What are your sailing/cruising/boat plans for this 2014 year/season?

[Jim_ME]

After sharing our Dream Trip scenarios in John's thread, since that is a long-term plan, it always seems good to then balance that with the shorter-term plans (say, for the coming season). So I hope that this will complement that thread. (Others have started similar threads in the past, so this is nothing original on my part, only more current...)

One other feature might be the plans for work to do in order to get ready for the cruising. Or even from the other angle...What are the obstacles that you face? Maybe you will get some specific ideas, advice, and encouragement along the more general theme of Go small, Go now (or at least soon).

As John did, I will start off with my thoughts...

Here where I live in Maine, the sailing "year" means the coming season, that usually begins in with June and ends in early October.  

I do continue to think about extending this all-too-short season by heading Southward in winter. Those thoughts take the form of several scenarios...

1. Taking a long trailer-sailing trip down there, even with a daysailer or weekender and tent to camp out at a state park campground and to sail or mini-cruise from there. I've done that locally in season, and enjoyed it very much. Camping out with the boat anchored off the beach, and having the park campground facilities. place to park the vehicle.

2. A variation of the previous scenario with a bit larger boat, a compact cruiser, that one or two could live and cruise aboard comfortably for at least a few months, and do more cruising, and maybe staying in a place like Boot Key Harbor, or one of the other anchorages. If ambitious, perhaps also the Bahamas.

I do often think about finding a very economical way to leave a smallish boat in the South, so that I would not have to tow it down there and back every winter, and would not need to drive down in a vehicle capable of towing such a boat, even though it might only be a half-ton pickup for a boat and trailer up to, say, 6,000 lbs or so. My boats tend to be fairly basic and inexpensive so having one that sits on the trailer down South for 8 months of the year, is not a problem. Locally my boat(s) always sit for the opposite 8 months, anyway.

It seems like it might be possible to trade/barter finding someone with a yard that could store my boat down there in exchange for me doing the same for their boat here. One can always pay to store a boat in a boatyard, but that would add some considerable cost to be paying for that 8 months storage each year. I've wondered whether to try placing an ad on CraigsList or other places to see if I could find such a situation.

3. The other scenario is the larger sailboat that you cruise down the coast to the South and then back in the spring. (As SailFarers Colin & Anne from Maine did a year ago.) This seems like a more long-term plan, or off towards Dream Trip territory.

Yet, a few years ago, I decided to give away a International 420 (missing its mast, boom, sails). I had saved from being scrapped and had hoped that I might find an inexpensive used rig for it, but none had appeared, so it was time to declare victory for the save and to find another owner. I gave it to a young guy from a coastal town South of me. As we were loading it into the back of his pickup, he commented that there was an older man that had a sailboat like mine, pointing at the Westerly twin keel in my driveway.

"He's in his 80s and takes his boat down the East Coast in winter--and has every winter for over 15 years."

That is both an encouragement and a challenge. What would I say to this man was my reasons and explanation for not doing the same? (Not that he or anyone here is asking or judgmental about these things.)

One modest goal for this season is to get a smallish trailer-sailer ready and use it. I thought that it might be the Alberg Corinthian 19, but at over 2700 lbs, plus the weight of the trailer, it is a bit large to be towed by a car. My former small trailer-sailers were a Sovereign 17 and an ODay Mariner 19, both at about 2000 lbs including trailer. You can tow those locally with a small vehicle.

I had sold those boats and got some larger ones, planning to move up in size. then the recession of 2008 hit hard and suddenly making that move was not longer feasible. Even selling the larger boats was a problem. Many were selling their larger boats, even walking away from them in boatyards.

Sometimes events happen and you can't put the genie back in the bottle. You can't get back to where you were. "You can't get there from here." is the Down East humor about giving directions to someone from away... We keep hearing that the Great Recession has been over, but for many of us that rings hollow. Things have changed. The recovery has been very slow and anemic, and the world, including its global economy, seems like a much more fragile place.

Anyway, I did pick up this Alacrity 19 twin-keel project boat last fall with the idea that (at 1500 lbs and shallow draft)  it might make a good smallish trailer-sailer. The hull was painted a dull mustard color with a brush (maybe with a broom by Van Gogh?). I was thinking that with it's plump sleekness-challenged shape that Turnip might be a good name...but since I do hope to repaint the hull, it may not fit.

