26 Tuesday Feb 2019
Posted in Modifications, Musings, People, Repairs, Techniques, Tactics, Tips, Uncategorized, Voyaging
The Far Reach has proven to be wonderfully comfortable during extended live aboard.
For the last month or so it’s been pretty easy living. The Far Reach and I have mostly remained here in Elephant Bay, St Thomas until Gayle could join us. The pace of living has been slow and relaxed. There has been plenty of time to read, sleep, swim, eat, study the sky, think, and meet new people.
04 Friday Jan 2019
Posted in Musings, People, Techniques, Tactics, Tips, Uncategorized, Voyaging
I slipped out of Jost Van Dyke early on 30 December. The anchorage was already getting crowded in anticipation of the big New Years Eve bash. The night before I left, while I was ashore helping Baba, a 62’ private charter cat anchored way too close on the starboard side of the Far Reach…exactly the reason I wanted to get out of Great Harbor.
The FR and the cat got much closer than this photo depicts.
29 Saturday Dec 2018
Posted in Musings, People, Techniques, Tactics, Tips, Uncategorized, Voyaging
The Far Reach—Great Harbor, Jost Van Dyke
My 13th Day at Jost Van Dyke. I have spent the last 8 days helping out Ali Baba on whatever projects he has lined up. Painting, helping run wires, building a booth for the New Years festivities, etc. I have really enjoyed working with Baba and getting to know him and Urinthia. They have fed me and engaged me in interesting wide ranging conversations. I have learned a little about Island culture and got a peek or two about what goes on behind the scenes. I have traveled all over the world yet never cease to be humbled by the kindness so many people extend to people they barely know. There is nothing that demonstrates how we are so much more alike than different like foreign travel especially when you engage outside your own community and culture.
I’ve known Baba and Urinthia for three years. If you want disco and loud music Foxy’s is the place to go. But this is where the best food is on JVD. It’s a great place to bring a family or a friend and have a slow meal and a long conversation. And Baba also has a fantastic and diverse play-list loud enough to hear but quiet enough not to interfere in conversation.
24 Monday Dec 2018
Posted in Planning, Techniques, Tactics, Tips, Uncategorized, Voyaging
Anchored in 10’ of gin clear water on a sandy bottom in Great Harbor, Jost Van Dyke.
I departed Beaufort, NC on the heels of a low pressure system and after 12 days at sea made landfall across the north bank of the British Virgin Islands. I cleared in through customs at Great Harbor, Jost Van Dyke where I anchored in clear blue water on a sandy bottom.
10 Wednesday Oct 2018
Posted in Local Sailing, Techniques, Tactics, Tips, Uncategorized
The Far Reach about 24 hours before Florence made landfall.
I am very happy to report that the Far Reach survived the trial of her life during Hurricane Florence, which pounded eastern North Carolina from 13-14 Sept 2019.
07 Saturday Apr 2018
Posted in Maintenance, Modifications, Repairs, Techniques, Tactics, Tips
The dorade boxes were in bad shape. Originally, I varnished them but finally painted them white after repeated mysterious varnish failures.
I have known for a long time that I needed to replace the dorade boxes on the Far Reach. During the six year long rebuild I was on a budget so I had to decide how to spend the time and money, where to save the time and money, and when to live to fight another day. So, building new dorades was saved for another day…which, finally, arrived a few weeks ago
23 Saturday Dec 2017
Posted in Equipment, Modifications, Planning, Repairs, Sails, Techniques, Tactics, Tips, Upgrades, Voyaging
Here we are departing Hancock Marina on 29 Nov 2015 for the BVI. There was not a breath of air. We used the engine to get to the head of Adams Creek on the ICW that afternoon. The next day we sailed all the way down the ICW, under two bridges, and out to Cape Lookout where we waited for a weather window to cross the Gulf Stream. A few days later a friend linked up with us in the Bight at Cape Lookout and we transferred the engine to his skiff. We sailed to the BVI engine free.
While I would prefer to have the Far Reach engine free all the time it would require access to a mooring that we could sail on and off. There are very few moorings in NC and none where we are. She is berthed in a small marina with 360° of protection. So, we often carry a Honda 9.9hp four stroke outboard on a custom-made removable swing arm bracket attached to the port quarter. The outboard allows us to more conveniently move her in and out of her slip, make the tight turn onto the fairway, then exit the narrow 1/4 mile long channel out to the Neuse River.
10 Sunday Dec 2017
Posted in Modifications, Sails, Techniques, Tactics, Tips, Upgrades
I replaced the heavy and clumsy brass piston hanks on the stays’l with traditional brass luff rings.
We use SS 7×7 5/16” wire rope for all the standing rigging on the Far Reach, except the forestay. For the forestay, we use synthetic 9mm Dynex Dux (heat treated dyneema). Recently, we modified the forestay to make it easy to detach it from the gammon iron. That modification allows us to open up the foretriangle making it easier to short tack as the forestay is no longer an obstruction to the jib. The modification, includes a partially covered dyneema that serves as a lanyard, and a few low-friction rings.
04 Monday Dec 2017
Posted in Modifications, Repairs, Sails, Techniques, Tactics, Tips, Upgrades
On the left is the genoa with the zippered bonnet. At the upper left of the photo you can see the working jib clew cringle and just below it the leather cover that protects the zipper. You can clearly see the zipper running diagonally down from left to right. You might also notice there’s is no cover for the majority of the zipper. It seems to handle the loads just fine.
I have been asked about our bonneted jib a number of times. I was asked about it again the other day on the Cape Dory forum. So, it seemed like a good time to provide more detail to those who might be interested.
02 Saturday Dec 2017
Posted in Modifications, Sails, Techniques, Tactics, Tips, Upgrades
On passage, with a double reefed main and a stays’l. About 150 nm SSE of Bermuda enroute to the BVI, Dec 2015. The downhaul keeps the head of the sail secured to the deck yet the halyard remains connected to the jib and ready to be hoisted in an instant. The coiled downhaul is tied to the lifeline. Photo by Tricia Stone
I like sailing with a hank-on jib. A hank-on jib is more efficient and longer lived than a furling headsail. It is less expensive. There is less maintenance required and it is more reliable. But it is not as convienent as a furling jib…no doubt about it. While there are techniques for managing a hank on jib that are tried and proven, it does take skill, occasional acrobatics, and some planning to keep things under control. Our genoa is about 390 sqft. But, it has a bonnet that we can zip off that reduces it to a working jib size of about 280 sqft. But, the challenges are similar with either headsail.
