MONDAY, MAY 14, 2012
East Bound and Down
I borrowed the title of this post from a Jerry Reed tune that was the theme song for "Smokey and the Bandits". Probably not very interesting, but this is a really short post and I needed some filler.
I left Colorado just before sunrise this morning. My local Starbuck's opened at 0530. 13 and 1/4 hours and 832 miles later I watched the sunset from the banks of the Mississippi in Le Claire, Iowa.
Sorry. I didn't stop to take pictures of all the massive farm equipment and windmills that I saw along the way for this post.
I am really sorry I didn't bring my camera along when I went out to dinner. I missed an opportunity to get a picture of a paddle wheel steamer on the Mississippi, that would have fit in with the general nautical theme of this blog. Maybe the next time I pass through.
I left Colorado just before sunrise this morning. My local Starbuck's opened at 0530. 13 and 1/4 hours and 832 miles later I watched the sunset from the banks of the Mississippi in Le Claire, Iowa.
Sorry. I didn't stop to take pictures of all the massive farm equipment and windmills that I saw along the way for this post.
I am really sorry I didn't bring my camera along when I went out to dinner. I missed an opportunity to get a picture of a paddle wheel steamer on the Mississippi, that would have fit in with the general nautical theme of this blog. Maybe the next time I pass through.
MONDAY, MAY 28, 2012
Memorial Day 2012
Shaw’s Boatyard, Dighton , MA
This is a late catch up post just to let anyone still tuned in know that I have not sailed off the end of the Earth.
I have been here 11 days and the last 2 have been dry and sunny.
After a 3 day trip cross country I arrived at the boatyard and got started getting Belmira de-winterized and ready for the sailing season. Unfortunately, the relatively warm winter and a tightly wrapped boat created the ideal conditions, not unlike a terrarium, for mildew growth. I got aboard Belmira to find light fuzz on almost every surface of her interior.
But that’s all part of having a hobby, lifestyle, or whatever you call it, that is mostly dependent on weather conditions. They, the weather conditions, don’t always cooperate and can provide you with detours to your already somewhat loosely planned schedule.
So, before I could move aboard, I had some unexpected cleaning to take care of. But, it was probably time to get that interior teak, cleaned and re-oiled anyway. It sure looks good now. As a result, I have been living aboard for the past 2 days.
As I hinted to earlier, the weather has not been the best for getting things done. But, I was able to alternate interior and exterior projects and I have made some progress. This year’s one big project, painting the masts, is well on its way. I have both masts stripped of their hardware and ready for the real work of prepping them for painting.
Sorry for not including any pictures with this post. There is not much to show at this point. Just wanted to say hey to you all and give you a quick update. Now, it’s off to the library, just up the road, to get an internet connection and send off this post.
More to come.
Dighton Public Library, 1930 or, (7:30 pm )
SUNDAY, JULY 1, 2012
Finally on the water
Well it has been awhile since I last posted and it's time to get busy and let you all know what has been happening. It has been a long slow process getting Belmira ready for sailing this year. Mostly due to weather, an unusually cold and wet late spring in Southern New England. By waiting out the weather and taking advantage of the good days, I was able to finally get two coats of paint on the masts, this year's major project. The painting done, all of the hardware had to be re-installed. Thank God, I took a lot of pictures to help me remember what went where.
I was determined to get her splashed and be in sailing shape by July and here it is July 1st, and I have spent my 2nd day on a mooring in Fairhaven. Back at Earl's Marina. Last year's posts had a fair share of sunset shots from Earl's. So, for a change, here is a pic of the sun rising on my first morning here at Earl's.
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As to how I finally kicked myself in the butt to make it happen; I realized July was loomimg. I got the bottom painted last Tuesday, June 26rth. The masts were stepped and she splashed on Wednesday morning. After a busy day and a half getting the running rigging, booms, and sails on as well as de-winterizing the water systems and engines, both Belmira's diesel, and the dinghy's outboard, and an endless list of miscellaneous stuff, she was finally close enough to be a functional sailboat once again. We, Jordan and I, set off down river with the high tide at 0700 Friday morning. Flowing down river on a slack tide as well as riding the outgoing tide we were able to clear Sakonnett Point by Noon and got to sail north on Buzzard's Bay to West Island and up the bay to the channel entrance to Earl's. A total of 51 miles in just under 9 and one half hours. We could have been quicker but you really can't be finally sailing and not dally a little when the wind was good.
Now, although I am finally on the water, I still have a few of the non-functional things that were not necewssarily needed for the trip here to Earl's, to take care of. Although the masts were stepped and served us well for the sailing we did yesterday, none of the wiring to things like anchor and steaming lights, radar, wind turbine, etc; were actually fished through to their individual connection points inside of the boat. Some of that shows in the picture above and most of that was done yesterday. Today was dedicated to rebuilding the carburator on the outboard and getting my, new on board wireless system working. Without which, I may not have been getting this blog post out. At least not from the comfort of Belmira's interior.
As I continue getting Belmira into shape I will get more posts out to report my progress. And, I promise more photos. I especially want to get some before and after shots of the newly painted masts posted. The difference is really great, as is previewed in the partial shot of the mizzen in the sunrise photo. Oh, and I hope to get out a sail a little also, not all work and no play.
So, stay tuned, there's more coming.
I was determined to get her splashed and be in sailing shape by July and here it is July 1st, and I have spent my 2nd day on a mooring in Fairhaven. Back at Earl's Marina. Last year's posts had a fair share of sunset shots from Earl's. So, for a change, here is a pic of the sun rising on my first morning here at Earl's.
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Now, although I am finally on the water, I still have a few of the non-functional things that were not necewssarily needed for the trip here to Earl's, to take care of. Although the masts were stepped and served us well for the sailing we did yesterday, none of the wiring to things like anchor and steaming lights, radar, wind turbine, etc; were actually fished through to their individual connection points inside of the boat. Some of that shows in the picture above and most of that was done yesterday. Today was dedicated to rebuilding the carburator on the outboard and getting my, new on board wireless system working. Without which, I may not have been getting this blog post out. At least not from the comfort of Belmira's interior.
As I continue getting Belmira into shape I will get more posts out to report my progress. And, I promise more photos. I especially want to get some before and after shots of the newly painted masts posted. The difference is really great, as is previewed in the partial shot of the mizzen in the sunrise photo. Oh, and I hope to get out a sail a little also, not all work and no play.
So, stay tuned, there's more coming.
SUNDAY, JULY 15, 2012
July and a Half Already !
This summer is moving by quicker than I can catch up. It seems that all I have been doing is trying to complete the stuff that I didn't do at the yard as well as a few unexpected problems. But those are all just excuses that I could use before saying that I have not been sailing. But I plan to change that stat in the next few days.
As promised in my last post, some pictures of Belmira showing off her newly painted masts. I got out in the dinghy and took some shots. Here are a few.
First there is the cute butt shot.
And as usual, I had to include a sunset shot. If you really want to make a comparison you can go back and look at some of the past year's posts to see how the new white masts have really improved her appearance. Personally, I really didn't like the brown and so I won't put an old picture here. My rally call this spring was,
"Down With Brown !"
It hasn't been all boat work and no play. I did get out to a bluegrass jam at the pier at Westport Harbor last week and yesterday I was invited to another bluegrass related event.
A little background; Charlie Pike was a mandolin player and a friend who passed away awhile back. Charlie had an ongoing jam at his barn in Rehoboth for many years, and it was sort of a notch in your bluegrass experience belt, for a lot of Southern New England pickers, to say that they had been to a jam a Pike's Barn.
Well, Charlie's son, also named Charlie, has picked up his Dad's mandolin and has been hosting a bluegrass jam at his own barn for about the last year. The event yesterday was at Charlie Jr.'s Big Red Barn seen here.
While we were all pickin and grinin and eating some really good food, there was a chain saw sculptor at work down behind Charlie's house. Close to sundown he had pretty much completed his work. He had been carving a likeness of the late Charlie picking away at his mandolin. He plans to haul it away to do some final details, like giving Charlie a plaid shirt. But everyone there yesterday agreed that what you see in this picture fits Charlie's, the "Old Salty Dog's" likeness to a T.
Well I have got some Grandchildren coming to visit and sail in a few days so I've got a few last prep items to take care of. I plan on posting a lot of info and pictures on the upcoming visit. So, stay tuned.
SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
A visit from the west
As mentioned in the last post I was expecting a visit from Son Eric, his children, Kael and Natalie and Grandma Karen. Well they showed up in good health but maybe a little worse for wear after a 12 hour ordeal with airlines and airports. I picked them up in Boston shortly after they touched down at 12:05, or in 24 hour time 0005, just 5 minutes into Friday morning. We made it back to Belmira at 0224, the wee smalls. I was able to use the courtesy dock overnight so I would not have to subject the weary travelers to a dinghy ride out to the mooring. I made sure to ask everyone to be as quiet as possible so as not to disturb anyone who may be staying aboard in the slips. I forgot to tell Kael that once aboard he should not let his 8 year old curiosity run wild and he tested the emergency air horn I left in one of the cockpit pockets. It was very loud but very short. Scared him more than it may have interrupted anyone sleeping.
Here is Eric with his clan after Nattie, who had been sharing the vee berth with me decided to get a few more Zs with dad.
We all just kicked back in recovery mode on Saturday and on Sunday were off to Grandniece Ella's 1st Birthday party. A good time was had by all and Kael and Natalie got to meet a bunch of new relatives of all ages. Eric and Karen were able to renew old acquaintances and add a few new ones.
Here is a pic of Brent and Stacy with the birthday girl Ella. There is also a sneak preview of Ella's sister soon to arrive. November I believe.
Sunday, saw us out sailing. I had hoped to get them all toCuttyhunk but the winds and tides decided we would be better off making for Woods Hole. So we crossed Buzzards Bay and tucked into Hadley Harbor. After a tour of the inner harbor we anchoredBelmira and had a relaxing lunch. After a total of 6 hours and 40 minutes, and 22 nautical miles, we were back on the mooring at West Island and ready to kick back.
Here is Kael up at the bow pulpit. Probably holding his tether to make sure it gets in the picture. Tethers were a requirement for he and Natalie if they moved out of the cockpit. They were pretty good about remembering to tie in.
Just above to the right is a picture of Hadley's Inner Harbor.
And below is Kael kicking back for a snooze in the cockpit.
Here we have Nattie using dad as a back rest as we start back across the bay.
Karen is at the helm here as we head west with Falmouth on the horizon in our wake.
And here is the whole crew jammed into the helm for a photo op.
Monday was a day for touring local sights from old town Fairhaven and its many historical buildings, we wound our way over to New Bedford to see the Whaling Museum and the waterfront sights. The weather was not cooperating with us for a sail. Once again my camera stood aboard. But, I did get a few shots of Kael and Nattie with their favorite foul weather pastime. Stayin below and playing with their DSs.
Tuesday, and we were out sailing again. The plan (you always start with a plan then see what the weather decides you should do) was to cruise the coast and see Mattapoisett and Marion harbors. We made it to Mattapoisett, dropped the anchor and had lunch. Then it was on to Marion, until we saw a nasty looking weather front working its way down Buzzards Bay. So we turned tail and headed back to West Island.
This is the front on Buzzards Bay we were trying to leave behind.
Of course Mother Nature, being the light hearted soul that she is, and not wanting us to miss out on any of the foul weather fun, had another squall line waiting for us as we turned into NasketucketBay on our way to the West Island channel to Earl's.
We sent the kids below, and Karen took the helm while Eric and I got the sails off of Belmira. Then the fun began. 50 yards from the channel markers, they disappeared in the rain and waves. Karen went below, no sense in us all getting wet, and I managed to turn back into the squall until it passed. Soon after, we were able to motor into the mooring as if it were just another summer's day. My crew did an admirable job. Thank you mates.
We went out to dinner that night and in addition to whatever we wanted to eat, I ordered some steamed clams as a training meal. We were invited to my brother Joe's for a clam boil on Wednesday and I wanted to be sure that the grand kids, would like them, and know how to eat them. Turns out they are clam lovers and took to it naturally. They, as well as the rest of us, had a great time at the boil. Lots of food and drink and great company. Unfortunately my camera was sitting on board for the party. You missed a lot of good food shots on this post.
Thursday would be the last day for my family visit. Because of a scheduled 6 AM flight it was going to more practical to spend the night at an airport hotel. So we spent the day slowly working our way toward Boston. Here the whole crew is standing by Earl's Marina sign one last time.
We started with breakfast at the Little Bear in Tiverton, RI. Here Kael and Nattie posed for an album shot in front of Little Bear's totem.
Then it was on to Newport to see the mansions and the ocean up close. The crew is standing about as far out on Brenton Point as they dared go with the wind and weather we were experiencing on Thursday.
With Newport in our wake we headed for Plymouth to go aboard Mayflower II and see the Plymouth Rock.
Nattie affectionatly posing with Kale on the Mayflower II's main deck.
Here is a family shot below the Plymouth Rock sign. Probably the most photographed spot in Plymouth.
Then it was dinner and on up to Boston and a sad farewell to my visiting crew. Here they posed one last time in their hotel room in Boston. I only wish we had been able to do more sailing. Thanks for a great week you guys.
I ended the week going to a birthday party for Chris, who along with my brother Jordan kindly put me up whenever I am not able to stay aboard Belmira. Like during hurricanes and other unplanned events.
Chris turned 40 and his mom threw a great party in his honor. Here he is, with his mom in the background.
And here is a closeup of his pin.
That's all for now. This was obviously a family oriented blog post. For any of you who tune in for the sailing I hope to have more posts soon. Stay tuned.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 2012
Almost August and a half
It has been a few weeks since my last post and a lot has happened that I will try and catch up on. There are a few sailing experiences of which it is said, "there are only two kinds of sailors, those who have done these things, and those who will do these things.". As you will see, I now have two of these experiences checked off my personal sailing resume.
As you saw in my last post, my guests departed and it was back to solo sailing and living. It was quite lonely after a very active week. Especially one that included two active grandchildren who apparently are charged by "Die Hard" batteries.
After a few days of putting things back in order and restocking, I spent some time re-tuning the main mast and had to take her out for a sail to check my work. Before leaving the mooring I was more concerned with my tuning and not nearly as concerned with the tide level and how close we were to the full moon. And so, although it was nearly 2 hours since the low tide, as I was cruising out of the channel connecting the marina to Nasketucket Bay
All went well with the actual sailing and tune check and I believe she is ready to sail in almost any conditions. It was a little foggy out there. Here we are close hauled to check the downwind tension on the shroud as we head for the fog bank.
Later that evening I was out to Westport Point to pick a fewBluegrass tunes with the local jam group.
The rest of the week was spent on minor repairs and getting ready for the first mate's visit. Chris was scheduled to arrive on Sunday for a twenty day stay.
The new anchor I had ordered six weeks ago showed up and had to be installed. I found myself with too many anchors and took the lesser of the three, a Danfort, to the consignment store.
Saturday, and I was out in Buzzards Bay again trying to get the Aires Wind Vane steering system working. That didn't work out as well as I had hoped and I decided that my second wind vane, another Aires that was at the consignment store looking for a new owner was in better shape and that I would have to go and retrieve it .
Sunday and I was off to the airport in Providence. Chris' flight was delayed by about an hour do to foul weather in Clevland. But, she made it here safely and we were on board Belmira after a dinner stop in Fairhaven.
On Monday we decided to get out and sail. After securing the dinghy painter to the mooring pennant with the pickup float, I let Belmira drift clear. Assuming I had left the transmission in neutral, I was surprised to see the dinghy and mooring ball getting pulled against Belmira's stern and hear the engine come to an abrupt stop. A good portion of both the dinghy painter and the pennant were well wrapped around the prop shaft with the float's lead counterweight jammed in against them. There was only one thing to do. Get down there and unwrap it . Here I am getting ready to do my best Lloyd Bridges impersonation.
And, next you see my feet as I dove below with each new refill of air in my lungs via my snorkel. I took about a half hour to get the mess untangled. There seems to be no lasting damage and we were on our way.
