# Greetings from Colorado



## FadaMor (Mar 31, 2010)

My name is Karl Long and I miss the ocean.

I currently own a 1998 MacGregor 26X which spends its off-duty time on the trailer on my driveway. It is well suited for the kind of sailing we have available here a mile above and 1000 miles from the sea.

1500 pounds of removable water ballast make the boat relatively light when trailering and the flat bottom make it easy to launch and retrieve. 

We usually sail at a lake about 10 miles from home, but have sailed in lakes in Wyoming, Nebraska and California. We have also sailed in the Columbia River near Hood River, Oregon.

We took the boat to Houston, Texas one Christmas with the intent to sail in Galveston Bay, but the weather was miserable. It was 50 degrees and raining. We just stayed and visitied with the relatives we went to see.

We also took the boat to Santa Cruz, California, but spent too much time at the beach. We didn't have time to go sailing.

History.

I started sailing in California. While I was in high school, I joined a Sea Explorer group (Boy Scouts). We did a lot of small boat sailing in local lakes.

After high school, I went to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut. There I sailed the extremes. First, everyone sailed dinghies. Then we sailed on the U. S. Coast Guard Cutter "Eagle", a 295 ft barque (three masts, square sails on first two, gaff rig on mizzen, 22 sails).

After graduation, I spent two years a deck officer on a power boat (ducking for cover), 210 ft CG Cutter Venturous in Los Angeles.

I did not do much sailing (or motoring) for many years. 15 or 16 years ago, we decided to buy a sailboat. We bought a MacGregor 26X.

If you just did the math, you would see that we could not have bought a 1998 Mac 26X 15 or 16 year ago. If you didn't do the math, take my word for it.

Our first Mac died on the highway on the way back from California. Our car was slightly damaged but the Mac was totalled. We replaced it with the one we have now.

I sometimes sail single handed (even when my wife comes along). Our three (now) adult children have spent many hours or days on the boat.

--

Someone will probably ask what the boat's name "Fada Mór" means. It is named for my father who passed away in 1999. My father was very much interested in our Irish heritage, even to the point of learning some Gaelic.

He made a belt buckle with "Fada Mór" on it, representing his position as the patriach of our Irishness. "Fada" is Irish Gaelic for our family name "Long". "Mór" means big, large, great etc. similar to gran in French or grande in Spanish.

So "Fada Mór" means something like "Big Long", or "Great Long". He was, in effect, our clan chief.

By the way, I learned from a person who helped me with the translation, the "long" in Gaelic means "ship" in English.

I guess I have gone on long enough.

Here wishing you all
Fair winds and a following sea.


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

Hey fada - welcome to SN dude.


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## SansaBoat (Feb 23, 2010)

Karl, we should start a club: *OMC* "ocean-missing Coloradans" 

On one hand, we live in one of the most beautiful states in the country. Thousands of people flock here to camp, hike, ski, etc. every year. I was just in Steamboat snow-cat skiing and many people would kill to just drive up and ski terrain like that!

On the other hand, we are only a thousand miles away from some great sailing! 

Love the Gaelic boat name! Hope to see you on the water (once we get a boat!)


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

Welcome 'Big Long'.
I have seen the CG barque 'Eagle' several times in and around NY Harbor. It is a beautiful sight and being aboard must have been fun if you weren't working too hard.
Sorry to hear you lost one boat to the highway. Trailering is always a risk but is also something the M 26 does quite well, usually. Over a year ago I was following my friends 26 S down the highway at the beginning of a trip. As he made highway speed (too fast IMHO) one of the tires flew off (not torqued properly - don't ask). I thought for sure the boat would topple but it didn't and the trailer wheel hub took the brunt of the NYS Thruway instead. His boat was fine but it was a sobering and scary thing to witness nonetheless.
There are a bunch of folks from inland CO here who are trailer sailors as well. Bob McGovern (?) comes to mind http://www.sailnet.com/forums/members/bobmcgov.html
I believe he trailers his San Juan 21' to various locations in Wyoming.

Welcome.


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

Hello mudda...
and Hello fada!

Welcome aboard.


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## FadaMor (Mar 31, 2010)

Thanks for the warm welcome.


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## nickokelly (Apr 5, 2010)

*It's painful living away from the ocean.*

Karl, I feel your pain. My wife and I spend three years there in the Front Range when I was doing weather down at KUSA. We missed the ocean too much, and moved back to the SF Bay Area.

I think there must be a gene or something for living so far from the ocean, and my wife and I just don't have it!

Welcome the forum!

Nick O'Kelly


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## Livia (Jul 20, 2006)

Welcome - I bought my current boat while living in Colorado.


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## FadaMor (Mar 31, 2010)

Update:

Fada Mór is now in Maryland and living on Chesapeake Bay. She has been out four times, including once to launch and once to haul out for bottom paint.

It was a new experience for me when I launched to boat at Breezy Point, MD and then moved the boat to a marina in Rose Haven, MD, about five miles away. Then I had to get my wife to meet me there and take me back to Breezy Point to get my van and trailer.

The botom painting is half done. I hope to be back in the water in a couple of days. We are looking forward to sailing in the bay.


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## FadaMor (Mar 31, 2010)

*Fada Mór No Longer in Colorado*

Just an update:

We are now sailing the Chesapeake Bay (Rose Haven on Herring Bay).



FadaMor said:


> My name is Karl Long and I miss the ocean.
> 
> I currently own a 1998 MacGregor 26X which spends its off-duty time on the trailer on my driveway. It is well suited for the kind of sailing we have available here a mile above and 1000 miles from the sea.
> 
> ...


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

Welcome to the Bay!


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## FadaMor (Mar 31, 2010)

Thanks Donna.

Sailing the Bay is different than the lakes we have been sailing. The wind is better, but with good wind comes waves, which makes sailing more challenging (which is good), but makes my crew (wife and daughter) uncomfortable or worse (not so good).

We have been as far as Poplar Island (east of Herring Bay), but so far we have not made it to the Eastern Shore.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

I get sick, too, in rough weather. I compromised and told John that I don't mind pushing through it when we have a destination, but it's not fun for me when we're just out putzing around with no clear goal. 

Last weekend the waves were high and hitting us broadside, but we decided to just go out near Rock Hall. I lasted for about three hours before I said I wanted to return to the marina.

Strong winds and rain are in the forecast this weekend but we have an overnight trip planned to Annapolis. I'm focused on provisioning, watching the weather forecast, route planning, going through scenarios in my head if things come up en route and how I want to react. I'll probably be sick but I'm OK with dealing with it.

There were times when I said we weren't leaving the dock and he agreed that it was the right decision. On the other hand, if the inclement weather is within or just beyond my mental comfort level and I have lead time to prepare, I want to practice being out in it so that it isn't as daunting when we get caught in it without the advanced notice. 

Good luck.


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