Sail plan: New Year’s Eve 2011-2012

Plan:

We leave Friday, as early as possible.  I’ll try to get things together tomorrow as much as I can,  so we’re ready to go.  I see us leaving no later than 1pm, but earlier is better. Weather throughout (Thu thru Sun) seems to be mild: highs in the 50s, Lows above freezing, winds below 15 kts.  With low winds and decend days, I’m for sailing to St. Michaels as in past years. We can anchor out at the Wye River (very close to St. Michaels) Friday night to have a night in the “wilderness”.

Thursday/Thu. Night: Looks like the chilliest  and (at night) the wndiest of days. Temperature in the high 40s (mid-30s at night).  Y’all are welcome (encouraged!) to come on Thursday, get settled in, stowe everything, get used to things, and get ready for Friday. We plan on going to the German restaurant next door for dinner and drinks, then sleep and get ready to leave on Friday.

Friday/Fri. Night: Forecast to be warm (highs in the 50s) and nearly windless (5-10Kts out of the S will put us in a reach). Plan is to motor/sail to the Wye river, about 6 hours underway if we maintain speed by motor-sailing.  Cook and eat/drink aboard on Friday night.  Winds may pick up Friday night (forecast to peak at 15kts) but we should be at a protected anchorage.

Saturday/Saturday night: Forecast highs near 50, NW winds 5-10kts. Plan to motor (not far enough to sail) to St. Michaels. About 2 hours underway. General debauchery ensues.  We can take the dingy to shore, or we can leave the dingy home (will speed us up along the way) and try to dock alongside the museum.

Sunday: Forecast for SW winds 5-10 Kts will put us in broad reach or a run to cross the bay.  S winds will also bring mild temps with highs in mid-50s. Plan on again about 6 hours underway to get back home.<

Overall, based on wind speed, direction, and expected point of sail, I do not expect anything more than a booze cruise.

To Do:

• Get Diesel
• Get Gasoline (For generator)
• Splash dinghy
• laundry
• clean boat

Shopping/Food

• Sandwiches/lunch: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
  • bread
  • cold cuts
  • cheese
  • tomato
  • veg
• Snacks
  • Chips
  • pita bread
  • Salsa
  • hummus
  • Nuts
  • cheese
  • Cookies
  • clementines and other fruits
  • Pop Corn (already have)
• Dinner: Friday, Saturday
  • Salmon or shrimp (Friday)
  • Rice or Vegetables
  • Stew? (Saturday)
  • Hoppin’ John  (Saturday night/Sunday noo)
• Breakfast (Saturday, Sunday)
  • Cereal
  • Milk
  • Eggs/bacon?
  • oatmeal and maple syrup (already have)
• Drinks
  • Beer: some still in Keg, need extra (cans)
  • rum: already have
  • Crown Royal (add)
  • Bourbon (add)
  • hot chocolate (have mix; need more milk)
    • have godiva liquor
  • Spiced cider (need cider)
    • Have rum
  • tonic, mixers (add)
  • Tea (add)
  • Coffee (add)

Weather info

at ANZ532: http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?zoneid=ANZ532

at St. Michaels:http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Saint+Michaels&state=MD&site=PHI&textField1=38.7884&textField2=-76.2222&e=0

life aboard, Q1

So I reckon I’ve been living aboard since roughly the middle of November, which would make this roughly the end of Q1.  Technically I’ve been homeless since Jan 2 so we can call  Apr 2 a versary of some sort, but thought I’d wax a bit about life aboard since November.  I’ve had a bit of Nelson’s blood, and it’s a crisp clear windless night outside, so what better time to wax.

Towards the end of November, a heron hang out on pier 2.  It was early enough for the herron to be around still, but  late enough in the season and quiet enough in the marina that nobody disturbed it.  Every time I walked towards pier 2, he’d squawk one of his deathly squawks and scare the living piss out of me.  Not quite literally.  A few weeks later, he left.  I reckon it migrated though I don’t know how near and far. Speaking of scaring the piss out of me, I just love having the option of three piers, with two ends each, whence to take action when said living piss is scared out of me.  I generally manage to hold it until I get to the end of the pier.

