Strider's first real cruise
 

I'm starting to get some pictures of Strider's first real cruise.

See

http://home.maine.rr.com/rlma/Sailing0608.htm

for a map and picture of my lovely crew.

One of the crew plans a more extensive gallery and web site that this
will link to so check back sometime for lots of pictures and stories
of this part of the coast.

The cruise was remarkable for having few learning experiences.
Despite some strong winds and long legs, there was almost no
excitement due to equipment failures or mistakes. The following
segment from another post bears repeating though. This method of
getting untangled from a lobster pot works very well. I'll try to
provide a picture later.

We did snag two lobster pots which made me a bit less sanguine about
that aspect of the boat. In both cases, however, it appeared to be
two pots that had tangled their lines so that they were stretched at
an unnatural direction.

My system for getting free worked so well that the snags were not much
more of an event than needing to reef.
I have a hookknife on board but chose not to used it and be left
wondering what might still be attached out of sight below. I'll use
it if I snag near a lee shore and need to restore control quickly but
the following method works very smoothly and quickly.

I have a large bronze snap hook tied to a line a few feet longer than
the boat. I fasten this to the end of a long extending boathook with
duct tape. If the tape is applied to the rope and hook properly, the
pole will guide the pot warp right into the hook. Once the line is
hooked, which was very quick and easy in both cases, the pole is
yanked free. Rolling up the jib and letting the main pull the warp
tight brings it up where it can be seen or felt with the pole.

Once the warp is clipped, the main is lowered and the line taken
through a bow chock and back to a halyard winch on the mast. This
pulls a bight of the warp forward and, in both cases, the buoy came
with it. It was then just a matter of winching the buoy aboard,
unclipping it, and getting underway again.

--

Roger Long

Strider's first real cruise
 

Interesting, well detailed pages. I may have miss details on what you have
done about the engine. I take it was raw water cool when you got the boat.
May be you can direct me on where to look on site to learn more on the
engine. TIA

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
I'm starting to get some pictures of Strider's first real cruise.

See

http://home.maine.rr.com/rlma/Sailing0608.htm

for a map and picture of my lovely crew.

One of the crew plans a more extensive gallery and web site that this
will link to so check back sometime for lots of pictures and stories
of this part of the coast.

The cruise was remarkable for having few learning experiences.
Despite some strong winds and long legs, there was almost no
excitement due to equipment failures or mistakes. The following
segment from another post bears repeating though. This method of
getting untangled from a lobster pot works very well. I'll try to
provide a picture later.

We did snag two lobster pots which made me a bit less sanguine about
that aspect of the boat. In both cases, however, it appeared to be
two pots that had tangled their lines so that they were stretched at
an unnatural direction.

My system for getting free worked so well that the snags were not much
more of an event than needing to reef.
I have a hookknife on board but chose not to used it and be left
wondering what might still be attached out of sight below. I'll use
it if I snag near a lee shore and need to restore control quickly but
the following method works very smoothly and quickly.

I have a large bronze snap hook tied to a line a few feet longer than
the boat. I fasten this to the end of a long extending boathook with
duct tape. If the tape is applied to the rope and hook properly, the
pole will guide the pot warp right into the hook. Once the line is
hooked, which was very quick and easy in both cases, the pole is
yanked free. Rolling up the jib and letting the main pull the warp
tight brings it up where it can be seen or felt with the pole.

Once the warp is clipped, the main is lowered and the line taken
through a bow chock and back to a halyard winch on the mast. This
pulls a bight of the warp forward and, in both cases, the buoy came
with it. It was then just a matter of winching the buoy aboard,
unclipping it, and getting underway again.

--

Roger Long

Strider's first real cruise
 

There isn't much about the engine on the site but here's the story.

It is a raw water cooled Yanmar 2QM20H installed in 1980 but was in
fresh water from at least 1985 until we bought the boat (according to
peeled off registration stickers). Judging from other things on the
boat, it never saw salt water except on sea trials and delivery.

The owner's put the boat away one year with fuel in the tank thinking
they would sail the boat the next year. The time on shore stretched
into six years before they put the boat on the market and we bought
it. When it came time to start the engine, all the fuel in the system
had turned to jelly and the fuel pump diaphragm had dissolved.

The Yanmar dealer out in Michigan told us that all the injectors
needed to be replace and probably the injector pump as well. We
negotiated a deal to have the engine work done in Maine after truck
delivery.

The yard here pumped out the tank and fuel system, flushed it, and put
in new fuel and a new fuel pump. The engine was reluctant to start
but, once we got it going it ran beautifully. No new parts needed
aside from the external fuel pump, a RW impeller, and zincs.

