FL 120 2K26 Pt 2 of 2 . . . .

[Charles Brennan]

Friday:
Big Sabine to Spectre Island, 22 miles:
OK, first real surprise of the trip so far; the weather was NOT co-operating. 
A high pressure area over Georgia, was sending us moderate Easterly winds instead of the expected Southwesterly winds that were SUPPOSED    to make it a pleasant reach, all the way there.
Well, moderating a little after 10 am; right now, it was blowing pretty good. 
I was expressing my doubts    to Scott W. and wondering if we couldn't just go to White Island (on the itinerary for Saturday) which would be a far easier down-wind run.
Told him I just didn't know enough about my boat yet, to try something like that and that I had had all the "character-building" sails (i.e. smack into the teeth of the wind) that I could ever want. 
He told me to just give it a try and see how much I could do and that inspired me to give it a shot.
(GAD!!   I am SUCH a Gullible Rube!) 
And then he was off in his (also 12 foot)  boat:
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Figured: Well . . . . if HE can do it . . . . . 

Hedging my bets a little, I left about 2 hours after everyone else, when the winds had moderated a little and braced myself for a long day of tacking into the wind.
Used the time to wash my hair with my solar shower, shave, comb my hair, brush my teeth and generally just hang out on the boat; just to see what it was like, when I WASN'T holding onto a piece of sand paper or a paint brush.
Also checked my energy consumption and discovered that between what I had used up and what the solar panels had replenished yesterday, my charge was at 95%.  Color me: Happy! 

Finally, I set off for Spectre Island.
The direction the winds were from, meant that I could get a pretty good bite at a long tack, going from the South side of Santa Rosa Sound to the North side, as I tacked East.
But a tack in the other direction, was at a terrible angle  and caused me to lose ground to my target.
So I kicked on the trolling motor for those tacks.  I had no illusions that I could simply motor 22 miles into the wind like that, but I have never intended to use the motor that way.
Knowing that using a motor in auxiliary, moves the apparent wind forward, I used the motor with the sail, on all the port tacks and exploited the shift in apparent wind to get a better tack angle.
Worked good. 
Another thing that I noticed, is that I don't miss fooling around with tangled jib sheets and Chinese Fire Drill Tacks and Blown Tacks, at all; just move the tiller and wait. 
(Love this boat!)
After 11 miles of that, I reached Navarre and decided on a late lunch (or early dinner, take your pick) at Juana's Pagoda.
Beached the boat, grabbed my wallet and my phone and hopped over the side.
Then stumbled, nearly losing my balance, and caught myself, but in doing so, dropped my phone into the drink. 
Noooooooooooooooo!!!    Quickly fished it out and already had the Wet USB port warning, on the screen. 
Dried it off, blew it out as best as I could    and went on in to Juanas.
The phone started turning itself on and off;    I tried to power it down, but the power switch was no longer working. 
One of the times it powered up, I called my wife, explained what had happened and told her not to get too excited, if she didn't hear from me for a couple of days.
The SIM card died in the middle of our conversation. 
While eating my Pepperoni Calzone, the depths and ramifications of my sudden equipment failure, started sinking in. 

1) Ability to use Life360 to check in with the Fleet: Gone. 
2) Ability to watch the Doppler shift radar, use the Windy app and other weather apps on my phone, for course guidance: Gone. 
3) Ability to call my wife (or anyone) : Gone. 
4) Ability to call/text TowBoat US for an emergency tow: Gone. 
5) Ability to know how much energy I was using and thereby manage my energy usage: Gone. 
6) Ability to use my Navionics charts tomorrow, to find White Island (Saturday's destination) : Gone 
That was especially problematic since, when I heard about the new stop this year, I had dutifully edited it into my Pensacola waypoint list on my computer, but had neglected to upload it to the Garmin GPS 73.
DOHHH!!!! 
EGADS!!    Reduced to using paper charts and a wet compass!! 
NOT a Happy Camper. 
Not until then, did I realize that I was not synced to my cloud account until Sunday and all my pics (some really gorgeous ones too, IMHO) were now gone, with the exception of a few I had posted to some FB groups.
OK, that one hurt. 

