sailFar.net

People, Boats, and Stories => SB/LD Cruisers => Topic started by: Grime on July 02, 2014, 08:01:14 AM

Title: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Grime on July 02, 2014, 08:01:14 AM
After 16 months of work on Miss Sadie, our 1978 Watkins 27 it time to throw the dock line and go cruising. Tomorrow, July 3, at 0700 we will be leaving Port Lavaca, Texas headed east to points unknown. I'm not much of a writer but will up date our progress when we have WIFI. 

Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Captain Smollett on July 02, 2014, 08:55:10 AM
Excellent!  Congrats and fair winds.

Look forward to the updates when you can make 'em.
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Godot on July 02, 2014, 08:58:19 AM
Have a good trip!
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: DarrenC on July 02, 2014, 09:01:24 AM
All the best...can't wait to hear some stories!
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: jotruk on July 02, 2014, 10:42:38 AM
I just wish that I was departing on the same day . Fair winds and following seas as you go
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Grime on July 02, 2014, 02:21:23 PM
The VA just threw a monkey in on the cruising deal. I HAVE TO be in Corpus for a evaluation on my cancer the 7th of July. So it looks like we will be delayed a couple of day. Will update went we leave.
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Frank on July 02, 2014, 07:59:24 PM
hope all goes well and you get back on your way soon. Keep us posted.
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: w00dy on July 03, 2014, 12:13:31 PM
You two have come a long way with that boat! Remember what she looked like when you bought her? We both bit off a bit more than we bargained for with these boats, but its such a relief to be done with the projects (for now.... ::) )and out cruising again. I'm sure you know what I mean, or will soon enough. I'm very happy for you two :)
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Jim_ME on July 03, 2014, 01:13:05 PM
Also wishing you fair winds, with your health and for your cruise.
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Chris on July 03, 2014, 09:54:43 PM
Fairwinds all the way around David and Lisa!
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Grime on July 09, 2014, 07:12:27 AM
Here in a few minutes  (0645) we will be casting off to a new adventure. I'll up date when we can. I also have a blog that will get updated from time to time. http://adventuresonmisssadie.blogspot.com/ (http://adventuresonmisssadie.blogspot.com/) 
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Captain Smollett on July 09, 2014, 08:25:53 AM
Excellent!  Fair winds to crew of Miss Sadie.
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: jotruk on July 09, 2014, 09:03:43 AM
glad to see it happening after so many delays have a fun and safe trip
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: CharlieJ on July 09, 2014, 09:22:29 AM
Sorry I missed visiting last evening- just too wiped out.


Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: CharlieJ on July 09, 2014, 09:27:45 AM
JUST spoke with Grime- They are underway, almost to  the junction of Lavaca and Matagorda Bays. Light south wind lets them carry the jib close hauled. Soon they'll make the turn thru the spoil banks and be in Matagorda proper. Then they'll have a 20 mile broad reach :D across the bay

Fair winds David and Lisa. I'll miss the visits at the marina.
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Tim on July 09, 2014, 09:41:53 AM
Fair Winds David and Lisa, try and write a lot!
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: lance on cloud nine on July 09, 2014, 01:26:16 PM
your boat looks great. best of luck!
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Grime on July 09, 2014, 11:55:10 PM
left the marina in Port Lavaca @ 0640 and arrived at Matagorda marina at 2157. Very long slow day. Engine over heated, couldn't get over 3.7 mph with motor and jib healed @  20 degrees.  Don't know whats up with the engine.  Prop is clean. We spent the last 2 miles going 1.97mph. Didn't think we would ever get through the locks at Matagorda.

Oh well just another day with Pandora.

Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Grime on July 14, 2014, 08:39:47 PM
For those interested we are back in our home slip. The adventure is over. Just to many problems to continue on from Matagorda.

Cruising will have to wait until next spring if at all. 
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Captain Smollett on July 14, 2014, 09:56:22 PM
Quote from: Grime on July 14, 2014, 08:39:47 PM

The adventure is over.


