Friday, June 13, 2014
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Day After the Texas 200
Day After The Texas 200
When Gene and I arrived
back at the slip last night I had no idea how exhausted I was. I had
to push myself to take a shower and get ready to go to supper. Gene
learned that several other boats had dropped out and that the
previous day several of the ducks had broken rudders, masts and a
couple had actually capsized. All appaently had recovered and
continued on with the regatta.
We invited Mare Ware, whose
husband Dave is still in the Regatta to have dinner with us at my
favorite restaurant Charlotte Plumbers. She said David was still
upbeat about the regatta and planned to continue on to the end. In
retrospect I'm glad Gene made the decision to turn in. I don't think
either one of us realized how exhausted we were, and how stressed out
we were about the possibility of the boat malfunctioning.
After a lovely dinner we
returned to Sun Chaser with cool air and our familiar bed. I fell in
to the bed and didn't wake up until 7:30 which is about an hour later
than I or the dogs usually sleep. As I started to get up I was
shocked at how sore every muscle in my body was. (I can now hear my
sons saying...That's because you're not used to physical labor).
They may be right, but sore is sore, and I am.
We left about 10:30 this
morning to retrieve the truck from Magnolia Beach so we can begin the
process of unloading perishables from Sun Dog. Friday we'll pack up
everything from Sun Chaser and Sun Dog and Friday evening we'll
return to Magnolia Beach to welcome those who completed the regatta
and enjoy the shrimp boil...well I will, Believe it or not Gene
doesn't like any kind of shell fish. He considers them fish bait.
That's ok with be because it leaves more for me to eat.
Saturday we plan to travel
to Austin and stay at Zach and Sarah's. They will have left for
Omaha, Nebraska by then for the College World Series. Zach is an
avid UT baseball fan and will stay until they are out of the race or
win. Since they are planning to come to our house for a few days
after the series we're going to pick up their dogs Che and Oliver and
take them with us to Missouri. So, Gene will have 2 dogs in the
truck and I'll have 2 dogs in the car. Our lives may be a little
complicated but it's always and adventure!
Day 3 The Texas 200
Day 3 The Texas 200
Day 3 of the Texas 200 has
dawned. I didn't sleep all that well last night. First the dogs
were restless. Cruiser kept talking in his funny little way.
Hearing him Jazz then chimed in. I don't know if it was the full
moon, or the fact that the boat kept bumping the bottom with a light
thud but fter listening to them and to Gene snoring I got up gave
them a treat and some water and they finally settled in for the
night.
After getting up we
prepared for he days sail. Today will be our longest day at 40
miles, but we are used to sailing for 5 days at a time without
stopping so this doesn't present a daunting task. We're looking
forward to stopping at Snoopy's in Corpus Christi for and finally
having some cell phone service.
We leave well behind the
pack of boats, but we really prefer being slightly out of the crowd.
With a faster boat we usually catch up any way. As we take off we
have a good breeze and enjoy the sail and the seeing some different
sights.
Our rudder situation
continues to be a bother. Every time it pops up the auto pilot has a
harder time controlling our path, Gene has to either jerk on the rope
to move it into the correct position, or get on the swim ladder and
physically push it down with his foot.
We make good time, get into
Snoopy's about 11:30, are ready for some good food and to replenish
the ice box with ice. We easily slide into the dock and are ready to
go ashore when we find out the health department will no longer let
dogs at the outside tables. This means Jazz and Cruiser will get
limited shore time only for a potty break.
After a great lunch, in air
conditioning we grab some ice and a six pack of beer for me. We take
the dogs for a walk and shove off to cross Corpus Christi Bay. Gene
has decided to take a slightly different route from the rest of the
group knowing that it will provide a little more protection.
With the wind steadily
increasing Gene puts a reef in the main sail (ties it down to have a
smaller wind surface) and also reefs the jib as best he can. The jib
on this boat is not as sophisticated as many boats and its limits
become obvious. When there is a smaller surface for the wind it gets
slightly back winded and causes the forestay to snap back and forth
with a loud banging sound.
