sailing, Sailing, SAILING!
Well, we finally got the boat off its trailer without incident. Sort of. Third times a charm!
Some background is in order.
Some may know my roommate from college, Brian (or Wien) pictured sitting athwart his 1969 Sidewinder sailboat. He is not what anyone would call indulgent with his finances. His house is a hodge-podge collection of items donated by people (including myself -- and that's saying something!) who finally got tired of coming over and not finding a place to sit that wouldn't collapse or a clean rug or whatever.
So when he bought a very nice leather couch from a coworker, no one was in any way surprised he only had to pay $200. We were just pleased we could sit down in comfort.
And when he traded that couch for a sailboat and trailer, again, no one was surprised.
He did, of course, harbor more enthusiasm for sailing than just sitting in comfort.
He immediately set about with the needed repairs. The tiller mount bulged uncomfortably at the bolts, and would not tighten. Rather than execute a proper repair, he removed the bolts, filled the bolt holes with Bondo, and replaced the bolts with thicker wood lag bolts. And away he and I sailed!
I should note with chagrin that I am a licensed merchant mariner with almost 20 years of professional time on my ticket, and am someone who grew up around sailboats. At one time, Dad had four sailboats and a power launch.
Meaning I should have known better.
This first shake-down sail happened about a month ago. We launched from Sand Point and made our way steadily from shore. Other than a nagging tendency for the water to gather in the cockpit and the fact that we had forgotten to bring a bailing bucket, things seemed fine. Until I noticed that hole leading from the cockpit to the inner hull. It was draining the cockpit water. That's why it took longer for us to come about!
I calmly noted this to Wien and informed him we would be making way back to shore. When I made to come about, though, the lag bolts tore from the Bondo Wien had contrived as a rudder "fix" and the whole rudder ripped free of the transom. Good thing I had a good grip on it, or it would have joined the junk on the bottom.
With four small but significant holes below the waterline holes introduced to the transom, our hull intake increased precipitously. We dropped sail and started waving the arms. In about 15 minutes one of the kids from the marina brought the Whaler out and towed us back. Wien, at my suggestion, went aboard the Whaler, while I stayed on the capsizing Sidewinder and rode back holding the sails and rigging in place. By the time we hit the pebbly beach, the aft gunnels and after part of the cockpit -- with me in it -- was completely under water.
Wien fixed the tiller properly, cutting an access plate in the cockpit, clearing the rotten plywood from he old rudder mount, and replacing it with thick new ply and lots of 5200 adhesive. The next hardware mounting the rudder involved proper bolts and nuts.
The next sail got us only about a 1/4 mile from shore before the mounting pin on the boom vang worked its way from its threads, fell from the swivel, and got sucked through the self-bailing valve out the boat. We were in the water maybe 10 minutes. It was blowing lightly enough that we could hold the vang in our hands and make enough way to return.
Number three sail went much better. There was an annoying leak from that pin-sucking bailer into the cockpit, and a steady but manageable flow from the hull, but with a handpump to augment the sponge we should be just fine next time. It's nothing that need kill the rest of the season's sailing. Here's some pics!
Here I am, sailing away.
Brian, with another extra part just drifting in the cockpit, wondering if it is important.
Off to port, the sunset.
Of course, the water should be drained from the leaky tub eventually. . . .