We got out into the bay, sailed up to Mattapoisett and back. Tried once more to get the wind vane to cooperate before deciding to change it out. The test failed.
We had decided to get out of Earl's and make a planned trip up to Provincetown so Tuesday was spent getting provisioned and some final boat prep. Here I am taking off the miss-behaving wind vane. The second vane is laying on the dinghy's floor boards.
Tuesday evening we were off to meet Jordan and Chris for one of Fall River's well known 2 for 22 dinners. Several of Fall River's well known Portuguese restaurants offer dinner for two, with a bottle of wine, for twenty two dollars. The choice for this evening was a restaurant called Caldera's on Pleasant Street in Fall River. Here is a picture of Jordan, Chris and Chris, and my dinner choice.
A good time was had by all.
Wednesday morning and we would be ready to head out on our extended trip. All that was left to do was to pull into the courtesy dock and fill our water tank. It was nearly high tide and we had a breeze coming from the South West making it ideal to pull into Earl's south dock. We did just that, watered up, and were on our way. About 100 yards from the dock we came to an abrupt halt. We were on the bottom, and it was nearly high tide. This should not be happening. Fortunately this area is mostly silt and sand. Here we are dead in the water waiting for the tide to rise a little more. Belmira draws 5 feet and we were sitting in about 4 feet 6 inches. I had now done one more thing that every sailor has or will do, I ran aground.
What made this experience so frustrating was that I was on the same track I had always taken when leaving the dock. I had not planned to come back to Earl's this year and I now know I won't be back next season. I appears the whole basin is filling with silt and many of the depth soundings shown on the charts can no longer be trusted. Time to move on to deeper waters.
We were not aground for very long. In less than a half hour we were afloat again and on our way.
With some good wind and a favorable current we made it up to the Cape Cod Canal by late afternoon and dropped anchor in the old canal channel alongside Mashnee Island. It was a very calm evening with a very nice sunset as seen here.
After a quiet night it was up and at 'em to make the canal entrance when the East flood starts at 9:13. We made it around Mashnee Island and by the Maritime Academy and into the canal entrance at 10:11. We had been making about 4 knots with the engine running at 2000 rpm. Once into the canal, with the flood current, we were doing the speed limit, 10 mph, 8.5 knots. Without touching the throttle, we were exiting the East end of the canal into Cape Cod Bay at 11:00.
Here is Chris at the helm as she piloted us through the length of the canal.
With some light winds we combined sailing and motor sailing across Cape Cod Bay. Not too exciting a trip and we made it into Provincetown Harbor at 1700, or 5:00PM.
We got into town for dinner after a long dinghy ride. The weather was not being very friendly and we were getting wetter than we had expected, especially on the ride back to Belmira. The prevailing winds and waves made it impossible to maneuver the harbor without a lot of splashing. After nearly running out of dry clothes, we decided by the end of day on Friday that it was time to move in closer to town and get on a mooring that would also give us launch privileges. In addition it had started raining and NOAA was predicting it was going to keep up throughout most of the weekend.
Friday night proved to quite an experience. Once again we had gone into town for dinner. This time armed with rain gear. A precaution that proved to be the right move as a storm moved in. We returned to Belmira in the rain, in a launch, that even though it was nearly twenty feet long and sat high above the water, provided yet another wet trip for all of it's passengers.
Once aboard, and getting everything battened down, we settled in for a roller coaster ride. Knowing the ride would be much too exciting in the Vee berth, we made up the double berth in the center salon.
Hearing all sorts of noise and activity in the mooring field we turned on both the VHF radios on board to listen to the goings on. Boats had broken loose from their moorings and in one case a large steel fishing vessel was liberated when a boater trying to work through the field ran across the fishing boats mooring line and cut him loose. A sailboat, also trying to get into the harbor, was bouncing off the seawall and other boats before dropping an anchor and coming to a stop.
We sat, rocking and rolling in the relative comfort and safety of Belmira's interior and listened as the Harbor Master, Marina Mooring Master and the Coast Guard directed their people and each other on what action to take. It turned out that in spite of the excitement it caused, there was no one injured, 2 boats either beached or pinned against the pier, one sailboat with considerable damage, mostly due to the inexperience of it's owner, and several boats with superficial dents and scratches. But it made for some good radio drama on a dark and stormy night.
The unsettled weather continued into Saturday with a short break in the afternoon. We ventured out once more to the anchoring ground to have dinner aboard with some friends. The wind and waves picked up but we were able to get back aboard Belmira fairly dry.
It rained most of the night and we saw the sun for the the first extended time this afternoon. The forecast promises to be good for the the near future and we plan to be on our way back south tomorrow morning. The timing for the Ebb that will get us through the canal will have us dropping anchor and spending the night on the West entrance of the canal and going in sometime early Tuesday morning.
Although it has been a mostly rainy weekend, we were able to enjoy some time ashore, and got to sample some of the good food that the restaurants in town are well known for. And of course there are the crowds of tourists as well as the diverse population of regulars that make P-Town so interesting. Here are just a few shots taken when the sun was shinning.
Here is Chris on the dock when we first arrived and posing for me with the pile of lobster trap floats on the town pier.
And of course this couldn't be a blog post about Provincetown without a picture of the crowds in the street and one of the many local cross dressers on parade.
That's the latest on what is going on. We head back in the morning and I plan to update the blog with the details very soon. Stay tuned.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012
The Doldrums
Provincetown, Monday morning and the skies are clear for the first time in 4 days. It looks like we may dry out. After breakfast we headed out into the ocean just north east of P-Town to look for whales before we head south, back across the bay, to the west entrance of the canal. We won't be able to make the ebb today so we will anchor for the night and head through the canal first thing tomorrow morning.
Fairwell P-Town
We got out of the harbor at 0830. Out into the Stellwagen refuge area hoping to see a whale. But there was not enough wind to do much sailing. We motor sailed about 5 miles into the refuge area without any sightings and eventually decided to head for the canal.
Swinging in the hammock
Once into Cape Cod Bay, the little wind we had north of the cape was all but gone and the sea was nearly flat. So it was a long slow motor sail across the bay. Lots of sun so we got dried out. Here are a few pics of Chris and I making the best of our motor sail across the bay.
Life at less than 5 knots
As we approached our anchorage the wind picked up. Great sailing wind. I decided that we didn't need to wait for the ebb and took our chances in the canal. It was slow going against the east flowing current in the canal but not impossible.
As we approached the west end of the canal our trip was slowed down a little more by the railroad bridge that was lowered to let a train pass. We had plenty of room and only had to make one long loop around the canal before the bridge was back up and we were able to pass.
Bridge Down
Bridge Up
It wasn't the under one hour, ride we had going west to east but we made it through and anchored in the same spot we were in last Wednesday night alongside Mashnee Island.
Tuesday and we awakened to a dead calm and prepared to motor down the bay back to Fairhaven. It was good to feel the sun again and get dried out after the wet weekend. Three hours of motoring and we're back on the mooring at Earl's. The seven day adventure to P-Town was completed.
It's now Friday and except for a storm that moved through Wednesday night, the weather has remained mostly dry. Unfortunately, the wind has not returned with anything more than light breezes. We are hoping to get some more sailing in before Chris has to return on the 26th. So, we remain waiting, and hopeful, in the doldrums.
I hope to have more sailing tales to post soon. Stay tuned.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2012
Post Labor Day
Following our return from Provincetown we met with more doldrums like weather. So we were off to visit relatives and get some shopping in.
Here is as picture of the doldrums. Barely a breath of air and no water flow at all.
The weather in New England being what it is, did not want to bore us, so on Saturday we were washed out. BTW, when you travel back and forth between the dock and the mooring in a dinghy, there is a Murphy's Law sort of thing that will insure that most of the time your rain-gear will be at the opposite end of your trip.
Sunday was dry and clear and we were out in the bay again. Jordan joined us for some light air sailing. We were attempting to cross the bay to drop anchor alongside one of the Elizabeth Islands for lunch but it was taking too long at 2-3 knots. We got hungry an hove-to somewhere about half way and had lunch and watched the power boats and ferries cruise by. Here is a pic, Jordan and Chris are enjoying the slow ride.
The new week brought with it more doldrums or threats of rain so we didn't get much on the water time. So, we went dirt sailing, visiting a few places we had not seen in awhile and getting some necessary and unnecessary shopping in. Of course there where all those restaurants for lunches and dinners that we had not been to yet.
We did visit one of the marine consignment stores and I found a replacement engine stop cable that I had been on the to-do list since we bought Belmira. The fix worked out fine and now we can actually stop the engine without resorting to using a pair of pliers.
Around mid-week we awoke to 6 knots and what looked like maybe a sailing day. By 9:00, it was dead calm again as you can see here. More doldrums.
So it turned into a maintenance day, we were tired of land surfing by this point. Had a grilled dinner on board and then set off to Westport Point for the Wednesday night Bluegrass Jam.
Here is a pic of brother Joe and I trying to make music.
The doldrums continued on for the rest of the week. Chris and I would not get anymore sailing in before she left on Sunday.
We did more tourist stuff, visited Newport, watched sailboats off the coast going nowhere. There was just no wind to be had anywhere in this part of the world. The Dog Days of Summer were upon us.
Saturday, the last chance to sail and once again there was no wind. So, we visited relatives so Chris could say her goodbye's then it was off to Providence in the afternoon to take up residence in an airport hotel so we could be ready for her early morning flight.
The local Carrabbas restaurant, back home in Colorado, is one of our regular favorites and so, finding a Carrabbas just a few miles from the airport, we had to pay it a visit and do some comparative dinning. here is pic of the restaurant with its unique roof top garden.
The food , as always, was very good, not unlike our local Carrabbas. But strangely for this part of the country the mussels were small. It seems the restaurants in this area all serve local mussels which are smaller than the PEI mussels that most other restaurants, away from the coast, import. Nick, still serves the best mussels and has a larger more friendly bar.
After an early morning start, I dropped Chris at the airport and was back on board in Fairhaven by 0515.
Still calm, so I dedicated the day to maintenance and repairs. I had been having a problem with an engine alarm that sounds when you turn off the power to the engine after coming to a stop. Without the alarm to remind you, it is easy to forget to turn off the power to the engine circuits. As a result, the engine run-time meter keeps counting up run hours and can mess with your maintenance schedule. This is controlled by a simple oil pressure switch that activates when the pressure drops. Not unlike the switch that activated the red oil warning light on the dashboards of older cars. I found the OEM switch I needed, on line, ranging from $85 to $214. Westerbeke are very proud of their parts! Then I went to NAPA'a site and found the automotive, non-marine, duplicate for $11.50. I love it when that happens. The alarm is now in good working order and I have more money in my wallet for other boating needs.
The wind got up a little on Monday afternoon so I got out a sailed a little. I wanted to check out my Aires Wind Vane steering that I affectionately refer to as Otto, short for auto-pilot. Here he is in control of the helm while I take pictures and kick back. That's his big brown finger sticking up over the stern. He did a great job of keeping Belmira on course with nothing but wind and water power.
Labor day weekend came along and the marina got crazy. Lots of cars and boats everywhere.
Jordan and Chris came out for a sail on Saturday. We had some pretty good wind but not from the right direction to take us to Cuttyhunk, or planned destination. So, we just sail around and ended up dropping the hook off a deserted sandy spot on the west side of Naushon Island for lunch. Then we tacked our way back to Earl's. A good days sailing, some of the wind strong enough to blow out a seam in the mizzen.
Sunday and Monday brought more calm weather. I watched as some of the sailors motored out into the bay hoping to find some wind. Then I watched as they returned, their sails still furled.
Tuesday, and it was like someone had flipped a switch on summer. The weather was fine, still calm, but all of the company had gone home. Tuesday night and my van was the only vehicle in the parking lot. I did set up the cockpit as a sail loft today and got the mizzen seam repaired. Here is a pic.
Although it was a calm weekend weather wise the constant stream of power boats through the mooring field made for a few rough moments. One in particular, slammed the dinghy into Otto and punctured her nose section. I was able to put on a temporary patch that will get us through the season.
But the engine repairs, blown out sail and leaky dinghy, are all reminders that it has been a long season and the gear is getting ready for rest and repair. So, this weekend, Sunday, weather permitting, I plan to make the 50 mile run back up river to Belmira's winter grounds in Dighton. Jordan will be crewing with me and it looks like the tide and current charts will be mostly in our favor for the trip. The weather may be a little damp in the morning, but we should be able to be traveling in good weather by mid-morning.
Stay tuned for a few more end of the season posts.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012
Taking Belmira Home
Well, just after the last post complaining about the doldrums like conditions, the wind came up so I went out for a sail for a few hours. Just a little more fun before the planned trip back to Dighton on Sunday. Only an 8 mile sail but it was fun.
The planned Sunday sail had to be re-scheduled when the weather didn't cooperate. Wet weather and wind, mostly from the south, would have made for an uncomfortable trip. No way to end the season.
The next weather window looked like Tuesday. The forecast, and the tide and current charts, would be in good agreement for the planned trip south to Sakonnet Point then north to Dighton.
Tuesday morning arrived as predicted, although a little on the chilly side for someone whose wardrobe has been shorts, tees and bare feet. I awoke to a chilly 53 degrees. But the wind at 10 knots from the north, promising to move to the northwest and increase to 10 to 15 knots, and clear skies, were just what was needed for a good sail south to Sakonnet Point. Jordan arrived early and we bid adieu to Earl's Marina for 2012 at 7:20. Earl's Marina had pretty much bid adieu to summer as can be seen from this pic of their parking lot on Monday morning.
That's my van, another sailor's car and a fisherman's truck. All the summer's company have gone home. The parking lot pic is followed, naturally, by our final, rear view mirror look at Earl's mooring field.
We motored out through Earl's channel, set our sails, and cruised into Nasketucket Bay. Once we rounded West Island, it was a broad reach, one tack, all the way to Sakonnet Point.
Catching some great wind we hit a max speed of 9 knots but we mostly traveled comfortably at 6 to 7 knots. Here is a little video that Jordan recorded, probably his first, on his iPhone, as we cruised south. As you will hear Jordan say, we are traveling at 6.7 knots at this point.
It was a quick, fun, leg to Sakonnet Point. Once we rounded the point we were mostly heading into the wind so we motor sailed most of the way and motored the final leg from Mount Hope Bay, on up the Taunton River, to Shaw's Boatyard, Belmira's winter home.
As we rounded Sakonnet Point we did catch the start of the incoming tide and rode the tide all the way to Shaw's, arriving at 4:30 with the high tide. We may not have been fast, but we were energy efficient, taking advantage of all the tides and currents had to offer us.
Belmira, not noted for her performance in reverse, finally agreed to let us back her into a slip at Shaw's. Where we are waiting for the yard crew to be ready to haul us out. We spent a total of 9 hours, traveled 48.4 nautical miles and used 3.5 gallons of fuel, a fun cruise, for about $14.00.
Although there were many doldrums like days, Belmira sailed 397 nautical miles this season.
Now its time to get her ready for the the winter and get myself back home to Colorado. Stay tuned for the the last few posts of the season. Getting Belmira tucked in for the winter, and getting myself back home.
MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2013
The Season is Over !
Here it is Monday March 4th and I have been into the 2013 sailing season projects for quite some time now. I have been thinking about posting an update on how things are going so far. So I thought it might be about time to actually close out the 2012 season with one final post as promised back in September.
After arriving at the dock on September 11th and getting a large part of the winterizing done in the slip, Belmira got hauled out on on Thursday, September 20th. Here she is out of the water and heading for the yard.
Heading for the stands
It took a few weeks to get Belmira winterized and put to bed. This was due in part to the prep work needed for the winter projects I planned to get done back at home this year. The big project this year would be installing a refrigerator in the Spring of 2013. To prep for this I had to remove the original ice box to make room for the new refer. Then the plan was to bring home the counter top and do the necessary modification to make it fit the new unit. And, since the ice box counter top, as well as all the other main salon counter tops, were covered with the original butcher block pattern Formica, I figured this would be a good opportunity to replace the top covering with something that would brighten up Belmira's interior. So while I was geared up to remove the ice box top, I removed the other counter tops so I could haul them back to Colorado for new surfacing.
