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Hi all.

I am back from DC. Had to visit some of my new Masters at Buzzads Point. A very productive week I might add. Any way now the story can continue. I have some errands to run but will pick up my quill and more the narritive along once more. Again sorry for the delay.

Tune in next week for another exciting story of "The Wreck of the Saralee" When Captain Craig will reveal to us that his boat is blue and white. For those of you who don't want to see the spoiler please don't scroll below.





































His boat is not only blue and white, but it's also made of wood. Who would have imagined that?


You're killing us with the suspense Craig....and I have a feeling you know that and are enjoying it.

Keith

All right you Hosers, I am sorry you have had to wait so long for this. I will try to finish this tonight. We'll see.

As I said before Bill and I sailed slowly away as Adla was still playing with her rigging. The winds were light and puffy so the sailing was slow and gentle. We were a couple miles from Adla when she got her trim the way she wanted and we sailed back and forth across the lake with a good bit of separation. At one point I could not get the old girl to tack. We were getting a good breeze from the leading edge of a thunder cell maybe 5 miles to the west. I laid the problem off too tight sheeting and the old, stock rudder being back on the boat.

We slipped the main and she came around and scooted up the lake with the rail near the water. The seas ( are they seas in a lake?) were not high and she ran before the wind easily. We went up the lake aways and saw three other sail boats tacking back and forth the across the lake. These boats were out of the marina. One was a big Hunter as I recall.

Adla joined us up lake after about 2-3 hours of playing around at the other end. We rafted up and were going to have a beer and just putz around. It was getting a bit late and the sun was low; however, we gauged the conditions to be good for a leisurely sail back to the ramp and our night’s anchorage.

No sooner then we rafted up the sky began to darken and the wind picked up. Adla decided to stow her sails and just sail along rafted to the Saralee. God knows there is rag enough on her for both boats. The seas began to build and the boats were banging together again. Morgaine is lighter and bobs higher on each wave then my boat so we loosed the raft and Adla motored along beside us for a while.

During this time the seas and wind were still building. The wind was up to the point that I decided the sails were a liability as again I was unable to tack down wind. I could get her nose over but could not keep it there. By now it was damned rough and the winds were high. I have a wind gage but this was not the time to be fooling around with it. I knew we were in for a blow as I looked up lake and saw that a thunderstorm had moved over the mountains and was in our valley. I keep hollering to Adla to turn away from me so I could turn up wind behind her but the wind was so loud she could not hear me. I waved toward the marina and again hollered for her to turn away as I could not turn into the wind without hitting her. Still she could not hear what I wanted.

By now I had dropped the peak to de-power the main and had sent the Mate forward to secure the jib. The wind was now so high that Bill could not get a hold of the jib as the wind was driving it back up the stay. With the Iron Jib ticking over I opted for a down wind turn. I gave a quick glance to Morgaine and shoved the rudder hard over, that was to be the last I saw or heard from her that night.

The Saralee came around smartly under power and we tried to secure the sails. Bill got the jib tied down finally and came back to help me secure the main. Every time I got an arm full of sail the wind would tear the wad away from me when I tried to set the gasket. I suppose it took 10 or 15 minutes for Bill and I to tie up the sails and tidy up the sheets and halyards. We were still slowly running into the wind and the growing seas when I looked for Morgaine. She was gone. I remembered that Adla only had a lantern so was not expecting to see her lights. I did however expect to see that dark mast with the light we had left in the west. We talked about where she might be and what our options were. Saralee is well ballasted and has ridden 4 and 5 ft seas previously. It isn’t comfortable but she will take them with the sails down and the motor between 1/3 to ½ power. The seas were 2-3s so we went at a diagonal up wind toward shore to find the Morgaine. I saw a mast near the far shore so we steered toward it. We chatted about how fast this storm came up, the waves in the shallow lake, and how well the boat was handling as we made our way toward Adla.

As we motored toward the mast on in the gathering gloom the storm intensified. I gauged the winds to be 20 and better by now and the 3 foot waves were pretty regular. As we gained on the boat ahead we could see the mast was white not black. This was not Morgaine! With the storm gathering strength every minute we discussed what we should do. Saralee was still riding the seas very well but the time to turn down wind was at hand. Adla had told me earlier that she would not hesitate to beach her boat if the need arose. Safety was more important than the keel. Bill and I reluctantly decided to break off the search and head for the ramp. Adla was either OK somewhere or beyond our assistance by now.

