It was an overcast day in August 1988. My friend Tom and his girlfriend Debbie, my two daughters (age ages 4 and 8) and I went to the marina in Toledo Ohio for a day sailing on a Cal 22. The weather was questionable, so we took out time settling onto the boat as we hoped the sky would clear. After hours of hanging around, the boat owner (it was a charter sailboat that I earned time on by doing boatwork) told us to shove off and quit worrying. Emboldened, we did just that.
As we sailed out the wind was light out of the southwest. A couple hours out, now a few miles from shore on Lake Erie the wind died. We sat waiting to see if it would return and I felt a drop, then another. The wind shifted from the SW to NW. It picked up as the rain increased. Soon it was blowing and I put the girls below and battened down the hatches. Tom and I remained topside to weather the storm. Soon it was a full blown gale, the wind topped out at 65 mph at the nearby Coast Guard station.
The waves increased to 8 foot. This was in 8 foot of water depth. We dropped the jib and reduced the main while we surfed the storm waves. On top of a wave we surfed down, all the way down, until the boat struck the bottom in the valley of a wave. The keel stuck on the bottom, holding us there as huge waves tossed the boat like a cork tied to a string. Tom brilliantly (gotta give him credit here) yelled "hoist the jib". I scampered forward, hoisted the sail and it caught like a parachute and yanked us up and off the bottom, free. After a bit more hectic surfing and as quickly as the storm came in it passed.
Now in a calm post storm breeze we opened the companionway and poor Debbie was ashen. My girls were fired up, excited and wanting more! Tom and I had had enough excitement for one day thank you. As we sailed in, we passed the owner of the boat. He was a Toledo City policeman and he worked harbor patrol. He was on his way out in the police boat. When we were close he yelled laughing, see, I told you you'd be fine....
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Stories...
It was a lovely summer morning. August 2011 at Cape May NJ. Cape May is an oasis for Sailboats. Boats that approach from the Chesapeake come through the C&D Canal which is 55 miles from the channel at Cape May. In between, for a sailboat there is no where to stop. It's all or nothing. This is the Delaware Bay. Strong current, big chop. I've made the trip several times, as fast as 8 hours and as slow as 11 hours. It's all about the tide.
The "rule of twelfths" is instrumental in using the tide to your advantage and to avoid the tide from impeding your passage. The total amount of water that moves in a tide cycle is broken into twelfths. The cycle is @ six hours long. In the first and last (6th) hour of the cycle, 1/12th of the total amount of water moves in each hour. In the 2nd and 5th hours, 2/12ths of the total move in each hour. In the 3rd and 4th hours, 3/12ths of the water moves. That totals 12/12ths (duh). Notice half the water moves in the middle two hours. In areas with strong tidal current this has the water in the first hour barely moving and speeding to as much as 4-5 knots during the peak two middle hours.
When leaving the C&D bound for Cape May (or vise versa) you need to play this to your advantage. The tide cycle is 6 hours. The trip is 55 miles. A sailboat usually figures about 5 mph. Thats 11 hours. If you leave an hour or an hour and a half before the tide you want (from Cape May leave on a low tide/ from C&D leave at high) you have the first hour plus going against a weak slack tide. That extends the time you have tidal advantage. You have that stolen hour, six hours of the cycle plus add the first hour of the next cycle. Eight hours. On a day with good wind you can make the trip in that time. I've averaged 11.5 mph (!) on the trip in a bit over eight hours on a day with good breeze.
On the morning following my best trip up the Delaware Bay to Cape May I awoke feeling satisfied. Gabe (need I say my Airedale who passed this May) and I had a long hard day on the sail the day before and I'd decided to take a rest day. We jumped off the boat for a morning walk. Our morning walks were a wonderful time. Gabe was a vibrant happy pup. Even at his age then of ten years old. He'd been an amazing companion, the most trouble free dog I've ever known. He was intuitive and sweet. So we bounced along, smelling the sea air and enjoying the sights. We walked the boatyard early that morning around 7 am. We came to the end of a huge marina building that sat end to end with another building. As we came to the opening between the two buildings another man walking a huge shepherd crossed into the opening opposite Gabe and I. Gabe was free and seeing them bounded off to say hi. When the man saw Gabe run toward them he screamed "get your dog, he'll kill him!!", as he struggled to restrain this huge beast. I yelled for Gabe to come and he turned and returned. We boogied off in the other direction to safety.
