6/19/2010.
Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh NY, USA 12:00 hours. 20-30 knots SE wind. 2-3 foot waves. Sunny and warm.
First time out with the new Vega.
Trouble starting the engine and getting it to get up to speed (Volvo md6a combi). It would start but barely run. I could only get it to develop a good idle rpm that would turn off the oil pressure and generator lights after stopping the engine and restarting it a few times. It did not inspire confidence. Battery was fully charged due to 15w solar panel and charge controller I'd installed a two weeks earlier. Didn't understand about the fume evacuator fan until later, and the cabin had unenjoyable vapors in it while running.
After I finally got the engine to develop good idle rpm and therefore forward and reverse throttling capability, we cast off and headed southeast into the wind. Raised the main and cut the engine. Headed for Valcour Island.
It'd been a month since we'd taken possession of the Vega and sailed it with the help of the gracious previous owner 10 miles south to her new home in Plattsburg. Before that we hadn't sailed much ever..just tech dinghies and lasersnothing over 19'. This is to impart that our skills are both novice and rusty. Going out on a powerful day with decent swells was nerve wracking and stressful, but provided a challenge for us to meet and overcome.
We had to re-learn balancing the sails and trimmming the main for comfort for the given conditions. After an hour or two, we'd experimented with unfurling the jib and set it at 50% to help balance the main, although we should've reefed the main also. We re-learned trimming the sails for powerful conditions in a challenging setting.
Using the lavatory with the boat bucking like a bronco was an exercise in willpower! Even thought about padding some parts of the woodwork with foam to prevent concussions!
2 hour beat to windward with one accidental tack got us to Valcour island to find every sailboat on the lake already anchored there. As we'd never anchored before, our first attempts provided much amusement for the onlookers (STRESS for us) and a few moments of apprehension among our neighboring cruisers.
The engine was not working well. We couldn't get it to good idle rpm reliably, and I haven't even tried the Vega in reverse, let alone in tight quarters. We should've just headed back to the docks, but exhauseted and tense, we tried three times to set anchor in a dense flock of other sailboats with our engine not giving use power on demand when needed.
Had a hair-raising drift close to one boat while dragging anchor and trying to set it. I couldn't get the engine to develop good rpm and give throttling capability into either forward or reverse (since I'd turned the engine off after dropping the ancor and had to restart it), so we had to drift sideways blown by the wind through a close-call with this other boat. Thankfully we didn't come closer than 10 feet from their stern.
After three tries, we gave up and headed back to the marina. The forecast had changed completely from good sailing conditions with nice weather for camping on the island to rain and thunderstorms and high winds. We couldn't set anchor, and we were having engine issues.
Nice tail wind and following waves on the return trip, we stopped the engine and went to sail and returned to the docks in half an hour with an exhillarating ride and sighs of relief that we'd soon be back on land and could get dinner.
Coming into the boat yard without confidence in the engine and the feeling that if I put it into reverse she'd die completely was another stressful experience. Thankfully, two sailors met us on the dock and took our lines and helped us in. Getting blown sideways into our slip without steering control and no engine power was hairy! It reduced rpm's to an unacceptable and barely running level just as I throttled down when we were turning into our slip, and then it wouldn't power back up when needed. 6/22/2010.
Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh NY, USA
12:00 hours, 0-10 knots SE, no waves/lake like glass.
Sunny and warm.
Ten minutes trying to get the engine to sdevelop good running idle rpm. Multiple engine kills and restarts eventually resulted in decent neutral idle speed and ability to accelerate in both forward and reverse.
We headed out, raised the main, killed the engine, and deployed the roller furling gneoa 150%. Smooth sailing. Almost boring! Felt so easy and gentle and kind that the crew, who were both new to sailing but had been on the previous adventure on 6/19, remarked how much they were enjoying themselves and felt like they knew what to do and were capable this time around.
Two hours into windward sailing to Valcour island, we decided to practice reverse to see how the Vega controls in that direction. We experimented for quite a while until we thought we had a decent understanding of the reverse handling characteristics. Unfortunately the floating yellow plastice dinghy tow line got fouled in the propeller during one manouver. We'd been very careful but not careful enough, and even though it was a floating line it still managed to get caught in the propeller this time.
