bigtyme805
Member III
I wanted to give the forum a preview of an article I wrote for a sailing magazine based on a recent experience on a boat delivery.
I am always reading articles in sailing magazines about boat deliveries and some of the things that sailors go through. Well this is a story about my experience and the wacky things that I went through one faithful Saturday.
This all started one evening when I was reading through the Ericson Yacht Owners Site. A man had recently purchased a 1972 Ericson 29 and wanted some help with a boat delivery from the Channel Islands Harbor to Marina Del Rey, California. Since he was in my home port of Channel Islands and I am the current owner of a 30+ Ericson and have done a few deliveries and sailed many times off shore I thought this would be a good gig for me. Plus the owner was a little tight on funds and I wanted to add to my resume, I accepted the invitation.
My first order of business was to come over and inspect the boat and make sure it was seaworthy. It wasn’t going to be a long passage and it usually takes between 7-10 hours depending on conditions so it wasn’t like it was going to be a long offshore passage. I checked the rigging, sails, motor, safety- equipment, bilge pumps, lights, and some miscellaneous gear.
The owner had very little experience on the water and I didn’t really ask because it generally is an easy passage to Los Angeles and downwind in prevailing conditions. So his experience didn’t really matter to me. Although, later on I would regret not knowing what experience the owner had.
We agreed on a date and a time for departure. The time would be 8am and an expected arrival time would be 5pm based on my calculations based on the conditions NOAA forecasted.
When I arrived the owner had not completed the task list and was working on changing the oil on his Atomic 4 engine. I was a little upset but didn’t show it, I knew this would delay our arrival time. I wanted to tighten the rigging so I undid the plastic covers and discovered they had some strange turnbuckle that would require good wrenches, the owner did not have what I needed and the neighbors all seemed to be in a hurry so I mulled it over and decided since it was a downhill run and I had 3 inches of play on the forestay and backstay that this would be okay. Boy was I wrong about this, never listen to the weather forecast. By the time we departed it was 930am, just myself and the owner.
I learned from a previous boat delivery that it is important to provision properly and we had enough water and food for 2 days in case something happened. I brought my portable GPS-Chartplotter with to track the distance and if any emergency might arrive, the boat was not well equipped with this kind of equipment. It just had the basics and that means no autopilot. The history of the boat was a little sketchy, but for a 1972 Ericson 29 it appeared it was somewhat maintained. The Atomic Four from the outside looked new and that was a good sign.
We got to the mouth of the channel and hoisted the main sail and 100% jib (no furler). Winds were out of the W-NW at 10 to 15 knots and basically this means a downwind run to LA, just like the weather forecaster had predicted. Seas were calm from the previous day of Santa Ana conditions. Wow it was perfect conditions on a late fall day on the Pacific Ocean.
We headed offshore about 2 miles with the wind to our stern, the new owner of his boat looked very happy. The boat was moving at 5.5 to 6 knots under sail alone. I was at the helm and the owner and I started talking about his boat and the purchase. What I found out was the boat had been owned by a retired couple for approximately 10 years. They had told the new owner that they had not sailed for the past couple of years just ran the motor when they were down at the boat. They did mention that they use to frequent the Channel Islands, but after this adventure I would say it was not by sailing, but motor alone.
The sails appeared to be the original from 1972 and the jib sheets were mismatched and had seen better days, but enough to make the trip, I brought spares just in case they broke. The new owner was a little tapped on finances so these minor things weren’t going to get in his way of owning a sailboat and starting his new adventure.
After about a 1 ½ hours under sail I gave the helm to the new owner to see how his steering would be. As most experienced sailors know it can be difficult to steer downwind and making sure you don’t accident gybed by accident. Even though we had the preventer on he still managed the inevitable. It was tough for him to stay on track, he had not steered a boat in years. If I would have known this I would have brought another sailor, but stupid me did not ask. It looked like I would be at the helm the distance or until we were under power alone.
