All posts by virtualdavis

A writer, storyteller and unabashed flâneur, George Davis (aka virtualDavis or G.G. Davis, Jr.) is the author of Rosslyn Redux: Reawakening a home, a dream and ourselves, a transmedia chronicle about rehabilitating an historic property in the Adirondacks with his bride. He blogs about storytelling, poetry, doodling, marginalia, flânerie, publishing, and other creativity-inspired esoterica at virtualDavis.com; posts sometimes exhilarating, often unnerving, occasionally euphoric, and always pollyanna "midlife mashups" at 40x41.com; chronicles his sailing adventures (and misadventures) at Sailing Errant; and delves into matters of parenting, babylandia, and childfreedom at Why No Kids? George formerly taught and coached at Santa Fe Preparatory School and The American School of Paris, and he co-founded and launched Maison Margaux: "Paris à la parisienne" in Faubourg Saint-Germain. He currently owns and operates Adobe Oasis in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his bride. George meanders on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube and Flickr.

Maintenance, Weather

Winter Storage Cover On

November 15, 2014 virtualdavis

Errant's Winter Storage Cover, 2014-2015 — Errant’s Winter Storage Cover, 2014-2015

I’ve been worrying about installing Errant’s winter storage cover ever since hauling the boat. It’s not the sort of project you can whittle down slowly, a little bit at a time. It’s really a start-to-finish proposition. Or — as I learned once I finally made enough time to tackle the challenge — it can be divided into two separate stages completed on two different days.

Given the fact that the instructions were not a perfect match for the winter storage cover we inherited with Errant, this first-time installation took a looong, aggravating time.

Installing Errant's Winter Storage Cover, 2014-2015 — Installing Errant’s Winter Storage Cover, 2014-2015

Superstructure

In hindsight, the problem(s) all derived from a single issue. The instructions explain how to install the cover without a stepped mast. Except that’s not exactly true…

Basically the superstructure, a support skeleton consisting of tube steel ribs that need to be bolted together in the appropriate order, etc. was built 100% symmetrically side-to-side. In other words, the port and starboard side of the frame is identical, a mirror reflection on both sides of the center rail. In order for this frame to fit properly not the deck, the mast must be removed from the equation (which it wasn’t and isn’t.)

Lots of tinkering and “cob jobbing” enabled us to finally install the superstructure in a stable enough fashion…

In order to accommodate the mast, the superstructure must be installed off center. But this results in ribbing on one side or the other being too wide to fit on the deck… See the problem?

Lots of tinkering and “cob jobbing” enabled us (yes, my patient bride helped me muddle through this less-than-enjoyable debut performance) to finally install the superstructure in a stable enough fashion that we could proceed with relative confidence that it would not collapse beneath snow and wind loads over the winter. (Note: wire tires were used generously to secure the superstructure to the boat and to secure styrofoam pipe insulation to high abrasion areas.)

Winter Storage Cover

So the two-day discovery is that the best way to break up this project, if unable to do everything in one fell swoop, is to build/install the superstructure on the first day and then install the canvas cover the next day. Partially installing the canvas isn’t an option. The two sections must be connected and secured for it to be wind resistant. Attempting to install one section and then interrupting the installation until later would be extremely risky because wind would likely damage the partially installed cover.

But returning the following day to drape the winter storage cover over the ribbing worked well. It’s still a slow process, especially since it was the first time and the instructions were not particularly helpful as far as sorting out how to orient the large, unwieldy fabric sections, etc.

The good news? The fabric cover fits the boat quite well, mast, stays and all! Phew…

Installing Errant’s Winter Storage Cover, 2014-2015

Errant’s Winter Storage Cover, 2014-2015

Catalina 310, Rigging

Sail Removal 2014

November 8, 2014 virtualdavis

Finally a day with sunshine, warmer temperatures and lower winds. Finally it’s winter sail removal time. I’ve been anxious about leaving the sails up while traveling abroad. And now I’ve been home almost a week, but the weather’s been rainy, cold and windy. Not optimal de-rigging conditions.

