Gone Sailing

[crbakdesign]

Hey Ya'll,

My first mate and I are headed out first thing tomorrow to the Georgia coast for a week of sailing, camping and relaxation.  I've set up a base camp at Jekyll Island and plan to putter around above and below.  We will be trying out a lot of new stuff and getting a feel for tides, currents and such.  Got one of those GPS handhelds, so I'm not expecting to get lost, assuming the charts are right.

Please note that while we're down by the coast, we will be conducting an official De-naming ceremony for "My Girl".  Since there was some ambiguity about which girl I was referring to, she will be henceforth named the "EMILIA NOELLE,"  which is my beloved 20 year old daughter's name.  In doing so, we are hoping to be in the good graces of both Emilia and Mighty Neptune for the forseeable future.

I'm planning on maintaining radio, cel phone and puter silence for about 8 days.  Catch up with All ya'll when I get back.  

Signing off.
\

[Windhawk]

Sounds like fun.  Have a good trip.  That's a good name for a boat, probably for a daughter too!

[crbakdesign]

See pics at:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/crbakdesign/album?.dir=/7e09&.src=ph&.tok=phK5cGDBxGjLeubK

Had a great time sailing our CP16 over Memorial Day weekend in South Georgia, although the weather turned wet for the rest of the week and the crew voted to go back to Atlanta early.  We had planned on staying a week, camping at Jekyll Island and sailing above Saint Simons Sound and below in Saint Andrews Sound.  We were prepared to overnight in the boat if the weather held, but as luck would have it, a cold rainy front and a series of thunderstorms made things uncomfortable.      

We arrived Saturday evening at the campground and claimed our tent site.  The campground was crowded with RV's and all manner of tents, but ours was easily the most unique rig and got a lot of stares and comments. Sunday was spent on the beach and the bike trails and just plain relaxing.  

From earlier reports, we knew that the public launch ramp was shallow, but we were hoping that if we timed our departure as the tide was rising and manage to get back before low tide we would be OK with our truck.  We also had a five-foot trailer extension to help pull the boat out if necessary.  At 11:00 when we arrived, the tide was up and the sun was hot.  I took a lot of time getting ready, waiting for a good opening between the powerboats to launch.  I rigged the main and kept the jib furled.  There are power lines on one side of the ramp, and overhanging trees on the other.  Had to be careful, but plenty of room.  Launching was easy, backup slow, down the ramp quicker and then slam on the brakes.  Off she floated, the crew (Albert our Dachshund) and mate aboard.  Anchor was dropped and the Emilia Noelle was secured and ready.

From a quick look at the sky north and south, it seemed a good choice to go north.  The wind had dropped and the ICW was fairly narrow past Jekyll, so we decided to motor the five miles out to the Sound.  Besides the few fishing skiffs we had seen at the launch, the only boats our size were hanging from the davits along the historic Jekyll Island Wharf. :wink:

Our new canopy quickly proved it's worth in the hot sun.  The crew disappeared in the cabin below, while we pushed our way up the ICW. We had plenty of water aboard and snacks, while we enjoyed the view of the island mansions from the water.  In the distance to the south we could see a rainsquall that seemed to be headed below the island.   Once we passed the airstrip, a squadron of huge biting flies boarded us.  We fought them off as best we could, and even the crew joined the battle in the cockpit. :x  It wasn't until we finally reached the sound that the last of them left for shore.

The wind picked up in the sound. Within minutes we were beating towards the east at 4 knots, according to our Magellan. The waves kicked up too and we were dancing on intermittent whitecaps.  Just before the trip I finally ordered Bob Burgess's wonderful handbook on trailer sailing. There was a short passage on rigging, and I realized that I had not been adjusting my stays correctly for the Com-Pac 16.  For this trip I raked the mast as far forward as it could by drawing in the forestay and taking up the slack at the shrouds. Wow! What a difference that made! She would point farther and tack like a champ!   The foiled rudder worked as well.
As the skies west of Jekyll began to darken we decided to turn back, and attempt to sail up the ICW to the launch area.  The 100 yard ICW channel at the mouth to the Sound makes an 'S' curve, requiring us to beat into the wind. We worked our way up, timing our legs to avoid several rather large boats, including a 60 ft French yacht and an ocean going trimarand. Everyone smiled and waved at our little boat as she skipped along from lee to windward. We weren't sure if they thought we were cute or just crazy!  At one point the local law enforcement boat slowed down to check us out, but since we appeared to be sailing so well and having fun, I guess we passed inspection. As it turned out, by the time we reached the straightaway, the wind was blowing directly at us and there was no choice but to lower sail and hurry back to the launch area before the rain hit.

Hauling the boat out was a bit harder, partly because we were a bit rushed with the weather and the fact that we were blocking a number of motorboaters on the single ramp. :roll:
The mast and boom were stowed just as the skies opened up.  When we arrived at our base in the campground, we found that our tent was flooded, so we made the decision to put up the rainfly and canopy and sleep in the cabin for the next two days. That worked fine except for the fact that our wooden ladder became soaked and a bit dangerous to climb in the dark.  On our way back, we explored the coastal towns and barrier islands and plotted our next trip to the Georgia coast.
:lol:

[Seaweed]

Sounds like you had a great time.  Congratulations..

How did your un-naming/re-naming go?  Apparently quite well as you appeared to have a good time.

Tom G.  (Seaweed)