Hey everybody,
As it gently rains here for the 4th or 5th day, I am happly taping off to prime and paint the deck and cabin house snug in the boat barn. The thought occurred to me that our summer to date has been not so good.
Our first of three series of our racing season is over and we lost 2 out of 5 evenings due to no wind. This last Tuesday was almost a loss until the wind filled just before 7:00pm. The Wednesday night fleet lost one day to 30+ knots and the remaining 4 from no wind at all. They lost a complete series without a race. That is 1/3 of the summer gone.
Weekends have been wet or without wind and wet. Keeping the grass under control has been a seemingly never ending job. I realize we are blessed by what is going on around the country, no water up to the roof and no smoke and fires. I also realize the fact the boat is still out of the water has not cost us much as far as use this summer. There have been only a handful of days that have been nice and our kids just finished up school last Thursday.
How has it been in your neck of the woods?
Good Sailing...
Dale
today UK
spent 7 hours in thick fog thank god for radar,mid summer and i could see my breath,mind you back to work tomorow 30deg f3 to f4 i must have upset some one up stairs
happy sailing
The wind seems to have left the Chesapeake early this year. There's been a few stretches of windy weather but most weekends, so far, have been the default "5-10 knots" of wind with the lower number predominating. I did have some north winds on a delivery down the Bay -- it was a fun run in a Cape Dory 25 from Solomons to the York River near Hampton. We've had two spells of very hot weather, but there's been some nice weather as well.
We've been able to anchor out three weekends -- San Domingo Creek, the West River in Galesville, and Dividing Creek off the Wye River.
Must be nice to paint in a boat barn. I've got to do my deck sometime, but I'll be braving it in the great outdoors.
Hoping for fair winds and good holding,
Dirk
Dale, I know this is off the weather subject but I like to know how you transport Maruska from the water to the barn.I am thinking about making a trailer for Incommunicado. Thanks Allen
Wow, the UK is worse! I guess we are doing OK.
Dirk, as for the Chesapeake, 5 to 10 after March and before October is blowing stink. Painting outside sucks. The biggest problem is that all of the prep work (taping & masking) does not like or hold up well in the sun and rain. You guys do not have any bugs so that is not a problem.
Allen, I have a boat hauler that has a hydraulic trailer that hauls it the 35 miles for $350. Can't beat it however I would love a trailer myself. There is a Swan 42 in our marina that the owner built a nice trailer out of an old commercial car transport trailer. He basically cut it off at around the 4ft level and added a cap tube around the edges. All of the uprights and diagonals act as a truss. That being said it needs a semi type tractor with the pin plate to move it. My hauler tows with a F350 pickup that has a diesel and the trailer has a simple pintal hook. I have a steel cradle that I built so all I would need is a flatbed to do the job. I do keep a eye on Craigs list from time to time but money is the key.
Dale
Here on Vancouver islands' Westcoast, summer has yet to arrive. I'm refinishing the brightwork on the cockpit combing and toe-rail. Managing to find decent weather enough to do this. Lots of overcast, rain. Good wind but it usually blows up the inlet (from the south). Probably require a hundred tacks to sail her out to the Barkley sound. Nobody does this of course. But can ride back up easy enough. How did they do this in the old square rigged days I wonder?
Dale, Thanks for the reply. 350.00 to haul 35 miles I would like to have him here.There is a rumor of a local transporter that will haul for 450.00 can't seem to locate him.Everyone else 1000 to 1500 plus a crane to off load 450.00. so I have started looking foe gooseneck trailers with 20,000 lb cap.I will let you know how I works out. Allen
Allen,
There are plenty of heavy equipment trailers that fit the bill as far as weight capacity goes. Anything that hauls a dozer or excavator are all in that range. The problem is that they are all relatively short in length. Keep me informed.
Just found this on E-Bay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2006-TARA-LOWBOY-NO-RESERVE-READY-WORK-/270774318548?pt=Motors_Trailers&hash=item3f0b6835d4
Dale
Dale,That looks like it would do the job well,I think it is a converted car transport like your friends.But I am looking for one I can pull with my diesel pick up.Thanks for the lead Allen
A friend of mine bought a lowboy equipment trailer and copied my cradle supports and weld them to the trailer to tow with a 1 ton pickup. He said he had no problem doing 60-65mph on the highway.
The season on Lake Superior is been about a month behind, although it looks like summer may think about finally starting. I sure hope so, I plan on cruising up to the Canadian shore in 2 1/2 weeks.
Well 2 days doesn't make it summer, 57 degrees air temp, 45 water temp.