The Saga So Far
For background information, read my last post.
I moved the boat from Wormley Creek as soon as I could. I found a spot at Seaford Yacht Club. I had arranged to take the boat on the 18th to Cobb’s Marina. But the weather report was looking pretty crappy. The next time the Marina could take it was yesterday.
To make this work on a weekday, I wanted to start early enough that I’d be done by noon and be able to put in at least half a day.
The tides didn’t look good. Low tide was at 6:30 am, just about the time I’d want to leave. And Back Creek is pretty shallow at that time. So my husband, Erik, and I went by last weekend at low tide to check how bad it really was. My handheld depth meter read 5.5′, so I had a foot under the boat. Not ideal, since I draw 4.5′, but at least I wasn’t sitting in the mud.
Thursday night didn’t go well. I’d shut my eyes and doze for about an hour, then wake up. I tried taking Melatonin and it didn’t seem to help the situation. I didn’t want to take anything stronger and risk not waking up at all.
Finally, at 5 am, I got up and headed to the marina. The boat was low in the water, that’s for sure! And most of the fenders I’d attached to the docks weren’t doing much good; they were guarding the lifelines.
I pulled everything in. I unattached the power, avoiding getting bitten by a couple of hornets who’d made the box their home. I rolled up the lines on the fenders, but threw the other lines in the cockpit to deal with on the ride over.
It stays pretty shallow in Back Creek for a bit. So shallow that Navionics has this red and black warning line on the route for the first 1/2 mile. But I got through that ok. This is still the Poquoson Flats though, so it was still about another 45 mintues before I could safely crank the engine and stop watching the depth so closely.
My autopilot, which has been going bad for awhile now, is now not working at all. I’d put it on, it would steer to port, then scream at me because it wasn’t going where it knew I wanted to be heading. So I gave up on it, locking the wheel for short periods if I needed to step away for a bit, or using my foot to steer.
Predict Wind said I could expect winds between 10 and 15 kts when I got to the bay. And, of course, I was near the shipping lanes. So it was a bit choppy. And without a sail (remember: my mast is still off) it was hard to smooth it out. But it wasn’t anything too terrible most of the time. Just a bit uncomfortable when said ships were passing.
I made it in good time, showing up at Cobb’s Marina at 11:35, which was good: the yard crew takes off for lunch at noon. I left the keys with them and caught myself a Lyft home.
Next task: get the bottom paint done while it’s out of the water.
Relocating
“Why don’t you come to the pool? It’s quite comfortable.”
“I’m not a pool person. How’s your boat?”
“I think you should hire me as your project manager when I retire.”
“You need to leave. You don’t like the work we do and now you tell me that you we don’t manage well. I think it’s time you need to leave.”
There was, of course, more. But that day, my grandkids and I were thrown out of the pool and I was told to leave the marina before 30 August, one month away.
Problem is, my boat is dismasted. As part of the plan to have all the major work done before I retire, I was having the rigging replace. So I not only had to move my boat, but I had to find a way to move the mast.
Phone calls started. Text messages started.
First I had to find a place for the mast. I wasn’t leaving the marina without it. I had work planned for the middle of August at another marina. So I called them first. They were able to move things around to be able to take my mast and store it until I showed up for the other work I had scheduled. They could also handle stepping my mast.
It was suggested that, like when one goes down the Great Loop, I put the mast on the boat with a framework.
This was the least expensive option. But it involved getting a frame constructed. And I didn’t want to, didn’t have the time to, do that.
See, part of the problem is that my daughter is getting married next weekend. I wanted to have this all taken care of before family started arriving. And I do have a real job that helps pay for my expensive habit. I didn’t want to take a lot of days off of work to take care of this.
A friend I texted suggested a moving company that handles unusual moves. I called them. They reconnaissanced at both the marina the mast was currently and the marina where the mast would be moving to. They said they could move it for $600, which I thought was quite reasonable. << shout out to Seaford Transfer!
I also had a text message going with friends I thought might be able to help me move the mast onto the trailer. See, the marina owner also told me that, not only could we not use the pool, they would not help me move the mast. Sigh!
