After a fair amount of consideration, my wife and I adopted the name Adagio for our new ( to us) com-pac 23. The lettering is not on the transom yet, and with the boat in the water already, it may be next year till we officially name her, but, in our minds - the boat is already named... I am quite sure that there will be days on the water when vivace or perhaps even presto might better reflect the sailing conditions, but the image of moving along at 5 or so knots in a steady breeze and then anchoring - sitting in the cockpit with a hot cup of tea in our hands as we watch the sunset is the one that sold my wife on the idea of buying a boat, so I think that we will stick with Adagio :)
The purchase of the boat is the direct result of a sick day that I had back in March. I spent the day alternating between searching for sailboats on the internet and reaching for another tissue. When I saw the listing for the compac located in the Tom's River area of New Jersey the idea of having a boat at the shore quickly began to take shape in my mind. Even though I continued to search for other boats, some bigger, some more expensive and a few less expensive, I kept returning to the listing for the compac, knowing deep down that this was the boat for us.
Within a short time, I had traveled to Tom's River ( a three hour trip ) for an initial inspection. After making an offer, my wife and I returned for an introductory sail with Rich, the owner. the deal was sealed when we returned to the dock. Owning a boat is a major commitment, and owning one 3 hours away from our home is even more daunting, but I am convinced that it will open the door to many adventures that we will share together as we continue down the pathway of life!
This past weekend I did a solo trip to Tom's River. Adagio was resting easily in her slip. There were still many boats on the hard waiting their turn to be launched for the season. There were jobs to be done, but the first, and most important appointment for the day was a visit from Bob 23 - a fellow compac 23 owner from the Barnegat Bay area whom I met on this board.. we had a great chat, comparing notes on numerous topics ranging from sailing to cycling to construction.. all common interests that we share. After Bob left, the first task was to clean the rudder which had quite an accumulation of growth on it. It is plastic and unpainted, and the boat has been in the water since last season. As I was inspecting it, a neighboring boat owner showed up and introduced himself - took a look at the brush that I had in hand and suggested that a paint scraper would be a much more effective tool. I took his advice - went to the store and bought some tools and spent an hour scraping the barnacles from the surface of the rudder..
With the rudder back in place, I confronted the reality that it was time to take the boat out. I must admit to some slight trepidation as I started the motor and undid the lines.. Most of my sailing experience has been on sunfish, and the bigger boat sailing that I have done has always been as crew.. not only was I the captain this time, but I was also alone.. I figured that I had better get used to this idea since it is likely that, at least in the immediate future, there will be numerous times when I will be single handling the boat.. and - perhaps it is better to work out some of the kinks before my wife joins me for the first time :)
There was hardly any wind at the dock to complicate the necessary maneuvering through the marina, but it is fair to say that the tempo of my pulse was slightly faster than Adagio.. the former owner was on his new boat a few slips away and cheered me on as I slipped by - but also offered the advice that I probably would want to close the forward hatch if I intended to use the jib - right - how delicately put - certainly a useful piece of advice! I motored out to where we had raised the sails a few weeks before and headed the boat into the wind.. The reefs that we had put in before were still tied, so the raising of the sail was not quite as smooth as I anticipated :) I smiled at the folks relaxing in the cockpit of a boat anchored near by and asked if it looked like my first day on the water as I drifted by them, working at the reef knots with the sail halfway up the mast.. they were gracious.. I decided to sail with just the main for a while.. light winds.. directly astern.. made good progress with only one unintended jibe.. it would be fair to say that I made a boat load of mental notes during the trip! Of course, the return was directly into the wind.. with the added excitement of darkening clouds closing in.. I dropped the sail and motored back.
As luck would have it, the small storm swept in as I was nearing the marina.. just a smattering of raindrops but a definite increase in the wind. The marina operator spoke to me as I motored by the fuel dock.. I have no idea what he was saying.. except when he said " watch where you are going" - it was time to pay a little closer attention to the conditions at hand! I gracefully corrected course, and I am quite sure that the fellow sitting on the stern of that powerboat was relieved that I did! I kept hearing the words of the owner of the marina when we agreed to keep the boat in the same slip that it had in previous seasons " this is a protected spot - hardly ever any wind" - right.. The wind was picking up and blowing directly across the slip. There was no time to check my pulse, but if I had, it would have registered Allegro for sure! After my 4th attempt and what seemed like an eternity I lined the boat up and slipped into our spot.. no damage to the dock, to Adagio, or to any other boat = a successful landing! As I made fast the bow lines, i glanced around to see how many of my neighbors had witnessed the agony of that first solo landing.. if they had seen it, none were looking now :) The wind died just as quickly as it had risen, and Adagio was resting easy in her slip...
I spent that night on the boat - my first overnight on a boat - a boyhood dream that I have carried all of these years - and awoke to a glorious morning. What a day to spend at the marina - except that I had to be back in northeast PA by 1 pm for an 8 hour rehearsal in the theater at the school where I teach. So, after enjoying a quiet breakfast and a hot cup of tea in the cockpit, I thoroughly looked the boat over, checked the dock lines and slid the companionway hatch closed. Looking back at Adagio as I made my way up the dock, I felt particularly pleased about my first adventure. I can't wait to return!
great read! Reminds me of my 1st outing.
I suggest getting VERY familiar w/ Adiago before bringing the wife along. When the boat heels it can be scary for a newbe. If you are used to it & comfortable when it happens that will rub off on the crew. If you tense up when she heels the wife will get scared and it will be harder to get her to come along next time.
And as we all know.....
"Happy wives make happy lives"!
thanks Billy,
as a young person, I always thought that people who were highly skilled were just born that way.. the perspective that 51 years gives me enables me to understand with considerably better clarity that "experienced" is a euphemism for " having made mistakes in the past " :) I agree that your thought about happy wives translating into happy lives certainly has merit.. there is no question that looking like I know what I am doing will help to boost my wife's confidence! Of course, I am balancing that with the desire to share the experience with her - she has been very supportive, and I suspect that things will go well. We did have the opportunity to heel the boat during our trial sail with the previous owner, and it helped to have her observe an air of nonchalance on our part when that happened..
I love the name Adagio, and I do think that it fits the image that I have for most of our future sailing experiences - after all, how fast can a compac 23 go? on the other hand, there is a certain excitement associated with the idea of the wind howling, reefs in the sail, the spray flying by .. maybe we better save that for later! :)
What a great first solo trip! Your butterflies are natural, I've sailed for forty-five years and owned four different boats several larger and one smaller than my 23, and I was anxious on my first sail on my new boat. When I bought it, I had never sailed it, it was a day without wind when I went to look and give final approval, close the deal, and tow home. Thing is, they all sail differently, so you are learning on any new boat. Even with all my experience, I went out reefed the first couple of times even though the conditions didn't really call for it. Did that so I could get familiar with the boat in very mild conditions.
I will pile on with the advice about becoming somewhat proficient before taking your wife out, unless she is an experienced sailor. You want to be able to exude great confidence when you say "not to fear dear, that is completely normal".:)
reefing is good! even if you don't need it.
Thanks for the support and the tips.. I got a little carried away with the writing this morning.. and I was tempted to add some reflections, but ran out of time and had to get to class! This brings me to my first reflection on the weekend - work gets in the way! Of course, this is not a revelation, and I am quite certain that most everyone who reads this would agree.. except for those fortunate enough to be retired. I was particularly disappointed to have to leave the marina so early on a beautiful Sunday morning. But you are not reading this to hear me complain, and yes, as a teacher the potential of having the summer off does exist, although I only took full advantage of this opportunity twice in my career.. Now that my son's college tuition is almost paid, that may change! :)
so, now for the important reflections.. I tend to be a "figure it out when i get there" kind of guy.. on land, this can be an asset. A few years ago I mentioned to my Geometry class that i was going to build a kayak and asked if anyone else was interested.. a student came up after class and said that he wanted to build a canoe.. a few months later we secured a temporary space in the basement of the dorm where I live, and we were working together, building a kayak and a canoe.. I vividly remember when he asked me a question about the construction process for which I did not have a ready answer.. I said, " we have to figure that out" well, he was disheartened to find that I did not have all of the answers. so I said. " look, if we waited to start building till we knew everything, we never would have gotten started.." I am applying the same logic to my current project - a house which I have been building for the last three years ( talk about single handling!) that project is on another board http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=7107.0 - just in case you are interested :) Needless to say, there have been many instances in which I have had to stop and figure something out!
On the water, however, this particular trait may not be such a good thing. In some cases, this will be a minor inconvenience - cruising along, loving life but the snacks are below, and i have to keep my hand on the tiller - oh well.... in the extreme - it could lead to serious injury or worse.. Sure the sailboat maxes out at about 5 and a half knots, but still, when things go wrong, they go wrong quickly.. this became painfully clear when it took 4 times to line the boat up for a landing... the quarters were tight and, thankfully, most of the slips adjacent to mine were empty - no out board motors sticking out to snag!
so, my resolution for the next trip is to try to anticipate as much as possible and to be prepared for what i did/could not anticipate. The more preparation done at the dock - the more enjoyable the time on the water.. I expect that each new adventure will shed a little more light on the whole sailing experience.. it is going to take some time!
Great stories, JT!
I love and still get that wonderful trepidation every time I sail my 23 out. I love to sail on and off my mooring and have been known to tack 20 times in order to avoid motoring for 100 yards! Yeah, Stubborn. Plus it builds handling confidence. I won't eleborate here on the numbers close calls I've had with boats, markers and docks.
What I've learned thus far: 23's like to be reefed early. They have a prankster side to them. They will get you back safely. Like all women, they are a little unpredicable. There is a certain undefinable feel when her sails are trimmed just right, the sun and wind are perfect, and the boat just seems to sail herself. It is magic!
It was great meeting you...looking forward to some sailing together on the Bay!
Bob23
I am not quite sure if today's activities qualify as an adventure, though some might say so... it is raining, and the forecast for the entire weekend is rather dismal. I suppose that is ok, because I happen to be working the light board for our school's dance production this weekend, so a trip to Tom's River is out of the question. Perhaps an element of fairness will come in to play, and we will have a lovely weekend at the end of the coming week to balance this one. And, that would be just fine since I am planning a trip to the marina on Friday!
So what does one do when anchored at home? Well, the first item on the punch list is to clean and sanitize the porta potti that came with the boat. For the uninitiated, this may be considered one of the least desirable tasks associated with small boat ownership.. We happen to have a fair amount of experience with porta pottis, however ( we have been using one at the house that I am building for quite some time), and the alternative of not having one, which of course, leaves one with very few options at crucial times in life, is not something that we want to consider.. In fact, the one that came with the boat is larger than the one we have at the house, and i think that we might be better off to switch the two units.. ours may fit better in the boat.. enough on that subject.
the water tank also needs to be cleaned and sanitized. it does not appear that the pump and sink on the boat have been used very much.. I am not all that thrilled with the idea of the sink draining into the bilge anyhow, so I am thinking of not using the sink at all and of storing the water elsewhere. The tank is a 5 gallon hard plastic container ( does not appear to be original). I am sure that we can use the space forward for storing other items.. We may follow the lead that the folks on Hideaway suggest and cook and clean in the cockpit. I won't feel bad about that since we use biodegradable detergent, and we won't be doing all that much cooking and cleaning anyhow - our motto will be to eat simply on the boat..
the third item for today was to prep the dory that we will be using as a dingy for a paint job. It has been two years since the boat has been in the water, and i neglected to cover it during the winter.. so, i hit it with a bleach solution this morning.. the rain will help to rinse it. There will be some scraping involved and a little sanding and then some epoxy work to fill in any cracks.. that will all have to wait for some nice sunny, dry days since I have no option of working inside. and then a coat of paint inside and out, and we will be ready.. I am hoping that the dory will work out as a dinghy.. It is a little large, but there is no money in the budget to buy an additional boat. If it proves to be too large, I have a second option - a dory skiff that I built 12 years ago. it is a little smaller, but it is heavier, and, sorry to say, it needs some loving attention as well. In either case, it will be fun to have a rowboat around the marina which has a place to store them and an easy launch site close by..
I guess that somewhere in between these jobs I also have to write up some tests for Monday - school is still in session - but not for long :) I hope that the rest of the compac fleet is experiencing nicer sailing weather than we are in north east PA this weekend!
We had a rainy afternoon too. Planned on drilling a hole in a perfectly good boat after the boss said just get it done so we can go sailing - or words to that effect. A check of the radar sent us to the new 30,000 sf West Marine store opening in St Petersburg instead. Spent a half hour in the parking lot watching the out door displays blow away while our truck rocked by thunder and shaken by the wind kept us dry.
All that candy in one place left the HideAways lighter in the wallet and a bit glassy-eyed but it was a fun after noon - we needed all that stuff anyway -- yes we did -- really M
Well, another trip to the marina this weekend. For the first time in a week, we had a bright, sunny day on Saturday. I had some commitments in the morning, so I did not make it to the boat until about 3 pm, but there was time to get things in order and then to cast off. The wind was out of the southeast - very calm in the marina itself, particularly where our slip is, so departing was quite smooth. The large bank of clouds that appeared to be hanging in one spot looked a bit menacing about 40 minutes after departing.. I was quite certain that I would be drenched by the time I got back to the marina, but only encountered a few drops.
overall - a successful trip - the boat seems to be behaving very well, and I made it back into the slip on the second try.. much better landing than last time! After seeking out the local Barnes and Noble - a favorite hangout for my wife and me ( 9 miles to the north), it was great to spend the night on the boat.. the wind came up during the night, and, aside from a little clatter of unsecured halyards on neighboring boats I enjoyed the effects of gently rocking to sleep..
I met a fellow in a neighboring slip - he has an oday 25, and left the dock just a few minutes before I did on Saturday.. On Sunday morning, we visited on his boat - good conversation. One of my observations, however, was - the bigger the boat, the more stuff one tries to carry :) this boat had all the comforts of home - TV, micro wave, special effect lights , including the fake fish variety.. he is very comfortable when he spends the weekend on the boat! But, he described himself as a day sailor - he has little, if any, desire of striking out on a multi day voyage.. In fact, I suspect that this describes the majority of the folks who dock boats at marinas.. and, at least for the time being - it will describe us as well!
There was a stiff breeze on Sunday morning. I am sure that a double reef would have been appropriate, and it looked like a lot of fun to be on the water, but there was work to be done, and my time was limited by commitments back at home later in the day, so I spent the time arranging and securing the line for shore power and washing the boat.. I got the cockpit area done before running out of cleaner and time - there is always the next trip!
So - another successful trip on the boat, I think that it is time for my wife to join me and for our first sail together! Hopefully, that will happen in two weeks :)
It came as a pleasant surprise to find out that my wife and I could sneak away to the boat this weekend.. we left Friday after she was finished with school and made it to the marina while there was still light. a nice cup of hot tea in the cockpit was a great way to finish the day and then we decided to turn in and see just how comfortable the V berth was going to be.. we don't have screens for the ports, but, just as the owner told me, there are very few mosquitoes at the marina, and we slept soundly.. the first item on the agenda for saturday was a hearty breakfast of granola that I had made on Friday, and then we set off on a 17 mile bike ride.. found that the riding was great and that there were a lot of folks out running and cycling at the same time.. we were riding through some marsh land, and it occurred to me that the was not at all the image of NJ that I have had all these years.. this was about as different from the Seaside Heights experience as one could hope for without traveling to Maine! we rode to Berkley Island park because we had been told that this would be a great destination for an overnight trip on the boat... sure enough, there were a few boats anchored there..
after lunch we headed into Toms River to check out the Seaport Society - found some interesting boats and very friendly folks who were happy to chat for a while.. Our plan was to head out on the boat later in the afternoon which we did when we returned from Toms River - the marina is actually located in Pine Beach - a quiet town with nice neighborhoods. the breeze was pretty stiff, so I put one reef in the main sail... found out later that i should have taken two.. :) we headed towards the bay, and, as we did the first couple of tacks, it was quickly apparent that we would need some practice.. but we made it through the first couple of bouys. My wife was rather nervous when the boat heeled. she was honest and said that she felt a little more secure when the owner of the boat took us out the first time.. my pride was not hurt - well, maybe a little, but I was being understanding... so, I turned the boat around and we headed up river.. that was a good decision.. more protection - still plenty of wind, but the experience was much more "Adagio" like , and it was a great way to end our first sail together.. as we turned toward the marina, the former owner sailed by on his bristol, and gave an encouraging wave. he preceded us into the marina and watched as we made for our slip.. why does it seem that he is always around when i am bringing the boat back into the slip?? well, no problem.. we happened to make a very nice landing - even if the bow did nudge the dock just a bit - ouch..
after dinner, we walked up to the next town, ocean gate, and found the boardwalk that we had heard about.. this was not a typical boardwalk - more like a wooden sidewalk that ran between homes and the beach.. how nice! altogether, we walked 4 + miles and closed the day with a cup of tea in the cockpit.. Sunday we had to drive back home for graduation.. so, we set the alarm for 6 am and got up and rode our bikes into Toms River. found some beautiful streets next to the river - great ride! we are going to like this place a lot! we made it back in time to iron my shirt and dash over to the line up for graduation.. what a great weekend :)
JT:
Great tale. Makes me want to pump up the tires on my Bridgestone RB-2 and ride. Pine Beach and Ocean Gate are wonderful towns. I wonder how many people watch that stupid "Jersey Shore" and miss the real state that we have here.
As well has being well known for corrupt politicians, we have a rich sailing heritage here in NJ. Have you ever seen the Melonseed Skiff made my Roger Crawford? Legend has it that it evolved from the Parkertown Skiff which is a kind of variation of the Barnegat Bay Sneakbox. Parkertown is a few miles from my hometown of Manahawkin.
I do hope we can rendezvous on the water some time. My boat will be in the water in about 2 weeks. Almost done with the teak refinishing and other projects.
Be thankful that your wife likes to sail. Mine does not although she seems to tolerate my addiction.
Bob23
(http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt260/Bob23_photo/Koinonia.jpg)
that is a great pic, bob... last week we brought the camera.. my wife took one pic of the boat from way far away, and 15 pics of the baby ducks that are swimming around the marina.. i guess i know where the boat stands in her list of priorities! jt
well, school is out and I am enjoying my first summer trip to the boat. Yesterday was a first.. the wind was just right, and i was able to sail straight out the river to barnegat bay, and then down the bay with very little trimming of the sails.. what a great day! the wind was moderate, and the boat behaved very well. Before I headed out i put my water bottle and a supply of gorp close at hand so the trip was total enjoyment! I am using a hand held gps to keep track of my speed, it seems to be working well. I need to spend some time with the gps in order to take advantage of all of its functions, but I am under the impression that it will work out very well and that I won't need to add a dedicated gps to the boat..
did i mention that the previous owner always seems to be at the dock when i return to the marina?? well, he was below on his bristol, but he must have recognized the sound of the motor.. up popped his head, and i could feel his gaze on the back of my neck as I passed by :) fortunately, i am getting the hang of this docking procedure, and there was no wind to contend with, so the landing worked out quite well.. he came over and commented on a "picture perfect landing" and i thanked him.. so far so good! over all - a very "Adagio" like sail!
this morning was more like the adventures of the ancient nishiki.. i have a nice new road bike, but i still have a soft spot for my classic nishiki touring bike which I brought with me on this trip. I left the marina a little after 7 and headed towards island beach state park.. it was fun finding my way through toms river and island heights as I made my way to the bridge that leads over to island beach. In seaside park, i found a nice bakery and stopped for a pastry and a cup of tea and then back on the bike. and on to the park.. at the end of the road, i stopped and went out to the beach to find a slew of boats just offshore and lots of fisher people along the shore.... as i found out through chatting with one of them, they were after stripers.. I did not see anyone catch anything, but the fish must have been there.. then back on the bike. i was feeling a little tired, so I convinced myself that a stop at the bakery on the way back was justified :) and then back across the bridge.. the head wind that i was bucking on the way out, was now pushing me along quite nicely.. I saw a sign for the barnegat bay festival and decided to stop.. that was a lots of fun.. I talked with a boat builder who had his jersey rowing skiff on display and found out about the pinelands dulcimer society.. as well as weekly bluegrass concerts in ware NJ - what a cool place! i have to take back all of those derogatory comments that i have made about new jersey over the years! made it back to the marina and clocked 47 miles on the odometer.. I am going to feel the effects of that ride tomorrow morning.. my wife and step daughters are going to join me tomorrow.. on tuesday, i think that my wife and i will take the bikes out to the bakery in the truck.. do the ride at island beach state park.. and then relax at the bakery before driving back to the marina!
this afternoon the wind was blowing almost straight up river.. so i stayed in the river and practiced single handled tacks.. that was not such a bad thing.. there may be some rain this evening, but it should be nice for the next few days - not a great deal of wind, but that is ok... I am looking forward to taking my wife and the girls out - should be fun!
i still can't get over the fact that this has all come about because I happened to have a sick day in the late winter when i happened upon the listing for a compac 23 in nj :)
JT:
That all sounds great! I bet your Nishiki is lugged steel...maybe Reynolds 531? My old Bridgestone RB-2 is triple butted Ishiwatta chrome-moly. Oh, yeah, this is a sailing forum...almost forgot. I managed to log some serious miles on old RB, including 4 or 5 centurys. She still sits in my shed; sorta revamped for more upright riding including bar end shifters and my own wood-latform pedals..it's a fun bike.
"Koinonia" still sits in my driveway but I have made some good progress in the last week or so. All exterior teak varnishing is complete and installed. I installed a new forward hatch support bracket. I got a coat of Epifanes handrubbed satin varnish on most of the interior teak. Man, there is about 300 miles of teak down thar!!!
Albert Hall in Waretown is the best kept bluegrass secret in the world. If legend is true, the Albert Hall in England stole the name from us. Maybe we'll meet up there some saturday night. It's the most fun 5 bucks can buy!
I bought my 23 under similiar circumstances. Was home with a broken bone or torn rotator cuff...don't remember which and on my 3rd cup of coffee while reading the classifieds, came upon the ad forr my 23. That evening, she ws mine.
Bob23...see you on the bay!
well, the big news for monday the 6th of june - i passed my boat license test at the west marine store in tom's river.. if anyone is actually reading this and paying attention... it may appear that, chronologically speaking, something is out of place... after all, here i have been talking about sailing here and there.. and i just got my license! in fact, as soon as I bought the boat, i took the class on line - decided that it made sense to take the new jersey test since the boat is in new jersey.. that all went well, but scheduling the written test was another matter.. this was the earliest date that worked, and now I am feeling pretty official!
there were other very nice things that happened on monday.. my wife and the kids arrived.. we decided that the heat of mid day was a little too much to take, and it was the first visit to Tom's River for the kids, so we went to the mall.. how can you go wrong with a mall trip with teens? :) after all that we got back tot the marina, and I set about readying the boat while the girls went to the bathroom.. we set out with little fanfare, and once we got out of the marina and got the sails up, i turned the tiller over to the oldest step daughter, and we were off.. i think that she loved it.. she has an adventure streak in her, and being in control of a 23 foot sailboat for the first time can be an exciting experience! i know, because i have yet to get over that myself :)
we did fine.. plenty of opportunity to discuss the basics of sailing.. the wind was relatively steady and not at all over powering, but on a few occasions, the boat heeled a bit.. my wife handled that much better this time around.. everything went smoothly until i was bringing us back to the slip.. i thought the engine was in reverse, but the boat was not responding as i gave it increasingly more throttle. it is a good thing that those pilings give a little! and that the previous owner happened to be absent for maybe the first time! no damage done.. and soon we were safely in our slip.. after tidying up the boat, we hopped into the car and drove to ocean gate where we walked the mile long boardwalk, stopping of course, for some good humor ice cream along the way.. saw a glorious sunset on the way back..
sleeping arrangements work out just fine.. although she swore that she was not going to sleep on the boat ( opting for the car instead), the youngest step daughter decided that there was more room than she imagined agreed to sleep in the v berth with her sister.. i think that the privacy curtain was a crucial element in that decision :)
my wife and i took the berths in the main cabin.. that made a lot of sense because we anticipated getting up a lot earlier than the girls. which we did.. we put the bikes in the truck and drove out to island beach state park.. did a 20 mile ride - saw a fox, an osprey up close, two turtles and numerous birds along the way.. the fact that the bakery that i discovered on sunday was not open ( only on weekends till the season starts) bordered on a major disappointment, but we handled that maturely :)
after breakfast and a shower we got in the car and headed to ocean grove for the afternoon.. ocean grove holds a special place in our hearts.. it is about 35 min north of Tom's River, and it is the place where my family visited the shore.. and I introduced it to my wife and her daughters.. we had lunch at Day's and then visited the shops in town before returning to Day's for an ice cream... then back to the marina..
we are fortunate to have an early end to the school year - the kids in Tom's River are still in school and will be through sometime next week. The result of that is that the pool at the marina is only open on the weekends.. it was hot, so i told the girls that we could take the boat out and anchor in the river and they could swim.. great idea!! ( they seemed to be more agreeable than usual during this trip) so we did that.. The suggestion was somewhat self serving.. i wanted to try out anchoring for the first time.. after i got the anchor line attached.. i realized that i needed to feed it a different way.. so , it may have taken a little longer than it should have, but the anchor held just fine.. oldest step daughter - in the water no problem. wife - well, it took a little coaxing, but she made it in.. youngest step daughter.. well, true to form.. she balked.. my plan was to stay aboard to monitor the anchoring.. i was pretty confident that i had let enough scope out, but this was one lesson that i did not want to learn the hard way.. then the youngest daughter started asking questions about the white things that were floating by.. oops.. jelly fish.. not real big, and not too many, but they were jelly fish just the same.. we agreed that the swimming should come to an end, and, since we had time and the wind was steady, we figured that we should put up the sail for a while.. another good session on the water... the previous owner sailed by as we were making good headway.. that Bristol that he bought is a fine looking boat! my wife handled the healing of the boat very well, and we decided to head in before anyone got too board... so we sailed for an hour and a half - the landing was very smooth.. to bad PO was not there to witness this one.. i think that even the step daughters were impressed, particularly when i pointed out that i don't have depth perception :) just lucky i guess..
it was the older step daughter's sixteenth birthday and she remarked that most of her friends would have been at teh DMV early in the morning, taking the test for their permit and instead, she was "driving the boat" she seemed perfectly satisfied to be doing so.. :) a birthday dinner was part of the plan, so after we got the boat organized and we all had showers we headed out to the Shady Rest restaurant - on recommendation from a boat owner at the marina.. despite the fact that it sounds more like a retirement home or even a cemetary, the place was great! we definitely found a keeper.. a place to take folks who might visit us in TR..
we wrapped up the day with a cup of tea in the cockpit and then the girls headed off to bed.. my wife and I opted to sleep in the cockpit.. there was no dew at 10 pm, and i was hopeful that we would not wake up drenched.. ( previous nights the dew had been pretty heavy) .. we lucked out.. we were a little damp in the morning, but all in all, it was a pleasant experience.. Although we have done a lot of camping over the years, I really can't say if I have ever slept out under the stars..
we woke up at 6 am to the sound of an angry duck.. quacking non stop for a few minutes.. the girls slept through it, and that was fine, because we were anxious for another bike ride.. we stayed close by - riding up through Ocean Gate and then down along the bay towards Berkely Island park.. we did not venture too far off, finishing up by riding through the little county park that is just around the corner from the marina.. another jewel waiting to be discovered.. we now know where we can hang out on those hot afternoons.. lots of trees with picnic tables, and it is an easy walk from the boat.. we did just over 16 miles on the bikes and felt good.. we were both concerned about doing too much and then having to drive home..
after breakfast and showers the girls headed off - back to PA, and i stayed behind to do some work on the boat.. after some sanding and a coat of Cetol and then a little wax, i reluctantly closed up the boat and headed home myself...
I am not sure that it is fair to credit Adagio with all of the success of the trip, but it truly was one of the more enjoyable outings that we have had with the girls.. they seemed agreeable most of the time,, enjoyed one another's company most of the time, and even gave some indications that it was ok to just hang out with the older generation - at least for a while.. gotta love it when that happens! I wish that i had had a camera last evening as i watched the girls walking down the dock towards the boat.. in a short time they grew comfortable with the marina and with the boat, and I can't help but think that some of the experiences that we had these past few days will turn into life long memories.. and isn't that what it is all about??
Great story, JT.
You are creating life long memories with your wife and kids. I was pretty fortunate to have taken my kids sailing with me. We always have great talks out there...life is so much more real at 5 knots. Now, my son sails his own Irwin FreeSpirit 21 which my father in law gave him when it became obvious to him that at age 89, he should stop sailing the "big boat".
My wife, on the other hand, is just not interested. I like the alone time I get while solo sailing but nothing beats having your family share in those experiences.
My boats in the water, finally! Are you in Beachwood this weekend? I'm sure we'll rendezvous some time in Barnegat Bay.
In summer, the jelly fish in the Toms River get as big as small planets and have been known to eat entire towns whole. Be forewarned!
Bob23
After a week-long trip to Maine where I happened to see a lot of very inspiring sailboats, you might expect that I am chomping at the bit to get back down to the Jersey shore and Adagio.. add to that the fact that a new bimini, sail cover, boom tent winch and tiller covers arrived while I was away, and it is fair to say that I am dying to see how they all work out on the boat.. the new color is forest green - no offense to the brown of the past, but I happen to favor green... Unfortunately, I won't make it down anytime soon - it looks like the 4th of July weekend will be the earliest that I can make the trip.. so I will look forward to that. I think that my wife will love the bimini, and I am hoping that the boom tent works out well.. the idea is for protection on rainy days when we are at the dock.. being able to use the cockpit on a rainy day will make a big difference.. i ordered a 10 by 10 tent.. i hope that it is not too large.. but it can always be cut down if that is the case.. I did see a neat set up on a boat in Camden Maine - wish I had seen that earlier!
So, for now, i will have to content myself with dreaming about the next trip to the shore.. and turn my attention to the more immediate projects on the home front...
JT:
I'll have to check out your bimini. That's the next thing on my list as it can get hot in August here in NJ. I ended up with some minor heat stroke last summer...even though I know about hydration end electrolyte replenishment. When you need to get out of the sun, you need to get out of the sun, period.
See you on 7/04 weekend sometime...I may make it over to Tices Shoals.
Bob23
- A surprise visit to the boat!
The best that I could hope for was a trip to NJ that was ( and still is) planned for next weekend, but on our last trip down, my wife and I found a treasure in a small shop - a used table and six chairs that were in great shape and which would fit in to our yet-to-be finished new home very nicely.. I had arranged to pick them up next week, but I got a call on Thursday with a request from the owner for us to pick them up this weekend.. Knowing that I had to use an open trailer, he assured me that the weather was going to cooperate. My wife and I talked it over, and, after rearranging our schedules and bowing out of a commitment at school, we threw some clothes in a bag and our bikes in the back of the truck and set off for NJ on Saturday morning.
