New Boat

[lustyslogger]

Whoop whoop whoop

Well I took my first overnighter in over 30 years this week end. It was the Cherokee Lake Sailing Club's annual End of Summer Beach Party. It was held at a location known as Persimmon Cove (because of the two, count them, two persimmon trees on the island). This was the first time I was able to sail up there. Although it is only seven miles from the marina the winds going up are generally on your nose and therefore the actual sailing distance is closer to 10 or 12 miles. The Lusty Slogger just couldn't sail that far in a reasonable amount of time.

Anyway, I spent Friday night on the Helsen in preparation for the sail. It wasn't a pleasant night. I had an ant problem when I first got the boat and although I was sure I had gotten rid of them I kept feeling them crawling on me all night!! All in my head, all in the head but it was my head that was keeping me away!!

We got underway Saturday around noon and it was a very uneventful 5 hour sail for me. I was last one in but only by about 15 minutes with one boat actually motoring about half way (what a wimp huh?) The Helsen performed flawlessly and without drama. However, just as I was approaching the cove for the event and I started to tack to make the entrance the wind spun around 180 degrees in a heart beat. It grabbed my jib and flung me around and almost put the lee rail in the water. I quickly recovered and sailed the rest of the way in under jib alone.

When I got to the cove I was brought in next to a good friends boat. I was able to nudge the bow right into the embankment and I had raised the centerboard as I was told the water was very shallow there. Thinking the water was about 2 ft or less I just jumped over the side and went down about 10 feet!!! The water at the bow was less than 6 inches. The water 10 feet back was over 12 feet deep!!!! I am getting good at falling in the lake!!

I overnighted with about a dozen other sailors and had an excellent time. Sunday I left about 1:PM and headed back to the marina. The winds were flukey until I got out of the cove (the same winds that reversed direction is less than 10 seconds the previous day) but when I got into the main body of the lake the winds were the exact opposite of the day before. I put the boat on a broad reach and only had to change course once the entire trip back. I got back to the marina around 4:00.

It was great

[Michel]

Wow! I have to live some kind of adventure before the end of the season! I sailed a lot this year but I never overnighted this year yet! Only fooled around going a few miles in a direction then in the other! I am always back at the dock for supper or something!
First, I got to get rid of the hundreds of spiders that are living in the boat and sailing with me. It is not very pleasant to get up in the morning with bites all over!
I have plans to make.

[Friends with SCAMPS]

I'm so happy for you! & a little jealous, too. It's finally cooled off a tad here, I think an overnighter is in order.

[lustyslogger]

Wow! I have to live some kind of adventure before the end of the season! I sailed a lot this year but I never overnighted this year yet! Only fooled around going a few miles in a direction then in the other! I am always back at the dock for supper or something!
First, I got to get rid of the hundreds of spiders that are living in the boat and sailing with me. It is not very pleasant to get up in the morning with bites all over!
I have plans to make.

When I lived in Florida large Wolf spiders were a welcome addition on many sailboats as they were the only thing that would eat the giant cockroaches they grow down there! Apparently the spiders would hide during the daylight hours and just come out with the roaches in the middle of the night. Personally I preferred a good can of Raid!

What do you mean "an adventure"? You live in Canada, that's an adventure unto itself. I used to listen to the Sargent Preston of the Yukon radio programs. I know how it is up there!!!

[Michel]

Ha Ha! By "adventure" I meant a few days cruise, sailing to the Sorel island or Trois-Rivières to anchor im the mouth of the St-Maurice river. There are lots of nice places to go on the Saint-Lawrence but there is always that current to fight on the way back.

The Raid is a good solution!

Sailing to Sorel (About 40 n.miles from Montreal)
https://youtu.be/9znK8GI9Swo
To Quebec (about 180 n.m.) Solitary trip.
https://youtu.be/UmH13085mvQ
Going through the historical "Canal Lachine"
https://youtu.be/fC4EG5ZqWSw
Overnighting in the Boucherville islands, just a few miles from home.
https://youtu.be/ky9zhytYOLE
Cruise to Lac St-Pierre, about 60 miles from Montreal.
https://youtu.be/kN8dT52uRA0

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Ah yes. I recall the day I found a formerly unknown friend called a "fishing spider" in a coffee mug I pulled out of the cupboard of our galley on Seneca Lake (NY).

He (she?) was too big to fit in the cup base without bending the legs. This thing would have been as wide as the palm of my hand if stretched out.



Needless to say the spider and cup went one direction - out the companionway - and I went the other.

"They're harmless" said one marina-mate who responded to the screams of an 11 year old girl that somehow made it out of my then 35 year old throat.


We have friends who swear by putting dryer sheets (new) strategically about their boat and claim it wards off spiders.

[Michel]

Most spiders are not really dangerous but they do can cause some "harm" when they bite you in the night. If you don't get an allergic reaction, you will get some swelling and itching that will last for some time, depending on the type of spider. I was bitten once near an eye and I looked like a boxer for a most of the day after this!
I even heard that it is possible to swallow a spider while asleep!!!!

I find the dryer sheets interesting and I think I will try it.

[lustyslogger]

Most spiders are not really dangerous but they do can cause some "harm" when they bite you in the night. If you don't get an allergic reaction, you will get some swelling and itching that will last for some time, depending on the type of spider. I was bitten once near an eye and I looked like a boxer for a most of the day after this!
I even heard that it is possible to swallow a spider while asleep!!!!

I find the dryer sheets interesting and I think I will try it.

According to folklore its bad luck to kill a spider. I usually don't mess with them (except once I ran across a black widow spider and dispatched her rather quickly)

By the way I am still rolling on the floor about the 11 year old girl scream out of the 35 year old throat!!

I once had an office in Jacksonville that was in a renovated house. My IT " department" was in what was once a large walk in closet. One day my programmer went over to straighten a picture on the wall when out came one of those wolf spiders about the size of your hand. The programmer flew out of the room, both arms flapping like he was trying to fly and screaming like an 11 year old!!! When I called it a Florida Jumping Spider I almost lost a decent programmer!!!!

[Michel]

Here is a nice one!



Could name her and adopt it as a pet!

They are maybe harmless but!....

[lustyslogger]

Here is a nice one!



Could name her and adopt it as a pet!

They are maybe harmless but!....

You do know I will now have the heebe geebies for a week now