Bumfuzzles Are On The Move and Sailing

[imagine2frolic]

I've had to get in the water at Abrieojos. I was numb in minutes. I think hove to would've stopped the boat, and made his underwater experience a lot safer & easier........i2f

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

I think hove to would've stopped the boat, and made his underwater experience a lot safer & easier........i2f

I was thinking the same thing.

I also remember snorkling in PV ONCE. That is all it took to teach me the water is still cold even way down there.

I also know from experience, the water is still pretty cold even at the equator off Peru.

[Jon4399]

I'm guessing Pat doesn't know how to hove to. But I have a great respect for Pat. He has such a get it done attitude. He always has. He may not know the proper sailor's way, but he works things out and fixes them. When he found a hole in his exhaust manifold, he just reached for the JB Weld and went out and bought a carbon monoxide alarm. I thought it was bright and he was on his way the next day. Many might have ordered the part, hired a mecanic and delayed the trip a month for repairs.

[boborama]

Long time lurker, first time poster. I've really enjoyed this forum, and have learned a lot from reading through the various threads. Much appreciated.

Finally decided to join, as another bumfuzzle thread popped up.

I have to admit that I was a major sailor/racer throughout my childhood and young adult life, on a variety of one-designs; NJ, Texas, Hawaii, etc. Then had kids, got a career, you know the drill. Never been a cruiser.

I somehow stumbled across bumfuzzle.com a year or so back--I think I was doing some research on nuclear weapons tests in the Pacific, and started looking at who is where when--and came across the site. What a breath of fresh air, and what a unique experience.

So, although I qualify as a semi "grey beard," there's just a couple of spots, I started sailing again. I'm taking my kids sailing three times a week and I'll probably buy a boat (first one since 1986!) next year, to go cruising and get ready for some big trips.

A couple of points I'd like to make.

First, there's nothing wrong with making a lot of money young, and I think Pat and Ali did this through hard work and being smart. I spent my twenties in the military, and profited from the experience immensely, although I ended up poor before switching careers; not a problem, it was all good. Pat and Ali spent it by being a trader and working hard. There's nothing wrong with that, it's okay to make money and then spend it on what you want to do--I'm always shocked when people deride them for having money and spending it on what they want to do.

Second, I've never met these two personally, but I've corresponded with Pat, and he's always been responsive and courteous. He's actually taken a couple of my suggestions, tried them, and then written about them on his blog (the results have been mixed!).

In conclusiong, I'd like to say that reading the bumfuzzle blog from start to finish has been a great experience for me, it's like watching one of my kids grow up. Pat and Ali are not just "Minnesota Nice" (and I've got some ties there, so that means something to me), they're also bright, well-read people who are not afraid to live their lives, the way they want to. There's a lot more depth to them, as people, then is overtly evident in their blog. They are substantial people, and it appears they continue to grow.

So, should I buy an Island Packet or a Gemini 105?

[Jesse]

I like the Bumfuzzles, I wish them continued success and happiness and hope that when the flexible coupling was replaced with a solid one that it was properly aligned. That wasn't mentioned and missalignment can cause big problems, fast.
He is sailing with a jury rigged propulsion system, short on sails in hurricane season. That reminds me of me at his age.
Godspeed and the very best of luck Pat, and I hope you don't need it.
Jesse

[tartansail]

Originally Posted by Jon4399

I'm guessing Pat doesn't know how to hove to. But I have a great respect for Pat. He has such a get it done attitude. He always has. He may not know the proper sailor's way, but he works things out and fixes them. When he found a hole in his exhaust manifold, he just reached for the JB Weld and went out and bought a carbon monoxide alarm. I thought it was bright and he was on his way the next day. Many might have ordered the part, hired a mecanic and delayed the trip a month for repairs.

I believe they did heave to on their circ though I could be misremembering. However, Pat lost his main and is down to just his jib. I wonder if heaving to is even an option at the moment. Agree with Jesse that this is a risky crossing with one small sail and a newly refitted drivetrain in hurricane season. Hope to hear that all is well in the next day or two.

