Tag: sailing

She’s Dead Jim…

Posted on by luken7

Well, this was a weekend of ups and downs.

First, the start battery on bank one has gone to that big electroplate heaven in the sky. Turn off the battery charger and bank two, flip on a load and it drops to nine volts. Damn. Well, battery replacement was simple enough, just awkward putting it in. Anything over twenty pounds that needs to be placed somewhere in a boat crevice ends up being awkward. So out with the old Interstate Group27 start battery, in with the new Duracell…Duracell? Yeah, had a 10% off coupon from Batteries Plus, got it at the Oriental Boat show.

 

Then there’s “She’s Dead Jim…Part Deux”

We’re not done because it’s a boat. Did  you think I was getting off that easy? That cheap? Not! What else could possibly happen? Well, how about the fridge going kaput. You know, the thing that holds the beer and unused salsa and bean dip. Yup, the compressor failed and while I have my suspicions, stupid is as stupid does. I’ll leave it htere. Hint, DC electric motors do like low voltage. So this failure falls within the proper range of boat failures. Cost? A boat buck. Of course you can’t just order a compressor motor, Nope, gotta get the unit. Cool thing is I won’t be needed a new evaporator will just have it evacuated and there’s an adapter fitting for the new connection. So with Amex in hand (or on file), quickly went to Defender to offer my tithe to the patron saint of boat repairs  with another boat buck.

 

But there’s a lighter side. As I’m planing on doing more anchoring out and discovering this year, along with being a temporary resident of Ocracoke by accumulating a month on the island this year, I felt I needed a better dingly. So….(drumroll), kind of fell into a new AB 9.5AL. This thing is sweet. Aluminum floor, hypalon, high bow. Will keep me dry in the chop. Much nicer than my other two inflatable floor dinghys (which are for sale btw). This thing can take up to a 15hp outboard and it’s just begging for more than my current 6hp Tohatsu. Besides, I need something to zip me back and forth from Ocracoke to Portsmith Island. Tohatsu 9.8 with the optional external battery start is in my eye. I’m also interested in teh Lehr 9.9hp propane outboard, just still a bit concerned about getting the talk filled wherever I’m at, also concerned about having that big cylinder tank in the dinghy.

 

And did still get on water though we didn’t go too far 😉

Hemispheres Splashed

Posted on by luken7

Hemispheres is back in the water. Almost ready, just a few more things and taking her back to Pecan Grove via South River on Wednesday. Then a whole lot of interior cleaning as you know it needs to be detailed inside.

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Tesla to Reveal a Working Model 3 on March 31 – The Drive

Posted on by luken7

It will have mirrors. We repeat: The Model 3 will have mirrors.

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Well, my car gets previewed in ten days, the Tesla Model 3. I’m still holding out, hanging in there waiting. As it’s in the $35K range, I’m in. It will have a range of 200 miles on a single charge so mapping out the RDU-IBX passage, it’s doable based on the Google Maps image below. On a Friday evening, arrive at Prohibition in New Bern from downtown Raleigh then to O-Town for a daysail. Over to Beaufort to Cru Saturday night and back to O-Town for a Sunday daysail, then back to Raleigh Sunday evening. All that’s needed is one charge at the marina while sailing on either day. Hmmm, need to get a charging station put in near the clubhouse 😉

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Source: Tesla to Reveal a Working Model 3 on March 31 – The Drive

Hemispheres is Hauled Out, I’m Sad

Posted on by luken7

Well, Hemispheres is hauled out, needing some work done. So of course, I had to throughly clean the interior before dropping her off. You know how your mom used to say, always have clean underwear on in case you have to go to the hospital. Guess that stuck with me in an odd way.

 

Going to have the bottom done as she’s having a problem keeping the paint on in certain spots, seems to be the same areas too. That big chunk of paint missing on the keel looks like she sustained a plasma blast from a disrupter beam. Oh, and then there’s the propellor. Electrolysis is hitting it bad and here’s the mystery, the zinc is still there so everyone is scratching their heads. I need to get with the diver, maybe he just put a new one on through the shaft zinc much have gone. Well, it’s an excuse to get a new MaxProp feathering prop, the current one is old and seems to need rebuilding anyway. So what to do for the next couple of weeks while she’s on the hard? I guess it’s now kayak season 😉

 

An Excellent February Weekend for Sailing

Posted on by luken7

Well, we’ve gone from sailing in 35 degrees of weather to the following weekend being in the upper 60s. Two great daysail days. Winds were light when we started each day, then it got up there.

Yesterday we hit winds that topped 25kts before we even realized it. We were all just in that zone moving along when it came up on us. Figured it was time to reef. Of course we had the boat on her ear, topping 22 degrees heel, enough to put the lower port window under water so it looked like an aquarium.

One thing’s for sure, it’s time for new sails. Couldn’t point as high anymore, both the main and genoa are stretched out. Well those are the original sails on the boat, so they’re sixteen years old. Looking at a few sail lofts now, some local and some online.

Dizzying Heights

Posted on by luken7

Went all the way to the top of the mast today for the first time. Intimidating to say the least. So what did I learn? NO matter what tools and parts you bring up with you, it’s that one item that you didn’t bring that you needed. And an overall nice week on Hemispheres.

