SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2011
Season Finale !
Well its been a long time since I promised a season finale. I have actually been back home in Colorado for 2 weeks, so this will be older than normal news on Belmira's 2011 sailing season. Following the visit from Hurricane Irene, I got back on board on August 29th and started putting Belmira back in shape for sailing. I spent a day at the dock where there was plenty of fresh water to clean off the coating of salt that Irene added to what had not been washed off by the rain. The rest of the week was dedicated to getting ready to sail on back to Belmira's winter home in Dighton. After doing laundry and provisioning as well as a few needed repairs, and dropping my truck off at the boat yard in Dighton, I was ready to drop the mooring at Earl's one last time this summer on Saturday morning. Here is a last sunset pic from Earl's on Friday night.
Saturday morning brought 65 degree temps and 7 to 10 knot winds from the Southwest, just the direction I was heading. So I motored out into Buzzards Bay with Earl's in my wake one last time and proceeded to beat my way into the wind, that had increased to around 20 knots, producing 4 foot seas. After 34 nautical miles, and lots of water coming over the cockpit (I had not put the dodger back on since Irene's visit) I was taking quite a bath and I decided to call it a day. I tucked into Westport Harbor picking up a mooring for the night.
Sunday morning turned out to be a much more agreeable day for sailing. After putting the dodger back on, I motored through the harbor and was able to sail out into the bay. With much friendlier winds and calmer seas, I spent the whole day sailing around in the ocean. Out about 7 miles south of Martha's Vineyard and Cuttyhunk, I was able to enjoy one last day of good sailing before heading up river. Here are a few of the big guys that were out there. The tall ship turned out to be one of the Black Dog schooners from Martha's Vineyard.
I put on about 37 miles of smooth sailing and headed into the Sakonnet river for a few miles and into Fogland Point where I dropped anchor around 5 in the afternoon.
Monday morning, Labor Day! With a 10 knot Southwest wind I was able to motor sail most of the way up river to Mount Hope Bay. Once in the bay I had to get a little more sailing in before motoring up the Taunton River to Dighton and one last opportunity to open the Brightman Street Bridge. By next season the bridge will either be removed or turned into 2 fishing piers from the Fall River and Somerset sides of the river. The 65 foot clearance on the new bridge crossing the river will mean Belmira can make any future trips up or down river without waking up the bridge operator, or disturbing his dinner break like we did last year. We made it up river and were tied up to the dock at Shaw's Boatyard at 12:45. Checking my log entries when I arrived at Shaw's I found I had put on exactly 500 nautical miles this summer. Now it was time to start getting ready for winter. Woke up to rain on Tuesday that hung around all week. By Friday, September 9th, NOAA was reporting that we were 2.9 inches above normal for the month of September. Here's what the dinghy looked like on Friday. The gas tank is floating in about 6 inches of rainwater.
I spent a lot of time on interior winterizing that week. The sun did finally start shinning on Friday and I got started on getting the exterior work completed. A week after I arrived, I was able to get Belmira pulled out and set up. I finished installing the last 4 new portlites on the hard. One more project completed this season. The yard crew came by on Wednesday and un-stepped Belmira's masts. They will be stored on a rack for the winter with plans to paint them next spring. I am hoping that will be the one big project for next season. With everything ready and a decision to let the yard crew shrink wrap Belmira when it fit their schedule, I was ready to call it a season and I hit the road on Friday morning. After a relatively short trip I arrived at Chris' dad's in Northern New Jersey about mid-day. I helped out with a few home repair projects and was back on the road on Saturday morning. A long day's drive got me to Davenport, Iowa on Saturday night. Sunday was the final trek across Iowa and Nebraska. Then it was into Colorado and home for dinner on Sunday evening. Here's the truck back home with the mizzen and main booms strapped to the roof. The plan is to practice my spar painting skills on these two pieces before tackling the mast in the spring.
Now its time to catch up on house repairs and winterizing before I start into the list of boat projects that I brought along. If any of these turn out interesting, I may post the details. Otherwise, stay tuned for Belmira's 2012 sailing season in the Spring. Have a great winter.
I put on about 37 miles of smooth sailing and headed into the Sakonnet river for a few miles and into Fogland Point where I dropped anchor around 5 in the afternoon.Monday morning, Labor Day! With a 10 knot Southwest wind I was able to motor sail most of the way up river to Mount Hope Bay. Once in the bay I had to get a little more sailing in before motoring up the Taunton River to Dighton and one last opportunity to open the Brightman Street Bridge. By next season the bridge will either be removed or turned into 2 fishing piers from the Fall River and Somerset sides of the river. The 65 foot clearance on the new bridge crossing the river will mean Belmira can make any future trips up or down river without waking up the bridge operator, or disturbing his dinner break like we did last year. We made it up river and were tied up to the dock at Shaw's Boatyard at 12:45. Checking my log entries when I arrived at Shaw's I found I had put on exactly 500 nautical miles this summer. Now it was time to start getting ready for winter. Woke up to rain on Tuesday that hung around all week. By Friday, September 9th, NOAA was reporting that we were 2.9 inches above normal for the month of September. Here's what the dinghy looked like on Friday. The gas tank is floating in about 6 inches of rainwater.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2011
"Good Night Irene, Good Night"
Well, I did get in the weekend sailing I mentioned in my last post. We had some great wind on Saturday and sailed across Buzzards Bay to the Woods Hole area. We were able to sail down along the east side of Weepeckett Island to get a look at the beach there. Then we turned north and with a favorable current were able to shoot through Woods Hole under sail alone at 8 knots. We did have the motor running as a backup in case the converging currents in the hole gave us a problem. Here we are, shooting the hole.
We tried to head south through Vineyard Sound but the current had turned and our only choice was to sail with the current and head north. Once again we found ourselves with a favorable current and we shot through Woods Hole again under sail. And, other than upsetting a few power boaters, who had to yield to our right-of-way, against their apparently ingrained preferred behavior, we came out into Buzzards Bay unscathed.