Our first stop, after arriving in the area, was the shop. The owners were happy to see us and very gracious about helping to pack up and securing the furniture. I think that they were happy to free up the space in their store for a big sales event that they traditionally hold over the weekend of the 4th. It dawned on me that, in a short time we have come to feel very comfortable in the Bayville/ Pine Beach area, and we are doing our part to support the local economy! We then headed to the marina - parked the trailer for the night - and then moved our gear onto the boat. There was some talk of a storm, so we decided to watch and wait for a bit, and, in the meantime, Ed stopped by to say hello and then we met a new couple, George and Belinda who have a capri 22 just like Ed's and adjacent to his slip. When we told them that we were going for lunch, they suggested the Anchor Inn which is in Ocean Gate - turned out to be another good tip from the marina crowd - great lunch of pizza and salad and then off to the mall to purchase new tennis shoes for use back at school ( a little more support for the local economy)
With the lunch and shopping out of the way, we were ready to take the boat out - I worked through the mental checklist that I am in the process of still developing, and soon we were headed out of the marina. The wind had picked up a bit since our arrival - how nice! My wife kept the bow in the wind while I hoisted the main sail - it seemed like she was pretty comfortable with that duty, so I suggested that she continue to steer the boat - she readily agreed - how nice to have a wife who is not only supportive of the sailing lifestyle, but who is anxious to learn all about it - I guess that I am just lucky! We did not set he iib immediately, thinking that it might be good for her to get a feel for how the boat sailed with just the main.
The wind was blowing 12 - 14 with a few stronger gusts from time to time.. my wife was enthusiastic, but tentative at the same time.. it will be awhile till she is really comfortable with heeling the boat - particularly when she is in command - on a weekend in late June when there are quite a few boats on the water, but she did quite well. According to the GPS, we were clocking between 3 and 4.5 miles per hour. It was time to unfurl the jib. Of course, this introduced a little different feel and a little more speed, and the boat may have been overpowered at times, but I only witnessed the the look of sheer terror on her face occasionally - a look of concern a fair amount of the time.. and a smile just often enough to know that she really enjoyed being in control. The water was high, and our draft is minimal, but we kept to the channel just for good practice. The wind was from a favorable direction which allowed us to sail to the end of the river with just a few tacks.. We reached the bay and were greeted with more boats and rolling 2-3 foot waves.. There was not a whole lot to be gained by staying out there in terms of building confidence so we turned back to the river and enjoyed the trip back, again staying in the channel, talking about nautical terms and discussing the plan for the evening..
so, here is where I have to digress just for a moment. We are nearing our fifth anniversary, and our first real date 6 or so years ago was a trip to Ocean Grove. We left home very early in the morning so that we could make it to the beach for the sunrise, and from there on, we filled with day, nonstop, with activities - walking the boardwalk, renting bikes - riding to Belmar where we observed the boats resting in the marina ( did she know that this was in our future?) , catching an organ concert at the Great Auditorium, spending a few hours on the beach, lunch and ice cream at Day's.. what a great day! Even with the energy that accompanies "young love" ( yes, one can experience this in his mid-forties) we were exhausted by the time we got into the car to head back to PA.. and why am I including this story? well, this particular trip was shaping up the same way.. still in love.. maybe not quite the same amount of energy :) , but we packed a lot into the day, and we were not yet finished! we dropped the sails, and I motored in to the marina.. made a reasonable landing - but there is still room for improvement. I have a new plan of attack to try out next week!
Time to break out the new canvas - I did not bring the bimini, but the tiller cover, winch covers and sail cover look great! the tarp that i ordered for the boom tent is a little on the large size.. I guess that i have two options here - the first would be to cut it down to fit and the second is to add it to our camping gear ( how nice to have a heavy canvas tarp over our picnic bench). The immediate plan is to put the bimini in place next week and then determine how effective it will be. if we need the boom tent - we will figure it out. With the boat snug in its slip, we hit the road and made the short trip down to Shady Rest for dinner - asking to be seated outside, the hostess led us to the same table where we were seated with the girls a few weeks ago.. The roses are past, but there are still nice flowers around the perimeter of the dining area - definitely an air of romance - great place for a date! we had a nice dinner of lasagna and zitti and skipped desert. still more to do...
the kayaks belonging to the previous owners of Adagio are stored next to our slip. He has encouraged us to use them anytime so we slipped the boats in the water and paddled out of the marina and then over to an adjoining marina to check out some fine looking catboats and other yachts - my wife commented on a few of them - I think that she is developing an eye for a boat with great lines! we continued down the river to a point where we could go no further and then retraced our path, looking for living things in the reeds along the shore.. lots of birds, but no critters, at least not this time.. After stowing the kayaks, we got in the truck for the last time and headed out to ocean gate.. we have walked this before, but the light was dying fast, and we wanted to walk on the boardwalk.. we stopped for a good humor ice cream and walked for a bit and then sat on a bench and watched a few boats slowly make there way along the channel.. When we got back to the marina we found that there was a large party that was breaking up with many participants heading towards a boat on our dock.. they continued the party there for quite a while, but that was really no problem.. i doubt that, after we turned in, any of them noticed that ours was the only boat on the dock rocking gently back and forth on a windless evening... did i mention - still in love? Sleep came quickly and soundly! :)
We set the alarm for 5:30 this morning but agreed on the luxury of 15 extra minutes for getting up, munching on a banana and then slipping on our bike clothes.. Time was limited so we did a shorter 14 mile ride out through Ocean Gate and along the bay.. breakfast and tea in the cockpit and then loading up the truck for an early departure.. once again, I needed to be back on campus by noon, this time for the opening of summer school this afternoon. We could have spent a lot of time and energy lamenting the fact that we were leaving early on what appeared to be a great day for boating, but it is much more appropriate to be thankful for a wonderful 24 hours - how would we have spent this weekend if the purchase of Adagio had not taken place in march?? who knows, but it is hard to imagine that it could have been any better!!
JT:
That sounds truly wonderful! You are indeed living the life. I was also out on Saturday...rowing in the windless morning and then, about 1 pm, the wind picked up and I sailed for a few hours. Just trying the new sails out and working a few bugs out of the rigging.
Hope we can meet up next weekend. I'll be up thataway sometime next weekend...maybe over at Tice's!
Bob23
thanks, Bob. i will get in touch with you sometime on saturday to see what your plans are.
well, there is a lot to learn about sailing, and, while I think that trial and error is a great way to gain new perspectives, I am not sure that i have that kind of time! so, here is question number 1.. i suspect that there are a number of folks here who can offer answers..
during our first sail with the previous owner way back in March, the wind was pretty strong. He put two reefs in the main sail before we left the dock. when i took over the tiller, I was fairly nervous, not having sailed in a number of years! the boat was heeling at a pretty good angle, and I found that turning into the wind was no problem - in fact, that is what the boat wanted to do when we were hit by a gust.. but, turning away from the wind was nearly impossible.. i actually struggled with the tiller, pulling it towards me with little, if any, response from the boat.. the PO attributed it to the fact that the rudder had a lot of marine growth on it since the boat was in the water over the winter.. in a previous post, i described one of my first tasks as cleaning the rudder..
this past weekend, my wife had the same experience, and i reached back and tried to help her pull the tiller towards her.. very little response.. so we headed into the wind, the boat flattened out, and the turn away from the wind was easily made.. another time I let the main sail out, and the boat responded... am i doing something wrong? My understanding is that in a boat that is well balanced, very little pressure needs to be used on the tiller, and that most boats have a certain degree of weather helm, but i think that this exceeds anything that would be considered normal.. what do you think?? thanks! Jt
JT:
On your first sail, was the jib flying? The 23's do not sail well under main alone and that can contribute to weather helm. On some previous sails on my boat, when the afternoon wind would really kick up, I found she sailed well under reduced jib alone although tacking was nearly impossible so I had to gybe instead. This was with my old (25 year) sails.
I have not expermented enough with my new sails yet but I can say that last weekend I was able to tack under single reefed mainsail alone but just barely. I also have a foiled rudder and that makes alot of difference in tacking and it even points the boat a bit higher.
I saw your rudder and I can't remember if it was the original flat aluminum blade or something else. Does it extend straight down or does it try to kcik back while you are sailing? Almost any rudder on any sailboat if designed to be straight down but is allowed to kick back more toward the horizontal will put more strain on the tiller. I'm not a marine engineer so this is my opinion form having this happen on the different boats I've owned. I'm glad you scrapped all those hitchhikers off!
While turning away from the wind, it is natural to let the main out a bit otherwise it'll be sheeted in too tight. Do you have any wind tells on your sails? Keep in mind that proper setting of the main or jib for that metter is always in relation to the wind direction, not it's position on the boat. That sounds confusing..does it make sense? Maybe we can talk about it in person.
You certainly have it good having a wife who sails with you and loves it. I suppose one can have a beatiful boat, sail it to exotic places but without a companion, somehthing is missing. I seem to remember way back in the past, God mentioning to Adam something about "not good being alone."
See you on the water,
Bob23
yea, ease the main, and make sure your rudder is all the way down.
if you have a loose footed main this will reduce the weather helm as well.
The 19s have a much harder chine and a flatter bottom and the weather helm is very strong. after a few years of production they added the bowsprit to increase the size of the jib.
I hear the foil rudder is the best fix for this, but easing the main will make a big difference too, especially if you are heading off you will want to let it out some anyways, just ease the main before you ease the jib.
thanks Billy,
it is a foil rudder, added by the previous owner.. i am anxious to get down this weekend and back out on the water.. i do have a loose footed main, and easing the main seems to make the most sense.. thanks for the feedback! jt
Since its loose footed ease the outhaul too. That will help
Another great day in new jersey! this weekend is a solo trip. I came down yesterday afternoon, expecting to be tied up in all kinds of traffic, but the trip was a breeze. The marina was quiet when I got here. I walked around the marina, and looked at the boats in the water as well as the ones that were still on jack stands - some for a few years by the looks of it. Some are posted for sale, but i recall the words of someone in the past who said that "every boat is for sale" I suspect that a number of the ones not posted would move pretty quickly if an offer were made!
but, we just recently bought Adagio, and, while the bigger, roomier boats have a certain appeal, we are quite content to have great access to the water, a great boat and many experiences to come - all debt free! so, it is fun to look, but it is great to snuggle down on my bunk knowing that no bank is a partner in ownership :)
i found one other early riser when i walked into the bathroom this morning, but, otherwise, there was little, if any, activity around the docks this morning. My bike was tempting me, but one of the major goals of this trip was to install the new bimini that arrived a week and a half ago. I bought it from Ameriseam which happens to be located in Florida, very near the compac factory. when i asked the fellow who was taking my order if he had made biminis for compac, he responded " i make them for the company" i was in good hands!
i got a little distracted and put a coat of cetol on the teak in the v berth, figuring that the earlier the better for drying.. and then a tackled the bimini.. along with the parts, there was a piece of paper with directions, explaining just where to locate the tracks - that was nice! and, the frame pieces were all labeled.. pretty fool proof! except that i put it together backward :) i was nearly done, when i realized that the top was inside out - how silly.. before i started, a little voice inside my head suggested that it might be safer to do this on dry ground, but the dock is pretty wide where i am , and i figured that i would be safe if i put all of the screws in a shoe so that they would not be dropped over the side by accident.. i felt pretty good about that precaution .. As i was putting the frame together for the third and final time.. i slipped.. didn't lose a screw, but the screw driver fell right into the water.. it disappeared in a fraction of a second.. i think that i said a bad word.. and then looked around to see if there ware any witnesses :) nobody up yet! i had to use my screw gun to complete the project.. you can imagine that i held onto that pretty tightly! when i went to install the fame on the little cars in the tracks it was readily apparent that i had them on backwards.. you really have to engage the screw with the screw driver from the outboard side :) no biggy.. a few moments later the bimini was up, and I was instantly enjoying the new shade in the cockpit.. my wife is going to love this!
it was time for a shower and then into town to run some errands.. a stop at west marine to pick up some sealant to fill the screw holes.. a stop at K mart to replace the screw driver.. and then back to the boat.. after some adjustments to the bimini - sliding it forward so that the boom would not get hung up on it, I was ready to set out.. it will take a little getting used to maneuvering about the boat with the bimini, but after today's experience, it is obviously well worth it. it turned out to be a tacking drill today.. certainly not a straight shot to the mouth of the river! just as i was leaving, a large cat boat with a huge sail dropped her mooring in front of me.. i think that there were 6 people aboard.. that boat moved! i wonder what the sail area is.. very classic look, and there are a number of them in the area.. oh well.. a late night of reading was catching up with me, and there was a whole lot of boat traffic. i guess that was to be expected, so i turned back to the marina and prepared to try out my new landing plan.. as it turned out, a boat was coming down our line of slips anyhow, so it made sense to motor beyond to the next line, turn around there and then head back to ours and point right into the slip.. i guess that i should have thought about that sooner.. it worked very nicely and soon i was coiling ropes and putting the sail cover on..
i made a cup of tea and tried to read, but found it a little too comfortable, and fell asleep in the cockpit.. just what i needed.. after a dinner of homemade granola i borrowed the kayak that is living on our dock and headed out to ocean gate, about a mile and a half down river maybe? the destination was the new pier that was just completed and the ice cream shop at the head of the pier.. there were a lot of families on the pier crabbing... they have stencils of legal sized crabs painted on the pier.. the kids were having a blast.. and, we were all treated to a spectacular sunset.. i raced a couple of sailboats back to the marina and did rather well! and no i am sitting in Barnes and Noble.. getting ready to head back to the boat to turn in... maybe a quick bike ride tomorrow morning and then I will head out on the boat for a while before packing up and returning to PA.. already looking forward to two weeks from now when we plan on returning!
thoughts on the bimini.. sure is nice to have some shade out there on the water and at the dock as well! i know that my wife will be much more comfortable and happy.. You can't see the sails as well, and you have to make an effort to see the windex.. but, maybe that will make me pay a little more attention to the wind on my face, and make me a better sailor! i would definitely recommend one to anyone who is considering getting one.. cost = $360 ( aluminum frame ) plus $5 for an extra screw driver :)
JT:
I'll have to check your bimini out as it is one summer neccesity. Around here we have whats known as the Dog Days of August. You can imagine how the dog days feel. In Harvey Cedars on LBI, they hold the Dog Day race. While I don't run anymore, the last time I ran the Dog Day race, it was true to it's name- a hot, humid dog day!
I am a bit concerned about not being able to see the sails well. I continually like to check sail shape but being in the shade is nice, too.
Looks like rain today...tomorrow is my attempted row from Surf City to Waretown- about 8.9 nm. I haven't rowed that far before and the 4th of July traffic on the water is legendary so it should be interesting. Hope to catch you next time your'e back in NJ. Maybe I'll plan on sailing to Tice's Shoals in 2 weeks. I'll call you on the shoe phone.
Has anyone invented floating tools? So far, I've only lost a pair of Vice Grips to Neptune. An a Makita impact driver which actually survived a dip in the bay after a fresh water wash-out. Great tools!
Thanks for taking us all along via your in-depth reports of the adventures of Adagio. I enjoy the long posts...keep 'em coming!
Bob23
I recall saying to my son one day " i am not sure that you are going to be home long enough for me to teach you everything you need to know!" There have been times when I have said that to a student in class as well, and, in fact, we never have our students or our children around long enough to "teach them everything they need to know" These days in education circles the prospect is that we actually don't know what our students are going to need to know 10 or 15 years from now.. so we might as well stop trying to force a lot of information into their heads which will very likely be useless in no time.. better yet to instill in them a desire to learn on their own.. Every time I get a call or an email from my son in which he expresses excitement about researching an idea the teacher in me wants to tell him what I know about the subject, but the dad in me is very proud of the fact that he is excited about life and that he has the motivation and skills to learn on his own.. so why am i getting philosophical at the moment? because it is raining and a can't sail!
well, maybe that is not quite the reason, but I was surprised to find it raining this morning. I checked the forecast 3 days ago and it looked like great weather through the weekend, but this morning, just as I was beginning to be aware that the sky was dimly bright and the dreams of the night disappeared, i also noticed that the wind was picking up. the boat was moving and the dock was moving and groaning, and my first thought was " I may have to reef the main today" As became more aware of the surroundings, i thought " it might take two reefs" and then it started to pour and a glumly acknowledged that the idea of sailing may have to be taken totally off the table! I scurried to batten the hatches - literally, and experienced my first real rain storm below. what to do? well, there were some new dock lines stored in one of the lockers, and since May, when I purchased them, I envisioned sitting in the cockpit on a beautiful evening, taking time to whip the ends.. and of course, that never happened, so I figured that it would be good to tackle that job.. the first one doesn't look too hot, but the next three turned out pretty well. As I worked on the job, i was reminded of a story that i read a long time ago written by a man who as a boy had the opportunity to visit Joshua Slocum who happened to be on his boat SPRAY in a local harbor. the boy was terribly excited about visiting a sailor with a world wide reputation and about seeing the boat that had sailed around the world.. but he was awfully disappointed to find the boat looking pretty weather beaten and the ends of the lines fraying. He expected a more ship shape experience, I suppose.. well, no fraying lines on Adagio. The previous owner obviously enjoyed whipping lines, and I aim to follow in his footsteps!
With the task of getting my lines in order completed, there was a lull in the raindrops so I headed off to the bathroom for a shower. On the way back to the boat, the skies in the east looked kind of bright, but it was dark in the west, and the rain resumed.. so I packed up my dirty laundry, dried off the cushions and life jackets that i had left in the cockpit the previous night, all the while vowing to pay a lot closer attention to the weather forecasts in the future.. I still need to figure out how to get the local noaa forecasts on my vhf radio.. that is all that i have.. of course, I could stop by my neighbor's boat across the dock.. the guy with all of the comforts of home including, as of yesterday, cable TV ! of course, you can't take that with you when you leave the dock... well, at least those of us with moderate means don't have that option!
I treated myself to a good breakfast at a little breakfast place in Toms River called "Shut up and Eat" , and now i am here at Barnes and Noble, finishing this post, and reflecting on the weekend.. it is a joy to hang around the marina.. but it is a lot more fun when my wife is with me.. i enjoy the demands of sailing the boat on my own.. and each day on the water i learn new things which help my confidence to grow.. but it is nice to share the time on the water together.. so , i am looking forward to our next trip down in two weeks.. hopefully, the weather will cooperate!
hi bob,
that rowing trip sounds like a challenge.. but a lot of fun as well.. i really did appreciate the shade that the bimini offered yesterday afternoon.. one of the things that i have learned through reading and discussion is that sailing is a series of compromises.. starting with what is the best boat to buy... where to sail.. etc.. and sailing with the bimini in place sure falls into that category. it sounds as though, come august, the welcome shade might outweigh the limited sight lines!
i almost drove down to waretown last evening to find the bluegrass venue.. we may have some friends visit who would enjoy that.. if we don't make it on the water at the same time, maybe we can meet for breakfast at some point.. I am glad that you are enjoying my posts.. looks like it is turning into a bit of a diary.. the book that i just finished last night was a diary of a woman who went to sea with her husband who was the captain of a schooner out of Maine. It was a great read.. especially while sitting in the cockpit of Adagio! jt
Sounds like you are really enjoying to new boat!
"it sounds as though, come august, the welcome shade might outweigh the limited sight lines!"
Particularly on an August day when you are becalmed. I have a bit of a love/hate with my bimini so far. It is on a 4' track so I can store it a few different places. When it is down no matter where I store it it is in the way, either trying to reach the outboard or when going forward.
When it is up the shade is great but to have it far enough forward to clear the mainsheet makes it difficult to go forward and the frame gets in the way of the winches. Seeing the windvane on top of the mast is difficult. Part of the reason I added a wind instrument this year is to work around the bimini sight issue. To go forward I usually disconnect the front of the bimini to give more room. Roller furling would help reduce the need to go forward but I don't think I want to go there just now. I perhaps should have given more thought to a 2 bow model instead of 3 bow.
Of course if I had the wind instrument, diesel inboard and roller furling then most of the above issues get reduced.
Just need to pick the right set of compromises.
Shawn
JT:
"Albert Hall" in Waretown is easy to find. I'll give you directions when you get ready to go. We don't go too often but it's always a trip to visit there.
I love "Shut up and Eat"!!!!! Who could resist having breakfast at a place with that name? Another good one is further east on Rt. 37 called the "Fast Break". Other than those 2, I don't hang out in TR too often. To us "South of the Mason-Dixon Line" folks, that's the big city!
Enjoy the Fourth!
Bob23
so , let's try a picture - it is about time!
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/boat1.jpg)
yup, that is her.. i guess that i have the whole winter to figure out how i will spend next year's sailing budget :) but one item that needs some attention is the jib.. it is a bit ragged, and with all of that new green canvas, the brown sun cover on the jib looks even a little worse.. plenty of time to prioritize, and doing it in my mind costs me nothing!
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/boat6.jpg)
shawn : thanks for adding your thoughts.. the track that came with this bimini is only 2 feet.. i guess that gives me less flexibility, but i am sure that we will make something work. my guess is that it will be up most of the time.. and, it is quite simple to remove it entirely and leave it at the dock.. of course, that requires a screw driver.. no problem! i have a new one :)
Bob: this was my second visit to shut up.. they make a great omelettes and they are pretty reasonable.. i can meet you down your way.. we love exploring.. if all goes well, we will be down in two weeks and make it a priority to visit albert hall on that trip.
with all of the rain we had this morning, i could not roll up the bimini and put the cover on.. sure hope it is still there when we return! :) until then, i will have to content myself with reading about the experiences of others on this site.. oh yea, there is this house that I am building...
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/100_0917.jpg)
I am looking forward to devoting time and energy to that project while i am landlocked!
I got a call from my daughter yesterday.. and then it dawned on me that I mentioned being proud of my son's thirst for knowledge.. and I certainly don't want to slight my daughter! she shared a new recipe for bread with me, and I am anxious to try it out.. I am also looking forward to the new sweater that she is making for me.. but i have to wait till she spins the wool first :)
so, i was looking at motors today.. the outboard on Adagio is an older 2 cycle model.. and i am not in a position to replace it at this point in time, but sometime in the future, I am anticipating doing some cruising, and I know that i will have to do a fair amount of motoring.. maybe that would be the time to purchase a new motor? my neighbor passed me this weekend.. he has a newer 4 cycle, and i could hardly hear it, but maybe that was because mine was making a lot of noise.. i am supposing that the honda 8 hp with a 25 inch shaft would be the appropriate model.. From what I have read, a new mounting bracket would probably be part of the equation as well.. one more thing to juggle on the list of priorities!
" i am supposing that the honda 8 hp with a 25 inch shaft would be the appropriate model.. From what I have read, a new mounting bracket would probably be part of the equation as well.."
Check out the Tohatsu Sailpro 6hp with the 25" shaft and high thrust prop. Very nice engine, I replaced a 8hp Johnson 2 stroke, 2 cylinder with the Sailpro. The Tohatsu weights about 59 pounds so your existing mount should be fine.
Shawn
thanks shawn - good information, especially the part about not having to change the motor bracket.. it sounds like you are endorsing the performance of the motor.. that is good to hear. it appears as though it might be less expensive than the honda as well...
I got the sail pro on my 19 and it is more than enough power and length. However, I do notice it does not shift too smoothy (unlike a Honda or yamaha). I don't think it is as reliable either. Overall I like it, and I think you'll find an 8hp heavy and hard to tilt up when under sail. I know the new ones have the shifter on the front.
I don't know if I will tackle this project this year, but the previous owner rigged up a system where he has the anchor attached to the bow pulpit on the port side. in the first picture above, you can kind of make it out. the problem is that when the jib on on the port side, it chafes on the anchor.. I think that is one of the reasons that the jib is looking a bit beat up.. any suggestions for a different method of stowing the anchor? Currently it has about 5 feet of chain attached to it and the rest of the chain and line is stored in a bucket in one of the cockpit lockers..
I would love to hear different ideas about how folks deal with their anchors! thanks, jt
My 1985 23/2 came with a bow pulpit with an anchor roller attached. That's where the anchor lives with chain and 100' of 1/2" line rode stowed below in the locker. In fact, I sub-divided the locker and also stow 200' of 5/8" line also via 2 separate hause pipes. It will make more sense when we get together.
Bob23
I also have the Sail Pro on the Coconut T., I really don't have anything to compare it to (other boats or motors) , what I can say:
1) I like the 25" shaft, I'm assuming that's at least one or two notches less on the bracket that I don't need to lower down.
2) I like the front mounted shifter (seems to shift fine as far as I know)
3) Always starts on the first or second pull
4) Forward at idle is nice and super slow for turning into my slip
5) Does come standard with alternator and cable (low priority for me at this time, I don't even have a battey!, plenty of discussions on site regarding not to rely soley on outboard for your battery charging, nevertheless it is included)
6) Price was great, and includes gas tank and fuel line (the Hondas also include fuel line & tank but the Yamahas don't)
Plenty of great comments around regarding the Hondas & Yamahas too!, but definitely a couple of bills more $
-Ray
hi Ray, thanks for the info.. it may be awhile till I am ready to make a switch. for now, the motor that came with the boat seems to be working fine. I think that i would enjoy the quieter operation of a 4 stroke, however, so at some point, we will make a move..
where do you do your sailing?
Long Island Sound
Duck Island Roads area
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=duck+island+westbrook+ct&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x89e626607618154f:0x72f547c5f7dbb0b7,Duck+Island&gl=us&ei=Fj4kTuXVGuL20gGssajWAw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ8gEwAA
http://ct.audubon.org/IBA_M_DI.html
http://www.yelp.com/biz/duck-island-westbrook
-Ray
we got back from our trip to New Jersey kind of late last night.. although i was anxious to post, i figured that a good night's sleep might be the first priority so here is the scoop on our latest adventure on Adigio..
we left home in the late afternoon on Friday after loading my kayak on our trailer, and we had to stop at LL Bean in the Lehigh Valley to pick up a kayak that I bought for my wife a couple of weeks ago.. we decided to leave the bikes home this weekend and focus on kayaking instead.. it turned out to be a little late when we arrived at the marina, so it was not long before we were snuggled in the v berth, looking at the stars through the open hatch over our heads.. we are getting used to that routine!
the next morning was an early one. we were expecting friends to join us for the day, but we got a call asking for a rain check, so we turned our attention to a schedule for the day.. first off.. I unloaded the kayaks and brought them over to the boat. we headed off towards ocean gate, where we beached the boats and then walked the boardwalk, and then returned to the marina.. initial reports on the new kayak - it was a successful maiden voyage, no unintended capsizing and a pretty good fit overall.
after breakfast ( granola and tea under the new bimini in the cockpit) and a shower we headed into Toms River to see the boat show which was sponsored by the local maritime society. It is always fun to chat with folks who have an interest in boats.. and we got to board a wooden power cruiser that was built in Toms River in the 1960's.. some funnel cake for a mid morning snack was pretty agreeable as well!
By the time we got back to the boat, the mid-day heat had reached an uncomfortable level.. we laid in the cockpit and took a nap before getting the boat ready to cast off.. I love those naps, but it sure takes a long time to wake up any more! The wind was off our starboard beam as we headed towards the bay.. there was lots of traffic.. sailboats, power boats.. really fast powerboats that could be a little unnerving if one let them be.. and, in the midst of all of this, there were sailboat races.. We were treated to a beautiful sight as a string of cat boats racing or parading up river.. it looked like a race, and my understanding is that whenever two sailboats are on the water, it is a race :), so we will call it a race.. i later spoke to a fellow who told me that the sails on these boats are just over 600 square feet.. just one of them is a sight to see.. but to see 10 or so of them passing by is a real experience.. we took a picture, but i am not sure where the camera ended up! i will post it if it turned out...
we encountered another race and were waved off.. these guys were serious, and, although I am quite sure that I had the right of way, i did not want to rain on their parade, so we quickly jibed and headed in a different direction.. I am wondering, however, about setting a racing course on a weekend on such a busy section of the river?? of course, these guys have been there much longer than i have, so we will just deal with it.. and maybe shoot for avoiding weekends when ever possible next season!
the wind was considerably stronger at the mouth of the river so we turned around and sailed up the river.. my wife liked that part of the trip much better.. it was quieter but then the wind became variable, and we decided to take the sails down and motor back to the marina.. the previous owner had just landed, and he came over to lend a hand with our landing.. it was good to chat and to have an opportunity to ask him some questions.. he decided to take my kayak out for a spin and came back pretty happy with its performance.. we talked about some of the issues i ran into while building it, and what i might do differently on the next one..
with the boat secured, we headed down to Waretown, about 11 miles south of the marina for our first visit to Albert Hall, a bluegrass venue that is open every Saturday night.. what an experience! very friendly, folks who just enjoy music.. reasonable at $5 a head, and lots of entertainment... we stayed through the first four acts and then decided that it was time to head back to the boat, but only after stopping for a late snack of fried rice on the way! and then, off to bed snuggled in the v berth once again.. very comfortable!
we slept in on Sunday - I think that it was 7:30 before we arose.. a few handfuls of gorp and then we were off on the kayaks.. this time paddling across the river to Island Heights where we again beached the boats and walked the boardwalk.. stopped to watch one guy catching crabs.. and then back to the boat and a shower. after a relaxing cup of tea in the cockpit, we drove into town and went to "Shut up and eat" for breakfast.. this was the first time that my wife got to go there.. we ended up siting next to an elderly couple who were sailors.. he raced enslgn class sloops throughout his life, and he happened to attend a national race on lake winnipesaukee in the early 1990's.. the race was centered in Wolfeboro and the sailors all stayed at Brewster Academy where I happened to be teaching and living at the time.. I clearly remember all of the boats arriving on campus and the sailors staying in the dorms on campus.. this guy was one of them.. and, as soon as i mentioned the name "Water Colors" , an ensign class boat from town, he knew the owner's name.. it is a small world!
after a wonderful breakfast we returned to the boat and decided to forgo sailing and stop at Ocean Grove on the way home instead. I spent a little time gabbing with some folks on the dock, and then we packed up the car. We left the kayaks at the marina for the next trip, because parking in ocean grove is very difficult, and i could not imagine that we would fine a spot to park with the trailer.. we took our lunch and made sandwiches which we ate on the boardwalk, under the band pavilion and enjoyed the breeze.. then we went to check on the Sunday afternoon concert - found that we had some time to kill - so we visited some of our favorite shops in town before stopping by Day's for ice cream.. 6 years ago we had a wonderful date in ocean grove which i think i described in an earlier posting.. and one of the things that this trip had in common with that date was that I was wishing that the day did not have to end!
we left Day's and headed to the youth temple where the recital was performed.. what a treat.. the mezzo soprano from the Great Auditorium quartet performed, and she did a wonderful job.. quite a different experience from the previous night as far as repertoire and a completely different set of musical skills, but it was nice to be able to appreciate both of the concerts in one weekend!
on the way home, we stopped at the house and watered the gardens.. a lot of our attention will be focused there for the next two weeks while we are again land locked.. and then one more nice trip to the boat before the end of the season.. it sounds like we are cutting things short, but August is booked with trips and preparation for school to start, and once the school year begins, there will be little time to spend traveling to NJ.. :(
all in all.. another great weekend on the Adagio - a lot of folks have told me that the happiest days for a boat owner are the day of purchase and the day of selling the boat off.. but we sure are planning on having a lot of fun in between, and so far, so good!
well, we just wrapped up the last "real" trip to the boat for the season. With almost the full month of August ahead of us, it seems a bit early to pull the plug, but I will be on the road most of the next three weeks, and getting back just in time for school to start, and the fall is just too hectic to try to fit two trips to New Jersey, so I asked the marina manager to pull the boat and get to take advantage of a 5% discount for an early move to storage.. that should cover the tax!
the plan called for a Monday departure with a stop at the house to put one more finish coat on the new hardwood floors that I laid at the house, but things went badly from the start. I reached for the keys to the truck, only to find that they were not where they belonged, nor were they anywhere in the house. A call to my wife confirmed my worst fear - she had them in her purse, and she was at work in Scranton. that meant an hour and 15 min trip before getting started - somehow I did not have the energy to make all of that happen, and, instead, put the trip off till Tuesday. I salvaged the day by riding my motorcycle to the house, getting an extra coat of finish on the floors, and completing a few other odd jobs that i did not finish the previous day. And, the ride on the bike inspired me to consider taking the bike to New Jersey the next day!
