From The Beginning
List of posts in chronological order from the beginning!.
Hello World?
September 10th, 20125 Comments »
I am an aspiring sailor and future cruiser. Like many others, I have a dream to be free from the tethers of land-life. No mortgage, car payments, no concrete and cars [reminds me of a Zac Brown Band song].
Mike’s Story
September 15th, 201210 Comments »
I’d never even been on a sailboat before coming up with this “crazy dream” of living on one! No one I know has a sailboat, I don’t come from a long line of sailors [or even pirates for that matter…
Solitaire Spirit
September 28th, 20123 Comments »
One of the (many) sailing books I’m currently reading is Solitaire Spirit by Les Powles. It was on the recommended list after I finished a previous book. I just started it and already in the foreword, it’s hit exactly on something that is very personal and dear to me. The foreword, written by Paul Gelder, […]
Pets on Board?
October 2nd, 2012No Comments »
I have a Jack Russell Terrier mix, Karma. She’s a small dog, so she obviously won’t take up too much space. I’ve had her on road trips before and she got a little
Celestial Navigation – Do you use a GPS or a Sextant?
October 4th, 2012No Comments »
I’ve always been enamored with the concept of navigation across the vast oceans using only a little handheld device and taking measurements from the sun and stars. As a kid, I was so curious how the old world explorers were able to do that and be accurate. That still amazes me, I guess!
Hamster Wheel – Daily Grind
October 11th, 20126 Comments »
For quite some time now I’ve had this feeling that I need to be on the water. Once I finally realized my calling was to retire onto a liveaboard boat, I considered both motor and sailboats. Ultimately, I decided it had to be a sailboat…the peacefulness, serenity and reliance on nature finally sealed the idea for me.
I’m ready to get away from this!
October 22nd, 20124 Comments »
Mornings like this, stuck in traffic, reminds me of just how ready I am to be finished with this. I long for a simpler life without the hassles and headaches of morning (and evening) traffic.
Sailors’ Superstitions
October 28th, 2012No Comments »
Obviously, since seafaring is probably one of the world’s oldest occupations and pastimes, there’s a ton of lore [both good and bad] out there. Here’s a few I’ve found that involve bad luck for sailors.
Back to full duty … finally
November 2nd, 20124 Comments »
Long story short, I was involved in a fight during the arrest of a man who had just raped a woman.
He didn’t want to go to jail, so I had to convince him otherwise.
Alternative Economic Culture
November 10th, 20127 Comments »
Here’s another post that doesn’t have much to do with the actual “sailing” or “cruising” part of sailing or cruising, but rather something that I think has influenced the sailing / cruising culture. I read an article and listened to a podcast by Paul Mason, a BBC correspondent who interviewed Professor Manuel Castells, a noted world […]
Can I Claim That Beach?
November 19th, 2012No Comments »
I’ve read that once you rid yourself of day to day distractions (traffic, mortgages, work spaces, a million people cramping your personal space, etc., etc.) then you are better able to understand the world and how it works so much easier and intuitively.
Nautical Charts and Sailing Knots
November 28th, 20125 Comments »
It kind of felt like Christmas when I checked my mail today! I had ordered these books a few days ago to use them for research and training. One of them, How to Read a Nautical Chart: A Complete Guide to Understanding and Using Electronic and Paper Charts was mentioned on another sailing blog I […]
An Embarrassment of Mangoes
December 6th, 20122 Comments »
I just finished reading a great book, An Embarrassment of Mangoes: A Caribbean Interlude by Anne Vanderhoof. The book was recommended to me by one of our blog readers. This is the true story of the author and her husband who took two years away from work and had the adventure of a lifetime cruising […]
Knots and Carabiners
December 8th, 20129 Comments »
I had very intimate knowledge of the figure eight loop knot since we literally used it every time we attached ourselves to the climbing line. We’d tie a figure eight loop on the rope end the climber is to be attached to and then hook that into two opposing carabiners attached to the climbing harness.
White Christmas
December 25th, 20122 Comments »
Well, we got snow today, making it a very white Christmas in Texas! Unfortunately, I had to work today, but that’s part of the careers I’ve chosen. When I was in the Air Force, there were very few Christmases when I wasn’t deployed overseas. And crime doesn’t stop on the holidays…so I work most of […]
Overhand Knot
January 28th, 20131 Comment »
Overhand Knot Category: Stopper knot How to tie:
Double Overhand Knot
February 3rd, 2013No Comments »
Double Overhand Knot Category: Stopper knot How to tie:
Figure Eight Knot
February 10th, 20133 Comments »
Figure Eight Knot Category: Stopper knot How to tie:
Am I a dummy?
