This is part one of an epic 11-day sailing adventure cruising the SF Bay Area and the Sacramento Delta, with not a single night in a marina. Reflecting back, it had everything: Battery dead Lost my h

I finally got around to adding windows to Jonah's new dodger. This short video shows some of the details of how it was made and highlights the finished item. Parts List (ordered from sailrite.com):

How to make a low cost dodger from basic materials using simple hand tools and a 3D printer. In essence, I took some 3/4" schedule 40 PVC pipe and bent it over from one of the cockpit handrails to the other. This formed the arc for the rear of the dodger. I measured the angle relative to the the handrail and designed a bracket to clamp the PVC pipe to the handrail. Then I took a second piece of pipe and bent it to form the arc for the front of the dodger. I offered it up to the first pipe and marked the first pipe where I wanted to 'T' the second pipe into it. After which, I cut and glued the T's for the second pipe. This second pipe needed supporting at the front, so I built a bridge over the sliding hatch cover from mahogany. I then formed 3 vertical struts with more PVC 'T''s and designed and printed brackets to connect those to the bridge. Now I had a rigid frame on which to build the hard dodger. The dodger top is made from 1/4" plywood that had shallow grooves cut along the length of it to allow it to bend. I made a template from plastic sheet for the top and used it to cut the plywood outline, After bending the plywood I placed it onto the PVC frame and got the shape I needed, held into form under tension by tying a rope from one corner of the plywood to the other. I then added a layer for fiberglass to the entire plywood surface (both sides), and reinforced with an extra layer along the edges. The hard dodger top is bolted to the PVC pipe frame, and the canvas work forms the front of it.

This coast is starting to look familiar. But wait, what's this black sentinel? It's the Pigeon Point lighthouse, presumably undergoing some refurbishment. Motoring up past Laguna de las Francas. A sea monster attacked Jonah and stopped us dead in the water. The engine has quit. But this monster is no match for the trusty Gerber...

Having spent a pleasant night in Monterey, we're out and about early. The wind and sea state is perfect and we glide up the coast on a close reach. We're sailing from Monterey to Moss Landing and a check of windy.com shows a good wind angle for flying the tweener code zero the tweener is surprisingly good to windward and will happily carry on a close reach. Again we've sailed all the way, and not motored at all, apart from leaving and entering port. Fog and clouds move inshore and offshore again.We make good time, here we are approaching Moss Landing. I've phoned the harbormaster to let him know we're arriving. Those are the cooling towers that were used with the de-commissioned natural gas power station. The power station's been replaced by a giant tesla powerwall battery installation. Moss Landing has been invaded by huge lumbering beasts. Their hulking masses strewn about in the water, strewn about on the docks. we take a slalom course among the flippers and fins and make it to our guest berth. The sea lions are barking at Jonah and I, and I wonder if I'll get a nights sleep here. The next day - Moss Landing to Santa Cruz ----- Sleep was adequate if a little fitful. We make an early start in thick fog and no wind. No matter, we aim to make port in Santa Cruz early in order to prepare for the next day. That noise was the AIS alarm going off. Apparently another boat is on a collision course. Hard to see in this fog! Followed by another day of halibut hunting!

May on the bay got off to a great start with a shakedown sail that proved Jonah to be in fine fettle. [02] We get a couple of days fishing in and catch two halibut and some lingcod. [03] Then a jaunt around the bay to visit Monterey and Moss Landing, before returning to Santa Cruz. [04] Day 1 - Start of the season shakedown day sail ----- [05] The season got off to a late start for Jonah, as her crew were detained too long by landlubber obligations. [06] But all of that was quickly forgotten as the wind filled her sails and the waves splashed her bows. [07] Oh yes, it is so very great to be back out at sea. [08] Plans are hatched before we return to lay course bound for more distant shores. Day 2 - Fishing! ----- [09] Our second excursion upon the briny was to be for a day of fishing. [10] The halibut are reportedly inshore now, and we'd be remiss if we didn't endeavor to land the big one. [11] Having arrived at the dock shortly after dawn, we were greeted by a magnificent clear sky. [12] Watching the sunrise on the water as we motor out to the fishing grounds, [13] sipping a cup of fresh brewed coffee. [14] As they say, it doesn't get any better than this. [15] Today I'm accompanied by my daughter and her friend Emelia and we spend a marvelous day fishing near Capitola. [16] We caught two good size halibut. Day 3 - Santa Cruz to Monterey ----- [17] Well, I arrived dockside at the good ship Jonah this morning to some troubling news. [18] Apparently, and according to a note left by the offender, someone had collided with my vessel last night! [19] upon reading this note, a somewhat frantic search ensued of her topsides for damage [20] but I could find no evidence of such whatsoever. Not even a scuff mark. [21] much relieved I decided to simply go about my day. [] OK then. Time to get down to the serious business of "Velocity Made Good" under Jonah's keel. [] Monterey is not that far away, and Jonah is determined to sail the entire distance. [] I acquiesce to her determination, and we press on canvas aplenty, at times, as usual, a little too much plenty. [25] As is our wont. [] We arrive in Monterey in good time and without issue.

