The Old Bay Club had their “Hippie Fest” this past weekend. Camping, sailing, eating and, well …
A good time was had. Fun group. See here-
Category: Sooty Tern
Boats, Dogs and Scallywags
Was a long drive, but worth the great week (minus one rough day). Not sure if the pup agrees, and I won’t ask.
UNA Projects
UNA, like most boats, has an ongoing list of improvements. Most usually get kicked along, but an upcoming cruise got me motivated. The respite from the miserable July/August heat certainly helped too.
What are they? See below from most recent:
- A road cover. She deserved it after 11 years. Heavy duck canvass.
- A lighter, quicker tent fashioned from a rain fly with loads of eyelets, kiddie tent poles, miscellaneous plastic hooks and paracord.
- A repurposed cot, minus its legs, stretched between gunnels with webbing. works! Took a nap in the garage one day.
- Ganged floorboards port and starboard for easy access to the bilge. Now 3 bolts replace the some 50+ wood screws.
- An engine storage mount inside the boat. A couple mock ups led to the final.
- Widened cockpit seats. It’s amazing what an extra 3” has done in comfort.
- A bottomless box for the lazarette for organizing gear. Before, everything wanted to occupy the center of the bilge there.
- A repeater for the ammo battery box 12v meter and charge ports. The box is lashed under the aft deck now.
- New halyards and sheets using New England Ropes “Vintage”.
- A modified toilet flapper valve to protect boat from flopping main sheet block.
- Cam cleat for shock cord centerboard hold down.
- Galley box 3.0.
I feel like I’ve a new boat now! Will report on the success/ failure after our journey. Pics below-
I’m Your Huckleberry
First sail of the year about a month ago now. My pup, Huck, has been before, but never for an overnight cruise. He was a delight. Somehow, he knew you bark at drones and when it was time for sleep, he did. No budging through the night. Amazing really. All the swimming and fetching wore him out. It did me too. A short video until next time …
The Definite Maybes
Five boats went a cruising for 3 days. Catalpa, Nip, J’Olie, Little T and UNA. Consistent and persistent winds, but a great time. No bugs. Pleasant temps. Base camped out of Little Bay. Shrimp boil one night. Oysters and hot dogs another. Reefed UNA’s mizzen and doubled the foresail home. Awesome romp. See here:
10 Years After
“I’d love to change the world, but I don’t know what to do.”- 10 Years
Know that one? A tune can really yank you back in time. That summer I shared a Turnabout dinghy (aka a National 10) with David. We were 10 years old, took sailing class, but more often then not skipped out on the lessons part. His older brother Paul had a baby blue van with a prized Easy Boy in back with shag carpet floor. D and I would wrestle for that seat for the ride home. Why would you want shotgun? Of course there was an 8-track player and Paul had the music: Argent, the Guess Who, Creedance to name a few.
“I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain?”- Creedence
Paul had the look of a long haired hippie. Gentle guy. Think Gregg Allman. Not sure if good Paul subscribed to the movement, but I suspected he knew something was happening. We were brats at times. He put up with it. Can’t leave out D’s brother Charlie. His white van had a large American flag on the side. No chair or carpet as I recall. He did keep us in check better. We knew better than to push his buttons too far. Not sure about Paul, but Charlie went on to med school. David was lucky to have them both.
“Cause it’s a good life, too hard to lose.”- 10 Years
Well, that’s a bit off track. My daughter sent this post of hers from almost 10 years ago. That was UNA’s first season and we had taken her for her first overnight. Even behind Milford Haven’s barrier beaches it was a rolling bucking night at anchor. I had given my girl the cockpit and stuffed my little frame into the bow. Morning couldn’t come soon enough though I recall many shooting stars.
My daughter is an original, a good one. UNA has been a good boat. So, here we are, 10 years after.
“And if it’s bad, don’t let them get you down, you can take it.” -Argent
Water and Windows
UNA has been sailing for 10 seasons since that “leaky” maiden trip. Back then I had planned on tent windows, but didn’t put them in. There have been windy nights I’ve reluctantly stuck my head out in the driving rain to confirm the anchor’s hold.
Yesterday I put those windows in. I followed Sailrite’s video. I confess I was only partially successful. Sewing remains a mystery to me. Perhaps it is mostly a lack of patience? In any event the task is done. I believe the wrinkles in the ports are largely due to the stretchiness of the WeatherMax fabric. I did not cut the fabric until after the window and backing were sewn in. While it is lighter than Sunbrella, I’m not sure I can recommend it. Maybe this is all a dry run. I must say even without the mizzen deployed, the boat and tent weathervane quite well even without the bow canvass, the tent stands up to 40+ mph winds. I’ve yet to have a midnight fire drill with it.
UNA is now back in the garage. Putting lead in the centerboard and a road cover are the next projects in line. 10 years should be plenty of time to complete them.
Windy No Windy
I’ll keep it short. The video below took more time than usual with many cameras contributing.
The Old Bay Club cruised Maryland’s St. Marys River and its surrounds last week. We put in as guests at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Jutland Creek and sailed up the St. Marys into Indigoes Creek for the night. the next day we visited the St. Marys museum and toured a replica of the Dove. Sailing back down river to Carthagena Creek we caught an early dinner at Captain Pats and anchored upstream for the night. A trip up St. Georges Creek followed the next day with a beach picnic along the way. That afternoon we crossed back over to Smith Creek, anchored for a swim and dinner. day four was an early return to the ramp and home. It was an excellent trip as you will see here:
Battery Box
At our last OBC gathering, one of the fellows, let’s call him “Rob”, showed up with a 100 Ah LiFePo battery in a fabricated plywood box with USB and 12v outlets. Yes, 100 amp hours! That’s enough to charge your mobile phone and cameras for life. Not satisfied there, he is now considering adding a solar panel to keep his new found electrical wealth (and ballast) topped off. I must confess, I was envious. None of the small LiPo charge banks I’ve purchased have lasted nor delivered enough juice over a week’s cruise. I’ve a small foldable small solar panel too, but it has always been lacking. After years of bumming additional charges and cords, I got tired of being electron poor. Now I have my own bank using an old ammo box, a 50Ah batt, a couple outlets and wood scraps. The battery is centered in the box for ease of lifting and carrying. A remainder space offers storage for extra cords, phone, iPod, etc. AUW is 15 pounds. Light enough. Though not waterproof, the setup is quite water resistant, portable and can be readily positioned about the boat, or, used elsewhere. A printed chart equates battery capacity to voltage which is read off the USB outlet. We’re set now. Onwards and upwards!
I hear some of you, “What’s next? Widescreen TV?! Inverter? Blender?” Hmm, now you have me thinking. Margaritas anyone?
Carolina Chilling
8 OBC members dwindled to 5 stout boaters. 5 hours south of home didn’t amount to warmer air temps, but the water wasn’t as cold thankfully. Beaufort, NC was our destination. We had a sailing rumpus. UNA, Zephyr, Jolie, Liberte and newbie, Trim, started the season early. It was an exhilaratingly good time. Ready to go again!
Lingering Lunacy 