# Sailing Every Week so far this fall/winter



## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

It's really great having the boat in the water this winter. I've been sailing just about every week. (Ok, 1 time I motored out and didn't raise the sails.) DavidPM came with me for a sail. (I went up the mast - cant do that on the hard.) My family went sailing with me. I've sailed mostly solo though, which has it's own enjoyment. This past Sunday was another last-minute sail that was beautiful. I saw 2 other sailboats a long way away. There is always a tug and barge though, even on Sundays. Western sound, by the way.

So I'm learning a lot. The Eisenglss thing (below) caught me by surprise. For you reading enjoyment, I've divided them up into smart moves and dumb moves.

Smart move: After researching self regulating heat cable, and planning to get enough to parallel every fresh water pipe and wrap every through hull (150 feet of cable), with the help of another Sailnet member. I decided to put antifreeze in everything since the cold weather was on its way. It went well below 32 immediately after that. I better add some to the 1/2 full, in-wall holding tanks before something happens with them. I still plan to get some insulation between them and the outside wall. There's a 1 inch air gap.

Dumb move: I tried to use a mere 6 gallons of antifreeze. That wasn't enough and I had to restart with 15 gallons, which then did the job nicely. (Note that there is so much quantity of water in the pipes, that there wasn't much left to get a good flush of the water heater. I fully drained the tank containing the 6 gallons of antifreeze. Water pump wouldn't "grab" easily from the empty tank with antifreeze in it, so I had to restart the water pump from a non-antifreezed water tank.

Dumb move: The dock monkeys moved our boat, plugged it in, but didn't set the circuit breaker. (They left the dock power channeld to the unused 50 amp outlet instead of the 30 amp outlet.) On Sunday it was 22 degrees on the thermometer on the inside of the boat against the outside wall. Using a laser thermometer from Home Depot ($29 IIRC), the engine and water hoses to it were at about 31 or 32 degrees. I did not antifreeze the raw water side of the engine or the dripless prop raw water feed. Instead I have one of those expensive 70 watt, marine, fan-less heaters in the well-insulated engine compartment.

Smart move: Getting a laser thermometer from Home Depot ($29 IIRC). I point it at everything and it gives an instant temperature reading. By the way, clounds overhead on Sunday were at -6 degrees Fahrenheit.

Dumb move: Eisenglass does not like cold temperatures. Even with the dodger already folded down on a previous warm day, 2 of the large panels cracked. Maybe the dock monkeys stepped on it while moving the boat, but it was not broken when I left her day earlier. Can anyone comment on this?

Smart move: I plugged up the air vents that go to the engine, to help keep the engine from freezing. There are two adjacent to the companionway stairs and two at the stern. A towel wrapped in a plastic bag makes a good plug. Yes I forgot to take them out, but there is enough air leaking from everywhere else into the engine compartment, that it didn't matter. (And last Sunday I left the hatch off when checking the fluids. I may may make that a standard practice -- remove the heater, check the fluids, leave the hatch open.)

Smart move. I keep the waterproof, handheld VHF secured to my belt. If I go over, I'm calling for help. Generally I'm close to land, but with the temperatures dropping I need better means to stay in the boat when solo. Not sure I could make it even 1/2 mile in cold water. I have a makeshift jackline that I run. I'm using it 100% starting right now when solo and more than 200 feet from land.

Cold move: I plan to put my wetsuit on and grab my mask and fins and check the zinc. I'll do this outside of the marina proper. Note to self: get a replacement zinc from Beneteau beforehand.

Smart move: Instead of blasting my way out to clear water on Sunday, I broke the 1/2 inch thick ice all around the bow and sides of the boat. Then I ran the engine in forward at idle. 10 minutes later, with little risk of catching a piece in the prop, I ran up the engine and let the "wake" clear all the ice behind the boat. It cleared the 100 feet needed to get to clear water.

Smart move: There's no calendar on board. While I do want to build more experience in bad weather, I can pick sunny days and not wish I was back on shore. Things I want to do this winter: 1) see if the riding sail (anchor sail) can be used as a jib in very windy weather to balance a double reefed main. A partially furled jib doesn't have very good shape for making upwind headway, e.g. against a lee shore. 2) sail a lot.

Fun move: I put Christmas lights up one of the backstays and on a moveable forestay. (I move it back so it doesn't interefere with the jib.) It sure looks great when coming up to the dock. Not that anyone's ever been on the dock to see it.

Smart move: I created an email list with 60+ people on it. When I'm going sailing, I can simply send it out. So far only David has made it to the dock. But I'm hearing that others are looking forward to going this winter. Really, how many people, that don't already own a sailboat, like to sail on cold days?