Of course, there’s still that pesky winter storage cover that I need to install. (Read: […] that I need to learn how to install.) But that will hopefully happen by week’s end. First, those sails need to come down and get stored for the winter.

Get the Sails Off the Boat!

No matter where you sail… if you’re planning to be away from your boat for any length of time, take the sails down and pack them up… That’s particularly true, say the sailmakers with whom I spoke, for seasonal sailors who store their boat for the winter, either on the hard or in the water.

Vessal seen from below (Photo: Wikipedia)

“The biggest thing you’ve got to do is get them off the boat for the wintertime. Never, never leave a sailed furled or on the mast,” says UK Halsey Sailmakers’ Adam Loory.

When sails are left furled for long periods of time, water can find its way into them, and they won’t dry. Where there’s water, mildew soon follows, and eventually it gets into the laminates, where it can do serious damage and even cause the laminates to separate. Not to mention that winter gales can turn a mainsail cover to rags or find a way to unfurl even a tightly wrapped headsail. (Cruising World)

I know it’s true. And I probably should have had the boat hauled earlier so that I could remove the sails before exiting to France and Italy. But having bought her so recently I wanted to squeeze in all possible sailing time before abbreviating the season. Now I was paying the piper…

Once your sailing’s done, strip off the sails as soon as you can, advises Chris Pitts at North Atlantic Sails, in Newport, Rhode Island… [The Sails should] be stored in a dry place in which the temperature is relatively constant. A dry basement is ideal. Don’t leave them in the boat… In very cold climes, notes Pitts, the windows in a headsail can crack if the mercury dips too low. (Cruising World)

So today was finally my chance to remove the mainsail and headsail for the winter.

Early this afternoon I headed off to the marina where Errant is hibernating on the hard. I was surprised to discover how many boats and docks had filled in the boatyard. Not much space left! Fortunately I was able to drive to within about 20′ of my boat which made the afternoon’s chores easier. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

You see, the trouble was that I’d never before removed the sails from a vessel this size. Smaller boats, yes, but this was new territory. I poured over the manuals, but nothing explained the process.

Sail Removal Instructions

So I turned to the internets. I searched for instructions on removing sails from a Catalina 310. Nothing. So I tried to find instructions on removing sails in general. I managed to garner some general pointers, but it was this video that helped most of all.

I would have preferred less Charlie Chaplin and more verbal guidance, but beggars can’t be choosers, right?

I also came across a pair of helpful videos posted by members of the Navy Sailing crew. Derigging the Main and Derigging the Jib offer detailed instructions for a smaller, simpler vessel, but both offered helpful instruction that accelerated my learning curve.

Time to head off to the Willsboro Bay Marina to remove my sails. I’ll post a progress report soon. I hope…

Boat Launch Sites Near Essex (essexonlakechamplain.com)
Coast Guard rescues 2 aboard disabled sailboat (uscgnews.com)
Man found dead aboard sailboat in New Jersey (newsday.com)
Coast Guard rescues 3 from capsized boat in Maine (wgme.com)

Maintenance

Sails Off

November 3, 2014 virtualdavis

Finally a day with sunshine, warmer temperatures and lower winds. Finally it’s winter sail removal time. I’ve been anxious about leaving the sails up while traveling abroad. And now I’ve been home almost a week, but the weather’s been rainy, cold and windy. Not optimal de-rigging conditions…

Time to head off to the Willsboro Bay Marina to remove my sails. I’ll post a progress report soon. I hope… (Sail Removal 2014)

That was just over a week ago. Much has happened since then. Slow progress, but progress nonetheless. Sails. Are. Off.

I should start by admitting that it’s been a steep learning curve. It seems so obvious, right? Remove the sails. Bag up the sails. Store the sails.

I’ve pulled sails off of small sailboats and windsurfers thousands of time. How different can it be on a 31′ sloop?

Different.

