First Splash!

[Phil]

Finally! With the help of my new good friend Norman, Freya (my CP23 Pilot) has had her first sea trial. Norman had suggested  we drive down to Portsmouth Va., launch there and run down the Dismal Swamp Canal. He even located a boatyard there that was willing to lift Freya from the trailer into the Elizabeth River.
We arrived in Portsmouth early last Tuesday and commenced raising the mast. Unfortunately, the boatyard had troubles with the boat scheduled before us which cost us most of the day. We used the time to get properly rigged and enjoyed a leisurely lunch in town. We didn't get launched until after 5 PM. So we took a transient slip at the neighboring marina. While motoring to the slip, I found the only issue we would have to deal with. The drain plug on the muffler was leaking sea water into the bilge when the engine was running. Tightening it did no good. By now it was nearly dark and we were both beat from a very long day so we decided to deal with it in the morning.

Wednesday morning we hit the parts  dept. at the boatyard for a new drain plug. No joy there. Then I remembered the Westerbeke distributor I ordered filters and such from was right there in Portsmouth. So we drove over there. Well, I can't say enough good things about the parts and service folks at Western Branch Diesel Service in Portsmouth Va. This is a big, busy outfit with huge corporate and gov. customers, and they spent well over an hour working with me. For a part that cost less than a dollar. A lot less. I highly recommend them for anyone with a Westerbeke or Volvo.

Y'all were absolutely right about the comments I would get about the little ComPac. Folks, that marina was full of really big expensive boats assembling for the annual Caribbean 1500 Rally to (I think) the BVI. It seemed my little boat was the center of attention.  One fellow asked me if I was going with the Rally. I said "Not this year" (Grin) Everywhere we stopped people would wander over to have a look. What a neat little boat, they would say. The comment I heard most was "That just looks like so much FUN!" Um, does that mean that the bigger and more expensive your boat gets the less fun it is? (Tongue firmly planted in cheek).  One gentleman said "Hmm, I REALLY like that inside helm."

We finally got under way a little past 1300 hrs. with Norman acting as Captain and me at the helm. For a mountain boy from way back in the woods, that area was really fascinating. We passed the Navy Yards full of ships being worked on with Sea King helicopters thundering overhead. We saw the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in her berth. I apologise for not having pictures. Y'all gotta give me some time to sort this techie stuff out. My camera uses film, and Norman's had a dead battery. Never occurred to me to use my phone. Don't have the habit yet. 

Dodging barges and commercial vessels, we motored up the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth to mile 0 of the ICW.  After one almost wrong turn (thanks to the fisherman who waved us off) we entered Deep Creek and the entrance to the canal. We arrived at the Deep Creek Lock an hour before the next opening so we deployed one of Norman's anchors from the cockpit. At 1530 the lock opened. My first lock! With a 12 foot lift we had to connect 2 of my dock lines together to have enough line to reach the top of the wall. The Lockmaster was very nice and helpful. Leaving the lock we negotiated the Deep Creek draw bridge. Ahh, Wilderness. More like home to me. Only wetter. What a difference from the noise and bustling we'd left behind. With  darkness drawing near, we tied to a wall next to US Highway 17 where there was a choice of eateries. Norman was so glad not to have to endure more of my cooking he sprang for dinner.(Grin).  We reboarded the boat after dark through a veritable cloud of mosquitos. Fortunately, Freya's cabin buttons up tight and I was able to murder the 3 or 4 little buggers  that accompanied us inside so we weren't bothered the rest of the night.

Thursday morning the winds were picking up. Small Craft Advisories were already posted on the James River. The NOAA forecast was for increasing winds all day up to 20-25 knots by nightfall with severe storms following. While rigging the boat Tuesday, I aggravated an old serious neck injury and was still in a lot of pain. So we decided to turn around at that point and head back to Portsmouth and get the boat hauled out before the storms arrived.  Well, Thursday was Nov. 1st and day one of the Great Migration. We had to wait for 4 southbound boats to clear the lock and the bridge. We were the only boat going north. Back in the Southern Branch the Gilmerton Railroad Bridge was down so we had to wait on a westbound empty coal train to cross. I got to talk to the bridge master on the radio. Still, with Norman at the helm we made good time and arrived in Portsmouth about 1100. With the wind blowing about 15 knots directly off the dock Norm did a masterful job bringing us in and with help from 2 kind gentlemen ashore I got some lines on her. 

Once again we were the last lift of the day at the boatyard. It was nearly 2100 when we finally got the mast secured for the road. I drove all night to drop Norman off and bring Freya home. So my summary will be imprecise till I meet up with Norman again this coming week because he has the log. But that's ok 'cause I have his sunglasses and boathooks.

However, I think we ran the engine for a total of about 6 hours. We burned about a measuring cup less than 2 gallons of diesel. That works out to less than 1/2 gallon per hour. We cruised at 2200 to 2500 RPM's for a speed of 4.5 to 5.2 knots. 2500 RPM's was a comfortable setting for me, especially dealing with all that traffic in confined waters. At 2800 the engine noise became intrusive and at 3000 an annoying vibration set in. Otherwise the little Westerbeast performed flawlessly once the leaky muffler was fixed. Unfortunately we never got to actually set sails. We did deploy the jib long enough to determine the roller furler works just fine.

Lessons: Arrive a day early to allow time to leisurely rig the boat so I don't aggravate old injuries. Or create new ones. I need to shop for a more comfortable life vest for the same reason. The VHF is mounted in the cabin bulkhead at the top of the companionway to be accessable from either the inside helm or the cockpit. Unfortunately, both of us are a bit hard of hearing, and with the motor running, we ccouldn't copy incoming transmissions. I had to stand in the companionway with my good ear next to the radio to talk to bridge and lock masters. Engine off, no problem. So I need a handheld I can wear or a remote speaker at the helm, or both.

Once the leaky drain plug was replaced, We found absolutely nothing I need to fix before using the boat. I am incredibly pleased. Can't wait til next time.

Phil

[Frank]

So glad you're pleased Phil!!
Yep...they do attract attention 😄
Enjoy yourself!

[Crazer]

What a great write-up and what a cool little boat. I love little pilothouse sailboats. Do grab some pictures when you get that sorted!

[Norman]

Spy picture of Phil's Compac 23 Pilot House.

If you scroll down through the pictures to the "other boat" pictures, if Frank bought serial #1, the other one is serial # 2, Phil's boat, FREYA.  The metal wheel is correct for Phil's.  Not shown is the external hull, which is black, and has no Bimini or solar panel.  Otherwise, much the same vessel.

http://sailfar.net/forum/index.php?topic=3447.msg37688;topicseen#msg37688

Norman

[Captain Smollett]

Thanks for posting this and Congrats!!

As I said in the other thread, any time you find yourself back near the VA/NC State Line, let me know.  I'll bring you some shrimp...or something.

[Phil]

  Thanks, Cap'n. I'm actually looking forward to exploring North Carolina. I'm always up for ....something. Well, Mama would have said I'm always up TO something.  We'll have to meet up somewhere.  I kinda wish Norman and I could have kept going a bit further but we were both getting pretty tired. It's just as well we quit when we did, when I got home I discovered the fuel filters pretty well blocked with Diesel Slime. Wouldn't have got much farther before she shut down on us. So I got that job to do now.

       Phil

[Captain Smollett]

Fer Sure let me know when you head this way.  I can give some probably dated local info and shore support.  Would love to see the PH Compac, too.