Lake Jean PA December 22, 2013
 
1st snowfall on the empty docks
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| Wissahickon Creek |
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
December 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
November 2013
November 23, 2013
November 14, 2013
Haulout November 7, 2013
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| Almost empty |
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| Hull washed with 4:1 water/muriatic acid in hand pump sprayer, rinsed with water and dish detergent in hand pump sprayer. |
Haulout November 7, 2013
Sunday, October 6, 2013
October 2013
Track locations
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| Jib sheet track outside toe rail |
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| Jib sheet track inside toe rail, forward edge in line with mast |
Sunday, September 1, 2013
September 2013
September 28, 2013
Saturday morning sail
September 7, 2013
September 1, 2013
A slow sail in a light breeze around Little Tinicun Island, high 80's F and humid. Motor sail at slack before ebb to PHL jetty, then sail with a faint breeze past Mifflin Bar Dike to the the river. More breeze on the river off the port side and sail with the ebb to the flats below the island.
Motor sail return against the ebb to Fox Grove.. An average speed over ground less than 3 knots, more when motor sailing but maybe less than 2 when sailing.
Saturday morning sail
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| USCG buoy maintenance ship |
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| Flying J off Corinthian |
September 7, 2013
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| Little Tinicum Island east end |
September 1, 2013
A slow sail in a light breeze around Little Tinicun Island, high 80's F and humid. Motor sail at slack before ebb to PHL jetty, then sail with a faint breeze past Mifflin Bar Dike to the the river. More breeze on the river off the port side and sail with the ebb to the flats below the island.
Motor sail return against the ebb to Fox Grove.. An average speed over ground less than 3 knots, more when motor sailing but maybe less than 2 when sailing.
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| Little Tinicum Island north side |
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| Little Tinicum Island south side |
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
August 2013
August 20, 2013
August 9-10 2013 Delaware City sail
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| Margate beach at sunrise |
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| Margate Jerome Ave lift bridge |
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| Margate bay side marinas |
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| Lucy |
August 9-10 2013 Delaware City sail
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| Old mule houses on the canal |
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| Novel rig? |
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| Unstayed mast with rotating boom extending to support head sail |
Thursday, June 6, 2013
June 2013
June 22
June 16
June 6
First tropical storm of the season. plans for my Baltimore sail this weekend on hold. 100% chance of heavy rain and thunderstorms on Friday.
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| Manatawna Hay Field morning sun. |
June 16
June 6
First tropical storm of the season. plans for my Baltimore sail this weekend on hold. 100% chance of heavy rain and thunderstorms on Friday.
Monday, May 6, 2013
May 2013
May 30, 2013
Mid-day sail to Chester in a gentle 5 to 10 knot steady breeze, 95 deg F (35 deg C)
May 11, 2013
May 3, 4, 5, 6
Departed Essington 8:00 AM Friday May 3rd on Ul-la in 2ft chop and 15+ gusting winds for the Cohansey River approximately 50nm. Take Five departed about 8:30.
We made good time sailing with the current and a good breeze off the port rear quarter, with Take Five passing me after the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
The tidal current was in our favor until Artificial Island, then the sea state picked up to a short period chop with 3ft breaking waves on the bow and a wind shift to directly on the bow. The last 4 hours to the Cohansey were by motor sail arriving just as the sun set about 7:30 PM, a long hard almost 12 hours at the tiller.
Saturday morning promised a light 10 to 15 kn breeze out of the NE and clear skies for a sail with the ebb tidal current to Miah Maull Shoal Light and return with the flood current, about 40 nm round trip.
The sail to Miah Maull was relatively uneventful but the wind started to die before Cross Ledge Shoal abandoned light house. Take Five tacked to the Jersey side then made good time with a wind shift out of the east to Miah Maull, I stayed near the shipping channel and made slow but steady progress to Miah Maull, rounding the light house as Take Five charged across the bay rounding the light as wind and sea state began building.
After rounding the light I made good speed to the upper end of Egg Island Shoal off Fortesque to pick up the flood current in the shallow water close to the Jersey shore.
As Take Five was hit by building seas and wind off Miah Maull, I was in 15 to 20 knot winds on the starboard beam with 3 to 4 ft short period breaking waves also off the starboard beam shifting to a following sea then alternating between beam and stern.
Winds and sea state kept building, jib was rolled up but I had no time or desire to go to the mast to set a reef. Set the mainsail in a fisherman's reef, a point of sail I had seen a Chesapeake Bay Skipjack restored oyster schooner use. The boom is set and kept adjusted to be in line with wind direction and held of the shrouds enough to maintain an airfoil sail shape; low pressure convex forward, high pressure concave to rear.
