First Cruise of T.O.

TRIMMING OUT and I took our first cruise a few weeks ago.  I had moved the boat from the Berkeley Marina where I was berthed in a downwind slip that proved disastrous on my first sail.  Single handing a 35' full-keel sloop with a center cockpit was pretty straightforward I thought.  But moving bow in to a slip that was both down wind and down tide proved to be beyond my somewhat inexpert capability.  With the help of some of the locals I managed to tie up at the end of the dock as shown here after the wind died down.

While this shot looks placid and oh so tranquil, an hour or so earlier it was the scene of mayhem as I managed to ding a stern or two.  The next day I was able to nose into the slip for the last time, and since have moved to the Alameda Marina.

The first cruise was from the Alameda Marina to Sausalito.  I managed to sail up in fairly calm winds...a distance of only about 5 miles past Treasure Island, Alcatraz and Angel Island.  Look at Google Earth for those spots and you can see the route.  I brought up in about 2 fathoms, and set the anchor bridle.

Then, for the next two days I just stayed aboard taking stock of my surroundings (afloat and ashore) and my life.  The tide would swing me 180 degrees so I was either facing the head of the bay or back towards San Francisco.  I fired up my Dickinson solid fuel stove to take the chill off, and tried out my Magma gas grill for a steak.  Oatmeal and coffee for breakfast along with some Trader Joe's coffee cake, sandwiches for lunch, and something not much more complicated for dinner.  Wine and cheese when the sun was going down.

Finally I launched the dinghy (a Sumner 8...fiberglass built in New York in the 80's and kept on the bow), and rowed ashore to buy some fuses for the cigarette lighter inverter that keeps the cell phone and wifi hotspot charged.  I also repaired the AutoHelm windvane and tested it on the way back to Alameda.  We were on a reach for about 45 minutes without touching the wheel.  My first windvane experience.  I love it.

Depature was a chore.  The worst part was getting the dinghy aboard.  I used the main halyard and an improvised bridle that needs improvement.  While I didn't end up overboard I achieved the next best thing...half of me over the gunwale and half hooked onto the the lifeline.  This was the only time in my five days aboard where help was actually offered by a neighboring boater.  I managed to restore myself to T.O. but not without loss of dignity.

Actually sailed out of the anchorage.  Back to the north of Angel Island then downwind past the light on Treasure Island (light keepers quarters shown) and to the slip.  On the way I was passed by the Red Bull America's Cup team.

And past the cargo docks as seen through the dodger windows.

That's it for first cruise.  Nothing exciting, but really a great step forward.  Upcoming will be rigging an innerstay, reeving spinnaker and staysail halyards, and setting up running backstays.

No more name change

My first boat was a Pearson Triton.  28' overall, a Carl Alberg design, and just a wonderful first boat.  I had been really deliberating about a name, and had come up with all sorts of things.  Finally I settled on FIDELIO,  Beethoven's only opera that supposedly took 11 years to complete,   I liked the concept of fidelity, and I figured it would take me 11 years to pay for the boat.  It all seemed to work.

But I got married, changed jobs, and moved from Dade County, Florida, up to Broward County.  Instead of 30 minutes from condo to being under sail on Biscayne Bay, it was now an hour and a half schlep.  Interest waned, dockage increased, and she was put up for sale...reluctantly.

Along came hurricane Andrew and as mentioned in a previous post, FIDELIO was almost totaled and the insurance money plus the funds from the sale of the hull got invested. Almost 20 years later I bought the Westsail 32, GEMINI.  And...ignoring the fate of FIDELIO and all sailors' warnings, I changed the name.
GEMINI became the DELTA BELLE.  I loved the name, and it all fit.  I'm from the Mississippi Delta, and I found the boat in New Orleans.  Fate, right?  Wrong.

Hurricane Isaac blew the water of Lake Pontchartrain up the bayou where DELTA BELLE was docked.  She was raised to the limit of her dock lines and still the water rose.  It seems now that the previous owner had plumbed the galley sink with PVC and plumbers putty. Water rising through the galley sink drain, the putty gave way and boat flooded.

Long story longer, I bought the boat mentioned in the previous post, TRIMMING OUT.  TRIMMING OUT she will remain.  She's a 1966 Chris Craft Sail Yacht.  Sparkman and Stephens designed,  35' on deck, but with the added bowsprit and Auto Helm steering vane she's about 39'9".  Westerbeke diesel, new sails and standing rigging, a hard dodger, and lots of cobbled together electrics that will have to be sorted out over time.  For now she's functional.  Shore power works, engine has only 1500 hours, lots of projects to do, but I have the rest of my active life to do them.  I'm sitting aboard now with feet up on the opposite berth in the fore cabin. ( Being mid-cockpit I have to get used to fore and aft cabins).  

