Man's Best Friend

Voyage date: 8-24-10

Departure: 13:05

Arrival: 15:15

Conditions: steady NE breeze 8-10 kts, 78F, storms developing to south and west, cloud cover and wind increasing

Sometimes I enjoy being around animals more than humans. It is therapeutic to escape the responsibilities and drama of life to reengage with my inner child and savor the essence of playing. I love to sail with my beagle Snoopy. He is always excited to jump in the explorer and go on an adventure with me. He doesn't care where we go or what we do as long as he can get away form the house and escape the crate and tether of life at home. Ironically, today's wind was similar to my harrowing experience on Friday the 13th, however, I made a simple adjustment to my autopilot that made departure with wind off the stern surprisingly easy! I pulled the tiller more to the starboard side and locked the lines in place with the camcleats so that when I pushed off from shore, the stern of the boat would rapidly cut through the wind and point me in the direction for a close reach port tack. I also installed a cunningham on the mainsail running from the cringle above the tack down to a block and up to a fixed point on the mast and a downhaul on the jib running from one of the velcro hanks to the ramshead on the foredeck. My uncle David noticed some diagonal sags in my sails which reduced sail efficiency and suggested I needed a downhaul to mitigate this problem and smooth out the sail surface so the windflow across the sails is more laminar rather than turbulent. These three simple adjustments assisted with departure. Trial and error solves a lot of problems in life. Most of today's voyage, I didn't think about much other than observing "Snoop's" various moments: chillin between the jib and main halyards on top of the cabin, walking the gunwhale and pausing to see his reflection in the starboard cabin window, finding the shade behind the jib and mainsail, his pensive moment with me in the cockpit, and taking a "dog" nap on the cabin top. I like to sail before storms that develop in the afternoon and search for the perfect window of opportunity! As the clouds started to roll in, the wind picked up improving sailing conditions like a musical crescendo! The water was playing its tune under and around my boat, with the woodwinds playing in the luff of my sails and through the leaves in the trees! Once again, I was in the zen!

Video 1: Snoop chillin between the halyards

Video 2: Snoop checking jib trim

Video 3: Snoop awakens to check wind direction

Friday the 13th Nightmare!

Voyage date: 8-13-10
Departure: 17:45
Arrival: 19:30
Logged sailing hours: 1.85 hrs
Conditions: 91F, wind 10-12kts ENE, sunny, hazy

