Pipe_Dream
God
I noticed that the Pipe Dream wasn’t going quite as fast at a given RPM as it should have, so I planned to beach her this morning in order to give the bottom a good scrubbing. I checked the radar which showed showers but no thunderstorms moving through the area from the low pressure system to our SE, but since I’d be swimming anyway I figured I go on ahead. There is a large sandbar about 8 miles from our slip that is exposed at low tide, and I knew it wouldn’t be a problem with NE winds. I anchored and jumped in, and cleaned a lot of slime where I could get to it, but I had missed dead low and was in 1-2 feet of water so I could not see the bottom but scrubbed as best I could.
As I was nearly finished I pulled the anchor and climbed aboard just as a squall came over. Nothing major, winds maybe 20 kts and moderate rain, as I eased her into the wind and started toward home. A mile or so later the rains got heavy and the wind soon produced large whitecaps that turned into 2-3 footers in the more exposed areas, still nothing major – until visibility went to about 50 yards! The wind and waves increased and the last 5 miles were pretty wild, with everything getting wet, rain coming through the top (I guess it’s really not designed for driving rain) and around the cuddy hatch by the windshield, occasional salt spray coming around the side windows and into my face, and anything not secured going wherever it wanted. I thought I would pause under a bridge for a few minutes and see if it let up, but the rain was driving sideways under the bridge so I kept on moving. I was glad to enter the harbor and tie up, and the rain slowed to a drizzle by that time so I didn’t have to unload in a downpour.
A few thoughts crept into my mind during and after the trip:
I was glad to have GPS and a depthfinder when visibility was poor, but I kept close enough to the shoreline that I was never out of sight, just in case one or both failed (you know, Murphy’s Law).
I WAS concerned about the ferries that ply these waters, that I wouldn’t see them or they wouldn’t see me until it would be too late. They rarely slow down, even in bad weather.
My boat is NOT waterproof! Not by a long stretch. Most areas of the cuddy were wet to some degree, something I’m going to try to change as much as possible.
I DID leave a floatplan, written on the kitchen counter for my wife in case I didn’t come home. I wasn’t scared, but this short trip served to remind me to respect the elements and the limitations of a 20 foot boat (although this trip really didn’t test those limits, but I know they’re there!).
Sorry for the long post, but it’s raining and blowing outside and I really don’t want to clean out the garage . . . not just yet. I know a lot of you guys have been in much worse situations than I was in this morning, but I wanted to share. Sorry MJ, no pics! My camera isn’t waterproof!
As I was nearly finished I pulled the anchor and climbed aboard just as a squall came over. Nothing major, winds maybe 20 kts and moderate rain, as I eased her into the wind and started toward home. A mile or so later the rains got heavy and the wind soon produced large whitecaps that turned into 2-3 footers in the more exposed areas, still nothing major – until visibility went to about 50 yards! The wind and waves increased and the last 5 miles were pretty wild, with everything getting wet, rain coming through the top (I guess it’s really not designed for driving rain) and around the cuddy hatch by the windshield, occasional salt spray coming around the side windows and into my face, and anything not secured going wherever it wanted. I thought I would pause under a bridge for a few minutes and see if it let up, but the rain was driving sideways under the bridge so I kept on moving. I was glad to enter the harbor and tie up, and the rain slowed to a drizzle by that time so I didn’t have to unload in a downpour.
A few thoughts crept into my mind during and after the trip:
I was glad to have GPS and a depthfinder when visibility was poor, but I kept close enough to the shoreline that I was never out of sight, just in case one or both failed (you know, Murphy’s Law).
I WAS concerned about the ferries that ply these waters, that I wouldn’t see them or they wouldn’t see me until it would be too late. They rarely slow down, even in bad weather.
My boat is NOT waterproof! Not by a long stretch. Most areas of the cuddy were wet to some degree, something I’m going to try to change as much as possible.
I DID leave a floatplan, written on the kitchen counter for my wife in case I didn’t come home. I wasn’t scared, but this short trip served to remind me to respect the elements and the limitations of a 20 foot boat (although this trip really didn’t test those limits, but I know they’re there!).
Sorry for the long post, but it’s raining and blowing outside and I really don’t want to clean out the garage . . . not just yet. I know a lot of you guys have been in much worse situations than I was in this morning, but I wanted to share. Sorry MJ, no pics! My camera isn’t waterproof!
...
He decided it wasn't a good day to go across, tied up and went home.
A great day on the water! But I must still have some slime or other kind of bottom growth I couldn't get to, because I topped out at 42 mph which is significantly less than when we first launched after re-powering. I'm going to have to completely beach her next weekend and see what's what.