Later in the morning, 9:30 or so, we went up to the marina office. The office had several folks chatting around the desk. Gabe went from person to person introducing himself, everyone had a chance to pet him. Once his greetings were over and I attended to business he started browsing, wandering around the large showroom. At the desk with my back to Gabe I heard a growl. I knew it was the beast shepherd, and somehow just sprung toward Gabe. On my way rushing to Gabe I saw the Shepherd who was also running at Gabe. He was coming from a far corner room (someone had left the door open) about the same distance from Gabe as I. We were both at least thirty feet and closing on Gabe fast. Gabe was frozen as we converged. At the last second, I leapt, knee forward and landed on the back of the shepherd's neck just as he reached Gabe. The shepherd bit at Gabe who collapsed sideways down just as the shepherd chomped. At the same second my knee crushed the huge beast flat to the ground. The adrenaline was surging and I grabbed the shepherd under the jaw and was going to break its neck on my knee. I intended to kill it, I sure didn't want to have it turn on me. But I remember through the fog of battle thinking BLOOD. I looked to Gabe, as much to inspire my kill as anything. Shocked, there was no blood. Gabe had avoided the bite. Instinctively, (I swear this is all true) I yanked the shepherd off it's feet by the neck with me as I jumped up, choked it and screamed NOOO in it's face and threw it by the head away from us. It flew ten feet in the air twisting it's body like a cat falling from a tree. When the beast landed it didn't even look back as it scampered away like a kicked Cocker spaniel. It was over. I turned to the folks in the room. They were aghast. I shrugged and said laughing "I grew up in a kennel"...The owner of the dog (marina owner I think) came running up because I abused her dog....Laughing I told her how close I had been to owning her marina as I walked out. She didn't have much to say to that. Others there later told me more about the shepherd. They'd had police complaints many times about the dog. Don't believe me? Call Utsch's marina and ask about the Airedale, shepherd flying hippy caper....
The "rule of twelfths" is instrumental in using the tide to your advantage and to avoid the tide from impeding your passage. The total amount of water that moves in a tide cycle is broken into twelfths. The cycle is @ six hours long. In the first and last (6th) hour of the cycle, 1/12th of the total amount of water moves in each hour. In the 2nd and 5th hours, 2/12ths of the total move in each hour. In the 3rd and 4th hours, 3/12ths of the water moves. That totals 12/12ths (duh). Notice half the water moves in the middle two hours. In areas with strong tidal current this has the water in the first hour barely moving and speeding to as much as 4-5 knots during the peak two middle hours.
When leaving the C&D bound for Cape May (or vise versa) you need to play this to your advantage. The tide cycle is 6 hours. The trip is 55 miles. A sailboat usually figures about 5 mph. Thats 11 hours. If you leave an hour or an hour and a half before the tide you want (from Cape May leave on a low tide/ from C&D leave at high) you have the first hour plus going against a weak slack tide. That extends the time you have tidal advantage. You have that stolen hour, six hours of the cycle plus add the first hour of the next cycle. Eight hours. On a day with good wind you can make the trip in that time. I've averaged 11.5 mph (!) on the trip in a bit over eight hours on a day with good breeze.
On the morning following my best trip up the Delaware Bay to Cape May I awoke feeling satisfied. Gabe (need I say my Airedale who passed this May) and I had a long hard day on the sail the day before and I'd decided to take a rest day. We jumped off the boat for a morning walk. Our morning walks were a wonderful time. Gabe was a vibrant happy pup. Even at his age then of ten years old. He'd been an amazing companion, the most trouble free dog I've ever known. He was intuitive and sweet. So we bounced along, smelling the sea air and enjoying the sights. We walked the boatyard early that morning around 7 am. We came to the end of a huge marina building that sat end to end with another building. As we came to the opening between the two buildings another man walking a huge shepherd crossed into the opening opposite Gabe and I. Gabe was free and seeing them bounded off to say hi. When the man saw Gabe run toward them he screamed "get your dog, he'll kill him!!", as he struggled to restrain this huge beast. I yelled for Gabe to come and he turned and returned. We boogied off in the other direction to safety.