February 11th, 20137 Comments »
I’m educating myself about sailing, cruising and all things nautical lately. This book I bought yesterday is just one more link in the chain that will hopefully help me become more knowledgeable and competent when it comes to sailing.
Ashley’s Stopper Knot
February 17th, 20132 Comments »
Category: Stopper knot How to tie:
The Ultimate Wave – Tahiti
February 20th, 20132 Comments »
I just watched this documentary this morning and wanted to share. It primarily focuses on surfing, but there’s a lot of information and images of French Polynesia in general and specifically Tahiti. There’s information about wave science and great views of the island and the reefs, thriving with aquatic life. This is the kind of […]
Triple Overhand Knot
February 24th, 2013No Comments »
Category: Stopper knot How to tie:
Keeping in Touch While Cruising
February 26th, 20132 Comments »
At first, I thought I’d set off cruising and once I’m beyond cell tower range in the United States I’d be “off the grid” as far as internet access goes. Thankfully I was wrong with that line of thought. I follow several sailing blogs and almost all mention fairly reliable internet access at popular cruising locations.
Constrictor Knot
March 3rd, 2013No Comments »
Category: Binding How to tie:
Reef Knot [Square Knot]
March 10th, 2013No Comments »
![Reef [Square] Knot](https://i0.wp.com/fillingthesails.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/20130308_0813461.jpg?resize=150%2C150)
Category: Binding How to tie:
Figure Eight Loop
March 24th, 2013No Comments »
Category: Loop Applications: The figure eight loop was probably originally a climber knot that went to sea. It is preferred by some to the classic bowline because it’s easier to teach, remember and tie, especially when cold, wet and tired. How to tie:
Fisherman’s Knot
March 31st, 2013No Comments »
Category: Bend or Joining Applications: Use a fisherman’s knot to join cords of equal diameter and similar construction, when lengthening lashings. How to tie:
Double Fisherman’s Knot
April 7th, 2013No Comments »
Category: Bend or Joining Applications: Use a Double Fisherman’s Knot in wet or slippery cords. It is a bulkier version of a Fisherman’s Knot. When used it rope and placed under strain, it may prove impossible to untie. How to tie:
Sailing Lessons Scheduled
April 12th, 20138 Comments »
This is something I’ve been longing for and yesterday I registered for the American Sailing Association ASA 101 class at a local yacht club.
Size Doesn’t Matter
April 15th, 20131 Comment »
Another great thing about this transition are the feelings and experience by ridding myself of all that extra “stuff” that I don’t need, want or even use anymore. What a peaceful feeling!
It’s also a good reminder that when I ultimately move onto a boat in a couple years, there’ll be more downsizing…getting rid of even more stuff!
Figure Eight Bend
April 21st, 2013No Comments »
Category: Bend or Joining Applications: The figure eight bend is a comparatively strong and secure knot for ropes of similar size and construction. It is less liable to jam and kinder to the rope in which it’s tied than a fisherman’s knot. How to tie:
Ship’s Stash: Hiding in Plain View?
May 4th, 20134 Comments »
In my job as a police officer, I routinely come across some very inventive ways that criminals have learned to conceal contraband. But it’s not just the bad guys hiding things…the good guys have some clever methods of hiding valuables in attempts to thwart
Pile Hitch
May 12th, 20132 Comments »
Category: Hitch Applications: The Pile Hitch is a single fixed-loop knot that is easily tied and used for dropping over posts or bollards to act as a mooring hitch. The Pile Hitch offers a little more friction and is easily tied with a bight of line. How to tie:
Sailboat Sale!
June 3rd, 20133 Comments »
Can’t wait to make my own Sailboat Sale ad, when I will finally rid myself of the dirt on my shoes and replace it with water under my boat and wind in my sails!
The Endless Blue
July 14th, 2013No Comments »
Sometimes you have to bob together for a moment with the tide pushing you along, not toward the shore, but toward the sea where it’s dark and scary, and know and believe God will bring you back to the shore where it’s safe when it’s time.
