Blond Ambition (Episode 3)

[Mundaysj]

Oh, I hate to disappoint...so here is episode 3 in the continuing sitcom....Blond Ambition.

A group of sailors had planned a weekend cruise from Atlantic Highlands, NJ to Sheepshead Bay, NY.  They were planning to ride the roller coaster at Coney Island and then return on Sunday.  All the other boats are 35 - 39 feet and have couples or groups of people, but I thought it might be fun.  After all it was ONLY across the bay, right? 

I was a little nervous as the weather forecast was for isolated thunderstorms on Sunday.  So I met with the cruise leader early Saturday morning to go over my newly purchased chart with him.  He said that it really didn't look like the chart, but I would be fine if I followed the buoys.  I was kind of hoping for waypoints and such, but they have done this trip many times and it was just a little hop across the bay.  Meanwhile a friend had told me that I should leave a few hours early.  I was surprised at that ... how much faster could the bigger boats go??  Hah!  I found out!

My motor started right up (the local marine store had fixed it ... turns out it was too much ocean junk and a barnacle had lodged itself in the water cooling line ... who would have thought that 5 weeks in the ocean could collect so much ick!  So now my cleaned out 1983 Evinrude 7.5hp motor has anti-fouling paint and is good to go.   Note to self :  This winter I'll have to get the motor mount fixed so that the motor comes out of the water when it is not in use.  But I diverse...)  It took me a little longer than I thought to get the jib ready and rehook the main.... that little screw type thing that helps hold up the boom always loosens when I drop the main and so I have to pull the boom back up and feed the slots on the main each time I use it.  (Note to self:  I'll have to do something about that, and find out if that screwy thing has a name..)   So it was only about 1/2 hour early when I started my journey.  It was a very light wind (note to self ...I have to get one of those wind meters so I can tell how fast it really is) and I was enjoying a lovely day of sailing ... and waving to all the other boats as they passed me by.  I was starting to get a little confidence, I can do this single handed, I've got Max for company (my 3 yr old Doberman),  I even spotted the buoys at Sandy Hook point and matched the numbers to my chart.  Cool!  This sailing is way cool!  I safely crossed the Ambrose Channel with no major New York traffic in sight.  Yup.. I was feeling pretty good..... until...I lost sight of the last sail of our group.  Hmmmm.. where did they go?  Gee... with all that smog .. I don't see Long Island.... Hmmm... it sure looks different on the chart...ok...  look back at the markers on the channel... gee, it would probably help if I knew how to read the nice compass .. Well I can see the Verrazano Bridge ....so maybe if I keep heading in this kind of northerly direction?  There it was ... the Long Island Sound and the buoys that mark it.  Ha... I did it.....OR so I THOUGHT.

There was an awful lot of boat traffic in the sound and I was having a little trouble with the light wind so I figured I would motor from here.  Did you ever notice how hard it is to see right in front of you when you have to sit in the middle of the transom and your jib and main are just quickly strapped down and you are only 5ft 2in tall?  It kind of reminds me of grade school when I always had to sit in the front row so that I could see.  Well I thought I was following the right buoys.... and I finally came to a harbor.  "Blond Ambition to Gertie... I'm here... where should I moor?"  "Oh you'll see us as soon as you enter"  "Umm... all I see is a big red trimaran."  Then an unknown voice comes on the channel..."Red trimaran?  You are at the wrong harbor!"  So I motored over to the dock and asked a couple fishermen (praying that they would speak English) how to find Sheepshead Bay.  They pointed west so I went west.  I spotted another sailboat coming out of the harbor and yelled across the water to them..... Bless them ... they were kind enough to lead me to the hidden opening to Sheepshead Bay.   So a few hours behind the others I entered Sheepshead Bay.   And that ended up being the GOOD day!!

The next morning I decided to get a very early start as the storms were scheduled for afternoon.  The launch started at 7 am  so at 7:01 I called for a lift to take Max for his needed morning constitutional.  At 7:15 he arrived and at 7:45 we were ready to reboard and get under way.  Unfortunately, the launch was having mechanical problems and would not start.  And the neighboring launch was not supposed to be in until 9am.  Augh!!  My frustration level was rapidly rising.  If I didn't have Max with me I would have been tempted to swim over to my boat!!  So I sat on a busted launch as the boats from our group left one by one.  (They were leaving early because of weather predictions.  Augh!)  45 minutes later, the cruise leader sailed over to the launch and transported Max and me to Blond Ambition.  They waited while I very quickly hanked on my jib.  I started the motor and was going in circles (with the leader watching)... what the heck?... oh... duh ...I forgot to drop the mooring.  (A truly Blonde moment for Blond Ambition)  OK.... drop the mooring and get going.  I figure I'll motor out to the Long Island point, maybe even further.  Then...." put...put...put"...silence.  OH NO.... I'm out of gas.  Well, we can give up and join Davey Jones' locker or we can sail.... I choose sail.   Up goes the mainsail... about 95% ... good enough..  up goes the jib.  Now I'm sailing.... Due South.  But I want to go east!!  The tiller is as far over as it will go... but the boat won't turn to starboard.  Davy Jones' locker is starting to seem inviting.  I gibe to port and come around.... the boat will go north but not east.  Finally over the radio, the leader has come back and the group has decided that the trip may be too much weather for me (since I am so stupid I cannot get out of the Long Island Sound, I agree).  They have made arrangements for an extended mooring for me at Sheepshead Bay, and Max and I can ride back with them.  As I am sailing back into the bay I realize that I forgot to let go of the topping lift again.  That darn topping lift.  It is amazing how much better she steers with the boom free to move!!  So... Max & I rode home (they motored the whole way) on a beautiful 40 ft. yacht with our tails between our legs.  We hit some slight rain, and some big (4ft, 6ft?) waves that broke her bow... my little boat would have been swamped!