Back at the mooring, it was time to start planning for the end of sailing season. With some time on my hands, I decided to try and finish up the new portlight installation. I had installed 3 of the portlights and had 9 more to go. I got to work and was able to get 5 more portlights installed, completing Belmira's starboard side. Here is what the new portlghits look like on the interior.
During the two days I was installing the new ports, Hurricane Irene appeared on the watch list for all the sailors in my neighborhood. I considered two options for what to do if Irene continued up the coast. Option one assumed Irene would stick to the route, as forecast by the National Hurricane Center, that would have her passing between Long Island and New York City on its way north. In that case the plan was to stay on a mooring at Earl's with Belmira properly prepared to weather a storm. Option two considered the possibility the Irene could turn eastward and pass closer to Buzzards Bay. In that case I would have made haste down the bay and head north to the far end of the Taunton River where Belmira normally spends the off season. There she would have been hauled out and winterized. An early end to the season. As we all know by now, Irene followed the predicted course. So, it was option one. After stripping Belmira to bare bones and moving her to a mooring with a 3500 pound anchor, I added a second mooring pennant and a third line from the bow to the chain under the mooring ball.
Here is the mooring setup that is sort of like having a belt and suspenders. But with what was to be expected from Irene, especially if she arrived at high tide as expected, too much protection was a lot better than too little.
With everything battened down, double checked and checked one last time, Jordan showed up about mid-day on Saturday and we loaded the dinghy into his pickup. I spent Saturday night at Jordan's waiting for Irene. We woke to some brisk winds and lots of rain. We lost power about 11:30 and decided to go out exploring shortly after noon. We had to find alternate routes at several places. The first was this tree blocking our path a few hundred yards from the front door.
Once around a few more similar obstacles, we were off to find a part of town that wasn't blacked out and had a gas station that was open. Then it was off to Fairhaven to Earl's Marina to check on Belmira. I found her right where I had left her, which was not the case for every boat at the marina. She had weathered the worst of the storm and was pointing into the wind and riding very nicely on the still choppy seas in the marina. Here she is riding high away out there, but safe and sound.
The plan is to get the dinghy back out to the marina in the morning. Get back on board and start putting Belmira back into sailing shape. Then I plan to take several days to sail down the bay, overnight in a few spots I haven't visited on this trip, then make my way back up river to Shaw's Boatyard. By then it will be Labor Day and time to get Belmira ready for winter.
But for now, its, "Good Night Irene, Good Night".
Or, to quote another song title, this one by Woody Guthrie, "So Long, Its Been Good to Know You"
Stay tuned for the season finale.
Back at the mooring, it was time to start planning for the end of sailing season. With some time on my hands, I decided to try and finish up the new portlight installation. I had installed 3 of the portlights and had 9 more to go. I got to work and was able to get 5 more portlights installed, completing Belmira's starboard side. Here is what the new portlghits look like on the interior.During the two days I was installing the new ports, Hurricane Irene appeared on the watch list for all the sailors in my neighborhood. I considered two options for what to do if Irene continued up the coast. Option one assumed Irene would stick to the route, as forecast by the National Hurricane Center, that would have her passing between Long Island and New York City on its way north. In that case the plan was to stay on a mooring at Earl's with Belmira properly prepared to weather a storm. Option two considered the possibility the Irene could turn eastward and pass closer to Buzzards Bay. In that case I would have made haste down the bay and head north to the far end of the Taunton River where Belmira normally spends the off season. There she would have been hauled out and winterized. An early end to the season. As we all know by now, Irene followed the predicted course. So, it was option one. After stripping Belmira to bare bones and moving her to a mooring with a 3500 pound anchor, I added a second mooring pennant and a third line from the bow to the chain under the mooring ball.
Here is the mooring setup that is sort of like having a belt and suspenders. But with what was to be expected from Irene, especially if she arrived at high tide as expected, too much protection was a lot better than too little.
With everything battened down, double checked and checked one last time, Jordan showed up about mid-day on Saturday and we loaded the dinghy into his pickup. I spent Saturday night at Jordan's waiting for Irene. We woke to some brisk winds and lots of rain. We lost power about 11:30 and decided to go out exploring shortly after noon. We had to find alternate routes at several places. The first was this tree blocking our path a few hundred yards from the front door.
But for now, its, "Good Night Irene, Good Night".
Or, to quote another song title, this one by Woody Guthrie, "So Long, Its Been Good to Know You"
Stay tuned for the season finale.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2011
Sailing With Whales
Got back to Belmira after dropping Chris off at the airport to some changing weather. Sunday brought high winds and all day rain. Stood aboard and caught up on some reading. Monday morning the weather had moved on. So much so that there wasn't even a puff of wind, the water was like glass. The rest of the week was dedicated to maintenance on Belmira and the dinghy. I came across some dirty gasoline somewhere that contaminated the dinghy tank and worked its way past the engine filter into the carburetor. Made for few days of flushing and cleaning. There was some fun this week however. Made it out to a jam at Westport Point on Wednesday night. Thursday night I watched the Patriots win their pre-season opening exhibition game.
Saturday morning after stocking up on vitals and fuel, I headed out for an extended trip. With the usual southwest wind on Buzzards Bay I was tacking on broad reach all the way to the Cape Cod Canal. I caught the beginning of the flood just in time and was able to ride the current all the way to the exit at Sandwich.
I sailed north for a few miles and dropped anchor for the night at Lookout Point, a quiet spot just north of Sagamore beach. An easy 30 mile trip. It turned out to be the night of the full moon.
Sunday morning and I was off across Cape Cod Bay heading for Provincetown at the tip of Cape Cod. On the way I crossed the protected habitat for the Northern Right Whale. About 10 miles out from P-Town I had given up on looking for any sign of a whale when to my surprise just off my starboard beam I saw this black lump appear out of the water. I don't know if there were more than one whale out there but I saw at least four large black mammals come to the surface. I got few photos. This one is the best.