Tuesday arrives, it is a great day, I repack the few items that I really need into a smaller bag which fit nicely on the rear seat of the bike, and off I went, hoping that that little problem with the clutch would remain a little problem for the next three days! It occurred to me that I was kind of living in the past, heading out on my 1982 Honda 450 to spend a few days on my 1983 Compac sailboat - life is good! I took a different route than the typical one. This one led me through my old hometown of Quakertown and down through Bucks County, the same route that we used to take to the shore when I was a kid. It was hard to fight off a little nostalgia along the way, particularly on a motorcycle where one really only has his own thoughts to keep him company...
The marina was quiet when i go there. I dropped off my stuff and headed out toward West Marine to pick up a new cooler.. a small one which I could tie on the back of the bike. Kmart had a better deal so i ended up getting one there, along with some new jeans that were on sale and which fit nicely into the cooler for the ride home.. ONe more trip then, to the local grocery for milk and water and some tortilla chips.. and then to the marina office for ice.. and i was set for the next few days.. I cast off and headed out into relatively light winds. There are a number of different yacht clubs on the river, and each one has its own fleet of sailing dinghies used for youth sailing... they looked like swarms of mosquitoes out there.. darting to and fro.. I am not sure that I would have the patience to run a youth sailing program! I tacked out to the mouth of the river and a little beyond, and then it hit me.. i was dead tired.. working non-stop on the house project 8 - 12 hours a day, staying up late the night before.. the ride down and now the sun and the water.. it was time to turn back.. when i got to the dock, I performed the necessary tasks to secure Adagio, and then i reclined in the cockpit and fell asleep, rocking gently with the motion of the boat.. I took the bike out for a short ride in the evening, saw a lot of bicyclists along the way , got gas, and then treated myself to dinner. It was an early night to bed in anticipation of a beautiful day to follow.
Wednesday dawned and I decided to start the day with a walk.. walked out to Ocean Gate and then along their mile long boardwalk. On the way back I stopped to watch the kids rigging their boats at the yacht club.. lots of energy and activity.. I am not sure that I would have the patience to run a youth sailing program, but i may have already made that point :)
A breakfast of gronola and tea was just the ticket after a 4 mile walk.. and then i started preparing Adagio for a day at sea.. that sounds great, but we have not actually made it to the sea.. just Barnegat Bay, but that is ok for now.. I topped off the gas tank, not knowing just how far I might make it or if the wind would remain true throughout the day. And then, I headed out - motored to the end of the river, directly into the wind, which meant , once around the corner, it would be a beam reach the whole way down the bay, and that is just about what i found.. nothing very crazy at all, in terms of wind, but the boat kept moving with occasional puffs putting some extra life into things. This is exactly the experience that my wife would enjoy! I made it down to Tice's Shoals - my longest trip of the season, and then decided to turn back. another beam reach up the bay - i decided to hook up the auto tiller that came with the boat, but when i pulled out the parts, a crucial piece was missing, and I could not seem to locate it anywhere on the boat.. so I quietly put it all away and gazed below to where the milk and granola were stored.. and then it dawned on me that in the old days, folks would just lash their tiller, so i got a piece of rope and tied the tiller to keep the boat on course and went below, periodically, poking my head through the hatch to see if were were clear, and of course, we were = there were hardly any boats on the bay! what an experience.. especially compared with the last time that we were out which was on a weekend.. it was like night and day. the winds were blowing 5 - 10, and everything was very relaxed. just the way that my wife would have loved it!
I brought the boat in and secured everything and then laid down for a couple of minutes. My wife called and said that she was headed down from work. the plan was for her to join me on Wed. night so that we could enjoy our anniversary together the following day.. all looked good, except for the dark clouds that were rolling in.. and, sure enough, it began raining, off and on... It took Janet 5 hours to make the trip from Scranton.. lots of traffic and perhaps a couple of missed turns led to a challenging trip, but she made it and we decided to go out for mexian food for dinner.. we had a great meal and then headed back to the boat.. a trip to the restroom with an umbrella and then it was time to call it a night... snuggling into the v berth, we had a disappointing surprise - the inspection port that I believe was at one point a ventilation port, was leaking.. and we had to deal with that throughout the night... that is one thing on the list for projects next spring!
the wind picked up ,and we had our first experience of sleeping on the boat throughout the night during a storm.. no real big deal, but we do need to work on ventilation during the rain.. i just might try the pvc pipe idea that i read about elsewhere on the forum. we made it through the night and were greeted with a steady breeze and choppy waters on Thursday morning. A little too rough for the kayak trip that we were hoping to make into Toms River, so instead, we drove into town and had our anniversary breakfast at Shut up and EAt, enjoying it a great deal, and then we headed out back to the marina to prepare Adagio for the day's sail. We were married 5 years, and at this time, five years ago, we were preparing to depart on a cruise on the Masdam, a Holland American ship out of Boston.. and here we were, once again preparing to go to sea - how wonderfully appropriate!
we motored down the river into a heavy chop which sent spray flying back into the cockpit. I invited Janet to move forward to sit on the bow, which she did for a while.. it is nice to see her getting more comfortable around the boat in general. We moved out of the channel, and hoisted the sails, tacking the last little bit out into the bay before heading south.. did i just say that janet was getting more comfortable on the boat?? the first couple of tacks set her confidence back a bit.. she has asked to steer ( which i thought was great, by the way) but she got a little un - nerved as the boat heeled over after completing a tack.. attempting to lighten the mood i said " I guess you are't thinking about sex right now" whoa.. did i really say that? most guys understand that about 50% of the thoughts that enter out heads should not be given a voice, and maybe this was one of them! Although she assured me that the topic was the furthest thing on her mind, it did bring a smile to her face, and we were able to turn south soon after, on a heading that called for a broad reach and much calmer sailing.. She continued to steer the boat, and we made it as far south as Berkley Island Park before turning around and heading back. I had already warned her the the trip back would be into the weather and , therefore, a little rougher, but she handled it well - i did not see the look of terror in her eyes that was there earlier in the morning.. we just need lots of time on the boat, but that will have to come next year. She brought the boat into the marina under power, and I took over for the docking, because the wind was still a major factor, and she has yet to determine how to shift the boat from forward to reverse.. we will save that for next year as well..
I visited the Marina manager, and told him that it was, indeed, time to pull the boat and that we would return once in September to do some work and to pick up things that we did not want stored for the winter.. we loaded up the car and hooked up to the trailer with the kayaks which we had left the previous trip and then headed back to PA -- the sunny sky soon turned gray, with the threat of rain most of the way, but stops in New Hope for dinner and then in Allentown for a cup of tea were the highlights of the trip, and, thankfully, I did not have to deal with rain , at night on the motorcycle! And that brings our sailing season to a close, however, we will make one more trip down in September, and I am holding out hope that Bob23, who keeps his boat in the water much longer, will be available and will welcome some extra crew - that way we get to work on our boat, and still enjoy another day on the water before the season is really over...
JT:
Great story...I always enjoy your writings. And you and Janet are always welcome on my boat anytime. September sailing is the best...crowds are down, the temperatures cool down a bit and the bay has a wonderful fall-is-coming dark blue look to it. Maybe the bay itself is happy that most of the yahoos are gone!
Don't feel too bad about missing the 'Voo. It might just be me, my freind Dennis and his Morgan 30 and maybe PeterG aboard the Beagle 2. A full report will follow.
See you soon and congratulations on your first season about Adagio!
Bob23
(Living in the past? Bet you don't have a rotary phone, do ya?)
(http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt260/Bob23_photo/pinkphone.jpg)
Ciao!
NEWS FLASH!
Secret spy photos have been obtained at extremely high cost of the famous CP23 "Adagio". Owned by recent convert JT and his ever-so-patient wife Janet, she sits quietly in her slip awaiting an early haulout due to JT's work schedule.
Notice the contented look on her hull. JT has been sprucing up the ship and she looks even better closeup.
(http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt260/Bob23_photo/Adagio.jpg)
(http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt260/Bob23_photo/AdagiosFlags.jpg)
Bob23
wow, that boat looks so lonely , no main sail, the bimini gone.. why on earth would a teacher leave the marina so early in the season and ask the management to pull his boat??? to visit his kids, of course! No matter how crazy we might be about boats, I would like to think that the majority of us have our priorities in order, and the opportunity to take a trip to New England, and spend time with one's kids trumps spending one more week on the boat. Of course, if I could have done that on the boat, that would have been even better!! So, it was a busy trip and not entirely without the hint of salt air, but i will come to that later...
First stop on the New England Tour was Johnson VT where my daughter and her boyfriend live. She is always working on new projects ( wool and spinning related, typically) and is well on her way toward getting ready for christmas with lots of items which will make the recipients happy! And, one can always count on good wholesome food when visiting there.. Most of our time was spent building a shed with her boyfriend. He had the deck built when I got there... we got the walls up, and covered with tar paper, and the roof on... the rest is up to him!
After a couple of days in Vt ( a possible cruising destination, by the way.. up the hudson, and then the canal into Lake Champlain) it was off to Hebron NH where my son lives with his mother.. He happened to work it out that he had the week off, and that was great, because there was so much to do! There were chickens there the last time that we visited, and now there are turkeys and more chickens ( even though we ate some of them) and now four sheep.. if you have sheep, you need a fence.. so we took a drive to southern NH, loaded the truck up as much as we could and came back and planted nine 8 foot posts 3 and a half feet in the ground which now represent the corners of the fence that he will complete.. we talked a lot about the construction of a barn which he and his mother are contemplating.. he took me on a 9 mile hike up Mount Lafayette - roughly 3 miles up, 3 miles across the ridge, and then 3 miles down.. that was an experience. unfortunately, we had clouds at the top - three layers and it was still rather chilly, especially my hands.. but, we met a bunch of other hearty souls up there, and everyone seemed to be in a good mood.. i guess that we will have to do that again sometime when we can see the view that we certainly earned! So, in one day, we bagged two of New Hampshire's 4000 footers. Lafayette is actually a little over 5200 feet.. when we got home we got out the 22's and did some target shooting in the backyard and then went to have dinner with some friends.. We also cut a tree down with his new chain saw and split all of the wood.. and we spent time putting together an old motor cycle that I had dis-assembled about 11 years ago.. most of the parts were there, and I am hoping that we don't need the ones that aren't :) actually, he is going to have to place an order and I am going to have to take the engine up on the next trip.. can you imagine getting excited about putting a motor cycle back together again only to find that you left the engine in PA??? oh well.. and we cleaned up the garage and fixed the flashing around the plumbing vent on the roof and we joined the Pemigewassit fish and game club and went there to shoot clay pigeons.. broke nearly all of them.. some of them with shells... :) we added an outside outlet to the garage and, now for the boat stuff, we took a trip to Rockland Maine where we visited the Maine Boats and Harbors boat show.. what a great show.. the town has come a long way over the last 20 years or so.. there are lots of attractive shops to visit and the show has all sorts of interesting things to look at.. home related as well as marine related..
One might think that the highlight of the show was the 1.2 million dollar yacht that we boarded, but it wasn't. Instead it was the New York 32 , a member of a fleet of boats that was designed for the new york yacht club in the 30's.. what a cool opportunity to go below in a boat that was 70 years old.. one can't duplicate the smell or the aura that a wooden boat that age brings to the senses.. and the history.. all the old fittings.. the heating stove the sinks.. the hardware... it was really cool..
And now I am home for a couple of days before heading back to New England on a school trip.. summer is officially over for me! we plan on getting down to NJ one weekend in September to help put the boat away for the winter.. and then we have the whole next 8 months or so to dream about adventures next summer.. While I was in Rockland, i checked with the harbor master and talked with some local sailors about the availability of moorings.. I learned that there are 500 moorings in the well protected harbor and that one can be had for 1000 for the season.. Rockland could become the new home for Adagio in a couple of years! there is a lot to see and do up there, and the cruising is limitless.. and, i have to admit to a certain fondness for Maine as well.. all in due time! In the mean time, there is work to be done on the boat, skills to be honed and fun to be had on Barnegat Bay...
JT:
I also fell in love with Maine during a visit to the Maine BoatBuilders Show in Portland. I have an good old friend in NJ who married a Maine girl whose family goes back generations. They have a small vacation home on a lake in Boothbay. Ayuh!
A great report on a great trip..I always appreciate your writing. Let me know what weekend you'll be in NJ. It'd be great to get out for a sail together. If you have the time. I spent last weekend at Tice's Shoals. Had a great sail up, some much needed solitude with sunsets, sunrises, and moonrises as well as pre-dawn swims in the mightly Atlantic. I plan on posting a detailed report when I get around to it. Ayuh.
Bob23
just got back from my second trip to maine in two weeks.. wonder if they pulled the boat yet.. i sure hope so! i guess that i should give them a call tomorrow :) jt
Yes, JT: Call 'em! It's not gonna be a good scene down here in NJ. I sailed mine up to Long Key today...gonna try to ride it out in a protected slip. I hope it's still there on Monday!
Praying for protection,
Bob23
Yesterday my wife and I took a trip down to jersey to check out Adagio. I had received reports that she weathered the storm with no problems, but I still envisioned wind driven water in the cabin and wet blankets and such. As it turned out, we opened up the hatch and found nothing amiss. What a relief that was. I did hear that the floating docks were within half a foot of so from the tops of the pilings that hold them in place. If the storm had fulfilled all of the dire predictions that we were hearing, who knows where she would be right now!
With no work to do, we decided to motor out in the river for a short cruise, and it dawned on me that, even though the main sail was home, already washed and stored for the winter, we could always unfurl the jib. So we motored up river and then turned around and put out the jib and cut the motor for a nice quiet sail back. We happened upon the start of a sailboat race in which the previous owner was crewing on a friend's boat so it was interesting to watch them get started and through the first turn.. then they put out spinnakers and took off..
we made it back to the dock with an easy and soft final landing of the season. the marina had a party scheduled for labor day so we stuck around and had some food, listened to some good songs from the 70's ( nice job DJ) and talked with another couple who were finishing up their first season at the marina.
the final cruise with just the jib was a great quiet, uneventful way to bring the season to a close. my wife handled the tiller like she had been doing it for years.. no heeling to get her overly nervous :) - a true adagio experience!
so, i imagine that they will be taking the boat out sometime this week or next, and then we will have to go down to cover her up for the winter.. i wish that we were just a bit closer, but we are fortunate to have found a solid boat and to have it at a marina with pleasant folks and nice surroundings. that all makes it worth the drive! jt
well, it seems like forever since I posted on this thread! Last weekend we traveled to jersey to cover Adagio for the winter. It did not take a whole lot to convince my wife to join me for the day, but the promise of breakfast at Shut up and Eat in Tom's River sealed the deal :) The guys at the marina did a good job of hauling and power washing the hull. This is the first time that I got to see the bottom since I opted not to haul the boat when we bought it back in March. Things look pretty good.. maybe a little scraping in the spring before they put a new coat of bottom paint on. I was contemplating doing a complete job of scraping and then having a new barrier coat added, but I may let that go for another season .. only so much money in the sailing budget, and I think that a new jib is a much higher priority this time around.
While the mast is down, I will add an antenna for a radio, and an all around mast head light for anchoring.. the cove stripe needs to be redone as well.. so there are plenty of jobs to finish before we put the boat back in the water in the spring, but they will be fun .
Naturally, I thought that our sailing season was over when we left Tom's River last weekend, but no! the weather has been too good to be true, and Marty from lower bucks county offered to try to meet at lake nockamixon one more time.. so yesterday, my wife and I traveled down there, with a stop in Quakertown for breakfast :) and met Marty at the appointed hour.. we had a great afternoon on his compac 16 - we were the only sailboat on the lake.. when we left in the morning, there wasn't a breath of air, and when we left the cafe in Quakertown, I commented to my wife that we could be using the motor a lot.. but, 15 minutes later, when we arrived at the lake, a fresh breeze was springing up, and we had a great afternoon on the water..
In addition to learning a lot about sailing and about compac sailboats through this site, we have also had the opportunity to meet Bob and now Marty, two great guys who share a passion about boats and sailing. We look forward to evolving friendships with them and to cruising Barnegat Bay with them next season! jt
well, it has been a while since I posted here, although I check the site a few times daily, and enjoy reading what others are up to. I guess this is the time to dream about sailing seasons to come.. and one of my thoughts has to do with a trailer. I love the marina situation that we are in right now, but there very well could come a time in the future that a trailer would be more economical. I called today to check on a new tandem trailer that would be appropriate for a compac 23 , and i got a price of 4500. i guess that sounded a little high, but i was told that in PA i would need brakes on both axle and that this costs additional money.. i remember watching a hide away video on making a trailer, but i am not sure that i have the skills for that.. and i would still need to find a used trailer that would be appropriate. any ideas ?? thanks, jt.
Hi JT:
My 23 sits on a modified Load-Rite with brakes on 2 wheels only. It works fine although I do admit to only trailering a few miles from home to marina and back again. If I were to trailer any distance and at highway speeds, I might want brakes on all 4 wheels. I'm estimating the total weight to be between 4000 and 4500 lbs.
I would not trust my 23 to a trailer that was less than adequate just to save a few clams. I'm sure you feel the same. Important also is the tow vehicle and there's been lots of discussions here about that, as you may well imagine. My Tundra seems to tow the rig just fine. The longest tow was when first brought her home from the adaption agency down the GSP from exit 109 at 70 mph...no problems but, being new to the larger 23, I felt like I was pulling the QE2!
Bob23
great to hear from you Bob, I would tend to err on getting a trailer that is oversized. I told that guy that i was talking to yesterday that the boat was 3000 pounds and he was suggesting a single axle trailer rated for 3100 pounds.. i told him that i wanted to be able to pull the boat 500 miles with no worries.. as for a towing vehicle, i might have to rely on my father in law for that. he has a full size pickup that he rarely uses.. my ford ranger just would not do the job. i will keep my eyes out for a possible used trailer that would fit the bill.. for the short term, we will keep the boat at shore point in jersey. i am already looking forward to escaping down there in the spring! jt
JT, when the 23IV came out, the displacement was changed to 3200#. I called to ask what was changed to add 200# and Hutchins said nothing specific just catching up with reality, maybe little changes over the years. So I suspect some of the older models weigh more than 3000#. In addition to that when you start adding up the stuff that's on the boat you can easily get 6-800#. I'd be talking a 4000# load on the trailer with any trailer manufacturers. My performance is rated for a 4150# net load.
thanks Brack.. good point about all of the extras! in fact, the one that i was looking at is rated at about 5500 lbs jt
JT:
I'd never use a single axle trailer for my beloved 23. Generally, I tend to lean towards a bit of overkill in everythnig...it's just the way I think. If you have a trailer that's rated for more than you'll ever tow, you'll have no problems and it should be expected to last longer.
I guess you'd call me a belt and suspenders kind of guy. When my 23 is moored, a concern is having the roller furler unfurl in a high wind which can result in a wrecked boat. I've seen pictures and it's not pretty. So I add not one additional line, but 3. It takes a few minutes longer but is cheap insurance. Same thought goes into my mooring tackle. I can sleep at night of the wind howls to 50 mph...I know the boats gonna be there. (I hope!)
Same thought about the trailer and don't forget the tires! I found my tires mounted on galvanized rims at Eastern in Neward, Delaware. They have all the goodies and parts in stock and have great prices.
In other news, now that the end of the year is approaching, my thoughts are turning to spring and the famous 2012 Barnegat Bay Bash! Stay tuned...now back to our regularly scheduled program.
Bob23
well, it has been a little while since I have had anything to add to this thread, but I certainly have enjoyed keeping up with the happenings posted by others on the site - particularly the pics from the past year! I have had a little time to think about Adagio over the Christmas break, and here is the first project that I tackled. in an effort to get the mess in my basement under some kind of control, i built a stand for the 8 hp motor which normally lives on Adagio's transom. I brought it home for the winter - new plugs and lower unit oil will be a priority before the new sailing season begins. in the meantime, i can push this stand into a corner and cover up the motor while I work on some other projects and while my step-daughter makes a racket on her new drum set.. somehow, she thinks that my shop is now her music studio!! maybe she is right :)
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/100_0981.jpg)
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/100_0982.jpg)
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/100_0983.jpg)
by the way, i can't take credit for the design of this stand - i downloaded it from the net, and would be happy to give the designer credit, but i am not at home right now, and i can't seem to find the page that had the plan on it! the tiller is next - when i brought it home, i found that it had a crack in it, so i am tempted to build a new one.. should be fun! happy new year to all! jt
Is that a gas heater in the background? Please be careful...we want you around for the 2012 Barnegat Bay Bash!
bob23
what a thoughtful guy~ it is gas - vented outside, however, so, hopefully totally safe! the gas can is in the shed :) looking forward to getting together in the spring - have you been to the new location of shut up and eat yet? jt
Good...just checking. I haven't been to the new Shut Up yet. We southern Ocean County folks don't make it to the 'big city" of Toms River too often.
I too am looking forward to the Infamous Barnegat Bay Bash 2012, whatever that turns out to be. Once we turned the corner of the new year, I started thinking about spring and sailing. I guess I'd better work on Koinonia's winter list.
Have a great winter. Looks like we get our first taste Tuesday night...19 degrees and wind.
Bob23
(oh, I do like the outboard stand. Nice to have it on wheels. I found a cheap (12 clams) lower unit fluid pump at the local boat shop a few years ago. Really makes changing the fluid easy and not messy.)
glad you like the stand. i had to tweak the design just a bit so that it would handle the extra long shaft - but so far so good.. the wheels are nice but i need to organize the basement and clear out some junk so that i can move it to its winter home. i have been thinking about how i will go about fabricating a new rudder. a sailing friend is coming for a visit in a couple of weeks - maybe we will tackle that job when he gets here. did you happen to read the article in the new maib about the two week cruise in maine? we used to spend a fair amount of time in that area, and i certainly expect to do some cruising on Adagio there at some point in the future. maybe you will be retired by then and able to join us! jt
I received just yesterday the new MAIB but haven't gotten to that article yet. The few times I've been in Maine, which was to attend the Maine Boat Builders Show, I fell in love with it.
I'm sure your'e aware that there is plenty of info here at the site about foiled rudders. I have some templates that Doug142 sent me so if you need them, just holler. If I were to make mine again, I'd probably use foam and glass- much less time than my wood blade. Although I am a wood nut, and it looks and performs great, it was a lot of work. I'd also make mine shorter than the stock rudder but, as they say, it's all water under the keel.
Bob23
well - what a productive weekend! a friend visited this weekend, and we made progress on a number of different fronts. first and foremost, we spend time catching up on life - it has probably been 10 years since we last saw each other. The fact that we have boats and woodworking among other things in common ensured that we would not run out of topics to explore! We took a look at Adagio's jib, and he advised that it would be worth it to have a north sails shop look it over to determine if it was worth fixing or if it needed to be replaced. And he graciously offered to drop it off at a shop near him in Annapolis. Next we tackled the tiller project.. making a new tiller for Adagio for the upcoming season
here is a picture of the blank that we glued up - next to the old, cracked tiller that we are now using for a pattern. After removing the clamps, i scraped as much glue squeeze-out as i could with a hand scraper and then i sent it through the planer .
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/tiller1.jpg)
next i laid the old tiller on the blank, traced the critical points and then did a rough cut with the saber saw.. a band saw would have been nice for this operation, but i don't have one of those right now.. the saber saw did an adequate job.. some work with a spokeshave and some sanding should get us to a point where it actually looks like the old one .. not a spittin image, perhaps, but close enough!
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/tiller2.jpg)
we then went on to working on projects around the house - enjoyed a wonderful international dinner at school on saturday evening ( always one of the highlights of the year) and watched the patriots - broncos game - first football game that i have seen in years.. luckily we also caught the last 5 minutes of the the giants -saints game - now that was a football game! Unlike my friend, I have no stake in any of the games, but it was a little sad to see denver get beat up so badly!
more on the tiller later! hopefully good news from the sail loft :) by the way.. i just happened to check the kelly hanson site and saw that they are not taking any new orders.. anyone know what is up with that? jt
JT, been there done that, but curious. the wood is so light, what did you use? What kind of glue did you use? And what is that notch on the bottom for?
mine was ash and walnut because that is what I had in the scrap pile.:)
(http://i1007.photobucket.com/albums/af200/brackish_photos/ImprovementsAriontiller005.jpg)
Nice work on the tiller.
" i just happened to check the kelly hanson site and saw that they are not taking any new orders.. anyone know what is up with that?"
Hopefully, they are going (and staying) out of business. They took a ton of orders and then delayed...delayed...delayed and only filled some of the orders. In my case I ordered 2 sails in Nov. of 2010. They finally got around to delivering two sails in July of 2011 after giving me excuse after excuse for months and months.
One sail was not what I ordered. They agreed that they built the sail wrong and said they would issue a call tag and a refund. Took them a month just to issue a call tag to pick the sail back up and they never refunded my money on that sail. I ended up having to put a claim in through my credit card company. It took National Sail supply less time to build and deliver my custom main sail then it did for Kelly Hanson to issue a call tag.
The BBB has a bunch of complains on Kelly Hanson and there are stories about them taking orders and never delivering at this point. It appears they are trying again with a new name..... buyer BEWARE.
Shawn
hi brack - it is ash - i would have liked to alternate the strips with a darker wood, but did not have any other hardwood on hand, so it is all ash. the notch on the bottom is for the automatic tiller system. the previous owner showed me how it worked, but i have yet to actually use it.. but i figured it made sense to keep the bracket on the new tiller.. i am sure that it will come in handy at some point.
i used water tight wood glue. i will probably go over it with thickened epoxy to be sure than any little gaps are filled in, and then i think that i will use cetol to finish it.. jt
JT:
Nice job. I used Cetol on the cabinside trims on my 23. I don't think it has much, if any, UV resistance as I've experienced very short life for the finish on that and other projects. Most of Koinonias teak has received Flagship varnish and it's very hard, has high UV resistance but it more labor intensive to apply. I've had very good life out of Flagship but here at the site, others have used a variety of other finishes with good results. If your'e doing it indoors in your shop, the time shouldn't be a factor. It's a very nice, high gloss finish which to my eye, looks great especially on the tiller.
Spring's coming!
Bob23
thanks for the tip, bob - i will look into it.. it sure did not feel like spring in the air this weekend! but, what can we expect - we have had such a light winter so far.. jt
hello everyone - stuck here doing duty in the dorm like every other tuesday night during the school year.. twelve years and counting.. but- the bright side is that it generally is a quiet time to catch up on what everyone has been doing, especially those in the south who still have boats in the water.. thanks for the friendly invitation to come down and go sailing - we just might take you up on that over spring break one of these years! as for this year, we are headed north to vermont - no sailing up there - but time to see my kids and to introduce my step daughters to all that Burlington has to offer..
i got a little work done on the new tiller last weekend.. i am still not quite satisfied with the shape, so a little more planing and sanding is in order. And, as i continue to dream of cruising beyond Adagio's home waters of Barnegat Bay, I am constantly looking for inspiring blogs about cruising on a small boat. Some of you may be familiar with this site.. not a compac, but a kindred spirit, none-the-less at 23 feet - this family of 3 spent 50 days on the boat last summer, cruising the Pacific northwest.. this is a really well done blog with lots of wonderful pics.. http://www.fivenineclimber.com/boats_sailing/cruising_main.htm
i have to write to this guy - I am not a climber, but my son is, and i have lots of other things in common- cycling, boating , boat building and furniture building.. and cruising! sounds like a neat family.
I sent for the cruising guide to the erie canal and got that in the mail yesterday. the best advice i got was to take the mast down and ship it to the other end.. makes for a much more comfortable trip.. but, the canal is supposed to be a great trip - lots of welcoming towns along the way with free or low rate docking . sounds pretty cool. anyone here have any experience on the canal that you would like to share? jt
my wife and I just returned from our first trip to the boat in 2012. We arrived at the marina to find that the job that we did covering the boat with a tarp last fall was less than adequate. I guess we will need to pay a little better attention to details at the end of this summer. the tarp was blown off of most of the boat, but, aside from a dirty cockpit, Adagio looked in pretty good shape.
Our goal for the weekend was to get her cleaned up and waxed in preparation for launching. I took the motor home over the winter, thinking that it might be better if it were kept indoors, but when i attempted to change the oil in the lower unit, I simply could not get the drain screws loose - never had that problem before with an engine. I changed the plugs and decided to let the guys at the marina deal with the oil..