The boat shot up bay to Cohansey at 6+ knots not enough to out run the following 4ft breaking waves, but enough to hold the boat at not more than a 15 deg heel.
As I approached the Cohansey green entrance pylon Take Five was closing to within a few hundred feet. I shot through the river entrance within about 50ft of the pylon and made a sharp 45 deg turn to starboard to center the boat on the river.
Hurricane Sandy last year blew some holes in the salt marsh at the entrance, that combined with no protection from the wind over the wetlands made for an intense sail up the serpentine river controlling the fisherman's reef at each 90 deg river bend to stay centered on the river until a low tree line at the last bend before Hancock harbor provided enough shelter to drop the mainsail and motor to the marina dock with a swift flood current then turn the boat against the current for a gentle dock with the still strong wind.
Sunday came with a promise of 15 kn winds and a choppy sea state for our 25 nm trip up to Delaware City, leaving about 10:00 AM to sail; against about 3 or 4 hours of an ebb current then ride a flood current past Artificial Island to Delaware City.
Take Five took a course close to the Jersey shore line and made slow but steady speed in winds that had dropped to 5 to 10 kn in a calm sea state, I stayed close to the shipping lane hoping for more breeze in open water but could only manage progress of 1 to 2 knots against the current. Take Five passed Artificial Island at least 3 miles ahead of me, and by Artificial Island I started to motor sail to get to Delaware City before the flood changed to ebb at Reedy Point ( the current Reedy Point to Delaware City can be more than 5 knots).
I tied up at Delaware City about 5:00 PM about 1 hours after Take Five.
Checking with the marina office for Mondays departure called for a 5:00 AM departure in slack current before flood. Winds were forecast as light out of the NNE which would be directly on the bow, so this would be a day of motoring or motor sailing.
We departed in twilight at 5:00 AM for the 25 nm to Essington in a cloudy cool day. Wind stayed directly on the bow building above 10 knots with a 2ft chop building to 3ft all the way. I tied up at Fox Grove at 10:30 AM after a cool and lumpy 5 1/2 hour motor sail.
Mid-day sail to Chester in a gentle 5 to 10 knot steady breeze, 95 deg F (35 deg C)
May 11, 2013
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| At new outside tee location |
May 3, 4, 5, 6
Departed Essington 8:00 AM Friday May 3rd on Ul-la in 2ft chop and 15+ gusting winds for the Cohansey River approximately 50nm. Take Five departed about 8:30.
We made good time sailing with the current and a good breeze off the port rear quarter, with Take Five passing me after the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
The tidal current was in our favor until Artificial Island, then the sea state picked up to a short period chop with 3ft breaking waves on the bow and a wind shift to directly on the bow. The last 4 hours to the Cohansey were by motor sail arriving just as the sun set about 7:30 PM, a long hard almost 12 hours at the tiller.
Saturday morning promised a light 10 to 15 kn breeze out of the NE and clear skies for a sail with the ebb tidal current to Miah Maull Shoal Light and return with the flood current, about 40 nm round trip.
The sail to Miah Maull was relatively uneventful but the wind started to die before Cross Ledge Shoal abandoned light house. Take Five tacked to the Jersey side then made good time with a wind shift out of the east to Miah Maull, I stayed near the shipping channel and made slow but steady progress to Miah Maull, rounding the light house as Take Five charged across the bay rounding the light as wind and sea state began building.
After rounding the light I made good speed to the upper end of Egg Island Shoal off Fortesque to pick up the flood current in the shallow water close to the Jersey shore.
As Take Five was hit by building seas and wind off Miah Maull, I was in 15 to 20 knot winds on the starboard beam with 3 to 4 ft short period breaking waves also off the starboard beam shifting to a following sea then alternating between beam and stern.
Winds and sea state kept building, jib was rolled up but I had no time or desire to go to the mast to set a reef. Set the mainsail in a fisherman's reef, a point of sail I had seen a Chesapeake Bay Skipjack restored oyster schooner use. The boom is set and kept adjusted to be in line with wind direction and held of the shrouds enough to maintain an airfoil sail shape; low pressure convex forward, high pressure concave to rear.
The boat shot up bay to Cohansey at 6+ knots not enough to out run the following 4ft breaking waves, but enough to hold the boat at not more than a 15 deg heel.