I stopped the engine immediately and dove in with goggles and knife to check it out. It was my first time jumping into the lake, and it made me nervous with all that deep black water beneath me. It was just a bit of fear being in such a large deep expanse of water. That was very "edgy" for me, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. There was no wind, and we were in open water far from the islands and shoals and there wasn't much of any boat traffic, so we just sat there. At least we didn't have to worry about high wind and heavy seas!
Inspection of the prop (combi) revealed about four or five turns of the yellow line around the shaft just fore of the prop blades and just aft of the deadwood/hull/bearing. It came off easily just by unwrapping it with my hand, and I didn't need the knife. The line had been either cut or torn apart in two places, as evidenced by a piece of line two feet long that I pulled off the shaft.
There was no evidence of damage to the blades or bearing, and there were no visible strands of the yellow line on the blade pivot points or around the drive shaft or bearing. It was remarkably and thankfully clean and true.
Restarting the engine was the usual trouble, but this time, after starting, it didn't want to go into forward or reverse easily at all. I had to work it back and forth many times to get it to free up at all.
Then I did another edgy thing and inspected the prop while it was turning under water. I jumped in with goggles on and had the first mate shift between neutral and forward while I was watching underwater and hanging on as securely as possible to make sure not to get drawn into the blades. The prop rotated without problem, but it appeared as the angle of the blades was not changing much. We could get the engine to rev, but the attack angle of the blades didn't seem to increase to the proper amount for the given rpm. There was a little vibration at each revolution of the shaft, but I am not sure weather or not that was there before this trouble with the dinghy line getting fouled.
I went back to the cockpit to try to work the blades free and into a better pitch for going forward. I mean that I was moving the lever in the cockpit from neutral to forward a bit and then back to neutral. I repeated this over and over pressing a little harder each successive time until I finally got the blades into forward and could notice the boat moving forward. The engine got to full rpm but the boat never got to full speed.
So my buest estimate is that the variable pitch control mechanism was detuned or damaged. We couldn't even get it into reverse from that point out, let alone feathering. So we just plodded along at 3 knots thankful that we didn't have to call for a tow.
We reached Sloop Cove of Valcour Island and dropped our heavier anchor this time between only two other sailboats. We couldn't really believe that we were adequately secured for many minutes. After about a half an hour of nervously worrying about drifting, we finally came to believe that we could relax and be secure in our anchorage. WHEW!The forecast was calling for south wind changing to west 0-10 with rain and possible thunderstorms, and we debated about staying in the cove or heading home again. I spoke with the two other skippers, who also were spending their first night in this cove ever. Consensus was that it was well protected from both the south and the west and that the conditions were acceptible for a moderately comfortable overnight.
It would be our first night at anchor ever, our first time in Sloop Cove and the East coast of Valcour Island, and our first night aboard the vega out of her slip or dry dock.
We rowed ashore to explore the island and check out Smugglers Cove to the south, which is reputed by the Lake Champlain cruising guide to be one of the most scenic areas of the lake. It was stunning. Rock cliffs rise out of the water and are capped by tall evergreens. By foot you experience the grounds covered with delicious thick moss, lush undergrowth, wild strawberries and mushrooms. Loons, mallards, and herons were heard. Nice outhouses whitewashed on the inside with dry toilet paper, candles, brooms, and such made a nice welcome to the weary sailor. We were so happy to find the Vega sitting pretty on her anchor when we returned, but she was getting tossed heavily where she was.
Back on the boat, we decided to move her further into the cove. While rowing ashore we'd realized how long the cove actually was an how far out theVega was. We started the engine and were able to get it into forward at a slow speed. We motored into the cove further and cut the engine. Dropped the anchor and then debated about how close we were to the other two boats still.
The depth sounder has not yet worked for us so we were in this cove without an electronic depth reading. The chart wasn't that good, so I dove in to find only about 1.5 feet under the keel. It appeared that we were on a shelf and this depth continued at least 50 feet in each direction around the anchor without lessening, but we were not yet comfortable with our position relative to the other boats after experiencing serious anchor drag on the 19th.