Later in the morning, 9:30 or so, we went up to the marina office. The office had several folks chatting around the desk. Gabe went from person to person introducing himself, everyone had a chance to pet him. Once his greetings were over and I attended to business he started browsing, wandering around the large showroom. At the desk with my back to Gabe I heard a growl. I knew it was the beast shepherd, and somehow just sprung toward Gabe. On my way rushing to Gabe I saw the Shepherd who was also running at Gabe. He was coming from a far corner room (someone had left the door open) about the same distance from Gabe as I. We were both at least thirty feet and closing on Gabe fast. Gabe was frozen as we converged. At the last second, I leapt, knee forward and landed on the back of the shepherd's neck just as he reached Gabe. The shepherd bit at Gabe who collapsed sideways down just as the shepherd chomped. At the same second my knee crushed the huge beast flat to the ground. The adrenaline was surging and I grabbed the shepherd under the jaw and was going to break its neck on my knee. I intended to kill it, I sure didn't want to have it turn on me. But I remember through the fog of battle thinking BLOOD. I looked to Gabe, as much to inspire my kill as anything. Shocked, there was no blood. Gabe had avoided the bite. Instinctively, (I swear this is all true) I yanked the shepherd off it's feet by the neck with me as I jumped up, choked it and screamed NOOO in it's face and threw it by the head away from us. It flew ten feet in the air twisting it's body like a cat falling from a tree. When the beast landed it didn't even look back as it scampered away like a kicked Cocker spaniel. It was over. I turned to the folks in the room. They were aghast. I shrugged and said laughing "I grew up in a kennel"...The owner of the dog (marina owner I think) came running up because I abused her dog....Laughing I told her how close I had been to owning her marina as I walked out. She didn't have much to say to that. Others there later told me more about the shepherd. They'd had police complaints many times about the dog. Don't believe me? Call Utsch's marina and ask about the Airedale, shepherd flying hippy caper....
Thursday, December 18, 2014
The Thrill of Life
Life is hard. We endure stress at all levels and of all types. We all experience the weight of daily pressures which unabated crush the spirit and will. In today's world, we need to escape and find peace and rejuvenation. Beautiful moments help; a lovely sunrise, a soaring falcon, the smell of rain. Nature restores our hope, our will. That is the beauty of sailing. For those of us lucky enough to have been at the helm, with full sail and heeling, harnessing the wind with majesty, the connection to nature is visceral. No stress of the world can exist in the presence of awe.
The mountains offer much the same peace, but somehow, to me, they are lacking. To climb a peak and stand upon the summit can somehow leave you wanting. With a long trip down, countless peaks around you are unfazed by your accomplishment. The return to the car, to home, to civilization can be a shocking realization that your stress never left, that it was here waiting for you.
The end of a sail to me is different. No matter the voyage, bringing the boat in the channel, the marina, maneuvering into the slip, tying up, always gives the same satisfaction. You walk away when all is properly stowed and secured, look back at your vessel with confidence, and resume your "other" life. Sailors have an alter ego. Aboard and underway, nothing else matters. Nothing but a safe return to port.
The mountains offer much the same peace, but somehow, to me, they are lacking. To climb a peak and stand upon the summit can somehow leave you wanting. With a long trip down, countless peaks around you are unfazed by your accomplishment. The return to the car, to home, to civilization can be a shocking realization that your stress never left, that it was here waiting for you.
The end of a sail to me is different. No matter the voyage, bringing the boat in the channel, the marina, maneuvering into the slip, tying up, always gives the same satisfaction. You walk away when all is properly stowed and secured, look back at your vessel with confidence, and resume your "other" life. Sailors have an alter ego. Aboard and underway, nothing else matters. Nothing but a safe return to port.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Catalina 27
There is a Catalina 27 available to me if I want a project. It has a good engine that is at present out of the boat on a bench having been gone over. An Atomic 4. The boat also has brand new sails never sailed. But it's been sitting outside 10 years so it's rough. It is solid tho, the deck sounded out solid. The sails are worth a minimum of $500. The engine another $500. $1000 would get the engine installed (maybe less). Then the clean up and repair of the interior and exterior begins. Pressure wash, compound and wax the hull. I think the topside has been painted, not sure. If painted you wouldn't compound it, just cleaner wax. It could be repainted. Maybe another $500 for wood repair in the cabin including new companionway boards. Figure another $500 for wiring and batteries. And on top of it all it need to be moved. It is across the street from a marina with a travel lift, but she's sitting under a tree where the lift can't get to it. If a cradel was built under it, the cradle could be dragged out far enough to get the boat with the marina's lift. That would entail buying 4x4's for the cradle and $300 or so for the lift. You could get a flatbed trailer and haul the boat yourself on a flatbed home.
