Clipper Snips

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

2 Presidents Column Mike Nelson Articles 12 Pizza On Your Boat Mike Nelson & Irene Clement 13 Sailabration 2010 John Clement 17 I’m Glad I’m a Moron Rebecca and Bob Bringle

21 De-Rigged & Ready to Go, But It’s Late Irene Clement 22 Ramp Report— Annapolis Maryland John Ulmer Cruises 3 Spring 2010 Cruise Bryan Childs & Bob Harris 6 Extended Cruising on a Small Boat Laurence Wright 25 What’s in a Name Larry Dale Other Stuff 11 Sailors Quiz Marjorie Whites 20 Tips and Tricks Diana Nelson

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 challenge in upcoming years. Notes from the As of this date, I have received only 4 responses to my posting on our TrailSail discussion group about an President annual meeting. Those responders said they would Mike Nelson only attend a meeting if it were within an hour or two of their homes. No decision has yet been made, but if As I write this, another summer draws to a close, al- the interest level in an annual meeting remains low, it though the calendar says we still have some summer probably will not be held this year. left. I hope you all have had good sailing times. Webmaster Chris Holderness has suggested we move The 2010 North Channel cruise, as well as the Early our web site to a different technical platform. The Bird cruise the previous week, were both enjoyed by new platform would allow us to offer more online a number of boats. John Clement describes the main services, such as a directory, renewal notices via a- cruise in this issue. The Early Bird cruise will be mail, stream-lined new member processing, user- covered in the fall issue of Clipper Snips. contributed photo albums, and other features to be Cruise participation revealed over time. was lower this year, We think the transi- as many had to drop tion will be made by out due to health or the end of this year. other personal issues. A number of T/SA It is too soon to call board members are this a trend, but it is approaching the end likely that economic of their terms conditions have been (nominally 3 years). a factor the past two If you would like to cruising seasons. It is support our organiza- also interesting to tion, please contact me note that an increas- so we can discuss how ing number of boats you can help. I will are going off on their post specific openings own, joining the main on TrailSail in the cruise here and there coming months. for social contact. On a final note, we have been able to avoid a dues For some, sailing to a schedule and with a group is increase for the past several years, but, due to ever- fun; for others, sailing the wind or exploring new, increasing costs, we are now running under an annual usually smaller, anchorages is fun. deficit. It is very likely that the board will recom- With GPS, navigating the North Channel is less of a mend a dues increase for 2011, in an amount to be challenge. A few boaters were overheard to suggest determined. that we have a “no gps” and “no chart plotter” cruise—using only dead reckoning, taffrail log, com- pass, and charts to navigate. I remember that that’s Definition: - Course - how we did our first few cruises in the North Chan- nel, back when we went up there after Labor Day in order to avoid the crowds, heat, and bugs. It was fun, A charted direction a proud skipper although also a bit nerve-wracking, as so many is- plans to follow...until wind and current lands look alike. But such a cruise could be an inter- prove him wrong esting challenge, and serve as a reminder of what sail- ing used to be like. Maybe some will take up this 2 comfortable. Blue Max Heading down the Keys we stopped at John Penne- camp State Park. They have both mooring balls and 2010 Spring Cruise slips. It turns out that a slip is not much more expen- sive than a mooring ball. However, the slips were filled so we used a mooring ball. The next day, we motored out to Little Grecian Reef and did what turned out to be the best snorkeling of the cruise. The seas were totally calm so the visibility was perfect. The next day we headed back to Angelfish Creek. After a delightful sail downwind on the gulf side through the mangrove islands we stopped at the Up- per Keys Sailing Club which is located in Button- wood Sound about halfway along the bay. At $35 a night (inexpensive for the Keys) this was the only slip we used for the 34 days we were on the water. A great spot to stop because all the people in the club house were sailors . They had outdoor showers and bathrooms in the club house which was locked at night. Continuing SW, we tucked into a good anchorage just By: Bryan Childs/Bob Harris past Fiesta Key which has a KOA campground. We Blue Max, along with her captain and crew, always did not go ashore and in the late afternoon a number take a long spring sail to get away from the poor of sailboats anchored next to Blue Max. The next day weather in Michigan. For the last two years, Blue we crossed at Channel Five and headed back into the Max headed to the Bahamas in April and May when Atlantic and down to Marathon and Boot Key Harbor. the winds are slowing down. However, as it turned Now Boot Key Harbor is my favorite harbor. They out, the winds did not favor a Gulf Stream crossing, have about 200 mooring balls that are mostly filled so we sailed the Florida Keys. with beautiful sailboats (OK some not so beautiful Bob Harris of “Cold Pizza” and I launched at the ones but they still have character). They only charge South Dade Marina. The marina is not a fancy place $22 per night (less if you stay by the week or month) by any means but it is convenient for sailing the Keys which include showers, internet access, a gathering or heading to the Exumas. Also, the owner is a de- place with two TVs, and a pump out once a week. voted sailor and very helpful. After taking a day to The dinghy docks are included and you can find all set up and obtain provisions we launched and headed that you need in the town of Marathon. We borrowed north to Card Sound and anchored just north of the some bikes and rode SW on the old seven mile bridge bridge by the NW shore. I have come to the conclu- out to Pigeon Key. The wind was from the NE so we sion from sailing the Keys four times that one does had a downwind ride one way and a brutal ride back. not need to worry about finding acceptable anchor- We stayed a Boot Key Harbor for three nights and age. Just check your chart and if you are still con- headed SW and stopped at Newfound Harbor , head- cerned look for other sail boats. ing up the east channel. Well, it’s not really a harbor Next we headed north and passaged through Angel- just a sheltered spot. We motored past buoy R4 and fish Creek to the Atlantic. Now here is a secret about anchored in about 5 feet of water. the Keys: on the Atlantic side there is a reef that runs When in Boot Key Harbor, we learned that there was almost the entire length of the keys. The result is that an air show at the air force base on Boca Chica Key it reduces that wave action so us small boats can be which is the last key before getting to Key West. Bob 3 is a pilot (in fact, he has his own plane) and desired to mined that it would be an acceptable sail for the next see the action. We anchored next to the channel 55 miles to the Dry Tortugas. We had great sails all marker G “5B” just off the west end of the runway the way down the keys but the sail to the Dry Tortu- and we saw a lot of action, which ranged from wing gas was outstanding. Blue Max was doing 6 knots walkers, huge cargo planes, and the Blue Angles. Bob easily and surfing down waves at 8.4 knots. identified every plane and gave me all the history. The Dry Tortugas contains a national park with the Another interesting aspect of this place was all the massive fort called Fort Jefferson. The fort was built derelict boats. Some appeared abandoned , some for defensive purposes to control the shipping activity were sunk, and some had live-a-boards. None of around Florida and the expanding trade to the Missis- them were seaworthy. One large 40 foot rusted ketch sippi river. Its construction started in 1846 and con- had a couple that were naked all day. They had much sists of 16 million bricks and 450 cannons. It is an delight waving to the many jet skis and power boats incredible structure and I would suggest paying a that passed. My guess is that cocktail hour started at visit. Keep in breakfast. I mind that there are should note that no facilities at the the shape of park. You must their bodies was take all your pro- nothing to look visions including at. water and leave The next morn- with your garbage. ing we headed They have camp- to Key West ing on the grounds and only made a which are ac- quick stop to cessed using one pick up ice and of two large provisions. power catamarans. Since we were We learned that unable to get to the rangers collect the Bahamas any left over water this year, we when the campers decided we leave and we were needed to get to able to restock our the Dry Tortu- water supply. gas which are We had only planned to stay a few days but the located 65 miles west of Key West. We had the idea weather was brutal with strong winds from the east. to sail about 10 miles out to a small key called Boca We were waiting for winds from either the north or Grande which would shorten the next day’s sail. This south for our easterly sail back to Key West. There turned out to be a bad idea for two reasons: first, the was a small island call Bush Key that added some anchoring spot was 21 feet deep, and secondly there protection but since it was mostly a low sand island it was a strong current through the area. We set two was rough. On the third night we learned from the anchors but when a small squall came up we started ranger that the winds were 45 MPH for about an hour dragging out to sea. We pulled the anchors and with gusts up to 54 MPH. Both anchors held (thank tucked into a shallow area behind buoy G”17”. At you, Henk, for recommending the Delta) but it was a this stage I was thinking of tying up to the marker. sleepless night. We were weathered in with about six All went well through the night but I kept waking up other boats for six days. Bob and I did much examin- to check on our position. ing of the fort. In fact, Bob found a brick in the The next morning we checked the weather chapel ceiling that was engraved by the stone cutter. (something done every morning and night) and deter- Even the rangers did not know about this item. We 4 also took our canvas chairs to the center of the fort and blow the conch horns. The square hosts many and did a lot of reading (we actually read all our entertainers who use tips as income. There, you will books) along with some guitar playing. see musicians, jugglers, sword swallowers, trained On the seventh day we woke up early knowing the cats, and many more. I found a guitar player/singer forecast sounded good. The winds were from the named Dave that I liked and each evening I would sit north to north east so we headed out at the crack of and listen to his music. dawn. We had another fabulous easterly sail and After three days we headed back to Marathon and made it back to Key West in 12 hours. Boot Key Harbor. The winds were from the east so We wanted to spend a few days in Key West to enjoy we had to beat to windward. It was a little wet but an touristy stuff and were thinking of getting a slip. enjoyable sail and again we stopped at Newfound Since I only have a 3.3hp motor on the dinghy, we Harbor, which was about halfway. We stayed at Boot needed to be Key Harbor for five days waiting for calm weather to close to the har- go out to the bor. Of course Sombrero Reef we did not want light and do to spend money our last snor- on an expensive keling. The dock. However, weather when coming in calmed on the third day and we saw, among the 170 boats we set out for anchored around the reef. There the area, a per- were a lot of fect spot to set larger fish in the hook down. this area. It was a short On the fifth dingy run to the day we headed dingy dock. The downwind to dingy dock was Ohio Key and $6 a day (less if pulled out at purchased by the the Sunshine week/month) and RV and Ma- you could also rina Resort. purchase showers. There was also a public bathroom. This is where many Trailersailors spend the winter. I I suggested to Bob that he get on the Conch Train can see why. It is an outstanding facility positioned first in order to get a tour of the town (I have been on on the calmer gulf side. After an exhausting day de- this excursion before) and then we can determine rigging Blue Max, Bob and I headed back to Michi- what we want to do the following days. On day two, gan. we rented bikes and rode to Hemmingway house, the My conclusion for this trip is that, excluding the Dry southern-most point of the United States, and various Tortugas portion, all Trailersailors I know could han- other points of interest. Our strategy was to have dle a laid back Florida Key cruise. As always, the large lunches at famous restaurants such as Margari- most important discipline is to monitor the weather taville and Sloppy Joes and then have liquid dinners. and only sail when you’re comfortable and when your In the evening, we took a few beers over to Mallory cooler is fully stocked with cold beverages. Square to enjoy the entertainment. Now for people that do not know about Mallory Square, it is a large meeting place along the ocean which faces west. Every evening, people come and celebrate the sun set 5 ling tides would leave the boat tilted on its side. Extended Cruising on Also, if anything did go wrong below the water line, I wanted to be able to beach the boat to access the a Small Boat problem. In the remote out-islands it’s not an option to have a marina lift the boat out of the water. How- By: Laurence Wright ever, I didn’t want a mechanical keel-lifting system: pivot pins and pendants can break and I wanted to On November 30, 2008, Joan and I pulled out of To- keep all systems as simple as possible. That didn’t ronto in our ¾ ton GMC pickup, towing six thousand leave me with a lot of choice. pounds of boat and trailer. Four days later we arrived at South Dade Marina, just north of Key Largo. We Two years into the search I came across a reprint of a spent a week rigging and provisioning, then another review that had been published in a British sailing week or so puttering around Card Sound and Bis- magazine in 1969. The Vivacity 24 was a shoal cayne Bay. On draught twin-keeler the evening of which ticked all the December 20, we boxes. Not only was set out across the it trailerable and Gulf Stream, and beachable, but it at 9:00am the boasted standing following morn- head-room and had a ing we docked in huge galley that ran North Bimini. almost the entire We spent four port side of the sa- months in the lon. There was lots Bahamas, before of storage both in- crossing back to side the cabin and in Miami on Easter the cockpit, where Sunday. Two there was a huge weeks later we locker and two were back in smaller ones. How- Canada ever I doubted I’d ever find a Vivacity We had been for sale on this side planning this trip for seven years. I had done a lot of of the pond. Twin- research into which boat to buy and how to fit her out. keelers, while very popular in the UK, have never Most of the decisions I made worked out well but a taken off in North America. But eighteen months af- few left something to be desired. And there were ter reading the review, I was doing my weekly scroll- things I could have used that I didn’t even know ex- ing through the on-line brokerages and there it was. isted. Here’s a report card on things that worked, and Sailboatowners.com advertised a Vivacity 24 in Kan- things that didn’t. sas. Within a week we had driven down to Wichita and hauled it back to Canada. (see Clipper Snips, Fall The boat: 2004) We didn’t even bother haggling about the I spent three years on the net researching boats. Early price (after all, it was only $4,500 for my dream- on, I decided I wanted a boat that was trailerable and boat). beachable. Trailerable because it would allow us to get from Toronto to Florida in three days instead of Better Than Working, as she was re-christened, three months. And beachable because I wanted to be worked as well in the Bahamas as I’d hoped. Two able to anchor close to shore and not worry that fal- and a half feet of draft allowed us to thread the shal- 6 low channels under the lee of the out-islands and thus They say that your boat is your house and your din- avoid the lumpy seas further out. Three times we ghy is your car. The dinghy is what you use to go ex- took the bottom in shallow, protected anchorages and ploring the neighborhood; when anchoring out, it’s three times we beached her for maintenance work what you use to pop into the local town or marina for (once to re-bed a leaking transducer on the depth- provisions. sounder and twice to change the engine oil and the gear lube on the outboard: draining oil is much easier Early in our preparation we bought a ten-foot Porta- to do when the boat is sitting solidly on the bottom Bote and fitted it out with a five horse, two-stroke than when it’s rolling at anchor.) Mercury (this was the heaviest motor the Bote was rated to carry). The Porta-Bote proved to be an almost The Vivacity displaces 4,200 pounds and probably ideal tender. Its big attraction is that it can be pulled weighs close to six thousand when fully provisioned. up onto stony shores and not puncture (the hull is She proved to made of a NASA- be stiff and she developed plastic tracked impec- and is warrantied for cably. But she ten years). After has two down- seven years of use, sides. First, the undersides are she’s as slow covered with a myr- as a bathtub. iad of grooves and Sailing, it’s scratches but noth- rare to reach ing’s ever penetrated five and a half the hull. We’ve knots. Once, pulled it up onto on a twenty countless beaches knot beam and even bounced reach, we off an underwater topped six, and rock with no dam- were ecstatic. age. The second disadvantage is The Porta-Bote is generic to all easy to row. And small cruisers: with a five-horse there’s no room to entertain. Cruising is a very social motor it moves two people at seven or eight knots. activity and while we can fit eight people in our cock- Motoring solo, I’ve clocked it at eleven and a half. pit, it’s a tight squeeze to fit four in the salon. The Bote also tows extremely well behind the Vivac- The motor: ity. It skims over the top of the water with less drag We chose a Nissan 9.8 four-stroke outboard because than an inflatable. It tracks well and is never ships it’s the lightest ten horse around. (The Yamaha 9.9, water: the curve of the bow panels simply deflects the for example, weighs a whopping 30 pounds more.) bow waves away from the boat. Even being towed The electric start worked first time every time, and through short, steep, six foot waves that were coming the engine was so quiet I often couldn’t tell it was at three second intervals the Bote stayed absolutely running. We never had to open the throttle more than dry inside. one-third, and I suspect we could have got away with an eight horse. However, the Porta-Bote is not without drawbacks. One problem is that the plastic seats that are now fit- The dinghy: ted on all Botes are flimsy (they come with just a 7 year’s warranty), and their metal supports cut through Danforth , and rated for boats up to 38 feet). This is the undersides. I’ve beefed mine up with plywood, attached to 20 feet of quarter-inch chain and 100 feet but it would be better if they were made with a of seven-sixteenths nylon. We’ve rarely used it. stronger plastic to start with. A different kind of problem with the Porta-Bote is that they are difficult Our storm anchor is a 15 pound HydroBubble, which to climb into when you’re in the water and therefore we keep disassembled in a cockpit locker. It’s rated do not make an ideal dive-boat. to hold boats up to 45 feet. We got it because it’s light and because it performed well in a major anchor Ground tackle: test that was held several years ago by Sail magazine English author and sailor Jonathan Raban has pointed in conjunction with several other publications and out that beautiful words are sometimes used to de- West Marine. Not long after the test, the manufac- scribe nasty things. Examples he gives are “rubella” turers went out of business, but the anchor may still and “marina”. Like Raban, we have an aversion to be available in chandlers. When we first bought it, tying up in a ma- we used it as rina. If we need our main an- gas, water or chor for six supplies, we’ll weeks in the drop the hook North Chan- outside and din- nel, and it al- ghy in. We ways dug in spend most well. How- nights lying at ever it doesn’t anchor rather store on a bow than tied to a roller: perhaps dock. Over the that’s the rea- years we’ve ex- son it’s no perimented with longer in pro- various systems, duction (other and are now con- than the fact fident that we’ve that it looks got it right. weird).

