The rigging is finished as far as I can go for the topâsl and cutter rig. The rope didn't get here yet. $27US shipping for two day and no rope, customs?? I doubt it. Anyway, the boom, gaff, and main sail were reinstalled today. My blacksmith hasn't got the main horse done yet, so it looks like rope to start with this year again. If you want something done...
I need to measure tomorrow for a Genoa for the as drawn rigging. I plan for three sizes of Yankee jibs and a single topâsl. Should be fun, or a royal pain. Canât tell yet. I screwed up and bought 1/10 wire instead of the 7/19 I wanted. Damn that stuff is stiff! All effort now is to get ready for the messabout. The rest of the mods must wait for the BEER or PIKL in June. I am becoming a slave to this boat!!!!
Slave on oh brother slave I'm not finished eather I don't think Keith is through with all his work last time I heard from him he had to do something to his truck axle,Scott didn't have his lights hooked up on his trailor and Angie is having truck trouble. Maybe we should change the name from a messabout to a boat shead, bring your tools folks I think we are going to need them. Come on down folks were going to have a large time at indian pass. Eat drink and be Mary or Tom if you like what ever cranks your tractor. Bud.
I was going in Eglin's main gate yesterday when I snagged a bit of torn metal on the guardshack roof with the new awning on the MH. Tore it all to hell! I have used that once since the cane tore it up. m Some days it just don't pay. I really need this up coming weekend. I am so looking forward to it. Ya'll come.
I'm almost ready, I haven't had the boat out this year yet so hopefully all will be well once I get there. My axle seals are on and new brakes installed so hopefully the truck is ready. I put a row of reef points on my mainsail yesterday and I've been working all day today on the little things that need to be done. I sure am looking forward to getting away for a while. Still seems like theres a million things to do before I leave but if it ain't done now it probably won't be done.
Keith
I tested my new boat yesterday and, while it tested just fine with few minor exceptions, have decided to take my C12 "Little Gem" boat instead. Amazing the difference going from a beam of 6' to one of 3'6" can make in the feel of the boat! Since I have repainted Little Gem and haven't sailed her yet I need to 1) put Georgia stickers (already have) on the boat, 2) set up the rigging to make sure everything is there, and 3) make a few modifications including reshaping the sail and reworking the gooseneck. The trailer lights and all are working just fine.
It is amazing how much work there is in the finishing details of a boat. The final bits and bobs to get the boat on the water are seemingly endless. Yesterday, I had unpainted (but glassed) daggerboard, rudder, and homemade oars. In fact, one of the oars still had wet epoxy on it. Some of the stuff I did at the last minute to get on the water caused most all of the problems (that and the gusty wind).
Craig, could we help plan out some races or events to do? How about a poker run...loved what Angie had done with that. What about a game of broadsides (
http://www.stevproj.com/Brdside.html). I would be willing to gather materials necessary for broadsides if everyone could bring along 20' of floating line. We would also need someone with a boat to go out and come up with questions and answers for for each of the sailing landmarks. We could also do a normal race if someone has floats and we handicap based on LWL.
Finally, I would like to cruise somewhere (town, island, etc..) have lunch and head back covering a lot of distance if anyone is interested.
We got a call this morning that Sara's Dad passed away suddenly earlier this morning. We are leaving for Michigan on Wed and will not return untill Sunday 2 April. He died peacefully in his sleep; however, it is still rather shocking for Saa having just seen him in Jan when we were up there for my Mother's furneral. Anyway with all of this I will miss my own party. I really had nothing planned but an around the island cruise, a shipwreck hunt, and possibly a supper out one night. Most of the "places seem to be a bit far for a same day sail over and back. There may be something close on the big island. I will have to catch up with you all later in the year somewhere. Was anyone thinking of coming down for the BEER or PIKL? Sorry to have to bail out at the last minute again but such is life. Please take lots of pictures.
v/r
Craig
Craig, Sorry to hear about Sara's dad. Don't worry about missing your own party as family should always take precidence. We will hoist some grog for you and your family and I promise to take lots of pictures. If you have a moment to pass along your plans...otherwise, we can figure out how to get in trouble ourselves.
I have just registered as a skipper with the BEER cruise. I might just have the smallest boat ever to go on the BEER cruise but have been assured I should be perfectly fine. I already know my C12 is fast enough to keep up especially given some of the boats on the list.
Wasn't thinking about PIKL...have to look it up. Is that the same thing as the Pirate Cruise?
Good deal on the BEER, Bud was talking about going too. Here are some links to the Trailer Sailor Doings:
http://www.usawaterways.com/tsbb/
http://usawaterways.com/tsbb/birminghamferry.htm
http://bellsouthpwp2.net/b/s/bs_allen/beer2006.htm
The only problem is PIKL is two weeks after the BEER. Kinda close.
On the bay side of St Vincent Island there are two or three shipwrecks shown on a shoal not far off the NE corner of the island. I was going to mount an expedition to find them. The around the island would be fro the camp behind the island out into the Gulf and back to the camp Wx permitting. Beyond that it was what ever we came up with at the time. It is ~20 nm around that island so it would be the best part of a day to round it. Races are problematic in an area where no one has the lay of the shoals. After the last three years worth of storms I am not sure how reliable the charts are. I would keep it kinda loose til you are sure of the water or you may spend all of the time pulling each other off the shoals. That isn't the deepest water over there.
I'm very sorry to hear of your loss Craig. You and your family will be in our thoughts and prayers. We'll have to sail together another time.
Keith