The last one I saw was no more than 30 feet off and I got to hear it's exhale form its blowhole, a great whooshing sound that was incredible.
Dropped anchor in P-Town just after 7:00 PM. Then it was off to town, almost a 1 mile dinghy ride. P-Town was alive and well. A lot more activity than I expected to find on a Sunday night. But, it is summer and P-Town was getting ready for their annual celebration of the anniversary of the Pilgrim Monument.
Monday morning some nasty weather moved in and I spent the whole day on board. I had 175 feet of anchor chain out in 20 feet of water and I was slipping. There was no way to go ashore with 3 foot waves breaking in the harbor. I put out a 2nd anchor late in the afternoon and made it through okay.
Tuesday morning the storm had moved on an it was time to clean up. I had put the generator brake on for the storm but I found out this morning that the wind didn't care. Spinning with the brakes on burned out the generator. Another winter job. I did get into town one last time for dinner and this sunset.
Wednesday I was off the anchors and out into the bay. With not much wind, it was a motor sail across to the canal East entrance. Once out at the Buzzards Bay end I had plenty of wind and sailed all the way back to the mooring at Earl's. And, one more sunset.
Planning on some weekend sailing with Jordan, Chris and Andrew. Stay tuned for the next post.
Saturday morning after stocking up on vitals and fuel, I headed out for an extended trip. With the usual southwest wind on Buzzards Bay I was tacking on broad reach all the way to the Cape Cod Canal. I caught the beginning of the flood just in time and was able to ride the current all the way to the exit at Sandwich.
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| The Railroad Bridge starts the West Entrance |
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| Sagamore Bridege at the East Exit |
I sailed north for a few miles and dropped anchor for the night at Lookout Point, a quiet spot just north of Sagamore beach. An easy 30 mile trip. It turned out to be the night of the full moon.
The last one I saw was no more than 30 feet off and I got to hear it's exhale form its blowhole, a great whooshing sound that was incredible.
Dropped anchor in P-Town just after 7:00 PM. Then it was off to town, almost a 1 mile dinghy ride. P-Town was alive and well. A lot more activity than I expected to find on a Sunday night. But, it is summer and P-Town was getting ready for their annual celebration of the anniversary of the Pilgrim Monument.
Monday morning some nasty weather moved in and I spent the whole day on board. I had 175 feet of anchor chain out in 20 feet of water and I was slipping. There was no way to go ashore with 3 foot waves breaking in the harbor. I put out a 2nd anchor late in the afternoon and made it through okay.
Tuesday morning the storm had moved on an it was time to clean up. I had put the generator brake on for the storm but I found out this morning that the wind didn't care. Spinning with the brakes on burned out the generator. Another winter job. I did get into town one last time for dinner and this sunset.
Wednesday I was off the anchors and out into the bay. With not much wind, it was a motor sail across to the canal East entrance. Once out at the Buzzards Bay end I had plenty of wind and sailed all the way back to the mooring at Earl's. And, one more sunset.
Planning on some weekend sailing with Jordan, Chris and Andrew. Stay tuned for the next post.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 2011
1st Mate is Going Home
I am writing this post in a hotel room near the airport in Providence where Chris will be catching an early morning flight back to Denver. I am going to miss not having my first mate aboard.
Tuesday brought us some 5 knot winds from the North West. It turned out to be not quite enough to sail all the way to Cuttyhunk but with some help from Westerbeke we were able to motor sail into the inner harbor at Cuttyhunk shortly after noon. We dinghied in to the town dock and toured the island, added to our picture collection and were back aboard before the dinner bell rang.
On Sunday, with a light wind from the east, we were able to get out and try our gennaker. Its a fun sail for light air and sure looks pretty when she's flying. Here is a look at the sail from back behind the mizzen boom. The only place on Belmira were you could get far enough away to get the whole sail in a picture and stay on board.
On Monday we did some land cruising. We drove up to Plymouth and joined the tourists in viewing Plymouth Rock. We also went aboard the Mayflower replica. After cooling off with some ice cream, we took the long way home to check out both ends of the Cape Code Canal.
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| Mayflower II |
Cuttyhunk harbor has a unique service that was started 30 years ago by some local college students, home for the summer. As our dinner was slowly cooking and we were thinking about appetizers, the Cuttyhunk Raw Bar Boat pulled up with a selection of raw oysters and other seafood treats.
Wednesday brought fair winds from the south west and we were able to sail all the way back to the mooring in Fairhaven. Twenty Three Nautical Miles and we only tacked three times. A great trip.
Jordan and Chris treated us to some burgers and wings on Wednesday night and gave us a hammock that we could use on the boat. We put it to good use as we spent Thursday and Friday kicking back on Belmira. Here I caught the the 1st mate catching a few Z's while kicking back for her last few hours aboard before we set out to Providence. Something she can look back on next week when she's back at work.
SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011
Where Has July Gone ?
The picture of Jordan and Chris in my last post showed what good sports they were about getting soaked but what didn't show up was how badly Chris got sunburned. We kicked back for a few days while Chris recovered and took a little longer getting Belmira ready for an extended trip. As it turned out when we were ready, we had a few more foggy days that added to our delay.
Finally on Friday, although we woke to more fog, we were able to drop off the mooring around 1030 and head out across Buzzard's Bay. We caught some favorable wind and cruised into Hadley Harbor, on the West end of Wood's Hole Passage at the Northeast end of Naushon Island. After a few tries, we were able to get our anchor to hold in the eel grass covered bottom.
Once again proving it's a small world, we ended up anchoring alongside some friends, Ed and Kathy, whose beautiful Tayana 37, "Freja", has wintered alongside Belmira the past 2 years.
