It's been a busy couple months since the last post. Yea, I haven't messed with those cam cleats at all. nor my idea for the traveler being blocked by the cockpit cushions, with hopefully an easier single-handed setup. I have replaced the sheaves on the reefing system, so there is that.
Lets start shortly after the last blog. What a wonderful sail where everything else went in the head.
Bit of background/reminder. I have a few years sailing a 22ft trailer sailor on the inland lakes, and teeny bopper power boat experience. I thought I was just going to hop over to an island (Kelley's), dock up, and have lunch. Of course, no-place has their VHF listed on their websites. Pull up, and its tight in there. Get ahold of the marina on VHF thanks to random strangers on the sea wall. Get the last transient slip. It's on the opposite side of my home slip, I have nothing ready on that side, so I pass. Decide to go anchor at a different island (South Bass). Pushing 6 knots and the boat is just sailing wonderfully. Get there and Harbormaster not on channel, anchorage is unmarked, un-occupied, and my anchor wont bite. A few too many unknowns, and even more drunks with busy slips/moorings. So, I head it back to the home slip. Wind up overpowering the boat on the way back, which I have some comments on here about. Stubborn refusal to turn on the motor leads to an overnight sail around the area. Ah, them stars are so beautiful when you get out there. Did get a good pic of Perry's Monument from the "anchorage" which is still unconfirmed.
Saved a bird from drowning between the boat and dock. It didn't want to leave. Over the next 20 minutes it shivered and pooped on my hand and boat. I eventually coaxed it onto a winch and cleaned the excrement.
Bounced around on which tender to use, well I picked the 8ft'er up super cheap. The 12ft SIB is nice and stable. Pic is mid clean after years bouncing around in the basement, and it was also super cheap (traded a few cheap guitars for it). Thought I am sticking with the 8ft'er. It sits on the foredeck, I can get around it, and get to the anchor locker. The 12ft fits there, but I have to climb over it and winch it up to access the anchor. Both let me open the hatch in the rain, which is really nice. I think I found a better layout to lash it down, if it doesn't move too much during the next sail, I might trust it to sail with the hatch open under it. Cons, it's not very stable and max weight is a bit over 300lbs.
Random pic of the youngster a couple docks down from a random day sail.
Eventually we have success. Switched from the Danforth that was set and ready over to the CQR that was mounted in the bow roller (and not connected to anything). Think this was from my second lunch at Kelley's island anchorage. I was feeling all like Charlier Brown with the forming cloud right before I got out of dodge. Get around Kelleys headed back. Look back and well, that escalated quickly. (Un)Fortunately another squall also formed over Catawba Island, which got me. I had a slim hop to outrun it, but then the calm got me. So, I got ready. It was a toasty, humid day and I was a sweaty mess before donning my human condom. (Please let me know if the joke is too much for here and I will edit ASAP). I was begging for the rain to catch me by the time it did. Just some sprinkles, but enough to cool everything down.
Onward to more projects! What, did you think I was some superhuman to actually spent more time sailing their boat than working on it? Sorry mate, the bills are always due, and best be paid before you see the kind of late fee's we get. Well, the rub rail is now $4.50 a foot from Wefco, and it arrived. Still needs installed, but at a future time I will figure out my plan for these screwed down aft corner pieces, after hunting on here for tips of course.
Picked up a lamp for the boat. Its honestly the best upgrade. These LED lights are so bright, though I have yet to search for ones less bright than 1W. That gentle, warm glow is nice. Took me about a month for a 10-minute install. Tough to pick where to install something like a lamp. That spot worked quite well, even illuminates the head. laptop is on its lowest setting.
Don't know if this had been mentioned in the previous post at all. My main water tank (from an E30 being built in '81 it appears, 30gal also) was being lazy. So, it needed some coercion to do its job. Nothing a fancy pointy hair dryer and stick of Polyethylene couldn't handle. On top of threads where I installed a hose barb, it had two cracks as marked. Heated air welding of thermoplastic is very straight forward, heat control is more like soldering with other close components you don't want to desolder, while the actual material welding is more like metal welding.