About the same time that the osprey disappeared, several new ducks started hanging around.  The domesticated ones are here year around, as are the mallards.  But since December we’ve had a couple of canvasbacks, and several couples of buffleheads. Buffleheads nest almost exclusively in holes excavated by Northern Flickers and occasionally pileated woodpeckers, but we have none of the latter around since, last I heard, there were only 2 left and these in some landlocked state.  Also, the buffleheads are one of a very few species of duck who, unlike men,  remain monogamous.  This is in stark contrast to mallards, I guess.  There’s at least one gay mallard couple in the marina. (strangely, the ones in the picture also seem to be two males.  Maybe I’m in the gay part of the migration path.)  I also found out that ducks can leave trails in the water.  NYE at the marina with good friends, lots of drink, and cold, cold water to jump in.  Can’t think of anyone I’d rather spend NYE with than you who were here.  Nor a better place than Bahia.

In sadder news, sometime in January someone shot one of the white domesticated ducks, for no good reason.  Strangely, the gay mallards started hanging out with the widder duck.  January also iced over the creek, and brought the first snow.  I’ve seen very few places as peaceful as a marina in the snow.  In other news, a southpaw was signed in to office.  I’ve never seen people in DC so happy.  I think the entire town, locals plus 2 million visitors, were absolutely elated. I mean really. Everybody. About time.  Of course, we locals stayed at home and drunk and watched the teevee.  Saved the really good stuff for Burns night, light though it was. 

Next thing I know, three paragraphs later it’s February and 70 degrees outside!  Time to take the kayak for  a spin.  Two things I realized:

1. I really enjoy answering people when they still ask me “where” i went kayaking.
2. I just realized this tonight: i have to walk about a hundred yards towards land to launch my kayak.  How cool is that?
3. unrelated, but since I’m enumerating: I like cooking on the boat.  The size of the galley makes it more of a challenge.  Setting limits makes for better food.  Cold nights bring long-simmering stews that warm the cabin as well as the body.  Hot nights, quickly cooked crisp meals. Neato.
4. I guess it’s not just food that’s influenced by temperature.  I guess there’s a heightened sense of awareness outside the realm of what has become human: of the weather, the animals around me, the way the wind blows.  Seasons are defined by weather and fauna and flora and winds rather than the calendar.  I know if there’s this type of weather, it will bring that type of wind which will bring a high or low tide.  Winter has much more drastic tides than summer.
5. I haven’t been sailing since early fall.  Time to go again. Anyone?

Now, not all’s peaches and cream. I have one or two things to complain about:

Here it is: Next person that mentions “living the dream” gets all their sailing rag subscriptions revoked (especially Lats and Atts), and I will personally pay Puck to read that passage of the Pardeys having sweet, sweet love to them. Repeatedly.  With feeling.  And pictures.

Oh, and the bastard gulls mooning me.

Piracy

Lots of news lately about piracy on the horn of africa.  But boaters know that this area has been plagued by piracy for nearly two decades, and it was given little media space until the past two months.  In fact, very little piracy has made the news before September when a ship carrying 33 tanks was hijacked, attracting the ire of several Navies, including the Russian and US.  More recently, Somali pirate attacks on a new oil tanker made the news.  Somali pirates are currently holding 17 ships hostage [link].

Ransom paid seems to settle at about 2 million per ship, a small percentage of the total cargo worth, let alone ship costs.  The shipping companies can afford to pay it, although they can’t be happy with the months of negotiations it takes to get to that number.  But unless the ransom increases to the level where it becomes more than a mere thorn on the side of shipping magnates, there is little will to hire armed ships or take other precautions.  Simply said, if it’s a market-driven system (and it is), piracy will not end until the piracy costs a lot more than it now does.  The one oil tanker that made the news carries a cargo estimated at $100 million, and the ship is worth well over $150 m.  Piracy cost $150 million last year.  A large number, of course.  But consider that 11% of the world’s oil travels through the pirate-infested waters of the Gulf of Aden.  Even at today’s relatively low $60 barrels, that’s roughly a half a Billion dollars per day. Here’s the data, you do the math.  Can we say drop in the bucket?

