Cedar Key Small Boat Meet 2K23! Part 2 of 2 . . . . .

[Charles Brennan]

West Coast Trailer Sailing Squadron (WCTSS) Emeritus and Founder, Ron Hoddinot (blue shirt) in his latest boat, a ComPac Sunday Cat.
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Hope I'm still as active, when I'm his age.
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Cool looking catboat.  Thought it was a pregnant Melon Seed, at first.
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By now the winds were so light, no one even bothered to take their sails down.
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Guy in the yellow Watertribe shirt is Clayton, who is 82 years old and sails a Caledonia yawl in the Everglades Challenge, although he is quick to point out that he is only in the Geezer Class which only does the first 70 miles of the 400 mile challenge.
Still, a pretty tough old bird.
Gently reminded Dad, babies don't have much melanine.
He said he was aware and the baby's hat was off only for the duration of the pic.
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That skiff to the right of  Urchin was what Clayton brought to the small boat meet.
I kept an eye on it, while I munched my sub, for lunch.
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It was starting to get crowded!
Figured by 2 pm, they might need to put up: No Parking signs!
Most boats I've ever seen at a CK Small Boat Meet.
During Covid, a lot of guys must have started building boats in their garages and I guess this year, they finally got them all finished.
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Core Sound 17 moving out smartly and about to pass up a power boat!
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Marsh Hen 21.  Guy has a Bimini top over the stern for it, which he decided to take down, when it was windier.
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A solar-powered Bay Hen.  The whole top is awning/solar array and is supported by the mast; runs off a trolling motor.
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With the winds dying out a little, this guy had to come in under oar power.
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But he got here! 
Very proud of his oars. Has two sets of oarlocks on boat and also has really nice cast bronze raised oarlocks, for forward rowing while standing.
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He said it was a CLC Annapolis Wherry.
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Nice workmanship, anywhere you look.
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And then, there's Classic Plastic.
16 foot Luger Seabreeze kit boat from the late '60's
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They shipped you the top half and bottom half, and a bunch of epoxy and glass and hardware.
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Don't often see boats older than Urchin!
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Compared to all the other smaller, hand-made boats, painted in bright pastels, this classic plastic: Urchin stood out like a Dowager at a Rock Festival.
Still love her lines, though.
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An Optimist (Sailor, not the boat) decides to sail off in very light winds.
Actually, everybody took off in sort of a Boat Promenade. 
They were far more reticent about heading out when the winds were up, because after all, NOBODY wants to capsize in front of God and Everybody.
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Thought Windriders didn't take their boats out in less than 20 knots?!?
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After the morning's exertions, I zonked out and had a nap in the cockpit.
I woke up about an hour later and looked around, and lo!
EVERYBODY was off the island!
Where'd everybody go?!?  Was it something I said?!?
I decided to head back as well, figuring I would tie up to the dock, walk over to the Community Center, have a catered meal, listen to the lecture, walk back, untie the boat, head off island and overnight on board.
Guess what? Kicked up again at the dock, but THIS time, I had every fender I owned, deployed.
But I sure got beat up getting to that point, up to and including, having the rudder go over the side and drift away from me.
Some spectators brought it to my attention and I went over the side (after having just got dry) and waded over in the sticky black muck, then recovered the rudder and put it back aboard.
I was fortunate that the winds coming  into the dock, swept my rudder against the sea wall.
By the time I walked off the dock, I was pretty beat.
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Practically everybody on the island had been talking about the "Talk" at the Community Center.
It was set for 7 pm at 6th and G street and there would be a catered meal and a talk by a Smithsonian Scholar talking about Chapelle and his Sharpies: the Quintessential American  Workboat.
Looked at Google Maps, then immediately tried again to see if Uber had perhaps materialized during the day.
No such luck.
The Community Center was on the OTHER END OF THE ISLAND!!
You know it's going to be a long slog, when you walk past your parking spot and realize you're only 1/4 of the way there.
How do these guys manage this?
Here was a partial answer:
These guys beach their boats across the street from their motels, then take the courtesy golf cart to the Community Center.
They know from years past, to get beached and de-rigged before the evening winds come up (why I woke up with everyone gone), that nailed me so hard at the dock.
They really have this process down to a "T" and I began to feel like Mr. Donut, at an Herbal Life convention.
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But I made my way to the Community center, plunked down 20 bucks and had a terrific meal of smoked BBQ chicken, pork ribs, potatoes au gratin, cole slaw, rolls, a brownie and pecan pie.
It was really good.
While waiting for the Talk to begin, I began shivering in the air conditioning (if only that rudder had stayed aboard),  then my teeth began chattering and finally, I fled to the 75ºF temps outside.
Decided there was nothing to learn about Chapelle, that was worth getting hypothermic over and slogged back to the marina, with a brief rest stop at my parking space.
I got back and suddenly soured on my weekend plans.
I was beat and knew if I fought my way off the docks and rigged the anchors and did all this again on Sunday,  Sunday evening I'd be too exhausted to retrieve my boat.
I decided to do it now, while I still had (not much, but) something left.

