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Labor day review

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britinusa
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Initially Posted - 09/08/2010 : 05:21:17

Labor day 2010 weekend.

Loaded the boat Friday for an early Saturday drive down to black point marina. One of our better preps. We had the boat ready to launch 46mins after arriving at the marina, we're getting this launch process down.
Of course, the boom was still lashed to the port side deck, the jib was still in it's bag and the dinghy was bagged and in the cockpit. But what the heck, we can take care of those little things as we head out the long channel.

As we cleared the channel markers, the sails were already bent on and we were ready to hoist, there was wind, the seas pretty calm and time to sail. Billy's Point, here we come.

Wind died!

Motoring for the next hour, sails furled, dropped and lashed, wind picks up! Admiral asks... wanna go sailing?

Silly question! 180, main up, unfurl jib, and reach to the south west for a two hour sail and back to the same spot for anchoring overnight.

Sunset saw heavy clouds and increasing wind, but the anchorage was just right.

Relaxed Sunday morning, breakfast of eggs, hash browns, toast, OJ, the works. No wind till around noon, then up she comes and off we go.

Anchored later that afternoon off Elliott Key harbor. We always hoist the riding sail, helps with the TV reception, but only Spanish channels. Wind picks up as we head to bed. REALLY PICKS UP! Dang! we're not dragging, and hope that the few other boats this far out are ok. Lot's of Rock n Roll, and it was not from the stereos of the nearby triple decker powerboats rafted up. They quickly depart the area. An hour later things calm down. Front hatch now open and the wind makes sleeping possible. Didn't want to run the geny in the cockpit for the AC with the high risk of rain.

Monday - Labor Day - really not that many boats in the anchorages from Elliott's Key up to the bar at sands cut. Maybe 70 boats all told, compared to several hundred in recent years.

We took the day off. Spent much of it reading Practical Sailing (the Admiral is a book worm), had a couple of beers max, and watched the iriots motor around. Boats with more than a dozen passengers and we're not talking ferry boats here! Only one Patrol vessel.

Coast guard plane circled around the area from Homestead to east of Elliott key. Turns out a sailing vessel had an EPIRB bleeping, but even though the CG plane circled the vessel, the skipper must not have had his radio on. Everyone in the area knew about the EPIRB bleep except the skipper of the vessel. Nice to know the CG are on the ball!

Later Monday afternoon we did a really smooth re-anchor job. We have anchored many times at night. We have clear hand signals and can shift anchorage almost in silence. If it were at night, the deck light makes is just as easy. We Moved closer to the shore in case the weather repeated it's Sunday night game plan.

IT DID - With a gusto!!

Now we're having 20/20 hindsight and wishing that we had stowed the sails for an early Tuesday pullout.

By the morning the wind had dried the canvas, but the clouds over the western side of the bay looked ominous. Managed to get the sails and boom stowed as we motored back across the bay after waking at 5am. We pulled JD up the ramp at 8:30am. Grey clouds overhead... this was going to be a cool derig.

Getting most of the de-rigging done while motoring over the bay helped a lot. The rain didn't hit till I was putting the canvas on the closed cabin prior to final checks for towing. That was a welcome cold shower.

Straps tight, cockpit secure, all lines lashed, mast secured and lashed, trailer lights checked, ready to go.

By 11:15am we were backing JD into her 'slip' on the grass at the side of our house. By 12:30 I was at a business networking meeting.

Back to work!

Great weekend on the boat

Joint Decision. (Sold)
PO C250WB 2005 Sail # 841.

Moved up to C34 Eximius

Updated August 2015

Edited by - on

britinusa
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5404 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2010 : 05:35:33

Pics from the weekend on Biscayne Bay
<center>
Rainbow over the Nuclear Power Station.

Not many boats for a labor day weekend.

Gotta love Florida Sunsets.

Even on nasty nights on Biscayne Bay.

</center>

Edited by - on

Unsinkable2
Captain

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USA
273 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2010 : 06:43:45

It's beautiful down there! I need to go sail in florida some day...

Edited by - on

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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2015 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2010 : 09:23:24

Sounds awesome if not a little hectic. One thing bothered me though Paul. A couple of months ago there was a couple that were killed here in Ponce Inlet when the generator in their cockpit cradled carbon monoxide and enabled it to get into the cabin. Careful with that stuff!!

Edited by - DaveR on 09/08/2010 09:23:59

britinusa
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Response Posted - 09/08/2010 : 13:39:32

Dave, we (Osha & I) are very mindful of the CO issue.

We run the geny on the deck of the cockpit immeadiately up against the cockpit ladder and the exhaust facing overboard.

Even if there were no wind and the CO did backup into the cockpit, it would have to float up higher than the companionway hatch before it would be an issue. We always keep the cabin poptop closed up just to make sure.

FYI, we purchased a CO detector, but it turns out there is nowhere in the boat where it could be located.
<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
To avoid both damage to the unit and to reduce false alarms, do not install CO detectors:

•in unheated basements, attics or garages
•in areas of high humidity
•where they will be exposed to chemical solvents or cleaners, including hair spray, deodorant sprays, etc.
•near vents, flues or chimneys
•within 2 metres (6 ft.) of heating and cooking appliances
•near forced-or unforced-air ventilation openings
•within 2 metres (6 ft.) of corners or areas where natural air circulation is low
•where they can be damaged, such as an outlet in a high traffic area
•where directly exposed to the weather."

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Paul

Edited by - on

glivs
Admiral

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836 Posts

Response Posted - 09/09/2010 : 03:43:32

Great story/pics Paul...thanks

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DaveR
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2015 Posts

Response Posted - 09/09/2010 : 06:33:45

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> Dave, we (Osha & I) are very mindful of the CO issue. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I figured you and Peggy were up on the issue Paul, but juuuuuuuuuuust checking

And I didn't mention before that the pics are great!! thanks!

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9089 Posts

Response Posted - 09/09/2010 : 12:21:14

Are you sure that's a rainbow and not ionization from a giant radiation leak?

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britinusa
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Response Posted - 09/09/2010 : 17:11:33

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Stinkpotter
 Are you sure that's a rainbow and not ionization from a giant radiation leak?

You're on the ball there Dave.

Heck, I sent an email to a relative with reference to the power station type and wondered if big brother was reading my email

We see 'steam' rising from the power plant every trip, never did understand why they don't collect that heat for energy efficiency.

Paul

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9089 Posts

Response Posted - 09/09/2010 : 21:58:56

Not steam... Water vapor. Some day we'll explain to you how a nuke plant works--the heat that produces steam for the turbines, and the evaporative cooling of the radioactive steam and the water that regulates the fission process so that water can be reused (instead of being dumped into your waterway)...

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 09/09/2010 22:02:00

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