Century Club: Richard Turman

My daughter brought a friend over to go boating, and after they went and anchored out in the powerboat, we put the main and jib on and had a great time out on Round Bay.  Breeze was 7-13 knots true, so I was happy to have just the jib on, to keep it fun but not scary.  

Finally got both of the battery chargers (house, electric engine) replaced (at my own expense) after they both got fried due to a power surge fixed, so it was fantastic to be able to go sailing with a full charge on the engine.  Also replaced a block on on the spin pole (a Harken 57 block that shouldn't have broken...) with one that I'd taken out of the mainsheet system since it didn't have a ratchet.  Then the main event was attaching a new spreader tip, since the port one came out on Wednesday night -- the genoa seemed to catch on it and down it came.  Took Lark out of her slip and turned her around so the port side was against the dock.  Then made sure we were at lowest tide.  Then took the 8' ladder iI've got, and set it on the dock (see photo).  Then took main halyard and attached it to the dock to try to lean the boat over a bit, to make the spreader tip easier to reach from the ladder.  My brother held the ladder as I went up to the second to the top step and took off the remaining sail tape and after loosening the shroud, put in the new spreader tip (I had one extra from last year) and then taped it up.  Then drilled a hole through the tip and the spreader and put a bolt through, as we'd done before -- though it looked like the old one may not have been placed right.  Then taped the heck out of it.  And then came down and tightened the shroud right back up.  And then came into cool off, since it was 95 degrees and humid in the mid-day sun.  Then took my sister in law out for a great ride in 8 knots of steady breeze.  Great to have everything working again1

Weather was threatening thunderstorm, but took kayak out for the first time in a month, heading toward pinkish clouds at 8 pm.  Only ducks and heron to disturb; no boats out.  Beautiful night.  And rain held off until I got back and put everythhing away.  

Had a great solo sail on Lark for the first time in a week, and enjoyed 10 knots true windspeed from the South.  On the way back, stopped by friends on their dock to chat, and then shoved off towards home at around 4 pm.  But didn't watch where I was going, nor my own depth gauge.  Felt me hit and looked at gauge, and it said 3.5, and Lark draws 4.5 feet.  Tried to sail off.  Nope.  Tried to use engine to get out.  Nothing.  Called a friend, who came out in his 18 foot 115 horse Bayliner.  Seemed to come close several times, but couldn't pull it off.  Low tide was approaching, so they helped me set my anchor with 100' of rode out.  Figured to come back at midnight and retrieve her at high tide. Another neighbor then came by with 24' center cockpit with a 300 horse yamaha on the back, and asked where to put the boat once he got it off.  I then joined him and his son on his boat, and once we retrieved the anchor, used the rode to pull Lark off the sand bar.  Took two tries, and the strain was evident, and she then slid forward, free.  He towed Lark home with his son and I onboard; I showed his son how to steer a sailboat all the way into the slip.  No harm done to the keel, though some paint has been scraped away by the mud/sand on the bottom.  SO relieved to have Lark back in her slip!