Went out just at sunset. No boats out. bliss!
Century Club: Richard Turman
Sunday, March 30, 2025
Number of days:
1 day
Wax's Lark's cockpit and cabin top, and cleaned inside the cabin. Worked w Steve to swap the Genoa for the Jib and tape the base of the shrouds. Then went sailing. 14 knots sustained w gusts to 18. Had quite a boisterous ride. Went out about 6 and came back 7:30. Was ha j g so much fun sailed up Valentine towards the headwaters, amidst the mooring field. Then home to our lift. A great time on a clean boat!
Saturday, March 29, 2025
Number of days:
1 day
Took winter cover off powerboat (Skylark) and undid the many dock lines cross crossing the boat to keep the cover from having too many places where rain and snow would pool. Used kayak to install drain plug and to scrub the waterline area on the half of Lark which is away from the dock. It had accumulated some mud last fall somehow and needed to be cleaned off. Would have been easier if the wind had not been steady at 10 knots with gusts in the high teens, making controlling the kayak an extra challenge. Got the boat clean and the kayak back to the beach without incident. Then out the battery into the powerboat and started her up, and she started up easily and evenly across all cylinders. Let her warm up for a good 20 minutes then took her out for a spin. Up Valentine then out to Round Bay and opened her up. Great ride!
Then cleaned the bird crap off Lark and tried to move the cable junction for the Torqueedo into the bunk, but it was not to be. Then installed the netting off the stern after finding that the bronze shackle would not close. Took the shackle off completely with M's help to remove the stitches. Quite an involved process, but finally got it installed. Finally done by 5:30, so then rigged the boat to sail. By the time I entered Riund BY, the wind was all gone - it had been 10-15 from the WNW. Motored well past the red channel marker because I could see wind in the distance. Turned out to be a front of 14 knot cold wind coming through. Went back to South Riverside cove and put up the main and headed on a beam reach toward Dave Switzer's. Unfurled the Genoa since wind was down to 8 knots and had a nice ride. Tacked and headed home. A nice ride!
Sunday, March 23, 2025
Number of days:
1 day
Installed house battery so I would have instruments and then put the main on. Since it was fresh from the sailmakers, got to install the batten; always fun.... blowing 14 apparent when I got out into the Severn and raised the main. Had a nice ride around 3 knots in the breeze, then unfurled the Genoa. Scooted along at 5 knots then hit 5.5 then stayed at 5.8 knots for a good while. Sailed on my ear, having a beautiful time. Wind was coming from the East so sailed over to far shore then up to where mark N will be. Great breeze; 51 degrees out but sunny, which made all the difference. Wearing five layers and felt fine. Great to finally out in the water. Wing and winged our way back to the red mark then up toward Yantz creek. Tacked around and headed down into Valentine. Saw a kayaker and had a good chat with a fellow sailboat racer.
Cleaned the boat and found as I took the main down that I'm short 4 sail ties. Will need to buy some... hooked the hose up for the first time this year after turning the water on to the dock. First time for everything.
Saturday, March 15, 2025
Number of days:
1 day
Took winter cover off for first time since New Year's Eve. Put the Genoa on the furler and since the Torqueedo battery showed 98 percent after having been there all winter, it seemed like a good idea to go out for a short time. Was with buddy who recently bought his own T245, and this was his first time on one. Unfurled the Genoa as we entered the Severn where we had 8-10 knots of breeze. Scooted along nicely, tacked over by Yangtze creek and beam reached right back home. A very nice first time out!
Monday, March 10, 2025
Number of days:
1 day
Days are blissfully getting longer and less frigid. Went out kayaking for the first time this year. Outdoor thermometer said 61 degrees, but that was in the shade and we had wonderful sun. Wind was from the Southwest, so Valentine was mostly in the lee, so had great low-wind conditions. Hugged the shore, since the water is still chilly, and crossed from Herald Harbor to Arden at the skinniest point and then came back along past their launching ramp, where a dude with his fishingboat was heading out. Wonderful water with just ducks to share it with. Landed back on the beach to hear our cat, Svea, vocalizing and then come tearing down the beach. Great welcoming committee. Went out on the dock, and she followed all the way to the end. Really a beautiful night out.
Monday, December 30, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
Sunday was unseasonably warm, in the high 50's, and the wind was variable, ranging from 6 to 18 knots true, all from the NW. didn't decide to go out until 3:30, so got underway 3:45 on a short-daylight day. SO glad I did go sailing, though, even though it was boisterous enough that I only put up the main. But it was glorious to be sailing again, moving between 3 and 5.5 knots whilst wearing five layers. Got hope as sun was setting; quite a gift from the weather gods.
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
Finally got my powerboat winterized, allowing me to then put the winter cover on. Always a pain, but with a variation this year of the new lift I was putting it on, which seemed a little better than on the old lift (and dock). Had to kayak out and under the boat two separate times to get the tie-downs under one side of the boat, below the keel, and over to the other side where it could be attached to the tie down on the other side. Doing that and taking the drain plug out were all important jobs that needed doing, as did removing the starting battery for the season, but at least I did this on a day when it was mid-40's as opposed to earlier in the month, when the high was in the 30's for two weeks. Looking forward to riding the boat in the spring!
Friday, November 29, 2024
Number of days:
1 day
Since it was a balmy 45 degrees out, had planned to just take the Genoa off, in prep for winter storage, but found it wasn’t too bad out, so went out in 5-10 knots of breeze from the SW. Went around Saint Helena island, and as I did so, wind started gusting into the high teens.
Made my way back up towards home on Valentine Creek and stupidly kept both sails up as I came through the narrow entrance. Hit w gusts in 20’s that came with a wind shift that threw me from port to starboard tack and fouled the Genoa as I was heading for the two story boat dock/swim platform to port by a pool barge.
Managed to get the Genoa unfouled just in time to avoid the mast and main coming into contact w the upper deck, and the hull to avoid a piling at the base of the platform. A front was now coming through with rain and steady winds high teens and gusts low 20’s. Managed to furl Genoa, but wind kept laying me over, so went back out into the Severn (at nearly 6 knots w just the main) and found a place in the lee of the wind so I could finally drop it.
Easy enough to then motor home, and the front had blown through by the time I went to dock, but it certainly was an exciting way to end the season. Glad the boat is all in one piece. All I lost overboard was the stocking cap I was wearing; wild to have it blown off my head.