Recent posts

#21

TSBB General Talk / Re: Gales of November, Storms ...

Last post by Norm L. - Dec 07, 2024, 12:01 PM

Lake Effect is interesting. The shoreline on Lake Erie trends NE starting near Cleveland. West Cleveland and suburbs are fine. East of Cleveland to Niagra Falls the land acts like a dam making the air and water temperatures meet somewhat nastily. What fell west of Cleveland was nothing. New Orleans has had that several times (in 20 years and lasting on the ground at best 48 hours). This current dump on Buffalo is nasty.
When winter arrives, I think of the stories I have read about the trappers that spent winters in the Sierras. Months on a limited diet under conditions that can kill.

I remember an early fiction story written by...? Conrad? A man takes shelter in a snowstorm under the heavy drooping limbs of a large evergreen tree. He tries to start a fire with a limited supply of matches. With his last match he gets a good warming fire started. The heat warms under the tree, melting the branches snow coverage and causing the melted snow water to start falling upon him.

#22

TSBB General Talk / Re: Low Tides

Last post by Riley Smith - Dec 07, 2024, 10:36 AM

We only have one tide, so that means if you get stuck on an ebb, you're usually in for a long wait. I always think of that guy I saw with the big bow rider. There was a woman aboard and she never changed positions and they were at the end of the piers looking across the bay. A big lake! Lets go to the OTHER side! Which means they got stuck right in the middle, where the bar is, which they obviously didn't know was there. There was nothing I could do but watch as he headed right into the shallowest part and proceeded to get REALLY stuck. I could tell there was major tension aboard by the woman's body language. It NEVER changed...she just sat clutching a purse. The dude was in a jam and got out to try and wiggle that big boat off. Which didn't happen but it was probably much better than being IN the boat with that mad woman. He was promptly covered in black mud with probably protected him somewhat for the onslaught to come after dark fell. I could feel the fumes from 1/4 mile away. They had to wait in the dark several hours, I'm sure being eaten alive by mosquitoes. Some folks on jet skis came after an hour or so but I still think they had to wait on the tide. That's what not knowing about the terrain will do you!!! We see a lot of boats on that bar. Very easy to get stuck with a tide that low. Stuck on a bar. It ain't fun. Been there, done that.

#23

Precision / Re: Boom Brake or Preventer

Last post by Brian N. - Dec 07, 2024, 10:17 AM

Wolverine - Wow, just watched that video. Scary how things can go from bad to worse.

#24

TSBB General Talk / Re: Low Tides

Last post by Brian N. - Dec 07, 2024, 09:33 AM

Tides here on the north shore of Long Island (NY) can range between 6-8 feet, with two cycles in 24 hours. That means that daily, sand bars, mussel beds and oyster beds are exposed. To successfully sail and navigate, local knowledge is crucial. If I'm late on the tide, I have to wait several hours to reenter the river from the sound. Launching and retrieving the boat is also very tide dependent. My wife and I have been to the Tampa/Clearwater/ St Pete's area numerous times, and I always wish we had those same tides on Long Island!

#25

TSBB General Talk / Low Tides

Last post by Riley Smith - Dec 06, 2024, 08:51 PM

Winter brings the year's lowest tides to the Gulf Coast. Combined with the north wind, the water leaves and goes south for a few hours every day. High tides are in the middle of the night, and the lows are low enough to bring the West River bar out of the water. This week running early in the morning until about midday. This is the bar to the east of the house

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 I saw a picture of a Pascagoula icon, the Longfellow House, taken from WAY out in front of it where there is usually water the other day. Someone that wasn't familiar with how the tide works asked about it on a local board. They had only been here about a year so I can understand their dismay at finding the beachfront in that condition. There are bars all over West River and way off the beachfront too. Shallow water everywhere. Here are a couple of pics... Here's the western end of the bar.

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#26

TSBB General Talk / Re: Gales of November, Storms ...

Last post by noelH - Dec 06, 2024, 04:53 PM

Yesterday was a real beautiful day. Just a gentle breeze.  Clear deep blue sky and even deeper than deep blue water.   Haven't fired up the tractor or attached the back blade.  Initial snow removal if light is gently floating the blade or plow gravel into the ditches.  Ground is still not frozen.  Snowblower sitting on the pallet. Where it sat all of last winter. Over two decades old. Last "winter" was the first time I've not needed it.  Once the snowbanks get to a certain height it becomes way too much an effort to plow.  For now it is just drive over the snow packing it down and hopefully enhancing the freeze rate of the driveway surface. 

Could be the UP.  Rumors are the first dump of the season dropped ~20"/0.5 meters. The Keweenaw Peninsula record snowfall was set prior to our warming trend. +390 inches one season. Copper Harbor gets hit by Lake Effect from all points of the compass. Maybe why instead of snowplows their trucks have gigantic snowblowers.

#27

Precision / Re: Boom Brake or Preventer

Last post by Wolverine - Dec 06, 2024, 11:52 AM

I've been struck by our Compac 19 boom. Luckily it was a glancing blow and didn't damage the boom. 