Neither one of said anything as we turned down wind. I saw Bill look back too.

I set a course for what we though was the ramp. The shortest distance was going to give us a quartering sea on the stern. By now every fourth or fifth wave was a 4ft roller. How in the hell do you get waves like this on a lake I asked the Mate. He said he didn’t know.

As the wind continued to rise I had to add a bit more power every few minutes to stay on course. Finally the truck lights from the ramp were in view and we adjusted our course to stay in deep water. By now the sky was as black as a Preachers pocket. My 4 million watt search light was in Phoenix safely in an overhead cabinet in the Motor Home and we were having a hell of a time seeing anything. As we approached the ramp we were able to see that it was an RV camp site and they were pulling the boats out on a dirt beach! Not the ramp! Not the ramp!

We quickly turned back to deeper waters and continued up the shore. Bill and I tried to remember how far away the ramp was. Earlier we had discussed taking a GPS reading but decided it as a waste of time as we never to be more than 4 or 5 miles from the ramp we could clearly see. We discussed it again.

A bit further up the shore we passed some fishing boats. We were within 100 ft of some and could not see the crews or what type boats they were. We continued on our way in the howling wind and growing seas.

Rounding a point we could see a number of trucks and the lights of many boats all close to shore. At last, the ramp, I thought with great relief. She was still handling the seas very well and we were in no danger. Yet.

Bill and I discussed the problems of loading the boat with a crosswind and the seas. We had the additional problem of the number of power boas that were all trying to load at the same time. There was the option of the little dock. I told the Mate to make ready to tie up to the lee side of the dock if it was clear and we would see what to do then. I told Bill we had only one chance at the dock so we had to get it right. Our hand held flash lights were useless so we estimated where the dock should be and I slowed to make the approach.

The Mate was crouched on the fore deck with the dock like in hand. I could see him in the navigation light’s glow. I cut power a bit more as I still could not see the shoreline. Suddenly the Mate cried out that the dock was not there! I started to turn back out when I saw a big wave hit the bow and shove it out from under Bill! I helplessly watched him go over the side, with no jacket on. He yelled to me but without my aids I could not hear what he said. I immediately clutched the prop and grabbed for the throw and a life jacket. As I moved forward a bit I heard the Mate yelling that he was ok on the bob stay and to lookout for the rocks.

I lunged for the motor and jerked her into gear and spun the throttle up while shoving the wheel hard over! With agonizing slowness she began to respond. That’s when I heard the crunch under the stern. Rocks were all I could see when I looked over the rail. I centered the wheel and ran the motor to full mil but nothing happened. The next wave pushed her over the rocks and further up the beach. By now Bill was shoving the bow toward deeper water. I killed the useless motor and went overboard to help him. We could not move her. I told Bill that if we could not get her off soon she was finished and we shoved all the harder.

Each wave lifted the Saralee over more rocks and harder onto the lee shore. Finally it was obvious that there was nothing we could do. We resigned ourselves to this and went back to the cockpit to wait out the storm. As we sat down on the seat the first wave came over the rail. The wind and seas were still building!

Helplessly we bailed while the water got higher. Finally a big roller swamped the cockpit! We had the foresight to close the cabin much earlier but the hatch and companionway door are not watertight. I entered the cabin to move the valuables to higher shelves.

We tried to bail for a while but it was useless. The waves were washing over us and with every one the wind pushed her tighter into the rocks. I told the Mate that we were on shore and abandoning ship was not necessary but we could at least stay and watch her die. After a while Bill suggested that I go get the truck and we should go look for Adla as we could do nothing for the Saralee. That sounded good so I left Bill and the Saralee to sadly walk up the mountain to the parking lot. When I returned with the truck some people asked me to help loading some power boats. I figured what the hell, why not. They started to tell me about a sailboat that had floundered near the ramp. I said it was mine but she was finished so we should save what we could. We loaded three or so boats when suddenly there were eight guys who said it was time to get the sail boat if we could. We went back and Bill said that a couple guys had stopped to see if we needed help and that they would be back with more help.

