Sailing Training Wheels

Popcorn Brain

2011-06-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

I knew it! I knew there was a good reason that we've strayed from the blogging! We have been avoiding "popcorn brain"! New evidence suggests that too much internetting (blogging, facebooking, twittering, etc.) actually causes a change in our brain structure! Yikes! It is time for another internet fast! We unplugged about a year ago, a very cleansing experience.

Back on the boat, this year's nest of finches have almost grown up. We will be cleaning up the poop this weekend. We are preparing for our annual 4th of July party. We will be watching the fireworks show from the boat again. There are other mindless updates I could give you, but basically, life goes on.

Never. Give. Up.

2011-05-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

We have been galavanting around enjoying the sunshine and clean air. Good food, Good wine, and Good times. The Captain's 38th birthday has come and gone, and it goes to show ya, that just showing up is half the battle. Most people don't even muster. Cheers to his 38 years of mustering! May he have at least 38 more!

The boom worked perfectly.

"At sea, I learned how little a person needs, not how much." Robin Lee Graham

San Simeon Cruise Snafoo

2011-04-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

Well, we left the dock in primo shape this morning. The bay was calm. Galley stocked with everything for a BBQ overnighter . . . Captain and First Mate hyped with Birthday energy. The Captain is 38 years old today! Nothing better than a weekend overnighter! Cell phones stowed. Pager and laptop left at home.

We got to the harbor mouth and saw some chop, but kept going. After about an hour slogging it out, I looked over to the quiet Captain and found him pale and turning green. I had popped a Dramamine about 20 minutes earlier and I offered one to the Captain. He took it reluctantly.

Later, I said, "Is this the way you want to spend your birthday?" He thought for a couple minutes and said, "I don't think so. We're going back."

All and all, we were out 3 hours. We stretched our comfort zones. We broke in the new boom. We slept off the Dramamine in the bay. The rest of the Birth Day is going much better. Even without seeing San Simeon.

Morro Bay to San Simeon

2011-04-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend we are sailing to San Simeon for an overnighter with the Yacht club. It takes about 40 minutes to drive from Morro Bay to San Simeon which means it will probably take 4 hours to sail it.

I have to look up our provisions list from the Zongo Cup in order to get everything prepared for two days on the ocean blue. There are lots of left over hard-boiled eggs from Easter so I know those will be on the provisions list this time around!

Galley Provisions:
water
ice
coffee
half & half
hard boiled eggs
sausage
carrot sticks
snap peas
hummus
french bread
olive oil
cheese
chocolate
fruit
beer
wine

camera
hot water maker
propane for BBQ

Finally! A New (Old) Boom

2011-04-25T22:04:00.000-07:00

The long sailing hiatus of Training Wheels is finally coming to an end! No more having to be satisfied with motor cruises and BBQs on the bay. We found a replacement boom last week.

Lynn Meissen from the yacht club called the First Mate to inform her of a couple of derelict boats slated for removal in Morro Bay. The First Mate immediately dropped what she was doing and headed over to the dock to check it out! What did she find, but an old Coronado 25 in pretty poor shape. Lucky for Training Wheels, it's boom looked great. Problem solved.

Already got it primed and the first coat of paint on just in time for an overnight sail with 4 other boats this weekend to San Simeon. Can't wait for another adventure. Should have an interesting post when we get back.

Opening Day 2011

2011-04-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

Today was Opening Day Ceremonies for the Morro Bay Harbor. Receiving Line and Three Gun Salute were followed by a race in the bay.

Morro Bay Yacht Club ocean fleet Race

2011-02-27T21:49:00.000-08:00

I participated in my first ocean race of the new year today with the Morro Bay Yacht Club (MBYC). The Winter 2 race was under clear skies and 12- 15 knots of wind with 4-7 foot swells. A great day for sailing.

I crewed on a Dana 24 with Captain Ken. It was nice to be in a race on a boat the size of Training Wheels especially one as well appointed as this one. It had all the electronics which come in handy during a race. The fleet was split into two classes today, basically a slow group and a fast group. We did fairly well finishing first in our class (slow group) and placing second after the handicaps were applied. With the handicaps we finished 5 overall in the fleet. Not too bad a showing.

We blew a big lead we had ending the second leg of six legs in the race. We made a poor jibe around the marker getting the jib stuck on the staysail during the jibe and lost about 4 minuntes. It is pretty tough to get the big jib around the staysail quickly. This is why I changed Training Wheels from a cutter rigged sailboat (has 2 sails in front of mast close together) to a sloop rig (just a main and a jib).

A good example of a cutter rigged sailboat from the Biscayne Bay Sailing Club website.

As for Training Wheels, the kill switch on the Engine broke so the next post will be outboard engine maintenance tips.

Coats 3 and 4

2011-02-06T20:05:00.000-08:00

More varnishing. Go Packers!

Refinishing Teak

2011-02-05T18:34:00.000-08:00

Ok first we have to share last night's sunset with you.

I know. It is amazing. And this is an iphone picture. Amazing. It deserves its own post.

Secondly, we are refinishing our teak. After 16 months, it is shot to hell. The lacquer was very warm and inviting on the teak a year ago, but the elements have beaten the warmth out of it. We sanded down the varnish until the black weathered teak could no longer be seen. We are applying layers of high gloss varnish now. How many layers?

Neighbor Wilson says he has 10 layers on his teak. His 10-layer-job is only 4 months old. We'll see what it looks like in one year. Another dock neighbor said his have 4 layers. His are a year old and they look it.

We have settled on a cordial 5 layers. And we are just expecting to have to do this every 16 months. Some online research has suggested that applying a single touch-up coat or even some basic teak oil every other month will make the job last longer. Not sure if that is more or less work but may give it a try.

Full Moons and Low Tides

2011-01-20T18:39:00.000-08:00

We are living in mud-flat city. This is a weird month. Lots of full moons and low tides. It stands to reason we won't be getting out of our slip anytime soon. Maybe we'll take Lil' Wheels out this weekend.

Today is the Reason We Live in Morro Bay

2011-01-15T18:13:00.000-08:00

Today is the reason we live in Morro Bay: 75 degrees, warm offshore breezes.

Truman helped with the race committee at the Yacht club for the day-sailor race today. We are happy to announce that we are officially yacht club members. I know I will have yacht club responsibilities at some point, but today was too beautiful and I was very selfish. I went running on the beach. Then I cruised down to the local coffee shop to meet a friend a'la photo-tour of the sunny day.

Right before sunset, Truman and I rode over to a new wine bar called STAX. I would highly recommend it! The day was so picturesque and I wish that sunset wasn't so early. We both rode our bicycles all day!

New Year's Resolve

2010-12-30T10:55:00.000-08:00

Thankfully the rain has stopped for a while. We pulled Lil' Wheels out of the water and dried her off! She is none the worse for wear! We are working on her mast, boom, and standing rigging. Her dinghy-days are numbered and we are looking forward to day-sailing days!

We've been posting for a whole year now. Things have been winding down in boat-land. The big repairs are done and now it is just maintenance...sanding, repainting, refinishing, blah blah blah. And, quite frankly, I wonder if it is enough to sustain a blog.

Life marches on. Happy New Year! 2011 will be a great year!
What new resolutions lie ahead?

Winter Storm - Lil Wheels is down!

2010-12-19T14:49:00.000-08:00

About a week ago, the First Mate said we should take Lil' Wheels out of the water with the storms coming. The Captain should have deferred to the First mate for the this one.

has been raining for 36 hours straight. We think 9 inches of rain have fallen. Needless to say, no refinishing, painting, polishing, or cleaning will be done.

Lighted Boat Parade Snafu

2010-12-04T21:24:00.000-08:00

We hung the lights. Prepared the Hot Totties and Hot Chocolates. Even bought extra flotation devices for our guests. Alas, all our efforts were foiled by the unusually low tide. We couldn't get out of our marina without running aground. We didn't make it to the Lighted Boat Parade! No. 14 was nowhere to be found in the line up. Next year . . . next year . . .

It seems the Tide Charts are little off this year or Estero Bay has silted up a lot this winter. The boat looked great and we tried all day to get out of the slip, but the tide was too low for Training Wheels to get out of the dock.

We made it to the embarcadero in Morro Bay to see some of the other boats after the parade was nearly over . . . . seemed to be a success with large crowds viewing form the shore and some nicely decorated boats on the water. The only good news is that I got to spend all day with my first mate and have a head start on decorating the boat for next year. One of the new purchases that I will write a review on a future blog is the Duracell 800w Digital inverter to provide the AC needed to power the many Christmas lights and hot water maker for the Hot Toddys.

Sailing Mishap plan: Broken Boom

2010-11-30T21:30:00.000-08:00

Since breaking the boom on Training Wheels, I have heard from quite a few sailors that have done the same thing!

I had read about it in books like “Dove”, the circumnavigation of sixteen year old Lee Grahm in the 50's. Back in those days they had no satellite phone and no SSB (Short Side Band radio) to call the Coast Guard or Local Harbor Assist. They had to make do with what they had.

I have mentioned a few times before, I want to learn the sailing craft on Training Wheels the old-school way before I learn with modern conveniences. After the boom breaks, I am sure the first thing many will do is let out a four letter explicative or two. The first constructive thing to do is to turn into the wind to relieve the pressure off the sails. Next, take down the sail.

Before you rig a make-shift boom you need to have the mainsail under control on deck. This sounds easy, but it was really hard for me to do that day on Training Wheels. The first thing I did when the boom broke was to furl the Genoa. Looking back this was probably a mistake We had rounded Point Buchon and were about a mile from shore. At this close a distance to land the shallow water caused the swell to have risen to about 6 feet at a fairly close interval. The swell and the wind made it impossible for me to turn the boat into the wind with just the flapping main sail that I could no longer control. Even after turning on the engine I could still not get the boat point into the wind. I believe keeping the Genoa up would have helped this.

After you are able to the sail under control you can sail under Genoa alone, but this can cause control difficultly on some points of sail. Plus that ends the discussion and makes for a boring blog. So then we move on to creating a new boom. Creativity is key but needs to be paired with a good amount of compromise. The new boom does not need to be as long or as strong as the original. You only need something that will fit the main sail reefed down as far as possible. On training wheels this would cut the original boom length of 12 feet to 8 feet.

The standard replacement for a boom is to use a whisker pole. It is usually about the right size for a reefed main and has enough strength the the job. Depending on the attachment type of the whisker pole you may need to use a piece of line to secure the whisker pole to the mast and act as a down haul (line holding boom down near the mast) to keep the pole from lifting during gusts. The main sheets can be tied directly to the main sail clew (bottom back or aft corner of the sail) or on the whisker pole. Another option often may be to use a remaining piece of the boom or anything you have that is close to being long enough.

TOP 5 NAUTICAL THEME DRINKS

2010-11-19T19:14:00.000-08:00

What is a “Shipwreck”? Is it any good? Basically any combination of rum and anything can be called a shipwreck. Try googling shipwreck recipe. You'll get any number of concoctions! We lost count after 25 different recipes!

Anyhow, we think these are the TOP Nautical Theme Drinks ever made! We haven't vetted all of them with friends, but we think that they are novel, if not down right naughty and nautical!
So, what are the best nautical theme drinks? You tell us!

