Sailboats racing downwind in Hampton Reach Cruisers will tell you that you never want to travel on a schedule. You’ll either find yourself traveling in weather that you wouldn’t normally choose, or you will be fretting on the dock about your inability to leave. We found ourselves in that position as we made our way back from Cape Charles and again after the Pirate Festival as we tried to decide how to take Orion Jr out some more before we hauled her out for the return trip to Florida. Ultimately, she was hauled without our making another trip. Too much wind from the wrong direction conspired with our schedule to make further sailing unappealing. So, we hauled her out and made plans to return to Jacksonville.
Dave keeps close watch as Orion Jr comes out of thewater High and Dry
As the tug and barge powered up the small creek past our haulout slip, Cathy breathed a sigh of relief that Orion Jr’s short trip this morning was completed just before this massive vessel motored by. Turning her attention to the final details, she grabbed a few items and stowed our lines and fenders. You don’t need those on the trailer.
As the tug and barge powered up the small creek past our haulout slip, Cathy breathed a sigh of relief that Orion Jr’s short trip this morning was completed just before this massive vessel motored by. Turning her attention to the final details, she grabbed a few items and stowed our lines and fenders. You don’t need those on the trailer.
As Orion Jr settles into the trailer, the bands are pinned between the hull and trailer bunks A few minutes later, the boatyard workers at Sunset Boating Center were positioning the bands under the boat, careful to avoid the depth transducer and speed thru-hull. Once in place, they tied them together to prevent them from sliding off and raised her out of the water. Before she would be placed on the trailer, we had the bottom pressure-washed. Luckily we had no barnacles, but getting the thin coat of slime off would ensure she wouldn’t start to age (i.e. smell) badly over the next few days. Once cleaned, the forklift operator swung over the trailer, slowly lowering Jr onto the bunks, with a spotter careful to ensure she was centered and straight. But transferring the boat to the trailer using bands creates a problem. The bands get trapped between the boat and the trailer bunks. Luckily for this crew it was a small problem. They simply placed the forklift under Orion Jr, allowing them to lift her slightly and slide the bands out.
Steve's outboard stand made flushing the engine an easy task While it had taken a week to get Orion Jr ready to cruise, we stripped her down for hauling in only a couple of days. Steve stopped by to help lower the mast, and we made some changes – some intended and some not – in the way we secured the mast for travel. The furler had some serious bends in it from the way it was secured to the mast for the past 3 years. So, we made an effort to lay it as flat as possible against the mast this time. We had a difference of opinion in the moment concerning the positioning of the mast on the deck. Dave, standing at the bow, thought it was too far forward. Cathy, in the cockpit, wasn’t convinced. However, once all was secured, she had to admit, it was further forward than before. So, would the cover fit? That answer would have to come once we got it back to Jacksonville. In the meantime, once Orion Jr was on the trailer and back at Steve’s, we would continue to plow through the lockers and cupboards to ensure they were clean, thinned out, secured and recorded in our inventory. We shut down the refrigeration, emptied and sanitized the water system, gave away the excess fuel, and flushed the outboard with fresh water.
Pressure-washing stain at waterline Despite our short time in the water, we were dismayed to see that Orion Jr had acquired a stain along the water line from the stagnant water in our slip. Although pressure-washing had removed much of it, to completely take it off, Dave had to treat it with a stain remover and then wax the hull again, only a couple of months since we had done it in Jacksonville. Cathy worked her way around the upper deck, polishing the stainless steel and waxing the fiberglass. By the Saturday after we started prepping her, she was ready to move down the highway.
Captain Jack Sparrow and crew make their appearance at the Blackbeard Pirate Festival Blackbeard’s Last Stand
This was the 300th anniversary of Blackbeard’s capture, which was duly noted at this year’s Blackbeard Pirate Festival in Hampton. We met up with Adam, Droz and Trinity at the festival and spent the day together. Adam, dressed as Jack Sparrow was recruited to join the Pirate Parade and couldn’t move more than a few feet without being stopped by a someone wanting a picture. We ended the day a little early and retreated to the boat, docked nearby, followed by dinner at a nearby restaurant. Our timing couldn’t have been better, since the heavens opened up just after we made it inside.
This was the 300th anniversary of Blackbeard’s capture, which was duly noted at this year’s Blackbeard Pirate Festival in Hampton. We met up with Adam, Droz and Trinity at the festival and spent the day together. Adam, dressed as Jack Sparrow was recruited to join the Pirate Parade and couldn’t move more than a few feet without being stopped by a someone wanting a picture. We ended the day a little early and retreated to the boat, docked nearby, followed by dinner at a nearby restaurant. Our timing couldn’t have been better, since the heavens opened up just after we made it inside.
Woody and Chris There were several familiar faces on the docks during the festival – some we expected and some were very much a surprise. Steve and Sue were on their boat with a commanding view of the Pirate Battle. Steve even joined in with the Yacht Club’s loan of its small cannon. The noise certainly wasn’t small. We ran into Chris and Woody who used to have their trawler where Steve and Sue’s boat now sits, but before that, we all met on the dock at Joy’s. The biggest surprise was Bob and Sondra from Carpe Diem, Orion’s sister boat. They had made their way this far north from Marathon and were visiting with their daughter before continuing up to Maine for the summer. It was fortuitous for both of us, since we had some uniquely Beneteau 36cc items taking up room in Steve’s attic, and they could put them to good use. All in all, it was another great festival.
