Clipper Snips

The magazine of the Trailer/Sailors Association Trailer/Sailors Association www.trailersailors.org Fall/Winter 2010

2 Presidents Column Mike Nelson

3 How Fast are You Going? Mike Nelson

4 Ambling Down the Florida Ditch Henk Vanderhulst

7 A Bowsprit for Anchors Derek Henshaw

12 Sailing the Florida Keys Howard & Kathy Staley

21 Anchorages and Gunkholes—Georgian Bay Henk Vanderhulst

27 From the Archives—6 Great One Way Cruises John Ulmer

North Channel Cruise 2011 Plans are in the works for the North Channel Cruise 2011. Cruise Leaders will be Chris Holderness from Teliki and Shawn Blackwood from Thistle Dew. Between the two leaders they have more than 10 years experience sailing the North Channel. The plan is to ‘Go Where the Wind Takes Us’ - which makes sense on a sailboat. They are looking for input on your favourite launch sites, anchorages and special places to go. Please post on the T/SA discussion board at www.groups.yahoo.com/group/trailsail/messages any input you want to contribute.

T/SA Tee-shirts For T/SA Hats ($13US) T/SA Wear Flags ($16US), Temporarily unavailable contact: David Craigie at for sale [email protected]

1 President’s Column Mike Nelson Even though it is 69 degrees out as I write this column, the sailing season is definitely over. We’ve had several frosts, our boat is under a tarp in the driveway, and I’ve downloaded nav charts for warmer places. Our new sails arrived just in time for the season’s last two sails. So, an alert to those who notice such things, Eventide will be faster next year! Not fast, mind you, but, at least, faster than we were with our 20 year old sails. On another note, I’d like to encourage more of you to consider writing something for Clipper Snips. We are open to just about anything that is sailing-related. I’d like to see articles about places you have gone, things that you have done to improve your boats, your ideas on any aspect of cruising, good boating books that you have read, etc. With 300 some members, it seems that we should be rolling in material for Clipper Snips, but we are not. So please consider writing something. It does not have to be a work of literary genius—write as if you were talking to another member. Clipper Snips is by, about, and for its members. Please support it. If you are planning a winter cruise (or a cruise at any time), and would like to invite other members to join you, you could post a notice on our Yahoo discussion group. If you are not currently on that group, send me an e-mail ([email protected]) , and I’ll send you an electronic invita- tion to join the group. It is our primary communications vehicle outside of Clipper Snips. Also please note that your membership renewal package has been included in the same envelope with this issue of Clipper Snips. You can renew either by mail or on our web site where we accept payment via PayPal. Also please fill out the references form so that other T/SA members can benefit from your experience or your knowledge. Wishing all of you happy holidays and seasons greetings.

2 in 0.25-knot increments, and you can interpolate to HOW FAST ARE YOU a bit closer than that. It is guaranteed accurate to the nearest 0.2 knot, and we have found that to be GOING? true according to our GPS. However, more impor- Mike Nelson tant than absolute speed is being able to see small changes in speed. The Knot Stick responds to After we smashed the propeller on our knot meter dur- speed changes virtually instantly, and it is easy to ing a recent launch, we decided we could just get our see small increases or decreases in speed. The elas- speed from our GPS. While GPS speed read-out tomeric cord that goes between the disk and the works for many purposes, it is not very satisfactory for strain gauge dampens out minor variations due to playing with sail trim. One would like to see the ef- random movement of the stern. We have found fects of a trim change more quickly than the GPS up- that it works very well for seeing the effects of dates. changes in sail trim. We ruled out getting a new knot meter propeller for a You can read about the Knot Stick on the maker’s variety of reasons, not the least of which was the web site at http://www.knotstick.com/. amount of water that enters the boat at high speed It sells for $45.95, free shipping. when the dummy plug is removed to insert the propeller plug. And the prop would have to be removed be- Here is a picture of the complete kit. fore both launch and retrieval in order to prevent another smash. Using the old mariner’s technique of letting a knotted line trail aft and counting seconds and knots passing by to get speed was not a very appealing thought. From a search for alternatives on the Internet, we found a very cool modern replacement for the old knotted line method called a Knot Stick. Basically the Knot Stick consists of a calibrated strain gauge attached to a plastic disk by a length of line. As the disk is dragged through the water behind the boat, it pulls on the strain gauge, and gives a continuous readout of speed. It responds instantly to small to the changes in speed that result from sail trim changes. Here is a picture of the Knot Stick in actual use, attached to a stanchion in the cockpit.

The Knot Stick comes with three different sized disks to provide three different speed ranges: 0-3, 0-6, and 0-9 knots. We use the 0-6 range, which gives read-out

3 strutting right through our campsite. Determined to go Ambling Down Part of the and see if the island was still as charming, I left the Ditch and made my way through very shallow water where I “Florida Ditch” managed to find a small 4ft deep gunkhole to anchor for By Henk Vanderhulst the night. Next morning, I kayaked over and walked December 17th, 1996 around. Most of the campers were fishermen and many of them had their own resident birds and had given them A week ago, I came back from Florida where I had spent names. There was ‘Herman” the stork, “Charley” the 3 1/2 weeks. I had decided to take my boat down before egret (white heron) and others waiting for a fishy hand- the winter weather made the roads bad, always a con- out. cern when we make our annual trip down in mid Febru- After leaving the area, I had to go back to the Ditch and ary. And guess what: I only just missed a bad snow- promptly ran aground. I had a hard time pushing and storm that blanketed Ohio a few days before I started pulling to get GO GENTLY afloat again in the strong south. The journey was without incident and it was nice wind. I had tied a rope from the boat around my middle to spend a few days with my daughter, Linda, who lives because, in my mind’s eye, I could just imagine her sud- just south of West Palm Beach in Lantana. denly coming free and taking off without me. But we After spending three days with Linda, we returned to the were soon on our way again and on that day did 24 NM ramp from where she drove my rig back to Lantana, and running and broad reaching. I was on my way, sailing alone down the ICW I took Finding places to anchor overnight in the ICW can be a my time, often enjoying good fast sailing—sometimes problem. Twice I anchored close to the ramps of the high over 6 knots! bridges but the traffic was very noisy and kept me awake. At one point I hung around for three days waiting for the I guess most other boaters use marinas but that was never wind to turn back north so I could keep on sailing. I was my habit. determined not to do what most other sailor did: motor. Near St. Lucie Inlet is a small lake called Peck Lake, a One day, I counted as many as three dozen sailboats, all fa- heading south, all motoring even though the wind was perfect. I came to sail and that was what I did. Of the 150 miles covered, about 90% was under sail. Most of the ICW in this part of Florida is part of the In- dian River. The surrounding countryside produces some of Florida’s best citrus fruit. “Indian River:” fruit is transported all over North America. You don’t see much from the ICW though. Much of the shore along the undeveloped sections is covered with mangroves, or there are mangroves on one side and beautiful homes on the other. Quite often there are small spoil areas with crops of trees and mangroves. Just south of Titusville where the waterway was a mile wide, I managed to tack back and forth using most of its width, but only by paying diligent attention to the chart and depth sounder. But soon after passing Melbourne I could not stray into the shallows beyond the channel which was too bad because I was in water 1—1 1/2 miles wide. It was tempt- ing to explore beyond the markers. Often with jib alone, or with the main reefed, I would be doing over five knots—at times even 7. Near Sebastian there is a small island along the east shore where it is mostly campground. Previously, my wife, Sia, and I had spent a very enjoyable week there camping close to the water. We would have a private dolphin show twice a day and all manner of birds came