Port And Starboard
1 tblsp Grenadine
1/2 oz Green Creme de Menthe
Pour carefully into a pousse-cafe glass, so that creme de menthe floats on grenadine. Serve without mixing.

Buoy shot
2 oz. Captain Morgan rum
4 oz. orange juice
A splash of cherry juice
To get the best effect for this shot, it should be served in an hourglass-shaped shot glass, which is also used for bomb shots. Otherwise, any glass will do.

Island Affair
1 1/4 oz melon liqueur
1/2 oz Cointreau® orange liqueur
1/3 oz Blue Curacao liqueur
1 1/2 oz orange juice
2 oz mango juice
1 oz whipped cream
Shake melon liqueur, cointreau and juices and strain into a pina colada glass three-quarters filled with broken ice. Add curacao, and float cream on top. Garnish with fruit, and serve with straws.

Absolut Salty Dog
1 1/2 oz Absolut® Peppar vodka
5 oz. grapefruit juice
¼ teaspoon salt
Pour all ingredients over ice cubes in a highball glass. Stir well and serve.

A Little Dinghy
2 shots Captain Morgan® Parrot Bay coconut rum
2 shots Malibu® coconut rum
cranberry juice
pineapple juice
orange juice
Serve in a highball glass

Cabin Cooler
16 oz Absolut® Raspberri vodka
16 oz Captain Morgan® Parrot Bay coconut rum
8 oz cranberry juice
4 oz ginger ale
Combine all ingredients in a pitcher and chill, preferably in ice. Pour into suitable glasses. Garnish rim of each glass with a lime slice, and serve.

Sex with the Captain
1 1/2 oz Captain Morgan® Original spiced rum
1 oz amaretto almond liqueur
1 oz peach schnapps
fill with 1/2 cranberry juice
fill with 1/2 orange juice

Swashbuckler
1.5 oz Captain Morgan® spiced rum
cream soda
ice
Garnish with orange slice and maraschino cherry.

Fog Horn
1 1/2 oz gin
1 oz Rose's® lime juice
8 oz ginger ale
Stir ingredients together in a collins glass filled with ice cubes, and serve.

Tomorrow We Sail
3 1/2 oz Champagne
1/2 oz LBV port
1/2 oz dark rum
1 tsp triple sec
Serve in a champagne flute. Garnish with orange twist.

Armada Martini
6 parts vodka
2 parts amontillado sherry
Orange twist
Combine. Stir. Strain into glass and garnish with orange twist.

Low Tide Martini
6 parts vodka
1 part dry vermouth
Lime twist
1 teaspoon clam juice
Olive stuffed with smoked clam
Combine liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well. Strain. Garnish with clam-stuffed olive.

Deep Sea Martini
6 parts Gin
2 parts dry vermouth
½ teaspoon Pernod
1 dash orange bitters
Combine, stir, strain into cocktail glass. Enjoy.

Quarterdeck Martini
6 parts berry vodka
1 part maraschino liqueur
1 part grapefruit juice
Fresh mint sprig
Combine all. Stir. Strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with mint.

Maritime Martini
6 parts gin
2 parts dry vermouth
Anchovy-stuffed olive
Combine liquid ingredients with ice, shake, strain. Garnish with anchovy-stuffed olive.

p.s. I think when I become an official Yacht club member, I will serve "Tomorrow We Sail" onboard. For the Holiday Lighted Boat Parade, maybe "Sex With the Captain"!

Lil Wheels gets a Mast-lift

2010-11-16T21:03:00.000-08:00

Lil Wheels got a facelift this week--or shall I say mast-lift! The masts were completely sanded down, wood fill applied, more sanding down, and then finally a new coat of varnish applied. Just 5 more coats to go . . . .

Rigging a Drogue

2010-11-14T11:36:00.000-08:00

After the boom failure a couple months ago I decided to do a couple blogs on methods for continuing a journey after various types of failure. First up is a rudder failure which can be overcome with a simple drogue. A drogue is created by hanging stuff off the back of a boat to slow the vessel and give the crew some sort of control. It is most often used in heavy storm weather when no sails are set and the tendency of most mono-hull boats is to lie with the side facing the oncoming waves. The drogue is set to drag behind the boat and keep the aft (back) of the boat to the wave. It slows the boat so that it doesn't surf down the front of a wave and bury the bow in the front of the next wave.

A drogue can also steer the boat. I have seen a few different methods of creating a drogue. The November issue of Cruising World had a great sidebar "Rig a Drogue" in the article "Up the Creek without a Rudder". This took the basic drogue design shown below and modified it to allow steerage.

All the needs to be done is to extend the length of the bridle and run each end to blocks located forward of the Genoa winches (usually the strongest winches). You can then use the winches to shorten a side of the bridle and pull the drogue to one side or the other creating more drag and causing the boat to turn. As is usually for sailing control still comes down to a balancing act. You have to experiment with balancing the amount of weight on the drogue with how much sail is up to have control and keep a straight course.

The diagram above shows an actual store bought drogue line but a drogue can be made with materials already on most boats. The drogue line can be your standard anchor line with knots tied in it for drag and a couple sections of anchor rode chain for some weight.

More detailed discussions are available in the links below.

http://www.jordanseriesdrogue.com/D_6.htm

http://www.sea-anchors.com/goodoldboat.htm

Blogging and Writing

2010-11-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

I have to give you the update: the aftermath of the Cuesta College Writer's Conference! I was thoroughly encouraged and stimulated to hone my craft. The criticism was also there. Writing with the intention of getting published is not for the faint of heart. Writing in my journal is easy. Writing a nonfiction book proposal is a bit more intimidating!

At the Conference, I had the good luck to attend Stephen Blake Mettee's seminar "How to Publish Non-fiction" which was really an hour and half long soapbox hard sell for his brilliant book How to Write a Nonfiction Book Proposal. I promptly went to the bookstore and bought it.

Also, have secured a writing crtique group--partner, rather--with the intent on serious writing and serious constructive feedback. All of this is TOP SECRET, of course! I can't tell you what I'm writing, who I'm writing with, or when I'll ever be done. But, I can tell you that it doesn't have anything to do with sailing!

Cheers!
~First Mate

Flares 101

2010-10-31T19:37:00.000-07:00

#1 Reason for Failing a Safety Check by the Coast Guard . . .

. . . . having expired flares on board.

All the other items are easy to keep track of. Lifevests. Check. Registration numbers on boat. Check. VHF radio working. Check. But, everyone forgets to check the expiration date on their flares.

Which begs the question: What does one do with expired flares?

We'd never lighted a flare before. But, hey, it was expired!!!! It seems silly to light a flare when we didn't need any help. No S.O.S. here. But, now we know that flares don't burn in water. They are bright. They are hot in your hand. We think that they burn for 13 minutes. I hope help is closeby if we need it!

Cool iphone App for Star Gazing

2010-10-28T20:40:00.000-07:00

We featured an iphone Compass app in a past post. This post is here to tell you about the iphone Star Guide app!

Have you ever looked up and wondered what constellation is overhead? This iphone app uses the GPS and accelerometer to determine what constellations are in the direction that the phone is facing. When you look at the night sky, point the phone's camera at the night sky, the screen displays the stars, their names, and constellations!
At SEA~ During the day, we were able to tell our direction by the sun. When a sailor wakes up the morning, he looks for the sun. Going from Hawaii to California, the sun should be directly in front of the boat or on the starboard side every morning. The sun rises in the East and sets in the West. Daytime orientation.

During the night, we set our intention to sail on a heading in line with a notable constellation. The Milky Way is bright and bands the night sky. At dusk, the sailor sets his compass to a line and holds it until the stars come out.

Sail Repair

2010-10-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

We took our torn mainsail down to the local repair shop. This place is pretty cool!

My Boat has a Martingale?

2010-10-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

You may remember that our boom snapped in two during the Zongo Cup. The wind had shifted after rounding Point Buchon and as I eased out the main sail (let out more line to swing out the main sail) I failed to loosen the boom vang. The boom snapped right at the attachment of the boom vang. The boom had a lot of corrosion around this spot, but not easing the boom vang didn't help matters. So, I decided to do some research on how to properly use a boom vang.

To my surprise, there are various names used for a boom vang. Currently, boom vang is used in the US and kicking strap is used in the UK, but and older term is martingale. Basically, it is a pulley and/or a piston/rod systems that is used to level the boom and controls twist in the main sail.

Great, but when do you use it?

After searching around a bunch of books and web sites, I found a decent working description on the Sailing USA site:

"If the boom is over the water, one may want to first trim the lower part of the mainsail by using the mainsail's sheet , then loosen the boom vang until the aft (top) portion of the mainsail or telltales start to luff then tighten the boom vang until the luffing stops and the telltales (along the leech or back edge of the sail) are streaming backward." This is for sailing on a reach or down wind. Why do you want the sail twisted? The wind blows at different angles near the water or the bottom of the sail than it does 40 feet off the the water. In order for the whole sail to provide the maximum lift the sail needs to twist to meet the wind at the proper angle.

If sailing close hauled or into the wind, the main sail doesn't really have twist. The boom vang is used in strong winds to flatten the sail and reduce the lift force of the sail. A flat sail can help avoid having to reef the main and will reduce excessive heeling.

p.s. If we had been smart like those folks on the Bella Star we might have found the corrosion under the boom vang plate and fixed it!

It's Fall!

2010-10-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

This is the first Saturday morning in 3 weeks that I've had to lay in bed as long as I want then troll around with a cup of coffee for as long as I want. It seems like heaven! Sure, there are a ton of things we could be doing to fix up Lil'Wheels and Training Wheels. We could don our weekend warrior masks and tackle the boom remake or sanding the mast. But, why? Can't I just sit here and drink coffee?

There will always be work to do. But, this is the perfect day for reading Moby Dick! It is overcast and cool outside. No reason to rush over to the dock just to get cold and wet through to the bones. Last month I finished Treasure Island and Mutiny on the Bounty. I think both books are wonderful and quaint. They remind me of the boyhood I never had. Just fun adventures all around. I was just a serious little girl growning up! I think that Moby Dick will be more on the serious side! I'll let you know!

Motion Sickness and Nausea Antidotes

2010-10-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

One of the first questions I asked Truman when he got home was, "Well, so, did you throw up?" and then "What do you mean, you didn't get sick at all?" and then, "How was this possible?"

Motion sickness was first described by Hippocrates; nausea being from the root word "naus" or ship in Greek. Seasickness is something that every serious sailor takes seriously. My own history with queasiness was the number one reason I was hesitant to buy a boat. Motion sickness is very familiar to me; all deep sea fishing and whale watching trips turned into the most expensive naps on the planet as I popped Dramamine like candy!

All joking aside, My captain went to Hawaii packed with anti-nausea ginger gum, MotionEaze drops, and over-the-counter Dramamine pills. The guys spent two weeks working on the boat and sleeping on-board so they got used to the boat rocking in its slip. But, the first venture out to Kauai was pretty rough.