As we cross the bay we are
in a very large open area of water. The wind has picked up and
sailing has gotten more labor intensive. Even with the reefs in the
jib and main we almost have the rail in the water. For people
looking at the boat it appears that we are about to tip over.
Although a “knockdown” does occur once in a while when the wave
and wind act in concert to push the boat over we are in no danger of
that at the moment.
We're soon in a cut that
will take us past Ingleside and the Aransas Pass Area. We go under a
bridge that leads out to the island of Port Aransas. We've crossed
over it hundreds of times in our car and under it a few times in our
sailboats. As we move along we pass the huge complex in Ingleside
where they make oil rigs. It's quite an impressive operation. They
fabricate the multi story structures on land by welding together
large pipes. The structures are built on their side and even in this
position are about 3 stores tall. When the structure is completed it
is slid onto a floating barge and moved through the bay and the Gulf
of Mexico to tis final resting place. We've seen them move one before
and it's pretty amazing to see a multi level structure on it's side
floating through the water. I've always wanted to see them
uprighting one, but we've never been in the Gulf to witness the
event. We have sailed enough in the Gulf at night to see the
finished product all lit up. Areas of the Gulf look like small
cities because of all the rigs. We would often use them as a way
point to sail towards. The goal is to sail towards it but always
sail around it.
As we pass the construction
site we move along an area that is populated with sea side homes. We
recognize the area because we have driven parallel to the area on the
highway. It's always fun to see the houses from the water
perspective. We see a series of of houses that are a quarter of a
mile from the highway. We now get to see them up close and personal
from the water. They are far larger than they look from the highway.
What surprises us is that there are 2 multi-million dollar homes
sitting within a few yards of one another. We agree if we had the
money to build such a home we would prefer to have some privacy and
not have line of sight into our neighbors bathroom.
We continue sailing and with
the wind blowing hard the rudder is now popping up with increasing
frequency and the jib seems to be pounding much harder. Both are
inconvenient, but the forestay stability is what is starting to
bother me. If the forestay were to break we would loose the mast and
all control of the boat. With the high winds and rolling waves this
would be a catastrophe.
We're now getting into even
more familiar water near Rockport. Suddenly the rolling waves have
increased to about 3 feet. Gene is straining to hold control of the
tiller and we are nearing a point at the far end of Rockport. There
is a long pier into the water from the land and Gene suddenly says
“I'm not sure we are going to get around the pier”. This is not
at all what I want to hear, and I'm mildly concerned. I put the dogs
down below and consider putting their life jackets on.
As Gene fights the waves he
sees the rudder has once again popped up. He has no choice at this
critical juncture but to hand me the tiller so he can push the rudder
down. I've watched Gene, who is considerably stronger than I am,
fight with the tiller for the last 45 minutes. Now it'm going to be
on point for keeping control of the boat. Gene soon realizes that
because of the size and push on the waves he can't pop it up with the
rope and decides he has to go out onto the swim ladder to get control
of the rudder. Now, I'm beyond concerned, I'm scared. Seeing him go
over the rail out onto the ladder with these rolling waves and
knowing that I have to control the tiller is just short of
terrifying. Thankfully Gene is able to hang on, go over the rail and
stomp the rudder with his foot. Just as quickly as he climbed over
he comes back and is once again safely in the cockpit and again at
the tiller.
Gene now says, “ If we
want we can take a left turn and just go to our slip.”. I had been
thinking this for a while but I didn't want to be the one to bring it
up. I say that this is really his decision. We continue on for a
short period and I ask how confident he is that the forestay is going
to hold with the beating it's taking. Gene says that he is really
worried about that and says “this is no fun and we have nothing to
prove. I would rather go in and be safe rather than continue and
have something happen. Safety is most important.” The decision
has just been made by the Captain. We will drop out of the regatta
and head for our slip in Rockport.
