Getting Salty in the SF Bay -

[sarafina]

Hi,

Just recently acquired a wonderful Cal 28 Flush Deck. She needs (what a surprise, NOT) alot of work, but only the cosmetic kind. Well that, and all new electrical... I am just so grateful she isn't wood I can forgive her any number of flaws. I was raised on wood boats and I am OVER bright work... OVER IT do you hear me?

So our little hole in the water is in Oyster Cove Marina, and as soon as we have recovered from the initial investment we will be joining the Brisbane club. Ok, maybe waiting for THAT recovery is hopeless, given the nature of boats. But soon, really soon!

I seem to have fallen in charge of the sailing end of things while He tends to the refinishing and rewiring and replumbing and rewhateverelse is needed. I have been learning how to use the GPS that's been sitting around the house for a few years and I have downloaded Seaclear and the chart files and am, with little sucess so far, trying to figure how to make that system work with my lap top. I have discovered a number of threads here with information and advice, so I have a starting point.

I have generously shared with Himself my vision of what the boat should look like, when finished, and scored a stellar buy on a 110/12 volt fridge for dirt cheap, and when ever Himself is done with the cleanup I will be paneling and upholstering like mad. We are still discussing holding tanks and portapotties... that promises to be a long and enthusiastic conversation.

He is dying for a jib furler, but I think he should learn how to set the sail before he gets the cheat installed... that will prove to be an endless topic of conversation as well...

We start sailing classes next week. A refresher course for me cause that captains class in Panama was (ahem) something like 20 years ago... and a starter class for Him as He has thus far been perfecting His ballast technique.

I know Himself is lurking around the electrical boards as Cal28 or something like that.

I have been drawn back to this site by my searches over and over again because you all are such a knowledgeable and helpful bunch, so I decided joining was the way to go.

Glad to be here!

[Pblais]

Sara,

Sounds like you are in all the way in now and off to a great start feeling good about it. Just a few tips. Porta potties - big NO, Jib Furlers - big YES. Finally the key words "It's all supposed to be fun". Say it many times.

You'll find no job too easy, more messy or more confusing than anything you ever try to do on a boat. We cover all topics nautical, technical, geographical, mostly legal, or suitable for drinking / eating and the ways to make, find, remove, install, recover, avoid, paint, splice, peel, and consume them all with the right verb in multiple languages you can't understand.

We never close and are always glad to see a new face.

[Bash]

Keep posting! We need more people with your writing talents on this board.

Brisbane. Cold. Cold and windy. Oyster Point is one of my least favorite harbors in the bay. Tell Himself that you need to be taken to the Delta. Soon. In the meantime, your first investment should be in an over-the-top set of foulies.

You may want to stay away from Sausalito. You'll never want to return south to the wind tunnel where you're currently keeping your boat.

[svHyLyte]

Sara--

The Cal 28 is a great boat. I made my first trip to Mexico aboard a Cal 28 out of Marina del Rey in the late '60's. I also did my first--and since then, fortunately, only--Man Overboard drill (as the MOB) from the foredeck of that boat attempting to change a drifter to a No#2 when the weather got snotty. The furler will be a wise investment.

N'any case, good luck with the boat, you'll love it.

s/v HyLyte

[imagine2frolic]

The furler will bring less tension on the boat. It will be easier to reef without a doubt. This will make it more fun, and when it's fun there's more sailing done.

We use to sail down to the south bay when we wanted a leisurely sail. Very little traffic, and more laid back. It's a nice beam reach going both ways. Of course sailing the city front is spectacular for the eyes, and exciting sailing.....BEST WISHES in getting out there wioth a smail.......i2f

[sarafina]

What a warm, and kind welcome! Thanks all for the thoughts.

Bash, You are so very right about the wind factor at Oyster Point, but happily the Oyster Cove marina is a bit more protected and not as vulnerable to the evil evening winds coming off Mt San Bruno. Sausalito is undoubtedly the nicer location by far. That's why it costs so much ; -) If we were to indulge in a slip over your way we would go broke on the dock fees and the bridge tolls, and would spend more time commuting to the boat than on it, so we shall have to suffer with the winds and be happy for the 12 minute drive from the Mission to the Marina. Like all things in life, it's a trade off...

i2f, you are completely correct about the furler, and secretly I am dying for one as well, but don't you think learning the old fashioned way would be a good idea? I am thinking of the day when the furler fails and he doesn't know how to get the sail up (or down) without it... Maybe not a problem? I've never used one myself, so we will both be learning it.

