Boat is in for repair

We took a ride down to the boat yard and spoke with John about the repair work.  I explained that the mosty important thing was to get the jib sail as that was distroyed in the accident.  I brought the insurance check with me to show John how much the insurance had paid.  Being the great guy he is, John said, " I think we can take care of it for that."  WOW... I was so happy to hear those words.  I asked when he could get it done as I still had things to do on the boat this winter.  He said he would bring it in after the holidays and get to work on her.  At that time I endorsed the check right over to him. Now is that a great Christmas present or what?  In a couple weeks we'll contact him to see how things are going.
Happy New Year

Christmas

Here it is a couple days before Christmas and my insurance company (BoatUS) has finally responded with a check to repair Lil Provo.  It was far from the estimate, but I guess something is better than nothing.  They discounted all parts 90%!  Though Lil Provo was in excellent shape, never painted, sea worthy, etc, it didn't make a bit of difference to Boat US.  Tomorrow I will ride down to the boat yard to see what I can work out with John. I'll be back with more info after I talk to him.

The winter is starting to settle in

It is already into December.  The nights are getting colder and the winds have been blowing.  recently there has been a cold spell in the south and Florida has seen temperatures in the 20's this week.  Lil Provo sits in the boat yard awaiting the reply of the insurance company.  We went down and threw a tarp on her, but have reservations if it going to stay as the wind really howls coming off the water. 

Today I will try to contact the insurance company for an update.

Settling up with the boat yard

On Sunday we took a ride down to the bay and to visit Olsen Boat Works.  John was there on a Sunday and had my seasonal bill ready and my estimate on repairing Lil Provo.  John told me to send him  a check and I pulled out my checkbook and paid him on the spot.  I don't like these things hanging out there, specially after the season is over by a month.  I know he can use the cash to pay the guys who work there.  He is such a great guy and he hass really looked out for my interests over the past couple years.  When I have had a problem, he has been the problem solver.

I am working on my list of things I must complete on Lil Provo over the winter.  Once I complete it I'll post it and keep track of my progress.  Over the next two weeks I will need to cover her.  I don't like the idea of snow sitting on her.  I will buy a tarp and put the mast ontop and lash the tarp down over the mast.

That's it for now.

Still waiting!

It has been weeks since the boat was taken out of the water.  I still have not received a quote on the repairs and have not been able to file a claim to the insurance company.  I will be taking a ride down there on Saturday to see what is going on.  I have decided that I will buff out the side with the damage and just address the few deep scraps.  I will repaint the side strip and replace the rub rail that was torn off.  I am hoping that the boat yard still sells me a replacement Jib.  I will keep you posted.

Lil Provo sitting in boat yard

Lil Provo sits on her trailer in Keyport NJ awaiting some special attention for the damage incurred late this season.  Last weekend I took a drive down and unloaded some things from the cabin and worked on getting the motor off.   We soaked the Master lock last week with WD40 before leaving the boat yard and after sitting for a week I inserted the key only to find that the WD40 had not worked at all and the lock would not unlock.  I then walked to the back of my truck and pulled out my 100 foot extension cord and die grinder.  In a couple minutes the lock was lying on the ground, well the bottom half anyway.  I was alone, with my bad back and shoulder, and had to remove the engine which was over my shoulder height.  After unscrewing the motor clamps I got my arms around the lower portion of the engine and picked it up to get it off the bracket.  I wish I had thought this out before picking it up.  I should have set a big block by me so I sit the bottom of the engine on it while I got a better grip.  Not having a block, I had to bend my knees and gingerly lower the engine skeg to the pavement.  I then changed my grip and picked it up and carried it to the back of the truck where I slide her in.  There was case of water I wanted to get out before temperatures went below freezing.  There was also the charts, depth finder, VHF, GPS, and a couple other items.  This coming weekend I will have to go down and get the rest of the things that should not be left in the boat over the winter.  The portapotti is a must to come home.   I already miss sailing and maybe hanging out down there on the weekends will help that pass.

The boat needs a lot of attention this winter.  She needs the damage repaired from the accident, needs new bottom paint, I need to address a soft spot on the cabin sole where a table had been mounted, A super cleaning to get her back in shape for a new season.

I will be leaving for China and Korea in another week and will not be down to the boat in weeks after this weekend.  I'll keep you posted.

End of the sailing season 2010

This past weekend was the last sailing for Lil Provo until next year.  After two fantastic days of sailing, she has to come out for the marine surveyor this week.  Since the storm when she was damaged, I have been trying to get the surveyor there to take a look and our most recent conversation was that he wants the boat out of the water.  Do I spend the money to have it hauled out and later put back in, or do I call it a year.  I elected to call it a year as I will be leaving for China a few weeks. 

Saturday was a fantastic day in all respects.  The sun was shining, the air was warm, and, most important, the wind was blowing.  I went out and fished for a while and caught a bunch of sea robins.  They were a lot of fun and I had one that had to be 6 or 7 pounds.  Huge in my book!  After fishing I raised the sails and took a cruise around the bay before heading back to the mooring.

Sunday it was myself and Blue, our first mate, who ventured out early to get as much sailing in as possible.  We sailed to New York and back at least 3 times, sailed to Keansburg Pier, and then west out toward Perth Amboy.  We were out 4 or 5 hours and it was great.  The wind was strong and from the southwest, giving us good speed and a great heal.  At times we passed the 20 degree mark for healing over.  We were both up on the highside leaning back off the boat just trying to keep her down.  There weren't many days like this during the summer.  The fall always has the best sailing days. We finally had to head to the mooring as we both had plans for the late afternoon.

I will be adding to this blog as things happen with Lil Provo.  I am also looking at a couple larger boats and may upgrade for next year. We'll keep you posted.