At the 2 ½ hour mark the winds started picking up to sustained 22 knots and I decided to drop the jib. The boat was moving at 6.5 knots under mainsail alone and I was very happy. This is when things start to get a little strange. Down the coast around an area they call Point Dume we started to see what appeared to be a large fog bank and I started to get worried since we didn’t have radar and this is a busy area for the container ships and we had no radar reflector or radar. I tuned into the weather channel and found out it’s not fog, but a large fire. Whew!
NOAA radio keeps saying that winds are light at 8-9 knots and I can’t figure this out because we are experiencing sustained winds at 20k and gusts to 30k, this has me baffled. Still the winds are out of the W-NW but appear to be changing to the NE which usually indicates Santa Ana conditions. But what is strange is that NOAA is not saying anything about this and they are covering the entire coast from San Francisco to San Diego. My thoughts are that the winds are going to stabilize. My biggest worry is the rigging. If the winds switch to NE this would put us on a beam reach and with winds that require the boat to be under this kind of stress, I am starting to worry about losing the rig if the winds increase anymore. In any case I would drop the sail and power to our destination. The problem with motoring is that I am afraid the motor has not been run for a couple of years and the fuel is in bad shape so I want to run the motor as little as possible.
As we approach Point Dume the winds have increased to 25-30 knots out of the NE, indicating Santa Ana’s have started and now I start to worry, but I don’t tell the new owner. I am keeping an eye on the rigging and it is flexing like a rubber band. Did I say flexing I meant shaking like a earthquake.
Relief at last the winds start to die down and I give the helm over to the owner for a break. But wouldn’t you know it they start back up and the boat gybes and the owner can’t control it and I run up on deck to get it under control. At this point I know I must steer the rest of the way or until we are under power.
At Point Dume it is considered the halfway point to Marina Del Rey from Oxnard and we have made it. Unfortunately, we see something we didn’t expect, the Malibu fire. Homes being burned and Pepperdine University being threatened, it is a grizzly site. We are the only boat observing this which makes the owner a little skeptical asking me why? I explained to him there is no port close to this fire. From Oxnard to Marina Del Rey there is no safe haven. 50 nautical miles is what we are up against. The only place to hole up is an anchorage right next to Point Dume and that only protects you from North Westerlies. My friend didn’t comment on that just looked at me with a gaze, I know what he was thinking, what the hell is he talking about.
After running parallel with the shore and fire, the winds start to decrease to 15k and I finally start to think, about time. Then out of the blue a few dolphins appear then more, then more and all of a sudden we have a pod of at least 300 following the boat. In my sailing career I have never seen this many. They hang around for 10 minutes then mosey on along probably chasing food. The owner has experienced something he probably won’t see ever again nor will I.
Making terrific time the boat is handling well, they sure make these Ericson’s well is what I am thinking. Sunset is starting to set in and we have about 13 miles to go. Then the winds start to pick up and I am thinking immediately sundowner winds. Oh god, not now. I give the order to fire up the engine because I am going to run the engine and see what these winds do. Well they start blowing like hell, 40k-50k and I have the mainsail up with no reefs and I give the order to reef the mainsail and the owner looks at me and says, “what is that.” I explain and he gets up to the mast and I immediately tell him I am going to point the boat into the wind and I want you to release the halyard. He does a great job, but in the process the sail only has one reef point and I determine that it is not enough. I tell him let it down all the way. I can see he is very happy. After lashing the mainsail we start to motor to the boats new port.
If any of you have ever been out in these conditions when the wind waves hit the boat the wind carries the wave on the decks, well this was happening and we were getting gallons of water hitting the dodger, almost like hail hitting your car. Now remember it is now dark and you can’t see the waves coming. The owner doesn’t waste a second he immediately gets under the dodger and I can tell he is nervous as hell. I have been in these conditions so I just take it with a grain of salt and keep going. The cabin is being tossed about but that is understandable considering the conditions. Now get this we turn NOAA radio on and they don’t even mention these winds, doesn’t surprise me I just keep going.
