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New Boat 4 Sled
- Thread starter sleddog
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The outer harbor where your at, has pretty good holding, and is fairly wide.
Overnight, the northerly much diminished. When I rose at 0300 to check around, the sloop that had anchored on WILDFLOWER was peacefully hanging about 40 feet stern. The sun rose over the island, cold temps warmed, and it began to turn into much the pleasant day.
My new best friends astern smiled and waved as they came on deck. They gently pulled themselves forward to WILDFLOWER, graciously expressed thanks, passed off a tin of Brittany butter cookies, and asked to be set free. I did not catch their names or name of their boat. When last seen, they were running west out the the Bay, pretty as a picture on the shimmering sea.
I remembered my anchoring difficulties in early days of cruising WILDFLOWER. In those times, WILDFLOWER did not have an engine, rather a 14' lifeboat oar from San Pedro Navy Surplus.
Pelican Bay is about as pretty a cove as you will find and my first attempt anchoring at Santa Cruz Island. After scouting an opening between two cruising boats, anchored bow and stern in usual Santa Cruz Island fashion, we made our approach drifting downwind with steerage, sails furled.
My plan was to drop our 12 pound Danforth with 25 feet of chain off the stern, pay out scope until the bow was near the approaching cliff. Snug up short. And lay a similar Danforth off the bow before switching ends and turning WILDFLOWER 180, bow into the afternoon seabreeze.
Everything was going smoothy until I realized the Danforth off the stern was not setting...it was not dragging, but to the finger touch on the rode, the anchor seemed to be slip sliding along..."Oops," I thought, "this is going to be embarrassing if we run WF's bow into the steep-to cliff...
Things proceeded in slow motion as I quickly transferred the bow anchor to the stern. Now I had two anchors astern, one from either corner cleat. And both were sliding along on the bottom as WILDFLOWER approached the cliff.
It seemed quite a few fellow sailors were watching, and several, without hesitation, headed towards WILDFLOWER. The next thing I know, WILDFLOWER was being towed stern first to safety by a small dinghy with a Seagull outboard, one rowboat, and a kid in an inner tube.
Eventually, with help, WILDFLOWER was properly anchored bow and stern. And I invited my new best friends aboard for a beer. That afternoon I learned two things: my lead-line was not a good fit for single handed anchoring: Pelican Bay was deeper than I anticipated, 45-50 feet. And the bottom was layers of detached kelp on which a Danforth anchor has difficulty penetrating....
All in a day.
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*ATTENTION* We have had an unfortunate medical incident that may be of concern. At ACE hardware we bought two SPRAYMASTER, "The Chemically Resistant Sprayer" "High Output" "5 Year Guarantee" for $9 each. (Gray container, purple squeeze handle.)
After being assured these "top-of-the-line" sprayers would handle bleach by an ACE Hardware employee, we took them home and filled them with straight, house-hold, bleach. After several weeks of service, they began leaking from indeterminate locations.
Before we stopped using them, wearing rubber gloves, one of the sprayers blew a mist of beach out the back of the head at a plastic to plastic joint, and into an eyeball. Fortunately the eye was immediately flushed with water and an ophthalmologist summoned to Urgent Care assured there was no long term damage, just redness and scratchiness, which diminished over 3 days. Sight is now normal.
In reading the fine, white, print on the back of the sprayer, it clearly states "Do not use chlorinated solvents." I have confirmed with customer support at Delta Industries, maker of the sprayer, that "chlorinated solvents" means bleach and should not be used in this sprayer. I do not know if a diluted solution of bleach and water is OK.
Our bad. Be safe.
After being assured these "top-of-the-line" sprayers would handle bleach by an ACE Hardware employee, we took them home and filled them with straight, house-hold, bleach. After several weeks of service, they began leaking from indeterminate locations.
Before we stopped using them, wearing rubber gloves, one of the sprayers blew a mist of beach out the back of the head at a plastic to plastic joint, and into an eyeball. Fortunately the eye was immediately flushed with water and an ophthalmologist summoned to Urgent Care assured there was no long term damage, just redness and scratchiness, which diminished over 3 days. Sight is now normal.