I checked online to figure out what my mast would weigh. 600 lbs! But the friend who’d suggested the moving company also said that seemed a bit high. His estimate was 2-300 lbs.
I had 5 friends who said they could help with the move.
Two of them, Jodi and Steve, arrived early to help get some moving blankets wrapped around the mast and wrap the entire mast with rope to hold up the rigging.
We got it onto the truck and headed out.
I drove towards the new marina. On the way, I got a phone call from them. Because it was so hot (heat index > 100 degrees), they were going to try to let their crew off an hour early. No problem. We were on our way. Next issue: they took lunch between noon and 1 pm. I was arriving at the new marina at noon. The truck was behind me. So I called Seaford Transfer and told them to wait before heading over.
I went to Cobb’s Marina and filled out paperwork. I then went down the street for lunch, figuring to come back at 1 pm to watch the unloading and to grab my friend’s blankets.
When I got back to Cobb’s, the truck and trailer were there. The driver said he’d gone back to the yard and added more straps to the mast. With the traffic starting to back up, he ended up getting to Cobb’s just after 1 pm.
I watched them unload the mast. Much easier with a crane than when we did it by hand.
The mast was taken care of. Now to take care of the boat. I had 2 weeks between now and my appointment to bring it to Cobb’s. I could go the Dockwa route. But that was expensive for just 2 weeks. I check with the marinas near me. Seaford Yacht Club had a couple of transient slips. I could get into one of those for $5/night plus $5/day for power. Deal! So Sunday, barring the storms that look to be brewing, I will be taking the boat to Seaford Yacht Club.
[Top]Labor Day Storm
Labor Day Storm
I was planning on sailing across the Chesapeake Bay, from Yorktown to Cape Charles over Labor Day weekend to raft up with some friends. I’d checked Predict Wind and breezes we’re expected to be about 15 knots. My boat laughs at such weather, so I wasn’t worried. I had my 2 granddaughters along. They’ve been on the boat since they were infants. I had plenty of snacks (the most important consideration) and electronic entertainment, and they did fine playing in the cabin. So we headed out.
We started out well. I’d put out the mainsail and was getting some help from that, and we were doing about 5 to 6 knots. As we left the York River and headed into the channel towards the Bay however, the wind did it’s usual thing: it was on our nose, so the sails would do not good.
Leaving the York River and heading east, we have to keep to the channel long enough to get past the shallows coming off of the Mobjack Bay. So we kept on our course, still making good time. As we entered the Bay, however, the winds picked up and so did the waves. I checked the NOAA buoy nearby and it swore those waves I was seeing were under 2 foot. Seemed higher, based on how bumpy the ride was getting. But what do I know?
As we entered the Bay, we started slowing down. Now I’m aware that part of the energy is going into getting over the waves. But still: we slowed from 5 – 6 knots down to 3½ at full throttle. My boat can do 7 or 8 usually, so that was disheartening.
Of course, things started falling. Everything that wasn’t secured in the cabin was eventually on the floor. The girls were getting nauseous, so I told them to come up to the cockpit when they felt that way.
Mind you, my 5 and 7 year old granddaughters were troopers. They never panicked. They did ask about how bumpy it was getting and I told them the waves really weren’t that big. Note to self: we need to go to Virginia Beach and talk about really big waves.
When we reached the point where we past the shallows, I decided to do some sailing with just the jib and, to pick up some speed. It worked. Putting the jib out, we made 6.5 knots.
The waves were about 2 feet now, and stuff continued to fall. We were getting pretty far north of where we’re wanted to be, so I tacked. My speed immediately dropped back to about 3.5 knots. So I said to heck with it, brought in the jib, and just motored directly towards our destination.
And then the real fun began. I heard a big sounds, like metal scraping. I assumed something else had fallen below. When I looked towards the bow, however, I saw that one of my anchors had fallen in. I put the engine in neutral and went forward to tie off the anchor. I tried to pull it up. But between the wind and the waves, I couldn’t make it budge. I texted my friends and told them what happened, that we were probably stopped for the night. I called my husband, who asked if my Towboat insurance would help. I said we would be fine. The grandkids were ok and the boat could handle worse than this.
