As of 0800, Laura is away on her singlehand cruise aboard Tehani- A few pics

[CharlieJ]

Hi folks- Just a quick post to let you know Laura and i are still alive ;D

We've been working the last few weeks out of town, where until two days ago we didn't even have access to a TV, much less internet. We also were working without air conditioning until last week!!! So we haven't posted at all lately. We'll probably be one more week or ten days, then we'll be back home again.

Ya'll keep the sticks pointed up ya hear!!Or at least not leaned enough to not come back up. See ya later.

[AdriftAtSea]

:D  Good to hear it.. I hope you're getting some sailing in at least... ;)

[CharlieJ]

Sailing?? I wish!!!

We are involved in remodeling a three bed room house to get it ready to sell. Helping Laura's parents do the work. Over in Houston ( Katy actually) many miles from any salt water. We've been working 12 and 14 hour days .

I DID stop by the boat on my way home today to check it over after the Tropical storm close brush last week. All ok.

[Frank]

Glad ya's haven't got 'bit' by the weather. House remodeling is usually easier than boats....more room,more 'square' corners and not everything is up/down a ladder. Good luck on the reno. 'git er dun' and get out on that pretty boat of your's.

[CharlieJ]

We spent the night aboard last night so she could get away early this morning- she excited and has been up since about 0530

She wouldn't let me aboard to do ANYTHING to help get the boat ready to go. She's a little bit upset because there is ZERO wind this morning, so she'll have to motor until it picks up.

Rigging up-



Getting the stern lines off-





See ya later-



Underway-



Out the channel- You can see how calm it is- light air is a real rarity for us.

[AdriftAtSea]

Fair Winds Laura... and thanks for the update Charlie... Looks way too calm... no fun whatsover.

[CharlieJ]

Looks way too calm... no fun whatsover.

Hey- she's on the water, on the boat. I'M working installing a foredeck on a 20 footer, in a non airconditioned shop.

Seems like a LOT of fun to me ;D ;D

[rtbates]

Are you/she keeping an eye on the just named TD right off the Texas coast?

Hope she having a blast and keeping a weather eye out.

[AdriftAtSea]

CharlieJ-

Got to admit, compared to that, it looks like a lot more fun... but compared to being out in 20 knots of wind... not so much...

I hope she's keeping an eye on Humberto. 

[CharlieJ]

Yeah- when I talked to her last night she told me she had decided that the next two days would be "good days to find a marina and wander around the town".

You bet we're watching it, but Humberto is slated to come in around Houston. That's about 125 miles NE of me and Laura is about 75 miles SW from me, so she's got a good clearance. In this picture I'm on the bay system just SE of Victoria and she's just NE of Corpus Christi, just where the bay that Corpus sits on necks down heading NE- actually kinda where the " r" is in Corpus

[rtbates]

Yeah- when I talked to her last night she told me she had decided that the next two days would be "good days to find a marina and wander around the town".

You bet we're watching it, but Humberto is slated to come in around Houston. That's about 125 miles NE of me and Laura is about 75 miles SW from me, so she's got a good clearance. In this picture I'm on the bay system just SE of Victoria and she's just NE of Corpus Christi, just where the bay that Corpus sits on necks down heading NE- actually kinda where the " r" is in Corpus

Hi Charlie;

I saw the movement towards La. and knew how glad you both would be for that.

I also checked out the photos of you boat. Boy, you sure turned her around. She looks great. Appears you did more than just a little 'fix-er-up'. Nice work.

Where are good places to drop the hook in matagorda bay? I got out my chart and stated looking.

Any plans for the Harvest Moon Regatta? A group of us from Austin was hoping to crew on a 1947 36' wooden Alden ketch. BUT after a very short inspection, it's been deemed 'a near derelict'. We're now hoping to hitch a ride from Gal to PA on a trawler. We just need to convince the owner that he really needs to be in PA for the party. And it should be a good one. Jimmy Buffet is singing there this year.

[CharlieJ]

Lots of room and anchorages in Matagorda, plus Espiritu Santos is good too. In normal southerly winds, anyplace along the Matagorda Penisula is protected. Be advised there is virtually NOTHING on the bay of a modern nature- no restaurants except for a few in Port O'Conner, no shopping, no gift shops. Be ready for primitive anchorages with few if any other people around in the evenings. After dark the entire bay is virtually empty.