If anyone wants to go sailing this winter, give me a shout. If you already sent me a PM, please send me another one so I can add you to my email list. There isn't a lot of warning, due to commitments and weather windows, but that's ok. The winter is long; we'll sail at some point.

Regards,
Brad

(I have pictures, but not a lot of time to post them. I'm sailing and I'm working on a SPECIAL PROJECT that anyone with a Driod will find very interesting. How interested is everyone in a few pictures? Should I make the time to post them?)


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

Pics!

And dude, you are INSANE if you're really going to do that zinc thing! I'm getting all achey just thinking about it.

I bet even JomsViking is shivering.


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## AboardIndigo (Aug 23, 2007)

Pictures are always good bene - it helps keep us Great Lakers (read as not a snowball's chance in hell of sailing) sailors sane.

I want to see the top secret Droid project details too.


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

Glad your having fun 

You really have to work out a way to drain or blow out the raw water sections of the motor or your going to have and electric went out fubar


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

tommays said:


> Glad your having fun
> 
> You really have to work out a way to drain or blow out the raw water sections of the motor or your going to have and electric went out fubar


You are right. I was tinking about building a cell phone alarm that would page me when the power goes out. I've been wanting to build a linear actuator button presser for some time, as a bilge alarm in the summer. It would be straightforward to convert it to a 12v-driven alarm when the 120v goes out.

That and draining battery power into a small heater when a power outage does take place. (Easier to build than the cell phone alarm.) 30 watts is 2.5 amps. My batteries would last 66 hours to 1/2 drained. 30 watts would be enough in that insulated engine space.

If there is a power outage, how do I drain the dripless prop shaft hose? I'd have to run antifreeze through it. With the prop a few feet below the water line, I think I don't have to worry about the shaft freezing. It will be very close to the water temp at that depth. But I worry about the hose going to the prop shaft. That could freeze if the power goes out.

That and the raw water in the engine.

If there is a power outage, I'll have to spend some time on the boat.

Regards,
Brad


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

AboardIndigo said:


> Pictures are always good bene - it helps keep us Great Lakers (read as not a snowball's chance in hell of sailing) sailors sane.
> 
> I want to see the top secret Droid project details too.


Do you have a Droid? I'll need testers.

I've been working on it solid for weeks now. Every moment I can spare mornings, nights, commuting, etc. Very exciting as it's coming together. Tonight I got some of the heavy duty math done. No clues on what it is yet, you'll know soon enough.

Regards,
Brad


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Brad—

If you need testers for your project, let me know. I've got an android phone.


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## Sublime (Sep 11, 2010)

Bene505 said:


> How interested is everyone in a few pictures? Should I make the time to post them?)


Very!

I'm lucky in that the weather here has been fantastic lately. But I love seeing other boats.


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

Brad - still looking for testers?

HTC Hero with 2.1


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## scottyt (Jul 19, 2008)

brad i did get the price on the coated heat tape, the price you quoted was lower.

another option for the temp alarm is easy if you have a tele line on the dock. they make auto dialers that have multible inputs and temp sensors. cost is about 150 IIRC. a simple relay running on the same circuit as the heat tape could close one input, lose heat tape get call. you could also hook up a bilge pump switch to another input.

Voice Auto Dialer

if you dont have a phone line get a zoom bac and hook a relay in to the power supply. then you can just check the location of the boat and if it does not show up you have a problem. you could hook up two relays one for power, one with a temp sensor that closes at low temps, ie the ones that come on standard heat tape would be perfect. total cost outside the zoombac would be less than 20 bucks.

think out side the box


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## JKCatalina310 (Nov 18, 2010)

*Cell Phone Alarm*



Bene505 said:


> I was tinking about building a cell phone alarm that would page me when the power goes out. I've been wanting to build a linear actuator button presser for some time, as a bilge alarm in the summer. It would be straightforward to convert it to a 12v-driven alarm when the 120v goes out.


This company makes an alarm system designed for boats. Boatsense Solutions Practical Sailor had an update on a review of this unit this month.

Where in New England are you sailing?


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## justified (Jun 14, 2007)

Brad 
First off You are the man keep sailing threw the winter. 
How do you winterize your engine? I have a line that I teed into the raw water just above the thru hull long enough to come up on to the deck with a shutoff at the end. I stick it into a bucket and about 2gal of antifreeze shutoff raw h2o and start up again. Just my 2 cents. 
Not sure where you are on LI but I'm in Old saybrook would love to join you for a sail.
Merry Christmas
Peter
"Frayed"


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

Yes, eisenglass will break below about 45F, I've done this 3 times (2 x with sail windows) over 18 years of winter sailing. Best to leave the dodger up, I think, and don't move the windows all winter. Below freezing it is quite brittle. Be careful with all of the plastic on the boat.

