Happy Labor Day!
I love my work schedule, it allows me to experience sleep deprivation: something that will someday no doubt occur as we are traversing oceans. Chad, as always, was my hero of the morning and allowed me to sleep for two whole hours while getting *everything* ready.
It was clear skies and within the harbor a nice breeze and barely any chop… we headed out with plans to make it to Cuttyhunk – what we estimated would be about a 3-4 hour sail. The wind was strong enough, so we put the jib up and were quickly under way… and quickly in heavier winds and higher seas. Which actually wasn’t a big thing at all! We were enjoying the sail and the ups and downs of the waves.
Because we wanted to reach Cuttyhunk and pick up a mooring, we were towing the dinghy behind us… Chad decided that she was a little too close so let the line out more… unfortunately, this proved to be just a little too much. Because of the seas, and the scope of her line, little “T” decided to dive bomb under a particularly large wave and started to fill with water. She was essentially going under and acting as a speed-limiting drogue on the Trikona. If she didn’t pop up soon, we didn’t know what else to do but to cut her loose. We slowed our sailing, and thankfully she did come back up and float… except that now she was filled with water all the way to the seats. I can’t even say just how many gallons of water that is… she’s 10’ long and about a 3.5’ beam. Obviously, we needed to bail her, and quickly. The wind and waves were trying to pull her again. After bringing her in and securing her close to the stern, I threw on a life jacket and grabbed the bailer while Chad manned the helm. It took a good 15 minutes of continual pumping to empty her of her water-load. While I was about that work, Chad practiced heaving-to and found a perfect balance. It was pretty exciting to see that protective slick forming – just as we had read about. Of course, I was a little out of the slick, so still experienced some nice ups and downs from the waves. But, it was significantly calmer and I was amazed to see the size of the waves that passed around me but didn’t disturb me at my task.
While it was a critical situation that could have gone bad, it was actually quite exciting! It was good practice for an emergency and we were both happy with how we reacted. We made decisions very quickly about who would do what, and acted immediately on them. We kept our communication open and felt in control and alert to possible changes. After the dinghy was safe and sound, and after our collective sigh of relief, we made the decision to head on back to Mattapoisett instead of to Cuttyhunk. I was over tired, and Chad hadn’t gotten much sleep either. I think we both felt a little guilty for not continuing on. It’s like the old adage: when you fall off you get back on and keep going… and yet, a nice safe harbor with my pillow awaiting was more than appealing.
On the mooring, the day was gorgeous. We slept blissfully, read our various books, and cooked up sausage, peppers and onions on the grill. Since we were in Mattapoisett, we took the opportunity to visit our favorite: you guessed it! The Kinsale Inn. The lovely bartender was one we hadn’t met before. Amy made me her own specialty chocolate martini that was to die for, and was rich enough to stand in for a more substantial dessert.
Labor day we took the opportunity to be the antithesis of labor: we slept in, took our time over coffee…and finally headed out. Chad wanted to take a gander at single-handling the Trikona, but with a hank on head sail it’s not so cut and dry. But, with relatively no wind, he did manage to get both the main and the jib up with me giving him sail-raising pointers (since I’m the resident expert on the subject). The issue with relatively no wind? No wind. No sailing. We basically floated out of Mattapoisett, hung around for a bit… had some lunch and headed back.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Finally!
So frustrating!! I typed out a novella of an update last night and when I went to post there was an error... I know blogger auto saves, but apparently the last auto-save was 2 hours prior, and I was too intent on what I was doing to notice... So, I'm going to try and rewrite as best as possible - the gist will be there at least!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Did the previous post say that June was a wash? Well, that was nothing compared to July. We spent the entire month *not* sailing. This has been one of the worst summers in New England in my ten year history of living here. On the upside, we had visits from some of our favorite people in the world (Trisket and Amber!!), went to see amazing live music (Ani Difranco), celebrated birthdays (Jamie M!), painted the town red and got to spend some quality time with family for my brother Jim's wedding in Colorado. The weather there was fabulous and the rockies majestic... and there's nothing more rewarding than sharing stories and making memories with those you call family (whether by birth or by choice). For the first time in I can not recall how many years, all of my living siblings were together. With all of our differences, I can honestly say that I love and cherish each and every one of them. On a sailing note: in Boulder, CO - with no actual body of water for who knows how many miles, we saw a boat yard with multiple sailing vessels for sale... they looked anywhere from 26 - 40ft. How the heck did they get there?? and more importantly, why? Unless the next great flood comes, I'm not sure how much sailing they'll see.Finally... gorgeous weather and time.
