Marvelous waters to explore-thank you again for another very enjoyable video. We had around 14”’s of snow Monday night. Much of it has melted-about 8 inches left in most areas.. Your wetsuit reminded me a few things we lost overboard... Someone tried to get water in the bucket while sailing, and wasn’t prepared for the sudden heavy drag from the water moving past the hull. Then, someone went to dump coffee grounds and didn’t realize the percolator basket was not permanently attached to the tube. The third thing we found though... We were sailing out of Mackinac Island harbor and into the Straits, and at the same time as a super, mega, expensive vessel-it really was quite the personal yacht-having a separate crew etc..). Thier heading was parallel to ours about two hundred yards off the port. My wife, being a friendly sort, waved enthusiastically toward the lofty vessel. My sailing pride just gave a slight wave of recognition then pretended to be interested in my rigging. I glanced back at them and all eyes were on us....even a few oddly formed waves, or hand motions. I thought it odd that my little 23 Compac would draw such an enthusiastic focus. I looked around to quickly check for any other boats or passenger ferries, then discovered the reason we were worthy of such focus... Our dinghy had come untied and was happily dancing on the waves a half mile behind us.... It was first “thing” that I have ever tried to recover in rough water-definitely a learning experience. I hope you find a safe ladder to ease boarding. Our dinghy helps us on/off and I have had a few different types of years, but as I get older, the design needs to fit my fitness.. Thanks again!
Haha, sounds like you've had quite the adventure with things going overboard! It's always fun to hear about those unexpected moments at sea. Thanks for sharing your story! I enjoyed the read! My most memorable overboard losses were my 40 year old Akubra that went down in the Great Sandy Strait, and me personally that went overboard in the Black Sea off a 7000 tonne liner. she was tied up to the wharf at the time. I was recovered by a very strong south Korean guy ( my arms weren't working at the time)
So good. I’d like to do some longer trips. Most of what I’ve done has been testing and tweaking for a bigger trip some day soon. She’s an old bird. A bit unproven. But I’m gaining confidence in her. There’s a group of islands to our north east. Called the Furneaux group. Not Many people venture up that far into Bass Strait. A mate of mine who did a so circumnavigation reckons she would be up to it. He said he saw plenty of trailer sailers that went round the globe. Food for thought.
Thanks Chris, your videos are a welcome lunch break for me😊. I saw an easy solution on another video for getting back into Sarah Anne. Tie a loop of rope between the push pit and a side stanchion with the loop hanging below the water, low enough for you to step onto. Hold onto the gunwale step onto the rope and step up into the boat👍. Quick and easy😎.
Nice video, brings back memories of my childhood holidays at Cole's bay. Always remember Sarah Anne and Noel Mundy's boat up on the beach at the Fisheries.
Ah, the nostalgia! I'm glad my video could evoke those childhood memories for you. It's amazing how certain places and experiences stay with us, like Sarah Anne and Noel Mundy's boat on the beach. Up until quite recently, Penny would have one of Noel's dinghies on the beach every year.
Well done Chris, on getting Sarah Anne back to the bay. I bet she let out a great sign to be "home". One of my best tricks for catching CB flatties, bacon rine, stays on the hook well, and the fatty discharge makes it tempting... I agree that the fixed ladder didn't look quite right, maybe a portable folding one to be put over the side when swimming, or pull up the c- board and move colser to shore with a stern line out. With your experience I'm sure you have contemplated those and many more ideas..😊 great sailing, sail on...⛵
It certainly was a great feeling of achievement that I had when I struck out across the bay in Sarah Anne, knowing that that was the first time she’d been there in probably five decades. Back in the day we used to just use a piece of torn off White shopping bag on a hook. But that was back in the day. I am definitely inclined towards a rope ladder option and have been looking at lots of possibilities from building a wooden one through to purchasing a stainless telescopic one that sits up on the push pit, I don’t feel completely right about any of those solutions yet so it will come to me eventually. I bought an inflatable dinghy. She draws 2 feet, but the dinghy was too small so I bought an inflatable kayak, but the kayak is too long ha ha the GK are gonna do well out of this.
Regarding your boarding ladder, there are many options available that you can tie out of rope and attach to a cleat over the side or stern. They take up next to no room on a small sailboat. Something else I’ve noticed as you don’t have a furling headsail and have to go forward to pull it down, if you attach a small pulley near your headsail tack and run a small diameter line from the cockpit, up to the bow, through the pulley, up through your headsail hanks and tie it to the halyard. You can douse your headsail from the safety of the cockpit quickly. It’s called a “mouse line”. I love your video’s and if you ever find yourself up on the mainland please come sailing with the Raid Sydney crew. God bless, Nick.
Thanks for the useful suggestions. I’m still mulling over the mini options that are available to me, but I’m inclined towards a rope bladder solution that can be easily stowed and deployed in an emergency.
I skipped by you on the way from the Sunshine Coast Tasmania. But I’ve still got another little bite up there that I’ve gotta bring down. You might have seen her. She’s called Moonlight when I go up to get her. I’ll see if I can fit a little Cruse in around your area
Thanks for taking us along on another adventure! I like that you are able to feed yourself off the catch, really amazing! I'm in the middle of moving from an apartment to a house, and your videos give me a nice break. A trick I learned for boarding: Let the main sheet lay on the water, and cleated. Use the boom to hold it away from the beam a bit. Then use the sheet as a step. Takes a minute to figure out how much slack to leave in the sheet. I don't put my full weight on it, just enough to get my upper body up and over the gunwale. You should see how graceful I make it look heh heh Time to go outside to the shed and admire my Sea Pearl 21. It's dark. Will bring flashlight. Cheers!
Magic video mate, for your access to Sarah Ann, have you thought of an inflatable SUP that you can use to move around the area and explore, then tie up to her as an access platform (the beauty of this system is that when you are finished you can deflate it and stow it below - a win win situation - they are available anywhere and are a great compliment to this style of cruising ) - cheers mate.
In regards to the swim ladder, you could build one like mine from stainless steel, mine folds in the middle. At the top are two tangs that hang on to the toe rail of my ship, I imagine you could have one that hooked onto Sarah Ann's pushpit or possibly cockpit?