Huge Mistake.

The wind had increased, but more importantly, had swung 90º to the east.
As I attempted to motor onto my trailer (with the keel up, mind you) the hull slewed wildly and crabbed towards the trailer at a 45º angle, in spite of all I could do with the motor to steer.
At one point, the hull was 90º to the trailer and I was being pushed in between two pilings on the opposite side of the ramp.
I fought my way back to some open water and realized I might have to blast my way onto the trailer.
On my second attempt, I didn't fare much better, but I did manage to snag the bow pulpit on one of my trailer's goal posts.
A bystander (not even a boater, I found out later) watching my antics, felt impelled to rush into the water and help hold my hull long enough, for me to get off the boat and toss him a bow line.
As I was wrestling the hull into position, he un-winched my cable and caught it on the bow eye (the wrong way, but I was scarcely in a position to complain) and began winching the boat.
While I appreciated the help, the boat really wasn't ready to go on the trailer properly, so I turned my efforts towards centering the hull on the rollers.
I finished winching up the boat, and at the same time, profusely thanking the stranger for all his help.
I would have been in Serious Trouble, without his help, in those winds.

Oh. Yeah.
Those winds.
20 mph, gusting to 24 mph, not something I was going to drop the mast in, being totally depleted of adrenaline.
And it was dark.
And the wind chill from those winds was making my wet clothes very uncomfortable to be in, again.
I figured I'd wait in the truck, until the winds came down a little, then de-rig and go home.
Checked one of my wind apps on my smart phone.
Only another 10 hours, sometime between 7 am and 8 am tomorrow morning.
Slept in the truck all night on the Installment Plan, between the partiers leaving the clubs and restaurants late at night, and the fishermen coming in early.
But morning finally arrived and with it, 10 mph winds, which made de-rigging a snap.

AFTERMATH:
OK, the morning sucked and the night sucked even worse, but the day in between was GLORIOUS!!   And I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
However, it DID give me great insight into what the Cedar Key Small Boat Meet is, and why Urchin is not a good fit for it.
Those guys that have been doing it for years, really have it down to a Science.
They reserve condos and motel rooms years in advance, with room for their boats in front of the facility.
They launch from the well-protected ramp with great docks, go under a very low bridge that Urchin could never get under and step their masts just past that low bridge.
They leave Atsena Otie Key to get to Cedar Key in plenty of time to beat the increasing evening winds, beach their boats, get a warm shower, maybe take a short nap, then ride a golf cart to the Talk and have a very enjoyable time.

I just can't do that in Urchin.
Unless I can go with about 3 guys, or get there in calm winds (like I've done two times before, not appreciating those particular conditions) I think this is probably Urchin's last visit to Cedar Key.
I would have more luck in my kayak on light wind years and better luck in Short Ribs (my Rigid Inflatable Boat) in heavy wind years.
Or maybe leave the Thursday before from Horseshoe Beach and sail down the Nature Coast to Atsena Otie Key!!

The final Good News is that I didn't break anything expensive or time-consuming to repair (got the FL120 coming up very soon)  plus, I got a good list of a few more things to fix/improve before the FL 120.

Charles Brennan

[Krusen]

CHARLES, I AM EXHAUSTED!

Great selection of pictures of unique craft, and their equally unique builders and owners.  You and Urchin fit in well there as you have done enough repairs and alterations to qualify as a builder too.

Now consider the classic glass half full...or half empty.  The engineer sees a 100% safety reserve space.

