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!

Independence Day Weekend Sail Adventure!

July 1st, 2nd & 3rd: Mark Twain Lake, Missouri



After work Friday and after our weekly family meal with Grandma and Grandpa, we decided to load up Galactica and head up that evening. It's much easier to rig in the relative cool night than during mid morning or mid day when it's 95-100 degrees outside and a humidity raising the heat index to 105+.



We stopped at the Moberly Walmart to top off ice in our coolers and pick up some snacks.



We arrived at the rig parking lot at Ray Behrens Rec area around 11pm and proceeded to rig Galactica with pleasant winds blowing. Other than a couple cleaning their fish, we had the lot to ourselves--better yet, we had the ramp to ourselves without the stress of many people of various personalities and degrees of patient courtesy putting in or taking their boat out.



Galactica, tied to the Ray Behrens' pier and awaiting a late night sail into the darkness!



By Midnight, we unfurled our Genoa and sailed out of the ramp bay into the Blackjack arm, passing the dam and down the main channel towards the Spalding pool! It was a wonderful midnight sail with my new LED steaming light shining on the upper half of the Genny, giving it a subtle but beautiful glow. We sailed until nearly 2am when we decided we were just too tired so we furled the sail and motored the rest of the way to the back of Ski cove on the north side of the lake. We dropped the Richter Anchor, set up the windscoop over the vberth hatch and settled in for the night.



Good Morning Sunshine!!



Saturday morning passed quickly after breakfast and time spent tinkering on the boat. Angie organizing the inside and sorting out ideas we tried so that we'll be proplerly prepared for our planned trip with Galactica to Florida this summer.



We washed down the boat and we spent a couple hours swimming and relaxing in the water as the day's temperature rose.

I rigged up a rod holder on the pedestal and mounted our poor man's bimini - a pool umbrella.



Winds were good all morning so we raised our anchor and sailed out of our anchorage in the end of ski cove.



As we sailed across Spalding pool towards Hurricane Gulch in the above image, we found a number of other sailboats amongst the myriad powerboats. Amongst these were Higher Porpoise, Rogue and Wild Goose.




Rogue motor sailed around each of us taking videos of us under sail in the light mid-day winds.



Eventually, we worked our way to an afternoon anchorage back into ski cove. We spent a very relaxing afternoon reading, talking and swimming. A lot of swimming in the heat!

As evening approached, Higher Porpoise had to leave. The crews (Hazel, Steven, Liz, Jeff, Angie and myself)of Rogue, Wild Goose and Galactica shared a meal of Grilled BBQ meat balls, pasta/veggie salad and homemade chocolate chip cookies.



After dinner was cleaned up and another swim, we broke the raft up apart for a sunset sail. In the picture above, taken from Galactica's helm, is Wild Goose to starboard and Rogue directly ahead.



Look at the beautiful sunset in Galactica's mirror as we ran with the wind towards the BlackJack arm.



In the light winds, Rogue was able to hoist her spinaker and leave Wild Goose and Galactica to ghost along as the sun set in very light winds. Wild Goose, pictured above.

We borrowed the vacant slip of Island Time which Matt is still completing final rigging upon and converged upon Higher Porpoise for a night cap and conversation. Many of us were showing signs of wear from our day's adventures! Afterwards, Matt gave me an old Spinaker which will fit Galactica! I cannot wait to rig her to fly this massive light-wind head sail!!!



We woke early sunday morning to rain. I hopped out and derigged our windscoop, closed up the hatches most of the way and went back to bed.



We hung out at the marina for most of the morning as the rain came and went. Weather turned bad over many counties but we were not forecasted to get the thunderstorms.




Eventually, we followed Mac II out for a midday sail but after a while, the winds died. Lois and Dennis said they were through and they motored Mac II back to their slip.

We headed back to the BlackJack arm and played around in the flukey winds under just the head sail.



Angie went below to make some torillas for lunch and by the time she came back up, the whole western horizon turned nasty with a sudden summertime thunderstorm. With thunder audible, I decided to sail to the ramp cove at Ray Behrens Recreation Area and check out the mass exodus of powerboats who decided to not stay for the fireworks display above the dam that evening.

We wound our way amongst perhap 40 to 50 boats waiting to use the ramp, I decided that we'd drop anchor further up a sheltered cove as the weather worsened.

