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
This part of the journey. After a night's sleep, I have decided that the boat will be hauled at Captain's Cove (we've done that before) and have them check the damage. They are a full service boat yard so any work needed could be done there. I have also decided that if there is room, and there should be, that I will have them winterize the boat and store it for the winter. I guess God really was trying to tell me that it was not part of the plan that I go South this year.
I think that even though I was going to take it really easy on the way that perhaps this was not the time to go. I so wanted to go that I was pushing it just by trying to go, not matter how easy or careful I was trying to be. Waking up to snow and freezing rain made the decision a whole lot easier. It will be real pain to take all the stuff off the boat that needs to be stored for the winter, especially since it is such a trip to get to the boat. It will also be an equally big pain to restock the boat come the spring. Hey, you got to do what you got to do.
Right now, I am not particularly happy as it is very hard to see a dream I have worked so hard on come to such an end. During the grounding, I was trying to figure out what God was trying teach me in all this, aside from the fact that going South was not an option this year. Surrendering control, self-surrender, living in the moment - I am sure that these and other things are a part of the lesson, as they have been on the agenda since a year ago August. I must be a slow learner but now I have lots of time to reflect on it all and grow some more.
Well, I'll have to say that the hook went down and stayed out all night. I don't think I quite sleep well as I was expecting it to drag and have to go through the whole process of setting it again . . . . . . in the dark. But no, it held tight, so much so that it was a pain in the but to get it to break out in the morning. In fact, I had to motor a couple of times on a shorten scope ( move the boat forward so that the rode was straight up and down, decreasing its holding power) to get it to pull out. I do wonder why this did not happen the first time in New Haven, but "in the Gulf" at Millford, it I could have held the Queen Mary.
Once again, the wind was right on the nose blowing against the tide, creating those square wave that you have to punch through. It actually was a beautiful day and I was making decent time but once again I decided not to push it. A good 20 miles would be a fine day as the next two there were supposed to small craft advisories and I decided to put into Black Rock Harbor in Strafford, tie up at Captain's Cove Shipyard and wait out the impending storm.
The charts I use are from MAPTECH and they come in a 1 1/2' X 2 1/2' format chartbook. They show a particular area in varying degrees of detail, with large format depiction of harbors, rivers and the like. They are excellent so long as use them well. I am not sure exactly how it happened by I missed Black Rock Harbor by a mile and a half. The chart I was using had about 15 miles of the Connecticut coastline, plus 3 smaller detailed inserts of Bridgeport, Black Rock and Southport. Unfortunately, I must have miss read the Charts and ended up in Southport rather than in Black Rock Harbor. I guess that I was actually going faster than I thought I was to miss it by that much. I also think that with one big chart and the three little insert charts all on the same page made getting confused about exactly where I was a real chance.
And so it was that leaving Southport Harbor to go to Black Rock Harbor, I looked at the chart, set the autopilot and . . . . . went aground again! I am not sure if the auto pilot messed up or I inputted the wrong course ( garbage in=garbage out) I ended up on a shoal at the entrance to Southport Harbor. It was a good thing that UI was that far off the beach as the string of Anglo-Saxon expletives that escaped my lips would have curddled the hair of saltiest of old salty seadogs. I was moving at about 6 knots and the grounding was "relatively soft", more sand and gravel than rock, but rocks were there. The ground got me up enough so that I couldn't motor off. I shut of the engine. I center the rudder and locked it down. I got my phone and called Tow Boat/US. and sat down to wait.
In that the season had ended, they had no Captains on stand-by and it would be a couple of hours before one could get to me. I went aground at 2:10pm, which I was informed was near mid-high tide and that ABISHAG was going over on her side long before they could get there.
