Taming the Jib

Going forward to handle the jib was a chore on the Mariner and no better on the Sanibel.  At my age, time spent figuring out how to avoid work is time well spent.

I had rigged a "jackline system" on Seanility to allow me to douse and release the jib from the cockpit.  It made single-handing much easier but there was room for improvement.  The least expensive roller furling system would cost me several hundred dollars that I wasn't prepared to spend.  I found plans online for a simple roller furler made from pvc piping that was simple and inexpensive. It was designed for use with a hanked on jib. 

The plan called for the use of 1/2" diameter schedule 40 pvc attached to a drum made from round, aluminum electrical box covers and sprinkler pipe extentions.   The 1/2" pvc might have worked if the furler wasn't subjected to the stresses of stepping and lowering the mast.  My second version used 3/4" schedule 40 pipe with the addition of slip joint connectors located at each point where a notch was cut for a jib hank to be attached to the headstay.   The headstay is threaded inside of the pipe.   

The resulting roller furler was both simple and inexpensive - costing less than $25 to build.  Better yet, it actually worked.

 

Outfitting Guppy

Now that I had two sailboats and one less than enthusiastic wife, I needed a plan.

But first, a note about my wife's enthusiasm for boating.  She has none. Ambivalence would be a step up.  She is not a water person.  Probably because she can't swim in water over her head.  But on the positive side, she has never tried to discourage my love of boating.  She just prefers that I do it without her as much as possible.

Back to the plan.

1. Sell Seanility for a fair price that would cover my investment
2. Outfit Guppy for cruising

I listed Seanility on Craigslist locally as well as in all of the locations that had a big O'Day Mariner following. I posted an ad on the Mariner Class Association website and the Yahoo Mariner group.

I covered her with a tarp and waited for the offers to come rolling in.

I decided to swap outboards on the two boats.  I had purchased a lightly used 2001 Mercury 4 stroke 4 hp engine for the Mariner and I liked how it ran. Quiet, smokeless and fuel efficient.  The 6 hp Yamaha that came on the Sanibel was a 2 stroke.  It started on the first pull but it needed a new impeller.

My friend, Don and I took her out to Lake Norman for her maiden voyage. It probably took us more than an hour to step her mast, launch her and  get the sails up.  Our wives joined us for a few hours and we had a pleasant sail in light winds, using the bright red drifter to move her along.

After the girls left, we beached Guppy on a small island, built a fire on the beach and spent the night aboard.  We had shared enough beers that sleep came easily.

On our return to the ramp the next morning, Guppy was slow and unresponsive, even under power.  When we pulled her out of the water, we discovered that we had taken on probably 30 gallons of water.

I posted a message on the Yahoo Sanibel forum and the consensus of option was that the centerboard pivot bolt was leaking.  I sealed it with 3M 5200 silicone adhesive and hoped for the best.  Then to be on the safe side, I installed an automatic bilge pump under the starboard quarter berth

I replaced the 12 volt battery and added a 120 volt weather-proof outlet in the cockpit that I hardwired to a power strip in the cabin.That permitted me to plug in a trickle charger for the battery and any other 120 volt appliance while at the dock.  I also added a cigarette lighter style 12 volt receptacle so I could charge my cell phone and GPS from the battery. A new porta-potti fit nicely under the companionway.

I installed a VHF marine radio to the compression post in the cabin and since I would never be far from shore,  I felt comfortable with mounting a 6 db 3' ss antenna on the stern rail.

The trailer got a new spare on a galvanized rim as well as new wheel bearings, a winch and lights.

Guppy was coming along nicely, but I hadn't had any serious inquiries about Seanility.

Building a Fleet

Remember my wife, June's rule about one boat at a time? Trouble was brewing.  Not only had I spent a year and a small fortune (by her accounting) restoring the O'Day Mariner, Seanility, now I wanted to buy a different boat.   

"Sell Seanility and then buy the other boat," she suggested firmly.

"It would take too long and I'm not going give it away.  Besides, the other boat's a deal and it's perfect.  It will cost me less than I'll get for Seanility if I have the time to find the right buyer,"  I said.

These discussions are important to a good marriage and the decision making process. You have to have this sharing of opinions before you can decide if you want it bad enough to go do what you want to do anyway.

I had invested a lot of time, energy and money into Seanility but she just didn't fit into the kind of sailing I wanted to do.  I'd figured out that cruising and gunkholing were more my style.  This new boat, a 1986 Sanibel 17, was just the ticket.  A foot shorter in overall length but higher freeboard and twice the volume - made for gunkholing.

One of the things that makes the Sanibel 17 unique is the centerboard trunk.  Unlike the Mariner's trunk that intrudes into both the cockpit and the cabin, the Sanibel's trunk is off-set and buried in the port quarter berth.      The cabin boasts a v-berth as well as port and starboard quarter bunks that lay under the raised cockpit.

The boat came with a galvanized trailer, a 1986 6 hp 2 stroke Yamaha, a bimini top, a working jib, a bright red drifter, a main sail, bow and stern rails and a ss boarding ladder.  The real bonus, however, was that I could easily step the mast without help by sliding the companionway hatch  forward and walking the mast right up to the tabernacle.

The deal was cinched when the owner agreed to sell me the Sanibel for $1800.  Nearly a thousand dollars less than I had invested in the Mariner.

With her short 17' 8" OAL and her high freeboard, the Sanibel looks like a pregnant guppy - so I dubbed her Guppy.

Exploring the Outer Banks

Now that the paint job on Seanility was complete, it was time to take her out and show her off.  In the nine years that June and I lived in North Carolina, we had never visited the Outer Banks.  It was time to change that.

We found a resort community in Manteo (pronounced Manny Oh) called Pirate's Cove that offered everything from 2 bedroom condos to 8 bedroom homes.  It was situated right on Roanoake Sound next to bridge  to Nag's Head.  We booked a nice little condo with a canal and a boat slip right behind it.  Better yet, our dog Buddy was welcome.

It was our first time dragging Seanilty any distance and my old '94 Chevy 4x4 truck wasn't trusted that far from home.  Luckily our daughter, Alison, generously offered the use of her Toyota 4runner for the trip.

We completed the 5 1/2 hour trip without incident, checked into the condo and then went to launch the boat.

Stepping the mast on the Mariner is a two person job.  Because the mast tabernacle is located about 5 feet foward of the cockpit,  I couldn't walk the mast up to a vertical position.  I had added 'mini stays' to limit the lateral movement of the mast.  June utilized the trailer winch, connected to the headstay, to raise the mast once I had the base positioned in the tabernacle and the mast resting at about a 30 degree elevation in the mast crutch.  This process is a bit dicey when you're first learning but gets easier with practice.

We day sailed around Roanoake Sound and explored the Outer Banks by car from Corolla to the North to Ocracoke Island to the South.  Kite surfers flocked to Rodanthe to take advantage of the protected shallow water that extended out hundreds of yards from the shore on sound side.

We fished on the beach at Pea Island and let Buddy run down the beach chasing the birds.  

We found Manteo to be a great little town with many nice shops and restaurants.  We also discovered a great place to stay the next time we come this way - Marshes Light is located adjacent to town and is connected by a boardwalk.  It has nicely furnished 3 bedroom condos and their own marina with dock space for each condo. Pirate's Cove was a nice place as well but it's isolated from town. 

If anyone ever tells you that if you've seen the Florida Keys, you don't need to see the Outer Banks, don't listen to them.  They have a unique charm that you don't want to miss. We'll be back soon and often.