Sail Removal

Removing the mainsail was easy. Pull the battens. Remove the slides from the mast. Remove the halyard, topping lift, Dutchman, etc… Pack it all tidily into the sail bag and celebrate halfway-to-completion!

But my celebration was premature. I’ve never removed a sail from a roller-furler before, so it took some research and reading to figure it out. I’m certain it’ll be simple a year from now, but this first time was all new. And then I discovered damage to the genoa, ripping and binding along the leading edge that fits into the roller-furler. Removing the final couple of feet further damaged the already exhausted fabric. Looks like sails will need to be repaired this winter!

Actually I had planned to have them serviced to ensure that they were not going to fail next season. I figured a more knowledgeable skill set wold be prudent, but now it was apparent that the the project was going to be even more involved than I initially anticipated. So it goes.

Genoa Damage

Sail Repair

I was referred to Vermont Sailing Partners in Winooski, Vermont to inspect and repair the sails. That’s the boss man, Bill Fastiggi, in the photo below, inspecting Errant’s genoa.

Inspecting genoa at Vermont Sail Partners

Bill agreed with my guess that these are the original sails, but he felt like they’re in good condition and have plenty of sailing left in them. I was reassured but asked him whether it made more sense to replace them given the amount of repair work necessary. He explained that they could make me a new set, but assured me that the repairs indicated were were and inexpensive.

We agreed to repair the genoa, adapt the bottom of the mainsail, and convert from a B to A style Dutchman flaking system.

For the genoa, they will remove and replace the head and tack webbings; repair sail damage; replace Dacron caps at head and tack; repair torn luff tape at tack; and add a cut-back at the tack to prevent future tearing of lower luff tape.

For the mainsail, they will relive the bolt rope tension on the luff which is bunched due to rope shrinkage; remove the foot rope and convert the main to a loose footed sail; and replace the old B style Dutchman flaking system with a simpler A style.

Given that there’s no rush, I encourage them to fit in the work when they could and that I’d retrieve the sails in the spring at launch time. That solves the winter storage problem!

Maintenance

Worrying About Winter Storage Cover

November 1, 2014 virtualdavis

Aluminum frame for winter storage cover (behind keel)

I awoke at 4:30 am this morning, not for want of rest but for the feedback loop which had kidnapped my groggy grey matter and prevented me from falling back asleep.

I haven’t installed Errant’s winter storage cover yet. I haven’t even read the instruction manual for the winter storage cover yet. And there’s a chance of freezing rain even snow tonight…

Worry is a formidable foe. It fortifies and fiercifies , more real with each anxiety fueling cycle. I tossed and turned for an hour, trying to think about telemark skiing in Santa Fe this winter, windsurfing in Anguilla this coming spring, anything enticing enough to distract me from the obvious fact that I’ve neglected winter storage cover installation for too long. And now it might bite me in the @$$.

Time to slay the worry beast.

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
~ Lewis Carroll (Jabberwocky)

If only it were that easy. It’s not, so I did the next best thing. I got up, quietly to avoid waking slumbering bride and beast, and slipped off to my study. In a perfect world I’d drive off to the marina and spend the morning learning how to install the winter storage cover. Learning by doing. Weathered, photocopied instructions spread on the galley table, hiking up and down ladders, earning peace of mind and a well protected sailboat.

Winter Storage Cover Installation Instructions

But driving off at this hour would worry both bride and beast, and blundering around in the dark, in the cold, with winds that are supposed to hit 17 mph later in the day… Nope. Not a good idea.

Better idea? Dig out the instructions from the veritable “library” of manuals I inherited when I purchased Errant a couple of months ago and start learning the ropes. Pre-learn the installation procedure and then plan to get started Monday morning when the wind and temperature is expected to be slightly more favorable.

Note to Self: before I install the winter storage cover I need to remove and store the sails. Hope it doesn’t snow tonight!