Sailing on San Francisco Bay will be different from the Gulf Coast, but I'm only 6 hours from home, have plenty of time, and am in the middle of a 12 day sojourn this trip.  I'll head out in the morning for Richardson Bay off Sausolito, and see how living on the hook goes.

I'm encouraged by Dani, Tate and James....all Westail owners whose experiences shared in their blogs help me realize that given some careful study along with a tremendous work ethic, nothing is impossible.  It helps that they're all fellow southerners.

So that's it for this time.  I'll try to include pictures in the future, and the blog title has to remain...no name changes ever again.  Two hurricanes and two losses can't be coincidental.

There's the sinking and salvage, the search for a new boat, and the rebirth of the dream to talk about...so here goes:

DELTA BELLE was salvaged and towed to the yard.  The surveyor called her a "constructive loss" and the insurance company offered to sell her back to me.  But as tantalizing as that offer was, I couldn't see myself living in a motorhome (I actually identified one to buy) while I used my less than adequate skills to rebuild a boat when I'd rather be sailing.
I flew to New Orleans as planned and salvaged the personal stuff and the things I had stored and drove back to CA.
In the meantime I had found a Westy up in New England.  The plan was to drive up there from NOLA and take delivery, move aboard after survey, and find my way back to FL via the ICW.  Best laid plans however..etc. etc.  Just as I was about to slip a deposit check in the mail the broker called to say seller had better offer and could I match it.  Nope!!
So looking around on the internet once home I found a boat that spoke to me.  I hope you know the feeling.
It's awful, tenacious, pleasant, pony under the Christmas tree, heart speeding and terrifying.  The price was right.  But somehow it was not what I ever thought would captivate my sailing fantasies.
It's a center cockpit, aft cabin sloop. And, it's a Chris Craft.  Not a Colin Archer "I'll take on the North Sea at her worst in my oilies and sou'wester" world cruiser, but a family coastal cruise Chris Craft.  Massive center cockpit.  A hard dodger.  Who'd a thunk it?  But it works for me on all sorts of levels.
Lots of upsides about being in SFO...in the Bay which is practically a 4-season cruising ground adjacent to  the Sacramento River Delta and its miles of sloughs and marshes.  Adjacent too, to the Pacific!!  Mexico, the San Juans and beyond.  And the access is such that I can get back home with less hassle.
So when I last saw DELTA BELLE she was in a slip at Northshore Marine under the capable watch of Gerald who owns the yard, and his fine staff.  I don't know her fate other than she's for sale, and that were I younger and more talented, I'd certainly buy her back.
The Boat US insurance folks did an fantastic job...some nice hand holding at the outset, and then efficient, business like attending to getting the settlement to me.
The Westy in New England??  Owner's direct buyer didn't come through so once aboard new boat I got a call from the broker asking if I were still interested.  Nope!!
Also found a really great Westy in Oxnard, CA...gorgeous hand crafted interior, skylight and unique built in kerosene reservoir, an Aries vane, two dinks, etc etc.   But the boat in San Francisco just seemed "righter.

I'm leaving the name, as I've had bad luck with name changes.  Here she is...TRIMMING OUT...having sailed from the east coast to Australia, Washington and now the Bay Area.

Salvage

The insurance company did indeed swing into action.
This shows the airbags and the white pump hoses on
deck on Sunday.  The pump out began and the vessel raised.
Monitored overnight by one of the salvage crew who lives at a nearby marina, the boat stayed dry indicating there was no breach of the hull.
The insurance company, surveyor and salvage crew have done a great job, quickly.  I've been kept
informed by everyone about what has taken place.

Below you can see how she looked yesterday...newly painted cabin sides glistening white, sail cover in place, basically as I left her.  Assessment is supposed to be later today, and I plan to be there next Sunday.  What doesn't show is the condition of the Perkins, air conditioner, radar and other electronics,  reefer, etc. plus all the goodies I had below...tool sets, power tools, even stuff like foulies, kitchen utensils and the myriad of things accumulated by the previous owners for voyaging.    I don't know how we'll come out of this, but I'm still better off than those who lost homes and businesses.

Revenge of Isaac

Maybe I was too smug.  Maybe everything seemed to be going too well.  Or maybe it's just fate.

I got a call this morning from the owner of the marina where DELTA BELLE is lying.  A local liveaboard had just notified him that the boat in slip 16, a boat with a wind generator, had sunk.  Only the wind generator was above water (and I'm assuming the mast, too).

I got one of those shocky type reactions...took a few deep breaths to settle down, and called BoatUS, my insurance company.  That was an hour and twenty minutes ago.  During that time...
Information was collected in the claims dept, (how many lines did I have, color of boat, slip no., and importantly, how the cabin was locked, what of value was below etc.) and I was transferred to an adjuster
More information provided, including name of yard where I would like DELTA BELLE transferred.
Brief explanation by Boat US about what would take place.  (air bags and pumps...towing to yard)
Put on hold while Boat US contacted local Tow Boat US.  Turns out owner of that firm had his boats out of the water until wind abates, and local law enforcement allows boats up the bayou to the marina.  He himself was in a kayak on the bayou surveying other damage, and will call me when he's assessed situation and actual process of salvage starts.