A fairly low point for me and somewhat demoralized, I got off the beach (the right way, this time!)    and continued on to Spectre island.
The GPS 73 showed me an ETA well after 9 pm and that was only IF the winds held. 
They usually die off just after sunset and if I had my phone working, I could have looked at the Windy app's predictions.
I got on my VHF, contacted the fleet and announced that I would not make Spectre Island tonight and would be staying at Navarre, instead.
Turned back around and went further down the beach, away from the boat launching ramp (and the loud bands!) and tied down for the night.
Bow into the wind, tonight.
Good News: No blankets required. 
Bad News: Lots of bug spray WAS required. 
Went to sleep licking my psychological wounds; a Numbers Guy suddenly without Numbers is a pitiful sight, indeed.

Something else I missed, not making it to Spectre Island:
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Ah, Well.

Saturday:
Spectre Island to White Island, 22 miles. (11 for me, leaving halfway there, from Navarre.)
Got up the next morning and got another bag of ice (going to have to do something about that, but don't know just what, yet; size is perfect for the SCAMP) and set off for White Island.
In keeping with Surprise Forecasts, the winds were from the right direction, (another beat) they were just VERY light. 
I was doing about 0.6 to 0.8 knots, west.
Believe firmly:
"If You Can Put A Number On It, It's Science; If You Can't Put A Number On It, It's VooDoo"
I was definitely in VooDoo Territory,    and had no idea what my battery state of charge was.
But, I decided that since one of the things I had wanted to determine this weekend, was whether battery consumption/solar replenishment was feasible for a longer cruise, I decided to keep using everything just like I had been.
Unless, or until, it stopped. 

I ghosted along at <1 knot and considered my options. 
The only real solution was to sail in auxiliary with the trolling motor set to speed level 2 (of 5) which got me up to 2 knots - 2.2 knots.
Not shabby, in such light winds. 
Around 12:30 pm the fastest boats who had left Spectre Island the earliest, started catching up to me;
Boats like John Churchill's Transmogrifier a modified Thistle:
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He looked quite surprised, as he passed me up. 
See?!?    All I need to keep up with the Big Boys, is an 11-MILE, HEAD START!! 
I waved at everyone, as they caught up and passed me by.
Boat traffic picked up and wave action picked up and I reluctantly set the motor from speed 2 to speed 3, all while wondering if I would have enough reserve in the batteries, when I reached the Bob Sikes Bridge and needed to power through.
DAMMIT!!    The whole IDEA of all the high-tech Bluetooth apps, was NOT to have "Range Anxiety"!! 
And I no longer had the apps available to me, just sitting there on my dead phone. 

Going slowly, in the middle of mostly nowhere, does have some perks:
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Obviously, I didn't take this pic, but this is the exact same Dolphin, of a pod of 4 Dolphins that kept playing tag with my boat and got even closer to my hull, than what this pic shows.
EVERYBODY loves a SCAMP!! 
Even guys roaring by in pontoon boats, would shout out: "Hey! Nice boat!!" 

Didn't take this pic either, but someone did:
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Late afternoon, before I got through the bridge and doing some horseback Time/Distance calculations told me I would be getting to White Island well after dark, again.
This was a non-starter for me, since I had never been there, and one side of the channel entrance is lined with rocks and you also have to make a sharp right turn to end up in the right anchorage.
Too much, for a guy with a little sailing fatigue, paper charts and about to start facing an adverse tide.
Winds almost gone now, I motored due South and beached and tied up near the entrance to the Gulf National Sea Shore Ranger Station.
Raised someone on the FL 120 VHF channel and announced I would not be joining the fleet at White Island, tonight.
Maybe after I have some more time on this boat under my belt, I'll be willing to wander around in the dark, looking for islands to anchor on, but not this year.
Made dinner, read a John D. McDonald novel I had somehow missed all these years, admired the stars (mightily missing my SkyMap constellation finder app, on my phone) and then turned in for the night.
 
Sunday:
White Island to Fort McRee, 9 miles. (For everybody else; 18 miles from the Ranger Station, back to the Big Lagoon State Park ramp, for me.)
 