In essence it would be a minimum of three thousand to put together. The Catalina 27 is a nice solid vessel tho for daysailing and weekends. I hate to see decent boats waste away in yards and at marinas. For years I dreamt of a sailboat and daily am thankful for the chance to play with boats. So if anyone wants a project or a delivered boat let me know. I would at least advise you on what needed to be done.
But lets talk...I'll keep asking...
In essence it would be a minimum of three thousand to put together. The Catalina 27 is a nice solid vessel tho for daysailing and weekends. I hate to see decent boats waste away in yards and at marinas. For years I dreamt of a sailboat and daily am thankful for the chance to play with boats. So if anyone wants a project or a delivered boat let me know. I would at least advise you on what needed to be done.
But lets talk...I'll keep asking...
Bradenton Florida Sunshine.
Hi Sailors,
Last winter was just about the last straw for me and cold. Though Pilgrim is still in Maryland I made it to Florida. While convalescing I'm researching the market for good blue water boats. Once you have a feel for what makes a good ocean boat you can really gauge the (your own) value of production boats.
A friend wants a cruiser to retire on. A boat that can go anywhere, handle great and be comfortable. This friend also wants a solid boat that will be as trouble free as possible.
In any search with intent to purchase there is a budget, and of course the higher the budget the wider the scope of the search. And boat size is a huge factor in todays market. With a thorough search you'll see prices all over the place for boats up to 30'-34'. It seems they are a dime a dozen. If a 32' will suite you you'll have leverage in your negotiations. There are ample boats for sale. In this size you may find a fantastic boat for under $10,000 (either sail-away condition or after your upgrades). An example of the kind of buys you can find would be the Camper & Nicholson's Nicholson 33 found at a local marina. After several conversations about the CN which had been in arrears for storage payments for years the Marina owner said he'd take $2000 for her (and she was easily worth $10.000, the engine was like new.) But as I owned 4 boats then, a fifth wasn't feasible. Not successful finding a buyer for her, she was chopped up for her lead. That was a boat with a very interesting pedigree. American production boats pale in comparison to a high end world cruiser. The Camper was 33' long. In the dime a dozen neighborhood. She slipped through the cracks.
In a search for a larger boat, 37' or larger the market stiffens. Great buys are there, just not so frequent. So I'm looking for a boat for a friend. A woman who want's to retire and not have renovations or upgrades to worry about. She want's a boat that will hold it's value, be comfy and sail great and mostly be safe.
Pearson, Catalina, Hunter, O'Day, these are all nice lake Erie boats, Chesapeake Bay boats. Not what this buyer needs. Hallberg-Rassy, Nautor Swan, Shannon, Morris, Camper & Nicholson, Oyster Pacific Seacraft, Baltic...quality sells and holds it's value. With the first group, a boat that's worth $25 thousand can be had for under or around $10 thousand. In the second, a boat worth $200 thousand and up will drop to $130 thousand or so. Still beyond the average weekend sailor.
For a world cruiser safety is of paramount importance. On the ocean there is no rescue you can count on. And the ocean is full of flotsam and jetsam. Everything is encountered from huge containers that have fallen off of freighters to islands of plastic. If a fiberglass boat hits a container in the middle of the night the hull could break and the boat sink. If a steel boat hit a container in the middle of the night you be thrown to the deck, everything would be thrown around, you'd have dents to pound out...and sail on you way. That is why I believe steel.
So the search was on for steel boats. Oscar Estevez, a marine mechanic and shipwright friend, said many steel boats are made privately as one offs. The finest come from the Dutch. I've found a few interesting ones. One is a Denis Ganley design, the Stratos 46. Pilot house, sleek lines, beautiful interior. Cutter rig (which I prefer). Here's one I found that is interesting;
http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/27821
Another interesting designer is Tom Colvin, and his designs the Gazelle and the Pipistrel. There are several around, some Gaff and some junk rig. Here's a Junk in Guatemala that's beautiful:
http://guatemalariodulce.com/boat%20for%20sale/colvin%2060/colvin-60-for-sale.html
There are several one offs out there. One is the Harderwijk 40, built in Gouwzee, The Netherlands. This is a Pieter Beeldsmijder design. His designs are quite impressive, tho most of what I've found online is in Dutch. He she is, and I've also posted additional pics of it on my Google+
http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/44347
I've found several other what look to be really sound steel vessels of interesting design if anyone is interested.