We carry three On one occa- anchors. Our sion in the Ba- bow anchor is a 22 pound Bruce-type Lewmar claw. hamas we anchored in a narrow creek to shelter from It fits snugly on our bow roller and is rated to hold a strong cold front. We used all three anchors, and boats up to 35 feet but it‘s still light enough to raise had three land lines tied to mangroves. But where by hand. We have it attached to 20 feet of five- there’s room to swing, just the claw is sufficient. sixteenths chain (which weighs a further 20 pounds) We’ve found that 120 feet of rode has always been and 100 feet of half inch, three-strand nylon. This enough, as we’ve never anchored in more than 15 feet combination has held us firm in some very strong of water. winds. Last year in the North Channel, we were an- chored in a fairly unprotected anchorage in winds that The electrical system: were clocked at thirty-nine mph. Our neighbours In the Bahamas we used two AGM gel batteries. dragged: we didn’t. Each was wired for a different function. For the house battery we used a new Optima M31. For the starting Our kedge, which we hang on the stern rail, is a 10 system we used the battery that came with the boat, a pound Fortress (the same dimensions as a 20 pound nine-year-old AC Delco which held up remarkably

8 well despite its age. (We’ve since replaced it with The screen measures only 3.7 inches, which is small, second Optima). I chose Optima because the re- but by using the zoom button, we’re able to get in charge rate is supposedly faster than other batteries. close for detailed information. It’s incredibly bright, I’ve no way of verifying this, but the battery has al- even in full sunlight. The charts that Garmin uses are ways charged well. remarkably accurate. We’ve only noticed three or four anomalies in the six years we’ve been using the Our charging system consists of 58 watts of solar 276. Once a navigation mark was in the wrong posi- panels. We have one flexible 30 watt amorphous tion, (but that could have been the buoy, not the panel, which we generally just throw on top of the chart), and several times we’ve been shown as an- bimini, and two 14 watt solid panel systems, each chored on the beach. All these have been in the North comprising two 7 watt panels that fold up to the size Channel. We noted no inaccuracies in the Bahamas. of a large laptop, which we normally hang over the (Apparently the Garmin charts for the Bahamas are rails/lifelines. based on the Explorer chart books, which are the best charts I’ve ever come across.) Before leaving for the Bahamas, we replaced all our light bulbs with LEDs. This cut our draw dramati- Our trip across the Gulf Stream was the first time we cally. (The masthead light can run all night with virtu- had used an autopilot and it was a revelation. Since ally no diminution of battery power). We also ran a then we switch it on whenever we’re in open water. small chart plotter, an autopilot, a depth-sounder, a We use a Raymarine ST2000, a unit that is rated for log, a VHF, a 300 watt inverter which we used for boats displacing up to 10,000 pounds. It held us on charging laptops, razors, etc. and occasionally a small course in some heavy beam and quartering seas. fridge. The 58 watts of solar provided all the power we needed. (We also received a charge from the mo- For binoculars we used Canon 12x 36 image stabiliz- tor when under way, but we never ran the motor in an ing binoculars that we picked up half-price on eBay. anchorage just to charge the batteries.) The stabilization made image identification much eas- ier. As a secondary anchor light we used a RailLight, a sturdier (and more expensive) version of the solar Several years ago, we bought a 15 litre fridge/freezer garden lights that can be picked up in any hardware by Engel. Our thinking was that we could use it to store. The RailLight picked up enough charge during make ice-cubes and transfer those to the ice-box. the day to keep lit all through the night. However, we’ve never been able to satisfactorily make ice: there’s always some liquid in the middle of Next time we head south, we’ll install a wind genera- the cubes. I tried using aluminum trays, metal being a tor so we can run the fridge more often, and perhaps better conductor, but with no luck. The Engel draws also a water-maker. Most boats we met had wind tur- four amps so we don’t use it for more than a couple of bines, and the wind was strong enough in most of the hours when we’re at anchor (enough time to chill anchorages to make them useful. We’ll make sure we beverages). Under way, we plug it into the starting get on of the silent ones: some are very noisy. (Four battery and run it off the motor. Winds was recommended.) Communications: The toys: . We took two netbooks (small laptops with seven Our Garmin 276 chartplotter was invaluable. We inch screens). One was an Asus Eee, running Win- chose this model mainly because it‘s portable and so dows XP. This has solid state memory and so is less can be used in the cockpit to steer by when we‘re un- vulnerable to salt corrosion. Our second computer der way or in the cabin at night to plan voyages. We was an XO, from the One Laptop Per Child project. can take it in the dinghy (though in fact have rarely Using a Linux operating system, it’s also solid state. done so) and we can take it home, which we do at the It’s designed for kids in third world countries so it’s end of every season. water-proof, dust-proof and virtually unbreakable.

