Season's end?

[Kris]

On my 2nd boat this year

We bought a Catalina 22 in January. Learned how to sail on her. Spent the summer on her each weekend and just purchased a Catalina 25this past weekend.Great year, had a blast. I can not believe that we never bought a sailboat before this year. I LOVE SAILING!I do hate fall though.

 

[Don]

Dealing with Isabell

leave the boat in or take it out?I took it out but 7 ft surge floated the boat on the trailer but only as far as mylanyard to a nearby tree allowed.We was fortunate as compared to some others.Damage in the area took some joy awayfor the time being....

 

[Kim]

Another first-timer

Well, this was our first season with our new (to us) Catalina22. We learned a lot... about sailing and about each other! It was hard to learn to trust - knowing that we were both novices and neither one 100% sure we were doing the right thing! (Yes, we took extensive classes through USPS, but hands-on is different!)But there was nothing like getting out of work at 5:00, meeting at the marina, and being out on the Long Island Sound by 6:00 p.m. Sadly, we're hauling her out in two weeks.

 

[Ben]

Every trip seems like a highlight

. . .since this is our first year with a boat. But I'd say that a some of the best things to happen this year were finally using a boat to arrive at some of the bars and restaurants in the area that we'd always promised ourselves that we would visit by boat. Each time we had driven to a waterfront restaurant we thought, "wouldn't it be great to show up here with a boat instead of driving a car?"Watching the 4th of July fireworks from an anchored boat was a definite highlight, as well as the one night that we slept aboard.Every trip out taught me something new, and the fact that I feel comfortable aboard now is great. I no longer wonder if I'll make it back to the dock each time I venture out.And, like so many others on the East coast, simply surviving Isabel was a feat to be remembered.

 

[Dee Bernreuter]

The Perfect Sail on S.F. Bay

On Sunday, August 24th a member of my crew and I set sail for a relaxing day sail. It was warm, (not common to be able to sail S.F. Bay in the summer in shorts and tee shirt all day) with light winds of 15-25 knots. We headed out the Oakland Estuary, under the Bay Bridge headed toward Berkeley,past Treasure Island. We then headed down Racoon Straits between Angel Island and Tiburon. That only took two long tacks, the current was with us. Then we headed across the face of the Golden Gate Bridge to the Palace of Fine Arts. This is my favorite tack as it can really blow through the Gate sometimes. However, even with full sails we only had to make one sail adjustment for the weather helm. Now we eased our sails for the run down the City front, past Peir 39 and back under the Bay Bridge. We even past some bigger boats on that run with our big main out. It was a day to remember. The Best! D.

 

[Chris Bloor]

Sadly, We're Done For the Year...

...because Bob had knee surgery this morning. He'll be off his feet for 6-8 weeks -- in Ohio, that's means we'll be on the hard soon. (Also means I'll be the one taking the sails off the boat! Boo hiss!)Highlight of the season for me was my birthday cruise in September. Four Lake Erie boats and three trailer-sailers, all members of our sailing club in central Ohio, spent four days in beautiful weather (unfortunately very little wind!) cruising the Lake Erie islands. Celebrated my birthday at Put-In-Bay. For Bob, as always, the highlight was the Port Huron/Mack race in July. He lives for racing. Although he didn't win, he did beat the other C-42 for the first time in five years, so it was a very successful season for him.To Richard from Canada, welcome to the sailing world! You made me a bit nostalgic! My parents named their three sailboats "Apres Ski" because they were snow skiers and sailing is what they did in the "off season"! Ha! Wonder if the former owners of your boat had the same idea! Sadly, they are in their late 70s and were unable to maintain the boat the way they wanted, so they sold their Irwin 38 and purchased a Tiara 3100 -- great for cruising the Florida ICW with their friends. I'm just glad they're still boating at their ages!So, unfortunately we're done for the 2003 season, but are looking forward to May's "splash" day! We'll see you on the water!Chris Bloor & Bob SheppardS/Y Great Escape IIIC-42 #372

 

[Jason]

My highlight was getting out at all

Last year my son was born mid-summer, I was building an extension to my house myself as well as having a massive new project at work. The extent of my 'sailing' was to motor the boat from the lift to the dock at the beginning of the season and motoring the boat from the dock to the lift at the end of the season.This year was much better!