Your parking dilemma.
You saw a solution, tried to emulate it and found your rig too long for the terrain.  Could you have backed in, sending the longer overhang of your trailer out over the drop-off, and been safe?
Or why not park the trailer in one space, and the tow vehicle in another?  You do have a lock for the hitch.

In either of those approaches, you would have been closer to the launch facilities, and in the second, could have driven the tow to the dinner, arriving rested.  After the inevitable active discussion following the talk, you would doubtless have made some connections that would have required staying overnight, and a vigorous second day would have been had.

And a bunch more pictures.  You do realize that the really pretty girls show up the second day, don't you?  Think what we all missed when you surrendered to Murphy's Law, and went home early.

The fender game can be very frustrating when there is wave action, I had a similar sort of damage when the rubber insert of the V bow chock went missing on a rough highway, and the chock ate a lot of fiberglass that I had just painted.

The builders of those fine craft have not only impressive skills, but a huge determination to complete with a minimum of compromises.  And, yes, the first scratch is the worst one.

Thanks very much for doing the work to convert the picture in your camera into the running commentary that you posted.  I would have  loved to be there, but my legs would have given out at the first hour.


KRUSE'N,  without a boat. 

[Charles Brennan]

Norman, To address your questions:

You saw a solution, tried to emulate it and found your rig too long for the terrain.  Could you have backed in, sending the longer overhang of your trailer out over the drop-off, and been safe?

Nope.  My trailer only has about 3 feet of overhang from the tires.  That white truck's space and the space to the left of him (which was used) were the only two spaces where the geometry used in that stunt was feasible.

Or why not park the trailer in one space, and the tow vehicle in another?  You do have a lock for the hitch.

They have specifically posted signs prohibiting exactly that behavior, probably because all the tourist parking spots would become immediately subsumed by the boaters!

Hope this clarifies,
Charles Brennan

[Norm L.]

Everytime I think of getting another boat, like I did after the M15 discussion, and finding a very nice one in Illinois, I have to think of what you just went through as a single hander of senior status.
While I still have some "battle" in me it better not be a long battle.
If it's going to happen it's going to happen out there, or on the beach. Or at the dock. Or getting it on or off the trailer.

There was probably a good reason why an old sailor in the 1800's was maybe 45. The guys still doing it in their 80's are amazing.

[Charles Brennan]

Norm, Your posts/responses never fail to inspire thoughtful introspection.

I have to think of what you just went through as a single hander of senior status.

Believe me, I've been thinking about last weekend . . . . .  a LOT.

As someone whose stubbornness is frequently exceeded only by his own bullheadedness, I DO have occasion to try and pound square pegs into round holes.
Look at what the vast majority of Cedar Key Small Boat Meet sailors deal with:
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Nice ramp, protected water, docks with cleats, right there.

Look at what I was trying to launch in:
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White caps on the launch ramp?  Really?!?
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Having to motor over to a place where one can tie up?
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Ridiculous.

But here's the "gotcha" of the previous idyllic boat ramp:
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Nobody, but NOBODY, is getting under there, with their mast up.
Not a problem for the small boats that frequent the CK SBM.
They row (or motor) under the bridge after their sedate launch, briefly ground on a flat or sandbar on the other side of the bridge, step their mast and then get on their way. 

What about the horrendous parking issues?
Well, the guys that rent condos and motels frequently do so, because of the amenities.
Amenities like hot showers, air conditioning, and Wi-Fi?
Nope. 
One of the condos has a circular grassy area in the center of the condo complex and they allow the guests to park their tow vehicles and trailers there.  Even the motels have reserved parking for tow vehicles and trailers across the street from their motels; along with signs warning that the parking IS Private and interlopers will be summarily towed.

Yet another kicker:
Most of the motels/condos are halfway between the marina and the community center, so it's easier for them to commute back and forth on foot if necessary.  BUT!!  They also have access to courtesy golf carts and in extremis, can even disconnect their trailers and drive wherever they'd like.
These guys frequently show up sometime Friday, leisurely rig and launch (and often sail the boat back to where the condos/motels are located) and tie off or beach their vessels near where they are staying and don't get around to leaving, until sometime Monday.

None of this is available to a Weekend Interloper, such as myself. 