The conclusion to 9 days,and 77,810 boat lengths. [57] Day 8 saw us getting underway before sunrise. [58] After having been so utterly wiped out the yesterday, I expected to take a short trip to Treasure Island and rest up for the majority of the day. [59] But the ebb tide was so strong that I arrived near Angel Island at only 9 AM, and feeling pretty good I decided to take a shot at laying The Gate and sailing down the coast all the way to HMB. [60] a not insubstantial objective for little Jonah and I. [61] After again fighting tide that turned and the inevitable headwinds, we crept out under the GGB, turned to port and headed down the coast. [62] A great sense of relief descended, as the open ocean is much less mentally taxing. No tidal currents, no cargo ships, no close quarters with land or "aids to navigation". [63] And now, a short 4-hour sail mostly downwind along the coast to anchor in HMB, that haven from the harrowing, that foggy, seabird seclusion, that millpond of a sailors rest. [] Day 9; another day, and more decisions. The gasoline was getting low, there might be enough to get home, there might not. [] I could wait for the gas station to open and get a late start, but a late start means a late finish for such a long leg as HMB to SC. On checking the weather I decided to risk it... there should be enough wind at the end of the day that I could sail all the way into harbor if necessary. [] After two fried eggs on bread, we weighed, and headed out into fog as thick as i have ever seen it. even the fishing boats were going slow today. [] part way down the coast, Jonah seemed to be dragging her keel. Not going as fast i pondered the phenom know as the "California current". Could it be that this was the reason for the slower speed? [] Well I spun her right around 180 degrees and sure enough she went at least 1 knot faster! Oh, yes the California Current runs up the coast I thought (wrong!). Huh, that could impact fuel consumption! [] Thankfully, the wind got up from "abaft the beam" and we motorsailed all the way to SC at a good rate of knots and with gasoline to spare. [] I pulled the good little ship from the water and she's at home in the driveway, in better condition than when she departed.

The day started well enough, with the ebb tide carrying us downriver, but then the headwinds got up and opposed us before the tide also turned and progress became hard work. [48] After struggling upwind for most of the day, we made it to Velejo and nipped into the marina for GTI (Gas, Trash and Ice). The wind was blowing Jonah onto the fuel dock and getting off was made complicated, but we eventually exited without incident. [49] Feeling really quite tired after a long and active day, I was much relived to drop the hook, after motoring back out of the marina. [50] I was just getting settled for dinner when I glanced out of the companionway to see the Coast Guard heading my way with obvious intent. I half expected them to say that I couldn't anchor here, but it turns out they wanted to do an "inspection". [51] Well a bigger clown show rarely I have witnessed. A boatload of seeming halfwits, who proceeded to try to remember their lines as they demanded to see my fire extinguisher, air horn etc, but somehow forgot to ask for my flares. [52] They went on to state that I should be wearing a lifejacket when underway and insisted that I put it on right away. I pointed out to him that technically speaking I was anchored and clearly not "underway". [53] To which his colleague agreed with me, and then we all agreed that I did not have to wear my lifejacket. [54] Anyway, he goes on to lecture me about how I could be cited for not wearing a lifejacket and i could be in a lot of trouble if they saw me sailing without it. [55] I felt sure that this was incorrect but just went along with it. Later I checked and yes, there is a law, but it only applies to children less than 13 years old. Which was about the mental age of these fine representatives of the USCG! [56] Eventually, they shoved off and I went below for a double helping of "chef's privilege"! I inhaled some space food and fell into an uncontrolled heap until 4:30 the following morning. [57] Day 8 saw us getting underway before sunrise. [58] After having been so utterly wiped out the yesterday, I expected to take a short trip to Treasure Island and rest up for the majority of the day. [59] But the ebb tide was so strong that I arrived near Angel Island at only 9 AM, and feeling pretty good I decided to take a shot at laying The Gate and sailing down the coast all the way to HMB. [60] a not insubstantial objective for little Jonah and I.