The solution?  I’m glad to see that the UN finally acted, and governments including India are starting to take action to stop piracy off the Somali coast.  This is driven no doubt by the recent increase in visibility.  But with the world in its current condition, it remains to be seen how much momentum this carries after the sensationalistic media move onto a new story.

27 September 2008: Cantina Cup

 

Cantina Cup

Saturday DC Sail and Cantina Marina with Mount Gay rum hosted the 1st annual Cantina Cup.  Hopefully someone will post some race result info somewhere so I can provide some links, but for now check out the pictures.

14 September 2008: daysail

NOAA 24hr surface map

Noon

Weather wizards call for 10-15kt wind from the S with gusts to 25.  Small Craft Advisory in effect as of 2pm.

GUSTY WINDS AREN/T FAR OFF. AREAS JUST WEST OF THE APLCN CHAIN
GUSTING IN THE 20-30KT RANGE...AHEAD OF FASTING MOVING T.D. IKE. BY
THE TIME IKE/S REMNANT LOW SLIDES QUICKLY OFF TO THE WEST AND NORTH
OF THE MID ATLNC...THE IN-SITU GUSTY WINDS WILL OVERSPREAD THE ERN
SEABOARD. THE CAROLINAS AND PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST ALREADY
GUSTING IN THE 15-25KT RANGE WELL.
...
LIGHT WINDS ACROSS THE WATERS WILL LINGER INTO THE EARLY AFTN
HRS...THO QUICKLY INCR INTO SCA CONDS BY MID AFTN. THE SCA HAS
BEEN INITIATED EARLIER TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS...W/ GUSTY 20-25KT
WINDS OVERSPREADING THE REGION BY LATE AFTN/EARLY EVNG /AN EFFECT
OF THE PASSAGE OF IKE WELL OFF THE NW BUT GUSTY WINDS EXTENDING
OUT ON A REGIONAL SCALE.

Should be a fun ride.

1500 -2145 EDT

Left dock 1500ish.  Crew/Guests: Sage and Ellie (sp?).  Raised genoa at Rhode River “2″ mark; sailed under genoa only all day.  We could have carried more canvas but chose to go the more relaxed route. Winds predominantly S 15-20kt veering to SW as night progressed, all courtesy of the remnants of hurricane Ike moving on to the North and East along with a cold front expected later tonight.  Not much excitement.  Sailed mostly downwind towards the Bay bridge and Kent island, then beat back.  Tacking still an issue with the new jib and inner forestay.  Maybe better sail combination under conditions would have been a main + genoa, the latter partially furled as necessary for conditions.  Could furl in genoa partially to ease in tacking while main drives the boat through the tack. Managed to sail to the Rhode River marina then powered in. 

Wind speed indicator seems to have given up the ghost after 20 years of spinning.  

That’s it, short and sweet.

Memorial Day sail: Aug 30-Sep 1 2008.

30 Aug – 1 Sep 2008: summary

Took a full load of NPCs and one or two good crewmen up to Cacaway Island on Langford creek, Rock Hall, and back to HH. Crew/NPC list:
Sage,Barth, JM Barth and George (Friend of JM’s), Mom. (latter three are of course the NPCs). Also the dogs including Trooper.

Times EDT.

30 Aug 2008

 

We left HH at roughly 1630/1700, rather late but I was quite comfortable sailing at night with the navigation expertise of Enriqué (the name I just gave my charting software)…until night hit and I realized that my gps cable was missing! Back to the ol’ chart-n-compass navigation (and the braille method thereof). Made it without incident (albeit a bit late) with Mums, Sage, and Barth on a sharp lookout for unlit green marks. Quiet anchorage off cacaway island on Langford creek, with few other boats around, clear starlit sky, no moon. 

Weather: a weak low pressure forecast for the day did naught but clear up the overcast sky. No wind: motored the whole way. But temps were moderate and the overcast skies meant no beating sun. Barometer was stuck around 30.09 in.

Tidal basin, jefferson memorial

Tidal basin, jefferson memorial, originally uploaded by mp459.

Took a different route back from DC Sail last Friday and went over the far end of the Tidal Basin. This pic is a bit crooked but hey, I’m still only testing.