What was it like 4 U
 

Here is the story of my quest for a sailboat. After you read it lets
here your story, IF you have a boat. This has been published in Sail
magazine and readers digest. It is copy writed.


Fetching Red Cloud
A true
story by Joe Butcher

It was a cold dreary day in December when we decided to take a
road trip, to look at what must be a hopeless case of a boat 120 miles
away from our homes in Houston . The add in the classified read 42 ft
sailboat great project, and the price was set to sell for scrap. Cliff
my boss, Michael my co worker and I loaded up and set off for the
Sunshine Bridge just this side of the Sabine river that borders Texas
and Louisiana not knowing what to expect. Cliff and Michael where
coming along to advise me, they both had extensive knowledge of boats,
Cliff being the former president of ,at the time, the worlds largest
offshore supply boat company servicing the oilfields , Michael the
previous owner of a 36 foot Morgan. I held a 1,600 ton freight and
towing licences (expired) and was somewhat knowledgeable about boats,
but would feel better with a little urging . We all had the Dream to
sail, and I wanted a live aboard.

We felt that it would be better to just arrive. No notice, no
advance warning , and to see if this derelict had a chance. The marina
was a combination shrimp boat dock, restaurant, and ostrage farm with a
sprinkling of discarded wine bottles, beer can, oil drums, and various
vessels falling apart along the pothole filled mud ridden road. We went
to the restaurant called Leo's to get a bite and ask around to see
where the boat was moored. Leo the owner of the marina and self
proclaimed harbour master took or order for oyster poorboys and a
picture of beer . We took a table by a large window and saw her, the
was no need to ask, the boat stood out.

It was a pleasure to look at , Built for the high seas with beauty in
the curves of it hull and her mast towering above all others . It was
the largest boat in the marina the closet thing in size was a 22 foot
shrimp boat built of plywood and nails more suited for this place. We
where a hundred yards away but I knew I had to have her. When Leo
returned with our food we asked him about the boat. Its a land mark he
replied. The shrimpers use her mast as range markers to enter the
harbour , Doubt she will ever sail again . We have had a dozen or so
people a month look at her, just no one willing to take her on, he said
as he left the table.

We walked the rest of the way to the boat not daring to drive the
road for fear of getting stuck . We saw Leo laughing and shaking his
head from the window. All the sails where gone, cut up to shade the
ostrages many summers ago. A couple of windows where missing and the
name painted on her bow was the H.M.S. NEVER SAIL.
A fellow sailor who had a small boat docked 50 feet away walked up
and looked at her with us not saying a word . She was a steel, center
cockpit ketch. The name starting with HMS and her design we knew she
was built in England. The boat was wedged between two pylons in a slip
that was designed for a boat to be 3 ft narrower. How did they get the
boat in here Cliff ask the newcomer? With the cat he replied , as he
pointed at a large hill of weeds that hid a caterpillar bulldozer that
had long since rusted to a halt, now consumed by the local vegetation.
She had 2 foot of water under her hull that needed 4 and a half feet to
float. That might be a problem Michael laughed you will need a dredge.
Maybe I said. And a chain saw for these pylons Cliff threw in. But she
was solid, overbuilt with the finest English steel. All the through
hull fitting where monel. The large engine room held a FMC diesel main
and a Lister Generator. Her rigging was solid, over built . The inside
was another story, so ugly we knew instantly it was built in the early
70s complete with flower power Formica and imitation wood panelling
that could cause cabin fever in a heart beat. The missing windows
allowed all the Mud Dobbers in that area of the river to call this
place home. There where nest in every light fixture, drawer, sink drain
and faucet, bunk, cabinet, everywhere possible. But in my mind I saw
the interior in mahogany. Will I do it. Can I deprive this place of
it's land mark. Can I get a live aboard so cheap! Is it worth it. All
these questions with no sure answers.

Cliff was on deck talking to the local. He was told that the boat was
brought over from England in the late 80s the owner was[soon after
arriving] involved in a divorce and had to sell her to the now owner
Felix a security guard at a local refinery. The boat has set for 8
years. He said Felix just had a fire burn his trailer down, and with
Christmas a few week away he will take any offer. I was hooked , I had
to have this boat. Cliff looked at me strangely not knowing what to
think as I climbed down in the engine room and started to remove the
starter of the main engine. What are you doing he asked. Removing my
starter , I'm committed that I will have this boat. You should be
committed, Cliff said. I wasn't sure how I should of taken that last
statement.

The Following Monday we had the starter rebuilt bought a battery and
departed for the bridge with cash in hand to buy the boat. We stopped
at a local hardware store and bought 2 five gallon fuel cans. Felix met
us at the refinery and accepted our offer of 4000 dollars, less then a
hundred a foot. I thought I saw a tear in his eye as we drove away with
the title.

We had a plan to get the boat floating then see where we stood as far
as engine power. We had to pull her out from between the pylons and off
the mud. To do this we where going to walk a line around the marina to
a dock behind the stern about 120 feet away. When we tried, we found we
did not have a long enough line to go around the marina. Cliff and
Michael would not draw straws with me and I was elected to swim the
distance in the freezing water, I should of brought 100 foot of line
and a monkeys fist. I went across that marina so fast it was as close
as walking on water that I will ever get. We used the main sail
winches and with a lot of groaning and cracking of the pylons ,and our
backs, she shot out from the pylons squeeze like a baby being born.
Michael had replaced the oil and the starter on the main engine and to
or amazement after 8 years of not running the engine started with ease
- and a little ether. The fuel tanks had a lot of slime so we where
going to moter the boat back on a 55 gallon drum salvaged from the yard
as our fuel tank filled by 5 trips to the local gas station with our
new cans. We decided to stay the day and clean as much trash and gear
adrift as we could, then motor the intercoastal water way back to
Galveston bay, up the ship channel, and into Clear Lake where a boat
yard would be or first port of call.

We lost count of the mud dobber nest we removed at around 300 and
unloaded a ton of gear adrift left by some forgotten vagrant . After a
good meal at Leo's, Cliff left to Houston with plans to see us
tomorrow on Clear Lake; we decided to sleep but with no heat aboard
that was difficult and we decided to set off around 4am.

The channel leaving the marina was narrow and with no range marker
now, we soon ran aground. We sat there and cursed our luck until
sunrise when a friendly shrimper, setting out for the days catch was
kind enough to pull us off the sand and show us the channel to the
Sabine river. We hoped this short delay would be our last problem. We
hoped with a good tide and no more problems we would arrive in 13
hours.

The Sabine was running out at seven knots and with the seven knots we
where running we where flying down river, we had good charts and knew
where we where. The day turned out to be perfect weather wise the sky
was a crystal clear blue and the sun was finally warming us up. We knew
the intercoastal was coming up fast and we would have to make a sharp
right turn under the High Island bridge to head west . We started
stratigizing that with this current we would have to hug the starboard
side at hit the opening under the bridge at a fast nine knots to keep
steerage this would be a daring feat because of the way the bridge is
built we would not be able to look for barge traffic heading east, I
climbed the mast and could see over part of the bridge; around a
quarter of a mile out but no closer. Well I felt lucky and we proceeded
as planed.

To our terror and the blast of one whistle we meet a fully loaded 500
foot barge right under the bridge. We both screamed and I hit the
throttle full speed to escape being crushed between the ever narrowing
gap of the barge and the concrete bridge supports . We made it through
the opening with only inches to spare. The tugs wake exploding over the
bow and the Skipper flipping us the bird. We felt lucky again, this
time for not being smashed into, and under, the mud of the inter
coastal water way.
In the intercoastal our boat speed slowed faster then our heart
beats, but we could see for miles. Now confident the worst was over and
feeling good about the trip ahead . We relaxed for the 70 mile strait
shot to the Boliver peninsula.