Here are a few pictures of the original counter top on the ice box, and some of the stages of the removal as well as the trial fit of the new Isotherm B1-75 refrigerator.
before shot with trim removed
The void without the ice box
The new refer in place for a trial fit
With the trial fit I was able to get all the dimensions I needed for the new top. My 2013 page will have some progress photos of how the counter top and refer install progressed. Once I get back on board, sometime in May, I plan to post an update on the new tops and refer install.
With everything torn apart, winterized and packed up, I headed west on September 28th and made it home in time for dinner on the 30th.
Stay tuned for Belmira's 2013 season.
SUNDAY, JULY 15, 2012
July and a Half Already !
This summer is moving by quicker than I can catch up. It seems that all I have been doing is trying to complete the stuff that I didn't do at the yard as well as a few unexpected problems. But those are all just excuses that I could use before saying that I have not been sailing. But I plan to change that stat in the next few days.
As promised in my last post, some pictures of Belmira showing off her newly painted masts. I got out in the dinghy and took some shots. Here are a few.
First there is the cute butt shot.
And as usual, I had to include a sunset shot. If you really want to make a comparison you can go back and look at some of the past year's posts to see how the new white masts have really improved her appearance. Personally, I really didn't like the brown and so I won't put an old picture here. My rally call this spring was,
"Down With Brown !"
It hasn't been all boat work and no play. I did get out to a bluegrass jam at the pier at Westport Harbor last week and yesterday I was invited to another bluegrass related event.
As promised in my last post, some pictures of Belmira showing off her newly painted masts. I got out in the dinghy and took some shots. Here are a few.
First there is the cute butt shot.
And as usual, I had to include a sunset shot. If you really want to make a comparison you can go back and look at some of the past year's posts to see how the new white masts have really improved her appearance. Personally, I really didn't like the brown and so I won't put an old picture here. My rally call this spring was,
"Down With Brown !"
A little background; Charlie Pike was a mandolin player and a friend who passed away awhile back. Charlie had an ongoing jam at his barn in Rehoboth for many years, and it was sort of a notch in your bluegrass experience belt, for a lot of Southern New England pickers, to say that they had been to a jam a Pike's Barn.
Well, Charlie's son, also named Charlie, has picked up his Dad's mandolin and has been hosting a bluegrass jam at his own barn for about the last year. The event yesterday was at Charlie Jr.'s Big Red Barn seen here.
While we were all pickin and grinin and eating some really good food, there was a chain saw sculptor at work down behind Charlie's house. Close to sundown he had pretty much completed his work. He had been carving a likeness of the late Charlie picking away at his mandolin. He plans to haul it away to do some final details, like giving Charlie a plaid shirt. But everyone there yesterday agreed that what you see in this picture fits Charlie's, the "Old Salty Dog's" likeness to a T.
Well I have got some Grandchildren coming to visit and sail in a few days so I've got a few last prep items to take care of. I plan on posting a lot of info and pictures on the upcoming visit. So, stay tuned.
Well, Charlie's son, also named Charlie, has picked up his Dad's mandolin and has been hosting a bluegrass jam at his own barn for about the last year. The event yesterday was at Charlie Jr.'s Big Red Barn seen here.
Well I have got some Grandchildren coming to visit and sail in a few days so I've got a few last prep items to take care of. I plan on posting a lot of info and pictures on the upcoming visit. So, stay tuned.
SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
A visit from the west
As mentioned in the last post I was expecting a visit from Son Eric, his children, Kael and Natalie and Grandma Karen. Well they showed up in good health but maybe a little worse for wear after a 12 hour ordeal with airlines and airports. I picked them up in Boston shortly after they touched down at 12:05, or in 24 hour time 0005, just 5 minutes into Friday morning. We made it back to Belmira at 0224, the wee smalls. I was able to use the courtesy dock overnight so I would not have to subject the weary travelers to a dinghy ride out to the mooring. I made sure to ask everyone to be as quiet as possible so as not to disturb anyone who may be staying aboard in the slips. I forgot to tell Kael that once aboard he should not let his 8 year old curiosity run wild and he tested the emergency air horn I left in one of the cockpit pockets. It was very loud but very short. Scared him more than it may have interrupted anyone sleeping.
Here is Eric with his clan after Nattie, who had been sharing the vee berth with me decided to get a few more Zs with dad.
We all just kicked back in recovery mode on Saturday and on Sunday were off to Grandniece Ella's 1st Birthday party. A good time was had by all and Kael and Natalie got to meet a bunch of new relatives of all ages. Eric and Karen were able to renew old acquaintances and add a few new ones.
Here is a pic of Brent and Stacy with the birthday girl Ella. There is also a sneak preview of Ella's sister soon to arrive. November I believe.
Sunday, saw us out sailing. I had hoped to get them all toCuttyhunk but the winds and tides decided we would be better off making for Woods Hole. So we crossed Buzzards Bay and tucked into Hadley Harbor. After a tour of the inner harbor we anchoredBelmira and had a relaxing lunch. After a total of 6 hours and 40 minutes, and 22 nautical miles, we were back on the mooring at West Island and ready to kick back.
Here is Kael up at the bow pulpit. Probably holding his tether to make sure it gets in the picture. Tethers were a requirement for he and Natalie if they moved out of the cockpit. They were pretty good about remembering to tie in.
Just above to the right is a picture of Hadley's Inner Harbor.
And below is Kael kicking back for a snooze in the cockpit.
Here we have Nattie using dad as a back rest as we start back across the bay.
Karen is at the helm here as we head west with Falmouth on the horizon in our wake.
And here is the whole crew jammed into the helm for a photo op.
Monday was a day for touring local sights from old town Fairhaven and its many historical buildings, we wound our way over to New Bedford to see the Whaling Museum and the waterfront sights. The weather was not cooperating with us for a sail. Once again my camera stood aboard. But, I did get a few shots of Kael and Nattie with their favorite foul weather pastime. Stayin below and playing with their DSs.
Tuesday, and we were out sailing again. The plan (you always start with a plan then see what the weather decides you should do) was to cruise the coast and see Mattapoisett and Marion harbors. We made it to Mattapoisett, dropped the anchor and had lunch. Then it was on to Marion, until we saw a nasty looking weather front working its way down Buzzards Bay. So we turned tail and headed back to West Island.
This is the front on Buzzards Bay we were trying to leave behind.
Of course Mother Nature, being the light hearted soul that she is, and not wanting us to miss out on any of the foul weather fun, had another squall line waiting for us as we turned into NasketucketBay on our way to the West Island channel to Earl's.
We sent the kids below, and Karen took the helm while Eric and I got the sails off of Belmira. Then the fun began. 50 yards from the channel markers, they disappeared in the rain and waves. Karen went below, no sense in us all getting wet, and I managed to turn back into the squall until it passed. Soon after, we were able to motor into the mooring as if it were just another summer's day. My crew did an admirable job. Thank you mates.
We went out to dinner that night and in addition to whatever we wanted to eat, I ordered some steamed clams as a training meal. We were invited to my brother Joe's for a clam boil on Wednesday and I wanted to be sure that the grand kids, would like them, and know how to eat them. Turns out they are clam lovers and took to it naturally. They, as well as the rest of us, had a great time at the boil. Lots of food and drink and great company. Unfortunately my camera was sitting on board for the party. You missed a lot of good food shots on this post.
Thursday would be the last day for my family visit. Because of a scheduled 6 AM flight it was going to more practical to spend the night at an airport hotel. So we spent the day slowly working our way toward Boston. Here the whole crew is standing by Earl's Marina sign one last time.
We started with breakfast at the Little Bear in Tiverton, RI. Here Kael and Nattie posed for an album shot in front of Little Bear's totem.
Then it was on to Newport to see the mansions and the ocean up close. The crew is standing about as far out on Brenton Point as they dared go with the wind and weather we were experiencing on Thursday.
With Newport in our wake we headed for Plymouth to go aboard Mayflower II and see the Plymouth Rock.
Nattie affectionatly posing with Kale on the Mayflower II's main deck.
Here is a family shot below the Plymouth Rock sign. Probably the most photographed spot in Plymouth.
Then it was dinner and on up to Boston and a sad farewell to my visiting crew. Here they posed one last time in their hotel room in Boston. I only wish we had been able to do more sailing. Thanks for a great week you guys.
I ended the week going to a birthday party for Chris, who along with my brother Jordan kindly put me up whenever I am not able to stay aboard Belmira. Like during hurricanes and other unplanned events.
Chris turned 40 and his mom threw a great party in his honor. Here he is, with his mom in the background.
And here is a closeup of his pin.
That's all for now. This was obviously a family oriented blog post. For any of you who tune in for the sailing I hope to have more posts soon. Stay tuned.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 2012
Almost August and a half
It has been a few weeks since my last post and a lot has happened that I will try and catch up on. There are a few sailing experiences of which it is said, "there are only two kinds of sailors, those who have done these things, and those who will do these things.". As you will see, I now have two of these experiences checked off my personal sailing resume.
As you saw in my last post, my guests departed and it was back to solo sailing and living. It was quite lonely after a very active week. Especially one that included two active grandchildren who apparently are charged by "Die Hard" batteries.
After a few days of putting things back in order and restocking, I spent some time re-tuning the main mast and had to take her out for a sail to check my work. Before leaving the mooring I was more concerned with my tuning and not nearly as concerned with the tide level and how close we were to the full moon. And so, although it was nearly 2 hours since the low tide, as I was cruising out of the channel connecting the marina to Nasketucket Bay
All went well with the actual sailing and tune check and I believe she is ready to sail in almost any conditions. It was a little foggy out there. Here we are close hauled to check the downwind tension on the shroud as we head for the fog bank.
Later that evening I was out to Westport Point to pick a fewBluegrass tunes with the local jam group.
The rest of the week was spent on minor repairs and getting ready for the first mate's visit. Chris was scheduled to arrive on Sunday for a twenty day stay.
The new anchor I had ordered six weeks ago showed up and had to be installed. I found myself with too many anchors and took the lesser of the three, a Danfort, to the consignment store.
Saturday, and I was out in Buzzards Bay again trying to get the Aires Wind Vane steering system working. That didn't work out as well as I had hoped and I decided that my second wind vane, another Aires that was at the consignment store looking for a new owner was in better shape and that I would have to go and retrieve it .
Sunday and I was off to the airport in Providence. Chris' flight was delayed by about an hour do to foul weather in Clevland. But, she made it here safely and we were on board Belmira after a dinner stop in Fairhaven.
On Monday we decided to get out and sail. After securing the dinghy painter to the mooring pennant with the pickup float, I let Belmira drift clear. Assuming I had left the transmission in neutral, I was surprised to see the dinghy and mooring ball getting pulled against Belmira's stern and hear the engine come to an abrupt stop. A good portion of both the dinghy painter and the pennant were well wrapped around the prop shaft with the float's lead counterweight jammed in against them. There was only one thing to do. Get down there and unwrap it . Here I am getting ready to do my best Lloyd Bridges impersonation.
And, next you see my feet as I dove below with each new refill of air in my lungs via my snorkel. I took about a half hour to get the mess untangled. There seems to be no lasting damage and we were on our way.
We got out into the bay, sailed up to Mattapoisett and back. Tried once more to get the wind vane to cooperate before deciding to change it out. The test failed.
We had decided to get out of Earl's and make a planned trip up to Provincetown so Tuesday was spent getting provisioned and some final boat prep. Here I am taking off the miss-behaving wind vane. The second vane is laying on the dinghy's floor boards.
Tuesday evening we were off to meet Jordan and Chris for one of Fall River's well known 2 for 22 dinners. Several of Fall River's well known Portuguese restaurants offer dinner for two, with a bottle of wine, for twenty two dollars. The choice for this evening was a restaurant called Caldera's on Pleasant Street in Fall River. Here is a picture of Jordan, Chris and Chris, and my dinner choice.
A good time was had by all.
Wednesday morning and we would be ready to head out on our extended trip. All that was left to do was to pull into the courtesy dock and fill our water tank. It was nearly high tide and we had a breeze coming from the South West making it ideal to pull into Earl's south dock. We did just that, watered up, and were on our way. About 100 yards from the dock we came to an abrupt halt. We were on the bottom, and it was nearly high tide. This should not be happening. Fortunately this area is mostly silt and sand. Here we are dead in the water waiting for the tide to rise a little more. Belmira draws 5 feet and we were sitting in about 4 feet 6 inches. I had now done one more thing that every sailor has or will do, I ran aground.
What made this experience so frustrating was that I was on the same track I had always taken when leaving the dock. I had not planned to come back to Earl's this year and I now know I won't be back next season. I appears the whole basin is filling with silt and many of the depth soundings shown on the charts can no longer be trusted. Time to move on to deeper waters.
We were not aground for very long. In less than a half hour we were afloat again and on our way.
With some good wind and a favorable current we made it up to the Cape Cod Canal by late afternoon and dropped anchor in the old canal channel alongside Mashnee Island. It was a very calm evening with a very nice sunset as seen here.
After a quiet night it was up and at 'em to make the canal entrance when the East flood starts at 9:13. We made it around Mashnee Island and by the Maritime Academy and into the canal entrance at 10:11. We had been making about 4 knots with the engine running at 2000 rpm. Once into the canal, with the flood current, we were doing the speed limit, 10 mph, 8.5 knots. Without touching the throttle, we were exiting the East end of the canal into Cape Cod Bay at 11:00.
Here is Chris at the helm as she piloted us through the length of the canal.
With some light winds we combined sailing and motor sailing across Cape Cod Bay. Not too exciting a trip and we made it into Provincetown Harbor at 1700, or 5:00PM.
We got into town for dinner after a long dinghy ride. The weather was not being very friendly and we were getting wetter than we had expected, especially on the ride back to Belmira. The prevailing winds and waves made it impossible to maneuver the harbor without a lot of splashing. After nearly running out of dry clothes, we decided by the end of day on Friday that it was time to move in closer to town and get on a mooring that would also give us launch privileges. In addition it had started raining and NOAA was predicting it was going to keep up throughout most of the weekend.
Friday night proved to quite an experience. Once again we had gone into town for dinner. This time armed with rain gear. A precaution that proved to be the right move as a storm moved in. We returned to Belmira in the rain, in a launch, that even though it was nearly twenty feet long and sat high above the water, provided yet another wet trip for all of it's passengers.
Once aboard, and getting everything battened down, we settled in for a roller coaster ride. Knowing the ride would be much too exciting in the Vee berth, we made up the double berth in the center salon.
Hearing all sorts of noise and activity in the mooring field we turned on both the VHF radios on board to listen to the goings on. Boats had broken loose from their moorings and in one case a large steel fishing vessel was liberated when a boater trying to work through the field ran across the fishing boats mooring line and cut him loose. A sailboat, also trying to get into the harbor, was bouncing off the seawall and other boats before dropping an anchor and coming to a stop.
We sat, rocking and rolling in the relative comfort and safety of Belmira's interior and listened as the Harbor Master, Marina Mooring Master and the Coast Guard directed their people and each other on what action to take. It turned out that in spite of the excitement it caused, there was no one injured, 2 boats either beached or pinned against the pier, one sailboat with considerable damage, mostly due to the inexperience of it's owner, and several boats with superficial dents and scratches. But it made for some good radio drama on a dark and stormy night.
The unsettled weather continued into Saturday with a short break in the afternoon. We ventured out once more to the anchoring ground to have dinner aboard with some friends. The wind and waves picked up but we were able to get back aboard Belmira fairly dry.
It rained most of the night and we saw the sun for the the first extended time this afternoon. The forecast promises to be good for the the near future and we plan to be on our way back south tomorrow morning. The timing for the Ebb that will get us through the canal will have us dropping anchor and spending the night on the West entrance of the canal and going in sometime early Tuesday morning.
Although it has been a mostly rainy weekend, we were able to enjoy some time ashore, and got to sample some of the good food that the restaurants in town are well known for. And of course there are the crowds of tourists as well as the diverse population of regulars that make P-Town so interesting. Here are just a few shots taken when the sun was shinning.