As we slowly turn the boat
we are now sailing downwind and it's like night and day. The wind is
still heavy but we have so much more control over the boat. I have
mixed feelings about not finishing the regatta, but as Gene pointed
out he has fixed every manner of problem on our boats and boats that
he was delivering and he has nothing to prove. For example, on one
delivery as he was sailing into Louisiana at night he heard chatter
over the radio warning other boaters there was a boat with no lights
on sailing down the channel. As he looked around he realized they
were taking about the boat he was sailing. Soon after that the helm
actually came off in his hand. Funny to think about later, but not
so funny in that moment. In each situation he was able to correct
the problem and conitnue on. If our fore stay broke, there wold be
no such fix.
So as we sail in Gene has
promised me a nice meal and reminds me we get to sleep in our own
bed with air-conditioning on Sun Chaser. Suddenly my emotions aren't
so mixed. There is always next year!
Day 2 The Texas 200
Day 2 Texas 200
Dawn breaks and some of the
puddle ducks have already started the days journey. Gene and I lag
behind again. After a quick shore call for the dogs to do their
business I fix Gene eggs and I have sauteed spinach and coffee.
After doing the dishes and securing the galley we realize we are
stuck in the mud. Since the wind has dropped to a mere breeze Gene
has no problem moving us out into water where the boat will actually
float.
Once the anchors have been
brought in we're ready for day 2. With a light breeze behind us
Gene has to rig up a whisker pole to keep the jib inflated with air.
We begin moving with periods of going 5 knots . When the breeze dies
we drop to 1.5 which is like crawling. At the point of our lightest
breeze the row boat man passes up. Human propulsion trumps air.
Amazing to be watching his stern in the distance as we baely move.
Today I've got the GoPro
camera out to capture some video of the trip. Almost everyone has
cameras and takes picture of us as we pass and we reciprocate. Most
sailors seldom have pictures of their boat with the sails unfurled.
We look forward to seeing what Sun Dog looks like to everyone else.
A view we never get to see. Pictures and videos will be share at the
end of the race.
As the day wears on our
breeze suddenly goes away. If we were at sea in certain areas of the
world this is called the doldrums...No Air....No Go. With a facid
jib we are only being pushed by the current, and it's not happy. The
longer we go without a breeze the warmer it gets. Our only amusement
is listening to Jimmy Buffet and Roaul Malo and eavesdropping on the
tugboat Captains. The are doing their daily job and suddenly here
are sixy sailboats of all shapes and sizes on their super highway.
One Captain to the other “There's a lot of little sailboats out
here” Second Captain “I'll try not to run down too many”.
Then as suddenly as the air
stopped it started again. It was literally a breath of fresh air,
and we were once again on the move. We were skimming the water at
5.5 knots. Life is good! As we skim the water we are visited by a
pod of dolphins. It;s hard to say exactly how many were in the pod
because they were all over. I always know when dolphins are near
because Cruiser's keen sense of smell alerts him long before they
appear. Our challenge is to keep him in the boat. As soon as the
smell hits his nose he on his hind legs looking over the side of the
boat.
When we were crusing on
Rainbow Chaser we went through a pod of dolphins. It started with 10
or 12 dolphins circling the boat and increased in size to several
hundred. Zach, who was 11 at the time went to the front of the boat
and sat on the bow. The dolphins jumped up seemingly to see what
creature had their legs dangling over near the water. Others jumped
and flipped next to the boat showing off for us and each other. This
went on for some time and suddenly they were drawn to some other spot
in the ocean, leaving us in awe of their numbers and abilities.
The breeze brings relief
from the heat, and I again ponder all the puddle ducks who have no
protection from the sun and can't decide if enduring this heat is
heroic or just plain crazy! I will be the first to admit that I
prefer “Diva” sailing. This requires a bimini, an auto pilot,
some kind of recetacle for ice, and if possible water for a shower.
I can get by without a microwave but no bimini for me is a no go.