9 Both computers had pros and cons. The Asus inter- forecasting sites. (Incidentally, we found that wind- faced well with our satellite phone, but we had prob- finder.com was the best site). The two obvious lems viewing the screen in sunlight and it had only choices of phone were Iridium and Globalstar, but average Wi-Fi reception. The XO was slow starting both networks were reputed to have bad connectivity, up and I found that using its Linux operating system and also neither enabled a fast internet connection. (I required a bit of getting used to. Also the keys are later heard two cruisers in Nassau complaining about small and are not suitable for touch-typing. But the Globalstar cutting out in the middle of conversations.) screen is superb in bright sunlight and the Wi-Fi re- We decided to go with a new system that Inmarsat ception is very strong. It can be viewed on the street had just introduced. Called BGAN (Broadband in tropical sunshine, logged onto an unsecured net- Global Area Network), it works off a single geo- work from a nearby restaurant or business (of which stationary satellite. Unlike Iridium and Globalstar, we found a surprising number on our trip). Inciden- where the transceiver is located in the handset (just tally, several other cruisers were using Wi-Fi signal like a regular cell-phone), the BGAN handset plugs boosters that they plugged into a USB port on their into a separate transceiver that must be pointed in the laptops to extend their reception range to hook into direction of the satellite. We got instant voice connec- these unsecured tion every time networks. We’ll we used the get one next time. phone, and a quick, but ex- One other thing pensive, inter- we will be taking net connection. along on our next We bought a trip is a single- Wideye Sabre sideband receiver. BGAN unit for Before we left, I about $1,500 had looked at get- and then regis- ting a SSB trans- tered with a ceiver (which plan offered by transmits as well a Canadian as receives), but provider, their cost (well which cost a over $1,000), their further $60 per size, their aerial month plus requirements and airtime. So it their complexity was very ex- dissuaded me. I pensive. Next didn’t know that it was possible to buy a cheap set time we’ll by a prepaid SIM card: one on sale right that only receives but doesn’t transmit for $60 or less. now offers a 12 month plan for $689 that gives you This is all you need to pick up weather reports by 1,000 minutes of voice to any landline anywhere or forecasters like Chris Parker and Herb Hilgenberg. 105 MB of data. (Chris broadcasts a Caribbean forecast early every morning, and Herb does the same each afternoon). Because the BGAN operates with a single geo- stationary satellite, the direction in which the trans- As we were going to be spending time in some iso- ceiver is pointed must be steady. This can be a prob- lated areas, we wanted to take a satellite phone. Be- lem if you boat likes to “sail” at anchor. We over- cause we have aging parents, we wanted to stay in came this by either dropping the stern anchor when voice contact with the outside world, and we also using the unit, or by taking the BGAN to shore. wanted internet connectivity to access weather-

10 Miscellaneous: small four-foot long boathook that had been hanging Many of the things that we found useful were not ex- around for years that I‘d never found a use for. One pensive or high-tech. Baby wipes, for instance. In day I took it in the dinghy with me, and I’ve taken it the Bahamas, we were on a strict water management every time since! Coming alongside a boat, I just regime. The Vivacity has a water tank that holds only reach up while sitting and snag a stanchion or a cleat. 20 gallons. Generally we used it for just cooking and No more standing and stretching and risking a dunk- washing dishes. We bathed in the sea and used baby ing. wipes to rinse off the salt. We used baby wipes to wash our hands, faces, etc. We got through a lot! And Next? (Incidentally, we kept our drinking water in a dozen We estimate that we must have seen at least six hun- one- or two-gallon jugs. We filled these up every dred other cruising boats during our time in the Baha- time we filled up our gas cans.) mas. Half a dozen were our size (23 – 25 feet). Per- haps a dozen more were around 30 feet. The other For music, we hooked an iPod shuffle up to a pair of 580 were 36 feet and more (most of them over well computer speakers. We plugged the same speakers over 40 feet). We’re already planning our next trip into a Grundig portable radio when listening to local south and we too will be getting something bigger. radio: they sounded much better than the integral Maybe 29 or 30 feet: still small in the grand scheme speaker. of things, but with more living and entertaining space. Better Than Working was fabulous; she did every- Really useful was a portable gas pump that allowed thing we asked of her. She gave us a great time, but spill-free refueling on board. One end of a fuel hose now she’s being put out to pasture in the North Chan- screws onto a jerry can, the other end has a squeeze- nel, where we’ll use her for a few months each sum- nozzle that pumps the gas into the fuel tank (just like mer. The rest of the year, she’ll be resting and you’ll at a gas station). be able to find us somewhere between Antigua and Trinidad, hopefully in a slightly bigger twin-keeler. And finally, a boathook for the dinghy! We’d had a Sailors Quiz Submitted by Marjorie Whites, SV, Forget Me Not

1. A jetty or pier of stone projecting out into the water to protect a D) white horse. beach or bank from erosion, or to re-direct the current E) cumshaw. A) groin B) arse 4. The end of a rope or line; the end of a lashing C) nose A) groin D) pigtail B) arse E) tail C) nose D) pigtail 2. Nautically speaking, “you finally have a proper suit” means E) tail A) the set of buckets and mops needed to clean the deck of a boat 5. A Turk’s Head: B) well-appointed sleeping quarters aboard a luxury yacht A) mariner’s name for the spit of land projecting out from C) anchor lines that are stowed properly so they won’t tan- Istanbul gle B) ornamental knot resembling a turban D) a collection or set of sails needed to sail a boat C) toilet used by the captain and other commissioned offi- E) items needed to stock a galley cers aboard a ship D) large roundish projecting land mass found on a nautical 3. When a ship is set to sail it will hoist a chart A) black dodger. E) a popular drink at ports in the eastern Mediterranean B) pigtail. C) blue peter. See the answers on the back page

11 Then punch down, put back on waxed paper, and roll Pizza on your boat out (or if you are good at, it stretch in yours hands – I just use a smooth glass as a rolling pin), to the size of Mike Nelson and Irene Clement your cookie sheet or pizza pan. Prebaking the crust seems to work well (5 min in 400ºF oven, you can The past few years we have been making pizza on our work out what it would be on a BBQ. Crust should boat. It is easier than you might think. Having (or not be browned, except maybe very lightly on the bot- visiting a boat with) an oven makes it easy, but you tom). can also use a barbecue grill with a diffuser plate. The This makes 1 rectangular pizza crust, about 10x15in. makers of both the Outback oven and the Back- Recipe is easily doubled. packer’s oven claim their ovens can be used to make pizza. Topping ideas Here is how we do it: Greek style: quick sauce, baby spinach leaves, slices Quick Sauce of roasted red peppers, black olives, sliced Roma to- Mix together one 16 oz can chopped tomatoes with its matoes, turkey sausage, and crumbled feta cheese. liquid, and one 6 oz. can of tomato paste. Add basil, oregano, black pepper, and garlic to taste. I generally Veggie deluxe: quick sauce, onions (sautéed or raw), use about a tablespoon of each of the herbs and the sliced zucchini, sliced tomatoes, mushrooms, chopped garlic, less of the pepper. If the sauce is a bit tart, add green pepper, pepperoni or meat of choice, cheese of a tsp or so of sugar. Stir well. Makes enough sauce choice (feta, parmesan, or mozzarella). for two 12-inch pizzas. Hawaiian: quick sauce, chopped ham, onions, red or The crust green peppers, pineapple pieces, choice of shredded We usually use pre-cooked crusts by Boboli, but it is cheese. not too difficult to make a crust from scratch. It is actually quite easy to make pizza crust from Cooking scratch, and is not as time consuming as you might If using a precooked crust, just lather on the sauce, think…and the end result is worth the extra work. then the toppings (cheese on the top), and cook for about 12 minutes or until cheese starts to melt. Bob- Combine 1: oli wants a 500-degree oven. Boboli crusts can be 2 c flour placed right on the oven or grill rack. Scratch pizza 1 tsp sugar crust can be placed on a cookie sheet, or it can also be 1 pkg rapid-rise yeast (1½ Tbsp) (yeast for placed right on the rack or grill. bread machines works well) ¼ tsp salt If making a crust from scratch, pre-bake it for a few Combine 2: minutes before putting on the sauce to keep it from 2/3 c warm water getting soggy. Prebaking the crust for a few minutes 2 Tbsp oil makes it stiff enough to slide onto a rack or grill. Dave and Donna on Swallow recommend putting a Add liquid to dry ingredients, mix well, turn out onto fresh crust on a hot grill for a few minutes, then re- waxed paper and knead for 3 - 4 min, sprinkling with move it, place the toppings on the cooked side, and a bit more flour if sticky. When smooth, put back into put back on the grill to finish. the same mixing bowl (rub a bit of oil on the surface first or put in a covered pot (also lightly greased). Put If your barbecue chars the bottom of the crust before in a warm place (e.g. wrap in towel in sun or in a pro- the cheese melts, try putting several layers of alumi- tected part of the boat, wherever you can make sure it num foil under the crust, or use a pizza stone. is a little warm) and let rise for about 30-45 min. Bon appétit.