After a quiet night in Hadley Harbor, we were off
to Marthas Vineyard. It was a motor trip for most of the way with lots of interesting events. First we needed to shoot through Wood's Hole. Buzzard's Bay, Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds converge at Wood's Hole. And even following instructions, and timing our departure to take advantage of the most favorable conditions of tide and current, it was a roller coaster ride through the hole. Once out in Nantucket Sound, we didn't have a favorable wind and just before we reached the opening to Vineyard Haven Harbor, a squall line we had been watching, and hoping it would choose a path down Vineyard Sound, but didn't, caught up with us.
I sent Chris below for my Foulies but before she could hand them up the squall hit and I got a cold horizontal shower for about a half hour. Then the weather was gone as quick as it came and we motored on into Vineyard Haven and anchored just outside of the seawall.
We spent Sunday busing around the island and visited Edgartown and Oak Bluffs. One of the most well known Vineyard icons is the Black Dog Tavern. Chris and I had lunch, didn't buy the tee shirt. They are just not unique anymore.
But we did get this picture of one of what I call their traveling billboards. The Black Dog has 2 schooners that rotate taking passengers out the outer harbor where they learn some basic schooner sail handling while anchored.
You can also charter a party or get married aboard.
Monday brought us 8 knots out of the east, overcast skies and choppy seas. Not ready to beat our way to Nantucket, we settled in for another day in Vineyard Haven. After a trip into town we returned to find our anchor slipping and we were getting a little to close to the seawall. We picked up a town mooring for the night.
By Tuesday morning we had spent 3 nights in the harbor and the wind was still out of the east. Tired of the buffeting by the east wind, and the wakes of the almost endless stream of ferries coming and going, we decided we were probably not going to make it to Nantucket anytime soon and headed west back to the hole.
With the lack of weekend traffic, Woods Hole was relatively calm and we were able to cruise in and out of the harbor. We got to take a close up look at all of the buildings of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and a few of the other Woods Hole attractions. One of the unusual sites, that I had not seen anywhere else are the floating houses in the great harbor at Woods Hole. These are not house boats but free standing, floating houses, moored out in the harbor. A step up from waterfront property.
Wednesday we were back on the mooring at Earl's getting a few boat things taken care of.
I got back up on the main mast and got the new block and halyard installed for the Gennaker. Here is a photo from up on top of Belmira.
We were not able to get the light air conditions needed to test out the Gennaker and get a photo for this post, but here is a shot of the sail, raised on the mooring and backwinded against the main mast and spreaders.
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| Hadley Harbor |
Once again proving it's a small world, we ended up anchoring alongside some friends, Ed and Kathy, whose beautiful Tayana 37, "Freja", has wintered alongside Belmira the past 2 years.
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| "Freja" |
to Marthas Vineyard. It was a motor trip for most of the way with lots of interesting events. First we needed to shoot through Wood's Hole. Buzzard's Bay, Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds converge at Wood's Hole. And even following instructions, and timing our departure to take advantage of the most favorable conditions of tide and current, it was a roller coaster ride through the hole. Once out in Nantucket Sound, we didn't have a favorable wind and just before we reached the opening to Vineyard Haven Harbor, a squall line we had been watching, and hoping it would choose a path down Vineyard Sound, but didn't, caught up with us.
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| Here She Comes ! |
I sent Chris below for my Foulies but before she could hand them up the squall hit and I got a cold horizontal shower for about a half hour. Then the weather was gone as quick as it came and we motored on into Vineyard Haven and anchored just outside of the seawall.
We spent Sunday busing around the island and visited Edgartown and Oak Bluffs. One of the most well known Vineyard icons is the Black Dog Tavern. Chris and I had lunch, didn't buy the tee shirt. They are just not unique anymore.
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| Black Dog Billboard Schooner |
You can also charter a party or get married aboard.
Monday brought us 8 knots out of the east, overcast skies and choppy seas. Not ready to beat our way to Nantucket, we settled in for another day in Vineyard Haven. After a trip into town we returned to find our anchor slipping and we were getting a little to close to the seawall. We picked up a town mooring for the night.
By Tuesday morning we had spent 3 nights in the harbor and the wind was still out of the east. Tired of the buffeting by the east wind, and the wakes of the almost endless stream of ferries coming and going, we decided we were probably not going to make it to Nantucket anytime soon and headed west back to the hole.
With the lack of weekend traffic, Woods Hole was relatively calm and we were able to cruise in and out of the harbor. We got to take a close up look at all of the buildings of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and a few of the other Woods Hole attractions. One of the unusual sites, that I had not seen anywhere else are the floating houses in the great harbor at Woods Hole. These are not house boats but free standing, floating houses, moored out in the harbor. A step up from waterfront property.
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| House ? |
Wednesday we were back on the mooring at Earl's getting a few boat things taken care of.
I got back up on the main mast and got the new block and halyard installed for the Gennaker. Here is a photo from up on top of Belmira.
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| Lookout Below ! |
Thursday was a day to run around and look at stuff. We visited a new Marine Consignment store in Melville, saw some really gorgeous boats at the Hinckley Yard, had lunch in Newport and dinner in Fall River. It was a general goof-off day that worked well.
On Friday, yesterday, the Coast Guard training barque Eagle was scheduled to come into New Bedford harbor for the weekend so we were up early to meet her as she came up Buzzard's Bay to the harbor entrance. Here are a few shots of her as she waited for her dignitary passengers to get aboard for the trip up the harbor to New Bedford's State Pier.
On Friday, yesterday, the Coast Guard training barque Eagle was scheduled to come into New Bedford harbor for the weekend so we were up early to meet her as she came up Buzzard's Bay to the harbor entrance. Here are a few shots of her as she waited for her dignitary passengers to get aboard for the trip up the harbor to New Bedford's State Pier.
It was a downwind run from here back to the mooring so we left Eagle to her own devices and made it back so we could get into town to do the on deck tour of Eagle.