As we cruise toward the
anchorage we have only one episode of …. how can I say
it.....marriage challenge. Our rudder which steers the boat keeps
popping up. It's up to Gene to pop it back down which takes quite an
effort. So as he's trying to pop up the rudder I'm watching and
trying to steer. My version of the story is we suddenly are heading
dead on to a channel marker. Gene's version is we were yards from
said marker.....The end result was me screaming Gene, Gene,
Gene....in an attempt to get his attension before we took out the
front of the boat. Needless to say Gene wasn't pleased at my
screeching and I wasn't pleased that he didn't appreciate our dire
situation. In the end we didn't hit the post and I apologized but
reiterated that sheer terror required loud communication.
As we neared the stopping
point for the afternoon it became clear that the chart didn't match
what we were seeing. Gene was giving me channel marker numbers that
had no correlation to the chart. He of course attributed this to my
inability to read the chart. In fact the map and the channel markers
didn't correlate for some reason. What we did agree on was that the
anchorage for the night appeared to have only 2-3 feet of water in
it. For the smaller boats this isn't a problem. For us at 3 feet
were digging into the mud. As we pondered this Gene came up with a
plan for approach. I pointed out that all the other boats were going
on an entirely different course. My comments went unnoticed and we
went on a different path.
You know there is a problem
when the depth gage hits 3.0 feet and then goes to dashes indicating
it's too shallow to revcognize the depth. Hitting a little mud once
in a while is no big deal. When you hear a loud crunch and come to a
dead standstill, it's a big deal. Thankfully we weren't taking on
water, and if we did we were in little danger of drowning since the
water was only about shin deep.
Gene hopped out of the boat
and began trying to push the boat off with little success. In
desperation he decided to start the outboard which really struck fear
in my heart. Here's Gene standing next to a whirling metal propellar
in 2 feet of water. As an old trauma nurse I was seeing amputated
parts and Gene bleeding to death in the water. None of this happened
and Gene was able to skillfully get us off and head for deeper water,
closer to the path that the other boats had taken.
We eventually got to the
anchorage which was very shallow in parts and found a slightly deeper
area to anchor in. With a nice breeze and a the anchor safely in the
dogs got to do shore leave. I stayed on the boat to tidy things up
and wash some of the salt out of the cockpit.
Tomorrow is our longest day
at 40 miles. There will be a welcome respite coming into civilization
ie Corpus Christi. We'll have a short stop over at Snoopy's, one of
our frequent haunts on the water. We'll get lunch and some fresh ice
before we continue on to our next anchorage for day 3.
Day 1 Texas 200
Day 1 Texas 200
We got up a little late
today but finally got our things together. We took the dogs for a
walk and made a short visit to the local bait shop for some coffee,
ice, and little chocolate donnets (ugh) for Gene.
We threw the lines and were
off at 9:46 am. With the wind a little beyond brisque we found
ourselves really fighting to stay on course. The autopilot just
wasn't holding and Gene found himself handsteering. It was quit a
tussle. Gene decided that we needed to pull the jib in and have
less sail only to find that the rollerfurler had gotten off the drum
and was tangeled The rollerfurler brings the jib in and out and
allows some control over the job. With the rop on the drum tangled
we had lost control of it and it meant someone had to go forward and
do the untangling. Watching Gene was wrestle with the tiller I was
sure I couldn't hold the course so that meant I had to go forward.
Since this boat is much
smaller than Sun Chaser the lifelines around the boat are also
shorter. This meas there is nothing to stop you from going overboard
if you stumble. Looking at the short lifelines and feeling the
howling wind I opeted to go forward to the v-berth and crawl though
the front hatch. This meant I would be crawing belly first to inch
my way towards the roller furler on the jib. With the motion of the
boat, and the almost non-existant lifelines at the front I was hoping
that I could remain on deck. Once I inched up to the furler I
immediately saw the problem. I was also picturing getting my fingers
caught in one of the steel spokes of the drum and having them ripped
off from my hand
It took a few delicate
moments, but I was able to gingerly re-direct the line without
loosing a finger. Mission accomplished! My retreat from the front
was a little trickier and pretty uncomfortable as I retreated back
I scraped my thighs as I inched back in the boat. This was just the
first of what I'm sure will be many fix it on the fly that you learn
to do when you're sailing.