On the way down, we picked up the new head sail that I ordered back in February. The one that came with the boat was shot, and the folks at North Sails said that a new sail would cost about the same as repairs for the old one.. But their new sail would be coming from half way around the world.. not necessarily a bad thing, but we elected to find a local shop instead.. I ordered the sail from Linthicum sailmakers.. the delivery was a month behind the projected date, but that was not an issue since we did not intend to use the boat in May. I am anxious, however, to evaluate the performance of the sail!
we washed the boat, and then my wife did some errands as i began the process of waxing the hull. I seemed to remember that the cove stripe and boot stripe were in rough shape in some areas, but, they seemed to look a little worse than i recalled. So, we decided to replace the cove strip - changing over to green to match the new sail covers that we purchased last year. it was not easy finding the correct color tape.. we had to travel up to the West Marine store in Brick to get the right size ( and actually had to compromise and move up to tape that is an inch wide - i hope that i don't regret that! ) while we were there, we decided to pick up the 2 inch tape for the boot stripe as well - the boat might have looked kind of funny with different colored cove and boot striped, and the new cove stripe would have drawn attention to the old boot stripe! So i spent a few hours scraping the old stuff off, and i can't say that i am particularly proud of the job with the new stripe.. but the saving grace is that i did a better job on the port side - and that is the side that shows from the dock :)
So - even though the boat is on the hard, we spent the night aboard.. does that count toward the tally of nights spent on the boat! :) It is not quite the same, of course - no sound of the water lapping against the hull.. no gentle rocking.. but we were too tired to notice.. after a full day in the sun and a nice dinner at what is becoming one of our favorite restaurants ( shady rest on route 9) we turned in for the night and quickly drifted off to sleep. Neither one of us relished the idea of negotiating the climb down the ladder in the middle of the night in the event that a bathroom run was necessary.. we resolved that issue by agreeing that we would move the porta potti into the main cabin ( or, as my wife describes it - the room with the little benches - i guess that we need to review some nautical vocabulary! )
We must have turned in a little after nine so we were ready for an early start on sunday. we enjoyed our first cup of tea and then got right to work. after a couple of hours we were ready for a walk.. we headed out to ocean gate and walked along the boardwalk.. a total of about 4 miles.. the weather was absolutely gorgeous.. bright sun, but not too warm.. and a very stiff breeze coming across the river.. it would have been a 2 reef sailing day for sure.. after the walk.. we showered and then headed into toms river to Shut up and Eat for breakfast.. i have mentioned this place before - what an experience.. great food and very friendly folks.. we have people at the marina to thank for pointing out good eating establishments!
While we were working this weekend, we met a couple who were prepping their boat for the season.. Loraine and Wally.. we enjoyed a few good conversations with them, and we exchanged email addresses.. they live in Toms River, and we look forward to seeing them again over the summer.
All in all, it was a great trip to Jersey.. we were productive - the boat will be launched by the middle of next week.. but, it was also a nice get away weekend.. just my wife and I - enjoying time together.. with maybe just the right mix of boat related activities combined with enjoying the area.. A very nice start to what I expect will be an enjoyable 2012 season! jt
All in all, sounds like a great weekend. I hope to meet you up at Shut Up sometime soon.
For some reason, working on the boat is kinda theraputic...hard to describe. Looking forward to sailing with you this summer.
Bob23...on the hard in NJ!
Glad to hear all is well in Adagio-land, JT. I bet she can't wait to hit the water.
thanks salty.. it sure will be nice to see her afloat again. i wish that we could get an earlier start, but school life is just too hectic in April and may.. staying aboard gave us a bit of a preview of what it would be like with the mast shipped if we ever bring her through the Erie canal.. ( one of a number of dreams) - it was a bit too crowded. one suggestion i heard was to simply have the mast shipped to the other end.. that would make the trip a whole lot more enjoyable..
and the other option. well that would involve building redwing.. an 18 and a half foot camp cruiser with similar, though smaller, accommodations.. ok. so i mentioned it - building that boat is a dream that i have had for a long time.. just may happen in the next three years :)
JT:
I agree that with the mast down, there are some restrictions. Next time, don't put the mast down in the cabin!!!! haha (see laugh sign). On the contrary, a simple crutch system could be made to allow the mast to be a ridgepole for a large tent giving standing headroom in the cockpit thus enlarging your living space.
I like the Redwing; always have. There was one for sale in Messing About a while back. And there are similiar camp cruisers around...here is one that comes to mind:
http://www.skiffamerica20.com/
In related news, I have a friend who has been building a Norwalk Island Sharpie 21' for about 10 years and has lost interest in the project. I believe the hull is complete and glassed. That would make a great camp cruiser under power alone. I don't think he has the mast yet. He's talked about selling her or cutting her up (horrors!)
He lives in Manahawkin, about 10 minutes from Albert Hall. If you're serious about building a camp cruiser, this could probably be acquired for el cheapo. I can arrange a meeting.
See you on the water!
Bob23
About the Norwalk Island Sharpie. Let me know if he wants to get rid of it. I know a lot of people in the boat building community that would be happy to take it off his hands me included. There is no reason he should have to cut it up. I have often given away home built boats. In fact I just gave away my Michalak AF4 last Friday. They are just hard to sell but easy to give away.
Chris
well Bob - there is the guy who needs to end up with the sharpie! i actually just ordered a new set of plans for redwing.. before i moved to PA from NH 12 years ago, i had the plans lofted in my garage, and i was ready to go.. then the move... no garage.. no boat...lost the plans... i am really sold on the idea of a very small 4 stroke motor hidden in a sound deadening well pushing a small boat at slow speeds at very low cost... :) kind of like sailing!
so.. i have reserved the first week of june for a sailing trip with my son, but he has a job interview this thursday.. what to do! if he gets the job - no sailing but one step closer to independence.. :) if he does not get the job.. we get to spend some quality time on the boat :) i guess it is a win win situation! there will be other times for sailing, i am sure. And, a real job now means that we may be able to get to work on some other goals that we have for the future.
on Saturday night of this past weekend, my wife suggested that we might get back to PA on sunday in time for a bike ride.. as it turns out, that did not happen. We went for a short walk last evening and admitted to each other that there was no way we could have gone for a ride on sunday evening, even if we had the time. we were wiped out! two days in the sun, rubbing wax. up and down the ladder... etc.. i guess that we are getting old! in our younger days, we would have fit in a few sets of tennis each day as well! :)
I need to buy a new sheet to go along with the new head sail. it looks like i need 3/8 , and i am guessing that i need a little longer one than the specs indicate because of the roller furling. would 70 feet do?
Sheet length:
I dunno...mine is not here or I'd measure it. All the lines are still fast asleep after their annual wash-out last fall. It's getting depressing seeing my boat in the driveway. Hopefully this weekend I'll make some progress with the projects. One is a larger slide out table for the 2 burner Origo stove that came with the boat. I'll be the same size as the chart table which is on the starboard side:
(http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt260/Bob23_photo/Koinonia%20interior/Charttableout.jpg)
See ya! bob23
There has been a nearly completed Sharpie 20 for sale in Madison on CL. The guy is giving it away with an asking price of just $600.
http://madison.craigslist.org/boa/2976978570.html
Beautiful looking craft.
Mike
Well, what a nice trip we had to jersey.. a few highlights.. pizza at Frankies upon arrival, waiting for the storm to pass... and it did, just in time to allow us to walk out to ocean gate and get back before nightfall.. then we were able to get organized and snuggled in for a quiet night in the marina.. not a whole lot of action there just yet..
woke up friday morning very early - enjoyed our hot tea and cereal with freshly picked strawberries for breakfast.. met our new neighbor Greg, a former educator, who has an oday 25 right across from us. set up the bimini which i had stored at home over the winter.. reset it when i realized that it was backward :) next, i tackled the brand new jib. . looked at the foil on the roller reefing system.. looked at the set up on my neighbor's boat.. studied both for a long time.. looked around to see if there was anyone i could ask who had done this before.. no luck there.. looked at my neighbors set up once more.. and then finally figured out which lines were meant to be part of the system and which ones were there as a means of holding things in place till i got around to bending the sail on! a little while later, the sail was in place, and i was feeling pretty good about figuring it all out.. and just when i was finished, the previous owner showed up! he gave me a thumbs up.. went to mill creek park for a picnic lunch and then shoved off for our first sail of the season.. there were a few challenges along the way.. i had to work on the motor to get the fuel line to stay connected.. luckily, our neighbor, Ed, had a pliers that i borrowed - just the tool for the job.. then, i found that the motor was not locked in place, so when i put it in reverse, it kicked up.. i should have seen that one coming since it was left in the raised position by the guys at the marina.. finally found the lever to lock it in place..
we motored out to the mouth of Tom's River and then set the sails.. did a lot of tacking at first.. it took a few to help my wife recall the drill, but we had reasonable success... there were only a few boats out so we had all kinds of maneuvering room on the bay. we saw an oprey on its nest - we were probably a little closer to the shore than we should have been, but we get away with a lot with a draft of 2'-3 :) A beam reach on the way back in - my wife took the tiller and we had a pretty quick return to the marina.. the whole way back on the same tack.. could not ask for much more than that!
i was feeling pretty good about returning to the slip, until i realized that i could not depend on reverse ( figured that all out after we got back to the dock) so, i took it really slowly and got the bow around and headed in the right direction - but only after a quick panic attack, wondering if the bow was going to clear the piling! we tied up the boat, ending our first venture of the season..
a quick trip to the hardware store for some items and then we borrowed the previous owner's kayaks ( he leaves them on our dock with the understanding that we can borrow them any time ) and headed out on the river.. paddled up to ocean gate for an ice cream.. we were pushing it on the way back in terms of daylight. i probably should have thought to take a flashlight with us. when we returned to the boat we realized that, unlike last year, there were mosquitoes all over the place.. one of the selling points of the marina was " no mosquitoes" but that was last year, and now, i was thinking about all of the postings that i have read about screens for the ports! my wife went on a mission to eradicate every mosquito from inside the boat.. she did a great job! it was a little stuffy, but it was not a particularly hot night, and, in fact, it cooled off quite a bit soon after we turned in, so we had a good night's sleep.
awoke this morning with one goal in mind.. to meet bob23 for breakfast! Bob graciously gave up some of his valuable time that would otherwise be spent working on his beloved boat and met us at the Forked River Diner for breakfast.. we had a delightful time - makes me look forward to the celebrated rendezvous later this summer even more! of course we talked about boats, but Bob is a renaissance man who is knowledgeable about so many things so the conversation touched on many different intellectually stimulating topics.. :) it was particularly nice for my wife to get to meet bob.. afterward, she gave him her stamp of approval, so i guess that it is ok to continue to hang out with him!
we had to get back to PA today, so, although it was tempting to take the boat out again today, we decided to get some chores done instead. I put a coat of sickens on most of the interior of the boat.. figuring that it should be dry and and fume free by our next visit. and then, we headed to ocean grove where we walked the board walk and then stopped by Day's for an ice cream. they happened to be hosting a cool car show on main street so we checked out the cars before getting in our own car and heading back to the poconos.. All in all, it was a great trip. And tomorrow, we are headed off to Maine with six students for our 4th annual community service trip to Camp Chewonki.. we will have a great time, but i am already looking forward to the next trip to jersey.. tally for the season - 3 nights on the boat.. my goal for the summer is 24.. jt
set up the bimini which i had stored at home over the winter.. reset it when i realized that it was backward
I can never remember how it goes from year to year. Got so tired of putting mine up backwards and trying to get the placement of the track cars right I took pictures after I had the installation perfect and added them to my manual.
Wonderful writing, Jt.
I really enjoyed seeing JT again and meeting his sailing wife, Janet. Maybe if her and my Admiral Linda get to be friends, some of her love of sailing may rub off. It was a great way to start the day, which was all work on the boat. I hope we can get together at Shut Up and Eat sometime and I'm looking forward to the BBB 2012!
One of the perks of hanging around on this site is meeting, in person, some of you gents and ladies. So far, no one has quit after meeting me so that's a good sign.
Glad you got to go sailing!
Bob23
Renaissance man? Sometimes I feel like I was born during the Renaissance. I'm not sure what this means but I'll take it as a compliment.
hey brack, thanks for sharing your thoughts on the bimini! maybe i should not feel so bad.. :)
well, we just returned from maine.. had a wonderful trip with 6 students from our school.. during the trip, i told my wife that this is the kind of thing that i envisioned when i was a young idealist, contemplating a career in education.. we worked long and hard during the day at a camp, and then played hard in the evenings.. visiting sites like Pemaquid Point, Boothbay Harbor, and such.. and spending yesterday in Camden after stopping for breakfast at Moody's diner.. ( highly recommended if any of you happen to be contemplating a trip to maine) now, one might think that this post belongs in "unrelated topics" but not so.. in fact, I am quite sure that Adagio will call maine her home waters at some point :) after a hike up Mt. Battie which rewarded us with a great view of Camden harbor, we had lunch at a small park on the harbor and then set sail on the schooner Surprise.. the clouds retreated just in time for a late afternoon sail. and we had a wonderful two hours on the water.. the kids appreciated every new experience that we exposed them to during the trip, and the time spent on board Surprise ranked pretty high on their list of great moments from the trip.
there are't too many 23 foot boats in camden harbor.. but i think that adagio would look just great riding at a mooring there.. if i can afford it :) - probably one on the outer fringe! .. but how cool would it be to row into the harbor in the morning in my gloucestor dory.. tie up at the float and walk up to cappy's bakery for two large cups of tea and a bag of goodies, and the morning paper.. and then rowing back and enjoying a leisurely morning with my wife, drinking tea, eating baked goods and reading the paper.. of course, too many mornings like this in a row would not be totally healthy.. we will have to include some bike rides and hikes on the local trails! enough dreaming for one night! back to reality.. and.. looking forward to the barnegat bash this summer! - thanks for those kind words bob.. can't wait to get back down to the boat! jt
ok.. can't afford camden :) i did a little research the past few days.. there is a reason that there are not too many 23 foot boats in camden.. simple - people who own this size boat generally can't afford to keep them there! i checked out the major marina in the harbor. they stress that they are not a diy yard.. so.. the cool alternative is rockland.. a few miles south.. a little more of a "working man's" town, but with a nice touch - lots of things to do in Rockland and a great restaurant called the brown bag.. the apprentice shop is located there.. lots of boat building going on there.. and, we can put the boat on a mooring for a month and store it the rest of the year for at least a third less than i am spending in jersey.. my wife seems particularly interested in this idea.. she really does not like the heat. i don't know what we would do if we lived in virginia or further south!
so.. the coolest part about this is getting the boat up to Rockland next year.. do we buy a trailer and borrow a truck that will pull it? no way! i have been dreaming of this sort of thing since i was a kid.. we will make next summer the transition summer - taking a month or so to sail up the coast to Adagio's new home.. and i have a whole year to plan the trip .. that should make for a very exciting year. we really want to enjoy this.. maybe moving 25 to 30 miles a day.. visiting as many quaint harbor towns as possible.. not pushing the envelope in any way..
so.. any thoughts or advice are certainly welcome. i have been reading numerous blogs over the past few years about trips along the coast.. making it through nyc. hell's gate.. the cape cod canal.. but, reading about them and actually embarking on our own trip are two different things.....
of course, this does not take away from the excitement of sailing barnagat bay this summer.. in fact, i am headed down to the boat this coming week. I think that I need to spend some time motoring through the norther part of the bay.. transiting draw bridges.. etc.. getting a good sense for fuel consumption .. and, i am going to have to come to a decision about a dingy.. the boats that i have are too large.. my son works for newfound woodworks in NH and wants to build me a lawton tender.. http://www.newfound.com/tender.htm quite the boat.. sure wish that we were closer because it would be a great project to work on together.. maybe we will have to figure something out!
we spent the last two really hot days camping on lake wallenpaupack - what a great way to escape some of the heat.. one of the high lights was canoeing last evening.. we took a lot of wakes from the lingering powerboats ( waited till evening so it was safe to venture out) but jan is getting very comfortable on the water.. how wonderful is that! there was quite a breeze both days that we were there, but i saw only one sailboat underway the whole time that we were there. there are a number of boats at the marina at the campground, but no compacs :( apparently, they have a race series with races every other weekend.. i just can't imagine how fun that is , however, because the lake was rather busy yesterday and that was a weekday early in the season! from what i understand, the lake is crazy on weekends.. but maybe the sails have carved out an area of their own..
well, it is raining, and the heat seems to be dissipating _ :) in the span of half an hour.. i burned my fingers on the lawn mower, slammed another finger in a door, and dropped a metal pole on my toe.. maybe i should just pick up a book and spend the rest of the day in a chair :) anxious to get on the water again next week! jt
Great tale, JT:
Where do I start? Sailing to Maine would be a dream trip and totally do-able in your 23. Buy a copy of Eldridges Tide and Pilot book and study it. It's fun! Even though I don't sail in those waters, I buy a copy every year...helps to keep the dream alive and there's lots of info in tides, etc.
It would be the fatherly thing to do to let your son build you that tender. I was looking at that boat on thier website a few months ago- very pretty and I bet it's fun to row.
I'd meet up with you this weekend but guess where I'll be? Yup. In the driveway putting the finishing touches on my boat. She goes in Tuesday, come hell or high water. Speaking of high water, we've had crazy rain today starting at about 12:45, just when I got done work. My raingauge reads 4.3 inches but I think it's actually much more.
I'm going for a Force 5 sail or a row tomorrow to clear out my brain- spent too much time in the heat this week. Have a great weekend. I'm looking forward to sailing with you and Janet on the Bay!
bob23
jt - You're living the dream! I too am anxious for our get-together at the BBB-2012. Only a couple of weeks to go!
See ya then...
Marty K.
" making it through nyc. hell's gate.. the cape cod canal.. but, reading about them and actually embarking on our own trip are two different things....."
It is always fun to watch boats try the canal when they don't time the tide. Get to hull speed with the tide and you should see double digits on your GPS.
If you do make that trip be sure to stop in Narragansett Bay. Wickford is a beautiful old harbor town, would be cool to see another 23 there. :)
Shawn
hi shawn, I will have to start a notebook with all of the things to do along the way! a stop in Wickford would be cool. I will have to look that up!
Well, it has been a while since i have posted. I made it to the marina this week. It was a solo trip, so it was not quite as muchfunas it might have been, but i feel good about what i accomplished. The first order of business was to replace thedeck plate on the bow. The old one was cracked and leaking. A while ago,i ordered some butyl tape for projects like this! I picked up a replacement at west marine (along with a few other goodies) and went to work. Iscraped all of the old silicon away and carefully applied the tape and then put the new plate in position. The holes lined up perfectly (i wish that all of my projects worked out like that)
, (http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/100_1056.jpg)
Next project! New led interior lights.. I wish that i had thought to bring my wire stripper. I bought one at the hardware store, but it was sub-par and frustrating to use. Eventually the job got done. It sure works besr when one connects the hot wire with the hot wire! One would think that black goes with black...but that is not a!ways the case
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/100_1057.jpg)
So, here is a photo of the boat in the slip. We have a new neighbor..very close!. I hope that the new cove stripe (http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/100_1058.jpg) shshoshows up inthe photo..
I replaced some rivets on the stanchions and on the little cleat on the back of the ruddder, beefed up the vang by replacing the little piece of line thatwas attaching to thebase of the mast with a shackle. At this point, i amfeeling pretty confident.and that is when i usuallyget into trouble.
Idecded to take off the main hat ch so that i couldclean and wax underneath it. It makes a pretty loud screeching noise when i slide it back and forth. It came off easily.and iscraped all of the old si!icon off before beddingg the wood pieces with thebutyl tape. Everythi g went backtogether well,but igot a fair aamount of squeeze outwhen i screwed it down...easy to clean up on the outside,but the i side is a different story! Some of it is still there, andit is tawcky, and the hatch is worsenow than ever!! Ohwell, i will adddress that during the nexr trip.
Itwas time to sail
An evening cruise was a great way to end the day
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/eveningcruise.jpg)
More to follow tomorrow!
Looks like you were sailing near Island Beach or the Dike at High Bar.
I did the same thing when I reinstalled my hatch guides the first time. Had to remove, scrape the inside excess squeeze out and to it again. I hated that grinding noise too, so I put felt furniture pads on the underside of the hatch. There's enough room and it slides smoothly and quietly.
Hope to catch you out sailing now that I'm officially in the water and sailing.
bob23
Bob and Jt,
Glad to see you're both out on the bay and actually sailing! JT, the boat looks great. Looking forward to seeing both of your 23's at BBB-2012.
Marty K.
P.S. I heard a rumor that some guy named Alex is planning to crash the BBB-2012 party in his Bristol 24 out of Cedar Creek. Just look for the boat with all the gizmos!
Hi bob and marty. Nice to hear from you guys. Looking forward to catching up with you and whoever else shows up at the end of july.. But, there is a lot to do before then-both at home and at the marina... Bob, thanks for the idea on the hatch - gotta try that the next time i am down.
So, on the second day at the marina i figured that i should replace the light fixture in the v berth as well, but not until going for a sail. John, the fellow from maine (island packet 44) came out with me. We left at 9:30 in the morning and came back in after lunch. What a great time - lots of good conversation and plenty of much appreciated tips from a fellow who has spent the last six months on his boat. It is inspiring to hang around folks who are doing cool things with their lives.
We talked about going under the seaside heights bridge, but we were running out of time, so we simply sailed close to it and checked out the clearance gauge. At 30 feet, there is little doubt that we would need the bridge to be raised
with only 28feet showing...at least, that is what one would think, right?
I spent the rest of the day puttering around the boat, and i had a nice conversation with a couple in the evening who were at the marina for the wed evening race series -i am hoping that i can crew with them one of these weeks.
The next morning i got up early, ate breakfast and set out on a journey. I figured that i had better get a feel for being on the boat with a destination in mind, and i figured that it was about time to sail (motor actually) under a draw bridge for the first time. I set out under power at 7:50, thinking that i would make the 8:30bridge...the plan went well..i picked up the radio to communicate with the bridge and hesitated.. What if he said "No"..don't be silly, jason, of course he is going to open the bridge! I hesitated a second time..why am i getting nervous about this? I am 52 years old..i talk in class all of the time..ok, so the third tome i pick up the radio and contact the bridge..requesting an opening.. Got a very short answer "ok captain" wow, he addressed me as captain..that was cool
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/bridgeapproach.jpg)
Next i hear"you know, capt. You have 28feet of Clearance". "yes but i am at 30feet" i reply. Then i hear a grudging"OK, it will be 10 minutes". "thank you bridge". I really do not want to get on this Guy's bad side. The day before john told me that the least amount of communication was best, so i opted not to proceed with "you know, i was watching all day esterday, and you did not open that bridge once..what do you do up there all day" of course, that would not have been my style anyway!
I hear the siren, and the bells, and i watch as the gates come down and the traffic stops, and then i begin to inch forward. The bridge Begins to open, and i press on,steering for the middle of the channel. Watching for any adverse currents, but i take a second to take a pic as i make my way under..my first bridge
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/drawbridge.jpg)
First time in the upper part of the bay, re.Remembering the manners that my mother taught me, i call the bridge to say thank you...and what do i hear in response? "just so you know,capt, you could have made it without opening"
Uh-oh..does this mean that he is going to challenge me on the way back?? Why did he have to spoil my first experience? Being one who does not like to make waves :) i knew that i was going to fret about this all morning..
I spent the rest of the day puttering around the boat and chatted with a couple who rac
Jt - If you had Pegasus as a tender, you could have parked Adagio and passed under the bridge with 9 feet to spare! Seriously, I believe that the clearance markings are for mean high tide. But, who wants to take chances like that? I watched an episode of Distant Shores and their mast (on a 49' Southerly) is 69 feet high! Serious business.
Marty K.
JT:
Great story and you did the right thing. Remember, it's your mast, not his. If I go under, I'll ask him to open it also...and add that you sent me! haha. With my vhf antenna, I guess I'm over 30' from the water.
bob23
Well, for better or worse, the story is not quite over :). We had friends over for dinner last night and I had to quit writing.. So, heading north after the bridge, wondering what the conversation with the bridge operator will be like on the way back... But thatconcern fades as I turn my attention to the chart as I am now in unfair waters. I decide to stick with the channel because there is a Fair amount of skinny water in this area. It is still pretty exciting exciting to see osprey up close!
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/osprey1.jpg)
Still no wind to speak of, and it is a weekday morning so there is very little traffic so I figured that it was time to try out the auto tiller. It wasgreat to be able to point theboat towards the next markand then move forward and sit in the companion way, keeping an eye all around, but putting a little distance between me andthe motor.
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/autotiller.jpg)
This thing works pretty well!
I went as far the mantaloking bridge. The wind began to pick up so I unfurled the jib, but that did not last too long. Soon I was surrounded by a fleet of optimist prams in a channel that was getting narrow with another bridge a short distance away.. Decision time! I decided to check the gas before turning south.. Figured I should probably get some fuel so I headed into the marina close by which obviously had gas.. My first visit to Hinkley marina.. Probably my last. It was expensive and they didn't have any candy bars!! What kind of marina is that
Headed south -directly into the wind, but no matter, I had fulltank, and the motor was purring perfectly. Not long after turning back, I heard a fie! Low who was headedsouth, towing an a-cat, requesting an opening from the mantaloking bridge. Soon after, the bridge opened, and I spotted the boats. He was moving a little faster than I was, but it quickly dawned on me that if I followed him through the seaside bridge I could totally avoid any kind of uncomfortable discussion with the bridge attendant :) he was staying in the channel, but I decided that I could cut some corners in order to keep up.. That worked for a time, but, as we got nearer to the bridge, it looked like we werenot going to. Make thenext opening.. Well, maybe I was not going to make it. He Just applied more power! I was feeling a it left behind. So I cranked the throttlewide open, knowing that this was terribly inefficient, but already succumbing to my first case of "bridge fever"! I wasready to throw in thetowel when I hearted guy contacting thebridge.. "when is your next opening? " he inquired.. It was a few moments before twelve. Of course, he all ready knows theater to the question. What he is really saying is.. I'm a few minutes late, but will you open the bridge anyway? After my initial contact with this bridgeguy, I expected a terse response.. But no. In a really friendly tone he responded "no problem.. Well get you through" hmmm, maybe I need to be sailing an a-cat!
A minute later ii contactedthe bridge andasked about the Clearence "28 feet" camethe response. I was a few hundred yards behind at this point. "it looks like I will shoot for the 12:30opening then" "where are you" he asked.. I told him that I was right behind the a-cat. Maybe he heard the hint of defeat in my voice. "no problem, keep coming, we will get you both through" :) what we're all of those thoughts that I had earlier about this guy doing nothing all day? Behind me a few powerboats that did not need the bridge to be opened at all were closing in on me. In front the boat towing the chat was doing a circle till I caught up. I could hardly believe what happened next. The bridge began to open. The boat ahead of me started making further bridge and the powerboat overtook me on the starboard side. I figured that he was going get to go under the spanth starboard, but no. He continued straight ahead. The boat ahead of me was entering the channel under the bridge when the powerboat squeezed between him and the bridge and then gunned it to pass him.. I am not sure if he heard the curses hurled in his direction over his motor noise, but the guy doing the towing was not too thrilled. I was warned about inconsiderate people at bridges!
The rest of the trip home was uneventful. All in all, I covered 19.2nautical miles. I made some mental notes about the benefits of having good a marina guide aboard -even when just sailing home waters! My sense is that covering 20-25nautical miles a day should be very doable for my wife and I. I like the idea of early departures and finishing up early in the afternoon.
That is about it for this trip.. Except that I found that I had locked the keys to my truck in my truck..
That was a bit of a setback, but it turned out ok. I washed down the boat very well while waiting for triple A! L
I can't wait for my next visit to the marina.. Jt
after I turned around. I heard a southbound boat calling the mantaloking bridge. He was towing ana-cat
Great story, JT:
A few comments: Expensive gas at the Hinckley Marina? Figures...they sell Hinckleys. But I'm surprised that Hinckley owners don't eat candy bars! Too highbrow for candy bars maybe? I've always wanted to stop at that place- that would be my secret post-retirement job- working for Hinckley. Guess I'll bring my own snacks.
Your experience with the powerboater at the bridge is not unheard of. Some of those stinkpot owners can be real jerks. Some are ok. Seems the classier the powerboat, the more respect I get from them. A few years ago, as I was sailing north toward your area, I was being overtaken by a dark blue hulled powerboat with classic Maine lobster boat looks, a Hinckley jet boat with a distinguished looking older gentleman standing in the cockpit. They slowed, as they should have and as he approached and tipped his hat, he said "Pretty boat". I replied the same to him, with a tipping of my Tilley. I guess when you own a Hinckley, you know a good boat when you seen one. And maybe they tend to be a bit more respectful of smaller sailboats than the average Coors light- gulping, Jersey Shore- watching yahoo out there.
I have a great book here called "The A-cats" given to me by a good friend after her husband passed away. Signed by the authors, it covers the history of the A-Cat with great photos and articles. I'll bring it to the BBB 2012. I see them often under tow when they move North for the annual races. I think the masts are somewhere around 48 feet tall. They look impressive, even under tow.
bob23
http://www.hinckleyyachts.com/Jetboats/t40/t40_gallery.aspx
Nice write up, the tiller pilots are really nice to have. Great for single handing to keep the boat pointed into the wind to raise/drop sails.
If you haven't tried it yet it also has a tack function. Press the +10 and +1 together and the boat will turn 100 degrees to that side. If you are single handing that will free you up to work the jib sheets.
If you have a GPS that outputs NMEA data you can use that to keep the tiller pilot on a track, not just a heading. My wind meter outputs NMEA but in the wrong format for the autopilot. I'm going to write some software to convert that to the correct message for the tiller pilot. That will let the tiller pilot run on a specific wind angle too which would be nice.
Shawn
Thanks for the info, Shawn. Nice to know about the tacking feature, and I had not thought about using it to keep the bow into the wind for sail handling. I do not have any modern nav instruments. Just a hand held gps., a compas and a depth sounder. We like to keep things simple! :)
Any idea how much power it draws? Jt
If that is the ST-2000+ I believe it is rated for 0.5 to 1.5 amps when in Auto mode. It varies depending upon how often it has to correct and how well trimmed the boat is. In standby mode the draw is almost nothing. If you have a fully charged deep cycle battery you could run the autopilot for many hours (over a day) before hitting 50% discharge. On a sunny day my solar panel puts out more than the autopilot draws.
"Just a hand held gps., a compas and a depth sounder. We like to keep things simple! "
Simple is good too. My GPS is a Garmin 478 which is a dual mode automotive/marine model. It works nice but the display is a little small. Gives all the right data (including cross track error) for the Tiller Pilot which is nice.
Shawn
How does one know when he has been away from his boat for too long? Well, i imagine that there are many answers to this question , but this morning when i started to take the sail cover off and found a bird's nest.. well, that was a clear indication that it has just been too long!
