post Matthew reflections

[Herschel]

Matthew has come and gone for most of us. My prayers and hope extended to all still suffering from flooding and loss of loved ones. I did, however on a much more modest scale experience some strong emotions during the prep for the hurricane. I am thinking that sharing some of them might be helpful for me and validating for a few others. I’ll be as brief as I can. Background: I have had my 26X since 2003. In 2004 we had three hurricanes go through Orlando within a six-week period. One, Charlie, was a category 2 hurricane when it hit my house and the boat. The others had “calmed down” to cat 1’s by the time they reached us. I evacuated for the middle one. The Mac took a hit on the first one, nothing serious, but a tree fell on the mast and bent the mast/boom crutch. I was a chipper 60 y/o then, and I am now 72. Those earlier memories resurfaced as I scurried around before Matthew getting the Mac, my other boats, house, yard, travel trailer and daughter’s ski boat, ready for Matthew, I was alert, but not particularly concerned until the Tuesday night forecast called for 97 mph winds at the marina where my Mac, “American Spirt”, is moored. My fellow shipmates on this forum were recommending unstepping the mast and putting the boat on the trailer. I knew I did not have the time/energy to get it to the ramp and on the trailer, but my grandson and I did get the mast down and the roller furled jib secured to it. As I looked around the marina at the sketchy efforts most of the other boaters were taking, coupled with my own fatigue, I remember thinking very clearly, that I may not be able to protect my boat---in a nutshell, “I am vulnerable!” At the end of the day, with the house secure, water stored, extra food in stock, generator checked out, we settled down to have a hurricane and likely be without power for a few days. I really just did NOT want to have to go through that…again. But we did, but without loss of power, thankfully, and the winds at the marina never got above 50 as it turned out. Nothing but debris in the yard. But, as we dealt with the clean-up and followed the progress of the hurricane up the coast, I definitely felt older. I found myself wondering about trying to keep the Mac; perhaps it was time to downsize with a boat I could keep at home that would, for me, be a truly trailerable sailboat. I started looking online at websites for the 14-17 ft. Com-Pac catboats, the Hobie sailing kayaks, and, (here it goes folks…pontoon boats). All of these alternatives were starting to look good to me. We started to have some serious discussion about the state of sailing in our lives at 72/70 respectively. As my wife and I talked she shared with me that she enjoyed motoring on the Mac but not sailing. Her diminished participation in sailing with the Mac had to do with its “tenderness” going to weather. After much discussion, she decided she wanted to have more participation in sailing rather than just going along to be with me, even began to get excited about wanting to single hand one of our 8-10 ft. dinghies. I, in turn, agreed to use more reefing to keep the Mac sailing at less than 15-degree heel going to weather while she works on the anxiety issue. She is a retired psychologist, so I know she will do well with that, if I work with her on it. So, in that context we set sail last Monday on American Spirit for the first time since the hurricane. We had a great sail---10 knots with gusts to 14 with reefed main and jib. So we are “steady as you go” for now, but will be having talks over the winter about the future of our Mac next spring. My thinking in starting this thread is to share our thinking as we re-evaluate our Mac ownership in light of aging and changing needs. I would appreciate others’ thoughts and ideas around these issues, too. I will be “out of pocket” for a few days while I attend my 50th college reunion, but look forward to some dialogue next week.

[Retcoastie]

Herschel, brother, I feel your pain. We are having the same discussions.

We at 74/72 are now parents again. We have our two great-grand-children 13/12. Their folks got messin' with that five letter word that starts with d. They couldn't control things, so one Friday we got the kids for what we thought would be five days. It is now two years later and we have permanent custody. Since they have arrived our X has sat in the barn. Our schedule now is their schedule and revolves around school, and sports, and birthdays. Soon it will be dates and dances. I see no way to go back to what we bought the X for. No more three, four month sailing trips to Florida over the winter months. No North Channel cruises. Not even Chesapeake Bay. And the light at the end of the tunnel looks to be at least six years away.

I still go up to the barn and sit in her. I keep the batteries on charge. I even turn the radio on and listen to the weather. The mind is still willing but will the body hold up? As Yul Brenner said in The King And I, "It's a dilemma."

Ken

[Herschel]

Ken,
Thank you for sharing. Wow! I can picture you sitting in the Mac in the barn. Kudos for hanging on to the dream, but, also, for taking up the slack with the great-grandkids. I thought, and it might still be, that this would be my last boat, the one I grow old with. Back when I was sailing smaller boats (Sprite, Lightning, Hobies), I longed for a boat big enough to have a wheel. And one you could stand up in. Even sleep in. Now I have it. Yet, I, also, enjoy the smaller boats (Same old Sprite and inflatable with sail kit) we take out for shorter day sails closer to home (marina with Mac is 45 minutes away). At least I have some regular use of my Mac. I do value that. I have been trying to drum up interest in sailing amongst my grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and church kids, and have had some luck getting them out in the boats. Do your great grand children have any interest in boating? If you ever bring them to Disney here in Orlando, save a day, and we'll try to get you out in American Spirit. Hang in there.

