The crew of the Champagne Sunset left for Oriental after work on Thursday. We arrived around 10:30pm if I remember correctly. The Champagne Sunset was waiting for us near the end of the fuel dock with the air conditioning running. By the time we got settled in it was after midnight. Soon after we got settled in and in bed, a storm blew through. Being on the end of the dock we got as much wind as any of the boats in the marina. I woke up what seemed to be about every 30 minutes and the storm was still blowing. About 5:30am in the morning something didn't sound right. There was just too much noise and the boat was rocking in a strange way. I looked out a hatch and saw the rolling jib was partially unfurled. I started up the companionway and as I stuck my head out, I saw a man stepping onto the boat. Good thing I don't tend to yell when I'm startled or a would have let out a howl! The old man stepping onto the boat was about as startled as I was. He and his wife had heard the unfurled jib in the wind and he had come over to fix it. I woke up Scott and the three of us tried to roll of the jib, but the rope around the drum was at its end so it could not be rolled. About 6:30am I called Knute (probably waking him up) and let him know the situation for when he planned to meet us at 7:30am. He arrived and since the wind had died down we could untie the jib sheets, give the jib a couple of extra raps around the forestay, and then unroll it and roll it back in. It worked fine for the rest of the trip.
Knute showed us around the boat and gave us some extra oil for the diesel engine. We had a light breakfast and the ladies headed into Oriental for some coffee, while I finished signing the paperwork for the charter.
Between about 9:30 and 10:00 I backed the 42' Hunter out of the slip and we headed out the narrow and shoalled Whittaker Creek channel where we had run aground earlier in the year with the same boat.....
Monday, August 13, 2007
Champagne Sunset in Ocracoke
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
How to Avoid Jellyfish
After a little Internet research, I think we have figured out how help Scott avoid jellyfish while tied behind the boat. The key is boatspeed!
Avoiding Jellyfish 1
Avoiding Jellyfish 2
Avoiding Jellyfish 1
Avoiding Jellyfish 2
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Outer Banks
These have some great information and pictures. We sail out of Oriental, NC located approximately where the red dot is on the photograph above.
Tribute to the Sailors of the Flying Colours
A touching tribute to the sailors lost off the NC coast in tropical strom Andrea on May 7, 2007.This same storm required the rescue of crew from three other boats. Some amazing footage of the Coast Guard at work in May.
The Coast Guard planes and helicopter where out of Elizabeth City, NC.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Sail Away
I like the words (and music) for Enya's Orinoco flow:
Let me sail, let me sail, let the Orinoco flow,
let me reach, let me beach on the shores of Tripoli.
let me sail, let me sail, let me crash upon your shore,
let me reach, let me beach far beyond the Yellow Sea.
from Bissau to Palau - in the shade of Avalon,
from Fiji to Tiree and the Isles of Ebony,
from Peru to Cebu hear the power of Babylon,
from Bali to Cali - far beneath the Coral Sea.
from the North to the South, Ebudae into Khartoum,
from the deep sea of Clouds to the island of the moon,
carry me on the waves to the lands I've never been,
carry me on the waves to the lands I've never seen.
we can sail, we can sail...
we can steer, we can near with Rob Dickins at the wheel,
we can sigh, say goodbye Ross and his dependencies
we can sail, we can sail...
An interesting side note:
Rob Dickins was the chairman of Warner Music UK and is also the man who signed her with that label. He now owns his own entertainment company, Instant Karma.
Ross is Ross Cullum, who was an engineer on the album Watermark. Interestingly, the Ross Dependency is actually a location on Antarctica, claimed by New Zealand.
Let me sail, let me sail, let the Orinoco flow,
let me reach, let me beach on the shores of Tripoli.
let me sail, let me sail, let me crash upon your shore,
let me reach, let me beach far beyond the Yellow Sea.
from Bissau to Palau - in the shade of Avalon,
from Fiji to Tiree and the Isles of Ebony,
from Peru to Cebu hear the power of Babylon,
from Bali to Cali - far beneath the Coral Sea.
from the North to the South, Ebudae into Khartoum,
from the deep sea of Clouds to the island of the moon,
carry me on the waves to the lands I've never been,
carry me on the waves to the lands I've never seen.
we can sail, we can sail...
we can steer, we can near with Rob Dickins at the wheel,
we can sigh, say goodbye Ross and his dependencies
we can sail, we can sail...