We made it to New Bedford, had lunch and got aboard Eagle for the tour. It was fun talking to some of the new cadets, who had only been aboard for a week. For some this was their first time aboard a sailboat of any kind. I wonder if, when they are through with their training they will be able to pick out the main top-sheet halyard from this rack on the first try.
Today is a day for posting and book shopping. We have been invited to a Pig Roast, Bluegrass Jam this afternoon. The weather is looking good so that ought to be a good time.
We are hoping to get out and do some more sailing for Chris' last week in New England. All to come in the next post.
TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2011
I'm Back !
Well, its been 2 weeks since my last post so I will try and catch up.
With all the fog on the 4th, I did end up fishing. Once I found a bait shop that was open on the holiday, I got the squid I needed to attract some of the Scup that were hanging around my mooring. The squid was actually labeled as calamari. So I suppose if I didn't end up catching any fish, I could cook and eat the bait. Probably wouldn't want to do that with worms. As it was the Scup, a great little silver fish that likes to fight, were very hungry and were more than willing to eat my un-cooked calamari. And so, I took my place in line in the food chain and had a few Scup for dinner.
The fog persisted through the week. Jordan and I planned on getting some sailing in on Wednesday but it turned out to be another fishing day. After Jordan caught and released over 30 Scup, while I got some boat maintenance taken care of, he got bored and went home.
Thursday morning brought more heavy fog. It was time to get Belmira ready for the 1st mate's visit.
Friday morning, we were socked in again. I started out for Pittsburgh where I would spend the night and pick up Chris at the airport on Saturday. We headed up to Northwest PA to a family reunion for a few days. We left PA late on Tuesday and were back on Belmira around midday on Wednesday. Just in time for some interesting weather.
Sitting in Belmira's cockpit we watched as a squall line approached from the north. We battened down before the squall hit us with a vengeance. We rocked and rolled all night long with thunder and lightning adding their part to the symphony. Thursday brought 15 knot winds and clear skies. The winds pretty much insured that any dinghy trips meant a salt water bath.
Friday was a return to more seasonal conditions and Chris and I were able to sail over to West Falmouth and back in some really nice conditions. We had a great sail and made the 18 nautical mile round trip just over 2 hours.
Saturday was the day to drop in on the East Coast relatives but Sunday found us back on the water. With Jordan along, we duplicated the round trip to West Falmouth. This trip was a little more exciting. We encountered some gusty conditions that made for a more challenging sail. We had more than a little spray come over Belmira's rail. At one point, with seas running 3+ feet, a good part of a wave broke just to the port side of the cockpit and caught Jordan and Chris unprepared.
Here they are well soaked but still in good spirits.
We returned to the mooring none the worse for wear.
Now it is Tuesday night and Chris and I have been outfitting Belmira for an extended trip out into Cape Cod and the Island. Stay tuned for an update on our next adventure.
With all the fog on the 4th, I did end up fishing. Once I found a bait shop that was open on the holiday, I got the squid I needed to attract some of the Scup that were hanging around my mooring. The squid was actually labeled as calamari. So I suppose if I didn't end up catching any fish, I could cook and eat the bait. Probably wouldn't want to do that with worms. As it was the Scup, a great little silver fish that likes to fight, were very hungry and were more than willing to eat my un-cooked calamari. And so, I took my place in line in the food chain and had a few Scup for dinner.
The fog persisted through the week. Jordan and I planned on getting some sailing in on Wednesday but it turned out to be another fishing day. After Jordan caught and released over 30 Scup, while I got some boat maintenance taken care of, he got bored and went home.
Thursday morning brought more heavy fog. It was time to get Belmira ready for the 1st mate's visit.
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| Thursday Morning's Fog |
Friday morning, we were socked in again. I started out for Pittsburgh where I would spend the night and pick up Chris at the airport on Saturday. We headed up to Northwest PA to a family reunion for a few days. We left PA late on Tuesday and were back on Belmira around midday on Wednesday. Just in time for some interesting weather.
Sitting in Belmira's cockpit we watched as a squall line approached from the north. We battened down before the squall hit us with a vengeance. We rocked and rolled all night long with thunder and lightning adding their part to the symphony. Thursday brought 15 knot winds and clear skies. The winds pretty much insured that any dinghy trips meant a salt water bath.
Friday was a return to more seasonal conditions and Chris and I were able to sail over to West Falmouth and back in some really nice conditions. We had a great sail and made the 18 nautical mile round trip just over 2 hours.
Saturday was the day to drop in on the East Coast relatives but Sunday found us back on the water. With Jordan along, we duplicated the round trip to West Falmouth. This trip was a little more exciting. We encountered some gusty conditions that made for a more challenging sail. We had more than a little spray come over Belmira's rail. At one point, with seas running 3+ feet, a good part of a wave broke just to the port side of the cockpit and caught Jordan and Chris unprepared.
Here they are well soaked but still in good spirits.
We returned to the mooring none the worse for wear.
Now it is Tuesday night and Chris and I have been outfitting Belmira for an extended trip out into Cape Cod and the Island. Stay tuned for an update on our next adventure.
MONDAY, JULY 4, 2011
4th of July !!#*!+"
Happy 4th of July to you all.
Last weekend, on Sunday, we headed out to Cuttyhunk, the most southern island in the Elizabeth Island chain that forms the separation between Buzzards Bay to the west and Vineyard Sound to the east. We were hoping for some of the 10 to 15 knot winds that were forecast but what we got was lots of fog and light winds. So we mostly motor sailed to Cuttyhunk and back. A 32 mile round trip. We relied on Belmira's radar to help us on the return trip. Visibility was not much over 100 yards coming out of the channel at Cuttyhunk. But we made it safely back to West Island. Although we encountered some challenging weather on the water, we had a great time on Cuttyhunk. The fog lifted while we were on the island and we had a few hours to walk around the island and enjoy the scenery.
Here are a few pics of this great little island.
A quite little cove just off the main harbor.