My ‘To Do’ List
August 22nd, 20137 Comments »
I’m happy to report that today is the day. I won’t actually hit the water (hope I don’t actually hit the water) until Saturday, since today is the classroom portion of the course.
ASA Basic Keelboat [Classroom]
August 23rd, 2013No Comments »
Then he hit us with some complicated stuff on running rigging. Of course I sort of knew what running rigging was, but there were terms I’d never heard of to date. Topping lift, outhauls, Cunningham Downhaul, boom vang, shackles. We were only an hour in to the lesson and I was already feeling my saturation point coming on. 🙂
First Sail!
August 26th, 20136 Comments »
I’m hooked….what an experience! On the first sailing day, we made our way to the slip and familiarized ourselves with the J-22 we were using for our class. Got her all rigged up and motored out a ways, raised the sails and
Haul-out already….and no sailboat yet
September 10th, 20137 Comments »
I was hoping it’d just be a simple sensor that needed replacing or something equally as easy [and inexpensive]. Nope, not with my luck. I went by there today and saw the entire top half of the engine off!
ASA-101 Certification
September 13th, 20133 Comments »
Well, after two weekends of lessons and some studying the night before, I finally took the ASA-101 Certification test. The tests were graded on the spot, so thankfully I didn’t have to wait days or weeks for the results.
B.O.A.T. (or Bring Out Another Thousand)
October 1st, 20139 Comments »
Now, I know what you might be thinking…25′? That’s not big enough to do some serious island cruising or ocean voyaging! And you’d be right..but it is a great size to hone my skills and enjoy some weekend sailing for a few years until retirement.
Maiden voyage
October 3rd, 201310 Comments »
Took the boat out yesterday for about three hours on the lake. Had a great time getting to know the boat. I enjoyed some nice winds in the 9-10 mph range with gusts to 18. I only had one real issue and that happened when I tightened the boom vang. The topping lift came off. […]
Accumulated Sailing Log Stats
October 7th, 20133 Comments »
I thought it’d be very cool to track every hour and mile of sailing completed, so starting when I took the ASA Sailing class, I’ve kept track of those stats (and other stats) with an app on my phone.
Water outside equals water inside
October 14th, 20136 Comments »
It was raining pretty hard yesterday, so my plans to get a couple hours of sailing in were ‘dampened.’ But I decided it would be a good opportunity to get a good look from the inside to see where the boat was leaking.
V-berth demolition [with video]
October 18th, 2013No Comments »
I’m really a do-it-yourself kind of guy, so spending some time and elbow grease is something I don’t mind at all. I like projects. My project today was to remove the old, moldy, smelly carpet that lines the interior hull walls of the v-berth.
The Cure For Anything?
October 26th, 2013No Comments »
Sweat…I’m no stranger to sweat, and I can certainly appreciate the idea that working hard, or working out hard (thus producing sweat) can have curative properties. Oftentimes, I find myself feeling much better about how things are going when I get some good old-fashioned elbow grease going on a project.
Companionway step attachment
October 28th, 20132 Comments »
One of the slightly annoying things I discovered recently after purchase, was that the companionway steps weren’t anchored very well. The bracket that attaches to the cabinet had been moved or damaged
Anchor Locker Woes
October 29th, 201310 Comments »
Well, I’ve discovered what I believe to be the primary source of water intrusion when I started pulling the rotted plywood off that covers the locker on the interior side. Caution….a couple of the following photos are graphic and might upset those who have a queasy stomach…lol.
Doesn’t this look like fun?
October 30th, 20132 Comments »
I made my way into the main cabin. On the port side, there’s a shelf. When I removed the carpet from it, I discovered an area of rot in the plywood.
Scrubby McScrubber
October 31st, 20134 Comments »
When I started the interior demolition, it was fairly easy to remove the old carpet that lined the interior walls. But the foam underside of the carpet had been adhered to the walls, so that required much scrubbing and sanding.
It Can’t Be All Work and No Play
November 2nd, 20135 Comments »
Went out for a quick sail today and had a great time! I’ve been doing a lot of work lately on my days off on the v-berth and cabin. While I like the project and the actual work, I certainly don’t want this to be a work boat; it has to be a fun-boat, too! 🙂
Let There Be Light
November 8th, 20132 Comments »
All the lights inside the boat were the original 1978 fixtures that are now brittle, cracking and mostly missing the covers. The incandescent bulbs were also getting pretty hot when left on for any amount of time.
