Saturday (April 23) Matt Hazard, Katherine, Savannah, Mary, Jack and Soki sailed Wind Mistress from her home at Coffee Bluff Marina to Sail Harbor Marina on Wilmington Island.
We had Easterly winds, which meant we had to motor about half of the time.
We stopped at Green Island on the way, anchored and swam ashore. There we saw a wild pig, walked about on the beach, and then swam back to the boat.
The trip was mostly uneventful, which is always good on these types of trips.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
MORE THINGS GETTING DONE
Things done last weekend (April 14-15)
1. Installed LED lights navigation and anchor lights on masthead.
2. Figured out the alcohol stove.
Matt is visiting this weekend. He will travel with us to Sail Harbor (about 3-8 hour trip, depending how we make it) to have the boat pulled for painting.
That just leaves:
1. Install Solar Panels
2. Replace Steaming Light
3. Clean Water Tank
4. Check Fresh Water Pump
5. Fix Aft Potty
6. Track down a source of Compressed Natural Gas. Until then, we will use the alcohol stove, which will come along as a back up anyway, and the barbeque pit.
The bottom will be cleaned next week.
Hopefully the mainsail will arrive soon.
We are also waiting on the Georgia registration to go through. That has been a fiasco.
1. Installed LED lights navigation and anchor lights on masthead.
2. Figured out the alcohol stove.
Matt is visiting this weekend. He will travel with us to Sail Harbor (about 3-8 hour trip, depending how we make it) to have the boat pulled for painting.
That just leaves:
1. Install Solar Panels
2. Replace Steaming Light
3. Clean Water Tank
4. Check Fresh Water Pump
5. Fix Aft Potty
6. Track down a source of Compressed Natural Gas. Until then, we will use the alcohol stove, which will come along as a back up anyway, and the barbeque pit.
The bottom will be cleaned next week.
Hopefully the mainsail will arrive soon.
We are also waiting on the Georgia registration to go through. That has been a fiasco.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
St Simon's Island Trip
On April 6-April 8 we sailed from Savannah to St Simon's Island. We had planned to go to Cumberland Island but we left too late on Friday (noon) and couldn't get far enough Friday.
We stayed in the ICW Friday because there was lots of wind. We anchored easily and slept well, but discovered that the compressed natural gas was out. All our food for the trip was to be cooked, which left us a bit hungry.
Katherine and I got up early, raised the anchor and sailed to Doboy Sound. We ate cold oatmeal soaked in cold water. Then we sailed out the inlet into the ocean and the big waves. Katherine and the girls made ginger tea to calm the sea sickness, instead of dramamine. It didn't work. Katherine was horribly ill. We sailed all day in the rough seas until we went to St Simon's for dinner in the evening. We all ate, except Katherine, and then returned to Windmistress.
Katherine went to bed and Mary and I sailed up the ICW until 11:00PM, where we anchored.
Katherine and I got up early, raised the anchor and set sail for home. After a few mishaps, me reading the chart wrong and nearly running aground on some byway, we got out into the ocean through Altamaha Sound. Katherine took Dramamine and had no problems.
We sailed fast on a broad reach. When the wind shifted behind us we raised the spinnacker and sailed straight down wind at 6+ knots. The wind picked up and my jury rigged spinnacker set blew to pieces, but the crew was steady and we got her down.
We made our way into Ossabaw Sound (south channel) at low tide, which was tricky. Once the breeze was on our beam, we reached 10.2 knots sailing into the sound.
We passed through Hell's Gate under sail power at low tide (a miracle) and then Mary took the helm and sailed us home.
Everyone was very hungry, after eating only cold Ramin Noodles all day.
We stayed in the ICW Friday because there was lots of wind. We anchored easily and slept well, but discovered that the compressed natural gas was out. All our food for the trip was to be cooked, which left us a bit hungry.
Katherine and I got up early, raised the anchor and sailed to Doboy Sound. We ate cold oatmeal soaked in cold water. Then we sailed out the inlet into the ocean and the big waves. Katherine and the girls made ginger tea to calm the sea sickness, instead of dramamine. It didn't work. Katherine was horribly ill. We sailed all day in the rough seas until we went to St Simon's for dinner in the evening. We all ate, except Katherine, and then returned to Windmistress.
Katherine went to bed and Mary and I sailed up the ICW until 11:00PM, where we anchored.
Katherine and I got up early, raised the anchor and set sail for home. After a few mishaps, me reading the chart wrong and nearly running aground on some byway, we got out into the ocean through Altamaha Sound. Katherine took Dramamine and had no problems.
We sailed fast on a broad reach. When the wind shifted behind us we raised the spinnacker and sailed straight down wind at 6+ knots. The wind picked up and my jury rigged spinnacker set blew to pieces, but the crew was steady and we got her down.
We made our way into Ossabaw Sound (south channel) at low tide, which was tricky. Once the breeze was on our beam, we reached 10.2 knots sailing into the sound.
We passed through Hell's Gate under sail power at low tide (a miracle) and then Mary took the helm and sailed us home.
Everyone was very hungry, after eating only cold Ramin Noodles all day.
To Do List
The to do list is getting a little shorter.
In the last two weeks we:
1. finished the V-birth matress cover.
2. Removed most of the broken wind meter from the masthead.
3. Removed the Compressed Natural Gas cylinder from the boat for re-fill.
4. Got the windlass to operate and the fuse figured out. It takes a 30 amp fuse.
5. When up the mast I discovered that the masthead TRICOLOR and ANCHOR light can take LED lamps (bulbs). But the light itself is old and sunworn and it may be challenging just putting it all back together.