 

[Joe Fitzpatrick]

CRUISED BC CANADA & ALASKA FOR 4 MONTHS

In response to Gary's request for cruising highlights...After purchasing my 1993 Hunter 33.5 last fall in Washington, and outfitting it over the winter, I cruised the Northwest for 4 months. Starting at Sidney, near Victoria, BC, Canada, I cruised the Inside Passage as far as Skagway, Alaska, then over to Glacier Bay, down to Sitka, then the west side of Prince of Wales Island, down the central coast of BC on a more outter route and down the west coast of Vancouver Island. Then, to cap off the cruise, back up the Strait of Georgia to Princess Louisa Inlet.This was singlehanded and my Hunter 33.5, "PEGASUS", met the challenge with much poise. Some rough weather but nothing that gave concern. Spectacular scenery. Met many wonderful people along the way, some several times and occasionally buddy-boated segments of the cruise. A grand adventure!All the best!Joe

 

[Randy]

Best summer in 20 years!

For the past ten years my wife and I have been dreaming about sailing. We both grew up in Rhode Island and have been around the water all our lives, but neither of us had ever set foot on a sailboat. But we have been power boating and scuba diving for over 20 years.Learning how to sail, for an adult, is a difficult prospect. Some of the yacht clubs in the area offer youth-only learn to sail programs, which we're too old for. To join a local yacht club you need to know a member who'll sponser you, so that was out. The other alternative I considered was buying a dingy and a book and teaching myself, which conjured images of getting a mile offshore and not being able to get back in again! Sounds silly now, but it was a real fear. Even thought about using our power boat as a chase boat "just in case"..I turned fourty this year and as a birthday gift my wife booked us both a three weekend Basic Keelboat class at J/World in Newport (no affiliation). In three weekends we went from complete novice, couldn't tell a sheet from a halyard, to fairly competent sailors.One week after finishing the JWorld class we bought a 1980 Pearson-28, "Vela da Maia". We've spent nearly every weekend since the end of July out sailing in Buzzard's Bay. Next month we're going to the Carribean to do some more sailing; bareboat at beyc.Six months ago, the idea of owning and sailing our own (28 foot!) sailboat seemed complicated and unattainable. We still have a lot to learn for sure, but it's those first few steps that seemed the most difficult to take.One of the better highlights of the past season: Three weekends ago we took my wife's two sisters out for a day sail. We had a wonderful sail over to Hadley's harbor (Woods Hole) for lunch and a swim. On the sail back the breeze piped up to about 15-20 with 3-4' seas. When one of the girls lost her hat overboard during a beat we executed a perfect figure-8 man overboard recovery! They were very impressed (and so was I)..This has been one of the best summers I can remember in over 20 years, and the first of many more great sailing seasons to come. Life for us will never be the same..

 

[Doug]

end?

fortunately the season here is NOT ending. Lots of sailing left and then there are those brisk Winter days -So the grand fun continues

 

[Dave J --- StarShine]

LOWISA

My sailing highlight this year, like the past few years, was the "LOWISA" (Lake Of the Woods International Sailing Assoc.'s event on the L.O.T.W. in Minnesota, Ontario, and Manatoba.6 or 7 days of racing and/or cruising on a lake with over 65,000 miles of shoreline and over 14,000 islands. The end of day parties (mostly at wilderness anchorages) usually cap a FINE day's events whether one is a racer or a cruiser. Many years as many as 75 to 100 boats of all sizes and classes in the event.Great sailing, Great parties (when the hooks are down and the stars formed).

 

[Paul]

Mars Rising

My favorite sail of the year happened coming back from Watch Hill in August.It was during the week of the Mars opposition. When Mars rose in the southeastern sky, it looked as bright as Venus, but the pale orange color was unmistakeable.10 knots of southerly breeze on the beam, Dotty asleep down below, and the only sound was the water gurgling underneath the stern.Paulsv Escape Artisth336

 

[Larry Long]

Dinghy guy

Grown men aren't supposed to play with 10 foot blow-up boats. However, if you happen to have a sailboat that you can claim the inflatable is a tender to, it is OK after all. I have to admit, that I feel the most alive and free when I am just messing around in my dinghy.

 

[Jeff]

Not Yet

The best time of the year is right now in NE Missouri. The trees are starting to change color, the days are usually warm and the nights cool. The wind has a crispness to it and is steady.Spent a great saturday with old friends in a cove.Last party of the season, at the lake, is this coming weekend.Will winterize in the water in November,All in all a great season..Have fun this fall.