No sailing this past weekend - Hospital stay

This past weekend I did expect to get some sailing in.  However, someone had other ideas.  I woke Friday morning at 12:30am and was buckled over in pain. Soon I began to be sick with nothing substantial coming up besides that nasty stuff that comes from down deep.  It was terrible!  I finally woke the wife at 2:30am and told her that she needed to take me to the hospital.  In about 10 minutes, off we were and another 15minutes were pulling into the hospital. I rode in the passenger seat with it slightly reclined and my feet on the dashboard.  It was comfort I was looking for, but could not find.  After about 10 minutes in the emergency room I was told I had a kidney stone.  I had thought this all along as I had one about 14 years ago.  I finally received a room at 10:30pm on friday night.  They just kept me on pain meds with IVs flowing, and drinking lots of water.

I did not pass it by Saturday morning and could not take the hospital any longer.  I called my wife to come get me out of this place. She arrived with the nurse right behind her, the nurse that I hadn't seen for at least three hours.  We told her I was going home and she gave me one more shot of pain medication, a prescription for oral pain meds and home I went.   It was lunch time on Saturday, and there was no thought of eating yet.  I had to double up on the pain meds to get any relief and Saturday night I gave birth to a nice 4mm black rock.  My body still ached from all the pushing and ripping that went on inside.  It was over...... Ahhhhhhhh....

I am still regaining my strength and still having some minor pains. This coming weekend will be a must for sailing.  It is the last weekend before Lil Provo comes out for the winter. it is really depressing, but those of you who have sailed in the colder weather know how the hands stop working so fast.  Just trying to tie or untie a knot can be a major job when the hands don't want to work due to the cold.

We'll post here next week our last fling for the season.

Sunday 9/26 Sailing

I picked up my first mate, Blue, abou 10:00am and headed down to the boat.  I explained what had happened the past week and we had decided that we would go out and have a good time no mater what the boat looked like.  We arrived at the boat yard and loaded up the dinghy with supplies.  Before we set out, I noticed the dinghy main line was tattered and should be replaced.  I pulled a lsection of line from the back of the truck and we removed the old and replaced with the newer line.  We went out and boarded Lil Provo.  I told Blue that today he was going to play skipper for a while.  I fell it was important for him to really start to learn more about the sailing f the boat.  If something ever happened and he had to take over, he must know what to do and what to do in an emergency.

We went out and had wind immediately.  It seems funny, but so often we go out and are one of the first boats out on the bay, when we look back at any other boats coming out of the mooring, they always seem to follow our lead.  We had decided on our ride down, we would head for Perth Amboy as we don't travel too much back into this tighter area of the bay.  When we were just clearing Keyport Harbot, Blue asked what happened to the lines to the Jib.  I told him I had noticed that yesterday and am going to have to replace them.  He said, they didn't look that bad last time we went out.  Yes, but that was before the jib got messed up during the storm, the lines most likely took a beating as well.  I was still at the helm and told Blue to grab the coil of rope from the cabin and lash the ends and find me the center, we'll replace the lines to the jib when we get back to the mooring.  B;lue spent some time making sure the ends were taken care of so they would not fray and found the center of the line.  I had him tie a small simple knot in the middle so it would be easy to find.  After that I thought it was time for him to take over.  I know how much he loves sailing the boat.  Each time he learns something new. 

Today we were riding the edge of the wind.  He was enjoying sailing and trying to maintain keeping Lil Provo on the edge of the wind so we would not have to tack as much.  Suddenly, something caught my eye halling from above and going into the water.  "What the hell was that?" I exclaimed.  I looked and saw a seagul not too far and though he had taken a dump on the fly.  But a few minutes I looked up at the wind vane only to see the wind vane and VHF antenna were gone.  That is what hit the water! The only thing I could think of is they removed it when working on the mast and didn't tighten back up as I tightened the hell out of it when I put it on in the spring.  It seems I have to buy one every year. 

We continued sailing and were now passing the route 35 bridge.  The wind had dropped down a lot and we were coming close to the small lighthouse in this section of the bay.  I told Blue it was time to head back and maybe we can hook up with some better wind.  We turned starboard and headed toward New York City.  This angle gave us some good wind.  As we got about half way back we turned toward the Keyport Harbor.  We were really moving now.  Blue loved it, we were moving about 5.5 mph according to our GPS and were healed over.  Just the way we like to sail.  At one point I had to grab a line and hang off the side of the boat, but this is what sailing is all about.  It was perfect!  We saw one of our friend off to the south about a 1/2 mile away.  I blew our air horn and waved, they waved back.  It was at this point, SNAP!  The starboard line to the jib broke.  Blue paniced and asked what should he do.  I told him just turn her into the wind and we'll fux it.  I grabbed the line he had prepared earlier and had the new line in place within a few minutes and we were back sailing.   I then had a discussion with Blue on why turning into the wind is important when you have a problem like this. 

We continues sailing for another hour and then headed back to the mooring field.  All went well and we secured the boat.  After packing up the dinghy, we did our normal ride around the boat to check it out and to make sure nothing had been forgotten.  This is a very good practice and has paid off time and time again. On the way back I saw the boat that Lil Provo had collided with during the past thunder storm.  His damage was similar to Lil Provo with his rub rail all messed up, but he did not have any hull damage like Lil Provo.  I took some pictures just in case and we proceeded back to the ramp. 



Though we did have a few problems, we still had a fun day.

Lil Provo dragged her mooring and sustained damage

Saturday I couldn't wait to get to the boat, the conditions were to be perfect.  I arrived and looked out and couldn't tell if my boat was there.  I saw a boat similar to mine, but this one had no flags, and had a blue jib where mine had a white jib.  I assumed that was mine and took the quarter mile ride in the dinghy.  When I got close I could finally see the back of the boat and the name Lil Provo.  That was my boat. I pulled along the port side with the dinghy and unloaded by supplies for the day.  After getting everything ready and the main sail up, I dropped the mooring line and went out to the channel to head for open water. It was pretty breezy and I was moving at a good rate with just the main sail up.  When I got to open water I was already healing over  and decided to try to open the strange blue jib.  As soon as I began to open it, Lil Provo healed heavily, so I retracted the jib and sailed with just the main.  It was a great day and at time I was going almost 5 knots with just the main sail.  While I was out, I tried trolling a large spearing lure behind the boat and did get two good strikes, but no takers.  It was pretty rough at times with waves actually rolling by.
 