I rigged the pump to the battery and began to pump the cockpit as well and using the auto bailer (chum bucket). With less than a foot of water in the cabin we quickly checked the hull and thought that with the pump going we could keep her afloat if we stayed away from the crosswind. I intended to anchor off shore if I could and just keep the pump running until the storm blew itself out.

I relit the motor and the guys shoved us off the rocks. Un-noticed by me the wind had slacked up as we motored her into deep water. We tried to set the anchor three or four times with no luck. Suddenly the wind was mostly gone and the seas were becoming calmer. We made another run at the dock this time with great success. Tying her up we realized that we were suddenly alone. Everyone had left after they got us off the shore.

I told Bill I was exhausted but we still had to get her on the trailer and out of the water. This time I drove up the mountain to get the trailer.

As we dragged the Saralee along the shore to the ramp we wondered aloud about Adla. We again discussed her willingness to beach and hoped she was Ok. Damned little we could do now.

When we got the boat up to the parking lot we found the port side stove in and at least two places where the bottom was holed. Lord knows about the keel as I couldn’t see it all while it is in the box. There is damage under the bunks too but I don’t know how severe.

We discussed calling the Sheriff about Adla but she had Bill’s phone and we couldn’t find mine. I had all the valuables secure except that phone. We decided to do what we could to get the remaining water out of the hull and then drive to the Sheriff’s substation.

I was whipped and went to set on the tailgate while Bill pumped out the cabin and battery box. Soon the lights of a car slowly approached. It was a Deputy! We immediately told her about our friend and asked did she know anything about her safety? She told us that Adla was contacted in an upwind cove and that she was OK but asking for us. The deputy also told us that Adla was not in the cove when another deputy went to tow her in. We knew she would not go back out if the wind was still up so we were greatly relieved at the news. We got the deputy to call my phone and we found it dry as a bone in the tool bag pocket. Then I remembered putting it there to keep it from rolling around on the floor. We called Bill’s phone but got the answering machine. The deputy spoke of a sailboat that was reported capsized on this end of the lake. We laughed and told her that had to be us as all the other boats were nearer the marina when the storm broke over us. She chucked a bit and told us that if we could contact our friend before midnight she would go back out after her, then she drove away. No luck with that contact of course.

With the news that Adla was safe we decided that supper was in order. I had cold hot dogs and buns and Bill still had some potato salad. The wreck was not a total disaster as we did not lose any beer. We supped on the cold weenies and colder beer. We both slept fitfully in the truck seats, but were comforted by the knowledge that we were all OK.

First light was around 0500 and the poor old Saralee looked worse than she did the night before. I began to wonder if she was worth fixing.

This story is not yet over gentle friends; however, I am tired and I am going to stop here for now and let Bill and Adla tell you what they experienced and thought. I will finish the tale; as I can, later when they are through.

Was this worth the wait? Is it the ending you expected?

Good night my friends, thanks for staying with me. hock:

Craig, sorry for razing you.... we had no idea. First of all, I am thankful everyone is safe. I am deeply saddened to learn of SaraLees troubles, but have great faith that she will be repaired as good as new.

Hang tough, glad things were no worse.

Well - it certainly could have been a lot worse....

I really didn't hear Craig - I could see him gesturing to turn into the wind and so I did as quickly as I could, which wasn't quickly enough. The moment I starting heading into the waves they seemed to build to what ought to have been unmanageable for a weekender...but I decided a long time ago to put a 5hp johnson on the back of Morgaine.

Knowing that there was nothing that I could do to help Craig and Bill secure the sails on Saralee and knowing that it was pretty imperative I get off that lake or at least into one of the coves...I set my throttle at about 1/4 and beat it into the waves standing up with the tiller in one hand and the other on the main hatch (which is not permanently fastened to the boat).

Looking back I remember seeing Bill and Craig struggle with the sails. It was like Craig said, the moment he had the sheet bunched up the wind would whip it out of his arms...and Bill was hanging on to the Jib with everything he had.

I don't know exactly how long it took me to work my way off that lake but because of the direction of the storm I was unable to aim directly for shore...I had to cross the lake the long ways and make my way to shore slowly. It was a very long and wet ride...every other wave broke over the front and sprayed my face....I was not even a little bit amused.