Run jacklines and use a harness ALL THE TIME on deck. Fall in, you're toast.

IR thermometers do not read correctly on shiny surfaces, like SS. A spot of black paint or even black tape will fix that.

A few more thoughts:
Sail Delmarva: Winter Sailing

Have fun!


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## WanderingStar (Nov 12, 2008)

Ah, yer mad!
You know I sail in winter, but not since Nov 30. My "rules" preclude sailing when the temperature is much below 40 and the wind is more than moderate.


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

Ok, here are some pictures.

First an innocous picture while underway. Drool you land locked swabbies, drool!









Here's a shot of the Christmas lights. Not that there's ever anyone around to see them. This was taken while at the dock. You can see the reflection below.









Here's the new figurehead I mounted on the bow. It looks a lot like DavidPM. Seriously though, there was a huge flock of birds on the water that looked like a reef from far away. We were motoring over to check it out.









The winds were so light that I went up the mast to see if we could run the Bullet2HP cable down the mast. We were unsuccessful. I thought the 32 foot deep water had an interesting color.









During this process, David drove the boat around in circles trying to rock the boat from our wake, to help get the string run through the mast. I thought I had some video of it, taken from up the mast, but I must have been too busy holding on and jiggling the string to get it through the blockage.

Few people know of the Long Island Sound balloon gyre. It's mostly evident in winter.









Here's the stairs that I bought so my parents could easily get on board. I drove to Philly after working all day to get it from a guy that had it on eBay. It blew off the dock. It gets very windy here in the winter. Maybe it was stolen, but that would require somebody actually being at the marina. Also a marina worker said he saw it floating out the little harbor and then washed up on a nearby beach. (I looked, it's gone.) Maybe I should put up some "missing cat" type posters. You never know. "Reward for missing stairs, stepped away from anxoius owner."









Here's a sunset picture.









Here's the marina, as seen from up the mast. I didn't have to go all the way to the top this time because I was installing new a lazy jack line at the top spreader. (Edit: When you go up, you can really feel that the wind is stronger even 10 feet off the deck.)









Another sunset









Another sunset picture









Regards,
Brad


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## justified (Jun 14, 2007)

GREAT PICS . Keep them coming


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

justified said:


> GREAT PICS . Keep them coming


OK, here are some more.

This sunset picture just screams winter.









I hosted a little get-together the day after Thanksgiving. I went to the boat the day before to clean-up, and took this picture. My camera was going through it's "blue" phase. All the pictures from that day have a blue tint to them.









Here's the little gathering. We ate, sailed and then ate. There was a little vodka flowing. (I had a beer after we got back to the dock, following good protocol.) 









On one solo, I came across another boat. We talked for a bit. At one point we were going the same way and I took a couple dozen pictures, try ing to get one where the boat was in the path of the sun. I emailed it to the owner of the boat. Let me know if you want a (large) screen saver version of this. It's a good one.









Drool you landlubbers, drool! This was a fun day.









On the way to the marina one day, I saw a sailboat race. I got to stand at a really good spot to photograph the start.









Regards,
Brad


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

That group of Sunfish racers has got to be from the Sea Cliff YC frostbiting series unless they are from the Hempstead Harbor Club. 
In case anyone was still wondering the location where Brad's photos are from.
Looking good BTW.


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

Caleb is right, it's the Sea Cliff YC. Joan and Carol were officiating.










Here's a shot of Caleb, on our June trip to the summer cruising grounds. 
It ended up being a bumby trip.










Caleb was a big help earlier in the year when we were doing some spring cleaning. Here you can see some very white heads all lined up. They were not white when he started. He's the head man around Sea Cliff.









Regards,
Brad


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

Back on topic, here are a couple of happy guests, from the Thanksgiving Friday sail. Joe and Liz sail in Chicago. They actually manned their yacht club's booth at Strictly Sail last year. If you see them this year, tell them I said hi.









Regards,
Brad


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

This picture is from last February. My son and I had just finished surfing in 16 degree (F) weather. It was really windy too, so it was a short surfing session. Note the salt water ice on his back. (I get dragged out to surf in the winter. I guess kids really do help keep you young.) It's a bit off topic, but I thought you'd enjoy this.









Regards,
Brad


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## carl762 (Jan 11, 2010)

Awesome. Great pics. I want to sail Friday and Christmas days. Just need wind. Every single weekend, when I attempt to get out and sail, no wind.


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## HDChopper (Oct 17, 2010)

Go Bene ! ..Them hardcore lil Bene's will keep you young for shure


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## BarryL (Aug 21, 2003)

Hey Brad,

I think you need to change the name of your boat!

