We decided to spend our Summer Break at Santa Cruz Island aboard Juliet. This was our first multi-day trip and we were looking forward to getting some real cruising experience.
On Friday, June 28th, we left our slip at Channel Islands Landing at 9:00 AM and motor sailed to Santa Santa Cruz Island for a week long vacation. There was thick fog in the morning so we kept careful watch and used our radar and AIS as aids. We powered over at about 6.3 knots with the engine running at a comfortable 2,500 RPM. The wind picked up once we were in the shipping lanes so we unfurled the mainsail for a bit more speed, stability, and to make Juliet more visible.
There were only two other boats anchored at Little Scorpion anchorage when we arrived at 11:30 AM. We dropped our bow anchor behind and between the other two boats relatively close to the rocks in 24' of sand. We then used the dinghy to drop the stern anchor in about 40'.
To be continued....
Juliet
Monday, July 8, 2013
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
First cruise to Santa Cruz Island
This past weekend was our first opportunity to take Juliet to Santa Cruz Island. And what a GREAT weekend it was! This was an organized group cruise with Channel Islands Yacht Club, so we were accompanied by 7 other club boats. This was also the first time we've ever gone to Santa Cruz Island for only one night...something we couldn't really do with previous, slower boats. But Juliet - what a speed demon! While our previous boats could take anywhere from 3 1/2 to 5 hours to make the journey, Juliet powered over there in 2 1/2 hours! That makes it much more doable to head over there just for an overnighter, as we can leave early in the morning on Saturday, get there well before lunch time, and still have most of the day to either relax onboard, kayak around the anchorage, or even go ashore for a hike. And then we can sleep in on Sunday and not feel rushed to get underway in order to get home at a reasonable time.
We provisioned and boarded Friday night, then shoved off at about 9:00 into flat seas and foggy skies.
After the first hour, the thick marine layer began to burn off, the fog lifted and the sun came out.
Bubba did what he loves best when we are under way...napped at Charlie's side.
We picked up a nice breeze, enough to raise the main and get a bit of a lift from that. This brought us up to over 7 knots - wow! The trip seemed to go by SUPER fast. After less than two hours we were passing Anacapa off the port beam.
And before we knew it, there we were, dropping anchor in Yellowbanks! Being a proper galley wench, I whipped up a yummy lunch of tuna & avocado sandwiches, then we dropped the kayak in the water and I went off to explore, and get some shots. Here's the fleet on the hook.
Juliet sure looked beautiful on the hook!
Captain Charlie and his first mate Bubba kept watch.
After a relaxing afternoon, we headed over to one of the larger powerboats in our CIYC fleet for a happy-hour cocktail and appetizer party. What a fun group!
There were so many appetizers that we ended up not needing to make dinner.
Yellowbanks tends to be a bit more rolly than Smugglers, which tends to rock us to sleep, so we retired early. The next morning we were able to sleep in, since we didn't have to rush to raise the anchor. How wonderful! We took off around mid-morning, and were back in our slip by early afternoon.
Juliet performed beautifully, and now we are ready for our week-long trip to Santa Cruz in July.
We provisioned and boarded Friday night, then shoved off at about 9:00 into flat seas and foggy skies.
After the first hour, the thick marine layer began to burn off, the fog lifted and the sun came out.
Bubba did what he loves best when we are under way...napped at Charlie's side.
We picked up a nice breeze, enough to raise the main and get a bit of a lift from that. This brought us up to over 7 knots - wow! The trip seemed to go by SUPER fast. After less than two hours we were passing Anacapa off the port beam.
And before we knew it, there we were, dropping anchor in Yellowbanks! Being a proper galley wench, I whipped up a yummy lunch of tuna & avocado sandwiches, then we dropped the kayak in the water and I went off to explore, and get some shots. Here's the fleet on the hook.
Juliet sure looked beautiful on the hook!
Captain Charlie and his first mate Bubba kept watch.