Dry Dock, Maintenance

Hauling for Winter Storage

October 3, 2014 virtualdavis

Hauling Da Capo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014

Another first this morning! Although I spent many summers in my teens and early twenties working at the Westport Marina, often assisting with hauling boats, I’ve never before witnessed my own vessel being lifted out of the water and trundled about a shipyard with a giant travel lift. I’ve never before had a sailboat hoisted into a cradle where it will spend the winter on the hard.

Now I have.

Early Morning

After a fun sail, supper and late night bull session with Mark and Jim last night, Jim headed for home and Mark and I crashed aboard Errant. He slept in the aft berth and seemed to slumber solidly enough. I sleeping-bagged it in the v-berth, and I slept fitfully. Comfortable enough, but maybe just anxious about the haul, the possibility of finding surprises beneath the water line, or something.

Mark whipped up some bacon and eggs this morning, and then we idled over to the service dock.

Willsboro Bay Marina’s docks were quiet, but the service dock was already buzzing with staff ready to haul. From the get-go through the moment that Da Capo was secured in her cradle for the winter, I was impressed with how organized and efficient the shipyard team was. Paul, one of the owners and the head of service, was especially capable. I feel fortunate that my sailboat is being taken care of by this team.

The photos in the gallery below tell the story better than words, from sun up to keel down. Thanks, team WBM! I look forward to spending the next six months or so on the hard, tackling my list of deferred maintenance tasks.

Early morning at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014. Ready to haul for the winter!

Heading to service dock at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014 to haul DaCapo for the winter.

Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014

Sailing

Fifth Sail: Sailing North for Hauling

October 2, 2014 virtualdavis

Thursday’s sail north from Essex Marina to Willsboro Bay Marina with Jim and Mark was a great way to wrap up my first (extremely abbreviated) season sailing Da Capo/Errant. Smooth sailing with moderate to light winds and calm seas; bluebird skies and cool-to-warm temperatures; and the companionship of two close friends who are both intricately woven into my boating/sailing narrative.

Sail to Power to Sail

As I’ve mentioned previously, I grew up sailing. My father taught my brother, sister, and me to sail — first a Paceship 17 (P17), then an Alcort Sailfish, and later a Tiga sailboard — when I was a youngster. Probably between 8 and 14 years old I was strictly a sailor.

I envied neighbors who had powerboats, mostly because it opened the possibility of waterskiing which I had learned to do. But my parents were keen on the environment, not motorboats. So when I got my first job as a dock boy at the Westport Marina (owned and operated by Jim and his family), I took advantage of every opportunity that I could to operate powerboats. Jim was my boss, but he was a benevolent boss and soon a friend. He opened up the wide world of powerboat opportunities, allowing me to take out the staff at the end of the work day for an end-of-shift ski. I jumped at every opportunity to join him (or his brother Larry) on rescues, zooming through often messy conditions in a Shamrock workboat that looked like a miniature tugboat. I shuttled boaters out to moorings, moved boats between slips, delivered boats to clients with waterfront docks elsewhere on Lake Champlain, and weaseled my way into just about any boating experience I could finagle.

In short, during my teens and early twenties I barely sailed at all!

But I found my way back to sailing in my mid twenties. I was living in Santa Fe, New Mexico (check out our current adobe oasis!) and windsurfing on the desert southwest’s tiny manmade lakes offered the perfect antidote to lake-longing. My girlfriend and I acquired a hodgepodge of secondhand gear and taught ourselves to chase high dessert storms.

In my early thirties my brother and I balanced summer ski boats with Hobie Cat 16 sailing. To this day I consider sailboarding and small, fast catamaran sailing to be just about the most exhilarating watersport out there!

But I’m missing a chapter in my boating narrative. In my twenties and thirties I began to dream of sailing and cruising in larger monohulls. Mostly it was daydreaming. Reading and rereading worn Nautical Quarterly volumes, flipping through sailing magazines, and wandering marinas. Some day…

As in my early power boating days I pursued any and every opportunity to get aboard a sailboat. Shortly after moving back to the United States after living in France for almost four years I began collaborating with Jim and Mark on an e-commerce project called ShipStore.com. Mark was living on a sailboat in Benecia, California and racing an asymmetrical dinghy on weekends. Cool!

