So I embarrassed myself by ....

[Greene]

I thought I had a bad day.  My friend was at the launch today to dunk his Hunter 235 for the first time and definitely had a worse day.  He sent us a picture of his like new sailboat with only half of his mast still upright.  He rigged her up and started backing down the parking lot and forgot about that hungry tree at the corner.  Clipped the tree and half of his mast came tumbling down.  That tree ate one of my wind vanes a few years ago and seems to like the taste of sailboats.

Anyone know of a used mast available?

Keep alert out there folks. 

Mike

[Billy]

Please send my condolences

[Salty19]

Well, Mike...I grounded this past weekend.  Thanks for jinxing me :

There is an area along the west side of our lake that is shallow, in contrast with most of the lake which is about 90 feet deep.

I knew this area was shallow and was just about ready to come out to avoid it.  Just as I heaved the tiller over, SCRAPE!!!  Thankfully the bottom here is gravel and small stones so I don't imagine there is damage (maybe some bottom paint scraped off, not sure).  If I tacked 10 second earlier we would have avoided it.

Stopped us dead in our tracks with full sail up and 12mph winds.  Once I retracted the rudder, furled in the genny and put the motor down and in reverse, we were able to come out without too much of a problem.    If this was deep sand or mud, we might have needed a tow.

[Craig]

There is a wonderful story in which a group of folks were standing on a dock watching a sailboat short tack up a narrow Maine channel. When the boat  ran aground it drew hoots and laughs from the crowd. An old salt standing nearby gave the group a disdainful stare, spit over the rail, and said: " Man ain't  gone aground ain't sailed vurra far."  Says it all!

[Greene]

Well, Mike...I grounded this past weekend.  Thanks for jinxing me :
.

That's funny fun Mike.  Actually it is only fair that I jinxed you.  This week I pulled off all the wood (except those dastardly eyebrows) to do a complete refinish job.  You'll remember that last year when I did the same thing to our 19 I proudly posted to everyone that I had just finished the whole boat load of wood.  You casually said "I'll bet you forgot those two tiny pieces by the gas tank."  Well darn if you weren't right then.  Those two little pieces stared at me until I couldn't take it and pulled them off for refinishing.

Well I was on top of the 23 thinking how good all that teak sitting in my basement (with only 1 coat left to go) was going to look when I put them back on.  I thought to myself, "Take that Salty.  I didn't forget them this time."  A couple hours later I was smugly sitting on the porch admiring Wrinkles when it dawned on me that I had forgotten the bowsprit wood this time.
Dang it!  

Just got back into the house from removing and sanding down that bowsprit teak.

Mike

[Salty19]

Mike-

That is funny!  And a little spooky.  Glad we're not superstitious or a virtual seance could be in order. No, we don't believe in that mysterious stuff.   Except on Fridays of course.  And the 13th. And a full moon or new moon.  OK, and the month of October and the year 2013.

Maybe we outta just do that seance after all to be on the safe side.