I’ve had people, casual coastal cruisers anyway, comment on how many miles I tend to cover in a day. Maybe they think that means I have hair on my chest. In reality, I’m a weather wimp. When conditions are good, I try to make the most of them. Not having a dodger probably has something to do with this. I actually do have one; it’s sitting in my storage unit in Portland. My main sheet arrangement makes it troublesome and I spent so much time among Maine’s lobster pots where I needed good visibility that I took it off.
Every once in a while though, you have to stretch the envelope. So, I set off from Reedsville this morning with a forecast for 20-25 on the nose gusting to 30. I’ve gotten to quite like Sailflow.com http://www.sailflow.com/windandwhere.iws?regionID=108®ionProductID=30&timeoffset=-1 which applies algorithms to the standard forecasts to break it down into hourly segments and make corrections for land effects. It indicated less wind close to shore and improving conditions. The standard forecasts also were for progressively less wind in each area to the south which indicated at least a low chance of having things go to hell in a handbasket once I was out there. Sailflow has been remarkably accurate so far. Today, they were wrong.
As is often the case, it was especially bad right outside the entrance with the tide effects. I did some full body slams and did the stem under, bow wave around the cabin trunk thing. I’d warned my friends coming out to go to the buoy and follow the dashed channel lines because of the fishing gear (sometimes pilings broken off just below the water surface in this part of the world) set inside. I ignored my own advice and tried to cut just a bit of the corner.
Every time I’ve fouled a pot warp in Maine under power, there has been a clunk and pieces of rope and buoy have popped up astern. I’m about 6 for 0 in that department. Everyone down here has been telling me that wasn’t going to happen in the bay because they use different rope. I saw a high flyer pop up on top of a wave and was looking for the other end when I heard the rumbling and sagging of the engine RPM. I was reaching for the shift lever when I saw pieces of rope and plastic buoy pop up astern. The engine resumed as if nothing had happened. I’m 1 for 0 in the bay.
It was a slog. I had a bail out route set up to Chases Cove up Dymer Creek about half way down and decided to head in. When I switched the routes on the plotter, I saw that my ETA up to where there was a sheltered anchorage was only an hour and a quarter shorter than going across the Rappahannock and up the Piankatank River to my destination. The wind was easing a bit, so I headed back out after only a short detour.
The wind continued to ease. The time between needing to duck below and rinse off my glasses so I could really see (My personal Beaufort scale), gradually increased from 30 seconds to half an hour. It went right back down to about 15 seconds when I hit the short chop in the mouth of the Piankatank but I was soon inside where it was calmer.
I’d heard my neighbor from Reedsville, who was following me down on the radio talking to another boat which told them that Fishing Bay would be a poor anchorage due to the large fetch across the river. I’d already figured that out and was headed for a spot about 3 miles up the river that turned out to be in a nice lee, scenic, good holding ground, and lots of room. I called them and they came in, followed by the boat they had been talking to. This resulted in happy hour on that boat during which we reviewed the weather and all concluded that we are likely to be right here until possibly Thursday. These boats both have dodgers and fully enclosed cockpits. If they aren’t going out there, you can bet I’m not.
So I’ll be here for a while. I’ve got to get to shore soon and restock ice and food and top off fuel so it will be nice to have a couple of days to do it. There probably will be some more socializing as well. The other boat that came in has done the ICW many times so there is a lot to be learned.
I should also have time to report on the Reedville Oyster Roast which is a longer story than I have energy for after a day like this.
Every once in a while though, you have to stretch the envelope. So, I set off from Reedsville this morning with a forecast for 20-25 on the nose gusting to 30. I’ve gotten to quite like Sailflow.com http://www.sailflow.com/windandwhere.iws?regionID=108®ionProductID=30&timeoffset=-1 which applies algorithms to the standard forecasts to break it down into hourly segments and make corrections for land effects. It indicated less wind close to shore and improving conditions. The standard forecasts also were for progressively less wind in each area to the south which indicated at least a low chance of having things go to hell in a handbasket once I was out there. Sailflow has been remarkably accurate so far. Today, they were wrong.
As is often the case, it was especially bad right outside the entrance with the tide effects. I did some full body slams and did the stem under, bow wave around the cabin trunk thing. I’d warned my friends coming out to go to the buoy and follow the dashed channel lines because of the fishing gear (sometimes pilings broken off just below the water surface in this part of the world) set inside. I ignored my own advice and tried to cut just a bit of the corner.
Every time I’ve fouled a pot warp in Maine under power, there has been a clunk and pieces of rope and buoy have popped up astern. I’m about 6 for 0 in that department. Everyone down here has been telling me that wasn’t going to happen in the bay because they use different rope. I saw a high flyer pop up on top of a wave and was looking for the other end when I heard the rumbling and sagging of the engine RPM. I was reaching for the shift lever when I saw pieces of rope and plastic buoy pop up astern. The engine resumed as if nothing had happened. I’m 1 for 0 in the bay.
It was a slog. I had a bail out route set up to Chases Cove up Dymer Creek about half way down and decided to head in. When I switched the routes on the plotter, I saw that my ETA up to where there was a sheltered anchorage was only an hour and a quarter shorter than going across the Rappahannock and up the Piankatank River to my destination. The wind was easing a bit, so I headed back out after only a short detour.
The wind continued to ease. The time between needing to duck below and rinse off my glasses so I could really see (My personal Beaufort scale), gradually increased from 30 seconds to half an hour. It went right back down to about 15 seconds when I hit the short chop in the mouth of the Piankatank but I was soon inside where it was calmer.
I’d heard my neighbor from Reedsville, who was following me down on the radio talking to another boat which told them that Fishing Bay would be a poor anchorage due to the large fetch across the river. I’d already figured that out and was headed for a spot about 3 miles up the river that turned out to be in a nice lee, scenic, good holding ground, and lots of room. I called them and they came in, followed by the boat they had been talking to. This resulted in happy hour on that boat during which we reviewed the weather and all concluded that we are likely to be right here until possibly Thursday. These boats both have dodgers and fully enclosed cockpits. If they aren’t going out there, you can bet I’m not.
So I’ll be here for a while. I’ve got to get to shore soon and restock ice and food and top off fuel so it will be nice to have a couple of days to do it. There probably will be some more socializing as well. The other boat that came in has done the ICW many times so there is a lot to be learned.
I should also have time to report on the Reedville Oyster Roast which is a longer story than I have energy for after a day like this.