12 Christian beliefs, and celebrated his sailing abilities Sailabration 2010. and friendship. Various members spoke about what A North Channel Cruise honouring the memory of Wayne had meant to them, and Jim from "Chugger" Wayne Bell. led a heartfelt chorus of “Amazing Grace”. By: John Clement The cruise this year had tried to include a number of Wayne’s favourite anchorages. As we journeyed, some boats were asked to bring rocks representing key locations. So, a rock from Long Point, a fossil rock from the Benjamins, a rock chosen from the overlook at Covered Portage, rocks from Thomas Bay and Mary Ann Cove were added to heart-shaped and other special rocks found at the site, in honour of Wayne. We recalled that when the initial leadership team had come to the end of their availability, that Wayne was one of a small group of new leaders who stepped for- ward enabling T/SA to continue. As we spoke of Wayne a loon appeared just off-shore. When we began to talk about Debbie’s part in their leadership team a second loon joined the first. An omen? A sign? We’ll never know, but it certainly helped to make the evening even more special. Bell’s Toil, Summer 2006 North Channel Cruise On a personal note, Wayne was one of the first cruise The focal event of this year’s Sailabration cruise in leaders I knew when we first started sailing with T/ the North Channel took place at Heywood Island on SA. He later strong-armed me into cruise leadership the evening of July 27th. Pleasant weather, if a bit and subsequently into T/SA presidency. Many of the breezy, as Trailer Sailors gathered from around the ways T/SA has organised cruises in the past decades North Channel, adding to those who were part of the were learned from Wayne, and have become part of main cruise. T/SA tradition. We began with a traditional Trailer Sailor pot-luck We’d started the cruise this year in Spanish, Ontario. dinner on the rocks. Great food, excellent company, It’s the same distance as Little Current for those of us many old friends and some new ones, and fine con- coming from the east, but at least an hour less towing versation. The only thing missing was “Absent for our Michigan and western friends coming around Friends”, as we recalled those unable to be with us the lake. Some thirty of us sat down to a cheerful this year. Special mention of Wayne, Debbie, Tom and friendly kick-off dinner, although shortly after and Jan Larimer, Dick and Char Travis and of Henk, dinner the group had the sad news that Dick Travis who kept emailing during the cruise saying how much had slipped and broken his leg while stepping out of he wished his health had permitted him to come. the showers. The “extended family” of T/SA swung into action, with a group volunteering to de-rig Dick After dinner we all rowed across the inlet to the Me- and Char’s (new) boat for road travel, while others morial Rock. When last we had gathered here two drove their truck to the hospital (and subsequently years ago it was under the leadership of Wayne Bell returned there to stow the main outboard in the truck.) as we remembered Bob Hodgson, the founding Presi- Later we heard that Dick had been safely returned dent of the Trailer Sailors Association. Now it was home to Wisconsin, his leg had been operated on, and sadly a time to remember Wayne at the same site he was beginning to walk again. (with Denise Hodgson’s and Debbie Bell’s blessing). We recalled Wayne’s leadership, noted his strong After a start like that, the cruise could only get better, 13 and thankfully it did. fic, finding us rings and helping tie ashore. We headed west with a slightly delayed start on July “Taranui”, “Medication Time”, “Belladonna” and 18th, in sometimes drizzly weather with winds “on “Firecracker” were all tucked in close proximity into the nose”. (We have a joke weather forecast on one arm of the anchorage, while “Better than Work- "Taranui" we sometimes refer to: "There is no wind, ing” and “Swallow” shared the other arm with a cou- and it’s on the nose". Along with most of the fleet ple of power boats. The next day “Incipient” and “Kaizen” arrived, other boaters left, and we had room we were glad to call it an early day and spend the night in Beardrop. Next morning one group moved to bring “Eventide” and “Day Dreamer” into the area on to Turnbull Island guided by “Incipient” while as well. Another group chose the wider waters of the “Taranui” and others went to Long Point, some of us middle anchorage, while others (including “Xanadu”, having good sails along the way. At Long Point the “Thistle Dew”, “Teliki”, “For-Get-Me-Knot”) first more agile climbed the hill and found quite good went to Kagawong then over to Croker. blueberry picking on the way back down. We Thursday 22nd July had been declared as a Lay Day. rounded out the day with visiting around the boats in Dave from “Swallow” offered a splicing demonstra- the anchorage and sharing a pot-luck meal on the tion, and gathered a group to show how to attach an rocks, where we were joined by “Tri Surf’N” and anchor rode to chain without a shackle. Then it was friend “White Star”. time for a walk on the island, finding “thunder Tuesday July 20th. Good sailing as we started out for stones” to stand on and rock (to make “thunder” Gore Bay, then the winds died and we finished up sounds), and on over to the fossil beach. No blueber- motor-sailing. The docks at Gore Bay have been ex- ries. Possibly the warm early summer has pushed the panded, and there was plenty of room for all our season ahead. boats. A group of some 20 from the fleet joined John Also at the Benjamins we held a “dinghy swap”, & Irene from “Taranui” for a celebratory dinner where all those wishing to take part brought their din- marking our 38th anniversary. Irene chose the ghy to a big sloping rock, and had the chance to bor- “Rocky Raccoon” overlooking the bay for dinner. row and try any other dinghy. Lots of fun. One Interesting that the chef is from Nepal, and the menu popular offering was the Port-a-boat” from “Better includes a variety of western and South Asian than Working”. When this was up on a full plane choices. In a brief thank you to the group during the with its 5 hp motor it really blew the cobwebs away. dinner, I recalled that some 19 of these 38 anniversa- I remembered some sage advice from my motor- ries have been celebrated with Trailer Sailor friends. cycling days. “Keep your lips closed when you We also recalled that Wayne and Debbie’s anniver- smile, so you don’t get bugs in your teeth”. Also im- sary was within a few days of ours, and how we’d pressive was “Swallow’s” beautiful rowing dinghy. often shared a joint celebration. Very few from the Both inflatable and hard-shell kayaks from current cruise group had been around for more than a “Medication Time” and “Day Dreamer”, respectively, few of these dinners, but the atmosphere around the were also interesting to try, as were the 10 ft Boatex table was just as warm and friendly as it always has from “Incipient” and the 8 ft Walker Bay that been. “Eventide” had borrowed for this trip. On Wednesday morning we had a fleet start at 9 am, Friday 23rd saw a glassy lake with no wind (despite a all raising sails right at the entrance buoy. Had great forecast of 20 kts), for a gentle motor run to Little sail mostly at 5 – 6 knots to the Benjamins. Im- Current. The marinas there were busy due to prepara- pressed at how well “Medication Time” sailed. The tions for the Macinaw race, quite a few Great Lakes Dana is a heavy, full-keeled boat but was the only Cruising Club members in town, and general summer other boat managing to keep within reasonable sight traffic. Some of our fleet went on to Heywood, some of “Taranui”. got into Spider Bay. “Taranui” ended up with a An adventurous group tucked into the rocks at the “strategic?” location on the main Town docks within south end of South Benjamins, with Dave from 100 ft of the ice-cream stand. More of that wonderful Farquhar’s ice cream. (We usually just get “baby “Swallow” acting as Harbour Master, directing traf- 14 cones” here, as this is enough ice-cream and is a very North Channel team. Several dozen dinghies met in good deal.) Rounded out the day with the usual gro- an informal raft-up for the hors d’ouvres, all honour- cery shopping, ice-run, showers, walking around ing the two rules; town, and dinner at the Anchor Inn. (We called Deb- 1) If someone passes something to you, you must bie Bell and waved at the web cam at the Anchor Inn. accept it (though you don’t have to eat it), She later phoned back to say she’d not gotten our message in time to see us, but thanked us anyway for 2) Pass it around till it’s gone. the thought.) Monday 26th was a warm day, with the fleet heading Saturday July 24th saw the fleet diverge. Several in different directions. While the main group gathered boats went to Thomas Bay while “Taranui”, at Thomas, a small group of us (“Taranui”, Incipient, “Eventide”, “Belladonna”, “Sneaky II”, “Medication “Medication Time” and “Eventide”) went to Mary Time”, and “Firecracker” met at the 10 am bridge, Ann Cove and anchored in (friendly T/SA) close and had a very nice sail to Heywood to join “Better proximity as there were quite a few other boats in the than Working” and “Incipient” on “Swallow” to cele- cove. Good sailing, though the winds died as we brate Donna’s birthday. Then on to Covered Portage. came through the buoys into the Baie Fin channel, so Good wind, good sailing, though we did add a bit of the motor was pressed into service again. Dinner was motor through the buoys in Landsdown Channel. An- a mini-potluck. Dave had asked Irene to buy some chored near the east wall, not far from the beaver fresh lake trout while in Killarney, and Mike did a dam. It still looks active, though we did not see the wonderful job of sautéing this. Delicious served with otter family playing on top of the beaver lodge this wild rice, salad and veggies. Irene had bought a rasp- year. berry pie from a fund-raiser in Little Current, so de- sert was also tasty. How come I lose weight on sail- Sunday was a Lay Day, with hikes and excursions. ing trips despite the eating being so memorable? If I An early group hiked up the north hill (John & Irene knew that secret I could bottle it and never have to from “Taranui”, Jason (Don’s grandson off “Sneaky work again. II”), Robert from “Firecracker”, and Dave from “Day Dreamer”. No blueberries here either. Our theory Tuesday 27th, a warm day, with little (fluky) wind as about this being an early season and all the blueber- we headed off to Heywood. Arrived and anchored ries being over already seems to be holding true. Up next to “Swallow” in the eastern arm. The wind the top we remembered so many hikes up there with picked up and became quite breezy. A quiet day of Wayne and Debbie, including the infamous time chatting around the other boats in the anchorage, until when Wayne threatened to throw me off the cliff if I at 6 pm we all gathered for the pot luck dinner, fol- didn’t accept to become T/SA president. Nice re- lowed by the memorial gathering at 7 pm. Great to cruiting touch! see Gordon and Mary McDonald from “Irish Mist” who had come out from Little Current for the eve- Later, Dave Craigie led a group up the south side, ning. A good celebration with fine memories shared. while “Taranui” went to Killarney for pump-out, fish and chips (yum), ice-cream (more yum) and for a Overnight the wind strengthened and the boats were laundry run. While Irene fed the washing machine, dancing. Irene and I got up from time to time to John found “Jet Stream” at the Killarney Mountain check our position. No changes as the anchors held Lodge docks, and had a good chat with Bob and well. Marion. Back to Covered Portage, and later, when We held a Lay Day on Wednesday as the wind con- other fish and chip pilgrims had returned, we had din- tinued to blow. Lots of white caps visible on Fraser ghy hors d’ouvres. Bob and Marion came over from Bay outside the anchorages. As the wind gusts contin- Killarney in their Boston Whaler, with friends Bob ued strong, I walked on shore and found a rock just and Judy to join the festivities. Always fun to see the right size and shape for a kellet, so set it on my Bob flying the Trailer Sailor pennant so proudly on second anchor. Another Lay Day means another his power boats, and we in turn are grateful to have good opportunity for visiting other boats. Always his weather knowledge and seamanship as part of our interesting to see how other sailors have modified

15 their boats, and the neat ideas folk have come up with Dreamer” is heading to Fox, “Cajun Magic” is stay- to make living aboard more convenient. By evening ing in Sturgeon Cove to wait for “Pershay”. Glassy the wind was dropping, and the night turned out to be water, little wind, an uneventful trip to Spanish, restful. where we arrived in time to help “Medication Time” Thursday July 29th dawned calm. Wind “on the and “Thistle Dew” out of the water. Final dinner was nose” and waves down around 1 – 2 ft. Relatively at the restaurant at the marina, with “Thistle Dew”, “Eventide”, “Taranui”, “Medication Time”, serene. “Taranui” left in time for a leisurely motor trip for the 10 am bridge. Current under the bridge “Xanadu”, “Firecracker” and “Chugger”, plus was quite strong. We found space at the western “Sunset”, an F27 from Ohio who used to be T/SA. Town docks, near the bridge end. These docks are “Taranui” stayed overnight at the dock, and met our always interesting from the point of view of watching daughter Karen who drove up from Toronto for some all the problems boaters get into when trying to deal boat time. Then, together with her, we shared a with wind and current while manoeuvring in fairly pleasant long weekend at the Benjamins with tight quarters. Several quite big boats found them- “Eventide”. Irene and I stayed on in the North Chan- selves in difficulty, including a few totally sideways. nel for another relaxing week, visiting Long Point, (None from our group). Quite a lumpy berth. I’d Turnbull, and had a couple of wonderful days where prefer not to stay there overnight unless there was no we were the only boat in Cleary Cove. Our son Eric other option. drove up for the following weekend, which we again We walked the docks, got a few groceries, stocked up spent at the Benjamins, then we hauled out and came on ice, did a load of laundry, had a nice lunch at the home. Anchor Inn with “Eventide”, and walked down to the It was a good cruise. The weather was generally kind ice cream kiosk. Said goodbye to “Belladonna” who to us. None of those nocturnal thunderstorms that were eating big ice creams, waiting for their appoint- make such good stories in the telling, but are less fun ment to get craned out. “Sneaky II” was also leaving in real life. Some excellent sailing. Warmer water us at Little Current and hauling out for home. Then than usual meant the swimming was not quite the ”Taranui” left in quickening breezes (on the nose) for usual emphatic “wake up call”. While Dick’s acci- Mosquito Bay. The wind and waves built and it got dent had gotten the cruise off to a sad start, the infor- quite boisterous. It was good to turn into the more mation we kept getting was that things were going sheltered waters of the Waubuno Channel, and to run well with him and that they plan to be back next year. out the genny, then even better to duck into the rela- We learned how good home-made pizza crust can be tive calm of Mosquito Bay. Quite a few other sail- when the only store-bought supply of pizza crust out- boats had the same idea. Anchored near “Incipient”. dated by more than any of us dared hazard, and Noted a big deadhead not far off our stern. Irene shared some great meals and good times with friends. rowed over it and tried to gauge the depth with the (Despite all the fine nourishment, in the month on the boat hook. We figured that we would float over it, water I lost at least 3 pounds, which previously had but set an extra anchor anyway to ensure that we did- proven quite stubborn). Above all, we travelled to a n’t go near it. Invited Dave, Joyce, and Jonathan number of spots reminding us of our good friend from “Incipient” for afternoon tea. This was our Wayne Bell. We shared memories, told stories (some goodbye to “Incipient” after sharing both the Early of them even true) and said our “good-bye and Bird and the Sailabration cruise with them this year. thanks” to Wayne in true Trailer Sailor fashion. We Then Irene went rowing around the anchorage and Sailabrated. talking with both “Teliki” and with “Thistle Dew”.