Here is Chris on the dock when we first arrived and posing for me with the pile of lobster trap floats on the town pier.
And of course this couldn't be a blog post about Provincetown without a picture of the crowds in the street and one of the many local cross dressers on parade.
That's the latest on what is going on. We head back in the morning and I plan to update the blog with the details very soon. Stay tuned.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012
The Doldrums
Provincetown, Monday morning and the skies are clear for the first time in 4 days. It looks like we may dry out. After breakfast we headed out into the ocean just north east of P-Town to look for whales before we head south, back across the bay, to the west entrance of the canal. We won't be able to make the ebb today so we will anchor for the night and head through the canal first thing tomorrow morning.
Fairwell P-Town
We got out of the harbor at 0830. Out into the Stellwagen refuge area hoping to see a whale. But there was not enough wind to do much sailing. We motor sailed about 5 miles into the refuge area without any sightings and eventually decided to head for the canal.
Swinging in the hammock
Once into Cape Cod Bay, the little wind we had north of the cape was all but gone and the sea was nearly flat. So it was a long slow motor sail across the bay. Lots of sun so we got dried out. Here are a few pics of Chris and I making the best of our motor sail across the bay.
Life at less than 5 knots
As we approached our anchorage the wind picked up. Great sailing wind. I decided that we didn't need to wait for the ebb and took our chances in the canal. It was slow going against the east flowing current in the canal but not impossible.
As we approached the west end of the canal our trip was slowed down a little more by the railroad bridge that was lowered to let a train pass. We had plenty of room and only had to make one long loop around the canal before the bridge was back up and we were able to pass.
Bridge Down
Bridge Up
It wasn't the under one hour, ride we had going west to east but we made it through and anchored in the same spot we were in last Wednesday night alongside Mashnee Island.
Tuesday and we awakened to a dead calm and prepared to motor down the bay back to Fairhaven. It was good to feel the sun again and get dried out after the wet weekend. Three hours of motoring and we're back on the mooring at Earl's. The seven day adventure to P-Town was completed.
It's now Friday and except for a storm that moved through Wednesday night, the weather has remained mostly dry. Unfortunately, the wind has not returned with anything more than light breezes. We are hoping to get some more sailing in before Chris has to return on the 26th. So, we remain waiting, and hopeful, in the doldrums.
I hope to have more sailing tales to post soon. Stay tuned.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2012
Post Labor Day
Following our return from Provincetown we met with more doldrums like weather. So we were off to visit relatives and get some shopping in.
Here is as picture of the doldrums. Barely a breath of air and no water flow at all.
The weather in New England being what it is, did not want to bore us, so on Saturday we were washed out. BTW, when you travel back and forth between the dock and the mooring in a dinghy, there is a Murphy's Law sort of thing that will insure that most of the time your rain-gear will be at the opposite end of your trip.
Sunday was dry and clear and we were out in the bay again. Jordan joined us for some light air sailing. We were attempting to cross the bay to drop anchor alongside one of the Elizabeth Islands for lunch but it was taking too long at 2-3 knots. We got hungry an hove-to somewhere about half way and had lunch and watched the power boats and ferries cruise by. Here is a pic, Jordan and Chris are enjoying the slow ride.
The new week brought with it more doldrums or threats of rain so we didn't get much on the water time. So, we went dirt sailing, visiting a few places we had not seen in awhile and getting some necessary and unnecessary shopping in. Of course there where all those restaurants for lunches and dinners that we had not been to yet.
We did visit one of the marine consignment stores and I found a replacement engine stop cable that I had been on the to-do list since we bought Belmira. The fix worked out fine and now we can actually stop the engine without resorting to using a pair of pliers.
Around mid-week we awoke to 6 knots and what looked like maybe a sailing day. By 9:00, it was dead calm again as you can see here. More doldrums.
So it turned into a maintenance day, we were tired of land surfing by this point. Had a grilled dinner on board and then set off to Westport Point for the Wednesday night Bluegrass Jam.
Here is a pic of brother Joe and I trying to make music.
The doldrums continued on for the rest of the week. Chris and I would not get anymore sailing in before she left on Sunday.
We did more tourist stuff, visited Newport, watched sailboats off the coast going nowhere. There was just no wind to be had anywhere in this part of the world. The Dog Days of Summer were upon us.
Saturday, the last chance to sail and once again there was no wind. So, we visited relatives so Chris could say her goodbye's then it was off to Providence in the afternoon to take up residence in an airport hotel so we could be ready for her early morning flight.
The local Carrabbas restaurant, back home in Colorado, is one of our regular favorites and so, finding a Carrabbas just a few miles from the airport, we had to pay it a visit and do some comparative dinning. here is pic of the restaurant with its unique roof top garden.
The food , as always, was very good, not unlike our local Carrabbas. But strangely for this part of the country the mussels were small. It seems the restaurants in this area all serve local mussels which are smaller than the PEI mussels that most other restaurants, away from the coast, import. Nick, still serves the best mussels and has a larger more friendly bar.
After an early morning start, I dropped Chris at the airport and was back on board in Fairhaven by 0515.
Still calm, so I dedicated the day to maintenance and repairs. I had been having a problem with an engine alarm that sounds when you turn off the power to the engine after coming to a stop. Without the alarm to remind you, it is easy to forget to turn off the power to the engine circuits. As a result, the engine run-time meter keeps counting up run hours and can mess with your maintenance schedule. This is controlled by a simple oil pressure switch that activates when the pressure drops. Not unlike the switch that activated the red oil warning light on the dashboards of older cars. I found the OEM switch I needed, on line, ranging from $85 to $214. Westerbeke are very proud of their parts! Then I went to NAPA'a site and found the automotive, non-marine, duplicate for $11.50. I love it when that happens. The alarm is now in good working order and I have more money in my wallet for other boating needs.
The wind got up a little on Monday afternoon so I got out a sailed a little. I wanted to check out my Aires Wind Vane steering that I affectionately refer to as Otto, short for auto-pilot. Here he is in control of the helm while I take pictures and kick back. That's his big brown finger sticking up over the stern. He did a great job of keeping Belmira on course with nothing but wind and water power.
Labor day weekend came along and the marina got crazy. Lots of cars and boats everywhere.
Jordan and Chris came out for a sail on Saturday. We had some pretty good wind but not from the right direction to take us to Cuttyhunk, or planned destination. So, we just sail around and ended up dropping the hook off a deserted sandy spot on the west side of Naushon Island for lunch. Then we tacked our way back to Earl's. A good days sailing, some of the wind strong enough to blow out a seam in the mizzen.
Sunday and Monday brought more calm weather. I watched as some of the sailors motored out into the bay hoping to find some wind. Then I watched as they returned, their sails still furled.
Tuesday, and it was like someone had flipped a switch on summer. The weather was fine, still calm, but all of the company had gone home. Tuesday night and my van was the only vehicle in the parking lot. I did set up the cockpit as a sail loft today and got the mizzen seam repaired. Here is a pic.
Although it was a calm weekend weather wise the constant stream of power boats through the mooring field made for a few rough moments. One in particular, slammed the dinghy into Otto and punctured her nose section. I was able to put on a temporary patch that will get us through the season.
But the engine repairs, blown out sail and leaky dinghy, are all reminders that it has been a long season and the gear is getting ready for rest and repair. So, this weekend, Sunday, weather permitting, I plan to make the 50 mile run back up river to Belmira's winter grounds in Dighton. Jordan will be crewing with me and it looks like the tide and current charts will be mostly in our favor for the trip. The weather may be a little damp in the morning, but we should be able to be traveling in good weather by mid-morning.
Stay tuned for a few more end of the season posts.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012
Taking Belmira Home
Well, just after the last post complaining about the doldrums like conditions, the wind came up so I went out for a sail for a few hours. Just a little more fun before the planned trip back to Dighton on Sunday. Only an 8 mile sail but it was fun.
The planned Sunday sail had to be re-scheduled when the weather didn't cooperate. Wet weather and wind, mostly from the south, would have made for an uncomfortable trip. No way to end the season.
The next weather window looked like Tuesday. The forecast, and the tide and current charts, would be in good agreement for the planned trip south to Sakonnet Point then north to Dighton.
Tuesday morning arrived as predicted, although a little on the chilly side for someone whose wardrobe has been shorts, tees and bare feet. I awoke to a chilly 53 degrees. But the wind at 10 knots from the north, promising to move to the northwest and increase to 10 to 15 knots, and clear skies, were just what was needed for a good sail south to Sakonnet Point. Jordan arrived early and we bid adieu to Earl's Marina for 2012 at 7:20. Earl's Marina had pretty much bid adieu to summer as can be seen from this pic of their parking lot on Monday morning.
That's my van, another sailor's car and a fisherman's truck. All the summer's company have gone home. The parking lot pic is followed, naturally, by our final, rear view mirror look at Earl's mooring field.
We motored out through Earl's channel, set our sails, and cruised into Nasketucket Bay. Once we rounded West Island, it was a broad reach, one tack, all the way to Sakonnet Point.
Catching some great wind we hit a max speed of 9 knots but we mostly traveled comfortably at 6 to 7 knots. Here is a little video that Jordan recorded, probably his first, on his iPhone, as we cruised south. As you will hear Jordan say, we are traveling at 6.7 knots at this point.
It was a quick, fun, leg to Sakonnet Point. Once we rounded the point we were mostly heading into the wind so we motor sailed most of the way and motored the final leg from Mount Hope Bay, on up the Taunton River, to Shaw's Boatyard, Belmira's winter home.
As we rounded Sakonnet Point we did catch the start of the incoming tide and rode the tide all the way to Shaw's, arriving at 4:30 with the high tide. We may not have been fast, but we were energy efficient, taking advantage of all the tides and currents had to offer us.
Belmira, not noted for her performance in reverse, finally agreed to let us back her into a slip at Shaw's. Where we are waiting for the yard crew to be ready to haul us out. We spent a total of 9 hours, traveled 48.4 nautical miles and used 3.5 gallons of fuel, a fun cruise, for about $14.00.
Although there were many doldrums like days, Belmira sailed 397 nautical miles this season.
Now its time to get her ready for the the winter and get myself back home to Colorado. Stay tuned for the the last few posts of the season. Getting Belmira tucked in for the winter, and getting myself back home.
MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2013
The Season is Over !
Here it is Monday March 4th and I have been into the 2013 sailing season projects for quite some time now. I have been thinking about posting an update on how things are going so far. So I thought it might be about time to actually close out the 2012 season with one final post as promised back in September.
After arriving at the dock on September 11th and getting a large part of the winterizing done in the slip, Belmira got hauled out on on Thursday, September 20th. Here she is out of the water and heading for the yard.
Heading for the stands
It took a few weeks to get Belmira winterized and put to bed. This was due in part to the prep work needed for the winter projects I planned to get done back at home this year. The big project this year would be installing a refrigerator in the Spring of 2013. To prep for this I had to remove the original ice box to make room for the new refer. Then the plan was to bring home the counter top and do the necessary modification to make it fit the new unit. And, since the ice box counter top, as well as all the other main salon counter tops, were covered with the original butcher block pattern Formica, I figured this would be a good opportunity to replace the top covering with something that would brighten up Belmira's interior. So while I was geared up to remove the ice box top, I removed the other counter tops so I could haul them back to Colorado for new surfacing.
Here are a few pictures of the original counter top on the ice box, and some of the stages of the removal as well as the trial fit of the new Isotherm B1-75 refrigerator.
before shot with trim removed
The void without the ice box
The new refer in place for a trial fit
With the trial fit I was able to get all the dimensions I needed for the new top. My 2013 page will have some progress photos of how the counter top and refer install progressed. Once I get back on board, sometime in May, I plan to post an update on the new tops and refer install.
With everything torn apart, winterized and packed up, I headed west on September 28th and made it home in time for dinner on the 30th.
Stay tuned for Belmira's 2013 season.
SUNDAY, JULY 29, 2012
A visit from the west
As mentioned in the last post I was expecting a visit from Son Eric, his children, Kael and Natalie and Grandma Karen. Well they showed up in good health but maybe a little worse for wear after a 12 hour ordeal with airlines and airports. I picked them up in Boston shortly after they touched down at 12:05, or in 24 hour time 0005, just 5 minutes into Friday morning. We made it back to Belmira at 0224, the wee smalls. I was able to use the courtesy dock overnight so I would not have to subject the weary travelers to a dinghy ride out to the mooring. I made sure to ask everyone to be as quiet as possible so as not to disturb anyone who may be staying aboard in the slips. I forgot to tell Kael that once aboard he should not let his 8 year old curiosity run wild and he tested the emergency air horn I left in one of the cockpit pockets. It was very loud but very short. Scared him more than it may have interrupted anyone sleeping.
Here is Eric with his clan after Nattie, who had been sharing the vee berth with me decided to get a few more Zs with dad.
We all just kicked back in recovery mode on Saturday and on Sunday were off to Grandniece Ella's 1st Birthday party. A good time was had by all and Kael and Natalie got to meet a bunch of new relatives of all ages. Eric and Karen were able to renew old acquaintances and add a few new ones.
Here is a pic of Brent and Stacy with the birthday girl Ella. There is also a sneak preview of Ella's sister soon to arrive. November I believe.
Sunday, saw us out sailing. I had hoped to get them all toCuttyhunk but the winds and tides decided we would be better off making for Woods Hole. So we crossed Buzzards Bay and tucked into Hadley Harbor. After a tour of the inner harbor we anchoredBelmira and had a relaxing lunch. After a total of 6 hours and 40 minutes, and 22 nautical miles, we were back on the mooring at West Island and ready to kick back.
Here is Kael up at the bow pulpit. Probably holding his tether to make sure it gets in the picture. Tethers were a requirement for he and Natalie if they moved out of the cockpit. They were pretty good about remembering to tie in.
Just above to the right is a picture of Hadley's Inner Harbor.
And below is Kael kicking back for a snooze in the cockpit.
Here we have Nattie using dad as a back rest as we start back across the bay.
Karen is at the helm here as we head west with Falmouth on the horizon in our wake.
And here is the whole crew jammed into the helm for a photo op.
Monday was a day for touring local sights from old town Fairhaven and its many historical buildings, we wound our way over to New Bedford to see the Whaling Museum and the waterfront sights. The weather was not cooperating with us for a sail. Once again my camera stood aboard. But, I did get a few shots of Kael and Nattie with their favorite foul weather pastime. Stayin below and playing with their DSs.
Tuesday, and we were out sailing again. The plan (you always start with a plan then see what the weather decides you should do) was to cruise the coast and see Mattapoisett and Marion harbors. We made it to Mattapoisett, dropped the anchor and had lunch. Then it was on to Marion, until we saw a nasty looking weather front working its way down Buzzards Bay. So we turned tail and headed back to West Island.
This is the front on Buzzards Bay we were trying to leave behind.
Of course Mother Nature, being the light hearted soul that she is, and not wanting us to miss out on any of the foul weather fun, had another squall line waiting for us as we turned into NasketucketBay on our way to the West Island channel to Earl's.
We sent the kids below, and Karen took the helm while Eric and I got the sails off of Belmira. Then the fun began. 50 yards from the channel markers, they disappeared in the rain and waves. Karen went below, no sense in us all getting wet, and I managed to turn back into the squall until it passed. Soon after, we were able to motor into the mooring as if it were just another summer's day. My crew did an admirable job. Thank you mates.
We went out to dinner that night and in addition to whatever we wanted to eat, I ordered some steamed clams as a training meal. We were invited to my brother Joe's for a clam boil on Wednesday and I wanted to be sure that the grand kids, would like them, and know how to eat them. Turns out they are clam lovers and took to it naturally. They, as well as the rest of us, had a great time at the boil. Lots of food and drink and great company. Unfortunately my camera was sitting on board for the party. You missed a lot of good food shots on this post.
Thursday would be the last day for my family visit. Because of a scheduled 6 AM flight it was going to more practical to spend the night at an airport hotel. So we spent the day slowly working our way toward Boston. Here the whole crew is standing by Earl's Marina sign one last time.