Hopefully not over, just postponed.

Best of luck on re-grouping. 

Nothing wrong with trying, and then trying again.  Japanese proverb that I learned here on sailfar a few years ago..."Fall down seven times, get up eight."  I think that's a good one.

Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Grime on July 14, 2014, 10:06:09 PM
I think the adventure is over. At my age and the wife physical condition every dollar I spend on Miss Sadie is one less dollar to care for my wife after I'm gone. We were told and believed that all she needed was a good cleaning not 1000's of dollars on refit just to make her safe to sail.
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Captain Smollett on July 15, 2014, 09:45:17 AM
Maybe the sailing portion of the adventure is over...YOUR adventure is not.   ;)
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Jim_ME on July 15, 2014, 10:37:20 AM
David and Lisa, I think that we all admire you for giving it a try. It must be discouraging that things didn't work out this time.

At times when cruising wasn't possible for me, I have found enjoyment in more local and even daysailing, so would also encourage you to get back out on the water, even if with scaled back plans, for now.

Grog to you.  :)   And continuing best wishes for your health.

Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Grime on July 15, 2014, 05:05:52 PM
Well Capt. life is an adventure so its not over yet.

Jim_ME

I'm one of those type people that has to have a reason or goal to do something. For example You see people riding a horse around and around a arena. I can't do that. I spent my life horseback but never just rode. I had to have a reason. Training, moving stock, getting around a fence line.  Sailing to me is the same I've got to have a goal. Cruising over to Fla and up the east coast was that goal.

Sailing Matagorda Bay is another thing. There are very few days you can sail. Matagorda Bay is shallow 10 or less average with strong winds an a rough chop most of the time. There is only one or two others here that even leave the dock. 

Thanks for the kind words,
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: jotruk on July 15, 2014, 05:53:57 PM
I know that life knocks you down sometime. But never give up the dream. as I always think life does not end at the end of the pier.
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Jim_ME on July 16, 2014, 09:59:25 PM
Quote from: Grime on July 15, 2014, 05:05:52 PM
I'm one of those type people that has to have a reason or goal to do something.

About 10 years ago, I had some trouble and lost my mooring on a nearby bay. I bought an O'Day [Rhodes] Mariner 19 Centerboard version and began sailing it on a large lake about 1/2 hour to the Northeast of me. I enjoyed it much more than I expected that I would. I found that for myself, to a large degree, sailing is sailing. The sunsets to the West in the mountains varied with nearly each evening sail. My friends and family were glad to come along for and evening or afternoon sail. There was a State Park with a beach that one could anchor off at the North shore of the lake. there were towns and villages around the lake that one could go visit.

A friend of mine and my former significant other came up to camp out at the park and daysail for a couple weeks. She had been afflicted with a rare degenerative disease, but loved to get out of the big city and camp out and get out on the water. Fortunately, the campground (Sebago Lake State Park, where John and his children also camped out on their visit), had just constructed new state-of-the-art accessible facilities, including toilet and showers, each with a big skylight. She loved dogs, but wasn't able to really have one in her condition, so got her dog fixes from my springer, who would lie next to her and put his head in her lap as we sailed.

The only plan was to have no plans, and do whatever we felt like doing at the time. Hang out at the campsite...bring the boat from anchor into the beach where she could climb from her wheelchair over the combing into the cockpit and off we would sail, drive into Portland to the art museum, or to some other event...

They are both gone now, but I get to keep the memories of some great times. We did what we could with the time...and the boat...that we had...

[Below is a photo of us about to cast off from the park boat ramp dock after launching the boat, and head out the river to the lake and sail over to the beach at the campground.]

As I decided to scale back to the lake, i expected it to seem like a poor substitute for sailing on the ocean, but in practice, I was too busy enjoying sailing to worry much about that...
Title: Re: Cruising Miss Sadie
Post by: Grime on July 16, 2014, 11:41:12 PM
Very nice story. Thanks for sharing.