Back Yard No More!

Status
Not open for further replies.
Oct 2, 2008
1,424
Island Packet 31 Brunswick, Ga
:dance:
Yep, We did it! We spent the weekend on the boat, and sailed most of the day saturday! I could not have done it without all the GREAT help i got here.

The bottom paint had gone on the weekend before, and we got the mast up, but i had to leave her just short of splashing and come back home and to work.

But when this weekend hit i was ready. We did a few final things, hung the outboard, and carefully backed the trailer into the water. The boat floated prettily off the trailer, with no one on board! The rope my wife was holding was not secured and as she and i watched, My Girl floated into the lake all by herself. (second picture below) Fortunately I had a friend at the club who had his boat ready to go out and he made a dash and hauled her back to the dock.

After he rescued my runaway boat and pulled her back to the dock, i could not get my outboard engine to start. That really disappointed me because i had put new spark-plugs in, checked the fuel line, checked the filter and gas flow to the engine, etc. I finally figured out that the engine starts a lot easier if you plug the wires back onto the spark-plugs!

By the time we got her to our slip and tied up, it was too late to get everything ready to sail, so we ate dinner and went to sleep. The next day was perfect though. The wind was not too strong.This allowed us to make lots of mistakes with sail handling and running rigging with out causing any damage. i began with a small jib, but changed to a larger lighter Jenny which seemed to do great. There were about five other sailboats out for the day from the Rome Sailing Club. We had a great time, and a great dinner afterward. Grog rations were doubled, or maybe even trippled! ;)

Hey Joe, how do you like my "auto pilot"! (the rope on the rudder!)

Thanks for all the help! Now maybe i can focus a little more on sailing! I can't wait to get back out there!

Keith
 

Attachments

Oct 21, 2005
205
Oday 26 Indian Cove, Guilford, CT LIS
Congratulations! Looks good! Can't wait to get ours going. Sometime mid May.

Your trees don't look any farther along than ours. We are running about 3 to 4 weeks ahead of normal. The weather has truly been wacky.
 
Sep 25, 2008
992
Oday 25 Gibraltar
Yeah, congratulations. Looks like the boat was as anxious as you to get going.
I'm hoping to have mine in by Memorial Day.
Enjoy.

Rich
 
Oct 2, 2008
1,424
Island Packet 31 Brunswick, Ga
Thanks rich and rick, what a blast. You guys know what i mean when say it is a thrilll to have the tiller in one hand, and adjust the sheets with the other hand until you "get that curve" to the leech of the sails and that feel on the rudder and the bubble of water increases a bit!
 
Sep 25, 2008
992
Oday 25 Gibraltar
You're gonna have to change your signature. You ain't the backyard sailor anymore.

Rich
 
Dec 8, 2006
1,085
Oday 26 Starr, SC
Changing signature ...

You're gonna have to change your signature. You ain't the backyard sailor anymore.

Rich
Keith,

Let me see what would work? Socialist Sailor, Greek Sailor, Goose Killer, you need to choose something appropriate...

Ed K
 

Attachments

Oct 2, 2008
1,424
Island Packet 31 Brunswick, Ga
Re: Changing signature ...

well nothing that important..like to keep things simple, so, well, here it is..
Keith
 
Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
:dance:
Yep, We did it! We spent the weekend on the boat, and sailed most of the day saturday! I could not have done it without all the GREAT help i got here.

The bottom paint had gone on the weekend before, and we got the mast up, but i had to leave her just short of splashing and come back home and to work.

But when this weekend hit i was ready. We did a few final things, hung the outboard, and carefully backed the trailer into the water. The boat floated prettily off the trailer, with no one on board! The rope my wife was holding was not secured and as she and i watched, My Girl floated into the lake all by herself. (second picture below) Fortunately I had a friend at the club who had his boat ready to go out and he made a dash and hauled her back to the dock.

After he rescued my runaway boat and pulled her back to the dock, i could not get my outboard engine to start. That really disappointed me because i had put new spark-plugs in, checked the fuel line, checked the filter and gas flow to the engine, etc. I finally figured out that the engine starts a lot easier if you plug the wires back onto the spark-plugs!

By the time we got her to our slip and tied up, it was too late to get everything ready to sail, so we ate dinner and went to sleep. The next day was perfect though. The wind was not too strong.This allowed us to make lots of mistakes with sail handling and running rigging with out causing any damage. i began with a small jib, but changed to a larger lighter Jenny which seemed to do great. There were about five other sailboats out for the day from the Rome Sailing Club. We had a great time, and a great dinner afterward. Grog rations were doubled, or maybe even trippled! ;)

Hey Joe, how do you like my "auto pilot"! (the rope on the rudder!)

Thanks for all the help! Now maybe i can focus a little more on sailing! I can't wait to get back out there!

Keith
Keith,
The rope on the tiller to hold the rudder straight is great idea, but you may want to sew a piece of leather around your tiller for chafe protection. Congrats on the splash!
Smooth Sailing!
Joe
 

Attachments

Oct 2, 2008
1,424
Island Packet 31 Brunswick, Ga
Keith,
The rope on the tiller to hold the rudder straight is great idea, but you may want to sew a piece of leather around your tiller for chafe protection. Congrats on the splash!
Smooth Sailing!
Joe
good idea fuzzy, i gotta put that on the list. i have already rubbed the varnish off it there, but heck i was having so much fun i didn't even mind!
 
Jan 24, 2005
4,881
Oday 222 Dighton, Ma.
good idea fuzzy, i gotta put that on the list. i have already rubbed the varnish off it there, but heck i was having so much fun i didn't even mind!
Just wrap a rag around the tiller handle for now Keith until you pick up some leather.

Fuzzy
 
Status
Not open for further replies.