The adventures of Adagio - A tempo having slow movement; restful at ease.

[jthatcher]

well, the big news for monday the  6th of june -  i passed my boat license test at the west marine store in tom's river..   if anyone is actually reading this and paying attention...  it may appear that, chronologically speaking, something is out of place... after all, here i have been talking about sailing here and there..  and i just got my license!    in fact, as soon as I bought the boat, i took the class on line - decided that it made sense to take the new jersey test since the boat is in new jersey..   that all went well, but scheduling the written test was another matter..  this was the earliest date that worked, and now I am feeling pretty official!   

there were other very nice things that happened on monday..  my wife and the kids arrived..  we decided that the heat of mid day was a little too much to take, and it was the first visit to Tom's River for the kids, so we went to the mall.. how can you go wrong with a mall trip with teens?    after all that we got back tot the marina, and I set about readying the boat while the girls went to the bathroom..  we set out with little fanfare, and  once we got out of the marina and got the sails up, i turned the tiller over to the oldest step daughter, and we were off..   i think that she loved it..  she has an adventure streak in her, and being in control of a 23 foot sailboat for the first time can be an exciting experience!   i know, because i have yet to get over that myself

we did fine.. plenty of opportunity to discuss the basics of sailing.. the wind was relatively steady and not at all over powering, but on a few occasions, the boat heeled a bit.. my wife handled that much better this time around..  everything went smoothly until i was bringing us back to the slip..  i thought the engine was in reverse, but the boat was not responding as i gave it increasingly more throttle.   it is a good thing that those pilings give a little!  and that the previous owner happened to be absent for maybe the first time!    no damage done.. and soon we were safely in our slip..     after tidying up the boat, we hopped into the car and drove to ocean gate where we walked the mile long boardwalk, stopping of course, for some good humor ice cream along the way..  saw a glorious sunset on the way back..

  sleeping arrangements work out just fine..  although she swore that she was not going to sleep on the boat ( opting for the car instead), the youngest step daughter decided that there was more room than she imagined agreed to sleep in the v berth with her sister.. i think that the privacy curtain was a crucial element in that decision    

   my wife and i took the berths in the main cabin..  that made a lot of sense because we anticipated getting up a lot earlier than the girls.  which we did..  we put the bikes in the truck and drove out to island beach state park..  did a 20 mile ride - saw  a fox,  an osprey up close, two turtles and numerous birds along the way..  the fact that the bakery that i discovered on sunday was not open ( only on weekends till the season starts)  bordered on a major disappointment, but we handled that maturely

after breakfast and a shower we got in the car and headed to ocean grove for the afternoon..  ocean grove holds a special place in our hearts..  it is about 35 min north of Tom's River, and it is the place where my family visited the shore.. and I introduced it to my wife and her daughters..   we had lunch at Day's and then visited the shops in town before returning to Day's for an ice cream...   then back to the marina..

   we are fortunate to have an early end to the school year - the kids in Tom's River are still in school and will be through sometime next week.  The result of that is that the pool at the marina is only open on the weekends..  it was hot, so i told the girls that we could take the boat out and anchor  in the river and they could swim..   great idea!!  ( they seemed to be more agreeable than usual during this trip)    so we did that..  The suggestion was somewhat self serving..  i wanted to try out anchoring for the first time..   after i got the anchor line attached.. i realized that i needed to feed it a different way.. so , it may have taken a little longer than it should have, but the anchor held just fine..    oldest step daughter - in the water no problem.   wife - well, it took a little coaxing, but she made it in..  youngest step daughter..  well, true to form..  she balked..      my plan was to stay aboard to monitor the anchoring..  i was pretty confident that i had let enough  scope out,  but this was one lesson that i did not want to learn the hard way..      then the youngest daughter started asking questions about the white things that were floating by..   oops.. jelly fish.. not real big, and not too many, but  they were jelly fish just the same..   we agreed that the swimming should come to an end, and, since we had time and the wind was steady, we figured that we should put up the sail  for a while..   another good session on the water...   the previous owner sailed by as we were making good headway..   that Bristol that he bought is a fine looking boat!     my wife handled the healing of the boat very well, and we decided to head in before anyone got too board...   so we sailed for an hour and a half - the landing was very smooth..  to bad PO was not there to witness this one..  i think that even the step daughters were impressed, particularly when i pointed out that i don't have depth perception     just lucky i guess.. 