I finally called it a day and headed back to the mooring.  I sailed all the way to the mooring field where I dropped the sail and went to motor.  The whole day, I was trying to figure out why I had a blue jib on the front.  I thought, they did take the boat out Monday to fix the spreaded and I did talk to the boat yard about new sails, maybe they put one on for me to try?  I really didn't know, but after attaching to my mooring ball, I loaded the dinghy with things that had to go ashore, raised the motor, and untied the dinghy from the boat.  I normally take a drive around the boat when I leave.  When I got to the starboard side, I was in shock.  The run rail was ripped off, the side was scratched up, lots of blue paint marks, it looked like it had been through a war.  I was very upset to say the least.  I picked up the video camera and documented the side damage and headed to the ramp.





I can't explain how upset I felt.  When you are proud of something and someone or something messes it up, it hurts.  I got the dinghy put away and everything stowed back in my truck.  I sat in the parking lot of the boat yard and called the boat yard office. John answered.  I asked him what happened and he explaind that they put the boat back in the water Wednesday morning and Wednesday night we had a severe thunder storm come through.  Lil Provo's fron jib opened and she dragged the mooring 50 feet until she hit another boat.  He said the jib was shot and he put a loaner on there so I could sail.  He went on to tell me that he was going to call, but a good friend had passed and he had that on his mind.  I asked if the guys made sure they took a couple wraps on the jib when they put it back up and he said he didn't know.  He said he looks bad, but she is still seaworthy. (Gee Thanks)

I contacted the insurance company and will visit the boat yard on Monday to see what more they have to say.

Sailing and confronted with a problem

This weekend sailing started just like any other weekend. Saturday was pretty nice with mild winds that would occassionally change direction. It was easy sailing and one of those enjoyable kick back and enjoy days. Sunday on the other hand was a day I will not soon forget.


The day started out very calm. We have hurricane Igor crashing into Bermuda off the east coast, but it must have sucked the wind from New Jersey. The wind was so lite, you could barely sail and have control over the boat. While cruising along the shoreline and heading for the open bay, I noticed an unattended camp fire on the shore that some fisherman must have left burning from the night before. All around this area is grasses, acres and acres of grasses. If I wasn't such a concerned citizen I would have sailed right on by and paid it no mind. Many did! I picked up my cell phone and notified the Keyport police that someone needed to throw a bucket of water on this fire before it started the grasses on fire. I told them it was about a half mile to mile past Olsen's Boat Works. They said they would send someone out. I waited for close to a half hour and no show. Up the shore a family was walking down the shore toward the fire. I was only about 50 yards off the shore and yelled to them, "There is a fire, put it out!" They stopped dead. At that moment I realized they did not speak English. Not knowing how to say put out the fire in spanish, I pointed and said "pyro....agua" and pointed. They paniced and turned around and started walking back the way they came. After sitting there and pointing, one of them got the idea and walked down the shore to where the fire was and put it out with multiple trips to the water.

I was now off to sailing, or so I thought. It was still very calm and not enough to keep the sails full. Sometimes the sails were steering the boat and other times the tiller actually made you turn. After hours of calm and doing a little fishing, trolling spearing behind the boat, the winds began to pickup. It was time to reel in the fishing lines and go have some fun. I started the engine to get out to open water where there would be more wind. I hit some pretty rough seas, but could feel the breeze in my face. I shut down the engine and raised my sails. I headed for open water where I could see the wind ripples on the water. Then suddenly BANG. My spreaded on my mast broke. I had to drop the sails ASAP. This was one of the first emergencies I have run into and I tried to treat it with total logic. I lowered the main sail and furled the jib sail. Trying to drop the main sail was tough. The wind was makling it flap all over the place and the mast was looking like it was going to fall. Once I had the sails in, I tied a rope to the lose cable which held the speader and tied it off so it wasn't flying around. I started the motor to head for shore. Remember, it was no longer calm like glass and there were waves. I was a good three miles out and if one more cable popped, the mast would fall. I could see the stresses being applied to the cables as the mast swung around. As long as it stayed in its mount, I should be fine. There was still the part of your mind that kept looking at that mast, just incase it did fall. I could not go very fast as the hitting any waves put more stress on the cables that were still holding the mast. The waves and winds were coming from the west, so I made a course for soutwest cutting through the waves on an angle and reducing the pounding to the boat. After an hour and a half I made it back to my mooring. I tied Lil Provo up to her mooring and secured everything on the boat. I went to shore in the dinghy and left a note on the door of the boat yard manager, explaining my problem. When I was headed home I thought I would leave a message on their telephone and John answered the phone. I explained what happened and he said he would pull the boat out of the water tomorrow and fix the mast, it should be back in Tuesday or Wednesday. That is service! I went home and watched football and had a couple beers to unwind.

A Calm Day in Keyport Harbor/Raritan Bay

Saturday was a very calm day, Before I left home I checked the winds and they were down to around 5 knots. When I arrived at the boat yard the wind was non-existent. It was a very high tide, most likely still being effected by the new moon earlier in the week. When I arrived at the ramp there were boats (dinghies) were there usually isn't. One was along side of the yards mooring dock and must have gotten pinned under the walkway when the tide came in and flipped over. It had an outboard on it, so when the owner came to try to get it, it was difficult to deal with. The other was a dingy that had been too low on the ramp and had taken on water from the high tide. No my dinghy was fine as I keep mine about about 15 feet above the water in the boat yard. Yes I have to buggy lug it down to the water, but it is a lot safer up on high ground than by the water.

I went out to Lil Provo and checked her out to see how things were over the past few days. All was fine as usual. The only problem was no wind. I didn't even make an attempt to go out with motor as what was the point without wind. I decided to clean her up a little and do some fishing at the same time. I put out two lines. One with spearing and one with blood worms. As I sat basking in the sun and watching my lines, I watch all the fishermen lined up on shore and not catching a darn thing. Well, neither was I. I didn't even have one hit! After sitting there for hours waiting on the wind, I decided to call it a day and head back home.

