Encounter at the boatyard, spring fever and other ramblings

[Valkyrie]

Good morning brats!

It's a cold and frosty Sunday morning here in northern Ohio and Marcia, my veterinary internist wife, is headed off to do MRI's on an Explorer full of dogs (a human facility lets her bring in dogs on Sundays when they are closed) and I'm sitting here with a cup of coffee, two Airedales sleeping at my feet and I'm feeling creative, so bear with me.

I had to take Valkyrie to a boatyard in Vermillion, OH last week to have a wiring problem scoped out. The wire from the battery charger went to an accessory switch rather than the charger-labeled switch and when I would throw the charger switch, the batteries got nada. The guys there were good, found the problem in a few hours and added a neat digital voltmeter with a toggle switch so I can check out battery condition and charging status.

When they called to let me know that the boat was done, they asked if some people could ask me questions about C-Dory's. No problem!

It was classic. We haven't had Valkyrie a year yet, but I know that you verterans out there know the drill. I like using those certain lines that get a good response, especially from those with big floating second homes that seldom leave the dock. Two couples fit that profile.

Line number one, "It gets on plane at about 10 knots." Both pairs executed the required response- synchronized head turning to spousal unit with look of amazement. Olympic quality timing for both.

Line number two, "Cruising at about 15 knots uses less than three gph." Excellent response: eyes open wide and synchronized jaw dropping to waist level. One guy's timing was off so he lost style points, but lower jaw to knee level got him extra points for effort.

Oh, yeah, they prompted the previous comment when one wife queried, "Where's the GPH meter?" You gotta love it.

I understand that at least twelve people stopped by to see the boat during the five days that it was there.

Do any of you cringe when you hear, "It's so cute"?

Spring Fever, I've got it bad. It seems like every minute of the last 2-3 weeks has been obsessing about the boat, Lake Erie walleye fishing, the East Coast Gathering in June and related issues.

I've been pouring through the Defender, West Marine and Boater's World catalogs, working out plans for a shelf under the galley and drawers under the helm seat, trying to select a new inflatable and anything else to stave off the shakes associated with Spring fever.

Yes, I even fire up the Wallas and have lunch in the boat in the driveway. I've even considered sleeping on it at night, but I think the neighbors are starting to talk, especially the old lady across the street with the binoculars.

[Valkyrie]

Part 2. I didn't know that there was a limit on number of words in a post, but I maxxed out part 1!

Anyhow, I know that some neighborhoods have the crazy old "cat lady". My neighbors must think of me as the "crazy newly-retired teacher with the cute little boat." Can any of you relate?

Anyhow, that's about it. It's time for another cup of coffee and the paper should be here by now. After that it's time for another coat of poylurethene on the refinish-the-hardwood-floors project and running the dogs in the woods.

Hope all of you are dealing with Spring Fever better than I am and No, I'm not on Prozac. But my wife has suggested---- never mind.

Best regards,

Nick
"Valkyrie"

[Pat Anderson]

Congrats, Nick - even I have never previously discovered there was a word limit for a single message! And I though I was the verbosity champ, but I gladly hand off that mantle to you!

Anyway, Spring Fever, yes, ahem, well - around here, that is not itching to go boating, because we can really do that pretty much year round. No, sir! Spring Fever, that is a beer from Snoqualmie Falls!



But your story is great, and so true!

[C-Hawk]

Thanks Nick,

Loved the reading. Great way to score the looky-lew compitition.

[JamesTXSD]

Spring fever is not a problem in the Tropical Tip of Texas... we were out on an overnight Friday and Saturday in our little sailboat (17 1/2 foot catboat). The wind was perfect on the way north - a great beam reach most of the way, then a downwind run the last few miles up a river. On the way back on Saturday, however, the wind was right on the nose, all the way. We motored 6.5 hours with that 4 hp motor, 2 hours of it into moderate chop (2.5' waves, closely spaced). Oh, how I longed for an enclosed cabin as each wave tossed spray over the cabin and into the cockpit. It was warm (upper 70s)... but WET.

We had dolphin escorts for almost 10 miles, birds galore, with the highlight a large line of Roseate Spoonbills, glowing pink in the morning light. A really good couple of days on the water.

Along the way, we talked about how we will use the C-Dory differently from our sailboats. How each option we ordered for the boat will work with our intended travels. Not spring fever in the sense you describe, but that longing for what lies ahead.

And people call C-Dorys cute? I've put up with that for the whole time we've owned our catboat... and then came to the realization that it's only the ladies who call it that. Yeah, I'm good with that.

Hope spring comes early for you, Nick, and you are able to get that great looking, manly, purposefully-built boat out on the water.

Best wishes,
Jim B.

[Sea Wolf]

Nick-

Hold on for the Spring Thaw.......unless, of course, you want to tow the boat to Florida instead of paying the money out for therapy.

You could always cover the boat in the driveway so that your curious and suspicious neighbors couldn't see what you're doing inside, but then you'd get a visit from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (or the like) for sure!

Another strategdy would be to have some fun with the old lady with the binoculars and stage some off the wall theatrics in the boat for her to digest. Just might get the same outcome as above, however.