Go to Part 2
I am always reading articles in sailing magazines about boat deliveries and some of the things that sailors go through. Well this is a story about my experience and the wacky things that I went through one faithful Saturday.
This all started one evening when I was reading through the Ericson Yacht Owners Site. A man had recently purchased a 1972 Ericson 29 and wanted some help with a boat delivery from the Channel Islands Harbor to Marina Del Rey, California. Since he was in my home port of Channel Islands and I am the current owner of a 30+ Ericson and have done a few deliveries and sailed many times off shore I thought this would be a good gig for me. Plus the owner was a little tight on funds and I wanted to add to my resume, I accepted the invitation.
My first order of business was to come over and inspect the boat and make sure it was seaworthy. It wasn’t going to be a long passage and it usually takes between 7-10 hours depending on conditions so it wasn’t like it was going to be a long offshore passage. I checked the rigging, sails, motor, safety- equipment, bilge pumps, lights, and some miscellaneous gear.
The owner had very little experience on the water and I didn’t really ask because it generally is an easy passage to Los Angeles and downwind in prevailing conditions. So his experience didn’t really matter to me. Although, later on I would regret not knowing what experience the owner had.
We agreed on a date and a time for departure. The time would be 8am and an expected arrival time would be 5pm based on my calculations based on the conditions NOAA forecasted.
When I arrived the owner had not completed the task list and was working on changing the oil on his Atomic 4 engine. I was a little upset but didn’t show it, I knew this would delay our arrival time. I wanted to tighten the rigging so I undid the plastic covers and discovered they had some strange turnbuckle that would require good wrenches, the owner did not have what I needed and the neighbors all seemed to be in a hurry so I mulled it over and decided since it was a downhill run and I had 3 inches of play on the forestay and backstay that this would be okay. Boy was I wrong about this, never listen to the weather forecast. By the time we departed it was 930am, just myself and the owner.
I learned from a previous boat delivery that it is important to provision properly and we had enough water and food for 2 days in case something happened. I brought my portable GPS-Chartplotter with to track the distance and if any emergency might arrive, the boat was not well equipped with this kind of equipment. It just had the basics and that means no autopilot. The history of the boat was a little sketchy, but for a 1972 Ericson 29 it appeared it was somewhat maintained. The Atomic Four from the outside looked new and that was a good sign.
We got to the mouth of the channel and hoisted the main sail and 100% jib (no furler). Winds were out of the W-NW at 10 to 15 knots and basically this means a downwind run to LA, just like the weather forecaster had predicted. Seas were calm from the previous day of Santa Ana conditions. Wow it was perfect conditions on a late fall day on the Pacific Ocean.
We headed offshore about 2 miles with the wind to our stern, the new owner of his boat looked very happy. The boat was moving at 5.5 to 6 knots under sail alone. I was at the helm and the owner and I started talking about his boat and the purchase. What I found out was the boat had been owned by a retired couple for approximately 10 years. They had told the new owner that they had not sailed for the past couple of years just ran the motor when they were down at the boat. They did mention that they use to frequent the Channel Islands, but after this adventure I would say it was not by sailing, but motor alone.
The sails appeared to be the original from 1972 and the jib sheets were mismatched and had seen better days, but enough to make the trip, I brought spares just in case they broke. The new owner was a little tapped on finances so these minor things weren’t going to get in his way of owning a sailboat and starting his new adventure.
After about a 1 ½ hours under sail I gave the helm to the new owner to see how his steering would be. As most experienced sailors know it can be difficult to steer downwind and making sure you don’t accident gybed by accident. Even though we had the preventer on he still managed the inevitable. It was tough for him to stay on track, he had not steered a boat in years. If I would have known this I would have brought another sailor, but stupid me did not ask. It looked like I would be at the helm the distance or until we were under power alone.