  it was the older step daughter's sixteenth birthday and she remarked that most of her friends would have been at teh DMV early in the morning, taking the test for their permit and instead, she was "driving the boat"   she seemed perfectly satisfied to be doing so..       a birthday dinner was part of the plan, so after we got the boat organized and we all had showers we headed out to the Shady Rest restaurant - on recommendation from a boat owner at the marina..   despite the fact that it sounds more like a retirement home or even a cemetary, the place was great!   we definitely found a keeper..  a place to take folks who might visit us in TR.. 

  we wrapped up the day with a cup of tea in the cockpit and then the girls headed off to bed..  my wife and I opted to sleep in the cockpit.. there was no dew at 10 pm,  and i was hopeful that we would not wake up drenched.. ( previous nights the dew had been pretty heavy)  .. we lucked out..  we were a little damp in the morning, but all in all, it was a pleasant experience..  Although we have done a lot of camping over the years, I really can't say if I have ever slept out under the stars..   

  we woke up at  6 am to the sound of an angry duck.. quacking non stop for a few minutes..   the girls slept through it, and that was fine, because we were anxious for another bike ride..  we stayed close by - riding up through Ocean Gate and then down along the bay towards Berkely Island park..   we did not venture too far off, finishing up by riding through the little county park that is just around the corner from the marina..  another jewel waiting to be discovered..  we now know where we can hang out on those hot afternoons..   lots of trees with picnic tables, and it is an easy walk  from the boat..     we did just over 16 miles on the bikes and felt good..  we were both concerned about doing too much and then having to drive home..   

after breakfast and showers the girls headed off - back to PA, and i stayed behind to do some work on the boat..  after some sanding and a coat of Cetol and then a little wax, i reluctantly closed up the boat and headed home myself... 

I am not sure that it is fair to credit Adagio with all of the success of the trip, but it truly was one of the more enjoyable outings that we have had with the girls..  they seemed agreeable most of the time,, enjoyed one another's company most of the time, and even gave some indications that it was ok to just hang out with the older generation - at least for a while..   gotta love it when that happens!     I wish that i had had a camera last evening as i watched the girls walking down the dock towards the boat..  in a short time they grew comfortable with the marina and with the boat, and I can't help but think that some of the experiences that we had these past few days will turn into life long memories.. and isn't that what it is all about?? 

[Bob23]

Great story, JT.
   You are creating life long memories with your wife and kids. I was pretty fortunate to have taken my kids sailing with me. We always have great talks out there...life is so much more real at 5 knots. Now, my son sails his own Irwin FreeSpirit 21 which my father in law gave him when it became obvious to him that at age 89, he should stop sailing the  "big boat".
   My wife, on the other hand, is just not interested. I like the alone time I get while solo sailing but nothing beats having your family share in those experiences.
   My boats in the water, finally! Are you in Beachwood this weekend? I'm sure we'll rendezvous some time in Barnegat Bay.
   In summer, the jelly fish in the Toms River get as big as small planets and have been known to eat entire towns whole. Be forewarned!
Bob23

[jthatcher]

After a week-long trip to Maine where I happened to see a lot of very inspiring sailboats,  you might expect that I am chomping at the bit to get back down to the Jersey shore and Adagio..   add to that the fact that  a new bimini, sail cover, boom tent winch and tiller covers arrived while I was away, and it is fair to say that I am dying to see how they all work out on the boat..   the new color is forest green - no offense to the brown of the past, but I happen to favor green...      Unfortunately, I won't make it down anytime soon - it looks like the 4th of July weekend will be the earliest that I can make the trip..  so I will look forward to that.  I think that my wife will love the bimini, and I am hoping that the boom tent works out well..   the idea is for protection on rainy days when we are at the dock..  being able to use the cockpit on a rainy day will make a big difference..   i ordered a 10 by 10 tent..  i hope that it is not too large..  but it can always be cut down if that is the case..    I did see a neat set up on a boat in Camden Maine - wish I had seen that earlier!   

So, for now, i will have to content myself with dreaming about the next trip to the shore..  and turn my attention to the more immediate projects on the home front...