I am have never been a superstitious person until today when I decided to go sailing on Friday the 13th! When I arived at my mooring @ 17:20, the I couldn't get my sails on quick enough! The wind was kicking at 10-12 kts perfect conditions for a great sail! Within less than a half hour, I had rigged the jib and mainsail, locked in the tiller to swing me around to the south to catch a perfect ENE wind port close reach tack and head to point 1 upwind and miss the dock to the southeast. Departure and arrival are the most precarious moments in sailing especially with sail and oar power alone. I currently have to push the boat out of my mooring paddle into position, raise the sails and depart away from all the moored boats to the south, dock to the southeast, and pier to the northeast. This process reminds me of my pilot training during takeoffs and landings. The difference here is without power via a trolling or outboard motor, you only get one chance to get it right similar to a glider pilot without an engine on final approach to land. With all the great sails recently, I have become a bit complacent to the fact that every sail is going to be a smooth sail. I have had a few terrifying experiences that help remind me to be vigilant at all times. EVERY SAIL IS DIFFERENT! At 17:45, I released the stern and bow lines including the cable attached to the mooring, and leaned on the bow and to push toward the stern to depart - I couldn't push the boat back. I surveyed all lines, all were detached and the boat was free but it felt like someone was pushing on the stern of the boat and I couldn't make it budge but a foot or two before it would float back into my arresting line at the bow. At this point, I was becoming more frustrated because I wanted to capture the wind and sail away! Normally the wind is coming out of the southwest and I haven't experienced this problem of wind resistance directly off the stern. With a SW wind, the boat turns easily into position for a starboard tack to point one. However, today FRIDAY THE 13TH WAS A DIFFERENT SCENARIO! In my haste to start sailing, I pulled the boat foward into the arresting line as hard as I could so it would slingshot me into the wind, I jumped on the boat, grabbed my oar and paddled with all my might directly into the wind and mother nature kicked my ass! Rather than turning around and harnessing the wind, some freak force of nature pushed the starboard side of my boat around 180 degrees and I was heading back towards my friend, Charles Honeycutt's MacGregor, on course for a direct collision for the stern of his boat. "Holy bleep" What the bleep am I going to do now. The wind picked up and I was barrelling toward the shore with the mainsail fully hoisted and I was on a starboard tack heading the wrong "f" ing direction. "Holy bleep!" Before I was turned around like a toy sailboat, I almost started to sail after my slingshot maneuver, and was able to deploy my mainsail, but today was a differernt day - IT WAS FRIDAY THE 13TH! What was supposed to happen didn't happen and I was living a nightmare. "HOLY BLEEP!" I had to sever the coulda woulda shoulda thoughts and focus on the moment. What can I logistically do at this point to prevent disaster? Since I had run the main and jib halyards into the cockpit attached to jawed camcleats, I could quickly and efficiently raise and lower the sails. Before I created this rigging, I used to have to physically get out of the cockpit and walk up to the mast, remove the halyards off the cleats, pull the lines to raise the sails, and reattach to the lines to the cleats. I thought this process was very inefficient and time consuming especially during high wind solo sailing. With sailing my M.O (modus operandi) is economy of motion. During departure and arrival seconds are critical! Thank God I had my new rigging! I was 30 yards from impact heading west rather than southeast @ 6-7 kts toward the shore. "HOLY BLEEP!" Let's head back to the reality of the emotions I was experiencing at that moment in time. Fear vanished from my psyche, as I entered a zen like trancendental state during this chaos. I instinctly became aware of the how calm and relaxed I was in lieu of the present state of affairs I was experiencing. Everything I had learned and the sailing drills I did over the last several months just all fell into place. Repetition is the mother of skill. This is the reason why our military pilots train every day. Rather than thinking, I was doing what I had already done several times before. This is just another maneuver, I can do this. It was like I was observing this event as a third party detached from the event at hand. I surveyed the tell-tales, they were pointing toward the port bow side of the boat indicating I was on a starboard broad reach port tack. To bleed speed, I simultaneously pulled the mainsail halyard out of the camcleat to lower the sail and pushed the tiller hard right to initiate a jibe maneuver through the eye of the wind to whip the boat around so I could get on a close reach port tack. Quickly grab main halyard and hoist mainsail, insert in camcleat, done. Surpise # 2! When I realized I was going to miss Charles' MacGrgor, another potential collision came into view as the bow moved port. I saw two guys fishing in a flat bottom boat tied between two morring posts sipping an undisclosed beverage less than a minute from impact! "HOLY BLEEP!" "Which way is backwards?"All I could think of at this point was a scene from the classic 1980 movie Caddyshack when Rodney Dangerfield was hauling ass in his yacht and the look on this black guys face fishing in a similar boat I was about to hit! Rodney severed the black fisherman's boat, fortuitiously I escaped fate one more time! These guys I was about to hit had the same big, round, white, bug eyes! See video of this scene below. I love that part in the movie. Ironically, as I whipped around inches from their position, all I heard them say was Joe Kennedy is sailing again today! Not sure if that is my new nickname from the local fisherman, but I did look good sporting my en vogue wrap around black sunglasses and mildew-laden Kent life-jacket (the one my mother says looks like it was monogrammed for a guy named Kent). Who knows, perhaps it was my confident posture as I averted disaster! Not sure what that was all about, but it the whole scene was hilarious. Surpirise # 3: possible collision with dock to the southeast. At this time, I was going the correct direction away from the fisherman, away from the shore, and away from the other boats. However, I did not have enough steerage yet for forward momentum and the wind was pushing my mainsail and entire boat toward the floating dock. Adding insult to injury, the wind shifted directly east. I looked up at the tell-tales and they were streaming directly backward and my sails began to violently luff. I was going backwards again. In order to achieve forward momentum, I would have to turn toward the dock and capture the wind on a close reach port tack to avoid another possible collision. I defied fate again and missed the dock by two feet. What seemed like an eternity probably only lasted 15-20 minutes. I was away from all hazards and I began to heel over on a comfortable beam reach port tack. Surprise # 4: what started out as perfect wind conditions became light and variable and deteriorated to no wind. I was in the irons. It took me an hour or so to make it to point one with the aberrant wind changing directions every few minutes. What an intersting adventure. Are all these strange events happening because it is Friday the 13th? I was beginning to wonder. After reaching point one, I did not venture to point two, but was able to do a 180 and catch a steady 5kt breeze starboard beam reach tack all the way back to my slip for a perfect, non-eventful arrival. Evidently, the evil spirits had left Salem Lake. I enjoy the challenge of being a sailing purist, but plan on installing some power to assist me on these Friday the 13th type of days! Another day in paradise! The worst day of sailing is always better than the best day of work!

