Week 8 - disaster! Or was it....

Lots to report this week.  I should say that I created this blog mostly for myself at the suggestion of a cape Dory owner who said I should list all of the work I have done so that when I get depressed about the never ending boat work can look back and see all I did. 

So, on Monday I decided to leave the excellent Salt Ponds Marina for Portsmouth's Tidewater Marina....a big marina on the icw and next to Portsmouth's olde Town. 

I never made it....

As I left the salt ponds I immediately noticed the huge 3-4 ft swells slamming my boat as I entered the Bay.  It was rough.  I persevered and made it all the way to the Norfolk shipping channel....I thought I'd get some cover here but then the wind changed directly East and the rough seas continued.  Then it happened....my alarm went off and the engine was smoking a bit from overheating...Fuck!  I shut the engine off and tried to sail through the channel with my jib sail...too rough!  Then I heard it .....BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM....I looked behind me and there was a container ship on my ass.....then I heard a foreign voice on vhf channel 16 telling me to clear the channel.....I stood up and told him to Fuck Off (and shot the finger at him)...I was powerless and he needed to move his ass around me.  He did....and sent enough wake to capsize my boat.  Asshole!
So I called the coast guard who sent the Hampton volunteer fire Dept to me to tow me in.  They were nice, but inexperienced.  I had to come up to the bow to cleat them to my boat.  During the tow they bent my anchor cotter pin frame so much that the anchor fell off the deck.  I grabbed it with my right hand while holding on to the boat with my left.  I gashed the hell out of a finger but managed to pull my anchor up on deck.  Then the tow rope busted my  deck light. 
Then as we arrived at the closest marina (old point Comfort) they cut a corner too close and my stern stanchion didn't clear the entrance and they bent the shit out of it (while looking right at it). 
The thing is...they were volunteers providing a free service...I wanted to beat the crap out of them but I really couldn't...it was free....I was happy to be out of the channel.  I just said thanks and let them go. 
Their captain had the best line of the day...he said "I saw you bouncing around out there.....if you didn't vomit during that (I didnt) you are never going to."

So, I found the problem that caused the engine to overheat.  I have ordered parts that will be here in 2 days.  The problem was mentioned in my survey done last Feb. But I forgot about it (can I win 2 Darwin awards?). I'll do the repairs and be off on Monday if all goes well.

This event caused me to ponder if I'm doing the right thing...if this is too much for me to handle....if I am too old for this.  But after I was docked at the marina and given a double shot of tequila by one boater and comforted and reassured by 3 other boaters I realized.....how much fun I just had.  This is what I wanted.  To test myself physically and mentally.  To do things I have never done before and learn about boating and sailing and be with like minded people.  That tequila shot represented brotherhood, respect and acceptance.  I am more determined than ever to move forward and do this...because at the end of the day....the whole afternoon was a blast and I don't have to be anywhere at a certain time. 

I am happy to report that I have fixed the anchor and deck light and ordered parts to fix the engine.  I'll find a fix to the stern stanchion.....I don't have to fix it today.  Instead, I went to harbor freight tool store ...I could shop there for a week.  Bought boat tools and then went to LaParilla and drank 4 margaritas.   Life is good.....

Week 7 - Rain, "effluent", and leaving early

So I went to Texas for my mother's funeral service and got back to Norfolk yesterday.  It has been raining ever since I arrived.  In fact it is projected to rain 8 of the next 10 days here and it is starting to get a bit chilly at night.  This of course means that it is time to get my rear end out of here and go South.

The following items MUST be done before I can leave:
1.  Topside of boat needs to be cleaned and waxed with my Delaware registration put on the boat.
2.  Transom needs to have "Sandpiper" scraped off, cleaned, waxed and "VLee" decal put on. (1 and 2 are required by uscg).
3. Vberth starboard Port needs to be rebed.
4.  Holding tank needs a pump out and I am never using it again - this requires an explanation...

I've used my jabsco toilet on board about 6 or 7 times in the past month.  I checked the tank and noticed that it didn't appear that anything was in it.  I wasn't sure why. Without going into detail air pressure was keeping the waste from going into the tank so I opened the deck fitting and drilled a hole at the top of the tank (stupid! I deserve a Darwin award for that).  So I go back and check and the tank is now completely full...with a smell that cannot be described.  I am not going to deal with pump outs at marinas.  It's too much trouble. So I will pump this out tomorrow at the fuel dock, run vinegar through the lines, flush biohazard freshener into the tank and never use it again. 
Instead, I will put a plastic bag in the bowl, tie the bag, and then dump it in the trash.  This is easier to deal with. 
Once I am 3 miles away from the coast I can legally pump the poop into the ocean, so the bag process is only for coastal sailing. 
Come to think of it I haven't seen anyone do a pump out at this marina....they must have huge tanks.
I also bought one of those kids pool toys that is the long foam pole...made a toilet cushion out of it....if I have to use a bag I can at least be comfortable.

Anyway.....I'm going to do all of this on the 2 good weather days we have and then I am leaving.  I am taking the ICW
to Beaufort.  I am going to cut it into 4 day trips....more about that next post....
P.S. previous owners left me a marine grade heater...works great!

Week 6 - sailing, sons visit, preparing for the first legs of my journey

During the past 2 weeks a lot has happened.  My oldest son came to visit for a week and we had a great time.  He picked up sailing terminology really fast.  Then came the sad news that my boat's namesake (my mother) passed away....I don't even have her name on the boat yet, but I'll do it soon.

As far as the VLee is concerned, I'm happy to report that all of the tasks I set out to do in my last post have been done except I didn't soak the main sheets....it can wait.  But with a boat there is always more to do and we finally had some rain.  I rebed the stanchion that was mentioned in my survey as  problem before it rained and it worked great - no leaks.  But i discovered that most of my ports (windows) have small leaks inside due to old gaskets.  So, tomorrow I replace the gaskets (shouldn't be a hard job).  One of the ports may need to be rebed from the outside and the forward hatch is leaking from the outside so it needs some attention too.  All boats leak (this was the discussion of the day the following day here at the marina). But, I am determined to have a dry cabin. 

Today I filled up the water tank and my new 7 gallon water cans and attached them to the bow of the boat. Tomorrow I fuel up with Diesel and finish the gasket project.  Then, on Saturday I leave the friendly people of Deltaville and begin moving South.  I hope to be in Norfolk by Monday. Winds are predicted to be light and out of the south for most of the journey which means I'll be beating directly into them but as light as they are it won't be an issue.

Two upcoming projects:
build a piece that will fill the V berth so that the entire berth is one big bed.  So right now it looks like an upside down "V" and I want it to look like a triangle. Not difficult, just need to make time.

Connect my vhf radio AIS capability to my chart plotter so that my plotter sees where other boats are and what their path is.  I have this capability on the radio but having it on the plotter would be awesome.

On a final note, I have to say that I really like the State of Virginia.  Wonderful food, nice friendly people, thick forests.....nice place.