Winter time: blogs, videos and stories....

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Doug W
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Winter time: blogs, videos and stories....

Post by Doug W »

Occupying my spare time reliving past experiences and blogs. Just re-read Ruth and Sumner's adventures and mis-adventures on Lake Powell. Sumner, that's an amazing story! Good thing you weren't hurt worse. Does Lake Powell often get winds that strong? Only durning late summer?

For anyone who hasn't read his blog, it's a great read with many stunning pictures! It inspires me to explore more!
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... ll-09.html

...Doug (2012 Vice Commodore & Fleet Captain, MTLSA)
:macm: Galactica

http://starsloop.blogspot.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/StarSloop?feature=mhee
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Seapup
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Re: Winter time: blogs, videos and stories....

Post by Seapup »

For anyone who hasn't read his blog, it's a great read with many stunning pictures! It inspires me to explore more!
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... ll-09.html
I agree.

I am looking for a few more fun winter reads if anyone else has any other suggestions.

I just finished reading March's great blog about his trip to the Bahamas in his 26x, took me about a week :)

http://haihuitobahamas.wordpress.com

If anyone is interested in trips around the lower Chesapeake a WWP19 owner has a great site with lots of detailed trip reports/pictures.

http://www.jscheetz.com/sailing/log/index.html
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arknoah
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Re: Winter time: blogs, videos and stories....

Post by arknoah »

You're right. Sumner and Ruth have had great adventures and mods they've shared via this forum.
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davidbourne
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Re: Winter time: blogs, videos and stories....

Post by davidbourne »

Here is a good one...
Chinook's Bahamas journey last year
http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... hp?t=17796

And Chinook's Baja stories are great too.
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Sumner
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Re: Winter time: blogs, videos and stories....

Post by Sumner »

Doug W wrote:.... Does Lake Powell often get winds that strong? Only durning late summer?.
Normally our high wind times are April/May, often with some days of 45-55 mph winds. We had a 95 mph wind that lasted about 5 minutes go through town here a couple years back. Fall isn't as bad a spring and usually only big winds if a big front goes by to the north of us like when we were out on the lake.

I got hurt pretty bad, but I'd do that trip over again even if I knew that was going to happen. It was an amazing trip and gave us a lot more confidence and also humbled us. We had hoped to of gone back and finished it by now, but the trip to Florida ate up last year and now there is another boat in our lives. We would of probably gone back this fall if Ruth wouldn't of had foot surgery. Maybe next fall.

If anyone needs info or help going to Lake Powell we would help if we could.

Mike and Sandy (Chinook) are our heroes. Their trips to Sea of Cortez, Alaska, the Bahamas and other places like Canada are unbelievable. Great reading,

Sum

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robbarnes1965
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Re: Winter time: blogs, videos and stories....

Post by robbarnes1965 »

Sumner wrote:
Doug W wrote:.... Does Lake Powell often get winds that strong? Only durning late summer?.
Normally our high wind times are April/May, often with some days of 45-55 mph winds. We had a 95 mph wind that lasted about 5 minutes go through town here a couple years back. Fall isn't as bad a spring and usually only big winds if a big front goes by to the north of us like when we were out on the lake.

I got hurt pretty bad, but I'd do that trip over again even if I knew that was going to happen. It was an amazing trip and gave us a lot more confidence and also humbled us. We had hoped to of gone back and finished it by now, but the trip to Florida ate up last year and now there is another boat in our lives. We would of probably gone back this fall if Ruth wouldn't of had foot surgery. Maybe next fall.

If anyone needs info or help going to Lake Powell we would help if we could.

Mike and Sandy (Chinook) are our heroes. Their trips to Sea of Cortez, Alaska, the Bahamas and other places like Canada are unbelievable. Great reading,

Sum

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

Mac-Venture Links
I hope I can get out there one day too. You've given me the bug. Being a rock climber, I recommend bringing a few of these along : http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Climbing/ ... c4-cam.jsp

They hold well in cracks with the spring loaded cam. A lot better than an anchor will (I've taken some good falls and tested the shock-loading :) ) They are expensive new but can be found used. Climbers will usually retire them after a while but for boating they will not need to be as failsafe. You will usually want to rig at least two near the same spot to make and anchor.
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Sumner
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Re: Winter time: blogs, videos and stories....