And, the town market itself.
A compact little town. Here from front to back are the Town Hall, the Public Library and the Elementary School.
Last weekend, on Sunday, we headed out to Cuttyhunk, the most southern island in the Elizabeth Island chain that forms the separation between Buzzards Bay to the west and Vineyard Sound to the east. We were hoping for some of the 10 to 15 knot winds that were forecast but what we got was lots of fog and light winds. So we mostly motor sailed to Cuttyhunk and back. A 32 mile round trip. We relied on Belmira's radar to help us on the return trip. Visibility was not much over 100 yards coming out of the channel at Cuttyhunk. But we made it safely back to West Island. Although we encountered some challenging weather on the water, we had a great time on Cuttyhunk. The fog lifted while we were on the island and we had a few hours to walk around the island and enjoy the scenery.
Here are a few pics of this great little island.
A quite little cove just off the main harbor.
Just a few steps away from the path to the town market.
And, the town market itself.
A compact little town. Here from front to back are the Town Hall, the Public Library and the Elementary School.
Here is a look back at the mainland, or should I say at the fog, from close to the high spot on Cuttyhunk.
Then it was time to head back, and like clockwork the fog rolled back in. Here is our view as we headed for the channel on our way out.
Anchoring in Cuttyhunk harbor reminded me that I had to finish installing the windlass so that I could avoid pulling up the 35 pound CRQ and chain in the future. I spent Monday and Tuesday finishing the install. I picked up 200 feet of new anchor chain on Wednesday and I now have a permanent new crew member to take care of lowering and raising the anchor on any future exploration. Once you have an operational windlass, you wonder how, or why, you ever did it any other way.
With another item off the to-do list it was time to sail. On Thursday I got out into the bay, found some 21 knot winds and had a great sail. I was across the bay and just outside of West Falmouth in no time at all. I hit 8.2 knots on the way back and had made the round trip from the mooring, 12 nautical miles, in under 3 hours of fast sailing.
On Friday, Jordan and I had a much more relaxed trip. Out into the bay early with nearly no wind at all, we played around with some light air sails and worked on our suntans. We did get a little wind after lunch and sailed in and out of Mattapoisett harbor averaging about 3 knots. A nice leisurely day on the water.
Here we were trying out a light air staysail.
The holiday weekend has been mostly overcast in the morning and partly sunny in the afternoon. Today, the big day, we were socked in earlier this morning and now it is mostly cloudy with a chance of rain thuis afternoon. I think I'll try my hand at fishing today.
Happy 4th to you all. Stay tuned.
SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 2011
Where Has Summer Gone?
There was a song I recall from my childhood called, "Camp Grenada", that had a line in it, " And they say we'll have some fun if it stops raining.". That line has been playing in my head all summer so far. The Solstice, last Tuesday, was a great day. Sunshine and mid-70 temperatures. And that was the last of the sun and temperatures above the low 60's. It has been mostly rain for the past 4 days but the National Weather Guessers say that we ought to have a few nice days starting sometime late today. You gotta have faith.
The weather has given me the opportunity to get Belmira in shape for some sailing and to get stuff organized. I ended up with to much stuff on board and not enough room. So now I have more stuff in the truck and the boat is getting more comfortable to get around on.
I also got started on changing out the old port lites with brand new stainless steel units that look great and work a whole lot better. The rain did point out the ports that leaked the most so I new which ones should be changed first. I was able to get three new ports installed and have nine to go. Here are a few before and after pics of the port install.
No sailing this week, but I am hoping to get out tomorrow and have some pics and sailing stories for the next post.
The weather has given me the opportunity to get Belmira in shape for some sailing and to get stuff organized. I ended up with to much stuff on board and not enough room. So now I have more stuff in the truck and the boat is getting more comfortable to get around on.
I also got started on changing out the old port lites with brand new stainless steel units that look great and work a whole lot better. The rain did point out the ports that leaked the most so I new which ones should be changed first. I was able to get three new ports installed and have nine to go. Here are a few before and after pics of the port install.
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| Old, Original, Leaky, Port |
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| Shiny, New, Clear, Port |
No sailing this week, but I am hoping to get out tomorrow and have some pics and sailing stories for the next post.
MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2011
Let The Sailing Begin !
With the deck work completed it was time to get Belmira ready for the water.
The yard crew set her masts on Monday morning and the rest of the week brought some good weather to get the rest of the work done.
I had her mostly ready and Belmira splashed around mid-day on Thursday.
Friday I scurried to get ready to go down river on Saturday. I had forgotten to mount the VHF antenna on the Mizzen mast and the Windex on the main. So, Friday I pulled myself up the Mizzen and before we cast off our dock lines on Saturday, I had Jordan winch me up the main. This picture of me at the top of the main almost looks like I am standing on the spreader but that particular spreader is on the Mizzen mast.
With the last of the equipment mounted, Belmira was ready, and we cast off her lines and headed down river at 0950 for a 52 nautical mile trip to Earl's Marina, http://www.earlsmarina.com/, our new summer home. It was a shakedown cruise in many ways. The wind didn't behave as predicted by the National Weather Guessers so we didn't get the expected help for motor sailing. Some really high seas, squall conditions and fog greeted us for the last 4-6 miles of the Sakonnet River. With visibility down to less than a quarter mile, it was a pretty spooky roller coaster ride that lasted for almost 2 hours. At some point, both oars were washed away from the dinghy. But, once out into Buzzards Bay, without further incident, the fog burned off, and we had clear skies and sunshine for the rest of the trip and after 9 and a half hours we were on the mooring and looking for a celebratory beer and a sit down dinner.
I spent my last night at Jordan's. On Sunday we picked up his truck at Shaw's, then I was off to move onto Belmira. All went well and I was able to see this great sunset just before I passed out for the night.
This week I hope to do a little more fine tuning of Belmira and get in a little exploring of my new surroundings. Stay tuned.