In reading the fine, white, print on the back of the sprayer, it clearly states "Do not use chlorinated solvents." I have confirmed with customer support at Delta Industries, maker of the sprayer, that "chlorinated solvents" means bleach and should not be used in this sprayer. I do not know if a diluted solution of bleach and water is OK.
Our bad. Be safe.
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From the CBC archives
Many will recognize the famous brigantine VARUA at Friday Harbor. VARUA and her crew were subject of William Albert Robinson's classic book To The Great Southern Sea . VARUA was specially designed and built for weathering the ultimate storm in the Southern Ocean. Her remains molder at Lovric's on the Guemes Channel in Anacortes, WA.
For home baked banana bread over Marianne's Macapuno icecream, served virtually from the back deck of CBC, who will be first to name the ketch, or the famous book or author she inspired?d Hint: think pirate.
(Whoops, I see the boat is named in the photo.) OK, who is the one time pirate and where was the boat built? Andersens at Hunter's Point, Stone Boat Works in Alameda, or South Coast in Newport Beach?
Many will recognize the famous brigantine VARUA at Friday Harbor. VARUA and her crew were subject of William Albert Robinson's classic book To The Great Southern Sea . VARUA was specially designed and built for weathering the ultimate storm in the Southern Ocean. Her remains molder at Lovric's on the Guemes Channel in Anacortes, WA.
For home baked banana bread over Marianne's Macapuno icecream, served virtually from the back deck of CBC, who will be first to name the ketch, or the famous book or author she inspired?d Hint: think pirate.
(Whoops, I see the boat is named in the photo.) OK, who is the one time pirate and where was the boat built? Andersens at Hunter's Point, Stone Boat Works in Alameda, or South Coast in Newport Beach?
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This is a tough bunch to stump..Hedgehog is correct: SNARK was built at Andersens at Hunter's Point. Jack London and his wife Charmian had to leave SNARK in the Solomon Islands of the South Pacific due to his illness. SNARK's final resting place is unknown.
Meanwhile, on AIS, an armada of cruisers is heading north up the west coast of Baja. Non-essential travel and Mexican ports are closing and crossing to French Polynesia is closed, as entering almost all inhabited Pacific islands is banned for visitors.
Tom P.
m/v PACIFIC LOON
I’ve long been a Jack London fan and reading his TALES OF THE FISH PATROL makes for great stuff while anchored out by China Camp, or for when you've wondered, “Where the heck is Collinsville.” It’s no coincidence that I named DAZZLER after the “title character” in one of his stories.
Just to be clear... Jack London’s SNARK was built in 1906 at the yard later known as Anderson and Cristofani Shipyard, India Basin, Hunters Point. Not to be confused with (the former) Ron Anderson’s Boat Yard in Sausalito, now the location of KKMI, Sausalito.
“Anderson and Cristofani was the survivor of a group of shipbuilders who built San Francisco Bay scows between the early 1870s and the mid-1930s in a row of yards along Innes Avenue in the India Basin at Hunter’s Point.
Henry P. Anderson a shipwright arrived there from Denmark in 1893 and bought Dircks’ yard on Innes Avenue. He was building Jack London’s The Snark in 1906 when the earthquake hit.
Anderson was joined by Alf Cristofani in 1926 and the name of the shipyard changed. The yard was sold to property speculators in the 1980s but the North part of the yard was acquired by the City in 1989 for the development of the India Basin Shoreline Park.” Jamie Lyons [www.jamescharleslyons.com/india-basin-hunters-point/]
Just to be clear... Jack London’s SNARK was built in 1906 at the yard later known as Anderson and Cristofani Shipyard, India Basin, Hunters Point. Not to be confused with (the former) Ron Anderson’s Boat Yard in Sausalito, now the location of KKMI, Sausalito.
“Anderson and Cristofani was the survivor of a group of shipbuilders who built San Francisco Bay scows between the early 1870s and the mid-1930s in a row of yards along Innes Avenue in the India Basin at Hunter’s Point.
