Tag: cruising

Oriental to Elizabeth City, NC

Barry3 Comments
Idle Queen is the middle of the three anchored boats
Idle Queen is the middle of the three anchored boats

Sunday, August 4, Idle Queen finally sailed out of Oriental’s harbor.  And I do mean “sailed”.  The last errand to run in Oriental was to bring the boat in to the fuel dock to top off all of our tanks before heading out.  I was planning to sail off from the dock, but a power boat came in just as we were finishing with fueling up, so I elected to motor out instead of keeping him waiting.  Once clear of the dock, though, we put up sail and slowly gathered speed as we left the inner harbor.

Sailing north on the Neuse River
Sailing north on the Neuse River

The wind was blowing from the north, and turning to the northeast.  This meant that the Neuse River was smooth as we sailed along a mile from shore.  Unfortunately, this also meant that the wind would be against us once we turned the corner to head into Pamlico Sound.  I had wanted to head up the sound to visit Manteo on the way north, but the wind stayed northeast, which would have been on the nose, making the decision to motor north on the ICW route an easy one.  I have discovered that ol’ Idle Queen is not terribly fond of going to weather.  We anchored for a day to try to invent storage solutions for a few troublesome pieces of gear, and get the depthsounder working.

Snag pile on the Alligator-Pungo Canal
Snag pile on the Alligator-Pungo Canal
Nearing the northern end of the Alligator-Pungo Canal
Nearing the northern end of the Alligator-Pungo Canal
Scenery on the Alligator-Pungo Canal
Scenery on the Alligator-Pungo Canal

Although I generally dread hours of motoring, I do enjoy the canals for their close views of the landscape.  Smooth waters are a bonus.  We still set sail at every opportunity and didn’t transit any of the legs between Oriental and Elizabeth City entirely under power.  That didn’t do much for our speed, though.  We met a fellow sailor in Elizabeth City on a 20′ Pacific Seacraft “Flicka” who was amazed that, #1- we were sailing in the cuts; and, #2- he was pulling away from us.  Well, the wind isn’t all that consistent when surrounded by all those trees, but a fair breeze is a fair breeze.

There was plenty of wildlife to hold our interest and take our minds off the heat as we motored and sailed north to anchor up past Belhaven.  The cuts were well-populated with birds, turtles, dragonflies, and loads of butterflies.  I also enjoy looking at the trees along the banks of the canals.  It is amazing to look at the size of some of the stumps that are all that remain of old cypress and juniper trees from long ago–those stumps are huge.  The trees growing along the cuts today are just babies in comparison with the monsters that were cut down to leave stumps of six feet and more in diameter.

We sailed past Belhaven.  Even though the promise of a free city dock was slightly tempting, we had a good breeze and made 10 more miles before anchoring in the dark just outside of the channel.

Approaching Elizabeth City
Approaching Elizabeth City

The next day, we arose early to start before the day heated up.  Before leaving, I checked the engine over and pulled the zinc to have a look.  It was not much more than mush.  Hmm…  Well past time to change it.  I pulled a new pencil zinc from my stock only to discover that it was much too long and had to cut it down.  I thought I had bought a half-dozen zincs of the correct size, but it was obvious that I hadn’t.  At least I had something that would work.  A few frustrating minutes with a hacksaw and some trial-and-error fitting had a new zinc anode in the engine.  I tightened the alternator belt as well and we were soon underway.  We made it a very long day, as the wind turned fair while we were in the canal.  We sailed up the Alligator River, through the bridge, across Albermarle Sound, and up the Pasquotank River to anchor just a mile from the downtown waterfront of Elizabeth City.  It was 0200 before we had the anchor down that morning.

Idle Queen at the Elizabeth City docks
Idle Queen at the Elizabeth City docks

Arising before the wind came up the next day, we motored down to the free city docks and backed Idle Queen in to one of the slips.  We received a most friendly welcome from the assistant harbormaster and a couple of interested bystanders.