4 vourite anchorage for many boaters. At one time, there caution in my guide book saying “Jupiter Inlet should were about thirty sailboats (six of them from Canada) be left to local boaters: treacherous, fast currents, and eight motor yachts. I stayed there over Thanksgiv- shoaling, very dangerous, extreme turbulence.” I went ing for three days waiting for favourable winds. It was to a nerby marina for some local knowledge and was a pleasure to have the kayak. I did quite a lot of pad- advised not to worry as long as I made my exit at slack dling and I walked the outer beach where the storm- tide. I did that and had no problems. Lake Worth is an strength wind sent high rollers crashing on to the shore. easy one, wide open and free from difficulties. Thousands of Portugese Man o’ War jellyfish had been The Atlantic had calmed down nicely and the wind was swept ashore, it was not weather to go for a swim! light from the north. I goose winged it and did 1 1/3— While kayaking, I found a nice little creek among the 4 knots about half a mile from the beach, staying close mangroves, sort of a ‘tunnel of love’. I was told that a gave me about 1/2 knot current going south. A 35 foot number of years ago several rafts with Cuban refuges Catamaran further out tried to catch up but he couldn’t had come to grief on this shore. The remnants of the and finally motored over to ask how I could do so well. rafts are still to be seen. I had found three or four while Being so far out his progress was already being influ- walking the beach with a friend two years previously. enced by the Gulf Stream’s northerly current. I can Very sad when you think about the misery of those now place a sticker on GO GENTLY’s transom read- people. ing: This boat has sailed the Atlantic!” There is also a marine park with hiking trails and a The stretch from Lake Worth Inlet to Lantana has quite boardwalk. I was surprised to find no birds or animals a number of bridges, many are under repair and I ended there, just a few nice large spiders, a grasshopper and one ibis! But along the ICW there is much wildlife in the way of birds and dolphins to be seen. While sailing down Hobe Sound I noticed two snouts come up very close to the boat, only about 6 feet off to port, a mother and a baby manatee. When they dove, she actually lifted her tail out of the water like a whale. Though the baby’s back was smooth, hers was covered with green algae. These gentle mammals are endangered mainly due to hits from powerboat propellers and pollution. You see hundreds of signs all along the ICW enforcing speed limits, etc.. On account of the manatees. While going through one of the Jupiter bridges, the bridge tender informed me by radio (channel 09) that the next bridge was being replaced and there would not up in a group of boats having to wait up to 30 minutes be an opening for the next five days. So next morning, for openings. The wind was right and I sailed goose I went to the Jupiter Inlet to sail down the coast to Lake winged all the way down to Lantana. Sailing through Worth Inlet which is only about 10 NM. There is a bridges is forbidden, but motor-sailing is allowed. I just made it before dark. My daughter, Linda, lives three miles away and after kayaking ashore, I called her to pick me up. Next morning I hauled out and GO GENTLY is now stored where she lives waiting for our return in Mid-February. I had enjoyed myself and seen a lot of different sights. But I found it a bit lonely at times, especially during the long evenings. It was dark by 6 p.m., I was usually asleep by 8 pm, and awake again quite early in the morning. The chart book I had used was ‘Florida’s East Coast’ from Embassy’s Complete Boating Guides. What I like about this guide is the comprehensive information

5 about anchoring, navigation, moorings and marinas; and there is information about what to see and do, Fall Outboard Maintenance where to eat, etc. with interesting stories about pi- It might be a bit late in the season for this, but it never rates, treasure, shells, birds and more. It is a book hurts to have the information. worth keeping in your boating library. This comes from Clipper Snips Fall 2001 Flush Engine with Fresh water. I can recommend doing a bit of Ditch sailing, it was a Remove engine cover. worthwhile experience. Remove carburator cover if necessary. Start engine Remove fuel hose, or turn off fuel Spray fogging oil into carburetor until engine stops running. Try to start. If it does, continue to spray until it stops. Remove spark plugs. Spray each plug tip with fogging oil [Clean off in springtime, or it will foul the plug]. Spray oil into cylinders. With plugs out pull starter a couple times to coat all the parts. Grease any zerk fittings with grease gun. Remove lower unit drain plug (lower) and overfill plug (upper). Drain lower unit oil. If oil has milky color (indicating water in the engine) or gray color (indicating gear or bearing damage), take to a pro- fessional. Check the o-rings/gaskets on each plug, replace if necessary. Squeeze/pump fresh lubricant into the lower drain hole, until it oozes out the upper overfill hole. Screw in the overfill plug Quickly replace the lower drain plug. Wipe off lower unit. If there is leakage, then re-drain, replace Note of Thanks the o-rings, and re-fill. Remove propeller. Grease spline and Check for Thanks to all of you T/s'ers who enjoyed the wear.[every couple years?] Sailabration in the North Channel. I sure Check zinc, wish I could have been there with you, but replace if necessary. believe me when I say I was there in spirit. Lubricate shift I want to thank all of you who signed the and throttle beautiful Strawberry Island lighthouse card. linkage with Vaseline It was very touching to read all of your com- Store engine for ments. I am looking forward to reading winter (vertical in Clipper Snips and hearing about your adven- freeze location is tures! all right; horizontal only when power- Fair winds, head is higher than Debbie Bell, "Bells Toil” lower unit).

6 my head. A Bowsprit for Anchors It was sometime By Derek G. Henshaw in the early 1990’s and I had (ed. Note. This article has been reprinted from the become adept at 2009 version to include photos). anchoring in typi- It started as a simple idea while enjoying a serene eve- cal Georgian Bay ning anchored in Georgian Bay. I was pondering the style. One or two dirty stains that blemished the foot of my pretty white anchors dropped Genoa sail. I had two Danforth anchors hanging from at either bow or stern near shore and the other end pulpit brackets that would snag the sail when sailing off tied to something ashore. I preferred Cadence “bow- the wind. It was a great place to hang the anchors. in” so the hull shape matched bottom contours well They hung there all neat and snug like Viking shields and the rudder stayed well clear of rocks. In that ori- on the prow ready at an instant the moment they were entation, foot pressure downward on a line to shore needed. What I had was good but I wanted better. by stepping on it nicely brought the bow near enough to step ashore. Talk amongst fellow Trailer Sailors included how a bow-to-shore plank would make it easier to step aboard/ashore and keep gel coat scratching rocks at a safe distance. Just about all Trailer Sailors used some sort of towed watercraft as a ferry to shore when anchored. I saw one boat that had its dingy tied at both ends forming a gangway of a sort such that the line ashore was used for balance. It was about this point that I began to merge the topics of anchor mounts and stepping ashore into one idea. Traditional sailing ships feature bowsprits that are functional and aesthetically pleasing which always looked to me as being properly finished off. Modern production sailboats have always struck me as look- My lovely Catalina 22, Cadence has always looked ing unfinished without a sprit rendering the prow pleasing to me from the first moment I discovered her without taper. The shape and its effect on my sensi- for sale. To me a ship’s appearance is as important as bilities were rather blunt. The idea of where to anything else about sailing and a good vessel “looks mount anchors began to seep into my brain like a right.” I did not hesitate to buy those rail mounts when flood tide creeping steadily up flat rippled beach I discovered them for the con- sand. venience and safety they assured. If I were to add a bowsprit to Cadence, she would not only begin to make more sense with nautical style but I had come to the conclusion she would also gain several physical advantages. the anchors had to be moved First of all, the overall center of gravity would be in order to protect the head lowered with anchor weight relocated below deck sail. That was my starting level and secondly, anchor weight would move for- point to find the ultimate so- ward. Cadence has always been higher at the bow lution to the question, “Where than at the stern according to her boot stripe. Also, should the anchors go to be Windline Marine model PM-1 once while motoring down Lansdowne Channel east ready in an instant while of Killarney toward Mill Lake, I discovered that keeping a clear deck for walking and working forward moving a person’s weight ahead of the mast boosted in safety?” I had every intention of retaining the pulpit maximum speed under auxiliary power. Thirdly, an mounts as they were (are) wonderful stainless steel additional anchor, a plow anchor on a roller would fit brackets that completely tame a Danforth anchor on in just nicely. I had long before discounted a plow deck. From there, I set off for another favorite kind of anchor as impractical since a factory delivered Cata- sailing adventure; the kind that happens entirely inside 7 lina 22 has no logical accommodation for a bow scribed the feature. I began to use the term for a roller or plow anchor on her bows. while then stopped when I grew tired of explaining. I made some initial measurements and preliminary I brainstormed several designs. In one, the Windline anchor brackets attached to horizontal tubing that Lansdowne Channel would be added horizontally across the pulpit up- rights approximating a lower parallel position. An- other similar arrangement would use tubing formed into a cage attached to the hull at the rub rail and braced to the bow for support. Yet another idea would be built of a laminated wood design built plank by plank with the Windline anchor brackets notations of where things were on the bow regarding mounted either above or below the wooden surface. I assorted fittings and cleats. My impression was that had lots to consider and no sense to hurry and forge such an enterprise was a bold departure and I re- ahead. signed myself to invoke patience and clear- Every time I was around the boat, I would look at the mindedness as the most important rule for the pro- bow envisioning ject. The plan went into my “it goes everywhere with each design option me” notebook as as best I could and a simple line on occasion, I form drawing would check and re with a few cur- -check measure- sory measurements. Occasion- ments and from ally, I bought mate- there it was pon- Mill pond with flotsam. rials that showed dered on many promise and put occasion. them aside, like Chronologically, when I discovered 3 stainless steel door plates on a this is where time clearance table. Time passed by lazily like flotsam lapsed in leaps on a mill pond. and bounds. The Notebook sketch circa 1995. Wood began to attract my attention more over time idea fermented as a good solution. Its advantages of being easy to longer than a dec- obtain in many varieties and dimensions, of it being ade. The term inexpensive and easily worked with hand tools, ferment stirs me pushed it ahead of other choices. The fact that it is as ideal for, like still one of the best materials known to man for build- most fine concoc- ing just about anything did not escape me, and it tions, longer fer- looks great when properly finished. These attributes, mentation pro- combined with my desire to improve her already duces improved results. I gathered information on pleasing curves, convinced me to decide on wood for various aspects of the project as the idea matured and my lovely Cadence. I gained an appreciation for other similar projects. As an example, I learned about many species of Thinking of using wood and planning to use wood, so wood for their characteristics and their uses. it turned out, were completely different concerns. For one thing, I had to decide what type of wood to I read about an aluminum hull custom Deerfoot 51 use. That led me to research what kinds of wood are built in New Zealand that had an aluminum bowsprit. preferred for building boats and for deck projects in I read about laminated bowsprits of wood planks particular. It took little effort to discover the wide stacked, glued and doweled together with purposely range of wood types and their properties and suitabil- left gaps for windlass, chain, and anchor to pass ity for maritime use. It turned out that all types of through. Most articles detailed large boat projects wood have been used for boat building. Different and some had pictures of catastrophic failures caused wood types have different properties and the prepon- by overload due to storm or collision. The term derance of a type of wood in an area had a greater “anchorsprit” was mentioned that to me properly de- 8 influence of how local boats were built than any as does that old joke, “I cut the board twice and it's other factor. It surprised me that any wood can be still too short!” I purposely kept these images fore- used in boat building as long as it has the density and most in my head to ensure I didn't become the butt of workability desired for the project. that joke. Some other words that are equally important to me came from my middle school shop teacher. I found a nice plank of pine at a local lumber yard He instructed, “Look at your fingers before you begin that measured 2 inches by 8 inches by 10 feet with no work and decide which ones you want to keep- then knots, a nice tight grain and no twist. Pine as com- use the right amount of care so you can keep those pared to other wood is not too heavy and can be bent ones.” but has some give. That one plank provided all the wood I needed and I selected exactly what parts Template measurements were transferred to the wood would and would not be included in the finished with methodic care preserving the best parts. What pieces. It was a good find and it effectively cata- followed next were pains taking effort to cut and pulted me from the thinking to the thinking and doing fashion that wood plank by hand with a hand saw, stage. Still, I felt no need to rush because, after all, it wood files, and several grades of sand paper. Each was an adventure in sailing all of its own. cut was made carefully and checked for fit. I had in my mind's eye those Persian ship builders who hand An effective template was made using packing mate- cut each timber as each Dhow took shape. Each cut rial Styrofoam that approximated 2x8 plank lumber. took me considerable time but it was time well spent With ruler, pen, and hacksaw blade in hand, I had the as each cut required no more than a minor adjust- template taking form in no time. The result was three ment. It was mid-summer and cutting wood in an air blocks of foam that I held together in my hands using conditioned room was comfortable and easy, much reference marks to assess the template on the bow. I unlike the conditions I imagined for my Persian com- got a surge of excitement from this first impression rades. as I could actually see the plan and I could instantly begin to anticipate what was needed and where to The wood blocks took shape one by one, one cut at a locate specific things. Things like mounting points time. I was working away from home at the time and and were supports were needed and what those sup- the project helped ports should be like. I began to appreciate which fit- chunks of time Bowsprit in its earliest form. tings would need to be moved and which fittings pass by. The three could be kept exactly where they already were. pieces of the bowsprit soon emerged I actually had a thought, “It has only been 13 years and each was iden- since I put that diagram in my notebook and perhaps tical to the tem- I am rushing things now.” This virtual voyage was plate. Everything now a long favorite past time and I was quite happy fit flush and the with it floating around in my mind. I had thought joins had sharp about it while crossing over oceans miles above, corners making while sitting peacefully on quiet evenings in all sea- nice flush joints. Maritime wood glue cemented fac- sons, and in such exotic places as on a desert rooftop ing joints and long sliding furniture clamps held the in freezing winter drizzle after midnight while pull- wood blocks together firmly while glue hardened. I ing guard duty while deployed. This truly was an left the clamps holding the wood tight for two weeks epic voyage and I was in no hurry to bring it to har- before removing them. Stress testing the assembled bor. wood proved a sound and strong wood-glue joint. The wood became my focus once it was bought. I As strong and sound as that joint was, I wanted to have always liked how wood feels in my hands. A ensure the whole structure remained rigid. I drilled kiln dried wood has a fascinating appeal with its tex- perpendicular holes and cemented a dowel in each ture and grain. Like a human fingerprint, no piece of side to ensure twisting stress would not weaken the wood is identical to any other. The smell of wood bowsprit and to lock the center block into place. has its own pleasure. Wood while working it is quite Sanding smoothed the entire assembly and it was forgiving but the wood itself can become injured if then left to cure. proper care is not exercised. Cutting wood requires care to realize best results. My father's words from Summer turned to autumn and, just before the tarp long ago still echo, “measure twice and cut once” just wrapped the boat for winter, I tried the finished bow-

