Anatomy of a (sailing) Dream

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Winterize and Pack up

Its with mixed emotions the end of the season has come to a close.. this year a bit sooner then last year .. all for a good reason.. this past weekend we went up to Shandy for the last time this year. Our daughter is getting married then I am off on travels for November /December ..
We decided the beautiful lazy jack system we had installed in the spring should be packed away with the mainsail down below to keep those pesky squirrels at bay! One of our dock mates this year has his mainsail eaten thru as the squirrels decided to nest in his sail cover...
It is very easy to wintersize Shandy.. a few gallons of marine antifreeze from West Marine get the job done. Jim adds it to the water pump in the engine.. then we hand pump all her water out and replace it with antifreeze..
The boat yard will pull her out , give her a good shower and she will be on the hard to at least mid March. While out Jim is going to work on her wood rudder it needs some reinforcement . Also he will start sanding and varnishing weather permitting . Sheets came home for a good washing, galley is cleaned out of anything that will break when freezing.. Cushions , pillows and blankets are tucked away in their sleeping bags for the winter months.
Rest well Shandy see you in the Spring!

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Shake Down Cruise

The trip from Annapolis should have technically been about a 6-8 hour sail/motor. We ran up against a few obstacles. We soon learned that a sailboat is sailboat is a sailboat! You never know when you are on the water what could come up, it is important to stay calm and deal with each issue as it comes up. One big thing that came up ( we were to learn this later once we were at our marina and could look at the engine in a calm setting) the engine would overheat every two hours or so , we would have to shut down the engine for about an hour , she was smoking , it was scary and a bit nerve racking. The wind was almost non existent and the tide and currents were moving against us. At one point we were doing negative .2 knots!

Raising the Jib at Sunrise after a sleepless night on the hook.. off to Soloman's today

First dinner on board with our butane stove

After the storm, another night ahead , we have decided to sail the night to make it to the Marina

Before the storm

Lots of traffic near the shipping lane in the Chesapeake

hand made reef before the squall that was coming in quick

After the storm , what a ride ! Winds shifted we were pushed over 9 knots in the right direction!

Gave us the motivation to motor /sail through the night

Dropped the hook last night at 2 am in the river a short distance from our slip as the engine gave out once again

Beautiful clear morning after a long 36 hour trip!

Shandy safely in her slip!

Meeting Shandy

Picking up Shandy in Annapolis was a huge highlight for us this year. We were so excited! We packed up sheets, dishes, food stuffs etc , we had a truck load of stuff to load onto Shandy once she was commissioned and placed in the water. We found out from Bob that Shandy had not been in the water for over 15 years! Very exciting indeed. Pictures say it all!


First Inspection before she goes in Boat Moved to the Docks

Moving IN!

Shake Down Cruise

Shes Gorgeous!

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Outline of a Sailing Dream

Put the intention out...
Be careful what you wish for...
Boat in the back yard - near water
We end up with a sailboat in the backyard next to our pond , in Central Virginia.. Land locked ..
Work on her for over 5 years- nights, weekends ...
Find another sailboat quite serendipitous online ,same year ..bit bigger , all done , ready to sail away!
Purchase 1966 Cheoy Lee Bermuda
Sail her to our dream marina in Solomans Island Md
Live the Dream on Shandy our 1966 Cheoy Lee Bermuda
Future posts will be on Shandy
Our First Cheoy Lee Serius is on the market looking for a new home