For me a December night/morning 03:00 or so and my boat got a net
tangled in the wheel. It was under 30 degrees. We were offshore about 5
miles, luckly it was calm as glass. Only way out was to jump in and cut
the net from the prop. Having to jump in freezing water stay under
until I finished the job and then climbing aboard covered with frost
was the very very worst and painful memory sailing for me. Even being
washed over in freezing water was more enjoyable. What sucks about it
is knowing beforehand you have to get in, reminds me of when Bogie has
to get back in the water to tow the africian queen knowing leaches are
going to be all over him.

The boat had no heat, and all I had to swim in was shorts. After all
that pain and work the strut snapped and we had to be towed up the
Holma Navigational canal by a shrimper later that day.

What a nightmare that trip was.

What was your worst trip/ adventure. David is exempt, we all read
his;0)

Joe

Joe wrote:
For me a December night/morning 03:00 or so and my boat got a net
tangled in the wheel. It was under 30 degrees. We were offshore about 5
miles, luckly it was calm as glass. Only way out was to jump in and cut
the net from the prop. Having to jump in freezing water stay under
until I finished the job and then climbing aboard covered with frost
was the very very worst and painful memory sailing for me. Even being
washed over in freezing water was more enjoyable. What sucks about it
is knowing beforehand you have to get in, reminds me of when Bogie has
to get back in the water to tow the africian queen knowing leaches are
going to be all over him.

The boat had no heat, and all I had to swim in was shorts. After all
that pain and work the strut snapped and we had to be towed up the
Holma Navigational canal by a shrimper later that day.

What a nightmare that trip was.

What was your worst trip/ adventure. David is exempt, we all read
his;0)

Joe

I've written about mine before, too..the time we got caught out in a
frontal system between Leland and Traverse Bay with lightening strikes
all around us and fix fire running on the rigging and dancing off my
watch....think I'd keep that one though rather than having to jump into
ice water...

No contest for me: Our planned family cruise of 2005.

We bought the Zombie Princess in New Orleans in June of 2005 for an
intended 6-months-to-a-year cruise in the Caribbean. Worked on her in
July and August and were about ready to go when, after more than 30
years without a major hit, New Orleans got creamed by Katrina. The ZP
survived and we re-prepped her to depart NO as soon as the bridges were
working. However, before that happened we had to ride out Rita at
anchor. Yee-ha! Finally, the major bridges were fixed and we escaped
NO. We crossed the Gulf of Mexico to Naples, FL. I tried to tuck in
behind a weather system which was supposed to be dissapating but we
caught it bigtime for some of the worst weather I've ever sailed in. My
older daughter puked for four days; we had to force her to (minimally)
hydrate. Finally got down to the Dry Tortugas with the hope of actually
starting a lovely, warm, tropical cruise. We were there for one day;
then the rangers told us to evacuate to Key West cuz Wilma was coming.
After Wilma ran over the boat in Key West, the kids were completely
uninterested in continuing "cruising" and we were pretty exhausted
ourselves. So we terminated our "Caribbean cruise" in Key West in
December and returned home for Christmas.

Definitely my worst adventure ever.

Frank

Frank, or should I call you Jonah?

Please stay out of Texas during the hurricane season;0)

Seriously you should pack the kids back aboard and finish your
journey. Odds are you will have many years of hurricane free perfect
sailing weather now that you and your's paid the price to sail warm
waters.

You should write a short story and submit it to several sailing
magazines, make a few grand off your adventure.

Joe




Frank wrote:
No contest for me: Our planned family cruise of 2005.

We bought the Zombie Princess in New Orleans in June of 2005 for an
intended 6-months-to-a-year cruise in the Caribbean. Worked on her in
July and August and were about ready to go when, after more than 30
years without a major hit, New Orleans got creamed by Katrina. The ZP
survived and we re-prepped her to depart NO as soon as the bridges were
working. However, before that happened we had to ride out Rita at
anchor. Yee-ha! Finally, the major bridges were fixed and we escaped
NO. We crossed the Gulf of Mexico to Naples, FL. I tried to tuck in
behind a weather system which was supposed to be dissapating but we
caught it bigtime for some of the worst weather I've ever sailed in. My
older daughter puked for four days; we had to force her to (minimally)
hydrate. Finally got down to the Dry Tortugas with the hope of actually
starting a lovely, warm, tropical cruise. We were there for one day;
then the rangers told us to evacuate to Key West cuz Wilma was coming.
After Wilma ran over the boat in Key West, the kids were completely
uninterested in continuing "cruising" and we were pretty exhausted
ourselves. So we terminated our "Caribbean cruise" in Key West in
December and returned home for Christmas.

Definitely my worst adventure ever.

Frank

Frank,

Has it ever crossed your mind that you may be thr "Johna" It was after
I invited you up to Bellingham that I lost the thrust bearing on
"Pnuema's" shaft.


http://community.webtv.net/tassail/ILLDRINKTOTHAT

Thom Stewart wrote:
Frank,
Has it ever crossed your mind that you may be the "Jonah" It was after
I invited you up to Bellingham that I lost the thrust bearing on
"Pnuema's" shaft.

