Montgomery 17 Number 375

after the trailer repair last week i've needed to paint the new metal.  after a week of rain nature provided a 'window' of no rain and a high temperature just in the range for the paint to 'take'.  after a bit of sanding and scraping the primer went on in under 30 minutes.  now ... will i get a chance to paint the finish coat?

mid-fall projects are a challenge when the boat will not fit in your garage.

- dave

boat trailer has been repaired!  collected the trailer this AM and then SWEET PEA.  the new tongue is 1' longer ... meaning i didn't need to use the tongue extender to extract SWEET PEA from the sound at Zittel's ramp.   now i need a few days of dry weather so i can paint all the raw metal.

the weather is VERY fall:  rain and the mid-40s.   nature was nice enough to be 'dry' when i hauled out SWEET PEA.  was expecting to do the entire de-rigging in the rain.

- dave

M17 owner Dan Richman has been profiled on a pacific northwest sailing web site called ThreeSheetsNW.  nice story about dan and his boat named ORLI.  the pictures showcase the beauty of the Mboats -

http://www.threesheetsnw.com/blog/2009/10/audio-slide-show-small-boat-unknown-destination/

- dave

so the boss changed the work schedule (three days before the new 'week' begins).  as a result i'm going to be working nine days straight ... but if all 'holds' i'm getting a three day weekend in another seven days!

RESULT: Sweet Pea is not going into winter storage just yet!  another trip to south sound seems like the logical decision.  the NW Potters are talking about a group sail.  i'll see what comes together.

- dave

left for a three day ... 48 hour really ... trip in south puget sound this past friday, 9/25.  launched from zittel's, just a tad south of johnson point.  light winds that died in about an hour.  motored to mcmicken island and took to a buoy.  wind went from little to none.  enjoyable late afternoon reading, and then having a stinkpotter arrive and take the buoy RIGHT NEXT to me in an empty anchorage.  why do people do this?

the evening is quiet, excluding the hour the stinkpotter runs his generator, and the stars come out!  could see the milky way ... rare these days because of light 'pollution'.

up the next morning and take my time.  not a long trip to jerrell cove.  hope the wind will come up as case inlet is like glass.  nope, by 11AM still no wind.  motor north to jerrell cove and make a quick stop at the dock to use their head, see if the dump station is open (nope ... three+ years and it has not been 'fixed'), and register for a buoy.

afternoon is quiet.  i take a nap.

sunday morning there is a slight breeze.  don't know if this is just a local land breeze or wind is filling case inlet.  NOAA states that there is a small craft advisory for puget sound - winds to rise 15-25 early afternoon.

i motor out and a fresh breeze is blowing.  i have the 150 genoa set and raise the main.  this  is too much sail.  reef the main.  OK for a bit and wind rising.  foredeck time and switch to the 100 jib.  single reef in the main the jib works well.  wind is still rising and i think about going to the second reef ... wind is moderating and gusty.  i shake out the main's reef.  wind holds for another hour and i wish i debate putting up the 150 genoa ... but i'm not sure as the winds in central sound are reporting 20-25kts (south sound has no reporting stations).  by the time i arrive at zittel's the wind has gone down to nothing and then shifted to a light breeze coming from ESE.

arrive to some 'traffic' at the launch ramp.  i wait my turn and quickly haul out.  as i drop the mast the ramp get VERY busy as the drunk zip-boats and fisherman begin their haul-outs.

enjoyable trip.  SUNNY 80% of the time; almost a bit hot friday and saturday afternoons.  evenings cool, and the nights chilly.  a great weather window was caught for late september sailing in puget sound.

pictures and a video to be posted shortly.

- dave

goin' sailin'!

heading for south sound for three days of boating.  weather forcast is even postive!

- dave

looking at the calander i can see that the sailing season is coming to an end.  with luck one can sail, non-heater and willing to wear rain gear, until maybe the middle-to-late october.  so .. .i want to get on the water.

now the challenge: my work is not very helpful as the 'local business climate' means understaffing ... fat cats must make their money while worker is give less hours and are asked. "why don't you do more with less?!"  add to this my boss was promoted and this mean GREATER undestaffing.  so ... i may not get any days off.  my usual work schedule is work three days, get one off, work four days, get one off.  NOT good for crusing.

day-sails are an option; but no what i enjoy.  adding to the issue is lack of launching sites within an one hour radius from home.

i'm at a crossroads and just want to sail.

- dave

a large quantity of MSOG '09 san juan and gulf islands trip pictures have been posted on-line.

these are many of the participants' photos. nice thing, beside the social fun, about group sailing is you get pictures of your boat sailing -

take a look yourself and be prepared for LOTS of photos -

http://sailing.bobstaco.com/sjgi2009/default.aspx

sean mulligan has posted two more videos of the trip: parts five and six. these shows are the beginning of the second week when i was required to return to 'the civilized world' and be a hourly worker (instead of sailing in the gulf islands ) -

here is larry yake's video of the trip -

and if this isn't enough for ya' sean has also put together a two-part slideshow of the group members' photos -

wow ... that's a lot of entertainment

- dave

seattle is HOT.  temps in the mid 90s.  nightime only getting into the mid-70s.  cooling not expected until after thursday, 30 july.

temps were more enjoyable on my overnight trip to quartermaster harbor.  see details on the newly created TRIPS page.  i will be adding other trip summaries shortly.  in the works are my travels to eagle harbor and the MSOG san juan cruise '09.

sean mulligan has released his forth video from the san juan cruise.  this installment covers the rough seas met as the MSOG fleet entered haro strait on the way to stuart island -

- dave

the latest from the mulligans -

- dave