Launch of "Sunshine"

[Kidd]

Thats right, Sunshine floats!! CS 17 #113 got wet for the first time Saturday afternoon.

I dragged her out 70 miles to Lake Oconee. I figured there would be less boat traffic seeing as how it was Memorial day weekend and all (I was wrong). First the good things. I found her to be a very stable boat. Easy to get around in and she doesn't leak. The masts were relatively easy to handle. The sails of very good quality. The main sail set very nicely.

Now for the bad, :cry: My inexperience as a sailor showed itself badly (I have only been on a sailboat 4 times in my life). The boat launched easily off the trailer. The water conditions were lousy as at any one point in time, their were 2 runnabouts pulling some kind of inflatable dinasour with a kid riding on it, 3 highly overpowered bassboats, at least 4 pontoon boats, and 57 mosquito powered PWCs churning up the water. I had the sails raised when I launched and that was mistake #1. It was all I could do to move the boat 30 feet to the dock with the paddles I had brought. I found the sprit on the mizzen sail did not fit properly. I think it will need to be about 6 inches longer and the pin on the clew end is just a little to fat. The sprit kept slipping out of the loop letting the sail flap in the breeze. I tryed many times to get the sail to set but it was to unreliable to try to cast off the dock. :cry: Well, We took down the masts and sails, And I waited for Three trailers to load/unload and backed the trailer back down to retrieve Sunshine. I got back in the boat, cast off from the dock and paddled off toward the ramp (waiting while 4 PWCs just kind of sat there apparently just so they could be in the way). She paddled back very easily (I have oars built but have not yet installed the oar locks). She loaded back on the trailer easily. The one thing I did not test was the action of the centerboard. With all else going on, I just plain forgot.

All in all a nice day at the lake :shock: . I learned a lot about what not to do and therefor a little about what to do. I think if I get the mizzen sprit issue taken care of and do the things I know to do in the correct order, I will have not only a successful launch, but also a nice sail next time out. Sorry no pictures, with all that was going on they just didn't get taken.

[Noklin]

Congratulations

I know that little things like that can be very irritating and disappointing on a first sail. But looking on the bright side, the boat has been in the water, it floats, no damage was done and it sounds like most stuff worked out OK.

[Scott Dunsworth]

Glad you got her wet!! You said you have oars, that will help when you get them installed.

But my personal experience with my Penobscot 14 was that I will never have another boat small or large that doesn't have a motor. ( electric or gas ) I have two reasons for this. And again they are my personal experience.

First I would get to sail more. You can sail where you like and not worry about being able to get back on time. Some times I just wanted to motor up wind for 4 or 5 miles and simply sail back on a run. Unstead of tacking a narrow water way for four hours.

Second was I could on those busy jet ski and 70mph billy dance bass boat days motor to a spot out of the action and sort things out. Sort of pick my place to sail.

Scott

[Howard]

Congratulations on the launch! Despite any little dissapointments, realize that you have built a boat that floats and is only a few tweaks away from a really nice sailboat. You will be the only one on the lake who can say that.

As for those other folks, nice to know nothing changes. One would find the same thing on almost any other body of water in the country. Certainly on our lake. The line at the ramp at 10 AM Memorial Day weekend is usually 50 boats long. I can recall drifting along at 1 knot on a very gentle breeze, trying to keep the sails full with boat wakes coconstantlyhaking the wind out of my sails. One of those boats dragging the 6 kids on a tube (as an aside....it's noteworthy that these kids can't ski) was using me as their marker buoy.....with a big turn right in front of me, such that the wake hit me from all sides at the same time. I can recall at one point wondering how much you would have to lead one of those PWCs circling me about 50 yards off to hit em with a flare gun. Eventually, you relax, maybe have a beer and figure it's all part of the deal. At the dock, I once challanged the owner of one of those 40 foot, twin engine cigar boats to a 20 mile race...up the lake, around the Island and back....the catch being we both only got 3 gallons of gas. I won that and never had to leave the dock.

As for first time tests, if possible, take a Monday or better yet, Tuesday off from work. You will be totally alone on the lake, except for a couple retired folks out fishing. No crowds on the ramp or docks and no wakes. Plenty of time to test things and screw up if you want to.

But again, congratulations on your launch!

[Kidd]

Thanks for all of the kind words. I worked on the rig today and got things fitting better. I had never actually flown the mizzen sail prior to launch yesterday so i actually had no idea that the problem existed until the sprit came off of it. That is fixed.