Anyway, my short-term ambitions and plans are modest: To resume daysailing and camping out (can do this even without a functioning cabin interior). Maybe camp out at some of the local state parks on the coast or big lakes, as Frank has done, and as I was fortunate enough to join John and his children on for a day on Casco Bay in the summer of 2012. Want to get my boat ready for when Frank returns here in future to revisit Moosehead, or one of the other lakes or coastal parks. Hopefully to eventually bring a trailer-sailer down to visit John and his family and see some of that area, for which I've developed a deeper appreciation of recently. Possibly spend some time on Chesapeake Bay along the way...even meet some fellow SailFarers there, if that works out.

I do enjoy the sailing and camping at coastal park surf & turf experience. For one thing, it's fun to have a good roaring campfire--and that is not so easy on a boat...  :D

[Godot]

Starting this July I have a solid month of vacation time blocked for a trip, finally, to New England. I tried this the past couple years but was turned back the first time by weather, and the second by a refit project taking far longer than expected. This feels like the year to me.

Middle River (just North of Baltimore), up the Chesapeake, through the C&D Canal, Delaware river and Delaware Bay to Cape May, NJ. From there, direct to Block Island (weather permitting). Newport, RI for the Folk Festival, and some meandering around Narragansett Bay. Finally mosey down Connecticut,  stopping at Mystic at the least and various other destinations a day or so apart on the way to New York (Lady Liberty!), NJ, DE Bay, Home.

That's the plan, anyhow, as always subject to reality.

[Jim_ME]

Starting this July I have a solid month of vacation time blocked for a trip, finally, to New England.
Newport, RI for the Folk Festival...

Great! Hope to get to meet you when you are up this way.

Here's another festival on the shore that you might enjoy...

The North Atlantic Blues Festival, Rockland, Maine
Festival Dates July 12 & 13 2014
http://www.northatlanticbluesfestival.com/info/

[Godot]

Great! Hope to get to meet you when you are up this way.

Here's another festival on the shore that you might enjoy...

The North Atlantic Blues Festival, Rockland, Maine
Festival Dates July 12 & 13 2014
http://www.northatlanticbluesfestival.com/info/

I won't make it all the way to Maine. One month is all I have. I believe the Newport show is the weekend of July 28. We will probably anchor off of Fort Adams to catch one day from the boat (it's been twenty five years since I've done it; but as I recall you get a pretty good shot at the main stage from just off the wall). Everything is subject to change.

[CapnK]

After several years of Ariel-sailing hiatus while I did a lot of figuring, imagineering, and trying out of different solutions for making her as perfectly possible for long term living aboard, I'll have Katie's stick back up and her underway by this summer. I've started in on the work while compiling the 'master list' of all the things I plan to do with the refit. If it all goes even close to planned, I'll be spending some time this summer doing multiple day tune-up and shakedown offshore trips. Can't wait! :)

[Tim]

My sailing season will start this next weekend with three days on the SF Bay in my Typhoon. Various commitments during the summer will limit my sailing time, but I expect to get in sails in Tomales Bay for a few days and likewise down in Monterey. Finally in September we will be going on an extended cruise into the Inside Passage for a month or more.

[Jim_ME]

I won't make it all the way to Maine. One month is all I have.

Well puh... Someone says "New England" and what I hear is "Maine"...Maine-O-centricism, I guess. Hope you make it up here on another trip then. Or maybe I'll get down to the Chesapeake by trailer-sailer...

I believe the Newport show is the weekend of July 28...(it's been twenty five years since I've done it...)

Was that when Dylan was still acoustic? ;) They'll probably have some kind of tribute to Pete Seeger this year.

[Jim_ME]

After several years of Ariel-sailing hiatus...

I know how that is! :-[

I've started in on the work while compiling the 'master list' of all the things I plan to do with the refit. If it all goes even close to planned, I'll be spending some time this summer doing multiple day tune-up and shakedown offshore trips. Can't wait! :)

It was fun to brainstorm with ya on the Ariel interior.
Good luck with the work, and getting back out there! :)

[Jim_ME]

My sailing season will start this next weekend with three days on the SF Bay in my Typhoon.