The "cute boat" comments are bittersweet! We used to get them at yacht clubs when we raced dinghy sailboats. Nice, but kind of demeaning at the same time. I think there is or was even a C-Dory with the name "Cute-C".

For the time being, however, drop an extension cord out to the boat, turn on an electric heater and crank it up to 85, put on some beach attire (give the old lady a show while you're at it), crank up some tunes, and have a cool one while you plan out those projects. Can you get the Airdale's aboard, too?

Joe.

[El and Bill]

Nick --
A suggestion -- maybe next winter you trailer your boat south for the winter (or cruise her south down the rivers) and cruise along the Gulf or through the Keys during the cold months. Now, Marcia, might want to follow the lead of the "dental boat" we met in southeast Alaska a few years ago. The dentist had outfitted his boat with a dental chair and all the stuff he needed to do his practice, and every summer he cruises on a schedule to the outports of Southeast and does his dentistry. Marcia could load on equipment (if not too big) onto Valkyrie and care for all those cats and dogs that cruisers have aboard. You could write off all the expenses of the trip as business costs, Marcia could practice, and you could both have a great time along the coast!

We have a friend who is an excellent wood-worker and he cruised his boat picking up odd-jobs in marinas and paid for his travels en route.

Just a thought to ponder during the spring fever times.

[Casey]

Great Idea Bill, but someone's already doing the vet-thing!

We met him in Wrangell during the summer of 2004. Fellow had a rather large (40-45') aluminum commercial vessel that he'd outfitted as a floating veternarian clinic! He travels the Southeast throughout the summer months, taking care of all manner of pets throughout the region.

A neat way to combine his love of animals, love of boating, and profession in one neat little package (if you want to call a 40-45' boat "little")!

Casey
C-Dory Naknek

[Valkyrie]

Hi All!

Thanks for some great suggestions.

Patty: I get the title of Most Verbose? THANKS???

James TXSD: I'm jealous of your location. By the way, I love catboats. They're so---distinctive, I know, not cute. I like the look of the really substantial mast in the bow, a few acres of sail with reef points hanging down and a barndoor rudder. Never had one, but like their character. Before Valkyrie, we owned a Jeanneau Tonic 23. The transition was very easy for us, except we don't keep way on like we used to do and can't do 90 degree turns like you can with a fin keel.

Sea Wolf: Good plan for the show for the nosey neighbor. I think I'll order a few of those inflatable palm trees and duct tape them to the tall radar arch, string some tacky lights all over the boat and crank up some reggae or Jimmy Buffett and start pouring the Captain Morgan with lime and Diet Coke.

El and Bill: Great idea, but I doubt that we would have room for the Airedales, too, unless they come out with a Tomcat 555. Actually, I'm planning at least a month in the Keys and SW FL next year. Probably someime in late Feb-April time frame. Marcia will fly down for 2-3 weeks.


Hey, I'm feeling better already!

Nick
"Valkyrie"

[DaveS]

[El and Bill]

Nick --
As you know, dreaming is a great tonic ...

[Norm S]

Hey don't minimize the value of "cute". I started looking at C-dorys because of their reputation as a solid NW fishing boat. All those technical things that we guys look at like good rough water handling, low fuel burn etc. When we went to look at our boat it was the "cute factor" that pried the checkbook from my wifes' hand. It took her about a new york second to look at me and say "we are buying this boat today". By the same token she has been absolutely in love with the C-ranger 21 since she saw it at the boat show. I really never gave it a serious consideration till I read Les' post about how it handled rough conditions. Now I'm really thinking that that will be the next boat in our family. I'll still keep the 18 as "my" fishing boat but the little slow tug is looking better and better each day.
Norm

[SEA3PO]

Norm.... I have a tug as our second boat, and the way you handle the "slow" is by installing an autopilot.... normally I am working on the back deck, while I am in transit to my work so the time it takes to get to where I am going is not as bothersome. I use the time on the way home to clean gear and do my recordkeeping.
During the summer months we often take the tug out for wine and cheese cruises and there is always a long list of folks wanting rides...it is the civilized way to boat and enjoy cruising ....at a slower pace.

The other night I mentioned to my wife that maybe I would sell the tug as I did not use it much last year.... (I was off playing with the C-Dory)
She did not like that....said we should keep it for our old age...whatever that means...heck I thought I was already old...

Joel
SEA3PO

[Norm S]

Joel... Agree on the way to use and enjoy the slow. Last year shrimping on my buddys' tug (24' Alaskan trader) all our friends blasted out of the marina and headed for the other side of hood canal. We just putted along while I rigged and baited traps and enjoyed a cup of cofee. We arrived in plenty of time with our gear ready to go into the water. Also when the bell rang and shrimping was over everybody else zoomed back to the harbor. Again we just putted along, cleaned our shrimp and enjoyed a martini. Don't get me wrong it's nice to be able to go fast once in a while but I'm discovering that the journey is at least half the fun.
Norm

[Sawdust]

Norm S,

Sorry I missed you at EQ. Dang it, if I'd known you like a martini now and then I would have rushed down before you left. The "Divine One" sure looks good with that funny looking 2-stroke on the back! Good fishin', and keep those lines tight!!

Dusty