Truman says that he has never gotten seasick. He admits to getting a little green in the past, but as long as he took the helm he was fine. He didn't want to leave anything to chance in Hawaii. And he didn't want to have anything threaten his performance as a crew member, so he premedicated with Dramamine two nights before leaving port. He doesn't remember if he read somewhere to do this, but it sure worked! He never used the gum or drops. After leaving port, he took the Dramamine daily for the first 4 days at sea prior to his "sleeping" shift, usually 4am to 8am.

In looking back, if one is prone to seasickness, it would be good to have a large supply of scopolamine also at hand. Scopolamine patches are great! Apply 1 patch behind the ear at least 4 hours prior to exposure and every 3 days as needed; effective if applied as soon as 2-3 hours before anticipated need, best if 12 hours before. I would go a step further and recommend that very sick persons use two patches, one behind each ear, and switch them on alternate days.

Despite not vomiting, Truman says that he had no appetite for food for the first 3-4 days. He says that he didn't want anything spicy. Bland food was best. And he certainly didn't want any alcohol. I am happy to report that he lost no weight on the journey.

Go For Broke: Motor Sailing Rock-n-Roll

2010-10-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

I have been home a week. I am finally ready to start blogging again! Plus, I bet it is time for a technical post before I loose all the guys following blog. The First Mate's posts are good, but generally a little girly. Ha ha, but seriously, I had a great time and learned a lot on my cruise aboard Go For Broke.

When we left Kauai, we had to slog directing into the wind for the first 20 miles to get out of the influence of the island. The island influence is due to the mountains, volcanoes, and shallow water around the islands that cause confused seas, steep swells, and often strong and/or shifting winds. Heading directing into the wind we tried to get the Jib up to steady the boat. Raising a sail will always make for a smoother ride even when motoring.

We had to deal with the rocking and rolling of motoring. How you power boaters out there deal with this I have no idea. In the the video below is Go For Broke leaving Kauai under power (motoring) with no sails set.

The video below really shows the advantage of "motor sailing" as opposed to just plain motoring. While departing Oahu we were motoring-sailing across the swell in the video below and the boat is still comfortably level.

Go For Broke Picture Tour

2010-10-05T22:42:00.000-07:00

In no particular order . . .

Morro Bay Harbor Festival 2010

2010-10-02T23:16:00.000-07:00

Go For Broke docked in Hawaii today! I was happy to report to family and friends that Truman is back on dry land safe and sound. He will be home in 2 days. Meanwhile, I went to my first Harbor Festival!

Garlic and Butter! Hmmm. . . .

This First Mate is Trying to Distract Herself

2010-09-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

I've enjoyed the last month. I've had time to get myself together. I joined bookins.com. I do like the site, but I have yet to receive a book. I have expensive taste I guess.

I bought the crazy sexy purple Dyson vacuum cleaner. Wondering how long vacuuming will distract me.

Went gluten-free. Love it. Will have to teach Truman to read labels again.

Met Jesus. I can keep coming back to this one.

But, at the end of the day, I'm just waiting for my captain to come home.

Spinning in the Storm

2010-09-29T07:19:00.000-07:00

Hi,
The last couple of days have been rough, one storm after the other. Last night was the worse. It really kicked our butts. We got stuck with the main up full when the wind shifted and we needed to run down wind. But don't know how (or are too chicken) to let the main out far enough to run down wind. We were spinning at first then settled into a North direction. Not the way we wanted to go but it was too dangerous to get up on deck and bring the sail down. 15 foot seas and 30+ wind. So we just waited it out until dawn, about 5 hours.

Glad to hear fall's nice weather has come. Have fun with the girls (Melissa and Jane, significant others of Steve and Lynn) on Friday, tell everyone I said hi.

Luv, T

Day 12, aboard Go For Broke. Satellite email delivered by OCENS.com

Knowing When to Turn Back

2010-09-28T00:53:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of my husband, my Captain. He is single handing a 61' sailboat at night in the middle of the Pacific ocean! Two hours on, two hours off, all night long . . . until sunrise. The sheer exhaustion of it! Think about it!

I think, probably more than anything, I am impressed that three grown men can make the tough decision to turn back. The point at which a person makes the choice to give up a goal, change course, cut their losses, throw in the towel, that is the point where they face their pride, their own ambition and glory-lust, the possibility of failure, and the cost of each. I am proud of all three of them!

The bad news is that we have been in a storm that is going the same direction we are for that last 2 days causing heavy seas. The good news we have been cruising along at almost 7 knots and did about 170 miles yesterday. Right now we are still 360 miles to Oahu and that should take 4-5 days. But we are getting closer. Can't wait for to get home and get dry. With the storms everything is damp, even the clothes I haven't worn yet. Except the ones in the zip lock you sent with me. Tough to type still, got to go. Luv, T

Day 11, aboard Go For Broke. Delivered by satellite phone via OCENS.mail software.

The Glass is Half Full

2010-09-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

I sat in the spa alone with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. The high tide waves were audible crashing in the background. The first winter squash of the season was in the oven and the smell in the house was nothing short of divine! Today was a good day. I went to church. I tithed. I had a solid afternoon nap. I spoke to my father on the phone and my mother-in-law today. I went for a leisurely evening run with a new Morro Bay friend. I can’t see any down side here!

One might be tempted to argue that the second turning back of Go For Broke is a failure of human endeavor. It would be more accurate to say that we humans might have been forcing a thing that was never meant to be. As for my part, again, I cannot see much of a downside here. I don’t know how else to say it, but I have a tremendous peace about the whole thing. Of course, I am not on the boat, but for whatever it is worth, I think that the glass is half full.

Truman’s goal was to go for a long sail and learn a lot. Has that not happened? I think that there is always more to be learned in complicated times than in easy-breezy ones. This has been my experience anyways. I cannot see how he could come home and not have learned an amazing amount about sailing, crewing, boat maintenance, and navigation. It cost us very little for him to learn all this. In comparison, I hope that Steve makes out good on the cost of the boat. I cannot see how he can come out of this situation anything but the wiser. And that is priceless!

My Happy Husband

2010-09-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

Hey babe, guess what! I think I am getting dreads. Don't think salt water does too well for my hair. We have had almost no wind for 2 days and have been just drifting around with no engine. But last night a front came through with 20 knots of wind and we are moving along at 5 knots. Too bad it isn't straight to the islands, we are having to tack back and forth making the mileage to target go down slow.

You shouldn't have to buy a flight, I can still use the return trip ticket from my original flight. Glad I spent the extra 50 on the round trip. I still may not be home for a week but it is better than 3 weeks.
luv,
T

Day 9, aboard Go For Broke.
This e-mail was delivered via satellite phone using OCENS.Mail software.

Getting Back to Land May Not Be as Easy as It Sounds

2010-09-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

Truman's latest email . . . drumroll and . . . Friends, more prayer, please!

"Well, we are turning back for sure. Even if we fix the stuff that is broke we will still head back. Don't have any faith in the boat anymore. Got to get back to work. Luv, T"

At this point the crew is looking on the bright side. Morale is up. And the First Mates on land, Jane, Melissa, and I are holding steady. We have the utmost trust in our men, their better judgement, and the strength of their bodies. It has been a strong team effort all the way around. Now I am just looking forward to having my man back by any means possible, by hook or crook as they say!

Go For Broke Turning Back

2010-09-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hi,
Well the electrical problems keep coming back and after the good day of mileage using the engine and some sails to push the speed a little, the engine gave out. Now we have spotty electrical and no engine. Without the use of the engine it will take us about 40 more days to get back. So now it is 400 miles back in light winds. It could take 5 days or 10. Not sure but I will keep you updated. I will try to call later today, not sure if it will work yet but we can try.

Luv, T

Day 8, aboard Go For Broke.
This e-mail was delivered via satellite phone using OCENS.Mail software.

Clips from Truman's Email Today

2010-09-23T22:12:00.000-07:00

Jury is still out if we are going to have to turn back. We solved the electical problems for now who knows what is next. Been pretty busy on board but have some time to read at night it is a little tough with the movement. Just listening to the ipod has been the most enjoyable time so far. The soduko has been a mess for some reason, it may be the constant distractions or sleep deprevation but I can't seem to finish a puzzle without messing it up.

I have tried to take some pictures of the full moon lite nights we have been having but none seem to be coming out. It is pretty scenery out here.

We had some electical problems yesterday and last night but we stoped this morning and Lynn got most everything back up. Going the rest of the curise with no email or frig would have sucked. I think I have a way to call you over the Shortband Radio. There is a relay station in SF that can patch me through to a phone as a collect call. We will just have to keep it short and set a time in the next couple of days.

Talk to you soon, T

Day 6, Trans-Pacific passage aboard Go For Broke.
This e-mail was delivered via satellite phone using OCENS.Mail software.

Ok, Now I Really Miss My Captain . . .

2010-09-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

I took this picture when we were cruising back from the Zongo Cup in Avila Beach. I knew I could find a good reason to post it! Thank you everyone for all your prayers! Truman and the Go For Broke Guys are all doing well. They will probably be at sea for another 10-15 days.

26th Annual Writer's Conference at Cuesta College

2010-09-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

I attended the 26th Annual Writer's Conference at Cuesta College this weekend! As you know, Truman and I were signed up for the conference together, but he is currently preoccupied! I was so excited about this conference! This was my first ever Writer's Conference. It was very conveniently located in the Central Coast, only 15 miles from my home. Now, I am committed to return every year! It was an amazing experience. There were 300 attendees and 25 faculty members. Judy, the Conference coordinator, was absolutely amazing and she is also a member of the yacht club!

Conference Organizer Extraordinairre Judy Salamacha (in red)!

Registration desks are buzzing!

The main auditorium is filling up for the Keynote speaker.

The Faculty! Wonderful writers, agents, editors, publishers! What a treat!

The three most memorable faculty members for me were Melissa Pritchard, Paula Huston, and Jon James Miller. I was most fascinated with Paula Huston, a spiritual writer, also an oblate with a contemplative monastic community in Big Sur.

Reading Eat, Pray, Love about Gilbert's time at an ashram and hearing from Paula Huston tell how she goes on two-day retreats every 6 weeks at the hermitage made me want to feel a little of that peacefulness. I may have to go on retreat! Having the house to myself is a kind of like a retreat. More likely than not, I have a hidden little nun inside of me just waiting to get out!

Update: s/v Go For Broke Enroute

2010-09-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

This e-mail was delivered via satellite phone using OCENS.Mail software. Please pray for a couple of days of calm seas!

Truman writes:
Yesterday afternoon finally calmed down for a good day of sailing. We have making about 5 knots and I think that is what we will average. Steve has been very sea sick so it has been a two man crew so far. I am a little sore and tired but I think I will get use to it.

Having fun so far learning some new sailing bits. Managing the sails isn't a constant task but they do need to be checked every 5 min or so. I miss stearing though, the auto pilot is on all the time so we have been steering by button pushing.

I will send more a day or so if weather permits.

Love,
T

Lovin' the Land Just as Much as the Ocean

2010-09-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to show you my new "dynamic composter"!!! We love keeping green things green just as much as keeping the oceans blue! I had to stalk the Home Depot Garden Dept Guy for 10 days straight to get this. I think he was stoned most of the time, so when he couldn't tell me when their next shipment was due I just decided to call him back everyday and ask if the composter arrived.

