The wife and I set out after church on Sunday to spend a night swinging on the hook at the local lake. The winds were pretty high (for us) but they were to abate somewhat so we hung out at the slip for awhile then headed out to sail a bit then find a nice cove for the night. With the winds and the Labor Day stinkboat parade the water was a mix-master. Even anchored back in a cove we got a good share of sloshing about. We finally move further back into the cove the lessons began (yes, this all happened on one trip):
1. When using a cheap halogen light for an anchor light, never pull it up to hang from the jib halyard. The wave action soon has it spun around the mast, main halyard, and stays. Dang. How will I get that undone in the dark?
2. When the main halyard is tangled with the jib halyard due to #1 never take it loose from the mainsail and pull. Now it's a real mess. No sailing now until we putt back to the dock with the aid of Mr. Johnson's 4 40 year old horses.
3. Remember back in coves there are underwater trees and snags. In the cool 50 degree morning one cannot pull up an entire tree with the anchor rope. It requires an upside down swim down the rope to fix it. Brrr.
4. Mr. Johnson's horses need fuel and when the tank gets low, it requires a tilt to keep the gas flow to the horses.
5. The trailer you stored at the marina to have ready to pull 'er out in the fall is never where you left it. The help shows you where it's at-in the bone yard.
6. Remember to put the box receiver hitch in the truck. You can't pull the trailer with out it. Good thing we only live 10 miles from the marina.
7. Old outboards tend to die an the most inopportune moments. Like motoring from the slip to the dock to put the boat on the trailer so the mast can be un-stepped to fix #1 and #2.
8. Starter ropes break on old outboards at the most inopportune moments.
9. Boats with no power move with the wind to the nearest shore when one gets frazzled and forgets to throw the anchor. It always has rocks.
10. Old outboards have a backup method to start using the broken rope on the flywheel. They will start after a few pulls (figured as ambient temperature x frustration level of the captain x length of the boat). But...old fuel line fittings on old outboards tend to break off.
11. While one is fussing with how to get the boat to the dock through the underground rocks, he finds out about the famous weak tiller connection on O'days when the swing rudder he forgot to pull up hits same rocks and snaps off the tiller.
12. Those rocks next to the shore are hard on shins while one walks the boat to the dock.
13. He finds that other sailors are very kind and helpful to get his boat out of the water, onto the boat, and the mast un-stepped. The even admit to having the same things happen rather than ridicule him.
14. Tires on trailers left at the marina tend to rot and fly apart on the way home. Thankfully the air stays in and he can limp it in since (see above) he's only 10 miles from home.
15. Be grateful for God's grace and the help of complete strangers. These are important lessons to learn because...
AS SOON AS I GET ALL THIS STUFF FIXED---WE'RE GOING BACK AND DO IT AGAIN!!!!
Cap'n Rocky of the good ship Lubberdink Twee.