Barry


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## Madhatter23 (Oct 28, 2010)

*Still sailing?*

Where in New England are you? (unable to leave personal mail for you, your boa is full.)


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

BarryL said:


> Hey Brad,
> 
> I think you need to change the name of your boat!
> 
> Barry


Good point, but we are on her more in the summer. Everyone just wants to go to the beach in the summer though, so I'm doing more sailing in the winter!

Here are some shots - and a video - of the ice last weekend. And a video of sailing too.

First the ice around the slip.




































This picture was taken after I was back at the dock. You can see how the prop wash cleared a path.









.

This video was taken after breaking up the ice all around her and then running her in forward at idle for awhile to make sure all loose ice was clear. Only then did I increase the rpms to create a path to clear water. It worked. The warmer water from below quickly make a large clear area so I didn't have to play ice breaker.

40 megabytes. It's big. Click here.

Here I've run up the rpm a bit, while on the boat.

18 megabytes. It's big. Click here.

.

And here's a video of some solo sailing right after clearing the ice (this past Sunday).

47 megabytes. It's big. Click here.

(coming soon)

Hope you enjoy these.

Regards,
Brad


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## HDChopper (Oct 17, 2010)

Getting a 404 on those Bene ..


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Second that... not downloading at all.


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

My mistake. Try it now.

Regards,
Brad


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## HDChopper (Oct 17, 2010)

Weee Haaa good vid Bene !


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

HDChopper said:


> Weee Haaa good vid Bene !


Thanks HD.

I need to juggled the videos a bit to make them match the text now. And I added one more video.

Regards,
Brad


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

Went to the boat today during the blizzard. By the time I got the dinghy off the davits, and secured upside-down on the end of the dock, it was really blowing.

I opted to not untie, even though I really wanted to do some docking practice. The gusts were making the boat rock a bit and there was really no traction anywhere on the boat or the dock, so it was a wise choice. (Really no room for plan B's or C's when you would slip just getting to where you could fend off.) Also it was starting to get dark, which can make things more difficult. Instead, I can picture sailing in the blazing sun with all this fresh snow reflecting in the sunlight on a clear crisp day. That will be excellent.

As you can see I was dressed for the occasion. Note the snow streaming past in streaks.









The ice eater is now installed. I moved it around a bit so it's secured from dock to dock making a triangle. Previously, our boat was too far forwad to make that possible. After moving her back I now have the same setup as my neighbor. Since the ice eater is not tied to the boat anymore I'm thinking I can more easily go out for a sail.










Here another shot of the boat. The snow was really blowing. We are getting 12 to 18 inches of snow tonight.










It's probably worth noting that over the summer I wrapped black electrical tape around the forwardmost parts of the bow pulpit. It was reflecting a lot of light back from the navigation lights. I still reflects too much for my liking. Electrical tape is actually quite shiny. Maybe some flat black paint will do the trick. Either that or installing a board on the top to block more of the light from coming back.

Dog and Jack, I'm still working on the saililng app for Androids. Actually it mostly what I'm doing when not working or sailing. I got it working and tested it, but the whole app is like a 1 page form. If you like a form-based approach -- with only the basic funactionality working -- I could send it to you right now. However... I'm now embarking on making it multipage and pretty and having all the functionality I want it to have. I'm really trying to create something outstanding, within the context of what it does.

Regards,
Brad


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## Madhatter23 (Oct 28, 2010)

*Nor' easter*

You are one of the most dedicated sailors I have seen. You never did tell me where you are, but you must be fairly close, as you are talking about the same amount of snow we are supposed to get in Bristol, CT. I have been wanting to go out sailing, before I head to Georgia. I can handle to cold pretty well, but I am not sure I have warm enough clothing to go out in the single digits.


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

Madhatter,

Sea Cliff, NY right now.

I'm planning a sail to Connecticut in the near future, as soon as the weather and schedules allow. Planning to stay at Brewers in Stamford.

That and a sail this coming weekend at some point.

Regards,
Brad


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Bene.... You need this stuff, my friend. I've ridden my motorcycle 100 miles in temps below 30 degs with their 12v plug in gloves, jacket and pants. Honestly, wouldn't even know it was cold if not for the bundled up clothing. You must get a thermostat, because they will get way too hot if you just have on/off switch.

I've had them for years. I see they now have rechargeable 7v stuff that may be even better on the boat. More freedom and no draw on house batts.

Gerbing's Heated Clothing // The World's Warmest Clothing!