After a relaxing afternoon, we headed over to one of the larger powerboats in our CIYC fleet for a happy-hour cocktail and appetizer party. What a fun group!
There were so many appetizers that we ended up not needing to make dinner.
Yellowbanks tends to be a bit more rolly than Smugglers, which tends to rock us to sleep, so we retired early. The next morning we were able to sleep in, since we didn't have to rush to raise the anchor. How wonderful! We took off around mid-morning, and were back in our slip by early afternoon.
Juliet performed beautifully, and now we are ready for our week-long trip to Santa Cruz in July.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
New House Batteries & Inverter-Charger
Our two 8D 12-volt wet cell house batteries were over six years old and about the end of their useful life. They were taking too much of a charge, overheating, and gassing excessively. We decided to replace the house batteries with six 6-volt AGM batteries. The six 6-volt batteries fit nicely in the original house battery box located under the V-berth. They will provide 570 total amp hours which is a little more than the two 8Ds. In addition, the 6-volt batteries are smaller and will be easier to manage if we need to replace them while cruising.
We chose to go with the Absorbed glass mat (AGM) technology since the do no off-gas, have very low self discharge rates, and recharge faster than the wet cells. The sealed batteries were attractive since the house battery box is under the V-berth and not vented.
Since our original Lewco battery charger was not designed to charge AGM batteries, we added a Magnum 2000 watt / 100 amp inverter-charger complete with a temperature sensor and advanced monitor with remote control module. The battery charger was configured for charging the AGMs and should work well either via shore power or our 5,000 watt diesel generator. I believe it will also run from our backup portable Honda 2000 generator using the power save feature. The inverter is wired to power the 110 volt outlets and microwave. It was not wired to power the water heater or fridge. We installed the battery charger under the starboard side of the V-berth so that it would be close to the house battery bank and have good ventilation. We kept the original Lewco battery charger as a backup.
We chose to go with the Absorbed glass mat (AGM) technology since the do no off-gas, have very low self discharge rates, and recharge faster than the wet cells. The sealed batteries were attractive since the house battery box is under the V-berth and not vented.
Since our original Lewco battery charger was not designed to charge AGM batteries, we added a Magnum 2000 watt / 100 amp inverter-charger complete with a temperature sensor and advanced monitor with remote control module. The battery charger was configured for charging the AGMs and should work well either via shore power or our 5,000 watt diesel generator. I believe it will also run from our backup portable Honda 2000 generator using the power save feature. The inverter is wired to power the 110 volt outlets and microwave. It was not wired to power the water heater or fridge. We installed the battery charger under the starboard side of the V-berth so that it would be close to the house battery bank and have good ventilation. We kept the original Lewco battery charger as a backup.
New Bow Anchor
It"s warming up and we're getting Juliet ready for going to the Channel Islands. We replaced the original 45 Lb CQR plow type anchor with a new ROCNA 73 Lb anchor at the bow. The ROCNAs are supposed to set fast and hold well in most bottom types. I've heard a few horror stories of CQR anchors fouling in the eel grass at Prisoner's Harbor and felt the ROCNA would work better. We upgraded the size to be appropriate for a storm anchor since it often blows over 30 knots at the islands. We also added an extra large Fortress anchor as a spare since it is reasonably light and stows well. We had to have the original custom quick release pin on the bow roller machined down by 2 mm in diameter to fit the hole in the ROCNA's shank. We also replaced the original heavy bronze roller with a slightly thicker and much lighter Delrin roller to make it easier to insert and remove the quick release pin. We tested the anchor in the harbor during our yacht club's Opening Day. The anchor set immediately in the mud and it pulled up nicely into the bow roller. This setup should serve us very well at the islands!
Juliet's first race
Saturday was our first time racing Juliet! We entered her in the Channel Islands Yacht Club's annual Port Royale Regatta, which is a competition that actually involved multiple short races. There were only 7 boats racing - 4 in the J-boat class, and 3 in the PHRF Spinnaker class (we were the 2nd class). So that meant, no matter what, as long as we finished we'd get third place!
