Single Sailors Seeking Soul Mate Group

[Yachts66]

Well, interesting read this. Me? I've had my share of adventures this past week, unfortunately not of the good kind. On a brighter note, I'm now officially a live-a-board person. The cars are gone, all my land ties broken save one small storage room where I'm keeping family heirlooms and such. A kind former next door neighbor is selling what I didn't get sold before my departure. I packed the van to the point it was on it's axels and litterally crammed to the ceiling with the few possessions I still have and save clothing, all boat related in one form or another. The trip down to SF was slow due to the over burdened car, but I arrived in the wee hours in good shape, but over tired as I hadn't slept in three days at that point.

Spent the next two days unpacking the car and packing the boat. Then turned the car over to the folks who bought it and ...... well.....that was that. For the first time in my semi-adult life I am car-less, house-less, furniture-less. WOW!

Back in the 80's when I was a live-a-board person the last time I kept my car and a small land base, but not this time. I've cut all the ties and I am free!

So, early Sunday morning last I got up, fired up the old Lugger made a pretence of stowing things away in preparation for my 40 mile jaunt up to Napa where I planned to be hauled Monday afternoon to do a bottom job and a few other odds and ends that needed doing. So, off go the lines, put her in gear, manage not to ram either the boat tied way too close in front of me or behind me and I'm off!

All is well. Feels great to be back at sea, even if it's only SF Bay. I pass under the Bay bridge and take some pics, avoid being rammed by some stink potter who knows nothing of the rules of the road, it's a typical day on SF Bay with bright blue skies and 10 - 15 knots of wind. How do you spell perfect?

Three miles past Treasure Island steaming at 2,100 rpm I notice my Tach making strange moves. Then my oil pressure gage doing the same thing, and I'm thinking electrical problem? I glance behind me and to my horror see I'm billowing gray smoke! This can't be good. Shut down engine immediately. At this juncture I'm not sure what is going on, but as soon as I start down the companion way ladder I see the floor boards are awash! Expletive deleted, I'm sinking!

So, what to do? Step one, find the source of incoming water. I quikly open up the engine compartment which is covered in black oil and immediately see the source of the incoming water. The hose between the output side of the raw water pump and the anti-siphon valve has broken. Now, I checked this hose before I left, the mechanic checked everything when he was working on the engine, yet the bad spot in the hose escaped us all. More expletives, lots of them. Time to break out emergency bilge pump and get it running, which I do quickly.

One the pump is pumping and it's clear no more water is coming in I feel just a little bit better, even though I'm now adrift in the bay. So, next order of business is to try to fashion some kind of repair of the broken hose. As it was only a short jaunt up to Napa I had not prepared the boat for serious events such as this (my bad). The only thing I could come up with was a roll of duct tape, so I figured what the hell? Give it a try. And I did, I tapped that sucker six ways and backwards. Turned the key and she fired right up! For joy for joy, my engine is still good to go! No smoke billowing out the back has got to be a good sign as well.

Back down below I check my tape job and find it leaking just a very little bit. No problem I figure. I shut down the engine, and apply yet more tape. Fire her back up, put her in gear check for leaks, none. Increase throttle; 1,500 rmp now. Check for leaks....just a drip. 1,800 rpm figure that will get me through the bridge before the Napa Marina that I have to clear before 5:30. Things seem to be going well, bilge pump is still pumping water is noticably lower. I'm more or less happy again. Check for leak....****, ****, ****. It's starting to let go....oh damn, it lets go right in front of me! Do you know how much water a 1.5" hose can pump? Believe me, a lot more than you think. So, I shut down engine once again.

After some thinking, swearing, and other sailorly rants I conclude things have gone beyond my ability to easily solve them so best to call for a tow. As luck sometimes (but not often) favors me, I'd just one a one year free membership to Boat US including free towing through Vessel Assist. Damn, that was good.