[Bob23]

JT:
   I'll have to check out your bimini. That's the next thing on my list as it can get hot in August here in NJ. I ended up with some minor heat stroke last summer...even though I know about hydration end electrolyte replenishment. When you need to get out of the sun, you need to get out of the sun, period.
   See you on 7/04 weekend sometime...I may make it over to Tices Shoals.
Bob23

[jthatcher]

- A surprise visit to the boat!
      The best that I could hope for was a trip to NJ that was ( and still is) planned for next weekend, but  on our last trip down, my wife and I found a treasure in a small shop - a used table and six chairs that were in great shape and which would fit in to our yet-to-be finished new home very nicely..    I had arranged to pick them up next week, but I got a call on Thursday with a request from the owner for us to pick them up this weekend..  Knowing that I had to use an open trailer, he assured me that the weather was going to cooperate.  My wife and I talked it over, and, after rearranging our schedules and bowing out of a commitment at school, we threw some clothes in a bag and our bikes in the back of the truck and set off for NJ on Saturday morning.   

   Our first stop, after arriving in the area, was the shop.  The owners were happy to see us and very gracious about helping to pack up and securing the furniture.   I think that they were happy to free up the space in their store for a big sales event that they traditionally hold over the weekend of the 4th.   It dawned on me that, in a short time we have come to feel very comfortable in the Bayville/ Pine Beach area,  and we are doing our part to support the local economy!    We then headed to the marina - parked the trailer for the night - and then moved our gear onto the boat.  There was some talk of a storm, so we decided to watch and wait for a bit, and, in the meantime, Ed stopped by to say hello and then we met a new couple, George and Belinda who have a capri 22 just like Ed's and adjacent to his slip.   When we told them that we were going for lunch, they suggested the Anchor Inn  which is in Ocean Gate - turned out to be another good tip from the marina crowd - great lunch of pizza and salad and then off to the mall to purchase new tennis shoes for use back at school ( a little more support for the local economy)   

  With the lunch and shopping out of the way, we were ready to take the boat out -   I worked through the mental checklist that I am in the process of still developing, and soon we were headed out of the marina.   The wind had picked up a bit since our arrival - how nice!   My wife kept the bow in the wind while I hoisted the main sail - it seemed like she was pretty comfortable with that duty, so I suggested that she continue to steer the boat - she readily agreed -  how nice to have a wife who is not only supportive of the sailing lifestyle, but who is anxious to learn all about it - I guess that I am just lucky!    We did not set he iib immediately, thinking that it might be good for her to get a feel for how the boat sailed with just the main. 

   The wind was blowing 12 - 14 with a few  stronger gusts from time to time..  my wife was enthusiastic, but tentative at the same time..  it will be awhile till she is really comfortable with  heeling the boat - particularly when she is in command - on a weekend in late June when there are quite a few boats on the water,  but she did quite well.   According to the GPS, we were clocking between 3 and 4.5 miles per hour.   It was time to unfurl the jib.   Of course, this introduced a little different feel and a little more speed,  and the boat may have been overpowered at times, but I only witnessed the the look of sheer terror on her face occasionally  - a look of concern a fair amount of the time..  and a smile just often enough to know that she really enjoyed being in control.    The water was high, and our draft is minimal, but we kept to the channel just for good practice.  The wind was from a favorable direction which allowed us to sail to the end of the river with just a few tacks..   We reached the bay and were greeted with more boats and rolling 2-3 foot waves..   There was not a whole lot to be gained by staying out there in terms of building confidence so we turned back to the river and enjoyed the trip back, again staying in the channel, talking about nautical terms and discussing the plan for the evening..   

   so, here is where I have to digress just for a moment.   We are nearing our fifth anniversary, and our first real date 6 or so years ago was a trip to Ocean Grove.  We left home very early in the morning so that we could make it to the beach for the sunrise, and from there on, we filled with day, nonstop, with activities - walking the boardwalk, renting bikes - riding to Belmar where we observed the boats resting in the marina ( did she know that this was in our future?)   , catching an organ concert at the Great Auditorium, spending a few hours on the beach, lunch and ice cream at Day's..   what a great day!   Even with the energy that accompanies "young love"  ( yes, one can experience this in his mid-forties)  we were exhausted by the time we got into the car to head back to PA..    and why am I including this story?  well, this particular trip was shaping up the same way..  still in love.. maybe not quite the same amount of energy , but we packed a lot into the day, and we were not yet finished!    we dropped the sails, and I motored in to the marina..  made a reasonable landing - but there is still room for improvement.   I have a new plan of attack to try out next week!

