Radar is a beautiful thing!

Voyage date: 6-28-10 Wind 9-12 kts SW gusts 16 voyage time 5:30-7:30 pm cold front approaching ETA 8:45 PM close isobar lines to indicate great sailing. All I can say is I am glad I have radar! I can pick the perfect window of opportunity! Check out the ominous black clouds in first pic. I subscribe to weather alerts from http://www.weather.com/ and I heard my Blackberry beep on my outbound course. The text msg indicated a strong line of thunderstorms from Martinsville VA to Sandy Ridge approaching my position! The good thing was I had a three hour window and I milked every minute of it! Sailing today was awesome! With the winds coming from the southwest, as soon as I departed my slip and was able to turn the boat around, I quickly raised my new mainsail and jib halyards from the cockpit and I immediately felt the power of the wind and the surge of forward momentum as the boat began to heel on a broad reach port tack. Temperature was in the mid nineties, but with the strong wind it was very comfortable. Several tacks while I was beating a zigzag upwind course upon arrival I used the shade of the mainsail to feel even cooler! I never tire of this feeling of the wind especially when it is above 10 kts! Heel angle was at least 30 - 40 degrees! This is truly hydrotherapy! I love the power of the wind and how I feel when I sail. The boat seems to come alive with the wind fills the sails! I achieved another transcendental zen state where I seemed to slip in and out of consciousness as I tacked and jibed several times today sharpening my skills! The arresting line worked well today as I came in hot. I need to bleed more speed so I don't exercise Newtons third law of motion: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. With the strong wind today, I was concerned if I did not have enough speed I would drift north of my slip. Docking without motor assistance is definitely a fine art and requires a lot of skill. You have to approach at the perfect angle, the perfect speed, and you must lower your sails quickly at the perfect time! I must be somewhat of a purist in the sense I truly enjoy the challenge of this maneuver. My new arresting line acts like a rubber band and forward motion quickly becomes reverse motion if appoach speed is to high. Upon arrival today I has a perfect port close haul tack since the wind shifted toward WSW. I had to crab into the wind to maintain course directly into slip even though the bow was pointing away toward the south. The fact I am a private pilot, has definitely helped me with the physics of sailing. When you are landing an airplane with the wind off the left wing it is necessary to crab into the wind and point the nose of the aircraft into the wind until the very last moment before you touch down on the runway. At this point before you land, you align the airplane with the runway and touchdown safely. Sailing is identical in the respect you also crab into the wind and at the last moment slide into the slip. There is no margin for error. I need to practice these approaches and learn how to reduce speed by periodically turning in and out of wind in a z pattern to slow approach speed into slip. Another successful sail and fun in the sun!

Serendipity - Good things happen when you least expect it!

This blog is a stream of consciousness with posted events not always in chronological order. This is the rest of the story about how I came to own a sailboat the same day I saw the boat with the port side submerged and a lone scuba diver in the water to the stern. This serendipitous event happened on 2-23-10 while walking one day with a challenged adult and my tick Beagle Snoopy out at Salem Lake. This whole sailing journey has been so surreal since the first say I met the previous owner Terry Wood. I quickly learned Terry had not been out to the lake for nearly 8 months and the boat had taken on so much water that today was the "day of the resurrection."Terry said that he just did not have time to sail anymore due to his busy schedule in finance at Comp Rehab/Baptist Hospital and horseback riding has become his new hobby with his girlfriend. Terry lives in East Bend and his commute to the lake is nearly 45 min. As the boat began to rise and water flowing out the hatch, the boat started to take form and I quickly admired the "sweet" teardrop design of the Bayliner Buccaneer. Terry had his arms crossed in front of his chest and I sensed the emotions of dismissal and disgust at the condition of his sailboat. All I could say was, "Wow, that is a beautiful "boat!" Terry responded by saying with his current situation in life he was going to "get rid of it." I asked him how much he wanted for his boat and his response is etched in my mind forever! " I'm going to give it to the first person that wants it. A nanosecond later, I said, "I'll take it!" He said, " Are you serious?" "Absolutely!" One phonecall to his girlfriend later, a check Terry stroked for nearly $700, and I now owned a sailboat that I wasn't sure would even sail. Terry also gave me a trailer and the $65 slip fee was current for the rest of 2010. My son Parker would say, "That's serendipity Dad!" My problem was I don't know how to sail. I had not been sailing since I was in my twenties with my uncle David Pfefferkorn on his 30 foot "Sloop De Jour" on High Rock Lake. My only other experience was when I was invited to crew in a Regatta at Lake Norman with Dr. Kornegay, orthopeadic surgeon and Dr. Paschall, oncologist in Winston-Salem. I remember how much I enjoyed the sensations of sailing: the power and sound of the wind in the sails, the lap of the water against and under the side of the boat, and the what a rush it was when you caught some wind and the boat began to heel over and cut through the water! Like flying, I was also intrigued by the physics of sailing and the complexity of how a boat actually sails in apparent wind. Everything on a sailboat including all lines, rigging, and crew all serve a purpose. I don't know how to sail but I can learn!

