Messing About In Sailboats

How to Convert a Racing Boat for a Circumnavigation

When we were in the early part of deciding which boat to buy last year, we mulled with the idea of buying a racer/cruiser like a C&C, a J Boat or something of that ilk. In the end, we decided that we would not do enough racing to justify the compromise in cruising comfort. Most of the racer/cruisers we looked at were a little too spartan for our tastes and seemed to skimp on robustness compared to the cruisers we were looking at. A friend turned me on to this web site, that tells the story of the Wilson family who have converted their J42 Ceol Mor, to sail around the world. I especially loved this page on how they converted her for the task. Some of the modifications are not surprising like the addition of a water-maker and new communications equipment. In the main it seems to more about... Read more →

Last Sail of The Season

On Saturday, Alice, our friend Mike and I took a final sail of the season on Poetry. Conditions were a little light to start with but built to a solid 12 kts which suited our Sabre 38 perfectly. When the wind picked up, she heeled slightly more and took off. It felt like we found a new gear. While we were out, a club-mate Jom Schlott was on a friend's motorboat and took these shots. It's rare that you see yourself under sail and we were grateful that he took these. On Sunday, we took Poetry up the Cheesequake Creek and she is tied up waiting to be hauled for the Winter. Now the work begins. Read more →

Our First Weekend Sailing on Poetry

We sailed our new acquisition, Poetry, a 1988 Sabre 38 both days this weekend. On Saturday, we had 18 kts gusting to 23. With a single reef and a reduced headsail, she handled beautifully and we had her up to 7.8 kts. On Sunday, the winds were even stronger. We headed East with 15 kts on our stern. Our friend's Phil and Joy joined us for the second outing. Joy was at the helm and pointed out the at the wind was up to steady 25kts and gusting up from there. It was an interesting ride home to windward. We tried putting in the #2 reef on the main but the shackle holding the bock to the foot of the mast exploded. At this point we dropped sails and motored home. Thankfully and touching wood, the 33HP Westerbeke worked well. Somehow I cut myself in the excitement and dropped blood... Read more →

A Cruising Blog Worth Reading

I typically find most cruising blogs to be a bit dull. I recently learned about a fairly new one, the blog of S/V Kaleo that I absolutely love.It's a honest account about a nice young couple learning the ropes of sailing. It has a special personal connection for me as they sail in the area where my lovely wife and I learned to sail and the state where the son and heir happens to be. Their inspiration are great words to live by. "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain Read more →

Cuttyhunk to Newport

On Saturday evening, we anchored just outside the harbor at Cuttyhunk, in the shelter of Penikese Island. These small islands lie at the Southwestern end of the Elizabeth Islands, at the Western entrance of Vineyard Sound. It's an idyllic spot - a small vacation town, on a small bit of rock accessible only by water. Our skipper and buddy Phil, told us of a great mate of his who gave up a career in banking to return to teaching. He lived at the Western end of Martha's Vineyard and taught at school for troubled teens on Penikese Island. Every day he would motor his Boston Whaler across the Sound to this remote little island and spend the day working with some pretty disturbed teenagers. A nice commute on a lovely day in May not sure it's for the faint of heart in Feb! On Sunday, we reached towards Newport across... Read more →