HyLyte, she has already proven to be a sturdy little boat. We brought her around from Half Moon Bay in 12 foot swells, very close together. The boat handled the seas much better than I did. Ugh, only the second time in my life I've fed the fishys...

Pblais, I am with you on the head issue... but someone assured Himself that the newer portables are very reliable, less expensive, less odor and easier to install (since ya don't HAVE ta install it!) than adding a holding tank to the perfectly functional groco head already there. The whole thru port and pumpout install freaks him out and we don't have space for a hard tank so I was considering a bladder which would fit nicely in the storage below the v berth, right on the other side of the bulkhead. We shall see I guess! I expect I will be taking this issue to the appropriate board for further information and discussion.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by sarafina

The whole thru port and pumpout install freaks him out and we don't have space for a hard tank so I was considering a bladder which would fit nicely in the storage below the v berth, right on the other side of the bulkhead. We shall see I guess! I expect I will be taking this issue to the appropriate board for further information and discussion.

I'll tell you the same thing I tell my wife: it's not a good thing to freak out your husband.

We had a boat where we used a porta-pottie from time to time, and it wasn't such a bad thing once you worked out privacy procedures. I guess back then we saw it as a huge step up from using a bucket. On the other hand, a bladder, whether used as a fuel tank or a holding tank, is always one pinched seam away from disaster.

[Pblais]

I was considering a bladder which would fit nicely in the storage below the v berth, right on the other side of the bulkhead. We shall see I guess! I expect I will be taking this issue to the appropriate board for further information and discussion.

I doubt it goes over well on Facebook, but it's standard stuff here.

[Starbuck]

Welcome, Sarafina,

I'd approach this with a legal pad and a sharp pencil. Across the top of the pad, write this question, then answer it.
How do we intend to use the boat?

Oh, it helps if Himself is in the room with you: they like to think they have input. Your irrepressible personality makes me think there has already been plenty of talk, but when it's written out and you both look at it, then at each other and nod your heads, you will know that you share the same expectations.

This first Guiding Question is important: if you are going to be day-sailors, that pad is going to be filled in completely differently than if you plan on cruising down the coast to Ensenada. And there are approximately twenty-seven levels in between. Talk to him, and make sure that is explicit, written across the page where you both can read it and sign on to that idea.

Then I'd divide the page into two columns, w/ these headings:

1. What is needed to make the boat safe and functional for the short-term?
2. What things are desirous, but can wait (upgrade or nice gear/equipment) until "next season" or farther?

You must start with the essentials: a sea-worthy hull, standing & running rigging in good shape, steering system in great shape, a simple suit of healthy sails, functioning bilge pump, dependable electrical system, engine healthy, a basic tool kit and spares for essential parts like clevis pins & rings, sail repair tape and all those "it needs to be fixed now" parts, a first-aid kit, required Coast Guard safety equipment. No use downloading charts if you don't have PFDs. (That's not a criticism). All that goes in column 1, along with whatever basic gear you deem essential.

The second column is for "upholstering the dream" as it were: a dodger, better bedding, a cruising spinnaker, a tiller-pilot: whatever.

Then prioritize items on each list. That's why you have a pencil, not a pen.

Your budget will determine what can go in each column; your conversation with each other will determine what will go into each column. Add some give and take to accommodate the other's desires, and you have a: plan.

Now you can keep all those wonderful, wild "sometime" ideas at bay over in Column 2, allowing you to focus on what needs to happen in Column 1. Only actually do things that are in Column 1. Always keep each column prioritized. You can allow items to migrate to Column 1 only when it has no unchecked items in it. At this point, Column 1 is not Essentials anymore; rather, it becomes the list of short-term equipment/projects for the boat.

Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize.

Now I'll chip in my two cents about a couple of things you've mentioned:
For right now, throw in the porta-potty, make a check mark on your list, and move on to something else in the "essential" column.