Video 1: black man's big bug eyes before hit by Rodney Dangerfield's yacht
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8Kez_Cs-_I&feature=watch_response

Video 2- full scene from Caddyshack Rodney Dangerfield reckless yacht driving and the black fishermans big bug eyes @ 1' 05" mark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGD-tUsySPs

Another day of doing what I love!

Voyage date: 08-12-10
Departure: 17:00
Arrival: 19:30
Logged sailing hours: 2' 30"
Conditions: 91 degrees Wind SW 5-6 kts party sunny

Another capritious decision that it was a great day day to go sailing so I that's what I did! Today, after working all day in plastic surgery, I headed to Salem Lake for another imaginary triangular regatta loop from point one to point three. I would like to organize a regatta someday for Salem Lake to revitalize the interest in sailing in the Triad. The lake is scheduled to close in early November this year and replace the 100 year old dam on the northwest corner of the lake. Perhaps, this vision will become a reality next year after the new dam is in place. Who knows though with government bureaucracy and impecunious budgets, this project could last several years rather than the forecasted one year. There is still a lot in uncertainty in the air regarding this issue. I caught a few bursts of aberrant wind, but it was mostly just another serene, transcendental sail with wind around 6 kts. I found tranquility once again!

Halcyon Hip Hop Cruise

Voyage date: 8-7-10

Location: Salem Lake

Departure: 17:30

Arrival: 19:25

Conditions: Wind 5-6 NE 89F

Sailed today with my PA friend Ray Oysterer. He and I are part-time ski instructors @ Winterplace. This sail had the dichotomy of peace and serenity with the feeling of levitatation over the water, minimal heel, combined with hip hop music on attached video heard throughout Salem Lake! Odd combination! Key lyrics I heard from an ethnic group in the shelter by the lake:

"Every now and then...

put a smile on your face

stop that hatred

negativity

love your neighbor..."

Good words to live by although Ray didn't want to "break it down" when I asked him to sing with me!

Another short sweet, relaxing sojourn @ Salem Lake!

Video 1: Hip Hop Starboard tack where Ray is not interested in breaking it down with me!

2. Video 2: Ray discusses peaceful and quiet sailing

3. Video 3: Ray discusses detachment from technology

Mutiny on the Bounty!

Voyage date: 8-5-10

Departure time: 14:00

Arrival time: 15:45

Conditions: Wind SW 10 kts gusts 15 kts partly cloudy

Another perfect day on the lake sailing! Today was the first day Shelia actually was able to sit on one side of the cockpit for the whole sail! Last time we sailed together we played musical chairs - not one of Shelia's favorite games along with taking orders! Today she told me what to do, her favorite thing to do. I was the swabbie (she has other names for me which I won't mention) trimming the sails with Shelia at the helm.

Today's first lesson for Shelia was how to read the tell-tales and achieve maximum wind efficiency for forward momentum. The second lesson was how to command and execute tack and jibe maneuvers. She wanted to say, "coming around" rather than "coming about",either way is fine with me.

The pleasure for me today was to see the joy on Shelia's face when she was able to feel and capture the power of "the wind in my sails!" See video below of close reach port tack rapidly clipping along around 6kts. I vividly remember Shelia saying, "Yes, I love this!" I never tire of how the boat comes alive when you are in the slot and it starts to heel over 30-45 degrees. No engine noise, just the simple sound of the luff of the sails, the water racing under the boat, and the cool sensation of the wind on your face and hair. This is true serenity!

As we sailed, the wind progressively became more intense and the ominous skies began to darken to indicate incliment weather. I checked radar and we had a window of 45 minutes to make it back to the slip before we were going to be hammered with gale force winds and lightning, not a good scenario when surrounded by water! As we sailed, thunderstorm cells had developed and were rapidly approaching our position.

Shelia quickly learned to command the boat and stated their would be mutiny if we did not get out of that lake. She took charge and we headed toward the slip and quickly jumped into the BMW got the hell out of there! Again, she made the last call.

Video 1: Shelia at the helm on fast 6 kt, close reach port tack, she's in the zone!Video 2: Shelia learning how to read tell-tales

Sailing = Sanity and Serenity!

Voyage Date: 8-4-10

Departure: 5:45 p.m.

Arrrival: 7:30 p.m.

Conditions: Wind SW 8-10 kts, 90F

Sailing to me conjures up a lot of things in my mind: serenity, spontaneity, symphony, tranquility, sanity, relaxation, peace of mind, paradise, adrenaline...