Awoke to a salt-water mirror.
Not overly concerned, since that's what happens up here first thing in the morning, until the Sun starts heating the sand and water, unevenly.
But wondering, if I have enough juice to get back to Big Lagoon State Park.
Made breakfast, organized the boat, rigged it for sailing pulled the hull out to the anchor, dropped the centerboard, motor and the rudder, pulled the anchor, raised the sail and ghosted off, with a light breeze behind me.
Started at half a knot and kicked on the motor to setting 2 and got to 2 knots, quickly.
Steered towards Pensacola Pass and Navy Point, hyper-aware of an adverse incoming tide and decided to go for broke and kicked the motor up to setting 3.
2.8 to 3 knots, dropping to 2 knots, near the pass.
Had problems with all the boat traffic in the narrow channel on the north side of Sand Island, so I kicked the motor to speed setting 4 for steerage, since larger power boat wakes would slew the hull around too much, otherwise.
Once through the narrows, I switched off the motor and because the winds had picked up a little, sailed along at 3.4 to 3.6 knots, which seems to be the SCAMPS' Happy Place. 
Water was gorgeous, the Day was gorgeous, the Music from the veranda was gorgeous, it was just a GORGEOUS DAY, friends and neighbors!! 
A brief bit of excitement when I realized I was not going to be able to get across in time, in front of a huge barge and a tug and wisely elected to go behind it, instead. 
Before I knew it, I had reached the East end of Big Lagoon State Park and had a sudden Miami Flashback:
Rude Boaters. 
Swung around to the dock and was cut off twice by two different boats,    so I put the motor on 4 (of 5) and circled around and around and around out there, until I finally saw a chance to sneak in between two boats, like I was parallel parking.
Hah!!    Cut me off on the water, I'll cut you off at the DOCK!! 
It didn't really matter all that much to him, since he was dropping off the driver of the trailer so he could go back out and then power onto the trailer, once it was dunked.

Another surprise this year:
Normally in previous years, I get so totally wiped out dragging all the gear out of the boat, putting it in the truck and rigging the boat and trailer for the road, I end up looking like this is all that's left of me:
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Not this year.  Felt fine.
Dealing with smaller coolers and rudders and gear bags made it all much easier, for a Geezer-Aged Sailor (and one who wasn't dehydrated). 

The final chore:
Axle hubs. 
Ah, well. Never saw a chore yet that wasn't still patiently waiting for you, after you were done having fun.
Got out my trailer spares and tool box and pulled the hubs and re-greased the bearings from their dunking.
Still had two EZ-Lube dust caps from my spares, but didn't want to install them just yet.
Left the State Park and found an Advance Autos still open on a Sunday afternoon and bought a roll of Gorilla tape.
Tapped the dust covers into the hubs and duct-taped those suckers up!! 
Hey!    Don't Laugh!! 
Got all the way home, that way!! 
See?!? 
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Back home, got the phone replaced and re-configured.  I HAD a waterproof bag for it, but you can't take clear pictures, when the camera is in it.
Giving some thought to bringing the underwater camera for pics and keeping the phone in the bag at all times, since it's turned into a far more critical boat component, than I originally appreciated; we'll have to see.
(For one thing, these new phone cameras are as idiot-proof as it gets, for taking great pics and they kick on in a hurry. Miss a lotta pics with the U/W camera, waiting for it to boot up and the resolution isn't as good, due to its age.)

After I had my Bluetooth apps re-installed, I checked the battery usage history (stored in the Bluetooth devices and not in the phone, Thank Goodness!) I was in for another surprise:
My batteries were at 92% charge!!    Guess it was sunnier than I thought! 
Power consumption ranged from 470W/Hr to 680W/Hr for an average daily use of 572.5W/Hr!
(No figures for Wednesday, since the solar array wasn't hooked up until the next morning.)
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The cumulative A/Hr draw of 179 A/Hr, is less than my total on-board Ampacity of 200 A/Hr.
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Theoretically, I could have done the entire FL 120, without even using the solar arrays to re-charge the batteries.
(Good to know, if we ever have cloudy years.) 
BTW, this measurement skews towards best-case, from all my worst-case/best-case calculations.
That means, this is a completely viable technology for small boats (around 12 ft) usable for medium boats (around 16 ft) and marginal, for larger boats (around 20 ft).
As a general rule, I would say the larger the boat, the more closely you gotta watch your watts.
I had a trolling motor and a deep-cycle discharge Lead Acid battery 30+ years ago on Urchin and the technology was always marginal, back then; but it has finally caught up to me and how I use it on boats.
Feels good, that I have reached my original goal of energy equilibrium and no longer have any reason for "range anxiety" using an all-electric system.
I can just keep on going (or, until I run out of ice).
The boat was sailed in (literally!)    the identical conditions I used to encounter with a  gasoline motor and against the same adverse currents and long no-wind powered passages, etc. and it handled all challenges.
My sole criticism, was that reverse power was not the same as what I was used to with a 15 hp motor and high-thrust prop, but I can live with that.