Our stay in Elizabeth City was delightful.  We arrived only planning to stay for a day, but ended up staying for three.  How could we leave, what with invitations to drive down to Edenton and Rocky Hock; head out to a mud boggin’ competition in Currituck; and let’s not forget the awesome farmer’s market on Saturday morning…  Besides the personal connections, there are great services for boaters:  free city docks; strong wifi; access to water; free loaner bikes; and access to nearby toilets.  All of this is right in a beautifully maintained waterfront park just a short walk from restaurants, art galleries, and more.  We made wonderful friends and memories during our brief stay in Elizabeth City and look forward to visiting again soon.

Clock in downtown Elizabeth City
Clock in downtown Elizabeth City
Interesting building in downtown Elizabeth City, NC
Interesting building in downtown Elizabeth City, NC

 

 

 

On the Road Again

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Waiting for departure from Oriental harbor.
Waiting for departure from Oriental harbor.

 

The past few weeks seem a blur, but the result of all the long days that have been put in is that Idle Queen is ready enough to start her voyage north.

In the past two months a lot was accomplished.  First, Idle Queen was stripped bare of anything easily removable, scrubbed inside and out with vinegar and then bleach to cut down on the musty smell of long-term storage.  We removed the disintegrating headliner that was falling down, insulation that was crumbling, and about 40 pounds of dirt from the bilges.  Much of the interior was painted.  New cushions were cut and covered with covers made from bed sheets.  Personal effects were loaded aboard.  Food was stowed.  Gear was put aboard until there was no more room, and then more gear was loaded.

The boat is cluttered with gear that I hope to sell or trade.  Mostly, it is things that I accumulated in trade for doing project work for other boaters.  For the past year, I have had a “no charge” policy when doing work for others.  Some people thanked me, some gave me money anyway, and some gave me gear.  I have replaced many worn-out pieces of gear aboard Idle Queen, but still have much to get rid of.  I am heading north with three steering-gears aboard, for instance.

I will be sure to post more soon, but for now, it is time to get going…

Sailing out of season

Barry1 Comment
Passport 40 wave
Pushing north under power on Pamlico Sound in winter.  The boat is a Passport 40.

I just returned to Oriental, NC, after helping to move a boat north to Annapolis, MD for a friend.  It is still a little bit early in the season to be heading north, and the crew was chilled by the biting north wind that slowed our progress.  Still, it was a successful trip made without any unpleasant surprises.

One of the most memorable aspects of that short (just under 360 miles in 4 days) trip was that it was marked by almost constant headwinds.  Our progress was slowed to speeds frequently below 4 knots, and to less than one knot for one short, but painfully slow stretch even though the boat’s powerful diesel engine was working hard enough to have pushed us at over 6 knots had we been in calm seas.  To have frequent northerlies at this time of year is to be expected, and we certainly had our share.

The same trip could likely have been made with warm winds at our backs in just another month or two, but then the anchorages and marinas would be crowded with others out enjoying the spring breezes.  In my own cruising life, uncrowded waterways and anchorages are among the reasons that can make cruising out of season an attractive venture.

I am often content to travel out of season and take my lumps.  It’s not even really necessary to get beaten up too badly by the weather.  This most recent trip was made through the contrary winds of winter in order to adhere to a schedule, but free of the push to be at our destination as soon as possible it could have been an easy trip even though it was still winter.  The beautiful days don’t come as frequently when cruising out of season, but for one who is willing to wait, there are still plenty of fair winds to be had even though the temperatures may be chilly.  One may enjoy the truly exquisite days when they do arrive with the additional satisfaction of having had to endure a little discomfort to “earn” them, and the uncrowded anchorage at day’s end or voyage’s end is shared only with the hardier of nature’s creatures.

Lessons Learned-Overhangs

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Pearson Vanguard Merry Way
Here I am on my first floating home.  Note the graceful stern.

My first cruising keelboat, a very experienced Pearson Vanguard named Merry Way, played a big part in shaping my current opinions about what traits are truly desirable in a cruising sailboat.  Merry Way wasn’t exactly the boat that I had wanted at the time, but she was the best boat that I could afford.  As it turns out, to this day she was the most expensive boat that I have ever owned.  Where to spend my cruising funds was one of the things that she taught me–an important lesson, as these days I don’t have nearly the money I did when I was working full-time as an engineer (as I was when I bought Merry Way).