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## HDChopper (Oct 17, 2010)

Ya Minnewaska ! there is socks too


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## dcarey (Jul 21, 2007)

*1-1-2011 First Sail Of The Year*

Well at 12:01, I was kissing the Admiral happy new year and just ten short hours later (with her permission) I was at Brad's, Bene505, marina backing away from the dock for a new year's day sail. What a spectacular day. My brother and I joined Brad and Dave PM to help fulfill Brad's goal of sailing once a week this winter. After brief introductions and shoveling some snow off the boat we were on our way to Stamford, CT for lunch. Thank you Brad for letting us come along. Winds were light, it was relatively warm for January in New England, 45 degrees or so, and there was no rain or snow. It was a great day!


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## Ajax_MD (Nov 24, 2009)

This is a fantastic thread. Thanks for sharing all of this Bene.

There's a lot to be said for winter sailing. After having the water all to yourself, you'll be frustrated when everyone launches their boat in the Spring and hogs "your" water.

Looking back, I'm really glad I made my first few "training" day sails when it was cold and traffic was non-existant. I would have been very frustrated and anxious trying to learn to sail amongst all the power boat wakes and other sailboats in the warmer weather.

You actually have wetsuits rated for water that cold?? I'd have thought a drysuit would be mandatory.

You have inspired me to push on with my winter maintenance so that I can get back to sailing. (Boat's in the water, but I'm doing routine engine maintenance and want to replace the wire halyards with all-rope.)

Here in Maryland, the recent blast of 50F has cleared the ice from my cove, but we do have an ice-eater at the dock.


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

Bublehead,

Thanks for the comments. Yes, a 5 mm (edited) thick wetsuit works for a couple hours of surfing. The gloves, booties and hood are mandatory in winter and are about as thick. My suit is 5/3, meaning 5 mm (edited) thick in most areas and 3 mm (edited) thick where there's a lot of motion (e.g armpits when paddling). Drysuits aren't preferred by any surfer I know, not exactly sure why. Little known fact... one of the very top surfers has a white wetsuit. Apparently they might reduce the chance of being mistaken as a seal, by great white sharks.

.

We saw one other sailboat on Saturday, intercepted them, took pictures of each other's boats and exchanged email addresses.

It was a great sail. 2 Captains, a Captain-in-the-making, and me. Besides the expertise, they were all good company. I'll post pictures later today when I get a chance.

Regards,
Brad


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## TakeFive (Oct 22, 2009)

Bene505 said:


> Bublehead,
> 
> Thanks for the comments. Yes, a 5 mil think wetsuit works for a couple hours of surfing. The gloves, booties and hood are mandatory in winter and are about as thick. My suit if 5/3, menaing 5 mil think in most areas and 3 mill thick were there's a lot of motion (e.g armpits when paddling)....


I don't know anything about wet suits, but I assume you must mean mm (millimeters) instead of mil. A mil is 1/1000 of an inch, and 5 mils is thinner than a disposable plastic sheet that you would use for painting.


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

RhythmDoctor said:


> I don't know anything about wet suits, but I assume you must mean mm (millimeters) instead of mil. A mil is 1/1000 of an inch, and 5 mils is thinner than a disposable plastic sheet that you would use for painting.


Yes, mm.

Good catch, Doc.

Regards,
Brad


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## justified (Jun 14, 2007)

Brad 
Don't forget to post a pic of our flag we had flying, Bubb will be happy that we are still thinking about him and his family.
Thanks for the great day, I hope to make the trip again. See my post in the thread " I had a great sail today" 

Capt Peter
s/v Frayed


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## HUGOSALT (Jun 15, 2004)

Brad, Don't dive on your zinc alone...if you need I'm local out of Manhasset Bay...will hold a line/lend a hand.
Tried to pm you re winter sailing, box seems max'd out.
Hugo


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

justified said:


> Brad
> Don't forget to post a pic of our flag we had flying, Bubb will be happy that we are still thinking about him and his family.
> Thanks for the great day, I hope to make the trip again. See my post in the thread " I had a great sail today"
> 
> ...


Peter's post is on this thread:

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/general-discussion-sailing-related/65325-i-had-great-sail-today.html#post682177

(I'm cross linking them so future readers can find them easier.)

Regards,
Brad


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

Hey Brad,
Glad to hear that you were able to get out on 1/1/2011. I was thinking about you fellows when the sun set on Central Park West; the air was quite still in NYC. 
Is it time to think about changing the name of your boat yet or at least dropping 'Summer' from 'Summer Boost'? The spin ride back from Stamford sounds like fun.
Pics!


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

HUGOSALT said:


> Brad, Don't dive on your zinc alone...if you need I'm local out of Manhasset Bay...will hold a line/lend a hand.
> Tried to pm you re winter sailing, box seems max'd out.
> Hugo


Hugo,

Yes, I'm hesitant to delete some memorable PMs. I'll have to focus on that a bit more. To make things easier, I'm putting my email address in my signature line.