Two elements that have been eluding us this season presented themselves this weekend.
Although I worked Friday night, we headed out to the Trikona early Saturday morning. And by early, I mean a good hour later than we wanted. The patient acuity at work had me there well past my shift, which doesn't actually happen that often. It's always on the days you really want to get out on time that you don't. With Chad driving and grocery shopping, I was at least able to squeeze in a good 2.5 hours of sleep.Our plan was to sail to Falmouth Harbor and stay on the hook overnight... and unbelievably, our plan went off without a hitch! When we arrived in Mattapoisett, there was a bit of a fog out on the bay, but compared to our last experience it looked negligible and visibility was good. Who needs radar? Not us! We tidied up and headed right out. We made excellent time to Woods Hole with the Jib up, and the wind averaging 10-15 knots. Chad and I took turns manning the helm... although we haven't been sailing much the past two months, my confidence on the tiller was high and it was gratifying that I could sail independently while Chad was working on other things, or just relaxing for once. We don't use auto-pilot (on our next vessel we will!!), so one of us has to hand steer at all times. We used the GPS and paper charts to navigate through the Woods Hole Canal, and with the current our speed over ground was as high as 8.1 knots. Fast, considering our usual cruising speed is 6! There was a lot of boat traffic in the canal, both power and sail and quite a lot of chop from other peoples wakes... it was a little like sail-white-water-rafting.... and a lot of fun! We made it all the way to Falmouth Harbor in 3 hours. :)
We made a few loops around the harbor, looking for a good anchorage. Once we found our spot, I took the helm again and Chad lowered the anchor. I told you my helmswoman confidence is growing! Of course, it only happened that way because I couldn’t figure out how to detach the anchor from its holder… I missed the easy access clip somehow and thought I had to remove a shackle that wouldn’t budge. This was only the second time that we’ve anchored, so I should have brushed up on all the steps… I’ll know better next time. ;) With a danforth anchor and a nice muddy bottom, it caught immediately and held true. We took our position with the GPS and dead reckoning and waited a while to gain confidence that we wouldn’t drift. We used the opportunity to hard wire the GPS and to finally get the galley water pump running! Did I mention that this was only our second time anchoring, and our first time attempting to leave the boat on the hook? We took the dinghy to shore to find some dinner, walking about a half mile or so to the British Beer Company. I definitely recommend them. They have their own unique twist on traditional pub fair. The service was a little slow, but to their credit it was very busy ~ but the drinks aren’t measured pours and the food was excellent. I highly recommend their calamari appetizer and their blackened haddock fish tacos.
While away from her, Chad and I took turns laying eyes on the Trikona every half hour to confirm she hadn’t drifted. I’m not sure what we thought we could do if she *had*. We were far enough away that a small drift probably would be imperceptible and getting back to her in time to prevent damage on a farther drift would have been impossible. We had left our anchor light on, of course, and as night fell I had a moment of panic when it was my turn to check… I had no idea what I was looking for! I saw a small twinkle that could have been anything, really… I dragged Chad out to confirm that she was still safe and sound. Overnight, we took turns checking the anchor at set intervals ~ we never budged, but it wasn’t the most restful night we’ve had on the boat.
What is it about the fear of dragging anchor in the dark of night that abates as daylight comes? We were apparently exhausted after our restless night and when the sun started rising, we both ended up sleeping for a solid two hours… thankfully our anchor still held true!
We had wanted to be underway by 9:30 to be sure to make Woods Hole with a favorable tide… that didn’t happen! To compound the matter, the wind was coming across the bow so we were forced to tack up-wind to get there. We didn’t know if we would make it in time, but we were sailing steadily at 6 knots and figured we could reassess the situation when we got there. Worse case scenario, we sail around until the next slack tide. On our approach to the Woods Hole canal, I spotted something in the water. It looked like a piece of driftwood from afar, but as we got closer I could see that it was a sea turtle! He lifted his great head out of the water and appeared to look right at us, then dipped back under the water and was gone. We radioed to the other boats in the region to watch out for him… power boats especially are moving at a speed that is dangerous. Wherever his destination, I hope he made it.