My Greatest Frustration
November 17th, 20138 Comments »
Well….problems is what it gave me that day…and for several days now it has been my greatest frustration. I got the motor started and it ran fairly smoothly for about five minutes before it began sputtering and finally died. I tried starting it again and got nowhere.
Sea Legs?
November 17th, 20131 Comment »
Karma’s first visit to the boat yesterday. The floating dock had her confused and nervous for a few minutes, but she finally prevailed and obtained her sea legs!
Another Sailor in the Family?
November 20th, 20136 Comments »
We had a couple of good gusts that were in the 18-20 mph range. Those times the gusts came, we were close hauled and heeled over, only about 15 degrees, but it got Andrew pretty excited about sailing. He said he didn’t like the heel, but the huge smile on his face told the truth!
Changes…
December 24th, 201312 Comments »
For the foreseeable future this will be a singlehanded sailing blog. Sometimes, changes are necessary in life and what may seem like negative changes can ultimately end up being the best possible outcome.
First Solo Sail
January 26th, 20144 Comments »
Today was a little different feeling, though, since I knew I was really all by myself. I’m really glad I decided to go out! It was very cathartic…a kind of soul-cleansing, if you will, considering the changes that occurred last year.
Some ‘off-season’ work
January 30th, 20146 Comments »
We had a huge ice storm last month that completely covered the entire northern portion of Texas. Thankfully, the marina where my boat is didn’t sustain any damage, but a neighboring marina had roofs collapse and submerged fingers actually pulled some boats into the water.
Furling Jib Installed
July 14th, 20143 Comments »
After unfurling the jib for the first time, I discovered the sail is in very good condition, with only a few very minor pinholes. As expected, there was some rust staining on the sail, but other than that the sail and the furling equipment is in great condition.
Water level blues
July 19th, 20143 Comments »
This low level made it difficult to get out of the marina where my slip is located, so I had to move the boat to a different marina.
I liked the marina where I was previously.
Here we go again
July 23rd, 20144 Comments »
Some days better than others, but ultimately it’s been such a downer. I was commenting to my girlfriend the other day about how much of a joy-stealer it is when I’m on my way to the marina and the whole way out I’m wondering if my motor will start
Oh, what a relief it is…
August 1st, 20146 Comments »
With all the problems I’ve experienced with the 36 year old outboard motor on my boat ever since I bought the boat, it’s been somewhat of a downer with every trip to the boat. Worries clouded my head with every mile I drove there, wondering if my motor would start…and if it did,
Wishing for wind, not wasps
August 16th, 20147 Comments »
While all this was happening, I decided to do some cleaning up in the cabin and was buzzed several times by a mud dauber wasp. Although these wasps look VERY menacing, I know from experience they’re not aggressive at all and usually won’t bother me, I didn’t want it on the boat.
Tracking Engine Hours
August 31st, 20141 Comment »
This will certainly help remind me when scheduled maintenance intervals have been reached. I keep a spreadsheet that logs all engine hours, but I figured this would be a good method to see at-a-glance the engine hours every time I start it.
Great Day for a Sail
September 3rd, 20144 Comments »
While sailing downwind for a bit, I actually did something I’ve never done before. I pulled my jib off on the port side and the main off on the starboard so I was running wing-on-wing sailset. It was fun for about 10 minutes, until the ‘almost’ inevitable happened…the accidental jibe.
Well, I thought it was too windy
September 10th, 20146 Comments »
If only the wind had been straight on the bow… It was coming in slightly off the port side so I was being pushed at an angle, not straight out. Before I could get the tiller and the motor in sync my starboard quarter was rubbing the slip side.
And the boat work continues
September 23rd, 20142 Comments »
I had previously read somewhere that it’s not a good idea to use twist-on wire connectors, so I used butt splice connectors to connect the charger to the wires I previously ran to the battery.
A minor accomplishment
October 2nd, 20143 Comments »
A few days ago I achieved a minor landmark in my sailing career. I passed over the 100th nautical mile I’ve ever sailed.
V-berth and anchor locker re-construction
October 6th, 20147 Comments »
First step was for me to rebuild the area in the v-berth that is under the anchor locker. The boat was built with plywood surrounding the underside of the anchor locker, which was formed with fiberglass.
