Blond Ambition's Big Adventure

[Mundaysj]

I have been talking about wanting to make it to the Verrazano Bridge from Atlantic Highlands NJ for two years now.  Finally, my son and I made our long awaited trip this past weekend.  We not only made it to the Verrazano Bridge, but into New York Harbor, past the Statue of Liberty and on to Liberty Landing.  It was a beautiful day Saturday, although no wind.  We motored with the sails up.  It felt like such an accomplishment to "sail" my little Blond Ambition under the Verrazano Bridge.  And it was also special for my son to see the Statue of Liberty for the first time. 

Pulling into port at Liberty Landing went pretty smoothly.  And we had a pleasant night docked there.  But I made a terrible fool of myself trying to pull out of the dock Sunday afternoon.  I don't have much experience backing up with my motor... I was trying to back up and use my rudder... but it wouldn't turn the way I wanted it to, and I had to put it back in forward to keep from hitting some other boats, and then I rammed the dock, and then tried to back up again, and almost hit another boat, and then someone came running to help us... but I was beyond help... the motor died out on me twice because I was trying to run it so slow... it was terribly embarrasing!!  Of course I was nervous as people started to watch this horror show and that only made it worse.  Note to self:  MUST practice backing up!! 

We finally got out.  We put up the mainsail and motor-sailed out of New York Harbor.  It was very busy.  At one point I had to decide what to do with a tug boat coming right at me, and if I turned to pass astern, I had the Staten Island Ferry heading straight at me.  I was sweating.  I managed to slip between the two.  The wind (about 20 knots I believe) shifted to southern ... of course... every time we are headed home (due south) we get a southern wind.  Well the sea was so choppy, the waves were crashing over the bow pretty steadily, so we kept only the mainsail up, to keep the boat from rolling, and we kept the motor on.  What a wild ride.  It was a fast ride as we had the tide at our backs.. we must have averaged about 6 knots.. which is really flying in Blond Ambition.  I had to hold the motor in place because with every crash, the motor would spin, and offset the rudder.  So I held it tight with one hand and pulled the tiller with my other arm.  After about an hour of that I tied the motor handle to the stern pulpit with a bungee cord.

As we got close to our harbor entrance we tried to drop the sail.  For the life of me I could not get the boom onto that topping lift.  Dakota would get the boat pointed direct into the wind and a wave would rock us and I had to hang on for my dear life.  You see I have to spread my legs and stand on both sides of the cockpit seats to reach the topping lift.  It is a little tough when the cockpit is drenched and the boat is tossing about like a washing machine.  LOL

I was exhausted by the time we got onto our mooring.  I thought it would take us at least three attempts to grab the pick up stick for our mooring with the chop and all, but my son grabbed it on the first try and I managed to shut off the motor at just the right time.  We were both soaked but it was great fun just the same!!

Next year maybe we will try Long Island Sound! 
Here are some pics of the trip....

[Bob23]

Sherie:
   Let me be the first to congratulate you! Wonderful story again and great photos. (Do you always wear yellow?) I was wondering when we'd hear from you again and what you'd been up to.  That looks like a memorable trim for you and your son. But why wait till next year for Long Island Sound? Plenty of great sailing in September.
   Maybe there is a tension thingy on your motor to tighten it to it won't spin like that. But, bungee to the rescue is ok, too.
   Bob23
 

[bmiller]

Excellent trip report and nice photos. There is nothing better than spending time with our kids on an adventure. And it sounds like you two had an adventure.
My grandson is coming up for a week and we hope to take him out for his first sail. Although we wont have any big bridges or statues to sail by.
Is Liberty Landing a marina near the statue? That's sounds like a cool place to go. Did you tour the statue?

Look into to what Bob mentioned about the tension screw on the outboard. That will keep it in one position as needed. What motor do you have? Post a photo of the rear of it and maybe we can find the tensioner.

Keep those reports coming. It's great to follow your progress.

[brackish]

Sherie,

Congratulations on your accomplishment and adventure.  Great trip report and great pictures.  I think we've all been there with the backing issue at times.  I had an inboard on my last boat and often could not get it to go where I wanted it to in reverse.

With regard to the motor spinning to and fro, does your motor have a friction lock?  They are usually adjustable and can be set so that the motor will stay locked regardless of motion and pressure.  You might look in your manual.

By topping lift, I assume you mean the pigtail swaged to the back stay.  I don't like it.  Thinking about putting a true, halyard controlled topping lift on my 23.  Wonder if others have done this.