9 sprit on the bow for an approximate fit. It could only sprit ready for be an approximate fit since existing deck fittings finishing. were still mounted in place. I saw no reason to hurry One final task anything at this point since it would be months until before finishing the boat would shed her tarp in late spring. was to locate I admired the wood as it sat propped in my living bolt holes that room by the TV. Its appearance was most pleasing would be used as a beautiful single piece of unfinished wood. I qui- to fasten the etly celebrated it and enjoyed looking at it daily bowsprit to the through the holi- deck. I had to days and into the Holidays 2008, curing by the TV. tie the bowsprit New Year. That firmly into New Year began Bow before fitting removal. place as I had bitter cold and the no helper that winter deepened day. I climbed for a while. to the peak of the v-berth and As the seasons drilled holes changed, I upward from watched with curi- below deck. osity as the different woods of the dowel and the Hole alignment board expanded and contracted differently. The oak was critical as dowel by springtime protruded almost a quarter inch each bolt had to from where it had been flush in the fall. Most expan- Bow fittings removed. Cleats removed later. pass through sion happened before deep winter and after that I deck, bowsprit noted no further change. I decided it must need more and bow cleat glue and ran a whole tube of acetone glue into the and, as these hairline gaps surrounding each dowel. I chose ace- were the pri- tone glue since it flows so nicely and sets so firmly. mary means of It disappeared as quickly as it flowed into the seam attaching the and I let that set for a month before trimming the bowsprit, each dowel and sanding it flush once again. I anticipated hole had to be it would recur and resigned to address the issue later right. Spring arrived and freezing weather passed. Several More holes early spring snows gave way quickly to warm sum- Toe plate assembly mounted to the deck. were drilled for mer-like weather. The boat tarp was shed and soon all the fittings after I began on the deck. First things removed in- that were to mount on the bowsprit and before my cluded the toe plate, both fair leads, and both bow eyes the whole thing had taken form. I was surprised cleats from the foredeck. One of those long saved how quickly the drilling phase was completed. It stainless steel door plates was drilled to match the toe only took about an hour on one single day. plate. The toe plate and stainless plate were made into an assembly, sealed with marine grade silicone Summer weather conditions came earlier that spring then through bolted using original hardware onto the with warm clear blue skies, perfect for finishing bow deck. The stainless plate effectively extended wood. Three coats of Sikken’s Cetol® on the bow- the foredeck ahead of the bow to support the bowsprit gave it a rich, thick looking gloss that let the sprit underneath. light play tricks on its well sanded wood grain. The finish dried for more than a week to harden into a Another test fit and final shaping of the bowsprit smooth finish ready for mounting. The deck was wood was made by hand file to clear pulpit deck fit- cleaned with solvent and one last test fit proved all to tings. This trimming was expected from the template be nearly perfect. fit. What really paid off well was I knew exactly where and how much actual trimming was needed. Suddenly, everything began to move along at light- Additional trimming and sanding soon had the bow- ning speed compared to my countless years and

10 months of imagining. The bowsprit was sealed to the deck with marine grade silicone and the cleats were sealed and through bolted into place. After the silicone cured for an hour or so, the bolts were tightened somewhat to snug the wood to the deck. Then anchor brackets and fairleads were through bolted and finished with bare finger protecting acorn nuts. The

my beautiful Catalina 22 with a gleaming bowsprit. Cadence had been transformed. In reflection, I have to say there is one feature I have

Drying Cetol® as the bowsprit hangs from a ladder. not been able to decide upon to call the project properly finished. A bob stay is featured on most sailing bowsprits to take the load of standing rigging. Add- ing a solid one would allow for transmitting compres- bow cleat sion and tension stresses between the bowsprit, the bolts were deck and the bow eye, a logical attachment point. I tightened to have partially constructed the bob stay and after a specifica- summer of sailing I have not sensed any hurry to add tion a cou- it as an integral feature; yet. ple days later further I imagine that even right now, as you are reading this, ensuring a you may very well be thinking, “Hey Derek, maybe watertight you are rushing things a little bit here”? seal. Underside detail. And I would be inclined to agree! I had better do My long some more thinking... anticipated but pa- Topside detail. tiently awaited bow roller and plow anchor were next. Both were bought the summer before as the wood took shape as it seemed appropriate to hang such equipment on a bowsprit. I installed an eye bolt next to the bow roller and attached a shock chord to secure and quiet the stowed plow anchor. It had only taken 14 years and a few hours to complete, I thought to myself with a big grin. And there I was with great pride and satisfaction as I looked at