Well that was a fun sail
December 12th, 20147 Comments »
First thing I did when I opened the boat today was check the bilge. Not bad with only about 2 inches of water considering we’ve had some pretty good rain over the past several weeks. I did notice, however, that my ever-elusive v-berth leak is not completely gone.
Fashionable Boat Dog
January 28th, 20152 Comments »
The thing is….she can’t swim.
I learned that shortly after I adopted her. I was kayaking and when I left the shore she tried following me, but promptly began sinking.
One Step Closer
February 2nd, 20155 Comments »
Just made a move that sets us one step closer to realizing the dream of living that lifestyle that so many of us desire.
At least I was moving
March 4th, 20155 Comments »
Went out to the boat yesterday to check on things and get some sailing in. We had quite a bit of rain/ice/snow over the last week, but thankfully there wasn’t too much water intrusion into the boat.
OK, This One Has Me Stumped
April 28th, 201515 Comments »
So I flip the switch to activate the bilge pump. I hear it running, but there’s no water coming out the port side discharge hole.
A boat by any other name…
May 18th, 20152 Comments »
Even though this is a temporary boat I don’t want any cheesy boat names like Breaking Wind or Off Da Hook adorning the stern. Those are kinda funny and no offense to those whose boats have those names…but that’s just not my style.
Friday Afternoon Sailing Video
July 4th, 2015No Comments »
Just a little video compilation of my afternoon sailing outing.
A Few Updates
July 5th, 20152 Comments »
after some investigative troubleshooting, I discovered it wasn’t actually the pump that was the problem. Rather, it was a battery problem.
I could have sailed, but….
July 18th, 2015No Comments »
….there was work to be done. Boat work. Boat projects. The thing that ALL boat owners know all too well.
Sails Inventory
July 25th, 20151 Comment »
I needed to repair the ripped main and then clean it and the foresails. I figured I might as well measure the sails while I had them off the boat also. It’s much easier to measure them laid out in the backyard instead of trying to do so on the boat!
Anchor Cleat Installed
August 27th, 2015No Comments »
I started with drilling the holes for the anchor cleat then test-fitting it to ensure everything lined up. I put butyl tape down over the holes then placed the cleat down. To ensure no water intrusion at all, I put some butyl tape
I should have reefed
September 15th, 20151 Comment »
I got everything rigged up and was able to ‘back’ out of my slip unassisted by the outboard motor… I just let the wind push me out. I motored out into the lake and with the south wind, I set up on a beautiful point of sail somewhere between a beam reach and a broad reach on a port tack.
Reconstruction Time
September 29th, 2015No Comments »
After basically tearing the interior of my boat apart a couple years ago and then just letting it stay that way while I enjoyed the fun part of boat ownership (sailing it!), the reconstruction has commenced!
Doing that which I cannot do
October 13th, 20155 Comments »
There’s so much that I’ve yet to try, risk and achieve. Things that I’ll ultimately need to have at least a working knowledge of, but even better to have mastery of.
The blog formerly known as Siochana
December 16th, 2015No Comments »
It’s taken quite some time to make the final decision to change my blog name. While I identified very much with the name Siochana,
Merry Christmas!
December 25th, 2015No Comments »
Merry Christmas from the McGuire family!
Eagle Mountain Sailing Video
December 29th, 20152 Comments »
Under Sail
December 31st, 20151 Comment »
The winds were about 12-15 mph sustained with gusts to around 20 mph. I used a full main and the 155% genoa
Where have I been?
January 4th, 20162 Comments »
I guess I’ve got a pretty good portion of the globe covered so far. But I’m not done yet!
Stopped in My Tracks
February 1st, 20163 Comments »
One thing I also like about it is that once I’m finished sailing, the app has a function that allows me to export the statistics directly to my Google Sheets Sailing Log…..
The best sailboat is the one you already have
February 10th, 20166 Comments »
When I got my head out of the clouds and cleared up from the allure of getting a new-to-me boat, I knew there’s not really a whole lot left to do on my refit…..
Well, at least it looks a little better…
February 25th, 2016No Comments »
Here’s a quick video of my progress installing the interior hull liner on the Hunter 25.
You’ll notice some imperfections in the liner, specifically on the starboard berth top portion. I couldn’t get it to lay exactly against the hull because (I’m guessing) the curvature, both vertical and horizontal, of the hull…..