Of course, I'm deaf as a post, so I'm unable to call for help on radios or phones for that matter, but a quick text to my best friend in Arizona has Vessel assit on the way in short order and they tow me to Berkeley. So, here I sit. It's a 2+ hour bus ride to Alameda where Svedsen's Marine has almost everything you need, except for those things I need which they are out of stock on. Did you know there is not a Auto Parts store to be found in the City of Berkeley? Well, not one I could find either and going by bus is not easy. So, I'm gathering parts, enjoying the Marina and living the life of a full time cruiser. Ain't it grand?

A final note, one of the lessons learned her is that deaf sailors should not put to see by themselves. Had a hearing person been with me they probably would have heard something was amiss long before things deteriorated to the point they did. So, I set out on my quest for a cruising companion with renewed vigor. If something doesn't turn up at the dock PDQ I am thinking I will hop a plane to Asia and see if something can't be found there.

As my friend Alex of Project Blue Sphere fames likes to say: Sail far, live slowly!

Regards,

Thomas

[SaltyMonkey]

Flysci - actually, visiting family in the Chesapeake area. I DO have my eyes peeled for a boat. Not sure how serious before spring, but looking primarily here in mid atlantic. Also considering other east coast locals all the way up and down, but all my boat equipment is in easy reach of the Maryland/VA shore in storage, so I thought spending next spring and summer around here getting attune before a charge to the carib would be easier. That was one plan. Another plan is a west coast purchase.

Off to NY tomorrow on loose job ends. Getting up at 2am and driving. I'll be driving back tomorrow night so I'll catcha all on the rebound if I survive.

[SaltyMonkey]

Y66 - Jeez! What an adventure! Actually, all this is a good sign, at least its my experience that when journeys go wrong like this at first, good luck is on the way!

Can't leave SF bay for a minute before you get in trouble Y66! Alas, I don't think its a 2 hour ride to Alameda, but I think you can also order or find parts etc closer to you if you try a little bit. Berkeley marina ain't to bad.

[Yachts66]

Little Monkey, the Berkeley Marina chandlery sucks! They didn't have anything to get me going, which is why I went to Svedsen's. Bus are not quick transportation modes for sure.

Why you looking at plastic boats now? I thought we'd convinced you of the right way to go!

Regards,

Thomas

[Ocean Girl]

I FOUND MY SOUL MATE ON CRUISERS FORUM!

Originally Posted by Wotname

Over 1470 posts and I have said nothing At last there is something I can add

OG, take heart from this tale:

My (de facto) daughter-in-law was single for many years - everyone saying stuff like "why"; she is good looking, very intelligent; caring; strong; great career etc. She was saying that she had very very high expectations of the man she would share her life with and no one had yet measured up.

Her girlfriends started suggesting she should lower her expectations, at least a little otherwise she would stay single. She simply refused this advice although occasionally she wondered if they might be right and she might be being a bit foolish with her standards.

However out of the blue, Mr Right turned up and on her wedding night her greatest joy was knowing that she had done the right thing by persisting and not lowering her standards; the years of waiting were worth it to find THE ONE.

OK, I might have exaggerated a bit about it being her greatest joy that night but it was right up there with a top runners.

Have faith, never give up the search and don't lower your standards.

Well, there is one less sailor girl looking for her sailor man..and he was found here at Cruisers Forum!! I put your quote up Wotname because I waited for this man, and he was worth the wait!!

So a big question we have asked here that I could not answer until now - How do you know when you find your soul mate?
answer - you just know it, without a doubt.

I joined this forum because I thought if I was going to find a man who wanted to see the world from a sailboat, then I needed to find a place where sailor men gather. Cruisers forum is more than a chat forum for sailors, it is the place I have made friends and found my soul mate. Surely I get a burgee now!!

Cheers,
Erika

P.S. My soul mate's sign on name is RainDog (thought you might want to know). If ya run into him, tell him only good things about me, it took me so long to finally corner him (but I now have him in my clutches! wah ah ah)

[Gadagirl]

So happy for you Erika!

[Gadagirl]

FRANK SINATRA - 'Young At Heart' - 1954 78rpm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bslSx...e_gdata_player

[Gadagirl]

Oh and "Celebrate we will" Erika!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnq2w...e_gdata_player

[zeehag]

coool!!!way to go , erika!!


thomas---- where ye going next?? south to warm water?? or ye gonna cruise in colder water for a bit? warmer water is better if you have to wade inside boat.....
rescue tape is great stuff-- makes hoses not try to kill or sink ye
i used it on my Z fr a bit when lower radiator hose broke on my way home from lost angels...wow--exciting.....worked great...