Everything just worked perfectly, except perhaps, the Skipper. 
It was a great trip, with great weather, great sailing, good camaraderie and I learned tons, about how to sail and manage this little boat. 

Charles Brennan

[Ed]

Great report, as always, Charles.  Appreciate your not throwing Urchin under the bus, as some new boat owners do.  I got a little confused with your bearing cap terminology, but a picture is worth a thousand words, which clarified your terms immediately. Glad to hear all of your demonic technology panned out, I'm still an ICE person. I put a pair of clone bearing buddies onto one side of a double axle trailer I had my Hunter 23.5 on and they disappeared on the way to Cayo Costa, ended up duct taping the end of the hub after squirting copious amounts of grease in.
   I'm still vacillating with Urchin.  Sailed the last few boats we've had at 5 - 7+mph most of the time, applying the 3 knot rule - if I can't sail at 3 I can easily motor at 5, but Urchin is decidedly slower than even our first boat, a Potter 19.  I've got about $10K in Urchin with all the upgrades, but I've never made money off a boat and don't see that changing.  The Sea Scout Commander has a Hirondelle that's been sitting in his driveway a few years that I have asked about several times, there may be a Sea Scout donation/swap in my future or another multi hull.  I have already had 3 different Sea Pearl Trimarans, so a fourth wouldn't be too hard a reach.

[Charles Brennan]

Ed, Thanks for your kind words. I could never throw Urchin under the bus; a boat that I owned and loved, for over 45+ years. That boat took care of me in times and places and weather, where I didn't deserve it.  Yes, Potter 19's were a little faster than me in the Columbus Day Cruising Regattas, and I could see where all your experience in 23.5 Hunters, Potters and Sea Pearl Tri-Marans, might have spoiled you, for more sedate cruising.
3½ to 4½ knots, is her general cruising speed in open Biscayne Bay waters, or in the Atlantic Ocean. I imagine a lake is probably a little too light-wind to showcase her capabilities. 

Where she really shines, is when it gets rough.
I was once out in 35 knots, with the main reefed to the numbers and the boat was having no problems, at all.
I regularly went sailing/trolling in 6 - 8 foot seas, for Kingfish and Tuna and you see some sights out there! We once saw a fish swimming in the crest of a wave, that was above our sight line on deck!  Looking UP at a fish, off-shore, is an experience.  We'd spend all day between the same two sets of waves.  To be sure, you had to choose when to turn around very carefully, but the boat had no problems out there.

On one CDCR, a severe thunderstorm came across the fleet and in the sudden down burst of winds, you could hear racing spinnakers exploding and sounding like shotgun blasts.  The rain was so fierce I could barely see to the mast, much less the bow pulpit!  We had already shortened sail and we just kept going along our compass course, blind as a bat.  Sometimes, we noticed we were sailing the compass reciprocal course and realized we'd been headed 180º    and turned back on course.
When the storm blew past and the sun came out, we discovered we were at the head of the fleet! 
Everybody had hove to, when the storm hit.  Not us.
To be sure, everyone started catching up to us and passing us, but it was great while it lasted! 

I purchased the storm jib, to get another 3 or 4 weekends a year, that I would have otherwise had to stay home and miss out on sailing.
You should try getting out where there are some good winds and then see how she feels.
OTOH, if lake sailing is pretty much your future, then you probably do need a faster, light-air boat.

Food for thought,
Charles Brennan

[Krusen]

As I sit at my computer on my wheel chair the voyage of the Irish Pennant is a breath off outside air! Thanks, Brennan

I also have an electric one, and in the first week, have not used the batteries below 90%.

Bad surgical outcome on a broken hip.