As I approached the Cohansey green entrance pylon Take Five was closing to within a few hundred feet. I shot through the river entrance within about 50ft of the pylon and made a sharp 45 deg turn to starboard to center the boat on the river.
Hurricane Sandy last year blew some holes in the salt marsh at the entrance, that combined with no protection from the wind over the wetlands made for an intense sail up the serpentine river controlling the fisherman's reef at each 90 deg river bend to stay centered on the river until a low tree line at the last bend before Hancock harbor provided enough shelter to drop the mainsail and motor to the marina dock with a swift flood current then turn the boat against the current for a gentle dock with the still strong wind.
Sunday came with a promise of 15 kn winds and a choppy sea state for our 25 nm trip up to Delaware City, leaving about 10:00 AM to sail; against about 3 or 4 hours of an ebb current then ride a flood current past Artificial Island to Delaware City.
Take Five took a course close to the Jersey shore line and made slow but steady speed in winds that had dropped to 5 to 10 kn in a calm sea state, I stayed close to the shipping lane hoping for more breeze in open water but could only manage progress of 1 to 2 knots against the current. Take Five passed Artificial Island at least 3 miles ahead of me, and by Artificial Island I started to motor sail to get to Delaware City before the flood changed to ebb at Reedy Point ( the current Reedy Point to Delaware City can be more than 5 knots).
I tied up at Delaware City about 5:00 PM about 1 hours after Take Five.
Checking with the marina office for Mondays departure called for a 5:00 AM departure in slack current before flood. Winds were forecast as light out of the NNE which would be directly on the bow, so this would be a day of motoring or motor sailing.
We departed in twilight at 5:00 AM for the 25 nm to Essington in a cloudy cool day. Wind stayed directly on the bow building above 10 knots with a 2ft chop building to 3ft all the way. I tied up at Fox Grove at 10:30 AM after a cool and lumpy 5 1/2 hour motor sail.
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| Miah Maull Shoal Light, Delaware Bay |
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| A. J. Meerwald a restored Delaware Bay oyster boat, on the Delaware River |
Thursday, April 4, 2013
April 2013
April 30, 2013
April 27 & 28, 2013
Morning relaxing sails or controlled drift to Chester in the morning ebb and back in the flood, almost no wind.
Clear skies departed Saturday morning in low 50's F (frost overnight maybe the last frost of the season) and returned in mid 70's F.
Clear skies departed Sunday morning in low 60's F and return with increasing winds in low 70's F
April 14, 2013
April 9, 2013
April 7, 2013
April 5, 2013
April 3, 2013
Hoping my next event will be getting the boat splashed this weekend but;
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| Bimini installed |
April 27 & 28, 2013
Morning relaxing sails or controlled drift to Chester in the morning ebb and back in the flood, almost no wind.
Clear skies departed Saturday morning in low 50's F (frost overnight maybe the last frost of the season) and returned in mid 70's F.
Clear skies departed Sunday morning in low 60's F and return with increasing winds in low 70's F
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| Essington PA |
April 14, 2013
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| Replacing pilings |
April 13, 2013
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| 1st sail of the season |
April 9, 2013
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| On the travel lift waiting for high tide |
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| Waiting for high tide |
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| At the slip |
April 7, 2013
April 5, 2013
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| Splash starts this weekend. The boat ahead of me have shrinkwrap removed. |
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| Morning sun over Philadelphia City Hall |
April 3, 2013
Hoping my next event will be getting the boat splashed this weekend but;
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| Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center Philadelphia Opening event of Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA), Earth Harp Collective http://pifa.org/ |
Monday, March 4, 2013
March 2013
March 30, 2013
March 25, 2013
March 13.2013
March 8, 2013
March 3, 2013
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| Outboard oil changed and mounted. |
March 25, 2013
March 13.2013
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| Wissahickon Creek Roxborough PA |
March 8, 2013
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| The marina will be a hive of activity in a few weeks. Low 40's F today and below freezing tonight. Warming up over the next 5 days, 60's F on Monday |
March 3, 2013
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| Wissahickon Creek, Roxborough PA |
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Monday, January 7, 2013
January 2013
January 26, 2013
January 7, 2013
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| Red Bridge over Wissahickon Creek, Roxborough PA |
January 7, 2013
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| Kitchens Lane Bridge over the Wissahickon, Roxborough PA. Location of the 1723 baptism by Anabaptists from the Rhine Valley attracted by the promise of religious freedom in William Penn's Quaker Pennsylvania. http://www.cob-net.org/america.htm |
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