Samsung night mode is pretty sweet. Pic of the moon with the mode off and on.
Spotted another Ericson "Big League" while out with some paddling group.
While I should have known better, I am not a propane grilling kind of guy. Charcoal all day. Give the food that right smokey flavor. I am guessing my anchor lunches have been talked about as pirates ambushed me. Poor planning on their part, best to wait until the food is on the grill and makes it harder to leave. aka ran into "Spirit of Baltimore II."
Random picture remix!
1 Found what I believe to be an un-opened, well I mean the un-opened is kind of obvious, tube of seal all circa 1982. It has caused a discussion with my chemical engineer friend. He swears its toast. I am taking the opposite side for fun, claiming it instantly kick off to cure if exposed. Schrodinger's Seal-All!
2 Blue Heron, I think, on the docks.
3 Wiring to DC panel where I passed through a pair of wires to, hopefully, enable the DSC SOS button on my VHF. Radio says it sees the data, waiting my MMSI from the FCC.
4 Solution to mooring coffee. Replaced old alcohol stove with electric. Stumbled across a Bremer Sea Swing with butterfly pressurized kerosene stove. It also had pots and pans that fit. Still tinkering with it and getting over the learning curve of operation. When it goes, its good though.
5 2022 Sandusky Islands Race, part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Leukemia Cup Regatta. Sorry any racers if I messed up the terms.
6 Too many weird islands out here. Snake Island, and I stumbled across Bird Island.
Pretty well caught up. Prepping for my first passage that will take me out of sight of land for a long while. Storm was a brewing hard, but, as life has it, the bad always seems to bring the beauty and appreciation for that which is good. That sunrise and rainbow would exist with the storm that was on its way. Tomorrow I will be shoving off to wander from Sandusky to Cleveland to catch the air show from the anchorage. Time to see if all this prep and hard work even halfway works out. Time to find out what I forgot, what to do different, and learn how to do these things. https://share.garmin.com/WDHHR
Lets start shortly after the last blog. What a wonderful sail where everything else went in the head.
Bit of background/reminder. I have a few years sailing a 22ft trailer sailor on the inland lakes, and teeny bopper power boat experience. I thought I was just going to hop over to an island (Kelley's), dock up, and have lunch. Of course, no-place has their VHF listed on their websites. Pull up, and its tight in there. Get ahold of the marina on VHF thanks to random strangers on the sea wall. Get the last transient slip. It's on the opposite side of my home slip, I have nothing ready on that side, so I pass. Decide to go anchor at a different island (South Bass). Pushing 6 knots and the boat is just sailing wonderfully. Get there and Harbormaster not on channel, anchorage is unmarked, un-occupied, and my anchor wont bite. A few too many unknowns, and even more drunks with busy slips/moorings. So, I head it back to the home slip. Wind up overpowering the boat on the way back, which I have some comments on here about. Stubborn refusal to turn on the motor leads to an overnight sail around the area. Ah, them stars are so beautiful when you get out there. Did get a good pic of Perry's Monument from the "anchorage" which is still unconfirmed.
Saved a bird from drowning between the boat and dock. It didn't want to leave. Over the next 20 minutes it shivered and pooped on my hand and boat. I eventually coaxed it onto a winch and cleaned the excrement.
Bounced around on which tender to use, well I picked the 8ft'er up super cheap. The 12ft SIB is nice and stable. Pic is mid clean after years bouncing around in the basement, and it was also super cheap (traded a few cheap guitars for it). Thought I am sticking with the 8ft'er. It sits on the foredeck, I can get around it, and get to the anchor locker. The 12ft fits there, but I have to climb over it and winch it up to access the anchor. Both let me open the hatch in the rain, which is really nice. I think I found a better layout to lash it down, if it doesn't move too much during the next sail, I might trust it to sail with the hatch open under it. Cons, it's not very stable and max weight is a bit over 300lbs.
