A Day Hanging Out

Day 4:  March 29, 2014

We started the day with dry cereal and strawberries that were provided by Lena Bowman.  The berries were really ripe and fresh and great.

I spent some time talking to a young man who was cleaning and polishing a boat and he provided some techniques for cleaning the skid pads on our boat.  These are rough areas in the fiberglass that make the deck surfaces safer.  However, they are real dirt collectors.  Since we bought the boat in the fall, we didn’t take the time required to clean it up so we decided to do some shopping and pick up a few food items and cleaning supplies and spend the afternoon scrubbing down our dirty, salt-covered boat.

The Neighborhood

 

And that is what we did.  It was an all afternoon job that turned out to be  successful.  I felt as though I was a sailor of old who had been assigned the task of “holy stoning” the deck.  Instead of using a brick-like object, we used chemicals, mild abrasives and brushes to clean the minute grooves in the deck.

Nearest Neighbors

I also replaced the brace that supports the fiberglass bow sprit on the bow of the boat.  We were surprised to find that it was seriously bent when we got back to the dock after our breakdown yesterday. We assume that bent the brace when we impacted the finger dock when our motor quit yesterday. I bought a replacement brace at the Hake Yacht Company and repair turned out to be quite simple.  I drifted out to the front of the boat in Damn Dink and accomplished the task.

Stormy Weather

We fired up our new grill and had burgers and garlic mashed potatoes for dinner.  As we were cooking supper, the Bowmans, who were on the road finally, called and asked if were in an area that was under the tornado watch.  We turned on our weather radio and although there was no tornado warning for this area, we did have a severe thunder storm warning with potential hail and wind gusts of up to 60 mph.  We added some additional mooring lines to Second Wind and battened down the sails and hatches.  We did not get the hail but we did have a squall with some high winds.

After dinner, we went for a walk in Sandsprit Park, read, worked on the blogs and went to bed. 

 

Ominous sky taken from Sandsprit Park

Launch Day

Day 3:  March 28, 2014

We both had a great night’s sleep.  This boat is sooooo much more comfortable than our Balboa 26.  We got up in our bare feet and walked about without having to wade in an inch of water.  Ah the little things!

I got up early and worked on blogs  until about 7:00.  We fixed pancakes and ready bacon for our morning delight.  We cleaned up our cluttered boat and prepared to drop her in the water.  In the interim of that process, two older gentlemen who walk in the park came over and spent probably an hour discussing all types of important topics and feeding peanuts to the squirrels.  They were most interesting.   

The actual launch was easy and went off without a hitch, however, a bit later a guy noticed that our strut that supports our bowsprit was bent.  Neither of us have any idea how that happened. 



Launch Ramp at Sandsprit Park.  A really nice one



We fired up the motor, backed out in the light chop but brisk wind of probably 15 mph.  We started motoring up the Manatee Pocket and traveled about ¾ of a mile when the motor started to slow down and then quit.  I immediately hit the start and had absolutely nothing.  I jiggled various plugs and wires to no avail.  Meanwhile, we were rapidly drifting toward a group of huge luxury yachts on the western shore and with absolutely no steerage or control of the boat.  Right in the middle of two of the biggest of boats was a small finger pier sticking out and luckily we banged into and caught hold of one of the pilings of that pier.



Our destination, Sailfish Marina 1/10 mile away

  I then began the process of elimination looking for the reason for loss of power to the motor.  It had an electric lift and even that would not work.  The batteries and all of the wire connections are located under the v-berth and bedding so I moved all of that stuff then dug all of the packed supplies away from the batteries.  I checked the charge level of the batteries and they were up.  I then checked the connection at the back of the boat where the motor plugs in and found power there as well.

I next dug out the motor owner’s manual and found that there is a fuse buried down in the electrical components of the motor.  I dug out the fuse and it was indeed blown.  I replaced the fuse and that solved the problem.  It did not, however, give me an idea as to why the fuse blew in the first place.  When I initially took the cover off of the motor, I felt that the motor was unusually hot for the short distance that we had traveled.  I again started the motor and checked for water coming from the water pump weep hole and found none.  The water pump was not functioning. 

Hum!  Nothing to do but get a tow back to the marina that located probably 300 yards downstream from us.  I must interject here that I have always felt that I would be able to get out of any problem but we had no way to get back on our own.  There is a towing service that charges tremendously high fees to tow disabled boats if you don’t have their insurance plan.  Earlier this spring, I decided that since we were contemplating heading out into open waters, it would be a good idea to spend the approximately $70.00 for the policy and did so about 3 weeks ago.  I called Boat US and they had a tow boat with a really skilled pilot to tow us back to the marina for the price of a signature.



Safely tied in the marina.  Dink is hiding, embarrassed



We spent the best part of the day trying to find a mechanic who would install our water pump for us. (I was carrying a spare set of parts just for the eventuality.)  However, it looks like we will be resting in Manatee Pocket and the Sailfish Marina until Monday.  Oh well, the wind is quite high and not very good for sailing. 