Scott,

I see your point about the motor. On one of the four sailing excursions I was lucky enough to go, we got into a tight spot coming through the sound of a small island. The wind was coming dead into our face with maybe 40 yards width to tack in. The owner of the boat fired up the motor to get us past the island and back on track. I plan on getting a motor (haven't decided gas or electric yet). I just didn't want to wait until I can afford a motor to get sailing .

I also practiced setting the rigging for launch wrapping the sails around the masts for launch until I can get out to set the sails on the water.

All in all, I consider the launch a success. It was a great adventure and just the start of a long relationship with a great boat. She really did handle very easily with a paddle.

[Tom Williams]

Congratulations Kidd. It floats ... You can finally say it's a boat!.

I had my CS17 out again today with my Mom and Dad. All went well despite finding my trolling motor battery was dead after launching. I found the oars work well.

I've had the boat out four times now and I'll still making tweaks. Your experience is not unique. Keep at it ... getting to know the boat is part of the experience.

Best of luck!

Tom

[Dale Niemann]

I just returned from a trip to Atlanta to visit my son. We will definitely have to sail together sometime.

congradulations! Get us some pics on your next outing.

I echo other comments above on a motor. That is why I purchased a Honda 2HP 4cycle. We used it a lot on a dingy on my tri sailing trip. I think it will work out great on my "Lively" if I can ever get back to her for several coats of varnish.

PS: let me know if you find any great places near ATL to sail. Maybe there are some motorless lakes or low HP lakes.

[Kidd]

I went out again yesterday to lake Alatoona this time. We launched from a sheltered cove just around the point from the ramp. When we got to the main part of the lake winds were strong and gusty. She sailed very fast and stable. When it came time to head back, I tryed to get back to the ramp. We would start on the other side of the lake and be able to head straight for the ramp. When we would get to the same point in the sail back, the wind would shift and push us away from our destination. I am going to have to expedite this motor thing. It would really make life easier.

[Guest Oyster]

I went out again yesterday to lake Alatoona this time. We launched from a sheltered cove just around the point from the ramp. When we got to the main part of the lake winds were strong and gusty. She sailed very fast and stable. When it came time to head back' date=' I tryed to get back to the ramp. We would start on the other side of the lake and be able to head straight for the ramp. When we would get to the same point in the sail back, the wind would shift and push us away from our destination. I am going to have to expedite this motor thing. It would really make life easier. [/quote']

Congratualtions on the launching and to all that have hit the water in the last month. In this read I must also address something that has happened to many in their first few times of boaters like myself in a sailboat. This may or may not be the case for you, but may apply to others out and about for the first time.

If you do not plan on having a motor, this is actually a plus in making you a better sailor, unless you do have a family that needs to get home by a certain time frame. Also there are many cases that find you on other bodies of water that will have massive currents that a small motor will not always work to get you back, if you use just a small kicker motor for your hull.

The two thngs to remember, check present and future weather for the day and also tidal changes that may take place upon your projected return times and attempt to plan acordingly. But never, ever have I been able to project a landing time when leaving the dock. So condition your crew also to this now famous sceneiro everytime you plan a trip out with others.

I specifically built a motor well and used a motor the very first trip and have left it home ever since, sailing in what I have described in the above conditions, and have only rowed back home once. Mind you I am the very worse sailor on tihs forum.,

Sailing without the luxuary of a motor to fall back on, and still being frustrated when the motor will not either start when you have not run it lately, or depend on it to get you back across the lake in that sloppy riding sailboat, with no sail up on it, especially when its blowing and a lot of power boat traffic, is probably more frustrating especially when you get those stares from the significant other, that I advanced to become more aware of the presail conditions and has helped me to halfway meet a certain deadline.

But make every effort to throw away your time clock when you make your plans to visit the water.

Also for future events of like minded folks, some on this main forum, check out this one in your area, right in your own backyard.

http://www.messing-about.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4526

http://www.summersailstice.com/content2.php?id=209&continentid=1&country=93&list=Y&stateid=10&event_id=&submit2=Submit

[Kidd]

Well thanks for the incouragement and advice Oyster. I have already reserved my campsite at Lake Hartwell for the Sailstice thing!! I am very excited about going to participate in such events.

[JeffM]

On my last daysail, I had the embarrassment of needing three tries to get away from the ramp on a beam reach! First time I backed smartly away from the dock and then began swing the stern crosswind, sails already trimmed for a quick getaway (as I congratulated myself on the neatness of the maneuver), when I suddenly ran aground, popped the cb, and lost all control. Two more tries pushing off of the beach before I made the channel. All this in front of my father (an old salt), who'd come to help.