Hilton Head Island Trip

[Napier6]

I just grabbed some days off last week and trailered Skylark to the coast.  I had to beat my head against the wall to get the trailer and tow vehicle ready, but it was worth it.  The first day I towed 277 miles from my home to Palmetto Bay Marina at Broad Creek in Hilton Head Island.  After a blustery ramp experience, helped by a couple who were fishing, I was able to pull up to the dock and have a beer and dinner at Cpt. Woody's.  Thursday morning after the small craft advisory ended at 11:00 I hit Calibogue Sound and had a blast with the Eclipse.  They say you should challenge yourself, and this was definitely challenging fun. The sailing in 17-25 knots of wind in Calibogue Sound double reefed was brisk.  The only not so fun gust hit me as I had gone to a single reef and poked my nose out of the sound.  It felt like a giant hand just shoved the whole boat over.  I was almost standing and looking down at the water for a second as Skylark rounded up.  Very nice performance and I must say I feel even better about the Eclipse now.

I chose to go back to a second reef and to play in the sound the rest of Thursday.  I did hear that a small charter catamaran almost tipped as well that morning, so I don't feel too bad about playing it safe.

Friday was much better starting off with light winds and only around noon getting gusty.  The wind tapered off in the late afternoon; all in all a beautiful day. Tybee Island is on the horizon.
South end of Hilton Head. Heading back in

Saturday, I got up at the crack of dawn and got busy.  

I did not want any current or wind trouble loading the trailer.


All went smoothly and I arrived home 6hrs and 15 min. later.

It would be great to hear from some more Eclipse owners.  If you take a trip or have upgrades you have done, please share.  

[Greene]

Thanks for the nice trip report.  Makes us northerners feel like sailing season is coming soon.  The Eclipse sure looks like a great trailerable sailboat.  It has a nice newer line to it while keeping that "salty" look the Com-Pacs are known for.

Trip reports are far and few between on this site.  Maybe the admins. could delete the former Gallery section and replace it with a Trip Report section. 

Thanks again,

Mike

[Salty19]

Thanks for the trip report!  Have been to the same areas many times, each year for the last 20 or so.  In fact I had the pleasure of skippering the charter schooner "Welcome" on Calibogue sound last year.  Ok it was only for 10 minutes or so but felt like a pirate! Got a pic somewhere!

Nice area down there.  

[Napier6]

It is lots of fun on Calibogue, I'll be back.  I too got to skipper a schooner last year... you guessed it; fifteen minutes!  She was the "Mercantile" on Penobscott Bay, but what a thrill.

[Salty19]

Argh...here's the picture matey!    When I called out to the captn shortly after crew set sail:  "Aye, captain, should I loosen the muzzin sheets?", he reached over into the cooler, handed me a beer and told me to join him in the "well" (meaning the cockpit).  Note the Compac hat I'm wearing

Pretty sure "Welcome" is a 60 footer.  Made of wood throughout.  No single handling that boat!!!
The ride was on my 41st birthday last year.   We gourged ourselves on Seafood Potpie at the Skull Creek Grill (right next to the broad creek marina) afterwards.  Yum!   Never towed my boat down there..it's 800 miles one way, 300+ of that across mountains so would be nerveracking.  Parents used to live on HHI, we just sold their house and moved them back home due to their need for a nursing home.  Heading down (maybe??) in May before the house closes.  Hoping to skipper the "Welcome" once again.

[Tim Gardner]

Heeyyyyy! That's MY hat!

TG

[Salty19]

Your wife got tired of seeing you wear it day after day, so she mailed it to me. Now my wife is tired of me wearing it!

[Napier6]

Nice picks!  I love the boat, but aren't you glad you don't have to maintain a 60 footer.  The guys in ME had a 3 acre lot and two metal sheds for their maint. operation.  We had some good food at the Skull Creek Grill as well.

I've got Skylark out in the drive with her semiannual scrubbdown and waxing halfway complete.  A few dings filled with MarineTex and the rest will have to wait.