First Sail of 2014!

OK, so I digress.  This is us out on Hermosa Beach Pier on Saturday to celebrate Christy's birthday.   There were 9 of us to help her celebrate. Happy Birthday, Christy!

Then on Sunday, we did it!  We got the boat out!

Seems we had some issues for 2014 that had to be solved:

First, we had to get the Christmas lights down, can't sail with Christmas lights all over the boat.

Second, the bilge pump was either running non-stop, or not at all.  That took some engineering.

Third, somehow between the bilge pump running forever or always having the external charge on, the "new" battery burned off all its water and had to be replaced.  Not an easy job, requiring  a "battery guy" and a "gorilla".

But after Jerry was sure the boat would start if he turned the engine off, we were off!

It was a beautiful day!

2:20 p.m. (right after church) We're headed out the channel.  It took us awhile because after breakfast at Chucks we had to stop at Rite Aid for a "to do" notebook, gather our boat gear (water, hats, suntan lotion, jacket, granola, nut packs).  Then at the end of the block I remembered my camera and had to go back.  And Tony, a bayside neighbor was out and we had to talk dinghy and outboard with him.  And oops, the boat doesn't have any 2014 registration, so I had to go back to the house for that.  And the oil needed to be checked.

Oh, and did I mention when I was setting up the boat, the binoculars were wet?  Therefore I checked that entire shelf, and yep, the rags were wet, my wool scarf was wet, about 6 of 20 or so books were wet.  Remember that storm we had last week?  Something leaks on the port side of the boat.  So I pulled all that stuff out to the cockpit to dry out.  But finally we were off.

Warm day (I heard it got up to 85).  Warm enough to trade my T-shirt for a long sleeve sun protecting shirt.  No wind to speak of.

2:58 pm - turned off engine and put up jib (headsail).  Moving 5.9 mph.  Or was that the wind was 5.9?  My notes aren't very good...

So now I try to use the navigating skills I learned at our Coast Guard class.  To "dead recon" (which is really "ded" for deduced) pick three spots, note their angle from the compass, and note the time.  Then plot them on a chart and draw 3 lines, and you should end up with a triangle that you're somewhere in the middle of.   Piece of cake!

So, at 3:00 I picked the Seal Beach dock at 30 degrees, the low spot on Catalina at 240 degrees, and the Eva oil platform at 110 degrees.  I even got the ruler with the compass on it.  So I put the number of degrees on the straight line from the chart.  Ooops, the Seal Beach dock doesn't seem to be on the chart.  Oh, well.  Wait a minute, neither is the dip on Catalina.  OK, so I guessed.  Eva is on the map.  Then I go to the GPS to see if I'm right.  The GPS doesn't show ANY of the spots.  Only shore and water.  It shows we're "pretty close to shore".

OK, OK, maybe I need to find latitude and longitude.  We learned about that.  So, try again.  It's 3:49, there are 2 oil platforms at 70 degrees (Jerry says 80), and the dip at Catalina at 90 degrees (we agree), and the end of San Pedro at 240 degrees, and something called N at 200 degrees (says Jerry) and 210 says me.  Is that the north end of Catalina?

So if those two oil rigs are these on the chart, was what I saw before Eva or Esther oil platform?  It's not like they have a name on them when you go by.

This time I was determined to figure out the latitude and longitude, but I noticed that when I put the compass angle number on the spot I was looking at, I could twist the other end of the ruler all around.  Hmmm.  Time to get the book out.  Oh, you're supposed to put the little dot on a line of latitude.  OK, that makes sense. 

3:54 pm  Come about (turn around).  The compass at the wheel says our heading is 310 degrees.  The GPS says 330.  Wonder which one is right?

Ah, this time our speed is 4 mph and the wind is 4 mph.  We're going as fast as the wind with only the jib up!  It's always rougher going back in.  Something about cutting against the swell instead of going with it...

 Oh, oh!  Look, Dolphins!

We went through a bed of kelp.  Is this the "Newport Kelp Bed" marked on the chart?

Seems there must be fish in the kelp...





Now it's time to check how wet the books really are, and turn them page by page to get them unstuck and dry.  Good catch!  And time to stack them up and get them ready to put away.  Wouldn't help if we get drenched by a wave and they get wet again.

4:03 p.m.  Heading 322 according to the GPS.  Speed 5.7 mph.  Wind 8.5 mph!  Water 41 feet deep.  Hey, guess what!  I forgot to put the docking line out!  Usually we have a line laid out we can pull ourselves in with.  Guess Jerry is going to have to dock the boat with no assistance!  It's too far to jump off the boat onto the dock, and with the stairs right there, I'd kill myself for sure. 

Our boat neighbor, Bob and John, took their boat out (the Valerie) too.  They left just before we did, and docked right after us.  John steers, and Bob just steps off onto the dock.  But they don't have steps, and their dock has a pier to look at for security.

4:50 p.m. Safe landing, with just a tiny bump to the poor nose of the boat.  Need to get a bumper for there!  Jerry says there was a 15 mph cross wind to dock, but it only "felt" like 15 mhp.  And the tide was running.

Fun day on the water.  Got home, grabbed Bird for a quick walk, noticed the sunset, went home and got the camera, pulled some dinner together, and it was 7:00!

Maybe I can practice navigating next time...