The following video was done last week while sitting on the mooring. It is just a camcorder sitting there with no special image in mind. Something to sit back to.

Back in the water - 9/7/2010

Tuesday morning Lil Provo was placed back in the water.  The threat of storms was passed, as well as the holiday weekend.  The tides for the weekend did not provide enough water for the boat yard to get the boats back in the water during normal working hours.  With a High tide at 5 or 6 am, they only had a window of a few hours each day to put the sailboats back in the water.  You have to remember that every boat they put in has to be towed out to their mooring and hooked up. So it isn't a constant flow of boats going into the water. They only average about 4 per hour. 
They placed my boat on the wrong mooring and I got there early enough to give them a hand changing the location.  After I had her on her mooring, I proceeded to sew a seam in the mainsail that had come loose.  This was my first time sewing a sail and they are some tough fabric.  Dacron sails are tough to push a needle through.  After repairing the four foot seam, I dropped the mooring line and headed for open water.  I ran on motor for a while until I was well into the bay.  Then both sails were raised and we healed over and were zipping along.  After an hour or two, I headed back to the mooring where I tried my luck fishing.

Memorial Day Weekend

The memorial day weekend this year started with a surprise.  We were blessed with a hurricane skirting along the New Jersey coast line.  Many friends asked me what are you going to do with your boat if the hurricane hits us.  I said I have insurance and I have faith in the guy that runs the place I keep my boat.  Many were surprised at this statement, but it was the truth.  We were to possibly get hit by hurricane Earl on Friday. We ended up very lucky with it skirting along the coast.  It created havoc with the waves and winds, but did not cause any real damage.
On Saturday I was hoping to have some fun sailing the remains of hurricane Earl.  I packed up my truck and headed down to Keyport. When I entered Keyport I tried to look out on the water to see if I could see my boat.  They mooring field was pretty empty and many pulled or moved their boat due to the pending storm.   As I turned the corner to head to the boat yard, I saw all these masts sticking up from the boatyard and immediately knew they had pulled all the boats out of the water.  The yard was packed!  There was barely room to park or even turn around.  I immediately looked out on the water to confirm that Lil Provo was on land and not sitting on her mooring.  She wasn't there.  Now I had to try to find her among this yard of boats.  I glanced around and saw and immediately spotter her sitting on her trailer.  Well there wasn't much to do now except head back home and hope they would get her in the water ASAP.
On Sunday morning I picked up my first mate and brought him down to the yard with me.  When we arrived, the lot was emptier than Saturday, which means they started placing boats back in the water.  However, Lil Provo was still sitting on her trailer.  We hung out in the boat yard for a couple hours seeing how much growth we had on the bottom of the boat and just  looking around at the other boats.  After a while we packed it in and headed home.

Hurricane Earl

Today Hurricane Earl is suppose to pass along the New Jersey Coast. Many ask, what are you going to do about your boat in the water. Well, I have a very good marina taking care of my boat and if the weather is too dangerous, they will pull the boat out of the water without notifying me.  Last October we had a couple bad storms due to come in.  I drove down the shore to check on the boat and was surprised, it wasn't there.  Talk about freaking out!  I scanned the shore and finally asked one of the workers where my boat was and he said right over there next to your truck.  I turned around and there she was sitting in the lot.  They explained how they pull them out if a bad storm is coming.  I was worried that day, but after that, I worry no more.  It worries me more that the cleat or chain may someday break and let Lil Provo drift away. 

Tomorrow I will venture down to the marina to check on her.  If I can get the dinghy out to her, I will even go out for a while.  I have five days off and plan on spending much of that sailing.  I will advise what happened this weekend in my next entry.

Great weekend

This past weekend I was out on Lil Provo for two days.  Sunday was a nice day and it was my first mates first day to take the helm.  I wanted to give him a chance to learn more about sailing the boat.  We headed for the Verrazanno Bridge in New York with a light wind.  I tried to teach him how to find the best direction with the wind.  After a while he caught on and off we were, cruising about three knots.  We made it into the NY waters and turned around to head back.  I was trolling a bucktail behind the boat as we sailed back from New York and suddenly the pole bent in half.  I grabbed the pole and felt a heavy load on the pole, but it felt like dead weight.  As I pulled it a little more I felt the fish on the other end shaking it's head.  The first mate (Blue) grabbed the net and was ready for whatever I brought back to the boat.  As it got closer I saw something, I thought is was a large ray.  As I got it closer I could see that it was a nice size Flounder (Fluke here in NJ). Blue netted it up and brought it into the cockpit where I placed it in a bucket to take home and clean. It was 19-1/2" and weighed almost 3-1/2 pounds.  This totally amazed me as Fluke feed on the bottom and will come off the bottom a little ways to get something, but to catch one trolling totally amazed me.  

On Monday, my wife and I went out for a sail.  We started around 11:00am and there was no wind, so we traveled by motor to Staten Island and found some wind there.  I had to keep the bimini up due to the sun and heat. We were miles from shore and the sea was very calm, it was a nice mellow sail. The bimini does a great job of hiding you from the heat. We sailed for a few hours and headed back to the harbor. 

Labor weekend is coming.  We expect to be sailing a lot, provide hurricane Earl leaves us alone.

This past Saturday was one of the better sailing days this season. All my friends were busy in fishing tornaments and I went out by myself. It was a blast! We headed for New York City and were sailing around six knots and healed over to my port side. I eventually let the main out some to stop healing over as much as I was because I needed to be cautious. I had my life line on, but falling out of the boat isn't fun no mater when it happens, let along having a line hooked to you and dragiing you along the side of the boat. There was a time when I had to put the camera away as I wanted to be cautious about getting it wet. Eventually, I did let the mainsail out which let me sit more upright and not worry about taking water into the cockpit. I did stop during the day and tried to catch some fish. It was so rough I couldn't even fish, plus the drift was running about 1.7 mph. Not too good for fishing. I had to give up as Lil Provo was rocking so much she was going from strboard gunnel to port gunnel. So I decided to get moving once again before the possibility of getting sick came into play. I eventually ran for cover into Keyport Harbor and tried to fish there, but still the drift was too fast and the sea was still rough. I brought Lil Provo back to her mooring and called it a day.