11 ports, traveled new routes, experienced new anchor- Sailing the Florida Keys ages and met many people. We plan to duplicate and expand the journey in 2011, March, 2010 doing more sailing, seeing some of the same ports and also new harbors, communities and anchorages. By Howard and Kathy Staley Trip Details Ahoy…… Admiral (or Sweetie or Honey, etc.), Preparation: how about us sailing the Florida Keys? Preparing for the cruise started activity on several Away from the blinding snow, the biting wind, and items concurrently. These items included: Charts, chilling cold. Away from our wood stove’s cozy fire, Trailer Preparation, Boat Preparation, Equipment from the beautiful white snow, from watching the Gathering, and Provisioning. birds huddled on the window feeders. Away from Charts and Cruising Guides traffic jams, from cars skidding on icy pavement, from snow shovels, rock salt, cinders and sand. Richardsons’Chartbook & Crusing Guide of the Florida Keys covers the sailing area from Ft. Lauder- Away from snuggling under down-comforters piled dale to Key West, the Dry Tortugas & Bimini.. We high on the bed, from walks through new fallen also used the NOAA chart number 11451 covering snow, and, oh oh,….. away from enjoying the first from Miami to Marathon and Florida Bay. We rely hint of spring….. should it arrive before we return. on paper charting exclusively since we carry no elec- What a decision to have to make!! Well, we made tronic chart plotting equipment. Our 12 year old that decision,…….. and it was to sail the Keys dur- Garmin GPS tells us where we are. Sailing the Keys ing the month of March, 2010. is almost always in sight of land. Cruising Guides are invaluable for “reading up” on Here’s how our trip went. the next port or anchorage. We used Claiborne

Young’s Cruising The Florida Keys and Freya The Overall Trip Rauscher’s Florida Keys and Everglades Cruising

Guide. We left home in late February and returned in early April. All charts and cruising guides should be studied and annotated long before your trip, both for trip planning The southbound ,three day, 1,350 mile road trip com- purposes, and for the sheer enjoyment of it. The menced with towing our 24 foot Neptune sailboat, hours consumed in this endeavor caused the dank Aeolus, from Cincinnati, to the upper Keys. We cold darkness of winter to be absolutely enjoyable. launched just south of Florida City. Of course, all our charting tools had to be assembled We then sailed the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW) and put in a convenient easy to use case. Tools such about 85 miles down the Keys, on the Florida Bay as dividers, parallel rulers, soft lead pencils, sharpen- side (North side), to Ohio Key. Ohio Key is about ers, a good soft eraser, etc. would make navigation fifteen miles west of Marathon, next to Bahia Honda much easier. State Park. Ohio Key was the end of the underway sailing trip. We visited seven ports, spent about six Trailer Preparation: nights at anchor, sailed six days and spent seven We had a long trailer trip ahead of us. Not wanting weather days in port or at anchor. anything to go wrong, either at 60 MPH or 1,300 At the end of our sailing trip, while the boat was miles from home, the trailer must be inspected and dockside at Ohio Key’s Sunshine Marina, we trav- repaired.. For a trip of this duration, I do the follow- eled by bus back to Florida City to pick up our van & ing: trailer. We also made several driving day-trips just Bearings: Pull wheels and check and repack the exploring the Keys, which included a day visiting bearings. (or hire a shop to do it) Better now than on Key West. After that it was time to load Aeolus on the edge of the highway! A quick, but not necessar- the trailer and drive home. ily thorough, check of bearings is to jack up each Sailing the Keys was a great, destination oriented wheel then spin the wheel and listen for noise or sailing trip, the kind we especially like. We saw new “grinding” at the hub. If so, pull the wheel, disas- 12 semble and fully inspect the bearings. Also, while plastic pail or cat litter container is ideal. Include: jacked up, wiggle the tire to see if the hub is too light bulbs, spare light fixtures, dielectric grease, 150 loose (or tight) on the spindle. grit sandpaper for electrical cleaning, trailer wiring, bearing grease, brake fluid, brake shoes, springs, Brakes: Check brakes by jacking up each brake wheel cylinder, spare sets of bearings (including wheel, spin the tire and apply the brakes using the races), wiping rags, trailer jack, and any special tools master cylinder breakaway lever. Adjust the brakes needed to install these spare part items. as necessary and bleed the brake fluid to insure no air is in the lines. Also, check the surge brake master Safety Cones: Assemble a set of (at least) three re- cylinder and fluid level. If the level is low, find out flective orange highway cones or reflective red trian- why (perhaps leaky connections or rusty holed brake gles. Use them to keep the highway traffic away lines, etc.) Do you have a brake actuator breakaway from you and your disabled trailer…. particularly at cable that attaches to the vehicle? night. Have road flairs. Tires: Check the tire lug nuts for tightness. While Tire Chock: Good quality, rubber, tire chocks for you are at it, multiply the tire load capacity (that is each vehicle wheel. You never know how steep shown on the sidewall), by the number of tires on the some ramps may be. trailer, and ask, “Is the total tire load capacity ade- Equipment Gathering: quate for the real weight (that is, scale weight) of the boat and trailer?” You’d be surprised how many boat Equipment gathering is actually kind ’a fun. We owners don’t know that answer. Many of them can gather things for the trip and put them in boxes be seen on the side of the road. (usually liquor boxes from Kroger). Each category of items has its own “gathering box”. For example, Inflate your tires to the maximum PSI that is shown the “SAFETY & OPTICAL BOX”- includes on the sidewall. Under- inflation (coupled with over- PFD’s, flairs, distress flag, whistles, Binoculars, etc. loading) is the primary cause for blown trailer tires. The “ELECTRONICS & NAVIGATION BOX” – Use your tire pressure gage frequently. has VHF Radios, GPS, Hand Held Compass, Batter- If the tires are over 5 years old, inspect them for side- ies, AC and DC chargers, AM/FM Short Wave Ra- wall cracking. If so, replace. Most trailer tires blow- dio, Navigation Tools, Charts, Cruising Guides, out the sidewall, not the tread. Flashlights, etc. There is a “Galley Box” (for galley equipment), a “VeeBerth Box” for stuff that goes up Winch: Is the trailer’s winch strap weakened by there. A Books/Entertainment Box” for leisure the sun or is the cable rusty? Lubricate the winch. reading, boat technical manuals, games, camera, Are the tie down straps worn and weak? CD’s, etc., and so on. Lights: Are all the lights working? Even if they are, Over the month(s) before our trip we simply fill the pull all lenses and inspect the bulbs and fixtures. Are boxes (that are situated on a spare bedroom’s floor). the sockets and bulb bases rusted (and therefore only You can easily see what items you have collected, “almost” working) thus giving just a dim light? spot and those that are missing. The filled boxes are Clean the rusted fixtures. Replace as necessary. Re- transported in the van, rather than the boat, for member, they will be dunked in SALT WATER. weight distribution purposes while towing. They are Safety Chains: Make sure you have safety chains, loaded onto the boat at launch time. and that you hook them up to the vehicle in an “X”, or “CROSSED” arrangement. It is added security and you could save yourself a safety ticket. Hitch: Here’s one that really happens. Is the hitch BALL bolted onto your ball mount really tight? Put a small amount of grease on the ball. Trailer Tongue Extension: If you have one, be sure to take it. Florida ramps that I have encountered require extensions to keep your vehicle out of the salt water and your tires off the ramp’s slime. Spare Parts: Prepare a trailer spare-parts box. A

13 that holds the table upright to the wall. I will not, not do that again! Hatches: fastening down all your deck hatches (especially the forward opening hatch above the Vee berth) and the anchor locker hatch. 70 MPH winds rip unsecured hatches back very easily. Loose Items: Loose items in the cockpit don’t stay on the boat very long being beat around by those winds. Vibrating wire stays and shrouds that touch the deck will wear through your fiberglass very quickly. Se- cure anything that can “rub” your fiberglass, wood or even the aluminum mast. Ropes that are fastened one end to the boat, with the

The Walker Bay getting additional flotation installed. other end loose, makes dangerous road hazards when they string out behind you into the oncoming cars. Provisioning: Weight Distribution (Trailer vs. Vehicle): Overall, Kathy organizes the shipboard meal menu for the the idea is to get weight off your trailer and onto your whole trip utilizing an Excel spreadsheet. For meals, tow vehicle. This gives the relatively heavier tow the sheet tallies the ingredients required, and also vehicle better control over the relatively lighter trailer tallies our needs for the whole trip. For special and load. meals, like spaghetti, we home-make the sauce and I carry my outboard motor in the tow vehicle. This can it in Mason jars. This makes good homemade takes a major stress load off the transom while trail- meals available by simply warming them up on the ering, and gets significant weight off the boat/trailer boat. Pasta meals made with canned tuna, chicken and into the tow vehicle. It also gets a heavy item off and salmon are also favorites. Even though we have the very back of the boat hence lessening a cause of a 5 day cooler, we provision as if we have no refrig- trailer sway. I pull a total weight load of 5,400 eration. pounds (boat and trailer weighed at a scale) with a When getting ready for the trip, provisions are placed Chevy Astro van, which is the van’s maximum tow- in their various “gathering boxes” as mentioned on ing capacity. So, getting as much weight off the the previous page. trailer and into the van is important for my situation. Of course, canned goods are a staple. For “fresh For that matter, remove all heavy items from the foods”, we also stock up on cabbage, carrots, pota- boat and place into the tow vehicle. Examples could toes and onions. They last long if kept in a dark airy be your deep cycle batteries, anchors and chain, full place on the boat. Also, contrary to popular opinion, fuel and water containers, heavy provisions (canned eggs, butter and mayonnaise do not require refrigera- goods), etc. tion. Position the heavy items between the vehicle’s axles Preparing the Boat - For the Road Trip: to distribute the weight over the entire chassis. Realize that your boat will be buffeted by up to 70 If your boat has an internal water tank, drain it for MPH winds, and it will be bounced around on the two reasons: one is that water is heavy, about 8.3 lbs trailer by rough roads. Consider the obvious things per US gallon. (My tank holds 25 gallons, under the like: Vee berth, totaling 208 pounds); why haul that extra weight 1,350 miles, and two, if the water is in a tank, Inside the Boat: Secure anything that will roll or without baffles, it will slosh when turning corners slide around, or fall or fly through the air on sharp and stopping therefore making the trailer more prone turns or fast stops. On one road trip I found that my to “sway” and inhibiting the stopping effort. Salon eating table, which folds down from the bulk- head, had crashed down. Of course, the hinges were Strap the boat down: at the stern, preferably using bent. I had not secured, with masking tape, the hook ratcheted tie down straps, and use another ratcheted