 

Another Weekend, Another Event

Posted on by luken7

Man, I’m just unraveling here. Not paying attention. This past weekend was a South River anchoring kind of weekend. It’s a good thing I left late as some friends were out of ice, so no mixed drinks. But as it seems, they were fine, they just drank words of wine till I got there. Now thinking about anchoring and reflecting on Cape lookout, South River had light winds out of the east and I anchored in 8ft of water. But I “dumped it all”, the chain that is so I had about a 12 to 1 scope 😉    Which brings another issue, I need a wash down pump.

So all is well, dinner, drinks and friends. What could go wrong? I’m headed out the next morning back to Oriental motor-sailing out of South river and the engine slowly dies. It’s not the sound you like to hear. The way it died led me to one of two things, clogged fuel filter or worse, fuel pump died. It’s one of those two, has to be. the notion that the tank was empty didn’t cross my mind till I looked at the tank directly. But the darn fuel gauge still read 3/4 full. Obviously, it’s not working. Now usually I’m always topping off the tank before headed out on a long trip but to South River? Didn’t even think of it. I must have used more fuel than I thought going to Ocracoke, Cape Lookout and day sailing throughout the summer than I thought. Just slipped my. mind.

So called BoatUS and put up full sails headed back to Oriental doing about 3kts. It is a sailboat after all. Powerboats, take note. And as I’m sailing back, here comes this fog rolling in across the Neuse reminding me of Steven King’s novel, The Mist. What else could possibly happen, weird creatures flying out of the fog?

Well, BoatUS met me between Garbacon Shoal and Oriental #1 and brought some diesel. Now, I’m glad I went to the Yanmar three day class where I learned the idea of adding a primer squeeze build inline before the Racor filter. Much easier to prime a diesel after running our gas, not having to press that little lever dozen of time to get full flow.

So got back to the slip and promptly went to Waterstreet Grille for breakfast. After the morning incident, nothing better than a good omelet. So to counter balance the bad karma morning, decided on blessing the day with good fortune by heading back out with friends for a great afternoon sail. The winds were nice out f the north between 15 and 20kts. Made for a perfect day. As I single hand a lot, thanks to Richard and Lisa for joining, I was a passenger the whole afternoon.

And thanks to Richard for putting up with my Crablegs addiction as we stopped at MJ’s Raw bar in New Bern on the way home. Did some good damage. Definitely going to be a regular stop. Great weekend.

Cape Lookout – When Bad Karma meets Good Fortune

Posted on by luken7

Somebody did say skip going to Cape Lookout on Labor Day weekend, especially with the wind out of the northeast. Well of course I’m not going to listen. So anyway, winds out of the north means a very breezy and choppy Cape.

Got there Friday evening after dark (mistake #1) and found spot to anchor. I was pretty much tired from just returning from a conference on the other coast and was running on fumes and little rest (mistake #2). So dropped anchor and threw out about ~80ft of chain…in ~20ft of water (mistake #3). I was just tired and ready to go to bed. So the inevitable happened, Hemispheres drug in the middle of the night. I had this weird movement feeling that work me up and as I’m going up the companionway, the anchor alarm goes off (thanks a lot). I instinctively started the engine and threw her in forward but was too late. Hard aground. As it was about 2:30 in the morning, might as well go back to bed, ain’t going anywhere.

And then the tide started going out. You cannot imaging the sound a wave makes when it hills the underbelly of a grounded boat. Every wave slap shuddered the boat and I could not sleep. I ended up top in the cockpit where it was quieter. Low tide was a 7:15am and every bit of Hemispheres was out of the water, just resting perfectly on the keel. This is the one time that i’m praising a wing keel. Oh, at least I got to pull the paddle wheel for the speed  and clean it. It was pretty gunk’d up.

As the tide started rising, around 10am we were able to motor off and I re-anchored, this time “dumped it all” being every bit of chain, 100ft then 30ft of rode. The second night I was just paranoid and really didn’t sleep. But other than that little mishap, a great weekend, regardless of the downpour while heading back up Adams Creek. Fun time, learning lesson and a life experience. That old saying is true. A vessel will always withstand more than the captain can.

A Perfect Sailing Day

Posted on by luken7

Finally got a chance to try the new chute. Thanks to the crew for all the help, couldn’t have happened without you all. Just an excellent day to be on the water. Learned a lot about flying a chute like, duck and don’t let that sheet wrap around your neck 😉

New Air then Great Sail

Posted on by luken7

Great weekend. Started late Friday afternoon (god knows why) with removing the old AC system and putting in the new one. I really should have waited till Saturday morning but I was determined to get it done. So, with the cabin hovering in the upper 90’s, I went for it. Got eh old system out and the new one in. Spent around three hours as I was slowing down due to the heat. Thanks to Pat and Skip for lending hands lugging the systems out and in.

Saturday was a great day and well deserved. Went with friends on a Cape Dory 30, what a fantastic sailing boat. There was a major storm passing through, enough for the Coast Guard to issue a warning. As it was moving fast going going north-northeast, we took the route of staying out and headed to South River to wait it out. It worked out well. I think most of the boats that decided to race back to Oriental probably got hammered with what went through.