Day 5 saw Jonah push further up into the delta, which was to prove a mini epic in and of itself; however, the leg was a mixed bag of light air sailing followed by motoring. [31] When I arrived at my proposed stopping off spot for the night, it was bloody crowded; well there was one other boat and i didn't want to be that guy. So i set off further to pastures new, up a fork in the river and into some shallows that i barely made it through. [32] Nowhere to stop for the night presented itself so i continued to where it rejoined the main tributary. Then I took what looked like an interesting spot over to starboard between two islands, and promptly fouled the propeller in some water-bourne bindweed. [33] Proper stuck I was as i helplessly drifted into the tall reeds. Firmly up against it now, I set about those pesky weeds with my super sharp fish filleting knife. The weeds cleared away quite easily, but then when i tried to back out, it all got tangled in more weeds! After much messing about even including getting tools out to temporarily modify Jonah's motor steering lock, i eventually got out of there! [34] Still with no place to call home and getting rather exhausted now, i continued the search for a place to drop the hook. eventually, i settled for a spot near some private moorings and was alone for the night in a quite picturesque spot. [35] bucolic it may have been, but quiet it was not. Boats going by in the main channel presented a wake that rocked Jonah. I resolved to move in the morning. [36] Day 6, at first light, breakfast was had and we weighed anchor to return to the location I had previously declined. It was even busier now with several boats ensconced. [37] So I went the other side of a close by reed bed and found privacy in my own improvised location. It was a paradise found. [38] The inflatable kayak was launched and an explore of the reed beds ensued. Paddling further I returned to the main anchorage and drifted by a rather spiffing looking vessel (not as spiffing as Jonah, but spiffing nonetheless). A total classic of a sailing boat in the traditional style. [39] I got talking to the owners who invited me on board. During a self-guided tour, i was informed that Wayne (the owner) had built the boat himself from a bare hull! such craftsmanship is rare, the attention to detail, the teak everywhere, my god man, it was a labor of love. And the geezer only gets seasick! [x] A true open-ocean going ship, in the hands of a barfmeister. His wife was on board and she explained to me how it was a sistership of the boat named Serafin (of the Pardeys). [40] Returning to the good ship Jonah, i was now taking regular dips in the river as it was really getting quite hot. Muggy even. [41] By late afternoon, clouds to the east seemed to be telling of a thunderstorm. That evening I was treated to the most spectacular display, the like of which I have never seen before. [42] A psychedelic sunset to the west was coincident with a rainbow to the east. i kid you not, it was amazing. i videoed a lot, and took several photos too. [43] As darkness descended, faint rumblings of thunder grew stronger, spots of rain began to fall, the wind got up (hope that anchor holds!), and the dusk sky lit up with flashes of lightning. [44] Then all of a sudden I was beset by mosquitos; not just any plain pest either. Big, perhaps the biggest I've even seen; they were obviously attracted to my head torch and began populating the interior of the boat. [45] Mosquito netting was frantically deployed and I set about swatting the buggers which were not hard to find on account of the tremendous buzzing noise they made. [46] Finally the situation was brought under control and i avoided getting bitten much. Now confined to the cabin, daring not to venture outside on account of those monsters, I set an anchor alarm on my phone and watched to see if the boat would drag anchor during the night. [x] All was well, and apart from being woken up in the night during a fairly substantial blow, dawn broke without any further drama.