14 tie down strap from the bow eye, straight down, to the trailer frame. These straps firmly secure the boat Inspect: that the halyards are correctly bending to the trailer reducing bouncing and swaying. If your around the mast head sheaves, before raising the tie down straps simply just hook to a fitting on the mast. trailer, (and thus are held in place by the tension of The Road Trip to Florida: (1,350 Miles) the strap) you should tie each strap hook to its’ trailer fitting in case the tension is lost. This keeps the We especially look forward to the trailering part of straps from trailing onto the road and getting under a our trips. Our objective is to enjoy the trip. The way rolling tire causing very unpleasant results. to do it is to drive safely, defensibly, slow down, make frequent stops, smell the roses, sight see, and Tongue Weight: Insure that your trailer’s tongue take pleasure in the trip. When we travel on the inter- weight is correct. To do this, first actually weigh the state roads, we stay in the right hand lane, and travel trailer, with the boat on it, at a public scale. Don’t about 60 MPH. This accomplishes several things: just guess what the weight is. Most boats weigh up one is that I feel that this is simply a safe speed to to 1,000 pounds over the manufacturer’s claimed tow a 5,400 pound boat/trailer load, (with my Astro) weight when equipped. Mine does. Then, find out and second, you almost always have assured safe dis- your trailer’s tongue weight also using a scale. The tance to the car in front of you since they are going tongue weight should be about 7 to 10 percent of the faster than you. Thusly, you seldom have to break boat/trailer weight. The heavier the better. You can hard because the guy in front of you is stopping sud- Google “boat trailer tongue weight” to find many denly. Thirdly, when you are in the right hand lane, opinions regarding tongue weight. Having correct you have only one lane of traffic (on your left) to tongue weight is the single best way to minimize contend with, making for a much safer and more re- trailer sway. My tongue weight is about 430 pounds laxing drive. You can comfortably hug the right (for a 5,400 pound boat/trailer weight) and I have hand side of your lane staying away from passing virtually no sway problems or trailer cornering prob- traffic. lems. We travel the non-interstate highways whenever we Receiver (Hitch) Ball Height: For better control can simply to enjoy the more interesting view and while towing, your trailer’s frame should be level to experience the local flavor. Restaurants and motels the pavement with the trailer hooked up to the tow are much more interesting on these routes, particu- vehicle. On a two-axle trailer the load is then more larly Tuffs, the inexpensive raw oyster bar in Ozark, evenly distributed on all four tires minimizing sway. Alabama, and the dockside Little Bar and Restau- To achieve a level trailer you must have a ball mount rant in Goodland, Florida. Since our top towing that either raises or lowers the ball to the correct speed is only 60 MPH, regardless of the road, we height. For my Astro van, which has a low hitch, I don’t lose much time enjoying the “back roads”. require a ball mount with a 6 inch riser. Trailering greatly improved with this change. Of course, when on the road, stop frequently, perhaps at rest stops, to inspect your vehicle and trailer. Is Preparing the Boat - For the Afloat Trip: anything loose, are the wheel hubs warm or hot, etc.? This is pretty straightforward: simply fix anything Rather than use the “Wal-Mart Resorts” we generally that improves safety on the water, including those stop at a motel for the night, to eat well and unwind things that may not currently be “broken” but maybe from a day on the road. A hot morning shower sure should be replaced in case they did break, 1,300 starts the new day refreshed. When available, we do miles from home or 3 miles off-shore. Secondly, stop at campgrounds, for example, in the Everglades make sure that all items of equipage are on on US Rt 41. board…… of course if you don’t do a good job, you can always re-buy the item at the Key Largo West Our overall route takes us from Cincinnati southwest Marine Store. through central Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama to the west coast of Florida. This route is 160 miles Wax the Boat: and its’ stainless steel fittings prior to further than by simply following the more direct launching. You are doing this for protection from the route, I75 south to Miami. salt water….. not just to look good. We take the longer route to avoid I75’s heavy traffic Lubricate: all pulleys and blocks, especially those and its hills and mountains. Our route takes us to inaccessible when the mast is raised. Louisville on I71, then south on I65, through Nash-

15 ville, Huntsville, Birmingham, and Montgomery, Alabama. I65 is much less traveled and has no mountainous hills. From Montgomery, we take US 231 toward Tallahassee and connect with I10. Head east to I75. Then south on I75 to Naples. Then drop down, on Fla 951, to US 41, and proceed east on US 41, aka, the “Tamiami Trail” across the Everglades to Fla Route 997. Rt 997 takes you directly south to Homestead, where you connect with US1; then south to mile marker # 115 which is where we launch. To- tal mileage about 1,350. Rigging and Launching:

We launch at South Dade Marina, located on US 1, at mile marker #115. They serve sailboats (and kay- Motoring through Tarpon Basin aks) only. Serving only sailboats is helpful in that the owner, Bob, understands the needs of trailer sail- Underway: ors. However, they have basic rest room facilities South Dade Marina to Gilberts Resort & Ma- only. Drinking water is not available due to the re- rina (Jewfish Creek) cent highway construction causing their well to turn (9 miles) sulfur foul. Bob said that it is being corrected. You might call ahead, (305) 247-8730, to find out the cur- First day out was only a 9 mile run, to Gilberts. Gil- rent water status and launching/storage rates. Lack berts lies along the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW) at of drinking and shower water will not deter us from Jewfish Creek, where highway US 1 goes over the using South Dade next time we are in the area. They ICW on its newly completed “high” bridge. Nor- also have vehicle and trailer storage. While rigging mally we would have anchored out the first night; your boat at South Dade, you can conveniently drive however, we needed water for the boat’s tank and to West Marine, grocery stores and nice restaurants soap & water for our bodies. Gilberts has good in Key Largo. Because we were not in a hurry we docks (away from their lively entertainment area) and spent a couple of nights sleeping on the boat with it is a fun stopover providing a good restaurant, beach- still on the trailer. I had several “projects” that front tiki bar, great margaritas, loud steel band music, needed to be completed prior to launching. Also quiet docks (in back, that is, not along the ICW), gave us time to visit John Pennecamp Park for snor- laundry, etc. Their link is http:// keling, and to explore a bit of Key Largo by car. www.gilbertsresort.com/ . The next day, after com- After launching we tied up at the docks before head- pleting the installation of a new depth sounder, we ing out the next morning. got underway. Your trailer has just been dipped in salt water. Make Gilberts Resort & Marina to Community Har- sure that you thoroughly wash it down immediately bor at Tavernier after launching. Flush out each trailer light fixture (20 miles) and brake assembly. We had initially planned to anchor out only about 6 miles west of Gilberts, on the ICW, in Tarpon Ba- sin, which is a nice protected anchorage, right on the ICW, surrounded by mangroves. However, we got started earlier than expected (halleluiah, the depth sounder worked the first time) so we continued on another 14 miles to anchor in Community Harbor which borders the town of Tavernier. Tavernier is at the very southern end of Key Largo. The winds co- operated, being light from the north although we had to motor at times. Community Harbor is an anchorage that is surrounded by mangroves. It was to be our home for the next six days. (Of course, we did not know this yet) Weather forecast for the next day 16 was excellent. MPH. We had other boaters join us on Aeolus for dinner. We met another guy who they call “spare parts” due to the many operations he has had. He was very thin and he removed his teeth with a buck knife. When not meeting people or walking the town, we finished off several books, Nevil Shute books for me and Tim Dorsey books for Kathy. Getting tired of rowing the Walker Bay, I decided to fix our ancient Tonka 1.2 HP air-cooled motor. The marina let me clamp it to a fence and after about two hours of “messing”, it ran fine….. and made life easier getting to and from shore. The only problem with rowing is that my head doesn’t swivel around to see where I am going. (like it used to)….. some sort of age related issue I guess.