It's one of the best running engines I've ever known. When I started
it up this spring, it lit off just like it was warmed up in the middle
of a summer daysail. With the shaft line work described on the web
site, the whole installation runs smoother than I ever thought a two
cylinder diesel could be.

This is a great and reliable engine. I've seldom had more faith in a
piece of machinery (certainly not the one in the airplane I used to
fly) than this one and listening to it throb away on a long leg under
power is nearly as enjoyable as sailing.

--

Roger Long

Strider's first real cruise
 

"Roger Long" wrote in news:fMpGg.41465$1Z5.13235
@twister.nyroc.rr.com:

strong winds and long legs, there was almost no
excitement due to equipment failures or mistakes.

That just means you didn't have enough sail aloft. Was the handrail making
spray going through the water heeled over that far? No? Get back out
there! You weren't trying hard enough!....(c;

Nothing broke? Are you SURE you were out of the harbor??

--
There's amazing intelligence in the Universe.
You can tell because none of them ever called Earth.

Strider's first real cruise
 

"Larry" wrote in message
...
"Roger Long" wrote in news:fMpGg.41465$1Z5.13235
@twister.nyroc.rr.com:

strong winds and long legs, there was almost no
excitement due to equipment failures or mistakes.

That just means you didn't have enough sail aloft. Was the handrail
making
spray going through the water heeled over that far? No? Get back out
there! You weren't trying hard enough!....(c;

Nothing broke? Are you SURE you were out of the harbor??

--
There's amazing intelligence in the Universe.
You can tell because none of them ever called Earth.

He did say "almost."

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Strider's first real cruise
 

Roger Long wrote:

I'm starting to get some pictures of Strider's first real cruise.

See

http://home.maine.rr.com/rlma/Sailing0608.htm

for a map and picture of my lovely crew.

One of the crew plans a more extensive gallery and web site that this
will link to so check back sometime for lots of pictures and stories
of this part of the coast.

The cruise was remarkable for having few learning experiences.
Despite some strong winds and long legs, there was almost no
excitement due to equipment failures or mistakes. The following
segment from another post bears repeating though. This method of
getting untangled from a lobster pot works very well. I'll try to
provide a picture later.

We did snag two lobster pots which made me a bit less sanguine about
that aspect of the boat. In both cases, however, it appeared to be
two pots that had tangled their lines so that they were stretched at
an unnatural direction.

My system for getting free worked so well that the snags were not much
more of an event than needing to reef.
I have a hookknife on board but chose not to used it and be left
wondering what might still be attached out of sight below. I'll use
it if I snag near a lee shore and need to restore control quickly but
the following method works very smoothly and quickly.

I have a large bronze snap hook tied to a line a few feet longer than
the boat. I fasten this to the end of a long extending boathook with
duct tape. If the tape is applied to the rope and hook properly, the
pole will guide the pot warp right into the hook. Once the line is
hooked, which was very quick and easy in both cases, the pole is
yanked free. Rolling up the jib and letting the main pull the warp
tight brings it up where it can be seen or felt with the pole.

Once the warp is clipped, the main is lowered and the line taken
through a bow chock and back to a halyard winch on the mast. This
pulls a bight of the warp forward and, in both cases, the buoy came
with it. It was then just a matter of winching the buoy aboard,
unclipping it, and getting underway again.

Strider's first real cruise
 

Roger Long wrote:
The cruise was remarkable for having few learning experiences.
Despite some strong winds and long legs, there was almost no
excitement due to equipment failures or mistakes.

That's not really cruising then, is it? Remember the
definition: "Cruising consists of fixing your boat in exotic
& inconvenient locations."



We did snag two lobster pots which made me a bit less sanguine about
that aspect of the boat. In both cases, however, it appeared to be
two pots that had tangled their lines so that they were stretched at
an unnatural direction.


Bummer... that makes it harder to miss 'em.

Since the advent of extremely cheap seafood flown in from
Asia, we've had far less of a crab pot & net problem,
cruising around here. But a summer cruise up your way sounds
like would be great fun.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Strider's first real cruise
 

I am glad to hear about the diesel engine. The cleaning of the fuel tank was
a wise thing to do. The engine internal sacrificial anode must have been
replaced regularly and done a good job. Conversely I have heard that the
water jacket on some of the fresh water cool engine build around that time
had to be refurbished or replaced.



"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
There isn't much about the engine on the site but here's the story.

It is a raw water cooled Yanmar 2QM20H installed in 1980 but was in fresh
water from at least 1985 until we bought the boat (according to peeled off
registration stickers). Judging from other things on the boat, it never
saw salt water except on sea trials and delivery.