Frank

[Mundaysj]

Thanks everyone,
I will check on the tension thingy.  Yes, Frank, I mean the pigtail.  I have been thinking about adding a true topping lift myself.  I think safety wise it would be smart.  Especially when I am single handing and trying to get the darn boom hooked back up and the boat is a-rockin'!!
And Bob, we will be sailing through September to be sure.  But I don't think we will have any more long distance trips planned until next year.
Regards,
Sherie

[multimedia_smith]

Great Story,
You definitely have the spirit of adventure getting out there in that harbor traffic.  Kudos to you...
Did you see any smaller (16 size) boats?  I'm curious if they would venture out there.
Nice Pics... I particularly like the one with the Flag in the foreground with the statue in the frame.
Ellis Island has a great exhibit if you ever make it there.
Happy Sails to you and your son... He's lucky to have an adventurous mom.
Dale

[bmiller]

Instead of a topping lift consider a boomkicker. I have one on my 27 and it works great. You never have to think about it. It just does it's job, holding the boom up.

[HideAway]

Sherie

I have a non adjustable topping lift on HideAway and I highly recommend you install one.   Makes lowering the main much easier not to mention safer.  Ours drops on the Bimini - Another required piece of equipment in Fl   We are going to be dropping the mast soon to repair some storm damage so I'll see if I can get a photo.   Its just a strap pop riveted at the top of the mast and a snap shackle to attach to the boom.    Some sailors put a block up the mast and run the line to a cleat on the mast to make  the lift adjustable.

As to backing the boat.  If you point the aft end of the tiller in the direction you want to go the boat will go there.  You have to be careful not to turn the rudder into the outboard so it is a two handed operation.   In tight situations like leaving a dock most of your steerage comes from the motor so don't be afraid to give it some gas.

Your owners manual should show how to tension the motor.  It is easy to do.   If not just look it up your motor on the web.   

What a wonderful adventure you two had.  Sailing is  life changing .   All three of our kids learned to sail long before they learned to drive. My eldest is a desert rat in New Mexico but the other two sail regularly.  My daughter and I teach sailing at our club and she is studying for her captains license.  When your son gets older check into the Sea Scout program - its part of the Boy Scout organization.  Matt

[newt]

Sherie,
A quick check when I cannot get the pigtail- is the main sheet loose? That often keeps me from raising the boom to the pigtail. BTW, I have a topping lift from the mast too, makes it a lot easier in that situation and Bob will show you how to make one with just a line and a snap.
On using the outboard. Often I will just fix my tiller to neutral and direct my boat with the outboard (hint- head the propeller to where you want to go when in reverse) You are already getting the hang of it, just hang in there.

[Craig Weis]

It's a reach but use the tiller and the motor as a coordinated unit and she'll turn in her own length.

People on shore, on dock, and on the boats around laughed and worried when I just started doing 'power turns'. My 20'-10" [or is it 21'-10"?] boat turned within docks not more then 25 foot apart. I use that maneuver going up dead end streams around Sturgeon Bay.

My Com-Pac is very hard to stop when approaching the dock. So I stop 'out there' first. Unless I sail up to the dock with main down and hanked on the boom that has it's butt end supported from my back stay with a cable and quick disconnect. And at the last second furl up the headsail to loose power and drift to the dock.

Note that a tight boom vang or tight mainsheet will prevent the boom from rising up enough to clip in the Q/D. I always forget to do the 'looen-up' before picking up the boom to the Q/D. I don't know about a boom kicker. That's for big boats.

IT IS IMPORTANT to have a Q/D that opens and spreads apart at the bottom like a clam, not a side ways drop-down bar latch. That way a pull on the lanyard and 'POP' it's off the eye on the boom once the sail is up. And 'click' it's in the eye on the end of the boom to lower the sail.

Use good judgement as to motor speed. I come to a stop. Adjust to an idle for several variables. On my 19 if I do not turn the motor and tiller together it is possible to gouge into the rudder with the prop under some angles.

I don't know about your motor but my 5 hp Mercury has a thumb screw that locks the 'port/starboard' turning down with friction very tight and a goodly amount of push/pull is required to 'change course' of the prop thrust.
No lashing to the stern pulpit required.
The trip? GOOD FOR YOU!