So, I put the anchor in the dinghy and towed the Vega in a bit more. It was exciting to learn that I could tow the vega by rowing the dinghy (there is no outboard on the dink at this time). It made me want to get two proper oars for the vega that we could affix to the winches for close quarters manouvering without an engine.
Finally happy with our position, we remarked at how calm it was at our new position compared to where we were further out.
Checked the weather radar (USB cellular Verizon Wireless internet connection on a laptop) and checked out GPS location (GPSnavX on a mac PowerBook G4 with a hockey puck receiver and NOAA charts) to see what the chart said about our location in the cove. Looked like we were going to get hit with a thunderstorm from the west, but that it would pass and clear for the overnight.
I placed a small tarp over the boom to make a rain fly so we could keep the companionway hatch open in the coming rain, and that turned out to be the best idea yet. Hoisted the Davis mega utility light for the first time to mark us at anchor. Cast the dinghy out astern with a backup safety line in addition to the tow line in case we got hammered by a real blow. The ladies made an amazing dinner.
Woke many times in the night nervous about drifting into the other boats, ashore, or out to the open water. Each check revealed no apparent drift. I want a compass to mount upside down above the v-berth where my wife and I sleep (Like Frank & Tine DeBaggis have on their Vega) so I can look up while at rest and know our heading). I also want to set up my laptop so that I can leave it running all night with the GPS program's anchor alarm / drift alarm turned on.
6/23/2010
Sloop Cove, Valcour Island, Lake Champlain, NY, USA
0-5 knots light & variable wind. Water calm, like glass.
Overcast, warm. Visibility 2-4 miles.
Pulled anchor, started the engine and got it to go into forward at maybe two to three knots. Motored around the southern end of the island and then north along the west coast past the light house. Beautiful cliffs and coves. A few choice camp sites along the way. Set the tiller with a rope and went forward with the ladies to hang out on the foredeck.
It was pure leisurely cruising with good company and no worries.
North of the island we got a little wind and raised sails and killed the engine. The sun came out slowly and the day became glorious as we neared our home port again. We decided to stay out and enjoy the beautiful weather a bit, and we dropped anchor out in the middle of the bay. 60' did it, and we didn't drag. We all put on our swim suits and jumped it.
Then I put my camping hammock between the forestay and the mast. We relaxed out on the open water with ever-bluer skies for a few hours before deciding to head in around 18:00 hours. Again we came in without reverse and with fear of our engine losing its ability to develop power when needed. Two sailors took our lines and helped us in, and we tied to our slip with relief at how easy it actually turned out to be.
Things to do:
Check the combi's prop pitch adjustment design to see if it can simply be adjusted.
Find out why the engine is difficult to develop power and authority.
Consider if the boat needs to be short hauled to check the prop, cutlass bearing, and shaft.
Develop a better dinghy towing system or get the "dinghy tow" system.
Figure out the depth finder. Fix it or replace it.
Fix and test the gimbaled alcohol two burner stove.
Other things of note to improve our enjoyment aboard:
Padding for the mast support beam to protect against head-bumps
Small sighting compass to hang around neck for use in cockpit
Mirror for head or galley
Tiller extension so we can sit on the gunwales and steer.
Dinghy cover to protect from UV and rain
LED cabin lights
Screens for hatch and companionway
Small spice rack and set for galley
Canoe paddles for the dinghy so that two can paddle, one on each side, like a river raft
Hardware to connect the fresh water tank to the galley and head sinks
Curtains for the ports
Silverware tray
Carpet for the salon
Mat for cleaning shoes when coming aboard
Clothes pins for hanging wet things from lifelines
Pouches to mount to the bulkhead to hold items like winch handle and air horn while in cockpit
Clipboard to hold chart while in cockpit
Inspect the engine exhaust and investigate routing it below water or placing a backflow preventing rubber flap on it.
Get mask, fins, and snorkel, and maybe a "spare-air" or pony tank to make short one to two minute dives to check the hull/prop/etc under the waterline.
Get a Deitz oil or kerosene lamp to hoist as an anchor light so as not to need electricity or as a backup in case electricity fails.
Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh NY, USA 12:00 hours. 20-30 knots SE wind. 2-3 foot waves. Sunny and warm.
First time out with the new Vega.
Trouble starting the engine and getting it to get up to speed (Volvo md6a combi). It would start but barely run. I could only get it to develop a good idle rpm that would turn off the oil pressure and generator lights after stopping the engine and restarting it a few times. It did not inspire confidence. Battery was fully charged due to 15w solar panel and charge controller I'd installed a two weeks earlier. Didn't understand about the fume evacuator fan until later, and the cabin had unenjoyable vapors in it while running.
After I finally got the engine to develop good idle rpm and therefore forward and reverse throttling capability, we cast off and headed southeast into the wind. Raised the main and cut the engine. Headed for Valcour Island.
It'd been a month since we'd taken possession of the Vega and sailed it with the help of the gracious previous owner 10 miles south to her new home in Plattsburg. Before that we hadn't sailed much ever..just tech dinghies and lasersnothing over 19'. This is to impart that our skills are both novice and rusty. Going out on a powerful day with decent swells was nerve wracking and stressful, but provided a challenge for us to meet and overcome.
We had to re-learn balancing the sails and trimmming the main for comfort for the given conditions. After an hour or two, we'd experimented with unfurling the jib and set it at 50% to help balance the main, although we should've reefed the main also. We re-learned trimming the sails for powerful conditions in a challenging setting.
Using the lavatory with the boat bucking like a bronco was an exercise in willpower! Even thought about padding some parts of the woodwork with foam to prevent concussions!
2 hour beat to windward with one accidental tack got us to Valcour island to find every sailboat on the lake already anchored there. As we'd never anchored before, our first attempts provided much amusement for the onlookers (STRESS for us) and a few moments of apprehension among our neighboring cruisers.
The engine was not working well. We couldn't get it to good idle rpm reliably, and I haven't even tried the Vega in reverse, let alone in tight quarters. We should've just headed back to the docks, but exhauseted and tense, we tried three times to set anchor in a dense flock of other sailboats with our engine not giving use power on demand when needed.
Had a hair-raising drift close to one boat while dragging anchor and trying to set it. I couldn't get the engine to develop good rpm and give throttling capability into either forward or reverse (since I'd turned the engine off after dropping the ancor and had to restart it), so we had to drift sideways blown by the wind through a close-call with this other boat. Thankfully we didn't come closer than 10 feet from their stern.
After three tries, we gave up and headed back to the marina. The forecast had changed completely from good sailing conditions with nice weather for camping on the island to rain and thunderstorms and high winds. We couldn't set anchor, and we were having engine issues.
Nice tail wind and following waves on the return trip, we stopped the engine and went to sail and returned to the docks in half an hour with an exhillarating ride and sighs of relief that we'd soon be back on land and could get dinner.
Coming into the boat yard without confidence in the engine and the feeling that if I put it into reverse she'd die completely was another stressful experience. Thankfully, two sailors met us on the dock and took our lines and helped us in. Getting blown sideways into our slip without steering control and no engine power was hairy! It reduced rpm's to an unacceptable and barely running level just as I throttled down when we were turning into our slip, and then it wouldn't power back up when needed. 6/22/2010.
Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh NY, USA
12:00 hours, 0-10 knots SE, no waves/lake like glass.
Sunny and warm.
Ten minutes trying to get the engine to sdevelop good running idle rpm. Multiple engine kills and restarts eventually resulted in decent neutral idle speed and ability to accelerate in both forward and reverse.
We headed out, raised the main, killed the engine, and deployed the roller furling gneoa 150%. Smooth sailing. Almost boring! Felt so easy and gentle and kind that the crew, who were both new to sailing but had been on the previous adventure on 6/19, remarked how much they were enjoying themselves and felt like they knew what to do and were capable this time around.
Two hours into windward sailing to Valcour island, we decided to practice reverse to see how the Vega controls in that direction. We experimented for quite a while until we thought we had a decent understanding of the reverse handling characteristics. Unfortunately the floating yellow plastice dinghy tow line got fouled in the propeller during one manouver. We'd been very careful but not careful enough, and even though it was a floating line it still managed to get caught in the propeller this time.