We lowered the mast and de-rigged while waiting for the ramp to empty out some. It was the first time we lowered the mast while on the water! Glad I practiced simulating it on the trailer last year.



Murphy's law, it began raining about the time I started putting the boots onto the sails. By the time I had the boom removed, thunder was loud and lighting was visible. We lowered the mast in the downpour and I secured as much of the shrouds and rigging as possible.

I didn't take pictures of the chaos of the ramp exodus due to the non stop heavy rain. Angie retired to the cabin and its dry warmth. We kept Galactica drifting at the edge of the fray while impatient, inexperienced or just plain discourteous boaters worked their way out. Wind and current forced me to periodically reposition Galactica. After about an hour and a half, there were few enough boats left that I could bring Galactica up to the pier, tie off and run up for the tow beast and trailer.

A couple other boaters were patient and waited with us. I finally told them I was taking the right side of the pier and moved Galactica forward. As I was on final approach, a large pontoon boat full up people charged into the no wake zone and passed Galactica when I was just a few boat lengths away. They could have pulled up to the left side of the pier to let the two men off to retrieve their vehicle but she cut us off without looking and dropped them off at the end of the pier, blocking our way. I had to perform a high powered reverse with the Etec in order to not hit them. I backed out and they looked at us as if we were the idiots. The other remaining boaters exclaimed their dismay at the lady driving the pontoon boat.



We tied up and I jogged up to get the truck. The rain lessened to a slow drizzle by then. In the parking lot, two sailboats were rigging. One of which was Silk, a Macgregor 26X and precursor to our model. I retrieved Galactica and we pulled up next to Silk .



I talked with them as they were waiting for the weather to clear so they could finish rigging and launch.

All in all, it was a Great weekend sailing!

Summer Sailtice, 18 June

After picking up and riding my new horses back to our ranch, I headed off for the lake.



18 June was to be a really FUN weekend! Summer Sailstice is a worldwide event for sailors! Angie was teaching so I intended to solo sail in the annual Commodore's cup race followed by an afternoon raftup. We were then going to sail the fleet over to the Florida pool in a regatta topped off with a raftup in cathedral cove. A nearly full moon sail was scheduled for that night.



I got to the lake amid storm warnings and proceeded to rig Galactica. While preparing to raise the mast, gusts of wind were so strong that I had to grab ahold of the boat. I stopped to download fresh weather info when Edward and David stopped by to check out Galactica. Ed's another member of MTLSA and captain of a Hunter 216 which was parked near me.

He let me know that all planned activities were canceled except for a get together at the marina followed by an evening sail. Severe storms were to roll in that night.




We enjoyed conversation and copious amounts of commodore's punch (a mixture of peach, strawberry and coconut rum), beer and wine. Matt, a new owner of a 34' Catalina and I checked out each other's boats. We were graciously invited to share dinner with the Stihlwell family aboard DragonFly which is a beautiful Benneteau.



Afterwards, a large number of us boarded DragonFly for a summer sailtice evening sail. We made it to the dam and turned back as a furious lightning storm was quickly approaching. I headed home later that evening.

Galactica didn't swim but I had a great time regardless. The weather in the midwest has been wet, wild and Dynamic (lots of thunderstorms with damaging winds and lightning.)

First Sail of the 2011 season!

4th and 5th June, Mark Twain Lake



Winds were 10-15mph. Temperature was in the mid to upper 90's with high humidity. We took care of chores around the farm and headed out before 10am.



The ramp parking lot was not even a third full and fortunately, the ramp was moving fairly quickly.



Angie took care of her rigging duties and waited for me to raise the mast and rig Galactica. In the noon heat, she got overheated again.

We launched Galactica without incident other than I had opened the ballast valve before rigging and Angie closed it while connecting the Engine linkage to the rudders. As we pulled from the pier, I brought Galactica into the middle of the cove and spun her into the wind. Without ballast, we leaned over quite far. That was unexpected. I had a reef in the main sail from last year; so I left it in.



Winds were great!!! We tacked up the main channel to the spalding pool, following a large catalina. Eventually, as winds died in the late afternoon heat, we caught up with the sailboat. It was two MTSLA members whom we hadn't met before. Jan and Kevin.



Most of my modifications worked very well! The larger helm and swivel cleats for the Genoa made sailing easier and completely handled by me. This gave Angie a break to relax. It took her a couple hours to return to normal as she had gotten too overheated. We sucked down 3/4 a case of water over the two days!