Our race crew consisted of skipper Charlie, first mate LeeAnne, crew members Shelly and Larry (experienced racers), and ship mascot Bubba. I should mention that Juliet is by no means a racing boat...she was designed for cruising, and with her heavy full keel and short waterline, tends to be rather slow, so we had no aspirations about winning...this was just for fun and sailing experience.
We were rather disappointed, however, when it turned out to be about the worst possible racing conditions for a heavy boat like Juliet. There was NO WIND! It was overcast and drizzly when we left the slip, and while the drizzle did stop, the sun never came out. The first race started at noon, and we had an excellent start, right up against Fusee, our friend Harry Krum's boat. We tacked almost immediately, and in light variable winds we began building up speed as we headed towards the mark, and watched Fusee and Magic Dragon (the other boat in our class) pull further ahead of us...not unexpectedly, of course. Then, as we watched Fusee and Magic Dragon round the mark, the winds just...DIED! I mean DEAD! All the other boats raised their spinnakers, but even they couldn't catch a puff...they just hung there like deflated balloons. We sat...and bobbed...and eventually drifted to the mark, able to get enough light puffs to round her, and then...bobbed some more.
All the other boats were able to crawl their way to the finish, but Juliet is just too heavy to move in that light air. When we saw that the rest of the fleet had crossed the finish line, and we were moving at about a 1/2 knot with a good mile to go, we gave up and radio'd the committee boat to DNF. We didn't want them to have to wait for us to start the next race.
The second race started shortly thereafter, and the wind did seem to be picking up a bit. We had another good start, this time continuing on our starboard tack for a longer distance before we tacked to port, putting us on a direct rumline for the mark, and on a better course than our competition. We made it to the mark and rounded it, but then again...the wind died. Again all the lighter, faster boats made it in, while we bobbed along at a 1/2 knot. Given the conditions, the race committee decided not to hold the third race, so we didn't feel the pressure to do another courtesy DNF, so we persevered to finish, which we eventually did.
While this was a slow-motion race, it was a lot of fun sailing with Shelly and Larry, and we had some good laughs. It was also an excellent learning experience, as we are still figuring out the ins and outs and quirks of Juliet. And, since we did in fact finish the second race, we were awarded the third-place trophy for our class!
The fleet, far ahead of us!
Fusee, during a downwind leg when there was actually wind to fill his sails
Bubba, manning the mainsheet
Charlie and Shelly, scanning the seas for any rippled that might indicate WIND
Magic Dragon, getting a puff to fill her spinnaker
Larry, as we round the mark in glassy seas
Our race crew consisted of skipper Charlie, first mate LeeAnne, crew members Shelly and Larry (experienced racers), and ship mascot Bubba. I should mention that Juliet is by no means a racing boat...she was designed for cruising, and with her heavy full keel and short waterline, tends to be rather slow, so we had no aspirations about winning...this was just for fun and sailing experience.
We were rather disappointed, however, when it turned out to be about the worst possible racing conditions for a heavy boat like Juliet. There was NO WIND! It was overcast and drizzly when we left the slip, and while the drizzle did stop, the sun never came out. The first race started at noon, and we had an excellent start, right up against Fusee, our friend Harry Krum's boat. We tacked almost immediately, and in light variable winds we began building up speed as we headed towards the mark, and watched Fusee and Magic Dragon (the other boat in our class) pull further ahead of us...not unexpectedly, of course. Then, as we watched Fusee and Magic Dragon round the mark, the winds just...DIED! I mean DEAD! All the other boats raised their spinnakers, but even they couldn't catch a puff...they just hung there like deflated balloons. We sat...and bobbed...and eventually drifted to the mark, able to get enough light puffs to round her, and then...bobbed some more.
All the other boats were able to crawl their way to the finish, but Juliet is just too heavy to move in that light air. When we saw that the rest of the fleet had crossed the finish line, and we were moving at about a 1/2 knot with a good mile to go, we gave up and radio'd the committee boat to DNF. We didn't want them to have to wait for us to start the next race.