By the end of the two weeks, he was starting to figure out that there is some crazy lady out there who wants a composter really bad! I wanted this composter so bad that I actually convinced myself that it would make a good wedding present for my friend. I bought a second one and the bride loved it!

Boat to Land Communication

2010-09-14T15:31:00.000-07:00

Truman has had cell-phone reception while he has been in the Hawaiian islands. We've never been much for talking on the phone. If he was here I'd tell him that Obama has written a children's book and the first Klingon opera is playing in the Netherlands! The Danish are trekies. Who knew? Maybe he is keeping up on the news, but I don't know if he heard that Reggie Bush had to give up the Heisman. Or if some female reporter was accosted in the NFL lockerroom while trying to interview Mark Sanchez.

I guess he will have to catch up on all the news when he anchors in Morro Bay in roughly 20 days!

After today, we will only be able to communicate via email to the vessel's common email address. They will post updates every few days on their blog. Anyone who reads this blog is welcome to email s/v Go For Broke at goforbroke@ocens.net.

Update: S/V Go For Broke, Honolulu to Kauai

2010-09-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

Our beloved Go For Broke Captain and Crew are enroute from Honolulu to Kauai. This shake down cruise will reveal any weak spots on the boat. They can make repairs in Kauai before setting out across the Pacific.

Each morning they will log on to the "roll call" on the SSB radio. This is where cruising sailors out to sea call in to give weather conditions and news updates. For loved ones at home, we can see that they've called in each day and at least, at the time of the roll call, that they were safe. Truman says that they are in the North Pactific region and radioed into Longbeach. They heard other people as far as Fiji and Alaska.

Feel free to check out the roll call daily to follow their progress!

~First Mate

Setting Sail for Kauai

2010-09-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

After a warm introduction to "island time" we are finally setting sail for Kauai on a shake down cruise. The food is stocked and repairs are done. The iCom 710 SSB radio is installed and we logged into our first roll call on the Pacific Seafarers net. Getting the news about the San Bruno gas pipe explosion over the radio was kind of surreal. I will have more posts ready on the way back.

You can follow our progress here.
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/goforbroke49/

The Captain

The Mate will play while the Captain is away . . .

2010-09-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

Labor Day weekend was really relaxing! I did everything I wanted to do: went running twice, had dinner and bbq with friends, worked on Lil' Wheels with my marinerette-mate, juiced and cooked vegan, and slept when I felt like it, and read a ton of books!

The best book I read which warrants mention is:
The Promise of Sleep by William Dement, MD, PhD (not pictured because I already lent it out!)

I cannot say enough about this book! I think everyone has to read it! Dr. Dement makes the argument that we are mostly sleep-deprived, or sleep-negligent, individuals who cannot perform optimally due to our sleep debt. If we treat our real sleep needs like calories then we'd take better care of ourselves. Through reading this book I have been empowered to give my brain and body the rest that it needs.

I've had three people tell me that I should buy a kindle or nook in the last week. Do you have one? Do you like it?

Lil' Wheels is NOT a Sabot; She's an EL TORO!

2010-09-06T22:10:00.000-07:00

Last time we went to the Yacht Club, a wise old sailor told us that we owned an El Toro, not a Sabot. We gave her a description of our dinghy and she said that for sure it was not a Sabot. When we came home we looked up google images of Sabots and Toros and she is right. Lil' Wheels is an El Toro.

Today, we got out Lil' Wheels and put her together! She is going to be a fun little daysailor. We have a little work to do on the mast and boom. I put a patch on the sail courtesy of Slo Sails. My friend and I hope to have her on that water by the time that Captain comes back. We will have lots more sanding to do. I have to buy some cleats at the hardware store. Then we will apply 4-5 coats of marine gloss, sanding in between coats.

Stay tuned.

Hoppe's Sunset

2010-09-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

I have to give credit for this one to Hoppe's Bistro!

The Sunset Cocktail

Sparkling wine

Splash of Grenadine

Crushed Ice

Roll and serve

2 Voices, 2 Blogs

2010-09-02T11:32:00.000-07:00

Some readers have asked me if I write this blog on my own. Well, the Captain and I have both been writing! Sometimes we work together on one post, sometimes he writes it, sometimes I do.

For the next 25 days or so, I'll be writing this blog all by my little matey self while my Captain is crewing a boat from Hawaii to Morro Bay! You can follow his sail adventure with professional Captain, Lynn, and boat owner on the blog S/V Go For Broke (on our blogroll). He left for Hawaii this morning!

Meanwhile, I will be exploring provincial life, cooking homemade tortillas, fixing up Lil' Wheels, increasing the quality and restfulness of my sleep, and juicing for vibrant health! Stay tuned! I think this time apart will be a spiritual experience for both the Captain and I!

~The First Mate

100th Post

2010-08-31T18:15:00.000-07:00

100 Things We Love about Sailing and Blogging

1. The opportunity for fine craftsmanship is never-ending.
2. Ample opportunities for fun entertaining and bbq-ing aboard.
3. Learning a new sport: ocean racing, crewing on other people’s boats, etc.
4. Sailing uses wind power and natural energy, a green activity.
5. Sailing gets us outdoors and off the couch!
6. We can do it together!
7. Great photographic opportunities abound.
8. We meet new people in the local community and online community.
9. Dockmates are the spice of life!
10. Neighbor Wilson is quite the gem!
11. Teak is beautiful wood, very needy and endearing.
12. Galley cooking challenges are fun.
13. All our friends are excited to visit us and get a boat ride.
14. We’ve met new blogging friends on blogspot.
15. Our family knows what paraphernalia to buy us for the next 200 birthdays and Christmases.
16. Being on the water is calming and peaceful.
17. Dinghies are just as fun as sailboats.
18. Learning how to sail our boat, our “pig”, has been comical and satisfying.
19. Working with marine paints and varnishes is pretty intense.
20. Doing something adventurous makes us adventurous people.
21. Sailing is something to do when to surf isn’t up.
22. Learning sailing language: lines, sheets, grog, and halyard!
23. Learning knot tying. There are so many kinds of rope and knots in the nautical world!
24. Taking friends on a water tour of Morro Bay Embarcadero.
25. Buying and reusing boat stuff on craigslist. Recycle. Recycle.
26. Getting away from technology; leaving pagers and computers behind.
27. Happy Hour and ocean racing with the Morro Bay Yacht club.
28. Watching sailing movies and reading sailing books.
29. Watching the Jessica Watson and Abby Sunderland sailing sagas unfold. These young ladies rock!
30. We hear that Sailing is one of the safest sports and the least amount of injuries. Even though it feels dangerous, it is actually very safe.
31. Pennants make me smile.
32. Slapping halyard sounds, screeching seagulls.
33. Blogging has improved our writing skills.
34. It is easier to blog than to become a member of the yacht club.
35. A photography hobby has been born. I can share pictures with others without even buying a photo printer!
36. Interactions with nature, finches, seals, otters, pelicans, cormorants, etc.
37. The smell of fiberglass resin in the morning.
38. It is Simon-free activity for the most part! Ha ha, Simon! You sucker.
39. Another excuse to use power tools around water. I love the added risk of electrocution.
40. Chilling wine on a line in the ocean water.
41. Pirate fantasies. ARgh matie.
42. Travelling without cars and planes. Practicing patience. Nothing moves fast on a boat.
43. Planning future sailing trips.
44. Dreaming about retiring on a 45’ live-aboard in the Caribbean.
45. Dreaming about buying a bigger boat so we can stand up straight in the galley.
46. Blogging has made me a better story-teller.
47. Being a Captain has made me a better husband.
48. Being a First Mate has made me a better wife.
49. Blogging has taught me to be willing to be in the story, even to be unselfconscious as the main character in the story.
50. Sailing has allowed us to get in the Morro Bay game. We are engaging the community with good old fashion fun.
51. Blogging has made me feel more comfortable with my poetic voice and my artistic choices.
52. I’ve learned how to tell a story in a photograph.
53. I’ve learned how to pick the best picture out of hundreds of piss poor ones. A picture is worth a thousand words.
54. Capturing a flattering picture of a friend in a photograph is a gift to the friendship. It puts a smile on our faces and reminds us of the joy in living.
55. I imagine I have a “blog audience”. My blog readers have expectations. I imagine they have hopes to find something memorable here. And I hope to be creating a memorable story. I write the hope that I expect from myself.
56. There are no ropes on a boat, only lines. And sheets are ropes.
57. The First Mate is admittedly obsessed with deck shoes and white Capri pants.
58. The Captain is admittedly obsessed with sanding down the resin mold on the dinghy.
59. We learned that HMS = her majesty’s ship. Can’t use this one, because we don’t have any majesty in the U.S.
60. But, s/v= sailing vessel. Maybe we might use this one.
61. Yet again, s/y= sailing yacht; why do we need this abbreviation?
62. You can get cheap drinks at the Yacht club!
63. There is a $2.50 corking fee at the Yacht club if you bring in your own bottle, which is the cheapest corking fee I’ve ever heard of!
64. The First Mate still wants to eat pate with French bread and a fine Viognier on the boat, watch a sunset, and write amazing poetry. Ahh, Hemingway, I love you.
65. The Captain still wants to sail to Catalina.
66. The First Mate still doesn’t know how sea sick she could be.
67. The Captain still doesn’t know how sea sick he could be.
68. Training Wheels still has no official boat mascot, aka, cat or dog aboard.
69. “Let us imagine care of the soul, then, as an application of poetics to everyday life.” –Thomas Moore
70. Boat maintenance is just as therapeutic as weeding the garden or painting the bedroom or scrubbing the toilet.
71. Floating along in the dinghy is almost as fun as floating along in the sailboat.
72. There is floating along. And then there is being set adrift. The only difference is attitude and motivation. Just floating along is perfectly fine with us.
73. Mutiny on the Bounty is a great book! I never would have read it otherwise!
74. We are 100% satisfied with renting a slip for our boat. We’ve both decided it is money well spent. We couldn’t imagine trying to get all the work done on a mooring or pulling the boat out of the water!
75. After a whole year, the First Mate has decided she is ready for an ocean sail adventure. Watch out Seasickness, here I come!
76. Participating in the Yacht club’s events are so worth it! We’ve learned so much!
77. Otters are the house-cats of the sea; we are really their pets, we just don’t know it.
78. Captain’s secret dream #293: to have a picture of my boat on the wall at the Yacht club.
79. Few things are a picturesque as flying a colorful spinnaker!
80. When we stay on the boat overnight, our cat can’t wake us up at 3:30 in the morning.
81. By the time this list is posted we will be prospective members of the yacht club.
82. By the time this list is posted we will be installing our new boom. Or painting it.
83. The women at the yacht club are readers! Sweet soul sisters for this First Mate! I couldn’t be more blessed by this surprise!
84. There are many “firsts” like breaking my first boom! Another “First”!
85. We’ve met at least three people who have retired by age 50 and live the ‘simple life’ aboard in the Caribbean! We are so jealous! I mean, really, do you think that my retirement money/IRA/Medicare will be worth anything in 25 years?
86. If I were to be even more romantic I would learn to sing and play guitar so that I can live more of the ‘life’!
87. SPF 70 and polarized sun glasses are a godsend!
88. Bloggers write for a season in their lives, like the year of an internship or the year that they searched for optimal health and performance. When their season is over they usually stop writing. I wonder how long our blogging season will be?
89. We have reconsidered our desire for a Rottweiler; they are not very good water dogs. Hmm?
90. Cool iphone apps exist for navigation, sailing, compass, speed, etc!
91. See one, do one, teach one. It is true for almost everything!
92. Smile lines, crow’s feet, sun damage, leather necks… ah, the hazards of facing the elements!
93. We don’t have to do it, but we want to do it.
94. Blogging helps us organize our thoughts and reflections about sailing and what we can possibly improve in the future.
95. We are so blessed to be living this dream!
96. A portable Coleman camping toilet is a perfectly good option. There is no shame in that.
97. What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner. –Colette
98. If you have the means, we highly recommend getting a boat and taking up sailing!
99. If the U.S. falls into chaos, we have an exit strategy!
100. We don’t need as much as we have, and less is even more than we think.

