Learning on a 56 foot sailboat

[IceDog]

Yeah but not in harms way like these guys...A beer sounds good, and would have been even better back then!

[Neeltje]

IceDog,

What's the air draft on your boat? Can you get her under the 45' Shands Bridge, or do you plan to limit your sailing lessons to parts North of GCS?

The reason I ask is that if yours has to stay downstream of GCS, mine doesn't, so if the two of you would eventually like to help us explore the "real" Saint Johns River down the road, we'll have to keep in touch.

As it stands, I've got many potential volunteers for "Happy Hour Aboard", but few who would be willing (if even able) to put their glass down long enough to throw a line or drop an anchor.

Jacques

[IceDog]

Hi Jacques,
Getting an accurate measurement of mast height above water on on my to do list but it won't go under the Shands bridge...We would enjoy exploring upriver with you on Neeltje!

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by IceDog

Yeah but not in harms way like these guys...A beer sounds good, and would have been even better back then!

Indeed on both counts....

We'll keep the beer meet on the long range radar then!

[Neeltje]

Originally Posted by IceDog

Hi Jacques,
Getting an accurate measurement of mast height above water on on my to do list but it won't go under the Shands bridge...We would enjoy exploring upriver with you on Neeltje!

Great! Since you'll probably get there before us, p/m me when you do.

Jacques

[dlymn]

Hi Ice dog

Sailing is a great reward for a hard life. It's no holiday though. My wife has lost her sight in one eye and we work well as a 2 person crew. Planning and preparation is the key. Just remember that perceiving distance can be an issue. It's important to try to keep the matter to the front of your actions, calling distances etc is a great plan.

Make sure that your boat is kept in good order. Your motor must start every time. Remember that the most dangerous part of any trip is the first 30 metres and the last 30 metres, ie when you are mooring. As long as you are paying close attention to reliable weather maps, you probably will have no problem during the rest of the trip. When the weather report says 40% greater, believe it.

Avoid lee shore sailing close by.

Don't think "blue water"sailing until you can tie a bowline with your eyes shut, hanging upside down and with a fire-hose directed at your face.

Sailing is not difficult; it's dealing with the unexpected that's the problem. Risk management is a good idea. Motoring in marinas and shallow water can lead to problems. Dinghies are risky, getting on, getting off, overpowering them, breakdown, shore breaks, overloading and more.

Don't drink and sail, ever.

[IceDog]

Dlymn, good stuff...I've done a 40 hour rigging course back in the dark ages and graduated from two fire academies as well as a 40 hour ocean search and rescue course. I don't have any ambitions at this point beyond coastal cruising. As far as my wife's handicap, I expect that we can work around it (or we will always be looking for crew)...
Regards,
Kevin

[Neeltje]

I'm sure coastal sailing à deux won't be a problem, what with the expanse of it all, but you can't over estimate the value of crew when you're on something like the ICW, where even if they don't know what they're doing, a few extra pairs of eyes at the bow shouting, "Oh! what's that pretty red thingy you're headed for, should I tie us up to it?" can come in pretty handy at times.

Granted, my helm is so far back that my bow crosses the State line a good 5 minutes before I get to see the "Welcome To Georgia" sign from there, but you get my drift.

Jacques

[IceDog]

One month in Florida and I am inching closer to launching her. I installed my lithium battery system and have been very busy rebedding decks fitting including two large cockpit hatches. I found some rot but not too bad so far and did a repair on one of my large deck hatches because of it. I believe I found the problem that caused cracks in the rudder skeg fiberglass outer layer. The builder used two flimsy stainless plates as backing washers to support the rear of the skeg and they buckled about 5/16". I jacked up the skeg, unbolted the rear nuts and installed a 1/4" thick plate...no sagging now. I am having the local fiberglass guru repair the fiberglass on the skeg as well as teaching me about fiberglass repair so I can do the less critical areas that need work. I hope to launch around June 1 but I have been enjoying my time here including the Saturday night music sessions at the porch.
My wife has enjoyed it here too. She wants to change the boat name to Calliope, which was a sailing merchant vessel captained by her great great grandfather. It seems like a good name and I think we will go with it...

[model 10]

Life on the porch stinks if you don't smoke tobacco. Did the boat yard fix your bow sprit?

[markpierce]

Believe it's best to learn about sailing on something under 30 feet LOA. Leastwise, that's how I did it.

[IceDog]

Guy, There was an old repair to a crack in the bow pulpit that I am redoing as advised by Jerry. I have been curious as to why the bow pulpit is painted and with a strange thick coat of soft paint. I will be working on the bow pulpit today in fact. So what damage happened to it?

[model 10]

Originally Posted by IceDog

Guy, There was an old repair to a crack in the bow pulpit that I am redoing as advised by Jerry. I have been curious as to why the bow pulpit is painted and with a strange thick coat of soft paint. I will be working on the bow pulpit today in fact. So what damage happened to it?

They ran into it with the travel lift.