I stopped the engine immediately and dove in with goggles and knife to check it out. It was my first time jumping into the lake, and it made me nervous with all that deep black water beneath me. It was just a bit of fear being in such a large deep expanse of water. That was very "edgy" for me, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. There was no wind, and we were in open water far from the islands and shoals and there wasn't much of any boat traffic, so we just sat there. At least we didn't have to worry about high wind and heavy seas!
Inspection of the prop (combi) revealed about four or five turns of the yellow line around the shaft just fore of the prop blades and just aft of the deadwood/hull/bearing. It came off easily just by unwrapping it with my hand, and I didn't need the knife. The line had been either cut or torn apart in two places, as evidenced by a piece of line two feet long that I pulled off the shaft.
There was no evidence of damage to the blades or bearing, and there were no visible strands of the yellow line on the blade pivot points or around the drive shaft or bearing. It was remarkably and thankfully clean and true.
Restarting the engine was the usual trouble, but this time, after starting, it didn't want to go into forward or reverse easily at all. I had to work it back and forth many times to get it to free up at all.
Then I did another edgy thing and inspected the prop while it was turning under water. I jumped in with goggles on and had the first mate shift between neutral and forward while I was watching underwater and hanging on as securely as possible to make sure not to get drawn into the blades. The prop rotated without problem, but it appeared as the angle of the blades was not changing much. We could get the engine to rev, but the attack angle of the blades didn't seem to increase to the proper amount for the given rpm. There was a little vibration at each revolution of the shaft, but I am not sure weather or not that was there before this trouble with the dinghy line getting fouled.
I went back to the cockpit to try to work the blades free and into a better pitch for going forward. I mean that I was moving the lever in the cockpit from neutral to forward a bit and then back to neutral. I repeated this over and over pressing a little harder each successive time until I finally got the blades into forward and could notice the boat moving forward. The engine got to full rpm but the boat never got to full speed.
So my buest estimate is that the variable pitch control mechanism was detuned or damaged. We couldn't even get it into reverse from that point out, let alone feathering. So we just plodded along at 3 knots thankful that we didn't have to call for a tow.
We reached Sloop Cove of Valcour Island and dropped our heavier anchor this time between only two other sailboats. We couldn't really believe that we were adequately secured for many minutes. After about a half an hour of nervously worrying about drifting, we finally came to believe that we could relax and be secure in our anchorage. WHEW!The forecast was calling for south wind changing to west 0-10 with rain and possible thunderstorms, and we debated about staying in the cove or heading home again. I spoke with the two other skippers, who also were spending their first night in this cove ever. Consensus was that it was well protected from both the south and the west and that the conditions were acceptible for a moderately comfortable overnight.
It would be our first night at anchor ever, our first time in Sloop Cove and the East coast of Valcour Island, and our first night aboard the vega out of her slip or dry dock.
We rowed ashore to explore the island and check out Smugglers Cove to the south, which is reputed by the Lake Champlain cruising guide to be one of the most scenic areas of the lake. It was stunning. Rock cliffs rise out of the water and are capped by tall evergreens. By foot you experience the grounds covered with delicious thick moss, lush undergrowth, wild strawberries and mushrooms. Loons, mallards, and herons were heard. Nice outhouses whitewashed on the inside with dry toilet paper, candles, brooms, and such made a nice welcome to the weary sailor. We were so happy to find the Vega sitting pretty on her anchor when we returned, but she was getting tossed heavily where she was.
Back on the boat, we decided to move her further into the cove. While rowing ashore we'd realized how long the cove actually was an how far out theVega was. We started the engine and were able to get it into forward at a slow speed. We motored into the cove further and cut the engine. Dropped the anchor and then debated about how close we were to the other two boats still.
The depth sounder has not yet worked for us so we were in this cove without an electronic depth reading. The chart wasn't that good, so I dove in to find only about 1.5 feet under the keel. It appeared that we were on a shelf and this depth continued at least 50 feet in each direction around the anchor without lessening, but we were not yet comfortable with our position relative to the other boats after experiencing serious anchor drag on the 19th.