Father's Day Voyage with Parker

Today has been the most awesome Father's day! I started the day watching Parker complete a level on his new Tom Clancy Splinter Cell Conviction game on his new XBOX 360 Elite enjoying some freshly brewed Starbucks House Blend coffee before heading out to Salem Lake to sail for the afternoon. About 10:30 we had breakfast together, father and son, at Bojangles and came home to gather our daily sailing provisions including 4 liters of purified chilled water and sunscreen. Parker wanted to try some trolling behind the sailboat so I rigged up my favorite Spot trolling lure I caught two huge Stripers (one 16 lb and on 25 lb @ Lake Hickory and Lake Norman respectively with Grandaddy). Wind today was perfect 8-12kts with temp in the high eighties low nineties humidity a sweet 59%! As we departed Parker got stung by a wasp - see pic of him holding ice pack to right jaw - looks like the old brick cell phones! Fortunately, no anaphylactic reaction. Snoopy enjoyed cruise also with his own personal water bowl to keep him hydrated. The new jib and mainsail halyard cam cleats have definitely improved cockpit management allowing me to easily raise and lower sails after departure and arrival to port. The aircraft carrier type arresting line (red and black ropes) also serve well to prevent me from hitting land when coming in a bit hot! Today, I installed a cunningham (two blue lines on top of cabin) secured by two cam cleats on aft side of cabin. These lines attach to the cringle above the tack cringle and pulls the luff down to smooth the crows feet and scallops in the luff (front of sail) increasing laminar air flow over the mainsail. If you pull a little harder it will create a crease in luff shifting airflow forward during heavy wind conditions.

Met another sailing couple today Christophe and his girlfriend Maggie sailing their 1975 Helsen "Beth Ann" in the slip beside my good friend Charles Huneycutt who just completed his solo trip to Bermuda on his Flicka 20. They had a very large cooler full of undisclosed beverages!

Another day in paradise relaxing on Salem lake with the tranquil sounds of the wind in the sails and water running under the boat. I don't think I will ever tire of the joy sailing brings me. It puts me in a different state of mind! So many positive sensations to the spirit. Parker has also learned to love sailing too! He was very quick to jump at the opportunity to come out again and catch some wind although he didn't catch any fish today. He learned why the worst day of fishing is always better than the best day of work especially when you combine it with the joy of sailing.

Cruise time 12 pm -4 pm.

I am blessed to be healthy and be able to be a father! Just thought I's share these precious moments with you. See attached pics of today's voyage.

More Father's Day Voyage Pics

Late Afternoon Sojourn at Salem Lake

The wind was blowing around 8 kts so Parker and decided to take a short soujourn and enjoy the late afternoon breeze at Salem Lake. I love the different sensations and sounds one experiences while sailing: the sound of the water running under the boat, the luff of the sails and the wind in the trees surrounding the lake. The infinite varieties of light can also be seen in the sails and on the ripples in the water. Sailing can be very relaxing, tranquil, and soothing to the spirit. When I sail, I am in the moment. I don't really think about anything. I love this zen state of mind. Sailing like other interests of mine: motorcycle riding, endurance running, and alpine skiing is a form of meditation for me.

Sailing with Shelia

Shelia holding the tiller with such poise. She doesn't take direction very well when I signal the tack command to the crew "ready about?" Crew members are supposed to say ready then the captain says, "coming about" before the change in direction or tack. Shelia refuses to say ready! Wind was strong 15 with gusts to 20. Great for practicing skills if you enjoy tacking or jibing every 2-3 min but not relaxing at all! The command prepare to tack and jibe got old real quick. Plus, Shelia did not appreciate the fact I did not bring her any gloves to secure jib sheets. She now has her own gloves!