Hillsboro Bay 27-51'N 082-32'W

14JUN 2009:

I checked out the boat briefly on Saturday, taking off the cover, airing out the cabin and checking the sails, but the test is sailing it. So Sunday - after an interesting adventure taking Jordan to Mass during the celebration of Corpus Christi - I put the charts, radio, and binoculars in the truck, put the sails in the boat, and headed for the Alafia River boat ramp. I was sailing single-handed again due to a previous misadventure on the boat with my wife. Note to self; not everyone finds 20-25 knot winds in a small boat exciting!

Upon arrival at the Alafia River boat ramp, I found an unbelievable amount of power boats putting in and taking out at the four available ramps. I was the only sailboat, the others were large power boats for the most part, which burned more gas/diesel leaving the dock than I used on my entire voyage. But more to the point, I can only use one of the ramps due to the draft of the boat and the extended dock adjacent to the ramp. Therefore, I took my time raising the mast and setting up the boat, only moving my truck and trailer three times so that power boaters could get to their trucks and trailers. Then I basically barged my way into the Que and launched the boat.

I should describe this because its interesting; I've never launched at a crowded ramp before, but for some reason no one bothered me. I saw at least four arguments when I was setting up, but when I got in the Que and ran the trailer into the water, no one said a word ... other than "nice boat". I'm actually pretty good at confrontation now and was expecting, even anticipating, an unkind word. But, to be honest, all the power boaters were nice to me. I don't know if its because they saw a sailboat and knew that it took longer to launch it or if they saw the look on my face and paused before making a comment ... but I had no issues. I like to think it was my manly physique and tattoo, but my wife tells me that's unlikely.

The boat went off the trailer without a hitch and I raised sail at the dock. The wind was on the nose out of the west, so I used the motor and sails and fell off the wind to head up the Alafia river out to the Hillsboro Bay. My plan was to cut the motor in the channel and at the appropriate buoy, head north to go see the old Seaplane Basin on Davis Island near Tampa, FL. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the wind veered to the north and stayed pretty steady at 10 knots, with a few gusts up to 15 knots, from the NNW.

I waited till I cleared the Alafia River, then cut the engine and fell off toward the MacDill AFB water tower. This happened to be directly across the bay, in line with the channel, so good for me. We were only three hours past low tide at Edgemont Channel, so only one hour past low tide at the mouth of the Alafia. I can't cut across the shoals adjacent to the the spoil islands at the entrance to the channel at low tide, so I stayed in the channel.

Once I hit the outer buoy, I headed up slightly toward a range marker across the bay. I realized that I'd be making long tacks across the bay and the wind was steady for the most part, so I lashed the helm and steered with the main sail when necessary. I only touched the tiller when we had to tack, or to make minor adjustments to the heading. It was great! I never made the Seaplane Basin, but I did make Pendola Point before jibbing and running for the Alafia River.

In addition to learning a lot about sail handling, I learned that my boat can't point as high into the wind as more modern cruisers. While heading north, I crossed the bows of a larger sloop - at a safe distance - but she was able to head straight toward the Seaplane Basin, whereas I was two or three degrees off her course. I had to tack two more times than she did. She was maybe 35 feet, but she has a reefed main, with a roller-reefed jib. Still, when we gusted up to 15 knots, I could point higher and go faster and the other vessel wasn't outdistancing me as much as she should have. Ultimately, I was pleased with my seamanship and the performance of my boat.

The run back from Pendola Point was pretty boring. I jibbed around to 120M and let the jib out opposite the main, so that I could go wing and wing. The flood was still running, high tide at Edgemont Channel was 1630, so by 1800 north of the Alafia River, we still had about 2 knots of current going the opposite way that I wanted to. We were making headway, but our hull-speed is only 5.5 knots and in 10 knots of wind we were unlikely to make more than 3 knots. So I started the engine, dropped the jib and headed for the aforementioned shoals. At mean low tide, the shoals off the spoil islands are 2 feet, but at high tide the shoals are under more than 5 feet of water and I only draw 2 feet. So wind and tide were in my favor.

As soon as I got to the Alafia River channel, I put the engine in idle/neutral, and used the mainsail to go into the channel on a broad reach. The power boaters, oblivious to what I was doing, continued to roar past me, creating wakes that were somewhat difficult, but not impossible, to deal with in an increasingly tight channel. Luckily, near the boat ramp and docks, it opens up into a small anchorage, just before a bridge that is 3 feet lower than my mast. There were a lot of power boats at the docks, but I was feeling confident and decided to go in under sail.

I still had the full mainsail up, but when I was about 100 meters off the dock and the same off the bridge, I saw that it would be too much sail area for the wind and tide. Therefore, I fell off, gained some distance off the bridge, headed up into the wind, dropped the main - save for 4 feet that I left up to give me steerage - and started my approach again. Ultimately, I have the power boaters to thank again, because no one got in my way while I attempted a docking under sail. Of course the engine was still on, but not in gear. Also, I was heading nearly due west, toward the bay, against the tide, with the wind nearly from the west at 10 knots. I'd fall off, catch a bit of wind and speed, then luff up as I closed to the dock. I just crabbed in till I kissed the dock then jumped off onto the dock with my bowline.

I didn't realize how cool it was till I made fast and had to jump down into to the boat to turn off the motor. I'd forgotten it was on.

I'm not a good sailor, but damit, I'm getting there.