Friday July 30th. Boats are starting to head in dif- ferent directions. “Swallow” and “Better Than Work- ing” have already headed east. “Firecracker” is head- ing for Blind River, “Xanadu”, “Eventide”, “Taranui”, and “Chugger” are off to Spanish, along with “Medication Time”, and “Thistle Dew”. “Day 16 meant that we did not have to keep to any schedule I’m Glad I’m a Moron and we could sit in any one of those ports if the (I Think) weather forecast was iffy and wait for good weather. Next, we needed to think about what equipment we Rebecca and Bob Bringle would need for the trip. We had some of the equip- Karen Larson in Good Old Boat had an op-ed piece ment already, either from previous cruises on Papillon that started with the observation that, when you are or on our new boat, TANGO: two VHF radios, two driving along the highway at a speed that seems rea- GPS, two fire extinguishers, first aid kit, new flares, sonable and comfortable for the conditions, you think PDFs with lights and whistles, tools, some spare only a idiot would drive faster than you do, and only parts, horseshoe life ring, three different types of an- morons drive slower. She then drew an analogy of chors (e.g., Bulwagga, Fortress, Manson) plus lots of that analysis to boating safety. Only an idiot would be line . . . . But there were lots of other choices to con- reckless and employ fewer safety measures than you sider for additional equipment. Some items seemed deem necessary and appropriate; and anyone who obvious; only an idiot would go without them. takes more (unnecessary) precautions is a moron. But TANGO came with only a manual bilge pump—we what is necessary and appropriate? needed to install an electric bilge pump, right? Yes. Charts for the entire trip? We have a book of charts We had been towing our Venture Newport 23’, Papil- for Lake Huron, but they are reproductions. Should lon, from Indiana to Lake Huron for 6 years. One we buy a complete set of charts for just this one trip? summer we spent two weeks cruising in the Pointe Yes. What if we had to go up the mast to retrieve a Au Baril area of Georgian Bay. During the other sum- halyard, do a repair, or free a jammed main sail? The mers we cruised the north shore of Lake Huron in the sailing blogs are filled with opinions about the pros North Channel, using Spider Bay Marina in Little and cons of various methods: Bosun’s chair, mast Current, Ontario, as our base for 2-4 week cruises. steps, fabric ladders that are raised in the slot (which We love the North Channel and we decided to get a cannot help if the main sail is jammed), or a top larger boat to keep up there. We purchased a Gulf 29’ climber that has you push yourself up with your legs pilothouse sailboat manufactured by Capital Yachts. on a halyard. There was lots of vacillation around The boat was located north of Detroit in the town of those choices, but we finally purchased a bosun’s St. Clair, Michigan. Our plan was to move the boat chair from an eBay seller. Radar reflector? There’s a from there to Little Current, a trip of 200+ nautical real debate about their effectiveness, but they are rela- miles; so we began preparing for this trip. This is a tively cheap and they make you feel better. Even very common trip for cruisers from Detroit and Lake though we weren’t planning any traveling after dark, Erie who go to the North Channel for a cruise during you never know and it might be noticed if the diesel the summer. Some do the 150 NM leg from Port failed and we were stranded windless after dark. Jack Huron, Michigan to Tobermory, Ontario (at the tip of lines on the boat meant also purchasing tethers and the Bruce Peninsula) in one 30-hour overnight shot. harnesses, but we thought they were mandatory. We We decided to plan for 3 one-day legs ranging from put in one set of reef lines on the mainsail, which had 45-55 NM, with stops in Goderich, Port Elgin, and none; would we need storm sails (e.g., trysail, storm Tobermory. Then it is one more day to the North jib)? We have roller furling on the genoa; with the Channel. That seemed like a safe and reasonable way reef in the main, we thought we were OK. to do it. A boating friend of ours considers a schedule to be one of the most dangerous elements of boating. Then you get into the equipment that separates the When boaters have to be somewhere by a particular idiots from the morons. EPIRB? Well, if there were date, they take idiotic chances to keep to the schedule an emergency, either with the boat (fire!!!) or one of (he contends physicians who are general aviation pi- us (illness), you would really wish you had one. But lots have high fatality rates for this reason—they have they are expensive to purchase. Fortunately, we to get back home, regardless of the weather). We al- joined BoatU.S. and they rent an EPIRB for $65 per lowed ourselves several weeks for the trip. That week. Man-overboard buoy? Why, we have jack lines and tethers. Why not (especially when one can be had 17 on eBay at a discount). Drogue? Seemed like it was waves). unnecessary with our plans for nightly stops. Life The day before July 4th, we decided we should take Sling to pull someone out of the water? Yes. Elec- TANGO out for a sail; our first sail. The engine tronic man-overboard signals for each crew member? would not start. Frank would not be available until No. after the 4th. I had previously told Frank I did not Life raft? No: idiotic? Yes: moronic? Boats do sink, trust the fuel in the tank because of lack of use and even in calm seas; but sinkings are extremely rare. my worry about crud in the tank, but he had dis- Life rafts can also be rented, but for a lot more than missed it. After the holiday, he started to diagnosis an EPIRB. And it would be in the way. But we would the engine’s problem by looking at the engine’s fuel be out of sight of land, and we did not know how filter, which was full of crud. He pumped out the much other boat traffic there would be in the area. tank. Was there any alternative? What about a dingy? A We continued getting TANGO ready: screens were dingy is not a life boat, but could provide refuge in made for the windows (a must for the swarms of mos- the unlikely event of a sinking, even if it were quitoes in the North Channel in the evening), the swamped from seas. [Your imagination can really bilge pump installation required a check valve to be make you feel like an idiot for considering anything added, the new dingy needed painting, and we did short of a top-of-the-line life raft.] The dingy also had lots of little tasks getting TANGO ready. But we still a role in the much more likely event of the diesel en- needed to go for a sail. As we headed toward Lake gine failing and there being no wind. A dingy with an Huron for our first sail the engine overheated. An- outboard engine could move TANGO and us to the other delay, this time for a new impeller because closest port. But why not a dingy and a rented life pieces from the previous impeller that had disinte- raft? We built a Bolger designed Ruben’s Nymph and grated were still in the cooling system. We back- overbuilt the transom to take the 8 hp outboard that washed the cooling system; but did we get all of the we owned. No life raft (idiotic?). loose pieces?? We moved TANGO from St. Clair to Port Huron, We still had not sailed TANGO and we were plan- Michigan, which was our first trip on the boat. We ning to take a 200+ mile cruise. Furthermore, to date, had Frank, a boat mechanic, lined up to do some work the diesel engine had not been reliable. We finally on the boat and Port Huron is the departure point for were able to motor to Lake Huron and we had several entering Lake Huron and beginning the cruise. Re- afternoons of fine sailing. We were very comfortable member this is a new boat to us. We have not done in the boat; it seemed manageable even though it any cruising on it prior to moving the boat to Port weighted four times more than Papillon, and we felt Huron, and we asked Frank to be on that trip so that very safe and secure in the boat. But should we start he could make sure that the engine was working prop- such a long cruise after only a few hours of experi- erly. In addition, the boat had been used very little ence with the boat. That is an idiotic plan. And, be- during the prior few years. That is good news (little cause of the delays, the nemesis of a schedule was wear and tear) and bad news (diesels like to run, die- appearing—the time we had to move the boat to the sel fuels can get stale and gunky). Frank started work- North Channel and still get back to Indiana was grow- ing on TANGO the first week of July: adding the ing shorter. bilge pump, installing a primary fuel filter (the diesel only had the engine’s fuel filter), putting in new Another question that we had worked on was crew. gauges, thermostat. We also got to try the bosun’s We had a preference for having at least one other per- chair because the marina that stored the boat the pre- son on board, and preferably someone with knowl- vious winter had allowed the genoa halyard to go up edge of sailing and diesel engines. The closest we had the roller furling extrusion. We were able to get a sea- ever been to a diesel engine is walking by a semi- soned boater from the local marina to help us with truck. Knowledgeable people say that diesels are that task. We had our first experience going up a mast wonderfully simple, but not when they are completely and our first indication that we did not want to have unfamiliar. We asked John and Sue, boating friends, to do that under other conditions (away from dock in to go with us, in part because John was an expert on 18 diesels. They thought about it for a while, but their had BoatUS towing insurance. If we had a problem schedule didn’t permit it. We arranged for our daugh- within 20 miles of Port Huron, we could always call ter (not a diesel expert, but athletic and energetic) to for a tow. Frank checked the new impeller and it come from New York City to the boat to travel with showed no signs of problems from the few hours we us to Tobermory. Her plane schedule was fixed had used the diesel. We got up early, passed under the around our original departure date, but that came and Blue Water bridge connecting the US and Canada, went with our delays with the engine problems. So and headed for Goderich. We sailed for a while, but she arrived in Port Huron and joined us on our first the winds were light. Because we had to average 5 sails and enjoyed the festivities of the Port Huron- mph, we eventually started the diesel, attached the Mackinaw race weekend (over 200 sailboats, parties, autopilot (which we thought worked, now we would fun). While in Port Huron with the delays, we asked a see), and settled into a routine that included regularly cruising friend from the North Channel with decades checking the water temperature gauge to make sure of single-handed sailing experience, but he had just the engine was not overheating. The autopilot did in- had surgery. We even invited Frank, the diesel me- deed work, the engine didn’t show any signs of prob- chanic, to go with us to Tobermory for a vacation lems, and we motored pass the 20 mile point of no trip; he thought about it, and then decided he had to return hoping that all would remain good. work. So we were facing the prospect of doing the We made it to Goderich! Then we had a delightful trip without any crew. downwind sail to Port Elgin! We spent two days in The good news about all of the engine problems was Port Elgin because of high winds, and then motored that we got a first-hand education about diesel en- to Tobermory. We had a bumpy ride during part of gines. Frank was willing to explain what he was do- the trip motoring to Killarney; the weather looked ing and answer naïve questions. We learned how to threatening, but never became a problem. bleed the fuel system, prime it, change the impeller, In all, we had a delightfully BORING! trip to the and where the decompression lever is. But, during North Channel after all of the delays, anxiety, and what was now a two-week period, which is our only uncertainty. We could spend a few days in our favor- experience with a diesel, the engine had not been reli- ite bay near the Collins Inlet before we moved able. Even with some elementary knowledge about TANGO to her new home at Harbor Vue Marina in diesels, should be begin the trip with no other crew Little Current, and returned to Indiana. Some would members, or store the boat in Port Huron and do the consider our trip idiotic (e.g., new boat, unreliable trip the next summer when we can get someone to engine, no life raft); others moronic (e.g., EPRIB, accompany us? land support). When you have never done a trip of We did have a friend, Gary, who agreed to provide this sort, you make the choices that seem reasonable. land-based support for the trip up the Bruce Peninsula Does anyone want to buy a man-overboard buoy? to Tobermory. Gary would meet us in each port. He had our float plan, with alternative ports if we cut a On Georgian Bay leg short, so he would know if we were overdue and Gowd Almighty, when I am dead, where to look for us. We had also learned that me- Don’t take it into your wise old head- chanics were scarce in the Bruce Peninsula marinas Oh, be kind to me! and parts were even harder to find. If necessary, we Don’t gimme a harp with golden strings, could use Gary’s car to go back to Port Huron for And a golden house and all those things- parts. Was it moronic to have someone following us That’s hell to me! on land? Well, we decided we would feel more com- Jest gimme a boat with a rag o’ sail fortable, even if it proved unnecessary. And a pair o’ jeans to cover my tail- That’s plenty for me! Finally, the time for a decision came. We had used up Jest gimme these and I’ll sail away, 2+ weeks of our time getting the boat ready and deal- And be a ghost on Georgian Bay; ing with the unexpected problems. We either had to That’s heaven for me! start the trip (idiotic?), or scrap it (moronic?). We also (Author unknown), Submitted by Henk V