The day was perfect, the engine was purring , we took turns steering
while the other climbed the mast and at fifty feet plus above the water
you could see forever the grasslands that border the intercoastal where
green and lush with lots of birds and an occasional alligator to notice
our passing , the weather a perfect 62 degrees. I was on top of the
world. Soaring like the birds.

We passed the day along by cleaning and removing more mud dobber nest.
We soon realised we where pushing against a current and we would not
make it all the way to Clear Lake before sundown . We did not plan on
this and only packed food for breakfast and lunch. With the Boliver
light house on the horizon at sundown we decided to stop an eat at a
supply dock. We figured we only had a few hours of running north in the
ship channel from here so we ate our cheese burgers and drank or coffee
in a hurry , and set out at just after dark into Galveston bay heading
north into the ship channel. I wished I had rebuilt the alternator. The
running lights soon dimmed and we feared that if the engine died we
would not be able to restart it. We had to conserve the battery so we
decided to disconnect the lights until we saw any other traffic. This
was not easy, the electrical systems was in disarray we had cut the
wiring to the switch panel and had a line powering the lights hooked
strait to the battery. I now wished I had brought a good flashlight!

No further then a mile north on the ship channel the fog started to
set in . With no radio we could not check with Houston ship traffic and
know what ships if any where in the channel. Still we could see to the
next buoy, and decided to keep going. We knew within an hour we could
turn into the clear lake channel. We had no chart of the ship channel
but knew the area well - we thought. Put it this way, in clear
visibility we knew the area well. The fog was getting thicker we knew
we where near Redfish Island, an Island that is normally one foot
underwater on the port side of the channel. As you pass north of the
island you can turn out of the ship channel. The fog became so thick we
could not see the next buoy. We decided we had gone far enough north
that we could turn west and miss Redfish and get out of harms way.

Both Michael and I felt good as we turned out of the channel and out
of harms way . That was until we ran hard aground on Redfish Island. We
where hard aground. It was getting cold and the day had been long. We
tried to back off with no luck, and we sat there thinking of ways to
get her unstuck. Michael knew his wife would be worried we where so
late. He came up with the idea to use the mizzen boom as a pry bar. Not
convinced this would work, but willing to try anything I started to
climb on the cabin to help him remove the boom.

Then we heard it, so strange a sound, like a thousand water faucets
where being opened at once. The boat started to list to port we saw the
water was being sucked out from under us we listed further and further
till the boat was sitting on dry sand on her side. Then came a
deafening roar a ten plus foot wall of water was rushing towards us
from the north, a ships wake. We're dead now Michael said calmly. We
both grabbed on to the Mizzen Mast an the wave burst around us. At the
35 degree list the steel hull took the impact of the wave . It shot
over and around us not a drop of water hitting us. What luck I yelled
as I jumped in the cockpit The boat gently rolled to starboard starting
floating and we backed off the Island into the ship channel. Boy, we
felt great to be alive and free of Redfish! Then sheer terror struck,
out of the fog we saw we had backed into the path of another outbound
ship . Michael dived head first into the engine room to connect the
running lights. As they came on all you could see was the red
reflection of our port running light reflecting off the bow towering
down on us . In seconds we where surfing away from the ship on the
wake of the bulbous bow and seeing nothing but a towering steel wall
speed by us at 20 plus knots. Another narrow miss, man we felt great
to still be alive. We followed the ships frothy wake north to the next
Buoy and turned west running from the ship channel as fast as we could.
We decided to slow and drop anchor and wait out the fog. Man, we felt
lucky and would take no other chances.

When the fog lifted we found we had run into a horseshoe shape of
pipes leaving a dredge. If we had gone another fifty feet we would
have hit it. Cliff was on the Clear Lake bridge honking and waving.
Michael,s wife had called the Coast Guard worried we that we where
so overdue.

We made it to the shipyard with no other problems. I have spent
three years totally restoring the boat and we are now ready for many
years of fun sailing , though I think I will never have another trip
that will be memorable and eventful , delightful, and terrorising, as
my first aboard the b

Joe

Interesting reading, Joe. I can see why it was published in SAIL magazine.
It has all the elements that magazines want these days - one potential disaster
after another . . . I certainly hope you have progressed well beyond that stage.

Here is my story. Such a story would never get published in a magazine because
it has none of the ineptitude displayed in yours.


Cutting the Mustard
A true story by
Capt. Neal

I have lived aboard my blue water cruising yacht for nigh on fifteen
years now. I named her "Cut the Mustard" instead of "Cuts the Mustard"
out of a desire that she inspire me to do the job right on an ongoing basis
and not because as a vessel she is competent. Her very name serves as
a reminder to never stop being vigilant.

I purchased her in Nashville, Tennessee, fitted her out for living aboard
and blue water cruising, had her hauled overland from Percy Priest
Lake to Old Hickory Lake on the Cumberland River where I commenced my
journey to the sea via the Cumberland River to the Ohio River to the Tennessee
River and the Tombigbee waterway on down to Mobile Bay and the Gulf
of Mexico.

The journey took a fortnight and there were no disasters, no near misses,
no frightening moments and no uncomfortable situations. Even negotiating
the many locks turned out to be uneventful. In short, it would make for boring reading delineating how I did everything right.

I suspect more sailors do things right than careen from near catastrophe
to near disaster to near stupidity than it would seem. This is because
the only thing magazines will print is tales of woe in the latter category.
I guess it is because there are so many more people in the inept category
who read, enjoy and identify with others of the same ilk. They cannot
identify with professionalism.

In spite of this, I'll continue to do things right even if it means I remain
anonymous and have no story that will sell in the magazines. After all,
real sailors sail. We have few if any failures and should we have one
or two over the long years, we certainly would not be proud of a
story describing them and making us look the fool.

Capt. Neal





"Joe" wrote in message oups.com...
Here is the story of my quest for a sailboat. After you read it lets
here your story, IF you have a boat. This has been published in Sail
magazine and readers digest. It is copy writed.


Fetching Red Cloud
A true
story by Joe Butcher

It was a cold dreary day in December when snipped remainder for brevity

The spelling is probably too good as well.

Cheers

Capt. Neal® wrote:

Interesting reading, Joe. I can see why it was published in SAIL magazine.
It has all the elements that magazines want these days - one potential disaster
after another . . . I certainly hope you have progressed well beyond that stage.

Here is my story. Such a story would never get published in a magazine because
it has none of the ineptitude displayed in yours.


Cutting the Mustard
A true story by
Capt. Neal

I have lived aboard my blue water cruising yacht for nigh on fifteen
years now. I named her "Cut the Mustard" instead of "Cuts the Mustard"
out of a desire that she inspire me to do the job right on an ongoing basis
and not because as a vessel she is competent. Her very name serves as
a reminder to never stop being vigilant.

I purchased her in Nashville, Tennessee, fitted her out for living aboard
and blue water cruising, had her hauled overland from Percy Priest
Lake to Old Hickory Lake on the Cumberland River where I commenced my
journey to the sea via the Cumberland River to the Ohio River to the Tennessee
River and the Tombigbee waterway on down to Mobile Bay and the Gulf
of Mexico.

The journey took a fortnight and there were no disasters, no near misses,
no frightening moments and no uncomfortable situations. Even negotiating
the many locks turned out to be uneventful. In short, it would make for boring reading delineating how I did everything right.

I suspect more sailors do things right than careen from near catastrophe
to near disaster to near stupidity than it would seem. This is because
the only thing magazines will print is tales of woe in the latter category.
I guess it is because there are so many more people in the inept category
who read, enjoy and identify with others of the same ilk. They cannot
identify with professionalism.

In spite of this, I'll continue to do things right even if it means I remain
anonymous and have no story that will sell in the magazines. After all,
real sailors sail. We have few if any failures and should we have one
or two over the long years, we certainly would not be proud of a
story describing them and making us look the fool.