The second race started shortly thereafter, and the wind did seem to be picking up a bit. We had another good start, this time continuing on our starboard tack for a longer distance before we tacked to port, putting us on a direct rumline for the mark, and on a better course than our competition. We made it to the mark and rounded it, but then again...the wind died. Again all the lighter, faster boats made it in, while we bobbed along at a 1/2 knot. Given the conditions, the race committee decided not to hold the third race, so we didn't feel the pressure to do another courtesy DNF, so we persevered to finish, which we eventually did.
While this was a slow-motion race, it was a lot of fun sailing with Shelly and Larry, and we had some good laughs. It was also an excellent learning experience, as we are still figuring out the ins and outs and quirks of Juliet. And, since we did in fact finish the second race, we were awarded the third-place trophy for our class!
The fleet, far ahead of us!
Fusee, during a downwind leg when there was actually wind to fill his sails
Bubba, manning the mainsheet
Charlie and Shelly, scanning the seas for any rippled that might indicate WIND
Magic Dragon, getting a puff to fill her spinnaker
Larry, as we round the mark in glassy seas
Juliet - winner of the 2013 Bristol Boat Award!
For the second year in a row, our boat has won the Channel Islands Yacht Club Bristol Boat Award!
Last year it was with our Islander Freeport 36 "Spray", which we sold right after we bought Juliet. This year it is with our new boat, Juliet.
The Bristol Boat Award is given to the boat that is most up to Coast Guard safety standards. Cleanliness, polish and attractiveness are also judged. It takes a lot of work to get a boat up to Bristol Boat standards, including outfitting her with all kinds of safety gear and features, polishing up everything, and making sure the vessel is at her spiffiest. Kudos to Charlie for working so hard to get Juliet up to Bristol Boat standards!
The winner was announced at the CIYC Opening Day festivities. Here's Charlie, all decked out in his Opening Day duds, with the CIYC Bristol Boat Perpetual Trophy.
Last year it was with our Islander Freeport 36 "Spray", which we sold right after we bought Juliet. This year it is with our new boat, Juliet.
The Bristol Boat Award is given to the boat that is most up to Coast Guard safety standards. Cleanliness, polish and attractiveness are also judged. It takes a lot of work to get a boat up to Bristol Boat standards, including outfitting her with all kinds of safety gear and features, polishing up everything, and making sure the vessel is at her spiffiest. Kudos to Charlie for working so hard to get Juliet up to Bristol Boat standards!
The winner was announced at the CIYC Opening Day festivities. Here's Charlie, all decked out in his Opening Day duds, with the CIYC Bristol Boat Perpetual Trophy.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Hello fellow mariners and lovers of the sea! This is our new blog, created to chronicle our journeys on our boat, Juliet.
Juliet is a 1990 Mason 44 cutter-rigged sailboat. We purchased her in order to prepare for our dream: to go long-term cruising around the Pacific once we retire in a few years. What exactly do we mean by "long-term cruising around the Pacific"?
What we mean is, we plan on quitting our jobs, renting out our house, and sailing off into the sunset! The plan so far is to start off with the Baja HaHa, which is an annual group cruising rally in which a hundred or so boats spend a couple weeks sailing from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, stopping at a couple of remote Mexican fishing villages along the way. Once we're down in Mexico we plan to sail on to the Sea of Cortex, and kick around there for a year or two, then do the "Pacific Puddle Jump", which is an annual rally across the Pacific to the Marquesas Islands. From there we'll head to French Polynesia for however long we can stay there (current max time is 6 months), then on to other islands in the South Pacific (Cook Islands, Samoa, Fiji) and on to either Australia or New Zealand. That should keep us busy for at least a few years.