Day 4 started innocuously enough after setting sail then having to start the motor again because the wind dropped and the tide was sending me backwards. No biggy, but the "fun" was still to come. After an impromptu detour to rec ee some abandoned navy vessels, i almost ran aground after allowing myself to be distracted by a text. The depth was down to 5 feet and i gingerly picked my way back to the channel, remembering that I'd seen a dude being towed off that very same spot on a previous visit. Next was some route finding difficulties because i could'nt remember if it was right before the power station, or after it. I was attempting to navigate from memory. lol. But to cap it all, when i arrived to the marina, i could'nt get in on account of the biggest collection of ungentlemanly persons on powerboats one could even have the misfortune to lay eyes on. Boat after boat after boat exiting the narrow entrance left me doing turns waiting to get in. After a seeming eternity I go tired of waiting and tied off to a nearby landing dock. i was sat there and one of these doofers gunned his heap chit (but very expensive) boat that caused a wake which slammed Jonah repeatedly against the dock... I was powerless to do anything and just waiting for the sound of crunching fiberglass which thankfully never came. A testament to Jonah's stoat build, there was simply no damage at at; barely a scuff!!! Anyway, I eventually got into the marina to find the harbormaster is AWOL. So now I need 3 things; ice, dump trash, shower, but because there's no marina staff, i cant get off the dock! this problem was solved with the help of the nearby restaurant. To my surprise, they knew about the apparently chronic management problem at the marina and were able to buzz me in and out of the dock gate. I ate at the restaurant, and they gave me a big bag of ice. Having dumped the trash, my only remaining goal was to get a shower, but with no dock key, i couldn't get in. So I went in over the side of the boat and just rinsed myself in the remarkably fresh water of the marina! I know clean freak would probably not be impressed, but one has to be pragmatic.

Jonah, the 19' Ocean-Going Trailer Sailer tackles high winds south of the Golden Gate Bridge.

I'm on a mission to set a personal best for number of days aboard and push up into the Sacramento delta, further than ever before. Each day, a mini-adventure. Day 1; you know that repair we did to the rudder... well it only bloomin' came loose half way to Half Moon Bay! When I got the anchor down, I was real tired and just left it. Then in the morning I had to perch on the swim ladder with my "mole grips" pliers on a lanyard and half submerged in the water. Then crawl in the back of the boat, remove the nut and washer and replace it with a much larger washer, and do this twice! Luckily I had some super large washers (only 2!) and it fixed the problem right away. The smaller washers were just crushing the plywood backing, and that's why it worked loose. The situation was saved! Day 2; HMB to TI. Jonah and I left the harbor the next day and continued heading up coast. During the entire passage up to the Sacremento delta, we'll motor for a total of 3 hours. There does appear to be some persistent local wind conditions here, a significant acceleration zone, or some such well, i've only gone and rounded up in suddenly stronger winds, in the same spot that we did when we were here last time!! I was rather annoyed with myself and in my rush i accidental gybed and clocked me noggin a glancing blow!!! Somehow, we made it to Treasure Island. Alhamdulillah. Day 3 TI to Mare Island Strait saw wind over tide and some biggish waves pushing Jonah me girl around, causing some hard work with sail handing, etc. and by the time i got to the proposed anchorage, on first sighting I thought to myself... this ain't doable on account of the wind and waves! My first go at dropping the anchor was aborted, but I took another swing at it from a different angle, splitting the difference between current and wind; miraculously it worked and the hook dug in immediately and within moments the whole setting seemed to calm down and i realized all would be good.