I remember like it was yesterday the sun soaked day that Mark and I spent with our brides sailing, eating, brainstorming, daydreaming on his sailboat Wandering Rose. Ever since he’s encouraged my desire to sail and cruise (and possibly some day, even live aboard). And Mark was instrumental in helping me evaluate Da Capo/Errant.

So it seemed apropos that I should conclude my skinny season number one with both Jim and Mark. One opened up the world of power boating (effectively wooing me away from sailboats) and the other guided me back to my sailing roots. Narrative perfection!

Following a charmed afternoon of sailing, we dropped the sails and headed into Willsboro Bay. The good folks at Willsboro Bay Marina invited me to spend the night in the slip of Da Capo/Errant’s previous owner, ensuring that I would be ready bright and early to bring the boat to the service dock / travel lift for hauling.

We cracked open the rum and grilled a tasty supper on the boat. Lots of laughter and libations later, Jim headed home and Mark and I turned in for my first night of sleep on the new boat and the last night of boating for the season.

Good Satellite Radio Karma

Sometimes life rhymes. Or so it seems. And when it does, it’s especially fine to accompany it with an appropriate soundtrack.

As I drove to the marina at the outset of this journey look what came up in the playlist…

Ship's Log

Ship’s Log

September 21, 2014 virtualdavis

Today I launch a new initiative, if I can call it that. Pomp and bluster notwithstanding, I’m decided to attempt an ongoing “ship’s log” for Errant to record sailing outings. A digital ship’s log.

I’m certainly not the first to use a blog to record navigational data, right? I suspect not.

I’ll spare you you the nitty-gritty, boring bits. Probably. Except when I don’t. And I’ll start by creating a ship’s log category and assigning appropriate existing posts to it to get things started off right… Done.

From Chip Log to Logbook

What exactly is a ship’s log / chip log / logbook? Let’s take a look.

A logbook is a record of important events in the management, operation, and navigation of a ship.

The term originally referred to a book for recording readings from the chip log, used to determine the distance a ship traveled within a certain amount of time. The readings of the log have been recorded in equal times to give the distance traveled with respect to a given start position.

Today’s ship’s log has grown to contain many other types of information, and is a record of operational data relating to a ship or submarine, such as weather conditions, times of routine events and significant incidents, crew complement or what ports were docked at and when. It is essential to traditional navigation, and must be filled in at least daily. (Wikipedia)

In a sense this entire blog is a digital ship’s log, but I’m hoping to discipline myself to create a subset of posts that are accountings of each outing. Most will be brief, I expect, micro-chronicles of my Errant adventures. And inevitably a few misadventures! Stay tuned…

Sailing, Ship's Log

Fourth Sail: Learning the Ropes with my Father

September 12, 2014 virtualdavis

This morning will be my last sail before heading off to the desert southwest for a week. Light but steady winds, bluebird skies and a father willing to join me in exchange for good conditions and a pastrami sandwich. Actually, he probably would have come even without, but the least I can do is dial in the weather and spring for lunch, right?

Note the chilly temperatures. It’s a bundle-up sort of day! Apparently autumn is offering a preview of crisper times to come.

Windy & Wavy

The wind forecast for today was accurate enough in the morning, but windspeed increased steadily all afternoon, blowing consistently in the high teens and low twenties. And with all that wind coming out of the north, the waves were stacking up into fairly significant rollers.

I’ve gotten much more comfortable pushing her forward even when the gusts knock us over a little, and she plows right through those waves.

It was an exciting and slightly anxiety inducing experience, but I learned a lot about how the boat performs. I’ve gotten much more comfortable pushing her forward even when the gusts knock us over a little, and she plows right through those waves. In hindsight, we would have been wise to reef early in the day and to furl some of the genoa, but all told it was an excellent learning experience. The boat handled well and we stayed dry.