On the way down yesterday, i encountered a number of storms.. not unexpected, but pretty powerful just the same. It was obvious that it had rained here earlier in the day, and it was humid! my glasses fogged up when i came out of the grocery store! the marina was very quiet.. i guess that is typical for sunday evenings. i got everything stowed in its proper place and then settled down for the night. there was a fair amount of lightening in the sky, but no rain, so i left the drop board out and the hatch ajar.. and some of the port holes open - in an attempt to get some cooler air below. of course, i was just kidding myself, because there wasn't any cool air anywhere! at least, until the wind began to blow - which it did with a fury, but that also brought rain :( the boat was rocking like crazy, and i had to tighten up the screws on the ports and put the drop board in and close the hatch. i could still feel a breeze coming from under the hatch, and from the hatch over the v berth which i was able to leave slightly open..
perhaps, with all of that rocking and rolling, i did not sleep as well as i might have.. it was nearly 8 am when i awoke this morning! i never sleep that late.. but it was a beautiful morning, and I thoroughly enjoyed my tea and the granola which my wife sent along with me for breakfast.. I had been thinking that I would head south today.. towards Bob's domain, and that i might even stay at a marina over night down that way, but i put that idea on the shelf after such a late start and decided to just head a little ways south and then return home. I motored down the river, and the put up just my jib as i turned the corner into the bay.. not long after killing the engine i hear from behind me.. " hey, is that a compac?" turning around, i find a couple not too far away, fishing.. we had a brief conversation.. he has a compac 16 in his driveway that he takes to the Chesapeake.. i should have been polite and invited him to the Barneg at bay bash at the end of the month, but soon i was out of earshot..
i was feeling a little lazy, thinking that maybe i would sail with just the headsail.. not that there was that much wind.. i was making about 3 knots maybe.. but i forced myself to get up and raise the main.. and just in time.. a fresh breeze arrived, and the boat surged forward.. and life was good! i took a pic and sent it to a colleague of mine who happens to still be teaching summer school. he and his wife were hoping to come sailing this past weekend, but we postponed due to the impending storms.. so i sent him a pic and wrote.. too bad you are not here today! it reminded me of when my dad and i used to go deep sea fishing.. when we had a bad day the crew would always say.. " it is a shame you were not here yesterday - we were killing them!"
the wind did not hold for long.. so i turned into lanoka harbor and motored in to check it out.. then i turned for home.. motoring a good part of the way.. but.. as i turned into tom's river, the wind picked up. right on my nose.. i was tired, but it was too good to pass up.. so i killed the motor and raised the sails.. and had a wonderful hour of tacking my way up the river.. got back into the marina.. tidied up the boat and took a nap in the cockpit :) and now off to the Mexican restaurant with rich.. the previous owner of the boat .. life is pretty good on the water ! jt
" I had been thinking that I would head south today.. towards Bob's domain, and that i might even stay at a marina over night down that way, but i put that idea on the shelf after such a late start and decided to just head a little ways south and then return home. "
What kind of ground tackle do you have? Have you used it much yet?
If it is suitable try sleeping on the hook. It will open up more possibilities and save you money at other marinas.
Shawn
good thought, shawn.. i have one danforth anchor . the previous owner had it mounted on the side of the bow pulpit where the headsail chaffed against it.. i was not too concerned as it was obvious that i would soon need a new headsail anyway, but, now that i have a new one.. i have yet to put that anchor back! i just asked him this evening about why he set it up that way.. i am not sure that i got a definitive answer.. so, i am thinking of moving the bracket to the middle and hanging it straight down.. as far as i understand, a danforth is appropriate for Barnegat Bay, but it does seem to make sense to have two anchors aboard for any kind of extended cruising. i will have to work on that! i have followed the posts of a couple from the west coast. similar size boat.. they hang one of their anchors on the stern pulpit.. i agree that it would be fun to spend the night on the hook.. and considerably less expensive!
Great story, JT:
If you'd made it down to my waters, you would've found yourself motoring back last night. After dinner, I got the urge to sail so rigged the Force 5 ( affectionately named after my wife" The Linda Gale") and went out. The wind was almost non existent about 10 minutes after I got out and I ghosted back in against an incoming tide. It took about 45 minutes to sail 1/4 mile. Oh well, that's sailing! as they say.
I usually carry 2 anchors aboard Koinonia for a number of reasons. First is that I like to minimize swing while at anchor and that second anchor really helps a lot. I set them at about 45 degrees to each other and together with my steadying sail, swing is almost nil. Makes for better nights sleep.
Danforths work well in Barnegat Bay where it's mostly sand. If you get into eelgrass, well, you need to make sure the anchor is set...don't assume...I found that out a few times. However, my stainless steel Danforth look alike anchor held me overnight at Tice's a few years ago in sustained 25 knot NW winds all night long. Not much sleep that night but we didn't end up on the beach.
Glad you had some time on the water. Very hot today and tomorrow..maybe I'll make it out tomorrow before dawn.
That lightening you saw also brought us some heavy rains on Sunday night. We've been having such weird weather...it's not usually this hot till August.
Looking forward to BBB 2012. I hope we have nice weather. More on that soon.
bob23
so.. now the question is.. what type of anchor for the second one.. there seems to be a fair amount of support for a bruce as an all around good performer, particularly for a rocky bottom where the danforth is not so good.. any thoughts?
got up bright and early this morning. i was able to sleep with the ports and the hatch open last night.. no bugs! i sure am glad that the green head flies that i encountered in lanoka harbor did not follow me back :)
dinner was enjoyable last night.. 3 of us at the mexican restaurant. Rich , the former owner, now sailing a bristol 32 ( which will be for sale in the near future as he intends to move up to a larger boat) and Andy , owner of a hunter 23.. and a wood-worker - lots of boat talk. :)
and today, i will be going out with my neighbor on his boat, a capri 23.. looking forward to that, although it is going to be hot! so , time to put a plug in for my wife.. she was the main force behind getting the bimini.. and i am liking it a whole lot.. it sure is nice to keep the sun at bay on these hot days.. it does make it just a little difficult to get around on deck, but, as i read somewhere, everything involving boats is a series of trade-offs.. i will have to post a pic of the sunrise when i get home.. it was awfully nice.. it is so quiet here at the marina.. I guess that I naively thought that everyone would be wanting to be spending nights on their boats.. apparently, that is not necessarily true... or maybe , they are all still asleep :)
JT,
I would strongly suggest getting the anchor back on board. It is a *very* important piece of safety equipment. If the wind/waves ever get too bad or fog comes in knowing you can simply stop and wait it out is a huge. Many boating accidents that occur in poor conditions could have been avoided by simply stopping and waiting for conditions to improve. Not having that ability limits your options.
A Danforth has very strong holding power but if you hang out on cruising forums most don't recommend a Danforth as the main anchor while cruising. Most use them for a kedge, lunch hook or stern anchor. The reason for this is a Danforth does not handle tide/wind shifts as well as some other anchors. If it breaks free they tend to foul themselves on the chain/rode and will not reset again. Not what you want to have happen in the middle of the night.
Serenity came with a Danforth in the same place. Because I intended to anchor overnight I swapped out the Danforth that came on Serenity. My ground tackle is a Raya 800cm anchor on the anchor roller with 38' of 3/8" chain and 300' of 1/2 double braid. The Raya is oversized for Serenity and is rated for a 5 ton 33' boat in 60 knots of wind. Due to the design it only weighs 16 pounds as most of its weight is in surface area which is really what holds the ground. These are no longer available though. I also have a Raya 400cm with 10' of chain and about 200' of rode in a seat locker as a stern or kedge if needed. I was originally planning on that being a lunch hook but end of using the main all the time.
If you are thinking about spending nights on the hook you might want to think about a 'next generation' anchor that will handle shifts and reset well. If I were looking now a Manson Supreme or the Boss (sort of like my Raya) would likely be at the top of my list. A used NZ built Rocna would be good but not the cheapened and weaker made in China version. A used Spade would be great but they are heavier and very expensive. Deltas are supposed to be pretty good for the money as well. Justify the cost of the ground tackle based on the savings at other marinas and in the safety factor.
Whatever you do get an anchor back on board.
Shawn
My primary anchor is a CQR 15 that came with the boat. I'm a believer. Several times while at anchor in the gulf, storms came through with 40 mph sustained and 60-70 mph gusts and 180 degree wind shifts causing a swing. Boat did not budge an inch. Pricey but good.
My secondary anchor is a Fortress Guardian G-11. It is a danforth style with twin flukes made of high tensile aluminum and can be disassembled for storage, although I don't do that. Very light and I was looking for that, you are depending on a good set with it. I'm told that you should drop it straight down, then back up to set to make sure. I think I would trust it as primary in sand, but maybe not so much on a rocky bottom. I sail in sand on the gulf and mud on my home lake so it works fine.
All anchors helped by the total ground tackle system. The appropriate size chain the length of the boat is a great start.
I'm a single anchor guy, would prefer to swing on a single rather than putting out two. I have resorted to Bahamian style when in a crowd.
good point, Shawn. i actually did store it in the v berth this trip. not so good for an emergency, but available just the same. i have a first generation boat.. no bow sprit / anchor roller. i was looking things over this afternoon, and i am wondering about leaving the fore stay where it is , but building a platform / bowsprit that would hold an anchor roller. it does not seem like too big of a project. while i was at it, i would replace the nav lights on the bow with led style nav lights.. i think that i could do some careful measuring and make it at home. the only tricky part would be undoing the fore stay to fit it over the tang and then re connecting - i might need some extra help with that! i was thinking of taking it back as far as the "pad" for the bow cleat - and re-seating that on the new platform as well.. then i could mount an anchor roller ahead of the fore stay and mount the anchor properly on that. not sure if this will get done this season, but it would probably be the best solution. i am not particularly interested in moving the fore stay forward, so i think that i would get away with just bolting the platform down and leaving it cantilevered out over the bow.. if i go with a cqr up on the bow, i can hang my danforth and its rode off of the stern rail.. so maybe i have a plan for that issue..
now, i think that i will need to consider putting an antenna on top of the mast as well as an all around anchor light.. and, while i am at it.. replace the steaming light with an led and run new wiring for it.. that can wait till the spring when the mast is down, but any thoughts on these jobs are appreciated.. nothing like planning ahead!
now, i think that i will need to consider putting an antenna on top of the mast as well as an all around anchor light..
My thoughts as follows: the antenna came with a 90 degree SS bracket that I screwed to the side of the masthead casting, using one of the attachment screws that existed and drilling and tapping the other two. I installed the antenna with a nylon bushing beneath and above the windex and a piece of heat shrink tubing on top to lock it. The bushing below has to act like a spacer to get the windex above the anchor light. Since I was converting a conventional windex, I took a small piece of aluminum plate and added it to the back of the antenna bracket, then cut the post for the reference flags to be the right clearance to the windex. It all works well, can be removed for towing, probably too delicate to tow with it on. Light was already there.
(http://i1007.photobucket.com/albums/af200/brackish_photos/ImprovementsArion014.jpg)
Having it on the v-berth is still having it available if you needed it. Far better than it sitting in a garage.
" the only tricky part would be undoing the fore stay to fit it over the tang and then re connecting - i might need some extra help with that!"
That is easy to work around. Use one of your halyards and tie it off to the forward anchor cleat. Use the halyard winch to take the tension off the forestay and then cleat down the halyard. You could then move the forestay at your leisure.
"so i think that i would get away with just bolting the platform down and leaving it cantilevered out over the bow.."
Make sure you work out how far it should be out over the bow to be sure an anchor stored there will clear the hull.
CQRs are an old design. If you can get a used one cheap that could work but if you are buying new look at the newer designs. Better setting, holding and resetting with less weight. See any number of anchor pull tests. Manson makes both a CQR type anchor as well as their next generation anchors. Their 15 pound Boss (or Supreme) anchor (next gen) is rated for boat length of 18-30', their 15 pound CQR type anchor is only rated for 15 to 20' boat length, to get an anchor recommend for a 30' boat you have to double to weight to 30 pounds.
Going to LED lighting will save a bunch of juice. The only non-LED on Serenity at this point is my steaming light.
Shawn
Brackish,
How do you like having the anchor light on top of the mast? I'm always worried about power boaters that don't pay enough attention to the height of the light. If they judge its distance based on their more familiar anchor light height they might think it is further away than it really is.
I use a Bebi LED Light Sensing Lulu Kaukaua anchor light that I hang when needed. Downside with that is there is a small angle where the light can't be seen as it is blocked by the mast depending upon how/where I hang it.
Shawn
Quote from: Shawn on July 17, 2012, 03:51:00 PM
Brackish,
How do you like having the anchor light on top of the mast? I'm always worried about power boaters that don't pay enough attention to the height of the light. If they judge its distance based on their more familiar anchor light height they might think it is further away than it really is.
I use a Bebi LED Light Sensing Lulu Kaukaua anchor light that I hang when needed. Downside with that is there is a small angle where the light can't be seen as it is blocked by the mast depending upon how/where I hang it.
Shawn
I've never thought about it, have had a masthead anchor light on every boat I've had. When I sailed primarily in the Gulf, I felt like that was good as visibility from a distance was enhanced. However, at Bay Springs Lake I often anchor in coves amongst the trees and the masthead light is often blocked. I hang an LED lantern when anchoring there, usually from the end of the boom.
thanks for taking the time to share these thoughts.. and for the pic! i just took a trip to the local west marine and listened to a pitch on the manson supreme anchor.. also checked out their youtube video on the manson.. seems pretty convincing! the idea of hanging an led lantern from the boom seems like a pretty good idea. one less wire and hassle up the mast.. thanks for the idea about using the jib halyard to hold the mast while i work with the stay! it sure is nice to be active on this site :)
well, this entry probably should be posted under unrelated topics.. except that I am at the marina, on the boat, but today's adventures did not involve sailing..
I woke up really early.. like 5:30 or so, and enjoyed the sunrise from the cockpit, anticipating going sailing with my neighbor. But, he called to tell me that he reconsidered due to the heat - probably not a bad idea.. it really got hot, and there was little more than an occasional puff of air.. so, i turned to boat maintenance.. sanded the eyebrow molding and some spots on the grab rails and put a coat of cetol on them. puttered around for a while and then headed to west marine and barnes and noble, both of which are air conditioned ( unlike the boat and my truck!) then i headed up to ocean grove ...
I may have been 5 the first time that my family went to ocean grove, and with the exception of one summer, we spent at least one week and a couple of weekends there right through my college years.. so, i get pretty nostalgic every time i get to go there, and the past few weeks, i have been looking for any excuse to take my wife and the girls, but we simple did not fit it in. so i am flooded with pleasant memories as soon as i pass the entrance to the town.. well. most of the memories are pleasant.. i remember one evening begging for an ice cream just as we were leaving to come home.. my dad reluctantly gave in, and i enjoyed half of the frozen custard.. the other half ended up on my hands, my clothes and the interior of the car.. and dad was not very happy about that!
I found a parking spot on main street, right outside of the small bookstore that we enjoy so that was my first stop - found what i imagine will be an interesting book about life in Lowell Mass. and then strolled down the street and around the corner to Day's ice cream.. :) and I did not hold back.. ordered a large chocolate peanut butter icecream cone and then headed to the board walk.. when it comes to ice cream. i can be pretty predictable.. but then maybe not only with ice cream.. i remember my first wife telling me that i was too predictable.. hmm, and i always thought that was a strength.. but that is another story..
walking along pitman ave towards ocean ave, i stop in front of a 3 story building - it used to be a guest house called White Hall , and we stayed there often.. knew the owners well.... played with their kids, nancy, alvie and ernie.. but, like so many of the hotels and guest houses, it is now a condo :( i looked at the second floor porch where i sat, writing a letter to my junior high girlfriend, telling her that it was ok that the wave took away the necklace that i gave her .. i was just happy that she and her family had come down to visit.. i turned to see the utility pole in front of the building and a not so pleasant memory returned of arriving for the week as a young guy, too excited to pay attention to what i was doing and dropping a bag that had my mother's body lotion in it right there in front of the pole.. that was an expensive mistake - took my allowance right out of my pocket! :(
Two elderly ladies stopped, noticing my ice cream, and mentioned that they were on their way to Days - very friendly folks in ocean grove :) only two blocks to the ocean, and while i was not gazing at the wonderful Victorian architecture along the way, i was thinking that, in fact, every girlfriend that i have ever had, including both of my wives, has been to ocean grove. hmm.. maybe Anne was right - too predictable.. but i am sure that i did not order choc peanut butter ice cream with all of them!
i got to the board walk and looked at the bench where my high school girlfriend and i sat, watching the waves with the sun setting over the auditorium behind us.. and a few benches down where my folks and i sat right after my second year in college.. i was writing to Anne, telling her that our mutual friend gave me a hug and a kiss at the end of the year but i did not get one from her.. flirting with a pen as best as i knew how! and it worked - the next year we were dating, and i brought her to ocean grove :)
and then i sat on a bench which afforded a wonderful view of the ocean.. and thought of the first date that i had with Janet. i brought her to OG , very early in the morning.. so we could see the sun rise... and then we rented bikes and rode the boardwalk.. all the way to belmar basin where we gazed at all of the boats tied up - and i told her of my dream of owning a boat one day :) and then we went to days for lunch and then the beach store where i bought her a hat and a dress.. the hat still fits! :) ( i hope she does not read this ) it was a wonderful day.. and, we have returned numerous times.. once in my van.. we slept in the van that time.. modern day hippy wanna-be's and that worked great till we woke up the next morning and realized that the authorities locked the doors on the restrooms on the boardwalk till 9 am.. thank god for dunkin donuts! we have brought my step daughters down and i think that it has become a special place for them as well... I am not quite sure what this all says about me, but it is pretty obvious that ocean grove has played a pretty significant role in my life! in fact, it was after spending a week down there that i started to look at boats in earnest.. and my selling pitch to Janet was that " for what we spent for a week, we could have a boat at the dock for the whole summer !" how was that for logic?
I steadily licked my cone, as these thoughts flooded my memory.. and, recalling once again the ice cream all over the car, i took pride in the fact that, at 52 years old i really knew how to eat ice cream - dad would be proud :) ... and then i looked down to find choc drips all over my t shirt and shorts!! imagine that .... :) jt
their 15 pound CQR type anchor is only rated for 15 to 20' boat length, to get an anchor recommend for a 30' boat you have to double to weight to 30 pounds.
I have to say I was initially very concerned about this because my boat came with a CQR 15. That was until I actually had a chance to let it perform. My original, drop forged CQR worked so well in severe conditions as described in my post above that I no longer have any doubts. I would say it worked far better than some oversize danforth style anchors I've had with other boats. Additionally, I've seen a couple of conflicting charts with regard to the recommended length. Can't remember where, but several charts had the original CQR drop forged 15 at good to 28'.
I do, however anchor in shallow water for the most part and have twenty feet of 1/4" chain as part of the ground tackle. I've not tried this or any other anchor in say 60-100' water depth. It would not be normal for me to see that condition, I'm usually anchoring in less than 20'.
"worked so well in severe conditions as described in my post above that I no longer have any doubts. "
That is good, glad it is working for you. The main complaint I have seen against the CQR is it taking multiple attempts to get it set in some bottoms. Hard sand is apparently one of the tough bottoms for it.
"I've seen a couple of conflicting charts with regard to the recommended length."
Yes, that is one of the hard parts about anchors. Different manufacturers base their recommendations on differing conditions (wind speed). That was why I was comparing two types of anchors from the same manufacturer. The Lewmar CQR recommendation for their 15 pound model go up to around 23' or 24' from their graph. The Lewmar 14 pound Delta is rated to 34 or 35' long.
"I would say it worked far better than some oversize danforth style anchors I've had with other boats."
Danforths are interesting as small changes in design seem to result in large differences in performance. For example compare the differences in performance in the two Danforth type (Fortress and West Marine) anchors in this test:
http://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/boat/anchors-aweigh
The Fortress has several optimizations to the Danforth design such as the sharpened shank and flukes to aid in penetrating the sea bottom.
"I've not tried this or any other anchor in say 60-100' water depth. It would not be normal for me to see that condition, I'm usually anchoring in less than 20'."
I'm the same though I have enough rode to go deeper if it were needed. I hope it isn't as the anchor and chain combined are 76 pounds. Doable, but not fun to pull up.
Shawn
I think that i will look for a manson.. In the meantime, i brought the bent hanger home so that i can try to straighten it out. The next time i am at the boat, i will see if that will work on the sternrail.
So.. The epilogue for my trip. Including a couple of pics.. I wish that i had my camera, however. These are from my phone. Last night this heron landed about 20feet from the boat. He had a fish in his beak that was at least 10 inches, and he put it on the sand and then turned it around and swallowed it head first.. What a scene to watch!
. He then stood there with his neck stretched straight up while the fish made its way down into his belly.. Pretty fascinating ..
I also watched as my neighbor showed up with two friends and enough beer for a dozen people and then took off..not quite as fascinating.. When i turned in at 11, they were still out. At 12 i was vaguely aware of voices and a muffled engine. And then i felt a thump.. Probably sounded extra loud because i was below, but i shot out on deck pretty quickly to find his boat totally cockeyed in his slip. His swim platform had thumped my hull. I quickly determined that we we not going to have an intelligent conversation about the situation. No apology was offered.. I watched for a couple of min., thinking that he must feel rather embarrassed in front of his friends. I went back below until his friends left, and then i went topside again. Do you see any damage? I asked. Oh, did i hit you? He said ... Then he looked and said i don't see anything ....sorry about that. We agreed that we would check it out in the morning
But, i couldnot go back to sleep. I grabbed a Flashlight and went over onto his boat and looked over at my waterline.. Nothing noticable... That enabled me to sleep peacefully. It does make onewonder, however... How often does stuff like that happen when i am not around??
Meant to end on a positive note... Here is a pic of the sunrise that greeted me on tues morning! I sure love being on the water!! Can't wait for BBB 2012! Jt
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/sunriseatthemarina.jpg)
even though I was disappointed to miss the opportunity to spend a night at anchor with a friendly crowd, I totally agreed with Bob's call to scrub the plans for the bash this weekend..
the weather in this part of the country has been a bit crazy the last week and a half.. thunderstorms almost every day, and nasty ones at that! we ended coming down on saturday , taking the scenic route through lower bucks county, stopping at new hope for lunch and shopping, and then stopping at the ocean county mall to get a jump on school shopping.. it was nearly dinner time by the time we got to the boat! we took the girls our for a mexican dinner and then got back to the boat just before the next storm hit.. i guess we need to have some discussions about being on the boat during an electrical storm.. my wife was a bit nervous.. the rain was very loud, and we found that we needed to dog the port holes very tightly in order to stop the drips.. but the girls settled down in the v berth, and eventually, the rain passed over.. and, my neighbor ( the guy who hit Adagio last week when he was docking) returned to the marina in the dark.. i got out and lent a hand docking :)
this morning we woke up to blue sky, but as we were commenting how nice it was, the dark clouds began to roll in from the west. one of my neighbors was heading out in his center console to fish - we talked last night, and he said that he was planning on going out a few miles beyond barnegat light... 10 minute later, he was headed back in.. as he passed our dock i said " did you forget your bait?" and he smiled.. that was exactly what had happened! i spoke with him about possible thunderstorms before he ventured out a second time.. his plan was to get out to the head of the river and then make a decision.. i ran the engine for a couple of minutes and then buttoned up the boat.. we headed to Shut up and Eat for breakfast and then on to ocean grove where we spent a wonderful afternoon.. including a trip to Day's.. only one small drip of choc. ice cream on my shirt :) jt
August was filled with way too many distractions, and then school began. So it has been quite a while since I last visited Adagio, but this past weekend proved to be well worth the wait! The weather was wonderful, the company was great, we enjoyed some steady breezes.. what more could I ask for? This was the weekend for the rescheduled Barnegat Bay Bash 2012.. I headed out just as soon as I got home from school on Friday afternoon. It was fun to run into a few folks at the marina whom I have not seen for a while. The plan was to sleep on the boat at the marina friday evening and then to get up early on Saturday and clean the boat before Marty arrived.. but.. Marty is an early riser! he was at the marina before i got out of the shower! I think that he was excited for the weekend :)
we enjoyed a hearty breakfast at a local diner, stopped by the grocery store on the way back to the marina, and then transferred Marty's gear from the car to the boat - I think that Marty was prepared for a week long trip - but, of course, I have the luxury of stowing a bunch of gear for the whole season aboard Adagio.. We departed around 9 am - motored out just beyond the entrance to the marina and the hoisted the sails.. A text from our fearless leader, Bob, alerted us to the fact that the winds were steady at 20 , so, before we even left the dock, I put a reef in the main. as Marty pointed out, we also practiced a MOB drill when my hat happened to fly off unexpectedly. We were successful, thanks to his long arms!
we were blessed with a wind heading which enabled us to trim the sails and to sail down the river on one tack.. after rounding the point, we headed down Barnegat Bay, I believe on the same tack the whole way... it was great to have Marty at the helm - i got to enjoy sailing, knowing that a competent hand was on the tiller.. we made good time, and we were able to pick out bob's boat with ease.. and why not? it looks just like Adagio! - a great looking boat, i might add :)
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/bob's%20boat_zpsf4c5a0b8.jpg)
Bob was out rowing in his dinghy when we arrived, but he soon joined us on Adagio, and the fun began. Just to bring everyone up to speed, I am grateful to the creators of this board, for it is through this site that I met both Bob and Marty, and one might think that after the conversation about boats was exhausted ( if that can actually happen) we might be at a loss for words.. but I have a suspicion that Bob is never at a loss for words. and Marty has lots of experience with life.. ( how nice was that) so, there were plenty of stories and laughs to go around the entire weekend..
we followed bob's lead and donned our swim trunks before embarking on his capable dinghy for an adventure on sure.. the beach at island beach state park is a treasure.. i was very disappointed at not being able to share it with my family. I am convinced that the water was warmer than the air temperature.. it was sooo warm! we spent a fair amount of time waiting for the perfect waves for body surfing.. and felt like we had worked pretty hard by the time we exited the water.
the trip back to Adagio was an adventure that only bob can relate.. but, the image that comes to mind is the 3 stooges on a boat.. :)
Bob dropped us off - kind of - and then headed over to his boat to find some fixings for dinner and then returned to Adagio.. we spent the rest of the evening chatting and watching the day trippers head back to land as the sun slowly dropped to the horizon.. a warm cup of tea capped off the night and then bob headed back to Koinonia.. we snuggled into our sleeping bags for the night.. but, i forgot to tie the halyards.. so i had to get up and and go on deck to tie them off .. at 2 am, i awoke and thought that i heard a boat bumping up against Adagio.. but it was just the rudder, bumping.. i raised the rudder and took care of that problem.. down below, things sound so much louder!
we awoke pretty early.. in time to enjoy the sunrise..
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/sunrise%20on%20barnegat%20bay_zpsaed56563.jpg)
again with a cup of hot tea.. bob saw that we were up ( also an early riser) and came over to join us for breakfast, bringing a pot of strong coffee for Marty to enjoy. The conversation picked up right where we left off the night before.. soon it was time to pull the anchor and head back to the marina. There were folks from school waiting to go sailing later in the day..
we started out with the sails up, but we were making very little progress, so i started the engine, and we lowered the sails.. lamenting the fact that my friends were not going to experience much sailing! .. the trip home was filled with more conversation, and the time passed quickly. in 2 or so hours, we were at the dock.. We were greeted by Konstantin and his wife Alison, and they helped us unload Marty's gear.. a quick stop in the head, and we were ready to take the boat back out.. we motored down river, but as we turned the point.. the wind picked up, and we were able to spend about 2 hours under sail.. a fairly steady breeze , although not quite as strong as the day before. It was probably just right to give my guests a good sense of the enjoyment of sailing without any nail - biting moments.. But, the wind died again so we had to motor back at the end of the day.
The sad part of the weekend is that this was the last sail of the season. Before leaving I took down the main and the bimini and made arrangements to haul the boat.. we will make one more trip down to cover the boat after she is safely ashore. but the adventure will continue! the new and improved plan for next year is to take the boat to lake Champlain.. so, we will have plenty of time over the winter to plan and to prepare for that trip. Hopefully, that will help the time to pass quickly! I am sure that i will have more to add to the log as our preparations take place.
As sad is it is to watch the season close, i really could not have asked for a more enjoyable experience the last time out.. thanks to bob and Marty for being great companions.. and especially to bob for making it all happen.. i hope that more folks will be able to make next year's gathering! jt
just got off the phone - talking with the previous owner who visited the marina today. he reported that Adagio, along with a considerable number of boats, was floated off of her stands and eventually settled near or on a trailer which, unfortunately had a rod sticking up. he said that there was a baseball bat sized hole punched in her hull.. bummer.. but to be honest, after hearing earlier that there was 5 feet of water in the marina office, I was wondering if we would even find the boat! so.. holes can be patched.. that is the wonderful thing about fiberglass! and, hopefully, that is the extent of it. i will make a trip down on saturday to see what i can do.. if anything, and to pick up all of the stuff from the interior. i already contacted the insurance company and initiated a claim.. we should be in good shape when all is said and done... jt
JT,
Sorry to hear of Adagio's impalement. Better that than crushed by several larger boats though. Good luck on getting her repaired.
TG
thanks tim. i agree, with the amount of water and wind involved, it could easily have been a total loss.. jt
well.. i finally downloaded photos from my camera.. first time in a few months! I have a few left over from the Barnegat Bay Bash.. better quality than the ones from my phone. like sunset at Tice's shoals :)
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/sunsetatticesshoals.jpg)
our fearless leader, broken foot Bob.. and his beautiful compac 23 , complete with a very seaworthy dinghy.. perhaps now that he is laid up, we will see the video of the famous capsize.
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/100_1090.jpg)
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/100_1091.jpg)
These photos are, of course, from a relaxed, calm new jersey evening. i wonder if we will even be able to go ashore here next year.. at this point in time, no one is aloud to go out on the island which is devastated from Sandy..
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/100_1092.jpg)
And now for the current pics.. I took a trip down to the marina yesterday. I imagined that lots of folks would be there to check up on their boats, but there were surprisingly few people there. Many of the boats were already back on stands, but it looks like there are going to be a lot of bent rudders and prop shafts.. these power boats were not designed to be sitting on the ground!
here is Adagio , back on stands with a few battle scars.. a hole above the water line, a broken stanchion.. and some gouges.. the engine was safely stored in the shed which ended up with 5 feet of seawater in it! i am not too sure how reliable it will be - if it starts at all.. guess it is time to order a new tohatsu sail pro!
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/100_1100.jpg)
is it time to replace the pulpits and stanchions with stainless steel?
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/100_1097.jpg)
ouch! i guess i need to get some advice from macgyver about fiberglass repair!
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/100_1099.jpg)
i had a chance to chat with the previous owner. he kept his bristol 32 in the water, and was very fortunate. i think that he had 14 lines on the boat, and it stayed right in place.. no damage at all. but i did learn a few things about preparing one's boat for a hurricane.. like maybe it is a good idea to take the canvas off before the storm hits..
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/100_1104.jpg)
and maybe it is a good idea to put a tracking device on your boat.. never know where it might end up!