Our trip back through the canal was again uneventful. There was actually a lot more traffic this time through, but again we went in under sail alone. We readied the outboard just in case, but made good time and remained in control. We did use the engine for a few minutes at the very end for a little extra boost against the tide… and then we were free of the canal and off sailing across the bay.
Another gorgeous day, another gorgeous sail.
Did the previous post say that June was a wash? Well, that was nothing compared to July. We spent the entire month *not* sailing. This has been one of the worst summers in New England in my ten year history of living here. On the upside, we had visits from some of our favorite people in the world (Trisket and Amber!!), went to see amazing live music (Ani Difranco), celebrated birthdays (Jamie M!), painted the town red and got to spend some quality time with family for my brother Jim's wedding in Colorado. The weather there was fabulous and the rockies majestic... and there's nothing more rewarding than sharing stories and making memories with those you call family (whether by birth or by choice). For the first time in I can not recall how many years, all of my living siblings were together. With all of our differences, I can honestly say that I love and cherish each and every one of them. On a sailing note: in Boulder, CO - with no actual body of water for who knows how many miles, we saw a boat yard with multiple sailing vessels for sale... they looked anywhere from 26 - 40ft. How the heck did they get there?? and more importantly, why? Unless the next great flood comes, I'm not sure how much sailing they'll see.Finally... gorgeous weather and time.
Two elements that have been eluding us this season presented themselves this weekend.
Although I worked Friday night, we headed out to the Trikona early Saturday morning. And by early, I mean a good hour later than we wanted. The patient acuity at work had me there well past my shift, which doesn't actually happen that often. It's always on the days you really want to get out on time that you don't. With Chad driving and grocery shopping, I was at least able to squeeze in a good 2.5 hours of sleep.Our plan was to sail to Falmouth Harbor and stay on the hook overnight... and unbelievably, our plan went off without a hitch! When we arrived in Mattapoisett, there was a bit of a fog out on the bay, but compared to our last experience it looked negligible and visibility was good. Who needs radar? Not us! We tidied up and headed right out. We made excellent time to Woods Hole with the Jib up, and the wind averaging 10-15 knots. Chad and I took turns manning the helm... although we haven't been sailing much the past two months, my confidence on the tiller was high and it was gratifying that I could sail independently while Chad was working on other things, or just relaxing for once. We don't use auto-pilot (on our next vessel we will!!), so one of us has to hand steer at all times. We used the GPS and paper charts to navigate through the Woods Hole Canal, and with the current our speed over ground was as high as 8.1 knots. Fast, considering our usual cruising speed is 6! There was a lot of boat traffic in the canal, both power and sail and quite a lot of chop from other peoples wakes... it was a little like sail-white-water-rafting.... and a lot of fun! We made it all the way to Falmouth Harbor in 3 hours. :)
We made a few loops around the harbor, looking for a good anchorage. Once we found our spot, I took the helm again and Chad lowered the anchor. I told you my helmswoman confidence is growing! Of course, it only happened that way because I couldn’t figure out how to detach the anchor from its holder… I missed the easy access clip somehow and thought I had to remove a shackle that wouldn’t budge. This was only the second time that we’ve anchored, so I should have brushed up on all the steps… I’ll know better next time. ;) With a danforth anchor and a nice muddy bottom, it caught immediately and held true. We took our position with the GPS and dead reckoning and waited a while to gain confidence that we wouldn’t drift. We used the opportunity to hard wire the GPS and to finally get the galley water pump running! Did I mention that this was only our second time anchoring, and our first time attempting to leave the boat on the hook? We took the dinghy to shore to find some dinner, walking about a half mile or so to the British Beer Company. I definitely recommend them. They have their own unique twist on traditional pub fair. The service was a little slow, but to their credit it was very busy ~ but the drinks aren’t measured pours and the food was excellent. I highly recommend their calamari appetizer and their blackened haddock fish tacos.
While away from her, Chad and I took turns laying eyes on the Trikona every half hour to confirm she hadn’t drifted. I’m not sure what we thought we could do if she *had*. We were far enough away that a small drift probably would be imperceptible and getting back to her in time to prevent damage on a farther drift would have been impossible. We had left our anchor light on, of course, and as night fell I had a moment of panic when it was my turn to check… I had no idea what I was looking for! I saw a small twinkle that could have been anything, really… I dragged Chad out to confirm that she was still safe and sound. Overnight, we took turns checking the anchor at set intervals ~ we never budged, but it wasn’t the most restful night we’ve had on the boat.