Henry P. Anderson a shipwright arrived there from Denmark in 1893 and bought Dircks’ yard on Innes Avenue. He was building Jack London’s The Snark in 1906 when the earthquake hit.
Anderson was joined by Alf Cristofani in 1926 and the name of the shipyard changed. The yard was sold to property speculators in the 1980s but the North part of the yard was acquired by the City in 1989 for the development of the India Basin Shoreline Park.” Jamie Lyons [www.jamescharleslyons.com/india-basin-hunters-point/]
In an odd coincidence, this past fall, before the world turned inside out, I had a side gig running a small music series for the SF Parks Alliance on Friday evenings at the site of the old Andersen and Christofani works in India Basin.
As Dazzler notes, the north part of the property was acquired by SF Parks 30 odd years ago, and became India Basin Shoreline Park.
More recently SF Parks also acquired the property with the old ways and docks, and the SF Parks Alliance is starting the slow process of turning it into a park as well... the music series was designed as a means open the gates & draw the community down to the water front.
India Basin Shoreline Park is behind the chain link fence in the photos.
The building to the extreme left of the first photo is the Shipwrights Cottage, which is a landmark structure and also the site of the first union hall for shipwrights in the bay.
DH
As Dazzler notes, the north part of the property was acquired by SF Parks 30 odd years ago, and became India Basin Shoreline Park.
More recently SF Parks also acquired the property with the old ways and docks, and the SF Parks Alliance is starting the slow process of turning it into a park as well... the music series was designed as a means open the gates & draw the community down to the water front.
India Basin Shoreline Park is behind the chain link fence in the photos.
The building to the extreme left of the first photo is the Shipwrights Cottage, which is a landmark structure and also the site of the first union hall for shipwrights in the bay.
DH
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Good news from Port Townsend: Dan and Linda Newland are no longer boat less. Having sold PEGGY SUE IV to Steve Lewis, they went in search of something more appropriate to their cruising grounds of the Pacific NW.
Dan and Linda, ever meticulous, did their homework, and then some. What has now joined their family, including Nubbs the Manx and Tutu the parrot, is TSUIAT, an immaculate Grand Banks 36. Built in 1989 "Susie" checks all the boxes, and cruises at a respectable 8 knots at 1,800 RPM with a Ford Lehman 135.
Alaska is on their radar. But for the moment, borders are closed. Dan, ever the boat builder, is fine tuning equipment and gear, and both are practicing boat handling, choosing to forgo the bow thruster whenever possible.
Friends from SF Bay, and their longtime association with SSS, wish Dan and Linda the very best with their warm and cozy little ship.
Dan and Linda, ever meticulous, did their homework, and then some. What has now joined their family, including Nubbs the Manx and Tutu the parrot, is TSUIAT, an immaculate Grand Banks 36. Built in 1989 "Susie" checks all the boxes, and cruises at a respectable 8 knots at 1,800 RPM with a Ford Lehman 135.
Alaska is on their radar. But for the moment, borders are closed. Dan, ever the boat builder, is fine tuning equipment and gear, and both are practicing boat handling, choosing to forgo the bow thruster whenever possible.
Friends from SF Bay, and their longtime association with SSS, wish Dan and Linda the very best with their warm and cozy little ship.
From the archives. Nassau, Feb. 1971. Crew L to R: Commodore Tompkins, Ron Holland (sweater), Tom Wylie, Dave Allen (red shorts), sleddog (headband)
Will leave to your imagination how well a shaggy crew in Easy Rider shirts from San Francisco, and a fast downwind red boat went over in S.Florida in the early 70's.
Will leave to your imagination how well a shaggy crew in Easy Rider shirts from San Francisco, and a fast downwind red boat went over in S.Florida in the early 70's.
Tom P.
m/v PACIFIC LOON
Worth noting are the telltails everywhere, even on the antenna. All too much focus these days on electronics.
Looks like North Sails, probably from the Sausalito loft where I was working at that time. But Commodore’s hat is a custom limited edition Peter Sutter creation. Somewhere in a box I have the same hat. There was a little store in Sausalito that specialized in buttons and the trim Sutter used on those hats.
jamottep
Member
Yep, when I was born ...
