Where are you going???

[Zen]

No big sail plans. Change the oil on s/v Zen, maybe do some sanding. Study for my Coastal Cruising Test next weekend, some gardening, ceramics, maybe hit a flea market look for an anchor, Thai food buffet for lunch, band rehersal, some website work, play with the wife, maybe get a short sail in..nothing much kind, of a layed back weekend :)

[Seadogg]

Sometimes those are the best!!

...just following 'The Way'...

[AdriftAtSea]

I was originally going to go sailing this weekend...but I just found out that I have to fly to Newport News tomorrow...and attend a wedding on Saturday. Should be flying back on Sunday, and going down to the marina, if my flight isn't screwed up.  :D  We'll see if I can squeeze some sailing this weekend.

[Pixie Dust]

I am packing now for PD.  I have a tour with a Timber Mill scheduled and then a luncheon which is on the way to the boat and that will work out perfect to put me there early on Friday afternoon.  They are calling for great weather with nights supposedly getting below 70...."upper 60"s"  :D 
I have been rocking and rolling nonstop with the job, now it is time to R&R on the water.  My Delta anchor came yesterday, so I have full intentions of anchoring out the weekend.   SWEET!!!!  I need it.   Work has had me on the run.   I need my fix.   :D  Wishing everyone a wonderful, relaxing, safe holiday weekend!

[Seadogg]

Well, in spite of the weather forecasts, we took First Step out this Labor Day weekend and sailed Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan.  We had a great time.

The forecast had been for clouds and the potential of rain and maybe even a thunderstorm.  I'm glad we decided to go anyway because, as it turned out, we had sunny skies and a nice little breeze!

We grabbed a slip at the Hartshorn municipal marina and, after getting settled, headed out onto Muskegon Lake to meet up for the first time with a fellow sailor aboard a custom 61' Irwin.  Holy Toledo!  When we rafted up to him, our 22' foot sloop looked like his dinghy! His boat--the Amanda Faye--was absolutely gorgeous and we had a good time just chatting with Gunner and his wife, Judy.  Great people and very warm and inviting.  Doncha' just love meeting fellow sailors?

After about an hour, we decided to head back to our slip before it got dark.  The marina was fine--not a luxury place, but clean--and, even though it was Labor Day weekend, we only had a couple of obnoxious parties going on.  Funny; they were all stinkpotters.  Go figure.  We grabbed a pizza at the local joint and snuggled into our little cabin and watched a few dvd's before drifting off to sleep.  I slept well and I think this was the first time sleeping on a boat that I DIDN'T have weird dreams!

The following morning, we enjoyed coffee and walked the docks admiring the other boats in their berths.  We were going to try and tour the submarine Silversides, but the tour would have taken us past check-out time, so we'll do that next week.

We checked out around 1:30, moved the van and trailer and then spent the rest of the day sailing.  We headed out to Lake Michigan for about an hour.  Unfortunately, the winds were a little too light for big lake sailing, so we turned back and headed in.  A quick load up on the trailer and we cruised on home.

Everything went very smoothly.  Our docking procedures are getting better and better and I'm feeling more and more confident sailing "First Step".  The only mishap we had was when I lost my glasses into the drink while securing the boat in her slip.  Oh, well, that's what insurance is for, right?

As the sailing summer season is coming to a close and the nights are getting chillier and chillier, I'm thinking this may have been our last over nighter for the year.  I'm hoping to get in a couple of more day sails before we call it quits and it's time to put "Firsty" to bed for the winter.

A great way to top off the summer.

Fair winds,

Nick


Here's a pic of First Step in her slip.  See any fish wearing glasses in there?

[CapnK]

Nick -

I have some pics of my old boat - a ComPac 23D - docked next to an Irwin 52. Yep, it looked like a dinghy, too. :)

Glad y'all had a good trip! Don't give up on the season just yet - you might be able to sneak another overnighter or two in, right? ;D

[AdriftAtSea]

The season isn't over yet... still got two more months here on Buzzards Bay... granted, we may have snow on the boat before the end of the season, but still...

[Cmdr Pete]

 >:( :( :o ??? ::) :-\ :'(

Coastal Waters Forecasts 

for SANDY HOOK NJ TO FIRE ISLAND INLET NY OUT 20 NM

GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON...