Capt. Neal





"Joe" wrote in message oups.com...

Here is the story of my quest for a sailboat. After you read it lets
here your story, IF you have a boat. This has been published in Sail
magazine and readers digest. It is copy writed.


Fetching Red Cloud
A true
story by Joe Butcher

It was a cold dreary day in December when snipped remainder for brevity

Spelling Nazi,
Lets hear your story, Or do you even have a boat Dave?.

Joe

"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...
Here is the story of my quest for a sailboat. After you read it lets
here your story, IF you have a boat. This has been published in Sail
magazine and readers digest. It is copy writed.


Fetching Red Cloud
A true
story by Joe Butcher

Top marks, Joe. That was the best sailing post that we've had in a while.

Regards


Donal
--

Capt. Neal=AE wrote:
Interesting reading, Joe. I can see why it was published in SAIL
magazine.
It has all the elements that magazines want these days - one
potential disaster
after another . . . I certainly hope you have progressed well beyond
that stage.


But of course I have, The key was to get while the getting was good.



Here is my story. Such a story would never get published in a
magazine because
it has none of the ineptitude displayed in yours.


Cutting the Mustard
A true story by
Capt. Neal

I have lived aboard my blue water cruising yacht for nigh on fifteen
years now. I named her "Cut the Mustard" instead of "Cuts the
Mustard"
out of a desire that she inspire me to do the job right on an ongoing
basis
and not because as a vessel she is competent. Her very name serves as
a reminder to never stop being vigilant.

I purchased her in Nashville, Tennessee, fitted her out for living
aboard
and blue water cruising, had her hauled overland from Percy Priest
Lake to Old Hickory Lake on the Cumberland River where I commenced my
journey to the sea via the Cumberland River to the Ohio River to the
Tennessee
River and the Tombigbee waterway on down to Mobile Bay and the Gulf
of Mexico.

The journey took a fortnight and there were no disasters, no near
misses,
no frightening moments and no uncomfortable situations. Even
negotiating
the many locks turned out to be uneventful. In short, it would make
for boring reading delineating how I did everything right.

I suspect more sailors do things right than careen from near
catastrophe
to near disaster to near stupidity than it would seem. This is
because
the only thing magazines will print is tales of woe in the latter
category.
I guess it is because there are so many more people in the inept
category
who read, enjoy and identify with others of the same ilk. They cannot
identify with professionalism.

In spite of this, I'll continue to do things right even if it means I
remain
anonymous and have no story that will sell in the magazines. After
all,
real sailors sail. We have few if any failures and should we have one

or two over the long years, we certainly would not be proud of a
story describing them and making us look the fool.

Capt. Neal


Good story Capt, A bit boring but fine seamanship for sure.
Notice no others have stories of conquest, just lame spelling comments.


Guess plopping down thousands to a yacht broker is not worth talking
about eh?.

Joe






"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...
Here is the story of my quest for a sailboat. After you read it
lets
here your story, IF you have a boat. This has been published in
Sail
magazine and readers digest. It is copy writed.


Fetching Red Cloud
A true
story by Joe Butcher

It was a cold dreary day in December when snipped remainder for
brevity

wrote in message
...
On 14 Dec 2004 14:54:46 -0800, "Joe" wrote:

Here is the story of my quest for a sailboat. After you read it lets
here your story, IF you have a boat. This has been published in Sail
magazine and readers digest. It is copy writed.



LIE!

This abortion was never published in either of those magazines. Sail
sometimes
doesn't do a perfect job of editing, but this is so poorly edited that it
wouldn't get published in Screw Magazine.

BTW, back issues are available if you want to post the dates and issue
numbers
it allegedly appeared in, and anyone is stupid enough to think they even
need to
check.

BB

September '00, volume 31 number 9, 'twas no trouble really, have 6 years of
back issues in magazine holders upstairs, am no longer a subscriber, of
course. This is funny, I actually read this article when it was published, I
won't tell you what I thought about the author when I read the article, I
have subsequently had a change of heart. Every sailor has taken their boat
out when they probably shouldn't have for various reasons.

John Cairns

John Cairns wrote:
wrote in message
...
On 14 Dec 2004 14:54:46 -0800, "Joe"
wrote:

Here is the story of my quest for a sailboat. After you read it
lets
here your story, IF you have a boat. This has been published in
Sail
magazine and readers digest. It is copy writed.



LIE!

This abortion was never published in either of those magazines.
Sail
sometimes
doesn't do a perfect job of editing, but this is so poorly edited
that it
wouldn't get published in Screw Magazine.

BTW, back issues are available if you want to post the dates and
issue
numbers
it allegedly appeared in, and anyone is stupid enough to think they
even
need to
check.

BB

September '00, volume 31 number 9, 'twas no trouble really, have 6
years of
back issues in magazine holders upstairs, am no longer a subscriber,
of
course. This is funny, I actually read this article when it was
published, I
won't tell you what I thought about the author when I read the
article, I
have subsequently had a change of heart. Every sailor has taken their
boat
out when they probably shouldn't have for various reasons.



How true John, I was desperate to get the boat the hell out of Leo's
marina. I admit it wasen't the safest thing to do, but I made it
without dying and thats all that matters.

Do you subscribe to Readers Digest by any chance?

And for BB you non-beliver you can buy my book soon from Doubleday
publishers. I'm hoping on getting a mid 6 figures for exclusive rights
to publish it, they are eager but not eager enough yet. It is called
Columbian Gold. Rumor is Leanardo DeCaprio wants to play me in the
movie version. Screen rights will go for 10-15 million Im told. But Im
not counting my chickens before the eggs hatch. It's just a hobbie
after all.

It's not about spelling and grammer, you can hire a very smart speller
grammerist for next to nothing.

I was going to get Bob a directing job fiming the flick version but
after his dis'n me as bb Im not so sure. If you say your sorry Bob i
might send you the outline for your opinion. After you sign a
non-disclosure form of course.

Joe


John Cairns

"Joe" wrote in message
ups.com...

John Cairns wrote:
wrote in message
...
On 14 Dec 2004 14:54:46 -0800, "Joe"
wrote:

Here is the story of my quest for a sailboat. After you read it
lets
here your story, IF you have a boat. This has been published in
Sail
magazine and readers digest. It is copy writed.



LIE!

This abortion was never published in either of those magazines.
Sail
sometimes
doesn't do a perfect job of editing, but this is so poorly edited
that it
wouldn't get published in Screw Magazine.

BTW, back issues are available if you want to post the dates and
issue
numbers
it allegedly appeared in, and anyone is stupid enough to think they
even
need to
check.

BB

September '00, volume 31 number 9, 'twas no trouble really, have 6
years of
back issues in magazine holders upstairs, am no longer a subscriber,
of
course. This is funny, I actually read this article when it was
published, I
won't tell you what I thought about the author when I read the
article, I
have subsequently had a change of heart. Every sailor has taken their
boat
out when they probably shouldn't have for various reasons.



How true John, I was desperate to get the boat the hell out of Leo's
marina. I admit it wasen't the safest thing to do, but I made it
without dying and thats all that matters.

Or sink the boat. Good lessons, the ones you tend to remember, limiting the
possibility of repeating them in the future.I would add, taking the boat out
when you probably shouldn't is what makes you a sailor.

Do you subscribe to Readers Digest by any chance?

No.

Joe


John Cairns

Why thank you Donal, I will send you an autographed HB copy of my book
when it is published. It is a great exciting true tale of the high
seas, spanish gold, corrupt goverments, hitmen, jail breaks, and much
much more. Even I cant put it down when I read it.

Joe

"Donal" wrote in message
...

"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...
Here is the story of my quest for a sailboat. After you read it lets
here your story, IF you have a boat. This has been published in Sail
magazine and readers digest. It is copy writed.