 

[Garry Klassen]

6 Days on the Rideau

Our most enjoyable "sailing" this summer was experienced the first week in July when we left our mast at home and turned our Mac26X into the excellent motor boat it can be and travelled for 6 days through the Rideau Canal... one of Canada's most enjoyable water wonder lands! Traversing locks on 12 occasions, gunkholing in pristine wilderness (just around the corner from quaint towns and villages with wonderful restaurants and shopping!), and meeting with our fellow sailors made this an amazing experience. For my wife/first mate, who is not an avid sailor, to say the least, this was a very enjoyable excursion and one which will hopefully lead to some actual sailing in the future.

 

[Walter]

Georgian Bay

This year we set off on our first-ever circumnavigation of Georgian Bay from late June to mid-July, on board Flandria, our Catalina 36MkII. My wife and I enjoyed a fabulous journey of some 300 nautical miles, making our way leisurely around the bay (clockwise, the recommended route to get best benefit from prevailing winds from the west), loafed when the weather did not cooperate, spent days undisturbed in gorgeous anchorages, and became acquainted with the more challenging navigation of GB's east shore. Today, October 6, Flandria was hauled out, so now it is waiting for May 2004 and launch day...

 

[Jim MacCord]

Quartermaster Cruise

My sea scout ship uses an ODay 25 that we had just put back in the water after 3 weeks in the yard doing maintenance and upgrades. My daughter had planned a 3-4 day cruise to fulfill the Quartermaster requirement. The plan originally called for crew to be assined to 2 boats, but having problems with a fuel line at the last minute, we loaded gear, food and 5 people onto the ODay 25 and departed on the outgoing tide. It was a beautiful day as we broad reached across the Chesapeake Bay toward the turning mark at the midpoint. We fell off to run up into Mobjack Bay, sails wing and wing, enjoying lunch. Spent a great night on the anchor across from Zimmerman's on the East River. The next day we motored out in the company of a pod of dolphins. We hiosted the sails and sailed up the North River to Blackwater Creek to get more ice and fuel at the Mobjack Bay Marina. As we left the marina the engine quit and we determined we had a faulty fuel line connection. We short tacked out of the creek and into the North River while working on a temporary solution to our problem. Using an empty soda can, bent into shape, we were able to keep the fuel line connector in a position that let the engine run at medium to high RPM. My daughter laid out a course to the shortcut to the York River and we determined to make it to the York River Yacht Haven. The last 30 minutes were nerve racking as we could hear the engine running rough. We contacted the marina and let them know our situation. The engine stopped about 100' from the closest dock, we aimed the boat toward it and, coming in with the tide and the wind, glided slowly toward it. We got lines over and stepped off the boat, sighing! We were able to effect the repair and made sure the engine ran well, then enjoyed the pool and dinner. We couldn't help but laugh at the fact that our little boat was at the end of the REALLY BIG BOAT DOCK. We left there the next morning during the passing of a front. After getting the sails up, we found that we had to reef and take down the jib. We had 20-25 kts across the deck and as we approached the bay, wave height was increasing to 5-8'. The crew set me out on the windward rail and I got to enjoy a very wet and wild couple of hours! We made the trip from the marina to Hampton Roads in just 4 hrs, then we practiced MOB drills, fire drills and abandon ship drills off Craney Island. Then we sailed back to our berth at Nautical Boats, tired, but elated at what the crew had accomplished. I also had a whole new respect for the capabilities of our Oday.

 

[Paul Daly]

Transpac 2003

Well, I have to say, sailing aboard Alaska Eagle for the Transpac: La to Honolulu was the highlight of my season and probably my sailing career! I will repeat the trip, again on AE but eventually on my Beneteau 361. It may not be the 2005 Transpac for my "Pacific Star" but probably 2006 Pacific Cup or just on my own if time issues arise.A photo website of the trip is linked herein. Look for the picture of Diamond Head. It was taken in the Molokai Channel: 33 knot windspeed, 10 foot swell, 75 yard wake, 13 knots of boat speed and Diamond Head silouetted in the setting sun of 7/13/03! A sight I'll never forget!

 

[Lee Morton]

End of season sailing

Purchased new main sail for boat this year and what a difference best new thing I put on the boat.

 

[Kay]

I thought it would be a bummer :{

I had to move from Arizona to Portsmouth and put my boat up for sale in AZ. I thought that that would be the end of sailing this year.But, the boat sold in late July freeing up money for my search for another boat. I got to try several boats two Catalina 27s, and a Pearson. I choose the Catalina and she is being surveyed this Wednesday! If all goes well I will be able to take her out a few times before the cold weather sets in. I love being in Virginia there are lots of places to sail and there are lots of sailors,too. I have already made friends with several and their advice is in-valuable to someone new to the area. Next summer is going to be a blast.