No Gorilla tape or equivalent in the emergency repair box?  I had expected that in addition to the hammer distortion, you would tape the ordinary caps on. m Tape being elastic, can give and come back where it started.

Great to see Scott Widmer and his tiny cruiser, his ideas on small boats fascinated me when he was a regular here.

[Charles Brennan]

Norman, DOHHH!!!!     No sooner had I read your query about the duct tape, than I remembered that I HAD put a roll of duct tape in a zip lock bag and put it in my boat spares hatch! 
TOTALLY FORGOT about it! 
Oh, well. Now I have a roll of duct tape in the sailboat and I have a roll of Gorilla tape in the trailer spares box in the truck.

But, hey.
Thanks for illuminating my increasing senility,    and it's good to see your mind is as sharp and analytical, as ever.

Thanks,
Charles Brennan

[Riley Smith]

Great report! The weather was very nice, although the wind might have been fickle. When is the wind NEVER fickle? When you're stuck ashore    All that is over now, the humidity and heat have moved in this week. It was fun while it lasted.

[Chris Muthig]

" I imagine a lake is probably a little too light-wind to showcase her capabilities. "

Remember Lake George on Black Pearl's maiden voyage?  It was a bit spirited sailing, not to mention the 7-8" of water that came through the ballast tank fittings. 

Did you try sailing it in lighter airs with the ballast tank empty?  Curious as to how that affected the sailing characteristics in lighter winds.

[Doug SC]

Great report and I followed it with interest for the obvious reason that I also sail a Scamp.

[Captain Kidd]

As I sit at my computer on my wheel chair the voyage of the Irish Pennant is a breath off outside air! Thanks, Brennan

I also have an electric one, and in the first week, have not used the batteries below 90%.

Bad surgical outcome on a broken hip.

No Gorilla tape or equivalent in the emergency repair box?  I had expected that in addition to the hammer distortion, you would tape the ordinary caps on. m Tape being elastic, can give and come back where it started.

Great to see Scott Widmer and his tiny cruiser, his ideas on small boats fascinated me when he was a regular here.

Norman, great to hear you chime in.  Sorry about the hip surgery. 

[Captain Kidd]

Charles, Been waiting for this report for days! Sounds like a great time with a lot learned. Wishing I could have been there, but other joys were awaiting.

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[Noemi - Ensenada 20]

Got up the next morning and got another bag of ice (going to have to do something about that, but don't know just what, yet; size is perfect for the SCAMP)

Maybe take less stuff that needs to be kept cold?

[Noemi - Ensenada 20]

Another surprise this year:
Normally in previous years, I get so totally wiped out dragging all the gear out of the boat, putting it in the truck and rigging the boat and trailer for the road, I end up looking like this is all that's left of me:
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That made me laugh SO hard!

[Frank B.]

Great report! Enjoyed following your adventure.  Brings to mind that regardless of a lifetime of experience on the water a new boat delivers a whole new learning experience.

I use Cooler Shocks.  Inspired by Charlie Jones, I built a custom cooler, with no drains to bilge or elsewhere.  I do bring a gallon bag of ice cubes for drinks but the Cooler Shocks do the heavy lifting.  Usually can stretch three days for most perishables, not the ice cubes.  Cleanup means just wiping it out.  Stays on the boat on a drawer slide out but is removable for access to the electrical behind it.

A well worn Tilley.  I have two, one in much worse condition, one much better.  Regarding the worst one I wonder at what point you can exercise the lifetime guarantee option. 
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I've been lucky on the trailer front.  One bearing failure with the boat not on the trailer, but on the way to go get it.  Now putting outboards in the drink is another story, I have two of them to my credit. 

[Doug SC]

On the cooler issue there are several options. Oyster coolers of Norway makes a thin wall vacuum insulated aluminum cooler. They are expensive but at our age I've heard a dollar saved is a dollar wasted.😳 then there are the electric coolers which also are more expensive. Iceco electric coolers are another option. There are even small electric car coolers that might work. Some of the small electrics make ice.

[Doug SC]

Just suggesting some ideas to explore. I went online a while back to see what the RV crowd might be posting on 12V fridges and came across this camping family. Here are a few YouTube videos that might be of interest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x9LdWfKBqc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a3U_iOS8cI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixZz_6zmTsI