[Seapup]

As my wife and I talked she shared with me that she enjoyed motoring on the Mac but not sailing. Her diminished participation in sailing with the Mac had to do with its “tenderness” going to weather. After much discussion, she decided she wanted to have more participation in sailing rather than just going along to be with me, even began to get excited about wanting to single hand one of our 8-10 ft. dinghies. I, in turn, agreed to use more reefing to keep the Mac sailing at less than 15-degree heel going to weather while she works on the anxiety issue. She is a retired psychologist, so I know she will do well with that, if I work with her on it. So, in that context we set sail last Monday on American Spirit for the first time since the hurricane. We had a great sail---10 knots with gusts to 14 with reefed main and jib. So we are “steady as you go” for now, but will be having talks over the winter about the future of our Mac next spring. My thinking in starting this thread is to share our thinking as we re-evaluate our Mac ownership in light of aging and changing needs. I would appreciate others’ thoughts and ideas around these issues, too. I will be “out of pocket” for a few days while I attend my 50th college reunion, but look forward to some dialogue next week.

While not there I can see what you are saying. If the extended voyage capabilities of an X are not utilized there are many other solutions that could be more enjoyable, and that's what is all about.

If you decide to stay with a small cabin sailboat the West Wight Potters have a lot going for them. It seems like the owners community is about 99% retired folks, for good reasons. Setup & trailering is no comparison. They are flat bottomed and heel less than 10 deg unless you are really pushing them. Some of the retirees actually put sunfish rigs on the 15 potter to really simplify things. I loved my WWP19 and could see going back to it if I did not want to keep a slip.

[bobflshmn]

Herschel, my wife and I are just into our 50s, but I do understand. My wife has the same anxiety issues with the heeling of our Mac D. Usually after a few hours she settles in to around 10 degrees which is a bit less than the 15 to 25 it loves to cruse at. For this reason we are looking at other makes, but are also considering an X or M hoping the extra weight might make it heel a bit less. Might be completely wrong there! A Seaward 25 or 26 is also in our bag of options, we have a friend who has one and it is much more stable than our Mac, but comes with a hefty price tag. My wife does; however, enjoy spending time on the boat just sitting at the dock. She says it is the only time she sees me relax! My job can be a bit stressful at times.

The other option we are considering is a large cat or fixed keel for stability in the 30 to 36 ft range. The nice thing is it would stay rigged, and be ready to sail! Also older Catalina 30s are cheep on the west coast. The bad is maintenance would suck, and we would then have no option but to slip or moor. I enjoy being able to trailer to a new location to sail, plus storing it at the house means I get to tinker with it when I want. In Ca we don't worry about hurricanes, and earth quakes on the water are not felt! Beyond setting it up for the weekend there is really not much else to it for us.

Good luck with your decision.

[Bilgemaster]

I started looking online at websites for the 14-17 ft. Com-Pac catboats, the Hobie sailing kayaks, and, (here it goes folks…pontoon boats). All of these alternatives were starting to look good to me.

As it happens, my "Foundling" sailboat is a 1993 Com-Pac 16, which I actually got for a buck. It had been mouldering utterly neglected for about a decade in the same state park boat lot I keep my 26X in. Such a pretty "salty" looking little gem, even under all the grime and weeds, that I felt compelled to track down the owner from her expired reg number, and he was kind enough to pretty much just give her to me, nice galvanized trailer and all...even came with a fairly bullet-proof little 2.5 hp Tohatsu 2-stroker tricked out to 3.5 hp (an easy mod). So far, I've just cleaned her up quite a bit, slapped on a fresh coat of bottom paint and have been letting her just dry out, after having spent quite a bit with her companionway hatch missing and being wide open to all sorts of weather for who knows how long. To be honest, I am rather perversely looking forward to the end of this sailing season and a hopefully mild winter to resume bringing this pretty old girl back to life.

Thing is, if still reasonably spry, two could rather pleasantly overnight in the cabin of a Com-Pac 16, or for even much longer if you're of a rather "Spartan" bent, as Bob Burgess' Handbook of Trailer Sailing illustrates extremely well in his highly enjoyable book, which is absolutely stuffed to the gunwales with clever and useful tips for trailer-sailing. With a Com-Pac 16 think: "floating pup tent." A similar West Wight Potter, fine solid sailers as they're reputed to be (though I personally find their "look" somehow reminiscent of those dumpy-lumpy old AMC cars from the '70s that just made one think, "BLURGH! Was that designed by a committee from the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind or something?"). The West Wights just doesn't have those long comfy berths running the length of the hull. Stepping up to a Com-Pac 19 or an even longer Eclipse might get you a bit more headroom and comfort, but then it's sort of an "in for a penny--in for a pound" situation, as in, Why not just get a 26X or M? It couldn't be that much harder to get onto the trailer...maybe even easier. Now that I've had a bit of practice at it, I manage to get my 26X onto its wheels single-handed with little or no fuss or drama now, though I've admittedly got an almost perfect boat ramp setup for this at the park.