Once I got back in the
cockpit Gene suddenly realized why the auto pilot wouldn't hold and
why the boat was wallowing on the waves. The rudder had popped up
and was greatly hindering the steerage. With a little work Gene was
able to get it properly seated in the water and suddenly he was able
to steer the boat without much effort, and able to attach the
autopilot.
While all this was going on
the dogs, Jazz and Cruiser have made a nest down below and are
comfortably in their travel comas. The both will occasionaly open
their eyes as if to ask “are we there yet?” and then go back to
sleep. Since this is there first long trip on the sailboat they are
trying to acclimate to being away from the dock where they are
accustomed to being on a much bigger boat.
Since we have some cloud
cover and with the breeze the temperature is quite comfortable. With
the rudder fixed we're making around 5 knots/hour and should easily
reach our first distination before dark.
First Day Stop: We have
traveled about 24 nautical miles. A nautical mile is about 10% more
than a land mile. The first nights anchorage is at what are called
fish camps or shacks in Texas. A series of shacks that go from
mildly elegant to downright ramschackled or dangerous. They are owned
by the Department of Conservation and rented by fishermen. I'm not
sure how you get on the list or get assigned one, but with my luck I
would get one with no floor. Our stop is somewhere in the middle
condition and it is only a waypoint which allows a few to seek shade
under the porch. The heat is opressive and everyone with any sense
is covered from head to toe. We are keeping the dogs cool with a
water mister and a constnadly full water bowl.
The first day of sailing is
always tiring and a day of discovery. Discovering what works and
what doesn't. Thankfully almost everything worked, but we were
tired. If we were cruising across the Gulf we wouldn't have the
luxury of stopping and anchoring. People often ask why we don't just
drop an anchor. With the depth of the Gulf being hundreds of feet in
some places you could never carry enough rope to hit the bottom. On
long Gulf trips each person stands a watch. I am the overnight
person, and it's my favorite time to sail. There is nothing more
peaceful.
Anchoring at this stop
proved simple, which was a blessing because it can become a
contentious time in every sailing couples adventures. There have been
many failed marriages because of anchoring. Ours has survived, but
harsh words have been spoken in the past. This time Gene easily puts
the anchor on the soft mud and then comes back to take dogs and me on
shore leave.
The shore is sandy and the
dogs are ecstattic to frolic on the beach even though it is hot and
humid. We stay ashore for a short time to visit the various boat who
all have different means of camping. It is an eclectic gathering of
sailors who in 5 days will be able to say they sailed for 200 miles
alont the Texas coast.
The most incredible boats
are homemade vessels called “puddle ducks” They are about 8 feet
long and vary in configuration, but the most basic boat you can
imagine. Some are embellished with details like the one that looks
like a 50's finned car to include the pink dice. Most are just
yellow. The part that amazes me is that they have little or no
protection form the Texas June sun. I have the utmost respect for
these sailors who brave the gulf with just long sleeve shirts and
sunscreen.
The sailor who gets real
props is the man in a row boat, yes, a row boat. He plans to do the
entire 200 miles rowing. The amazing thing is he is fast and
consistant. A little crazy maybe but fast. He does have a bimini so
he at least have protection as he rows.
After we return from our
shore leave supper is on our new grill which works quite well despite
the heavy breeze. We have basil lime chicken breasts and green
beans. Even the dogs get some chicken for their first day of
sailing.
After the sun went down I
decided to rig up my new hanging shower. There wouldn't be any hot
water, but I was already hot, sticky and salty. Since there weren't
any boats near us I stripped and began enjoying the cool water. Just
as I'm finishing I hear a voice from the shore about 20 feet away.
It was some guy striking up a conversation. Needless to say I take
my naked body downstairs as Gene begins a concersation with the
intruder. Although Gene swears it was too dark for him to see
anything it was light enough with the moon that I could clearly see
the logo on his t-shirt....So much for privacy!