SUMMER FLYING BY

Miles from shore and only moving at 1.5 knots on a sweltering day isn't fun. Sure it is great to get out and sail, but this isn't what I call sailing.

I haven't been posting regularly as most of my free time has been out on Lil Provo. I just got in and thought I should at least add to the blog. Now is the time to use all the free time available for sailing. That is exactly what we have been doing. That is besides fishing.

Most of the days have been like this, calm and no wind. I have burned more than twice the total amount of fuel used last year and we still have almost three months left. If it wasn't calm, it was the opposite, waves and wind so bad you had to reef your sales or run with one. Plus the first mate is already in his life jacket and holding a mooring bouy. He was in the cabin when it went from bad to worse and came out to white caps and strong wind. If it weren't for the bimini top this year, we really would have had some dreaded days.

We made through some bad days, but still had enough good ones to make you feel like it was still worth it to try. I can't tell you how many days you go out and chase the wind, only to give up and go back to you mooring. But when you try to grab your mooring line, it gets so windy it becomes a challenge blowing you away from the buoy.



I usually don't spend much time in the cabin, but the sun has forced me in there many times this season. With the front hatch open it is very comfortable with a nice breeze blowing through. Sitting directly under the front hatch is close to air conditioning.

I even fished and caught some fluke today. They were under the 18" limit and had to be returned to fight again another day. The Bluefish have really been biting this year. I had days when I could have filled the cockpit with them. Just this past weekend I had something on the line that I couldn't stop. I even tried to chase it so I would keep losing line, but whatever took the hook did not want to stop. I figure it was a shark, but others said it could be a giant stripper. That day I was using full squid for bait and it was working well. I was catching fish this day when I usually don't.

We'll add more over the next few days.

Hotter than hot

The past couple weeks have been very hot and humid. Temperatures in the high 90s and humidity in the 80s and 90s. The winds have been slow, except last Saturday the 17th. We were healed over 30 degrees and cruising over 6 knots. This is the type of day we all love and yern for. The unfortunite thing was we did not have a lot of time for sailing this particular day as we had some more fiberglass work to do to the dinghy. In fact, I went back on monday to give things an additional coat of glass. Hopefully this coming weekend I will experience no leaks.

Update

This past weekend we went out and had a slow day as far as wind was concerned. It seems to be the weather is better for sailing in the fall than in the summer. We have made so many trips this year where we have resorted to motor power. Yesterday, was much different. I could not even raise a reefed main sail and sailed with only the genoa and was able to maintain 4.6mph. The mainsail was just an invitation for a knock down. It was myself and an older gentleman, so I would not take any chances of a knock down. As we motored out of the mooring field we headed directly into the wind. The waves were breaking over the front of the boat as we tried to get out of the harbor. We would point the bow into the air as riding up a wave and slam down when the bow came down. There was no choice but to keep this heading as we were in the channel that runs directly through the mooring field. At this point I had wonders as to there being a small craft warning out and when I grabbed my handheld VHF I found it was in the on position and the batteries were dead. No way to check NOAA for a warning! As soon as we got past the other moored vessels we took a course to go diagonally to the wind which made the ride a little more manageable. Then in about 2 to 3 hours, the chop disappeared and the wind died to almost nothing. It was a very hot day, hovering around 100 degrees. That goodness for bimini tops!

A hot weekend

I took some time off of work and thought I would enjoy myself sailing, but the heat was terrible. On Thursday it was hot and very humid. You were soaked within minutes and a dip in the bay was thought about. Did not do much, due to the heat, but managed to clean up the boat some. Friday was time to go back and finish cleaning up the boat. I did a pretty extensive job and then had time to go out for a sail. I had finished installing the bimini and when I went out, decided to put the bimini up to give some shelter from the sun. I just can't tell you how well opening the front hatch and putting the bimini up makes to the temperature in the cockpit of the boat. It is as close to air conditioning as you can get. The air comes in the front hatch rolls down along the floor and hull reducing the temperature to something less than what the air is outside. Sort of water cooled. When the air comes out the companionway it is much cooler than the air around you so it feels refreshing. Anyway, after a quick sail to Staten Island I can back to the mooring and secured her.

On Sunday I came back with Blue (The Firstmate). I had showed him all of the things I had changed over the past few weeks and he was shocked. Some of the things were, when you sail along side in the dinghy, I now set the rope so you wrap it around the first life line sanction tube and then the end goes back to the stern cleat where a loop goes around the cleat. This keeps the boat right along side of the sailboat and against the bumpers where it is suppose to be. I told him that we get the mainsail up before leaving the mooring as it is less hassle when you have the bimini in the way. There was other things I showed him and he thought that he was not going to be needed anymore as I had gotten organized for single handed sailing. Then Blue looked into the cabin and was surprised how neat and clean everything was.

We went out and sailed for a few hours before heading back for the mooring. I caught one bluefish from a rod trolling out the back and had another on for a little bit, but he threw the hook. Being we did not put the bimini up, we got burnt to a crisp out there. We returned to rehydrate our bodies with lots of cold beer at Millers Bar.

I guess that is it for now.

Season in full swing

The past couple weeks have been one thing after another. After sitting on her mooring for a week, my next visit found the battery dead and the bilge pump not working. We went and sailed aroud the bay and had some great winds. When we returned to the mooring we checked out the wiring the best we could, but without a volt meeter, it was difficult. I swapped the battery from the dinghy withe the boats main battery and still could not get the pump working. I knew this was something I couldn't let go for too long. The following weekend I stopped and picked up a new bilge pump at West marine. I felt sao sure that I would just pop it in and I'd be all set. NOT! I put in the new bilge pump only to find that it worked in manual mode, but in automatic mode it would be on without water in the bilge. Ahhhhh, it was the float that went bad, letting the pump run until it burned out. I had the manual bilge pump, so I wasn't that worried and they were not calling for any major storms overnight, so I would come back tomorrow and try again. The next day I stopped and picked up the float at West Marine. I hooked it up and everything worked properly. Great, now I would set up the bimini top and give her a cleaning for the following weeked.

