A dock line in need of washing
Washing the lines and halyard that have been exposed to the elements over the winter is one of my spring rites of getting the boat ready for another sailing season.
Washing lines can make them easier to handle, extend their useful life and they look better, especially in an area like Puget Sound where green stuff tends to grow on any lines left exposed to the elements over the winter.
The Schooner Adventuress waiting at the dock for us to board
Last fall I had a chance to sail on the Schooner Adventuress when the Mountaineers Sailing Group chartered it for an evening sail and potluck in Elliot Bay. Here are some of my observations and a few pictures from that trip.
2013 marks the 100 birthday of the grand old lady, she was designed by B. B. Crowninshield and built by the Rice Brothers Shipyard in East Boothbay, Main.
Sailing on the Adventuress is a bit different than a regular recreational sail boat. First there is the size and weight. The Adventuress Length on the deck is 101 feet and 133 feet overall with a 21 foot beam with a rig height of 110 feet (this means the main Halyard is something over 460 feet long as it uses a 4:1 block and tackle system on the main halyard, making coiling the halyards a real chore).
Seattle Water, Boating Regulations & Information
Being stopped by the Harbor Patrol is one of those things very few people look forward to. To help avoid unwanted attention from the Seattle Harbor Patrol, they have produced a booklet covering Seattle area Regulations & Information for local boaters.
The FREE 19 page booklet covers things like marine speed limits in the Seattle area, anchoring (where and for how long), Bridges, Marine Ordinances (very important what not to do), Diving, Water skiing and more.
The booklet is being given out by the Seattle Harbor Patrol as well as Coast Guard Auxiliary members at some public events.
New Slippery Cell-Phone
When I got my new smarter than I am Cell-Phone I was worried about dropping it overboard. The new phone did not have any attachment points like my previous Cell-Phone and was quite slick.
Talking to the salesman he pointed out a carrier that clipped on the cell-Phone and had a clip for a pocket or belt. When I looked at the two piece carrier, the part that clips onto the cell-Phone itself had an area that I thought I could drill a pair of holes in and attach a piece of waxed whipping twine that could be used to attach to a neck lanyard.
Pumping out the holding tank
photo courtesy of Three Sheets Northwest
Going to the Pumpout station is one of those tasks that no boater seems to look forward to doing.
The Washington Sea Grant Program has developed a new Free Pumpout Adapter Kit to help boaters avoid the dreaded “Brown Shower.” The free pumpout Adapter Kit has a plastic adapter that screws into the existing waste discharge deck fitting on a boat, the adapter fitting has a cam lock that will lock onto the pumpout hose to help prevent spills, the kit also has instructions, protective gloves and a web link that will help you find where pumpout stations are located in Washington State. The Pumpout Adapter Kits will fit about 90% of the boats in use, if your boat uses the smaller sized pumpout fittings there is contact information in the Pumpout Adapter Kit to request a smaller fitting for your boat.
The Pumpout Kits are funded funded by the Washington State Parks Clean Vessel Program. The Washington State Parks Clean Vessel Program contracts with Washington Sea Grant to provide educational outreach for the Washington State Clean Vessel Program
The original Alki Point Aid to Navigation Lantern from 1877, on display at the U.S. Coast Guard Museum, located on the Coast Guard Base at Pier 36, just south of downtown Seattle near Safeco Field.
The Lantern was lit and hung from a Post to help keep vessels safe. The Lantern’s fuel tank holds enough fuel to burn for 8 days, this meant that it only needed to be serviced once a week. The Lantern was used from 1877 until 1913 when the present Alki Point Lighthouse was put into service. This was one of 33 similar lanterns in Puget Sound. The Post Lantern was purchased in 1877 for $ 12.37. The lantern is about 27 inches tall overall (including hanger) and 15 inches in diameter.
Sometime after the Lantern was taken out of service it disappeared, it was recovered some years later and is now in the U.S. Coast Guard Museum in Seattle.
Finding information about visiting Canada with a boat can be difficult even with the internet. Here is information for Boaters and others visiting Canada. This information is geared to boating because boaters have very specific safety and operator requirements when bringing a boat into or operating a boat in Canada.
Ministry of Transport – Safe Boating Guide
What you need to know about operating a boat in Canada, including educational requirements and Canada’s Pleasure Craft Operator Card (Operators “License”) requirements and equivalency requirements for foreign visitors.
(604)-666-2681
http://www.boatingsafety.gc.ca
BookletChart 18440 – Puget Sound – Cover
Image Credit – NOAA
NOAA now has over 1,000 Free BookletCharts™ available for free download in PDF format for printing yourself. BookletCharts™ are 8.5 by 11 inch reduced scale nautical charts designed for recreational and small boats. NOAA has been developing these charts that are tiled and printed in 8.5 x 11 inch format for several years. The BookletCharts™ contain most of the information of their full sized charts but other information has been added from the Coast Pilot and other resources that recreational boaters might not have. The BookletCharts™ have been reduced in scale slightly from the original charts and formatted for printing in a size that is easier to use on a small boat.