But the more I thought about it, the more I wondered if I should subject the grandkids to this adventure. So I used the app to call Towboat and asked them to send someone out.
While we wait for the Towboat, I heat up dinner for the grandkids, who are still fine. I tell them the boat now looks like their bedroom. My older granddaughter tells me they have paths through the mess in their bedroom to walk through.
My oldest is able to eat most of her dinner. The youngest isn’t that hungry; most of her plate is sacrificed to the wind gods as well. What she does eat is in the commode before morning.
The first boat that came out, I explained the problem and asked for help getting the anchor up. He said he wasn’t allowed on the boat, but he could lift it onto his boat so I could haul it in. He went to where the line entered the water, then, for some reason, moved closer to my boat. Then somehow, he got the line between his boat and his motor. Then started shouting at me to cut the line. I went below to get something, came back to the bow, and cut my anchor line.
Towboat guy then asked if I was ok to motor out, since he could only tow me at 2 knots. Since I’d be going downwind, I said, ‘yes’.
But the story doesn’t end there. Within 10 minutes of starting the engine, the warning light went off. I called Towboat guy back and he returned. I got out a boat hook to grab lines from him. He threw them to me on the windward side. I dropped the boat hook grabbing for them, and it fell in the water. I put the lines on the the two forward cleats. That took a bit of time in this weather.
Once I told them they were in place, he began to move forward. Then he called me saying the lines had wrapped around my keel, so let them loose.
Oh, forgot to mention: I have (had) 2 anchors. When I cut the line for the one, Mr. Towboat pulled the second, which had started falling, and put it on the wrong side roller. He told me to pull that one up and secure it. Couldn’t be done. I couldn’t move it over, and I couldn’t pull it any further up. So I just secured it above the water line.
Back to our story. Mr. Towboat is still yelling that I need to secure the other anchor and that one of his lines is still attached to my boat and if don’t release it, he’s just going to pull whatever it’s attached to. I can’t see any lines still attached and tell him so.
Now think about it. By throwing the lines to me on the windward side, there’s every possibility that one of them slid under the boat while I was trying to secure them.
Oh, second boat hook was lost pulling his line off my anchor. When I released the line, there was a strong tug on the boat hook and I couldn’t get it back. Two boat hooks and an anchor gone now.
Mr. Towboat tells me another boat is coming to tow me. He can’t move my big boat on this weather. And he wonders why a small craft advisory wasn’t put out.
My boat is 34′ long. 12′ wide. It’s not a ‘small craft’. I’ve looked it up. It’s sailed down to the Caribbean before, so it’s handled worse than this.
Back, again, to our story.
While we wait for the second Towboat, I send the girls to bed. I explain to my older granddaughter that their berth is the safest place to be: all the walls are padded and soft, and there’s nothing to fall in there. I cuddled with them for awhile and we read the book that my younger granddaughter created in class last week.
I go back above. I pull out a line and go forward again. I tie the line to the chain on the anchor, then secure it to the cleat. I lower the chain enough that I can move the anchor to the right roller. I release the line and pull the anchor up and secure it.
Mind you. This is all happening while the boat is rocking from side to side. And, of course, now it’s rocking more than it was. We are adrift and floating broadside to the waves and there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m not lowering another anchor and chancing losing it as well.
After about ½ an hour, I go to sit below and watch the girls. They are fast asleep. None of this is bothering them at all.
It takes about 2 more hours for the other boat to arrive. When they do, they tell me they can’t tow me to my home marina – too difficult to get through the narrow channel in this weather. They’ll take me to another marina tonight, then come in the morning to take me to my own marina.
Ah! A fact I forgot. I started this whole endeavor at about 2 in the afternoon. It’s now about 10 pm.
Anyway, new Towboat gets close enough that they can give me the lines on the leeward side (smart move, huh!). I attach them and we’re on our way – at 6 knots.