I came by myself on June 19th and everything was fine. I sailed out to Staten Island and follwed the some boats that were racing a regatta. I only wish I had more help, if I did, I could have kept up, but when they raised the spinnakers, they pulled away from me. After a few hours I brought her back to the mooring.

I returned on Fathers day with the wife. We motored out into the bay only to find that somebody forgot to turn the wind on today. There was nothing to speak of. The water was like glass and after about two hours in the heat, we decided to take her in and go home to have a BBQ. After having the wife on board, I was made aware of the things many men don't see. Things like cleaning the fiberglass that has some mildew stains, dusting the cabin, and a general cleaning of the entire boat. I pleaded guilty to her and told her it would be shipshape for her next trip.

Spring is here

It was a great weekend in many ways. It was a holiday, giving us one more daye in the weekend to work on things. It was a perfect weekend weather wize for sailing. The fishing was fantastic with many people trying their luck throughout the bay. It was just a perfect weekend!

We got out to the boat on Saturday and unloaded some supplies. We also checked out the electrical as we are not getting power to the bilge pump. After about 20 minutes of checking I decided that I would bring my volt meter tomorrow and find the problem. After a run over the rigging and other items on board, we went out for a sail toward Staten Island. The wind was very confusing as it changed direction repeatidly. So we spent our sailing time finding and working with the wind. In the afternoon, the wind was just not there and we were cruising at about 1-1/2 mph.

We decided to head back to the mooring and troll a line behind the back on the way. I kept the speed to about 3 to 4 mph as that seemed to be a good trolling speed, but got no hits. When we got closer to the mooring field I ran the speed up to 5mph and BANG for our first hit and taker. It was a small Bluefish. After getting it back into the water we tried again, but started at 5mph. What do you know BANG again. I just could not stop this fish with the takle I was using. After it peeled off a good amount of line, I had no choice but to try to stop the run and the line gave way and broke. It had to be a big Bluefish or a Stripper.

In Sunday, I went back out by myself and the main reason was to fish. I had gone down in our basement and pulled out one of my heavier rod and reels to prevent any lines from breaking. I started with a 5mph troll just as I cleared the mooring field and BANG, a good size Blue. I released him and tossed the line out for another try and when I got the speed up again BANG. This routine went on for hours with a total of 14 fish being caught. The sizes were about 22" to 36". It was a fantastic day. There were people fishing all over and many were watching me catch one after another. After about 2 hours of this, my arms hurt and I was getting prtty tired of catching fish. I never thought I would hear myself say that, but it was true. I let every fish go after being caught, so all that I had to do is clean the blood up in the cockpit before my wife saw the mess I created.

When I got back, I tried to find the electrical problem and could not find it. I will need to put some more time into finding the electrical problem. All that I wanted now, was something to drink besides water and to relax someplace cool. I headed home to enjoy the rest of the day with the family.

Monday I finished the BBQ mount for the boat and plan on taking that there next weekend. I'll keep you posted and try to take some pictures.

In the water

I worked hard to try to get everything done before bringing her to the marina, but somehow I ran out of time. I brought her to the marina on May 14th. On the way home, I realized that I did not put the bilge pump on auto and that I did not remove the piece of string that held my Windex in place during the trip to the marina. Would they marina worker catch it and take off the string, or will I have to climb the mast to take it off. I decided to take a run back on Saturday morning to correct my mistakes. I ran down and took the string off the Windex and turned the bildge pump to automatic. I left her sitting on the trailer near the top of the ramp.

On Sunday, May 23rd, Blue and I took a drive down to try to get everything organized for the coming season. I checked the tides and found that the high tides were 4 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon. This made me delay our trip for a little while, trying to stall so the tide would be coming in when we got there. We loaded up the dinghy on the roof, and I had already loaded up most of the supplies in the back of the truck. When we arrived we went first to look to see where the boat was moored. It was in the same spot as the previous year which makes things a lot easier. However, at the bottom of the ramp was about 14' of mud until you got to the water. We decided to unload the dinghy and take a ride to investigate the area while the tide came in.

We rode around the area for about an hour and a half and returned to the ramp. The water was to the bottom of the ramp, but still impossible to load and board the dinghy from the ramp. We loaded her up and I took the rope to the front of the dinghy and puller her along the bulkhead until she was floating. We climbed down the ladder on the bulkhead and hopped on board.

It was a quick trip out to the boat and it didn't take long to get things unloaded. After we got the dinghy unloaded, we the rigging, installed the main sail boom, and raised the motor to prevent barnacles from building up. It was very choppy and the weather was on verge of rain. We checked and found the battery was dead, so I took the battery from the dinghy and placed it on the boat so the bilge pump could run. The other battery that was removed was stone dead. Why? I found a wire lying in water and it must have shorted out the battery or at least drained all the power out. I will have to bring my volt/amp meter on the next trip to confirm the problem.

So much for this trip. I have to regroup my thoughts and plans for next weekend. I fill you in later.

The week before the mooring

I must say this weekend was a tough one. It was the weekend to get the boat ready and the last weekend before our daughter gets married. We finished all of the painting on the boat. I tried to put some wax on her, but it didn't come out as expected. It is blochy and I am not sure if I should run some polishing compound over it and start again or to just let it go as the clock is ticking. We started loading her with her summer needs and will be working feverishly this week trying to finish the BBQ mount. My first mate, Gary, stopped by yesterday and helped get the mask on top of the cabin so all that is needed is to tie it down and go.

I still need to get the new 2011 registration stickers on and get the batteries all charged up. I will place them on the charger this evening. A cleaning of the top of the boat is next and I will be able to wax that when she is in the water. I removed the curtains for now as they were hanging off the glued up tracks and the windows are really dark tinted, so I may not need curtains. It will make it a lot brighter in the cabin, plus being able to see out will help those who have weak tummies and go below for comfort. We are not taking anything on board that we did not use last year. This is a great rule and minimizes clutter each year. It seems that when you discontinue one thing on your list, two replace it! So, so much for the helping rule.