I firmly believe that it is SOLELY the ramp conditions at Cedar Key that gives me such a problem.
For example, I have no problem single-handing on a BEER Cruise for nearly a week, leaving from the Pensacola Shipyard Marine Complex, or Big Lagoon State Park Ramp or Clark Mills municipal ramp, and ditto for the FL 120.  Likewise, no problem launching from Crandon Marina, Dinner Key, or even Matheson Hammock for the Columbus Day Cruising Regatta (other than occasional issues with super high tides, which can be rectified with a few hours of patience).

In recent years, I've had trouble with stepping/un-stepping the mast in excessive winds.
I recently fixed that by utilizing my boom vang tackle to make my mast an analog mast (in that I can stop hoisting at any degree of mast angle, to deal with errant snagged stays, etc.) instead of a binary mast that is either horizontal or vertical, but nothing in between.

Well . . . .  there WAS that one time it was both horizontal and vertical . . . . . 
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But I donwanna talk about it!   

And after this past weekend's wind-related de-rigging problems, I have now come up with a way to lower the mast safely, in higher winds.  How come I never did this before?   
Never NEEDED to, before! 

An expression goes: "There is no bad weather; there is only incorrect attire."
In that same light:"There is no hard launching/boat handling; there is only incorrect preparation/planning."

So instead of trying to use a ramp that faces DIRECTLY  into the Gulf of Mexico, what if I instead, used a nice, safe ramp, like the one at Horseshoe Beach on the Nature Coast?
To be sure, it is 25 miles from Cedar Key, but the winds would typically vary between a close and a beam reach.
Launch Friday, sail down the Nature Coast, anchor off Atsena Otie Key and be ready to greet the Cedar Key Small Boaters on Saturday, completely relaxed and my boat, un-battered.

That is well within the scope of a septuagenarian "single hander of senior status".

Food for thought,
Charles Brennan

[Krusen]

That alternate launch sounds attractive, and adds a fine sail at each end of the weekend.  Murphy is chuckling in the bushes, cranking up some gusty winds Sunday afternoon, increasing Monday, and scattering white caps along the way.

Your(Urchin's) cabin top is too high to pass under that low bridge?  If not, putt putt through, wait for the next wooden boater to come through, and ask for help with your mast.  I started recruiting local help years before I became an "Octo", and was always successful, even if not quite on my personal schedule.  Once, that delayed my intended departure 3 hours.

Combined with very light winds and a personal commitment to avoid motoring, I anchored for that night about 5 miles from the launch site.  First time ever in that cove, and a pleasant night.  Not considering racing, my sailing rarely had any calendar event except the start and end.

I have walked my Neptune 16 under a bridge, mast down, one time.  Early April in Maryland, and that water was cold.  With 30 Knot winds, sailing between the pilings was not an option.

I hope the weather forecast next year gives you a pleasant sail to and from the Wooden Boat festival. 

[Captain Kidd]

Charles, just finished your 3 posts. Sounds like the kind of outings I have all too often.

I've often thought about trying to get to a rendezvous and Cedar Key has always been on the list as has BEER and the FL 120. (I've actually met and sailed with Scott some years ago). This gives much food for thought. I believe my CIY16 might be a good fit for the event.

As always, thanks for a good report.

[Charles Brennan]

Dale, I agree that your CIY 16 would be a great fit for this gathering! Based on the pics you've posted, it would be at least the equal of any boat there.

Please don't let my own difficulties there dissuade you.  I didn't bring it up in my posts, but my experiences were an unfortunate confluence of weather, tides and timing.  For example, I singlehandedly launched and retrieved the boat from that same ramp on April 16th without issues.

Had the winds and tides been similar last weekend, y'all would have received a far different report!

Hope this clarifies,
Charles Brennan

[Doug SC]

I always enjoy your flare for storytelling and the photos that accompany them. The FL120 falls on our family vacation gathering this year, and I am committed to crewing on Bill's Flying Scot every Saturday possible this year. I think next year I'll have to convince Bill we should plan to spend some time and make the Cedar Key small boat meet. Glad you were able to make it work out this year. I agree that Dale's Caledonia Yawl would fit right in with the best!

[Timm R Oday25]

Charles ,while we are all aware of your long history with Urchin .I propose a simple solution to you difficulties .
Are you ready ? Maybe if you built small boat in your spare time you could avoid , the low bridge , high wind mast stepping concerns . Perhaps something you could just run right up on the beach . No sand anchors needed .
 As long as you are custom building a boat, why not include some hot running water for a shower ?
I'm just trying to help