Blond Ambition - the sitcom, episode 4

[Mundaysj]

Oh my.  A few weeks have gone by since episode 3...

When last we left, poor Blond Ambition was stranded at Sheepshead Bay.   So... the following weekend some new friends (Linda & Dennis) organized a "rescue".   Two members of the yacht club, Margaret & Arthur (motor boaters) took Linda, Dennis, another volunteer, Brian, & me over on their boat.  We had a bit of a detour by way of the waterfalls of New York City.  (If you get the chance, you should definitely go see them.  They are really beautiful!!)  On the way over I explained my previous mishaps.  The gang got quite a laugh from my forgetting the topping lift and not being able to steer out of the Sound.   So... we got to Sheepshead Bay and my sweet boat was waiting for me on the guest mooring.  Dennis and Brian hopped on her and filled up the gas tank.  I hanked on the jib and uncovered the main.  Then Dennis noticed a bit ...ok, ok ... a huge amount...of growth on my rudder.  I didn't know I had to paint the rudder.  I didn't know that barnacles LOVE the rudder.  Well anyway, Dennis commented that my boat was going to be slow enough without the 2 feet of growth on the rudder.  So they ask "do I have a scraper?"  Why would I have a scraper?  Sure ... NOW I know why I would have a scraper.  But then?  Well ... I had this little pink plastic dust pan and brush.  Necessity is the mother of invention as they say.  So Brian leans over with my little plastic dust pan and scrapes most of the barnacles off my rudder.  Dennis starts up the engine with a single pull (amazing how well it works when it actually has gas!), and we're ready to go.

Dennis decided to sail back with me (to make sure I got there I suppose) while the others were happy to motor back.  We motored out of the harbor, raised the mainsail, raised the jib ... and we were sailing.  Linda took some pictures of us sailing Blond Ambition (I have posted them); they were trailing us for a little bit.  Dennis was talking about my outhaul and how it could use a block, and we were thinking she wasn't pointing just right.....  You probably already guessed it....Yup ... that darn topping lift.  I looked back at the others and they were practically rolling on the deck laughing.  OK... now my embarrassment had reached its peak.  (Or so I thought)  Once we released the topping lift, she handled great, the other boat waved good-bye and we were sailing home.

Dennis is a great sailor and a navigator extraordinaire.  So I picked up quite a few tips on our sail back.  We were on a great tack until we came to the channel and saw 2 barges headed out to sea.  They seemed so far away I didn't see how they could be a problem.  But Dennis said we will watch them and probably have to change course to go behind them.  Sure enough, Blond Ambition would have been shark bait if we had not changed course.  Funny how they seem so far and then in no time.. they are SO close.  So after passing the barges and channel, we tried to point on our old course.  But wouldn't you know it ... the wind had shifted.  So we tacked... sailed and tacked again.... sailed some more and tacked again.  By the time our paths had crossed that same darn green buoy a third time... and the clouds were filling the skies... and we had quite a ways to go...we decided to drop sail and motor.  The rest of the trip was motoring amongst the raindrops, cresting the waves, and feeling the spray.   But we made it back in one piece.  A successful mission.  I toasted all involved and thanked them profusely, and hopefully (wrongfully) assumed that was the end to my humiliation!

Oh Contraire!  The following week I received an email (broadcast to all the members of the yacht club) announcing that a Rescue Mission had been necessary for a new member, Blond Ambition.  (Is there a tarp I can crawl under?)
AND... posted on our website are pictures from the rescue.  But to really top it off and be certain my humiliation is recorded for all time....in the picture.... The topping lift is still on!!!   LOL

[Bob23]

Sherie:
   Thanks for another exciting episode in the life and times of Sherie, Blond Ambition and the famous yet elusive topping lift! Just think how boring a normal sail without such incidences would be? Keep up the good work, good writing and good attitude. It's all about the fun, after all, ain't it?
   Bob23, in stitches!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[B.Hart]

  Just buying a sailboat doesn't make you a sailor, but sailing and learning from your mistakes does. Keep sailing and keep us with you in your stories.     BILL

[mrb]

Congratulations on your first foreign port of call and your successful trip back to your home port.  That first time comming into a new port, be it 10 miles or 100's of miles,
is such a special happening.

Keep on posting your adventures and may they all end well.
Melvin

[Bob23]

Sherie:
   I just checked out your photos..."Blonde Ambition" is looking very nice... this twin is a bit jealous because you get to sail in an area I've always wanted to.
   Do you lift your rudder up when mooring? Even though the jamb cleat on the rudder housing doesn't hold it up, I tie the rudder line off to the stern rail...keeps it out of the water completely...no growth at all.
   I've been  though that topping lift funk and worse. Last summer, upon trying to sail off my mooring to convince myself and onlookers I was cool, I almost crashed "Koinonia" into a dock while venturing into shallow water. Yes, onlookers on the dock were present. The cause? An almost lethal combination of conflicting tides, wind direction, mis-lead lines and general pilot error.
   These days I have mental checklist I go through before casting off. Sometimes I even remember everything! Well, once I did...
   Bob23...maybe sailing tonight...FULL MOON!

