Temporary relocation, temporarily?

[Kings Gambit]

So, the home port of me Bavaria 38E has changed, with some sadness, from Ventura Harbor to Alamitos Bay in Long Beach. It was quite interesting moving the boat solo this past weekend from Ventura to AB (70 n. mi.) with Santa Ana winds around. Saturday afternoon a short hop from Ventura to Channel Islands Harbor was no biggie. However, that night the forecast came in with an SCA until 3:00 pm on Sunday--the next day. By 9:00 am Sunday wind gusts to 43 kt were inside Channel Islands Harbor (according to my anemometer). Waited until 3:00 pm but then SCA was extended to 8:00 pm. Arose around 0400 Monday to find that the SCA had been extended to 0300 Monday on the previous forecast. Next forecast time would be near 0900, so decided to go with the general big picture weather synopsis which called for diminishing winds by Monday afternoon in the weather zone of Long Beach. Barely one hour out of harbor (departing at 0610) between Port Hueneme and Point Mugu I get the 25-35 kt SA winds on the port bow. Power sailing (i.e., diesel + No. 2 genoa) the boat is getting thoroughly sprayed although the wind waves were not high. Passing Pt. Mugu near 0830 the winds started to shut down and before long it's smooth, and warmish; light wind (< 5 kt) on the nose. Arrived to Long Beach right at sunset. She now lies only 4 miles from home in a brand new slip. Don't know for how long, tho--the Sirens Song of the rugged northern Channel Islands tugs strongly.

Santa Ana Winds off Pt. Mugu, CA

 

[jssailem]

Moving to a new home can always be an adventure.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Just about every time the boat leaves the slip, there is potentially adventure. I did not even tell the whole story about this adventure. So, just passing the east end of the Long Beach Breakwater and heading dead on for the entrance to Alamitos Bay, with a favorable (broad reach) 9-10 kt wind now, I decided to sail the last little bit of daylight as the mainsail was already up. Of course, my SOG dropped on shutting down the diesel but since I did not have far left to go to destination I did not care. I did not wish to feel any more vibration after a full day of it, so I stuck the prop in reverse. I noticed the incoming tide as I passed one of the buoys in the channel. Sailing to within a few tens of meters of a side-tie where I meant to spend the night, I decided to drop the sails. So I cranked the diesel and heard a funny sound as it started. Seeing it was still in reverse, I immediately shifted to neutral. Within a few seconds all of this grey smoke started billowing out of the engine compartment. Off with the diesel! I knew that I had fried my starter solenoid once again; so no engine. (BTW, I'm by myself.)

Suddenly now I'm "sailing" at low (< 1 kt) speed (+ incoming tide drift) in the midst of a bunch of rowers (long boats) beginning their Monday evening practice. (Those boats were facing every which way at that moment.) The only place to which I could get me boat in time to avoid being forced to anchor or foul an upcoming bridge with me mast was an end-tie a few boat lengths ahead and leeward of me on the other side of the rowers. Of course both sails were still up; there were no dock lines or fenders out of the lockers. I opened the stb locker and managed to get a couple of fenders out and untangled three lines; hailed the rowers to make room for me or risk collision, fixed the fenders and dock lines, brought the boat along side the end-tie, hopped off, and stopped her with a line to the mid-ship cleat. I then quickly dropped the mainsail, furled the genoa and finished securing the boat. I then received kudos from the rowers' coaches watching it all from the next dock over.

I had an appointment to have the boat inspected the next day at 0800 by the marina office (which means it had to be able to move under its own power). Fortunately, I had a another starter aboard; so, within a half-an-hour (now around 1800) I had the boat fixed. Started the diesel and went over to that side-tie elsewhere where I had permission to spend the night. Passed inspection the next day and took possession of me new slip.

 

[justsomeguy]

Disaster skillfully avoided.

 

[jssailem]

@Kings Gambit There is nothing like doing it with Flair...

Some times it just looks simple.
Heard a coach say, "Stay calm like a duck sitting on a pond, but paddle furiously under the surface to stay a float."