Nerd, geek, techie; Whatever you call it
February 29th, 2016No Comments »
I’ve been called a nerd, geek, and techie just to name a few. It’s interesting, though, because I abhor mathematics. I never was very good at the formulas and…..
Broken Dock Lines!
March 11th, 20162 Comments »
So a couple of my dock lines broke in the super high winds [~70 mph!] this week. I got…..
The Annapolis Book of Seamanship
March 19th, 2016No Comments »
Look what came in the mail today! Been wanting this for a while.
Slight Mishap
May 5th, 20165 Comments »
The mishap occurred about twenty minutes before I became aware of it. I pointed into the wind, hoisted the mainsail and the jib. As soon as I fell off the wind a bit and the jib caught air I realized my mistake.. Twenty minutes before, while at the dock, I had rigged…..
A milestone….or hourstone?
June 19th, 20161 Comment »
I turned the boat into the wind and set the tiller tamer to hold course. As I stood up, I noticed I was slightly off the wind, so I moved the tiller ever-so-slightly. I heard a small “pop” and watched as the line holding the tiller fell away into the cockpit.
That time I owned two boats…
July 1st, 20163 Comments »
When he finished, his friend commented, “Now that you bought the Catalina, are you going to sell the Hunter, or just start up your own fleet of sailboats?”
Catalina 25 Tall Rig
July 3rd, 20166 Comments »
She is well suited to her purpose in terms of design and build quality although some owners have sailed their Catalina 25s through the Caribbean, to South America, and even to Hawaii.
I have….and I still do.
July 5th, 2016No Comments »
I’ve talked a little and I’ve dreamed a lot about sailing around the world.
Tiller Repair [part 1]
July 11th, 2016No Comments »
I can either repair it [whilst also increasing my knowledge of sailboat maintenance and repairs] or simply buy a new one [and learn nothing].
Tiller Repair [part 2]
July 16th, 20168 Comments »
I mixed up the epoxy, spread the split apart a little more than it was already and put the epoxy within the split. I put it as far down into the split as I could. I then clamped the tiller end shut with the C-clamps.
A boat I don’t know on a lake I’m not familiar with
July 30th, 20164 Comments »
….and then I sat there for several minutes….wondering if I was even going to go out. The wind had picked up to about 12 or 13 mph and for the first time in a long time I was apprehensive about going out sailing. What if something happened out there……I’m in a boat I don’t know on a lake I don’t know….
Sailboat jewelry? No, not that kind of pendant.
August 2nd, 2016No Comments »
A pendant is a line or wire attached to the tack hook or shackle where you normally attach the tack of the headsail. This allows you to raise the foot/tack of the headsail off the deck.
Tightening the boom end tang
August 11th, 2016No Comments »
Removal and maintenance on the boom end tang on a Catalina 25 sailboat.
A headsail downhaul line
August 13th, 2016No Comments »
There’s many times I go out sailing single-handed and because of that I continually seek to improve the safety of how I do things. My latest project was to install a downhaul line for the headseail.
Can A Clinometer Be Sexy?
August 19th, 2016No Comments »
There I was, relaxing onboard my boat with the soft sound of reggae music coming from the stereo. I take in the view of everything around me. My eyes focus the clinometer….
The second best day…
August 26th, 20167 Comments »
I met the prospective buyer at the marina a couple days after he first contacted me. He looked her over and made his offer on the spot. It was practically an asking-price offer, so it didn’t take long for me to agree….
With a boat, there’s always a list
September 2nd, 2016No Comments »
I’m a “list person”. I love lists, especially checklists, so I can check things off as ‘done’. I’ve been known to create a list with check-boxes after I’ve done something, just so I’ll have a completed checklist.
The first time I dropped anchor
September 7th, 20161 Comment »
I intended to do some sailing until I arrived and to my disappointment I saw the flags hanging lifeless from the marina flagpoles. Oh well, another boat work day, I guess. Work days are good, but sailing days are better.
Whittling away at “the list”
September 9th, 20168 Comments »
A co-worker commented about how long my to-do list was for my boat. Thankfully, most of my list is purely cosmetic or upgrades for the sake of convenience. I’ve been…
Scraping my dirty bottom
September 23rd, 20164 Comments »
I descended into the murky lake water and was immediately greeted by the sight of a slimy green growth all over the underside of my boat’s hull. No wonder it was slower than a herd of turtles. I’ve never done any type of diving like this, so it was initially a bit uncomfortable. Not uncomfortable like having your shoes on the wrong feet, but more like some type of cognitive dissonance since it’s unnatural for humans to breathe underwater.
