Hilton Head Island: GANNET is again GANNET; Moore 24 video

 A rainy day here in the Low Country with moisture steadily being pulled in off the ocean by distant Sally.  Our rain is light to moderate, unlike the deluge falling on Alabama and northwestern Florida.  I ate my morning uncooked oatmeal on the screened porch, enjoying the rain falling a few feet away.

Although you are going to have to wait for a photograph, GANNET is again GANNET.  Her boom, boom vang and mainsail are all in place.  The wires to the steaming light and masthead tricolor/anchor light reattached.  The deck scrubbed.  Halyards sorted out.  Interior organized and soon when I can bring to the condo two duffle bags of clothes will be even neater than usual.  Only the jib and jib furling line are not in place.  I had decided to do that today, even though I am leaving the little boat during the hurricane season, simply out of a desire for full completion.  Maybe it will get done tomorrow.  

I had considered going for a day sail sometime this week,  but have decided against it because my ankle might make docking hazardous.

Several of you have emailed of a video about Moore 24s that has recently appeared at Sailing Anarchy.  I thank you all and particularly Pat who was first.

https://youtu.be/ZmoxShnB0yY

Scot, the editor of Sailing Anarchy and whom I know personally, wanted to make a video of GANNET this last time I was in San Diego, but I moved too fast for him.

The boat in the video is the SC version with a wedge deckhouse.  These were built toward the end of production.  While the low deckhouse is not unattractive, I much prefer the original flush deck version.  I can’t image that the deckhouse adds much interior space and to my mind and eye it is a slight compromise in an uncompromising boat.  It is less expensive and often easier to modify yourself than your boat.  Accept the Moore 24 for what she is.  Embrace her and adapt yourself.  I have and I am 6’1” and old.

Hilton Head Island: GANNET and the behemoth 2

Little GANNET has again docked next to the biggest vessel in the marina.  This one is named FATHOM THIS and reportedly started life, seemingly about when I did, though I am in decidedly better shape even with a sprained ankle, as an excursion boat in New York City, which is the home port written on her rusty stern.

I am told that she belongs to a middle son of a large family who were featured on a television series called Alaskan Bush People, or something like that.  I had never before heard of it.  The boat’s engines do not work and it was towed to Hilton Head from I believe Charleston by a shrimp boat.  Mechanics have subsequently not been able to fix the engines.  The owner’s plan is to take it south to Florida and then across to the Bahamas where it will function as I know not what.  I do know that it will cost a fortune to restore it to a useable condition—I deliberately choose not to use ‘her’—and while not a business man cannot see how this can ever be a profitable venture or a good idea.

In the meantime it is big and heavy and in a serious storm may destroy the dock.  I hope that it is gone before such a storm arrives.

This morning I notified Boat US that GANNET is again in Hilton Head rather than San Diego.  GANNET has been insured by Boat US ever since I bought her and I know that rates for the same level of insurance vary widely from state to state.  California, usually an expensive place, is not for boat insurance.  Illinois is also low.  Florida the highest and South Carolina also high.  

My premium in San Diego was $161 per year.  When GANNET was at Hilton Head in 2018 the premium was about $650.  Today I was told it will be $850.  Hurricanes.

I went down to GANNET Saturday morning and restored order to the interior and partially on deck.  I moved a lot of stuff, including the Jordan Drogue, that had been in the dock box in San Diego, to the dock box here, and sorted out halyards and other deck lines.

I will bike down in a little while and attach the boom and likely the mainsail and scrub the deck.  The mainsail is only ‘likely’ because we drive to Charlotte Sunday and I will be leaving GANNET with more than a month of the hurricane season to go.  I don’t intend to bend on the jib.

Medical Bulletin 3.  My foot is almost normal size, at least when I first wake up in the morning, but the ankle is stiff puffy.  I thank those of you who have expressed sympathy and advised that similar injuries you have experienced have taken a long time to heal.  There is no doubt in my mind that old fools heal more slowly than young fools.  At least I do.  The great news is that I was just down testing if I can ride a bicycle.  I can.  No pain whatsoever.  Far better than walking.

Pedal on.

Hilton Head Island: ocean to ocean

 GANNET has made it.  She Torqeedoed into her slip at Skull Creek Marina a little after 11 AM this morning, having spent last night a mile away parked near the ball field.  Three friendly and competent young men from Marine Tech Travellifted her off Sandy’s truck, propped her up in the boat yard, and we raised the mast.  I include the ‘we’ because I was more than just an assistant this time.