It was dark before made it close to shore but I had no choice but to keep going .... I found a cove and was amazed at the difference in the water once I was well inside. I was hoping that I could get a light up for Craig and Bill to see but before I could do that or even set an anchor I saw a ranger's boat and waved it over. The woman [deputy sheriff] asked me if I was ok and I told her I was but I had friends that were still out on that lake and wanted her to make sure they were ok. I didn't have my light out or up at this point and she looked at me and said "first, I am going to give you a ticket for not having a light." --- That infuriated me - and those of you who actually know me can perhaps appreciate my twitching eye and acerbic wit under these kinds of pressures. I had a light with me and took it out of the cabin and tied it to the jib line and ran it up the mast...I told the B*@!$ that I would have put the light up sooner but I was trying to get off the expletive expletive Lake - to which she retorted: "I was out there too" -------- *pause* -------- I snarled back, "in a boston whaler" ---

Our conversation was hardly friendly and she told me she thought she'd seen my friends in the next cove over. She didn't write me a ticket after all - and I was unimpressed by the threat anyways...I am rather pragmatic and would have just paid a ticket and dealt with it - it was a pretty "so what" moment.

but because I hadn't thrown an anchor out by the time she left I was pushed up against the shore...and wet, and tired, and irritated. I fired up the motor and went back out on the lake to make it to the next cove over where Bill and Craig were supposed to be. At first I was freaked out...and said to myself - "hey stupid you just left a protected cove...what are you thinking!" But I was very luck to find the next cove very close and it was deeper and better suited to the way that night turned out. I motored in under the flickering light at the top of my mast that took a pretty serious beating in the wind and waves.

There were two sets of fishermen in the cove..and I motored passed them and under the bridge that spanned the cove up near a pylon and threw out my anchors...Once I had Morgaine reasonably secure I heard one of the boats holler over to me - "hey, were you out in that!" and I said "yeah"...we didn't have much more conversation - they told me they had heard that one sailboat capsized - I just hoped it wasn't Craig and Bill - but didn't have the *feeling* that it was. I had given up hope of seeing them again that night. I used my phone to call Bill - but his phone was on Morgaine...and noticing that my battery was nearly dead I decided to make a call home and report my location and then turn the phone off for the night.

I had to bail a lot of water out of Morgaine and all my bedding was soaked. I just figured...since it could have been so much worse that I would just suck it up and take care of what needed taken care of. My pillows were soaked so I threw them up on the deck and tossed my soaked sleeping bags over the boom...and proceeded to sponge and bail the water out of the boat. I was disappointed to find out that my waterproof boat bags were not waterproof at all...but just tossed them into the cockpit and continued to dry out the cabin. Like Craig, I still had my beer - a whole cooler full and chicken wings and stuff....so, I had a couple beers and a little something to eat...while my stuff semi-dried...I ended up throwing my sleeping bags in the cabin and put my mat on top to stay dry...the pillows were still soaked so I used one of the bags as a pillow and thankfully a blanket I carry had dried in the wind...so, my circumstances were not all that bad.

I was tired ... and fell to sleep....I did wake up several times in the night - and at about 3 am could hear that another storm had rolled in...the wind was hollering something fierce and I was glad I was behind a pylon under that bridge. I fell back asleep and didn't wake again until 5 am or so..

I wouldn't have let the rangers tow me in if they had found me...so, it is just as well.

I left the cove just as the sun was coming up - I was worried about Craig and Bill and bothered that my phone didn't even show that Craig had tried to call.....I decided to motor over to the main marina to look for them (based on the conversation I had with the deputy)....the lake was sure different that morning...I took this picture because it was such a beautiful moment after such an agonizing evening.





I made it to the Main Marina and looked at my phone again - and it showed a missed call from Craig's phone....I was so relieved. But I had no idea what they had been through....


a.

Thank God all of You are well and safe, Holly crap Y'all have some pretty bad storms out that way. Nice to see that our Tax dollars are working hard during a disaster.... Revenuing!
Craig my god Man thats horrable, Can she be fixed? knowing You she will be ok.


Brian.

the Saralee sustained some pretty serious damage - but I think she is worth fixing too...and the whole thing has convinced me [i forgot to mention one of my anchors poked a hole in Morgaine - but above the waterline] to double plank the hull.

