Sailing in the time of Coronavirus

May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
speaking of modeling .........................

i have made the personal choice to sequester myself to my house in the burbs in toledo. my pantry is full. i'm guessing/hoping to look at aeolus sailing in aug/sept. prolly just a dream.

so ......... modeling : my other hobby is radio control airplanes. most fun on a zero wind day. am building a great planes revolver model. 70 inch wingspan. putting a OS 95 ax engine in it. i use a JR PCM FM radio

next will be a balsa usa kit. model: 1/4 scale nieuport 11. WW1 fighter

well, i too love models as i hide from virus
 
Mar 20, 2004
1,729
Hunter 356 and 216 Portland, ME
You are obviously not from New England. Here, you're only local if your grand parents were born here and no one can remember your family came from somewhere else.

-Will (Dragonfly)
Well said, Will! several years ago we were in Tennants Harbor (a regular stop for us) and we were admiring an old captain's house at the top of the hill. A gentleman in his 70's came out and we said hi, told him how much we admired his house and loved coming into tennants. We have a family house in southern Maine - been there for 60 years - and we said the only thing was, it's tough always being from "away". He laughed, said he moved there at 3, was active in the town, but was still the guy from away.
 

JRT

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Feb 14, 2017
2,037
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
so ......... modeling : my other hobby is radio control airplanes. most fun on a zero wind day. am building a great planes revolver model. 70 inch wingspan. putting a OS 95 ax engine in it. i use a JR PCM FM radio

next will be a balsa usa kit. model: 1/4 scale nieuport 11. WW1 fighter

well, i too love models as i hide from virus
Very cool, I finished up A Tower Hobbies Sport last month with extra electric motor and ESC I had! It is an old school 60" model updated to electric option and flies great on the 4c batteries I already have. We had a great scale builder who had that same Nieuport kit and it was just a great flier! I need to add a large scale biplane since I crashed my Prometheus:(
 
May 1, 2011
4,189
Pearson 37 Lusby MD
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has interpreted Maryland’s stay-at-home order, and provided some rather strict guidance - “Recreational boating is not allowed”
Well, that's no good! Boat's in the water at the winter boatyard, and now I can't move her across the creek to her slip. Not going to help with my 2020NM in 2020! :banghead:
 

Dr. D

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Nov 3, 2018
272
Beneteau Oceanis 35.1 Herrington Harbour North
Well, that's no good! Boat's in the water at the winter boatyard, and now I can't move her across the creek to her slip. Not going to help with my 2020NM in 2020! :banghead:
2020NM in 2020? What a great idea! Wait, that means we need to be able to go sailing.....
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Kappy. I thought I had a great plan to reach my 2020 goal but with the failure of the Vancouver Isle 360 cruise (750nm), it will be a lot tougher. That said I am scheming on a 600nm trip that may be only 300nm (one way). A lot depends on how the next couple of months go.
 

Bob S

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Sep 27, 2007
1,771
Beneteau 393 New Bedford, MA
Don't! New Englanders, including me, always ate it - but that's the liver, it filters out and stores all the toxins that the lobster ate
The best part. A spoon full with a little drawn butter is to die for!
 

Bob S

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Sep 27, 2007
1,771
Beneteau 393 New Bedford, MA
The sad part is I don’t think we’ll have much of any season this year. I’m going to continue working on my boat as if I might be splashed. I pray this whole thing works it’s way through without too much damage. I just have a feeling this is going to be a long road before things get back to normal. Stay safe everyone!
 
Jan 5, 2017
2,263
Beneteau First 38 Lyall Harbour Saturna Island
That said I am scheming on a 600nm trip that may be only 300nm (one way). A lot depends on how the next couple of months go.
Where are you planning to go John? Our trip last year to Prince Rupert and back was only 1831 miles.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Michael... I am hoping that the CBSA and the CBP will play nice again, but that not being the case, perhaps this year is to test my courage on the Columbia Bar. It holds a little bit of family history as My Uncle came across the bar, Was struck from behind by breaking wave, it swept the wheel house off the boat and left him floating next to the boat, holding the wheel and shouting at his crew that they were no longer under control. CG came up, tied the wheel house to the side of the boat and hauled their the fishing boat to the Astoria pier. It is said that the crew came up from the engine room shouting at the captain “Why did you abandon ship and not tell us?”

