OK Here is a report of our recent trip east. Some very good and some pretty bad. First night out we rafted up at Ship Island. Mike and Martha, aboard Miss Martha, a new Hunter 45CC. John and Rachel aboard Anna Bell II, a pretty new Hunter 36. Russ and Barbara aboard Cool Breeze a Catalina 30, and last but not least, Lois and yours trult aboard Candida our S 37. Some adult beverages consumed, good food eaten, lies told, the whole nine yards. Next morning we head out for Pensacola, a 100 mile run. Good sailing, and I must say that the H45 is fast. Anchored up in Big Lagoon about 3 am. The Anna Belle and Miss Martha went on in to Pensacola for some maint. issues. Candida and Cool Breeze anchored up in Big Lagoon. Next day spent loafing, and a run into Pcola to stock up. A very nice night spent in Big Lagoon. Now it's off to Destin following morning. Very nice day, winds kind of light and flukie. Miss Martha and Anna Belle headed straight for Destin, I and Cool Breeze made a long offshore tack, thinking the sea breeze would soon fill in and we could then make one long straight run into Destin. That didn't work out, so we were tail end Charlies at Destin. Then the stuff sort of hit the fan. About to enter the Destin jetties, and chose to take all sail off the boat, as the channel is crooked and was pretty crowded. Rolling up the furler, and it wouldn't roll up. Then the POP. Up on the foredeck to have a look, and the bottom of the forestay is loose. The cotter pin on the shackle is gone, and the shackle has parted. I now have a 170 flying loose. My very first thought is to run downwind and try to blanket it with the main. No deal, we now have the offshore wind, and down wind will put us on the beach. So with Lois heading the boat upwind, I make an effort to get things under control, and not loose the mast. First I jury rig a line for a forestay, and try to drop the sail No deal, the foil has some kinks in it, and the sail isn't coming down. So I gather the sail up as much as possible and we limp into Destin harbor under power. Raft up with Anna Belle, and get the sail wrapped up a little, but have it under some semblance of control. I am beat and nearly exhaused, so the hell with it, and we all dinghy to AJ's for dinner. Good food, good company, good time. Will worry about it in the morning. Unfortunately morning came around, on schedule, and again I try to get the sail down. No deal, it ain't coming down. Remove the sheets, and roll it up from the end and lash it to the foil. Of course the lashing is limited to the area I can reach by standing on the bow rail. Re do my jury rig, and put the spinnaker halyard to work as the forestay. All seems fairly secure, seems being the operative word here. Off we go heading back for Pcola. But we have to run offshore as the bridges won't allow me to run inside. Cool Breeze is with us. By half way the upper part of the sail is flapping, and the mast is pumping. I keep going up on the foredeck trying to get it under control, but nothing seems to work. The flapping sail and foil are making it almost a full time job keeping chafe under control. By the time we get into Big Lagoon, the sail is getting pretty ragged, and I am again physically exhausted from fighting it all day. That night is long and tough. The wind is blowing 15 to 20, and I have a lot of sail flapping up high. I can't figure out how to control it, and the anchor doesn't want to hold this mess in one spot. I know I have to get the sail down, but the only way I can figure out how to do this is go up the mast and cut it loose. And with this much wind I ain't going up there. Too much crap flapping around and the mast is pumping pretty good. In the morning we again try to wrap the sail around the foil, then run a messenger line up with the main halyard, and take as many wraps around the sail as we can. After the day before, I don't have much faith in this working, but just can't come up with any new ideas. Once more we head out. Making Bear Point that afternoon. Once more the sail control has lasted about half a day, before it all comes undone. And again I am physically exhausted from trying to make new jury rigs all day, as the flapping parts are chafing everything I try. Another long day, but tied up at a marina that night, so at least I get a good nights sleep, and finally the morning is calm. Up the mast I go, thanks again for the assist from Russel, cut the wire halyard and down comes the sail. Or whats left of it. I clear all the failed jury rigs off the fore deck, re tie the spinnaker halyard as a fore stay, and secure the foil and drum to the toe rail. Finally an uneventful day, and other than regularly checking for chafe, all goes pretty well. Anchor up at Ship Island and are one day from home. Things are looking up. Russel and Barbara are staying with us aboard the Cool Breeze, and it is very comforting to have them there. The last day and off we go, about 40 miles from home. An hour later and bang. The wire halyard which has been un movable, now has moved. And it moves right into the spinnaker halyard, at the top of the mast. The one place I had not been looking at for chafe. The halyard parts, and once again we have a pumping mast, basically nothing holding it in front. Another mad scramble up on deck. The wind is blowing 20 or so, and the foil and drum are beating me to death. I finally get a line on the drum, under the anchor roller and back to a winch and cinch it down. Think I have things under control now, when the final embarassment happens. I hear a thunk, and the engine stops rather suddenly. YEP The broken spinnaker halyard, is now wrapped in the prop. In the hassle getting the mast secure, didn't even think about it. There is about a three foot chop in Mississippi sound, but in the water I go. Two attempts and I can't get the line off. At least not without risking life and limb. So our final day is spent on the end of a tow line behind the Cool Breeze. But we make it back, with the mast still standing. What started all this was a cotter pin gone missing. The pin on the shackle then backed out and all came loose. So how would you grade me on this fiasco. What did I do, and not do that would have helped. In hindsight, I probably should have removed the entire head stay, instead of just dropping the sail. Overall I would give myself a grade of C on my performance. The mast didn't come down, so I didn't flunk out, but should have done better. But since I am not too bashful about taking shots at others, give me your best one. I can take it, and hopefully will learn from it. And hope some others do also.
