The continuing adventures of Koinonia

[Bob23]

Well, it's been a while since I posted here but that doesn't mean Iv'e been sittin' around, landlocked. Quite the contrary, I've been getting out on the water. And Koinoina's been much more well behaved.
   On 7/22 I finally fulfilled a promise made to an old friend- to take him sailing. Ed is a man of incredibly high integrity that I'm honored to know. Men like him are indeed getting rare and, as he's 85, they may be getting rarer. I'd been telling him for more years than I care to admit that we'd go sailing but either I'd forget or, more shamefully, I'd ignore my promise. July 22 brought us great weather and favorable wind and tide and at around 1300 hrs local, we embarked from the Surf City boat ramp for a 3 1/2 hour sail. It's only the second time in his life that he's sailed!
Due to the fact that he's 85, walks slowly with a cane and is a really big guy, it took a bit of doing to get him in the boat but with some help, we were soon on our way.
   We headed North, around the Harvey Sedges Islands, up Limestone Channel a bit and then back into the ICW where we headed for the barn. Interesting side note on Limestone Channel- it's not really a channel and there is no limestone in the area. Hmmm...makes you wonder what those old timers were drinking!
   Along on the trip was my good friend Bob. We share the same birthday and year and are both leftys as well as having a similiar twisted sense of humor. Bob sails an O'Day 17 Daysailor and, due to a recent forced retirement, has more time to sail. He is a serious ham radio guy as well as starting, owning and maintaining a local 24 hour radio station. Another man of honor and integrity.
   A couple of shots from that day:
 


Cheers! Bob23

[Bob23]

   Well, today it happened again. As I was readying the boat to sail off her mooring this afternoon, I noticed an older gentleman in a powerboat watching and as he motored closer, he said: "Beautiful boat." I thanked him. I'm not making this stuff up.
   This afternoon started out with a very light wind. I was zipping along at a whopping 1.5 knts, pushed mostly by the incoming tide. The wind was so light that I was overtaking it! In an hour or so, it freshened up but never got above 12 knts or so and at one time, driven again by tide and wind, we hit 4.5 knots. I'm aways amazed how well the 23 performs in light air. Must be the new sails! It was a wonderful afternoon sail, wish I had remembered my camera...you'll just have to imagine!
    More soon...looking forward to the Barnegat Bay Bash 2012 version 2.0 in 3 weeks.
bob23

[Bob23]

WHO PARKED THAT CHANNEL MARKER UNDER MY BOAT?
   Last Sunday, in a rare sailing appearance, my wife, the benevolent Admiral Linda decided that she wanted to go for a sail in the intrepid Koinonia. Now, understand- she never, never, never wants to go sailing with me so this was wierd. Nonetheless, 2:00pm saw us on the boat, raising a single reefed main in NW winds of 18 to20 knots and sailing off the mooring. We had a great time, the weather was warm and as the wind lightened a bit, I shook the reef out. The boat was on her best behavior and cruised along nicely at 4.5 to 5 knots.
   Sometime during the sail, I remarked that my winch handle was a floating one. Linda asked if I'd ever tested it out but I hadn't. I shouldv'e known this conversation held a clue as to what was to come. We tacked here and there, enjoying the day and decided to head back to the home mooring. As we approached, Yup- you guessed it, I dropped the floating winch handle overboard and, yes it does indeed float! Being red, it was easy to see. It took 3 drive-bys before I was able to snag it aboard and then I heard a strange sound- couldn't quite figure out what it was. The boat was slowing a bit and I heard the rudder downhaul line stretch. It was then that the green maker popped up from where he'd been hiding under the starboard side of the boat! Yup, while I was to intent on getting my handle back, I'd taken my eyes off the marker and he decided to go for a dip under my boat! The nerve!
   They must be made of foam of some kind 'cause it had a large crack in it when it popped up. As in most of my tales, alls well that ends well. No one got hurt, the boat didn't sink, and we enjoyed a great sail together. She still doesn't love it like I do, but it's a start.
   After we tied up Koinonia, which takes about a half an hour due to all the redundant lines I have doing redundant things, we rowed the Walker Bay in and headed over to the Dutchmans Brauhaus for some onion soup and a cold one. The is the onion soup that defines all other onion soups round the world and they have a great beer selection.
   Really, does a day get any better than this?
bob23

[jthatcher]

hey bob.. nice to hear that Linda joined you on the boat..  interesting story about the winch handle..    i lost my hat overboard twice during the BBB weekend..  lost it the second time..  that is the second hat that i have donated to neptune in  barnegat bay!   

we sailed past a buoy  with a big chunk out of it..   they do appear to be made of styrofoam..  that is a good thing as far as Koinonia is concerned.   Glad to hear that you and Linda had a dry experience with the walker bay     

Yesterday i was covered in dust from head to toe after a few hours sanding drywall,  and i spent all day today working on the in-law's apple farm..   good honest work, but i would rather have been sailing     jt

[Bob23]

