Yup, it's getting to be sailing weather up here at 40 Degrees North lattitude. Which means that convergences at Tice's Shoals in Barnegat Bay, NJ are imminent. Last summer a bunch of us (ok, a small bunch) gathered at TS for fun, food and cold beer a few times. Many sailing tales were told, all of which were 100% true. Just as in the past, both kinds of sailors are welcomed- those who sail Compacs and those who should!
Stay tuned for more info.
Bob23
Glad to hear you are about to start sailing. The water around here is still a bit firm.
Firm water...hmmm, that's a new one to me. Does that mean ice? The water's still plenty cold here in NJ. Definitely not a wet sailing season yet.
I uncovered the yacht the other day, been cleaning her up in anticipation for a 4/18 launch. And it sure is hard to consider selling her- I don't think she's up for the idea so it's on hold for now. You know, these boat of ours just let us think we own 'em. They really own us, eh?
Really enjoyed the coverage of your sailing adventures. We are you going next?
Bob23
Hi Bob23,
Tices is calling and we are ready!! Splashed the mighty Beagle a week ago and got her all rigged up and tuned this weekend. Took her out for first sail of 2009 on Saturday. The new bowsprit achieved the desired result of reducing weather helm to almost neutral in light air and minimal weather helm in heavier air. Tickled five knots on the GPS in about ten knots of wind. It was great to sail on the Bay with only one other boat in sight- water still around forty degrees. Saw one lone osprey yesterday and a marsh hawk today. Waiting for new anchor to arrive to hang on the pointy end- the left-over 15 kg Bruce is a bit of overkill and is making the square end lift up a but at the dock!! See you on the water, and let's start planning the season's sailing festivities!!!!
Peter G
Master After God of S/V Beagle
Hi Guys,
I am so jealous. My baby is not going in the water until May 9th. That is when the launch starts running. I still have so much to do.... and it has been so blasted rainy and/or cold, I haven't done much yet.
Breath in some of that fresh salt air for me!!
Regards,
Sherie
Peter:
So glad to hear you're in. I'm on schedule for a 4/18 1400 hrs local time launch. I'll be keeping Koinonia at Long Key Marina for about a week while I tune the rig. Yup, gonna do it this year.
While I'm up at the North end, I'll sail over to Tice's Shoals, pour some Guiness in the bay to officially start the season, at least for me. Then it's down to Surf City, my home port.
Sherie, I also have much to do. Bottom paint, new bootstripe, wax the topsides, raise the mast, rig the boat...etc. I consulted with my boss (me) about taking all day Thursday off to do the work. He didn't fire me so I guess that's a yes! Hope we get to catch up this year and sail together. I sure miss the photos and adventures of Blonde Ambition that you posted.
Bob23...hardly able to sleep!
Hey Bob,
Good to hear you're reconsidering selling. The thought of another man's hand on your tiller must make you shudder!
Our next big adventure will be in 2010. This year we will stay on Lake Dillon for the summer season and try to save some money. I hear the Bahamas can be expensive.
Bill:
After the feedback I recieved when I announced my intentions to possibly sell, I didn't want to incurr the wrath of my fellow Compac-tors here on the site. Anyway, she's looking good and wants to get wet. Funny, while she's in the back yard on the trailer, it looks like nothing more than a hugh blimp-shaped grey canvas hulk. But at the unveiling, ahh...what a beauty!
Although, the sale is not completely out of the picture. There's a nice 16 for sale here in NJ! Hmm...Nah- I already have enough boats.
Bob23, getting ready to wax!
UPDATE:
Well, not really. I was over at the Shoal on Saturday...took a short sail by myself, anchored, hung out, took a nap and sailed back. All in all, a wonderful, short day.
Dennis (Morgan 30) and I have discussed an impromptu get together over at Tice's around Memorial Day Weekend. Anyone interested please fill out the 12 page form which includes background check, criminal history, sailing experience and complete employement resume for your entire life. Or, just show up.
More later as we approach the date.