Fetching Red Cloud
A true
story by Joe Butcher

Top marks, Joe. That was the best sailing post that we've had in a
while.

Regards


Donal
--




I would add, excepting the old nav/colregs quizzes, one of the few sailing
posts we've had lately.

John Cairns

Joe... you should know better......
Don't even give Billy the sweat off your bag.... he's an angry person with
nothing to live for!

CM

Overproof wrote:
Joe... you should know better......
Don't even give Billy the sweat off your bag.... he's an angry person
with
nothing to live for!



I know I shouldent, But he needs a hand getting his **** back together
after that star trek horror mis-adventure he directed. I like to drag
people out of the gutter and give them self-respect again.
Joe





CM

Hey Crapton,

Mr everything right, How about a post on the Broken Boom? How about a
History of the names on the "Banana Boat" before you changed the name
because of all the laughs the ASA was having? How about the true story
of the Keel?

Tell us about your project of making her unsinkable?

How about a re-telling of shooting the Inlet against the CG advice?

How about that for an Old Man's memory?

I still have many more of your tales. I'll save them. In the mean time,
Crapton. These are stories that you have posted. The real Crapton will
has no problem recalling them for the Newbies. (Nor will I)

Ole Thom

CM,

What ever gave you the throught that
"Willy the Wisp" actually lives?

Ole Thom

Thom Stewart wrote:
.... The real Crapton will
has no problem recalling them for the Newbies. (Nor will I)


Remember his attempt to explain "hull speed"? Now *that* was funny!

DSK

Hey, Ole Thom, you should learn how to separate wishful thinking
from reality. For one thing, the broken boom happened years after
I made my way successfully down to the sea. If you will kick start
some of those alcohol-soaked brain cells of yours, you would recall
the boom broke while I was beating out of St. Augustine in half a gale.
That inlet is known for steep and dangerous seas in on-shore
weather because it shoals and waves often break all across the bar.

I believe the Columbia River bar is a bigger example of it. You should
be familiar with that inlet being as how you profess to live up there
in Washington State.

As for my fine blue water yacht's name, the fellow I bought her from
had her named "Autumn." I did not like that name so I changed it to
"Cut the Mustard." I have never called her anything else. Where you
got the idea she had multiple names is a matter of examining your
own thought processes. How any sane man could take as fact some
of the ramblings of the losers in this group over the actuality that is
Capt. Neal® borders on the farcical.

Furthermore, this fixation you have on my having moved the keel is
bordering on delusion. Again, sir, the keel is still in its original place.
I did not ever say I moved it and unless you can come up with where
I said I moved it and post it to prove your contention, then why not
admit your error?

All I ever said is I refitted the keel meaning I added some extra keel
bolts. Perhaps you assumed refitting means removing. To this sailor
refitting means fitting it with new hardware. This was done in the
water and did NOT involve removing the keel. I believe I mentioned
this procedure on my website. Please don't allow your misconceptions
and ignorance of nautical terms to cloud your judgment, sir.

As for the positive flotation project, that is true and factual. I have
poured all the dead space between the hull and the component with
two-part, closed cell, urethane foam. My fine, blue water yacht is
similar to an Etap or a Boston Whaler in that there is the hull, there
is foam and there is the inner liner (component). Not only that, but
there is no unsightly, heavy pilothouse on this Captain's real sailboat.

You have a pretty good memory for an old coot but you have a lot
of the details wrong. I guess you can be forgiven since it is more
a problem with reading comprehension than memory in my humble
opinion. For an old relic you could be a lot worse off. Heck,
compare yourself to the dazed, confused, bitter and psychotic
mental state of the Gay One who is half your age and you will
have to admit you are practically an Einstein.

Cheers! And, I'll drink to THAT!

Seriously, Ole Thom, let me be among the first to wish you a
Merry Christmas this year and many, many more to come.

Respectfully,
Capt. Neal




"Thom Stewart" wrote in message ...
Hey Crapton,

Mr everything right, How about a post on the Broken Boom? How about a
History of the names on the "Banana Boat" before you changed the name
because of all the laughs the ASA was having? How about the true story
of the Keel?

Tell us about your project of making her unsinkable?

How about a re-telling of shooting the Inlet against the CG advice?

How about that for an Old Man's memory?

I still have many more of your tales. I'll save them. In the mean time,
Crapton. These are stories that you have posted. The real Crapton will
has no problem recalling them for the Newbies. (Nor will I)

Ole Thom

Donal wrote in message
...

"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...
Here is the story of my quest for a sailboat. After you read it lets
here your story, IF you have a boat. This has been published in Sail
magazine and readers digest. It is copy writed.


Fetching Red Cloud
A true
story by Joe Butcher

Top marks, Joe. That was the best sailing post that we've had in a
while.

I agree with Donal. There is much to be learned from your account and I am
sure you have taken the lessons on board and others would do well to think
about it too.
When you said that your boat came from Lowestoft my first thought was that
it was a North Sea trawler that someone had converted. There were many
trawlers in Lowestoft before overfishing of the North Sea killed off the
industry. However when you said she had a centre cockpit with a tall mast I
knew she must be a yacht from the start. First, I looked in google for any
reference to your boat in Lowestoft without success. Then, and more to the
point, I looked in my copies of 'Lloyds Register of Yachts' for 1975 and
1977 and can tell you that there is no yacht listed in either of them called
'C Search' or 'Sea Search'.
A yacht of 42' would have been included automatically if Lloyds had been
told about her but her omission simply means that nobody did so. Maybe, as
someone else suggested, she was built outside of normal shipyards, or maybe
she was built abroad and brought to Lowestoft. If she was UK built the screw
threads would all be in inch measurements. metric threads would indicate she
was built abroad.
This is all negative stuff, but it is information of a sort and I hope it is
of interest.
Edgar.

Joe wrote:
Here is the story of my quest for a sailboat. After you read it lets
here your story, IF you have a boat. This has been published in Sail
magazine and readers digest. It is copy writed.


Well, here's the story of our previous boat, the one Boobsie & the
Crapton liked to make fun of. It's interesting to look back ten years
and remember what we were thinking & doing.

An edited & abridged version of this story, along with a data table of
the boats discussed, in the Feb/Mar 1995 'Coastal Cruising' magazine. I
still have a couple of copies ;)

BTW this is also copyrighted, and I own the rights... the magazine
bought "first North American single printign" rights.