   Time to break out the new canvas - I did not bring the bimini, but  the tiller cover, winch covers and sail cover look great!   the tarp that i ordered for the boom tent is a little on the large size..    I guess that i have two options here - the first would be to cut it down to fit and the second is to add it to our camping gear (  how nice to have a heavy canvas tarp over our picnic bench).  The immediate plan is to put the bimini in place next week and then determine how effective it will be.  if we need the boom tent - we will figure it out.    With the boat snug in its slip,  we hit the road and made the short trip down to Shady Rest for dinner - asking to be seated outside,  the hostess led us to the same table where we were seated with the girls a few weeks ago..  The roses are past, but there are still nice flowers around the perimeter of the dining area - definitely an air of romance - great place for a date!     we had a nice dinner of lasagna and zitti and skipped desert.   still more to do...

   the kayaks belonging to the previous owners of Adagio are stored next to our slip.   He has encouraged us to use them anytime so we slipped the boats in the water and paddled out of the marina  and then over to an adjoining marina to check out some fine looking catboats and other yachts - my wife commented on a few of them - I think that she is developing an eye for a boat with great lines!   we continued down the river to a point where we could go no further and then retraced our path,  looking for living things in the reeds along the shore..   lots of birds, but no critters, at least not this time..    After stowing the kayaks, we got in the truck for the last time and headed out to ocean gate..  we have walked this before, but the light was dying fast, and we wanted to walk on the boardwalk..   we stopped for a good humor ice cream and walked for a bit and then sat on a bench and watched a few boats slowly make there way along the channel..    When we got back to the marina we found that there was a large party that was breaking  up with many participants heading towards a boat on our dock..  they continued the party there for quite a while, but that was really no problem..    i doubt that, after we turned in, any of them noticed that ours was the only boat on the dock  rocking gently back and forth on a windless evening... did i mention - still in love?   Sleep came quickly and soundly!   

   We set the alarm for 5:30 this morning but agreed on the luxury of 15 extra minutes for getting up, munching on a banana and then slipping on our bike clothes..  Time was limited so we did a shorter 14 mile ride out through Ocean Gate and along the bay..  breakfast and tea  in the cockpit and then loading up the truck for an early departure..  once again,  I needed to be back on campus by noon, this time for the opening of summer school this afternoon.    We could have spent a lot of time and energy lamenting the fact that we were leaving early on what appeared to be a great day for boating, but it is much more appropriate to be thankful for a wonderful 24 hours  -  how would we have spent this weekend if the purchase of Adagio had not taken place in march??   who knows, but it is hard to imagine that it could have been any better!!

 
   

[Bob23]

JT:
  That sounds truly wonderful! You are indeed living the life. I was also out on Saturday...rowing in the windless morning and then, about 1 pm, the wind picked up and I sailed for a few hours. Just trying the new sails out and working a few bugs out of the rigging.
  Hope we can meet up next weekend. I'll be up thataway sometime next weekend...maybe over at Tice's!
Bob23

[jthatcher]

thanks, Bob.   i will get in touch with you sometime on saturday to see what your plans are.

well, there is a lot to learn about sailing, and, while I think that trial and error is a great way to gain new perspectives, I am not sure that i have that kind of time!   so, here is question number 1.. i suspect that there are a number of folks here who can offer answers..

during our first sail with the previous owner way back in March, the wind was pretty strong.  He put two reefs in the main sail before we left the dock.    when i took over the tiller, I was fairly nervous, not having sailed in a number of years!  the boat was heeling at a pretty good angle, and I found that turning into the wind was no problem - in fact, that is what the boat wanted to do when we were hit by a gust..  but, turning away from the wind was nearly impossible..  i actually struggled with the tiller, pulling it towards me with little, if any, response from the boat..  the PO attributed it to the fact that the rudder had a lot of marine growth on it since the boat was in the water over the winter..   in a previous post, i described one of my first tasks as cleaning the rudder.. 