End of an era yesterday when Matson's SS KAUAI (720') was towed out the Bay and under the Golden Gate for a last time, bound for Panama Canal and the shipbreakers in Brownsville, TX.
Captain Bob, on this Forum, served as Chief Mate on KAUAI beginning in 1983, and was one of her captains 1996-2002. I was fortunate to share a voyage, Seattle to Oakland, aboard KAUAI in April, 2000. Her usual loop at the time was Seattle/Oakland/Honolulu. During the Holidays, KAUAI was famous being Hawaii's Christmas tree ship, always news on Hawaiian TV.
We departed Berth 25 at 1600 and steamed out Admiralty Inlet at 22.6 knts, a beautiful evening. Dinner was served in the officer's mess, steak and chips.
At 2030 we discharged the pilot at Port Angeles, with the moonlight reflecting on the snow clad Olympic peaks.
By mid-night we were approaching the western entrance to the Straits of Juan de Fuca. My cabin was one floor below the bridge. With the KAUAI steaming into the fresh, 30 knot breeze at 19 knots I could feel the bows of the ship, and my bunk lifting to the ocean swell. Presently, I was becoming airborne, as well as the steak and chips.
In my darkened cabin I found the door and hiked upstairs to the bridge for some fresh air to cure my queasiness. I slid open the port side wing bridge door and stuck my head out.. air temp was 34 and apparent wind 50 knots...and that was the first time I experienced being seasick in over 30 years of small boat sailing right on Capt. Bob's freshly varnished wing handrails.
The next morning, at 0600, we were steaming downwind at 22 knots abeam Columbia River mouth, 30 miles distant. KAUAI was burning 1,000 barrels of oil/day firing her steam turbines. At the time, fuel was $30/barrel. From Chief Engineer Boyd I got a tour of the engine room and all the way aft in the tunnel to the rudder shaft and steering gear. The autopilot piston was getting a workout from it's controls 600 feet forward.
By 1600 we were abeam Port Orford. With 25-30 knots of breeze from astern and KAUAI's speed overground at 22.6 knts, the apparent wind was almost nil..balmy conditions going our direction.
At 1800 we were abeam the California border, snowcapped Mt. Preston, 7,310', visible 40 miles off the port side. We passed three ships headed north: a car carrier; another Matson ship, the SS MAUNALANI; and a tug with a barge in tow 3/4 mile astern. That's a lot of cable!
Early next morning, with the full moon setting to starboard, the Farallones and Pt. Reyes were in sight ahead. At 0615 we picked up our pilot, Capt. Crowell, and steamed under the Golden Gate with an ENE wind at 25 knots. Down the City front, the Captain slowed from 16 knots to dead slow as we entered the Oakland Channel and by 0815 we were secured alongside.
Thanks, Captain Bob, for a memorable voyage on your old ship. Sad to see her go for the last time...
Captain Bob, on this Forum, served as Chief Mate on KAUAI beginning in 1983, and was one of her captains 1996-2002. I was fortunate to share a voyage, Seattle to Oakland, aboard KAUAI in April, 2000. Her usual loop at the time was Seattle/Oakland/Honolulu. During the Holidays, KAUAI was famous being Hawaii's Christmas tree ship, always news on Hawaiian TV.
We departed Berth 25 at 1600 and steamed out Admiralty Inlet at 22.6 knts, a beautiful evening. Dinner was served in the officer's mess, steak and chips.
At 2030 we discharged the pilot at Port Angeles, with the moonlight reflecting on the snow clad Olympic peaks.
By mid-night we were approaching the western entrance to the Straits of Juan de Fuca. My cabin was one floor below the bridge. With the KAUAI steaming into the fresh, 30 knot breeze at 19 knots I could feel the bows of the ship, and my bunk lifting to the ocean swell. Presently, I was becoming airborne, as well as the steak and chips.
In my darkened cabin I found the door and hiked upstairs to the bridge for some fresh air to cure my queasiness. I slid open the port side wing bridge door and stuck my head out.. air temp was 34 and apparent wind 50 knots...and that was the first time I experienced being seasick in over 30 years of small boat sailing right on Capt. Bob's freshly varnished wing handrails.