The yard crew set her masts on Monday morning and the rest of the week brought some good weather to get the rest of the work done.
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| Getting the Main Ready to Set |
I had her mostly ready and Belmira splashed around mid-day on Thursday.
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| Splashdown |
Friday I scurried to get ready to go down river on Saturday. I had forgotten to mount the VHF antenna on the Mizzen mast and the Windex on the main. So, Friday I pulled myself up the Mizzen and before we cast off our dock lines on Saturday, I had Jordan winch me up the main. This picture of me at the top of the main almost looks like I am standing on the spreader but that particular spreader is on the Mizzen mast.
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| Getting the Windex on "The Hard Way" |
I spent my last night at Jordan's. On Sunday we picked up his truck at Shaw's, then I was off to move onto Belmira. All went well and I was able to see this great sunset just before I passed out for the night.
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| 1st Sunset at Earl's |
SUNDAY, JUNE 12, 2011
The Deck is Done !
It was a lot of work but well worth it. It took another seven days to get all the seams sealed, the hardware all back in place, the headliner re-installed and the Vee Berth looking livable. I have definitely spent more time than I ever imagined in anchor locker. Just a few more connections to make to the power winch and the only reason I should have to open the door to the locker will be see how the rode and chain are doing. Here are a few pics of the progress.
That's only the Vee Berth. There was still the rest of the boat that was used to support the work on the deck that had to be dealt with. Here is a before and after of the cockpit.
Belmira is once again starting to look like a sailboat again and not a construction site.
I have started doing some of the things that need to be done to get her in the water and down the river. Once the rain stopped, I was able to get the life lines re-installed. This was the first step in having Belmira ready for the yard crew to get her masts set. Here are the lifelines back where they belong.
I am hoping to be on the crew's schedule to get the mast up in the next few days. Then all that will be left is to have her launched.
If all goes well my next Post will describe trip to Belmira's summer mooring in Fairhaven. Stay tuned.
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| Seams All Glassed In |
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| Fitting The Headliner |
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| It's a Vee Berth Again ! |
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| The Cockpit As a Workshop |
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| The Cockpit As a Cockpit |
I have started doing some of the things that need to be done to get her in the water and down the river. Once the rain stopped, I was able to get the life lines re-installed. This was the first step in having Belmira ready for the yard crew to get her masts set. Here are the lifelines back where they belong.
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| Lifelines Back In Place |
If all goes well my next Post will describe trip to Belmira's summer mooring in Fairhaven. Stay tuned.
SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2011
Deck Work, Chapter II
After seven days, the final piece of deck is back in place. I cut the deck into seven sections to make the job manageable and it worked well. One piece a day was prepped, installed, clamped in place and let to cure overnight. Now all that is left is to seal the seams with a few layers of fiberglass cloth tape to get the bottom deck layer back to its original strength, then reinstall the headliner. So a few more days and I will be able to start on the work needed to prep Belmira for launch. With some elbow grease and good weather, I hope to be heading down river by the 15th of June.
Here are a few pics of how the new deck was installed. A little boring if you don't particularly care about how a boat is put together, but it does illustrate what it took to get this job done.
Stay tuned for some getting on the way posts that I hope are soon to follow.
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| Vee Berth Ready for Action |
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| 1st Piece Ready for Epoxy |
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| 1st Piece Clamped in Place |
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| 1st Piece 18 hours later |
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| Bow Section in Place |
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| New Water Proof Hawse Pipe Penetration |
The Hawse pipe picture is an example of how all of the deck penetrations should have been sealed. Had this been done on the original and any subsequent hardware mounting, the need to do all of this work may never have come about.
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| Last Piece in Place |
SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2011
First Full Week at Belmira
Well the title of this post is wrong , it wasn't an entirely full week, Sunday was spent getting to Boston, hanging out in Red Sox Nation for a few hours, then watching the Sox take the 3rd and final game from the Cubs. As it turned out that was the first win in their current 5 game win streak. Here is a pic,(l to R) of Roger, me, Jordan and Chris, having a beer at ,"Whose On First".
Monday, and it was back to getting Belmira seaworthy. Most of the week was spent cleaning up the rest of the rotted out core, gathering supplies and planning the refit of the fore deck.
I did take a little non-deck time to find a rigger to replace the two main mast lower starboard shrouds. One had a cracked ferule an the second had a broken wire strand. On the recommendation of Tom, at the boat yard, I went to a place called Bay Sailing in Fall River which is on Cherry Street and pretty near as far away from the water as you can get. It turned out to be one of those places that I will think of first when I need any rigging work or hardware bits. A truly great find. Once I agreed on the quoted price for the two shrouds, Dennis, the rigger had them built and in my hands almost before the office staff could process my invoice.
I did get back to preparing for the new deck work and gathering the materials, and knowledge needed for job. After a few day work, most of the cleanup was done. Here are some before and after deck pics.
And to top things off, sports wise, the Bruins are on their way to the Stanley Cup thanks to last night's 1-0 win over Tampa Bay. I am glad they won but these late starting games are making it hard to get a good night's sleep.
I did take a little non-deck time to find a rigger to replace the two main mast lower starboard shrouds. One had a cracked ferule an the second had a broken wire strand. On the recommendation of Tom, at the boat yard, I went to a place called Bay Sailing in Fall River which is on Cherry Street and pretty near as far away from the water as you can get. It turned out to be one of those places that I will think of first when I need any rigging work or hardware bits. A truly great find. Once I agreed on the quoted price for the two shrouds, Dennis, the rigger had them built and in my hands almost before the office staff could process my invoice.
I did get back to preparing for the new deck work and gathering the materials, and knowledge needed for job. After a few day work, most of the cleanup was done. Here are some before and after deck pics.