Hi, Ol Thom,

Don't think I haven't thought that! We evacuated to Houston for
Katrina. So what happened then? Rita took aim for that area. By that
time, however, we were back in New Orleans. Then, after we sailed to
Florida and were down at the Dry Tortugas, freaking Wilma took a U-turn
from her original Westward heading and took aim for Florida. Ack!

And aside from you and your thrust bearing, I was gonna crew for
someone with a Freedom 38 in a local race series this past Summer; but
her entire electrical system fried just before the series started!

Eek!

Frank (aka Jonah)

"Frank" wrote
| I was gonna crew for
| someone with a Freedom 38 in a local race series this past Summer; but
| her entire electrical system fried just before the series started!


That's sad. So very sad. Imagine that. It's got to the point where people can't sail
if they don't have electricity. And worse yet they use it as an excuse like they're proud
of themselves. That's *really* sad.
Funny but "Elle Niño" sails just fine without electricity. You people around here have
got more excuses than Carter's got pills. Mercy! I think your happier hanging around a
garage talking about electricity, motors, oil, propellers and everything else but boats
that use sails to move.... Get real why don'tcha?

Cheers,
Ellen

Funny but "Elle Niño" sails just fine without...

Your philosophical bent sounds simular to a gentleman that use to
post to this news group about his vessel "Cut the Mustard".

Hmmm...

Bill

"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...
For me a December night/morning 03:00 or so and my boat got a net
tangled in the wheel. It was under 30 degrees. We were offshore about 5
miles, luckly it was calm as glass. Only way out was to jump in and cut
the net from the prop. Having to jump in freezing water stay under
until I finished the job and then climbing aboard covered with frost
was the very very worst and painful memory sailing for me. Even being
washed over in freezing water was more enjoyable. What sucks about it
is knowing beforehand you have to get in, reminds me of when Bogie has
to get back in the water to tow the africian queen knowing leaches are
going to be all over him.

The boat had no heat, and all I had to swim in was shorts. After all
that pain and work the strut snapped and we had to be towed up the
Holma Navigational canal by a shrimper later that day.

What a nightmare that trip was.

What was your worst trip/ adventure. David is exempt, we all read
his;0)

Joe

Mine happened 35 years ago. I was out exploring, sailing my little 12
Styrofoam boat up a creek, a few miles from where Dad anchored our cabin
cruiser at the south end of long beach island, NJ. The wind was minimal, I
was up the creek without a paddle, which was fine, until hordes of
mosquitoes descended upon me, thousands and thousands, and I with no shirt,
no shoes, just a bathing suit, fed cities of the little *******s before I
could get back to the mother ship. It may explain why I get so much joy in
watching those blood suckers fly into my zapper. Look at 'em fry - yeah
baby!!
Scout

Scout wrote:
"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...
For me a December night/morning 03:00 or so and my boat got a net
tangled in the wheel. It was under 30 degrees. We were offshore about 5
miles, luckly it was calm as glass. Only way out was to jump in and cut
the net from the prop. Having to jump in freezing water stay under
until I finished the job and then climbing aboard covered with frost
was the very very worst and painful memory sailing for me. Even being
washed over in freezing water was more enjoyable. What sucks about it
is knowing beforehand you have to get in, reminds me of when Bogie has
to get back in the water to tow the africian queen knowing leaches are
going to be all over him.

The boat had no heat, and all I had to swim in was shorts. After all
that pain and work the strut snapped and we had to be towed up the
Holma Navigational canal by a shrimper later that day.

What a nightmare that trip was.

What was your worst trip/ adventure. David is exempt, we all read
his;0)

Joe

Mine happened 35 years ago. I was out exploring, sailing my little 12
Styrofoam boat up a creek, a few miles from where Dad anchored our cabin
cruiser at the south end of long beach island, NJ. The wind was minimal, I
was up the creek without a paddle, which was fine, until hordes of
mosquitoes descended upon me, thousands and thousands, and I with no shirt,
no shoes, just a bathing suit, fed cities of the little *******s before I
could get back to the mother ship. It may explain why I get so much joy in
watching those blood suckers fly into my zapper. Look at 'em fry - yeah
baby!!
Scout

Here on the Texas coast you have to be prepared for mosquitos. Last
Harvest Moon Regetta we raced in most boats decided to return from Port
Aransas to Houston via the ICW. We did too, because my crew had never
seen the ICW in south Texas. Anyway late the first night just passed
Rattelsnake island a fin boat ran hard aground about 150 outside the
channel. They were on the radio begging for help, as they were overcome
by mosquito's big time. You could hear the women crying in the
background on the radio. Luckly for them I only draw 4.5 ft with my
board up, and I had a line gun and 200 ft of 2" poly pro tow line. I do
not think I've ever been thanked more times than that night from that
crew in my life. He found my boat a week or so later and tried to give
me 100 dollars, I took 35 to buy a new messenger for the line gun.

We always have cans of spray aboard.

Joe