Would love some company when I dive on the zinc. I may just "polar bear" it since I'm not sure where I put my wetsuit. With a hood though -- cold water actually causes bone growth in the ear that narrows the canal there. (And maybe Smack can loan me one of his fur-lined speedos.  )

Actually, I could wear my foulies and build motivation for staying clipped in.

Best to do that fast before the water gets too cold. How about this weekend? (We saw the polar bear club swimming last weekend near Stamford. There were a few hundred people watching.)

Regards,
Brad


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## HUGOSALT (Jun 15, 2004)

Brad,
Can do this weekend if we can workout mutual time.
Urrr...if fur lined speedo is involved I'm busy, unless
you wear as earmuffs...then I'll be there with camera!
"Best to do before water gets to cold"...not to worry 
can solve problem...invit winter crew to beer party
at boat, drink beer, pee in harbor to warm water while
Brad changes zinc!
I will Email you. Hugo


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## rmeador (Jan 16, 2010)

Glad to hear the new years day sail went well. I really wish I could have joined you guys.


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

Here are some pictures from the New Years Day sail.

Getting ready to head out









Leaving the marina









We were sailing with Courtney. Peter ("justified") brought the flag and we proudly flew it.









We motored enroute to Stamford CT. We sailed for a while but opted to go under power when our speed-over-water dropped to almost nil. (We actually had favorable current in both directions.)









David ("dcarey") was the best dressed. He has a great set of foul weather gear.









We wanted to check the wave heights, so we went by the weather bouy to get the most up-to-date information.









We didn't like the low wave height number indicated by the buoy, so we decided to increase reported wave height to 6 inches.









Coming into Stamford, we were head-to-head with a tug pushing a barge. David ("dcarey", a 50 ton master) used secret code words like "we'll pass to your port" and the tug captain replied with more code words "OK, 1 whistle". This actually happened later in mid sound too. The tug pushing the barge in mid sound had a strobe in the forward center of the barge - which later engendered much conversation and research (laptop, Chapmans) into light signals.









We met the tug crew in passing (on foot this time) at the marina after lunch. They seemed like decent folk. They were delivering the barge to the harbor entrance.

Here's a shot of the boat, at the dock in Stamford CT. Note the nice set of steps. (I miss my stairs.)









We had a great lunch in Stamford. This shot was taken after we ate all the food, the plates -- everything except the sodas. 









Leaving the harbor, we saw another boat in front of us, sailing on jib only. We quickly caught up to them and took pictures of them. They have some pictures of us that I'll post once we do the picture swap.









We would have boarded them, but they seemed like such nice people. We didn't have a pirate flag anyway.









With 3 captains on board, they let me act as a preventer. We actually set one up after this picture was taken. I got to use my large snatch block for the first time, and we had some good conversation around how to set-up an efficient preventer system.









You've heard of a Chinese gybe? This is a Chinese wing-on-wing. The winds were so light that the battens had to be finangled to the correct side of the sail.









Here's the asym at dusk.









And the top of the asym at dusk.









And since you can't have enough pictures of a spinnaker (either kind), here's a shot of the asym at night. We got the battens on the correct side and basically cruised across the sound under the asym. It was the highlight of the trip.









Here's a shot of DavidPM in his natural environment -- at the helm.









I got to take the helm. Here's the evidence. I get a lot of helm time from sailing solo, but steering with the asym up is such a joy to experience. I couldn't let the other guys have all the fun, could I?









It was strange, but things were constantly getting done on the boat. The asym was a breese to setup and put away. (I watched Peter do all the work.) The snatch block found it's way back in the cabin after we were done with it. Flemish coils appeared on the boat and even a dockline was so coiled. (David admitted to at least one of them.) A good crew is wonderful to have.









Peter brought us into the dock expertly. And with such a great crew, we were tied-up and plugged-in in seconds. After that we had the requisite beers, hot soup and sea stories in the salon.

All in all, it was a fantastic day on the water, with some excellent company.

Regards,
Brad


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

Brad

Looks great.

re: docking at Stamford; I like the trick for a tying a fender between stanchions. I will remember that one. I have not seen that before.

Jack


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## HDChopper (Oct 17, 2010)

LOL you are having wayyyyy toooo much fun without the rest of us !


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## Ajax_MD (Nov 24, 2009)

Man, that looks like a wonderful trip. Yes, great crew is wonderful to have.


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

MAN THAT LOOKS FUN YOU GUYS!!!!!

So sorry I couldn't be there to screw something up.


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

Smack -- guess you missed post #46.

I still need to swap photos with the guy on the other boat. I'm sure he has some good ones. I will post them when I get a chance.

Regards,
Brad


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

We had a fantastic sail yesterday. Hugo, DavidPM and I went out for a few hours in winds that were gusting 32 to 36 (as measured at raised-arm level).