How do you quantify the value of hundreds of paper charts, radar, gps, SSB, documents, tools, custom berth cushions, air conditioner, reefer unit, etc. etc.  It's all rushing around in my thoughts.  My monitor windvane can take immersion, but what about the Perkins?

So far, things are proceeding apace, other than my mind racing over what could come next...salvage, restoration, time lost, plans awry, etc. But...no life was lost.  I wasn't aboard at sea when this happened.
And hopefully, DELTA BELLE did this on her own and didn't impact my neighbors.

I notified wife, son and mother...and now am blogging to any interested parties about this.

Marina owner said that electricity in the area is still off, but that winds have died down.
A few gas stations with electricity are open, but that as there was a "run" on gas before the storms, finding some is still a bit sketchy.

Right now my emotions are kind of strange, not having gone through a boat sinking...particularly when a good part of my future plans were tied to DELTA BELLE.  Maybe they still are.  The emotions and the plans.  As the blanks are filled in I'll post the information.  In the scheme of things, I (we) are very, very fortunate.

Hellooooo Isaac

Isaac's upon us.  A real live hurricane.  Just read a post by Dani of SUNDOWNER, berthed in New Orleans itself, with pictures of how they have stripped their boat and made ready for the storm.  Based on their description and photos, they have been very prudent.  Now, only time will tell.

I have been a bit concerned about DELTA BELLE.  She's lying in the marina you can see on the previous post. (with a satellite shot below)  However, she has been stripped of all deck canvas.  The staysail's off, but the main is still there, albeit under the sailcover and carefully tied with gaskets.  I asked the good folks at Northshore Marine to pass by to see if there's anything they could do to further secure her in the slip, which they kindly agreed to do.  My neighbors in the little marina also said they'd look after her if the need arose.  I like to think I'd do the same for them if it came to that.

So that's it for hurricane prep.  I'm still very eager to get back to Louisiana on the 9th of next month, and can only hope that I find everything in good shape...both for the people there, and for DELTA BELLE.

Now for some pictures....

This is the DELTA BELLE as I first saw her in the marina on Bayou Castine, Mandeville, LA
The sail covers need attention and have since been repaired, the green house-sides are now a nice white, the former name has been removed, bottom painted with 2 coats of Trinidad red, zincs replaced, new battery charger, running lights with fresh bulbs and most of the flaky old varnish removed.  Also changed oil and filters, racor filters, emptied fuel tanks and added clean diesel.  She had been left unused in the slip for over two years and showed it.  Green algae was rampant on the running rigging, wind generator, radar house, inner bulwarks, etc.  "Sweepers, sweepers, man your brooms!  Clean sweep down fore and aft!!!"

This is a bow-on view with a fender dangling over the port side.  There's a pvc
pipe around the bob-stay.  Now removed.

The Beginning

Hurricane season is upon us.  Rather, it's upon the people of the southeast.  My only direct connection with a hurricane was Andrew.  It hit south Florida 20 years ago and bent a sapling in my front yard. Andrew also took my boat, FIDELIO, and lifted her onto the concrete dock at the Matheson Hammock Marina in South Miami.  The rudder was destroyed, one of the pulpit stanchions was forced through the fiberglass of the foredeck, and the deck-stepped mast had toppled over.  The strong fiberglass hull of a Pearson Triton  held together while the O'Day in the next slip beat herself to death against a piling and sank only a few feet away.

FIDELIO had been up for sale, so I guess you have to say that her demise and Andrew was the beginning. The insurance money I received I invested, and the proceeds  gave me the wherewithal to buy a Westsail 32, now the DELTA BELLE.  In the interim I had a little 18' yawl, a Drascombe Lugger.  Look up Webb Chiles to see what that was about..

Now this ain't going to be no fancy schmanzy blog. (my IT skills aren't up to that yet)  It may even end here, but I hope to get it to a standard set by some of the other sailing bloggers I follow.  I've got a few family and friends who have said they would like to know what I'm doing. Like TV and censorship, you don't have to read this.  You can simply turn it off, tune out, or whatever.  

If, however, something herein piques your interest or makes you want to read more, please do let me know.

I'm experimenting with style, photography...the whole range of rhetoric.  My wife accuses me of using more complex words when simpler ones will do, but that's  how I run.  I've been reading about sailing for so long that I tend to use a nautical term when I think it's appropriate, so you can either look it up or ask me what I think I meant.  If I'm off base, my intentions were good.

I leave for New Orleans, Mandeville, and the DELTA BELLE on September 9.   By then Hurricane Isaac will have come and gone.  We'll see if this blog weathers the storm.