The trailer had the new tires placed on this weekend and seeing tires that are not dry rotted certainly makes me feel a lot safer towing her to her summer home.

Hopefully the next entry will be from the water.

Leaps and Bounds

This weekend we had great weather which allowed me to get many things taken care of. We have alreaady started loading Lil Provo with her seasonal supplies, life jackets, weather gear, electronics, etc. We also made headway on the painting. We have completed 80% of the bottom painting, the waterline strip, and repaired the black strip that runs down each side, and compounded out some nasty marks made by the dinghy along the side. This week we will continue to work on her after our normal workday and a stop at the local tavern to unwind from work and set my game plan day by day. I need to purchase a new VHF antenna and a new windex. It seems like I go through one of these per year. If it doesn't get broken lowering or raising the mast, some steals it, or I lose it on the way home by the antenna unscrewing. While in the basement I found two packages of the windex remnants from the past two buys.

We also gave some attention to the dinghy. We have begun the job of painting her. We are going to make her white on the inside and outside. There is nothing worse than coming back after a day of sailing and finding you can't sit on the seats because they are so hot. We also used some ipe' wood and added about 1-1/2" to the transome. Someplace along the life of this dinghy something happened and the transom got lower than the sides. Every time we would have three people in the dinghy, I was paranoid that water would come over the back. Moreso, when you stop the motor and see that wave coming back to the boat. So I added about 1-1/2" and then fiberglassed it in for a nice strong top edge.

I need to get the mast ready to go and move to the top of Lil Provo. When the time is right, I just drive her down to Keyport and have her placed into the water. If all goes well, maybe I'll have her in the water for mid May sailing. The fishing should just be coming alive.

One of my friends loaned me his cast net and I have been practicing, but still need lots of practice. There are many videos and instruction available on line, but you really have to learn yourself. The tips are great, except each person does it a little different. It is what works for you. So that is what I need to find, what works good for Jim.

This will cover this weeks review. Possibly I'll be back with more.

Getting Her Ready

I have been working on designing the dodger and it isn't going as well as I thought it would. The curves on the tubing are not tight enough and make it look like a bubble on top of the companionway. My engineer told me to make a jig and fill the tubes with sand which will allow me to bend tighter corners. I did find all the hardware I needed on ebay and far less than the marine stores. I plan on using brass screws to mount the frame to the teak atop the companionway. I will try the fit again tomorrow.

Next is to bring all the stuff up from the basement and get the boat back in shape. The cushions, potti, sails, signal flares, life jackets, etc. Once I have everything in the boat, I can see what more I need to stow the gear properly.

I need to do a little cosmetic work in the cabin, but that will be about it. The outside is just about done with the exception of the touch up to the bottom paint. It seems every year they power wash the bottom and some of the bottom paint just blows off. I try to scuff up the surface to get good adhesion but the end of the season, another area will be off. Being the bottom paint lasts a few years and only requires me to touch it up, I am going to have to take it all off one day and prepare the bottom better then the person before me did. I have been using the Micron CSC, but just found Cukote by Sea Hawk which according to them is better. The cost of the product will be the deciding factor.

That's it for this writing.

Plugging along

This past weekend I worked on the teak wood of the boat. The exterior has the toe rail along the deck, the hand rails on the cabin, and the companion way hatch trim. All of these areas were sanded and polyurethaned. Yes polyurethaned! I have tried the teak oil and that actually needed to be done twice during the season, tried marine varnish and that pealed off of the teak before the end of the season, so I needed to try something different. Yes, I heard pros and cons about various products, but it is what works for you. So this year we purchased a super strength poly to try. I'm not one who is interested in keeping the teak oiled, I just need it to remain durable and not require any work until she is back home for the winter. The boat sits on that mooring in the glaring sun all summer and there has to be something that will not wear out before the end of the season.

We also worked more on the deck to try to stop any water infiltration from the rain. After working on the boat this weekend, we had some rain and I did not find any drippings inside the cabin. I hope this means that I cured the problem. I'll check again after the next rain. This was my biggest problem last year. Last year I siliconed the windows thinking it was them, being it isn't, I will peel away the silicon used last year.

I need to work on the mast antenna and mast light. Not really sure how to attack the problem, but I must figure something out. I put a plug in line for the mast, but the marina evidently doesn't check for plugs and takes the mast down without unplugging the wire and breaks the wire. Maybe there is something out there already designed and made for this type of problem.

I plan to build some more storage inside over the nex couple weeks. I need storage so things are not loose in the cabin as healing over throws loose items around. I also think I want to place a carpet or something on the floor to make it look a little homier.

That's it for this week, we'll keep you posted.

The boat still needs a good cleaning and that will be the last thing before we bring her to the marina.

Changing seasons

The weather has been rainy for almost 2 weeks now. I had the opportunity to climb onboard and lay out my dodger base which is going to be made from ipe wood. It will mount onto the teak runners on the sides companion way hatch. So now I can begin the designing process.

I also checked the bilge and found it with just a little water inside. I know the boat leaked from the deck someplace during the rain last season. Now with the boat in the driveway, I can begin the sealing process of all deck items and then the rubber guard along the sides where the top and bottom are joined. I will run a small bead of clear silicon along the top of the rubber to make sure the water isn't coming in from there. The life line sanctions and some other hardware on deck will have to be checked and sealed.

I also have to get a replacement Windex vane as my aVane was stolen or we lost it on the way home from the marina last year. It wasn't there when we got home and I never checked to see if it was there when I took her home. I would also like to get a new VHF transceiver with DSC this season. I figure if I buy one piece of electronics per season, eventually I should be in good shape. I now have the Midland handheld VHF and two handheld GPS units. A new radio will require a new antenna.