As I always request, I'd love some dialog here. Share your knowledge, questions or observations. Sailing stories. Boat horror stories, repair travails...or music stuff...
but jump in!
Last winter was just about the last straw for me and cold. Though Pilgrim is still in Maryland I made it to Florida. While convalescing I'm researching the market for good blue water boats. Once you have a feel for what makes a good ocean boat you can really gauge the (your own) value of production boats.
A friend wants a cruiser to retire on. A boat that can go anywhere, handle great and be comfortable. This friend also wants a solid boat that will be as trouble free as possible.
In any search with intent to purchase there is a budget, and of course the higher the budget the wider the scope of the search. And boat size is a huge factor in todays market. With a thorough search you'll see prices all over the place for boats up to 30'-34'. It seems they are a dime a dozen. If a 32' will suite you you'll have leverage in your negotiations. There are ample boats for sale. In this size you may find a fantastic boat for under $10,000 (either sail-away condition or after your upgrades). An example of the kind of buys you can find would be the Camper & Nicholson's Nicholson 33 found at a local marina. After several conversations about the CN which had been in arrears for storage payments for years the Marina owner said he'd take $2000 for her (and she was easily worth $10.000, the engine was like new.) But as I owned 4 boats then, a fifth wasn't feasible. Not successful finding a buyer for her, she was chopped up for her lead. That was a boat with a very interesting pedigree. American production boats pale in comparison to a high end world cruiser. The Camper was 33' long. In the dime a dozen neighborhood. She slipped through the cracks.
In a search for a larger boat, 37' or larger the market stiffens. Great buys are there, just not so frequent. So I'm looking for a boat for a friend. A woman who want's to retire and not have renovations or upgrades to worry about. She want's a boat that will hold it's value, be comfy and sail great and mostly be safe.
Pearson, Catalina, Hunter, O'Day, these are all nice lake Erie boats, Chesapeake Bay boats. Not what this buyer needs. Hallberg-Rassy, Nautor Swan, Shannon, Morris, Camper & Nicholson, Oyster Pacific Seacraft, Baltic...quality sells and holds it's value. With the first group, a boat that's worth $25 thousand can be had for under or around $10 thousand. In the second, a boat worth $200 thousand and up will drop to $130 thousand or so. Still beyond the average weekend sailor.
For a world cruiser safety is of paramount importance. On the ocean there is no rescue you can count on. And the ocean is full of flotsam and jetsam. Everything is encountered from huge containers that have fallen off of freighters to islands of plastic. If a fiberglass boat hits a container in the middle of the night the hull could break and the boat sink. If a steel boat hit a container in the middle of the night you be thrown to the deck, everything would be thrown around, you'd have dents to pound out...and sail on you way. That is why I believe steel.
So the search was on for steel boats. Oscar Estevez, a marine mechanic and shipwright friend, said many steel boats are made privately as one offs. The finest come from the Dutch. I've found a few interesting ones. One is a Denis Ganley design, the Stratos 46. Pilot house, sleek lines, beautiful interior. Cutter rig (which I prefer). Here's one I found that is interesting;
http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/27821
Another interesting designer is Tom Colvin, and his designs the Gazelle and the Pipistrel. There are several around, some Gaff and some junk rig. Here's a Junk in Guatemala that's beautiful:
http://guatemalariodulce.com/boat%20for%20sale/colvin%2060/colvin-60-for-sale.html
There are several one offs out there. One is the Harderwijk 40, built in Gouwzee, The Netherlands. This is a Pieter Beeldsmijder design. His designs are quite impressive, tho most of what I've found online is in Dutch. He she is, and I've also posted additional pics of it on my Google+
http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/44347
I've found several other what look to be really sound steel vessels of interesting design if anyone is interested.
As I always request, I'd love some dialog here. Share your knowledge, questions or observations. Sailing stories. Boat horror stories, repair travails...or music stuff...
but jump in!
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