LOG OF PEGASUS - enter at your own risk!

[Bob23]

Wow! The weather doesn't seem to like you, Marty. I can't imagine why. I hope things dry up (including your sewer line) and that the spring prep for Pegasus goes quickly and uneventfully.
It'll be nice for you having a motor that can cover distances. BBB 2014 is looming on the horizon...somewhere!
Stay well Marty...hope to see you soon.
Bob23

[jthatcher]

wow, Marty..  a bit of a setback, but nothing that your wonderfully positive outlook on life can't overcome!    and just think,  you will get a new shed out of this as well!   I wish that i had the time to come down and lend a hand and a hammer..  but  I am tied up with trying to finish out the last month of school while building my tiny house..  it is a bit of a balancing act, and  leaves no room for even a thought about  Adagio for the time being..  but all in due time!  take care, and good luck with the project (s)  jt

[MKBLK]

2000 hours, 09/29/2014 - The Sargasso Sea. Not a place that brings happy thoughts to sailors in the Bermuda Triangle. The sun beating relentlessly, the glare off the still water burning the eyes. How the heck do you get out of here? And what appears to be an island over there, could it be Gaia? Thoughts of a floating ship graveyard in which vessels get caught in the seaweeds and never get free again, turning the vessels into ghost ships. Is this my fate? Wait, I can feel the bottom with my paddle. Seems to be about half a fathom. Put on my water shoes and slipped into the still water. Bottom is soft, but with Pegasus relieved of her skipper's weight, she became nudgeable. Beneath the still water I could discern what appeared to be a small sand bank where I could hopefully gain purchase and get Pegasus on the move again. Whoa, Pegasus! Free at last, she caught what little air there was. I heaved my bulk over the gunnel and we were finally on the move. I carefully tried to retrace my original course to avoid repeating the adventure again. I guess I'll have to read Victor Appleton's Adrift in the Sargasso Sea to learn just how lucky I was... but wait, I digress.

The tale starts the previous evening in Forked River, NJ where I met up with friends, new and old. It was the start of BBB-2014 (Barnegat Bay Bash). Our small party met up at The Captain's Inn where we drank and dined in a fine atmosphere. Present were Bob23 of course, our illustrious leader who had invited new friends Sean Patrick and his lovely daughter, Emily. Sean and Emily had traveled seven hours from Vermont to learn about the virtues of  ComPac 23's. Also, from Maryland, were Brad and Lilly who trailered in with their CP19. So now we had full representation of vintage ComPacs. We enjoyed our meal and company and then retired to our respective berths.

I spent the night, which was quite cool and very damp, on the hard in Pegasus' cabin. This was the first time I have slept in the cabin. As advertised it quite cramped but I did manage to get some shut-eye. Then, about 2 am, I heard some folks walking by Pegasus remarking, "How do you get in?" "I suppose you climb in through the hatch". I guess they noticed the step stool I use to gain access when on the hard. Well, the passed on and I took some safety precaution by reversing the hatch board so that the hardware was now inside and the hatch acted as a lock providing some security. Of course the inevitable finally occurred with Nature calling. This was about 3 am and as I returned from sojourn into the nearby woods, I passed another couple walking past Pegasus... at 3 am!? Oh well, back into my not so comfy quarters.

Come the morning, we gathered again and motored (with Pegasus in tow) over to the recommended Colonial Diner via my VTV (Volvo Tow Vehicle – my 250,000 mile plus 1990 wagon) where we all enjoyed a hearty breakfast. Bob and Brad were already in the water and I soon had Pegasus off the trailer into the drink. Shortly I met up with the happy band and we were off to Tice's on Island Beach State Park, just north of Barnegat Light. Long Beach Island is a barrier island along the Atlantic coast in New Jersey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_Beach_State_Park).