An interesting side note:
Rob Dickins was the chairman of Warner Music UK and is also the man who signed her with that label. He now owns his own entertainment company, Instant Karma.
Ross is Ross Cullum, who was an engineer on the album Watermark. Interestingly, the Ross Dependency is actually a location on Antarctica, claimed by New Zealand.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Steve Fossett
Steve Fossett is one of the greatest sailors alive today.
Speed sailing was Fossett's speciality from 1993 to 2004, and he dominated the record sheets, setting 23 official world records and 9 distance race records. He also holds numerous other
records in ballooning, gliding, and aviation.
He is the current President of the National Eagle Scout Association .
Speed sailing was Fossett's speciality from 1993 to 2004, and he dominated the record sheets, setting 23 official world records and 9 distance race records. He also holds numerous other
records in ballooning, gliding, and aviation.
He is the current President of the National Eagle Scout Association .
Sail TV
There is a 24 hour internet TV website called
Sail TV
This is a cool sailing video on YouTube. Notice the boat is sailing downwind at over
24 knots.....
This is sailing...
The Rolex Fastnet 2007 starts on Sunday.
I like this online Rolex commercial
And this Union Bank of Switzerland commercial
Sort of interesting that the rise of the Euro corresponds to the rise of Alinghi in the America's Cup sailing.....
And Trimarans
Someone needs to bring a video camera on one of our trips.....
Sail TV
This is a cool sailing video on YouTube. Notice the boat is sailing downwind at over
24 knots.....
This is sailing...
The Rolex Fastnet 2007 starts on Sunday.
I like this online Rolex commercial
And this Union Bank of Switzerland commercial
Sort of interesting that the rise of the Euro corresponds to the rise of Alinghi in the America's Cup sailing.....
And Trimarans
Someone needs to bring a video camera on one of our trips.....
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Sailing Resources on the Internet
While reading in Chapman's Piloting I came across some good resources that I thought I would search out on the Internet.
The first is the Atlantic Coast NOAA Nautical Charts
The second is the Light Lists that correspond with the various charts. The Light Lists give a brief description of all of the navigation markers that are shown on the charts.
The third is the Coast Pilots which is a series of nine nautical books that cover important information important to navigators of US coastal waters. Coast Pilot 4 is for the North Carolina coast.
The first is the Atlantic Coast NOAA Nautical Charts
The second is the Light Lists that correspond with the various charts. The Light Lists give a brief description of all of the navigation markers that are shown on the charts.
The third is the Coast Pilots which is a series of nine nautical books that cover important information important to navigators of US coastal waters. Coast Pilot 4 is for the North Carolina coast.
I like the cut of your jib
I ordered a cinnamon roll and vanilla Caribou cooler this evening and a friend said "I like the cut of your jib". I found that humorous since I had been doing so much sailing. As this means:
the cut of one's jib (colloq.): one's personal appearance, countenance, or demeanour Orig. a sailor's figure of speech, suggested by the prominence and characteristic form of the jib of a ship.
The phrase became used in an idiomatic way during the 19th century. Sir Walter Scott used to it in St. Ronan's Well, 1824:
"If she disliked what the sailor calls the cut of their jib."
I think more recently the term was used in a beer commercial but I'm looking to verify that...
Yes, I'm a total geek, but in a nice way.....
the cut of one's jib (colloq.): one's personal appearance, countenance, or demeanour Orig. a sailor's figure of speech, suggested by the prominence and characteristic form of the jib of a ship.
The phrase became used in an idiomatic way during the 19th century. Sir Walter Scott used to it in St. Ronan's Well, 1824:
"If she disliked what the sailor calls the cut of their jib."
I think more recently the term was used in a beer commercial but I'm looking to verify that...
Yes, I'm a total geek, but in a nice way.....
Monday, July 23, 2007
Sailing - July 21st
We had another great sailing adventure this Saturday. The crew consisted of Antonella, Becky, Andy, Bill, Elaina (spelling?), Dan, Tony, Mark, Tom, Joe, Gregory, Scott, and myself. We took out the 42' Beneteau from Oriental Sailing School again. This is a nice boat with a new scratch on the side that cost a previous charterer $800 in deposit. Ouch!