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/100_1107.jpg)
things could have been so much worse. I understand that a marina up in brick nj, just a few miles up the bay, was totally decimated.. like all of the boats are gone! people in the neighborhood had the same 5 feet of water that flooded the marina in their homes.. i put duct tape over the hole in the hull, threw everything from inside the boat into my truck and drove home to my warm house.. these folks are going to be dealing with the after effects for months and maybe for years.. and these are not secondary homes like so many out on the island.. it is such a shame..
I hope that the guys at the marina recover. I am sure that they are facing considerable unanticipated expenses from this, and insurance will only go so far.
on a positive note.. i think that the repairs to Adagio will be relatively simple.. i may end up with a new engine.. I am going to try to get some details from Brenda about the cushions that she made for their new boat.. and maybe i will even tackle that project this winter... i feel even more committed to Adagio than before, and I am looking forward to sailing off to enjoy many more sunsets on her... :) jt
I'll bet one can pick up some Sandy damaged boats cheap for parts or to repair and keep. Should be a lot of trailers around with no boat to put on them.
skip.
JT:
Thanks for sharing. You are the new Photo Posting King! And, yes, now that I'm hobbling around and can't even drive to my worksites, I do have extra time so I will give an update on the renamed Barnegat Bay Splash! (You had to be there to understand).
All in all, you made out pretty good. When I was working on my friends radio tower in West Creek, we saw boats on the salt marsh half a mile inland. Very intact but a very costly retrieve!
That doesn't look like too hard a fiberglass repair if you can do it better than me. I'm sure Mac will give you step by step instructions and she'll be better again.
Maybe it is time to change the bow and stern rails to stainless. I bet they're stronger and easier to keep clean especially in our salt water environment. I wonder if you can find 'em used somewhere? Either way, it would make a nice upgrade...a very nice thank you gift for Adagio for making it through the storm with minimal damage.
If your motor sat long enough in salt water, it might be toast. When I capsized my old Sea Pearl in the bay many moons ago, the then brand new Tohatsu 3.5 was totally under. As soon as I got back, I submerged the motor in a barrel of fresh water, dropped it off at my friends shop (he owned a small marina) and after they worked on it, she ran perfect. I guess you'll have to give it a try.
I heard about that Brick marina...every boat was moved, damaged or lost. But the worst stories are about the homes lost. Little by little, I'm learning about the people who are returning to a home not there or one that's unrepairable. This storm is going to change some of our lives forever.
bob23
JT,
I replaced the stantions and pulpits on my boat last year. It was expensive! The stern bent, then broke so I replaced everything with stainless. I didn't really want missmatched railings.
However, I still have the bow pulpit and all the stations, which are the same on the 19 as the 23. And they are in fairly good shape for being almost 30 years old. You could use them and won't need to replace everything. I bet they would match.
You want 'em? You got 'em. Just pay for the shipping.
Let me know.
And, do to some top secret research, Hutchins has several old bow pull pits in their loft. They have not oxidized or weathered and they look like stainless. But I don't know if they have stantions though.
wow, what a thoughtful offer. i agree that the cost to replace everything with stainless is kind of steep. As much as I would like to dress Adagio up , i also need to stick to a budget, and that means setting some priorities... the fact is that a boarding ladder is probably the most important improvement that i need to make, particularly since i sail alone a fair amount. I have been entertaining the idea of taking the stanchions off completely and running a jack line which i could clip onto when going forward. i have been doing some research which suggests that life lines on smaller boats such as ours - particularly ones that are below 2 feet high - tend to be a tripping hazard more often than an actual life line.. but, if i do keep them on, it would be very nice to take advantage of your offer.. i will be in touch! jt
Hmmm...I'd have to say that when I go forward I also rarely, if ever, use the lifelines. I'll grab a shroud first or a grab rail. I guess the 23 would look nice with one less line but where would I tie my fenders?
Best to you, JT in the reparing and improving of Adagio!
bob23
No way guys. The life lines are what make the Com-Pac Yacht a "Yacht". I love the look. And I figure, the more lines the better. As long as they are not all tangled in a rats nest.
But you are right, I very seldom grab them as well. however, I often have kids and dogs on my boat and they are very useful. And when I had my 16, going forward was very scary in rough water. But I will admit that may be a sense of false security.
Now the pulpit is a different story.
just got a call from the insurance adjuster.. i did not tell him that i was considering taking off the stanchions :) maybe this will be the beginning of a serious discussion on the site :) bob.. already thought about the fender question. i would prefer a cleat amidships so that i could tie a spring line to the boat when at the dock.. and hang a fender off when one is needed.. i am trying to remember what publication i saw this in.. probably wooden boat.. a photo shoot of a new sailboat .. with no life lines, although the disclaimer did say that the fittings for stanchions and life lines were on the boat.. but also pointed out how clean the boat looked with out them.. i too rely much more on the shrouds for balance instead of the life lines.. of course, i have never been out on the deck in a blow.. i am envisioning being in that situation and saying to myself " who's bright idea was it to remove the lifelines"!! :)
well... that is a decision for the future.. for now.. i am still totally excited about belonging to a site where folks like billy would offer the old stanchions from his boat and jason ( aka mcgyver) who would take the time to submit a plan for the fiberglass repair.. and of course, bob.. and all of the others who take the time to organize gatherings.. and marty who was a great shipmate for the barnegat bay bash... I am kind of thinking that i need to figure out a way to retire early and just hang around boatyards and make new friends!
by the way.. billy and jason should get karma points for being so nice! jt
So award those Karma points, JT. Just click on em. If you make a mistake, PM me & Ill correct the error.
TG ;D
Billy:
You are right...they do add a salty look and if they were not there, I'd miss 'em. I also like the look of double lifelines and when you have dogs or small kids, netting is a must. A lack of lifelines sorta defines the boat as a picnic boat and, while I love picnics, I enjoy telling folks that I don't own a sailboat- I own a sailing yacht!
JT:
btw...how is your motor? Any word if she'll run again?
bob23
i have not heard about the motor.. i am suspecting that it is not worth putting too much time or effort into it.. it is a 98, and probably not worth a great deal. i am inclined to think about a new engine in the spring.. the tohatsu sail pro 6 hp. there was quite a bit of discussion about it a number of months ago.. it seems like a good option. i would kind of like the 4 stroke and the more environmentally friendly nature of the engine is a positive aspect to consider.. and, i might add that the dependability of a new engine over an older one that has been dunked in salt water for who knows how many hours is a consideration as well. we will see how much is left in the wallet after Christmas :)
i was just looking at a website touting the book "honey let's buy a boat" about a couple who bought a boat and took a year off to cruise the great loop.. a new engine might be the first step in following in their footsteps :) but don't tell my wife that i said that! jt
JT,
I got a Sail Pro......but you can't have that! ;)
However, while I REALLY like its performance, I do have a few complaints.
I used to have a Yamaha 2.5 hp and it pushed my boat just fine (mind you I have a 19) . Even in some pretty strong currents. However, I traded up b/c it was a short shaft and would come out of the water when I went forward or in a rough chop (good thing I got those life lines!). And the jets on the carb were WAY too small. W/ the ethanol nowadays, if I did not use a stabilizer, every time the gas would sit for more than a few days it would gum up the carb and I would have to rebuild it. And often it would die on me when coming into the dock, just when I needed it most. It also had an internal gas tank.
But it started very easily, was very quite, and ran & shifted very smoothly.
The 6hp Sailpro is MORE than enough for my 19. I never turn it more than 1/2 throttle, all that does is make more noise and vibrations and use more fuel. It is VERY heavy compared to the old Yamaha. But w/ the extra long shaft (25") I don't ever need to use the adjustable motor mount. I just leave it in the up position and just tilt the motor. the prop clears the water easily.
(http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af237/billybbingham/P9100501.jpg)
(Notice the old aluminum rail?)
It also has an external gas tank and after a day on the water, I just pour the gas into my truck.
But
The sail pro does not start OR run as smoothly as the Yamaha. it will start on the 1st or 2nd pull, but it doesn't feel as smooth. doesn't shift as smooth either, always w/ a big thud, and it is only two years old and I have had it serviced. Overall, it just doesn't "feel" like it is as good as a quality engine as a Yamaha or Honda. A little louder and a bit more vibrations. But like I said, the performance is great and it will push your boat just fine, you won't need a bigger engine.
and the new ones have the shifter on the front (not the side like mine) which is pretty cool. And a longer tiller too.
thanks for the feedback on the sailpro.. i used to have a nissan 60 on a speed boat , and it was dependable, but it also was not as smooth as some other engines that i have heard.. i will need to wait till spring before i make a decision.. and i should see just how my engine runs .. if it runs.. the concern is that it could start up now, but in the long term, how dependable will it be.. are you in florida? jt
Yea, I live in Palm Harbor, FL. It is about 15 minutes north of Clearwater on the west coast of Florida.
the weather forecast for today looked like about as good as it is likely to get for the next 4 or 5 months, so it made sense to make the last trip of the year to the marina to put a tarp over Adagio for the winter. It is about 3 and a quarter hours from home, so it is doable in a day, although i would certainly rather spend an overnight in jersey if possible.. this weekend.. not possible.. But, my wife joined me to keep me company and to lend a hand with the tarps.. so it was like an extended date! the first thing that we did when we arrived in Tom's River was go to shut up and eat for lunch :) for anyone who happens to have followed the thread on Adagio, you would recognize this particular establishment as one of our favorite discoveries in TR - and, what a place to take a date :)
then we drove out to the marina and ran into the previous owner as we made out way to the restrooms.. we chatted with his girlfriend and him for a few moments, but by then we were already reminded that darkness at this time of year was not all that far away.. so we said our good-byes and tackled the job of setting up tarps. i thought that i would try two tarps this year.. with a significant overlap - time will tell if that was a good idea or not.. Adagio is tucked away in a nice spot.. hopefully a safe spot! it looks like they have things in pretty good order at the marina.. i am looking forward to returning in the spring and tackling the fiberglass job which will address the hole that is now covered with duct tape.. a few other jobs and she will be ship shape.
i brought all of the cushions home for storage.. the v berth cushions have some life left in them, but the settee cushions are history.. they have seen a lot of wear. i am interested in tackling that job, and got some advice from Brenda who, has had significant success with producing new cushions for the Greene's new 23.. bought, i was dismayed at the cost of foam at Joanne's fabric when i checked it out this week. if anyone has and advice on discount foam.. let me know!
it looks like it could get warm mid-week. i would not be surprised to hear that Marty takes his boat out for a December sail this week.. looking forward to getting together with him and Bob and anyone else who might be up for a mid winter dinner rendevous.. jt
JT we are a day late and a dollar short on the foam. :( Foam has traditionally been nearly free for me. One of the advantages of living the in northeast Mississippi, the capital of upholstered furnitured manufacturing. Unfortunately my "supplier" the Human Resource Manager at Foamex, an industry supplier factory, was riffed a couple of years ago, a victim of the bad economy. A close friend, he would get me usable rejected material in about any configuration I needed.
I'm out the door for a sail. forecast calls for 75 degrees, mostly sunny and wind 10-12 out of the south. ;D
JT,
I looked at Sailrite and thought it was reasonable.... but only because I thought it would last another 20 years like the originals have.....
I am on the fence about where to get foam from other than that, as you want good stuff, and not 6 inches thick so you still have foam under the bum upon sitting down....
Another place I have seen was CUSTOMFOAM.com
Mac
Hey Jthatcher - FYI , I bought a nice stainless boarding ladder on ebay , called on measurements and it'll fir even thought wider than factory one.
Just under $100 too - check it out , you have time .
JT-
Wooda, Cuda, Shuda... but, alas, Pegasus has most all her shiny stuff removed for the Winter's nap. The weekend and beyond looks great. I could put it back together in a couple of hours, but the trailer needs work, the kitchen needs work, the yard needs work, ad infinitum... Besides, my November sail was enough trauma for the season. Although the air temp was about 70, the almost icy Delaware sucked the heat right out of the air. I could feel the cold through the hull. Of course dressing appropriately could make a difference. I did buy a nice orange winter jacket with cold weather sailing in mind, but I can't get over spending 5 minutes barefooted in the water (yeah, I know... waders). If I had a 23, in the water, I'd be off! With a real cabin one can get pretty comfortable. I do have a 12 volt heater, but it would probably suck the life out of the battery in 15 minutes! Hope to see you and Janet soon.
Re that ladder, pleeeze get one!
Marty K.
time for a winter update... i ordered new graphics for Adagio.. finally her name will appear proudly as can be! At the same time, i ordered new tape to replace the boot stripe and the cove stripe.. that all showed up in the mail last week and is in a safe spot - i just hope that i can recall what that safe spot is 4 months from now!
on another note.. i have paid a number of visits to joanne's fabrics over the past few weeks to pick up odds and ends for the house or for the holidays.. each time i go in, i pass by the dept. that has the foam.. hoping that it just might be on sale.. i was rewarded this morning - 50% off.. i could not pass that up! so i now have two pieces of foam to replace the settee cushions.. one more thing to clutter up the basement at the moment, but that is a project that i will enjoy sometime in late winter.. now i just need to measure for the material and wait for that to go on sale :) I guess this counts as a christmas present to myself :) jt
JT & J:
Looking forward to seeing you guys this summer. Are you going up "The lake" early in the summer or are you waiting a bit...gotta start planning for BBB 2013 1.0!
The cushions need to be done on mine but I have the morbid fear of sewing. Must be the needle...I hate needles!
Why don't you tell us where you put the tape and graphics. Then, in 4 months when you start racking your brain trying to find 'em, you can just ask us! Of course we'll remember...what do we look like- old people? Oh...nothing against old people.
Best to you and Janet,
Bob23 and the elusive Admiral L
More snow forecast for early next week... still to early to begin prepping the boat for the upcoming season, so i figured that it was time to load some videos from last season.. just got the files from my friends who joined me last September. These videos were shot the same weekend that we joined forces for the Barnegat Bay Bash - it was a fun filled weekend! this is my first attempt at uploading videos on you tube.. i decided to upload the raw video.. it will be a while before i learn some of the editing techniques that would be helpful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4yWOztFX3M&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR79nfWk518&feature=youtu.be
kind of gets you excited for spring! jt
Cool, Jason, The only thing missing is a Tilley hat & you're ready to remake the "Old Man and the Sea" ;D
I bought a Freestyle sport video camera for my business and am looking forward to shooting a few feet of video this year as well. Pirate Day antics with the water balloon cannonade should be fun.
TG
wow, Tim.. do i look that old?? actually, i bought one of those hats when we were down on the eastern shore of maryland over thanksgiving last fall... not a bad idea for a guy like me with little hair on top of his head! :) i have a couple more clips, but i would like to play around with some editing before i upload them..
one more video up. my friend and colleague took the helm for a while..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5M73kZ0gxU
Thanks for the videos, JT: Really helps to rekindle the fire during the winter doldrums.
I love my Tilley although it's looking a bit beat up. This Christmas past, the Admiral surprised me with a new hemp Tilley. Like all Tilley hats, it still has the SPF 50 rating, something we all like, hair or not.
Bob23...counting the days.
Counting the days here too, Bob. 6" of the white stuff is on the way, and I'm starting to wonder what the spring will bring us here.
Will be picking up the boat on Easter from her winter hibernation barn, and have a huge project list to attend to.
Of course, like most of us, the project list never quite gets done before launching, and we end up making new lists for later on.
I'm more interested in taking care of items that need to be done on the hard, and that, according to Zen and the Art of Sailboat Maintenance, bring me great joy and satisfaction, now.
Bottom will be painted, woodwork redone, hull polished and waxed, trailer extension install, detail the interior and move the battery forward, new motor mount board, canvas (vent screens for sliding hatch and drawboard area), lube moving parts, tracks, mast grooves, etc, etc, etc.
My big decision right now is should I make an aft bimini or figure out a better way to hold the Magma umbrellas? Like welding in a tube to the aft pulpit. I'm leaning towards welding in a vertical stainless tube to the aft pulpit with a slit strategically positioned to hold the umbrellas (slit is for the little spring loaded pin to hold the umbrella down) but still considering. The pulpit has two horizontal bars which the new vertical tube could be passed through and welded, making a pretty clean install with good positioning of the umbrellas. Most importantly it would be very easy to use once done.
After using the umbrellas for three seasons with the stock clamps that tend to move around, especially one of them, we love the umbrellas but am tired of messing with the clamps, to the tube idea seems appealing.
Unfortunately, we never got much snow this winter. A few teasings of an inch or two and one blizzard of 4 inches. Got out cross country skiing once but it got warm so snow was sticking to the skiis.
I'm chomping away slowly at my list. This winter the boat spent her hibernation in my driveway much to the admiral's dismay. I tried to reason with her, noting the opportunity to observe beauty in fiberglass each time she looked out the window but she didn't buy it.
I also tried the poor mans bimini last summer. Clamp-on beach umbrellas worked pretty good while under sail and a painters drop cloth boom tent worked well while at anchor. I'm such a hopeless cheapskate!
Bob23
Good morning everyone! it looks like another bright, clear, sunny spring day is about to unfold here in northeastern PA. I am a bit sad that it is already May, and I have yet to make it down to visit Adagio at the marina. Life has been hectic, as it always is in the spring at school. But, we have had some additional distractions..
I remember hearing Robert Ballard speak at the Franklin Institute a number of years ago. The main topic of the discussion was NOT the Titanic, but how can Ballard speak without that coming up? In fact, he revealed at that time that the quest for the Titanic was a cover story - that in fact he was checking on the USS Thresher and the USS Scorpian, both sunken submarines. Well, I am reminded of this story because the trip to Maine to visit the boat show in Portland, had a secondary objective as well.. or, perhaps the boat show was a secondary objective? no way! At any rate, we took advantage of that time to look at some property in the mid-coast region, and I have made two additional trips to the area since then. If all goes well, we will close on a piece of land by the end of this month.. and why am I reporting this on Adagio's page?
Well, it may come as a surprise to Adagio, but it is looking like we are not going to make it to lake champlain after all.. but thanks so much for the invitations to stop and visit along the way!!! instead, we are leaning towards reverting back to the plan of heading up the coast and making Maine our destination for the summer. It makes total sense to have the boat close by up there.. it will give us a place to stay before I am ready to take on another construction project ( gotta finish the house I am building now before i start a new one) , and I don't think that we will ever run out of sailing destinations along the coast of Maine! It is looking like I will be making most of the trip on my own.. unless Marty and Bob want to break free and join me! it would be like an extended BBB 2012 :)
So.. any thoughts or pointers about sailing along the coast of CT, RI, MA that little tiny piece of NH and ME are welcome! I am still hoping to leave during the last week of June.. still need to do some work on the boat.. lots to do before I can head north.. but I sure am looking forward to, what will be for me, a major adventure this summer! jt
Congrats on finding the land! Sounds like an exciting and memorable journey. I have an extra copy of Tafts' Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast you're welcome to. It's older but includes still good info on that long open stretch between Portsmouth and Portland that begins out of Gloucester.
Hi Phil,
that is awfully thoughtful of you! that would be very helpful. if you would like to send me your address, i will send a check to cover postage... jt
JT &J:
I've been wondering where youv'e been. Been thinkin' about you guys for a while and now I see your'e becoming Mainiacs! Many congrats! Now I have a place to crash when I visit Maine!!Hahahaha...!!!
I admit I have no offshore sailing experience but I think you don't either so maybe we can learn together. I always learn best by doing something. Reading books on building houses helped a little. Building them is how I really learn. Of course, a screwup on a house construction doesn't send it to the bottom!
I'll give it some serious thought but if I were you, I'd buy one of these for the trip:
http://www.portlandpudgy.com/
You need a dingy anyway and this make perfect sense as it does double duty as a life raft and tender. You probably remember seeing it at the show.
Let me know if you and Janet are gonna be down to the marina some time soon...breakfast at Shutup would be nice before ya move yaself and ya wife up to Maine. Ayuh.
Bob23
hi Bob, good to hear from you! i am hoping to get down your way in two weeks.. this coming week and weekend I am pretty consumed by the dance show here at school.. after that, i should be able to sneak away for a bit... thanks for the tip on the dingy.. i am still hoping to drag the bolger dory behind.. i will have to give that a try before too long. looking forward to catching up with you soon! jt
" ok, so here is what i will do.." i said to my wife back in late May , having already allowed a month of valuable sailboat prep time slip through my hands.. " I will forget going down to Jersey, finish getting the house ready for the graduation party, and then get ready for our trip to Cape cod.." the trip to cape cod was immediately followed by a trip to Maine.. and before one knew what happened, most of June was in our wake..
This was supposed to be the year to sail to Maine ( yes, I know, first it was lake champlain, but guys are allowed to changed their minds too! and until this past saturday night, Maine it was to be! ) Not only was it the year to sail to maine, but i told a lot of people that i was headed to Maine.. ( somewhat unlike me..) The last straw was the marine forecast for this week.. 4 - 7 foot seas most of the week for the area from Manasquan to Sandy Hook. just the area of open ocean that I would need to negotiate early in my trip.. and so, the trip would be delayed.. I had worked hard to prepare the boat.. first the hole in the hull needed to be repaired.. it is not pretty, but it is solid.. . and then the lifelines ( ended up replacing the broken stanchion thanks to our friend in florida! and i was able to salvage the old pelican hooks and use just sta set line for the life lines.. i tied knots so i will be able to take them off and wash them at the end of the season along with all of the other running rigging..
i got the new tohatsu engine.. the one that everyone raves about.. but found that the back stay had been mangled in the storm.. could not find a shop close by, so i ended up sending the stay to massachusets , overnight. to Rigging Only. - yes, this is an endorsement. had a new one back by friday.. another obstacle cleared.. did the initial two hours on the engine with no mast.. waiting for the backstay.. engine worked great.. backstay came friday afternoon. and the crew at the yard rigged the mast.. boat looks so much better in the water with the mast in place!
Put the name on the transom - we are officially Adagio :) replaced the line on the roller furler.. took the boat out for a second shakedown cruise - still breaking in the engine.. stopped to fill up spare tank.. asked the girl to fill it up. noticed the handle on the pump was green. my favorite color.. matches Adagio's colors.. and that was were the analysis stopped.. hooked up the spare tank and ran about 10 min out of the marina before increasing the throttle .. but , instead of a steady increase in RPM's the engine faltered and died.. my first thought.. what if this happened in ny harbor? next thought. what am i thinking to embark on a long trip with a brand new engine? third thought.. i have to sail back to the marina.. we never sail into the marina.. we always drop the sails in the little cove just down river and motor in. set the jib only and turned around.. noticed two big cruisers headed for the fuel dock.. can't land there while they are there.. tried to tack. not enough momentum.. failed a second time.. gybed instead.. how am i going to make this trip work if the engine is a lemon???? fuel dock is empty.. sailed in ,, practiced dousing the jib to see how much momentum i would have.. got lucky and made a very nice landing..
one of he owners at the marina took a look at the engine.. could not diagnose it on the boat and suggested that i needed to take it to a tohatsu dealer.. hmm did i mention that my wife dropped me off two days earlier .. no car.. rental agencies closed saturday afternoon. the guy's son ended up taking me down, but not until i took a good deal of ribbing over the phone when talking with the tohatsu dealer.. " where did you buy the engine" he wanted to know.. " on the internet" "OHHHH so you can't take it back can you? all you bought was a box.." he had about 10 pre-packaged thoughts that i had to listen to.. wanted to know how much it cost.. then assured me he would have sold it to me cheaper..
so, with my tail between my legs.. i showed up at his shop.. he was working on a small 2 hp outboard at the time.. when he got to mine.. he wanted to know why the gas was orange.. i mentioned that the guy at my marina said the same thing. but figured it was that val tech additive.. he pulled the filter off and smelled it.. " this isn't gas" the green handle.. all of a sudden it made sense.. diesel :( oh no.. i had 3 gallons of diesel in my tank!! the kid who drove me down immediately got on the phone and called his dad and relayed the story.. i immediately began to feel sorry for the young girl who put the diesel in my tank.. it was not entirely her fault.. i put the tank down at the pump and i watched her pump ..
after a total cleaning and lubrication and fine tune adjustment and $130 the engine was in fine running order.. it really was awfully nice of him to get it going on the spot like that on a saturday afternoon.. the other engine that he was working on... it had water in the gas.. " what are people thinking? one wants to run his outboard on diesel and the other wants to use water!!" all in a thick german accent, i might add..
another hurdle cleared, but the forecast was what it was.. no getting around it.. I was not about to venture into the ocean for the first time with anything less than a favorable weather pattern.. and the weather pattern here in the east has been anything but favorable! So what to do? I was stuck in Jersey with no car.. my wife had plans to return to the shore in a week with a friend.. i could sit around the marina for a week and read some good books and curse at the thunderstorms that were predicted every day.. or.. i could go on a trip.. the other direction!
And that brings me to the current plan :) - sorry that this is taking so long .. Cape May.. 90 miles from Toms river via the ICW.. great experience in navigation.. always wanted to do it anyway.. never been to cape may.. why not? well, the marine forecast predicted winds from the south at 18-20 knots.. kind of exciting for sailing , except that south was exactly the direction i would be headed.. as soon as i turned the corner , coming out of toms river, i began to experience winds 18-20 on the nose.. The previous owner had warned me about this situation.. I have watched all kinds of youtube videos in which the skipper says.." we will stay in port for the day and wait for more favorable winds.." within a minute, i knew why. i was drenched.. i went below and took off the wet t shirt and donned my foul weather top.. the one that i bought for the trip to maine :) ( along with all kinds of other stuff) thankfully, the water was actually warm.. i had on a bathing suit and a raincoat.. and for two hours, i was the only boat on the bay.. anyone that happened to see me probably thought i was crazy.. but, at the south end of the bay, the course gets narrower.. and I banked on the seas smoothing out a bit.. i was fortunate.. that is just what happened.. i had preplanned and made a sandwich and a thermos of tea before leaving the dock.. that turned out to be a wonderful idea.. the PO actually suggested that i get ski goggles for going to windward.. i kind of chuckled.. but , maybe not such a bad idea.. my glasses were nearly useless. and taking them off rendered my eyes nearly useless. all of this is good experience..
so, with 30 miles of motoring behind me, I am in Beach Haven tonight.. quietly anchored at a very nice marina.. which charges a hefty 3 per foot for transient slips. but that warm shower this afternoon was worth the extra dollar a foot :) maybe.. I got to walk around Beach Haven ( never been here before ) and got a nice cup of tea.. and scoped out a nice place for breakfast tomorrow morning.. i was planning on an early start, but i have to wait around to get the 20 deposit on the bathroom key from the guys when they come in at 8
tomorrow, the destination is Ocean City.. after a good nights sleep here at the dock, where I can hear the surf of the ocean , just a few blocks away on the other side of the island.. Hopefully, i will have more to add tomorrow night! if you have made it this far, thanks for reading :) jt
Glad you got the Tohatsu sorted out!
Enjoy Ocean City! We spend a week there every summer, great place! Grab a slice at Prep's and finish off the day with a waffle sunday at Johny B Goodes. ;)
Shawn
Great tale, JT:
I know Beach Haven well...used to live there on 5th and Delaware many moons ago. Stay away from Country Kettle Fudge in Bay Village if you value your waistline! South of you is Beach Haven Inlet which has undergone some serious changes compliments of Sandy. Do you have a depth sounder? I don't think the paper charts are not all that reliable but you should have no problem as the ICW has been pretty well dredged. BTW, you are closer to Cape Horn than you think! Have a great trip...hope to catch you on the weekend on your return trip north!
Bob23
thanks Shawn.. the engine is purring away just fine..
bob.. i will keep in touch..
just had a delightful breakfast at Chicken or the Egg.. plan to stop there if you ever happen to be in Beach Haven.. I just made my lunch time sandwich and packed it away for later.. made a cup of tea for the beginning of the trip and a thermos for later in the morning.. not sure where all of that teepee will go, but i will figure that out later :)
I realize that this is a bit more like RVing perhaps as opposed to cruising.. but i am loving it :) jt
jt,
We were really disappointed when the Hudson voyage didn't pan out but I'm sure what you are doing now is the better choice. It sounds like a real adventure.
We hope to meet you in the future...maybe at the BBB 2013.
Allen
thanks allen.. even if i had stuck to that plan.. i would be stuck in jersey :( the ocean is really rough! i just got back from a walk to the other side of the island.. checking it out.. would not want to be out there in a 23 foot boat :)
i hope that everything works out this year for BBB 13.. it would be great to meet you, and , if not, maybe i can get in touch sometime for a cup of tea on my way to vt... thanks for the note! jt
Day 2.. the quest for Cape May.. it is a quest because.. there is a real possibility that I won't make it.. but time will tell.. so now, for the rest of the story..
Today was a wonderful day for gaining experience.. and for facing humility right in the eyes.. Being among friends, it is perfectly ok to share the truth and the whole truth.. no need for any fiction! ( i already spilled the beans about the diesel)
so, i am heading out of Beach Haven.. skies looking a bit gloomy, but I am prepared for rain anyhow, so who cares. made my tea and my sandwich before shoving off.. I am beginning to be able to pick out the markers a little quicker.. that is reassuring.. in fact, I was beginning to feel pretty accomplished.. and proud of myself.. cruising along at 5 knots.. thinking i was a real sailor..
time for a small break.. on the ICW, the plan is to keep the red triangles. to starboard and the green squares to port when headed south.. somewhere I read that an easy way to remember that is to keep the mountain ( triangle) between you and that mainland.. i love it.. makes so much sense.. I adopted that as my guide.. and it has worked wonderfully.. keep the mountains where they belong.. toward the land.. but what if the channel makes and S turn.. hmm, which it does from time to time.. well, i am reminded of a saying that was one of my dad's favorites.. " he who hesitates is lost " and guess what, i hesitated.. the wind was blowing at least 20.. the channel was very narrow.. and i ended up on the wrong side of red.. aground.. it happens to me all of the time.. just when i begin to feel slightly cocky.. life slaps me down.. :)
i was motoring.. so i quickly raised the engine.. the plastic bolt on the rudder snapped.. no problem . plenty of spares.. I am not sure if I said a bad word or not.. i might have :( and then i tried to figure my way out .. thinking first of all. i really should have renewed my boat us which ran out on the 30th of june.. i let it go when i decided against the maine trip. and bought insurance elsewhere.. ok.. first dumb move..