The trip to the bay went smoothly utilizing auxiliary iron wind. The Johnson 2hp pushed Pegasus along quite well, until the opening into the bay where it simply said, "I think I've had enough..." and quit. Oh well, I hoisted the main and caught the breeze and we were off. After a bit, it became apparent the CP16 was not able to keep pace with the larger CP19 and 23. Also, I hadn't been able to set the jib because of choppy water (and maybe a little bit of chickeness).  Soon, I lost sight of their sails. Then I made a mistake... I tacked south, mistakenly thinking I had departed from Cedar Creek, not Forked River! Of course it wasn't too long before I discovered just how costly that tack would be. Which brings me back to the "Sargasso Sea".

After finally breaking free of the clutching grass, I beat northward to try to rejoin the others. Things were going well and then, again, on a tack to the east, the wind dropped off, eventually dying completely! Now what to do? No air, no motor. I went into survival mode. I did have my portable VHF and was in contact with Bob (For sure he'll report), but the sea is so large and my boat so small! I dug out my paddle and tried paddling a bit. Well, paddling 10 feet to reach a dock isn't quite the same as paddling a half ton boat a mile or so. It wasn't getting any cooler and I had to do something. I had brought along my trusty MinnKota trolling motor and its battery. But, I had been working on the electrical system and there were no wires between the battery (forward of the compression post) and the motor (mounted on Pegasus' ladder). After pondering a bit, I decided that I had to somehow drag that really heavy battery out of the cabin and into the cockpit.
And that I did with much effort. Of course I couldn't just plug the motor in, it didn't have compatible leads any more. So I bared the leads with my trusty knife (always have a very sharp trusty knife) and wrapped them around the battery terminals. Voila! We had power! At the same time, we were hailed by Dario and Bill (sailor friends) who had been monitoring the VHF and knew of my predicament, "Don't worry, Marty. We're coming to get you."

Shortly Pegasus was in tow heading for Tice's. What a relief! More to follow – things do get better, much better!!!

Marty K.
CP16 Pegasus

[MKBLK]

2100 hours, 09/29/2014 - Sunday morning dawned bright and beautiful. After the previous days misadventure, I slept like a rock, first for 6 hours, then for another 3 ½! In between, we were woken by the arrival of a very large helicopter which hovered over Tice's for several minutes. This also created an opportunity to gaze at the most beautiful sky chock full of stars, especially Orion where we may all originate from!

The happy band enjoyed breakfast together and then settled in to enjoy the day:

The first event was the rowing race which Bob won. Brad took second and I a very close third (5 seconds). Not too bad for a septuagenarian (can anyone pronounce that?).  Then it was off to the beach to enjoy the sun, sand and waves. The weather was perfect, the waves were 4 to six feet and we all turned into 17 year olds and body-surfed as long as we dared. Emily really had a great time getting beat up by the Atlantic. I believe that she had never actually been in the ocean before.

By now it was getting time to leave Tice's and head for home ports.  The sail back to the mainland was everything a sailor could hope for. A steady wind of 10 to 15 knots off the port bow allowing Pegasus and Koinona to fly. We too, didn't have to tack to make it back. Too soon! Pegasus sailed into Forked River under sail power except for the last 1000 yards. Then the MinnKota did what it was designed to do and the sailing weekend was over... bitter/sweet indeed.

Marty K.
CP16 Pegasus

[MKBLK]

1545 hours, 11/29/2014 - Well, Pegasus has been bedded down for the long winter's night (and that was only the 1st week of November!). We, Pegasus and I, were hoping for at least one more sail this season; but it wasn't to be. I hear that Bob23 is planning a Black Friday sail! Brrr! Just this past Wednesday (day before Thanksgiving) winter made an unwelcome intrusion with a brutal Nor'Easter. At least South Jersey and Southeastern PA were spared the almost 8' feet of snow the Buffalo, NY area unhappily received! I sure hope Bob was able to enjoy a final sail. As of this posting, he hasn't posted the latest "The continuing adventures of Koinoina". We wait with bated breath!

Hopefully, the winter will provide much needed time for repairs and upgrades for Pegasus. Looking forward to the MWG sometime in the next few months.