At the 2 ½ hour mark the winds started picking up to sustained 22 knots and I decided to drop the jib. The boat was moving at 6.5 knots under mainsail alone and I was very happy. This is when things start to get a little strange. Down the coast around an area they call Point Dume we started to see what appeared to be a large fog bank and I started to get worried since we didn’t have radar and this is a busy area for the container ships and we had no radar reflector or radar. I tuned into the weather channel and found out it’s not fog, but a large fire. Whew!
NOAA radio keeps saying that winds are light at 8-9 knots and I can’t figure this out because we are experiencing sustained winds at 20k and gusts to 30k, this has me baffled. Still the winds are out of the W-NW but appear to be changing to the NE which usually indicates Santa Ana conditions. But what is strange is that NOAA is not saying anything about this and they are covering the entire coast from San Francisco to San Diego. My thoughts are that the winds are going to stabilize. My biggest worry is the rigging. If the winds switch to NE this would put us on a beam reach and with winds that require the boat to be under this kind of stress, I am starting to worry about losing the rig if the winds increase anymore. In any case I would drop the sail and power to our destination. The problem with motoring is that I am afraid the motor has not been run for a couple of years and the fuel is in bad shape so I want to run the motor as little as possible.
As we approach Point Dume the winds have increased to 25-30 knots out of the NE, indicating Santa Ana’s have started and now I start to worry, but I don’t tell the new owner. I am keeping an eye on the rigging and it is flexing like a rubber band. Did I say flexing I meant shaking like a earthquake.
Relief at last the winds start to die down and I give the helm over to the owner for a break. But wouldn’t you know it they start back up and the boat gybes and the owner can’t control it and I run up on deck to get it under control. At this point I know I must steer the rest of the way or until we are under power.
At Point Dume it is considered the halfway point to Marina Del Rey from Oxnard and we have made it. Unfortunately, we see something we didn’t expect, the Malibu fire. Homes being burned and Pepperdine University being threatened, it is a grizzly site. We are the only boat observing this which makes the owner a little skeptical asking me why? I explained to him there is no port close to this fire. From Oxnard to Marina Del Rey there is no safe haven. 50 nautical miles is what we are up against. The only place to hole up is an anchorage right next to Point Dume and that only protects you from North Westerlies. My friend didn’t comment on that just looked at me with a gaze, I know what he was thinking, what the hell is he talking about.
After running parallel with the shore and fire, the winds start to decrease to 15k and I finally start to think, about time. Then out of the blue a few dolphins appear then more, then more and all of a sudden we have a pod of at least 300 following the boat. In my sailing career I have never seen this many. They hang around for 10 minutes then mosey on along probably chasing food. The owner has experienced something he probably won’t see ever again nor will I.
Making terrific time the boat is handling well, they sure make these Ericson’s well is what I am thinking. Sunset is starting to set in and we have about 13 miles to go. Then the winds start to pick up and I am thinking immediately sundowner winds. Oh god, not now. I give the order to fire up the engine because I am going to run the engine and see what these winds do. Well they start blowing like hell, 40k-50k and I have the mainsail up with no reefs and I give the order to reef the mainsail and the owner looks at me and says, “what is that.” I explain and he gets up to the mast and I immediately tell him I am going to point the boat into the wind and I want you to release the halyard. He does a great job, but in the process the sail only has one reef point and I determine that it is not enough. I tell him let it down all the way. I can see he is very happy. After lashing the mainsail we start to motor to the boats new port.
If any of you have ever been out in these conditions when the wind waves hit the boat the wind carries the wave on the decks, well this was happening and we were getting gallons of water hitting the dodger, almost like hail hitting your car. Now remember it is now dark and you can’t see the waves coming. The owner doesn’t waste a second he immediately gets under the dodger and I can tell he is nervous as hell. I have been in these conditions so I just take it with a grain of salt and keep going. The cabin is being tossed about but that is understandable considering the conditions. Now get this we turn NOAA radio on and they don’t even mention these winds, doesn’t surprise me I just keep going.
Go to Part 2
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