After six days on the hook, we headed out for the Kathy rowing ashore in Tavernier next destination, Islamorada. That night, we got a phone call from Cincinnati Community Harbor at Tavernier to friends who were in the area, so we invited them to Islamorada (12 miles) go day-sailing the next day. Had a great sailing day This was a short 12 mile run, under sail, on a star- which was topped off with a fine restaurant dinner board beam reach, with the winds N at 10 to 15. We that night. We finished the day by getting ready for arrived dockside at Islamorada about 1400 and went leaving the next day. The next day brought SE winds immediately to an adjoining and quite upscale restau- of up to 20 knots, with rain and higher winds promis- rant called Morada Bay Beach Café for a good rum ing to develop. Looking around at our 360 degree drink and lunch. Here is a link. http:// protected anchorage we made an easy decision not to www.moradabay-restaurant.com/ It can be de- leave. So, our Walker Bay dingy started to get a scribed as a fine dining and expensive drinking, workout servicing our trips rowing to shore. The beach front facility. dingy dock was at the Mangrove Marina. http:// www.sea-seek.com/site/Mangrove_Marina_ It was crowded so we invited another couple to share (Key_Largo) Use of the dock was $10/day, which our table. After two hours we knew them pretty well, included very nice restrooms, showers, use of a relax- and heard many stories. He lived on a boat in Den- ing tiki patio, a small ships store, maintenance facili- mark, had a farm in Portugal and a home in Maine. ties, and gardens. These facilities are for use of the She lives in South Florida and California. They were many anchored and dockside liveaboards at the ma- on their way to Key West for a couple of days. It rina. Groceries, movies and restaurants were within was quite an afternoon for us, who are simply Mid- walking distance. Note that the dingy dock monthly west folks from Lebanon, Ohio, who trailered a 24 ft rate is $120. boat with an old Astro van sporting 375,000 miles-on -it, to the Keys. I don’t know if they were just We started meeting the local liveaboard folks. A va- “entertaining” us with their stories or not, but who riety of people, all of who had interesting stories to cares, it was fun listening and sharing with them. tell. From a 76 year old lady who has lived on her power boat, alone, more than a decade, and who The harbor had the nicest dockage we experienced on sailed the Mackinaw race multiple times and has this trip. Too fancy for our taste, but fun anyway. sailed the North Channel. Another couple from Long After six previous days on the hook, it suited our Island had been living there for over 20 years. He needs. currently is building another boat in the marina’s Next to the docks is a very large Bass Pro Shop and work yard. An Australian, a solo sailor, who lives on an upscale fish restaurant. After dinner at the restau- a demasted trimarian, stuck back in the mangroves, rant we walked to a housing area on the ocean side of who plays the didgeridoo at sunset most every night. US #1. It was absolutely beautiful. I felt that we We spent six days in the harbor and at the marina and were walking through Florida during Hemmingway’s enjoyed all of it including winds one night of 50 day and perhaps in his neighborhood. The houses,

17 the gardens, trees and landscape were inspirational spring in the Keys, and coupled with the bad econ- after having seen the Keys only from the view of a omy the tourists were not exactly flocking there. A car window while driving US #1. If we hadn’t ar- significant attribute of the place is that there was vir- rived by boat, and therefore were restricted to the tually no US 1 road noise. One characteristic of the immediate walking area, we would never have found Keys, is that in many areas, traffic noise is awfully this oasis depicting the “old” Keys. Here is a link: present. www.MooringsVillage.com The next day, by noon, The dockage rate, of $1.50/foot was also less than the we got underway for Fiesta Key. normal $2/foot for the Keys. Islamorada to Fiesta Key (11 miles) The next day was spent quietly, enjoying the light After a leisurely morning walk of more Islamorada rain, being protected from the higher winds, and neighborhoods and having a good donut breakfast at reading, taking walks, doing laundry and practicing a place called “Bob’s Bunz”, we headed out into the rowing in the Walker Bay and talking to the campers, ICW and proceeded southwest for the 11 mile trip to from the US and Canada. The weather report im- Fiesta Key. Winds were out of the North at 10 to 15 proved for the following day, so we made prepara- so we had an easy sail. En route we passed Lignum- tions to go. vitae Key, which we have read, provides a look of the Fiesta Key to Marathon (23 Miles) Florida Keys that has remained unchanged since the Ice Ages. The Key is now a botanical Florida State At 1030 (who is ever in a hurry when you are in the Park with docks and accessible anchorages. Next Keys) we got underway for our 23 mile sail to Mara- year we definitely plan to visit. thon. Again, our course was west southwest. With the 10 to 15 knot winds from the west northwest, we Our course crossed “Channel Five” which connects were sheeted in tightly and into the wind the whole 6 Florida Bay to the Atlantic and runs under a high hour trip. However, with only a couple of tacks we ICW bridge. Ten years ago I passed under this were able to sail most of the way. Waves were a bridge on a sailing delivery trip from Tampa to the fun1 to 2 ft chop. Bahamas. It gave me goose bumps to see this bridge again especially from the deck of my own boat. At Marathon we did not use Boot Key Harbor since We decided to dock at Fiesta Key rather than anchor it’s access is from the south or Atlantic side only. out on the island’s west shore since there was no pro- We docked at the Black Fin Marina which is located tection from the north winds. This was a good deci- within walking distance of The Home Depot, just sion since the next day’s weather kept us at the dock across US 1. with higher winds and rain Black Fin is a small old style Keys resort and marina. It is home to many liveaboards and is convenient to shopping and restaurants.

. Fiesta Key is basically a KOA campground that has a protected harbor and docks. Here is a link: http:// marinas.com/view/ marina/2224_Fiesta_Key_KOA_Long_Key_FL The docks were comfortable, protected, quiet and convenient to showers, small store, swimming pool, etc. The dockmaster and campground staff were very Dock Walkers at Black Fin (Marathon) friendly and helpful. One reason for the quietness is that the campground was only about 15% occupied. I heard that T/SA’rs Bob and Ilona Rouda had just Last spring was considered a VERY cold winter/ 18 completed a month’s stay there prior to our arrival. is just what we did. They were there to get out of the coldest Florida winter ever. The dockside electric kept the cabin heater working. Other T/SA folks in the area included Dana and Dave Turner (Double D), who spend February and March at the docks of Sunshine Marina on Ohio Key. They drove over and took us out to dinner. It was good seeing them again and also nice to get into a car and go somewhere. Our 24-foot piece of floating plastic can get confining after a while. After spending the next morning enjoying Marathon and grocery shopping, we got underway at 1300 for Ohio Key, our final destination. Marathon to Ohio Key (13 Miles) This was going to be a great 13 mile sail for our final leg…Eh?. The forecast was light winds from the North. Since our course was west southwest (250 Beach View on Ohio Key (aka, Sunshine Key) degrees) this should have been be a relaxed calm One great feature of the Keys is the bus service that beam reach. Instead, the winds were out of the west runs the entire length of the Keys, from Key West to and northwest so we had to sail into the wind, then Homestead, FL. On our first free day, we caught the finally gave up. We motored the rest of the way. So bus, which is only a 5 minute walk from the docks, to much for a perfect day’s sailing on our last leg. At go the 80 miles North to get our van and trailer and least the wind was not strong. return to Sunshine Marina. Our course paralleled the northern side of the famous That was our plan…… actually it was not as simple “Seven Mile Bridge” and its’ 65 ft high center span as that. That is, we started the return trip with the over Moser Channel. One thing to watch for is sail- van/trailer, but drove only a quarter of a mile on US 1 ing with an outgoing tide. This tide sweeps you to- when the van totally and unmercifully quit! Saturday ward the bridge, and if you are not paying attention, evening, US 1, a lot of traffic. can cause a demasting. With a west and northwest wind setting us toward the bridge and the outgoing Oh S#^&. This is the end! We’ll leave the trailer (ebb) tide that was also setting us, it was surprising here on the side of US1 and get the van towed to a how fast you get swept toward danger. I’m glad that Miami Chevy dealer, (on a Saturday night), find a our motor is reliable and we had an anchor ready to motel, rent a car, maybe have to buy a new vehi- quickly deploy. cle….. tow equipped. Oh double S#^& S#^& !! Ohio Key, also known as “Sunshine Key” is basically The short story is that Bob at South Dade Marina, a very nice RV park, called, (U guessed it) “Sunshine who saw our dilemma, came and got the trailer, and Key Resort”. It includes a fine harbor (with floating AAA towed our van 70 miles to a local garage in docks), a good boat ramp, clean facilities, a first class Marathon. Then, Dave and Dana Turner generously swimming pool, tennis courts, game room, TV and came and picked us up and took us “home” to our computer lounge, small convenience store, coffee boat at the Sunshine Marina docks. At least the shop, social activities, etc. Here is their link: http:// trailer was safe, and we are sleeping in our own vee www.rvonthego.com/Sunshine-Key-RV-Resort.html berth. Life couldn’t be better. But it did get better. Dockage was $2/foot on a daily rate, and about $450 On Monday morning the garage fixed the van. Sim- monthly for a 24 foot boat. The rates include secure ply a fuel pump wire that had rubbed against some- parking for your vehicle and trailer. It is a nice ma- thing and shorted out. So, $99 later the van was rina in which to unwind from a sailing trip. And that working fine…. I don’t deserve to be so lucky. The next whole day, however, was spent returning 80 miles to South Dade Marina to pick up and return with the trailer. Oh well that is part of trailer sailing…. Especially when you are retired and have the 19 time for unexpected things. northwest through Big Spanish Channel and explore the anchorages in that area. A driving day visit to In the following few days we relaxed at the Sunshine Key West is also a must do! pool, visited Key West for a day, and inspected the trailer bearings and brakes in preparation for our trip Our intent is not to sail in vast open waters, but to home. I jacked up and spun each trailer tire to check take it easy, stop frequently and have a relaxing trip. the bearings, listening for grinding, roughness or Thus ends our journey and plans for future trips. If noise. They sounded terrible. I had to replace two of you have an interest in joining up next spring, please the four bearings. The shop, back home, that ser- let us know. Our email is viced the bearings did not check or grease the inside bearings. So much for getting a “pro” to do it. [email protected] Eventually we loaded Aeolus on the trailer (no ramp charge for dockholders) and got ready for the trip Phone is (513) 933-8114. home.