Here are the some of the important particulars of the Pearson Vanguard:

LOA-32′ 6″    LWL-22′ 4″    Beam-9′ 3″    Draft-4′ 6″   Displacement-12,000 lbs (actual weight; brochure lists 10,300 lbs)    Sail area-437 sq ft.    

Sailors spend a lot of time looking at those numbers for different boats and comparing the numbers from one boat to another.  They give a pretty good overall feel for the size, heft, and power of a boat.  

In this case, one of the things that can be seen in the numbers is that the Vanguard has long overhangs–the difference between the LOA (Length OverAll) and the LWL (Length WaterLine).  The Vanguard’s overhangs are over 10′, or almost a full one-third of her overall length.  That’s a lot of boat hanging in space above the waterline just looking pretty (and I admit that it felt great to be told how beautiful my boat was by passers-by!).  When it comes to a cruising sailboat, however, all of that overhang is mostly just wasted length.  It is true that the stern wave will come up under the counter (stern overhang) of a boat like this to increase its apparent waterline when it is moving, allowing a higher top-end speed for the boat, but that be achieved more effectively by just getting rid of the overhang and actually lengthening the waterline by design.  The long overhangs were put there mostly to help the boat achieve a favorable rating under an old racing rule. 

 The characteristics that caused me to grow to dislike the long overhangs of the Vanguard affected everything from the maintenance to the sailing, and even the habitability of the boat.  The first thing that I noticed on my trip home was that the long overhangs contributed to “hobby horsing”–where the boat tends to pitch when traveling into a sea.  Rather than just riding up and over the waves, the bow would first soar up into the air, and then then plunge down in the troughs, adding an uncomfortable element to the already uncomfortable exercise of trying to sail or motor upwind.  The excess pitching slowed the boat, prolonging the agony of having to endure adverse conditions.  Merry Way often behaved like a rocking chair, with the bow continuing to rise and fall even after a wave had passed.  The pitching was made worse by having cruising gear such as anchors and solar panels near the ends of the boat, but storing gear near the ends is necessary on a cruising boat.  I tried to put only light objects there, but even a few pounds contributed to the problem.  

Maintaining the boat was more difficult because of the overhangs.  Keeping the hull clean in the area where the stern overhung the water required feats of acrobatics.  That area needed frequent cleaning because of water splashing under there which caused algae to grow on the topsides.  I spent hours hanging upside-down from my legs while I reached way under the back of the boat to scrub off weed and grime.  I tried doing it from the dinghy, but couldn’t reach all of the hull.  I tried a brush on a stick from the dock, but the long lever arm reduced my scrubbing pressure to almost nothing.  It was easy to clean when the boat was out of the water, but that only happened once per year.  Hanging over the rail was the most effective method of cleaning that area of the hull, but I always ended up with bruises for days afterwards from draping my body over the edge of the boat.  

I have heard others complain about the noise made when wavelets slapped under the counter, but I didn’t mind them.  Every once in a while, though, a big wake or an ocean wave would get under there with a solid thump that was impossible to ignore.

The overall effect of having a boat with long overhangs in a cruising boat is to cause the boat to become apparently smaller.  The ends would optimally be kept empty to avoid hobby horsing, but that isn’t practical.  Waterline length is reduced–even if the stern wave comes up under the counter, the bow still has unused overhang not contributing to waterline length.  This reduces the speed potential of the boat, as the longer the waterline length of a boat, the faster it can move through the water (we’re talking about displacement boats here that don’t get up on the surface of the water and plane).  Basically, the Vanguard is functionally similar to a heavy 25-28′ boat.

This isn’t all meant to sound overly negative.  I lived with the quirks of the Vanguard for a few years and sailed many enjoyable miles on that boat.  The sweeping overhangs paired with the beautiful sheer drawn by Phil Rhodes are beautiful to look at, and that is worth something.  The Pearson Vanguard is a pretty good sailing boat if she is kept light, especially in the ends.  It is still a reliable, old-school racer/cruiser design that can be pressed into more serious cruising service, if one is willing to accept the tradeoffs.