[Salty19]

Great story and bedarned with the topping lift! 

Suggestion?  Tie a 3' long line about 1' from the bottom of the lift. It will hang down in the cockpit, annoy you and remind to remove the lift. Maybe stick a washer on this line to really annoy you as it clangs around?

Hang in there!  Me smells a smooth sail in the next episode. Or at least a story of the sinking of the editors' boat! We won't tell.

[Rick Klages]

On my 16/3 I leave the topping lift attached and never have any problems!   

ick

[Bob23]

Sherie:
   Come to think of it, I also leave my topping lift attached. I assume you are talking about the length of wire attached to the backstay that supports the boom while at rest. I wonder what that's called? A boom supporting wire-off-the-backstay thing.
   Happy sailing to you...keep writing. And I hope the next episode doesn't describe sailing in the lightning storms we are now experiencing in Southern NJ!
   Bob23, tied up at mooring just in time to escape the lightning!!!

[Mundaysj]

How does your boom move with a topping lift on?  I have concocted a series of rings with yellow beads as a reminder.  I'll take a picture next weekend and post it.  It hangs down right in front of my face .. kind of hard to miss.  And it seems to be working.  I took her out twice last weekend and I remembered to take off the topping lift both times!  Yeah!
I plan to try to make it all the way to the Verazzano Bridge next weekend.. so maybe we'll have an episode 5! 
This past weekend I was in Annapolis without Blond Ambition.  My son was taking a Sailing class with Kids Ship.  He loved it and I feel better knowing that if anything were to happen to me while we are out.. He would be able to bring us back to shore.  Not to mention MOB.  Although he says he might just have a memory lapse on that one!  A real kidder that one.  (At least I hope so!! LOL)

[Rick Klages]

Boom moves fine, topping lift line is longer than the leach of the sail.  When the sail is raised the topping lift goes slack and lays against the sail, no problems.  Topping lift runs from the masthead to the far end of the boom.

ick

P.s. I sail in the Peconics of Eastern Long Island.

[mrb]

If the beads work for you and you like them you have found the right answere to your problem.  Quite a few, if not most, boats with back stays use your type of system to hold boom up when sail is not hoisted.

If you are not pleased with your present system and think you would like to change to a true topping lift, talk to some members of your club.  They could probable show you some the type "ick" is talking about.  This is also my preferred topping lift as it is about as simple and error proof as you can get.

If you should want to change keep in mind you will either have to drop mast or climb it as you will need a line running from top of mast to end of boom.

My nickel (which won't buy a cup of coffee today)is stick with what you have, keep an eye on those beads and sail happy.

Caught in the doldrums
Melvin

[Bob23]

Sherie:
   Looking at some of the photos you posted, it seems that indeed, the thing that you are calling the topping lift is the wire that supports the boom while at rest. Technically, that is not the topping lift. It's a bit difficult to see on the photo "Sailing Home", but sure enough, that wire is attached to the boom, making sailing nearly impossible.
  It doesn't appear that you have a  roller furling jib. My twin does, so my topping lift is actually the unused jib halyard. I'll try to get some photos, post 'em here, because one picture is worth a thousand words.
  I think a bit of the confusion comes from the fact that yoiur 23 probably didn't come with a topping lift but does have the boom support fitting on the backstay.
I hope this helps.
  I've always wanted to sail under the Verrazano. As a kid, I watched it being built a little. Fascinating!
   Bob23, up way too early again! 

[Mundaysj]

Hi All,
So you all have a full topping lift (from masthead to end of boom).  Mine only has the mini topping lift (where it hangs off the backstay).  So I'm thinking about maybe changing that this winter.. but what do you think about a rigid boom vang or boomkicker instead?  (I'm going to pose that question in the other forum).
Thanks!!
Sherie

[curtisv]

Hi All,
So you all have a full topping lift (from masthead to end of boom).  Mine only has the mini topping lift (where it hangs off the backstay).  So I'm thinking about maybe changing that this winter.. but what do you think about a rigid boom vang or boomkicker instead?  (I'm going to pose that question in the other forum).
Thanks!!
Sherie

Sherie,

I have a boomkicker.  Its very handy.  A bit pricey.  Others have said they have better ways of spending the amount of money that a boomkicker will set you back.  Works well with a vang but it would raise the boom without a vang and give you too much draft in the main.  With both boomkicker and vang you have fairly good control of draft in the main but would have better control with a traveler (could bring the boom over center with lots of draft for better light air sailing to windward).

Curtis

[Glenn Basore]

What happen to Blond Ambition ?

I miss her adventures !

Glenn B.