We started with breakfast at the Little Bear in Tiverton, RI. Here Kael and Nattie posed for an album shot in front of Little Bear's totem.
Then it was on to Newport to see the mansions and the ocean up close. The crew is standing about as far out on Brenton Point as they dared go with the wind and weather we were experiencing on Thursday.
With Newport in our wake we headed for Plymouth to go aboard Mayflower II and see the Plymouth Rock.
Nattie affectionatly posing with Kale on the Mayflower II's main deck.
Here is a family shot below the Plymouth Rock sign. Probably the most photographed spot in Plymouth.
Then it was dinner and on up to Boston and a sad farewell to my visiting crew. Here they posed one last time in their hotel room in Boston. I only wish we had been able to do more sailing. Thanks for a great week you guys.
I ended the week going to a birthday party for Chris, who along with my brother Jordan kindly put me up whenever I am not able to stay aboard Belmira. Like during hurricanes and other unplanned events.
Chris turned 40 and his mom threw a great party in his honor. Here he is, with his mom in the background.
And here is a closeup of his pin.
That's all for now. This was obviously a family oriented blog post. For any of you who tune in for the sailing I hope to have more posts soon. Stay tuned.
Here is Eric with his clan after Nattie, who had been sharing the vee berth with me decided to get a few more Zs with dad.
We all just kicked back in recovery mode on Saturday and on Sunday were off to Grandniece Ella's 1st Birthday party. A good time was had by all and Kael and Natalie got to meet a bunch of new relatives of all ages. Eric and Karen were able to renew old acquaintances and add a few new ones.
Here is a pic of Brent and Stacy with the birthday girl Ella. There is also a sneak preview of Ella's sister soon to arrive. November I believe.
Sunday, saw us out sailing. I had hoped to get them all toCuttyhunk but the winds and tides decided we would be better off making for Woods Hole. So we crossed Buzzards Bay and tucked into Hadley Harbor. After a tour of the inner harbor we anchoredBelmira and had a relaxing lunch. After a total of 6 hours and 40 minutes, and 22 nautical miles, we were back on the mooring at West Island and ready to kick back.
Here is Kael up at the bow pulpit. Probably holding his tether to make sure it gets in the picture. Tethers were a requirement for he and Natalie if they moved out of the cockpit. They were pretty good about remembering to tie in.Just above to the right is a picture of Hadley's Inner Harbor.
And below is Kael kicking back for a snooze in the cockpit.
Here we have Nattie using dad as a back rest as we start back across the bay.
Karen is at the helm here as we head west with Falmouth on the horizon in our wake.
And here is the whole crew jammed into the helm for a photo op.Monday was a day for touring local sights from old town Fairhaven and its many historical buildings, we wound our way over to New Bedford to see the Whaling Museum and the waterfront sights. The weather was not cooperating with us for a sail. Once again my camera stood aboard. But, I did get a few shots of Kael and Nattie with their favorite foul weather pastime. Stayin below and playing with their DSs.
Tuesday, and we were out sailing again. The plan (you always start with a plan then see what the weather decides you should do) was to cruise the coast and see Mattapoisett and Marion harbors. We made it to Mattapoisett, dropped the anchor and had lunch. Then it was on to Marion, until we saw a nasty looking weather front working its way down Buzzards Bay. So we turned tail and headed back to West Island.
This is the front on Buzzards Bay we were trying to leave behind.
We sent the kids below, and Karen took the helm while Eric and I got the sails off of Belmira. Then the fun began. 50 yards from the channel markers, they disappeared in the rain and waves. Karen went below, no sense in us all getting wet, and I managed to turn back into the squall until it passed. Soon after, we were able to motor into the mooring as if it were just another summer's day. My crew did an admirable job. Thank you mates.
We went out to dinner that night and in addition to whatever we wanted to eat, I ordered some steamed clams as a training meal. We were invited to my brother Joe's for a clam boil on Wednesday and I wanted to be sure that the grand kids, would like them, and know how to eat them. Turns out they are clam lovers and took to it naturally. They, as well as the rest of us, had a great time at the boil. Lots of food and drink and great company. Unfortunately my camera was sitting on board for the party. You missed a lot of good food shots on this post.
Thursday would be the last day for my family visit. Because of a scheduled 6 AM flight it was going to more practical to spend the night at an airport hotel. So we spent the day slowly working our way toward Boston. Here the whole crew is standing by Earl's Marina sign one last time.
We started with breakfast at the Little Bear in Tiverton, RI. Here Kael and Nattie posed for an album shot in front of Little Bear's totem.
Then it was on to Newport to see the mansions and the ocean up close. The crew is standing about as far out on Brenton Point as they dared go with the wind and weather we were experiencing on Thursday.
With Newport in our wake we headed for Plymouth to go aboard Mayflower II and see the Plymouth Rock.
Here is a family shot below the Plymouth Rock sign. Probably the most photographed spot in Plymouth.
Then it was dinner and on up to Boston and a sad farewell to my visiting crew. Here they posed one last time in their hotel room in Boston. I only wish we had been able to do more sailing. Thanks for a great week you guys.
I ended the week going to a birthday party for Chris, who along with my brother Jordan kindly put me up whenever I am not able to stay aboard Belmira. Like during hurricanes and other unplanned events.
Chris turned 40 and his mom threw a great party in his honor. Here he is, with his mom in the background.
And here is a closeup of his pin.
That's all for now. This was obviously a family oriented blog post. For any of you who tune in for the sailing I hope to have more posts soon. Stay tuned.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 2012
Almost August and a half
It has been a few weeks since my last post and a lot has happened that I will try and catch up on. There are a few sailing experiences of which it is said, "there are only two kinds of sailors, those who have done these things, and those who will do these things.". As you will see, I now have two of these experiences checked off my personal sailing resume.
As you saw in my last post, my guests departed and it was back to solo sailing and living. It was quite lonely after a very active week. Especially one that included two active grandchildren who apparently are charged by "Die Hard" batteries.
After a few days of putting things back in order and restocking, I spent some time re-tuning the main mast and had to take her out for a sail to check my work. Before leaving the mooring I was more concerned with my tuning and not nearly as concerned with the tide level and how close we were to the full moon. And so, although it was nearly 2 hours since the low tide, as I was cruising out of the channel connecting the marina to Nasketucket Bay
All went well with the actual sailing and tune check and I believe she is ready to sail in almost any conditions. It was a little foggy out there. Here we are close hauled to check the downwind tension on the shroud as we head for the fog bank.
Later that evening I was out to Westport Point to pick a fewBluegrass tunes with the local jam group.
The rest of the week was spent on minor repairs and getting ready for the first mate's visit. Chris was scheduled to arrive on Sunday for a twenty day stay.
The new anchor I had ordered six weeks ago showed up and had to be installed. I found myself with too many anchors and took the lesser of the three, a Danfort, to the consignment store.
Saturday, and I was out in Buzzards Bay again trying to get the Aires Wind Vane steering system working. That didn't work out as well as I had hoped and I decided that my second wind vane, another Aires that was at the consignment store looking for a new owner was in better shape and that I would have to go and retrieve it .
Sunday and I was off to the airport in Providence. Chris' flight was delayed by about an hour do to foul weather in Clevland. But, she made it here safely and we were on board Belmira after a dinner stop in Fairhaven.
On Monday we decided to get out and sail. After securing the dinghy painter to the mooring pennant with the pickup float, I let Belmira drift clear. Assuming I had left the transmission in neutral, I was surprised to see the dinghy and mooring ball getting pulled against Belmira's stern and hear the engine come to an abrupt stop. A good portion of both the dinghy painter and the pennant were well wrapped around the prop shaft with the float's lead counterweight jammed in against them. There was only one thing to do. Get down there and unwrap it . Here I am getting ready to do my best Lloyd Bridges impersonation.
And, next you see my feet as I dove below with each new refill of air in my lungs via my snorkel. I took about a half hour to get the mess untangled. There seems to be no lasting damage and we were on our way.
We got out into the bay, sailed up to Mattapoisett and back. Tried once more to get the wind vane to cooperate before deciding to change it out. The test failed.
We had decided to get out of Earl's and make a planned trip up to Provincetown so Tuesday was spent getting provisioned and some final boat prep. Here I am taking off the miss-behaving wind vane. The second vane is laying on the dinghy's floor boards.
Tuesday evening we were off to meet Jordan and Chris for one of Fall River's well known 2 for 22 dinners. Several of Fall River's well known Portuguese restaurants offer dinner for two, with a bottle of wine, for twenty two dollars. The choice for this evening was a restaurant called Caldera's on Pleasant Street in Fall River. Here is a picture of Jordan, Chris and Chris, and my dinner choice.
A good time was had by all.
Wednesday morning and we would be ready to head out on our extended trip. All that was left to do was to pull into the courtesy dock and fill our water tank. It was nearly high tide and we had a breeze coming from the South West making it ideal to pull into Earl's south dock. We did just that, watered up, and were on our way. About 100 yards from the dock we came to an abrupt halt. We were on the bottom, and it was nearly high tide. This should not be happening. Fortunately this area is mostly silt and sand. Here we are dead in the water waiting for the tide to rise a little more. Belmira draws 5 feet and we were sitting in about 4 feet 6 inches. I had now done one more thing that every sailor has or will do, I ran aground.
What made this experience so frustrating was that I was on the same track I had always taken when leaving the dock. I had not planned to come back to Earl's this year and I now know I won't be back next season. I appears the whole basin is filling with silt and many of the depth soundings shown on the charts can no longer be trusted. Time to move on to deeper waters.
We were not aground for very long. In less than a half hour we were afloat again and on our way.
With some good wind and a favorable current we made it up to the Cape Cod Canal by late afternoon and dropped anchor in the old canal channel alongside Mashnee Island. It was a very calm evening with a very nice sunset as seen here.
After a quiet night it was up and at 'em to make the canal entrance when the East flood starts at 9:13. We made it around Mashnee Island and by the Maritime Academy and into the canal entrance at 10:11. We had been making about 4 knots with the engine running at 2000 rpm. Once into the canal, with the flood current, we were doing the speed limit, 10 mph, 8.5 knots. Without touching the throttle, we were exiting the East end of the canal into Cape Cod Bay at 11:00.
Here is Chris at the helm as she piloted us through the length of the canal.
With some light winds we combined sailing and motor sailing across Cape Cod Bay. Not too exciting a trip and we made it into Provincetown Harbor at 1700, or 5:00PM.
We got into town for dinner after a long dinghy ride. The weather was not being very friendly and we were getting wetter than we had expected, especially on the ride back to Belmira. The prevailing winds and waves made it impossible to maneuver the harbor without a lot of splashing. After nearly running out of dry clothes, we decided by the end of day on Friday that it was time to move in closer to town and get on a mooring that would also give us launch privileges. In addition it had started raining and NOAA was predicting it was going to keep up throughout most of the weekend.
Friday night proved to quite an experience. Once again we had gone into town for dinner. This time armed with rain gear. A precaution that proved to be the right move as a storm moved in. We returned to Belmira in the rain, in a launch, that even though it was nearly twenty feet long and sat high above the water, provided yet another wet trip for all of it's passengers.
Once aboard, and getting everything battened down, we settled in for a roller coaster ride. Knowing the ride would be much too exciting in the Vee berth, we made up the double berth in the center salon.
Hearing all sorts of noise and activity in the mooring field we turned on both the VHF radios on board to listen to the goings on. Boats had broken loose from their moorings and in one case a large steel fishing vessel was liberated when a boater trying to work through the field ran across the fishing boats mooring line and cut him loose. A sailboat, also trying to get into the harbor, was bouncing off the seawall and other boats before dropping an anchor and coming to a stop.
We sat, rocking and rolling in the relative comfort and safety of Belmira's interior and listened as the Harbor Master, Marina Mooring Master and the Coast Guard directed their people and each other on what action to take. It turned out that in spite of the excitement it caused, there was no one injured, 2 boats either beached or pinned against the pier, one sailboat with considerable damage, mostly due to the inexperience of it's owner, and several boats with superficial dents and scratches. But it made for some good radio drama on a dark and stormy night.
The unsettled weather continued into Saturday with a short break in the afternoon. We ventured out once more to the anchoring ground to have dinner aboard with some friends. The wind and waves picked up but we were able to get back aboard Belmira fairly dry.
It rained most of the night and we saw the sun for the the first extended time this afternoon. The forecast promises to be good for the the near future and we plan to be on our way back south tomorrow morning. The timing for the Ebb that will get us through the canal will have us dropping anchor and spending the night on the West entrance of the canal and going in sometime early Tuesday morning.
Although it has been a mostly rainy weekend, we were able to enjoy some time ashore, and got to sample some of the good food that the restaurants in town are well known for. And of course there are the crowds of tourists as well as the diverse population of regulars that make P-Town so interesting. Here are just a few shots taken when the sun was shinning.
Here is Chris on the dock when we first arrived and posing for me with the pile of lobster trap floats on the town pier.
And of course this couldn't be a blog post about Provincetown without a picture of the crowds in the street and one of the many local cross dressers on parade.
That's the latest on what is going on. We head back in the morning and I plan to update the blog with the details very soon. Stay tuned.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012
The Doldrums
Provincetown, Monday morning and the skies are clear for the first time in 4 days. It looks like we may dry out. After breakfast we headed out into the ocean just north east of P-Town to look for whales before we head south, back across the bay, to the west entrance of the canal. We won't be able to make the ebb today so we will anchor for the night and head through the canal first thing tomorrow morning.
Fairwell P-Town
We got out of the harbor at 0830. Out into the Stellwagen refuge area hoping to see a whale. But there was not enough wind to do much sailing. We motor sailed about 5 miles into the refuge area without any sightings and eventually decided to head for the canal.
Swinging in the hammock
Once into Cape Cod Bay, the little wind we had north of the cape was all but gone and the sea was nearly flat. So it was a long slow motor sail across the bay. Lots of sun so we got dried out. Here are a few pics of Chris and I making the best of our motor sail across the bay.
Life at less than 5 knots
As we approached our anchorage the wind picked up. Great sailing wind. I decided that we didn't need to wait for the ebb and took our chances in the canal. It was slow going against the east flowing current in the canal but not impossible.
As we approached the west end of the canal our trip was slowed down a little more by the railroad bridge that was lowered to let a train pass. We had plenty of room and only had to make one long loop around the canal before the bridge was back up and we were able to pass.
Bridge Down
Bridge Up
It wasn't the under one hour, ride we had going west to east but we made it through and anchored in the same spot we were in last Wednesday night alongside Mashnee Island.
Tuesday and we awakened to a dead calm and prepared to motor down the bay back to Fairhaven. It was good to feel the sun again and get dried out after the wet weekend. Three hours of motoring and we're back on the mooring at Earl's. The seven day adventure to P-Town was completed.
It's now Friday and except for a storm that moved through Wednesday night, the weather has remained mostly dry. Unfortunately, the wind has not returned with anything more than light breezes. We are hoping to get some more sailing in before Chris has to return on the 26th. So, we remain waiting, and hopeful, in the doldrums.
I hope to have more sailing tales to post soon. Stay tuned.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2012
Post Labor Day
Following our return from Provincetown we met with more doldrums like weather. So we were off to visit relatives and get some shopping in.
Here is as picture of the doldrums. Barely a breath of air and no water flow at all.
The weather in New England being what it is, did not want to bore us, so on Saturday we were washed out. BTW, when you travel back and forth between the dock and the mooring in a dinghy, there is a Murphy's Law sort of thing that will insure that most of the time your rain-gear will be at the opposite end of your trip.
Sunday was dry and clear and we were out in the bay again. Jordan joined us for some light air sailing. We were attempting to cross the bay to drop anchor alongside one of the Elizabeth Islands for lunch but it was taking too long at 2-3 knots. We got hungry an hove-to somewhere about half way and had lunch and watched the power boats and ferries cruise by. Here is a pic, Jordan and Chris are enjoying the slow ride.
The new week brought with it more doldrums or threats of rain so we didn't get much on the water time. So, we went dirt sailing, visiting a few places we had not seen in awhile and getting some necessary and unnecessary shopping in. Of course there where all those restaurants for lunches and dinners that we had not been to yet.