Good News and More Good News

2010-08-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

First, the good news is that someone at the Yacht club has a spare boom that he will donate to us to replace Trainings Wheels' broken boom. This is a big blessing because I was dreading the cost of either buying a new one or having a used one shipped from somewhere. I don't even know how to go about shipping a 12 foot piece of aluminum. A minor repair job and frabricating a mount and Training wheels should be ready to go!

Now for the really good news: I will have to wait until October to start the repairs. "How is that good news?" you may be asking yourself. In the ongoing journey of becoming a better sailor, I have accepted an invitation to crew aboard a 61' ketch from Oahu to Morro Bay (about 2500 miles). This will be a huge learning experience and not just about sailing. Gaining more experience in navigating and sailing in heavy weather will be hard not to do on a passage such as this. The journey should take about 20 days at sea with one point being about the farthest from land as you can get (1200 miles). You can follow our progress on the sailblog for s/v Go For Broke.

We've added the blog to our blogroll.

I will be leaving for Hawaii on Sept 3 and will be setting sail for a shakedown cruise to Kauai on Sept 5. We will post daily progress and small written updates during the voyage for those following from home.
~The Captain

The Morning After: Avila to Morro Bay

2010-08-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

After the awards ceremony at the San Luis Yacht Club we took the skiff out to the boat to spend the night! We had a great night and woke up to the sun coming over the hills. We made breakfast on the BBQ and started to motor back to Morro Bay. Here a some pictures from the trip back to our home dock.

Motoring wasn't too fast and we even got passed by these guys!

With our broken boom strapped to the deck, we motored most of the way to Morro Bay at 4.2 knots. We passed a cool looking old lighthouse. The sun finally came out! We put up the genoa and kicked it up to 5.2 knots.

Details of Training Wheels' First Ocean Race

2010-08-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

The Zongo Cup is the first ocean race that Training Wheels has participated in. She has sailed out to sea just for fun, but turning back was always a convenient option. The race was different. She had to get to the finish line!

I have to say that racing adds a different perspective as compared to the usual cruising we do. I learn a lot more during races. Sailing a preset course requires you to take what wind and swell you have and use it to your best advantage in order to arrive at a specific destination. You also have a measuring stick, being the other boats in the race, to measure your progress by.

The Zongo course never took Training Wheels far from land, but the iphone app turned out to be a wonderful way of keeping track of her speed and direction to the next marker bouy. We have been opposed to tech on the boat wanting to keep things old school, but knowing the boat speed helps in finding the optimal sail trim to hit the top speed. Too bad the top speed for our Coronado 25 was only a whopping 4.8 knots. We have MotionX GPS lite on the iPhone and it works very well. I will write a little more on this later.

The race started out smoothly with light wind. Upon rounding Point Buchon, about 4 hours into the race, the wind picked up on a downwind run with gusts to 20 knots. I guess this was too much for her 40 year old boom because she broke right in half! I must remember to ease the boom vang when running downwind. I am sure this contributed to the boom failure.

The boom flapped around uncontrollably, but luckily no one was hurt. We stabilized the broken half into the sail and the standing rigging for the next two hours. hen we got into Avila we were able to take down the sail and boom. We will have to take the sail to SLO Sails for the repair. We hope to buy another boom from anyone who has a spare or on craigslist.

The boom is down, the sail folded, and boat anchored for the night.

The Zongo Cup!

2010-08-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

The 2nd Annual Zongo Yachting Cup was a hit! The race was sponsored by the calypso band Zongo All-Stars. The Yacht clubs of San Luis and Morro Bay hosted the start and finish festivities. Most boats sailed the course in 4-6 hours. Winners got trophies; all others received fun mugs. The courtesy skiff service was great! We spent the night on the boat and motor-sailed back today. Our top speed was 5.2 knots.

Training Wheels made it to Avila Beach and back intact, but not without some hitches! A picture is worth a thousand words so I'll just post some of the most amazing shots. We will go over the mishaps in the next few posts, but basically, here is a synopsis: the boom broke in half tearing our mainsail; we lost an anchor and nearly floated to Pismo Beach; the percolater wouldn't make us coffee on the barbie.

Friday night Farmer's Market, Avila Beach, and the Zongo All-Stars!

The boats have all come into port.

Training Wheels taking down the mainsail and broken boom.

The Zongo Cup: Regatta Route

2010-08-17T21:58:00.000-07:00

The Zongo Cup is a race from Morro Bay to Avila Beach. This means we will be sailing from one dark black square to the other dark square on the map above. The route takes us around Point Buchon.

This aerial view of Avila Beach shows the pier and a few boats. We will be piling in 30 or so more boats this weekend!

We didn't think that the navigation would be that tricky, but this week we've had thick fog until about 5pm. We didn't think we would lose sight of land during the whole trek down to Avila and back, but now we are thinking again. The marine layer limits visualization significantly. We know we will be atleast a mile off-shore, so we'll have to use our iphone apps for navigation. The Captain bought a car-charger/cigarette lighter iphone charger today--great thinking--so that we can have it online for the whole trip.

An Unexpected Development . . . the Zongo Cup LESS THAN 1 WEEK AWAY!

2010-08-16T19:16:00.000-07:00

Our pre-race inspections took an unexpected turn yesterday!

We've heard that this is the case: just when you think you are ready to shove off . . . something else comes up! Yesterday, Truman went to check the head tubing (clearly corroded!) and it sprung a leak! Not that we were planning on using it anyhow!

The question remains . . . how will we pee? Now, there is a little ledge on which to mount a portable toilet for the Zongo Cup. Which should we buy? Or should we just save up the money for a new head? Compost toilet?

In the meantime, I have ordered my Go-Girl for the weekend. Might be voiding into a jar!

Preparations for our First Regatta: The Zongo Cup!!!

2010-08-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

Next weekend we will participate in our first local regatta. The Captain has crewed other boats on the blue ocean, but this will be Training Wheels' public debut. We are sailing with the Morro Bay Yacht Club from Morro Bay to Avila Beach. It will be a 4-6 hour sail! When we get to Avila, we will raft up and enjoy the tunes of the Zongo All-Stars!

Zongo Cup Preparations
Abandon Ship Bag (Floating)
First aid kit
Strobe lights
Flares
Seasick pills
Binoculars
Emergency rations
Emergency blanket
Radio
Tools
Tool box
Socket set
Rigger’s bag (electrical)
Rigger’s bag (misc)
Photography
digital small camera
Nikon D3000
Head lamp
Halogen spotlight
flashlights

Galley
dried fruit
CLIF bars
chips
beef jerkey
Nuts
water
adult beverages

Propane for BBQ
towels
Safety harness and line
sleeping bags
pillows
mirror
Check Electricity
Check Gasoline
Check Battery
Check Solar power
Check VHF

Invite all our friends to meet us in Avila!

Are we forgetting anything?

Book Report: Mutiny on the Bounty

2010-08-14T08:06:00.000-07:00

So, I finished reading Mutiny on the Bounty. Lots of nautical terms, classical sailor stuff, and swashbuckling jargon! I dog-eared the pages with passages that I wanted to share with you, my readers. There are too many to share. Here is a small passage to whet your appetite:

Page 31 reads, “I shared with Hayward, Stewart, and Young a berth on the lower deck. In this small space the four of us swung our hammocks at night and had our mess, using a chest for a table and other chests for seats,” and, “For a month or more every man aboard received a gallon of beer each day, and when that was gone, a pint of fiery white mistela wine from Spain—the wine our seamen love and call affectionately ‘Miss Taylor.’ And when the last of the wine was gone we fell back on an ample supply of the sailor’s sheet anchor—grog.”

“As I mused on the Bounty’s sails and ropes, asking myself how this order or that would be given, and wondering how I should go about obeying were I told to furl a royal or lend a hand at one of the braces, I felt something of a spell which even the smallest ship casts over me to this day.”

Mutiny on the Bounty is such a classic tale that one fellow decided to recreate Captain Bligh’s treacherous journey from the Tonga to West Timor! A re-enactment of 4000 miles at sea on a starvation diet!

I am off to the library to get Moby Dick!
Happy Reading!

Here is a list of other great Sailing Books for your reading pleasure!

My Introduction to the "Whisker Pole"

2010-08-13T06:41:00.000-07:00

Downwind sailing is usually a bit of a drag. Flapping sails, a lot slower progress that upwind, and even worse is that not feeling any wind on your face gives the feel that the boat is standing still. Can't do much about apparent wind versus real wind. We don't have a spinnaker, but I found that the best help for gaining speed in a downwind situation is using a whisker pole!

A whisker pole is a light, aluminum pole (ours is stored in the v-berth) that can be attached to the mast and the clew of the headsail (Genoa). The whisker pole allows the sail to keep better shape in light wind usually when running wing and wing (mainsail to one side and Genoa to the other)

A couple tips I got from the Forspar website that I didn't do in my first attempt shown above to help keep the best sail shape: Use a topping lift. Attach a spare halyard to the end of the pole attached to the sail to keep the pole's weight off the sail. Next move the jib sheet block as far forward as possible. If you can get it directly under the clew (bottom corner) of the sail you've gone far enough. Making this line a sharp angle to the bottom of the sail and fairly tight will then stop the sail from "skying" or raising up in puffs of air once again improving sail shape.

The Forspar site made a comment about the position of the whisker pole that isn't possible on my boat. "The pole should be flown level (Thus the need for mast track and cars!) and at the same relative angle to the wind as the main boom" Training wheels has a stationary whisker pole attachment so that the pole shouldn't be level.

Any suggestions?

MBYC Ocean Race: Took 3rd Place!

2010-08-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

The Captain crewed on Gracie Ray for the Summer 2 Ocean race with the Morro Bay Yacht club this weekend. Calm seas and light winds made for a slow going but we still had a enjoyable and close race. The light winds was also timely providing some more experience with whisker poles. (The First mate and myself first tried our whisker pole out on Training Wheels this last week and will complete a more detailed post on whiskers poles soon.)

An exciting moment during the race was when we caught up to Kiskadee. We didn't expect to catch up to her because our boat, Gracie Ray, a Catalina 30 sailboat, has a much higher handicap. In sailing terms, the handicap is referred to as a "PHRF" (United States Performance Handicap Racing Fleet). The PHRF allows boats of varying type and performance to sail on a level playing field. We made it neck and neck with Kiskadee until rounding the last marker that started a down wind run (wind from behind). Kiskadee put up her spinnaker and promptly left us in the dust.