this  past weekend, my wife had the same experience, and i reached back and tried to help her pull the tiller towards her..  very little response..  so we headed into the wind, the boat flattened out, and the turn away from the wind was easily made..   another time   I let the main sail out, and the boat responded...   am i doing something wrong?   My understanding is that in a boat that is well balanced,  very little pressure needs to be used on the tiller, and that most boats have a certain degree of weather helm, but i think that this exceeds anything that would be considered normal..    what do you think??  thanks!  Jt

[Bob23]

JT:
   On your first sail, was the jib flying? The 23's do not sail well under main alone and that can contribute to weather helm. On some previous sails on my boat, when the afternoon wind would really kick up, I found she sailed well under reduced jib alone although tacking was nearly impossible so I had to gybe instead. This was with my old (25 year) sails.
   I have not expermented enough with my new sails yet but I can say that last weekend I was able to tack under single reefed mainsail alone but just barely. I also have a foiled rudder and that makes alot of difference in tacking and it even points the boat a bit higher. 
   I saw your rudder and I can't remember if it was the original flat aluminum blade or something else. Does it extend straight down or does it try to kcik back while you are sailing? Almost any rudder on any sailboat if designed to be straight down but is allowed to kick back more toward the horizontal will put more strain on the tiller. I'm not a marine engineer so this is my opinion form having this happen on the different boats I've owned. I'm glad you scrapped all those hitchhikers off!
   While turning away from the wind, it is natural to let the main out a bit otherwise it'll be sheeted in too tight. Do you have any wind tells on your sails? Keep in mind that proper setting of the main or jib for that metter is always in relation to the wind direction, not it's position on the boat. That sounds confusing..does it make sense? Maybe we can talk about it in person.
   You certainly have it good having a wife who sails with you and loves it. I suppose one can have a beatiful boat, sail it to exotic places but without a companion, somehthing is missing. I seem  to remember way back in the past, God mentioning to Adam something about "not good being alone."
  See you on the water,
Bob23

[Billy]

yea, ease the main, and make sure your rudder is all the way down.

if you have a loose footed main this will reduce the weather helm as well.

The 19s have a much harder chine and a flatter bottom and the weather helm is very strong. after a few years of production they added the bowsprit to increase the size of the jib.

I hear the foil rudder is the best fix for this, but easing the main will make a big difference too, especially if you are heading off you will want to let it out some anyways, just ease the main before you ease the jib.

[jthatcher]

thanks Billy,
   it is a foil rudder, added by the previous owner..   i am anxious to get down this weekend and back out on the water.. i do have a loose footed main, and easing the main seems to make the most sense..   thanks for the feedback!  jt

[Billy]

Since its loose footed ease the outhaul too. That will help

[jthatcher]

Another great day in new jersey!  this weekend is  a solo trip.  I came down yesterday afternoon, expecting to be tied up in all kinds of traffic, but the trip was a breeze.   The marina was quiet when I got here.  I walked around the marina, and looked at the boats in the water as well as the ones that were still on jack stands - some for a few years by the looks of it.  Some are posted for sale, but i recall the words of someone in the past who said that "every boat is for sale"   I suspect that a number of the ones not posted would move pretty quickly if an offer were made!

  but, we just recently bought Adagio, and, while the bigger, roomier boats have a certain appeal, we are quite content to have great access to the water, a great boat and many experiences to come - all debt free!   so, it is fun to look, but it is great to snuggle down on my bunk knowing that no bank is a partner in ownership

   i found one other early riser when i walked into the bathroom this morning, but, otherwise, there was little, if any, activity around the docks this morning.   My bike was tempting me, but one of the major goals of this trip was to install the new bimini that arrived a week and a half ago.   I bought it from  Ameriseam which happens to be located in Florida, very near the compac factory.   when i asked the fellow who was taking my order if he had made biminis for compac, he responded " i make them for the company"  i was in good hands!

