03/29 and 30/2005 Lake Pleasant
There were only 3 people in the class, myself and a couple also from Sun City Wendy and Mark. Starting at 8am, we went to the classroom for an hour, then we went onboard a 22' Catalina. Captain Clint took us out teaching us all the way on the written and unwritten rules of entering and leaving a no wake zone. We rounded the final buoys and entered the lake proper. Mark and I raised the mainsail and unfurled the jib, then the next thing I knew Captain put me at the tiller and I was sailing!
We covered tacks and Jibe and all the points of sail, but mostly beam reach, close reach and close hauled. Captain Clint does not like down wind sailing. We took turns at the tiller and practiced tacking and working as a team. Probably had only 10 knots of wind, mostly from the south. But if you got the right balance of sail trim and heel, we could get moving about 6 or 7 knots. We learned that if the boat is heel a lot, which is uncomfortable, it is inefficient and will slow and stall. If there is no heel at all you are pretty much sitting still. As we practiced the points of sail, we learned to feel the boat and the sails getting in the right trim and moving smartly through the water. I was pretty nervous because I completely forgot my waterproof sound processor cover. I soon forgot all about it once we got going. We came in about 2pm and Captain Clint said be back here tomorrow at 8am, the wind will determine if we go out or take the written test.
The next day the wind was predicted to come up later in the morning, so we manned the classroom for the 100 question multi choice test. I missed 4 and only because I was not paying attention to stand off or give way. Anyway it was a passing score! Woohoo! By the time we got in the boat all the pressure was off. We each took turns leaving the dock and redocking, while Captain CLint told sea stories. I was last and it took me two attempts because I was listening to sea stories. After my successful docking, I took her all the way out, hoisted the main and unfurled to jib, but the wind was light from the south, so we crept out into the middle of the lake motor sailing. By about 1115, the wind came up enough to practice Man Overboard maneuvers.
The wind increased and Mark and I did circles around the island hazard completing all the points of sail, then Wendy took us in. Because we were going to a different spot on the dock, Captain Clint took her in by sail "show off" and we tied her up. Back in the classroom, we received our logbooks with Captain's Clint's signature. We will receive the official stamp in the mail.
I can't say the class was hard, it was pretty easy, but I learned a lot, mostly to just let the conditions move the boat, just guide it where and how you need.
Semstix - Camping and Geocaching Adventures
Retirement In Sun City AZ started to get boaring. It's nice in the winter, put hot in the summer. I can only make so many stained glass ordements. Then I got an idea to sell everything and live on a boat, okay maybe thats a little too much. So I kept everything, got an E-Bike and a camper van. I guess you could say I'm the opposite of a snowbird, like a sunbird - will see how it goes. I started Geocaching on 10 May 2009. Just trying to share my adventures
Vanning New River Boondocking
032725 - 032825 33° 48' 36.9612" N 112° 13' 36.7572" W
Shakedown cruise for the new van. Forgot to bring my hearing aid chargers. The cochlear should be fine, but the small one will run out. Need to pack new eating utensils. The ones I bought are terrible. Woke up to the sight of balloons in the sunrise. AG1 and made coffee using the electric kettle. Everything seems to be working fine. Decided to go geocaching before breakfast. Jump on the 🚲 and road over some rough trails, got chased by dogs and found 3 caches. Skies looking a little dark, so I made my way back to the van to make breakfast
Made more coffee using the electric kettle. Chopped up all the stuff and plugged in the cooktop, but it shut off right away. So I kept trying by resetting the inverter. But after 3 tries the inverter would not come on. So I packed it up and came home to cook breakfast. When I got home I discovered no electricity worked in the van. AC or DC, but the “Go Power” battery monitor still shows 200ah and 100% - This is very confusing. I called CW service, they gave me the number for tech support. Dean walked me through the system and we were both confused why the battery monitor showed 200ah 100% but Dean had me put on a voltage meter to the battery terminal and that is when I found the breakers tripped at the battery posts. I reset them and the inverter came back on as well as the 12v system. Dean walked me through connecting the van to the house 115 outlet to charge the battery. That seems to work fine, but later I discovered that it tripped the breaker on that circuit. Lesson learned. The cooktop and electric kettle will run the battery too low for the inverter. Solution is propane stove. Later, at home, I connected the shore power to the house, 1st circuit tripped TV/Internet system, tried another outside laundry room but it also tripped. Both 15A breakers. I found a 20A circuit in at my bench in the shop. Using an extension cord, this one did not trip right away but the ext. Cord heated up and it did trip. Need to get a 20 Amp extension cord.
Shakedown cruise for the new van. Forgot to bring my hearing aid chargers. The cochlear should be fine, but the small one will run out. Need to pack new eating utensils. The ones I bought are terrible. Woke up to the sight of balloons in the sunrise. AG1 and made coffee using the electric kettle. Everything seems to be working fine. Decided to go geocaching before breakfast. Jump on the 🚲 and road over some rough trails, got chased by dogs and found 3 caches. Skies looking a little dark, so I made my way back to the van to make breakfast
Made more coffee using the electric kettle. Chopped up all the stuff and plugged in the cooktop, but it shut off right away. So I kept trying by resetting the inverter. But after 3 tries the inverter would not come on. So I packed it up and came home to cook breakfast. When I got home I discovered no electricity worked in the van. AC or DC, but the “Go Power” battery monitor still shows 200ah and 100% - This is very confusing. I called CW service, they gave me the number for tech support. Dean walked me through the system and we were both confused why the battery monitor showed 200ah 100% but Dean had me put on a voltage meter to the battery terminal and that is when I found the breakers tripped at the battery posts. I reset them and the inverter came back on as well as the 12v system. Dean walked me through connecting the van to the house 115 outlet to charge the battery. That seems to work fine, but later I discovered that it tripped the breaker on that circuit. Lesson learned. The cooktop and electric kettle will run the battery too low for the inverter. Solution is propane stove. Later, at home, I connected the shore power to the house, 1st circuit tripped TV/Internet system, tried another outside laundry room but it also tripped. Both 15A breakers. I found a 20A circuit in at my bench in the shop. Using an extension cord, this one did not trip right away but the ext. Cord heated up and it did trip. Need to get a 20 Amp extension cord.
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