Random pic of the youngster a couple docks down from a random day sail.
Eventually we have success. Switched from the Danforth that was set and ready over to the CQR that was mounted in the bow roller (and not connected to anything). Think this was from my second lunch at Kelley's island anchorage. I was feeling all like Charlier Brown with the forming cloud right before I got out of dodge. Get around Kelleys headed back. Look back and well, that escalated quickly. (Un)Fortunately another squall also formed over Catawba Island, which got me. I had a slim hop to outrun it, but then the calm got me. So, I got ready. It was a toasty, humid day and I was a sweaty mess before donning my human condom. (Please let me know if the joke is too much for here and I will edit ASAP). I was begging for the rain to catch me by the time it did. Just some sprinkles, but enough to cool everything down.
Onward to more projects! What, did you think I was some superhuman to actually spent more time sailing their boat than working on it? Sorry mate, the bills are always due, and best be paid before you see the kind of late fee's we get. Well, the rub rail is now $4.50 a foot from Wefco, and it arrived. Still needs installed, but at a future time I will figure out my plan for these screwed down aft corner pieces, after hunting on here for tips of course.
Picked up a lamp for the boat. Its honestly the best upgrade. These LED lights are so bright, though I have yet to search for ones less bright than 1W. That gentle, warm glow is nice. Took me about a month for a 10-minute install. Tough to pick where to install something like a lamp. That spot worked quite well, even illuminates the head. laptop is on its lowest setting.
Don't know if this had been mentioned in the previous post at all. My main water tank (from an E30 being built in '81 it appears, 30gal also) was being lazy. So, it needed some coercion to do its job. Nothing a fancy pointy hair dryer and stick of Polyethylene couldn't handle. On top of threads where I installed a hose barb, it had two cracks as marked. Heated air welding of thermoplastic is very straight forward, heat control is more like soldering with other close components you don't want to desolder, while the actual material welding is more like metal welding.
Samsung night mode is pretty sweet. Pic of the moon with the mode off and on.
Spotted another Ericson "Big League" while out with some paddling group.
While I should have known better, I am not a propane grilling kind of guy. Charcoal all day. Give the food that right smokey flavor. I am guessing my anchor lunches have been talked about as pirates ambushed me. Poor planning on their part, best to wait until the food is on the grill and makes it harder to leave. aka ran into "Spirit of Baltimore II."
Random picture remix!
1 Found what I believe to be an un-opened, well I mean the un-opened is kind of obvious, tube of seal all circa 1982. It has caused a discussion with my chemical engineer friend. He swears its toast. I am taking the opposite side for fun, claiming it instantly kick off to cure if exposed. Schrodinger's Seal-All!
2 Blue Heron, I think, on the docks.
3 Wiring to DC panel where I passed through a pair of wires to, hopefully, enable the DSC SOS button on my VHF. Radio says it sees the data, waiting my MMSI from the FCC.
4 Solution to mooring coffee. Replaced old alcohol stove with electric. Stumbled across a Bremer Sea Swing with butterfly pressurized kerosene stove. It also had pots and pans that fit. Still tinkering with it and getting over the learning curve of operation. When it goes, its good though.
5 2022 Sandusky Islands Race, part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Leukemia Cup Regatta. Sorry any racers if I messed up the terms.
6 Too many weird islands out here. Snake Island, and I stumbled across Bird Island.
Pretty well caught up. Prepping for my first passage that will take me out of sight of land for a long while. Storm was a brewing hard, but, as life has it, the bad always seems to bring the beauty and appreciation for that which is good. That sunrise and rainbow would exist with the storm that was on its way. Tomorrow I will be shoving off to wander from Sandusky to Cleveland to catch the air show from the anchorage. Time to see if all this prep and hard work even halfway works out. Time to find out what I forgot, what to do different, and learn how to do these things. https://share.garmin.com/WDHHR