   You'd rather be sailing than sanding drywall? Are you nuts? I'd pay anything to have that wonderful dust in my eyes, hair and nose. It just doesn't get any better than that! Yuk! One of my least favorite jobs.
   We had a great sail together, probably one of the last we'll take this season. Last night, my friend Bob and I went out night sailing on his O'day Daysailor...beautiful full moon and not another boat on the bay! We got in about half hour before the rain started. I may try and go out night sailing on my 23. Hope I don't hit anything!
   Any ideas of when you're coming down? We'd love to get together with you and Janet.
Bob23

[Bob23]

   Today Koinonia was sailed to her fall home at Long Key Marina. She will hang out there for a few weeks or hopefully more before being pulled out and set on her trailer. Winds were out of the SSW at 18-25 knts with gusts to 30. For me that meant a dead run all the way so I opted not to raise the main, sailing under genoa alone. It was interesting...I'd never sailed with just the headsail. Weather was sunny, with just enough coolness to don my wool sweater which I keep on board at all times. As we progressed northward and into the deeper water of Barnegat Bay, the swells began to kick up and I realized that Koinonia likes to surf almost as much as I did back in the day.
   The trip was 9.2 nm which took 2 hours and 10 minutes- a respectable time for the old girl! I decided to sail into the entrance to Waretown Creek which leads to LongKey and had no problems. Even Miss Nissan was in a good mood. I entered the slip without incident (rare), tied up and called the Admiral who volunteered to come get me. What a girl!
   This sail every fall is always bittersweet. I know that the end of another sailing season is coming to a close but I'll keep an eye on the weather. If it's nice, I may delay my haulout. Fall sailing around here is quite enticing as you can see the changing colors of the deciduous trees contrasted by the pines and cedars on the mainland. Maybe I'll take one more, yes one more overnight over at Tice's Shoals, scene of the famous Barnegat Bay Bash Splash 2012 version 2.0 of which I still need to do a write up.
   Enjoy your fall sailing, mates!


bob23

[MKBLK]

Bob,

What's growing out of your head? 

Marty K.

[Tim Gardner]

That's his idea tulip!
Heh Heh TG

[Greene]

That's his idea tulip!
Heh Heh TG

+1 Karma for the laugh Tim.

Mike

[Bob23]

Ya know, ya know, ya know....
   I didn't see that until I posted the photo...somehow knew I'd get some feedback on that one.
I'm gonna let you guys decide what that was:
A) Small alien ship following me while I was sailing and admiring the boat. We all know that     aliens don't make great looking sailboats.
B) Pressure regulator for my brain. As you can see, the relief valve is missing.
C) My first attempt at balancing an empty shot glass on my head while sailing. Notice that the glass is empty.
D) The aforementioned idea tulip. Don't lauch...could be.
E) The globe of a Home Depot landscaping light that is supported on a pvc staff behind me. The light is missing because I knocked it off into the bay last week.
   Cast your votes carefully, mates. If it were me voting, judging by the goofy grin on the face of that goofy skipper, I'd vote C. No one could look like that sober.
Cheers!!!
Bob23   Hic-up!

[Bob23]

   Koinonia was hauled out at 1400 hrs local on Saturday October 27th in the year of our Lord 2012. The first thing I do is to look for growth on the bottom. Dunno know why, I just do. As she rose out of Waretown Creek with her port side facing me, I was pleased to see only slime but, except for the lone and rare barnacle, no growth on her bottom. After she was plopped on her trailer, I backed the rig over for the ceremonial mast lowering, determined to use a version of Admiral Brenda Greene's system. Upon walking around the boat, I noticed considerable growth but only on the starboard side under the section aft of the keel. And when I scrubbed her yesterday, I also noticed that the scum on the waterline on the starboard side was present up and over the bootstripe but that there was NONE on the port side. VERY WIERD.
    She is moored in salt water in the same place every year and I've never seen this before. Are the bottom paint gremlins playing with my mind or does anyone have a logical (or otherwise) explanation? I'll be the first to admit that I'm not gonna lie awake at night trying to solve this mystery but it sure is strange. Although, it did just occur to me that old Konoinia is quite the prankster and I wouldn't put it past her...
Bob23

[brackish]

despite the fact that you are on a mooring and swing with the wind and tidal flow, I'm sure there is a prevailing wind and one side is going see more sun than the other.  This could be a reason for the difference in the growth of slime.  Addiitionally, the prevailing wind may cause a slight list to one side causing that side to sit lower in the water and causing the slime to be higher on the waterline. 

My boat is tied to a dock year round and the starboard side which is normally shady and the side with the mooring lines and fenders is always the dirtiest and has a higher line of growth than the port/sunny/normally windward side.

Glad you got it out ahead of the storm.  Be careful up there.  Worried about my Son and family in Philly.  Looks like they are in the direct hit line.  Good chance that if he loses power his basement will flood because of the questionable drainage in the area.  If he keeps power, the sump pump should keep up.

[Norm]

Bob23, How did your CP23 weather Sandy?

[newt]

Yes Bob- tell us as soon as you get back online. Worried people want to know!

[jthatcher]

hey guys,  i just talked with Bob for a few minutes.  all is well in his neck of the woods except for the loss of power and internet.   it is pretty unfortunate that the same is not true a few miles from his home on the barrier islands!  it may be some time before we realize the full extent of the damages along new jersey's coastline.    I know that when he does log back on to this page, his heart will be warmed by your kind thoughts!  jt