Needless to say stories of my catastrophe spread quickly among members of the yacht club.  This weekend another couple has offered to motor me back to my boat and yet another couple has offered to sail back with me.  The club members have all been very nice to me.  As have you, my ComPac compadres.  The sailing community is a great one to be a part of!!  I figure if I keep trying and learning some day I'll be a real sailor!







   

[mrb]

Yep
That's how we all learn, keep trying and one day we are sailors. Not always great but sailors anyway. Just don't give up the dream.

I bet your topping lift is hooked to your back stay.  My Aquarius had a short line clipped to the back stay that hooked to boom. Nice and neat and looked really good at mooring. Didn't have to worry about keeping much tension an main sheet.  I also can't count the times I forgot to unhook after hoisting main or reamember to hook back up before dropping sail. Now on my CP-16 the topping lift is permanently set from top of mast to end of boom, it's a little long so that when the sail is hoisted the topping lift is loose. (American 16 also rigged like this)  One less think to go wrong at the wrong time.

Looking forward to hearing about your return trip with friends aboard.
Melvin

[Paul]

Mundaysj:

Hats off to you!  It takes courage and patience and work to become a "real sailor."  Each time you embark on another adventure, whether it's sailing around the mooring grounds or across the bay and beyond, you are gaining valuable experience.  Note the mistakes.  We all make them and learn from them.

David Seidman, author of The Complete Sailor, has a great introduction entitled "Becoming a Sailor."  Very thought provoking.  In it he writes, "Anyone can learn to sail.........(but) Becoming a sailor takes time, and it takes work.  But the time will pass all too swiftly, and work will seem like pleasure."

Taking that adventure is a great and worthwhile thing, indeed.  I wish you all the best in your adventures. 

[Mundaysj]

Thank you Melvin,
It is nice to know that others have been through this and have come out the other side.  It gives me hope!
Regards,
Sherie

[Bob23]

Sherie:
   You are a real sailor...you are saiing, aren't you? Better than some who sit and wish they could do something...you are doing it! And writing some of the most entertaing accounts I've ever read. Keep on keepin' on.
   Just last week, I accepted a challenge from the winds to sail up to my mooring rather than rely on the motor, even though it involved many tacks in tight quarters. "But, hey...I can do this...what can go wrong?"
   I came in, changing tacks about 10 or 12 times, bucking the wind and tide, attempting to bring "Koinonia" right along side her mooring. So why am I sailing past it, into potentially shallow water? Dang...wind in the sails? What the? Of course, this was at sunset and lot's of people come down to the bay to watch it...more today than normal.
   At the last minute, as the mooring ball is passing the ships stern, I grab it with the boat hook, wrenching my already torn right rotator cuff, the ship is now facing stern to the winds, main and jib filled and heading for shallow water. Eventually, "Koinonia", being a kind, forgiving lass, turns up into the wind, I secure her to her mooring, drop sails and enjoy a wonderful sunset.
I heard no applause from the crowd onshore...or laughs either.
   Did I mention that before my hair was grey, it turned a bit blonde in the summer? Hmm...you don't think? Nah...couldn't be!
   Keep on writing... we enjoy every word!
   Bob23, analyzing the mishap and considering changing my name to BobCrash

[HideAway]

Sherrie

Hey- you're sailing thats what counts!

I have an 8hp Evinrude that will not clear the water either.  My fix was to tie a line to my stern rail and attach a large brass clip to the loose end.  To get the motor to clear the water I attach the clip to a  point just under the engine block -- NOT THE ENGINE COVER--.  The line goes over the top of the cover then to the base of the engine head.   You have to play with the line lenght to get it just right and when you tip the engine up you have to reach over the top, again not using the engine cover for a grip, to attach the line.    Its a good grunt and a groan to tip the motor but this  has worked for years. Its a two handed operation with the line in one hand.  Your motor is lighter than mine so its worth a try to see if it will work for you.  I raise the rudder under the engine for storage and all is well.   Another way to do this is to tip the engine up and stick a block of wood under the hinge...the line works better. 

  While at anchor the tiller is always tied to center - the boat doesn't wander as much that way.   
While at anchor I usually raise the motor to its highest setting - not tipped back.  Sometimes a wake can put the motor under otherwise.  And if I'm swimming I'll leave the motor as far down as I can get it out of fear I'll get clunked on the noggin if its high.   Oh and if you had swam back to the boat and didn't have the swim ladder rigged with a slip knot, climbing back on board is very difficult-- You would not believe how far out of the water the boat sits!  Not that any of the above has happened to me -- Just others .....you understand....  Right.

Concerning the boom - If you have a topping lift you don't need to attach the boom to the back stay while at anchor because the main sheet will hold it well enough.   I don't want to tell you how many times I've tried to sail with the boom attached like you did - more than a bunch!   West Marine has a sail track stop made by Davis Instruments that fits in the sail track. One of these above the boom will hold your sail slides on the mast and another below the boom will keep the boom up - be careful as to just where - . The upper one, that holds the sail slides up I tighen with a pair of pliers as it seems the darned thing always gets loose and rolls over board.  Our boom is tied off to something on the mast so its downward path is limited.  You don't want it to go down too far because it binds when you try to raise the main or in our case it will lay on the bimini.

You are a talented writer - I enjoy your stories - Fair winds  Matt

[Mundaysj]

Thanks for all the good advice!!  I'm working on the next installment.. stay tuned.