It was long couple of hours, during which everything on the port side of the boat decided to move to the starboard side of the boat. The farther the boat leaned, the more the water in the bilge came into the cabin, more than there should have been as I was slow in shutting the seacocks on the starboard side of the boat. Slowly but surely over ABISHAG went until she rested on the bottom (sand and gravel), about 45 degrees out of vertical. The towboat got there about 4:30pm but couldn't get near me. Actually he could have walked, barely getting his feet wet, but there was nothing he could do about getting ABISHAG off her side and out of the predicament I put her into by missing the buoy. He did take the time to plan a route back out into deep water so that we would avoid the sizable rock that were present. The good thing about it drying out that much is that they were easy to spot and chart. There was one about 50ft behind me that could have done serious damage had I hit it and several in front that were equally nasty. They were to be avoided on departure.
The Coast Guard showed up as well and there was nothing they could do either, though once they got my cell phone number, they called every half hour to make sure I was OK. Other than that, the time between the grounding until 10PM was taken up adjusting to the increasing heel and, after 6:18pm when the tide ebbed and changed, the decreasing heel. Trying to move around the boat, I jammed my left ankle and pulled a muscle in my back so I decided that before I ended up seriously injuring myself, I took a nap - one punctuated by calls every 30 minutes from the Coast Guard.
At 10pm, ABISHAG was pretty much upright an lines were attached to the tow boat, keeping a strain on the boat to keep her from moving forward with the tide into the rocks. Every 10 minutes or so, the towboat tried to pulled the boat out. About 10:45pm, off she came, with a bang or two as she skidded over the bottom. Free at last!
The towboat escorted me into Black Rock Harbor, to the fuel dock at Captain's Cove Shipyard, just where I wanted to go in the first place. The rudder seemed untouched as she steered as well she ever had. The engine ran fine and the prop as well as it had before the grounding. The inside of the boat was a shambles and water from the bilge, with nasty oil drippings was on part of the floor in the main cabin, adding that wonderful bilge smell to the mess. Anything on the floor got soaked and somethings, like footwear and pillows, are probably ruined and have become trash. I spent a little time trying to straighten things out but since I was going to be stuck in port for a couple of days, there would be time enough for that so I went to sleep. Do you believe it?
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
This part of the journey. After a night's sleep, I have decided that the boat will be hauled at Captain's Cove (we've done that before) and have them check the damage. They are a full service boat yard so any work needed could be done there. I have also decided that if there is room, and there should be, that I will have them winterize the boat and store it for the winter. I guess God really was trying to tell me that it was not part of the plan that I go South this year.
I think that even though I was going to take it really easy on the way that perhaps this was not the time to go. I so wanted to go that I was pushing it just by trying to go, not matter how easy or careful I was trying to be. Waking up to snow and freezing rain made the decision a whole lot easier. It will be real pain to take all the stuff off the boat that needs to be stored for the winter, especially since it is such a trip to get to the boat. It will also be an equally big pain to restock the boat come the spring. Hey, you got to do what you got to do.
Right now, I am not particularly happy as it is very hard to see a dream I have worked so hard on come to such an end. During the grounding, I was trying to figure out what God was trying teach me in all this, aside from the fact that going South was not an option this year. Surrendering control, self-surrender, living in the moment - I am sure that these and other things are a part of the lesson, as they have been on the agenda since a year ago August. I must be a slow learner but now I have lots of time to reflect on it all and grow some more.
Friday, November 28, 2008
UP! UP! AND AWAY ! ! ! !!
SHIP'S LOG:
Yes! it is true! It is true! I have at once again begun my journey. I even got past New Haven! ! ! ! ! True not far past but past nonetheless. While I haven't quite figured it out just yet, I figure between 15 to 20 miles as Flipper swims.
Friend Ken and Willie Evola got me down to ABISHAG a little before 9AM and after setting things in order, I left at 10:30AM and cleared Branford Harbor by 10:41AM. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell whoever is charge of the weather that winds out of the Northwest, 10 -15 knots, with 1 -2foot waves means just that, not 15 - 20 knots, out of the West (and right on the nose) with nice 3 footers. The would be no chance for sailing but lots of chances for excitement.