That sounds great!
(Only bad day I ever had with my Typhoon was the day I sold her.)
Would like to get out there to SF Bay someday. A friend that used to sail with me in Down East Maine, would tell me stories about when he grew up in Saulsalito and  sailed out there in a 12-foot SF Pelican [Charlie mentioned learning on one of these?] and how windy it was. A Typhoon seems like a better match for that area. :)

I expect to get in sails in Tomales Bay for a few days and likewise down in Monterey.

Had to look at those on G-map. That looks like quite a park...that Point Reyes National Seashore. Always think of the famous Monterey Pop Festival with Hendrix and Janis Joplin and the Summer of Love, when reminded of that city. 

Finally in September we will be going on an extended cruise into the Inside Passage for a month or more.

With the Typhoon?

[Tim]

With the Typhoon?

No, and for the moment I will leave it at that  ;)

[CharlieJ]

My sailing season will start this next weekend with three days on the SF Bay in my Typhoon.

in a 12-foot SF Pelican [Charlie mentioned learning on one of these?] and how windy it was. A Typhoon seems like a better match for that area. :)

Sorry, no- a 12 foot Penguin :D A plywood cat boat.  The Pelican is a great little boat though. Had plans for one once, along with a Great Pelican

[Jim_ME]

With the Typhoon?

No, and for the moment I will leave it at that  ;)

Uh oh...You got one of those West Coast Alberg Tritons, didn't you...? ;)

[Jim_ME]

Sorry, no- a 12 foot Penguin :D A plywood cat boat.  The Pelican is a great little boat though. Had plans for one once, along with a Great Pelican

Ah...both birds (sortuv) that start with a "P".  :D I think that he has moved up to a Great Pelican now.

[s/v Faith]

Well,

  I suppose it counts that I was cruising for a couple. Months when 2014 started. :)

My immediate plans are to head up the ICW from Florida to North Carolina in a relatively leasurely fashion.

Might have a trip to Puerto Rico in an Ariel over the summer (via the Bahamas of course) and then end the year by taking Emerald Tide to pints south once again...l

Time will tell.  For today, I will sail.    ;)

[Jim_ME]

I suppose it counts that I was cruising for a couple. Months when 2014 started. :)
...For today, I will sail.    ;)

Welcome back. It does count. Grog to you. Hard to imagine more short-term plans than this!

"Will now resume my regularly-scheduled sailing program already in progress."  :D

I won't make it all the way to Maine.

Adam, It just occurred to me that I should be grateful to be told upfront, so I won't be...

Waiting For Godot.  :D

[Tim]

Waiting For Godot.  Cheesy

Too funny, just waiting for a chance to say that   ;D

[Frank]

Like Craig...near 3mths cruising Bahamas so far.
Trailersailor trip for 11 days to Moosehead Lake Maine late june
Ottawa River sailing at home
Pacific North West sept-dec
and whatever else can get squeezed in...

[w00dy]

Hoping to leave the marina with the stick up and head to the boat yard at the end of the month. From there, we're looking at going over to FL and then up the east coast. Would like to make it back to MD, though we'll see where the wind blows. Hope to see some of you along the way!

[Jim_ME]

Would like to make it back to MD, though we'll see where the wind blows. Hope to see some of you along the way!

I just saw your completed cockpit combing in your blog. Looks great. The original poor lonely foot well in the deck always seemed a bit spartan. Nice ratio of overall displacement-to-cockpit volume there.

If you should overshoot Maryland, or want to cool off, there is always Maine. The joke in Down East is that "It's not the end of the world, but you can see it from here."

You might enjoy...
The North Atlantic Blues Festival
http://www.northatlanticbluesfestival.com/
and American Folk Festival
http://www.americanfolkfestival.com/

[w00dy]

Thanks, Jim. I would LOVE to make it up to Maine and have talked about it this year. The reality of the situation is that we're still in south Texas with no rig on our boat, though we're making progress. We hope to shove off, if not at the first of the month, then soon after. We have two full tanks of 2 year old fuel to burn up, so the short term plan is to begin motoring our way east, varnishing and re attaching hardware en route. At some point, our boat should be relatively seaworthy again and maybe we can begin to hop offshore and put some miles under the keel. I'm still toying with the idea of spending some time in our favorite boatyard once we reach Maryland, so we'll see how much summer we have left for further travel northward. Since you live in Maine, I guess you could give me some idea of how long the cruising season lasts up there. Is September too late to find yourself sailing in Bar Harbor?