Fantastic Sailing and Annual MTLSA Autumn BBQ

14-15 October, 2011 -  Mark Twain Lake

Winds: 12-15mph
Max speed under sail:  6.9 knots!

Miles Sailed: 19 miles

We provisioned Galactica for a short trip Thursday evening.   On Friday, I got up earlier than normal for ranch chores and was able to stop at the town car wash which has bays large enough for farm equipment--so Galactica barely fits.  I took her to work with me.

Galactica's bath time, getting pretty for a trip to work.

After work, Angie met me there along with our cooler.  We stopped at Long Horn Steak restaurant with Galactica dominating the parking lot.  Afterwards, we headed up to MTL to rig and get onto the water.   Temperatures were dropping fast by the time I had her rigged.

I've put together a video on my youtube channel:   FANTASTIC SAILING WEEKEND ON MTL

We enjoyed a moonlight sail under strong winds as the temperature was plummeting to 42 degrees and there I was, in shorts and sandals.   Angie stayed bundled in her big purple blanket with just her eyes visible.  We sailed until wind and spray started making me numb.  


Captain Douglas:  Sailing with the wind and spray--it was COLD!

I dropped the sail and powered to Full Moon cove to anchor but at the last moment, continued over to Ski Cove since Full Moon had lee shores.

With the new 24 foot chain, our Danforth Anchor held us extremely well even though winds increased to 18 mph over night.



The aroma of frying bacon filled the cabin with warmth!

We basically packed ourselves into the vberth with lots of blankets and were toasty all night.  In the morning, Angie made bacon, coffee and cheesey scrambled eggs with eggs just harvested from our chickens.   The aroma in the cabin was incredible!   We relaxed for a while and I read some of a novel I've been working on.



I motored us over to the public swimming beach which was closed for the season with the thought of trying to pay for our trips with a cheap metal detector.   I beached Galactica in a head wind and proceeded to try to get the detector working correctly.   Angie stayed below cleaning the dishes, cleaning the remnants of Florida sandy beaches and re-organizing the cabin.

My Galactica....adrift and me....beached!



I normally pull the danforth out and secure the boat to the beach.  Normally.   I looked up and my precious beloved boat was gone.

Angie returning with my boat!!!

Looking further, she was drifting in the wind-- quickly.   I knew I could not have run around the bay in time to catch her on the windward shore so I began calling Angie.  She came up, pulled in the bowline, dropped the motor and brought the boat back to the beach!   MY HERO!!!!   She saved my boat!  I couldn't stop laughing.  For some reason, I thought it was funny.

Great Sailing!!!

We raised the sails and enjoyed a day of sailing around.   We saw several boats we hadn't seen before and sailed along with them briefly.   One, had come into the bay off the main channel clearly struggling with sails and were obviously shaken.   It was only their 2nd time out and the strong winds that day shook them.   After relaxing some, they raised their mainsail and stayed in the bay for the day learning their boat!   I remember how nervous I would get the first season.    This season, we are having a blast and are more at ease with the capabilities of Galactica! 

 

We regularly sailed above 6 knots that day!!!

At one point, we sailed near a 32' Catalina which was being reviewed by Good Old Boat Magazine.

Wind Dancer



We then followed the sailboat Mac II into our ramp's cove.  They had a trailer crew made up of sailors from a half dozen boats in the MTL Sailing Association.   Not needing our help, we powersailed in circles under the Main for the bulk of an hour watching how may keelboat sailors it took to load onto a trailer. ;)

Mac II being hauled out for winter maintenance.

We headed back out to enjoy more sailing afterwards.   At one point, we were heeled over pretty far perhaps 35-40 degrees when a big gust hit us.   I lost steerage and instead of laying over on her side, Galactica simply rounded up into the wind in a corkscrew path.   It was fun even though lots of things came loose and crashed down in the cabin.  Angie said that the inclinometer pegged at 50 degrees (as far as it measures)!  

Angie relaxing

Eventually, we headed back to the ramp, pulled Galactica out and derigged.  