We did visit one of the marine consignment stores and I found a replacement engine stop cable that I had been on the to-do list since we bought Belmira. The fix worked out fine and now we can actually stop the engine without resorting to using a pair of pliers.
Around mid-week we awoke to 6 knots and what looked like maybe a sailing day. By 9:00, it was dead calm again as you can see here. More doldrums.
So it turned into a maintenance day, we were tired of land surfing by this point. Had a grilled dinner on board and then set off to Westport Point for the Wednesday night Bluegrass Jam.
Here is a pic of brother Joe and I trying to make music.
The doldrums continued on for the rest of the week. Chris and I would not get anymore sailing in before she left on Sunday.
We did more tourist stuff, visited Newport, watched sailboats off the coast going nowhere. There was just no wind to be had anywhere in this part of the world. The Dog Days of Summer were upon us.
Saturday, the last chance to sail and once again there was no wind. So, we visited relatives so Chris could say her goodbye's then it was off to Providence in the afternoon to take up residence in an airport hotel so we could be ready for her early morning flight.
The local Carrabbas restaurant, back home in Colorado, is one of our regular favorites and so, finding a Carrabbas just a few miles from the airport, we had to pay it a visit and do some comparative dinning. here is pic of the restaurant with its unique roof top garden.
The food , as always, was very good, not unlike our local Carrabbas. But strangely for this part of the country the mussels were small. It seems the restaurants in this area all serve local mussels which are smaller than the PEI mussels that most other restaurants, away from the coast, import. Nick, still serves the best mussels and has a larger more friendly bar.
After an early morning start, I dropped Chris at the airport and was back on board in Fairhaven by 0515.
Still calm, so I dedicated the day to maintenance and repairs. I had been having a problem with an engine alarm that sounds when you turn off the power to the engine after coming to a stop. Without the alarm to remind you, it is easy to forget to turn off the power to the engine circuits. As a result, the engine run-time meter keeps counting up run hours and can mess with your maintenance schedule. This is controlled by a simple oil pressure switch that activates when the pressure drops. Not unlike the switch that activated the red oil warning light on the dashboards of older cars. I found the OEM switch I needed, on line, ranging from $85 to $214. Westerbeke are very proud of their parts! Then I went to NAPA'a site and found the automotive, non-marine, duplicate for $11.50. I love it when that happens. The alarm is now in good working order and I have more money in my wallet for other boating needs.
The wind got up a little on Monday afternoon so I got out a sailed a little. I wanted to check out my Aires Wind Vane steering that I affectionately refer to as Otto, short for auto-pilot. Here he is in control of the helm while I take pictures and kick back. That's his big brown finger sticking up over the stern. He did a great job of keeping Belmira on course with nothing but wind and water power.
Labor day weekend came along and the marina got crazy. Lots of cars and boats everywhere.
Jordan and Chris came out for a sail on Saturday. We had some pretty good wind but not from the right direction to take us to Cuttyhunk, or planned destination. So, we just sail around and ended up dropping the hook off a deserted sandy spot on the west side of Naushon Island for lunch. Then we tacked our way back to Earl's. A good days sailing, some of the wind strong enough to blow out a seam in the mizzen.
Sunday and Monday brought more calm weather. I watched as some of the sailors motored out into the bay hoping to find some wind. Then I watched as they returned, their sails still furled.
Tuesday, and it was like someone had flipped a switch on summer. The weather was fine, still calm, but all of the company had gone home. Tuesday night and my van was the only vehicle in the parking lot. I did set up the cockpit as a sail loft today and got the mizzen seam repaired. Here is a pic.
Although it was a calm weekend weather wise the constant stream of power boats through the mooring field made for a few rough moments. One in particular, slammed the dinghy into Otto and punctured her nose section. I was able to put on a temporary patch that will get us through the season.
But the engine repairs, blown out sail and leaky dinghy, are all reminders that it has been a long season and the gear is getting ready for rest and repair. So, this weekend, Sunday, weather permitting, I plan to make the 50 mile run back up river to Belmira's winter grounds in Dighton. Jordan will be crewing with me and it looks like the tide and current charts will be mostly in our favor for the trip. The weather may be a little damp in the morning, but we should be able to be traveling in good weather by mid-morning.
Stay tuned for a few more end of the season posts.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012
Taking Belmira Home
Well, just after the last post complaining about the doldrums like conditions, the wind came up so I went out for a sail for a few hours. Just a little more fun before the planned trip back to Dighton on Sunday. Only an 8 mile sail but it was fun.
The planned Sunday sail had to be re-scheduled when the weather didn't cooperate. Wet weather and wind, mostly from the south, would have made for an uncomfortable trip. No way to end the season.
The next weather window looked like Tuesday. The forecast, and the tide and current charts, would be in good agreement for the planned trip south to Sakonnet Point then north to Dighton.
Tuesday morning arrived as predicted, although a little on the chilly side for someone whose wardrobe has been shorts, tees and bare feet. I awoke to a chilly 53 degrees. But the wind at 10 knots from the north, promising to move to the northwest and increase to 10 to 15 knots, and clear skies, were just what was needed for a good sail south to Sakonnet Point. Jordan arrived early and we bid adieu to Earl's Marina for 2012 at 7:20. Earl's Marina had pretty much bid adieu to summer as can be seen from this pic of their parking lot on Monday morning.
That's my van, another sailor's car and a fisherman's truck. All the summer's company have gone home. The parking lot pic is followed, naturally, by our final, rear view mirror look at Earl's mooring field.
We motored out through Earl's channel, set our sails, and cruised into Nasketucket Bay. Once we rounded West Island, it was a broad reach, one tack, all the way to Sakonnet Point.
Catching some great wind we hit a max speed of 9 knots but we mostly traveled comfortably at 6 to 7 knots. Here is a little video that Jordan recorded, probably his first, on his iPhone, as we cruised south. As you will hear Jordan say, we are traveling at 6.7 knots at this point.
It was a quick, fun, leg to Sakonnet Point. Once we rounded the point we were mostly heading into the wind so we motor sailed most of the way and motored the final leg from Mount Hope Bay, on up the Taunton River, to Shaw's Boatyard, Belmira's winter home.
As we rounded Sakonnet Point we did catch the start of the incoming tide and rode the tide all the way to Shaw's, arriving at 4:30 with the high tide. We may not have been fast, but we were energy efficient, taking advantage of all the tides and currents had to offer us.
Belmira, not noted for her performance in reverse, finally agreed to let us back her into a slip at Shaw's. Where we are waiting for the yard crew to be ready to haul us out. We spent a total of 9 hours, traveled 48.4 nautical miles and used 3.5 gallons of fuel, a fun cruise, for about $14.00.
Although there were many doldrums like days, Belmira sailed 397 nautical miles this season.
Now its time to get her ready for the the winter and get myself back home to Colorado. Stay tuned for the the last few posts of the season. Getting Belmira tucked in for the winter, and getting myself back home.
MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2013
The Season is Over !
Here it is Monday March 4th and I have been into the 2013 sailing season projects for quite some time now. I have been thinking about posting an update on how things are going so far. So I thought it might be about time to actually close out the 2012 season with one final post as promised back in September.
After arriving at the dock on September 11th and getting a large part of the winterizing done in the slip, Belmira got hauled out on on Thursday, September 20th. Here she is out of the water and heading for the yard.
Heading for the stands
It took a few weeks to get Belmira winterized and put to bed. This was due in part to the prep work needed for the winter projects I planned to get done back at home this year. The big project this year would be installing a refrigerator in the Spring of 2013. To prep for this I had to remove the original ice box to make room for the new refer. Then the plan was to bring home the counter top and do the necessary modification to make it fit the new unit. And, since the ice box counter top, as well as all the other main salon counter tops, were covered with the original butcher block pattern Formica, I figured this would be a good opportunity to replace the top covering with something that would brighten up Belmira's interior. So while I was geared up to remove the ice box top, I removed the other counter tops so I could haul them back to Colorado for new surfacing.
Here are a few pictures of the original counter top on the ice box, and some of the stages of the removal as well as the trial fit of the new Isotherm B1-75 refrigerator.
before shot with trim removed
The void without the ice box
The new refer in place for a trial fit
With the trial fit I was able to get all the dimensions I needed for the new top. My 2013 page will have some progress photos of how the counter top and refer install progressed. Once I get back on board, sometime in May, I plan to post an update on the new tops and refer install.
With everything torn apart, winterized and packed up, I headed west on September 28th and made it home in time for dinner on the 30th.
Stay tuned for Belmira's 2013 season.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 2012
Almost August and a half
It has been a few weeks since my last post and a lot has happened that I will try and catch up on. There are a few sailing experiences of which it is said, "there are only two kinds of sailors, those who have done these things, and those who will do these things.". As you will see, I now have two of these experiences checked off my personal sailing resume.
As you saw in my last post, my guests departed and it was back to solo sailing and living. It was quite lonely after a very active week. Especially one that included two active grandchildren who apparently are charged by "Die Hard" batteries.
After a few days of putting things back in order and restocking, I spent some time re-tuning the main mast and had to take her out for a sail to check my work. Before leaving the mooring I was more concerned with my tuning and not nearly as concerned with the tide level and how close we were to the full moon. And so, although it was nearly 2 hours since the low tide, as I was cruising out of the channel connecting the marina to Nasketucket Bay
The rest of the week was spent on minor repairs and getting ready for the first mate's visit. Chris was scheduled to arrive on Sunday for a twenty day stay.
The new anchor I had ordered six weeks ago showed up and had to be installed. I found myself with too many anchors and took the lesser of the three, a Danfort, to the consignment store.
Saturday, and I was out in Buzzards Bay again trying to get the Aires Wind Vane steering system working. That didn't work out as well as I had hoped and I decided that my second wind vane, another Aires that was at the consignment store looking for a new owner was in better shape and that I would have to go and retrieve it .
Sunday and I was off to the airport in Providence. Chris' flight was delayed by about an hour do to foul weather in Clevland. But, she made it here safely and we were on board Belmira after a dinner stop in Fairhaven.
On Monday we decided to get out and sail. After securing the dinghy painter to the mooring pennant with the pickup float, I let Belmira drift clear. Assuming I had left the transmission in neutral, I was surprised to see the dinghy and mooring ball getting pulled against Belmira's stern and hear the engine come to an abrupt stop. A good portion of both the dinghy painter and the pennant were well wrapped around the prop shaft with the float's lead counterweight jammed in against them. There was only one thing to do. Get down there and unwrap it . Here I am getting ready to do my best Lloyd Bridges impersonation.
We got out into the bay, sailed up to Mattapoisett and back. Tried once more to get the wind vane to cooperate before deciding to change it out. The test failed.
We had decided to get out of Earl's and make a planned trip up to Provincetown so Tuesday was spent getting provisioned and some final boat prep. Here I am taking off the miss-behaving wind vane. The second vane is laying on the dinghy's floor boards.
Tuesday evening we were off to meet Jordan and Chris for one of Fall River's well known 2 for 22 dinners. Several of Fall River's well known Portuguese restaurants offer dinner for two, with a bottle of wine, for twenty two dollars. The choice for this evening was a restaurant called Caldera's on Pleasant Street in Fall River. Here is a picture of Jordan, Chris and Chris, and my dinner choice.
A good time was had by all.
Wednesday morning and we would be ready to head out on our extended trip. All that was left to do was to pull into the courtesy dock and fill our water tank. It was nearly high tide and we had a breeze coming from the South West making it ideal to pull into Earl's south dock. We did just that, watered up, and were on our way. About 100 yards from the dock we came to an abrupt halt. We were on the bottom, and it was nearly high tide. This should not be happening. Fortunately this area is mostly silt and sand. Here we are dead in the water waiting for the tide to rise a little more. Belmira draws 5 feet and we were sitting in about 4 feet 6 inches. I had now done one more thing that every sailor has or will do, I ran aground.
What made this experience so frustrating was that I was on the same track I had always taken when leaving the dock. I had not planned to come back to Earl's this year and I now know I won't be back next season. I appears the whole basin is filling with silt and many of the depth soundings shown on the charts can no longer be trusted. Time to move on to deeper waters.
We were not aground for very long. In less than a half hour we were afloat again and on our way.
With some good wind and a favorable current we made it up to the Cape Cod Canal by late afternoon and dropped anchor in the old canal channel alongside Mashnee Island. It was a very calm evening with a very nice sunset as seen here.
Here is Chris at the helm as she piloted us through the length of the canal.
We got into town for dinner after a long dinghy ride. The weather was not being very friendly and we were getting wetter than we had expected, especially on the ride back to Belmira. The prevailing winds and waves made it impossible to maneuver the harbor without a lot of splashing. After nearly running out of dry clothes, we decided by the end of day on Friday that it was time to move in closer to town and get on a mooring that would also give us launch privileges. In addition it had started raining and NOAA was predicting it was going to keep up throughout most of the weekend.
Friday night proved to quite an experience. Once again we had gone into town for dinner. This time armed with rain gear. A precaution that proved to be the right move as a storm moved in. We returned to Belmira in the rain, in a launch, that even though it was nearly twenty feet long and sat high above the water, provided yet another wet trip for all of it's passengers.
Once aboard, and getting everything battened down, we settled in for a roller coaster ride. Knowing the ride would be much too exciting in the Vee berth, we made up the double berth in the center salon.
Hearing all sorts of noise and activity in the mooring field we turned on both the VHF radios on board to listen to the goings on. Boats had broken loose from their moorings and in one case a large steel fishing vessel was liberated when a boater trying to work through the field ran across the fishing boats mooring line and cut him loose. A sailboat, also trying to get into the harbor, was bouncing off the seawall and other boats before dropping an anchor and coming to a stop.
We sat, rocking and rolling in the relative comfort and safety of Belmira's interior and listened as the Harbor Master, Marina Mooring Master and the Coast Guard directed their people and each other on what action to take. It turned out that in spite of the excitement it caused, there was no one injured, 2 boats either beached or pinned against the pier, one sailboat with considerable damage, mostly due to the inexperience of it's owner, and several boats with superficial dents and scratches. But it made for some good radio drama on a dark and stormy night.
The unsettled weather continued into Saturday with a short break in the afternoon. We ventured out once more to the anchoring ground to have dinner aboard with some friends. The wind and waves picked up but we were able to get back aboard Belmira fairly dry.
It rained most of the night and we saw the sun for the the first extended time this afternoon. The forecast promises to be good for the the near future and we plan to be on our way back south tomorrow morning. The timing for the Ebb that will get us through the canal will have us dropping anchor and spending the night on the West entrance of the canal and going in sometime early Tuesday morning.
Although it has been a mostly rainy weekend, we were able to enjoy some time ashore, and got to sample some of the good food that the restaurants in town are well known for. And of course there are the crowds of tourists as well as the diverse population of regulars that make P-Town so interesting. Here are just a few shots taken when the sun was shinning.Here is Chris on the dock when we first arrived and posing for me with the pile of lobster trap floats on the town pier.
And of course this couldn't be a blog post about Provincetown without a picture of the crowds in the street and one of the many local cross dressers on parade.
That's the latest on what is going on. We head back in the morning and I plan to update the blog with the details very soon. Stay tuned.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 2012
The Doldrums
Provincetown, Monday morning and the skies are clear for the first time in 4 days. It looks like we may dry out. After breakfast we headed out into the ocean just north east of P-Town to look for whales before we head south, back across the bay, to the west entrance of the canal. We won't be able to make the ebb today so we will anchor for the night and head through the canal first thing tomorrow morning.
We got out of the harbor at 0830. Out into the Stellwagen refuge area hoping to see a whale. But there was not enough wind to do much sailing. We motor sailed about 5 miles into the refuge area without any sightings and eventually decided to head for the canal.
Once into Cape Cod Bay, the little wind we had north of the cape was all but gone and the sea was nearly flat. So it was a long slow motor sail across the bay. Lots of sun so we got dried out. Here are a few pics of Chris and I making the best of our motor sail across the bay.