Bob23
Hi Bob23,
Send me the forms and we'll fill'em out. We will be there. Spent last Thursday night anchored out at Cissy Cove in anticipation of seeing the pair of eagles at the mouth of Forked River the following morning. Unfortunately, they did not make an appearance. Sailed back home and did yard work. Our goal this year is to teach as many people as possible to sail. Used to charge as an ASA instructor, but have decided to give back in the new national spirit of Obamism (yeah, right!!), but anyway, it seemed like a fun thing to do, as I go through boats so quickly, I always need a fresh market for when I get another orphan boat to restore!! Becky's daughter, who sailed many times with us on Green In Between, the Orion27, brought her boyfriend Dan down to the backwaters of Barnegat Bay last Saturday,late afternoon, for some tiller time. We headed out in about 10-12 where he tried to figure out the steering dynamics and we trimmed sails as he over-steered side to side. He caught on reasonably quickly and was able to hold a fair course as the wind built to around 20 knots. Though I had just installed the reefing blocks etc the day before, we left it all up and made it down to Berkeley Island, then had to beat back the few miles to Forked River. Tickled 5.5 on GPS several times, steady 5 no problem. I think that a dodger may be the next sewing project. I have never enjoyed getting drenched to windward after the age of sixty! Installed a lazy bag sail cover last weekend to go with the previously installed lazy jacks, and consider it a great improvement over a flailing main drop. The new 2' bowsprit has improved the handling beyond belief from the non-spritted 1982 iteration. Also a great place to hang the 9 KG plow anchor that UPS kindly dropped on my doorstep. Took the Beagle out Sunday and had so little wind that I was only able to see less than a knot of boat speed. One hour of slatting sails and I decided that more yard work was in order. All in all, a successful weekend. Am going to get my neighbor and his two sons out for lessons next, then my son, who hasn't sailed in probably ten years or more. Keep us posted on any plans for future Barnegat Bay Bashes!
Peter G
S/V Beagle
Peter:
Weather permitting, I'll be out Saturday. I monitor ch. 16 on the VHF. Although I bring the cell out, I don't hear it while sailing and don't particularly appreciate it's intrusion into my life in general. Don't know what time Saturday, could be early as I may incorporate the move down to Surf City.
The Beagle looks great, by the way. I'm glad the improvements improved! It's always rewarding. I still deal with a fair bit of weather helm. I think my main is blown out but there is no $ in the budget this year for a new main. I discovered she sails much better with full genoa and reefed main, even if reefing is not neccesary. Go figure!
See you out there, Bob23
Hey Bob,
I had the same helm issue with my 23 (before she moved to Cape Cod). I put an Idasailor foiled rudder and raked the mast a little forward (when viewed with nobody aboard, after my cooler and I entered i bet it moved back closer to vertical). Both helped with the helm but the big improvement came when Skip Moorhouse build me a flatter draft main that was purpose built for the normal wind conditions we have on Barnegat bay. That was the ticket. I could carry more sail and effectively depower or spill excess wind before reefing. The boat was most comfortable and balanced in normal afternoon conditions with a reef in the main.
I launched my IP27 Jersey Girl on Good Friday and have had few nice sails so far. I was sailing in the Surf City area last Sunday and had dinner on the hook just outside of Turtle Cove. Glad to be back on the water and looking forward to finally meeting up at Tice's. I plan on spending more than a few overnights up there this year. See you on the bay!
Steve
Great Steve!
I was wondering if you were still here. Skip made my Seapearl sails and did a great job. I hope this year to install mid-boom sheeting to control sail shape. Also this year I'm paying a bit more attention to rig tuning and will rake the mast forward. The stick's been nearly plumb since I bought her and I did learn here on the site about the forward rake that's needed. Thanks for the reminder.
I had planned on remaking my plate rudder into a foiled rudder using wood cut to foil shapes, very thin sheathing and glass. Never got around to it. I'd love to upgrade to the Ida but again, no $ in the budget. In any event, it's good to be sailing.
Bob23
That is funny, Bob. You are moving to mid-boom and I am switching mine back to end-boom and adding a soft vang. To each his own!!
Happy Sails,
Sherie
Wanna swap hardware? But Sherie, why do you want to switch to end 'o boom sheeting? I have this and a nice boom vang but I think I can get better sail shape with mid boom sheeting. Not trying to talk you out of it, mind you.
Bob23......
BREAKING NEWS!
Well, not really but I got your attention, didn't I?