In the afternoon, we stopped by the Hake Yachts factory and got a guided tour by the manager.  It is really neat to see these beautiful boats in all different stages of construction.  We bought several parts that we needed and headed back to the boat and a nice nap.

Our friends, the Bowmans, are in the area.  They have spent a significant part of the winter west of here and were heading home when they had a wheel bearing got out on their boat trailer.  They are having to have the axle repaired and it is taking a lot longer than was expected.  They drove over and joined us at the King Neptune restaurant for a wonderful dinner.  I had a blackened seafood platter and Janine had pistachio crusted mahi-mahi.  It was another really small restaurant with really fine food. 

Back at the boat, we said our goodbyes to the Bowman and made an early retreat to bed. 

When people ask about the sailing and the stress/work involved, I usually say that for us, sailing is 85 percent relaxation and pleasure, 10 percent hard work and 5 percent terror.  Well, we burned out 5 percent terror for this trip today!

Continuing On

Day 2, March 27, 2014

Continuing On.

After a great night’s sleep, we were up and about by about 5 o’clock.  We ate the free breakfast at the motel to start our day.  I cooked one of those waffles that they have where you pour the batter in to their really hot  iron and as it was completing its cycle, I noticed that they had sausage gravy.  Those who have followed this blog in the past are aware that sausage gravy and biscuits are a staple for me, so this morning I was treated to sausage gravy and waffle.  Not bad, but messy because the waffle was a bit rubbery and the gravy was slippery so trying to cut it with the tiny plastic knife and fork turned out to be a bit hilarious.  However, I did tackle and slay the beast.

On the road at about 7:00, we had another uneventful trip the rest of the way down I-95 to our destination of Stuart FL.  We arrived at the Sandsprit Park where we planned to launch the boat There we encountered a brand new 32 foot Seaward RK which is the same brand as our new (to us) boat.  Stuart is the home of the Hake Yachts factory which is the manufacturer of these boats.  I went to talk to the two guys who were rigging this truly beautiful boat and it turned out that this boat was sold and being picked up the tomorrow.  These guys were factory employees and after some interesting conversations, they invited me to visit the factory.  We will indeed do that.

The ramp at Sandsprit Park is undoubtedly the nicest one we have yet to use.  The area is roomy and wide open with a great rigging area with easy access to the ramp.  Right next door, within easy walking distance is the Sailfish Marina.

We had called ahead and made reservations with the folks at Sailfish anticipating that we would like 2 nights to get things ready for us to head out.  We left the truck and boat in the Park and walked to meet Karen, the lady would was in charge of wet-slips.  She was most accommodating and friendly and flexible.  She wanted to do what was needed to meet our needs. 

Back in the Park, we went through the exercise of stepping the mast and rigging the boat.  I can’t get over how much easier this whole process is compared to what we use to go through with our Balboa 26.  We got the boat rigged including bending the sail is about 2 hours.  The last time we did that with the Balboa, it took us about 5 hours.  This time I didn’t even have to send Janine up the mast to fix something that I screwed up in the stepping process. 

Set up and ready to launch.  Damn Dink is hiding.

When we finished, it was spitting rain and past 5:00.  We needed to get the empty trailer to the Hinckley Yacht’s boat yard for storage for the duration before 5:00.  Since we missed that deadline and wind and weather were iffy, we decided to put off the launch until tomorrow, disconnect the truck from the trailer and find an eating establishment.  The one we found was called the Whistle Stop.  It was a very small possibly modular building that was obviously owned by the older, heavy set cook.  She had a young girl taking orders at the counter, and an overweight fry cook working with her.  I looked at her menu board posted on the wall and asked what the Brunswick stew was.  She said that it was bar-b-que based pulled pork and chicken with vegetables – do you want taste it?  I told her, “No, I want the one with the big pile of rice.”  Janine ordered a cup of the stuff.  When she delivered the dish, I was not surprised to find that she was not kidding about the big pile of rice.  It really mounded over the entire plate with the juicy concoction dumped on top.  I was mixed the mess up carefully and was pleasantly surprised that it was amazingly good.  Janine agreed.  I had a can of pop and Janine had coffee – total bill, $14.35.  A great meal served with local color.

Back at the boat, it was too about dark and too early so we spent a bit of time putting stuff away and get the cabin of the boat arranged in a somewhat livable fashion.  Meanwhile, it began raining and blowing;  a weather patterned that lasted all night.  We put on head lamps and read until about 9:45 when we crawled into our new very comfortable (compared to the Balboa) bed.  Sleep came easily.

Finally! We Are On Our Way

Day 1:  March 26, 2014

Uncharacteristically for me, I am planning to be brief in my first posting.  I don’t have pictures to share so this will be more nearly boring as well. 

We left Somerset this morning at 4:15.  As usual, I did not sleep well.  We decided to forego breakfast at home in an attempt to get moving and we feel we need a break every couple of hours or so when we are on the road so breakfast at a restaurant was planned.   The temperature as we drove away registered 17 degrees and I needed to sweep the snow and scrape the ice from the windshield before we could get rolling.

