01-09-2012
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Corpus Christi, Tx
Posts: 358
Rep Power: 6
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Last Wednesday I decided to shake the cobwebs out and take CC Rider up to Rockport (the nearest DIY yard) for a bottom job. The weather was very nice, upper 70s breeze SSE at about 10 kts, eventually dying out about 5 kts from the marine yard so ended up motoring the last bit. Hated to motor but the wind was nil and I had to get there by 5 pm or loose my haulout time. Most of it was a very pleasant sail.
The haulout the next morning was without drama but I was amazed how many barnacles I had grown in the two and a half years since the last time. Started sanding Thursday after lunch and worked until sundown. Friday I was in pain and I guess one of the yard workers could tell it and came over and said, "Let me get that for you" and with his big deal disc sander did more work in 30 minutes that I did in a day. Was that nice or what? I couldn't even hold his sander up to the hull at that point. I guess that at 68 and with a torn ligament in my right wrist, I will have to pay to have the next bottom job done by the yard.
Friday afternoon and evening the first coats of paint went on. Saturday morning the stands were moved and the last painting completed and boat launched at 4:00pm.
Now the return trip was as much fun as the trip up. Had to wait for the fog to clear a bit before starting out. There was no wind, so motored along at about 5 kts for about 30 minutes and then came upon a push boat with two barges in tandem straddling the ICW. It looked like I could sneak by on the east side so I slowed to my lowest speed and inched my way around his barge's port bow. I guess when he went aground he pushed up a mound of mud that caught me in what otherwise would have been 6 feet of water. About that time a fishing boat came by, waved him down and asked for a tow. A bright faced, red headed boy (young man) readily voluntered and took just a few minutes to get me free. As I was thanking him for pulling me off I commented my amazement that the barge was straddling the entire channel and was not responding to radio calls. My young hero responded that they too had gone aground earlier in the same spot and eventually discovered that they could get thru on the west side of the channel.
About an hour later began to detect a little breeze, then by the time I turned west into the CC Ship channel I had about 10 kts SSE for a broad reach all the way home. About the time I was along the old naval station piers I saw a beautiful sail boat enter the channel and raise his sails. Eventuall I caught up with him and could see that he was a Valiant, probably a 37. So, for about three hours I got to watch him from about every point of sail and can now boast about beating a Valiant 37 with my little Pearson 28. I guess the wind was just strong enough for me to go about 70% of my hull speed and for him to go about 40% of his. But what a beautiful sight he was broad reaching along at about 5 kts in a 10 kt breeze. Say what you want about modern designs vs "old shoes", The Valiant will steal your heart.
First sail of the year!
John
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