That is the sun shinning through the relatively thin layer of the upper deck. It's only one eight of an inch thick. That's why the core and bottom layer are necessary. Imaging that thin layer trying to hold on to a cleat that is trying to hold onto a mooring or anchor when the wind is blowing at 40 knots. It wouldn't be able to try very long with Belmira's 15,000 pounds pulling the other way.
Next, this morning actually, came my learning experience with West System Epoxy. Temperatures above 70 degrees and 100% humidity have an incredible effect on the cure rate of epoxy. So much so that my first few test batches never made it out of the pot. But the experiments paid off and my learning curve leveled off. I was able to apply quite a bit of material to the edges of the deck opening to set up the next step, filling in the center.
So after a week of relatively good weather, lots of planning, materials gathering and experimenting, I think I am off to a good start on getting the deck repair completed and off the list of things to do. With a little luck and perseverance, I hope to be posting some completed deck project pics real soon.
SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2011
Attacking the Foredeck
Saturday, Jordan and I started in on the job of exposing the rotted core in the foredeck.
After talking about how this should be done with the boatyard people, who do this for a living, I decided the best approach would be to get at the problem from inside out. This would preserve the outer surface in its original configuration and allow the repair to be hidden under the cabin's headliner.
The first job was to get a section of the headliner out in a way that it could be reused once the repair is completed. This went well.
Next the bottom deck layer was cut out to expose the core. Our first reaction was, "Oh My God!". Here is a picture of what we saw.
There is still a little more lower deck to remove and a little more core to expose. This my mean taking off more hardware which could include the forward pulpit and the bowsprit. That will be a big job added to what already is a big job.
But today is Sunday, its a little chilly and we have tickets to see the Red Sox and Cubs duke out their third and final game tonight. So Belmira's deck will have to wait until tomorrow.
After talking about how this should be done with the boatyard people, who do this for a living, I decided the best approach would be to get at the problem from inside out. This would preserve the outer surface in its original configuration and allow the repair to be hidden under the cabin's headliner.
The first job was to get a section of the headliner out in a way that it could be reused once the repair is completed. This went well.
Next the bottom deck layer was cut out to expose the core. Our first reaction was, "Oh My God!". Here is a picture of what we saw.
There is still a little more lower deck to remove and a little more core to expose. This my mean taking off more hardware which could include the forward pulpit and the bowsprit. That will be a big job added to what already is a big job.
But today is Sunday, its a little chilly and we have tickets to see the Red Sox and Cubs duke out their third and final game tonight. So Belmira's deck will have to wait until tomorrow.
Spring Work Begins
Friday started off in a fog that eventually burned off and the first real sunshine in over a week appeared just after noon.
First chore was removing the shrink wrap and packing it for recycle.
I started removing the deck hardware in the fore peak deck area to try and assess the extent of the water saturated core. The news was not good. With the hawse pipes, capstan, cleats and foot switches removed, I found I could pull out core material, the consistency of oatmeal, by just running a finger in the space between the deck layers of fiberglass. There was no way I was going to be able to sleep soundly on a mooring or while anchored knowing the fore cleats were only anchored to two thin pieces of fiberglass so the time has come to repair the foredeck.
First chore was removing the shrink wrap and packing it for recycle.
I started removing the deck hardware in the fore peak deck area to try and assess the extent of the water saturated core. The news was not good. With the hawse pipes, capstan, cleats and foot switches removed, I found I could pull out core material, the consistency of oatmeal, by just running a finger in the space between the deck layers of fiberglass. There was no way I was going to be able to sleep soundly on a mooring or while anchored knowing the fore cleats were only anchored to two thin pieces of fiberglass so the time has come to repair the foredeck.
The Final Legs
Wednesday May 18th, and I was on my way to New Jersey to Chris' Dad's.
Thursday was the final leg to Massachusetts. After2049 miles, I touched down.
I arrived at the boat yard early in the afternoon, got some of the truck unloaded and started making plans. Once it stops raining.
Thursday was the final leg to Massachusetts. After2049 miles, I touched down.
I arrived at the boat yard early in the afternoon, got some of the truck unloaded and started making plans. Once it stops raining.
TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2011
Day 2 On The Road
683 miles today, 11 hours and 40 minutes. Iowa City, IA, to Clarion, PA. I traveled through 5 states today. The shortest distance between any 2 points on I-80, is under construction. Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio must have some good friends in Congress. There is a lot of work going on out there. I suppose some of it could be the money that Illinois, Indiana and Ohio collect on tolls. I paid over $30 in tolls today to drive on a Federal Interstate highway. I remember when you used to flip dimes and quarters in a basket. Now they take folding money and credit cards.
Enough complaining and political innuendo. I am just a few hours from visiting with Chris' Dad and two days away from getting to Belmira. According to the National Weather Guessers, the wet weather that is hanging over the East Coast should be moved offshore by the time I arrive.
Stay tuned, I let you know what happens.
Enough complaining and political innuendo. I am just a few hours from visiting with Chris' Dad and two days away from getting to Belmira. According to the National Weather Guessers, the wet weather that is hanging over the East Coast should be moved offshore by the time I arrive.
Stay tuned, I let you know what happens.
MONDAY, MAY 16, 2011
Monday, the first leg
Got on the road this morning. Good weather all the way, a little windy in northern Colorado and western Nebraska, but mostly clear skies and lots of sun. Drove for a little over 13 hours and made it to Iowa City, Iowa. A total of 794 miles today. Gas is getting more expensive the further I get from Colorado. The plan for tomorrow is get on the road early and make it to western Pennsylvania.
Stay tuned.
Stay tuned.
MONDAY, MAY 9, 2011
Stay Tuned for 2011
It's Monday May 9th.
The plan for the 2011 Sailing Season is to get on the road heading east one week from today, get to Belmira, get a few project done and go sailing.
Stay tuned for my 2011 Sailing Season Posts.
The plan for the 2011 Sailing Season is to get on the road heading east one week from today, get to Belmira, get a few project done and go sailing.
Stay tuned for my 2011 Sailing Season Posts.
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