That will leave more resources to…

…Put the furler on. It's the 21st Century now, and it's not a "cheat," no matter what your little purist heart whispers to you. Do you really want Himself out on the foredeck doing the Big Swell Samba, when he could be safe and dry in the cockpit with you? BTW, a headsail cut for a furler doesn't even have hanks, so if the furler fails, there's no "putting it on the old-fashioned way." Stories of jammed furlers is mostly lore from the 80s: the technology has the bugs shaken out now. Step into the light: you'll like it.

[imagine2frolic]

For newbies sailing in 25+ knots. Changing headsails 6 times a day is tiring, and a bit on the edge. Changing a headsail, and reefing the main are about the same with a bit less exposure. On the bay 3-4 headsail get you through the day unless you want to be over, or underpowered. A furler is going to save money in the long run unless you already have the sails. I singled handed the bay for nearly 2 decades with hank-ons. I found myself going out less, and less because of the task of headsails. Put on a furler, and I was back out on the water when I had the chance. Just my personal experience.Everybody gets through life differently. Which ever you choose enjoy, and be safe. Remember time in the water is about 15 minutes before death on the bay!......i2f

[scotte]

We were close to you (Oyster Point) for almost a year and crewed on a neighbor's boat in the tuesday night beercans from Sierra Point YC. Once you feel up to that, get a couple of crew together - it's a great casual racing series and a great bunch of people. They are not a frumpty YC, which makes the races fun regardless of how competitive you are - we were DFL most of the time, but didn't care one bit we were having too much fun! BBQ and beers after the race at the YC were always great too.

Racing just off Mt. San Bruno will give you a full experience of frustrating conditions from dead calm to gale force - sometimes within the same race .

[David M]

Welcome to the SF Bay! Its one of the most beautiful and challenging places to sail in the world. Lots of world class sailors are from here because they learned to sail in these conditions. Learning how to sail well here will give you the skills necessary to be able to sail most anywhere.

[Ocean Girl]

Welcome to the forum,
Cals are beautiful boats and sail like demons. Post pics if ya can- we love pics.

I am in the process of putting in a new holding tank, so I'm temporarily using a porta potti (I feel your pain) the joys of boat ownership.

Have fun and happy sailing,
Erika

[sarafina]

Ok Starbuck, so I cop to being something of a purist. I make my own pesto too... if you et all promise that I really am living in the dark ages I guess I can rethink the furler issue! (go to the light sara... go to the light...)

The porta pottie as a temp fix might be a thought as well. I hate it, but maybe for just a year I could maybe live with it. maybe... gonna have to think on it.

The whole prioritize situation is key and we have done some of what you so wisely suggest, but there is room for much refinement.

The Pfd are a good example. We have basic old fashioned kent vests, which I hate to wear. We have dive vests which are very effective and safe but bulky and hot to wear. maybe on hot days we do the kents and on cold days or in heavy seas we do the dive vests and wait on the fanny packs.

And funny you should mention that bilge pump... (shudders) The good news it that she takes on no water below the water line. Shocking to someone like myself with abundant experience with wood boats where the bilge pump and float switch was all that kept her afloat some nights... Fiberglass Is and amazing thing...

*cocks an ear and hears*
"Look honey, an auto furler on Craigslist for $200..."

And we have already crashed the Tuesday night beer can race BBQ... man they make good burgers! That's what convinced us we wanted to join, ya know!

and special for you Ocean Girl;

[windsaloft]

The headsail furler is uniquely wonderful in the Bay --- I love it here, when you can choose what windspeed you want by where you head, and you can spend as much or little time as you want tweaking the headsail to balance things out. I love, love, love (did I mention love) not having to dig out and haul and change those daggone hank on headsails all day long as we move about the Bay and the wind changes dramatically. You will love the light, Sara.... :=)

Oyster Cove is a veritable eye of the storm next to Oyster Point -- I worked with a friend re-doing his decks for two weeks down there (OP). OMG. No wonder the slip rates are so cheap and so.....empty! The Brisbane folks are a great group too - sounds like you are off to a fun boat life in the Bay. If you are up San Rafael way, give a holler and we can probably get you an overnight in one of our empty slips here too. Our weather is superb. You just can't draw much water in here....at 5', we need a +1.0 to come and go at a minimum. And there there is the channel that isn't exactly where it is marked....