** ** begin ** **


Douglas S. King
{updated May 10, 1994}
4047 words

Doug & Kathie Go Boat Shopping

Many others have to drag their wives sailing- in this regard, I'm a
lucky man. When Kathie and I married, she owned a 21' cat-ketch, a Sea
Pearl named Windseeker. I owned a Lightning, a 19' racing class sloop
named Plummer (she's purple). We enjoyed sailing together very much. We
called them both ours... no longer his 'n hers. Kathie had been
daysailing for a few seasons, and now she learned to eyeball a starting
line and wrestle a spinnaker. I was more fortunate: born into a sailing
family, I've been racing and cruising all my life. There are still
unique aspects to every situation, though. And I found Windseeker a very
good boat to relax on.
But it seemed there were limitations inherent in our boats. As we
talked out our sailing ambitions, the Lightning met all our racing
criteria. In the broader category of non-racing, we both envisioned
something a little more substantial.
The last thing in the world we need is a new boat. But you don't always
need the things you really want the most.
Neither of our boats has any shelter from the rain, or mosquitoes.
Neither has a place to "go." Well, Plummer has a backstay, but that
doesn't work for modest, feminine types. Both have rather limited
storage for coolers. Both are too likely to tip over to really relax
while sailing through a cold blustery winter. A stove with a hot kettle
would really improve those chilly excursions. One more thing- a private
place to change out of wet clothes!
We wanted all these. Our "achievable dream" would be a trailerable
sailboat with a modest cabin- often referred to nowadays as trailersailers.
Why not a 'regular' cruising boat? Y'know, the kind you can sail across
the ocean if you want to, with standing headroom, a real motor instead
of a putt-putt, lots of stowage space, a galley that compares to a real
kitchen, and a head comparable to a real bathroom.
Well, for starters: the price... although a modest second-hand cruiser
might cost less than my dreamed-of spiffy new Lightning. But we would
have to accept the limits of our local lake, or endure the three-hour
drive to the coast. Of course, we could always move and find new jobs...
Nah, it'd be simpler to get a trailersailer.
No slip is required. This makes ownership less expensive, and also
means that maintenance can be done in your own backyard. The boat can
travel with you on vacations. Thus you can cruise the Great Lakes or the
Gulf of Mexico. We sail on Florida's Indian River and around Martha's
Vineyard, where our families often vacation. The new boat would have to
fill in for this duty. And there was a definite weight limit imposed by
our cars: the station wagon (four cylinder) can only pull 2,000 lbs.,
the truck (six cylinder) 3,000 lbs.
We also need the ability to rig and launch easily on the shallow, often
silted-up ramps that our local lakes offer. This rules out fixed keels,
and most external keel/centerboards and swing keels would not be
suitable. This means a case intruding into the cabin. Everything is a
trade-off, and we know which side of this one we're on. Others may
decide differently.
There are plenty of trade-offs to examine: large sail area (with
concurrent high performance) versus short, easy-to-set-up rig; headroom
versus windage and sleek looks; cabin space versus cockpit space. We
needed enough room for five adults and three children, since we planned
to go sailing with in-laws and nieces and nephews.
First off, everyone said, "Get a Catalina 22." And this is a sensible
choice; except that they're over our weight limit. This boat has become
the standard by which others are judged. It's a meat-and-potatoes kind
of sloop, staid and conventional rather than sleek. It's best points are
roominess and comfort, and it doesn't have the proportions of Grandpa's
barn. Although somewhat dated (like those 'luggable' computers that were
originally hailed as 'portable') it is quite practical. There are class
organizations everywhere. They are plentiful on the used market from
$3,500 up to $11,000.
We would have to look further afield.
We opened our search formally at the 1993 Sail Expo in Atlantic City. I
was armed with some knowledge gained from literature and real life.
Starting with the Ventures and San Juans back in the early 70's (as well
as the C-22), I'd seen and sailed many boats in this category. I'd also
read about some of the newer designs on the market. So I have some
well-established ideas, which I'll share with you as we go along.
We'd already established two definite requirements: trailering weight
and launching depth.
We had a slew of more vague ones. They would take firmer shape as we
explored. The basic problem would be to get enough interior room without
the putting on too much weight.
Keep this in mind: A boat's size is more accurately judged by it's
weight (or displacement) than it's length. There are a lot of newer
designs with water ballast, and will seem to distort this truism. Now to
quote a former president, let me just say this about that...
Water ballast does only one thing. It adds stability without adding to
the trailering weight. It does this at a sacrifice of some interior
roominess. Furthermore, if the designer takes advantage of that
increased stability by adding sail area, then the boat's structure must
be beefed up to take the added stress; the mast will also be longer and
heavier.
Neat-O... but the U.S. Navy was using water ballast in World War I.
Other "new" features are full-batten mains with roller furling, and
easy-to-work rig tensioning levers.
Innovative? Heck, roller furling was used in the 1880's. And I have a
picture of my grandfather's gaff-rigged sneakbox circa 1927 which shows
a thing called a Highfield lever (you have to look kind of close). So,
you see, I'm somewhat scornful of these "modern" inventions and
innovations. But I'm definitely in favor of things that truly make it
easier and quicker to get sailing.

A Walk Through The Boat Show
Here is your stereotypical married couple looking at boats:
He says, "Cool! Twin spinnaker halyards, and a NACA-foil rudder!"
She says, " There's no mirror in the head, and very little stowage for
the galley. Oh, look at this one, dear!"
He says, "What, that barrel-shaped barge? Honey, we want a boat that
will sail!"
Kathie and I went through almost the same steps.
Originally we wanted a small, simple boat for afternoon daysailing and
weekending. Kathie had to be able to set up the rig and launch it
herself, as she could with the Sea Pearl. But we started considering
heavier, more grandiose boats that would need a gin-pole and a winch.
Eventually we considered any boat physically under our weight limit for
towing. The reason is simple: We didn't find one single boat that was
truly easy to rig!
As we stood in line to get on the brand new Hunter 19, we discussed the
advantages of the walk-through transom it featured. The boat seemed to
ride low on the trailer for shallow launching. I studied the brochure...
well under our weight limit, that's good. It did not have the graceful
profile I look for in a boat.
We climbed aboard. The cockpit seemed solid. It was roomy enough for
the five adults currently seated in it. I took a stroll around the deck,
sneering at the mast-mounted winches (I know many seagoing cruisers
prefer them there, but in a small boat you want to be able to work from
the cockpit), and finding that the forehatch crunched a little when I
put my weight on it. The anchor locker surprised me by having a 15-pound
Danforth in it, with a coil of line. Obviously designed to be a proper
useful size. No chain, though... the lubbers!
Remember the opening scenario? Wife wants a not-so-little white home on
the deep, including garage and picket fence. Husband wants a boat that
lets him pretend he's winning the America's Cup... racy, sleek... a
bikini-clad-bimbo magnet.
This is what we went through.
She said, "Boy, with different curtains and seat covers this could be
really nice!"
He... I mean Me: "Gosh, honey, did you look at how full the forward
sections are? And there's hardly any sail area at all!"
She: "The galley is small. If you had several of those Tupperware things
(the H-19 has a removable bowl instead of an installed sink), it would
be more practical."
Me (trying another tack): "The head isn't enclosed. I thought we wanted
privacy?"
She: "We can work around that. Look how much room there is in that aft
berth under the cockpit. Of, course, we'd use it for stowage most of
the time..."
Me (realizing the sad truth): "I suppose the walk-through transom is
very convenient."
Now my wife wanted to appear less star-struck, I guess, or else she had
some sudden misgivings. "Do you really think it would be slow under sail?"
"Why, of course," I answered. "Look at the displacement. Three times
what the Lightning has, with less sail area. On the other hand, the jib
would be easier to trim..."
Okay, we didn't buy the first one we looked at.

We came to a boat I'd read a review on: the Santana 2023. This one has
all the "new" gimmicks I mentioned, and so I gave it a thorough
going-over. The preliminary went well. It seemed to sit low on the
trailer (easier to launch), and had a good hull shape. I watched the
salesman demonstrate the roller-furling main with the built-in crank
located on the forward side of the mast. It seemed an unnecessary
complication.
My wife climbed aboard and went over the interior. She made a point of
the enclosed head. I tried it- too small! I literally could not get
completely inside it and close the door. And the table was wobbly. Okay,
that's a petty complaint. But the S-2023 didn't leap to the top of our list.
Boat followed boat until Kathie couldn't remember which was which.
Heck, I was kind of bemused and befuddled myself. Boats that were in our
size range, boats that were too big, boats that were too little. We
looked at Defiant, the America's Cup trial horse. We looked at the
Alerion Express, a totally lovely 27' keel daysailer/weekender. There
were helpful salesmen, and obnoxious salesmen. Every single one assumed
we were novices, and this didn't warm me up to them.
We certainly didn't find anything that leapt out as Our Boat. We kept
at it, though, going to other boat shows and dealer's lots. Several
things struck me as curious about the boat market. In this particular
section, small trailerable cruisers, everyone assumes you don't know
anything about boats. In fact, many companies seem to assume you're a
complete idiot! I won't say any more about this, I promise. Besides,
Kathie doesn't like it when I really get going.
But there is also a reluctance to give the prospective customer hard
data about the boat, such as the lay-up schedule used in the hull, or
the righting moment at a given heel angle, or the amount of positive
flotation (there are exactly two companies whose brochures show the
boats completely flooded, but you can't see for sure that they're not
also stripped out inside). This is not 100% complaint, because this
makes it easier to pick the companies which are willing to let you know
what's what. Heck, one brochure didn't even give the boat's beam!