Upon arriving in Oriental we had lunch at the Oriental Deli and Bistro. I thought their Two Eggs breakfast was excellent.
I backed the Beneteau out of the slip. I misjudged the position of the bow slightly and had to backup a second time, but luckily we didn't come close to hitting a piling. The wind was excllent at around 20kts. With full sails and Dan had the helm we made 7.6kts SOG (speed over ground). After sailing out the Neuse in the heavy wind some of our crew was not feeling so
well so we turned around toward Oriental. Downwind sailing usually makes people feel worse and sure enough one got physically sick over the side. We cleaned up the side of the boat and continued on toward Oriental. After tying up next to the end of Dock A, six of our crew decided to hang out in Oriental and get some ice cream at The Bean. The rest of us headed out for some
more sailing in the 20+kt winds.
We practiced man over board drills when Scott's and Gregory's hats blew off. But alas, they are now both still adrift or sent to Davey Jones' Locker.
After cleaning up the boat and ourselves we headed over to M&M's for a great dinner. The Cajun Tuna, with shrimp, and Adouille sausage was excellent.
The trip back was smooth sailing and I remembered to open the moonroof to enjoy the clear cool night air.
I can't wait for the next trip!
Upon arriving in Oriental we had lunch at the Oriental Deli and Bistro. I thought their Two Eggs breakfast was excellent.
I backed the Beneteau out of the slip. I misjudged the position of the bow slightly and had to backup a second time, but luckily we didn't come close to hitting a piling. The wind was excllent at around 20kts. With full sails and Dan had the helm we made 7.6kts SOG (speed over ground). After sailing out the Neuse in the heavy wind some of our crew was not feeling so
well so we turned around toward Oriental. Downwind sailing usually makes people feel worse and sure enough one got physically sick over the side. We cleaned up the side of the boat and continued on toward Oriental. After tying up next to the end of Dock A, six of our crew decided to hang out in Oriental and get some ice cream at The Bean. The rest of us headed out for some
more sailing in the 20+kt winds.
We practiced man over board drills when Scott's and Gregory's hats blew off. But alas, they are now both still adrift or sent to Davey Jones' Locker.
After cleaning up the boat and ourselves we headed over to M&M's for a great dinner. The Cajun Tuna, with shrimp, and Adouille sausage was excellent.
The trip back was smooth sailing and I remembered to open the moonroof to enjoy the clear cool night air.
I can't wait for the next trip!
Monday, July 16, 2007
Another Great Saturday Sail - July 14th
This weekend eight of us (Laura, Jennifer, Sherri, Jessica, Elaine, Tim, Scott, and Steve) took out the brand new 34' Beneteau 343 chartered through Oriental's School of Sailing. The weather was excellent. Jennifer took the boat out of the slip and out the channel. The wind was from the northeast initially at about 8 knots. After sailing about 3 hours out the Neuse we turned around and the wind promptly died. However, Providence was with us and the wind shifted to the south at about 12-14 knots and we were able to sail upwind back toward Oriental.One point of interest, Scott saved the boat by throwing himself in front of a killer jellyfish while he was swimming. Thank you, Scott!
After bringing the boat back in the slip we headed over to M&Ms for a delicious meal.
Tim was kind enough to part with his ABBA CD so the other car could sing along on the return trip. Pretty scary!
Well it is Monday and back to work.
I miss the coast already.....
Sunday, July 15, 2007
July 7th - 20% chance of rain
Saturday July 7th a group of us took out the 42' Beneteau from the Oriental School of Sailing. The National Weather Service website listed a 20% chance of rain all day. The crew consisted of Bill, Barb, Greg, Leeanne, Kevin, Andrea, Dave, Fadi, Jared, Scott, my Dad, and myself.