Kiskadee setting a spinnaker

We tried to run wing and wing (Main sail to one side and Genoa to the other) but without the use of a whisker pole to hold the sail's shape in the light wind the genoa was less than helpful. At times the Genoa would even back wind and slow us down. Kiskadee finished about 5 minutes ahead of us, but we still placed ahead of them because of Gracie Ray's handicap. We did well and came in third place missing second place by about a minute. Captain even got to bring home the trophy mug!

My First Mug!

Anniversary

2010-08-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the end of our Anniversary Week by riding our beach cruisers to the Yacht club for Friday Night Social. I met lots of nice people, most of whom the Captain has already met or sailed with. One lady, Judy, is the coordinator for the Writer's conference that we are attending in September. It was nice to get the inside scoop on the conference. I can't wait! We also saw a couple who have a catamaran. They want to sail to Catalina--a 3day sail--but they had trouble finding a crew for the 10 day trip. I told my Captain to crew for them, but they had already downsized to a couple 3 day trips in the area. The Captain was tentative about the whole ten days but will probably join them on one of the short trips.

I really hope that Truman can sail with them. It would be such a wonderful learning experience. I would have to stay at home to work, but he would have such a memorable time! At any rate, we are happy and healthy here on the waterfront. It is a blessing to be able to be here. Clean water, clean air, healthy living and good loving. I cannot ask for more! Thank you, Lord!

He Said, She Said

2010-08-03T20:48:00.000-07:00

We are approaching another anniversary: one more year of marriage; one year as Captain and First Mate. It was on our last wedding anniversary, one year ago, that the idea of owning a boat first came up.

He Said

I wasn’t sure that the First Mate would go for it, but even after all these years she can surprise me. I thought it would be viewed as another hobby/sporting event that would require more time apart. She was actually very enthusiastic about having a project together and becoming the first mate. So after a year of cleaning, sanding, painting, and more cleaning I am happy to say that I think it was a good decision. We have had some good times along with the hard work. The BBQ’s with friends, learning new things, and sunset cruises have created the kind of quality time and memories that this Captain would highly recommend!

She Said

I was really excited when Truman took the sailing class at the yacht club last year. I have always gotten seasick, like with deep-sea fishing and whale watching trips, so I never considered that I would actually sail with him. But our harbor is really quiet so I started to entertain the idea of floating around, sunbathing, wine-drinking, and generally looking like Goldie Hawn on Overboard. Then I started thinking about getting my hands dirty and “taking it all out on the boat.” Sanding and painting, waxing and washing are free therapy sessions! And Truman has always wanted to buy a boat and possibly live aboard. What wife could possibly resist the opportunity to give her husband a little slice of his dream? I said, “Yes, let’s do it,” and the next week we went out and bought the boat!

The Skipper's Watch: cool animation

2010-08-02T22:11:00.000-07:00

Alert! This may be the dumbest post of the year, but The Captain still thinks it is cool. I have been admiring the Rolex Skipper's Watch advertisements on the CNN MainSail website. But just today the First Mate pointed out that the watch in the ad is actually showing the correct time. The second hand is even moving! Fricking Sweet.

If the ad has been replaced you can view it below.
http://www.rolex.com/en#/rolex-watches/yacht-masterii/introduction/?cmpid=dw20100482

Novel Sunday

2010-07-25T07:29:00.000-07:00

Watching the video of the whale crashing on the sailboat made me want to read Moby Dick! I've never read this classic novel! I am ashamed to admit it. Well, I looked in my bookshelf and confirmed what I suspected to be true: I don't own Moby Dick. But, I do own Mutiny on the Bounty!

So, I started reading this seft-proclaimed "greatest sea story of all time" after making the pate yesterday. I am only on page 33 and it has pulled me in! I am enthralled! It is the story of a young man from Wales who is recruited on a 90 foot boat with 40 other men to travel to Tahiti and collect breadfruit and write a Tahitian-English dictionary. The story takes place only a couple years after Captain Cook has made his famous journey to the South Seas.

I'm rivetted! This is a whole other level of poetry and depth to the sailor's life....well, to the First Mate's life more precisely! What book will be next? Old Man and the Sea? Robinson Crusoe? There are so many sailing themed classics worth reading!

It is time to make a pot of coffee on this gloomy Sunday morning and hunker down with my book and the Captain's Star Trek Snuggie!

Pâté Saturday!

2010-07-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

I wish that life should not be cheap, but sacred,
I wish the days to be as centuries, loaded, fragrant.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is probably nothing better than a glass of red wine and a slice of French bread with homemade Pâté! This may be one of the most romantic combinations of food available on the face of Estero Bay! Fodder for poetry, just begging for a breathtaking sunset accompaniment . . . Hemingway would be jealous!

Red wine contains many wonderful antioxidants. For women, one glass a day is all that you need. More than one glass a day increases your risk for heart attack, stroke, and breast cancer, and any number of horrible ailments. For healthy wine drinking, I refer to a culturally appropriate book, French Women Never Get Fat. The author describes the French effort of conscious consumption, taste awareness, and sensual appreciation. And French bread is not hard to celebrate! There is some wonderful bread available locally: La Parisienne, Carlock’s Bakery, and the Old Cayucos Bakery and Deli to name a few!

Pâté may be harder to find, harder to understand the celebration if you’ve never tried it, but certainly worth the effort. Pâté usually includes chicken liver cooked with mushrooms and herbs then pureed and chilled into a sliceable and spreadable constitution. Liver, an organ meat, is extremely rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E & K, essential fatty acids, and trace minerals, copper, zinc, and iron. Clearly, it is best to buy organic, free range, grass fed liver as to avoid any stored toxic substances that the liver may harbor.

Unfortunately, pâté is not sold in any store around here. Trader Joe’s carries it on the winter season only. So, I made my own today!

Not a bad snack! Bring a notepad and pen because this meal is sure to have you hearing La Vie En Rose, smelling three different varieties of fresh ocean air, and falling in love with your taste buds all over again!

A curious whale

2010-07-22T10:21:00.001-07:00

I just commented how disappointed I am that after all this sailing I have yet to see a whale. I am not that eager now. A CNN video about a whale landing on a boat.

Whichever Way the Wind Blows

2010-07-20T22:21:00.000-07:00

“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”

Apparent Wind vs. True Wind Direction

During a sailing race last week we made a couple of bad tacks to the first mark that put us back a bit in the pack. After thinking for a bit, the problem was too much steering correction to "apparent" wind changes nstead of sail tension correction. On the 40 ft Choey Lee, we couldn't adjust the sails as constantly as on a 4 meter daysailor, but we were being really lazy sailors and paid for it.

What is true-wind and apparent-wind?

The true-wind is the apparent wind which you feel when you are not moving, for example at anchor. The apparent-wind is the wind direction and speed which you feel while the boat is moving. As you speed up the wind on your face seems to come more forward on the the boat and this is really true during gusts as the picture below shows. The best overview I have found is a http://www.answers.com/topic/apparent-wind

We were racing in light wind conditions with frequent gusts. During the gusts instead of pulling in the sails we would "fall off" (steer away from the wind). This would put us farther and farther off our desired point of sail (direction we wanted to go). We were basically making 180 degree tacks, resulting in us just going back and forth making minimal forward progress.

Proof once again that being lazy as usual only serves to create more work.

Foggy Weather Sailing Strategy

2010-07-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

What if we did go sailing in July Gloom? The Captain has memorized the path out of the bay so it is possible that we might try to take the boat out. But, what if we get out there and can't see anything?

Normally, visibility is reported by the weather service and/or NOAA at various weather stations. They would report at the airport tower visibility is currently 1 mile. But, what does that have to do with anything? So, you're out there and you can't see two boat lengths ahead of you, or in all directions for that matter? How do you get home?

Do you blow your fog horn? In the harbor, there is enough water lapping on hulls and slapping halyards so you're not really going to run into a boat. It doesn't help you from running aground. If it was really foggy, you'd call the Harbor Master and they would bring you in. The Harbor Master is part of the local Harbor Patrol, part of the local police. The Coast Guard is part of Homeland Security (not a branch of the Navy). If there was rough conditions or you were farther out in the ocean, then the Coast Guard would come to the rescue with their military stealth GPS that's accurate to within a couple inches.

Now, where does GPS fit in? Well, we only have iphones with nautical GPS application. We do not have any chart plotter on the boat. What is the range of the iphone GPS app? Hmmm? Satellite range will cover us all the way out to Catalina!

Our Old School Foggy Weather Tactical Approach:
1. Go really slow. Consider dropping Anchor.
2. The Captain will steer.
3. The First Mate will look out from the bow.

Modern Fog Navigation Strategy:
1. Use GPS. Prevents getting lost.
2. Use Depth Sounder. Alarms when you get shallow. Prevents running aground.
3. Use Marine AIS (automatic identification system). Tells you where other boats are around you. Tells other boats that you are there. Prevents getting run over.

The Million Dollar Question: When do you use a fog horn?
Fog horns were invented so stationary objects, like lighthouses, could sound their presence. The low tone travels farther in the fog than a high tone. Nowadays, these horns are automated. There is a fog horn on the buoy at the harbor entrance that is turned on for foggy days. I think I would sound our horn until the can ran out of air! An air horn is required safety equipment on an ocean going vessel and the Coast Guard probably has some guidelines for using it. Any suggestions?

July Gloom

2010-07-17T23:04:00.000-07:00

We drove inland this morning for errands and work stuff. We drove 30 miles from the beach, due East. It was 97 degrees! 97' F.

At approximately 13:00, we drove back to the ocean front. It was a gloomy 62' F! Over a 30 degree difference! JULY GLOOM! Arrrgh! Socked in.

If there is one thing that we've had to make peace with it is this. Living by the beach means living through May Gray, or June Gloom, or July, or whatever. I've written about this in past posts with respect to the Vitamin D deficiency and lack of sunlight. It is no joke, but I think I've made my peace with it. I think. . . .

I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it's not the answer. ~Jim Carrey

Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

If you surrender to the wind, you can ride it. ~Toni Morrison

Why join the Yacht Club

2010-07-12T22:23:00.000-07:00

The idea of actually joining the yacht club has come up several times lately and it is still a bit strange. I never thought I would be a member of a yacht club, mainly because of the stereotypes associated with it. Basically the same reason I will never own a Porsche (except the old ones).

Since our journey into sailing began, I have come to see the yacht club in a different light. The local yacht club offers many things:
1. The learning opportunities, the first item that I took advantage of, sailing classes!
2. The social aspect is nice.
3. Cheap drinks.
4. Organized racing for day sailors and blue ocean sailors.
5. Yacht club garage sail!
6. Harbor hospitality, a role that was unknown to me until recently.

Yacht clubs are responsible for taking care of visiting boaters and sailors. In other words, boaters from out of town just passing through. They are called "transient boats".