A year went by. We did lots of sailing (in our old boats). Kathie won
her first Lightning trophy. I went rowing in our Sea Pearl. We had done
even more talking, re-hashing all our requirements and verbally painting
pictures of what we could do with a trailerable cruiser.
We had decided we didn't necessarily want an enclosed head. We looked
over each trade-off repeatedly: launch depth/knee room; performance/ease
of rigging; trailering weight/roominess. We had checked out 16 different
boats, and ruling out the ones that were unsuitable, the Hunter 19 and
the Santana 2023 were our best prospects. Neither of us liked either
enough to buy one without a trial sail. The Hunter didn't have an
enclosed head, and the Santana was little on the heavy side.
The key factors were trailering weight and launch depth; after that we
looked for easy access to/from the water, simplicity of rigging, comfort
sitting inside, sleeping comfort, stowage, and the one thing we hadn't
been able to check out, sailing qualities.

Over the winter, a new wrinkle appeared... The C-model Santana 2023 .
It corrected a few of the flaws of the Santana 2023. I could get all the
way into the head. Not a walk-through transom, but a low one for easy
boarding. A pop-top for full headroom (when moored). Best of all, there
was a new sales representative based less than thirty miles away.
We called him up, and he agreed that we could take his boat out sailing
(he accompanied us, of course). It trailed easily behind our 6-cylinder
van, although it did slow down going uphill (we expected that) and you
had to pay attention to keep the right-hand trailer wheel from wandering
onto the shoulder.
There were some friends of ours in a Flying Scot at the lake, so we
pulled up next to them. We were actually rigged and in the water before
them! Admittedly, they weren't hurrying, but I was impressed at how
easily and quickly the rig set up. On launching, I backed down until our
van's rear wheels were just at the water's edge- the boat floated off
easily. Retrieving it seemed no more difficult than a Lightning.
The dealer's boat was rigged with a Harken roller furler, flying a 100%
jib with double-purchase sheets. It was easy to trim, although the
leading made it awkward to cleat. The mainsheet block and cleat swings
on a wire pennant at the rear of the cockpit, which is not the way I'd
arrange that, either.
We sailed along on a close reach, Kathie at the helm, smiling. I pulled
out my secret weapon: a handheld GPS. It told us were doing about 6
knots. This is respectable for a boat with a 20-foot waterline and a
working jib. Later, in puffs, we clocked up to 7 1/4 knots!
There was one small problem- the helm balance. We had no "feel" at all,
in fact it seemed to almost have a lee helm on the wind. The boat tacked
acceptably, but a little more mast rake might have helped. If we'd had a
genoa, there might have been difficulties. Even on racing boats, you
want a little weather helm. Not a crippling problem, though.
We almost ready to negotiate for the Santana. We still wanted to try
out our other alternative, the Hunter 19. Unfortunately, the closest
dealer was some distance away. They wrote a pleasant letter saying it
would be no trouble to arrange a trial sail, but evidently it was some
trouble. After a follow-up letter and three phone calls over two weeks,
we couldn't seem to get together.
Life is full of odd coincidence. We were actually discussing what we
could afford in the way of outfitting a Santana 2023C when the phone
rang. It was the Hunter dealer we'd given up on, trying to entice us
into a test sail. The best time we could arrange was when an old family
friend was visiting, but he said he wouldn't mind. So the pieces fit
together at last.
We picked up Jamie at the airport. He's a non-sailor from New York
City. Rural North Carolina was a great adventure for him. We toured
around, angling towards the dealer and the lake... visiting pottery
shops, hunting about for a covered bridge. Then we were there.
The winds were very light, maybe six to eight knots at best. We motored
out into the middle of the lake, then hoisted sails. All the while we
were walking around, diving below, checking out the details of this or
that. The Hunter is pretty well outfitted, although the mooring cleats
are too small (this is a great fault of most production boats). And
Kathie was skippering along, once again with a smile on her face.
Of course, I married her for her cheerful disposition.
The portable GPS told us we were doing 4 knots. It seemed hard to
believe in this light breeze, but the readout was steady. We swung out
from the shrouds to test it's stability. We did a few tacks and a few
gybes. The helm was light and responsive, the boat quite sure in stays.
Then we headed in.
"This is the first demo I've ever given to people who knew anything
about sailing," the dealer remarked.
"I don't know anything about sailing," Jamie declared. "But I think
it's fun, and I definitely like the boat." We did too. Later, Jamie told
us that he had an aversion to water, and disliked swimming. But he said
he felt secure and comfortable on the H-19. Since one of our purposes in
buying a trailersailer is to take non-sailing non-adventurous friends
out, this was a positive sign.
Well, our long story is nearly at it's end. Kathie and I have ordered a
Hunter 19. I'm still not enthusiastic about it's looks, but am confident
it will give us lots of good service. We are outfitting it with a
compass, instruments, a Bimini, a four-stroke 5 hp outboard auxiliary,
and a stern rail mounted BBQ grill. We already have the handheld GPS and
VHF radio. I am also insistent on upgrading some of the equipment Hunter
supplies- such as a chain to go on the anchor rode, and better-stocked
flare and first-aid kits. Maybe in the future I'll build on a nice teak
Dorade box... and paint over that goofy-looking neon stripe!
Meanwhile, perhaps you'll spot us sailing along, calm and happy,
possibly with nieces and nephews aboard. The name of our new boat- well,
it's probably the closest thing to a "yacht" we'll ever own- is Rest
Assured.