As you may know, it's been my ambition to sail to Bodega Bay for some time now. Well today was not going to be that day, again. Several of you, perhaps me included, now doubt if we'll ever make it that far north. We set sail in much the usual way, motoring out of the harbor in the morning fog forecast is from the south, with luck to push the ever hopeful north. To begin, the winds fails to materialize at all and thus we labor under the steady din of the iron genny. Hours later we arrive and without regret, a night is spent blissfully at anchor by noon the following day, we lay the gate and push into the bay dodging the first of many cargo ships, container ships and oil tankers transiting the golden gate and the infamous "potato patch" is best not taken lightly. One must beware the significant tidal current and especially the threat of wind over tide I find the free open-source program "OpenCPN" to be an excellent navigation and route planning application, which I run on a laptop, secured below decks HMB to TI (Tue, 06/06): approx 20 miles *to GGB* conservatively @3.5 kts, that will take ~6 hours Aim to arrive at slack water (followed by ebb!) consulting the tide tables we note that slack is 4:36 PM arrive at GGB 3:36 PM giving us a suggested departure time of: 9:30 AM (or a bit earlier) We get through with no drama and make way toward our stop for the night the next day sees a quick hike up to the top of Angel Island for what must be the best view of the entire Bay Area It's been several days now, and a marina starts to seem like a good idea but what's with SF marinas being so tough to get into these days? why on earth they make it so difficult for transients, one can only imagine perhaps its something to do with those wayward souls in Richardson bay anyway, some marinas are now prohibitively expensive some are closed to transients some have bizzare and baroque procedures for getting registered and a few are a quick and convenient phone call away the south bay it is then its a gray morning but jonah has the bit between her teeth she's starting her homeward run up under the bay bridge past the city waterfront, and out into the infamous slot the wind is blowing, and for a while we get too close to the wind shadow of the skyscrapers and are left luffing off the embarkadero with ferries jockeying for position at the docks the engine is quickly started and we avoid any unecessary complications then the wind returns and we tack our way up past alcatraz and onward to the bridge through the gate and winds go light and the code zero, slash tweener, slash "kite" is deployed if there's one thing ive learned, or not learned over and over again it's that it aint over till its over... after a nearly flawless 6 day cruise and under the remit of let no good deed go unpunished... just before reaching our home port i turn to avoid a racing fleet of 505 dinghies and accidental gybe in suddenly strong wind, causing the mainsheet to part company with the boom in a quite violent manner highlighting that after 37 years, and PO repairs aluminum's gonna corrode oh well, that wasn't exactly "bluewater" spec we can rebuild her make her better, stronger, faster? stay tuned for the exciting new mainsheet attachment method! i found this boom bail for my 2" diameter boom, from racelite now that looks more business like, bluewater even, but I will reserve judgement until it proves itself at sea in order to appreciate the gravity of going north along the california coast up past Point Reyes one needs to understand the local geography and prevailing wind conditions afterall, who among us wants to go to windward in that! so we must wait for a weather window ideally with southerly winds for a couple of days then in the event of making the harbor at Bodega one is left with the very real prospect of getting stuck in port due to the return of unreasonably high winds all this is to say that i'm a chicken, some might call it prudent or maybe a bit of a fair weather sailor but it's all relative, right? so i needed a new steaming light as the original was no longer servicable having decided on a masthead all-around light that could double as an anchor light eventually i settled on the Perko fitting but the problem was how to fit it to the mast? being somewhat handy with 3d modeling and having a 3d printer i felt compelled to solve the issue by designing a custom bracket the top of the mast is rather busy with the backstay, sheeves for the main halyard, etc therefore, i wanted something that could attach on the side of the mast i began by modeling the profile of the mast extrusion then a quick mock up of the perko fitting and finally designed a bracket the would attach the light fitting to the side of the mast the finished item was printed in uv resistant ABS plastic with 100% fill to make it strong The sailing vessel Jonah The best little ship on the ocean if you'll pardon my bias

