Introductions / How did you find sailFar.net?

[CharlieJ]

Welcome aboard Jerry.

Sounds like you got caught in the turmoil that happened at Montgomery EEG(ads)

I've sailed the Potomac, anchored off the dock at MT Vernon- they wanted way too much to dock during the day. Really enjoyed the museum at St Clements also, and spent some time at  Point Lookout Marina. The lady running it was a Cowboys fan !! Another of our posters lives up by DC, and sails the Potomac also

[JerryW]

I most certainly did get caught up in the Montgomery (Eeg) "web".  What an awful experience - 3 1/2 years of trials & tribulations - not to mention the expense of numerous trips to CA to bird-dog the completion of our boat.  Nuff said.

It is, however, a splendid boat.  I'm not sure about the "off-shore" moniker - even Jerry Montgomery says it's not really built for true off-shore sailing.  I'm retired, but my wife is still working and, while I have a few friends that I sail with, I often sail solo and this little boat is within my capabilities. 

The lower Potomac is probably the perfect place for a new sailor like myself to learn new skills.  I've found some amazingly rough conditions there!

That museum at St. Clements IS nice.  I anchored in that little bay on my Potomac trip.  It was interesting zig-zagging around those shoals.

My next trip will be down the bay to link up with a friend at Regent Point Marina on the Rappahhock.

Cheers!
Jerry

[CharlieJ]

Have to look at the log book ( it's aboard) but I think I spent some time in the Rappahanock also. LOTS of good cruising all over that area.

Never realized until I crossed that the mouth of the Potomac is TWELVE MILES across!!!!! And it was standing up that day too.

[Norman]

JerryW, the Potomac is also my main sailing waters, now that I have a trailer slip at Washington Sailing Marina.  I was on a trailer in the driveway.

A special welcome from another "newbie".  The guys and gals here are very friendly, and have no apparent bias about boats that are limited in the waters they can cruise safely.  Enjoying sailing and seeing new places is the bigger goal.  I lurked here for years, enjoying the tales, before joining, as I initially felt my boat did not fit ocean crossing.  Not really an issue here.

Mostly solo too, and have sailed my Mac 22 to the mouth of the Potomac, planned to go up the bay, but strong North wind and waves breaking over the bow erased that desire.  I have sailed on the bay a lot on my boat and other larger and smaller ones.

For a Unique adventure, visit Popes Creek on the Virginia side of the river.  George Washington's birthplace is on the North side, just inside the point.  Very shallow just after entering, channel splits into 5, check it on Google earth, as no charts show anything.  If you walk the boat past the sandbars, which are firm, not muck, deeper water is inside.  Unique way to visit, the staff will be surprised to see you!

Welcome aboard, I am one of the shorter distance sailors, and getting more so, at 80, but last week started a 4 day sail Wednesday, down to Popes Creek MD, just above the 301 bridge to enjoy the cooler weather that arrived, plus decent wind.  Captain Billy's crabs are great, had them for supper Thursday evening.  Arrived back at WSM 2 AM Saturday, slept at the launch pier, and recovered to the trailer at 7 AM.

I have read all three of the books you mentioned, and would have done the inside version of the Delmarva a dozen years ago had any of my friends been willing to take the time to join me.  Too old now for the physical challenges, but still doing less ambitious cruises.  I have not visited any VA ports below Currioman Landing, but may in the future.

Most of the places in Tilps chapter of a Sea Scout cruise are gone, and many of the creek channels are too silted to sail in except with a very flat bottom catboat with shallow keel and rudder.


Did Mt Vernon charge you to tie to the pier?  I have visited 4 times, and never charged, CharlieJ was charged when he stopped.  I do have to pay the entrance fee.  They are a much more impressive museum than the birthplace.

[JerryW]

Nice to meet you Norman!

When I arrived at Mt. Vernon, it was early Sunday morning and I was planning on linking up with a fellow sailor out on Ocoquan Bay - so I did a U-turn (after taking a photo to PROVE I was there!) and headed down-river.  So I made no attempt at tying up to that pier.  I probably could have at that hour of the morning - I had just come up from my anchoring spot in Pomonkey Creek.

On my Potomac trip, I anchored off Popes Creek but made no attempt to get inside - thinking it was way too shallow.  I can raise my CB, but at the moment, I do not have a kick-up rudder, so my draft is almost 4' or thereabouts.  Tilp talked about walking the cat-boats across that bar - I didn't think it was possible in a keel boat.  What's the draft of your boat?  (gonna make a shorter rudder for my boat with an end plate - same as the keel depth (with board up) - if it doesn't work, it'll be firewood).

Best anchoring spot in my neighborhood is all the way into St. Mary's creek up to "Tippity Wichity Island" - back in the days of Tilkp's grandparents, it was THE place for drinking, gambling, and prostitution.  None of that now - just solitude and 9 - 10' of water.  Nobody goes up that far anymore.

I often wander the WSM ogling all the boats.  We should get together sometime and swap yarns - I think you have more than I do!  You can e-mail me at jerrywlinux "at" comcast.net.

Jerry

[seiniku]

Hello all. I've been lurking around this forum for quite awhile, it seems like a great place to find realistic advice that doesn't always involve throwing several boat-bucks at problems.

I picked up a Parker Dawson 26 a couple of years ago on Lake Superior, which has been a great boat to learn on. We're making grand plans of some long weekend trips around the Apostle Islands, but have quite a ways to go before we have all the necessary equipment and repairs..