In the interest of brevity, I'll simply list all the boats we looked at
in order of size (roominess, not displacement), with a brief description
and our reactions. If it occasionally seems harsh, remember I'm not
trying to advertise any of them! And some of them were really nice, too.
The Bay Hen 21 is a gaff-rigged cat with a sharpie hull. Lots of tricks
, like the porta-potty sliding under the bridge deck and bilgeboards,
put enough accomodation inside for weekending. It's still kind of
cramped for a 21-footer, and it takes more muscle to swing the mast up
than Kathie could muster.
The Stuart Mariner: based on the classic Rhodes 19. Adult sized berths,
but not much headroom. Centerboard trunk intrudes on kneeroom (keel
version available). Very well built and smart-looking; we also know it
sails quite well.
The Dovekie: My early choice. Light, simple, a solid roof over your
head; the best of the camper-cruisers by far. Phil Bolger has always
been one of my favorite designers, and Edey & Duff has about the best
reputation in the boatbuilding business. One of it's most attractive
points is that it is designed to row rather than depending on an outboard.
Two problems- the placement of the head, which is in the cockpit right
under the tiller! Perhaps steering on the throne is even better than
reading... And Kathie could almost pivot the mast into place. No can do!
Precision 18 : Handsome in a modern way, and the numbers promise good
performance. Keel/centerboard contributes to the open, workable (though
small) cabin, adds to required launching depth.
The Seaward Fox, a full-batten cat, for those bored with Marconi
sloops. Carbon-fiber composite mast and a fixed wing keel give it bonus
points for innovation. Now, we couldn't launch it anywhere close to
home, but we checked it out just for drill. I liked the way it looked,
nice sheer, practical stubby bowsprit for the anchor... Bang-Oww! Needs
more headroom!
The salesman gave us a quick pitch about how easy it is to rig as we
climbed out rubbing our heads. "The mast looks kind of tall. How much
does it weigh?" I asked.
He couldn't say, exactly. I didn't consider 'not very much' a good
answer, and it's three feet longer than the Lightning mast, which I know
from years of experience is a real grunt-and-groaner.
The Com-Pac 16 and 19: solid yachty look, very good comfort for their
size, stability, proven durability. They pay for this by being a little
slow. Fixed keels mean launching problems for us. The 16 doesn't have a
V-berth (no good for us newlyweds).
I could find no place where construction wasn't first-class.
Precision 21: Aesthetically related to the P-18. The cabin is
conventional, comfortable, a little shy on headroom. V-berth too short
for my six-foot frame... I had to bend my knees to keep from bopping the
galley flat with my head (The P-23 corrects this, but is too heavy for
us to tow). Quarter berths adequately sized. The deck is well planned
and secure for footing with an innovative wedge-shaped toerail.
The Nimble 20 was on our "must-see" list. Classic good looks, top
quality modern construction. The numbers are respectable, too. We saw a
second-hand one at a dealer's lot. Out of the boats that were
unsuitable, I'd put it at or near the top. Comfortable inside, it feels
roomy. It's right at our maximum weight.
Vee berth: too darn small... seemed like déjà-vu! Then I read the sales
brochure... it's sized for children. Well, I ain't no child.
I should also say that in response to my letter of inquiry, Nimble's
president sent detailed and informative personal letter. It's really a
shame that they don't build a Nimble 19 1/2, with an adult-sized V-berth.
West Wight Potter 19: Roomy is it's middle name! The daggerboard and
the gally counter kind of chop up the cabin, though. Traditional looks,
not sleek. Kathie liked the newer boats with low or walk-thru transoms
and water ballast, the Potter would probably have been her next choice.
MacGregor 19 is an interesting concept: Basically a speedboat hull with
a sailing rig; twin rudders and water ballast; two-piece mast which can
be stowed inside the cabin; and enclosed head (this earned Kathie's
serious consideration). There is room around the cabin table for four
adults.
Once again my traditionalist sense of aesthetics was not appeased, but
a trailersailer that can go 25 knots might have its uses. The sales
brochure shows it pulling a skier! A straight motorboat with this much
cabin costs at least twice as much, and weighs at least half again as
much as the M-19 Powersailer.
First 210 (Beneteau): Pictures don't do it justice; in person, this
little French boat looks nicely proportioned. The plumb bow,
nearly-flush deck, and the round port amidships gave it a real "little
ship" look. The twin rudders make the stern a little complicated. The
interior was open, well appointed, although a little skimpy on
knee-room. Four adults can sit around the table (which blocks the
companionway).
The rig is tall, with double spreader shrouds that preclude use of a
genoa. But it supports enough sail area to drive the boat well, and puts
most of it in the easily-handles main. With the large mast, wide beam,
and swing keel, this boat would not be a piece of cake to trailer.
Hunter 23.5 the in-betweener for the H-19 and the H-26. No enclosed
head, but a very roomy cabin with lots of window area. The galley flat
is aft next to the companionway, where I personally think it should be.
The cabin/cockpit table is a classy oval. The bunks are very spacious.
The "camper canvas" enclosure for the large companionway gives standing
headroom.
The rig looks a bit unwieldy to set up; the gin pole with a 4:1 or
winch is necessary even for us athletes. The halyards are led aft. Full
battens give the mainsail generous area and promise some shape in light
air. There's no provision for a genoa, but there is a spinnaker option.
The H-23.5 was Kathie's first pick, but was just too heavy for us to
trailer.
The MacGregor 26 is also quite roomy, especially for it's weight. It's
within our limit, but a little bulkier than I'd like to trailer and
launch. The cabin has good stowage, and the double berths are both large
enough for adults. Surprisingly, there is no cockpit table, nor is there
an anchor locker forward.
One point about MacGregor Yacht Corp is that they provide a very
informative brochure with pictures showing the boat held on its side
(this takes 132 pounds, which I make out as around 3800 foot pounds of
righting moment), and flooded, and the component moldings, and launching
(requires water deep enough to submerge the fenders), as well as sailing
along on a sunny day.
We also looked at several trailerable boats that were well above our
trailering weight limit. The Skimmer 25 was my favorite, with a hull
very much like a Lightning below the gunwhales and a nicely proportioned
gaff sloop rig above. The centerboard trunk intruded into the cabin,
reducing it's roominess dramatically. But the stowage is good, the head
compartment and the galley are both aft where the boat's motion is least
felt, and the berths are large enough to stretch out.
The Sea Pearl 28 was an obvious point of interest. The rig is easily
set up, and the cabin was very well appointed. The mizzenmast is the
perfect distance from the companionway: you don't have to squeeze
through, but you can grab the mast for security. I won't comment on the
layout because several are available. I don't like the outboard well,
which is open to the cockpit (although one good side to this arrangement
is that the cockpit will drain lots of water very quickly in a storm).
Below and on deck this boat "feels" like at least a 30-footer.

Thanks for your efforts Edgar,

However the name was C Warden not sea search or C search.

Please look again, it would be great if you could help me.
Best Regards,
Joe

Dave wrote:
.... I saw Good Fortune, a CS 27,
listed on the Yachtworld site back in early 2003....
Only problem was that it was about 2 1/2 hours away.

C'mon, that's a "problem"? The CS-27 is a good boat. All the CS boats
are impressive. A 2 1/2 hour drive is nothing... we do that every
weekend to *get* to the boat!


Bottom line? I'm very happy with the boat. The daughter comes down to sail
with us about every other weekend, and is delighted at the joys of learning
navigation as well as re-learning boat handling.


Nice. Well done.

BTW mickey mouse crapola like that with your mooring is one reason why
I'm disgusted with the New England sailing mafia. But somebody's gotta
live up there!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

"Thom Stewart" wrote in message
...
CM,

What ever gave you the throught that
"Willy the Wisp" actually lives?

I have always been of the opinion that if someone goes to the trouble to
invent a sock.... it's only polite to engage the damned thing and test it's
plausibility through complicated discourse.

CM

Dave wrote:


After several months of sporadic looking, I saw Good Fortune, a CS 27,


Good for you Dave, I bought a CS 27 last year, shall we start a club?

Cheers
Marty

Greetings Edgar,

Could you please try to search Lloyds for the C. Warden,
That was her original name not C Search or Sea Search.
It would be much appreacited.

Thanks
Joe

Watch it Doug, Katy is going to tell you your breaking some sort of
Copyright rules. Good Story

Joe

Watch it Doug, Katy is going to tell you your breaking some sort of
Copyright rules. Good Story

Joe

Dave wrote:
Actually, the local "sailing mafia" is pretty easy to deal with. The problem
is created by an outside clown who practically sits with a stop watch to
time when boats aren't on their mooring. Apparently he is a bit paranoid,
and thinks somebody got jumped ahead of him on the waiting list.

Gee, figure the odds ;)

I think it's highly probably that people get jumped ahead on most
waiting lists. It's human nature. However, dealing with it in the way
that this paranoid clown you describe does is not good.

But what I had in mind was pretty much the whole procedure... mandatory
town moorings, waiting list, etc etc. For me, a sign that it's time to
move to a less crowded area. AFAIK the only place in NC like that is
Beaufort... a necessity due to high number of boaters per acre. Most
other places, there are plenty of free spots to put down a mooring, or a
developer eager to build docks & rent slips.

OTOH sailing in New England can be very nice... when it's not too cold.

DSK

CN,

Are you saying your Yellow Boat, Hanging on the mooring in Fla, didn't
bear the name of a very famous song and banana? Are you saying the
story you told about the locals in Bermuda saying that Yellow boat cut
the mustard and you used the name?

Are you saying the Sheer Keel was the original Keel on the Coranado?

Are you saying the Coranado originally came with a Mid-Boom traveler?
Drilling the original boom didn't weaken it ?