Once the little boat was in the water—and Sandy affirmed that she is one of the smallest boats they have ever transported—I fit the Torqeedo.  One of the young men rode around to the slip with me while another walked to take our dock lines.  Being less than nimble these days, I am appreciative of the help.

GANNET is a total mess, inside worse than outside, but I can sort that out.  She’s here; and she’s again mine.

I thank Chris and Sandy of US Boathaulers and the guys at Marine Tech.  

Of course GANNET will be hauled from the water from time to time for antifouling and perhaps other maintenance, but she has had her last truck ride.  From now on she sails.

Hilton Head Island: underway

 The only gannet in Texas is on the move.  The screenshot is from 2 PM Eastern Daylight Time.

GANNET tells me that she has enjoyed returning to her once home state.  She  went over to Billy Bob’s, did some line dancing, drank some beer, ate some barbecue.  But she has become a sea bird and is happy to be heading for the ocean.  Unloading anticipated for Friday morning.

I thank Bob for noticing that I have again been quoted in the aid of commerce.  The business of America is business and I am proud to do my small part.  This in LATITUDE 38.

Hilton Head Island: love and hate

 9:30 PM.  I am sitting on the screened in part of our deck with a plastic of Plymouth gin at hand. I have already had enough to drink, but it has been a frustrating evening.

So lets deal with love first.

Several men worked today on our air conditioning,  There were thumps and screeches from the attic.  However they didn’t quite finish.  For the third or fourth day in a row it was said that they will be finished tomorrow.

The lack of air conditioning was not a problem today which was overcast and relatively comfortable with a high about 80.  

Carol and I had our morning coffee on the unscreened part of our deck, watching a Great Blue Heron seeking his own breakfast.  It was lovely.  

That the water is so close, that I have whatever I am doing only to glance up and see it is such a pleasure.  I am aware that that closeness may in a hurricane destroy this place and kill me.  I knowingly accept the trade off.

The marina office is a six or seven minute walk away.  Today I let Carol drive me to the parking lot about half way along and hobbled out and paid for GANNET’s slip for a year in advance.  This saves almost six hundred dollars a year and makes her slip here that much cheaper than it was in San Diego.  At the office I saw Fred, the former dock master, Marc, the office manager, and Ben, the current dockmaster.  There has been a change in ownership of this marina since I sailed away in January of last year, but the people here are the same and really nice.

This evening Carol made the maiden voyage on the kitchen’ s induction stove.  I observed.

If you have been here a while you know i am not technology adverse.  I am in fact often the world’s oldest early adapter, as I am with OpenWind.  I am willing to take a calculated chance and leap into the unknown  However as some of you know an induction stove doesn’t remotely look like a stove. It is a touch screen and as I observed it works.

Carol made us a one pan Greek gyro dinner that was very good.  

I learned enough so I can boil water, which is all I ever want to do.

From time to time today I checked with disappointment the Yellowbrick tracking page.  GANNET remained in the big rig parking lot near Weatherford, Texas.

Positions are updated GMT which with the East Coast being on summer time is 2 am/pm and 8 am/pm here.  I accepted the lack of motion until 8 pm this evening.  The last I was told was that GANNET would be here tomorrow afternoon.  The parking lot west of Weatherford, Texas, is 1120 miles from Hilton Head Island.  Now I am going to say something really vain, but perhaps excusable because it is quantifiable.  I don’t expect anyone to function as I do.  How many people do you know who do what they say they will when they say they will?  Much less do so while doing things no one else ever has.  So I try to make realistic expectations.  But when I saw GANNET still in the parking lot west of Weatherford, Texas at 7 pm tonight I became expletive deleted angry.  She was 1120 miles from where I was told she would be tomorrow afternoon.

I made a phone call to Chris, the owner of US Hauling and got an answering machine.  I said what is happening?  You told me the boat would be here tomorrow.  If not, why not?

A few minutes later I sent an email saying the same thing and saying I would rather have a response by email than phone.

I received one not long later.

Sandy's truck had a problem this morning. He left at 5 am to travel east. But had to turn back. Its good he turned around because we found he had a bad injector dumping fuel into the oil pan which could have caused the trucktch fire. They worked on the truck all day and already have the motor going back together. He should be on the road in the morning and will be arriving Thursday night latest. If his truck is not complete by 11 am tomorrow, I plan on connecting to the trailer myself and finishing the trip personally. The boat will be in SC for unloading no later that Friday AM garenteed. 

I replied:

I understand from my voyages that things happen beyond one’s control. It might have been better to have kept me up to date earlier. Another day or two doesn’t matter. I expect you can understand my frustration at not knowing what is happening. Just keep me informed. We do have to coordinate with Marine Tech at this end.