What is it about the fear of dragging anchor in the dark of night that abates as daylight comes? We were apparently exhausted after our restless night and when the sun started rising, we both ended up sleeping for a solid two hours… thankfully our anchor still held true!
We had wanted to be underway by 9:30 to be sure to make Woods Hole with a favorable tide… that didn’t happen! To compound the matter, the wind was coming across the bow so we were forced to tack up-wind to get there. We didn’t know if we would make it in time, but we were sailing steadily at 6 knots and figured we could reassess the situation when we got there. Worse case scenario, we sail around until the next slack tide. On our approach to the Woods Hole canal, I spotted something in the water. It looked like a piece of driftwood from afar, but as we got closer I could see that it was a sea turtle! He lifted his great head out of the water and appeared to look right at us, then dipped back under the water and was gone. We radioed to the other boats in the region to watch out for him… power boats especially are moving at a speed that is dangerous. Wherever his destination, I hope he made it.
Our trip back through the canal was again uneventful. There was actually a lot more traffic this time through, but again we went in under sail alone. We readied the outboard just in case, but made good time and remained in control. We did use the engine for a few minutes at the very end for a little extra boost against the tide… and then we were free of the canal and off sailing across the bay.
Another gorgeous day, another gorgeous sail.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
mystical eeriness
June in New England has been a wash... literally... so many rainy days that we have barely had the opportunity to get out and sail. We have been having a lot of fun rock climbing, albeit mostly indoors (due to the weather, obviously). Rock climbing has become a second love for us... one of our good friends has been doing it for a looong time, so we are learning the ropes from him. We are working on getting our gear together so that we can go on longer climbs. It's such a great workout and so so satisfying!!! Of course, Chad is a natural at it! He's also had more opportunity to go, as my work schedule often gets in the way. I struggle a lot more - but in a good way. It doesn't compare to being on the water and sailing, but we think the two will augment each other nicely.
Although the forecast called for rain all weekend, we decided to brave the weather and head to the boat yesterday. So glad that we did! I worked overnight Friday, so was in desparate need of some Pete's coffee... if you haven't had it, the stuff is like jet fuel.... but oh so yummy. It tricked my body in to thinking it had slept the night before!! I was ready to go.
With the precarious forecast we didn't want to dally, so started prepping to head out as soon as we were on board. Just as we were about to head out, the fog rolled in like a blanket. It was quite beautiful to watch and deftly covered everything in sight. Although we don't have radar ~ as soon as the fog lifted a little bit, we headed out. The visibility wasn't that bad, we've been in fog much worse on CBacks... but it does give you this mystical eeriness... like you and your vessel are the only things inhabiting the planet. We enjoyed the solitude very much.
It is interesting how sound travels in fog. A small power vessel came in to view and we could hear every word they were saying, but the moment they passed out of our circle of visibility it was like they had vanished. The wind picked up a bit, so we practiced reefing the main sail, as we actually have not had the need to before. It was by no means a necessity now, just practice. After we had been out for about an hour, the fog thinned and then vanished. We could see it out over the bay and further north, but our little pocket of sunshine was widening and soon enveloped all of Mattapoisett. The wind was very light, so I took advantage of the sun and lounged on deck to get my dose of vitamin D. Much needed after this month of rain! Don't worry mom, I wore my sunscreen! Amazingly, it didn't rain one drop in Mattapoisett while Boston and Leominster were pounded. Our friend from home said it had rained harder than he had ever seen.
We tried to go for a dinghy ride after dinner, but the nice new transom chad made cracked under the pressure of speed! He had reinforced the seats, so now the port-a-bote has a nice shape again, but apparently using hardwood for the transom instead of something with a little play was a bad choice. Oh well, back to square one. We didn't have a lot of time on Sunday and the weather was pretty dismal, so we used the morning for maintenance and cleaning. I think the Trikona appreciated it. :)
Although the forecast called for rain all weekend, we decided to brave the weather and head to the boat yesterday. So glad that we did! I worked overnight Friday, so was in desparate need of some Pete's coffee... if you haven't had it, the stuff is like jet fuel.... but oh so yummy. It tricked my body in to thinking it had slept the night before!! I was ready to go.