So there is that bit of family history to explore. At least then I don’t have to worry about international borders.

As I said it is an idea under consideration. The alternative would be to head to the Canadian border. Cross and sit for 14 days in quarantine on the boat. Then head north on the inside passage. Only issue with this is the locals are currently not excited about transient sailors. I do not blame them having limited resources at the various ports, even more so now than usual. That may all pass and June or July might become better. Who knows. I am at least flexible with my planning. As you said Michael, there are so many places to explore.
 
May 1, 2011
4,189
Pearson 37 Lusby MD
Kappy. I thought I had a great plan to reach my 2020 goal
I need to find a Scout Troop or two and do a couple of DELMARVAs - that'll net around 800 miles. Not gonna happen - can't train them. And I'm not willing to take the same risks I did in 2015 when I netted 2700+.
 
Jan 5, 2017
2,263
Beneteau First 38 Lyall Harbour Saturna Island
test my courage on the Columbia Bar.
One of those places for sure. The Thunderbird my Dad built was lost there but like every other piece of bad water it has good days and bad. We're going slowly on this years plan, it may even give me time to get more done on the boat.
 
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TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
Our gov'nor has followed most states with a stricter stay at home mandate. This could change "Sailing in the time of Corona virus". The restrictions aren't onerous on those of us that have been adjusting for weeks to mostly the social distancing that is required to cut transmission of the virus.

The new restrictions will make it more difficult to get boats ready to launch for DIY sailers. Those of us that provide essential services (like me - building management) can still work and travel using accepted distancing, etc. We can still go the essential stores, food, hardware, supplies, but they'll be operating more prudently. I can walk to my boat to work on it but it most can't and that would likely be considered a non-essential task, like getting a tatoo and your nails done(they have to close).

We can still get out and walk and exercise animals. That's good. Our two terriers - though each 12 years old - don't even begin to stop pulling on the leash until you've walked well over a mile - and at a brisk pace.

Low tide is a good drag strip to burn off some amps:

Tommy and Daisy, hammer down. .JPG


Fishing IS essential. The end of March always signals that Fyke nets will be strewn around the harbor in the fresh water streams flow in. A typical fyke net below the walk bridge on Rockport Harbor. You can see it's set so that the catch, swimming upstream, will be trapped in the 'Cod End' , the last stop for anything that heads into the wide mouth.

Elver Fyke net .JPG


What are they catching? Glass eels. Tiny, baby, translucent eels that were born way out in the Sargasso (Western Atlantic) that have the in born sense from their parents -who hatched them out there- to return to fresh water streams, into fresh water lakes to then grow into big brown eels. Then they will start the cycle again,...

Weird conditions though; while the market price for the little glass eels was $2000 per pound last season, I'm not sure what will happen this year.

The little eels are prized by the Asian market. Some of the small eels are eaten (expensive dinner!) but the majority are shipped overseas to be placed in aquaculture systems to raise them to large adults. The adult eels are a very popular product for the Asian restaurant industry.

I watched a woman adjusting her nets. Tricky work as setting, harvesting, maintaining, all takes place at low water. Ever tried carrying a 50 pound rock on slimy rocks to your Fyke net? The rig has to stand up to 11 feet of tide and spring outflow currents.

I think the season officially opens this coming Monday. The elvers aren't running yet. When they do, they'll be armed Fisheries people keeping an eye on everything. Licenses are on a lottery and with the high $$$ involved, bad things can happen,...This year, if a couple Elver fishermen get in a fist cuff (not unusual) they may even be fined for breaking social distance regulations, that start tomorrow. Seriously.

Elver fishermen tending fyke net.JPG
 
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Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
This harsh stay-at-home restriction that is keeping us from launching our boats, isn't unprecedented.
Back in ancient Scandinavia, there was a similar virus that kept everyone from launching their longboats for quite a while.


Let's hope we get past this one sooner than they did.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 

dLj

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Mar 23, 2017
3,373
Belliure 41 Sailing back to the Chesapeake
These are also very popular in Northern Spain. There they also do a similar type fishing set-up, and the little guys are really pricey! But oh my, are they delicious when prepared correctly!

It's amazing where earth has creatures that are diadromous. Eels are catadromous, and salmon are anadromous. I only know these two species, anybody know other diadromous creatures and which way do they go?

dj