[Yachts66]

I've seen this ad on TV a few times for some kind of wonder tape, I thought about ordering some, but for one reason or another never did. Man o man was I wishing I'd ordered the damn tape Sunday about noon. LOL

Zeee I don't know what the hell I'm going to do! Get some paint on this old girl is the first step, replace a rusted exhaust system is the second, after that? I dunno. Still thinking about a hop over to Asia. I just don't know. I do know near deaf folks by themselves on sailboats is not a good combination that I need to remedy PDQ, I just don't really know how to do that at the moment. Trust me, it's in my thoughts all the time.

Had I someone to sail with, I might try to make the Bahaha, then again, I've never been one to follow the crowd, so I might not. Ultimately I want to sail the NW passage and go to Bora Bora. Those destinations are about as far apart as they can be, so toss a coin to see which one I do first! <giggles>

Thomas

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

I FOUND MY SOUL MATE ON CRUISERS FORUM!



Well, there is one less sailor girl looking for her sailor man..and he was found here at Cruisers Forum!! I put your quote up Wotname because I waited for this man, and he was worth the wait!!

So a big question we have asked here that I could not answer until now - How do you know when you find your soul mate?
answer - you just know it, without a doubt.

I joined this forum because I thought if I was going to find a man who wanted to see the world from a sailboat, then I needed to find a place where sailor men gather. Cruisers forum is more than a chat forum for sailors, it is the place I have made friends and found my soul mate. Surely I get a burgee now!!

Cheers,
Erika

P.S. My soul mate's sign on name is RainDog (thought you might want to know). If ya run into him, tell him only good things about me, it took me so long to finally corner him (but I now have him in my clutches! wah ah ah)

Woo hoo, well done OG & RD . May the fair winds last and the squalls be brief.
Maybe we will see OceanDog and RainGirl on CF one day

[zeehag]

thomas--why not start with baja. then swing over to asia. mebbe ye will find someone in mexico or on the way.....there is all kinds of crew wanting to head south now--- can ye find one of them?
i would go but i still have the kat and this mess to sort---make it to mazatlan and tell patricia belle--jeannie and patrick i sent ye. if ye do go south, dont forget to stop in dago for the fishing license needed for mexico. and stop in at down wind marine for the cruisers guide they make for mexico every yr. and mebbe meet some folks. meet folks then they may find ye crews....is all good. but sin diego is the hub of sailing out for cruisers for a bit now. everyone is here. those not yet here will soon be. never can tell -- some folks come here just to search for boats to sail south in...


and what wotname sed too..



and , thomas--rescue tape. good stuff.

[aegean adrift]

Originally Posted by zeehag

thomas--why not start with baja. then swing over to asia. mebbe ye will find someone in mexico or on the way..

Ditto -- the deities can't steer a ship that isn't moving.

What kinds of adaptive technologies are helpful for hearing impairment when at sea? Wondering about a very specialised service dog ...

[Yachts66]

I don't think there are any adaptive technologies for us dumb as a rock, deaf as a post folks at sea. A hearing dog would be wonderful, but I'm planning on stopping in Oz and NZ and they are both very anti-boat critter. I love dogs, used to raise Mastiffs and before that Great Pyrenees, but dogs on boats are just problematic for me.

Actually, I think the best adaptive device would be between 5'2" and 5'8" have baby blue eyes, D cups (well C's in a pinch.....ok even B's.......ohh shoot, A's?) be very friendly ;-) and perhaps have some wood working skills? Now that is adaptive technology I could really use. I wonder who I need to talk to at the VA for this?

I don't think the Bahaha is for me. I'm not one to follow crowds and I don't think the boat will be quite ready by the end of the month.

Regards,

Thomas

[flysci]

Y66, do you use sign language? That's a language skill that would really narrow the mate pool!

Margo