SO WHAT DID YOU DO WITH OR ON YOUR C-DORY TODAY??

I put my boat into Lake Ontario five times this past weekend. Launching from Golden Hill State Park (between Rochester and Buffalo, NY), I had the entire ramp to myself and saw only one other boat the entire time. The water was calm to very calm.

This morning, I launched just before 6 am...and watched the sun rise as I sat in the cockpit enjoying my first cup of coffee. It was a gorgeous morning, though a bit cold (the windows were iced over!).

Unfortunately, at 7:30 am my wife and I had to head home from our cottage and go to work! En route, we crossed over the Erie Canal, and were delighted to see that it has been refilled for the season.
 
A couple months ago I relocated my batteries in my 16 under the passenger seat. This made them all but unaccessible for checking the water levels. Some years ago I had a motorhome with a similiar problem. To solve it I ordered a kit from Camper World that replaces your stock battery caps with ones that have a plastic tube that goes to them from a squeeze ball. The squeeze ball goes to a bottle of distilled water. The new battery caps have floats in them that prevent the water level from being to high but allow you with a squeeze of the bulb to add water from the bottle. I installed this in my 16 and it seems to work great to keep my water level up without having to remove the batteries to check them. The kit is about $40 bucks but it sure makes life easy.
 
Hi Folks,

This was really the last few days.

I launched my C-Dory last tuesday in Hingham Harbor. On wednesday, I took a spin out to Fort Warren in Boston Harbor, and learned how to tie a boat stern to, and get off over the engine. Did a little exploring. I then took the boat to the Back River, sandwiched between two parks, one in Weymouth and one in Hingham. The Hingham Park is an old Ammunition Depot left over from the Second World War, and the are a few piers left. I anchored, did some odd jobs, read the paper, had lunch and took a nap. I called a friend up in New Hampshire and described to him what Heaven was like.

The next day I took a friend and went back to the Back River.

The season has started, but there were few boats on the water and at the moorings.

This is going to be a god year for boating, starting with the trip to the Connecticut River in June, then to Nantucket and using the boat as a OPFAX for the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Thank you.

Fred
 
Today...........I pulled the HIGH TIDE out of it's winter parking spot, uncovered it, washed it up, fired up both engines, checked the electronics, put beer in the cooler and put the fishing rods back aboard.
Summer is finally here in the north, the C-Dory is ready to go fishing and life is good once again.

I also worked over my ground tackle. New galv. shackles and swivels with new safety wires. Also marked my 600' line every 100' by whipping it with fishing twine and spraying it fluor. red at each 100' mark
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Pulling the anchor in the Cook inlet at 6 knots current can be a dangerous proposition and accounts for most of the drownings here. Any help you can make for yourself makes the task that much safer. Usually the cause is getting the line in the prop which swings the boat around backward into the current and pulls it under. Not pretty in 39 F water.

Everyone have a safe summer, catch lots of fish and enjoy life in your CD.

Jack
 
Jack in Alaska":3tkl4k6k said:
Pulling the anchor in the Cook inlet at 6 knots current can be a dangerous proposition and accounts for most of the drownings here. Any help you can make for yourself makes the task that much safer. Usually the cause is getting the line in the prop which swings the boat around backward into the current and pulls it under. Not pretty in 39 F water.

Jack
Click to expand...

Everyone uses a very good windlass for this task, right?

Joe.
 
Jack-

I forgot about the slip ring and buoy trick!

We haven't discussed it for awhile, I guess.

I've never used it, since our lake has a lot of narrow coves.

I sounds like a simple way to get the anchor up using the power of the boat, then retrieving the line by hand--providing, of course, you can keep it out of the prop!

Nonetheless, it would be pretty dangerous in crowded waters with strong currents and a lot of other boats around, especially if they're anchored too!

Take Care!

Joe.
 
Smallest boat in the bay - had fun ploughing through the seas off the northeast side of Orcas Island. Lots of sun but still a bit of a chill in the air.
fossilbay.sized.jpg

Sucia Island - Fossil Bay
Cheers,
Tom
 
Completed re-installing the fuel tanks. Removed the tanks to clean out after some bad gas. Installed some dry-deck for the tanks to set on, cut viewing slots in the forward covers and re-installed the tanks. The tanks were marked at 5 gallon increments as I filled them.
Pictures can be viewed here
 
The marine weather report for Monday and Tuesday of this week indicated 5-10 winds and 1-2 seas. A good time to travel to Port Townsend from Squalicum Harbor. As we were leaving Bellingham we encountered a 25 Ranger Tug. Couldn't seem to make contact with them on the VHF so don't have a clue as to who was cruising around up here Monday morning in the early am. Burgundy color. Really looked nice!

After cruising Anacortes we arrived in Port Townsend about 1 pm. Stayed overnight at the marina. Left early this morning and went via Deception Pass (a good trip through this time!). Cornet Bay was a mess with debris.