We soon retire to our berths
listening to the whipping wind. Sleep was swift and sound until
about 5am when the wind stopped. Suddenly it seemed like sheets were
alive. Who knows where all these bugs came from, but they were
everywhere. Thankfully none of them were mosquitos or biting
critters, just crawley ones that came out of nowwhere with no wind to
push them away. No matter a few swats and I'm back to sleep and
wondering what lies ahead on day 2.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Final Prep Day
Gene had to be up early for a Captains meeting at 7am. Jazz, Cruiser and I stayed on the boat. Soon after Gene left I noticed that Cruiser was acting strangely and he suddenly had back to back seizures. Since he's had several before I knew there was nothing I could do but make him safe and let it pass. Within the hour he was up and moving around the boat acting as though nothing had happened.
After the Captains meeting Gene began his drive to Magnolia Beach where the race will end. He and the rest of the participants will be met by a bus that will bring them back to Port Mansfield. In his absence I took over organizing the boat to make it safe and get things stowed. Luckily Sun Dog has lots of free space for stowing food and cloths. As usual I may have brought too much stuff, but it's always good to have some extra supplies and cloths.
I'm trying some new things out this trip that weren't available when we have cruised before. I bought "Snow Lizard" cases for our iPhones. They are water-proof, dust proof and will protect the phone if dropped from 60 feet ( I'm not going to intentionally test any of this), but I hope it will protect the phones. The best part is you can actually use the phone while it's in the case andddddd....it has a solar panel on the back so it's continually charging the phone. I'll report when we return.
I also got a Survivor case for my iPad. Pretty much does the same as the Snow Lizard but without the solar panel. It's the best case I've ever had to protect my iPad because it's very light, unlike my Otter case and you can use it while it's in the case. I got 2 cooling towels which the dogs are using right now. They do seem to stay cooler than the Frogs I have used in the past and the dogs seem to like the coolness. I also brought 3 Luci lights. If you are a camper or an outdoors person you need one of these. It is a small inflatable LED lantern with a solar panel on the top. You can charge it during the day then inflate it at night for the best, lightest, most useable light we've ever had. It has 3 settings low, bright and flashing. I discovered them several months ago and fell in love with them. The other great thing is they use part of the proceeds to send Luci lights to people who live in "illumination" poverty. They send them all over the world so people can have renewable energy lights. You can buy them on line for about $13 at https://www.mpowerd.com or Amazon.
Tonight we're loading more ice and water and then getting a good nights sleep before the 200 starts tomorrow. Many more boats have shown up, and the dogs and I are just waiting for the Captain to return.
I will blog each day, but posting will depend on the availability of cell service.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Port Mansfield the Starting Point of the Texas 200
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.7 square miles, of which, 5.2 square miles of it is land and 0.5 square miles of it (8.76%) is water. A navigational channel connects Port Mansfield to the Intracoastal Waterway, and to the Gulf of Mexico, cutting through Padre Island via the Port Mansfield Channel. There are about 500 people who live in Port Mansfield and most are connected to fishing either commercial and private.
When we arrived there were about a dozen boats of all shapes and sizes. There are about 65 boats registered and they come from all over the United States to participate in the 200. This is the 7th year for the 200 and each year it gets a little bigger.
Within the next hour Gene will put up the mast and set the boat's rigging. We'll then wait in line to splash the boat and we'll move it into the slip that we have rented for the next couple of nights. Tomorrow Gene will take the truck and the trailer to Magnolia Beach, which is about 200 miles from here. He'll leave the truck and trailer there and then will be brought back to Port Mansfield via a shuttle bus. Jazz, Cruiser and I will be staying with the boat trying to stay cool.
Right now the temperature is about 95 and we have a good breeze. I'm hoping that the breeze continues through the night and that our little fans will offer us some air inside the boat. My evening is going to be spent organizing and getting things settled into place. Our ice box that Gene retrofitted to the boat is filled with ice and our perishable foods. We've been doing tests with the insulated ice box and we're hoping that we'll have ice for most of the trip.
More pictures as the "Puddle Duck" boats arrive.
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