  i got a little distracted and put a coat of cetol on the teak in the v berth, figuring that the earlier the better for drying..   and then a tackled the bimini..   along with the parts, there was a piece of paper with directions, explaining just where to locate the tracks - that was nice!   and, the frame pieces were all labeled..  pretty fool proof!    except that i put it together backward    i was nearly done, when i realized that the top was inside out - how silly..    before i started, a little voice inside my head suggested that it might be safer to do this on dry ground, but the dock is pretty wide where i am , and i figured that i would be safe if i put all of the screws in a shoe so that they would not be dropped over the side by accident..  i felt pretty good about that precaution ..    As i was putting the frame together for the third and final time..  i slipped.. didn't lose a screw, but the screw driver fell right into the water..  it disappeared in a fraction of a second..  i think that i said a bad word..  and then looked around to see if there ware any witnesses    nobody up yet!   i had to use my screw gun to complete the project.. you can imagine that i held onto that pretty tightly!    when i went to install the fame on the little cars in the tracks it was readily apparent that i had them on backwards..  you really have to engage the screw with the screw driver from the outboard side    no biggy..  a few moments later the bimini was up, and I was instantly enjoying the new shade in the cockpit..     my wife is going to love this!   

    it was time for a shower and then into town to run some errands..   a stop at west marine to pick up some sealant to fill the screw holes..  a stop at K mart to replace the screw driver.. and then back to the boat..   after some adjustments to the bimini - sliding it forward so that  the boom would not get hung up on it,  I was ready to set out..   it will take a little getting used to maneuvering about the boat with the bimini, but after today's experience, it is obviously well worth it.  it turned out to be a tacking drill today..  certainly not a straight shot to the mouth of the river!   just as i was leaving, a large cat boat with a huge sail dropped her mooring in front of me..  i think that there were 6 people aboard..   that boat moved!   i wonder what the sail area is..   very classic look, and there are a number of them in the area..   oh well..    a late night of reading was catching up with me, and there was a whole lot of boat traffic.  i guess that was to be expected, so i turned back to the marina  and prepared to try out my new landing plan..   as it turned out, a boat was coming down our line of slips anyhow, so it made sense to motor beyond to the next line, turn around there and then head back to ours and point right into the slip..   i guess that i should have thought about that sooner.. it worked very nicely and soon i was  coiling ropes and putting the sail cover on..   

  i made a cup of tea and tried to read, but found it a little too comfortable, and fell asleep in the cockpit..  just what i needed..    after a dinner of homemade granola  i borrowed the kayak that is living on our dock  and headed out to ocean gate,  about a mile and a half down river maybe?   the destination was the new pier that was just completed and the ice cream shop at the head of the pier..     there were a lot of families on the pier crabbing...   they have stencils of legal sized crabs painted on the pier..  the kids were having a blast..    and, we were all treated to a spectacular sunset..   i raced a couple of sailboats back to the marina and did rather well!    and no i am sitting in Barnes and Noble.. getting ready to head back to the boat to turn in...    maybe a quick bike ride tomorrow morning and then I will head out on the boat for a while before packing up and returning to PA..   already looking forward to two weeks from now when we plan on returning!   

thoughts on the bimini..   sure is nice to have some shade out there on the water and at the dock as well!   i know that my wife will be much more comfortable and happy..    You can't see the sails as well, and you have to make an effort to see the windex.. but, maybe that will make me pay a little more attention to the wind on my face,  and make me a better sailor!    i would definitely recommend  one to anyone who is considering getting one..   cost  = $360  ( aluminum frame ) plus $5 for an extra screw driver

[Bob23]

JT:
  I'll have to check your bimini out as it is one summer neccesity. Around here we have whats known as the Dog Days of August. You can imagine how the dog days feel. In Harvey Cedars on LBI, they hold the Dog Day race. While I don't run anymore, the last time I ran the Dog Day race, it was true to it's name- a hot, humid dog day!
  I am a bit concerned about not being able to see the sails well. I continually like to check sail shape but being in the shade is nice, too.
  Looks like rain today...tomorrow is my attempted row from Surf City to Waretown- about 8.9 nm. I haven't rowed that far before and the 4th of July traffic on the water is legendary so it should be interesting. Hope to catch you next time your'e back in NJ. Maybe I'll plan on sailing  to Tice's Shoals in 2 weeks. I'll call you on the shoe phone.
  Has anyone invented floating tools? So far, I've only lost a pair of Vice Grips to Neptune. An a Makita impact driver which actually survived a dip in the bay after a fresh water wash-out. Great tools!
  Thanks for taking us all along via your in-depth reports of the adventures of Adagio. I enjoy the long posts...keep 'em coming!
Bob23

[jthatcher]