19 check whether your anchor is dragging. Are the dis- Tips and Tricks tances from shore and the other boats staying about the same? They may change slightly if your boat sails By; Diana Nelson at anchor, but big changes may mean you are drag- We always learn a few things on each North Channel ging. Cruise. Sometimes we figure them out for ourselves Bearing compass and sometimes we get tips from others. Here are a few ideas from this year. Another “toy” we have that a couple of people Fenders, lines and cleats thought was interesting From John Clement on Taranui. When preparing to is a bearing compass. It enter a marina as a transient, you don’t always know is a hand-held compass which side you will tie up on. You can request port or that can be used in the starboard tie, but your preference might not be avail- standard way, but it also able. Rather than wait until the last minute to hang has a prism so that you fenders, or run around changing them, John suggests can sight across the top having an extra fender. Set up two on your preferred to determine the bearing side and one on the non-preferred side. If you don’t of an object on shore. get your preference, you have to move only one. Set Take two sights on ob- up your bow line on the preferred side. It can easily jects that are about 90 be flipped to the opposite side, without taking it off apart. If the readings change, the boat is moving. the cleat. If you use a springline on your mid-ship GPS monitor cleat for docking, put one on each side. You can ei- ther put the stern line on the preferred side, or wait to From Dave Laux on Swallow. It was blowing 25 kts find out which side you will tie on. during our stay at Heywood and we were all a bit nervous about dragging. Dave turns the backlight on If you don’t have a mid-ship cleat, consider installing his chart plotter down to reduce the current draw to one, if you can. Using a line on this cleat for docking the point where he can leave it on all night without makes it much easier for you, and makes it almost draining the battery. If the wind pipes up, he brings impossible for the helpful dock hand to pull your bow the backlight up and can see quickly whether the boat into the dock. They usually stand on the end of the is still in the same place. You need to zoom in to 30- finger dock. Stand at the bow and hand them the 50 ft. scale. We used this tip at Heywood and again at springline and ask them to wrap it around the cleat at Bell Cove when the wind shifted and increased to 10 their feet with x feet of slack, depending on your boat kts overnight. It was bumpy, but I could see we were length. If the length is correct, the boat should sidle not moving. up to the dock and you can step off with the bow line in your hand or hand it to someone. No drama. (If Priming the pump you Google this idea, you will find instructions for For the inboard diesel owners. After the clogged up- powerboats that talk about using a spring line on the take tube saga we now drain the fuel tank every Fall bow or the stern. The mid-ship works better for us.) using the electric pump mounted after the Raycor fil- Range finder ter. This Spring we put in a couple of gallons of diesel and ran the engine in the backyard for about 5 min- We bought a golfer’s range finder a couple of years utes and around the marina for another 10. We fig- ago after Tom Lyons called over from Research to let ured everything was ok, until the engine quit just as us know we were 80 yds away and therefore unlikely we were exiting the marina at Spanish. By now we to swing into him. Judging distance is not easy and should know that a Yanmar 1GM will run for a half- swing room depends on water depth. With the range- hour on fumes. So the tip (from Dave Laux) is to finder the person on the helm can check distances be- drain the fuel tank in the Fall (we give the diesel to fore we let the anchor down. You can also use it to our mechanic who burns it to heat his shop), but fill 20 the Raycor filter before starting the engine in the Outboard Handle Extender Spring. If you have a separate electric pump, as we Another idea from John Clement. If you need to ex- do, make sure it is drawing fuel (a noisy pump is a tend your outboard handle to allow you to sit on the dry pump) before trying to bleed the engine. We used middle seat of your dinghy and still steer the boat, a bulb “pump”, such as the ones in the fuel line on an John suggests that one of the extension tubes from outboard tank, to draw the fuel from the forward tank your Shop-Vac will work very well. to the filter. If you have ideas that make life easier on your boat, Storage why not write a few up for the next issue? From Irene Clement on Taranui. It’s nice to have ex- tra storage. Irene had small zippered bags made from the leftover fabric from new cushion covers. They put fleece clothing, pajamas and other soft items in them and use them as pillows on the settees. The items are De-rigged and ready to quickly accessible; hidden in plain sight. go but it’s late…..?

Irene Clement Taranui

We have all at times, finally gotten the boat taken down and all secured for the road but due to a variety of events, it is now late in the day. What to do if a boom or other articles now fill your berth? Well there is always Vances’ who might have a room but here is an alternative thought. We checked out Le Bel Abri B&B. Most of you might know this mag- nificent white and blue house just down the road from the Spanish Marina for its’ great breakfast, served 8 -10am but it is also a B&B. Taranui took the Splices opportunity on our last morning to have a look at the While a group of us were in South Benjamin, Dave rooms – they are all uniquely decorated with individ- Laux did a demonstration of the Simpson-Lawrence ual themes, with applicable antique pieces, all are splice. This is a rope-to-chain splice that eliminates comfortable and clean. The bathroom is shared. the shackle between your rode and chain. No seizing There is even a family room and kids room with pe- wire to chew up your hands when you let the anchor riod toys on the top floor! The main floor has a bed- down and no shackle to get hung up on the bow room and bath suitable for handicapped folk. Cost in roller. There’s video on youtube.com. Dave says the 2010 is a reasonable $40/person that includes break- secret is to start with two of the ends going around the fast. For those wanting total privacy there is also a chain one way, and the third going the opposite direc- fully self-contained studio building, with a cost of tion, between the other two. Be sure the rope is $50 per person, wrapped tightly around the chain to avoid chafe. Host Carmen Cotnoir says that breakfast can be ar- ranged for as early as the guests needs. So if you A second tip that Dave gave us that day is to not try ever find yourself not ready to face the road but no to hold a thimble in an eye while splicing. Put the longer have room to sleep on your road ready boat, rope around the thimble and mark it. Take the thimble then consider making arrangements to stay overnight out while creating the eye, then work the thimble in. at the Bel Abri in Spanish (advance bookings sug- It will fit tighter and splicing will be easier. gested as room is not always available).

21 “LOONACY”

The silence of the wind was broken. “Is that a loon?” comes a cry from our companion’s boat.

We all understand her passion. She decorates her house with them.

Together we’ve hiked wilderness trails to catch a glimpse of her obsession.

Together we’ve sailed remote shores and isolated coves to record their cry.

Together we’ve sat silently on craggy cliffs to take their picture.

Loons may not evoke the same response from us. but her passion stirs us, inspires us.

We all need a little “loonacy!”

By Beth Miller Submitted by Henk. V

RAMP REPORT - TWO RAMPS AT ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND By John Ulmer

I love Annapolis. The place is full of history and has a strong sailing tradition. Tying up in the downtown harbour, known locally as Ego Ally, is really something special.

I often use the city as a base for cruising the Chesapeake Bay, and once had the thrill of sailing my little West Wright Potter around Admiral Perry’s flagship, Niagara, a square rigged brig, that was at anchor in the harbour.

For anyone heading to Annapolis or the Bay Bridge from the west, let me tell you the easiest way to get there. Take I-70 toward Baltimore. At exit 80 get on Rt. 32 going south. As of now the road it

22 limited access two lane, but it quickly becomes four Fees here are very low. Maryland residents pay $4 to lane and heads straight for Annapolis. It will join I- use the park, out of state residents pay $5. There is 97 about 9 miles east of Annapolis and join Rt. 50 no extra fee to launch and no fee to leave a car and and Rt. 301 at Annapolis. Going this way avoids ei- trailer. The park is officially closed after dark, but ther the Beltway around Washington D.C. or the Belt- boater and fishermen can use the park at any time. If way around Baltimore and is much easier on your you arrive late, you pay the automatic teller at the nerves. gate just $3 to get in. What a deal, but you can do this ONLY if you have a boat. The big problem with trying to launch at Annapolis is not finding a ramp, there are many of them. The problem is finding a ramp that you, as a non-county resident, can use.

I may be wrong on this, but it is my understanding all the county ramps, are off limits to non-residents unless you buy a special, high priced, permit. What’s more, it won’t be easy finding someone to sell you the permit. There will be no one at the ramp to sell them, and without the permit you can expect your car and trailer to be towed. Annapolis is very welcoming to people visiting by boat that are already in the wa- ter, but is down right unfriendly to anyone bringing their boat in on a trailer. A Ramp at Sandy Point That said, there are two good places where you can launch and safely leave your car and trailer overnight. Even if you don’t care about saving a little money, Sandy Point State Park is located right next to the Bay planning to arrive after dark isn’t a bad idea. Traffic Bridge and offers immediate access to the bay. through Annapolis will be light, and when you arrive What’s more, it is very friendly to out of state trailer at the ramps, there are enough overhead lights so you boaters. can see to rig and launch your boat. Once you’re on the water, you can tie up to the gas dock wall and stay until morning. Electricity is available along the wall, but not water.

The rangers say you can leave your car and trailer for as long as you want, but you will need a yellow slip from the ranger office next to the ramp to place in your windshield while you are gone. If you do arrive late, remember not to leave in the morning until you have gotten your yellow slip from one of the marina workers.

I do have some concerns about those yellow papers. The park is patrolled 24 hours a day, but it is a big park, and a lot of people use it every day. I’m not sure I like the idea of telling everyone in the park how Lots of Ramps at Sandy Point long I’ll be gone. The rangers say there is not much

23 of a problem, but I wouldn’t want to leave my trailer place to explore by boat. Lovely homes are all along here for more than a few days. There are just too the river, some of them very large and expensive, but many people around. many more that are more modest.