Heading South
It was going to be a slow trip south. Dave had learned quite a bit about our trailer tires after our 2 flats heading north. The trailer tires were rated only for a max speed of 62mph. Rather than push that limit, we opted to take the non-highway route through NC and SC. Even so, it was early on the second day that the tire pressure alarm sounded. The forward passenger side trailer was losing pressure rapidly. We were on a 2-lane road with a sign warning of a soft shoulder. Great. We stopped in the road while Dave walked the shoulder to ensure we wouldn’t sink in.
Once safely on the shoulder, we managed to assess the situation. The tire had blown its valve stem completely out. This tire had only traveled about 300 miles, since it was the original spare. Dave managed to find the valve stem with the tire pressure sensor a few yards behind us. Then we set about changing it. With a few boards under the rear tire, we lifted the flat tire, made the change and were on our way.
A short distance down the road, we pulled into a tire store to have the flat repaired. The repairman quickly replaced the valve stem and said the tire had not been damaged during the incident. After reviewing the other 4 tires, he assured us they looked in good shape. With that assurance, we moved on. There were no more incidents that day as we made our way to Hardeeville SC, just north of Georgia. With only 150 miles left, we decided to take I95 the rest of the way, pulling into Faith mid-day Wednesday, with no more tire issues. Reviewing the travel north and south, all of our flats occurred in NC. So, if we can just stay out of that state . . .
Nah. Don’t think so.
It was going to be a slow trip south. Dave had learned quite a bit about our trailer tires after our 2 flats heading north. The trailer tires were rated only for a max speed of 62mph. Rather than push that limit, we opted to take the non-highway route through NC and SC. Even so, it was early on the second day that the tire pressure alarm sounded. The forward passenger side trailer was losing pressure rapidly. We were on a 2-lane road with a sign warning of a soft shoulder. Great. We stopped in the road while Dave walked the shoulder to ensure we wouldn’t sink in.
Once safely on the shoulder, we managed to assess the situation. The tire had blown its valve stem completely out. This tire had only traveled about 300 miles, since it was the original spare. Dave managed to find the valve stem with the tire pressure sensor a few yards behind us. Then we set about changing it. With a few boards under the rear tire, we lifted the flat tire, made the change and were on our way.
A short distance down the road, we pulled into a tire store to have the flat repaired. The repairman quickly replaced the valve stem and said the tire had not been damaged during the incident. After reviewing the other 4 tires, he assured us they looked in good shape. With that assurance, we moved on. There were no more incidents that day as we made our way to Hardeeville SC, just north of Georgia. With only 150 miles left, we decided to take I95 the rest of the way, pulling into Faith mid-day Wednesday, with no more tire issues. Reviewing the travel north and south, all of our flats occurred in NC. So, if we can just stay out of that state . . .
Nah. Don’t think so.
Dave pulling weeds from around RV - they grow fast with all the rain The Switch
Before leaving Virginia, we both knew that whatever work required to be done on the boat should be done there. Working outside in Florida in June would be brutal. And we were right. It was. It is. After greeting Pastor Barry and Susan, we had a simple task to do the first day before parking the boat – switch the repaired tire for the spare we had mounted back in NC. We moved the boat to the shade and made the switch. And it wiped us out. Drenched in sweat, we spent the rest of the day re-hydrating and planning to do all of our work early in the morning from here on out. You see, when they say, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity”, they aren’t kidding. Also, every evening we found ourselves in hour-long torrential thunderstorms.
Over the next few days, we eked out the time in the early morning to switch supplies between the truck, RV and boat, set up the boat cover frame and finally, Monday morning roll the cover onto the boat. Despite the positioning of the mast, it fit fine. Phew! And that was a good thing, too, because the trip south had uncovered another leak. Sigh. Having placed the dinghy transom under the stairs, the water appeared to be coming in by the cockpit table supports, onto the transom and running into the port bench in the Main Saloon. Once we mopped all the water up (and there was a lot), we moved the transom out, taped up the table supports holes and the leak stopped. With the boat cover in place, this should not be an issue anyway.
Parting Shots
The Saturday after our arrival, we attended the 95th birthday for one of Faith’s faithful members, Henrietta. A good time was had by all.
Before leaving Virginia, we both knew that whatever work required to be done on the boat should be done there. Working outside in Florida in June would be brutal. And we were right. It was. It is. After greeting Pastor Barry and Susan, we had a simple task to do the first day before parking the boat – switch the repaired tire for the spare we had mounted back in NC. We moved the boat to the shade and made the switch. And it wiped us out. Drenched in sweat, we spent the rest of the day re-hydrating and planning to do all of our work early in the morning from here on out. You see, when they say, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity”, they aren’t kidding. Also, every evening we found ourselves in hour-long torrential thunderstorms.
Over the next few days, we eked out the time in the early morning to switch supplies between the truck, RV and boat, set up the boat cover frame and finally, Monday morning roll the cover onto the boat. Despite the positioning of the mast, it fit fine. Phew! And that was a good thing, too, because the trip south had uncovered another leak. Sigh. Having placed the dinghy transom under the stairs, the water appeared to be coming in by the cockpit table supports, onto the transom and running into the port bench in the Main Saloon. Once we mopped all the water up (and there was a lot), we moved the transom out, taped up the table supports holes and the leak stopped. With the boat cover in place, this should not be an issue anyway.
Parting Shots
The Saturday after our arrival, we attended the 95th birthday for one of Faith’s faithful members, Henrietta. A good time was had by all.
