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From: Jeffrey Mills (no email)
Date: Wed Sep 12 2007 - 11:54:57 EDT
Sailing the dory to Anaconda (Anacapa) Island, and certain peril
A serpent-shaped island 15 miles off the Cali. coast, of which I saw last month from 34,000 feet from a Hawai'i-bound airliner (no we're not wealthy, money-wise anyway)-- we sailed there last week. Specifically, we anchored at a place called Frenchy's Cove, a low spot where the head of the anaconda joins the body, named for a French hermit who lived there 100 years ago. The sailing dory s/v Everett Ruess and her new very Chinese-looking mizzen sail performed beautifully, which is a thing that endears one to her, as sinking that far from land would mean rather poor prospects. By accident, the mizzen is cut so to form an automatic gurney flap.
This is the s/v Everett Ruess' fourth excursion, and domestic life on board is finding a comfortable routine. Making the crossing in that tender little boat can be a bit of a bronco ride, but once in the lee of the island it was peaceful.
I've uploaded 7 new pics at the end of the Junkrig2 photos folder, titled "22-foot St.Pierre dory". Still looking to fully batten the sails, once the bamboo source becomes affordable.
On the return trip to harbor, Everett broke her speed record, running wing-on-wing at 6.2 mph in 15 kts of wind, 2-foot southerly waves and up to 6 foot westerly swells. Twice, a pack of a dozen-or-so bottlenose dolphins came to run with us, which was a treat. We have a little video of that; see link at bottom.
The return trip overland to Phoenix revealed problems with the trailer, but hopefully they have been fixed once-and-for-all. The trailer, though like the boat sturdy and new, was built by an amateur, and as such, the suspension wasn't put together right on one side. Secondly, it was pulled by an amateur, who has eventually learned that hubs and brakes on something this heavy can't stand to be backed into salt water without a thorough cleaning and regreasing each time. I'm tempted to buy some "bearing buddies" but I fear that will just engender complacence. Hitting a pile of rocks on the freeway probably didn't help much either.
It was another step in the realization of a 22-year old dream to go offshore in a homebuilt sailboat, although we only went 15 miles. We have designs of going further, and one day maybe even travel the coast of the Americas, the European waterways, and so on.
The seas that day were ideal and benign. The swells, which sometimes reached over our heads, were exciting albeit harmless. The day before was a bit rough for us and we stayed close to the harbor. The boat was surely capable, but we weren't that eager to pound all the way to Anacapa Island. Our
St.Pierre dory, a design close to 200 years old, has never been on the books as being lost at sea.
It seems strangely coincidental that the s/v Everett Ruess was sailing the Sta. Barbara Channel-- on what I later learn is the Ruess family's symbolic resting place for generations-- on the very same day that Everett's only brother Waldo Ruess passed away. It was the only day we ventured more than a mile from harbor-- any harbor, to date. The funeral is this Friday, after which his ashes will be scattered in the Santa Barbara Channel, precisely where the s/v Everett Ruess, his brother's namesake, was sailing at the time of his death.
Aurora and I were very lucky to have met Waldo and his family and to have kept a friendship with daughter Michele.
To see a video of the dolphins that ran with us (a half dozen appear in the video, though not all are obvious), click:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=17931734
To see some photos of the trip:
Make your little one a shining star! Shine on!
Kick back and relax with hot games and cool activities at the Messenger Café. Play now!
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