A few of us are tentatively planning to converge over at Tice's Shoals sometime during the Memorial Day Weekend. Among them are Peter, (C19) me, (C23 Koinonia) and Dennis, (Morgan 30). Don't know what day yet but I've about had it with work and need to unwind with a cold beer, good friends and a classic Tice's sunset. Hey!..that sounds like a drink! Maybe I'll invent it! A Tice's Sunset. Let's see...gotta have some rum in it, maybe Pussers! And some lime and/or orange juice.
Anyway, as usual, all is subject to change, weather and avaliability. I usually monitor ch. 16 on the vhf; no cell phones if I can help it.
Bob23...ready for a vacation!
I, being determined to move Koinonia out of the state marina in Forked River down to her home port of Surf City, embarked yesterday in total fog. It was scary/cool. However, with the SE wind, I was faced with motoring all the way, not something I particularly look forward to. At times, visibility was no more than 10 boat lengths. So I decided to play around with plotting my gps coordinates on the chart, plot a compass course and see where I ended up. I plotted the course to the B1 turning bouy and to my complete surprise, nailed it dead on. Well, I missed it by 10 feet, if the truth be known.
By this time, the fog looked to be burning off above but we still had very limited visability. The weather was warming up, I was supposed to be at work in the afternoon, so I made the only logical choice: raised both sails and headed for Tice's Shoals sailing blind and using a course I plotted on the chart. Again, nailed it almost dead on. And you thought Koinonia was just another pretty face! She can navigate too!
No one there, I rowed around a bit and fearing the weather service could have been correct in thier forecast of afternoon thunderstorms, pulled the hook and set a course for Long Key Marina on a port tack. Now the 23's do seem to have a bit of leeway and not point all that high and as the winds picked up to 18-23 knts, she sure lived up to her reputation. After a few tacks and a few hours, and the weather having cleared up almost completely, (thanks, NOAA) I motored in to slip # whatever because the numbers are not facing the water. Once again, the folks at Long Key are wonderful.
Hopefully, the weather forecast of NNW winds this afternoon will hold and I'll end up on my home mooring once and for all. Although, I have to admit, that being in a marina has it's advantages. Protection from storms, a quick trip to open and deep water, not to mention commardarie. (spelling) Long Key is a great blue collar, mostly fisherman type marina. Not many white-panted yachties here. Everyone's pretty friendly and even though it's dominated by mostly powerboats, they'll lend you a hand when you need it.
Bob23, out
Hi Bob,
Were you parked in all that fog by BI around 10 or 11 AM yesterday with a hard dinghy towed behind you? We motored by in a Hunter 34 that we were relocating from Barnegat to Forked River around that time and were just able to make out a sailboat and dinghy off our starboard side as we GPS'ed past. The weather gods got it right today for your trip down the bay- a really strong NW that I guessed to be hitting 15-20 knots fairly steadily. Just got back from a couple hour sail on the mighty Beagle and was glad I had a reef in, as I was single-handing. Can't say enough about the improvement of mid boom sheeting and the extra two feet of bowsprit for handling. Boat was steady as a rock, even in the higher gusts. About the Memorial Day Tices Shoal Compac Cosmic Convergence, we will be having company on Monday for a barbecue, but could make it over on the other days. Met a couple over at Mariner's Marina who just bought a C19 and moved it this weekend to Long Key- Bill and Ciel- and they'd probably be interested in going to Tices, also. I'll try to get in touch with them.
Peter G
'Twas I! That was just after I'd reached it, started motoring south, changed my mind and headed north to B1. I saw that ship emerge from the fog as a ghost ship might have appeared....cool!
We departed Long Key at about 2:45 under single reefed main and still bested 4.8 gps knots. Had to jibe a number of times and had a delightful sail all the way to Surf City. After we passed Sandy Island, the wind died a bit so I shook out the reef. We arrived at about 5:30 or so and found my mooring lines all tangled so we had to deal with that.
The Memorial Day Tice's Shoals Compac Cosmic Convergence. Man, does that sound like a new age gathering. Will Shirely McClain be there? I hope to be up there for at least one overnighter this weekend but we'll see how the weather is. Last time I checked, they were calling for rain this weekend...hope they are wrong. I guess I'll email you or call on the shoe-phone.
Bob23...at my home port in Surf City, NJ