We tried a single reef but that gave us excessive heeling even without the jib unfurled. So we added a reef. We used it as an opportunity to see how easy/difficult it is to do, without turning on the engine to head us into the wind. 

So we proceeded double reefed with a postage-stamp of headsail unfurled.

We have alot of pictures. I'll post them when I get a chance.

Oh, and I dove on the boat and checked out the zinc

Regards,
Brad


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Bene505 said:


> ......., and I dove on the boat and checked out the zinc
> 
> Regards,
> Brad


You trying to prove a mental insanity defense for something? Wet suit, dry suit or did you go commando? I'm afraid to hear the answer. 

Love you hear you are keeping to your goal.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Minnewaska said:


> You trying to prove a mental insanity defense for something? Wet suit, dry suit or did you go commando? I'm afraid to hear the answer.
> 
> Love you hear you are keeping to your goal.


We already know that Bene505 is mentally insane...he's a sailboat owner. :laugher


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

Brad,
Good for you. 
Been there and done that on your boat when we were pulling into Port Jeff 2 (or 3) Novembers ago. At that time we put in the 2nd reef and furled in the fore sail and we slowed down to under 3 knots in the 5' swells. I remember asking you to turn your engine on at that point so we could keep near a 5 knot speed and punch through the waves. That tactic worked pretty well with the engine at fairly low revs. What kind of speed were you making with the double reef and handkerchief jib?
I also am curious how the zinc inspection went. The water temps are pretty close to 40F now. 
Brrr.


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

Not so bad, given it was about 1 minute of exposure. (DavidPM started a thread on it.)
The secret that the polar bear club probably doesn't want you to know is that the water gets really cold in February. January 1st isn't too bad around here, as long as the wind isn't blowing and it's a short bit of exposure. The only advantage to being overweight is that you can swim easier in colder water.

Minne -- I wore clothes and a wetsuit hood. 

For some reason my sailing pictures from yesterday aren't opening up. Maybe David or Hugo can post theirs. It was a really fantastic sail.

Caleb -- we actually weren't moving all that fast. in 50 knots 2 years ago (no fetch) we did 7 knots under bare poles straight downwind. I saw 6.1 when I glanced at the GPS - really wasn't looking for speed or noticing, just having a good time.

Regards,
Brad


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## HUGOSALT (Jun 15, 2004)

A fantastic sail yesterday indeed! Crisp day, brisk conditions and got to meet two great sailnetters,
Brad (Bene505) and DavidPM. Guess we were making
5-6 knots? with double reef main and mininal jib, great
sunset and good company made up for freezing spray
and icy decks. Intrepid Brad did indeed dive to check the zincs, even took time to pose for a picture! Zincs were ok but I had to go below and warm up after his dive!! brrr!(lol) We thought water temp about 40f but
I checked U of Ct weather buoy at Exec Rock this a.m.
(about 2-3 miles west) and temp at one meter was 35f.
Hugo


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

Hugo,
Glad you got to meet Brad and David and Brad's Bene 505. I also checked the U Conn. weather buoys but they were not reporting at that time. 35F is pretty icy, even for beer.
I'm still wondering whether Brad dove on the zinc at the dock or out in Hempstead Harbor? The pics look like Glen Cove inlet somewhat (Mosquito Creek) but I can't really tell.
Execution Rocks is the station I was trying to check for water temps locally! I grew up in Sea Cliff and learned to sail there once upon a time. 
My best.


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## HUGOSALT (Jun 15, 2004)

Caleb, 
Brad dove on zinc at the dock. 35 or 40f...either way 
I'm getting the chills sitting here...I need a sweater!
Sea Cliff is great, what a wonderful place to have grown up. Till recently spent time visiting friends on Carpenter Ave. overlooking mooring field and marina, great views. We sail out of Steppingstone in summer and Manhasset Bay early spring/ late fall thru Dec. so a real treat to be able to sail with Brad in Jan.
Best, Hugo


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

Caleb,

We were in the slip at the time. Calm waters and the marina's hot showers (just in case) trumped the clearer water out in the bay.

Regards,
Brad


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

Bene505 said:


> Smack -- guess you missed post #46.
> 
> I still need to swap photos with the guy on the other boat. I'm sure he has some good ones. I will post them when I get a chance.
> 
> ...


I just ignored it. No one borrows my speedo.