An Awful lot of contradiction have entered your life since your return;
almost like lying. I do believe there are enough people on the list
that will remember the earlier posts.

Ole Thom

CN,

And; a Very, very Merry Christmas to you (and Your Ghost Writer) and to
all our:

Dearest Friends on the ASA

From Ole Thom and his dog "Jazz'

May the first Christmas for Thomas Brody be the first of a very long
line of Merry Christmas's

And may the new year produce many Happy Sailing adventures.

"Thom Stewart" wrote in message ...
CN,

Are you saying your Yellow Boat, Hanging on the mooring in Fla, didn't
bear the name of a very famous song and banana? Are you saying the
story you told about the locals in Bermuda saying that Yellow boat cut
the mustard and you used the name?

I think you are confusing your dream state with your awakened state.

Are you saying the Sheer Keel was the original Keel on the Coranado?

It's Scheel Keel and I said it was LIKE a Scheel keel. I never said
it was a real Scheel Keel.

Are you saying the Coranado originally came with a Mid-Boom traveler?
Drilling the original boom didn't weaken it ?

Yes, sir, it originally came with mid bood sheeting.


An Awful lot of contradiction have entered your life since your return;
almost like lying. I do believe there are enough people on the list
that will remember the earlier posts.

Sorry, Ole Thom you might wish to examine your notes as your
memory seems to be lacking of late. Not to worry, though, it's
probably not Alzheimers because that involves short-term memory
and your problem seems to be the longer term memory. Alcohol
affects the longer term memory.

CN

Ole Thom

Do you still keep a lumberyard of plywood under your v-berth? I believe
Thom is referring to references of "Chiquita Banana"...

"Capt. Neal®" wrote in message
...
Hey, Ole Thom, you should learn how to separate wishful thinking
from reality. For one thing, the broken boom happened years after
I made my way successfully down to the sea. If you will kick start
some of those alcohol-soaked brain cells of yours, you would recall
the boom broke while I was beating out of St. Augustine in half a gale.
That inlet is known for steep and dangerous seas in on-shore
weather because it shoals and waves often break all across the bar.

I believe the Columbia River bar is a bigger example of it. You should
be familiar with that inlet being as how you profess to live up there
in Washington State.

As for my fine blue water yacht's name, the fellow I bought her from
had her named "Autumn." I did not like that name so I changed it to
"Cut the Mustard." I have never called her anything else. Where you
got the idea she had multiple names is a matter of examining your
own thought processes. How any sane man could take as fact some
of the ramblings of the losers in this group over the actuality that is
Capt. Neal® borders on the farcical.

Furthermore, this fixation you have on my having moved the keel is
bordering on delusion. Again, sir, the keel is still in its original
place.
I did not ever say I moved it and unless you can come up with where
I said I moved it and post it to prove your contention, then why not
admit your error?

All I ever said is I refitted the keel meaning I added some extra keel
bolts. Perhaps you assumed refitting means removing. To this sailor
refitting means fitting it with new hardware. This was done in the
water and did NOT involve removing the keel. I believe I mentioned
this procedure on my website. Please don't allow your misconceptions
and ignorance of nautical terms to cloud your judgment, sir.

As for the positive flotation project, that is true and factual. I have
poured all the dead space between the hull and the component with
two-part, closed cell, urethane foam. My fine, blue water yacht is
similar to an Etap or a Boston Whaler in that there is the hull, there
is foam and there is the inner liner (component). Not only that, but
there is no unsightly, heavy pilothouse on this Captain's real sailboat.

You have a pretty good memory for an old coot but you have a lot
of the details wrong. I guess you can be forgiven since it is more
a problem with reading comprehension than memory in my humble
opinion. For an old relic you could be a lot worse off. Heck,
compare yourself to the dazed, confused, bitter and psychotic
mental state of the Gay One who is half your age and you will
have to admit you are practically an Einstein.

Cheers! And, I'll drink to THAT!

Seriously, Ole Thom, let me be among the first to wish you a
Merry Christmas this year and many, many more to come.

Respectfully,
Capt. Neal




"Thom Stewart" wrote in message
...
Hey Crapton,

Mr everything right, How about a post on the Broken Boom? How about a
History of the names on the "Banana Boat" before you changed the name
because of all the laughs the ASA was having? How about the true story
of the Keel?

Tell us about your project of making her unsinkable?

How about a re-telling of shooting the Inlet against the CG advice?

How about that for an Old Man's memory?

I still have many more of your tales. I'll save them. In the mean time,
Crapton. These are stories that you have posted. The real Crapton will
has no problem recalling them for the Newbies. (Nor will I)

Ole Thom

Joe wrote in message
ps.com...
Greetings Edgar,

Could you please try to search Lloyds for the C. Warden,
That was her original name not C Search or Sea Search.
It would be much appreacited.

Thanks
Joe
Sorry, Joe but no luck.
I have searched both years for C Warden, , C **** Warden, Sea Warden,
also plain Warden but nothing shows.
Is she chine or round bilge? Round bilge in steel would certainly mean a
top boatyard, probably Dutch, but steel hulls with chines can be built
anywhere. A friend of mine has just completed a steel 70 footer with three
masts that took him and his wife 15 years to build .

Edgar wrote:
Joe wrote in message
ps.com...
Greetings Edgar,

Could you please try to search Lloyds for the C. Warden,
That was her original name not C Search or Sea Search.
It would be much appreacited.

Thanks
Joe
Sorry, Joe but no luck.
I have searched both years for C Warden, , C **** Warden, Sea
Warden,
also plain Warden but nothing shows.
Is she chine or round bilge? Round bilge in steel would certainly
mean a
top boatyard, probably Dutch, but steel hulls with chines can be
built
anywhere. A friend of mine has just completed a steel 70 footer with
three
masts that took him and his wife 15 years to build .

Thanks for the effort Edgar,
It is a rounded hull and bilge,no hard chines.

Joe

CN,

I went back and looked at you "Web Site"
You have the Gall to call that Bulbous affair a fine entry? I'll send
you a really better looking entry and from my Pilothouse Sloop. There
are many boats with sharper, cleaner hull than mine but compared to
yours its an AMERICAN CUPPER

However, that wasn't that reason for going to your Web. I want again, to
look at the balance of your Rig (Mast placement) in respect to your
keel. CN, I'm saying you're selling the Newbies a load of BS. Bill Tripp
never, ever would have set a keel that far forward on the hull and left
the Mast, and center of effort of the main, that far back on the keel.

I'm saying this because I don't believe you would do such a mean
spirited thing and I want to point out the facts

Dave wrote:
What do you mean by "mandatory" town moorings?


I mean "no anchoring allowed." You have to get a mooring.

DSK

Nice looking boat, Thom....

"Thom Stewart" wrote in message
...
CN,

Picture of a fine entry




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heh Ole Thom... that's a fine lookin' vessel. I like the strike on her sheer
and she has a fine entry as well. Not bad for a fin keeler ol'man! Very nice
lookin' boat! No wonder you are so proud of her!

CM

"Thom Stewart" wrote in message
...
CN,

Picture of a fine entry




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That SUCKS!


"DSK" wrote in message
...
Dave wrote:
What do you mean by "mandatory" town moorings?


I mean "no anchoring allowed." You have to get a mooring.

DSK

Katy,

I think Neal's name was simply "Chiguita" but it was in reference to the
Banana song.

Now he is hedging on Mr Everything Right because of time. Not that he
neglected proper use.

I also, Checked his story about the Keel from his own "Web Site" Along
with the pictures, Some of his asinine comments.

His rebuttals really don't have a real Neal way about them, So be it,
they do make interesting comments

How's it feel being high and dry ? I haven't been that way in
thirty-five years.
Luck of the draw on work transfer!

Guess I can't give you the;"I'll drink to that!" You know better but
I'm a happy old man out here.

Ole Thom