Our new truck is ready to start hauling One reason we purchased our Columbia T26 sailboat is for the T in its name – meaning it's Trailerable. However, we had no way to take advantage of this feature, since we haven't owned a vehicle in 5 years. As of mid-August, that changed when we purchased a Ford F250 truck capable of hauling Orion Jr and much more (since it is a ¾ ton diesel). We took it on a road trip north to visit David's family and took our 2 older grandsons with us to try it out.
Keep on Truckin'
We knew we eventually wanted to buy a truck, but had assumed we'd wait until Orion sold. In anticipation, Dave started researching the market for the type of truck we would want. It needed to be able to tow Orion Jr with ease, but should also be able to tow a fifth wheel or trailer that we plan to purchase in the future, which would be heavier. For this reason, Dave wanted at least a ¾ ton truck and he wanted a diesel engine. Diesels are great for towing with minimal strain. The trade-off is the potentially higher cost of driving it when it's not towing. We stopped by dealerships to look at their used trucks whenever we took a road trip somewhere, just browsing and not seriously planning to purchase anything this soon. And initially, we weren't seeing many trucks that fit the profile. However, Dave stumbled across a truck right here in Hampton that piqued his interest. It was a ¾ ton diesel, relatively low mileage for a diesel engine, and the price was very attractive. After a test drive, it took a week of dialog between Dave and the dealership before we went back to take a 2nd look. (The salesman actually came to pick us up.) Needless to say, we left with the truck.
The truck now gives us some more freedom, but like every major purchase, more to do. Dave's been having all of its systems checked out and working to , understand the maintenance required for an automotive diesel engine. There are big differences from Orion's small 27hp version. For instance, it takes almost 4 gallons of oil for the truck vs. Orion's tiny 3 quarts. But now, we don't have to wonder how we'll get to Florida. We will have to plan where to keep the truck while we're cruising. And in the spring, it looks like Jr will be coming back to Virginia with us.
Keep on Truckin'
We knew we eventually wanted to buy a truck, but had assumed we'd wait until Orion sold. In anticipation, Dave started researching the market for the type of truck we would want. It needed to be able to tow Orion Jr with ease, but should also be able to tow a fifth wheel or trailer that we plan to purchase in the future, which would be heavier. For this reason, Dave wanted at least a ¾ ton truck and he wanted a diesel engine. Diesels are great for towing with minimal strain. The trade-off is the potentially higher cost of driving it when it's not towing. We stopped by dealerships to look at their used trucks whenever we took a road trip somewhere, just browsing and not seriously planning to purchase anything this soon. And initially, we weren't seeing many trucks that fit the profile. However, Dave stumbled across a truck right here in Hampton that piqued his interest. It was a ¾ ton diesel, relatively low mileage for a diesel engine, and the price was very attractive. After a test drive, it took a week of dialog between Dave and the dealership before we went back to take a 2nd look. (The salesman actually came to pick us up.) Needless to say, we left with the truck.
The truck now gives us some more freedom, but like every major purchase, more to do. Dave's been having all of its systems checked out and working to , understand the maintenance required for an automotive diesel engine. There are big differences from Orion's small 27hp version. For instance, it takes almost 4 gallons of oil for the truck vs. Orion's tiny 3 quarts. But now, we don't have to wonder how we'll get to Florida. We will have to plan where to keep the truck while we're cruising. And in the spring, it looks like Jr will be coming back to Virginia with us.
Steve's new stackpack Sew What?
Cathy has continued to expand her sewing projects, the most ambitious of which was a stackpack for Steve's boat, Bay Dreamer. Other than size, there were some other differences from the stackpack she made for Orion Jr. Steve has a loose-footed mainsail, so we put webbing strips under the sail, instead of the zipper. Also, we were concerned with the difficulty of repairing or re-stitching the webbing attachment points for the lazy jack lines that we use on Jr, so we opted for a different design, which had gaps in the batten pocket to allow the lazy jacks to attach to webbing loops slid directly around the PVC poles. Then there were the unintentional design differences – like when Cathy transformed the 12ft 6” boom length measurement into 126”. Ooops. Good thing Steve and Dave took off to race Bay Dreamer in the Cape Charles race. It gave Cathy time to e-x-t-e-n-d the length a little. Oh, and since the race caused a rip in the main sail, she had a little more time to get the finished product done, while it was being repaired.. Ooops again.
Cathy has continued to expand her sewing projects, the most ambitious of which was a stackpack for Steve's boat, Bay Dreamer. Other than size, there were some other differences from the stackpack she made for Orion Jr. Steve has a loose-footed mainsail, so we put webbing strips under the sail, instead of the zipper. Also, we were concerned with the difficulty of repairing or re-stitching the webbing attachment points for the lazy jack lines that we use on Jr, so we opted for a different design, which had gaps in the batten pocket to allow the lazy jacks to attach to webbing loops slid directly around the PVC poles. Then there were the unintentional design differences – like when Cathy transformed the 12ft 6” boom length measurement into 126”. Ooops. Good thing Steve and Dave took off to race Bay Dreamer in the Cape Charles race. It gave Cathy time to e-x-t-e-n-d the length a little. Oh, and since the race caused a rip in the main sail, she had a little more time to get the finished product done, while it was being repaired.. Ooops again.
Webbing loops attach the lazy jacks to the stackpack batten (PVC pipe) Once the main sail was back on and the stackpack finished, Dave and Steve repositioned Bay Dreamer's lazy jacks to better hold the stack pack and contain the sail. Steve now can raise and lower the sail with much less work and can singlehand the boat much easier.
Webbing loops with twist fasteners support the mainsail on the boom.
Friends and Family
Once the truck came home with us, we didn't waste any time putting it to good use. The very next day, we headed up to Busch Gardens to meet Bonnie, Troy and Taylor for the day. But we wanted to really put it through it's paces, so the next trip was a 1500 mile journey to Richmond, Bethlehem, Rochester (NY) and back, visiting Dave's family with Droz and Jayden giving us company along the way. Cathy is really good at playing battleship now.
Once the truck came home with us, we didn't waste any time putting it to good use. The very next day, we headed up to Busch Gardens to meet Bonnie, Troy and Taylor for the day. But we wanted to really put it through it's paces, so the next trip was a 1500 mile journey to Richmond, Bethlehem, Rochester (NY) and back, visiting Dave's family with Droz and Jayden giving us company along the way. Cathy is really good at playing battleship now.
A week after our return, the Hampton's Bay Days festival took over downtown on an absolutely gorgeous weekend. For the first time, we volunteered at the festival, spending 3 hours taking surveys of festival-goers. It was fun, but exhausting. The picnic and fireworks Saturday night were a great time, as always. As the summer weather starts to slip away, we'll be looking for time to take Orion out on a trip up the bay and dust off her sails and that new engine.
