Return to Carlyle Lake

[crazycarl]

With a week of vacation at hand I was prepared to order 10 tons of decorative stone and wheel barrow it to the back yard.
I moved 8 tons in twelve hours two weeks ago before working double shifts all last week.  Joanie (my wife) suggested we take the boat back down to Carlyle Lake for a few days instead.  Hmmm....OK!  We left Tuesday morning with no wind and had a nice 4 1/2 hour drive down.  The Jeep pulled the 19 effortlessly and Steve and Sara (kickingbug) arrived just as I was raising the mast.  With Steve's help Miss Adventures was launched and placed at her dock.  (no mishaps this time guys) We met the girls at the clubhouse where we spent the evening chatting of boats and sailing.
   Wednesday morning greeted us with little to no wind, but that wasn't going to stop us.  Backing Miss Adventures out of her slip I paid close attention not to hit her bow on the dock as we spun her around to the starboard side.  Everything looked clear and we motored out of the marina.  There were several other boaters and fishermen in the marina, all of them with their eyes glued to our little 19.  Well, why wouldn't they be? After all, she is a Compac 19!
   As we made ready to raise the sails, I noticed something just didn't look right up front.  A closer inspection revealed that although I had been successful in not scraping the bow on the dock, I did snag one of our deck chairs and it was hanging from the bow anchor!  Ok, so that's why everyone was staring and waving so oddly at us!  In my defense, this is the first sailboat I've owned with a bow pulpit. Hours later as we sailed, I would think about it and could not help laughing.

The wind was light to be sure, so we came in and went about preparing supper and readying our bunks for the night.  Joanie insisted on bringing a small electric heater, but, being a knucklehead, I put it on "fan" only and we were cold the entire night.
   Thursday morning was spent antiquing in Greenville and then sailing in the late afternoon and into the night.  We had hoped to have a nice moon light sail, but these nasty little bugs completely covered the boat.  They were in the rigging, on the sails, outboard, and everytime one moved, they would squish and leave a bloody mess.  It became so bothersome, that Joanie retreated into the cabin and I sailed back to the marina as fast as the wind would take us.
   Friday morning I inspected the boat to find the nasties had all died, dried up and now appeared like road tar all over the boat and it's rigging.  As I motored to the ramps for the trip home,  The wind piped up and the lake started calling me.  Joanie was showering in the clubhouse, I had a good hour before she was ready.  Perhaps I could raise the sails one more time for a quick run around the area?  Best I not, and I pulled her from the lake and readied her for the long trip home.
   More stops at antique stores and a rest stop where we met a fellow sailor from Texas and back home we came .
   Sure beats moving stone, thanks for the idea babe!




                                 Joan                                                                 Carl

[Greene]

Hey Carl and Joan - thanks for the laugh.  The visual of your boat motoring out with a lawn chair attached had both Brenda and I laughing out loud.  I remember you saying that you were interested in a Contessa 26, if you are still considering one do a search on the internet.  I saw one going for just $7000 last week. 

Glad you are getting out and enjoying the fall sailing, B and I are headed out tomorrow.

Mike and B

[Bob23]

Great story, Carl:
   Now if you'd only gotten a photo of that beach chair. I know what you mean about backing out of a slip. I think I'm known as the pinball wizard...bouncing off pilings like a ball in a pinball machine.
   Hope you get many more sails (with wind and without bugs) this fall.
bob23

[crazycarl]

No photo of the beach chair, but here is what the entire boat loked like the next morning...




The bugs had dried up and looked like tar.  I just spent the last 6 hours cleaning them off the deck, cockpit, lifelines and stanchions.  It took quite a bit of scrubbing with a stiff brush and a thumbnail here and there.
Tomorrow I'll tackle the hull, mast, boom, sails, rudder, outboard, stern ladder, and all the standing rigging.  The running rigging will be placed in mesh bags and thrown in the washing machine.

After clearing the deck, they left dark stains.  I'll have to find a good product for removing them.  Any suggestions?

[Bob23]

YUK!
   I have had great results with white wall tire cleaner on some stubborn stains on my old Seapearl. Westley's Bleche-Wite, in particular. It has removed some very stubborn old oak leave stains from my CP23. Spray Nine has also worked well for me.
   What in tarnation are those bugs anyway? I thought we had bugs here in the South of NJ but we have nothing on you guys.
   Still laughing at the thought of the beach chair hanging off the bow anchor. Maybe it's better you have no photos...leaves it to our imaginations!
bob23