With the precarious forecast we didn't want to dally, so started prepping to head out as soon as we were on board. Just as we were about to head out, the fog rolled in like a blanket. It was quite beautiful to watch and deftly covered everything in sight. Although we don't have radar ~ as soon as the fog lifted a little bit, we headed out. The visibility wasn't that bad, we've been in fog much worse on CBacks... but it does give you this mystical eeriness... like you and your vessel are the only things inhabiting the planet. We enjoyed the solitude very much.
It is interesting how sound travels in fog. A small power vessel came in to view and we could hear every word they were saying, but the moment they passed out of our circle of visibility it was like they had vanished. The wind picked up a bit, so we practiced reefing the main sail, as we actually have not had the need to before. It was by no means a necessity now, just practice. After we had been out for about an hour, the fog thinned and then vanished. We could see it out over the bay and further north, but our little pocket of sunshine was widening and soon enveloped all of Mattapoisett. The wind was very light, so I took advantage of the sun and lounged on deck to get my dose of vitamin D. Much needed after this month of rain! Don't worry mom, I wore my sunscreen! Amazingly, it didn't rain one drop in Mattapoisett while Boston and Leominster were pounded. Our friend from home said it had rained harder than he had ever seen.
We tried to go for a dinghy ride after dinner, but the nice new transom chad made cracked under the pressure of speed! He had reinforced the seats, so now the port-a-bote has a nice shape again, but apparently using hardwood for the transom instead of something with a little play was a bad choice. Oh well, back to square one. We didn't have a lot of time on Sunday and the weather was pretty dismal, so we used the morning for maintenance and cleaning. I think the Trikona appreciated it. :)
Monday, June 8, 2009
What a perfect sailing weekend... Saturday started off a bit overcast, but with an early start and Phil & Julie on board - we headed off across the bay. The seas were very calm and wind was blowing only around 10 knots. We made a grand loop, and I took the helm quite a bit.... poor Phil got a little sea-sick, but rallied with a dose of dramamine.
We anchored off of Ned's point for lunch. This was actually my first time ever anchoring with myself at the bow.... we've always been able to pick up moorings, since we sail in such a populated area. My only other anchoring experience was on CBacks with Skip & Ann, and my job there was basically to get the frosty beverages ready. This time it went off without a hitch! We determined the water depth and how much rode we would have to deploy, then lowered the anchor which caught on the first attempt.
After lunch we made a second loop around, enjoying the afternoon sunshine and conversation. The boys enjoyed the sun a liiiittle too much, and are now showing their lobster-skin.
Sunday blossomed bright and sunny - we headed out soon after waking to beat the afternoon sailing traffic. The wind in Mattapoisett Harbor was almost nil, but it was good practice for me to take the helm and Chad to raise the sails... we sailed off the mooring without incident - hooray! I practiced sail trim and tacking, but after we got a ways out the wind picked up to more than I was comfortable, so Chad took over once again. We did practice heaving-to, which was interesting. For the wind, I believe that we had too much sail area up - but it was interesting to see that foretold protective "slick" develop and to watch the chop and 1-2 ft seas hit it an dissipate.
We anchored off of Ned's point for lunch. This was actually my first time ever anchoring with myself at the bow.... we've always been able to pick up moorings, since we sail in such a populated area. My only other anchoring experience was on CBacks with Skip & Ann, and my job there was basically to get the frosty beverages ready. This time it went off without a hitch! We determined the water depth and how much rode we would have to deploy, then lowered the anchor which caught on the first attempt.
After lunch we made a second loop around, enjoying the afternoon sunshine and conversation. The boys enjoyed the sun a liiiittle too much, and are now showing their lobster-skin.
Sunday blossomed bright and sunny - we headed out soon after waking to beat the afternoon sailing traffic. The wind in Mattapoisett Harbor was almost nil, but it was good practice for me to take the helm and Chad to raise the sails... we sailed off the mooring without incident - hooray! I practiced sail trim and tacking, but after we got a ways out the wind picked up to more than I was comfortable, so Chad took over once again. We did practice heaving-to, which was interesting. For the wind, I believe that we had too much sail area up - but it was interesting to see that foretold protective "slick" develop and to watch the chop and 1-2 ft seas hit it an dissipate.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
memorial day
in memorium... we will be headed to the boat (after working a 12 hour night shift). Hooray!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
work weekend
Sadly, it really is a work weekend... I'm stuck at the hospital while Chad is off galavanting on the boat.