I bet the Jimmy B concert part is already sold out. ;D

[CharlieJ]

First, she's on her 8th day out, she's doing great as I knew she would, and having a total blast.

She had sailed down from Port Lavaca to Port O'Conner on Matagorda Bay, into Espritu Santos bay and over to the old Matagorda Island state park ( now defunct) for a nights anchorage. Then next day sailed down to Aransas bay where she spend three nights anchored out in two different spots.

When Humberto first appeared, we decided discretion was the better part of valor for a singlehander, so she tucked into the marina at Port Aransas for two nights, until Humberto disappeared.

Yesterday morning she called to tell me she had planned to start back northwards, but the winds where northerly, right on her nose, so she was doing what any good cruiser would do- she was sailing south She's currently somewhere in Corpus Christi Bay, enjoying her sailing and waiting til the winds go back to the normal southerlies- then she'll be wending her way back home.

Some of the posters here know Laura, but for those who don't, she's 5'2, and is about 108 pounds and is an excellent sailor, both on our Meridian and in single hand one designs. darn good crew on a catamaran also

And I'm stuck here building a boat for a customer! Oh well- If I was able to go, she wouldn't be single handing would she?

Oh- and as of yesterday morning, she had used a total of 3 gallons of gas, which includes the five hours of motoring in a dead flat calm the first day ;D She HATES running that motor!!

[Frank]

Sounds like Laura's an expensive date !  8 days - 3 gallons  ;)  Bet she's havin a hoot....good for her.

[CharlieJ]

"The bay was horrible with the strong east winds. I'm tied up in Rockport. Why don't you drive down and take me out to dinner?"

So I did ;)

And since we finished dinner at about 2130 and I had to be in Rockport today to buy some lumber anyway, I just stayed aboard overnight.

At about 0545 this morning, she was up and had the coffee going. At about 0620 I slipped ashore and left her waiting for enough light to run by. She's planning to head back home over the next few days.

YESTERDAY however, the winds had really been blowing , she was under sail and clipped a sandbar that was stuck out slightly into the channel. Hard aground!!

She learned how to row an anchor and chain out in the dinghy..

Then she learned how to row out, retrieve the anchor and row it back out, to the right spot.

Then she learned how to take a line from the chain to a winch and kedge herself off the sandbar.

Just before she came off, a guy in a power boat came by and offered to tow her off, which offer she accepted gratefully He told her he lives overlooking that spot and pulls about 3 boats a month off of that bar- it LOOKS like you are in the channel center, but you aren't. So she didn't feel too badly, but after all that was pooped, so found a dock at a boat repair place and tied up for the evening.

And so around 6 oclock the phone rang ;D

The winds are moderating today and rest of week and swinging more SE. Yesterday was a stiff east wind and that bay trends NE-SW so the winds were right in her teeth, and she says the waves at her end- way down the bay- were about 4 feet. I don't blame her for tying up for the night.

She is supposed to meet up with Chuck and Sandra ( the owners of Duckworks) today for several days of sailing, but I think she's gonna tell them she's heading home. we'll see what she decides  ;D

But she's still havng a ball!!

[Captain Smollett]

Then she learned how to row out, retrieve the anchor and row it back out, to the right spot.

Okay.  So I'm not hte only one that does that sort of thing.   ;D

Glad to hear she's having a good time.  I know after the summer she's had, she really needed that.

When you next talk to her, tell her I wish her Fair WInds and Flowing Sheets on her journey back.

[AdriftAtSea]

Sounds like a good learning experience.  :D  There are two types of sailors...those who have gone aground and those who lie about it... ;)

[CharlieJ]

Thanks John.

Talked to her last night. She was anchored just inside the Matagorda Jetties after a LONG 12 hour day yesterday. She was really pooped :D

All she has left is the slide up Matagorda and Lavaca Bays to the marina. She's currently having 15 MPH ESE winds which gives her a down wind run for today. Don't know how the tiller pilot will do with that, but we'll see.

She should be at the marina sometime mid afternoon or so.

I passed your message on to her- she said tell you "thank you"

[rtbates]

Sound like she's having a good time. Glad to see Hurb.. go NE.

[AdriftAtSea]

Hey, some powerboats at my marina use that much fuel backing out of their slips... ;)

Sounds like Laura's an expensive date !  8 days - 3 gallons  ;)  Bet she's havin a hoot....good for her.