(This is automatically formatting in a weird way that I don’t want to deal with.  I just want you to know this is not my idea.)

The love is for Carol enjoying cooking on her new induction stove.  We gutted this place.  Only the shell is the same.  Everything single thing and surface inside is changed and all the changes are Carol’s.

The hate, and it is not too strong a word, is for me to be dependent on others.  I understand this.  It comes from my childhood,  I probably need to repeat what I have written before that of the almost eight billion homo sapiens on this planet I am the least deserving of sympathy.  As an aside I do get tired of having repeatedly to bridge the gap.  I long for the time that no workers are in this condo and I long for the time when GANNET is in her slip in Skull Creek Marina, mast up, and again solely mine.  I will have her hauled out of the water again from time to time to antifoul.   Use riggers and sailmakers again.  But I will never let her out of my control again as she is  now.  I truly hate it.

It is by the way really nice out here.

Hilton Head Island: last known address; Hard Times

 I am sitting in a camp chair under the ceiling fan in our bedroom.  The condo is probably 98% complete, give or take a percent, with one big exception.  The air conditioning system had to be replaced.  The work was supposed to have been finished last week.  It wasn’t.  A man is working today and hopefully it will be operational this afternoon.  I have been on boats without air conditioning in hotter places, but air conditioning would be nice.

Other than that what is left is mostly trim and detailing.  The place is empty and still has some construction materials scattered about, but it looks great.  All Carol’s choices and decisions were impeccable.  

We bought this condo in January 2018, never imagining it would take so long, so much money, and so much effort on Carol’s part.  This is her achievement, and I expect it to be my last land home.

The tide is coming in and covering the spartina just beyond our deck.  Were I on that deck I could reach out and almost touch Spanish Moss and Live Oak trees.  It is quiet and beautiful here.  GANNET’s soon to be home is visible through the trees.

My ankle is not so beautiful.  Better yesterday morning before I left for the airport, but ballooned again now.  That is not due to the flight, which was only an hour and a half, but to the 3 miles my Apple Watch tells me I walked yesterday, almost all in airports, and I promise I did not wander around.

I have mentioned in a past entry David whose apartment was destroyed in the recent explosion in Beirut, fortunately in his and his wife’s absence.

He has posted an entry online with devastating photographs about their return to their apartment which is worth reading for many reasons, among them that it puts our pandemic in perspective.  Or should.  

https://sailingantares.me/2020/09/05/washington-dc-after-a-short-stay-in-beirut/

I am not denying the pandemic’s health and economic consequences, but I recently read a book, POLAND 1939, about the start of WWII in Europe—it had already started in Asia with Japan’s invasion of China in 1937 or according to some historians with Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in 1931–in which it is stated that during WWII 20% of Poland’s population died.

At the moment the number of COVID 19 deaths in the US is reported as 189,000.  That is slightly less than .06 of one percent of the population.  I see daily “Oh, poor me” and “Oh what a terrible year” stories.  I believe that anyone who knows history would put this pandemic far down the list of hard times.

Evanston: dancing; against; OpenWind; self-knowledge; eye to eye

 If you zoom in on the Yellowbrick tracking page you can see GANNET dancing around a big rig parking lot just west of Weatherford, Texas.  I fly tomorrow morning to join Carol in Charlotte, NC, from where she will drive us to Hilton Head and I hope the finally completely renovated and completely delightful condo.

I sometimes claim to be ahead of the times, but in one way I most certainly am not.  Or rather I am in tune with one trend which goes against a much greater one.

Larry sent me a chart showing the ten U.S. states which have the highest percentage of people moving into them rather than out.  I thank him.  South Carolina is number 4.  I note that although there are cities of some size in some of these states all are basically rural.  I know that I am not an urban animal.  One of the advantages for me of Hilton Head Island over San Diego is that there are now too many people in San Diego.

In truth none of us are urban animals.  Our species evolved wandering around plains and savannas.  We are not designed to be living in ant hills with millions of others, yet that is by far the greater trend.  Only a few years ago the percentage of the world’s population living in urban areas first exceeded 50%.  It is currently 55% and is predicted to be 70% by 2050.  I am glad that I will not be one of them.

Matthias of OpenWind sent me an email.  He had read of my problems with the unit.  I had decided not to write to him until I learned how the unit is working when GANNET reaches Hilton Head.  There seemed no point in asking a unit that is working properly, which GANNET’s did after the mast was lowered, to be repaired.

Matthias told me that they have identified this random connection problem with some early units.  That it is intermittent and unpredictable made solving it more difficult, but he says they have with a firmware update, so I will ship the unit to OpenWind from Hilton Head.  