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

Hugo,
My family moved to Sea Cliff when I was in 2nd grade. It was a lovely place to grow up and I am lucky to have had some friends who owned Sunfish, Sailfish among other small boats I have learned on.
We kept our Tartan 27' at Steppingstone the first 2 seasons we owned it. Now it is up the Hudson at Nyack, NY. 
If I had to guess I would say you are in Great Neck or at least nearby. Steppingstone was a pretty decent facility although open to strong westerly winds.
Brad,
I'd say you made the best decision about diving the zinc. At the dock the hot showers are nearby giving you the best options for re-warming yourself - if needs be. Out in the harbor you would have been precious minutes away from significant warming options even though the visibility may have been better.


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## HUGOSALT (Jun 15, 2004)

Will try tomorrow to post some pictures from Sundays sail.
Caleb,
Been in Steppingstone since 1985...yes exposed 
from the west, that's why in fall we move to Manhasset Bay. You guess right I'm less than 5 minutes
from Steppingstone and 5 minutes after that were sailing in the sound! Nyack sounds good, will have to 
pick your brains if we make our fall foilage trip up Hudson this year. Trying to get a few boats together.


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## HUGOSALT (Jun 15, 2004)

Pictures from sail last Sunday...
Could not post pictures directly on sailnet,
posted on another forum and then copied...
*Winter sailing in western Long Island Sound*

Sunday January 9th 2011
Brad, David and Hugo on Brad's Beneteau 50,
great day even with freezing spray and icy decks.
Favorite shot of the day...sundown with New York City
in bkgd.
Top pictures...Brad at helm
middle pictures Hugo, no we were not trying to BBQ between the gusts!
bottom pictures Davidpm at helm
last Brad thinking...Do I still have those charts of the Bahamas on board!
Brad at helm
Attached Thumbnails 

 

 

 

 

__________________
hugosalt


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## HUGOSALT (Jun 15, 2004)

I tried, have to click to open photos or go to CF and look up recent Winter Sailing thread. Hugo


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

Hugo,

I'll grab them (when I get a chance) and post them here. I have a usual place that I keep them on the web. (The links above are thumbnails only.) The pictures are magnificent. Thanks.

Regards,
Brad


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## HUGOSALT (Jun 15, 2004)

Brad, 
E-mailed them to you 2 at a time, you should have. 
Sure problem is my inability regarding computers.
Thanks, Hugo


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## WanderingStar (Nov 12, 2008)

Sailed yesterday. Conditions were below my normal threshold, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Sailed off the west side of the dock into a west breeze. Out on the Sound, breeze was gentle, sea calm, I almost saw the sun. Smoked a Cohiba. Kept adding clothes. Docked well enough too, backing in sniglehanded without scraping the dock or hitting the schooner astern is challenging When I got home and kissed my loving wife, she said yuck. Not the reaction I was hoping for, but I guess she doesn't like cigars.


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

Well, there's 4 inches of ice out on the "fairway" to the little harbor's entrance. So I emailed the insurance company and am now in official in-water layup. (It's cheaper that way.) I gave them March 10th as the date to revert back, but if the ice clears earlier than that I'll call them up and change our status back ahead of time.

It was a great fall and winter. Now I have a long list of project to do while the boat is laid-up. Can't wait to sail again.

Regards,
Brad


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## TakeFive (Oct 22, 2009)

What's this "layup" stuff? My insurance company never mentioned it. I've got a powerboat that I use 2 weeks a year and they make me pay for 52 weeks. Ditto for the sailboat, but I use it 7 months out of 12. Is my insurance company that different than others?


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## HDChopper (Oct 17, 2010)

Good luck Brad getting back out early ! ... been checking the weather for USA today and things are looking icy & dicy for most of USA for a week or two.

Good Luck Brad I have been enjoying your winter running threads


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

RhythmDoctor said:


> What's this "layup" stuff? My insurance company never mentioned it. I've got a powerboat that I use 2 weeks a year and they make me pay for 52 weeks. Ditto for the sailboat, but I use it 7 months out of 12. Is my insurance company that different than others?


Talk with Markel American Insurance Company 262-548-9880.

They'll explain it to you. They don't discriminate between layup on land or tied to the dock. You just can't use your boat before your self-proclaimed lay-up period ends, unless you contact them to end the lay-up early. Which I may do. You can go on her and work on her, IIRC, she just needs to be tied to the dock.

Regards,
Brad


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## justified (Jun 14, 2007)

Brad
Let me know when you come out of layup. I'm ready to go out again.
Peter


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

justified said:


> Brad
> Let me know when you come out of layup. I'm ready to go out again.
> Peter


Peter,

I too am ready to go out again!! Layup ends March 10th. I may extend/shorten since I'm busy that first weekend, unless you want to take her out.

-

All -- Below is a picture that Hugo took back in January. I think this was my last sail of the year. It's a great picture. (Yes, I cross posted it in the "show us your sunset" thread. It belongs here too.)

If you want to make a screen saver or something from it, the uncropped version is here.

Regards,
Brad


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