1-Wind. Must be overcome.
2-Current-tides-eddies.
3-Must be able to shift reverse-nutural-forward without throttle inputs.
4-Propeller 'on-off', let her coast, another shot of power. Let her coast.
5-Answered your own question. Pratice. You'll be fine.
6-If a lot of power is needed more trouble is coming. Don't panic.
7-Push off the dock and drift. Nothing you don't already know.
skip.

[kchunk]

Sherie,

I have my tiller linked to my outboard with one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00199CIE2

It's a removable steering link to connect a trolling/kicker motor to a boat's outboard. For fishing boats, this lets the boat's helm steer the kicker while trolling. A little ingenuity and it easily adapts to a tiller. If you're interested I'll get some pictures for you and some advice on how I did it.

It makes maneuvering in tight spaces a no-brainer and assures the rudder stays out of the way of the prop.

--Greg

[nies]

kchuck, I PURCHASED ONE  LAST YEAR, BUT DIDNT HAVE THE INGENUITY TO MAKE IT WORK. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED....THANKS NIES

[Bob23]

Sherie:
   I just re-read your post and thought I'd share one of my outboard-backing up stories. As you guys may know, I keep "Koinonia" my 23, on a moooring in Surf City, NJ and enjoy sailing off and onto the mooring. It's a nice skill to master. However, in the spring after launching, and sometimes in the fall, she spends a week or so at Long Key Marina in a slip. And there are pilings out at the far end of said slip. The slip is just wide enough to fit the yacht in with about a foot to spare on each side. (Note that this marina is on a creek that's not too wide so one can't really back straight out. At least I can't.)
   I keep anchor in the bow pulpit on the roller so it's easy to deply. I also found out it's easy to get it stuck in places where it has no business going. Like every anchor, it has those two bars sticking out. One on of my first attempts backing out, I didn't realize that the piling to starboard and my anchor were wanting to get aquainted and, upon reversing and turning, they decided to get physically involved. Yep, they really got to know each other so well so that the piling didn't want to let the anchor go. When the skipper (that'd be me) finally realized why the boat wasn't going, there was much tension from all parties and, upon giving up, the piling, anchor and rigging gave a wonderful  TWANG! noise, kinda like plucking a violin string too hard. 
   Although I could find no damage, the standing rigging was a bit looser after the episode than before. I sailed all summer with slightly loose rigging and was no worse off for it. I should mention that I was trying to steer the boat with the rudder while the outboard was pointing straight ahead. Now I sometimes leave the rudder up and steer with the motor alone. I also should mention that my sailin' buddy Dennis tried to contain his laughter but was unsuccesful. We both toasted the event with a cold beer when we finally got out on the bay.
   Koinonia is a great boat. She overlooks my novice-ness, brings me back safe from my adventures, has wonderful manners in all kinds of mixed company and is always dressed to the nines. Next time I may write about the time I lost a $1000.00 bet with a relative concerning his ability to sail my boat up to my mooring. At night.
Fair winds to all, and Sherie, keep doing exactly what you are doing. From your first writings here at the site to now, we've enjoyed every word of your adventures. Maybe in the beginning the emphasis may have been on "Blonde", but now it's sure on "Ambition." Youv'e become quite a sailor and are creating lifetime memories for you and your son.
Bob23- off to make coffee.

[Craig Weis]

Bob23, was just wondering how "Koinonia"s anchor was held in place on the bow roller? By the way I have also caught my anchor bar on a piling. Resulting in a holding penalty. Green Bay had best beat Chicago tomarrow night

~I SWAGed and marked a spot for a drilled hole in the anchor's shank that would allow a fastener to be inserted through another drilled hole in the 'tac' behind the headstay fastener used by my furler. I have a picture in the Frappr.
~The flukes of the anchor when the anchor is pulled back and all two drilled holes are in alignment allows these flukes to nestle into the splayed out guides of the anchor roller assembly.
~Using a purchased hardware pre-drilled pin, a large dia fender washer, was tac-welded to the underside head of the pin that goes through the furler tac.
~On the otherside of this tac is a thick hard rubber spacer sawed to the desired thickness and drilled for the pin and another fender washer and a circlip to hold all this together on the furler tac.
~The balance of the pre-drilled pin sticks out and through the anchor shank hole. One more removable washer and pull-pin with a short lanyard allows for a quick 'pull-and-play-out' of the anchor off the roller. I have a spare assembly in case I drop the pin/washer assembly over the side with the anchor.

Clear as mud right?
skip.

[kchunk]

Hi Nies. I won't be out at he boat until next week. I'll get some pictures to help you out.

--Greg