It took a long, long time…
December 30th, 20164 Comments »
She’s never been out on the boat before, and I want to make sure that when I take her sailing for the first time it’s nice and easy. I’m thinking 80 degrees with 8-10 mph winds would be the perfect scenario. That was not the weather we had this date…
2016 Year in Photos
December 31st, 20162 Comments »
See the most popular photos of 2016 in this year-in-review photo gallery.
I might have to bludgeon this gudgeon
January 7th, 20179 Comments »
So I got the larger washers, but when I tried to get that blob of stuff off, it was extremely difficult. I’m assuming it’s some type of epoxy or 1979 version of lock-tite.
How I did a two-person job by myself
February 15th, 20173 Comments »
I made my way down below and then to the stern inside the boat. I was relieved to see the bolts still sticking through the transom. Very gingerly, I held the bolts and slipped the backing plate over all three.
One small step
June 13th, 20175 Comments »
As I began climbing up the mast ladder, I was exhilarated. At the same time, in the back of my mind was nestled the fact that the mast ladder was raised and supported by a who-knows-how-old halyard on a boat that had been abandoned and left to rot in the Texas weather for at least the last five years!
20170614
June 14th, 20171 Comment »
Some good Wednesday night sailing tonight! Boat: O’Day 28, Starlight Express
HMR 2017 Training Session #1
August 24th, 20172 Comments »
We practiced our man overboard drills. We practiced the figure 8 method a few times and the heave-to method several times. To practice the drills, Forest would throw overboard two half-gallon milk jugs tied together with a cord.
Hatch board hell
August 31st, 20177 Comments »
When I bought the boat, the companionway was (and currently is) covered by one piece of painted plywood. It looks terrible, it’s heavy, and it’s difficult to store while underway. It’s hatch board hell.
… And it happened again!
September 7th, 20176 Comments »
We tacked around a couple times and then “Crack….!!!” I heard the tiller break! I could tell it broke at the very back, under the metal brackets.
2017 Harvest Moon Regatta Preparations
September 29th, 2017No Comments »
After a frenzy of online purchases, I finally gathered the necessary safety equipment. Offshore Automatic Inflatable Life Jacket, crotch strap for life jacket [this thing feels like it’ll hurt if I actually end up using it!]…
Harvest Moon Regatta 2017
November 6th, 2017No Comments »
We only had one issue that really concerned us during the overnight race. Our port jibsheet snapped! It sounded like a gun being fired. But we were able to use our way-too-long main reefing line as a makeshift jibsheet. It served a double-ended purpose for the remainder of the race.
I can finally steer the boat again!
November 17th, 20179 Comments »
I’ve had the boat out a couple times since installing the new tiller. You know how when you were a kid and got brand new shoes and thought you could run faster? Well, I think my boat may be faster now! Haha.
Hatch Board Heaven
November 29th, 2017No Comments »
As you might recall from my Hatch Board Hell post, my hatch boards were seriously a wreck. I’m happy to report that after some serious work, my friend from work has helped me transition out of the depths of hatch board hell. Take a look at these beauties!
My sails are full…
January 15th, 20188 Comments »
…when sails are working their hardest and accomplishing the most, they are full and quiet. When the sails are struggling and not efficient, they’re very noisy. It parallels some aspects of our lives. When we’re content and working hard to accomplish a goal, we are usually quiet and oriented, not expending energy on distractions or making noise. Likewise, when we’re struggling with something or unable to maintain a proper course, we need adjustment just as one would adjust a sail.
Master And Commander Style
February 24th, 20189 Comments »
…we passed them and began pushing them up, forcing them to turn down to get better air and positioning. We took advantage of being upwind as we slowed and allowed them to come alongside. At that point we unleashed an assault…
A man, a dog, and a sailboat
June 9th, 20188 Comments »
There’s also a very intimate connection between man and water. I’m not talking about the water we drink, but the ocean, the lake, the river, whatever source of water a man feels close to. In order to fulfill a man’s desire to be on or near the water, we sometimes use boats. My boat of choice is a sailboat.