I set the jib.. thinking the boat my heel enough to get me off. that did not work.. there were some fishermen about 100 yrds away.. really intent on fishing and totally oblivious to my predicament.. perhaps.. at any rate.. i sounded the horn 3 times.. twice.. before they looked my way.. the came over but said that it was too shallow for them to do anything and offered to radio the tow boat.. i thanked them and told them that i would place the call..
i sat on the bow,, thinking.. when a nice couple on a C dory happened by and offered a tow.. the gentleman hooked up a swell looking tow rope with floats on it.. the intention what that the rope would float my way.. it did not work.. got caught in their prop.. and he had to lift the engine to untangle.. the next time i just jumped in the water to snag the line.. and i did.. but it got caught again and separated.. this time he had to drop his anchor to keep in the channel while he untangled it.. while he was doing that.. i started to push the boat.. and it move, little by little. by the time he got back to me, the boat was nearly off.. he said that he did not want to try again.. and who could blame him! but. many thanks the the c dory folks ( i think that the name was C Pod) a little more pushing and the boat was off.. i had to scramble aboard, and got the motor started.. only to have the prop hit the foil rudder.. oh no!!! i stopped the engine.. and by the time i was ready to go again.. i was aground again! on the other side of the channel... back in the water again.. and push.. this time.. not quite as difficult.. but getting back into the boat is rather difficult without a ladder.. second dumb move.. passing on buying a boarding ladder..
so now. i am ready to get out of there.. and i really am at a loss to explain this, but i ended up exactly in the first spot that i was aground.. i think this time i got a bit annoyed.. but i knew that i could handle it.. back in the water.. out of the corner of my eye, i see a cruiser coming up and stopping.. i tried to wave it on.. did not want anyone else to have a problem.. but he stayed put.. a bit later , after some pushing, i see a tow boat coming from the other direction.. hmmm, do i bite the bullet? he stops and says.. "you have one option " i think that he meant for me to hire him.. i told him thanks, but that i wold work on it a while.. he then said.. no problem, he would see if he could help the cruiser.. ahhh, that was why the cruiser had stopped and was so successful at maintaining position in this wind!! I kept tabs on them as i pushed and pulled.. the towboat really had to work to pull that cruiser off. by the time he did.. i was nearly off. and continued to work.. the tow boat kept an eye on me for a bit.. but i got Adagio floated.. and climbed aboard again.. lucky the water was relatively shallow.. it would have been really challenging if I had not been standing waist deep when i pushed off..
i was spooked for a bit... forget the mountain thing.. just keep the red triangles on the starboard side when headed south! To add insult to injury, i was approaching atlantic city.. and just as i was getting close.. i was ambushed by green head flies.. hundreds of them.. by the time i got through that area, the cockpit deck was littered with the dead bodies of umpteen flies.. hmm i need to take a break here to take some advil :)
so.. Atlantic City , loaded with Temples to the Financial Gods.. no interest in stopping there.. but.. 5 bridges to negotiate.. ok, so i have to say that I did go under the Seaside Heights bridge last summer for practice.. called the bridge tender and the whole nine yards.. but it was a bit nerve wracking to do it. and i found it just a bit so the first time today. by the fifth bridge.. not such a big deal.. but it was getting late.. i lost at least two hours with the grounding fiasco, and i was bucking both wind and tide for a good part of the trip.. so my actual speed much of the day was in the 3-4 knot range.. looking at the chart.. it seems like Margate might be a good prospect. it was after 5 when i got there.. stopped at a fuel dock that had all kinds of signs saying open for business.. but they weren't i tied up anyway and went ashore , asked a kid at the hot dog stand associated with the docks of i could stay there.. he called the manager.. the manager said no.. dejected, tired, and just a bit achy, i returned to the boat.. and headed out.. as i made my way down the docks.. i spotted a sign that advertised transient docks :) i called and got a recording.. given another number.. called that number and got Luciano.. he would be happy to give me a dock at 3 dollars a foot.. i needed a hot shower.. done deal..
so here i am.. i took care of the boat first.. washed it down.. took care of some maint issues.. and then i headed to the shower.. spent quite a long time in there.. loved it.. then walked around town.. i think i liked beach haven more.. actually, i am sure that i did! so , the big question.. will i make it to cape may? it is not looking all that great.. i think that it is 35 miles from here.. and i just don't see the need to push it.. much rather take my time going back and stopping by to visit bob! so maybe i will make it to ocean city.. take it easy.. get a slip early tomorrow and then head back north on thursday..
things i learned.. ( is anyone still reading this? :)
1 red triangle to starboard when headed south.. keep it simple
2 you can beat the towboat from time to time, but if you sail in Barnegat Bay and the ICW in Jersey, he will very likely win in the end!
3. it really does not matter if it is raining when you are waist deep in water, trying to push your boat off of a bar!
4. gotta line up a transient dock before 5 pm.. after that, everyone is home eating dinner and not the least bit interested in the $60 you are willing to fork over for a slip and a hot shower..
5 think long and hard before putting a good samaritan in a predicament that is just as bad , if not worse than your own!
probably lots more learned.. but i am too sleepy to think about it.. so i will sign off for now jt
Sounds like you had a busy day, nice work sticking at it and getting yourself free!
Did you try kedging off when you ran aground? If you can throw an anchor off your stern far enough (or dinghy it out) you can use that to try and pull you free. Use a winch to give you more power if needed. Nice thing about kedging is if you free yourself you are also anchored to hopefully give you time to prevent regrounding.
Good luck tomorrow!
Shawn
thanks for the support, Shawn. the thought of kedging crossed my mind, but the c dory folks showed up. and then i was in the water pushing and it quickly faded.. we will save that for next time :) hopefully not this week! I am thinking that i will just get into ocean city tomorrow.. not a long trip at all.. find a nice marina.. and spend a relaxing afternoon. then head back north on thursday.. if i stay in beach haven again, it will be a very manageable trip to see bob on the way home.. and then another easy leg to get home on saturday.. no sense in pushing too hard! i am thinking that the trip back north will be a bit faster if this wind pattern holds.. we will see about that..
something else that i learned.. chart kits.. great at home around the table.. probably great on a boat with an enclosed cabin and a chart table that is easily accessible to the helm station.. not so great on a compac 23 going to windward.. mine got drenched.. but i was reluctant to put it in the cabin.. especially after the grounding.. i wanted to know where i was! any ideas? i kept it on the seat across from me under some plastic, but the wind and the spray beat it up pretty bad.. me too :) jt
JT:
Your accounts of your adventures are great! Sure, reality isn't quite matching up with your float plan but you are learning lots. I raise my glass of Newfy's Screetch to ya! Ayuh.
Last night, I was looking at the charts where you were talking about and I wasn't envying you...but it sure is turning about to be a learning session. Oh, forgot to mention the greenheads. Very nasty little things. If we could train 'em, we wouldn't need a paid human military! True story: I've actually had them stay on my back biting me underwater while out surfing the south end of LBI.
Looks like on Thursday you'll have SW winds so that'll mean a nice run North. Call me when your'e leaving BH or whenever you want. I'm sailing (or motoring) Koinonia down to Surf City tomorrow morning. Again, at ICW marker 62, hang a sharp right into the local channel and you'll be in "Koinonia" country.
Fair winds! and no greenheads.
Bob23
Being of the Great Lakes persuasion,I gotta ask.What's a greenhead?
i believe that it is the common horsefly, or a close cousin.. sure feels the same when they bite! after negotiating some pretty tight channels.. it is tempting to look for some big open water.. maybe the great lakes would suit just fine! :)
A nasty nasty biting fly that inhabits the east cost barrier islands from SC to NJ.
Hate-em! Slather on the DEET and they just lick their chops with the under tones of "OH BOY! Dressing!"
TG
that was a wonderfully descriptive explanation of greenheads, Tim. . nice job!
And now for day 3....
Perhaps one of the most remarkable things that comes to mind is that last night I had the best night's sleep ever onboard.. I wonder if that had anything to do with the exertion needed to push the boat off of the sand three times! As i reflect on yesterday's experiences. the sand was really not that bad.. more on that later..
so i got off to a very slow start.. when i did awake, i could hear dripping on the top of the cabin.. there was a very heave dew.. the boat was wet everywhere.. even under the bimini.. and the fog was somewhat thick.. no early start today! so i headed into town.. stopped at a breakfast place that i had checked out last night.. ended up sitting next to a fellow who used to live in Margate, but who know lives in Canada.. we struck up a nice conversation and covered a full list of topics.. I was in no rush because the fog seemed to be going nowhere.. and he was not in a big rush to get back to the kids!!
by the time it seemed to be safe to navigate, i made the decision to forgo Ocean City and to turn back instead.. and now I am typing this from Beach Haven where I am safely tied up in the same slip that i had two nights ago.. and that it about it.. well, maybe not quite :)
got off to a good start and happened to time the bridges of Atlantic City pretty well.. about a 12 min wait at the first one and then smooth sailing through the rest of them as I got to them.. as i was going through the first bridge, i thought. .what would happen if i lost power right now.. of course, that did not happen.. but it did 60 seconds later.. no fooling.. i had filled up the gas can and did not squeeze the bulb.. i keep calling these experiences, but some of them are just total goof ups!
after that, life was good.. picked up the tide this time.. wind behind me.. dry ride.. and then i got to the danger zone.. the first sign was the return of the greenheads!! the second was a barge that was laying pipe right next to the ICW, in fact, in the ICW.. i was already nervous about making past the point of yesterday's groundings.. and here i had this nuance to contend with.. and i did not do such a great job.. they had put temporary markers in the channel, and i saw them coming down.. but i missed them heading north.. and wouldn't you know it.. thump thump thump. gets me right in the stomach were I tend to process many of my emotions! so.. a single curse.. and then no hesitation.. " over the side mate, " i said.. but of course, i was the only one aboard.. so that meant me! anticipating the soft feel of a sandy bottom, i was temporary, queazy about landing in mud.. up to my knees.. yuch.. no time to think what might be lurking down there.. time to push.. now, i don't want to get cocky or anything, but i am getting pretty good at pushing boats off bars! in no time, the boat was afloat. and i hopped aboard.. and started the engine.. and rat tat tat tat.. oops. knew that sound.. the prop was hitting the floating rudder again! pushed the rudder aside and steered back into the channel.. replaced the plastic bolt.. and off we go towards the real menace.. marker 128A.. the one that is not on my chart, which gave me time to pause yesterday.. on that leg of the trip i was on a beam reach , under power, but the wind was pushing me to the side a fair amount.. i had a couple of scares as i watched the depth sounder report depths of 4.1 4 4 etc.. but i made it through unscathed..
when i came around the bend at Beach Haven inlet, i could look directly out to see.. seems like a pretty friendly inlet compared to some of the others that i have seen.. but I had not the time nor the inclination to stick my nose out into the real ocean.. i was once more looking forward to a hot shower.. and i thought that the marina was just around the corner.. just that fast, the fog rolled in, and it was all i could do to pick out the next mark.. and then the next.. and then steer in the general direction of where i think the next mark is and look for it... got lucky .. and made it back to the marina in time to secure my slip...
the plan for the rest of the week.. take a short leg tomorrow and then a short leg on friday and meet up with bob. maybe anchor in his cover over night.. and then head towards toms river and shore point marina.. it will be nice to get home :) not that i am looking forward to the trip ending.. there may not be another quite like this one.. can't afford it! so, i am enjoying while i can..
things i learned.. JT 4 Tow boat 0 the odds are becoming increasingly in favor of the tow boat!
I am a captain.. really,, all you need to do to become a captain is buy a boat and take it through a draw bridge.. all of the bridge attendees called me captain :)
if i were to seriously consider traveling down the ICW, it would be in a power boat.. I friend of mine sailed to the islands from NH a number of years ago.. i asked how much actual sailing he did on the 8 month trip , and he told me he sailed 5% of the time.. i was dismayed to hear that.. but I have a much better understanding.. yesterday and today were all about staying in the channel.. that imaginary road across the water, marked by posts planted along the way.. not only would i have a power boat, it would be one that drew less than two feet.. Ideally, the ICW is safe at low tide to a depth of 6 feet.. but i am afraid that just is not so.. maybe Sandy had a lot to do with it.. not sure, but there is a lot of discussion about the depth and the changes from last year.. how can all of that possible be managed?
the other option would be to have a sailboat large enough to sail outside... but that just is not going to happen :)
I have a huge amount of respect for solo sailors.. no one to bounce ideas off of.. no one to handle the bow line.. no one to take over while you went below to use the head.. no one to make a fresh cup of tea to enjoy along the way.. this has been great, but i am not sure that I am cut out to be a long term solo sailor.. no around the world trips for me!
When i first learned to drive.. it was somewhat nerve wracking.. perhaps more so for my folks.. but I got a handle on things. and now there is very little thought to hopping in the car and taking off.. but i can't imagine that I will ever feel quite as easy going about heading out in the boat ( and probably with good reason) the fact is, once you untie the lines.. there are so many variables that one has to continually process.. wind, tide, current, and things can happen quickly, even at 6 miles per hour! when the rudder starts thumping along the bottom, there is very little time to plan a course of action..
i need to rig an anchor so that it is ready to go at a moments notice.. my anchors are safely stored below .. because i rarely use them and do not have the bowsprint with and anchor roller.. gotta change that next year.. if i were to lose power i need to be able to drop an anchor very quickly to keep from drifting into danger..
i guess that is about it for now.. just about time to head into town for dinner... thanks for reading! jt
JT:
Thank you so much for posting in such great detail. You have no idea how much I am enjoying your account. Let me know about what time you'll be up in Surf City on Friday. Depending on when, maybe we can get breakfast or pizza. I'll try to get my road bike over there for you to use. I dug up an old Dahon folding bike at a yard sale a couple of weeks ago...that's my ride! You'll like my old Bridgestone RB-2.
Beach Haven inlet, while looking calm, usually has standing breakers just a bit outside. While it is marked, I'm sure that Sandy did a bit of rearranging. Just in the last few years there have been some quite large and expensive sailboats end thier days on the shoals or on the beach.
Again, really enjoying this adventure. Maybe partly because you are near my home waters.
Bob23
hi bob.. just looked at the chart.. i am actually pretty close to your mooring.. maybe a bit more than 5 miles? i will give you a call tomorrow to let you know what i am up to. glad you are enjoying the tale... warts and all! i took a walk into Beach Haven this evening.. got a nice glass of unsweetened iced tea.. and a crumb cake from the bakery i saw a sign for concert on the green on wed nights.. asked a bunch of folks if they knew where the green was.. no one seemed to know! took the tea out to a deck on the beach and enjoyed looking at the ocean... then headed south in the direction that the sign pointed.. found a grocery store -- bought some bananas and some macaroni salad. and a hot cup of tea.. and then happened to see another sign indicating a left turn to get to the green.. so i found it.. typical americana .. folks riding their bikes to the park with their lawn chairs.. i am impressed with how many people ride bikes here.. in fact, i kind of like the town.. if i were not an ocean grove devotee.. i might try to get back here with the family..
and now back to the marina.. getting pretty sleepy. no big rush to head out tomorrow.. we will see what the day holds! jt
JT,
great story. You are gaining more experience than you know. And as the saying goes....Red Right Return. And when in the ICW, you return to Brownsville, TX. Which would be south in your case (unless you are in a "S" bend) and North in mine (west coast of FL).
What type of anchor do you have?
The reason I ask is I too do not have the bow sprit. So I mount my danforth on my bow rail with this.....
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=11151&productId=38751&langId=-1#.UdTVCqN5mSM
A whole lot cheaper than the bow sprit.
Looks like this..
(http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af237/billybbingham/P8070048.jpg) (http://s1011.photobucket.com/user/billybbingham/media/P8070048.jpg.html)
Recognize the stations?
The anchor should be easily deployable should you have a engine failure at a critical time. Never understood why the USCG doesn't require you to have an anchor on board.
JT:
Beach Haven has made an incredible comeback after Sandy. If you were ar Murphey's Market, they had between 3 and 4 feet of water inside.
I like the dedicated bike lane in Beach Haven, at least on the ocean roads. Actually, the bike lanes are overrun with runners, skaters, walkers and bikers. All seem to coexist pretty peacefully. I guess maybe travelling at slower speeds has an inherent safety factor built in. The boulevard can be deadly in the summer on a bike.
I'm not sure what time I'll depart Waretown but if we don't connect up in Surf City, we will defintely pass each other on the ICW today. I'll be mostly motoring south, just as you did 4 days ago and you'll be sailing north. Up in the northern part of the bay down to marker #47 there is plenty of water...our 23's are free to roam. Between #47 and #49, things tend to narrow up a bit. I'll have my radio on (I try not to use the cell on the water) so maybe we can stay in touch.
Bob23
hi billy,
thanks for the anchoring tip.. and the stanchions! the replacement is working out fine. and i have three left in reserve! i slept pretty well again... it is amazing how quickly I drift off now.. i have both a danforth and a plow.. it seems that the danforth is the anchor of choice in this area, but up north, folks tend to use a plow type anchor more.. there is no doubt that this trip has resulted in a wealth of experience.. just wish i had this kind of opportunity when i was a kid... I read a book a few years back about a father and son traveling from cape cod to florida on a 24 foot sailboat with a small tender back at the turn of the last century. they did not have marinas at which to tie up.. with bathrooms and showers.. probably had nothing more than a cedar bucket.. i really enjoyed reading the book, but it seems so much more real now! time to have a cup of tea and make a plan for the day.. off to visit with bob! jt
Day 4
no rush to get started today.. the plan is to meet Bob at his mooring in Surf City which is maybe 8-10 miles.. I visited The Chicken or the Egg for breakfast - ordered a short stack of pancakes. could have done with an extra short stack! While I was at the restaurant, I read an interested article that a woman wrote about her family home on 2nd ave in Beach Haven. The house went back 3 generations , and the story was so well written.. The sad part about the whole thing is that Sandy moved the house on its foundation, and the author was told that they would need to jack the house 10 feet in order to rebuild. the house is for sale.. When i left the restaurant, I realized that I was on the corner of 2nd ave, so i searched for the house.. It really did not look like it was in dire shape, but looks can be deceiving, and I did not get to glimpse inside.. It made me ponder about every house and the stories that that they all have to share..
ok.. back to the nautical part of the story.. Bob gave me good direction to his mooring area, and he happened to be bringing his boat from the marina to the mooring field , so the timing was great. I found the channel into Surf City and tried to raise him on the radio.. he was not close enough yet, so I just puttered around for a bit and then figured that I might as well set the anchor.. I had rigged the anchor before leaving in the morning - thought that i was ready to go.. but maybe not quite ready enough.. i nosed Adagio into the mooring field and watched as the depth quickly dropped from 15 to 6 to 4 to.. hmm found a nice soft spot in the mud to sit and wait for bob :) Felt pretty relaxed.. watched another sailboat come in and touch bottom.. but he had a centerboard, and after he had prepared everything, he just raised the board and continued in to his spot..
Bob arrived a bit later.. i volunteered to go in and retrieve his dingy because i was going to get wet anyhow.. turned out to be mucky.. with lots of sharp , uncharted, objects SUO's.. i found a couple.. but it was only when i got back to Bob's boat that he pointed out the blood in the bilge of the dingy! no wonder that foot was hurting! it was a pretty good sized gash.. when i got back to Adagio for the salvage operation.. I put on my sandals. wonder why i did not think of that sooner! I figured that this was all meant to be.. an opportunity to try kedging.. i rowed the anchor out and dropped it in the bay.. took up tension on the line, using the winch. and made very little progress.. but.. this was a good idea because the tide was on its way in, and the wind would have kept blowing the boat ashore.. so the anchor held it from getting in a worse predicament. i jumped off the boat and tried pushing on the bow.. it was pretty stuck.. more so than the precious times.. i pushed on the stern.. very littel success.
Bob came up the the bright idea of using the main halyard to tip the boat over.. we tied a few extra lines to it. walked away from the boat ( Bob was wet too at this point.. and heeled the boat over.. as Bob held it there, i went back to the boat and began pushing.. there were little successes.. but it was going to be a challenge.. until, a volunteer detachment of the young beach guys, led by a kind hearted soul who marshelled them together came to our rescue. in short time, the boat was free, the anchor was already set.. and life was good again..
Sea Tow 0 Adagio and crew 5 as our friend in Florida says.. "small boats rock" :)
Bob and I went ashore with the intention of getting a pizza, but his wife, Linda , was there waiting for him.. She had another idea for dinner... in the end, we ended up taking Linda's mother out for a 4th of July dinner, at a nice place, where Bob's daughter is currently working.. how nice was that? I am getting to know the whole family, and all because of the internet and the nice folks who set up this site and our common interest in Compac Yachts..
One little detail remained unanswered. would i find a marina close by, or would i moor right where i was.. we stopped by a marina in Surf City . i asked it they had a transient mooring.. the response was " for a boat?" hmmmm.. with a hint of sarcasm, i said.. did you really ask that question? but then they explained that the have boat slips as well as sport slips and no , i was not allowed to stay overnight on my boat in Surf City.. what???? oh well. i guess that I am a law breaker now.. stayed on my boat in Surf City overnight.. but only after a wonderful meal, and great company.. and a final chat with Bob in the cockpit.. he asked if i wanted to set a second anchor.. the wind was blowing pretty strong, and we agreed that it would calm down ... I told him that i thought i would be fine.. but he was not even on the beach before i started gathering the stuff I would need to set the second anchor.. that was for peace of mind.. :) I was enjoying fireworks from a number of different towns when it hit me that i was dead tired.. i crawled into my sleeping bag and slipped off to sleep before the fireworks were over..
woke up at 1;15 am.. wind still howling.. went out on deck to check things.. all is secure so i tried to go back to sleep.. up again at 4 am and then again at 6:15. the sun was shining and the wind had died.. time to get moving.. last day of the trip..
JT, I am enjoying reading your post and hope you continue along safely.
Heard an interesting theory about using a second anchor while I was in the BVIs this past Spring.
If you are planning on staying on the boat overnight and the weather picks up and gets crazy in the middle of the night and you need to get out of there, and if both anchors start dragging and you are headed towards a lee shore then you now have to pull up two anchors not just one.
Now if you are leaving the boat unattended than maybe two anchors would be a good idea.
Of coarse there are always different situations that call for different solutions but I thought this particular advice from the captain was good.
interesting thought, Billy... like so many other aspects of boating.. it is difficult to reach consensus the proper way to accomplish a task.. of course, different situations dictate various courses of action.. thanks for your input.. in this case, the anchor that i first set was holding quite well.. it was the line that concerned me.. time to change it! good luck on your trip this weekend... jt
'Twas a true pleasure to meet up with JT on his way back north. It was perfect timing as the 4th was the first day I had available to sail the boat down from the marina to her home port. This was especially important because each year I fly Old Glory from her backstay over the 4th of July weekend and didn't want to miss this one.
We had a great time dislodging Adagio but we might have had to wait out the tide unless the army of volunteers hadn't appeared. A note on 2 anchors: When visiting Tice's Shoals or anywhere else, I like to set 2 anchors, Bahama moor style for 2 reasons: I enjoy minimal swing at anchor and I like the reassurance of 2 anchors in case of a wind switch, which we all know will happen. In fact I like the reassurance of 2 of almost anything, a fact of which JT can attest. Check out this article on the Bahama mooring:
http://www.goodoldboat.com/reader_services/articles/anchor.php
Thank you Jt for keeping such a detailed journal of this trip...it has been one of my reading highlights so far this summer. And thanks for letting me be a part of it. And I can almost promise not to post the photos of Adagio leaning over while sitting on the muddy bottom of Harry's Cove, my home mooring. Almost!
Best,
Bob23
Day 5.. this is the second time that i am typing this.. not sure where the first version went! i probably fell asleep before hitting post :(
Got an early start out of surf city.. pulled and stowed anchor number 1... warmed up the engine... retrieved line from anchor 2 up to the chain - this pulled me a bit closer to the channel and away from the shallows :) then pulled the anchor and left it on the deck - returning to the cockpit to steer a course away from the beach.. the wind had actually diminished since 4 am.. so that was in my favor. Followed the local channel out to the ICW and headed home.. I used the auto tiller for a while so that i could stow the second anchor and gear..
the wind was light early, but I was entering the wide open part of the bay and almost felt guilty about not sailing.. so i set the jib to see how she would respond.. 2.5 knts.. double the time to get home.. I was definitely feeling like the horse who had caught a glimpse of the barn! got the engine going again and off i went..
there were many more boats on the water compared with early in the week when i was the only one on the entire bay for the first two hours! in fact, as I got off of Waretown, there must have been at least a 100 fishing boats bobbing all around.. I encountered a few sailboats.. many motoring like me.. The seaside heights bridge was ahead and getting clearer by the minute.. after a few hours, I was at the entrance to Toms River.. there were folks cutting all kinds of corners as far as the bouys were concerned, but i was determined to stay in the channel and not push it - I had no desire to hop into the water again!
came back to the dock.. was hoping to end the trip with a smooth landing.. almost!
nudged the dock just a bit.. and of course, my neighbor was watching :)
final statistics.. 110 nautical miles ave 4.5 knts , spent lots of money :)
Highlights:
learned a huge amount..
got a chance to visit with bob and his family and a wonderful meal at his daughter's restaurant!
finally got a chance to experience traveling by boat after soooo many years of dreaming about it
Only in retrospect did I realize how exhausted i was when i got back yesterday.. I literally nodded off while typing this account.. Being on a small boat on the water, in the heat really drains a person of energy!
i learned that I really should have been doing this when i was 30.. and i am not 30 anymore!
I learned that being on a boat alone, is particularly intense.. i thought a lot about the term self-reliant through the week, and I like to think that I am self-reliant, but in fact, there is nothing like sharing thoughts with experienced folks.. or having a crew of young guys come off of the beach to lend a hand when the chips are down.. I think that I am much more inclined to believe in a goal of neighborly support as opposed to having to do everything myself. ( this after building my house, largely by myself!) :)
so i need a few days rest , and then i will tackle the problem of getting the boat to Maine next year.. i guess that i have a full range of options to consider.. buying a trailer and renting a truck.. having it shipped.. or taking the time to sail it.. time will tell!
thanks for reading.. this closes the recording of the first long distance adventure of Adagio 2013 jt
110NM that's pretty good. Glad you made it back safe. And as for running aground....there are two types of sailors. Those who have run aground and those who have lied! I very much enjoyed reading your trip reports. Hope you took some pictures.
Bob,
I have used the Bahama mooring a few times when I first started over nighting on the boat and while it does cut down on the swinging when the wind direction stays consistent (see Mac's post about the bobbing 19), my luck always seems to have the wind shift just as I am dozing off...
Now the two anchors are in a straight line forward of the bow instead of off at 45 degrees each. And the anchor that is now closer to the boat is no longer working. The rode slacks and it pretty much becomes useless.....and the boat swings anyways. As we all know, these Com-Pacs have a mind of their own. But if a bad situation occurs and you had to pull up the anchor(s) in a hurry, your now having to pull up and stow two anchors and rodes before you can begin making way. Which can be dangerous when single handing. And there is also the time it takes to set up the Bahama Mooring. I would prefer the Bahama Momma. ;)
But one of the things sailors argue about most is how to anchor and proper techniques. To each there own.
billy, what size line to you use for your anchor? it was the line that concerned me the other night.. i know that 3/8th is supposed to be adequate.. by some accounts , more than adequate.. but i would feel more comfortable with half inch.. although it was a bit disconserting to have the wind blowing as much , it is good to get through a night like that just to see how well the anchor and line did hold.. my second anchor was pretty much in line with the first.. just might have helped out had the first one failed.. lucky for me.. they did not get tangled. i have heard that can be a problem as well.. jt
" it was the line that concerned me the other night.. i know that 3/8th is supposed to be adequate.. by some accounts , more than adequate.. but i would feel more comfortable with half inch.."
I had 3/8" and switched out to 1/2" double braid on Serenity for my main anchor. The 3/8" should be plenty strong (tensile strength is greater than the displacement of the boat) but I preferred the 1/2" due to greater chafe resistance and it is a little easier on the hands. The downside of wider lines is less stretch. The stretch helps reduce shock loading. I have almost 60 pounds of chain (38' of 3/8") on my main anchor, the catenary helps reduce shock loading too. My secondary/lunch anchor uses 3/8" line.
For those that are worried about wind shift while anchored what type of anchor are you using? Different anchor designs handle wind/tide shifts better/worse than others.
Shawn
I have 3/8" but I'm on a 19 not a 23. I'm sure the line is plenty strong for both boats though. But chafe is an issue. Especially when laying on the bottom. I am considering switching to all chain though. I currently have about 8' of chain now.
My reason for switching to all chain is so
1. chafe will no longer be an issue
2. Better holding due to cantenary curve (the weight of the chain will pull the boat closer to the anchor and reduce the load on the anchor).
3. Get some more weight up front. I feel like my boat squats a bit when under way (especially with 4 people in the cockpit).
I mostly use an 8lb Danforth and 90% of the time.....it works all the time. ;) I also have a 11lb (maybe 16lb can't remember) claw that is great too, but heavy and I keep that one in the back in a lazerette. Same rode on that anchor too.
When I go to the beach I drop the danforth about 30' or so out and then walk the plow up to the beach. I think that is called a mediteranian mooring but I'm not sure. The plow is really heavy and I should probably throw that off the bow and walk the lighter danforth up to the beach but i don't have a way to store my plow on the bow. I also have a little grappling anchor I could use for a stern anchor but I am pretty sure it is too small.
good discussion guys.. i do have about 25 feet of chain on the line.. i am just going to change out the line for a new 3/8 ths one and let it go at that....
on another note.. apparently i did give the good samaritan in the C Dory the right number. he just called this afternoon and we had a nice chat.. i will work on a plan for getting his gear back to him.. i could do it right now, except that i don't have a car.. waiting for my wife to show up later this after noon for a sunset cruise.. doesn't that sound romantic?? :) i will finally get to do some sailing !! jt
Quick note:
I use 1/2" for my primary anchor and I have an 150' of 5/8" line as an auxilary. My mooring tackle, above the water, consists of two 5/8" lines. You might have guessed I'm a redundancy and overkill freak! But I am mooring in open water which sometimes tends to get nasty. I'd hate to loose my 23 because I thought my tackle was "strong enough".
JT: I was thinking of you when I saw the light wind on Friday morning. And it blew so hard for almost 2 weeks straight out of the SW! Glad you had a great return trip. Enjoy the sunset cruise! Hi to Janet.
Bob23
When Bob and I were extricating Adagio from the soft bottom in his cove, we noticed that there were some bare spots on the hull under the water line.. i remarked that it looked like the bottom paint job did not get done! When i talked to the guys at the marina, I was told that it had been done but that the bare spots would not hold the paint .. indicating that the bottom needed to be prepped.. I guess there was no time to do that before getting it in the water..