Scott and I checked out the brand new Beneteau. This was the first time I had been sailing on it. I walked back down the the long A dock to get 8 more life jackets so we would have enough for the entire crew. I took the boat out of the slip. It was relatively easy as the boat had been backed in the slip. We motored out the Oriental channel and turned up the music. As we got to the end of the channel a Coast Guard RB-S "Defender" pulled along side us. The said they wanted to check out our boat and asked me to put the Beneteau in neutral. They tied up along side and asked to see the paperwork for the boat. They never actually boarded but had us show them the safety equipment that was on board. Good thing I walked back to get those life jackets! They asked to see the fire extinguisher, noise signalling device, and throwable floatation device. We checked out fine!
The Coast Guard was with us about 20-25 minutes. All the while we could see a large thunderstorm growing south of the Neuse. As the CG boat pulled away we asked which way we should head to avoid the storm and they pointed out the Neuse, so we headed that direction. Well within a short time we were in pouring rain with lightning a few miles a way. The wind picked up to 30kts! We had no sail out and just motored near some other boats. After an hour of so the wind and rain died down and we put up some sail. We had some nice sailing while it continued to drizzle.
After the sail Bill, Barb, Scott, my Dad and I all went to the Oriental Steamer as M&M's was a 30+ minute wait due to the Croaker Festival. At dinner Barb gave us a nice complement saying that even in the thunderstorm she felt safe the entire time.
We talked to the waitress who was a college student in town for the summer. We offered to let her sail with us one weekend, but she hasn't taken us up on the offer. My Dad and I had a nice drive home. This was probably the most fun I've ever had in the pouring ran.
Pictures from our 42' Hunter Passage Trip on June 24th
On Saturday June 24th we sailed the "Champagne Sunset" a 42' Hunter Passage from Whittaker Creek Marina. The Whittaker Creek channel is a narrow one and I promptly ran aground, WELL WITHIN the channel I might add. Someone else at the helm also ran aground IN the channel (no names to protect the innocent). As best I can find out the channel was dredged in 1997 to 9 feet. The "Champagne Sunset" has a 5' draft. I'm sure there has been much shoalling in the channel in the past 10 years.
It was a beautiful day for sailing! Winds were moderate to light. At one point we "hove too" and parked the boat so everyone could just relax for a while. This was probably on of the most relaxing sails I've ever had in the Oriental area.
We had Claudia, Jessica, Stephanie, Shanna, Amy, George, Tim, Scott, and me as crew on this trip. George at one time had an actual captains license from Greece where he used to work on a tourist sailboat in the summers. He was a big help with the dock lines leaving and entering the slip. One thing that I'm learning is that the crew on the dock lines is probably more important than getting the boat in the slip. The "Sunset" is an 1997 boat and shows its age. Some of the electronics don't work and the sails look a little aged. Perhaps I'm getting spoiled after sailing on the brand new Benateau's from the Oriental Sailing School.
After the sail we had dinner at M&M's. The crab cakes with remoulade sauce were delicious. I was thinking how perfect the day had been when Bam! the mosquitoes attacked. In the the hasty retreat inside, I left the extra remoulade sauce that I was going to take home on the table. Rats! We had a nice drive home as the temperature dropped into the 70s and I opened the moonroof. Very relaxing trip. Trips like this one make me want to sail every day of the year.
It was a beautiful day for sailing! Winds were moderate to light. At one point we "hove too" and parked the boat so everyone could just relax for a while. This was probably on of the most relaxing sails I've ever had in the Oriental area.
We had Claudia, Jessica, Stephanie, Shanna, Amy, George, Tim, Scott, and me as crew on this trip. George at one time had an actual captains license from Greece where he used to work on a tourist sailboat in the summers. He was a big help with the dock lines leaving and entering the slip. One thing that I'm learning is that the crew on the dock lines is probably more important than getting the boat in the slip. The "Sunset" is an 1997 boat and shows its age. Some of the electronics don't work and the sails look a little aged. Perhaps I'm getting spoiled after sailing on the brand new Benateau's from the Oriental Sailing School.
After the sail we had dinner at M&M's. The crab cakes with remoulade sauce were delicious. I was thinking how perfect the day had been when Bam! the mosquitoes attacked. In the the hasty retreat inside, I left the extra remoulade sauce that I was going to take home on the table. Rats! We had a nice drive home as the temperature dropped into the 70s and I opened the moonroof. Very relaxing trip. Trips like this one make me want to sail every day of the year.
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