After the Crunch: Errant against ominous skies after a less than elegant docking... — After the Crunch: Errant against ominous skies after a less than elegant docking…

End of Season Service

Today marked another first of sorts, docking in Vermont at the Point Bay Marina service dock for diesel and a pump out. I’ll be getting the boat hauled and winterized shortly, so wanted to make sure that she was ready for the trip north with Mark and Jim.

The west side of the service dock was open and I was able to dock pretty smoothly with my bow up into the wind. Not a confident docking job, mind you, but it was adequate. No last minute engine revving, and no abort and try again. I know it’ll take plenty of time getting on and off docks, etc. to feel comfortable with this, but each little victory is a step in the right direction.

Bumper Docking

Docking at the Point Bay Marina gave me a premature taste of confidence, and unfortunately my return to homeport was considerably less victorious. In fact, it was a bit of a disaster.

The wind was blasting pretty steadily out of the north, and the seas were a sloppy mess. In hindsight I should have opted to take a temporary slip with better protection, etc. Instead I tried to pivot and reverse into my super tight, shared slip with my bow into the wind. Fortunately the marina manager’s instincts were awesome and his response time even more so. He leapt onto the bow of the neighboring sailboat and prevented us from tangling anchors. Two neighboring sailboat owners managed to fend off on our finger and caught/secured lines.

Damage to Errant's smile, September 2014 — Damage to Errant’s smile, September 2014

It all happened pretty quickly, and the damage was limited to a new chunk out of the gelcoat on the starboard edge of the transom. There were already several smaller dings, but this afternoon’s scar is the worst.

I was relieved and grateful, thanking everyone for saving the day. But once I was left alone to tidy up and batten everything down, I stalled a moment to study the damage. Minor but disappointing. Hopefully it will serve to remind me that I need plenty of practice before I should attempt anything as risky as backing into a slip with a strong wind.

Time to hunt around for some docking instructional aids…

Sailing, Ship's Log

Third Sail: Sailing with my Father

September 10, 2014 virtualdavis

A perfect day for sailing! Warm and sunny, winds variable 0-15 knots, and — best of all — a chance to wile away the day on Lake Champlain with my father.

My dad taught me to sail 30-35 years ago (a story for another post). It seems appropriate that for my first day sailing Da Capo (soon to be Errant) without my friend Mark at my side, coaching and encouraging, I should have my father onboard to balance out the sailing team.

Thanks, Dad!

Winds were light but mostly steady making for easy, enjoyable sailing and plenty of time to swap sailing stories. My father didn’t grow up in a sailing family, but he learned to sail in his teens and twenties with friends. He shared a couple of fun adventures that I’ll recount anon if he offers his blessing.

From start to finish our sail was a delight. He sailed much of the time, and Da Capo performed predictably, reliably, and 100% enjoyably. Even docking, a hurtle I’m yet to perfect mentally or in execution, proceeded smoothly.

All told, it was a confidence inspiring outing.

Buying a Sailboat, Sailing, Ship's Log

Second Sail: Sailing from Willsboro to Essex with Mark

September 7, 2014 virtualdavis

Sailing Errant "home" to Essex from Willsboro after purchase. (Sept. 7, 2014) — Sailing Errant “home” to Essex from Willsboro after purchase. (Sept. 7, 2014)

What a lovely way to take ownership of a new sailboat. Perfect weather. Perfect following wind. And a good friend (and great sailor) to accompany and coach me.

I have to admit that it still hasn’t fully sunk in that this is now my boat. All day it felt like we were borrowing it. I’ve had this experience before, most notably with Rosslyn, the home where my bride and I reside in Essex, New York.

Mark coached me on navigation, paying especially close attention to depth as we sailed through the Four Brothers Islands. We experimented with the equipment (auto pilot, etc.) and with the operation of the vessel. At one point in the afternoon, shortly after dropping the sails to motor into the Essex Shipyard, Mark suggested that I spin the wheel to discover what a tight turning radius the boat could execute if/when necessary. It was a little startling and truly informative. She can practically pivot in space!

Here’s a gallery of photographs from the day.