Then Stern Rail seats are a fantastic addition. The poor man's autopilot worked quite well. On a particularly long tack of a couple miles while Angie was napping, I was able to set the 'autopilot' which is just a thumbscrew on the steering shaft and even with the boat heeled over 15 degrees I was able to walk forward and go below!

The two mods that were a bust was the spring cable on the forward hatch which got pinched and failed to hold the hatch open afterwards. The other was the bimini top. I moved it forward but it was simply in the way. We'll miss its shade but I'm removing it.




We gunkholed in Indian Creek with a power cruiser. My mast light worked great! The new Richter Anchor held us, even in a violent thunderstorm which hit us around 3am.



The veeberth cushions we salvaged from an old Venture 24 named "Mast Confusion" worked wonderfully! Angie actually was comfortable. I admit, it was more comfortable than just the 2010 Mac vberth cushions! Winds were strong when we first left our anchorage in the morning so I hoisted sails and began a beat back to the ramp. About halfway, winds died down so we motored back.



Approach to the ramp dock went well--even with on lookers there. We loaded. The trailer bunk and roller mods worked well!

It was a great weekend sail!

Follow this link to some videos posted on my YouTube Channel!

I'm planning on taking Galactica to a Race and Regatta followed by a full moon sail soon. Afterwards, Angie and I are planning on taking Galactica to a lake on the Arkansas border. My sons want to stay home and mind the farm--perhaps someday one of them will want to sail.

Mark Twain Lake, gunkholed in Happy Cove

The weather was great this weekend. Mid to upper 70's and sunny. Damon had ACT testing so I took care of farm chores and took a heifer to auction which should pay for the next round of improvements to Galactica. Friends of the Family came out and their kids fed some of the animals.

While waiting for Angie to be ready, I set up the mast...twice and put the genoa sail onto the furler. Afterwards, I put the new jib sock on! This should make it much faster during rigging time! As it was, we didn't pull away from home until after 4pm with a 100 mile trip to Mark Twain Lake.

We put in at Ramp 107 again. Figure that it's best to have a successful outing from the ramp I failed at the week before. Here is a picture of me taking Galactica across Florida Pool at Mark Twain lake during twilight.

We anchored in a small inlet in Happy Cove. While I shut down the outside, Angie set up house inside and made dinner! Chicken Fajitas, iced tea and a nice dry white Missouri wine from StoneHill Winery.

The next morning, we took our time getting up and taking stock of our setup. We drew up lists of what we need, don't need or wish we had. Here is a view out the starboard windows at Breakfast!

Angie piloted Galactica out of Happy Cove while I removed the Genny sock and rigged the sheets.


We sailed around for a while in extremely light winds. I hadn't put on the main sail yet so we sailed with just the Genoa.

I got a chuckle. I had Angie pull the furler sheet to release the Genoa foresail so that I could pull the Genny sheet to deploy the sail on a port tack.

She looked at the array of sheets and lines around her and said 'Huh!?' I pointed to the furler sheet which was cleated and she told me that I should have just said, "pull the Christmas line"... sigh, it's a white line with green and red stripes. So now, the official name for the furler sheet on Galactica is the "Christmas Line". lol

We needed to get home fairly soon and the winds were very light and fitful so I decided to switch to the motor. I wanted to cruise over to BlackJack Marina. We furled the Genoa and spun up the Etec. We cruised to BlackJack at various speeds as we broke in the motor.

There was a Beniteau attempting to sail in the light winds but they gave up as we were rocketing past. Another sailboat from the MTLSA (Mark Twain Lake Sailing Association) left the marina as we pulled up. We spun around and followed them until we hit the main channel. Then we opened Galactica back up again. We had to get to the ramp ASAP in order to get home for Sunday Family Dinner. All in all, we probably motored 3 1/2 to 4 hours! :)

Here is our camp stove we used. Worked great. I do not think that I'll waste money on a built in stove now. It was really neat on this trip. Heading up the highway from our place, a farm truck passed us and the driver gave us two thumbs up. Either he liked the Macgregor or just the huge pretty blue and white beast behind our old silverado. Later, while driving up highway 63, a car passed us with two younger men who honked, waved and gave us a thumbs up! That was cool!