From there...who knows? Maybe head north to Hawaii, then back over to the US and back down the coast to Mexico, and start all over again. Or we might get bold and head further west to Indonesia or the Philippines. One thing we will NOT do is go anywhere near Africa, the Middle East, or the Red Sea...nope, no interest in getting abducted by Somalian pirates! We're figuring there are more than enough paradisaical destinations in the Pacific Ocean that will keep us occupied.
So why did we buy this boat now, when we don't plan on leaving for a few years? Well, we're already avid sailors and have been spending lots of time on our boat Spray, a 1980 Islander Freeport 36 (which we still own and are trying to sell...wanna buy a boat?). Charlie, being the meticulous guy that he is, can't help himself but spend massive amounts of time (and money!) upgrading, fixing up and perfecting whatever boat we own, so we figured he might as well start expending those resources on the boat we're eventually going to cruise on, rather than one that's going to get sold.
So, after many months of searching and seeing dozens of boats, Juliet turned out to be THE BOAT (we both knew it the moment we boarded her), so we bought her right before the holidays. She was berthed in San Diego, so we spent the week between Christmas and New Years living aboard and getting to know her. While in San Diego we performed some maintenance (e.g. new exhaust elbow, oil & filter change for the auxiliary engine), made a few upgrades (e.g. new VHF radio with AIS & DSC, registered the MMSI, added a remote radio mic in cockpit, rewired the generator ground, etc.). We then motored her north to our home port of Channel Island Harbor in Oxnard on Dec 28th-29th (23-1/2 hours straight).
Here are some shots of our first week aboard our beautiful new Juliet.
Juliet is a 1990 Mason 44 cutter-rigged sailboat. We purchased her in order to prepare for our dream: to go long-term cruising around the Pacific once we retire in a few years. What exactly do we mean by "long-term cruising around the Pacific"?
What we mean is, we plan on quitting our jobs, renting out our house, and sailing off into the sunset! The plan so far is to start off with the Baja HaHa, which is an annual group cruising rally in which a hundred or so boats spend a couple weeks sailing from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, stopping at a couple of remote Mexican fishing villages along the way. Once we're down in Mexico we plan to sail on to the Sea of Cortex, and kick around there for a year or two, then do the "Pacific Puddle Jump", which is an annual rally across the Pacific to the Marquesas Islands. From there we'll head to French Polynesia for however long we can stay there (current max time is 6 months), then on to other islands in the South Pacific (Cook Islands, Samoa, Fiji) and on to either Australia or New Zealand. That should keep us busy for at least a few years.
From there...who knows? Maybe head north to Hawaii, then back over to the US and back down the coast to Mexico, and start all over again. Or we might get bold and head further west to Indonesia or the Philippines. One thing we will NOT do is go anywhere near Africa, the Middle East, or the Red Sea...nope, no interest in getting abducted by Somalian pirates! We're figuring there are more than enough paradisaical destinations in the Pacific Ocean that will keep us occupied.
So why did we buy this boat now, when we don't plan on leaving for a few years? Well, we're already avid sailors and have been spending lots of time on our boat Spray, a 1980 Islander Freeport 36 (which we still own and are trying to sell...wanna buy a boat?). Charlie, being the meticulous guy that he is, can't help himself but spend massive amounts of time (and money!) upgrading, fixing up and perfecting whatever boat we own, so we figured he might as well start expending those resources on the boat we're eventually going to cruise on, rather than one that's going to get sold.
So, after many months of searching and seeing dozens of boats, Juliet turned out to be THE BOAT (we both knew it the moment we boarded her), so we bought her right before the holidays. She was berthed in San Diego, so we spent the week between Christmas and New Years living aboard and getting to know her. While in San Diego we performed some maintenance (e.g. new exhaust elbow, oil & filter change for the auxiliary engine), made a few upgrades (e.g. new VHF radio with AIS & DSC, registered the MMSI, added a remote radio mic in cockpit, rewired the generator ground, etc.). We then motored her north to our home port of Channel Island Harbor in Oxnard on Dec 28th-29th (23-1/2 hours straight).
Here are some shots of our first week aboard our beautiful new Juliet.
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