We pulled her up to the picnic area pavillion near Blackjack Marina where the annual fall festival and BBQ for the MTLSA was being held!   

Good food!

After enjoying a meal, some wine and fun conversation, we headed back home



Fuel stop in Paris, MO





Galactica heading home... moon and Jupiter visible 



What a fantastic time on the water!   Balanced, both relaxing and exhilirating!

Great Sailing on the Magic Dragon!

8 October, 2011 - Lake of the Ozarks.

I left out quite a few tacks on the purple but you get the idea...

The Lake of the Ozarks (LOZ) is nicknamed the Magic Dragon.  It's a very commercialized and 'built up' lake in Mid Missouri with something like a 1000 miles of shoreline.   The Dragon name, which isn't known by many, was originally given to it due to the chinese serpentine dragon shape.

Winds were to be a stiff 15 mph with gust to 20.   We wanted to get onto the water and only had a day so I decided to head to LOZ since there are good ramps on the Gravois arm less than 50 miles from home!   I typically avoid this lake in the summer due to the number of people on the water--literally hundreds if not thousands of boats on a summer day.    Our 19 foot speed boat became too small for this lake as the waves can easily hit 3-4 feet high and a very 'confused' sea.   Galactica, I found out this weekend, holds her own quite well muscling smoothly through the water.  

Here's a Video Link showing a series of short videos from my 'Galacticam'!  Solo-Sailing the Magic Dragon in October!

The 'Galacticam'



In many ways, our Florida trip and sail on the ocean was a 'coming of age' sail for us.   I learned that this boat can do more than you'd think if you trust the boat and your own sailcraft!   It's opened a new chapter in our sailing experience.  

Coffman Beach Cove:  Main up, preparing to fall
off the wind and unfurl the Genoa!

Angie decided to stay home at the last moment due to our son coming home from college...being a great Dad, I said see you when I get home buddy! ;)   

I took the short trip to Coffman Beach Ramp and rigged Galactica!   The winds were fantastic and I raised full sails to enjoy!   Though October, there were still a lot of powerboats on the lake including some large 'cigar boats' racing which ignored or were ignorant of navigation rules and right of way....but that was far more offset by courteous boaters.  Some would come to an idle and simply enjoy watching Galactica sail past under full sails and a strong wind!

I was surprised to see dozens of sailboats on the main Osage channel!  

The Lighthouse Island is neat but my childhood memories of this lake are of a massive lake without commercial development and a 14 foot runabout could pull me as a kid, on skis to the dam and back.  That'd be suicidal now days... to many overpowered boats with young or intoxicated drivers who ignore or simply are ignorant of safe boating.   Lighthouse island was a tree covered island with the Hawaiian Island marina where we'd get gas and ice cream.   Now it's multi million dollar condos.

Lighthouse Island- formerly Hawaiian island.  
Dozens of sail barely visible in distance near Bagnell Dam!

I sailed sometimes under main only, sometimes both main and Genny along with a half dozen boats until I went into a bay which has the cove that my cousin has had a place at since the late 1950's.   I furled the Genoa and dropped in the iron-genny to powersail under full main into the tiny dock infested cove!



Prepare to come about!

This series of pictures I took after passing two outbound boats and while coming about in the narrow cove. :) 

Hard a Lee!



It was a fun manuever.... got some looks from some locals... :)

I got a lot of looks from people there as this big mid sized sailboat under sail ghosted into the narrow cove come about as I checked his dock and then sail back out!  :)

And through the wind into an opposite tack!

Once on the Osage channel, I switched back to genoa and main and sailed the journey back to the ramp in nearly one long tack on multiple points of sail!  

Great day on the water!!!

What a Great day sail on this lake!  These trips make it all worth it!   Fun, relaxing, challenging-soul cleansing!


Returning to the Gravois arm!



After a picture perfect docking maneuver, Galactica is awaiting me
to retrieve the Truck and Trailer rig for the journey home.



Miles Sailed:  14+ miles

Winds:  SSE 15 gusting to 20