As we approached our anchorage the wind picked up. Great sailing wind. I decided that we didn't need to wait for the ebb and took our chances in the canal. It was slow going against the east flowing current in the canal but not impossible.
As we approached the west end of the canal our trip was slowed down a little more by the railroad bridge that was lowered to let a train pass. We had plenty of room and only had to make one long loop around the canal before the bridge was back up and we were able to pass.
It wasn't the under one hour, ride we had going west to east but we made it through and anchored in the same spot we were in last Wednesday night alongside Mashnee Island.
Tuesday and we awakened to a dead calm and prepared to motor down the bay back to Fairhaven. It was good to feel the sun again and get dried out after the wet weekend. Three hours of motoring and we're back on the mooring at Earl's. The seven day adventure to P-Town was completed.
It's now Friday and except for a storm that moved through Wednesday night, the weather has remained mostly dry. Unfortunately, the wind has not returned with anything more than light breezes. We are hoping to get some more sailing in before Chris has to return on the 26th. So, we remain waiting, and hopeful, in the doldrums.
I hope to have more sailing tales to post soon. Stay tuned.
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| Fairwell P-Town |
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| Swinging in the hammock |
Once into Cape Cod Bay, the little wind we had north of the cape was all but gone and the sea was nearly flat. So it was a long slow motor sail across the bay. Lots of sun so we got dried out. Here are a few pics of Chris and I making the best of our motor sail across the bay.
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| Life at less than 5 knots |
As we approached our anchorage the wind picked up. Great sailing wind. I decided that we didn't need to wait for the ebb and took our chances in the canal. It was slow going against the east flowing current in the canal but not impossible.
As we approached the west end of the canal our trip was slowed down a little more by the railroad bridge that was lowered to let a train pass. We had plenty of room and only had to make one long loop around the canal before the bridge was back up and we were able to pass.
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| Bridge Down |
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| Bridge Up |
It wasn't the under one hour, ride we had going west to east but we made it through and anchored in the same spot we were in last Wednesday night alongside Mashnee Island.
Tuesday and we awakened to a dead calm and prepared to motor down the bay back to Fairhaven. It was good to feel the sun again and get dried out after the wet weekend. Three hours of motoring and we're back on the mooring at Earl's. The seven day adventure to P-Town was completed.
It's now Friday and except for a storm that moved through Wednesday night, the weather has remained mostly dry. Unfortunately, the wind has not returned with anything more than light breezes. We are hoping to get some more sailing in before Chris has to return on the 26th. So, we remain waiting, and hopeful, in the doldrums.
I hope to have more sailing tales to post soon. Stay tuned.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2012
Post Labor Day
Following our return from Provincetown we met with more doldrums like weather. So we were off to visit relatives and get some shopping in.
Here is as picture of the doldrums. Barely a breath of air and no water flow at all.
The weather in New England being what it is, did not want to bore us, so on Saturday we were washed out. BTW, when you travel back and forth between the dock and the mooring in a dinghy, there is a Murphy's Law sort of thing that will insure that most of the time your rain-gear will be at the opposite end of your trip.
Sunday was dry and clear and we were out in the bay again. Jordan joined us for some light air sailing. We were attempting to cross the bay to drop anchor alongside one of the Elizabeth Islands for lunch but it was taking too long at 2-3 knots. We got hungry an hove-to somewhere about half way and had lunch and watched the power boats and ferries cruise by. Here is a pic, Jordan and Chris are enjoying the slow ride.
The new week brought with it more doldrums or threats of rain so we didn't get much on the water time. So, we went dirt sailing, visiting a few places we had not seen in awhile and getting some necessary and unnecessary shopping in. Of course there where all those restaurants for lunches and dinners that we had not been to yet.
We did visit one of the marine consignment stores and I found a replacement engine stop cable that I had been on the to-do list since we bought Belmira. The fix worked out fine and now we can actually stop the engine without resorting to using a pair of pliers.
Around mid-week we awoke to 6 knots and what looked like maybe a sailing day. By 9:00, it was dead calm again as you can see here. More doldrums.
So it turned into a maintenance day, we were tired of land surfing by this point. Had a grilled dinner on board and then set off to Westport Point for the Wednesday night Bluegrass Jam.
Here is a pic of brother Joe and I trying to make music.
The doldrums continued on for the rest of the week. Chris and I would not get anymore sailing in before she left on Sunday.
We did more tourist stuff, visited Newport, watched sailboats off the coast going nowhere. There was just no wind to be had anywhere in this part of the world. The Dog Days of Summer were upon us.
Saturday, the last chance to sail and once again there was no wind. So, we visited relatives so Chris could say her goodbye's then it was off to Providence in the afternoon to take up residence in an airport hotel so we could be ready for her early morning flight.
The local Carrabbas restaurant, back home in Colorado, is one of our regular favorites and so, finding a Carrabbas just a few miles from the airport, we had to pay it a visit and do some comparative dinning. here is pic of the restaurant with its unique roof top garden.
The food , as always, was very good, not unlike our local Carrabbas. But strangely for this part of the country the mussels were small. It seems the restaurants in this area all serve local mussels which are smaller than the PEI mussels that most other restaurants, away from the coast, import. Nick, still serves the best mussels and has a larger more friendly bar.
After an early morning start, I dropped Chris at the airport and was back on board in Fairhaven by 0515.
Still calm, so I dedicated the day to maintenance and repairs. I had been having a problem with an engine alarm that sounds when you turn off the power to the engine after coming to a stop. Without the alarm to remind you, it is easy to forget to turn off the power to the engine circuits. As a result, the engine run-time meter keeps counting up run hours and can mess with your maintenance schedule. This is controlled by a simple oil pressure switch that activates when the pressure drops. Not unlike the switch that activated the red oil warning light on the dashboards of older cars. I found the OEM switch I needed, on line, ranging from $85 to $214. Westerbeke are very proud of their parts! Then I went to NAPA'a site and found the automotive, non-marine, duplicate for $11.50. I love it when that happens. The alarm is now in good working order and I have more money in my wallet for other boating needs.
The wind got up a little on Monday afternoon so I got out a sailed a little. I wanted to check out my Aires Wind Vane steering that I affectionately refer to as Otto, short for auto-pilot. Here he is in control of the helm while I take pictures and kick back. That's his big brown finger sticking up over the stern. He did a great job of keeping Belmira on course with nothing but wind and water power.
Labor day weekend came along and the marina got crazy. Lots of cars and boats everywhere.
Jordan and Chris came out for a sail on Saturday. We had some pretty good wind but not from the right direction to take us to Cuttyhunk, or planned destination. So, we just sail around and ended up dropping the hook off a deserted sandy spot on the west side of Naushon Island for lunch. Then we tacked our way back to Earl's. A good days sailing, some of the wind strong enough to blow out a seam in the mizzen.
Sunday and Monday brought more calm weather. I watched as some of the sailors motored out into the bay hoping to find some wind. Then I watched as they returned, their sails still furled.
Tuesday, and it was like someone had flipped a switch on summer. The weather was fine, still calm, but all of the company had gone home. Tuesday night and my van was the only vehicle in the parking lot. I did set up the cockpit as a sail loft today and got the mizzen seam repaired. Here is a pic.
Although it was a calm weekend weather wise the constant stream of power boats through the mooring field made for a few rough moments. One in particular, slammed the dinghy into Otto and punctured her nose section. I was able to put on a temporary patch that will get us through the season.
But the engine repairs, blown out sail and leaky dinghy, are all reminders that it has been a long season and the gear is getting ready for rest and repair. So, this weekend, Sunday, weather permitting, I plan to make the 50 mile run back up river to Belmira's winter grounds in Dighton. Jordan will be crewing with me and it looks like the tide and current charts will be mostly in our favor for the trip. The weather may be a little damp in the morning, but we should be able to be traveling in good weather by mid-morning.
Stay tuned for a few more end of the season posts.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012
Taking Belmira Home
Well, just after the last post complaining about the doldrums like conditions, the wind came up so I went out for a sail for a few hours. Just a little more fun before the planned trip back to Dighton on Sunday. Only an 8 mile sail but it was fun.
The planned Sunday sail had to be re-scheduled when the weather didn't cooperate. Wet weather and wind, mostly from the south, would have made for an uncomfortable trip. No way to end the season.
The next weather window looked like Tuesday. The forecast, and the tide and current charts, would be in good agreement for the planned trip south to Sakonnet Point then north to Dighton.
Tuesday morning arrived as predicted, although a little on the chilly side for someone whose wardrobe has been shorts, tees and bare feet. I awoke to a chilly 53 degrees. But the wind at 10 knots from the north, promising to move to the northwest and increase to 10 to 15 knots, and clear skies, were just what was needed for a good sail south to Sakonnet Point. Jordan arrived early and we bid adieu to Earl's Marina for 2012 at 7:20. Earl's Marina had pretty much bid adieu to summer as can be seen from this pic of their parking lot on Monday morning.
That's my van, another sailor's car and a fisherman's truck. All the summer's company have gone home. The parking lot pic is followed, naturally, by our final, rear view mirror look at Earl's mooring field.
We motored out through Earl's channel, set our sails, and cruised into Nasketucket Bay. Once we rounded West Island, it was a broad reach, one tack, all the way to Sakonnet Point.
Catching some great wind we hit a max speed of 9 knots but we mostly traveled comfortably at 6 to 7 knots. Here is a little video that Jordan recorded, probably his first, on his iPhone, as we cruised south. As you will hear Jordan say, we are traveling at 6.7 knots at this point.
It was a quick, fun, leg to Sakonnet Point. Once we rounded the point we were mostly heading into the wind so we motor sailed most of the way and motored the final leg from Mount Hope Bay, on up the Taunton River, to Shaw's Boatyard, Belmira's winter home.
As we rounded Sakonnet Point we did catch the start of the incoming tide and rode the tide all the way to Shaw's, arriving at 4:30 with the high tide. We may not have been fast, but we were energy efficient, taking advantage of all the tides and currents had to offer us.
Belmira, not noted for her performance in reverse, finally agreed to let us back her into a slip at Shaw's. Where we are waiting for the yard crew to be ready to haul us out. We spent a total of 9 hours, traveled 48.4 nautical miles and used 3.5 gallons of fuel, a fun cruise, for about $14.00.
Although there were many doldrums like days, Belmira sailed 397 nautical miles this season.
Now its time to get her ready for the the winter and get myself back home to Colorado. Stay tuned for the the last few posts of the season. Getting Belmira tucked in for the winter, and getting myself back home.
MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2013
The Season is Over !
Here it is Monday March 4th and I have been into the 2013 sailing season projects for quite some time now. I have been thinking about posting an update on how things are going so far. So I thought it might be about time to actually close out the 2012 season with one final post as promised back in September.
After arriving at the dock on September 11th and getting a large part of the winterizing done in the slip, Belmira got hauled out on on Thursday, September 20th. Here she is out of the water and heading for the yard.
Heading for the stands
It took a few weeks to get Belmira winterized and put to bed. This was due in part to the prep work needed for the winter projects I planned to get done back at home this year. The big project this year would be installing a refrigerator in the Spring of 2013. To prep for this I had to remove the original ice box to make room for the new refer. Then the plan was to bring home the counter top and do the necessary modification to make it fit the new unit. And, since the ice box counter top, as well as all the other main salon counter tops, were covered with the original butcher block pattern Formica, I figured this would be a good opportunity to replace the top covering with something that would brighten up Belmira's interior. So while I was geared up to remove the ice box top, I removed the other counter tops so I could haul them back to Colorado for new surfacing.
Here are a few pictures of the original counter top on the ice box, and some of the stages of the removal as well as the trial fit of the new Isotherm B1-75 refrigerator.
before shot with trim removed
The void without the ice box
The new refer in place for a trial fit
With the trial fit I was able to get all the dimensions I needed for the new top. My 2013 page will have some progress photos of how the counter top and refer install progressed. Once I get back on board, sometime in May, I plan to post an update on the new tops and refer install.
With everything torn apart, winterized and packed up, I headed west on September 28th and made it home in time for dinner on the 30th.
Stay tuned for Belmira's 2013 season.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2012
Post Labor Day
Following our return from Provincetown we met with more doldrums like weather. So we were off to visit relatives and get some shopping in.
Here is as picture of the doldrums. Barely a breath of air and no water flow at all.
The weather in New England being what it is, did not want to bore us, so on Saturday we were washed out. BTW, when you travel back and forth between the dock and the mooring in a dinghy, there is a Murphy's Law sort of thing that will insure that most of the time your rain-gear will be at the opposite end of your trip.
Sunday was dry and clear and we were out in the bay again. Jordan joined us for some light air sailing. We were attempting to cross the bay to drop anchor alongside one of the Elizabeth Islands for lunch but it was taking too long at 2-3 knots. We got hungry an hove-to somewhere about half way and had lunch and watched the power boats and ferries cruise by. Here is a pic, Jordan and Chris are enjoying the slow ride.
The new week brought with it more doldrums or threats of rain so we didn't get much on the water time. So, we went dirt sailing, visiting a few places we had not seen in awhile and getting some necessary and unnecessary shopping in. Of course there where all those restaurants for lunches and dinners that we had not been to yet.
We did visit one of the marine consignment stores and I found a replacement engine stop cable that I had been on the to-do list since we bought Belmira. The fix worked out fine and now we can actually stop the engine without resorting to using a pair of pliers.
Around mid-week we awoke to 6 knots and what looked like maybe a sailing day. By 9:00, it was dead calm again as you can see here. More doldrums.
So it turned into a maintenance day, we were tired of land surfing by this point. Had a grilled dinner on board and then set off to Westport Point for the Wednesday night Bluegrass Jam.
Here is a pic of brother Joe and I trying to make music.
The doldrums continued on for the rest of the week. Chris and I would not get anymore sailing in before she left on Sunday.
We did more tourist stuff, visited Newport, watched sailboats off the coast going nowhere. There was just no wind to be had anywhere in this part of the world. The Dog Days of Summer were upon us.
Saturday, the last chance to sail and once again there was no wind. So, we visited relatives so Chris could say her goodbye's then it was off to Providence in the afternoon to take up residence in an airport hotel so we could be ready for her early morning flight.
The local Carrabbas restaurant, back home in Colorado, is one of our regular favorites and so, finding a Carrabbas just a few miles from the airport, we had to pay it a visit and do some comparative dinning. here is pic of the restaurant with its unique roof top garden.
The food , as always, was very good, not unlike our local Carrabbas. But strangely for this part of the country the mussels were small. It seems the restaurants in this area all serve local mussels which are smaller than the PEI mussels that most other restaurants, away from the coast, import. Nick, still serves the best mussels and has a larger more friendly bar.
After an early morning start, I dropped Chris at the airport and was back on board in Fairhaven by 0515.
Still calm, so I dedicated the day to maintenance and repairs. I had been having a problem with an engine alarm that sounds when you turn off the power to the engine after coming to a stop. Without the alarm to remind you, it is easy to forget to turn off the power to the engine circuits. As a result, the engine run-time meter keeps counting up run hours and can mess with your maintenance schedule. This is controlled by a simple oil pressure switch that activates when the pressure drops. Not unlike the switch that activated the red oil warning light on the dashboards of older cars. I found the OEM switch I needed, on line, ranging from $85 to $214. Westerbeke are very proud of their parts! Then I went to NAPA'a site and found the automotive, non-marine, duplicate for $11.50. I love it when that happens. The alarm is now in good working order and I have more money in my wallet for other boating needs.
The wind got up a little on Monday afternoon so I got out a sailed a little. I wanted to check out my Aires Wind Vane steering that I affectionately refer to as Otto, short for auto-pilot. Here he is in control of the helm while I take pictures and kick back. That's his big brown finger sticking up over the stern. He did a great job of keeping Belmira on course with nothing but wind and water power.
Labor day weekend came along and the marina got crazy. Lots of cars and boats everywhere.
Jordan and Chris came out for a sail on Saturday. We had some pretty good wind but not from the right direction to take us to Cuttyhunk, or planned destination. So, we just sail around and ended up dropping the hook off a deserted sandy spot on the west side of Naushon Island for lunch. Then we tacked our way back to Earl's. A good days sailing, some of the wind strong enough to blow out a seam in the mizzen.