It is kind of hard to tell how good a job was done when you show up and the boat is in the water! So , I have been giving this some serious thought.. I think that it is time to make room here at home and bring the boat home.. of course, the big dilemma is that I do not have a trailer.. also don't have a vehicle large enough to tow it, but that can be remedied in a number of different ways.. I figure that I can have it hauled here.. or borrow a trailer.. or buy one.. I am investigating that right now.. first quote came bake at 5K+ ouch! the boat didn't cost me much more than that! I am just about to fill out some paperwork for a second quote..
if anyone knows of a used trailer that is available and which is relatively close to NJ or PA.. let me know! I can always put it on blocks here at home. and that will give me an opportunity to scrape the bottom , do a good job of prepping it.. and putting on the bottom paint myself! it will also give me a chance to rewire the boat.. a job that I have been contemplating for a while.. And I can do much more justice to the patch that i put on her hull early this spring, along with a few more patches that are necessary..
The reality is that it may not make it into the water next summer, but at least it will be handy , and I can work on it as I can afford the time and expense.. and I can always sleep aboard if I start feeling nostalgic.. jt
JT:
Schedule permitting, my trailer sits naked all summer and is available for you to use. When are you thinking of bringing Adagio home? Even if it's the fall, it'll probably work. It would mean a return trip for you to bring the trailer back to NJ. Let's talk on the shoe phone. \
Bob23
Over the past week or so, I have been rewriting and editing my posts about the trip for another blog that I have.. I must say that I am more than a little embarrassed at the poor spelling and lack of editing that was apparent in my posts on this site! In fact, I should have prefaced each one with the warning Rough Draft !! It goes to show just how tired I actually was each night as I jotted down my experiences for the day.. What a nice bunch to read and suffer through all that. It occurred to me that some might read my entries and walk away thinking that it was a journey from hell.. or possibly to hell :) But, of course, that was not the case at all. How often do we get the chance to spend five days "at sea" on our boats? In fact, it was a golden opportunity to see New Jersey from a totally new perspective .. ok.. lots of room there for sarcastic thoughts, but I will let that pass.. I am already thinking about the next trip :) jt
I for one enjoyed reading the account of your voyage. I don't read with the idea of picking things apart and looking for errors. Very enjoyable and I'm glad I was a small part of it. Also glad you learned that there's more to NJ then the Parkway, Turnpike and (very thankfully) "Jersey Shore".
Bob23
I too enjoyed your post and I have no room to talk about grammar or spelling.
Keep'm coming and please post a link to your blog, or add it to your signature.
wow.. what kind-hearted folks! But that should come as no surprise... http://lifeat6mph.wordpress.com/ this is a link to my blog.. Originally, it was intended to be largely focused on sailing, but I have strayed far and wide :) It has not generated a great deal of interest or followers.. in fact, the biggest response that I got was from a post regarding my grandmother's poor dutchman's cake recipe.. if you try it, let me know how it turns out :) jt
I sure was hoping to add one more adventure to the 2013 sailing log, but it seems that it simply was not in the cards. We were hoping to get down to meet up with Bob this weekend, but there was simply too much to be done here between school and home. On the bright side, I did get my shed organized after about 5 intense hours on Saturday morning, but it would have been a whole lot more fun perched in the cockpit with the tiller in one hand and the main sheet in the other! Instead, I made the dreaded call to the marina and gave them the go ahead to pull Adagio.
We will have to make one last trip down to button up the boat for the winter, and I am hoping to find time during that trip to get together with Bob for breakfast for lunch or dinner, or whatever works out.. that will certainly be the highlight of the weekend because spending time with bob is always an adventure in itself!
And, looking ahead to next year? well, I already bought the charts, and with some cruising experience behind me, I believe that I will be more ready than ever to get the boat in the water early and to head to Maine . of course, June is a long way off at this point, but the earlier I start the planning, the more likely things will fall into place on time. so, here is hoping! jt
JT:
I never made it to Tice's this weekend...work and family obligations. Did get out for a wonderful sunset sail on Friday night and hung out on the boat to veiw the nearly full moon rise out of the east.
We're looking forward to getting together with you and Janet whenever you make it down here. Always a sad time to have to haul the boat. I'm thinking about spending October at the marina then hauling at the end of the month. We'll see...you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men....
Bob23
JT and Bob,
I can't face putting the Madame away for the winter.... it seams way to early. Besides, fall sailing in the northeast is amazing!! Can you say "Indian Summer? I wish we were closer so we could enjoy some real sailing together. It was a great adventure at the BBB 2013 but I missed getting the opportunity to sail with you.
I had to check the Madame's log and my last sail last year was Nov. 12. Heck, we still have lots of time.
Let's plan a dinner after the water gets hard and Suzie and I will come down for a weekend getaway.
-Allen
Bob.. glad you got to spend some time on the boat.. i bet it was beautiful. I feel pretty good about the work that I got done around that house both yesterday and today.. some things that really should not have been put off this long.. It is sad to pull the boat so early, but there just won't be time in the schedule to make a worthwhile trip down, other than to cover the boat.
Allen, we are looking forward to meeting Suzie - it would be great if you guys came down for a weekend.. we are tossing around ideas for thanksgiving.. one option would be to visit my daughter in vt.. if we do, i will let you know.. maybe we could meet for lunch along the way.. jt
Ladies and Gents:
It's not too early to start planning the 2nd Annual Mid Winter Gathering of the East Coast Compac-o-nauts! Last year it was decided that before Christmas was not going to work due to the pre Christmas schedule craziness so a post Christmas date was agreed upon.
Bob23
Quote from: jthatcher on September 22, 2013, 04:11:30 PM
we are tossing around ideas for thanksgiving.. one option would be to visit my daughter in vt.. if we do, i will let you know.. maybe we could meet for lunch along the way.. jt
Just give us a shout, Jason, and we will try to set something up.
-Allen
Quote from: Bob23 on September 22, 2013, 04:53:49 PM
Ladies and Gents:
It's not too early to start planning the 2nd Annual Mid Winter Gathering of the East Coast Compac-o-nauts! Last year it was decided that before Christmas was not going to work due to the pre Christmas schedule craziness so a post Christmas date was agreed upon.
Bob23
Bob,
Perhaps you should start another thread under "Group Outings and Com-pac Events".
Curtis
You're right...thanks Curtis.
Bob23
October report: A few weeks ago I called the marina and gave them the go ahead to pull the boat for the season, at the same time, sending in the appropriate paperwork. Early last week I got the bill. So, with a long weekend that happened to coincide with my birthday, Janet and I decided to spend the weekend at Ocean Grove, celebrate my birthday, and prepare the boat for winter all in one trip. When we got to the shore on friday night, it was apparent, even in the darkness, that the ocean was pretty rough. I did not realize it, but there was a storm sitting off of the DELMARVA peninsula, and it was whipping up the seas off of the Jersey coast.
Saturday morning we walked on the boardwalk ( the parts not destroyed by Sandy) and were exposed to winds blowing 25-30 and a very angry ocean.
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/oceangrovebirthdayweekend1_zpsc19fc560.jpg) (http://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/oceangrovebirthdayweekend1_zpsc19fc560.jpg.html)
this photo was taken at Ocean Grove where the fishing pier used to be prior to Sandy. Although the temps were unseasonably warm, the wind and blowing sand made it less then enjoyable to try to sit on the boardwalk for any length of time. We enjoyed a fall festival that was taking place in town and then decided to head to the marina to work on the boat. It did not take long at the marina to figure out that I had made a significant miscalculation - equating receiving the bill for the haul out with the idea that the boat had, indeed, been hauled! - nope, in fact, there she sat at her slip, tugging at her lines with the wind whistling through her rigging - bummer! We made the best of it, taking her sails off ( perhaps some money saved there) and packing the car with numerous items that we intended to store at home. I also brought the engine home to store in my basement. So it looks like one more trip to Jersey this fall to cover the boat when it finally ends up on the hard!
We had a wonderful weekend despite the boat set back.. I never get enough of ocean grove, a destination for family vacations since I was 5 and the setting for my first date with Janet a number of years ago. :)
So, i think that i read here about flushing out engines with a mixture of half water, half vinegar at the end of the season.. has anyone actually done that? any thoughts would be appreciated... jt
jt -
Look at it this way: Another trip down to the Jersey shore could result in BBB-2013.2!
Marty K.
Seriously! JT...let me know when you're coming. Maybe with a little advance notice we can con Marty down too. He'll need to break in that new fuel pump!
Bob23
It has been so long since I posted any news in this thread .. and, hopefully, Adagio is nestled safely under her tarps weathering the last that winter has to offer.. so, in reality, this is more about the adventures of Adagio's owner!
As I write this, I am at the short end of spring break, sitting in VT in the middle of what may be a significantly large snowstorm. Last week my wife and I led a group of students on a week long Habitat for Humanity trip to White Sulpher Springs WV. I am active on a ownwer-built-homes forum very similar to this one and happened to find that another member of that forum lived very close to where we were going to be. A few email exchanges led to an invitation to visit him, so when we got down there, we piled the kids in the van and we all descended upon his home together.. He took us up to the neatest cabin that he built on the top of a mountain and then visited a local craft store before ending the visit by going out to dinner together... totally cool experience. And why am I relating this story? Because a similar story played out this week in VT.
My daughter works in a bakery in fairfax VT, and a month or so ago, she mentioned that a boat builder guy stops in periodically. I put two and two together and said.. maybe that is Geoff Kerr from Off Center Harbor fame ( great website, if you have not already checked it out) and sure enough, that is who it was.. so, I made plans to stop by his shop during my visit with her. In addition, not too long ago, I saw a post on this forum about sailing on lake champlain from Steve from vermont.. i got in touch with him and found that he lives in the next town over from where my daughter lives.. so I sent him an email this week and we agreed to meet at the bakery.. we did that yesterday, sharing a cup of tea and a goodie along with a few boating stories.. the fact that his wife has sheep is of interest to us as well, because my daughter spins and knits.. but that has nothing to do with boats! Steve mentioned that has a current boat building project underway and invited me out to see it.. So, today turned out to be quite a nautical experience. I visited with Geoff in the morning at his boat shop - Two Daughters Boat Works - which is maybe two miles down the road.. found out that some former colleagues of mine taught at his high school and that he used to visit a friend who had a place in the next town over from where we live, and that, like we did ( still finishing), he built his own house.. and then I visited Steve in the afternoon.. got to see his cool old barn and his building project - a glued lapstrake version of a herreshoff 12 1/2... and found out that he also built his own house.. twice..
the internet sure has made the world a smaller place! This saturday, we are planning to get together for lunch with friends whom we met here on the forum.. the infamous Bob23, Marty.. and some mystery guests.. ( this storm better end tomorrow, like they are saying it will!) So, I say thanks to the creators of these forums who have made it so easy to share information and ideas and to kindle friendships which are so valued!
Spring is just around the corner - hard as it is to imagine as I peer out the window and observe snow falling steadily.. along with many here, I am getting antsy to feel the deck of Adagio beneath my feet.. :)
Amen! To all of the above. Looking forward to seeing you guys Saturday.
Marty K.
JT:
When checking this site for new posts, if I see yours, I always read it first. I appreciate your writing and it seems we have many common interests. I love bakeries!!!!But I need to stay away from them.
My tastes in housebuilding are kinda eclectic. Working on Long Beach Island, NJ, I get to work on some high end places, some where true taste is non existent. But it pays the bills. My own personal tastes in homes leans toward the smaller and efficient floor plan and very energy efficient construction. I'm a Fine Homebuilding subscriber and there are numerous articles on the Passive Haus methods of constructin which make LEED standards look like childs play. If I ever build my own (not likely as I'd need 3 or 4 lifetimes to finish it) it'd be no bigger than 1000 sft. Ok, maybe 1200.
Looking forward to Saturday. Forecast is good. My son is coming up with us in the car and plans on biking back to Tuckerton, NJ in preparation for a mid April cycling event in PA. I used to ride those mega miles...now I'm just a sailin' and rowin' fool!
Bob23
(ps: I just checked out Off Center Harbor...a very cool site...thanks so much! Thier philosophy resonates with mine. "Bigger ain't better!")
Wow, it has been forever since I last posted on this thread .. probably because there has not been much news to post! I was hoping that my much anticipated trip north would actually happen this summer, but some family heath issues are taking priority.. So I made the decision to buy a trailer ( an idea that I have toyed with before) and to bring Adagio home. The boat will probably remain here the next two years as I attend to projects ( boat related and otherwise) close to home.
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/boatathome2_zps5e3d83c3.jpg) (http://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/boatathome2_zps5e3d83c3.jpg.html)
I arranged to have a trailer built by the folks at LoadMaster in Port Clinton OH. I actually got a quote from them last year when I was considering the idea of a trailer in the fall. They sent me a form to fill out with all sorts of measurements. At first, I figured it would be cost effective to just send the form down to the marina and have them do the measurements, but then my brother-in-law cautioned me saying " you never know who is doing the work.. they could send a teenager out there with a tape measure" Considering the expense of the trailer, it made sense to make the 3.5 hour trip down to take the measurements myself..
While I was measuring, I contacted the LoadMaster folks, and sent them a text with a picture of the boat on the stands at the marina. That turned out to be very helpful as we then discussed certain aspects of the measurements based on them actually seeing the boat.
They got the trailer done in about 3 weeks, and I took a trip out to Ohio, leaving Sunday of last week - found that Port Clinton is a very nice area with loads of marinas and boats.. so much to see! picked up the trailer on Monday morning with plenty of tips and instructions regarding checking the lug nuts every so often.. I had asked them to wire the trailer with both a 4 prong connection and the 7 prong needed for the electric brakes which they install as a standard part of the package. I took my small Ranger to pick up the trailer, with the intention of using a different vehicle to actually pick up the boat.
Before leaving the area, I stopped at this museum http://www.libertyaviationmuseum.org/ - a very neat museum that has just recently been built.. An old time diner is part of the museum, and I found out that it was purchased in and moved from the town of Jim Thorpe which is just 45 minutes down the road from home!
The only issue with the trip home is that, without a boat on the trailer, the ride was very bumpy - I should have thought to let some air out of the tires, but I just figured that the trailer was a bit much for my small pickup.. found out later that it was just as bumpy with a full size tow vehicle!
Got home Monday night and made arrangements to pick up the boat the next day. - There is an intern from Holland working at my brother-in-law's orchard and he mentioned his interest in going deep sea fishing. I told him that I would take him and figured that we could combine the two goals in one trip. We left Tuesday morning, renting a pickup truck from U-Haul. I had talked with someone, apparently at a call center, and asked if the trucks were equipped with electric brake controllers and she said yes. But when we got there.. no brake controller.. no 7 prong fixture.. but a brand new truck.. bummer! we were committed, so I made the decision to proceed - we were very glad for the air conditioning because the heat the last few days was downright oppressive! As soon as we got to the marina, the guys loaded the boat on the trailer... we explained that we were going to go fishing and sleep on the boat for a few hours before leaving the next morning, so they suggested that we park in the shade - that was a good move.
We spent the rest of the afternoon preparing the boat for the trip and then chatting with the previous owner before heading to Pt Pleasant where we had dinner and then boarded the fishing boat for a 7:30 pm departure. Now, the wind was blowing a steady 20 all afternoon, and every once in a while, I mentioned to my friend that it was going to be a rough ride on the boat. He grinned and said " no problem " When we got to the boat the mates cautioned us, saying it was going to be a rough ride.. and he turned to me and said.. "looks like it could be rough" and I said " I have been telling you that all afternoon!!" I guess he needed to hear it from someone who looked a little more official :)
In front of me in line there was a young woman who was explaining to her companion that she was vowing not to get sick again.. i looked at her and told her that she picked a heck of a night to make that promise.. ( she was sick on the way out and then again on the way in) The waves were a good 5 feet and more, and we headed out about 10 miles - supposedly for blues, but the mate assured us that we would not be seeing any blues.. in fact, they have yet to catch many at all. Instead, we ended up bottom fishing for ling - a few eels and such. The fishing was not terribly exciting - I am getting the impression that it is pretty bad up and down the coast, but we had a great time none-the-less..
We returned to port at 1:30 am and drove to the boat where we laid down for a few hours before hooking the trailer up and heading home. The Garden State Parkway was not terribly pleasant with a 26 foot trailer behind me, but then, it never is pleasant.. I found out that the tolls skyrocket when pulling a tandem trailer - as if we were a tractor trailer or something! I probably spent in excess of $50 on tolls down and back.
We made it home with no issues.. scraped the back of the trailer just a bit as I was pulling into my street.. but the boat is home safe and sound at the moment.. Seeing it in the yard is going to be a constant reminder that I am not sailing this summer! :( But, paying that last marina bill was a blessing. After paying for winter storage, they had the gall to charge me 600 for two months of summer storage! I don't think that he could look me in the eye when I asked him the monthly rate for summer storage ( 300 ) it costs almost as much to leave it in the parking lot as it does to have it at the dock. The long and the short of things is that I now have a beautiful trailer that is worth more than my boat - but no more marina bills - I will be in the clear after two years - so this purchase represents a long term commitment to the boat.. and hopefully, that will mean many more stories in the future!
(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/boatathome1_zps8622b6be.jpg) (http://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/boatathome1_zps8622b6be.jpg.html)
Great story, and WOW! 300!! a month!! At the marina I work at, it is 110 a month shore storage, and that size boat would be like 2350 a year in its slip, and a year for us is actually 12 months (the other marinas on the lake have like 8 month years or something of that nature....
Mac
Mac - maybe we should come out your way! Actually, I would like to take the boat different places, so the trailer will come in handy in the future as well as the present..
Both places to high for my taste. I pay $1450 a year (if paid in advance) for an in water slip with good floating docks, restroom, laundry and shower facility, electric power is free if you are not a live aboard and do not have an AC unit. I don't have water at the dock but can go one pier over to the transient dock to wash down or fill my tank. They do not offer shore storage. On a very protected finger about a half mile from the main lake.
(http://i1007.photobucket.com/albums/af200/brackish_photos/marina1.jpg)
I checked with the Pensacola navy shipyard marina because I have considered going down there for six months or so. $90/month for on trailer, mast up, ready to launch at their ramp. I may do that next spring.
this entry would be better under the heading of adventures of Adagio's crew! in fact, Adagio is sitting at home under wraps where she will stay for at least another year, but, in the meantime, Janet and I are spending the summer and early fall in Maine on Mt Desert Island - home of Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. We thought that we would be preparing for an Erie Canal trip later in June.. but life presented other opportunities, and we jumped! We jumped into semi retirement.. that was a big leap, but so far so good ( ok.. i really just had my last day of school two days ago.. how could it not be good, right? ) We took part time jobs at Mt Desert Campground - one of the most beautiful campgrounds I have ever seen - and we bought a small travel trailer which will be home for the next 4 months. The campground is located on Somes Sound on Mt Desert Island. Today we hiked to the top of mt Nurembega in the morning came home for lunch and then biked into Northeat Harbor along a very scenic road that runs along the sound.. see. we are scoping out new sailing grounds for Adagio! and I have to say, these are pretty awesome sailing grounds! We saw a bunch of Morris yachts in Northeast Harbor.. and we will be riding out to Southwest harbor soon.. and will probably stop by the Hinckley Yard as well :) life is prettry good in Maine!
I am not exactly sure of the potential for bringing Adagio to Maine next year, but I am hoping that I can make that a reality.. how cool would it be to introduce her to Maine waters.. but, in the meantime, our goal is to wear out our hiking boots , wear out the tires on our bikes, and wear out the tips of our kayak paddles this summer... we will be meeting ( all ready have) lots of cool people.. and who knows, maybe some of them will be sailors who are looking for crew! jt
Sounds like a great adventure in a beautiful place. Have a fantastic summer.
Best wishes to the two of you!! I am excited for you and jealous. If you are passing through give us a shout and you can stop in so we can catch up over lunch.
Take Care,
-Allen
Hi Allen, thanks for the offer! I left school about 5 min. after our last meeting ( just enough time to hit the head..) and took off for NH where I spent the night with my son.. had breakfast with my daughter early the next morning , and then drove over here to get settled in.. I am enjoying the job.. especially the projects like building picnic tables and re-decking tent platforms.. and we are loving exploring the island.. we have been hiking and biking.. I rode up Cadillac mt. .. was not sure if i would make it the first time, but it was a success.. we biked the park loop road with friends and hiked up Cadillac with them.. we are half way through our 4 day work week at the moment, and we are planning for the next 3 day "long weekend" :) the only down side is that Adagio is sitting back in PA :( hope you are getting to spend time on your boat! jt
If I were still a teacher, I would be back in PA, listing to administrators explain their new ideas.. organizing paperwork.. and gearing up to greet students this coming Monday.. Instead, I am sitting on the porch of the Gathering Place at Mt Desert Campground.. enjoying a cup of tea and a blueberry muffin that Janet just baked :) and not feeling at all guilty about adopting a new lifestyle that we are calling semi retirement ! The only downside of this summer is that I have yet to feel a deck beneath my feet.. we have spent time in the kayaks, but that is not quite the same..
I am hoping that next year we might be able to bring Adagio up with us. I think that she would fit in just fine! This is a view of the mouth of Somes Sound with the Cranberry Islands beyond.. (http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/mouth%20of%20sommes%20sound%20from%20flying%20mt_zpswlczs67g.jpg) (http://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/mouth%20of%20sommes%20sound%20from%20flying%20mt_zpswlczs67g.jpg.html)
pretty nice cruising grounds!
Here is the latest Compac model.. well, maybe not.. in fact,
this is the sailing yacht Whirlwind..(http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/cruising%20somes%20sound_zpssiaedffs.jpg) (http://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/cruising%20somes%20sound_zpssiaedffs.jpg.html)
she can be chartered .. http://fraseryachts.com/Sale/sale_gallery.aspx?YachtID=Y2203_MC
Earlier in the week we happened to be driving along the sound when we saw an incredible yacht ghosting in and out of the fog.. I don't have photos from that day yet, but here is a link to the boat.. http://www.yachtworld.com/boat-content/2013/05/priceless-rebecca-classy-superyacht-with-classic-style/
hopefully, i will get some photos from that day downloaded soon...
We have filled our days off with cycling and hiking.. the photos above were taken from Flying Mt , and here is a pic from one of the trails leading to Pemetic Mt. this was a pretty awesome trail, but it was foggy at the top.. guess we will have to do it again! :) (http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt71/pocono_couple/pemitic%20nw%20trail%201_zpswqc5ghs6.jpg) (http://s599.photobucket.com/user/pocono_couple/media/pemitic%20nw%20trail%201_zpswqc5ghs6.jpg.html)
We have 6 more weeks at the campground.. by the end of that time, the air will be crisp, and we be looking forward to spending the winter in a real house :)
In the mean time, we have lots of peaks to conquer!
I hope that everyone here has had an adventure filled summer generating lots of sailing memories! And the season is not over yet.. BBB2015 is coming up.. hope you guys have great weather! jt
Nice... semi-retirement? I think many would give much to enjoy such a full retirement (sense any envy here?).
A real house? Are we talking tiny here?
Keep up your rewarding lifestyle, you'll never regret it. If you want to do something crazy, just read a few issues of Small Craft Advisor to whet your appetite.
Hopefully, your wish for great weather for BBB-2015 materializes. I'm sure that we'll miss you and wouldn't mind if you kinda showed up!
Marty K.
JT:
This is great! Seems like there is little need to be on a sailboat when you are living this dream-come-true semi retirement lifestyle. I suppose the next time we'll see each other will be at the 4th annual Mid Winter Gathering of the East Coast Compac-o-nauts! I was planning to be in Maine (Boothbay) in mid October to catch the fall colors but as with many plans, things seem to be going awry. Where will you be spending the winter? Back in Pa?
We are looking forward to the BBB but whatever happens, whatever funnies get planned or just happen, I doubt that anything could top the dingy episode!!!! I might still have the video. That was by far the best! Best to Janet!!
Bob23
Marty.. great to hear from you! Bob.. i think that we have never seen that video :) but i certainly am smiling as i think about the situation.. we are leaving here the Tuesday after Columbus Day weekend.. we are already looking forward to returning in the spring.. if you don't make it up this year.. let's make plans for next year ! we love to have visitors.. the best thing about being here is sharing it with others.. have a wonderful time in September.. jt..
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nksIi0xGklj8b2rt_Xngzktq_8H-Vn2HrTpl_nUg9nvR52NIDfOmNNVi6oKOnCDHMYnyh3WQky6wnZQwn2E2qtk82czNGM2rA37Z7Ax4UgaHcDC5MjaBTEpacQHx5LGaQvy_sjZ9gVfi5d33P-b3yPY9iCn0lMIXESEouj8U9UIReFdifUW9AEDWhLAL4n2zKo0GIru-Ep6SVAoN-VgiFQIBVOp3dNLgmDWA84v0tRtse_F3i14ReCX-mzFqzO-1w-GCrqgIZWRBFQ_7Xycn1PSQ6Jtlbh1VQwfWYAl3Fa-0z8tlYh9mQxuKxe0EDeRji6u2C2kcRiYT7DIQM81DgpZ_GQopY5prRXI5zAZ-VFhfVebwEoQN6_pIEm5TjFTf-fQvCn0A74Oa2vUhYm8u1kt09y597DBH7DamwtdMEsmsXODR3pV9ggzTUJ-H8r7T-7joAXOluTMMLMaq8J_jNSwg_DSBsx-ato4-Ibras2GOhxdIBByqIB0ZxHO8nQ1L_bsrxIUfOrvM5IumNIaR2JLAnbdfxoJWFQ83R7BuIZi2UlqOhHAMlx0Y5piJu0V1y7-nK49-e-EEgexdv-01ymZ2JYK-FUj1WxKk0JS0mdoVBdOxVxjV0G1NlrtnHJ7E8n0OYRmy-leyziXA-9Js5iMRXNZajZBwa_i90ygiqgsk-LhlVGGpg-Q=w855-h641-no)
Adagio has waited patiently in our yard in PA for the past 5 years. Our adventures during that time have been land based, and we have had to content ourselves with canoes and kayaks to get out on the water. But that all changed 2 weeks ago!
in 2015 we left our real jobs to take advantage of the opportunity to work as seasonal workampers at Mt Desert Island, just outside of Acadia National Park. We spent 3 seasons there, along with a winter season at a campground in Colorado before settling permanently in
mid coast Maine with a new job as property caretakers. One of the big obstacles was that I did not have a vehicle that was capable of towing the boat. The solution to that issues was the purchase of a Ford e250 van which has already proven to be valuable in so many ways - particularly with hauling building materials for a house that I am currently building.. that is a story for a different blog.
Timing is another consideration, and it just so happened that a trip to PA earlier this month proved to be just right for bringing the boat back to Maine. The picture in this post is one of the boat here in Georgetown, anxiously awaiting some attention and looking forward to her first introduction to Maine cruising next spring.
Any other members of the forum out there along the coast of Maine? I remember seeing a compac23 in Camden a year or so ago. It was for sale at the time.
It will be nice to be involved again.. looking forward to hearing from my friend Bob23 who, at some point, is going to visit us here - perhaps he will retire and sail up one of these summers! :)
jt
Adagio is now officially a "Maine" boat. She is resting quietly at a mooring at Robinhood marina in Georgetown where we have been living the past three years. It took quite an effort to gather all of her equipment together in these strange times, but we we successful.
It helps that I am working part time at the marina. Lots of good advice from knowledgeable people!
So far we have only been out a few times..but our first trip down the Sheepscot river to open ocean was rewarded with a whale sighting just off our stern.
The other highlight was a trip over to Boothbay Harbor with my stepdaughter and her boyfriend.
We are using this summer to get our bearings... next summer could be filled with new adventures! Jt
Hi JT! Good to hear from you and happy you are well! Next time I'm in Boothbay ( I have an old friend up theyah) we'll have to meet up! Hi to Janet!
Hi bob. Hope you make the trip soon!
DAMARISCOVE ISLAND:
Hello all! I am still having an issue with trying to post pics..if anyone has some insight to share, that would be awesome. In the meantime, yesterday was a wonderful day! We started off with a breakfast of srambled eggs and fried potatoes...hard to go wrong there :) and then we packed a lunch and headed to the marina where Adagio was patiently waiting at her mooring. Our destination was Damariscove island which is a few miles off of Boothbay Harbor. This was a test in a few ways. We were towing our dory. At 15 feet, the dory is a bit long as a dingy, but it is the boat we have at the moment. We headed through Goose rock passage against the incoming tide. The Tohatsu 6hp did an admirable job of getting us through. Then we turned down the little Sheepscot river into the Sheepscott River and then into the Gulf of Maine.. Ocean! Then we set a course for Damariscove Island...that sounds so nautical..actually we just headed for it because we could see it in the distance.
It was at this point that we were able to set sail. The wind cooperated and we sailed the whole way on the same tack. The entrance to the little harbor is a bit narrow. There are guest moorings and complimentary dinghies at the dock. The island is a preserve operated by the Boothbay region land trust. There are trails and an outhouse and beautiful vistas every direction one turns. The dory towed very well and was useful because there were already a few boats using them. We ate lunch in the cockpit before heading to the dock and setting off on a hike. On the way back we stopped by the little one room museum ( over sized shed) and then chatted a bit with the caretaker before heading back to the boat.
More boats were entering the harbor so we gave our mooring up and headed home. The trip back was smooth. We did have one gust which made Janet let out a little scream, but she managed the day very well. The best part is that she is already looking forward to the next trip :) jt
"Any other members of the forum out there along the coast of Maine?"
Hi there JT. Was just surfing the forum for the first time in ages and happened to see your posts about relocating to Maine. We sail our CP23 out of Falmouth and typically up as far as PenBay or so at some point each summer. We were up in the Sheepscot a few weeks back so not far from you. Maybe we'll bump into each other next summer. I'm sure you're picking up all the advice you need working at Robinhood but feel free to drop a line if you want my opinions on the Maine coast : ) -Dan
One of the best things about working at a marina is the new folks whom one meets. This summer a young couple who happen to have a popular sailing channel called Project Atticus are staying at the marina. We recently watched this video which features some of our local characters. What we did not expect to see was our compac 23 shown motoring down Robin hood Cove, but, sure enough..for a few brief seconds, at around 18:30 , that is Janet. and me returning from a trip to Boothbay :) https://youtu.be/_cOy014NHsQ
Nice! I played it at 1/2 speed to give you more "air time". ;)
What a great idea :)
Hello! Absolutely, pure gold, here! :) I've just come across this thread in my attempt to learn more about the Com-pac 23 — I haven't read through all of your posts yet (and others' contributions as well), but I am so looking forward to catching up on the past — what is, now — 10 years since you started this thread? Wow, that is cool!!! I think you started this thread back in 2011, but I'd have to click the 'back' icon to make sure I'm correct on that. ;-) Anyhow, I love reading about others sailing adventures, and I am super-excited to read about your travels with Adagio!
Happy Sails,
~ Chelle aka 'Seachelle' & SV Sunflower (Sunny)
https://sailawaywithchelle.wordpress.com/