My father at the helm and my sister assisting with Errant’s navigation. First sail of the season!
Today was the picture-perfect start to the sailing season. The sunshine and warmth and wind delivered an auspicious rebuttal to yesterday’s chilly, drizzly launch. And even more fortunate, I was joined by my father and sister for the sail south from Willsboro Bay Marina to the Essex Marina.
Lazy Day Log
The mostly north-northwest wind varied 6 to 12 knots with very minimal wave action. We motored north out of Willsboro Bay and raised our sales as we rounded the tip of Willsboro Point. Smooth sailing all the way, and approximately four hours of catch-up time. My father sailed most of the way, and my sister helped with the charts/navigation and even spent some time at the helm.
Docking still revs up my anxiety meter, and while I know this will change as my skills/confidence improve, I arrived at the Essex Marina with a twinge of dread. But light winds, forethought, and ample good fortune served me well. The boat responded perfectly, and my crew stacked the odds in my favor. A huge relief!
Projects on the Horizon
Errant feels ready for a summer of sailing. I’m excited as I look forward.
I still need to rig one or two reefing points. I’ll try to take care of that over the course of the week plus a handful of other projects that I still need to tackle including ordering and installing new halyards, ordering and installing new name, sealing a couple of slow topside leaks. But all in all, Errant feels ready for a summer of sailing. I’m excited as I look forward.
Water Level Worries
Unfortunately recent rains have elevated the Lake Champlain water level by 2+ feet, and the waves are now breaking over the marina’s docks and fingers. I had to set up a temporary spring stretched across the channel just to keep Errant off the dock. Fingers crossed that the rains will diminish in the lake level will begin to fall.
On the Hard: Errant winter storage at Willsboro Bay Marina, March 8, 2015
Stopped by Willsboro Bay Marina today to check on Da Capo/Errant. So many whistling, flapping halyards!
The date is March 8, sort of spring, at least it seems like it should be spring. But the cold, humid wind and a lingering blanket of snow suggest that spring launch is still a good way off…
I was relieved to see that the winter storage cover has held up well, not a single tear or loose line. Frankly, I was a little surprised. I guess all of the hours trying to decipher the cryptic instructions paid off.
I didn’t climb aboard, but I will return in a couple of weeks if the temperature rises to inspect the interior and start a few projects like refitting the v-berth door and deep-cleaning the bowels so that I start the sailing season with a super clean vessel.
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.
Mark on Errant at Willsboro Bay Marina early morning, October 3, 2014. Ready to haul for the winter!
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!
Early morning at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014. Ready to haul for the winter!
Early morning at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014. Ready to haul for the winter!
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Hauling DaCapo at Willsboro Bay Marina on October 3, 2014
Jim at the HelmThursday’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!
Mark During Last Sail 2014But 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…
Owner showing Da Capo during visit on August 24, 2014
Up early this morning, excited and antsy. I’ve studied the photographs of Da Capo so much that I feel like I’m already familiar with the boat, as if visiting, boarding and poking around will be more like déjà vu than a first encounter.
Owner showing Da Capo during visit on August 24, 2014
Willsboro Bay Marina
We drove to the Willsboro Bay Marina and parked. The seller had given me his slip number and directions from the parking lot, but I’d already stopped by the marina several times during bike rides to “spy” on Da Capo (as if gazing at her from different angles would help me discern whether or not she’s the right sailboat for us.) I knew exactly where she was berthed, and now I could finally climb aboard.
We walked across the lawn between The Upper Deck restaurant and the dock where Da Capo is berthed. I pointed out the sailboat to my bride as we strolled down the dock busy with boat owners cleaning and polishing their sailboats.
Owner speaking with my bride during Da Capo during visit on August 24, 2014
“Bonjour!” I greeted a man roughly my height and stature who had just finished hosing down the deck of Da Capo. We shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. I introduced my wife, and he introduced his wife or girlfriend. He was warm and endearing; she even more so.
I snapped some photographs of the exterior, noting some minor cosmetic gelcoat damage on the transom. And then I headed into the cockpit to poke around while Susan remained on the dock with Griffin our Labrador Retriever.