So, I put the anchor in the dinghy and towed the Vega in a bit more. It was exciting to learn that I could tow the vega by rowing the dinghy (there is no outboard on the dink at this time). It made me want to get two proper oars for the vega that we could affix to the winches for close quarters manouvering without an engine.
Finally happy with our position, we remarked at how calm it was at our new position compared to where we were further out.
Checked the weather radar (USB cellular Verizon Wireless internet connection on a laptop) and checked out GPS location (GPSnavX on a mac PowerBook G4 with a hockey puck receiver and NOAA charts) to see what the chart said about our location in the cove. Looked like we were going to get hit with a thunderstorm from the west, but that it would pass and clear for the overnight.
I placed a small tarp over the boom to make a rain fly so we could keep the companionway hatch open in the coming rain, and that turned out to be the best idea yet. Hoisted the Davis mega utility light for the first time to mark us at anchor. Cast the dinghy out astern with a backup safety line in addition to the tow line in case we got hammered by a real blow. The ladies made an amazing dinner.
Woke many times in the night nervous about drifting into the other boats, ashore, or out to the open water. Each check revealed no apparent drift. I want a compass to mount upside down above the v-berth where my wife and I sleep (Like Frank & Tine DeBaggis have on their Vega) so I can look up while at rest and know our heading). I also want to set up my laptop so that I can leave it running all night with the GPS program's anchor alarm / drift alarm turned on.
6/23/2010
Sloop Cove, Valcour Island, Lake Champlain, NY, USA
0-5 knots light & variable wind. Water calm, like glass.
Overcast, warm. Visibility 2-4 miles.
Pulled anchor, started the engine and got it to go into forward at maybe two to three knots. Motored around the southern end of the island and then north along the west coast past the light house. Beautiful cliffs and coves. A few choice camp sites along the way. Set the tiller with a rope and went forward with the ladies to hang out on the foredeck.
It was pure leisurely cruising with good company and no worries.
North of the island we got a little wind and raised sails and killed the engine. The sun came out slowly and the day became glorious as we neared our home port again. We decided to stay out and enjoy the beautiful weather a bit, and we dropped anchor out in the middle of the bay. 60' did it, and we didn't drag. We all put on our swim suits and jumped it.
Then I put my camping hammock between the forestay and the mast. We relaxed out on the open water with ever-bluer skies for a few hours before deciding to head in around 18:00 hours. Again we came in without reverse and with fear of our engine losing its ability to develop power when needed. Two sailors took our lines and helped us in, and we tied to our slip with relief at how easy it actually turned out to be.
Things to do:
Check the combi's prop pitch adjustment design to see if it can simply be adjusted.
Find out why the engine is difficult to develop power and authority.
Consider if the boat needs to be short hauled to check the prop, cutlass bearing, and shaft.
Develop a better dinghy towing system or get the "dinghy tow" system.
Figure out the depth finder. Fix it or replace it.
Fix and test the gimbaled alcohol two burner stove.
Other things of note to improve our enjoyment aboard:
Padding for the mast support beam to protect against head-bumps
Small sighting compass to hang around neck for use in cockpit
Mirror for head or galley
Tiller extension so we can sit on the gunwales and steer.
Dinghy cover to protect from UV and rain
LED cabin lights
Screens for hatch and companionway
Small spice rack and set for galley
Canoe paddles for the dinghy so that two can paddle, one on each side, like a river raft
Hardware to connect the fresh water tank to the galley and head sinks
Curtains for the ports
Silverware tray
Carpet for the salon
Mat for cleaning shoes when coming aboard
Clothes pins for hanging wet things from lifelines
Pouches to mount to the bulkhead to hold items like winch handle and air horn while in cockpit
Clipboard to hold chart while in cockpit
Inspect the engine exhaust and investigate routing it below water or placing a backflow preventing rubber flap on it.
Get mask, fins, and snorkel, and maybe a "spare-air" or pony tank to make short one to two minute dives to check the hull/prop/etc under the waterline.
Get a Deitz oil or kerosene lamp to hoist as an anchor light so as not to need electricity or as a backup in case electricity fails.