When 5:00 rolled around today while I was fueling up my SUV, I perpicaciously noticed the cool wind on my cheek and the vision of the leaves dancing on the trees bekoning me like sirens to go sailing today. I checked radar and wind on my Blackberry and the conditions were perfect, no isolated cells and wind 8-10 kts: an ideal idyll! The sailing starts are in alignment once again! What I frequently envision in my mind, was about to become a reality. I would again be on the lake soon enjoying what I love to do: SAIL!

When I arrived at my slip, I soon entered a transcendental zen state of mind. I grabbed my cooler for hydration, first aid kit, tools, and began to unfurl the sails to set up my rigging for a late afternoon sail at Salem Lake. I love these sojourns! I was sailing within 45 min of the spontaneous moment I felt the wind on my face and decided capriciously that the time was right! Spontaneity is a good thing!

As I departed my slip I soon realized as Christopher Cross sings in "Sailing " "If the wind is right you can sail away and find serenity..."

These lyrics to me are a metaphor for life: it is important to get away from the monotony of life and set yourself free and find paradise within yourself. Sailing is so serene to me, it was a perfect day! You know when you say to yourself, if I died right now and that would be ok, you are in the right place mentally and spiritually! As I transition through life, I savor every moment! Sailing helps me recapture the true joy and innocence of childhood. It is easy to become jaded and cynical as one grows older! Not me baby! Carpe diem!

I have attached two links one of the "Sailing" music video and one with lyrics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTQWZfi1_Bw

http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGlUnS0uk8Q

"Its not far down to paradise

At least it's not for me

And if the wind is right you can sail away

and find tranquility

The canvas can do miracles

Just you wait and see

Believe me

It's not to far to never, never land

No reason to pretend

And if the wind is right you find the joy

Of innocence again

The canvas can do miracles

Just you wait and see

Believe me

Sailing

Takes me away

To where I've always heard it could be

Just a dream and the wind to carry me

And soon I will be free

Fantasy

It gets the best of me

When I am sailing

All caught up in the reverie

Every word is a symphony

Won't you believe me

It's not far back to sanity

At least it's not for me

If the wind is right you can sail away

And find serenity

The canvas can do miracles

Just you wait and see

Believe me

Thank you Lord for allowing me to sail another day!

See videos of today's sail below:

References made to legs below: Salem Lake Regatta triangular course

Video 1: beam reach starboard tack leg 3

Video 2: close reach port tack leg 2 v cloud sun symetry

Video 3: close reach port tack leg 2 4.5 kt clip

Video 4: close reach port tack leg 2 see reflection of passing illuminated water in starboard cabin window, I love the play of the light dancing on the water!

Moon River-Midnight, Moonlight Cruise on the Neuse!

Location: Neuse River opening to Pamlico Sound South of Oriental Beach, Newbern, NC

Voyage date 7-27-10 time 16:00-18:30 condition wind light and variable, temp 85F

Voyage date 7-27-10 time 21:30-00:30 7-28-10 wind 10-12kts conditions: perfect, moonlit night temp 75F

The midnight voyage on my uncle David's 44 foot Gulfstar across the Neuse River opening into the Pamlico Sound has to be the most surreal experience I have experience heretofore in sailing! It bekons the lyrics of Johny Mercer's "Moon River" performed by of Andy Williams:

listen to Andy Williams on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flm4xcOyiCo

and Louis Armstrong jazz version one of my favorites since trumpet playing is my forte: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd_JDrnBMMA

"Moon River, wider than a mile

I'm crossing you in style some day.

Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,

wherever you are going I'm going your way.

Two drifters off to see the world.

There's such a lot of world to see.

We're after the same rainbow's end--

waiting round the bend,

My huckleberry friend,

Moon River and me.