The owner's put the boat away one year with fuel in the tank thinking they
would sail the boat the next year. The time on shore stretched into six
years before they put the boat on the market and we bought it. When it
came time to start the engine, all the fuel in the system had turned to
jelly and the fuel pump diaphragm had dissolved.

The Yanmar dealer out in Michigan told us that all the injectors needed to
be replace and probably the injector pump as well. We negotiated a deal
to have the engine work done in Maine after truck delivery.

The yard here pumped out the tank and fuel system, flushed it, and put in
new fuel and a new fuel pump. The engine was reluctant to start but, once
we got it going it ran beautifully. No new parts needed aside from the
external fuel pump, a RW impeller, and zincs.

It's one of the best running engines I've ever known. When I started it
up this spring, it lit off just like it was warmed up in the middle of a
summer daysail. With the shaft line work described on the web site, the
whole installation runs smoother than I ever thought a two cylinder diesel
could be.

This is a great and reliable engine. I've seldom had more faith in a
piece of machinery (certainly not the one in the airplane I used to fly)
than this one and listening to it throb away on a long leg under power is
nearly as enjoyable as sailing.

--

Roger Long

Strider's first real cruise
 

On Tue, 22 Aug 2006 09:02:29 -0400, DSK wrote:

But a summer cruise up your way sounds
like would be great fun.

Your area of North Carolina is nice but Maine is absolutely the best
cruising on the east coast for my money. The only possible exception
is the Bahamian out islands but it's a bit of a stretch to call that
the east coast.

We were in Maine for 5 weeks last summer and might have stayed longer
except that it was starting to get cold at night in early September.

Strider's first real cruise
 

But a summer cruise up your way sounds
like would be great fun.


Wayne.B wrote:
Your area of North Carolina is nice but Maine is absolutely the best
cruising on the east coast for my money. The only possible exception
is the Bahamian out islands but it's a bit of a stretch to call that
the east coast.


Hey, if you call the Great Lakes part of the east coast, why
be picky? ;)

Big rocks & big tides make me nervous, but it has always
been very appealing up there. The bugs are worse than down here.

We were in Maine for 5 weeks last summer and might have stayed longer
except that it was starting to get cold at night in early September.


Wuss.

In all honesty, I might not stick around even that late. It
would be nice to get to the other side of the overcrowded
part of New England for the season, then teleport back when
the weather began to turn.

DSK

Strider's first real cruise
 

On Tue, 22 Aug 2006 15:11:59 -0400, DSK wrote:

Your area of North Carolina is nice but Maine is absolutely the best
cruising on the east coast for my money. The only possible exception
is the Bahamian out islands but it's a bit of a stretch to call that
the east coast.


Hey, if you call the Great Lakes part of the east coast, why
be picky? ;)

Ahem, we were talking about the Hudson River, not the Great Lakes.
You can get there however if you keep on going. Been there, done
that, interesting trip.

Big rocks & big tides make me nervous, but it has always
been very appealing up there. The bugs are worse than down here.

We had no issues with bugs, none at all. The tides are managable with
most marinas having floating docks. The rocks have all been there a
loooong time and are charted with a high degree of precision, unlike
the shifty channel entrances further south.

We were in Maine for 5 weeks last summer and might have stayed longer
except that it was starting to get cold at night in early September.


Wuss.

In all honesty, I might not stick around even that late. It
would be nice to get to the other side of the overcrowded
part of New England for the season, then teleport back when
the weather began to turn.

Once you get south of Cape Cod, September weather can be quite
enjoyable, often the best of the season. Last October was a bit
drafty however until we cleared the Jersey coast and Chesapeake Bay.
We came down through NY Harbor on the first Saturday in October when
it was blowing 35 to 40 out of the south. The next day was 25 to 30
out of the north all the way down the Jersey coast, and the following
week was gale force all throughout the northeast. We were in
Baltimore inner harbor that week and heard a few "interesting" storys
from people who had limped in. There was a howling nor'wester in the
Chesapeake the following Sunday and everyone who had gone out for a
weekend cruise was scurrying for cover as we went south to Solomons
Island from St Michaels.

Strider's first real cruise
 

Hey, if you call the Great Lakes part of the east coast, why
be picky? ;)


Wayne.B wrote:
Ahem, we were talking about the Hudson River, not the Great Lakes.
You can get there however if you keep on going. Been there, done
that, interesting trip.


I hope so, we plan on going that way next year.


Big rocks & big tides make me nervous, but it has always
been very appealing up there. The bugs are worse than down here.


We had no issues with bugs, none at all.

Well, we don't either. Good screens, citronella candles, and
one of these
http://www.magent.com/electronicbugzapper.htm
quickly and easily chars any ones that get in. The bigger
horseflies take two hits.