Sunday and Monday brought more calm weather. I watched as some of the sailors motored out into the bay hoping to find some wind. Then I watched as they returned, their sails still furled.
Tuesday, and it was like someone had flipped a switch on summer. The weather was fine, still calm, but all of the company had gone home. Tuesday night and my van was the only vehicle in the parking lot. I did set up the cockpit as a sail loft today and got the mizzen seam repaired. Here is a pic.
Although it was a calm weekend weather wise the constant stream of power boats through the mooring field made for a few rough moments. One in particular, slammed the dinghy into Otto and punctured her nose section. I was able to put on a temporary patch that will get us through the season.
But the engine repairs, blown out sail and leaky dinghy, are all reminders that it has been a long season and the gear is getting ready for rest and repair. So, this weekend, Sunday, weather permitting, I plan to make the 50 mile run back up river to Belmira's winter grounds in Dighton. Jordan will be crewing with me and it looks like the tide and current charts will be mostly in our favor for the trip. The weather may be a little damp in the morning, but we should be able to be traveling in good weather by mid-morning.
Stay tuned for a few more end of the season posts.
Here is as picture of the doldrums. Barely a breath of air and no water flow at all.
The weather in New England being what it is, did not want to bore us, so on Saturday we were washed out. BTW, when you travel back and forth between the dock and the mooring in a dinghy, there is a Murphy's Law sort of thing that will insure that most of the time your rain-gear will be at the opposite end of your trip.
Sunday was dry and clear and we were out in the bay again. Jordan joined us for some light air sailing. We were attempting to cross the bay to drop anchor alongside one of the Elizabeth Islands for lunch but it was taking too long at 2-3 knots. We got hungry an hove-to somewhere about half way and had lunch and watched the power boats and ferries cruise by. Here is a pic, Jordan and Chris are enjoying the slow ride.
The new week brought with it more doldrums or threats of rain so we didn't get much on the water time. So, we went dirt sailing, visiting a few places we had not seen in awhile and getting some necessary and unnecessary shopping in. Of course there where all those restaurants for lunches and dinners that we had not been to yet.We did visit one of the marine consignment stores and I found a replacement engine stop cable that I had been on the to-do list since we bought Belmira. The fix worked out fine and now we can actually stop the engine without resorting to using a pair of pliers.
Around mid-week we awoke to 6 knots and what looked like maybe a sailing day. By 9:00, it was dead calm again as you can see here. More doldrums.
So it turned into a maintenance day, we were tired of land surfing by this point. Had a grilled dinner on board and then set off to Westport Point for the Wednesday night Bluegrass Jam.Here is a pic of brother Joe and I trying to make music.
We did more tourist stuff, visited Newport, watched sailboats off the coast going nowhere. There was just no wind to be had anywhere in this part of the world. The Dog Days of Summer were upon us.
Saturday, the last chance to sail and once again there was no wind. So, we visited relatives so Chris could say her goodbye's then it was off to Providence in the afternoon to take up residence in an airport hotel so we could be ready for her early morning flight.
The local Carrabbas restaurant, back home in Colorado, is one of our regular favorites and so, finding a Carrabbas just a few miles from the airport, we had to pay it a visit and do some comparative dinning. here is pic of the restaurant with its unique roof top garden.
After an early morning start, I dropped Chris at the airport and was back on board in Fairhaven by 0515.
Still calm, so I dedicated the day to maintenance and repairs. I had been having a problem with an engine alarm that sounds when you turn off the power to the engine after coming to a stop. Without the alarm to remind you, it is easy to forget to turn off the power to the engine circuits. As a result, the engine run-time meter keeps counting up run hours and can mess with your maintenance schedule. This is controlled by a simple oil pressure switch that activates when the pressure drops. Not unlike the switch that activated the red oil warning light on the dashboards of older cars. I found the OEM switch I needed, on line, ranging from $85 to $214. Westerbeke are very proud of their parts! Then I went to NAPA'a site and found the automotive, non-marine, duplicate for $11.50. I love it when that happens. The alarm is now in good working order and I have more money in my wallet for other boating needs.
Labor day weekend came along and the marina got crazy. Lots of cars and boats everywhere.
Jordan and Chris came out for a sail on Saturday. We had some pretty good wind but not from the right direction to take us to Cuttyhunk, or planned destination. So, we just sail around and ended up dropping the hook off a deserted sandy spot on the west side of Naushon Island for lunch. Then we tacked our way back to Earl's. A good days sailing, some of the wind strong enough to blow out a seam in the mizzen.
Sunday and Monday brought more calm weather. I watched as some of the sailors motored out into the bay hoping to find some wind. Then I watched as they returned, their sails still furled.
Tuesday, and it was like someone had flipped a switch on summer. The weather was fine, still calm, but all of the company had gone home. Tuesday night and my van was the only vehicle in the parking lot. I did set up the cockpit as a sail loft today and got the mizzen seam repaired. Here is a pic.
Although it was a calm weekend weather wise the constant stream of power boats through the mooring field made for a few rough moments. One in particular, slammed the dinghy into Otto and punctured her nose section. I was able to put on a temporary patch that will get us through the season.But the engine repairs, blown out sail and leaky dinghy, are all reminders that it has been a long season and the gear is getting ready for rest and repair. So, this weekend, Sunday, weather permitting, I plan to make the 50 mile run back up river to Belmira's winter grounds in Dighton. Jordan will be crewing with me and it looks like the tide and current charts will be mostly in our favor for the trip. The weather may be a little damp in the morning, but we should be able to be traveling in good weather by mid-morning.
Stay tuned for a few more end of the season posts.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012
Taking Belmira Home
Well, just after the last post complaining about the doldrums like conditions, the wind came up so I went out for a sail for a few hours. Just a little more fun before the planned trip back to Dighton on Sunday. Only an 8 mile sail but it was fun.
The planned Sunday sail had to be re-scheduled when the weather didn't cooperate. Wet weather and wind, mostly from the south, would have made for an uncomfortable trip. No way to end the season.
The next weather window looked like Tuesday. The forecast, and the tide and current charts, would be in good agreement for the planned trip south to Sakonnet Point then north to Dighton.
Tuesday morning arrived as predicted, although a little on the chilly side for someone whose wardrobe has been shorts, tees and bare feet. I awoke to a chilly 53 degrees. But the wind at 10 knots from the north, promising to move to the northwest and increase to 10 to 15 knots, and clear skies, were just what was needed for a good sail south to Sakonnet Point. Jordan arrived early and we bid adieu to Earl's Marina for 2012 at 7:20. Earl's Marina had pretty much bid adieu to summer as can be seen from this pic of their parking lot on Monday morning.
That's my van, another sailor's car and a fisherman's truck. All the summer's company have gone home. The parking lot pic is followed, naturally, by our final, rear view mirror look at Earl's mooring field.
We motored out through Earl's channel, set our sails, and cruised into Nasketucket Bay. Once we rounded West Island, it was a broad reach, one tack, all the way to Sakonnet Point.
Catching some great wind we hit a max speed of 9 knots but we mostly traveled comfortably at 6 to 7 knots. Here is a little video that Jordan recorded, probably his first, on his iPhone, as we cruised south. As you will hear Jordan say, we are traveling at 6.7 knots at this point.
It was a quick, fun, leg to Sakonnet Point. Once we rounded the point we were mostly heading into the wind so we motor sailed most of the way and motored the final leg from Mount Hope Bay, on up the Taunton River, to Shaw's Boatyard, Belmira's winter home.
As we rounded Sakonnet Point we did catch the start of the incoming tide and rode the tide all the way to Shaw's, arriving at 4:30 with the high tide. We may not have been fast, but we were energy efficient, taking advantage of all the tides and currents had to offer us.
Belmira, not noted for her performance in reverse, finally agreed to let us back her into a slip at Shaw's. Where we are waiting for the yard crew to be ready to haul us out. We spent a total of 9 hours, traveled 48.4 nautical miles and used 3.5 gallons of fuel, a fun cruise, for about $14.00.
Although there were many doldrums like days, Belmira sailed 397 nautical miles this season.
Now its time to get her ready for the the winter and get myself back home to Colorado. Stay tuned for the the last few posts of the season. Getting Belmira tucked in for the winter, and getting myself back home.
MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2013
The Season is Over !
Here it is Monday March 4th and I have been into the 2013 sailing season projects for quite some time now. I have been thinking about posting an update on how things are going so far. So I thought it might be about time to actually close out the 2012 season with one final post as promised back in September.
After arriving at the dock on September 11th and getting a large part of the winterizing done in the slip, Belmira got hauled out on on Thursday, September 20th. Here she is out of the water and heading for the yard.
Heading for the stands
It took a few weeks to get Belmira winterized and put to bed. This was due in part to the prep work needed for the winter projects I planned to get done back at home this year. The big project this year would be installing a refrigerator in the Spring of 2013. To prep for this I had to remove the original ice box to make room for the new refer. Then the plan was to bring home the counter top and do the necessary modification to make it fit the new unit. And, since the ice box counter top, as well as all the other main salon counter tops, were covered with the original butcher block pattern Formica, I figured this would be a good opportunity to replace the top covering with something that would brighten up Belmira's interior. So while I was geared up to remove the ice box top, I removed the other counter tops so I could haul them back to Colorado for new surfacing.
Here are a few pictures of the original counter top on the ice box, and some of the stages of the removal as well as the trial fit of the new Isotherm B1-75 refrigerator.
before shot with trim removed
The void without the ice box
The new refer in place for a trial fit
With the trial fit I was able to get all the dimensions I needed for the new top. My 2013 page will have some progress photos of how the counter top and refer install progressed. Once I get back on board, sometime in May, I plan to post an update on the new tops and refer install.
With everything torn apart, winterized and packed up, I headed west on September 28th and made it home in time for dinner on the 30th.
Stay tuned for Belmira's 2013 season.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012
Taking Belmira Home
Well, just after the last post complaining about the doldrums like conditions, the wind came up so I went out for a sail for a few hours. Just a little more fun before the planned trip back to Dighton on Sunday. Only an 8 mile sail but it was fun.
The planned Sunday sail had to be re-scheduled when the weather didn't cooperate. Wet weather and wind, mostly from the south, would have made for an uncomfortable trip. No way to end the season.
The next weather window looked like Tuesday. The forecast, and the tide and current charts, would be in good agreement for the planned trip south to Sakonnet Point then north to Dighton.
Tuesday morning arrived as predicted, although a little on the chilly side for someone whose wardrobe has been shorts, tees and bare feet. I awoke to a chilly 53 degrees. But the wind at 10 knots from the north, promising to move to the northwest and increase to 10 to 15 knots, and clear skies, were just what was needed for a good sail south to Sakonnet Point. Jordan arrived early and we bid adieu to Earl's Marina for 2012 at 7:20. Earl's Marina had pretty much bid adieu to summer as can be seen from this pic of their parking lot on Monday morning.
That's my van, another sailor's car and a fisherman's truck. All the summer's company have gone home. The parking lot pic is followed, naturally, by our final, rear view mirror look at Earl's mooring field.
We motored out through Earl's channel, set our sails, and cruised into Nasketucket Bay. Once we rounded West Island, it was a broad reach, one tack, all the way to Sakonnet Point.
Catching some great wind we hit a max speed of 9 knots but we mostly traveled comfortably at 6 to 7 knots. Here is a little video that Jordan recorded, probably his first, on his iPhone, as we cruised south. As you will hear Jordan say, we are traveling at 6.7 knots at this point.
It was a quick, fun, leg to Sakonnet Point. Once we rounded the point we were mostly heading into the wind so we motor sailed most of the way and motored the final leg from Mount Hope Bay, on up the Taunton River, to Shaw's Boatyard, Belmira's winter home.
As we rounded Sakonnet Point we did catch the start of the incoming tide and rode the tide all the way to Shaw's, arriving at 4:30 with the high tide. We may not have been fast, but we were energy efficient, taking advantage of all the tides and currents had to offer us.
Belmira, not noted for her performance in reverse, finally agreed to let us back her into a slip at Shaw's. Where we are waiting for the yard crew to be ready to haul us out. We spent a total of 9 hours, traveled 48.4 nautical miles and used 3.5 gallons of fuel, a fun cruise, for about $14.00.
Although there were many doldrums like days, Belmira sailed 397 nautical miles this season.
Now its time to get her ready for the the winter and get myself back home to Colorado. Stay tuned for the the last few posts of the season. Getting Belmira tucked in for the winter, and getting myself back home.
The planned Sunday sail had to be re-scheduled when the weather didn't cooperate. Wet weather and wind, mostly from the south, would have made for an uncomfortable trip. No way to end the season.
The next weather window looked like Tuesday. The forecast, and the tide and current charts, would be in good agreement for the planned trip south to Sakonnet Point then north to Dighton.
Tuesday morning arrived as predicted, although a little on the chilly side for someone whose wardrobe has been shorts, tees and bare feet. I awoke to a chilly 53 degrees. But the wind at 10 knots from the north, promising to move to the northwest and increase to 10 to 15 knots, and clear skies, were just what was needed for a good sail south to Sakonnet Point. Jordan arrived early and we bid adieu to Earl's Marina for 2012 at 7:20. Earl's Marina had pretty much bid adieu to summer as can be seen from this pic of their parking lot on Monday morning.
We motored out through Earl's channel, set our sails, and cruised into Nasketucket Bay. Once we rounded West Island, it was a broad reach, one tack, all the way to Sakonnet Point.
Catching some great wind we hit a max speed of 9 knots but we mostly traveled comfortably at 6 to 7 knots. Here is a little video that Jordan recorded, probably his first, on his iPhone, as we cruised south. As you will hear Jordan say, we are traveling at 6.7 knots at this point.
As we rounded Sakonnet Point we did catch the start of the incoming tide and rode the tide all the way to Shaw's, arriving at 4:30 with the high tide. We may not have been fast, but we were energy efficient, taking advantage of all the tides and currents had to offer us.
Although there were many doldrums like days, Belmira sailed 397 nautical miles this season.
Now its time to get her ready for the the winter and get myself back home to Colorado. Stay tuned for the the last few posts of the season. Getting Belmira tucked in for the winter, and getting myself back home.
MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2013
The Season is Over !
Here it is Monday March 4th and I have been into the 2013 sailing season projects for quite some time now. I have been thinking about posting an update on how things are going so far. So I thought it might be about time to actually close out the 2012 season with one final post as promised back in September.
With the trial fit I was able to get all the dimensions I needed for the new top. My 2013 page will have some progress photos of how the counter top and refer install progressed. Once I get back on board, sometime in May, I plan to post an update on the new tops and refer install.
With everything torn apart, winterized and packed up, I headed west on September 28th and made it home in time for dinner on the 30th.
Stay tuned for Belmira's 2013 season.
After arriving at the dock on September 11th and getting a large part of the winterizing done in the slip, Belmira got hauled out on on Thursday, September 20th. Here she is out of the water and heading for the yard.
 |
| Heading for the stands |
It took a few weeks to get Belmira winterized and put to bed. This was due in part to the prep work needed for the winter projects I planned to get done back at home this year. The big project this year would be installing a refrigerator in the Spring of 2013. To prep for this I had to remove the original ice box to make room for the new refer. Then the plan was to bring home the counter top and do the necessary modification to make it fit the new unit. And, since the ice box counter top, as well as all the other main salon counter tops, were covered with the original butcher block pattern Formica, I figured this would be a good opportunity to replace the top covering with something that would brighten up Belmira's interior. So while I was geared up to remove the ice box top, I removed the other counter tops so I could haul them back to Colorado for new surfacing.
Here are a few pictures of the original counter top on the ice box, and some of the stages of the removal as well as the trial fit of the new Isotherm B1-75 refrigerator.
|
| before shot with trim removed |
|
| The void without the ice box |
|
| The new refer in place for a trial fit |
With everything torn apart, winterized and packed up, I headed west on September 28th and made it home in time for dinner on the 30th.
Stay tuned for Belmira's 2013 season.
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