Well, not really galavanting, it's a work-on-the-boat weekend for him! Chad said that our mooring is in a much better place than we originally thought, which is a relief. A little more off to the side and out of the way from the boat-yard.
FINALLY we finished the quarter berth cushions and will get to try them out soon. They turned out awesome!! I also made a sign with her name on it for the transom that came out pretty good. Painting and sewing aren't my fortes, so I'm actually pretty happy with both. At last - an identity and a soft place to rest our rumps.
Well, not really galavanting, it's a work-on-the-boat weekend for him! Chad said that our mooring is in a much better place than we originally thought, which is a relief. A little more off to the side and out of the way from the boat-yard.
FINALLY we finished the quarter berth cushions and will get to try them out soon. They turned out awesome!! I also made a sign with her name on it for the transom that came out pretty good. Painting and sewing aren't my fortes, so I'm actually pretty happy with both. At last - an identity and a soft place to rest our rumps.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
and we're off and sailing!
Welcome season 3! I pretty much wore a beaming smile all yesterday, the pleasure of seeing our little Trikona go from fish-out-of-water, to sailing vessel all in the matter of an hour or two is such a welcome transformation.
Amazingly, everything went off with barely a hitch... from moving from Brownell, stepping the mast, setting the standing and running rigging, and filling her up with all of our gear (a place for everything!). It is great to see the same guys at Brownell at the beginning and end of each season. We have really gotten to know them and are always amazed when they remember details about "our" little boat.
The only hitch was that the Mattapoisett Boat Yard, although they ensured us that our mooring would be ready, had not attached the line to the mooring ball yet. We are staying on a "guest" mooring for the time being. We get the feeling that they aren't thrilled to have us there. The mooring we are renting this year is privately owned, and for the past several years the owner has "lent" the mooring to the boat yard for use as a transient. Because we don't use MBY for our hauling, they seem to look at us as if we are just taking up valuable space. Well, it *is* valuable space - we did pay to be there, after all. Chad had a little discussion with the office, and hopefully our winning personalities will help smooth things over :). They did agree to "look over" the fact that we are parking there "for free".
Ed came along to help and was amazingly - a great help! We were able to accomplish everything much quicker with a third set of hands, and it helped that he knows his way around a sailboat ...
As always, we put a coin under the mast prior to stepping, to carry on the tradition from ancient times. (http://peos.crane.navy.mil/Milestone/SteppingMast.htm). I grabbed the first quarter I found out of the truck, and I wonder if there is any significance to the fact that it was a New Mexico quarter.
We went for our shakedown cruise in 15-20kts and seas 3-5ft. We even practiced a man over board drill with a mylar balloon that had gotten lost in the ocean. Glad it wasn't a real person, though, because the helmsman (CHAD) ran right over it... it popped on board for a second and I was *almost* able to grab it with the boat hook - but the seas won and swallowed the balloon. As Chad is reading this... he assures me that the balloon came "just next" to the boat, and wasn't actually "run over"... I believe him. :)
Back at the mooring, we also discovered that the part of the main sail that attaches the clew to the slug on the boom ripped... it should be a relatively simple fix. A little work with a cloth strap, needle and thread.
We were just getting ready to head in to shore for a little R&R when I hear "oh shit" - never a good thing to hear on the water! I look up in time to see Chad lunge out of the boat and land halfway on little "T" (our dinghy) who was floating away. Apparently, while he was moving her up to the side of the boat, the line slipped out of his hands... the water this time of year is still freezing, but he didn't hesitate (and is thankfully an excellent swimmer) and was able to topple aboard and save us from being stranded on the mooring. I have this intense image of him lunging off the boat - it was actually pretty impressive how far he got! I thought initially that he wasn't going to get wet at all, but his legs did end up in the drink. Thankfully, he nor the dinghy were worse for wear. Dry clothes on, we headed to shore.