In two days the only C-Dory we'd seen was Lane's C-Dory SUNFISH at Port Townsend but that was about to change after we'd left LaConner and were just east of Anacortes. We could see a C-Dory coming our way. It was Merv and Kathy (KINGFISHER). What a nice surprise to meet up with C-Dory friends when least expected.

Just two wonderful days (warm and calm) spent on R-Matey.

Ruth and Joe
R-Matey
 
Nothing on the boat, but I have been waxing and polishing the motorhome.
Dang, what a job--- I'm breaking it up in to a 3 day project. (after work)
Hope to get out on the water this weekend--- but--- the weather gurrus are calling for 5-7 foot combined seas with 20-25 knot winds. Think I may just have to do more motorhome time. :beer
 
What a perfect day! Dotty and I set out from Everett to Coupeville. Around Langeley we heard some traffic about a naval vessel coming down Admiralty Inlet heading for Everett. We turned around and went just off Clinton to watch the parade. Everything was beautiful, blue sky, calm water, seals, (sea lions?) all over the place, ferrys crossing, a container ship, two towed barges, a big Nordic tug, and the megayacht 'Jamal' . Eventually this beautiful silouette twin stacker came by. I have no idea what the heck it is,( destroyer, frigate, cruiser?) . We followed it in at a very respectful distance. We could see the superstructure with signal flags flying as we passed the base. No matter what your politics it can't help but give you a thrill. Stopped for $12 gas, tied up, headed for the buffet. Thought about the bumpersticker "I'd rather be here, now."
 
Fantastic day. Started from S. Pender at 0800Hrs. Gassed up at Poets Cove and took the scenic route over Waldron, Sucia, Cypress past Anacortes, Swinomish, stopped at La Conner for lunch and nearly dropped it off the trailer at Cornet Bay. Those darned electric winches don't hold at all and I had the trailer in too far so the bow was down too low to get the safety chain on. So Mr. smarty decided to pull foreward. Won't do that again !!

Had the company of Canadian Navy for a while out of Poets Cove and the benefit of a huge ebb tide. 21 Kts SOG at 4000 rpmwith a very overloaded boat. Virtually flat calm all the way.

Only one lonely C-Dory seen all the way when we met Ruth and Joe at the entrance to the Swinomish channel. Looks like we all decided to go home at the right time as we had 30 Kts + Westerlies later in the day !!

Will post some pictures of Lopez and th Gulf Islands later after i have caught up with the devil work stuff.

Ron and Ann, we got a new edition of the book for you and will send in thanks for the advice about the Gulf.

Merv & Kathy
 
Merv & Kathy,
Glad you had fine weather for your trip and hope you enjoyed some of the places we suggested. I like your choice of using a rental house as a base and exploring from there each day. I hope it worked well. I was a delight having dinner with you and Kathy at Lopez and we hope to catch up with you at one of the other functions. If anyone else is looking for suggestions on places to visit in the Gulf Islands or Vancouver don't hesitate to ask.
Ron
 
Getting Captain's Choice ready for the first dunking of the year (a little late but, hey, we moved in Feb.)

Both engines started right up after last year's layup and fogging, no problem but no cooling on the Stbd 45. Dropped the lower unit (much easier since I'd done it before and knew about the 5th bolt under the torque compensating Zinc) and found the impeller damaged with a piece lodged in the tube carrying water up to the engine from the pump. Replaced that and it worked fine.

Changed oil in both engines, spilled a little from the port one into my test tank and then, getting smart, made me a funnel from an old plastic oil container to use as one. Pulled the plug and it worked fine until it filled up and I realized I'd left the cap on the old container :cry :disgust :crook Yuk, what a mess....Oh well, it's ready to roll now except for the new bootstripe tape, which will be done in about an hour... Next comes Sally's Choice, the Gloucester Sailboat (also a 22) but I've got to jack it up and put the steel swing centerboard in it... Not an easy job.. :smilep

Charlie
 
Over a long weekend at the cottage, I got the CD-22 into L. Ontario five more times. That totals ten times during the past two weekends; total cruising ca. 100 miles.

I saw only two other boats the whole time. (There's no point in using the radar on L. Ontario, as one can see for 10 miles and there's nothing to see but water!)

On Saturday, the waves were in the 4-5' range: I ran a comfortable 10-12 mph facing them, and 17+ returning with them. On Tuesday, the chop was ca. 2': too much rocking to sit still, but comfortable motoring. The other times out, the water was quite calm.

I got a chance to practice coming in to dock with differing wind conditions and directions.

On one trip, I timed the process of retrieving the CD by myself. It took 15 minutes to walk from the dock to the parking lot for my truck and trailer, back down and load the boat, pull out of the ramp and ready the boat and trailer for towing, and drive to our cottage two miles from the ramp.

On Monday, putting the boat into the water, I busted my shin when I tried to step across too large a gap between the back bumper of my truck and the aluminum dock...and came up a little short. Ouch! (I don't intend to try that shortcut again.)
 
Went shrimping today
took Sensei out for the first time since the Bellingham gathering in August 06.
we had a good day and limmited all three of us. twas a successful day.
 
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