Note that the ramp at Sunshine is very good. We had to use the extension to keep the vehicle tires out of salt water.

The Road Trip Home: (1,350 miles) The first item of business when trailering home was to find a good drive-thru car wash and have about $20 of quarters handy. We thoroughly washed the entire boat and trailer with plenty of detergent, rinse, etc. If you have any “salt away” products use them. Make sure that your trailer light fixtures have been opened and flushed out. Wash out your trailer brakes. Wash your vehicle also, it has been sitting in a salt environment for a few weeks. Of course, the first night in a motel was wonderful. Although Aeolus’s vee berth is comfortable, it sure doesn’t measure up to a Comfort Inn’s bed; and, the Belgian waffles at the breakfast bar were not quite available from the galley of our 24 foot boat. It took some doing to get adjusted to civilized living, but we managed to do it in a few short hours. Now it is time to write up a story of our trip and sub- mit it to Clipper Snips in hopes that next year other Trailer Sailor Association sailors would like to join us for a similar Keys cruise. Next Year’s Keys Spring Cruise: We plan to sail at about the same time of the year, that is, all of March and into early April, and generally travel the same route stopping at both the same and additional harbors and anchorages. We also plan to take a few days and sail North to Fla- mingo in the Everglades. Also, at the end of our “destination” cruising, while at Sunshine Marina, we plan to take a side trip of two or three days to sail

20 Anchorages and Gunkholes around Georgian Bay Henk Vanderhulst (Ed. Note: We asked Henk to go through his files and share his knowledge of Georgian Bay.) Charts from Canadian Hydrographic Service : numbers 2230+2289+2284+2243+2244+2245. Or Strip Charts beginning with /2202 < 1-5 >/ 2203 < 1-3 > / 2204 < 1-4 >/ I recommend using these.

LOCATION WAYPOINT LATID. N LONG. W CHART Penetang Harbor GBS 01 44 4800 79 5613 2202-1 (Magazine Isl.) Around Beausoleil GBS 02 44 5074 79 5175 Isl. : Papoose Bay Treasure Bay GBS 03 44 5224 79 5150 Lost Bay GBS 04 44 5333 79 5276

Chimney Bay GBS 05 44 5342 79 5108 Frying Pan Bay GBS 06 44 5385 79 5076 Goblin Bay GBS 07 44 5388 79 5142 Webber Isl. GBS 08 44 5524 79 5026 McCrae Lake Rapids GBS 09 44 5574 79 4942 Bone Isl. #1 GBS 10 44 5631 79 5182 2202-2 ,, ,, #2 GBS 11 44 5667 79 5174 ,, ,, #3 GBS 12 44 5651 79 5128 Longuissa Bay #1 GBS 13 44 5800 79 5343 ,, #2 GBS 14 44 5792 79 5334 Go Home Bay GBS 15 44 5925 79 5575

Pittsburgh Channel GBS 16 45 0014 79 5582 Monument Channel GBS 17 45 0092 79 5892 (Bernadette) King Bay GBS 18 45 0378 80 0083 Twelve Mile Bay #1 GBS 19 45 0543 80 0492 ,, ,, ,, #2 GBS 20 45 0548 80 0369 ,, ,, ,, #3 GBS 21 45 0527 80 0210 Loon Isl. GBS 22 45 0741 80 0568 2202-3 Wreck Isl. GBS 23 45 0853 80 0575 Jenner Bay GBS 24 45 1133 80 0593 Garden Channel GBS 25 45 1085 80 0745 Echo Bay GBS 26 45 1160 80 0762 Peak Isl. GBS 27 45 1590 80 1059 Long Sault GBS 28 45 1490 80 1168 21 Hulett Bay GBS 29 45 1606 80 1248 Caswell Bay GBS 30 45 1654 80 1292 Rose Isl. Channel GBS 31 45 1914 80 1283 Oak Isl. GBS 32 45 1956 80 0276 2202-4 Depot Harbour GBS 33 45 1883 80 0758 Blairs Landing GBS 34 45 2443 80 2643 Blind Bay GBS 35 45 2296 80 1306 Kilcoursie Bay GBS 36 45 2102 80 1276

North of Parry Sound: (GBN) The following waypoints North of Parry Sound

Snug Isl. GBN 37 45 2268 80 1967 2203-1

Regatta Bay GBN 38 45 2310 80 2002

South of Regatta Bay GBN 39 45 2286 80 1990

Franklin Isl. (West GBN 40 45 2283 80 2054 Side) Long Bay (Narrows GBN 41 45 2483 80 1883 Isl.) Osawa Isl. GBN 42 45 2726 80 2560

Hopewell Bay #1 GBN 43 45 3088 80 2558 2203-2

,, ,, #2 GBN 44 45 3116 80 2534

,, ,, #3 GBN 45 45 3140 80 2524

Nadeau Isl. GBN 46 45 3167 80 2507

Champlain Mon. Isl. GBN 47 45 3302 80 2783

Pike Bay GBN 48 45 3367 80 2967

Laura Bay GBN 49 45 3388 80 3024

Hangdog Channel GBN 50 45 3521 80 3103

Alexander Passage GBN 51 45 3803 80 3316 2203-3

Risley Isl. GBN 52 45 3793 80 3420

Olga Isl. #1 GBN 53 45 4470 80 3863

,, ,, #2 GBN 54 45 4500 80 3823

22 North of Byng Inlet up ------to Killarney ------Golden Sword Isl. GBN 55 45 4786 80 4076 2204-1

Black Bay #1 GBN 56 45 4795 80 4043

,, ,, #2 GBN 57 45 4781 80 4010

,, ,, #3 GBN 58 45 4820 80 4053

Watch out for shoals in Black Bay: bow watch. Sandy Bay GBN 59 45 4824 80 4084

Cash Isl. (Davis Chan- GBN 60 45 5041 80 4292 nel) Free Drinks Passage GBN 61 45 5001 80 4403

Dead Isl GBN 62 45 5334 80 4780 2204-2

Major Isl. GBN 63 45 5500 80 4906

Dock Isl. GBN 64 45 5531 80 5110

Macdougal Bay GBN 65 45 5800 80 5333

Bustards; Tie Isl. GBN 66 45 5386 80 5380

,, ; Pearl Isl. GBN 67 45 5381 80 5412

Bustard Isl. Harbor GBN 68 45 5370 80 5436

Bad River #1 GBN 69 45 5523 80 5861 2204-3

,, ,, #2 GBN 70 45 5613 80 5832

Horseshoe Bay GBN 71 45 5583 81 0845

Sugar John Bay GBN 72 45 5630 81 1071

Nobles Isl. GBN 73 45 5738 81 1060 2204-4

Muskrat Bay GBN 74 45 5790 81 0984

Sheep Isl. #1 GBN 75 45 5910 81 0916

,, ,, #2 GBN 76 45 5950 81 0916

Mill Lake #1 GBN 77 45 0010 81 1330

,, ,, #2 GBN 78 45 5880 81 1433 23 Key Hole Isl. GBN 79 45 5946 81 2183 Georges Bay GBN 80 45 5946 81 2568 Thomas bay GBN 81 45 5946 81 2610

Next comes Killarney Channel

Notes and remarks concerning most of the above anchorages 3 My favorites are indicated by *. K/D: often used for Kayak/Dinghy.

