Favorite local cruising destinations.

[BobJ]

We have the Sailing Tomorrow thread. That's probably enough organization, although it's rarely enough notice for me.

Anyhow, I've been noodling about all this and now I'm conflicted. It was easy before: Clean bottom, good sails and minimum weight. But Surprise! the croozer has all these cabinets and drawers - hundreds of them - and most (no, ALL) had stuff in them. There were dishes and flatware and cups and multiple bottles of cleaners and, and...

Now I'm thinking I need one of those stern BBQ's, and maybe the dishes and cups might actually be useful. I'm starting to look at different pages on Defender's website. What to do???

 

[jyriv]

Nice! How was pier 39?

Last year (2017) it was fairly sketchy with very angry sea lions blocking the way every time tried to get on or off the boat.

This year I saw a guy running around all day shooing them away from the guest dock. So it wasn't as bad.

Still, I stop there when I'm up the SF bay area. It's nice to get a warm meal once in the trip instead of just dry cereal (I have no fridge, no stove).

 

[mike cunningham]

Please don't. Start another org. for cruisers.

I think you know this but just to be sure...that was a joke.

The SSS takes the SSS as serious as heart attack. The only thing that might be equivalent or slightly worse would be to suggest we change the SHTP finish to anywhere but Hanalei.

 

[mike cunningham]

We have the Sailing Tomorrow thread. That's probably enough organization, although it's rarely enough notice for me.

Anyhow, I've been noodling about all this and now I'm conflicted. It was easy before: Clean bottom, good sails and minimum weight. But Surprise! the croozer has all these cabinets and drawers - hundreds of them - and most (no, ALL) had stuff in them. There were dishes and flatware and cups and multiple bottles of cleaners and, and...

Now I'm thinking I need one of those stern BBQ's, and maybe the dishes and cups might actually be useful. I'm starting to look at different pages on Defender's website. What to do???

Funny you should mention BBQs, I just set up my new Magma on the stern rail. BBQd a nice Cornish Game Hen and baked a potato at China Camp the other day. Next step is to reattach my stern ladder now that the erud structure has been removed. That will be the first time since the 2015 Longpac.

I have a bunch of cabinets too. For each ocean race I would get major grief from the Real Jacqueline when I started offloading stuff from said cabinets into the garage. "More boat stuff for for the Kingdom of Crap I see". I got to where I was sneaking it in while she was at work. It's a hard life.

 

[Philpott]

(I have no fridge, no stove).

Oh, but this is so lightweight! So easy! Only $14.99 And it uses little 8 oz butane containers ($1.25 each at Asian Foods).



Oatmeal, couscous, boil water for Peets coffee ...

 

[Gamayun]

On my first solo race, and still new to Kynntana, I was motoring out of the Estuary to the start of the Vallejo 1-2. I glanced over and to my horror saw the BBQ grill was still attached to the railing. At the time, my old AP would work until it didn't and then the boat would round up. Needless to say, it took a while to get an allen wrench out of the toolbox and as I was holding the BBQ in one hand, the screwdriver in the other and trying to keep everything going overboard, the boat rounded up again near Jack London. Somehow, I managed to keep it all together and only lost one of the screws, which I still have not replaced. I've been thinking of reattaching the BBQ and scooting out to the Channel Islands and Drakes Bay next year. Never been to Tomales Bay and I never pass up an opportunity to spend the evening in Half Moon Bay.

Bob, I think you should quit fighting it and learn to love your cabinets like I absolutely adore my Corian counter tops. The snickering will subside eventually as people move their focus onto some other squirrel

I love this thread as well as the idea of the SSS Croozing Society (SSSCS has a nice, slow ring to it).

 

[Wylieguy]

Bob, Empty drawers? Lots of lead silverware, plates, pots, and whatever else you can cram in to add weight to the boat! Oh, and all those trophies you've won over the years. A heavy, slow boat is a good competitor! ;-)
Seriously, when I had the Newport 30 and the race was important I'd show up at the berth an hour earlier than normal and truck 5 or 6 cartloads of "cruising gear," tools, the raft, sails, and the kitchen sink up to the parking lot. Stash it all in the van during the race and then reverse the process after I got back. I just couldn't bring myself to discard anything, even the rusty carpenter's hammer that was in the tool drawer when i bought the boat. I've wondered if the new owner ever found a use for it?

 

[mike cunningham]

Bob, Empty drawers? Lots of lead silverware, plates, pots, and whatever else you can cram in to add weight to the boat! Oh, and all those trophies you've won over the years. A heavy, slow boat is a good competitor! ;-)
Seriously, when I had the Newport 30 and the race was important I'd show up at the berth an hour earlier than normal and truck 5 or 6 cartloads of "cruising gear," tools, the raft, sails, and the kitchen sink up to the parking lot. Stash it all in the van during the race and then reverse the process after I got back. I just couldn't bring myself to discard anything, even the rusty carpenter's hammer that was in the tool drawer when i bought the boat. I've wondered if the new owner ever found a use for it?

Ha Ha, I have the "just couldn't bring myself to discard anything" situation covered. This is the advantage of a garage. I can just store stuff, basically forever. I have a brand new galley pump I bought and never used. I can't bring myself to throw it away... you never know. It is approaching 35 years old.

The other thing I can't bring myself to do is think about what would have happened if I used the $40 I spent on the pump to buy a couple of shares of Microsoft instead of a pump I have never used.

I agree with the suggestion for a small stove. Those things work surprisingly well. If I didn't have a stove I would also seriously consider a rail mount BBQ. I have used mine to cook just about everything. You can put pots on there to fry and boil stuff if needed.