There is always some backsliding on this chores, and here we have it:
1. It does not seem that the Compressed Natural Gas cannot be refilled anyplace locally. So we will either have to figure something out, travel a long distance to have it refilled, or switch to propane. The switch to propane may be very challenging. I do not know.
2. Erik raised me up the mast, but the screw holding the windmeter would not budge. I ripped the thing off with my hand, leaving a jagged piece of metal bracket on the top of the mast and the data cable hanging. I need to go back up the mast, hack saw off the metal bracket and cut the data wire so that I can pull it back through and out of the mast.
In the last two weeks we:
1. finished the V-birth matress cover.
2. Removed most of the broken wind meter from the masthead.
3. Removed the Compressed Natural Gas cylinder from the boat for re-fill.
4. Got the windlass to operate and the fuse figured out. It takes a 30 amp fuse.
5. When up the mast I discovered that the masthead TRICOLOR and ANCHOR light can take LED lamps (bulbs). But the light itself is old and sunworn and it may be challenging just putting it all back together.
There is always some backsliding on this chores, and here we have it:
1. It does not seem that the Compressed Natural Gas cannot be refilled anyplace locally. So we will either have to figure something out, travel a long distance to have it refilled, or switch to propane. The switch to propane may be very challenging. I do not know.
2. Erik raised me up the mast, but the screw holding the windmeter would not budge. I ripped the thing off with my hand, leaving a jagged piece of metal bracket on the top of the mast and the data cable hanging. I need to go back up the mast, hack saw off the metal bracket and cut the data wire so that I can pull it back through and out of the mast.
Docking?
By now (April) you would think that we would have learned to dock this boat, but apparently not. In fact, we were quite good at it, but the last two efforts have left something to be desired. To describe these mishaps would require a lot of verbage. Suffice it to say that on each ocassion, something that typically goes smoothly, like Mary wrapping the stern line around the dock cleat, just didn't happen. But lest she not get the credit she deserves, she did stear the boat home safely while Greg and I fought with the windlass. Greg had contrived to wedge the anchor chain under the windlass while raising the anchor and it took all manner of effort to release it.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
PREPARING FOR 3 DAY CRUISE
FRIDAY SAIL
Friday afternoon we went sailing with Monica. We tacked out and picked up a crab trap and didn't let it go until we anchored. That slowed us down a bit. Savannah, Mary, Katherine and I swam. Monica refrained.
3 DAY CRUISE
Next weekend we plan to take a 3 day voyage. The boat is easily ready for the trip, and will be made a bit more comfortable with just a few little improvements. We recently:
Rewired the Windlass - it works! That will make raising the 35lb anchor and 20 feet of chain a lot easier. Doing it by hand was a chore.
Katherine sewed and installed the bimini top. It is still a little loose and needs a few grommits and stiches, but it is in place and working.
That just leaves:
1. Install Solar Panels
2. Sew Mattress Cover
3. Remove Broken Wind Meter bits and change out masthead lamps with LED lamps (lighting people note the terminology).
4. Replace Steaming Light
5. Change Interior Lamps for LED's
6. Clean Water Tank
7. Check Fresh Water Pump
8. Figure out how to operate Natural Gas Oven
9. Fix Aft Potty
10. Clean Bottom Again and install new prop.
None of these things are essential, but sewing the girls matress covers will make it more comfortable for them, and fixing the fresh water pump and cleaning the tank will mean not having to carry lots of bottled water. The solar panels are not essential for the three day trip, but will be essential for a longer voyage.
I have my fingers crossed that the new sail will arrive before we leave. The current mainsail is WAY too small for the boat, and makes her tough to tack. But she still scoots along quickly enough. Wind Mistress is very fast and will be a real flyer when her bottom is cleaned and her new mainsail arrives.
Friday afternoon we went sailing with Monica. We tacked out and picked up a crab trap and didn't let it go until we anchored. That slowed us down a bit. Savannah, Mary, Katherine and I swam. Monica refrained.
3 DAY CRUISE
Next weekend we plan to take a 3 day voyage. The boat is easily ready for the trip, and will be made a bit more comfortable with just a few little improvements. We recently:
Rewired the Windlass - it works! That will make raising the 35lb anchor and 20 feet of chain a lot easier. Doing it by hand was a chore.
Katherine sewed and installed the bimini top. It is still a little loose and needs a few grommits and stiches, but it is in place and working.
That just leaves:
1. Install Solar Panels
2. Sew Mattress Cover
3. Remove Broken Wind Meter bits and change out masthead lamps with LED lamps (lighting people note the terminology).
4. Replace Steaming Light
5. Change Interior Lamps for LED's
6. Clean Water Tank
7. Check Fresh Water Pump
8. Figure out how to operate Natural Gas Oven
9. Fix Aft Potty
10. Clean Bottom Again and install new prop.
None of these things are essential, but sewing the girls matress covers will make it more comfortable for them, and fixing the fresh water pump and cleaning the tank will mean not having to carry lots of bottled water. The solar panels are not essential for the three day trip, but will be essential for a longer voyage.
I have my fingers crossed that the new sail will arrive before we leave. The current mainsail is WAY too small for the boat, and makes her tough to tack. But she still scoots along quickly enough. Wind Mistress is very fast and will be a real flyer when her bottom is cleaned and her new mainsail arrives.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)