Earlier this week, my wife Shelia, my youngest son Parker (12yrs old), and I decided to take a two day soujourn to visit my uncle David and his wife Leigh in Newbern, NC. Upon arrival late afternoon on the Tuesday, 27 July, we met David at the Duck Creek boatyard negotiating a deal on a 40 foot Endeavor. After the buyer was reluctant to move forward because of some apparent blistering on the hull of the boat, we packed our BMW with David and Helen (present owner of the Endeavor) and drove back to the gated community of Fairfield Harbor where David and Helen live. After dropping off Helen at her house, we met David's wife Leigh, former Commodore of the New Bern sailing fleet, and headed out to the Blackbeard sailing club for an afternoon voyage on David's 44 foot centercockpit Gulfstar aptly named "Bomba Shack" after a club in the British Virgin Islands. David and his wife Leigh live on their boat several months out of the year in the winter off the coast of Key West. It has all the amenities of home: covered, sectional type seating in the cockpit around the helm, saloon down below you can walk around in, with couch, bookcases, full galley, v berth in the bow, two heads, shower, master bedroom aft with head and stand-up shower, chart table with Furuno radar monitoring, and is equipped with a Perkins diesel engine (same name as David and Leigh's cat), generator, AC, icemaker, refrigerator, microwave, Garmin GPS chartplotter, autopilot, and self-furling sails. Since the wind on the afternoon on 27 July was light and variable, the voyage was mostly motoring through the Neuse enjoying some beverages with wine and cheese. We arrived back at Blackbeard's around 18:30, and while the girls prepared the provisions for dinner, David, Parker and I ventured out in their water taxi:a zodiac powered by a 15 hp motor. Parker was in his element as our Captain. I loved the look of joyful bliss on Parker's face as he jetted around the upper broad creek of the Neuse at 30 kts imagining he was a navy seal on a covert mission! In fact, he now wants Santa to bring him a zodiac for Christmas! After cooking on the grill at Blackbeard's clubhouse, serendipitously, the wind picked up to 10-12 kts, perfect sailing conditions! Around 9:30 p.m. we departed Blackbeard Harbor and turned the Bombashack into the wind and ironically, directly into a wide beam of moonlight as we unfurled the mainsail and jib. In less than five minutes, David cut off the Perkins diesel and the boat immediatedly began to heel over and come alive on a close reach 30 degree port tack cutting through the dark water of the Neuse illuminated by the moonlight on my first nocturnal sailing voyage. Wow! All the sensations of sailing which I have come to love started to appear once again: the sound of the wind and waves, the halcyon of the water, the wind on my face, how time seems to stand still! I love it! David shined the light up on the Windex wind indicator perched at the zenith of the mast to help me find the slot I needed to be in for maximum efficiency for the 1.5 hour tack across the "Moon River." I tarried for a while in posting this blog, because I had an arduous time determining an apt name for this special time sailing with my uncle. While Shelia and I were playing backgammon tonight, she said how about "Moon River?" After I looked up the lyrics for this song, I immediated realized how perfect it is! The Neuse River is over a mile wide and intersects with the Trent River to form the Pamlico sound out to Oriental Beach and eventually the Atlantic Ocean. I was the captain for most of the outward bound leg of this surreal, midnight voyage, and I have attached a great quick time video showing the band on moonlight off the port side illuminating our path through the dark water. Shelia was at the helm on the inward bound fetch. I hope I never forget this moment in time sharing this surreal, midnight voyage on the "Moon River" with David, Leigh, Christina (another member of the club), Shelia and Parker. The next morning David shared his next project with us. He and Leigh are restoring a 1983 wooden, Gypsy Trawler docked across the Neuse from his house at Fairfield Harbor. Next year, they plan on cruising north to New York across the Hudson, and the Erie canal and down the Mississippi back home to Newbern on what has been heralded as America's Great Loop. Fuel alone for this voyage at 3 gallons of diesel per hour is going to cost around $18,000. The "Great Loop" can be best described as a 6,000 mile journey circumnavigating the Great Lakes, the inland US river system, the Gulf coast, the ICW of Florida, up the East Coast, Chesapeake Bay, through the Hudson, Erie Canal, into Canada's Trent Severn Waterway or Rideau Canal, Georgian Bay, and Noth Channel that can be started from any point. After taking a few pics and thanking David and Leigh for their generous hospitality, Shelia and Parker and I spent the rest of the day at Atlantic Beach, with our new, Tommy Bahama umbrella and chairs, a few choice beverages, enjoying some sweet, sun and surf until around 6:00 pm on 28 July. Again another fortuitous event during this soujourn: temp in the mid eighties, sand soft under your feet, with few shells, and rapid, medium waves in succession: Nature's perfect wave pool! After our day at the beach, we had some fresh catch, flounder, shrimp and scallops at the Sanitary Restaurant and Fish Market in Morehead City before heading home. The cherry on the top of this amazing journey: we stopped at Seymour Johson Air Force base at the end of the runway to see 20 F-15 strike eagles whistle jet noise as they surreptitiously landed around midnight of 29 July. Again, we were at the perfect place at the perfect time. What was even more perfect which reminded me of why I am glad I am a dad, is when my son said, "Dad, this is just like Top Gun, what an experience!" See video footage of Midnight, Moonlight Cruise on the Bomba Shack video below. The answer to "Who's idea was it to sail?" It was me!