[Hannah on 'Rita T']

And, even if he could heave to, the boat still moves at about two knots when hove to, just that it moves in its own wind shadow and so is more comfortable.

[sabray]

The jargon is there for a reason - not everything is a rope because telling someone on the foredeck to grab "the rope" is at best confusing and inefficient and at worst, dangerous. [/QUOTE]

I'm sitting on a pretty good sized boat. Looking up at the foredeck I can't see a rope I would tell someone to grab. On the mast the ropes have color codes so I say grab the rope with the blue marks. If I said go pull the main halyard my weekend guest would say I love it when you talk that way honey.

[Unicorn Dreams]

The jargon is there for the people that understand it.

I'd rather have someone say, grab the blue rope than try to be nautical and say the wrong thing.

I sail with a lot of inexperienced fanily members and friends that are learning the ROPES.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

Trailing behind Bumfuzzle about fifty feet was a big hunk of styrofoam, being pulled along by a mess of fishing line snagged by the vessel with even more fishing line trailing along behind the float.

Very very dangerous to go into the water with this type of problem as there will be hooks, maybe numerous if its a Long Line fishing boat.

The trick we became good at, and can be done single handed:

Do NOT stop or slow the boat.
Determine which side of the boat the lines seem to be longest. i.e. you won't have hit the lines exactly in the middle.
With the boat hook grab the shorter side lines. (Or the side away from the floats or the majority of floats)
Holding them up with the boat hook cut away the lines where they touch the boat hook.
As you cut through them the last few might break and whip forward, so be careful.
When the lines are cut the longer trailing side of the fouled mess will drag the shorter side around the keel (or rudder in this example) and they will fall astern.

Sail on.



Mark

[zeehag]

hurrycames dont go to abreojos..water is way too cold. they go west from cabo san lucas.
what markj said makes sense. we were fortunale to not encounter anything in watwr when we sailed that route.
smooth sailing.

[sarafina]

The good news is he wisely picked a good weather window. It may be *hurricane season* but there are none brewing right now ; -)

[SaucySailoress]

Thanks Tao Jones... I even have their blog in my RSS feed, but for some reason haven't followed the links for a while now!

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by boborama

So, should I buy an Island Packet or a Gemini 105?

Coastal?

Gem. Hands down.

But then I am biased.



Thanks for the update tao.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by Jesse

I like the Bumfuzzles, I wish them continued success and happiness and hope that when the flexible coupling was replaced with a solid one that it was properly aligned. That wasn't mentioned and missalignment can cause big problems, fast.
He is sailing with a jury rigged propulsion system, short on sails in hurricane season. That reminds me of me at his age.
Godspeed and the very best of luck Pat, and I hope you don't need it.
Jesse

That is a valid observation, Jesse, and I was a bit concerned about that very thing, but I'm happy to report that Pat sailed into Bando (Banderas Bay) at first light yesterday morning and was soon reunited with his family. In fact it's hard to not get a little lump in the throat reading this:

"When I got to the condo I buzzed and then heard, 'Shut up!' Ali wasn't expecting me for at least a few more hours. And when she opened that door I felt like a soldier just returned home from war. I mean, a little dramatic, yes, it was only eleven days after all, but oh man did I miss these two. Ouest crawled up into my arms, laid her head on my shoulder, and didn't move for two minutes. Just laid there and soaked up my love. Sweetest little thing in the world she is."

And in answer to our mutual concern, Jesse, is this from the log of the 29th:

"19:00 In twelve hours I've banged out eighty miles. A very good day. I've also found that all the issues that I was having with the engine have disappeared. Now that I hear and feel the engine running properly it is obvious that before there was excessive vibration. I didn't notice it before as not being normal because that is how it had always sounded and vibrated since the day I'd first gotten it started. But now, with the new coupling I can't believe how smooth the engine runs. There is no vibration whatsoever on the boat. It sounds better and feels better."

Pat has put together a nice video of his single-handed delivery down the coast of Baja and across to PV. You can see Baja Single-handed here: bumfuzzle.com

TaoJones