I have been and continue to be impressed with OpenWind support and hope the unit comes back gremlin free.  When it connects, it is excellent.  

From Sam in Australia came a section of an article from THE GUARDIAN.  It ends:

Humanity is divided into two:  on the one hand, those who are improvising their way through life, patching solutions together and putting our fires as they go, but deluding themselves otherwise;  and on the other, those doing exactly the same, except they know it.  It’s infinitely better to be the latter.

Thanks, Sam.

A few evenings ago I read in the STAYING ALIVE poetry anthology, a poem that continues to bring a smile, ‘Naked Vision’.

Eastward!

Evanston: Steve Earley—twice; homecoming; pointless; new medical bulletin

 Steve Earley has become an industry.  Everywhere you look, you find him.  I fully expect he is making appearances on daytime and late night talk shows, but I don’t watch them so can’t say for sure.

Above is a wonderful book he has produced of photographs of his cruising his 17’ Welsford Pathfinder, SPARTINA, on mid-east coast waters.  Steve was a professional news photographer, but I don’t think he was paid for many of these excellent and evocative images.  They and the book are a labor of love.  I know you need money, but not as much as most people think, and I believe it is better to do what you love whether you make any money at it or not.

Most, perhaps all these photographs have appeared on Steve’s website over the years.

http://logofspartina.blogspot.com/

I remember most of them.  Individually each is interesting and beautiful—one reminds me of a painting by Winslow Homer—collectively they capture the experience of open boat cruising better than anything else I know.

Unfortunately the book is not for sale.

Steve created it for his adult daughters, Taylor and Grace, who helped him built SPARTINA and often crewed on her.

The book is expensive to print.  I might even say obscenely so.  But if it could be produced in sufficient quantity, it would make a wonderful gift, including to oneself.

As if that were not enough, Steve and Curt Bowman are also featured in a fine article in the Oriental, NC, TOWNDOCK.

https://towndock.net/shippingnews/camping-in-the-creeks

Although I have known Steve for many years, I learned from the article that SPARTINA was the first Pathfinder to be built in the U.S. and Steve tells me probably the third in the world.

Steve’s had a pretty good week.  I wish him many more.

GANNET has come to a stop on the edge of Fort Worth, Texas, where I expect she will spend the Labor Day weekend.  She is halfway across the country and is due to start the second half next Tuesday.

I had almost forgotten that GANNET was once a Texas boat.

As far as I can determine, her first owner lived near San Francisco Bay and sailed her there for a year or two, before selling her to a Texan who towed her to Lake Texoma on the Texas/Oklahoma border about a hundred miles north of Fort Worth.  He eventually sold the little boat to a man who lived in Duluth, Minnesota, who later sold her to another resident of Duluth, who in 2011 sold her to me.  I freed GANNET from the land and lakes and she freed me.  I don’t know if she liked lakes.  I know she loves the open ocean.

I deleted from iNavX the waypoint at the entrance to the Mission Bay Channel.  I am now pointless.  No doubt many think I have been for a long time.

Public curiosity about my ankle is insatiable.  Unfortunately the news is not good.  

After improving each day until I could walk almost normally Tuesday morning, the ankle has been worse since the flight from San Diego, particularly when it stiffens up.  Getting out of bed in the morning is unpleasant.  I considered going to a walk-in clinic—for me hobble in—but they have changed their procedures because of the pandemic in quite reasonable ways, but with which I can’t comply unless I want to sit on the sidewalk until they text me.  I suppose I could put out a cup and see if I make any money.

Hobble on.

Evanston: Wikipedia and me; a new video; a night in New Mexico

 Several days ago Pat in Australia sent me an email part of which I have decided to post.  I thank him for permission to do so.

Its interesting to note that Webb Chiles does not have a Wikipedia page dedicated to him, although he does get a reference in a second hand fashion due to the Drascombe Lugger, Cape Horn, Cruising Maritime and Blue Water Medal. 

I wonder if he is too humble and does not wish to promote himself? No shame in that, it’s a strange thing accepting that  one has achieved or accomplished something special or notable takes it as a personal quest and finding the balance between that position and the other of self promotion that so many do so well on Youtube and Patreon is a balance act he has not tipped over. 

I note that he does not have a page on Patreon as many younger promoters do such as Sailing La Vagabonde who bough a million dollar Outremer catamaran on their earnings. 
https://www.patreon.com/

Perhaps he could mention this error on Wikiipedia in his blog and some other reader would see fit to start a page. Just a thought.