Marty K.
1981 CP16 Pegasus

[Bob23]

Thanks for the update and sleep tight, Pegasus!
  Tis true I was gonna sail on Black Friday but the Admiral came down with a serious stomach virus so I stuck around the house. The last sail of the season will be tomorrow about 1200 hrs. Temps are forecast to be mild (relatively) with 12-15 knts SSW. Can't wait to sail although Thanksgiving morning found me out on the guideboat  Poco Loco for a nice pre-turkey row. Sort of a pre calorie burn!   
  We did indeed have that nor'easter on Wednesday and lost a day of work because of it.
  It's always a sad time when the season comes to an end but, as it is said: With the closing of one door, another opens. Personally, I hope we get lots of snow- cross county ski season!
Bob23

[MKBLK]

Well, I finally got to go sailing (again) yesterday with my grand-daughter. The weather was great with a nice 5 to 10 mph blow. Only problem was it wasn't on Pegasus! I saw a Sunflower SuperSnark on Craig's List and the admiral said that would be great to take the grandkids on the township's lake (which is perfect for that little 50 pound sailboat). So, I bought the boat on Sunday and after replacing all the badly rusted nuts and bolts with stainless, tossed it on top of the Volvo wagon and went sailing Tuesday. Fun, fun, fun! One thing that I hadn't considered was how painful it would be due to my, ahem, advanced age. So, the trip wasn't unduly long.

My first sailboat was a Sunflower Snark which was a foot shorter and about 6" wider. It had an aluminum tiller/kick-up rudder. The rudder was fairly large. I was dubious about the SuperSnarks little wooden tiller/rudder because the rudder didn't even extend below the hull! But, my doubts soon faded since the moment you sit in this craft, the rudder settles well into the water. No steerage problems at all. Probably designed this way to facilitate dragging across the ground/beach.

I had many fun adventures with the 1st Sunflower and my four kids, hopefully, many more with this one and my nine grandkids! Of course Pegasus is still my love and I can't wait for BBB-2015!

Marty K.
CP16 "Pegasus"

[MKBLK]

09/15/2015 - Installed new Impeller and Water Pump Housing. The kit had a few more parts than the original Johnson did! But, all were necessary for the installation. Seems the kit manufacturer took into consideration the ancient history (1977) of this motor. Ran the motor for 20+ minutes - no overheating. Water is squirting out the weep holes - this is good. Hopefully, Pegasus will have a reliable Iron Wind should the need arise. Oh yeah, still bringing the electric trolling motor to BBB-2015!

Marty K.
81 CP16 "Pegasus"

[MKBLK]

09/25/2015 - BBB-2015 has arrived! The forecast was for a bit of a breeze and Pegasus is ready for the bay. Arriving Friday afternoon, met up with Bob23 at Townsend's Marino where he helped me launch Pegasus. He then drove out to the Latitude slips and awaited my arrival via MinnKota power. The wind was pretty strong coming almost directly down the inlet. I like to run the MinnKota at "3", but was forced to go to "4" by the wind. Hit "5" a time or two to maintain steering. But, slid comfortably into the slip with Bob ready to grab the docking line.

Bob and I had a nice dinner (super burgers!) and chatted for quite a bit at Latitudes. Then he head off to Koinonia and to meet up with Kevin for their voyage to Forked River in the morning. I turned in for the night in Pegasus' cabin (which I sometimes refer to as, "my Gemini capsule").

09/26/2015 - Saturday dawned with a pretty stiff breeze blowing. Bob and Kevin arrived at about 10am after a tough uphill battle with the NNE winds on the bay. They were somewhat damp from the effort (I'm not talking sweat here)! Soon after their arrival, Larry called to let us know he and his family and his Eclipse were here. We then all went to a very pleasant breakfast at the Forked River Diner, after which we all met up again at Latitudes on our way to
the bay.