GBS 01 Magazine Isl. Not for overnight. Explore Discovery Park; Old Naval Depot GBS 02 Papoose Bay Watch wind direction: it often turns during the night. Anchorages 02,04,05,06 allow for easy entry into Beausoleil park. Many good walking trails to enjoy. Maps to be obtained near Papoose, GBS 03 Treasure Bay Secluded in forested area. Not easy to enter: shallow entry. 5 boats? GBS 04* Lost Bay Entry: bow watch. Secluded. Can exit south toward Brebeuf Isl. GBS 05* Chimney Bay Can be crowded. Good for walk around Fairy Lake. GBS 06 Frying Pan Bay As GBS 05. GBS 08* Webber Isl. Good Harbour. Watch entry shoal. GBS 09* McCrea Rapids Interesting: kayak/dinghy McCrea Lake. This requires carry-over at Rapids. Climb height on east side. GBS 11 Bone Isl. #2 Secluded. 10 boats. GBS 12 Bone Isl. #3 Secluded. 10 boats. GBS 13 GBS 14 Longuissa Bay ,, ,, Sheltered and secluded. Was one of my favorites. But this was quite a few years ago. (things change over the years) GBS 16* Pittsburgh Ch. Very good for kayak/dinghy exploring up Go Home River & Moreau GBS 18* King Bay Good. Kayak/dinghy up Miners Creek. GBS 21* TwelveMile #3 Good. Watch rock in from east entry. GBS 22 Loon Isl. Difficult entry: bow watch. GBS 23 Wreck Isl. Enter from NE. Explore old wreck. GBS 24* Jenner Bay Narrow entry but OK. Lots of room. Secluded. GBS 26* Echo Bay Nice, secluded. Sometimes crowded. Kayak/dinghy. Entry into north bay too shallow. Close to Henry’s Fish Restau- rant on Frying Pan Isl. GBS 27 Peak Isl. Watch rock halfway in. 24 GBS 28 Long Sault Small and secluded. I was not here since 1984. So ?? GBS 31 Rose Isl. Channel Do not use small bay close by to east: submerged power-cable! GBS 32* Oak Bay Small. Enter SW. Handy for dighying to Parry Sound for shopping. GBS 36* Kilcoursie Bay Quite open. Popular. Good for walking trails in Killbear Park. GBN 37 Snug Isl. Good for eating/buying delicious smoked fish in Snug Harbour GBN 38 Regatta Bay Can be crowded: very popular. Walking trails into the island etc. GBN 39 S of Regatta Bay For shallow drafts only. Good if GBN 38 is crowded. GBN 41 Long Bay OK. Close to Dillon Marina. GBN 45* Hopewell Bay #3 Pleasant anchorage but small (10 boats). Explore Hopewell #1 + #2. GBN 48 Pike Bay Quite small. Go E of small island. Visit the Lighthouse. GBN 53 Olga Isl. #1 Do not turn around A 141. Go straight up. Bow watch. GBN 54* Olga Isl. #2 Entry: Keep on NW side: watch for rocks. Pleasant, secluded. 10 boats One of my very favorites. Very nice for kayak/dinghy exploring. Walk Olga Isl. Note: anchorages between 45 and 53 are only so-so. GBN 55 Golden Sword Enter/exit via NW end of Isl. Use this way also for Black Bay entry. GBN 56* Black Bay #1 One of my favorites. Bow watch any- where in Black Bay. Bad shoals at 45 4757//80 4040 and 45 4800//80 4026 GBN 57 Black Bay #2 Good rock-walking + kayak/dinghy up Black Creek etc. GBN 58* Black Bay #3 Nice and secluded. Small. Entry: take care! Stay on SW side. GBN 59 Sandy Bay Good roomy gunkhole. Close to Black Bay. GBN 60 Cash Isl.Davis Ch Use only if no west wind. GBN 61 Free Drinks Pass. Near Rogers Gut. Watch for 1 ft shoal. Rest stop. No free drinks! GBN 62* Dead Isl. Roomy anchorage. Decide here on Bus- tards or Inside Passage. GBN 63 Major Isl. Small at shallow end; rest deep. Best tie to shore. K/D around Fox Isl. GBN 65* Macdougal Bay N end of French River Main Outlet. Check out water fall. Lodge OK.

GBN 66 Bustards; Tie Isl. 25 Set and check two anchors: poor holding. GBN 67* GBN 68* Bustards;Pearl Isl. + Bustard. Harbr. Very popular; can get crowded. Set anchor(s) on long rode, then shorten up. Very good area for K/D: take along chart! GBN 70* Bad River #2 Popular but spacious. Good for rock- walking and exploring;(K/D) GBN 72 Sugar John Bay Good if going outside east from Killar- ney. 10/12 boats. To enter use waypoints: 45 5516//81 1400 and 45 5624//81 1130. GBN 73 Nobles Isl. Quite sheltered. OK for 10 to 15 boats. GBN 74 Muskrat Bay OK for 10 boats. Sheltered except from north. GBN 78 Mill Lake #2 Take care: south end of lake is very weedy. #1 + #2 good lunch-stop

GBN 81* Thomas Bay One of my top favorites. Care when entering: bow-watch.10 boats. Walk isl.(nice for potluck meal). Climb height. K/D to Chikamishing River; walk trails. ------Killarney is north western end of Geor- gian Bay. Notice Although these Waypoints have been double checked, I disclaim any responsibility for accuracy. I recommend that these Waypoints be checked and entered on the appropriate paper chart prior to use.

Henk Vanderhulst Sarnia Nov. 8, 2010

"GO GENTLY"

Heads Up! My trusty companion of many years and many miles will be looking for a new home and loving new owner.

A more complete advertisement will be posted in the Spring "Clipper Snips".

Please don’t call me until this ad has been published.

Henk Vanderhulst

26 From the Archives Six Great Future One-way Cruises

By John Ulmer 5. Ohio River. One-way trips make cruising more fun because you Pick your cities to put in and take out. The river is never have to turn around and go back. wide enough for sailing and the locks are no problem. The possibility of using public transportation to retrieve The Ohio Valley is very hot in the summer, but spring your car and trailer makes this a good way to cruise. and fall should be delightful. I have one good ramp at I have already listed 10 great one-way cruises for Cincinnati but nothing else. Does anyone know of a which I have the ramp information. good ramp in Louisville, Kentucky, or Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania? More one-way cruises are possible, but I do not have enough ramp information to recommend them. If you 6. Upper Mississippi River. can help with ramp information, please send in a report. Another river adventure. Pick your cities and cruise Remember that we need ramps suitable for bigger boats with Tom and Huck. The river is wide enough to sail and there must be safe overnight parking for the car and and there are many small towns along the way. Enjoy trailer. watching the barges as you drift down the river. There 1. Bay of Quinte on the northeast corner of Lake are many possibilities but I don't have any ramps Ontario. listed on the river. This is an outstanding cruising ground. Trenton and Does anyone know any good overnight ramps Bellevlle are wonderful towns to visit and Kingston, on the mighty Mississippi? the center of Canadian sailing, is worth the trip all by itself. And there are many safe, secluded anchorages available. The only problem is that I have no listings for overnight ramps at either Trenton or Belleville. 2. Kingston to Brockville, Ontario. This is a great cruise down the St. Lawrence River through the Thousand Islands, but I need a ramp at Brockville or on the Canadian side of the river at Og- densburg. 3. Savannah, Georgia to Jacksonville, Florida. nother great cruise through the southern Intercoastal- Waterway, but I don't have a ramp listed at Jackson- ville. 4. Albany, New York south on the Hudson River to New York City. This is the Rhine River of America and goes past the mansions of the Vanderbilts and Roosevelts and past the military academy at West Point. There is even a real castle on an island in the river. This is great cruising with plenty of room to hoist sail. There is a good take out at Great Kill on Staten Island, but I don't have a listing for a ramp in Albany.

27 Trailer/Sailors Association The Trailer/Sailors Association is a non-profit organization formed more than 20 years ago. Its members provide a exchange of ideas and information about all aspects of sailing trailerable sailboats. Our more than 300 members are scattered across the USA and Canada, and the diversity of their experiences enrich the association and heightens our collective interest in small sailboat cruising. Clipper Snips, published the Winter, Spring, and Fall, is the official publication of the organization, providing cruising articles, association announcements, how-to articles, and free classified ads.

Association Officers:

President: Mike Nelson, (937)-767-9487 [email protected] Webmaster: Contact him about T/SA official business. Chris Holderness, (519)-741-0199, Launch Ramp Advisor: [email protected] John Ulmer, (330)-854-3796, [email protected] Contact him about web site issues. Contact him for ramp info. Membership Secretary : Clipper Snips Editor: Rick Haynie, (260-447-2323) [email protected] Kathy Blackwood, (705)-748-0359, [email protected] Contact him about your personal directory information. Contact her about article submissions. Assistant Membership Secretaries: Clipper Snips Publisher: Carolyn and Mike Richards, (810) 227-8336 Gregg MacMillan, (800)-771-3171, [email protected] [email protected] TrailSail List Manager: New Member Secretary: Mike Nelson , moderator, (937)-767-9487, mnel- Mike Forbes, (317)-872-0232 [email protected] [email protected] Contact him about new memberships. Contact him to join the list. Treasurer : Public Relations: Howard Staley, (513)-933-8114, [email protected] Gary Schafer, (248)-649-4911, [email protected] Contact him about your dues. Contact him for PR.

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