The Voyage of Southern Cross blog

[pocketyacht]

Launched Southern Cross quietly into Little Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan. Typical launch, last minute everything, a few " I think I'll try this here granny knot attachments", etc. She sailed better than I had thought she might, solid, fast, predictable. The yawl rig was a good choice.
Sailed, a night aboard at anchor, more sailing. Very pleased.

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[knasman]

Well done Howard!!! Fun times!!!

[pocketyacht]

The Voyage of Southern Cross blog has been updated.

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[Dirk Visser 166]

Howard!
That's real human-scale, appropriate technology, experience-gathering and adventuring on Life, in my book.

...And what a glaring contrast to the surrounding vessels at the Traverse Bay launch ramp tie-up..!
Do we dare draw any conclusions about psychology, and the state of the world, from this display of differing orientations to the aquatic environment..?

Stunning vessel! .. You and John deserve our highest praise, not just for the boat, but for the ideas represented in the expedition..

.. May the S/V "Southern Cross" long endure, and serve you well..!

[pocketyacht]

Hi Dirk
Thank you. I am pleased with the boat, should be after all the head scratching and attempts at imagining scenarios where everything has to work in unison.

Funny you should mention the other boats in the photo. I was aboard getting ready to row out to anchor when the four crew of the boat in front of me came down the dock. They were quite flash, dripping in gold neck chains, loud and evidently hard into party mode. I looked up, looked back down to my task and the skipper started the engines. I about jumped out of my skin. Obscenely loud, sharp cracking roar with exhaust cloud wafting over my boat.
No boat has to sound that way. They slowly motored out in the no wake zone but for the next twenty minutes I could hear that boat as it roared away. Sad really.

Thanks for your comments on my boat. John drew a good boat and I took the chance to make it mine, the many modifications seem to have worked.
Best,
howard

Howard!
That's real human-scale, appropriate technology, experience-gathering and adventuring on Life, in my book.

...And what a glaring contrast to the surrounding vessels at the Traverse Bay launch ramp tie-up..!
Do we dare draw any conclusions about psychology, and the state of the world, from this display of differing orientations to the aquatic environment..?

Stunning vessel! .. You and John deserve our highest praise, not just for the boat, but for the ideas represented in the expedition..

.. May the S/V "Southern Cross" long endure, and serve you well..!

[kenjamin]

Hey Howard,

I am totally impressed with your line management organization. Those line containment bags are excellent looking. You've given me inspiration for better organizing my lines on my Special especially if I move to the yawl rig.

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For now I seem to have plenty of sail with just the one and where I sail the beach is not far away so no big deal to go there to put in a reef or whatever. But I will be building a Long Steps with the yawl rig eventually and will certainly keep in mind some of your custom touches when it comes time to rig it. John said you might be interested in a Long Steps as well.

Very much looking forward to your voyage and wishing you the best all along the way.

Cheers,
Ken

[pocketyacht]

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[pocketyacht]

#2 (Southern Cross) is now in and around Port Townsend for final sea trials. Arrived in Pt Ludlow last night, rigging new tent today, adding last bits of survival gear, touching up paint dings from trailering, repairing the cbd gasket and then moving aboard. Here for heavy air and bad weather, looking good.

[Timo]

Hi Howard,

What a beautiful picture of Southern Cross with that snow-capped mountain in the background! Still, the views in Tierra del Fuego must be at least as picturesque. When you start your voyage will you be totally offline for months? I mean, are we going to get any status updates from you sailing on the capricious waters of the far south?

[pocketyacht]

Hi Timo
Thanks. The drive out was very beautiful. I have been so busy with no time off for several months so I took three leisurely days to explore/drive my way to Port Townsend. Now its time for sea trials.

I believe Josh (Small Craft Advisor) will be keeping folks updated on my voyage as it happens. Josh and I will be meeting over the next two weeks to discuss how this might happen.
Thanks for the interest.

Simeon came by yesterday and is helping me rig the new low profile no bow tent I designed. One of the new elements is the dry floor skin, it to arrived yesterday and it is excellent (Simeon and I photographed it in place, every SCAMP sailor who camps should use such an item. I have used this system for years aboard a number of dinghy cruisers and this iteration is my best effort to date, it did take some head scratching to get right. I look forward to sharing what I have conceived of with others.

So Thank you as always Sim! The problem is that Simeon was drooling all over my boat (I think he likes it;-), which is actually a good test for the non skid deck!

Now that I am shy of a month from shipping I will get back to updating my blog and posting photos here.

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Camped along the Salmon River, Idaho.jpg

I car camped using Southern Cross as a micro trailer, it was great, warm and dry. I had temperatures in the high twenties (F) while up in the Sawtooth Mountains and was toasty warm in the tent.

The tent in the photo is actually iteration #2 of a road cover/tent combination. It worked as planned. The test came during a driving rain storm south of Yakima where it rained hard enough to force me to stop for the night, almost zero visibility. I was really curious as to how much water the boat had taken on through the tent during the two hours of driving rain. In the morning after a hotel night I opened the tent expecting a wet mess and there was not even one drop of water! The 3rd iteration no bow tent (and final) is even better.

Hi Howard,

What a beautiful picture of Southern Cross with that snow-capped mountain in the background! Still, the views in Tierra del Fuego must be at least as picturesque. When you start your voyage will you be totally offline for months? I mean, are we going to get any status updates from you sailing on the capricious waters of the far south?