The southwest fleet is ready when Craig is - to take a weekend, pitch in some epoxy and glass (i have an entire ROLL) and help get Saralee back to the beautiful shape she was in before that storm.


Desert conditions are quite unpredictable...and this is the monsoon season in Phoenix and Las Vegas....In retrospect I wonder if having a barometer would have helped because that low pressue system hit us hard with huge swells off the bottom of the lake before the actual storm came over the mountain.

Hindisight is 20/20 but I think the SWF will have meetings before getting on the water....where we will go over contingency plans. I had a marine radio with me that weekend but left it in my truck. I had a 50,000candle spotlight and that was in my truck....there were lots of stupid errors on my part...but I've lived to sail another day. I will just be lots more careful....and mindful of the way conditions can change so rapidly in a canyon that only has water in it because someone had a bright idea to damn a river.


Craig - all you have to do is call a boatshed....


a.

"Certainly every man that goes to sea in a little boat of this kind learns terror and salvation, happy living, exultation, glory and repose at the end; and they are not words to him, but, on the contrary, realities which will afterwards throughout his life give the mere words a full meaning" Hillaire Belloc

I know you have all probably thought of this as like you mentioned hindsight is 20/20 but remember if you get stuck with your rags up or just need a time out to sort things out, HEAVE TOO. Still too much, toss some line or whatever you have over and start streaming warps aft, or deploy anything to make a drogue (a sail bag, a bucket, the cooler, a tarp, the jib) off the stern to slow you down or off the front to hold the boat into the wind. If these downburst are chronic in your area maybe a small sea anchor or drogue would be a wise investment.

Also when you start to see the wind back (shift in direction counter clockwise) you know the barometer is dropping, and the velocity of the wind is going to increase.... you will ususally have some other signs too, the clouds thicken and get lower and the temp generally rises a little.

Personally, I can't think of anything more terrifying than when the boat is out of control, that feeling when you are surfing down a wave and things are getting all squirrely and the boat doesn't seem to respond to you.

I love my Casio sailing watch (module no 2273). Gives you ambient temp, barameter for the past 12 hours, tide graph, moon stage, digital compass, race count down, alarm, etc.... it even tells you what time it is. A weather guide right on your wrist, pretty handy.

http://www.casio.com/products/Timepiece/.../SPF40-1V/

You can find it alot cheaper on the net if you do a little shopping around. I love mine.

I just e-mailed Saralee that I might go over to Sun CIty and take some photos of the boat this afternoon. I really have not see her since that weekend. I spent all last week in DC at, are you ready??, CG HQ meeting on a rescue radio system. Oh the irony.

Good ideas all, I normally give a small safety briefing when new comers are aboard. Bill isn't new and Adla knows the drill so I didn't bother. This was the archtypical Three Hour Cruise.

I am taking the boat to Tucson necy weekend to getout from under the high storage costs. My Aunt is allowing me to keep her in her yard until I get a place up here.

I need to jack her up onthe trailer and do a prpoer damage assesment. There is really not much on a wooden boat that can't be repaired or replaced. The only question is if it is wort the effort to the the owner.

Thanks for the offer of help. I need my tools.......

Wow!! hock: Lessons in your experience for all of us! Seems like I spend more time preparring for sailing the coast than for sailing on an inland lake but your story shows you can quickly get in trouble on ANY body of water regardless of if it is a lake or the ocean. Definitely made me think about my sailing. While I have my Mac26 well set up with spotlight, radio, anchor ready to deploy, etc... I have realized that I have been a little lax when sailing my small homebuilts. Why bring a radio when you will be sailing around with another boat? Why bring a good anchor rather than a picnic anchor when going out for the day. Why bring a flashlight when daysailing? I would have been in a lot of trouble in your shoes especially given how innocent Roosevelt lake looks. Heck, you can see the whole darn lake from some vantage points in the hills!

Anyway, glad you are ok. Craig, my PC was dismasted on Lake Erie, had a hole punched through the hull by a collision, and other mishaps. After moaning for awhile I would repair things better than they were before and enjoy the process. Besides, the hull took me the least amount of time during the build with all of the bits, bobs, and finish taking the lions share of the time. Patching the hull and keel is definitely worth it!

Bill is great crew to have BTW! You guys gotta come out for the BEER next year. We can figure out how to get you accomodated.