 

[Lightspeed]

Cruise Forum Idea. Bob said we just need to get organized, and Solosailor said we do not need another Crusing Org. So what about just adding a main topic of Cruising in the Forum.

When I became RC Dave added Race Deck to the Mian topics for race info related discussions. Can we add Cruise Corner or (??) to the Forum Main? That way anyone can post a new thread on a proposed cruise outlining to draw chatter and anyone can add a new outing for the next proposed outing and each can have it’s own thread. Just an idea...

 

[mike cunningham]

On my first solo race, and still new to Kynntana, I was motoring out of the Estuary to the start of the Vallejo 1-2. I glanced over and to my horror saw the BBQ grill was still attached to the railing. At the time, my old AP would work until it didn't and then the boat would round up. Needless to say, it took a while to get an allen wrench out of the toolbox and as I was holding the BBQ in one hand, the screwdriver in the other and trying to keep everything going overboard, the boat rounded up again near Jack London. Somehow, I managed to keep it all together and only lost one of the screws, which I still have not replaced. I've been thinking of reattaching the BBQ and scooting out to the Channel Islands and Drakes Bay next year. Never been to Tomales Bay and I never pass up an opportunity to spend the evening in Half Moon Bay.

Bob, I think you should quit fighting it and learn to love your cabinets like I absolutely adore my Corian counter tops. The snickering will subside eventually as people move their focus onto some other squirrel

I love this thread as well as the idea of the SSS Croozing Society (SSSCS has a nice, slow ring to it).

I had to laugh when I read your BBQ story. The reason I bought my new Magma is I had a little incident at Berkeley Marina a few months ago with my old (like 25 years old) Magma.
I had a beautiful ribeye I was salivating over, whipped out the magma and got it on the rail. as I was wrapping up the install, the gas regulator just fell off and dropped in 12 feet of water. Oh well, fortunately I had a stove. I had replaced the regulator several times and just about every other part of that thing. I bit the bullet and bought a brand new one. The new models are great, they have some big improvements over the 1990 model.

 

[mike cunningham]

Cruise Forum Idea. Bob said we just need to get organized, and Solosailor said we do not need another Crusing Org. So what about just adding a main topic of Cruising in the Forum.

When I became RC Dave added Race Deck to the Mian topics for race info related discussions. Can we add Cruise Corner or (??) to the Forum Main? That way anyone can post a new thread on a proposed cruise outlining to draw chatter and anyone can add a new outing for the next proposed outing and each can have it’s own thread. Just an idea...

Great idea!!

 

[mike cunningham]

BTW, this is my cruising dingy, well, a sister ship anyway. I built my six footer about 10 years ago. It's tiny but it gets the job done. I use a couple of throwable pads to sit on when I am rowing. If you go with two people, pack very light. It folds up and I store it on my transom inside the pushpit rail.

https://woodenwidget.com/origami.htm

 

[Intermission]

I had to laugh when I read your BBQ story. The reason I bought my new Magma is I had a little incident at Berkeley Marina a few months ago with my old (like 25 years old) Magma.
I had a beautiful ribeye I was salivating over, whipped out the magma and got it on the rail. as I was wrapping up the install, the gas regulator just fell off and dropped in 12 feet of water. Oh well, fortunately I had a stove. I had replaced the regulator several times and just about every other part of that thing. I bit the bullet and bought a brand new one. The new models are great, they have some big improvements over the 1990 model.

Every time a part falls off my Magma I tie a safety from the new part to the stern pulpit.

 

[Lanikai]

Every time a part falls off my Magma I tie a safety from the new part to the stern pulpit.

Yep, stainless seizing wire is a Magma griller's best friend. Lost all three grates from my Cabo last year when I didn't have it clamped tight enough and it spun upside down with the lid unlocked. Wired the new ones together, and then one of them to the grill. Magma owes me a tri-tip and brussels sprouts, at the very least.
I preemptively bought a spare regulator, which is probably why the original has lasted so long.

p.s. if you use the 1 lb propane canisters like I do and don't have another source of propane in your life, Sports Basement will refill them, for free, forever, if you buy the refillable canister at their store!

 

[AlanH]

I note that our twice-yearly cruise-ins gather a small, but not insignificant crowd. Some sail in, some drive in, but we get a dozen-plus people around the tables. I like these, because I actually get a chance to get to know people. Since going to Wednesday night race meetings in Oakland is now really impractical due to Bay Area traffic, the cruise-ins are great.

I'd like to suggest that the cruise-ins are one of the best additions to the SSS in a long time, so kudos to whoever dreamed up the idea.

But "No" to changing the SSS name! LOL

 

[Gamayun]

BTW, this is my cruising dingy, well, a sister ship anyway. I built my six footer about 10 years ago. It's tiny but it gets the job done. I use a couple of throwable pads to sit on when I am rowing. If you go with two people, pack very light. It folds up and I store it on my transom inside the pushpit rail.

https://woodenwidget.com/origami.htm

Their website says "Our plans contain about 100 pages and well over 100 photos that were taken during an actual construction." You really followed 100 pages of instruction on how to build a dinghy? I'm seriously impressed!

 

[mike cunningham]

Their website says "Our plans contain about 100 pages and well over 100 photos that were taken during an actual construction." You really followed 100 pages of instruction on how to build a dinghy? I'm seriously impressed!

Yea, I built mine in my garage in Albuquerque, NM. It says 100 pages but it's not that bad, however the fact that it is foldable made it a bit more complicated than the run of the mill dingy.