There is so much on my list, I can't see me finishing by May. I think some of the stuff I will do once I get her in the water. The sewing of the sail in a couple places will have to wait until I get them on the boat. I'll sit in the cockpit one day and sew them up (While I have a fishing pole out the back.).

The move of spring

The first day of spring brought some nice warm temperatures. This was the sign to clear a path and move the boat from deep in the back yard to the driveway. This will make working on it so much easier. Once I moved her into the driveway, I removed her cover to find a dirty boat underneath. I guess the wind blew dust under the cover and it settled in spots on the deck. There were a few areas where there was black mildew starting. I pulled out my great boat brush, mixed up a spray bottle of cleaner and gave her a quick wash down with the pressure nozzle of the hose and some scrubbing. I checked the bilge and it was still pretty empty. We have had rain since I moved the boat, so I will have to get the power on in the boat to put the bilge on automatic.

I spoke with my first mate this weekend and discussed fixing the lose seam I have in both sails. We both agreed that it would be easier to fix on the boat during a calm day, than unrolling them in the back yard and having to roll them up again. So sail repair will wait until she is in the water.

I also moved the dinghy and placed her on top on cider blocks so I can begin stripping the bottom for a layer of new fiberglass. I don't expect this to be too troublesome of a job. Once this is done, the dinghy should leak no more.

My list looks so big right now. There is a page and a half of work to complete in the next 5 weeks. I will have to spend some time each evening, plus I will take a few days off to give me a chance to really chop away at the list. We'll keep you all posted as we progress.

Finding the time

It has been a tough winter so far and today we are suppose to be in the 50's. It won't be long before Lil Provo is moved from the back yard to the driveway to commence preparation for the coming season. The list keeps growing, I'm wondering if you ever complete the list of things you want to get done on your boat. It seems not, as one comes off, two go on. I am comfortable that this is the normal for all boat owners.

I will need new tires for the trailer this year. I chanced it last year with the dry rotted tires, but I will not push my luck for another season. To get her in the driveway, I will need those new tires as the old ones have let go during the winter. With the soggy back yard, the blocks I had under the trailer sank into the ground and placed the weight back onto the tires, causing them to pop off of their rims. Perfect timing for new tires.

My target date is the first week of May for getting her on her mooring. So there is much to do until then. I have taken some time off so I could get things done, I just hope it is enough time.

As you can see in the picture above, the snow has really stopped a lot of winter boat work. Lil Provo sits on her trailer covered up . There she sits until we are sure the weather is changing.

Building a list

There is still at least 15" of snow on the ground and temperatures are expected to get into the 40's F over the next few days. I am hoping that some of the white stuff melts away and allows me to get back to measuring the entire boat which will be converted to a CAD file later on.

In the meantime I am working on list of things that need to be done before we place her back into the water in May. With my arm out of the sling and the approval to pick up more than two pounds, I am ready to get going. I can't wait to get her out of the back yard and into the driveway where she will be sitting on hard ground and close to the house for electricity and water.

During the winter I have been following Jessica and Abby as each works on their sailing trip around the world without stopping. I think about it, but don't know if that is something I can do. If I was able to stop at various ports, I think it would be a great trip. Could you imagine taking a year or two and sailing around the world. I certainly would need a much bigger boat, but the thought is enticing.

We'llget back to you soon with updates.

Cold Winter

The winter has been cold and we have not had a chance to get onboard to complete measuring the parts of the cabin. They are calling for another snow storm this weekend and again we will be pushed back. To keep the sanity I am following the blogs of Jessica as she passes her half way mark in sailing around the world and the new comer, Abby who has been encountering problem after problem. If it were me, I'd turn around. Having problems from the start and being so young can only lead to problems when your out of reach of help. I wish her well, but have my doubts.

Continue the list of Winter Projects

The weather has been cold and the little electric heater I have in Lil Provo just doesn't cut it. I will be out there for half an hour and I'm frozen. It's been like working in a freezer. My project right now is still measuring all portions of Lil Provo so when something is needed, I will have the dimensions available to me. I still have her covered and enter through the back of the boat where the tarp opens for entry into the cockpit. Working with only one arm lately has been a real challenge and hope that I will be recovered enough to sail by the time May rolls around. I worked on the website today, placing more sailing information onto the site. I know I have to tackle the starboard side settee and replace the plywood that is there as it is getting weak. I also thought about working on the navigation area just inside the cabin. So for the time being, I will work onm those plans until I can get back inside the boat without freezing.

Winter Work

It is a cold 18f degrees outside and there isn't much that can be done in this cold. However, I climbed aboard Lil' Provo and began mapping out the entire boat. Mapping out the boat, means to measure every part of the boat and then make a blueprint of the boat so that you would have all the measurements handy. I looked on line and was not able to find this available, so when I am done, I will make it available. This will also help when the boat is sitting on her mooring and I am home trying to make something. Last night I completed my drawing and found I still need many more measurements that what I wrote down and will have to bring the drawing with me and fill out the rest.

This year I covered the boat differently than in the past. I created a tent over the boat with the back of the cockpit open so you can climb on board. On a cold day, the temperature is still about 10 degrees warmer under the cover than outside. It makes it easy to work on the cabin and cockpit.

Back to work on the drawing.

Sailing Lil' Provo

Welcome to the first blog related to sailing.

The past season was a great one, with sailing almost every weekend and sometimes twice a week. We covered many miles sailing Raritan Bay. The past year had many fall backs, hurting my back early in the season working on Lil Provo's mast and later in the season with a torn rotator cuff from a car accident in Korea. I really had to fall back on my first mate to get many of the chores done. My firstmate, Blue, did a hell of a job this past year. Starting out green without any sailing experience under his belt, he grew into the perfect first mate. He learned by hands on and by the end of the season learned a lot aabout sailing. No need to tell him what to do, he just knew! Can't ask for more. Lil Provo only gave us a little problem early in the season with a bad kill switch on the motor. This was actually a good thing. It made us sail through the mooring field under sail. A great accomplishment!

Being we are starting this blog with the new year and Lil Provo sitting in the back yard, we will cover our winter projects on her and things we do to make her a better place on the water. Keep in touch.