Post by Sumner »

robbarnes1965 wrote:..I hope I can get out there one day too. You've given me the bug. Being a rock climber, I recommend bringing a few of these along : http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Climbing/ ... c4-cam.jsp

They hold well in cracks with the spring loaded cam. A lot better than an anchor will (I've taken some good falls and tested the shock-loading :) ) They are expensive new but can be found used. Climbers will usually retire them after a while but for boating they will not need to be as failsafe. You will usually want to rig at least two near the same spot to make and anchor.
Yep a couple of those wouldn't hurt. I'd take at least 400 feet of other good quality line that you would trust with your life (like 3/8 3 twist nylon) with you and not the cheap yellow poly line. Also something for chafe protection. The water is very deep right off shore with not that many places to put an anchor down.

If you have to tie to shore....

Image

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... ll-09.html

...with two lines you can use up a lot of line real quick.

Now saying that there are lots of sandy beaches you can just run up on. If they are of any size though the houseboats might already be there. Just be prepared in case you have to anchor/tie up somewhere there isn't a beach.

You can't beat the beauty of the place,

Sum

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robbarnes1965
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Re: Winter time: blogs, videos and stories....

Post by robbarnes1965 »

...with two lines you can use up a lot of line real quick.


No need for two lines. Just a little redundancy at the anchor point. http://climbinghouse.com/wp-content/upl ... 50x947.jpg

I also use my old climbing ropes as backup lines to tie to trees and such. After a certain amount of falls or time they are best retired for climbing purposes but I trust them to handle holding the boat for a night.
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Québec 1
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Re: Winter time: blogs, videos and stories....

Post by Québec 1 »

robbarnes1965 wrote:...with two lines you can use up a lot of line real quick.


No need for two lines. Just a little redundancy at the anchor point. http://climbinghouse.com/wp-content/upl ... 50x947.jpg

I also use my old climbing ropes as backup lines to tie to trees and such. After a certain amount of falls or time they are best retired for climbing purposes but I trust them to handle holding the boat for a night.
Thanks for the insight. These cams seem like a great light weight space saving addition for my boat.
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Sumner
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Re: Winter time: blogs, videos and stories....

Post by Sumner »

robbarnes1965 wrote:...with two lines you can use up a lot of line real quick.


No need for two lines. Just a little redundancy at the anchor point. http://climbinghouse.com/wp-content/upl ... 50x947.jpg

I also use my old climbing ropes as backup lines to tie to trees and such. After a certain amount of falls or time they are best retired for climbing purposes but I trust them to handle holding the boat for a night.
Those are pretty neat. Problem you can have there is that it is so deep (up to 600 ft.) that if you can't put an anchor down off the stern you need to tie the boat off in two different...

Image

directions to rocks (arrows) so that it doesn't swing into them, unless of course you are using one to hold you up on a beach, but...

Image

...even there I like to try and keep the stern from swinging around. Make sure they are up to over 50 mph wind loads. Our 100 lb. inflatable was flying at times up to the lifelines,

Sum

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abruzzi
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Re: Winter time: blogs, videos and stories....

Post by abruzzi »

Most of the US southwest get crazy winds in the spring--50mph and higher gusts are common. Add to that the fact that Lake Powell is a long skinny canyon that has been flooded, and you get perfect conditions for narrow high speed channels of air. Down in southern NM where I live spring is the least active time for year for sailing (and most other outdoor activities), because the weather is so unpredictable.

The problem is now is the perfect time for sailing (70's, and breezy) and my boat isn't ready yet.

Geof
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robbarnes1965
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Re: Winter time: blogs, videos and stories....

Post by robbarnes1965 »

It will always be scary anchoring in close quarters to rocks. I don't usually sleep too deeply in that situation. I wonder what an aluminum hull Mac would cost? :)

I saw this freaky thing at the boat show in Toronto. Seems perfect for the canyon. http://footprintboats.com/
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Re: Winter time: blogs, videos and stories....

Post by Kittiwake »

robbarnes1965 wrote:It will always be scary anchoring in close quarters to rocks. I don't usually sleep too deeply in that situation. ... http://footprintboats.com/
One gets used to it!
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