The size of the parking lot and the number of boat My old chart shows two swing bridges between the ramps they have here will tell you just how popular marina and the bay, one for a road and one for a rail- this park is. I counted 20 individual ramps and I road. Both are gone now. There are still two bridges might have missed a few. but both of them are high level and offer no problem for any trailerable sailboat. The ramps are double wide, and divided into two separate single sized ramps by a small curb, and there Smith’s Marina has two advantages that are worth is a dock available at each ramp. The ramps end considering. First is the fact that you do not have to about 40 feet from shore and the end is marked by a drag your boat through the heavy Annapolis traffic to yellow board on the dock, but the paint is weathered get there. Second, and more important, is the fact that and it is hard to see. Just to make sure I measured the Smith’s Marina is a very safe place to leave your car ramp at a realistic length to see if the angles were the and trailer. It is much more expensive than Sandy same. At 24 feet there was a depth of 3 ½ feet Point State Park, but this is the place I would chose to leave my rig if I was going on an extended cruise of During the week there is lots of room at the ramps, the bay. and you can take as long as you want getting the boat launched, but on weekends and in the evening this is The ramp is concrete, 18 feet wide and 19 feet long a very busy place. Make sure you are ready for the and 5 feet deep at the end, giving an angle of ??? and water before you pull on to the ramp. a slope of ???? The concrete is not in good shape, but the ramp gets a lot of use and has causes no trouble, For more information call the park headquarters at 1- so you should be able to use it too. 800-825-7275 or (410) 974-2149 There are docks on both sides of the ramp and a travel The other ramp is as Smith’s Marina, located on the lift if you need one. The marina can usually arrange Severn River about six miles up stream from down- overnight dockage, but if you really need a dock for town Annapolis. The Severn River is a delightful the night, it’s best to call ahead. There are restrooms

Habour at Smith’s Marina Ramp at Smith’s Marina

24 available for everyone, and showers available for the lane to the marina. There is a marina sign at the dock holders. lane, but it is small and weathered, and hard to see. The marina office is in the white trailer next to the As I said, this is not a cheap place to launch. The marina store. ramp cost $20 per day so if you are gone overnight it’s $20 to put in and another $20 to pull out. You For more information call the marina at (410) 923- can leave your car and trailer for as long as you want 3444 or see them on the web at for $10 a night. No matter which ramp you use, once you are in the On weekdays you will have the ramp all to yourself, water, the bay is yours. Check your cruising guide but on weekends and evenings you can expect long and discover the possibilities, but remember, this is lines for both launching and retrieval. Again, make the Chesapeake, it’s ALL good. sure you’re ready to launch before you pull up to the ramp. Send requests for ramp information to :

Smith’s Marina is located just east of Annapolis on John Ulmer Rt. 178 near the little village of Crownsville. Coming 659 S. Canal St. from the west on I-97, exit at Rt. 178 (exit 5). This is Canal Fulton, OH 44614 right after Rt. 32 joins I-97. You will only be on Rt. Phone : 330-854-3796 178 for a mile or two. At the first traffic light, turn email address - [email protected] left on Herald Harbor Road. Follow it for about a mile, until it dead ends. At the dead end, turn left, and just about a hundred feet, then turn right. This is

WHAT’S IN A NAME By; Larry Dale

In the fall of 2007 I bought a Kent Ranger 26 in Portland, Oregon. This might not seem like a big deal but, I live in Southern Ontario, Canada. The boat had no name and so I had to come up with one. When I relate the story of purchasing and bringing the boat home, several people have said I should document the adventure. If you want to hear the story read on.

The Boat About 70 Kent Ranger 26’s, designed by Raymond H. Richards, were made in Kent Washington by Ranger Fiberglass Boats between 1977 and the early eighties. They where very well built and not to be confused with the Gary Mull designed Ranger boats built by Ranger Yachts in California. They have a motor well at the aft end of the cockpit and 6’2” headroom throughout. Usually one or two come up for sale briefly each summer. Right now all but two are in the western states and provinces. The Achilles heel of these boats is the keel drop board raising system. The cable from the drop board goes through the front side of the keel box, into a sheave box ( of cast aluminum and mounted between the hull and the base of the compression post), and up the mast compression post to exit at the mast base. If the cable breaks you can loose your drop board which is nega- tively weighted and goes to the bottom. There are several Rangers sailing around without their drop boards. At the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival, the owner of a Kent Ranger 26 told of having an attendee row over for a chat, and to then circle the boat admiringly. When he reached the bow, he looked up under the plas- tic bowsprit, realized what was implied, and rowed away in a silent huff.

25 Background I began sailing with a friend of my father’s when I was 15. Actually, I worked on sanding the woodwork on his 21’ Mcvay sailboat and he took me out for short sails after a morning’s work and I was bitten by the sailing bug. From then on I read about boats. In 1980 my father and I went to the Toronto–in-the- water boat show to look for a boat we could purchase together. My dad had his eye on a 28’ steel sailboat that he could take to Florida each winter. I wanted a Bayfield 25 that I could trailer around Ontario each summer. We couldn’t agree on a boat; the idea died and I went back to reading about boats. When I mar- ried we chartered a 28’ Pearson in the North Channel of Georgian Bay for our honeymoon. After another charter a few years later we decided to put the money towards our own boat. We reasoned that for the price of 5 one week charters we could have our own boat.

The Boat Search That led me to a two year search for a trailerable sail- boat. I have never been interested in any other type of boat. Doing an internet search one day I came across the Kent Ranger 26’ and realized I had found what I had been looking for. Unfortunately, they where all looked good and would only need slight modifica- on the west coast of the USA and; I was on the Great tions to fit the Ranger. The deal to buy it was done Lakes in Canada. We refinanced our home in the next through the broker and the current trailer owner summer which gave us a bit of extra cash and over- would bring it to the boat. came the first hurdle. The fact that the Canadian dol- lar exchange rate against the US dollar was approach- Now all I needed was a truck to get it home. I had ing parity didn’t hurt either. That summer there where looked at several trailerable sailboats in Ontario dur- a couple of KR26’s for sale. One without the drop ing the summer and come close to buying twice (once board keel and one out of my price range. Terresa the owner didn’t show for the inspection and the other Kastner (owner of the KR 26 web site time, the owner said I should have a truck to pull the www.ranger26.com) put me on to a third one that had boat first and it became apparent that he was just fish- been for sale for a year with a Portland, Oregon yacht ing and didn’t really want to sell), At this point, with broker. The boat didn’t have a trailer but, neither did money in hand, I figured that a trailerable sailboat any of the others for sale. The broker said if the boat was in my future and I should get a truck to tow it. I had a trailer he could have sold it many times. I made made a deal to buy a guy’s Dodge, 1 ton, dual cab, an offer reasoning that if the owner went for my offer, diesel truck in September when his new truck arrived. then I would worry about a trailer and how to get it home. The offer was accepted which was less than the owner was originally offered the year before. I made The Trip the offer conditional on finding a trailer for it and At this point I should explain that we keep the seven once I sent a deposit to the broker he said he had seen old testament holydays commanded by God in the old a trailer in his travels that might work and he would testament of which the last two are a seven day festi- take pictures the next time he went by it. The trailer val called the “Feast of Tabernacles” and “The Last 26 Great Day” which makes eight days in a row that oc- Seattle airport and exchange the car for a Canadian curs in the fall between the 3rd week of September plated rental vehicle. My wife applied for a credit and the middle of October according to the lunar cal- card and it came in two days before we left. This endar. That year the feast was September 27 to Octo- would allow us to spend half a day getting the boat ber 4. We had made arrangements, in the spring, to ready for the trip home and thus reducing the yard keep the feast at the Leamington, Ontario site. Now it bill. The flight had us changing planes in Detroit but, was late August and I changed our bookings to keep the price was right. The on-line program allowed me the feast at the Victoria, British Columbia site. There to book our seats for the Detroit to Portland leg but are Feast sites all over the world. We planned to drive not for the first leg from Buffalo to Detroit. This was out and I called the guy with the truck to say we important since my two daughters ages 8 and 10 had- would take it as planned. He said that his new truck n’t flown before. When we were finally able to see hadn’t come in yet and we waited another week for the seating plan for the first leg of the flight, two days him to say that he had changed his mind. Now I had before departing, the airline had my daughters seated to act fast to make other arrangements. I checked alone, one on each side of the plane, at the front of the Autotrader and Kijiji for ¾ ton, diesel, 4x4, extended plane and my wife and I at the back of the plane. My cab trucks in my price range around Vancouver BC. wife was able to change the seating on-line to put my And there was about 11 for sale so I thought there daughters in the two empty seats in front of us. Too was a good chance that I could buy a truck on the bad the airline or their seating software didn’t think of west coast to haul the boat back. This would save us a this. The trip out was good and the boat was hauled week of driving out which is what I had originally out for inspection upon our arrival. The boat was then planned to do. The original plan was to buy a truck put back in and we went for a sail. Now this is not and trailer here, in Ontario and drive out. My 10 year what I had arranged. The written arrangements were old daughter was fine with this since; she was afraid to sail the boat, take the boat out with the travel lift, to fly. My 8 year old daughter was upset at the pros- pressure wash and inspect the bottom and if every- pect of spending a week in a vehicle. Next I booked thing was alright, put the boat on the trailer which one way flights for the four of us from Buffalo NY to would result in a one way travel lift fee. The yard Portland OR. Then I booked a hotel room in Buffalo, hauled it before I got there because they wanted to for the night before the flight, where we could leave paint and service their travel lift that afternoon? Their our van for 2 weeks. The night before I booked the way resulted in three lifts. One to take it out, one to flights, my daughters still thought we were driving put it back in for the sail, and one more to take it out out; my 10 year old said that it would be alright with and put it on the trailer. They said that they would her if we fly out. The next night I came home and an- only charge me for two lifts. I insisted on paying for nounced that we were flying out and my 10 year old one lift and they finally relented. Their little manipu- was very upset. I related to her how she had said the lation didn’t work. After dinner I went to see the bro- night before that she was alright with flying. She said ker and bought the boat. yes but, that was when I thought it was settled that we were driving out. My 8 year old was overjoyed we were now flying; you can’t please everyone. I tried to Buying a Tow Vehicle book a rental car at the Portland airport that we could During our time in Victoria I took my list of trucks take up to Canada. This is where I ran into a problem. along with another one that appeared on Kijiji that Canadian customs will not allow a Canadian to drive morning and a friend and I took the 1:00 pm ferry to a US plated vehicle into Canada; they consider it im- Vancouver to look at trucks. On the way to the porting. I said that’s no problem my wife is American mainland I started calling the truck owners and my she can rent the car and I’ll pay for it. The rental com- list of 8 trucks got whittled down to 3. Most people pany had the problem now. It seams that the one would say oh-no at this point but, I wasn’t worried. who’s name the car is rented in must have a credit We drove an hour inland and looked at the first truck. card to pay for it. My wife didn’t have a credit card. It was a patched up thing that needed more work. The We would have to rent a car in Portland; drive to the second truck a couple of miles away was two trucks

27 put together after an accident. Now I’m getting con- there in the 80’s, while I was going to the University cerned. The last truck (remember the one listed just of BC, and suddenly everything was OK. Again we that morning) a few blocks away was in perfect con- raced to the ferry terminal to catch the 10:00 pm ferry dition and and we took that; getting back to Victoria and … you guessed it; we missed the ferry by min- very late. Two days later we again took the 1 pm ferry utes. We once again settled in for the hour wait to get to the mainland to get the truck. I had the money for the last ferry to Nanaimo. the truck purchase in accounts at two different banks.