We finally get to the marina at about midnight. I thank the new Towboat folks. I pour myself a stiff drink, have some celery and hummus and go to sleep about 2 am.
The next morning, new Towboat folks come by. They ask me for the line from the other Towboat. I say I don’t have one. They say the first Towboat said he saw his line under my stern. I said I let the one line I saw still attached go. Sigh!
I’m towed back to my own marina. I tell the second Towboat I’m going to have my boat hauled out to see what may still be wrapped underneath, since I don’t want to start the engine until the mechanic is there. I hope I don’t find a line wrapped around my prop.
So…..
Lost my anchor. Lost 2 boat hooks. Lost my phone over the side when I was rearranging cushions through this. The engine has an issue. Oh, and the stove wouldn’t light in the morning.
Lessons learned? When I saw the stiff winds I’d be sailing in, I should have bowed out since I was carrying precious cargo. Or turned around when it got rough, since I’d be traveling downwind at that point. Or just stayed anchored since what we went through was no worse than what we’d have had just sitting in that one spot all night. The anchors should have had the type of tie-down usually reserved for hurricane weather.
But hey! When you go adventuring, you either have a good time or a good story. And this one was a doozy!
[Top]Drunks and Fools
The old saying goes that God always helps fools, lovers and drunkards. Well, someone was watching over me last night and this morning.
As scheduled, we towed the boat back home about 2 a.m. As we were motoring out there, the tow boat operator was suggesting that I might want to haul the boat out and take a look at the keel. It would also be good to call my insurance company, in case they wanted to have a surveyor look at it.
I did call them this morning and they added to the towing report the possibility of damage to the keel. They did ask that the repair work being done show the parts and labor separately. Apparently it would help increase what I might have covered.
So we hauled the boat out. And it looked fine. There was no damage to the keel.
Notice, though, that you can see how far it had sunk into the ground. Nevertheless, I came out lucky.
The fiberglass, however, will require repair:
That was the location of the starboard bow cleat.
I’m not sure how much the repair will be. But either my insurance or Tow Boat US will cover what my deductible doesn’t.
So, to save myself the cost of not hauling it out to clean it, I had to haul it out anyway.
Next time, I guess I’ll just rent a scuba tank.
[Top]Waiting
Five weeks ago, I asked the marina to pull the boat out for spring prep. It was early enough that I hoped to beat the rush of boats also wanting to get ready for a spring launch. I had purchased the boat 6 years ago and, according to what I’d read, the bottom should be stripped. So I asked the marina to do that. They told me that the bottom didn’t need to be stripped. Good news!
So I asked the marina to smooth the bottom and check for blisters. I have little upper body strength and I don’t like spending my time with a 30-lb vacuum sander over my head. I also figured, with the schedule I’ve had lately at work, it would be much faster to have the marina do the work.
That was 5 weeks ago.
We’ve had weather delays. The wife of the guy who was working on it had a baby.
And we had communication errors.
See, when I told them to smooth the bottom, I meant that I thought there were blisters to be taken care of, and the paint was pretty wavy because I’d just been slapping it on. But the head worker thought I meant that I wanted the paint sanded off, so he started to do that.
Now, I don’t know why he did that, especially after he told me that it didn’t need to be stripped. But that’s what he was doing. And that was taking so long, because the paint was on there hard, so they called in someone with – not a sandblaster – but a bead blaster? Anyway, same idea. They stripped the paint.
Well, that did open up any blisters. But it also meant that there would need to be a barrier coat put on. At first I told them I’d take care of that. But as the time went on, I again figured that it would be faster to have them take care of it. But I don’t know. They haven’t even gotten that far.
I stopped by tonight. They have about 2/3rds of the bottom prepped. Meaning that it’s had the filler put on and it’s been sanded smooth. They still have half the keel and all of the rudder to do.
The good news is, I won’t have to have this done for about 10 more years.
Will I have the boat for next week’s race? A week after racing season has started? I hope so!
Stripped boat bottom