My experience with New England biting insects is that their
season is short but ferocious. I guess being careful where
you anchor also helps a lot (as it does down here).



.... The rocks have all been there a
loooong time and are charted with a high degree of precision, unlike
the shifty channel entrances further south.


Had an interesting conversation with a Canadian who was
doing the Great Loop, this spring. He started by indignantly
saying that our charts are all wrong. This is one of the
great challenges of cruising, to learn & adapt to different
prevailing conditions & local hazards that wouldn't occur
'back home.'




Once you get south of Cape Cod, September weather can be quite
enjoyable, often the best of the season.

Harbors are a lot less crowded, too. Couple years back, a
boat I was on stopped in Cuttyhunk in August.... mob
scene... than again a few weeks later in mid September...
empty. The only downside to th elater visit was that the
bakery was closed for the season.


... Last October was a bit
drafty however until we cleared the Jersey coast and Chesapeake Bay.
We came down through NY Harbor on the first Saturday in October when
it was blowing 35 to 40 out of the south. The next day was 25 to 30
out of the north all the way down the Jersey coast, and the following
week was gale force all throughout the northeast. We were in
Baltimore inner harbor that week and heard a few "interesting" storys
from people who had limped in. There was a howling nor'wester in the
Chesapeake the following Sunday and everyone who had gone out for a
weekend cruise was scurrying for cover as we went south to Solomons
Island from St Michaels.


Yowzah!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Strider's first real cruise
 

On Thu, 24 Aug 2006 11:10:36 -0400, DSK wrote:

Harbors are a lot less crowded, too. Couple years back, a
boat I was on stopped in Cuttyhunk in August.... mob
scene...

It's incredible how popular Cuttyhunk has become. We started going
there in the 70s when you could still find room to anchor in the inner
basin and no one of dreamed of anchoring in the outer harbor unless
they were on an 80 footer.

In addition to the bakery, the other don't miss culinary opportunity
in the fresh seafood store on the main dock. They have fresh caught
striped bass many days and it is fantastic. They will also cook
lobsters to order at a half way reasonable price.

Some of my most enduring memories of Cuttyhunk are being overflown by
the seaplane while I was in the dinghy, and having a 3 pound steak
stolen from the barbeque by a seagull.

Strider's first real cruise
 

In article ,
DSK wrote:

Since the advent of extremely cheap seafood flown in from Asia, we've
had far less of a crab pot & net problem, cruising around here. But a
summer cruise up your way sounds like would be great fun.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

If I remember correctly that you're on the Chesapeake, it's because the
crabbers overfished for about a decade. There just aren't many crabs to
be had, so many have gotten out of the biz.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Strider's first real cruise
 

DSK wrote:
Since the advent of extremely cheap seafood flown in from Asia, we've
had far less of a crab pot & net problem, cruising around here. But a
summer cruise up your way sounds like would be great fun.


Jere Lull wrote:
If I remember correctly that you're on the Chesapeake, it's because the
crabbers overfished for about a decade. There just aren't many crabs to
be had, so many have gotten out of the biz.


No, we're a bit further south but the crabs here are just as
good. The NC sounds have suffered a bit more degradation but
not been quite as heavily overfished. Frankly (and I say
this looking over my shoulder to make sure no fishermen are
listening) it's darn good thing to let the crabs & fish
alone for a few generations to recover.

Virginia & Marylands answer to the decline in catch has been
to increase the licenses... IIRC there are about 10X as many
licensed crab traps as there were three or four years ago...
and probably the fiscal pressure has led to many people
setting increased numbers of unlicensed traps. So it's a
relief to hear that many are leaving the business.

It's a shame that people have to give up a long honored way
of life, but hey times change. I can't expect to make a
living the way grandfather did, so I'm not too sympathetic
to the plea 'my daddy was a fisherman and so wuzz his daddy.'

Besides, the bays & rivers are a public resource... I own
just as much of it as they do, and they don't pay me a penny
for taking valuable stuff out of my share.

Regards
Doug King

Strider's first real cruise
 

In article ,
DSK wrote:

Jere Lull wrote:
If I remember correctly that you're on the Chesapeake, it's because the
crabbers overfished for about a decade. There just aren't many crabs to
be had, so many have gotten out of the biz.


No, we're a bit further south but the crabs here are just as
good. The NC sounds have suffered a bit more degradation but
not been quite as heavily overfished. Frankly (and I say
this looking over my shoulder to make sure no fishermen are
listening) it's darn good thing to let the crabs & fish
alone for a few generations to recover.

Now, one thing I've heard is that the catch was real good late last year
-- I'm thinking September -- so there's hope that the population will
increase fairly rapidly.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/