.TODAY...N WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...BECOMING E THIS AFTERNOON. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. .TONIGHT...SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 KT...INCREASING TO 25 TO 30 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT...BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT. RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT. VSBY 1 TO 3 NM AFTER MIDNIGHT. .SAT...S WINDS 25 TO 35 KT...BECOMING SW 25 TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. GUSTS UP TO 45 KT. SEAS 9 TO 12 FT. RAIN AND SCATTERED TSTMS IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON. VSBY 1 TO 3 NM. .SAT NIGHT...SW WINDS 25 TO 35 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. .SUN...W WINDS 25 TO 35 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. .SUN NIGHT...W WINDS 25 TO 30 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT.

[AdriftAtSea]

I know what you mean...looks like the weather goddess approves of my ending the season a bit short...

ANZ234-271930-
/O.NEW.KBOX.SR.W.0005.061028T1400Z-061028T2200Z/
BUZZARDS BAY-
409 AM EDT FRI OCT 27 2006

STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY
AFTERNOON


TODAY
N WINDS AROUND 10 KT...BECOMING W AROUND NOON...THEN
BECOMING SW LATE. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT THIS MORNING...THEN 1 FOOT OR LESS.

TONIGHT
SE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT WITH
GUSTS UP TO 25 KT LATE. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. RAIN LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT.

SAT
SE WINDS 25 TO 35 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 KT...BECOMING S 30 TO
35 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 KT BY LATE MORNING. SEAS 4 TO 6
FT...BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN WITH A CHANCE OF
TSTMS. VSBY 1 TO 3 NM.

SAT NIGHT
SW WINDS 25 TO 30 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 KT. SEAS 6 TO
9 FT. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE EVENING.

SUN
SW WINDS 25 TO 30 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT.

SUN NIGHT
W WINDS 20 TO 25 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 KT. SEAS 4 TO
7 FT.

MON
W WINDS 20 TO 25 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 KT UNTIL LATE
AFTERNOON...BECOMING NW 10 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT.

TUE

[Cmdr Pete]

Wow...good story Frank

Thanks

[Zen]

Sunny Autumn day
Glassy water reflects windless sky
How sad...alas no sailing

[AdriftAtSea]

Zen-

That's not as sad as having 15-20 knots of wind and not being able to go sailing, as has been the case for me all week...  :(  ARGH...having surgery sucks.... it could have waited two weeks... UGH.

[Zen]

Shows things could always be worse.  ;)

[AdriftAtSea]

Shows things could always be worse.  ;)

To quote Snoopy... "BLEAH"

[Zen]

Where is Zen and what the heck is he doing...?

Ahoy, I'm still here I check in on the board form time to time. Life is a challange these days ...
I've been putting in a fair amount of time teaching and getting training. Doing some P/T work for both a ASA school and A US Sailing school. The US sailing school is intense as it is right on the BAY and perhaps the most well known  & largest school in the area, perhaps elsewhere. I can not say the name because of a agreement I made about talking about them by name in my blog. Somethings made them uncomfortable ;-)

I just return from a weekend trip with s/v Zen. The first trip of any distance in almost a year. Which at that time ended with a 400.00 tow bill  :o  :'(

Anyway I have posted the story on the sailfar blog, which no one uses  :-\

or drop by my blog for the story with pictures.

fair winds

Z

[AdriftAtSea]

Ouch... that would have paid for your TowBoat US membership for about three-to-four years. :)

[Joe Pyrat]

Right now I'm sitting at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum dock in St. Michaels after departing Annapolis yesterday.  It's a beautiful day, but the temperature seems to be dropping, mid-80s are now mid-70s, so I'm getting motivated to start heading south.  On the 23rd I'll head to Tilghman Island, spend two days then on to Solomons, weather permitting.  Althugh I'm looking forward to more southernly latitudes, I'm going to miss the Chesapeake Bay this is a great place to cruise (not to mention I've become addicted to steamed blue crab, cream of crab soup and crab balls.   :)

[Zen]

Indeed!, I've made sure I'm up to date now! hard lesson!!! :'(