The yacht clubs of Santa Barbara, King's Harbor Redondo Beach, and Catalina will all be invaluable to me when I make the passage to Catalina later this summer. I will enjoy a place to anchor or dock, a clean bathroom, definitely a shower, and of course some advice on the cuisine. Most of this costs money. And herein lies the need to join the local yacht club. It is one of those things that a sailor needs must do to do his part for sailing as a whole.

Give a Little Piece of Yourself Away

2010-07-10T17:46:00.000-07:00

I was watching a tribute E Hollywood Story to Michael Jackson, on the anniversary of his death, and one of the dancers from his last tour said that MJ taught them "to conserve their energy". He said, "Don't give anything away for free."

When I heard this it reminded me of something one of my friends said. She said about facebook, "Everytime you get on there you give a little bit of yourself away."

I think there is something to this. There are things that we long to share, human being to human being. Sharing our thoughts and feelings is a cheap way to learn from other people's mistakes. It is a fundamental part of relationships. But, what about powerful, famous people...getting to hear their thoughts is pricey entertainment, right?

Blogging walks the fence on this one. It is my choice what to share. It is also a statement of worth; ie. I think this information is valuable, therefore I will charge you money for it. Or, I think this information is cheap, so I will give it to you for free. It is an interesting debate, is it not? Where do you stand?

Fourth of July Regalia and Lil' Wheels Debut Voyage

2010-07-05T18:42:00.000-07:00

We finished the work on Lil' Wheels just in time for the Fourth! The wheel project came out perfect!

The wheel project was born out of an article from Good Old Boat Magazine. This was really the first time I worked with resin and I discovered the value of using molds. As the picture in a previous post shows, working with the resin to shape the keel's wheelwell required a lot of filler and was still very bumpy.

I had to do a lot of sanding, shaping, repeated reapplications of resin in order to get an "acceptable" outcome. In hindsight, I think that making a resin mold would have produced a far superior end result.

I do have a couple of things to fix on Lil Wheels already. There is a small leak somewhere in the centerboard slot that will need to sealed. We also ripped out one of the oar locks on a bathroom run to shore during the BBQ. The work is never done. The fireworks barge! LOVE IT!The starboard side oarlock broke off!

Lil' Wheels Rehab Project

2010-07-02T20:02:00.000-07:00

Lil' Wheels is coming into her own!

How to follow this Blog (and others)

2010-06-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

How to Subscribe

Subscribing to a blog means that new posts are delivered to you instead of you having to check if there there’s anything new. This page explains some of the most common ways to subscribe to this blog or most others.

There are two easy ways to stay tuned: using your web browser or using one of the web sites made for that. It’ll take you some time to get everything set up, but in the long run it saves time and effort.

Using a web browser

Many web browsers can be used to follow feeds. I personally use Safari to follow blogs. Don’t get confused by some technical terms, it’s actually really easy! Here’s links to instructions for different browsers:

There are also programs made exactly for this, but in most cases using a web browser works just fine.

Web sites

There are web sites that can be used to track blogs. You will need to set up an account and add the blogs you want to follow. Typically, following a blog on these these sites makes it rate better there, so it’s a good way to support your favorites blogs.

My recommendation is Technorati. It’s a famous blog search engine. To follow a blog, just add it to favorites.

A Little Lovin' for Lil'Wheels

2010-06-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

We painted the interior with topside white. It is glaringly white. We have doubts about this choice, but we'll go with it for a while and see if it doesn't fade with time. (Does white fade? Actually, I think it does with oxidation.)The Captain found an idea for a wheel on the back of a dinghy in Good Old Boat. We are attempting to add this feature. It still requires some work with fiberglass resin to make it seamless with the original keel. In hindsight, making a resin mold would have been better than shaping it in place. We'll post our final results soon!

Writing!

2010-06-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

So, on a personal note, we have been blogging for about 6 months now. It is the overflow from our hearts to share our experiences. But, we both, the Captain and I, have a fascination with writing. Hence, the "Pimp My Novel" and "Writes in the City" on our blogroll. We all have our projects and our side projects. I must say that the commitment to a blog does require tenacity. We have plowed our way through a couple blocks so far.

This post is to announce our SHEER EXCITEMENT and TEMENDOUS JOY to be attending the Cuesta College Writers' Conference this September. We have signed up for 4 classes each. There were 32 to choose from.

The Captain is taking:
1. Creative Non-Fiction: One Theme, Many Voices
2. Marketing, Publishing & New Media
3. Infusing Historical Research into Your Writing
4. Getting Your First Novel Published

The First Mate is taking:
1. Editing: An Acquisition Editor Polishes Your First Pages
2. Publishing Nonfiction: Strategies to Make it Happen
3. Spiritual Writing for Today's Marketplace
4. Personal Essay: How Deep Do We Dig?

Aren't you on the edge of your seat too? I can't wait!!!!!

New Gear: The Tiller Tamer

2010-06-21T20:56:00.001-07:00

After having Training Wheels for almost a year now, I have gotten pretty good at the tiller tag. This game happens anytime I need to go to the bow (front) of the ship while motoring or sailing. It only takes about 60 seconds before the wind, current, or weather-helm (tendency for the boat to turn into wind) moves the boat in a different direction and I am racing back to the tiller to get back on course. Then back up to the job I was doing and back again. You get the picture. I installed a Tiller Tamer on the Training Wheels to allow a larger window of time away from the tiller while moving. It's not really an autopilot but it does the basic part I need and fits in well with my goal to avoid any electronic components.

How it works: a line is secured on both sides of the boat at least 12 inches from the tiller and runs through a tension device mounted on the tiller. Set the tiller on the course desired and tighten the lines to hold the tiller in place. I installed the tension device on the bottom of the tiller because I wanted to mount the cam cleat holds for the line near the bottom of the cockpit.

So far the tiller Tamer has done the job but as I have said it's no autopilot. It only lasts about 3-4 minutes before the boat is off course since constant adjustments are usually required to go straight in a channel.

Two Notables: Morro Rock and the Power Plant

2010-06-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

The two most recognized landmarks in our town--and in the Bay--are the Morro Rock and the Dynergy Power Plant. These sisters have quite the history.

The Morro Rock is 581 foot tall volcanic "plug" located at the mouth of the bay. Climbing on the rock or disturbing its wildlife is strictly forbidden. The Chumash tribe considers it sacred ground. Birders love the rock for the peregrine falcon reserve. Winds change direction erratically when travelling around the rock, creating difficult sailing conditions immediately around the rock. This means that sailboats must motor in and out of the bay. Sailing out of the bay, beside the rock, is difficult.

The Power Plant was built back in the 1950's by Dynergy. It was previously owned and operated by PG&E. Currently, it creates reliable power for the central coast by natural gas. The future of its tall stacks are unknown. New plans to modernize the plant include removal of these "eye sores".

Morry Bay Yacht Club and other local resources . . .

2010-06-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

he Morro Bay Yacht club is one of the most happinin' places in town! Here is a little photographic tour of other local offerings. We love our little fishing village! We hope you do too!

Second Careen, Second Look at the Seacocks

2010-06-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

As the Lakers corral the Celtics back in LA and we all get annoyed with the South African horn blowers,

the Captain careened the boat last night with the goal to:
1. Make sure rudder is straight
2. Clean the bottom of boat
3. Disconnect Head for removal.

#1&2 accomplished. #3 still pending . . .

Introducing Our New Dinghy/Day Sailor, "Lil' Wheels"!

2010-06-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

We bought a soft-sided, inflatable 10' dinghy about 6 months ago, but it was just too cumbersome. We figured we would never be able to inflate it at sea. (This one will be for sale on craigslist very soon!)

Since the first inflation, the Captain has been searching craigslist for a new dinghy. He found the perfect one last week! It is a Sabot daysailor, but we can use it as a dinghy too. We are excited to bring Lil' Wheels to life!

Neighbor "Wilson" and Dock Drama

2010-06-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

We've grown kinda attached to our dockmates. One man, we have named "Wilson" for blog purposes, has been particularly endearing. He offers pearls of wisdom on a daily basis. He owns a 27' sailboat in the slip next to us. He is all the crusty mirth one would hope for in a neighbor! Wilson loans us all kinds of stuff: lines, ladders, polish, twine, tools.

He has even taken up our battle with the FINCHES! Can you believe it!?! The finches made a new nest in our sail!!!!! This would be the 3rd nest! Count them. Three.

We're afraid we've created a monster. Are they like homing pigeons? I think it is time to get the sparkly used car saleman lot flags! What did you call them, Captain V?

Morro Bay Yacht Club spring race

2010-06-06T22:17:00.000-07:00

Morro Bay Yacht Club ocean fleet had the "spring 2" race today. The second ocean sailing race of the spring was intended to be a Bermuda start 12 mile course race. This may not be an exact definition but a Bermuda start is where the handcaps for all the boats are taken into account at the start of race instead of after the race. A formula is used to determine how long each boat has to wait to start the race based on the boat's handicap. Kiskadee, the boat I crewed on, is supposedly the fasted boat in the fleet and has the lowest handicap. So we started last at 12:38. Unfortunately, light winds turned the race into only a 4 mile race to first marker and back. Voyager captained by Wayne Ratcliff came in first. Captain Ratcliff got a really nice coffee mug, his 1st place prize!

I crewed for Captain Peter aboard Kiskadee which is a really nice 40ft Hinkley. We started off strong, but got tired of the flapping sails and slow going after an hour and half into the cruise which we only made about a mile headway. We opened the beers and turned on the motor back to port. On the way in we saw Guyacanna aground hard and being pulled off by the kind harbor patrol.

I got some new ideas for reefing line confinguration from the other crew and how the Hinkley was set up, don't be surprised at a new post about that soon.

Memorial Day in Morro Bay

2010-06-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

It was a gorgeous weekend for sailing last weekend! The Bay was full of activity: kayakers, paddle boarders, day sailors, cruisers! The Yacht club was bustling.

We went out of the bay onto the open ocean.

How Did I Miss This?

2010-06-02T21:27:00.000-07:00

I've been reading everything online about sailing and sailboats for the last year. How did I miss this?

CNN's page MainSail

All things CNN on sailing, sailboats, sailors!
How did I miss this?

Memorial Day Weekend a.k.a. Eviction Day!

2010-06-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

With Papa Finch and Mama Finch watching . . .

Preparation for the festivities of the three day weekend started with EVICTING the FINCHES! This was not a fun task! I cannot state that enough. It was not a fun task! There was lots of tweeting and flying and flapping of wings. Lots of poop. Lots of poop.

Let me just say, "Lesson learned." I would probably never let a finch build a nest in my sail again. The sail is still a little green after washing it. The deck is a little yellowed. We will wash it all down again next weekend. The babies were cute, no doubt.

We did make it out for two BBQ/Sail/Cruise in the Bay trips with friends! We had a blast! Glad to have our boat back!

Original Drink Recipe: “Sex on the Boat”

2010-05-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

This is an original drink recipe created by yours truly, The First Mate!
Sex on the Boat
Blend Together:
¾ Cherimoya flesh
2 cups ice
1 cup coconut milk
½ banana
¾ cup rum
Garnish with slice of orange, drizzle of dark rum, and umbrella

Makes 2 drinks.
The Cherimoya, also known as custard apple or sherbert fruit, is a large tropical fruit about the size of a grapefruit. It has juicy white flesh and large black seeds. It tastes like a combination of papaya, mango, pineapple, and vanilla. This cherimoya came in our CSA box!