The next morning, at 0600, we were steaming downwind at 22 knots abeam Columbia River mouth, 30 miles distant. KAUAI was burning 1,000 barrels of oil/day firing her steam turbines. At the time, fuel was $30/barrel. From Chief Engineer Boyd I got a tour of the engine room and all the way aft in the tunnel to the rudder shaft and steering gear. The autopilot piston was getting a workout from it's controls 600 feet forward.
By 1600 we were abeam Port Orford. With 25-30 knots of breeze from astern and KAUAI's speed overground at 22.6 knts, the apparent wind was almost nil..balmy conditions going our direction.
At 1800 we were abeam the California border, snowcapped Mt. Preston, 7,310', visible 40 miles off the port side. We passed three ships headed north: a car carrier; another Matson ship, the SS MAUNALANI; and a tug with a barge in tow 3/4 mile astern. That's a lot of cable!
Early next morning, with the full moon setting to starboard, the Farallones and Pt. Reyes were in sight ahead. At 0615 we picked up our pilot, Capt. Crowell, and steamed under the Golden Gate with an ENE wind at 25 knots. Down the City front, the Captain slowed from 16 knots to dead slow as we entered the Oakland Channel and by 0815 we were secured alongside.
Thanks, Captain Bob, for a memorable voyage on your old ship. Sad to see her go for the last time...
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Hope all are well.
You know the drill. Once we are safe to visit and local businesses hopefully reopen, first to correctly answer the quiz below wins a cup of Marianne's Macapuno ice cream with pomegranate topping at CBC. As well, special inside info from a previous winner of the 3BF how to pick your route in 2021 using a piece of free lesser known equipment/information.
This time you get one guess, and I will respond whether your answer is right or wrong. Contest ends 3 days after this posting.
Who was the first to solo the Pacific?
1. Wylie Post
2. Keniche Horie
3. Francis Chichester
4. Harry Pidgeon
5. Amelia Earhart
6. Joshua Slocum
7. Bernard Gilboy
8. Peter Bird
9. Juan Elcano
10. Tupaia
11. John Voss
You know the drill. Once we are safe to visit and local businesses hopefully reopen, first to correctly answer the quiz below wins a cup of Marianne's Macapuno ice cream with pomegranate topping at CBC. As well, special inside info from a previous winner of the 3BF how to pick your route in 2021 using a piece of free lesser known equipment/information.
This time you get one guess, and I will respond whether your answer is right or wrong. Contest ends 3 days after this posting.
Who was the first to solo the Pacific?
1. Wylie Post
2. Keniche Horie
3. Francis Chichester
4. Harry Pidgeon
5. Amelia Earhart
6. Joshua Slocum
7. Bernard Gilboy
8. Peter Bird
9. Juan Elcano
10. Tupaia
11. John Voss
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I will consult with CBC's Board of Directors about possibility of converting Hedgehog's accumulated winnings of ice cream, banana bread, and wine into something more useful for his predicament, like a gallon of epoxy and some carbon fiber.
Again, DaveH has barely let the ink dry on my quiz before he sprang with the correct answer. Bernard Gilboy crossed the Pacific, 7,000 miles over 160 days in 1882-83, from San Francisco to Australia in his 18 foot schooner PACIFIC. An amazing story, barely heard of, Gilboy did not seek notoriety, and just 6 copies of his book, predating Joshua Slocum, exist.
At the beginning, there is a mystery: What happened to Gilboy's wife and child, who did not come to the wharf to see him off. Then too, after capsizing and having his main mast, rudder, and nav tools swept away near Fiji, Gilboy ran out of food, causing dire straits. In between times, he created a minor navigational mystery of discovering an uncharted island, not altogether improbable given the quality and detail of charts and navigational tools of those times.
Thanks to FROLIC for putting us in touch with the correct answer to the Quiz. You can read Gilboy's book online here: http://digital.slv.vic.gov.au/view/...ULE_ID=10&frameId=1&usePid1=true&usePid2=true
I believe it may also be an audio book.
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That's a fascinating little boat and a unique rig.