It was blowing pretty good at this time, so discretion called for leaving Pegasus snuggled in her slip. Good thing - it was pretty rough out on the bay with 3-4 waves, occasionally a 5 footer - but was a lot of fun. Would have liked to have stayed out longer than we did, but ran out of "valor". Some pics and videos here:

http://s1378.photobucket.com/user/mrtnkern/slideshow/BBB-2015
http://s1378.photobucket.com/user/mrtnkern/library/BBB-2015%20Videos

Larry had to leave, so Bob, Kevin and I adjourned for a tasty lunch at The Captain's Inn.

Marty K.
81 CP16 Pegasus

[MKBLK]

9/30/2015 - BBB-2015 is now history. Had an enjoyable time. Slept in Pegasus' cabin on Friday night. Too windy for the boom tent. Was a bit concerned about water entering via the scuppers (which have a bit of a leak!), but with the scupper plugs in, Pegasus stayed dry as a bone. Even under way with a lot of weight in the stern, she stayed dry. Fast forward home... while parked in front of my home a drenching rain passed through on Tuesday. Lo and behold, the scupper plugs keep water IN as well as out! Had about 9" of water in the cockpit and because of the aforementioned leaky scuppers a bit of water in the cabin. Only enough to dampen the carpet (fortunately, I had jacked the trailer tongue up enough to avoid major flooding). So, as I write, an electric heater is drying her out. Lesson learned: better get those leaky scuppers repaired!

Marty K.
81 CP16 Pegasus

[MKBLK]

6/6/16 - It's been a while since the last entry, however, before I begin, please take a moment and reflect on the sacrifices made by our servicemen and women this day, not so long ago. I understand that almost 900,000 are still with us but won't be for very long. They made America what it is today. Thank you!

Still haven't fixed the scuppers - but I will! In the meantime, I did a task I've put off for years... and actually enjoyed it. Couldn't stop 'till it was all done. You may have guessed: sanded and polyurethaned all the teak! It helped that for Christmas my kids gave me a complete Ryobi cordless set that included a cool multi-tool. The vibrating tool did a fine job of turning that coarse teak into a nice smooth surface. Three coats later, and it looks great (to me, anyway).

Next project: yep, those leaky scuppers.

Marty K.
81 CP16 Pegasus

P.S. I'm hoping to have "Goldie" our Yellow Lab be my sailing buddy. I've put her in the cockpit while on the hard in the driveway and she seemed to be okay with it. The other day I built a long ramp and tried to teach her to go up it and jump into the boat. I laid out a number of treats for her to gobble up as she ascended the ramp. Being a lab, she naturally cheated and ate all she could reach from the side without going up the ramp. But, she couldn't get the one at the top. She "thought" about it for a while, and then zoomed up the ramp, ate the treat and jumped into Pegasus! Ah, what a lab won't do for food.

[jthatcher]

so,  in addition to sailor extraordinaire, you also train dogs!   sounds like a great plan - wish i could see the dog ramp in action..  i am sure that you will enjoy having the her along...  i was surprised to find that the schooner captain allows dogs on board... we have seen a few nice ones so far, including a miniature austrailan shepherd..    i hope that you get the projects done quickly so that you can introduce Goldie to her new job as crew on the good ship Pegasus...   jt

[MKBLK]

JT - Goldie is a wonderful lab! She's extremely smart and stubborn as well. She is almost 2 1/2 years old and seems to live to please me. We spoil her rotten and I often refer to her as the SRD... spoiled rotten dog! I haven't really taught her a lot of tricks, but some important ones like she knows to stop on corners and wait for the okay to cross (off-leash!). She recently learned to retrieve the morning paper. First thing every morning, she darts out to the curb and brings the paper into the house (without shredding it!). Even the Sunday edition! One caveat: If it's raining all bets are off.

[NCboater]

We trained our yellow lab to retrieve our newspaper and it was great for about 2 weeks.  Then he started to bring two papers, then thee, and four.  I admired his initiative, but we had to stop him before the neighbors figured out where their papers were ending up.

[MKBLK]

NCboater - Can't stop laughing!