I got a bank draft from the one account while in Vic- Leaving the Feast toria and planned to get the money from the other bank account once we reached the town where the With the feast over we began the trip back to Portland truck was located since I had noticed that the bank OR to pick up the boat and return the rental car. My was right on the way. We got to the bank in Mission, wife was concerned about the truck breaking down. I BC at 4:02. I didn’t know that the banks in BC closed told her that the trip to Portland would be perfect op- at 4:00 pm. They wouldn’t open for me. I took the portunity to prove the truck since we also had the daily maximum out of the ATM but it still wasn’t rental car if something went wrong. After all we had enough. We drove around until I found one of those been through up to this point and how everything cheque cashing kiosks where I maxed out my credit came together; I had complete faith that we wouldn’t card on a cash withdrawal and now I almost had have any major problems with the truck. We took the enough money. Next I cashed in all the US money ferry from Victoria across the straight to Port Ange- currency I had with me and finally had the money I les, Washington. With my wife being American and needed to buy the truck. We got to the owners place having crossed the border so often back home; we about 5:00 pm. We again went over the truck and my have always seen it as a formality and have become friend said the oil was pretty dirty to which the owner complacent about it. This time it would work against said we can change the oil right now. At that point we us. My wife drove the rental car and our 2 daughters had lots of time so I said go ahead . He had filters and rode with me in the truck. I filled out the border dec- everything which gave me a lot of confidence in the laration listing my children in my vehicle. As we condition of the truck. The owner drove us to the li- waited to board the ferry one daughter went to sit cense kiosk which was open till 11:00 pm. This is with my wife in the car. As we loaded the customs where the problems started. We needed a temporary agent took the declaration and gave me some grief permit for about 5 days to get home. In BC. The in- over the missing daughter but I didn’t think much of surance for the vehicle is part of the permit. Their it at the time. After parking the car and going up on system didn’t allow for an out of province address to deck I could see my wife’s car off to the side with a be entered and it didn’t allow it to be left blank. I couple of border guards around it. I still wasn’t con- gave them my Vancouver address from when I lived cerned as the other cars continued to load and she was the only car in the lot. When the ship’s whistle blew I 28 bought it and arranged to return in 2 days to pick it loose on the foredeck, still attached to the chain rode, up. By now it was late as we raced to get the ferry the whole way across the continent. All was ready back to Victoria. We missed the last ferry at 10 pm and it was now 5:00 pm. With the boat hitched I but there was a ferry at 11 pm to Nanaimo which is an started at one end of the boat yard to set up the trailer hour’s drive north of Victoria to take up the ramps brakes. To do this, according to the instructions in the then I was concerned that they weren’t letting my manual, you get up to 10-15 mph, coast with the tow wife board. As happens in time of crisis your mind vehicle in neutral and press the manual button on the races and I could see this whole trip going very badly trailer brake unit and move the adjustment wheel to all of a sudden. With neither of us having cell phones set the force of the brakes. This I did and with the and this ferry that I was on being the last one of the brakes adjusted to maximum force the trailer brakes day I could see me getting off the ferry at the other weren’t doing much. I felt the trailer brake grab and end only to turn around and drive back up through vibrate at about 2 mph. O-Great now we are going to Seattle, Vancouver and take a ferry over to Victoria cross the continent without trailer brakes. (could I make the last ferry at 10:00 pm this time) to meet my wife. Customs fi- The Trip nally allowed Home my wife to We decided board and all to get as far was well as we could again. The rest that evening of the trip back and ended to Portland up taking a was unevent- hotel in Pen- ful. The next dleton, OR. morning I One of the went to the benefits of boat yard and traveling in they had not the off sea- finished the son is that trailer modifi- there was cations because they were trying to get a hold of me always enough vacant parking at hotels to park the to confirm the relocation of the bow stop down to truck and boat which, was almost as long as a tractor where it should be. I left instructions to modify the trailer rig. With the boat on the trailer it is 33’ from trailer to fit the boat for a trip to the east coast think- the hitch to the transom. Once we where settled in our ing that they would know best how to do that. While room I heard a noise outside our window and looked the yard finished the work I headed out to have trailer to see a guy parking his Kent Ranger 20 sailboat in brakes installed on the truck. The truck already had a the spaces outside our room. He had bought his KR20 heavy duty hitch with the proper electrical connector in Seattle through the internet. They had sold their to match the one on the trailer. We got back to the sailboat and bought a cottage on a lake in Wisconsin. yard at 1:00 pm and waited for the work to be done. I They still wanted to sail but, the lake that they were should have, at this point, got up on deck to check on didn’t allow boats with enclosed cabins and so the that everything was secured. I hadn’t had time, before 20 was the perfect compromise since it doesn’t have a we left to go to the Feast, to finish clearing the deck permanent enclosed cabin but, it does have a two and I had asked one of the guys to finish the job. I berth cabin when the dodger/tent is rigged. didn’t have the tools to disconnect a seized chain shackle on the anchor so I could stow it below. Once The next day we got a late start and as I got out on we arrived home I found that the anchor had rode the interstate the driver side mirror waved good bye. It flapped twice and was gone. I tried looking around 29 the keel of the boat to change lanes but it wasn’t road east was like and the restaurant owner said there working. This meant a stop to get a mirror, the hand was a high pass east of town and since it had been held kind in the plastic frame, duck tape and a little raining all afternoon in town it would have been hack saw( to cut the handle off the mirror). The mir- snowing up in the pass and we shouldn’t attempt it at ror fit well into the now empty frame of the truck mir- night. I wanted to make up time lost but, relented. We ror and a little duck tape around the edge held it in for stayed in a motel in town that made me want to sleep the rest of the trip. As a matter of fact it has held the on the boat If only it wasn’t so cold. mirror for 2 years now. There is nothing as permanent On day 4 we got to see what we would have seen the as a temporary fix. I’ve now found an inexpensive night before; 2 hours of mountain roads with 6” of replacement mirror. We finally got back on the road snow. Without 4 wheel drive we wouldn’t have made about noon and made it as far as Idaho Falls, Idaho it through. We joined with I-90 near Buffalo, Wyo- that day. ming and were finally back on good roads. We fol- On day 3 of the trip we had planned to go through lowed I-90 on and off all the way to Buffalo, NY. Af- Yellowstone Park and stop to see “Old Faithful”. ter Gillette, WY we again left the interstate to go SW When we pulled into the parking lot it began to rain on #16 to see the Crazy Horse memorial and Mount lightly and I could see it was snowing at the higher Rushmore. We picked up I-90 again in Rapid City, elevations and so we didn’t stop for very long. My SD and left the interstate again a little ways east to wife got a map of the parks roads and we tried to plan tour the Badlands National Park. The day ended for our way out of the park to the east. There isn’t a way us around Mitchell, SD. out that didn’t involve going over a mountain pass. Day 5 began with us still a long way from home and The roads in the park are narrow and have no guard this was the last day of the temporary vehicle permit. rails. We began to climb the first pass that reaches to We drove and made good time. Iowa has interstate 7,000’ and I could see the crest about 400’ ahead as speeds of 75mph. We tried doing 75 but the trailer the rain on the road turned into snow. The tires began flexed and the boat continually nodded and hit the to spin and the truck fishtailed as it tried to pull the bow stop block; we had to slow down. The boat had boat along. When we reached the summit I pulled begun to shift on the trailer. The keel was off centre over and put it in four wheel drive for the descent. and the bow no longer was centred in the V stop. I The next pass was to 9,000’ and I was prepared this stopped in a little farming town to buy a hold down time. However, I was not prepared for the decent strap. The only ones they had where long enough to which was at a 7% grade with a hairpin turn around wrap round bales on a wagon. That strap went twice the mountain at the bottom, no guard rail, a drop off if around the boat and trailer at the cockpit but, it you missed the turn, no trailer brakes and the road is straightened out the trailer after a few miles. We left I covered with an inch of snow. The distance to the -90 to head south on 63 to Cedar Rapids. We stopped turn was about 2-3 miles and it took me about half a somewhere north of the city to get subs for a late mile to get the rig slowed to a speed that I was com- lunch/ early dinner. My wife offered to drive while I fortable with which was about a slow running speed. ate and I accepted the brave gesture. Now in my de- If I had slowed too fast with no trailer brakes the boat fense, I didn’t know how close we were to Cedar would have come up beside us to see what was going Rapids but suddenly my wife was driving in rush on and why we were slowing down. If I was going hour traffic with no where to pull off. She made the too fast when I took the curve at the end; the boat interchange on to I-80 heading east and got us out of would have wanted to see what was over the cliff. the city. I don’t know why but, my wife didn’t think When my wife saw the steep, long decent she turned the trip was fun and she never offered to drive again. around and hugged our girls and wouldn’t look. Once We stopped for the night around South Bend, IN. I got the rig under control I tried to get my wife to turn around and take a picture but, she wouldn’t and Day 6 dawned with no vehicle registration or insur- that’s why I don’t have a picture to show you. Too ance since the temporary permit had run out. That day bad it was a beautiful view. We had dinner in the little wasted in Portland and the slow start were coming town of Worland, Wyoming. My wife asked what the back to haunt us now. The good news is we were now

30 close to home. We took I-90 to Buffalo, NY and to ily outings on the boat away from the distractions of our van still sitting in the hotel parking lot by the air- society so that we could bond as a family and have port. Even though, at this point, we are one border memories to look back on. My initial inclination was crossing and 2 hours drive from home we decided to to name the boat after my daughters Lilly and Rose stay in Buffalo for the night since importing a boat partly as an appeasement for the trip that I put them and trailer into Canada without vehicle registration through and partly because it’s traditional. However; I would be a long process at the border. The hotel we have decided to name the boat after the one who had stayed at when this trip began; you know the one wanted me to have it. With all the things that had to where our van already was parked; was full. That come together to get to this point and the obstacles made sense since to stay there would have been too that had to be overcome; I believe that God was in- easy and would have diminished the sense of adven- strumental in me acquiring this boat and therefore; I ture this trip had taken on. We parked the truck and am going to name it THEOS DORO which means boat, got in the van and looked for another hotel “God Gift” in transliterated Greek. where we could park the boat. We had a relaxing din- ner that night; before the day of bureaucratic night- mare. Day 7 began with the wife and kids swimming at the hotel while I drove the van across the border to the nearest vehicle registration office, in Canada, to get a new temporary permit and arrange insurance for the truck with my insurance broker. I then re-crossed the border into the States and we were finally ready to enter Canada with the boat and trailer. The two hours at customs almost seamed anti-climatic given all that we had been thorough to that point. The delay was my fault because I didn’t get a separate receipt for the trailer but it was included in the boat bill of sale. Was the trip worth it? I have spent years looking for a trailerable sailboat in the mid 20’ range and I think I have found the best make out there for me and so; to me the effort was worth all seven days. I was particu- larly interested in getting a boat now as my girls were approaching the teen years and I wanted to have fam- The North Channel from the Editor’s Album

A great day on the water Quiet evening in Croker Trailer Sailors in Gore Bay

31 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 400 members are scattered across the USA and Canada, and the diversity of their experiences enrich the asso- ciation and heightens our collective interest in small sailboat cruising. Clipper Snips, published in a Winter, Spring, and Fall issues, is the official publication of the organization, providing cruising articles, association announcements, how-to articles, and free classified ads.

Association Officers:

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

Contact him for PR.

B D, C, D, A, Key: Answer Quiz Sailors

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