Thew wind was blowing into Branford Harbor which meant that my first attempt to spin the boat out of the slip went a bit a rye. Nothing that a second attempt at turning the boat down river didn't correct. Thank goodness Ken and Will were long gone and didn't get to watch that wondrous nautical maneuver.
Punch through the wind and the seas, both on the nose, and against the tide in Long Island Sound( bad luck and/or poor planning there) meant it would be motoring all the way. It was as bad as the Delaware Bay slog of last summer. Lots of water over the deck and not much in the way of COG ( Course over ground) or in other word, I wasn't going to far and doing so slowly.
The GPS didn't work. It went on but somehow there was a short that developed in the antenna so as a result, lots of pretty picture but no useful information. I am going to have to try and tract down the short but electricity and I are not good friends. Witness the fact that when I decided to use the navigation program on the laptop and I plugged it into the outlet at the nav station, no joy and no juice. In fact none of the three outlets were alive. I ended up calling Jerry Schmitt down in Fort, Florida, my instructor at the Chapman school and he diagnosed the problem and I fixed it. Now I have power for the computer, the phone, the microwave and all that sort of stuff.
About 1:30, I changed course and were toward a little spot called the "Gulp" just outside of Millford. It was recommended by Skipper Bob and I could get there before it got dark. It was well protected and I wanted to be sure that I got the hook down in daylight, and got it down well. It bit the first time and I've checked it every 15 minutes and the boat hasn't moved at all. HUZZAH! Maybe I'll get a good nights sleep.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
It is great to be underway! It was a chilly and wet, and it is a little anxiety producing to find a place you have never been to to drop a hook, but it still was great. And exhausting!Early dinner and early to bed!
Yes! it is true! It is true! I have at once again begun my journey. I even got past New Haven! ! ! ! ! True not far past but past nonetheless. While I haven't quite figured it out just yet, I figure between 15 to 20 miles as Flipper swims.
Friend Ken and Willie Evola got me down to ABISHAG a little before 9AM and after setting things in order, I left at 10:30AM and cleared Branford Harbor by 10:41AM. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell whoever is charge of the weather that winds out of the Northwest, 10 -15 knots, with 1 -2foot waves means just that, not 15 - 20 knots, out of the West (and right on the nose) with nice 3 footers. The would be no chance for sailing but lots of chances for excitement.
Thew wind was blowing into Branford Harbor which meant that my first attempt to spin the boat out of the slip went a bit a rye. Nothing that a second attempt at turning the boat down river didn't correct. Thank goodness Ken and Will were long gone and didn't get to watch that wondrous nautical maneuver.
Punch through the wind and the seas, both on the nose, and against the tide in Long Island Sound( bad luck and/or poor planning there) meant it would be motoring all the way. It was as bad as the Delaware Bay slog of last summer. Lots of water over the deck and not much in the way of COG ( Course over ground) or in other word, I wasn't going to far and doing so slowly.
The GPS didn't work. It went on but somehow there was a short that developed in the antenna so as a result, lots of pretty picture but no useful information. I am going to have to try and tract down the short but electricity and I are not good friends. Witness the fact that when I decided to use the navigation program on the laptop and I plugged it into the outlet at the nav station, no joy and no juice. In fact none of the three outlets were alive. I ended up calling Jerry Schmitt down in Fort, Florida, my instructor at the Chapman school and he diagnosed the problem and I fixed it. Now I have power for the computer, the phone, the microwave and all that sort of stuff.
About 1:30, I changed course and were toward a little spot called the "Gulp" just outside of Millford. It was recommended by Skipper Bob and I could get there before it got dark. It was well protected and I wanted to be sure that I got the hook down in daylight, and got it down well. It bit the first time and I've checked it every 15 minutes and the boat hasn't moved at all. HUZZAH! Maybe I'll get a good nights sleep.
MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:
It is great to be underway! It was a chilly and wet, and it is a little anxiety producing to find a place you have never been to to drop a hook, but it still was great. And exhausting!Early dinner and early to bed!
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