There are definitely pros and cons to being in Mattapoisett Harbor, right at the boat yard. The biggest pro of course is not having to worry about the tide. Being able to come and go as we please is a wonderful feeling. Being closer to civilization is a pro and a con. I like being close by for the convenience and entertainment factors, but Mattapoisett Harbor is a very busy place (or certainly will be soon! We were only the second boat in the water, most of the mooring placement sticks are still up) and it will be difficult to maneuver under sail to our mooring. It is a lot of fun to sail up without using the engine at all, but I think we will have to for safety's sake. I also think we will feel the loss of privacy... although, my hope is that this will encourage us to seek out quieter anchorages throughout the bay and spend more nights away from our home port. The second con is that nothing can really beat the protected cove that we were in. Mattapoisett definitely experiences the weather much differently than Aucoot.
But regardless of those issues, we are content with our decision... happy to be in the water and looking forward to a new environment and new experiences aboard the Trikona.
Amazingly, everything went off with barely a hitch... from moving from Brownell, stepping the mast, setting the standing and running rigging, and filling her up with all of our gear (a place for everything!). It is great to see the same guys at Brownell at the beginning and end of each season. We have really gotten to know them and are always amazed when they remember details about "our" little boat.
The only hitch was that the Mattapoisett Boat Yard, although they ensured us that our mooring would be ready, had not attached the line to the mooring ball yet. We are staying on a "guest" mooring for the time being. We get the feeling that they aren't thrilled to have us there. The mooring we are renting this year is privately owned, and for the past several years the owner has "lent" the mooring to the boat yard for use as a transient. Because we don't use MBY for our hauling, they seem to look at us as if we are just taking up valuable space. Well, it *is* valuable space - we did pay to be there, after all. Chad had a little discussion with the office, and hopefully our winning personalities will help smooth things over :). They did agree to "look over" the fact that we are parking there "for free".
Ed came along to help and was amazingly - a great help! We were able to accomplish everything much quicker with a third set of hands, and it helped that he knows his way around a sailboat ...
As always, we put a coin under the mast prior to stepping, to carry on the tradition from ancient times. (http://peos.crane.navy.mil/Milestone/SteppingMast.htm). I grabbed the first quarter I found out of the truck, and I wonder if there is any significance to the fact that it was a New Mexico quarter.
We went for our shakedown cruise in 15-20kts and seas 3-5ft. We even practiced a man over board drill with a mylar balloon that had gotten lost in the ocean. Glad it wasn't a real person, though, because the helmsman (CHAD) ran right over it... it popped on board for a second and I was *almost* able to grab it with the boat hook - but the seas won and swallowed the balloon. As Chad is reading this... he assures me that the balloon came "just next" to the boat, and wasn't actually "run over"... I believe him. :)
Back at the mooring, we also discovered that the part of the main sail that attaches the clew to the slug on the boom ripped... it should be a relatively simple fix. A little work with a cloth strap, needle and thread.
We were just getting ready to head in to shore for a little R&R when I hear "oh shit" - never a good thing to hear on the water! I look up in time to see Chad lunge out of the boat and land halfway on little "T" (our dinghy) who was floating away. Apparently, while he was moving her up to the side of the boat, the line slipped out of his hands... the water this time of year is still freezing, but he didn't hesitate (and is thankfully an excellent swimmer) and was able to topple aboard and save us from being stranded on the mooring. I have this intense image of him lunging off the boat - it was actually pretty impressive how far he got! I thought initially that he wasn't going to get wet at all, but his legs did end up in the drink. Thankfully, he nor the dinghy were worse for wear. Dry clothes on, we headed to shore.
There are definitely pros and cons to being in Mattapoisett Harbor, right at the boat yard. The biggest pro of course is not having to worry about the tide. Being able to come and go as we please is a wonderful feeling. Being closer to civilization is a pro and a con. I like being close by for the convenience and entertainment factors, but Mattapoisett Harbor is a very busy place (or certainly will be soon! We were only the second boat in the water, most of the mooring placement sticks are still up) and it will be difficult to maneuver under sail to our mooring. It is a lot of fun to sail up without using the engine at all, but I think we will have to for safety's sake. I also think we will feel the loss of privacy... although, my hope is that this will encourage us to seek out quieter anchorages throughout the bay and spend more nights away from our home port. The second con is that nothing can really beat the protected cove that we were in. Mattapoisett definitely experiences the weather much differently than Aucoot.
But regardless of those issues, we are content with our decision... happy to be in the water and looking forward to a new environment and new experiences aboard the Trikona.
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