I recall saying to my son one day " i am not sure that you are going to be home long enough for me to teach you everything you need to know!"   There have been times when I have said that to a student in class as well, and, in fact, we never have our students or our children around long enough to "teach them everything they need to know"   These days in education circles the prospect is that we actually don't know what our students are going to need to know 10 or 15 years from now..  so we might as well stop trying to force a lot of information into their heads which will very likely be useless in no time..   better yet to instill in them a desire to learn on their own..   Every time I get a call or an email from my son in which he expresses excitement about researching an idea the teacher in me wants to tell him what I know about the subject, but the dad in me is very proud of the fact that he is excited about life and that he has the motivation and skills to learn on his own..    so why am i getting philosophical at the moment?   because it is raining and a can't sail!     

well, maybe that is not quite the reason, but I was surprised to find it raining this morning.    I checked the forecast 3 days ago and it looked like great weather through the weekend, but this morning, just as I was beginning to be aware that the sky was dimly bright and the dreams of the night disappeared, i also noticed that the wind was picking up.   the boat was moving and the dock was moving and groaning, and my first thought was " I may have to reef the main today"    As became more aware of the surroundings, i thought " it might take two reefs"   and then it started to pour and a glumly acknowledged that the idea of sailing may have to be taken totally off the table!   I scurried to batten the hatches - literally,  and experienced my first real rain storm below.   what to do?  well, there were some new dock lines stored in one of the lockers, and since May, when I purchased them, I envisioned sitting in the cockpit on a beautiful evening, taking time to whip the ends..  and of course, that never happened, so I figured that it would be good to tackle that job..  the first one doesn't look too hot, but the next three turned out pretty well.    As I worked on the job, i was reminded of a story that i read a long time ago written by a man who as a boy had the opportunity to visit Joshua Slocum who happened to be on his boat SPRAY in a local harbor.   the boy was terribly excited about visiting a sailor with a world wide reputation and about seeing the boat that had sailed around the world..  but he was awfully disappointed to find the boat looking pretty weather beaten and the ends of the lines fraying.  He expected a more ship shape experience,  I suppose..   well, no fraying lines on Adagio.  The previous owner obviously enjoyed whipping lines, and I aim to follow in his footsteps! 

    With the task of getting my lines in order completed,  there was a lull in the raindrops so I headed off to the bathroom for a shower.   On the way back to the boat, the skies in the east looked kind of bright, but it was dark in the west, and the rain resumed.. so I packed up my dirty laundry,  dried off the cushions and life jackets that i had left in the cockpit the previous night, all the while vowing to pay a lot closer attention to the weather forecasts in the future..   I still need to figure out how to get the local noaa forecasts on my vhf radio..  that is all that i have..  of course, I could stop by my neighbor's boat across the dock.. the guy with all of the comforts of home including, as of yesterday, cable TV !   of course, you can't take that with you when you leave the dock...   well, at least those of us with moderate means don't have that option!

   I treated myself to a good breakfast at a little breakfast place in Toms River called "Shut up and Eat" , and now i am here at Barnes and Noble, finishing this post, and reflecting on the weekend..  it is a joy to hang around the marina..  but it is a lot more fun when my wife is with me..   i enjoy the demands of sailing the boat on my own..  and each day on the water i learn new things which help my confidence to grow..  but it is nice to share the time on the water together..  so , i am looking forward to our next trip down in two weeks..    hopefully, the weather will cooperate!

[jthatcher]

hi bob,
   that rowing trip sounds like a challenge.. but a lot of fun as well..   i really did appreciate the shade that the bimini offered yesterday afternoon..   one of the things that i have learned through reading and discussion is that sailing is a series of compromises..  starting with what is the best boat to buy... where to sail..  etc..  and sailing with the bimini in place sure falls into that category.  it sounds as though, come august, the welcome shade might outweigh the limited sight lines!

   i almost drove down to waretown last evening to find the bluegrass venue..   we may have some friends visit who would enjoy that..  if we don't make it on the water at the same time, maybe we can meet for breakfast at some point..  I am glad that you are enjoying my posts..   looks like it is turning into a bit of a diary..   the book that i just finished last night was a diary of a woman who went to sea with her husband who was the captain of a schooner out of Maine.  It was a great read.. especially while sitting in the cockpit of Adagio!       jt