Enjoy!

Running a New Line for the USC Flag!

2010-05-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

Let's get our priorities straight! Football season is just around the corner! The Captain got a wonderful USC flag to fly, but we needed a new line from the mast.

We are a little hesitant to step down the mast again, after our last debacle. Hence . . . the ladder. . . Some video for your viewing pleasure. By the way, the finches are "house finches" and don't mind human beings around at all. Our presence has not deterred them in any way from pooping all over the deck. We will be scrubbing said deck tomorrow!

Sailing Teamwork and "Divorce Docking"

2010-05-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

For a sailor that mostly goes it single handed sailing I found this video on CNN about coaching and teamwork interesting. The second half of the video is where the teamwork becomes the focus. This is has increasingly been a topic of interest since I want to get the first mate more time on the water and also to avoid the weekend sporting event of "Divorce docking". This the time honored event that happens most summer weekends in a harbor near you where a husband steering a boat to dock yells orders to his wife, who has just made a perilous jump to the dock and is currently trying to control a several ton object, yells back. We have already done this a few times and I never questioned the duty assignments. Let's review; we have one job that requires a gentle touch with a little finesse and another job that requires brut force to man-handle a couple tons with momentum. Hmm.. might want to rethink those assignments.

MBYC ocean race and Today's Quote

2010-05-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

"The ocean has always been a salve to my soul...the best thing for a cut or abrasion was
to go swimming in salt water. Later down the road of life, I made the discovery that salt
water was also good for the mental abrasions one inevitably acquires on land."
-Jimmy Buffett

The Morro Bay Yacht club ocean fleet race was today and it should be an interesting day sailing if the start was any indication. The winds were close if not at a Force 5 ( 17 - 21 knots/15-24) or even up to a gale (28 knots or 31 mph) so everyone had the foul weather gear on. Then leaving the harbor not one but two boats ran aground near the harbor mouth. One boat was able to get clear but the other was aground hard and had to wait for the tide to come up a bit. Hopefully on the next race I can get some action shots to post.

Baby Bird Update: 2 Weeks Old

2010-05-21T21:21:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness these little guys are growing quick! Hopefully by next week they will be out of the nest. We are definitely sailing on Memorial Day weekend, so they have a deadline!

Where to get help about your boat . . . ONLINE

2010-05-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

This is a short note on a resource that I have found very helpful in learning the ins-n-outs of Training Wheels. This resource is Yahoo Groups.

I have had specific questions about my boat that needed to be answered. Luckily, I found a Yahoo Group for Coronado 25 sailboat owners and most of the members are even Coronado 25 owners of my exact boat. This has been a treasure trove of good information on specifics like dealing the original seacock valves or changing the drain tube on the ice box. I have rarely seen any topic not get at least 3 good responses for solutions or support.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Coronado25/

I bought this old antique thing....What is Barometric Pressure Anyways?

2010-05-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

Isn't it cool! It is an old anchor! And a barometer!

Uhmmm, yeah, and what does it do . . . . Exactly?
This is an "aneroid" barometer, as opposed to a mercury barometer. It measures atmospheric pressure. It did not come with any directions!!!

Ok, I have to admit that this post is mostly lifted from wikipedia, but the drama is to unfold: the needle is supposed to move from 29 up to 30 or down to 28, depending on the weather!
Reader beware: THIS POST IS PLAGERIZED FROM MANY SOURCES!

Average sea-level pressure is 101.325 kPa (1013.25 mbar, or hPa) or 29.921 inches of mercury (inHg) or 760 millimeters (mmHg). Apparently, I am supposed to call the local radio station or weather station or coast guard and see what the local barometric pressure is, then set my barometer to that reading. There is a screw on the back in order to do this.

It is all mechanical, so no batteries are needed. If the metal chamber cracks then the barometer will no longer work. These barometers usually have words such as “Stormy” for low pressures (980 to 1000 hPa) and “Dry” for high pressures (1020 to1030 hPa). These words are at best only a first guide to the weather and date back to Vice-Admiral (Royal Navy) Robert Fitzroy (1805-65) who first visited New Zealand with Charles Darwin on the Beagle in 1835.

Will it rain? Tap the (aneroid) barometer!

It is OK to tap the outer glass of an aneroid barometer (firmly but lightly). By so doing you shift any recent pressure change stored in the mechanical linkage to the measuring needle. The resulting slight movement indicates whether the pressure is rising, steady, or falling. If the measuring needle goes to the left then there has been a drop in pressure recently.

Saturday Morning Bike Ride and Baby Finches!

2010-05-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

We took the bikes down to get coffee. The Captain read the local paper. I read a little of Secrets of Six Figure Women. Nice foggy Saturday morning reading....

Then we went to check the Finch eggs. I was thinking it would be too early, but they already hatched!

When will we be able to sail again? We have to wait for the chicks to fly out of the nest.

It could be weeks....

And when I got home to post this, Jessica Watson completed her solo circumnavigation sail:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2010/05/15/burrows.watson.homecoming.cnn?hpt=T2

Reflections on Sailing

2010-05-13T06:41:00.000-07:00

The March/April 2010 issue of Good Old Boat ended with an interesting article by Matthew Goldman reflecting on his past love affair with the sea as the spring thaw approaches. The article is not generally written in a way that I would normally like, a little "old world" in its phrasing, but it struck a chord none the less. This reminiscing made me dream a little for the day when I am old and can look back over the years thinking fondly of the time I have spent on the water. As I am just starting out at sailing how can I apply this today?

The first thing that comes to mind is that no matter what happens I doubt I will describe in this way:
"And when I'm away upon the wind, don't look for me on your calm fetch of this world. I'll be, perhaps, in the lee of that island, yonder: be perhaps, on the far side of that billow; be, perhaps, behind that faintest of stars that lifts from the sea."

But I also notice that in his romanticized reflecting he didn’t mention about the times when things didn’t go right. Times like when in a stiff wind he couldn’t come about so decided to jibe and ended up the head sail wrapped around itself in knots or the time he ran aground because he was too busy finding the perfect spot to put his beer down. Even the repair job that took much longer than it should and still ended up sloppy looking didn’t get a mention. Why? All it takes is one good day at the tiller with a decent breeze to make any number of unpleasant memories fade away. It is good thing to remember in general that no matter how tough things are now and how much work is yet to be done, in the end we will remember the good times most and it will all be worth it.

A Bird in the Sail is Worth Two in the Bush

2010-05-11T21:29:00.000-07:00

We spent the afternoon of Mother's Day on the Boat.

Mother's Day ALERT!!!

We discovered that our little finch friend had built a new nest and laid eggs!!! I guess this mean that we can't go sailing for a while. How long do finch eggs take to hatch? How much bird poop do little finches make?

Bustin Loose: A Very Impressive Sailboat Seen in Monterey

2010-05-09T21:06:00.000-07:00

Check out this yacht! She is yar! (As Sarah Jessica Parker would say in Failure to Launch)
I think I have yacht lust. But, I know that this boat is way out of our league! It was a beauty to watch though!

Interesting Seal Behavior in Monterey

2010-05-06T18:26:00.000-07:00

There were about ten seals floating in the water with their fins up in the air.

It was the weirdest thing! I thought maybe it was a mating ritual. They were all just floating there peacefully with tails and arms and noses in the air. I googled this phenomenon and it seems that they are just trying to cool off! Sticking a fin in the air is similar to throwing sand on one's back, I guess!

But, it did get a lot of attention!

A Weekend Out of Town!

2010-05-04T20:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry, we have been delinquent bloggers recently. The Captain ran his first marathon, the Big Sur International Marathon! It was a well organized event on the Central Coast. Lots of spectacular vistas and amazing ocean scenery!

And we went to the marina in Monterey! Lots to share! The next couple posts will be about this marina visit. We saw some pretty funny and interesting harbor and dockside life. Look and see for yourself.

We walked the board walk and got lunch on the sunny, warm patio.

And we found a potential buyer for our extra outboard motor! Just Kidding. But, it was a funny sight:

Happy Sailing, Mizzen! One day we may meet on the ocean blue!

I will post more on our Monterey visit. Stay tuned!

Sailing in Heavy Weather

2010-04-28T23:07:00.000-07:00

I recently received from my netflix queue the video "Sailing in Heavy Weather" from the Better Sailing Series hosted by Mark Schrader. I have watched...actually I tried to watch some other sailing videos on Netflix but never got that far into them before turning them off. Either the sound of the wind howling in the microphone was so loud you couldn't understand the speaking, the video camera pointing one direction would be constantly showing nothing important, or the Miami Vice 80's haircut and outfits would drive me to turn it off. "Sailing in Heavy Weather" was mostly upto date and overall pretty well produced especially concerning the conditions.

There are quite a few good nuggets of information in the video but main points I learned for my beginning skill level is below;

Practice reefing before you need to reef. During a 30 + knot gail is not when you want to be figuring things out.
Practice often. Knowing how to reef is good but knowing how to reef very quicking is even better. It is quite difficult to keep enough slack in the sails by heading up in heavy weather to allow the sail to come down. The tension may only be off the sail for a minute before a wave or wind pushes the boat away from the wind direction putting tension back onto the sail.
There are two ways to handle heavy seas, passively by battoning down the hatches and waiting it out underneath and actively by sailing. Todays modern boat designs generally do better by being actively sailed. After watching the video I still not totally sure what to do in a Coronoda 25. It is not a modern boat but I think I would be more comfortable trying to actively steer the boat but I doubt I could keep it up that long.
Reef early before the heaviest wind comes then test the balance of the boat to see how it handles. Many Captians get in trouble because they reef down too much and can't control the boat. Find the balance of power and heeling that allows the boat to be steered well by lettling out more cloth.

There was a section on heaving to in the video that I think was done well but I will go into a deeper discussion on this in a later blog as setting your sails so that you make no very handy thing to be able to do.

Yay Dinghies!!!

2010-04-22T22:06:00.000-07:00

Staying Overnight in the Boat

2010-04-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

The First Mate was working so I flea-bombed the house. It was a toxic flea-killing zone! I decided to stay overnight on the boat. In the slip!

I haven't stayed overnight on the boat for a while. Every boating activity is a learning experience and this was no different. I went down to the boat at about 2200. It was already dark, but I hooked up the power to the dock outlet. I had a night cap, read a little, then went to bed.

I learned that I definitely prefer sleeping anywhere but the V-berth. I am not that tall, only 5'9", and I find it difficult to fit in the V-berth. After rolling around a good part of the night trying to find a good angle to stretch out, I was awoken by the sound of rain. I always thought it would be soothing to be in the boat during a rain storm but it was actually fairly loud with the rain hittting the deck.

When I decided to get up I realized I needed two things. First, I need to fix the head because going out in the rain in the morning is not fun. Secondly, I need to get a stove in the boat. I had planned to make some coffee on the BBQ attached to the aft railing, but this was not too appealing in the rain. I ended up going home at 0830.

Sounds like a bad night, but oddly enough I still had a good time. Gotta love the boating life! Especially after I went to the Blue Bean for my morning caffine fix.