[jotruk]

 Welcome aboard I think you will find that the people here have great advice and are willing to share knowledge. We are very small boat and that makes a big difference again welcome aboard

[kostis]

Hello all. This is my first post. So i came here after the suggestion of a fellow sailor and member of an other sailing forum. Dont know why but maybe because i am of limited income...

[Captain Smollett]

Hello all. This is my first post. So i came here after the suggestion of a fellow sailor and member of an other sailing forum. Dont know why but maybe because i am of limited income...

Welcome aboard, Kostis.

Hopefully your friend's recommendation was based on the encouraging nature of sailfar and that you will find this community helpful to you in realizing your plans and goals. 

[curifin]

I stumbled on your site googling around about sailing.  I am out of Fort Worth Texas and own an O'Day Daysailer 1 (rencently restored) and a Benneteau First 210 which I sail less than I would like but still fairly frequently. 

I sail out of Fort Worth boat club here at home, but also frequent other lakes such as Grand Lake in OK, Beaver Lake, and Lake Stockton.  I have three kids, two are small, and am pretty new to sailing. 

I am generally interested in the variety of small boat minimalist cruiser mindset - mainly because ultimately that is all I will be able or want to afford.

[jotruk]

Welcome curifin a lot of our members sail trailer sailors and other small boats. feel free to ask any questions and tell us about your adventures on your boat.

[Frank]

Glad you found us. Trailersailing is great! Get to see a lot of places and still store and maintain at home. Let us know your plans and post a pic or 2 of your boats.

[smurphny]

Hi all. Just stumbled upon the site and thought it looked like a good place for an Alberg 35. Have had her for a few years now, and have enjoyed fixing her up. She began as a basket case (but with an almost new 3GM30F): rotted balsa core, etc., etc., you know the story. She's now in decent shape, still with a list of to-dos but the major stuff is done. I have never owned a boat without a long to-do list:-)

I'm from the Adirondacks in NY and lately moved the boat down to Florida in order to make an escape during the winter.

Have been involved with boats for 40+ years, both power and sail, pleasure and commercial, and have renovated many boats over the years, wood and glass. My sailing/boating grounds have been around the NE, from Maine to NY. Sailing down South is a fairly new experience. Have not done any really long offshore trips yet other than along the Atlantic Coast but the boat is ready and pretty well equipped to do so should I get the urge to set out on a longer voyage.

[Jim_ME]

Welcome aboard, Smurphny,  :)

Grog to you for saving an Alberg 35. I've often thought of the A35 as my ideal dream sailboat, within reasonable practicality. I remember having one making a long visit to the Downeast town where I was sailing my Typhoon 19 and appreciating how similar their Alberg lines were...though on a much different scale.

I lived in Vermont for awhile and was fortunate to have views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains beyond, into which the sun would set.

I would also like to winter down South on a boat, when I can make that happen, eventually. would be interested to hear more about your escape to Florida--which places you may have tried, where you have ended up, and what your experiences have been. 

[smurphny]

Hi CharlieJ,

I kept her over on Champlain while doing the major work. It was conveniently close to where I live for going back and forth with tools and such. Did a bit of sailing on the lake. Champlain is nice but it's, well, not the ocean. Did the long and tedious trip down the Champlain Canal and Hudson many times. She's now in Green Cove Springs which is a DIY yard on the St. John's River in N. Florida. I like the place. It's filled with hundreds of sailboats of all shapes and sizes and the kind of folks who like doing their own work. From Green Cove Springs, it's a reasonably short run to the ICW or out the inlet.

I spent most of last winter down in Stuart on a mooring. I have relatives there and had a great time. Next winter I'll get over to the Bahamas for sure and maybe down even further south. Retired, I have no set schedule or itinerary. 

[K3v1n]

I'm Back! Still boatless at the moment but have begun the search once more. Looking forward to getting back on the water next Spring....fingers crossed. :)

[CharlieJ]

Hi CharlieJ,

She's now in Green Cove Springs which is a DIY yard on the St. John's River in N. Florida. I like the place. It's filled with hundreds of sailboats of all shapes and sizes and the kind of folks who like doing their own work. From Green Cove Springs, it's a reasonably short run to the ICW or out the inlet.

I spent most of last winter down in Stuart on a mooring. I have relatives there and had a great time. Next winter I'll get over to the Bahamas for sure and maybe down even further south. Retired, I have no set schedule or itinerary.

Been into Green Cove many times. The old Navy yard there is where the marina is. Used to keep a boat in the marina off Hwy 17 at Mandarin, years ago (1973!! :o :o). But it's a BUNCH of miles out to the ICW from Green Cove up the St John's. A full DAY minimum.

Stuart eh? Moorings at Sunset Bay by chance? Been in there also several times. Really nice place and with the loaner bikes, an easy 5-6 blocks to the grocery. I'll likely stay there again next time I pass through

I keep CLAIMING to be retired, but people keep putting boats in front of me to be worked on  ;)

[smurphny]

Yes, it's a bit of a trip but the place is high and dry and far enough inland to not need to worry too much about storms when I'm way up here. I anchor up at Mill Cove to start the trip down the ICW or back up to GCS early next day. Yep, Sunset Bay.

[Jim_ME]

I keep CLAIMING to be retired, but people keep putting boats in front of me to be worked on  ;)

One strategy might be that when people try to put boats in front of you, that you are somewhere else...like off cruising in the Bahamas! ;D

[CharlieJ]

I keep CLAIMING to be retired, but people keep putting boats in front of me to be worked on  ;)

One strategy might be that when people try to put boats in front of you, that you are somewhere else...like off cruising in the Bahamas! ;D

;D Well, yeah. But I'm sorta stuck here til around Nov, so might as well do some work  ;D