Since we left so early, we did not find an eating establishment until we got to Ripley WV which was about 3 hours down the pike.  The best we could do was a McDonalds.  Not our first choice but I was hungry.  The trailer and truck did well on this first leg and driving conditions were fine. 

We headed onto and down the West Virginia Turnpike.  The road was clear but there was an inch or two of snow along the country side.  As we approached the higher elevations near Beckley WV, the amount of snow along the road side was more like 6 to 8 inches and we began to encounter brief snow squalls.  The further south we traveled, the more intense the storms became.  The temperature was in the 13 degree range.  Still, the roads remained very drivable with no issues of slick roads.  We finally drove out of the snow when we dropped out of WV into Virginia. 

Our truck was getting 9 mpg so we made frequent stops for fuel the entire way to Savannah.  The drive was truly eventful all be that it took us 3 hours longer to get to our destination than MapQuest said it would. We pulled into our motel  along I-95 at around 5:00.  We dropped the boat/trailer off and headed into the old section of Savannah for a wonderful meal at a waterfront café called the Cotton Exchange.  It was a bit loud but the décor, food and service were great .  I had combination seafood scampi dinner and Janine had fried oysters. 

It was a chilly breezy 50 degrees when we got back to our motel room.  After hooking the boat back up to the truck, we crashed at about 9:30.  .

Hopefully some pictures tomorrow.

We Are Eager To Get Going Again!

Second Wind

The Major Damage

We have a warm day in Ohio and it has stirred my urge to travel and sail.  You may have noted the name change in this site.  Back in September, I was notified about a boat that was going up for sale at a salvage auction in Paducah, Ky.  The photographs of the boat showed very little damage and my research indicated that it was indeed a really nice boat.  We were not in the market for a boat change; however, this boat was significantly newer and had features that made it much more attractive to aging sailors than did our Panache.  After a hasty trip to Kentucky and an exciting auction, we came home with our beautiful “Second Wind.”  The damage to the boat occurred when the previous owner pulled the boat with the mast up into a tree branch while on her trailer.  The head stay, the forward wire that holds the mast up, pulled the front 4 feet of the deck loose and caused the mast to fall.  The damage was such that the owner, insurance company and manufacturer did not want to take on the liability of a repair job so they salvaged the beautiful 3 year- old boat.  I was able to reattach the deck section to the hull in a manner that is stronger than the original construction.  I also built a bracket to mount the head stay to the stem of the bow of the boat rather than just to the deck.  The stem is probably the most robust structure on a boat and I am convinced that it is now stronger than the day that it came out of the factory.

The Repair Bracket

This boat, a Seaward 26RK, is essentially the same length as the Balboa 26, however its cabin layout is roomier and without partitions which give it a much more open feel.  The boat weighs in at about 1000 lbs more than the Balboa.  She sports a 1200 pound centerboard which retracts using an electric winch up tightly to the bottom of the boat allowing her to travel in waters as shallow as 18 inches.  The Balboa had a 1200 pound centerboard but it was raised with a hand winch and I must say that it was becoming quite a chore to raise. 

The V-berth and Saloon

One area that we always struggled with was getting the Balboa onto a trailer.  It had a rounded bottom, fore to aft, that rested on bowl shaped trailer bunks which made it really hard to get positioned when leaving the water.  This boat has a relatively flat bottom that glides nicely onto the trailer.  The mast is also easier to raise and lower.  I have added an electric winch system to the trailer that we use to raise the mast and it is a breeze compared to what we used to do with our old 42 year-old Panache.

Another thing that we realized while sailing in the Florida Keys was the fact that

Galley with 2014 modifications

the Balboa was really hard to get into from the water after say swimming or going overboard.  We had a ladder but we found that after skin diving for an hour, we could hardly climb over the stern rail to get back into the boat.  This boat has an open transom with the distance to the water at the rear of the boat being only about 10 inches and we have a really stout ladder that goes deep into the water, making getting back on board much easier. 

Open Transom and Retractable Rudder

Janine and Friend Jim Clouse on November Shakedown Cruise

Finally, it is really nice to have a “new” shiny boat.  It is fresh and bright inside with amenities that we did not even consider in the other boat.  She comes with a pressurized water system, a built in shower (which we probably won’t use because she only carries 20 gallons of water and I could blow that in one shower), more sophisticated instruments, and finally a motor that has an electric lift.

Second Wind on Windless Buckeye Lake

So, after a winter of cold, snow and modifications making “Second Wind” more our boat, we are ready to head south and into the lands of warmer weather.  Our goal is to travel to the East Coast of Florida in the Palm Beach area and spend some time getting to know the boat and prepare for a possible crossing of the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas.  I plan to again conical the trip in this forum mainly as a way to keep a personal record of our adventure but also to share with those who amaze us with their interests.

By the way, not long after returning to Ohio with our new boat, we aggressively cleaned and shined ole Panache, listed her on eBay and sold her to a family in Iowa.  They paid us gas money to bring her to them so she now has a new home near the Mississippi River. We were happy to be the owners of only one boat and have an opportunity to see some country in which we had not previously traveled.