I just happen to watch this last night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfk6Lqv4Z3I&pp=ygUObGFkeSBrIHNhaWxpbmc%3D

#28

Tales and Trip Reports / Re: Sea Pearl 21 Slides into L...

Last post by Chris Muthig - Dec 06, 2024, 11:48 AM

Thanks for the writeup...  basics are, the leeboards were split when I bought it, leading and trailing edges, had to sink penetrating epoxy in to get it solid again, the port side took 8 ounces of epoxy before it stopped absorbing.  6" fiberglass tape on all leading, trailing, and bottom of both, then filler, faired multiple times, 3 coats high build primer with sanding between all coats, then 3 coats of polyeurethane sprayed in an hvlp, got them looking good.  During that time while waiting for stuff to dry, added coats of varnish and epoxy to all of the wood surfaces, and re applied the name (kept the name, even though it's supposedly bad luck to not rename.)  Black Pearl seemed to fit nicely.  Replaced the bunk boards, reran all of the wiring, new lights on the trailer, new rollers, basic trailer stuff.  Little engine started EVERY time during the 6 months I worked on it, until the day before the trip.  Lots of cleaning the carb, and scrubbing light corrosion off of the coil mounting surface, it finally started. The day of, I'm attributing the motor not starting initially to the gas not being turned on, it just took me a bit to get my head out of my butt.  Once sailing, it performed better than expected.  We headed for the ramp when we noticed about 8" of water in the floorboards, which amounts to over 12" including the space under the floor.  When I got it home, I filled the ballast tanks to the top, and watched for leaks.  Nothing.  Drained all of the water from there and dried it carefully, and filled the rest with water.  Not long later, I noticed water all but pouring out of the port through hull for the ballast tank.  Pulled the top of the deck off (after removing 28 screws, a third of which broke off or stripped).  Pulled the through hull fitting, and found the wood core between the hull and ballast tank rotted out.  Pulled the starboard side, nowhere near as bad, but I'm doing that one also.  I let it dry out for 2 weeks, dug out a bunch of the coring, and cut large squares of 6" fiberglass tape to cigarette roll and stuff into the voids.  Taped the undersides, and filled the holes with  penetrating epoxy.  Sanded down flush with the bottom of the tanks.  I've got one side redrilled, the other one I had to add more epoxy to just before it got cold.  During all of this fun, I moved the outhauls on both booms closer to the gooseneck so I can furl the sails more (had about 20-24" of sail still exposed when fully furled).  Waiting on the 1/4" line to finish that project.  The wood on the motor mount was rotted, got that removed, just have to cut and shape and varnish the wood to replace it.  Mounted a new stern light and bow lights, both wired in, and mounted 4 LED courtesy lights under the deck, halfway done wiring that in.  Mounted 2 pop up cleats in the rear cockpit, since the large cleats that are there have a 1/2" hole for the stern lines, and are almost unusable for a decent stern line.  I'm also changing out the 4" deck plates that access the ballast tank drains for 8", since I'm a normal sized human being (control your laughter), with normal gorilla hands.  Lastly, the mizzen boom rubs the bimini pretty bad, so I'll be either cutting an inch or two off of the bimini, or adding a shim to the mast socket to raise the mast an inch or two.  Also, the forward ferrules for the dodger broke away, so I'm going to shape some HDPE blocks to fit perfectly in the toe rails of the deck, use 4200 to bed them in with a couple of rivets for good measure, and drill the holes.  Lots of piddly little stuff, hoping to have everything done by New Years or mid Jan.  My goal is to have some experience on the boat and possibly make the BEER cruise this year.
I'll post some pics here when time allows, probably this weekend.  Took quite a few to document the process.

#29

Precision / Re: Boom Brake or Preventer

Last post by Quantico Frank - Dec 06, 2024, 07:09 AM

Wow. Definitely food for thought. Thanks, Sue.

#30

For Sale Boats / 2004 WWP 19 for fast sale extr...

Last post by bobmelllor - Dec 05, 2024, 10:27 PM

$3500.00 .. Opportunity to buy a green 2004 WWP 19 (blue water layup) at a bargain price. We are moving out of state, and for this price the boat must be picked up by this weekend.  My health has prevented getting it in the water for the last 2 seasons, and unfortunately it no longer makes sense to keep it.
The boat is stored on pacific trailer in a secure outdoor storage facility.  Boat is sound, ready to sail, but needs a good cleaning and wood finishing.  Mast is in my backyard (soon not to be "my" backyard) hanging on a fence.  Boom, stays, hardware, sails, spinnaker, mast crutch,  choice of motors, upgraded kick up rudder, (plus extra) older version kick up rudder, tillers, many extras. All in garage. also Bimini.  Clean titles in hand for boat and trailer.
This boat was a joy to sail, great overnighters in nature on nearby lake (had slip).  Sad to give it up.
If serious interest, let me know ASAP to discuss.   You must pickup , gather mast and parts  and transport.  I am in BETHLEHEM PA.  PLEASE CHECK DISTANCE from you before responding