One good thing about having a Com-Pac is that its free Com-Pac Yacht Owners Association forum is really good-natured and very very helpful. In fact, when you get right down to it, it's rather comparable to this one, so you'd be soon feel right at home. Trust me, not all sailing or boating groups are so pleasant or helpful. In fact, some resemble Tourette Syndrome support groups.

I have often read of "oldster cruisers" who still want to bob around out there in the drink, but for whom sailing has simply become a bit too strenuous or difficult, trading in their sailboats for "trawlers" of some sort or another. In fact, I have heard of this often enough that I'd come to simply accept it as the just the way things normally go. What with you right down there in the "used boat center of the galaxy" of Florida, and your mentioning how your Admiral prefers motoring anyhow, maybe you could keep a weather eye out for a nice comfy solid trawler looking for a new owner. Some of them even have a sail or three to play with if the mood hits.

[Curious Sailor]

Glad most of us escaped the storm ok, especially here in Florida!
Even though the storm stayed offshore, I still thought my little venture 22 was going to fly away!


http://curioussailor.blogspot.com

[Herschel]

Glad most of us escaped the storm ok, especially here in Florida!
Even though the storm stayed offshore, I still thought my little venture 22 was going to fly away!


http://curioussailor.blogspot.com

I thoroughly enjoyed your blog about Matthew. I think you captured the stress associated with just preparing for the unknowns associated with a hurricane threat. Having gone through the hurricanes of 2004 and dealt with a few threatened hurricanes in the interim, I have found, for me, that a huge part of the challenge is trying to decide how much preparation to gear up for. If you try to pull out all the stops for every threatened storm it becomes oppressive; if you pay fast and loose, you really do run unacceptable risks. I do think your augers were the exact method of securing your boat, however, kudos to you.

[Herschel]

Bilgemaster wrote:
"Thing is, if still reasonably spry, two could rather pleasantly overnight in the cabin of a Com-Pac 16, or for even much longer if you're of a rather "Spartan" bent, as Bob Burgess' Handbook of Trailer Sailing illustrates extremely well in his highly enjoyable book, which is absolutely stuffed to the gunwales with clever and useful tips for trailer-sailing. With a Com-Pac 16 think: 'floating pup tent.' "

I like the appearance and the apparent ease of rigging of the Com-Pac catboats; I have been curious for a long time what it is like to sail a true catboat (as opposed to single sail lateen rig), but the advantage of a sloop like the Com-Pac 16 which allows heaving to and roller furling the jib for a quick reduction in sail area is very attractive. I wonder if you or anyone on this forum has experience with catboats, and reefing them in strong winds underway. If so, I would like to hear about it.

[Ixneigh]

My intended use is different then most on this forum but I will say If I didn't actually cruise and live on the boat for much of the year the most I'd have is a dinghy. I would not put the mast up and down just for a weekend of sailing. Yes I'm just that lazy. My intent is to downsize my life until I can cruise all year. Making a living is still problematical. I picked the Mac since it's cheap fairly durable and easy ish to repair.
The sailing leaves a bit to be desired but it's good enough. I'm now at the wonderful point of having had the boat long enough to be used to it so that climbing aboard after four months still feels like I just left yesterday. My intent was a boat I could have through my sixties and seventies until I just couldn't do it any longer. I've tried to make the boat as easy to use as possible. With the exception of the Hank on jib. (Performance) but the boat sails ok with just the main, too. I hire someone to help me launch the boat. I'll pay whatever the going rate is and it helps a lot. They drop me and the boat off, and return the trailer to my house. They come and back the trailer down the ramp and I drive the boat on and that's that.

Our preferred angle of heel is 15 degrees. I'll go out on a limb here. You don't need to exceed that. If it's windy and you need to get some place then motor. And motor in sheltered water. Or loose some sail. I've sailed around our little bay here with a double reefed main and nothing else, snug dry and comfortable, in quite blustery weather. I've found that women don't like heeling that much and if I was lucky enough to have one that wanted to go out sailing I wouldn't subject her needlessly to it.
Ix

[Herschel]

Ixneigh remarked:

I've found that women don't like heeling that much and if I was lucky enough to have one that wanted to go out sailing I wouldn't subject her needlessly to it.

Max kudos from a retired marriage and family therapist! But seriously, your practice of paying for help with launching and recovery is novel, but apropos for us seniors. I'll have to give that more thought. Thanks. I did have my second sail since Matthew today, and I have to admit, I think some of my angst is fading. It felt more normal today. I definitely had one of those "I love my boat" moments.