I responded:

Wikipedia does not permit people to write their own Wikipedia entry.  I suppose some do anyway and many are written by those who have a financial interest in promoting someone.  So there is no Webb Chiles page simply because no one has been interested enough to create and submit one.

I had never heard of Patreon until your mention.  Unlike probably most of those people, I actually am a writer who has been published and paid for almost fifty years and still occasionally am, and I have no need or desire to monetize my writing beyond that.

I have just uploaded a video, Goodbye to San Diego, that I shot on August 22

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-0o2leCmII

GANNET spent the night near Deming, New Mexico.   The next position is due in a couple of hours.  I am curious to see if she is again on her way.

I have changed the default on the Yellowbrick tracking page to ‘last 30 days’.

 

Evanston: east

 

So I have returned to what passes as the real world.  Ice in my gin and on my ankle.  Tennis and baseball on the television.  A solid internet connection which has enabled updates of dozens of apps and operating systems on iPhone, iPad, MacBook.  A vision of Carol looking truly fetching as I came through the door.  A dinner of fresh rather than freeze dry food:  grilled salmon, broccoli, a quarter of a sweet potato, with a bite size carrot cake for desert.  I am very glad to be here, but if this were all there were it would not be enough.

I also returned to find as shown on the above screen shot of the Yellowbrick tracking page that GANNET is in Arizona making 40 knots east.

My last evening on the little boat’s deck in California was odd.  Odd because I felt no loss or regret in leaving a place that is probably the most significant on land in my life.  Any world any of us knew forty years ago no longer exists.  Maybe even twenty years ago.  And San Diego is no longer mine.  I could no longer make the connections with my grandparent’s house, with the women, the places.  I looked across Quivira Basin and tried to visualize Webb Chiles rowing CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE away from the marina on the other side to begin the most audacious voyage I have ever attempted, or perhaps anyone ever has, in 1978, and I couldn’t.

So I watched birds. 

Only a hundred yards or so distance from GANNET’s former side-tie is a different bird world.  A Great Blue Heron frequents the dock below where we were in the boat yard.  An osprey stands every evening on a masthead, often so still for so long that I wonder if he is real until finally he moves his head or wing.  A hummingbird sought something from the tree just off our stern.  Two pelicans circle overhead.

I set the alarm for 6 AM this morning, but woke at 5 and got up.  Had my normal breakfast of grapefruit juice, coffee, uncooked oatmeal, trail mix, protein powder, powdered milk with the last of the fresh blueberries.

At 8 I heard someone outside the hull and stood in the companionway and found Sandy, the truck driver.  He had arrived the night before.  He climbed up the platform ladder and took some measurements.

The yard had scheduled GANNET to be loaded at 9 AM.  Both Sandy and I know that yard times are seldom real.

I needed to go to the airport at 9:30.  When Howard kindly  came then to take me, GANNET was due to be next in the travel lift.

Of all my years and all my time in San Diego, Susan and Howard have been my friends longest. I am fortunate in my friends.

The airport experience was not pleasant.

I pay for and go through the screening process for Global Entry which also gives me TSA Pre, but in many airports now TSA is not doing Pre.  They weren’t in San Diego today and the security area was disorganized and without social distancing.  And so was the seating area at the gate.  While although every other seat was blocked off and face masks are clearly required, a young woman across from me spent a half hour talking on her phone with her mask down and someone behind me repeatedly coughed, hopefully facing away from me and with face mask in place.

Once on the plane conditions improved thanks to Carol paying a little extra for an Exit Row window seat for me.  I had the entire row to myself with hardly anyone else ahead or behind me.

I was on the left side of the plane and as we took off I looked down on Harbor Island Marina, where I first met Susan and Howard when we lived aboard boats there in the early 1970s, they on a heavy about 46’ I think gaff rigged wood FAYTH; I first on the Ericson 35 EGREGIOUS, then the 37’ EGREGIOUS.  As the evening before when I tried to visualize leaving Quivira Basin in CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE, as we climbed I tried to visualize pushing away from the dock for my first attempt at Cape Horn from that marina in 1974 and on my successful one in 1975 and I couldn’t.

On the flight I watched the movie GLORY which is good and I have seen before and several short travel films, one about Hilton Head and the South Carolina coast.  It was interesting to see Hilton Head through tourist eyes.

Flying is not good for sprained ankles.  

I was decidedly better yesterday than Sunday and again better this morning than yesterday until I got on the plane where the ankle swelled and stiffened.

Want weight loss?  Live on GANNET.  I left Evanston 153.  I returned 151.5.  However I won’t be doing any push-ups or climbing stairs for a while unless I can do a push-up with only one foot in contact with the floor.  Maybe tomorrow I’ll try.