The cockpit and interior or Da Capo were exactly as photographed. No surprises. Even the ceiling height/clearance felt “familiar” from the photographs that I had spent so much time studying. The v-berth felt more ample that I expected, and the aft berth felt more or less as I’d anticipated: slightly claustrophobic due to the low ceiling. Although a portal into the cockpit can offers light and fresh air, and at night a hatch in the starboard cockpit seating can be raised to increase the natural light and airflow in to the aft berth. Despite the low ceiling, the length and width were ample.
I felt comfortable… I was able to stand bolt upright in the middle of the salon… [and] I felt comfortable enough standing and moving the v-berth too.
The salon was pleasantly bright and airy, and the galley was compact but efficient. I took no photographs at all inside the boat. The owner had well documented everything, so I focused instead on asking questions and opening/closing, lifting, snooping. If there were surprises I couldn’t find them. And I felt comfortable. I had been concerned about ceiling heigh, about feeling cramped, about needing to stoop. This is certainly the case in parts of the cabin, but I was able to stand bolt upright in the middle of the salon without a problem. And I felt comfortable enough standing and moving the v-berth too.
The head was small, but I’d known this in advance. It was clean and well maintained with plenty of natural light and ventilation. The shower and toilet section would be a drippy mess if we ever showered aboard, but at least part of the head—the space with the sink—would remain dry.
I will attach the remaining photographs (exterior + dinghy) in a gallery below, but long story short, the boat was immaculate, well proportioned and appealing.
We thanked the owner and—after chatting about boating on Lake Champlain, the pleasures of Essex and Montreal, the new Dufour the owner hopes to buy next, etc.—I promised to be in touch soon, and we departed.
As we walked back to the car I asked my bride for her reaction. She liked Da Capo, felt comfortable inside, and thought everything looked well maintained. She was positive though not effusive. She asked me what I thought, slightly warily, as if she was aware that I might be shifting away from “research with a goal to purchase a sailboat next summer” and toward a more accelerated timeline. Make an offer now?
This is the question that was in my head. But I demurred aside from expressing relief that there had been no surprises. I explained that I needed to mull it over. And I did. I was anxious to avoid getting swept up in the emotions and yearning and cartwheeling forward until I’d worked everything through.
On the one hand, I was smitten. I felt at home on the boat, thrilled with the condition, eager to sail it away. On the other, I knew that the price needed to come down, and I wasn’t really ready to own a sailboat until next summer. I hadn’t made any effort to line up dockage or winter storage, and summer was almost over. We had an autumn trip to France and Italy scheduled, so our boating season would be abbreviated. This wasn’t the ideal time to purchase. I needed to think. A lot!
Owner speaking with my bride during Da Capo during visit on August 24, 2014
Owner speaking with my bride during Da Capo during visit on August 24, 2014
Da Capo’s bow/hull photographed during visit on August 24, 2014
Owner showing Da Capo during visit on August 24, 2014
Aging but usable Zodiac dinghy (Da Capo visit on August 24, 2014)
Minor transom gelcoat damage detected during Da Capo visit on August 24, 2014
Minor transom gelcoat damage detected during Da Capo visit on August 24, 2014
Minor transom gelcoat damage detected during Da Capo visit on August 24, 2014
I love that transom! Catalina 310 Review (Credit: Talk of the Dock)
Okay, let’s take a look at the Catalina 310. The more I read about it, the better it seems to fit. Maybe I’m just talking myself into it? But why? There are a lot sexier vessels, faster boats, more elegant boats, more affordable boats (and lots of less affordable boats!)
So there must be some reason the 2002 Catalina 310 for sale at the Willsboro Bay Marina resonates with me. In the next couple of posts I’m going to draw together some of high points in what I’ve been reading about performance, value, exterior and interior configuration, bed sizing, etc. Maybe laying it all out will help me size up the situation.
Maybe some day I’ll revisit the topics of the Catalina 310’s performance, configuration, bed sizing, etc. Perhaps once I’ve overnighted aboard? Perhaps not. Perhaps another sailboat is in our future. But at the moment the Catalina 310 seems like a pretty smart fit.