In 1949 the brothers Stanley and Colin Smith built the 20-ft. boat 'Nova Espero' and sailed her across the Atlantic from Nova Scotia to England, an achievement which stirred not only those who understand the sea, but the general public also. It was an historic cruise by the man who designed the famed West Wight Potter sailboat. This video series is an account of the 2nd great voyage in 'Nova Espero', from Dartmouth, England to Nova Scotia, undertaken by Stanley and his good friend Charles Violet. Transcript: We cast off from the railway pontoon at Dartmouth with an overwhelming sense of finality, we acknowledged the friendly cheers of our friends and many well wishers who had gathered on the harbor front to see us sail.If there is ever a feeling of high endeavor in setting out to challenge an ocean in a small boat, the slightest aura of glory, courage or heroism surrounding the members of the crew, it certainly did not attend our departure.We were depressed and overawed by the prospect before us. The gentle afternoon breeze gradually died as the sun sank below the beautiful hills above the town.A few minutes after we had cast off, the wind dropped completely.The surface of the harbor took on a restful oily aspect and we were left embarrassed.With Sagging sails only a few hundred yards away from our point of departure, our old friend Ridell, the pilot chugged over to us in his launch, took a line from our Samsung post and towed us out to sea, thus saving us from the possibility of cheers changing to Jeers and. We were left to fend for ourselves about the mile beyond the harbor entrance.By this time it was dark, and we looked wistfully back to the lights of Dartmouth.With all our hearts, we longed to have the journey behind us.We might now be sailing into port with the joyful expectation of a leisurely few days without care among the sheltering green slopes, listening to the sound of our favorite port echoing across the valleys.But reality soon began to insist on our attention. The tide turned and we began to drift to the eastward.This in of itself would not have been very disconcerting but half a mile down our line of drift lay a considerable obstacle an obstacle rather unlikely to move out of the way.For us, it was the Mew stone a hunk of rock probably weighing several million tons and shaped like a shattered alligator's tooth.We had no oars on board as they were not likely to be wanted in the Atlantic so the boat was out of control.Soon as we drifted towards the danger we saw it loom up black and jagged, soaring venomously into the deep, soft violet of the night sky.In spite of the slick glassy surface of the sea a fairly heavy rolling swell slipped noiselessly beneath us and as we approached the rocks we heard the ominous roar as it dashed against the foot of the great mass.If we struck, it seemed likely that the nova would be out of commission for a long time and the voyage end within a mile or two of its start. We hastily unlashed two bamboo spars from the aft mainstays which we had brought with us to use as spinnaker booms.Then, using these as paddles, began a frantic, agonized fight to get clear.The bamboos were too thin to make much of an impression and Paddling desperately felt like bursting as we quickly burned up our energy.Still, we were not clear.The sweat poured down till our eyes were swimming and smarting but we redoubled our efforts till the blood roared and swabbed in our heads.The strain became more than our arms could bear, and exhausted we subsided on the deck, gulping for air.It was several minutes before we recovered and we sat up to our immeasurable relief.We saw that we were being swept clear by a narrow margin. After this narrow escape, the remainder of the night was spent in creeping offshore across the western entrance of the English Channel to Yushant, a sinister cluster of islets, rocks, shoals and tide rips, extending several miles off the most westerly tip of France. The wind increased during the following morning and our log records an unhappy day of cumbersome steep seas with the wind fresh to strong.We would not be surprised if the log forgot to mention that we suffered a few queasy qualms of wretchedness. #sailing #seastory

[Credits: Music from Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/ko/music/-a-jazz-piano-110481/ https://pixabay.com/ko/music/-cool-piano-jazz-2642/ A Jazz Piano Oleg Kirilkov] Narration: intro: well I had intended to try and sail to Bodega Bay some 95 nautical miles to the north, but for this trip; the wind gods were having none of it. The trip started with little wind, and then later in the week was expected to blow up to 40 kts. So ambitions were scaled down. Still, 4 days of fun at sea is not to be missed and so off we set. --- Light winds from the south and east were forecast for the start of the trip, along with patchy fog and flat seas Jonah presses on with intent, into the gray and cold morning Having launched from the SC harbor, we're now bound for HMB... our usual stopping off point when heading north The fog clears for a while and the warmth of the sun brightens the day --- It's a bit of a long slog up the coast when motoring A favorable wind at least permits some motor sailing Warmer in the cabin, just make sure to keep watch --- the first of the channel marker buoys signalling we're almost there safe harbor, at last --- anchoring in about 12 feet of water, as shown here on the fishfinder a bit tricky one handed --- It's a new day and we're bound for the Bay (San Francisco, that is) The forecast is for light and favorable winds, so the code zero is rigged The tack attaches to the pulpit and the head is raised up the mast After a quick pitstop for some gas, we motor out of the HMB marina --- upwind code zero?... no problem! --- interminable hours, seemingly without end, drop away in oceanic meditation on and on, she potters on her way relentless, unerring we're bound, for our home port now --- The winds picked up so the code zero is furled the lapper hoisted and the main reefed down to the first reefing point --- moving along at a decent clip now --- Throw in the GGB_Moods video --- Addendum: So, having got the updated forecast, the question was posed... would it prudent to head north in a 19' sailboat, up past Point Reyes with 30 kt headwinds forecast? The allure of new horizons is tempting but such thoughts must be tempered with a sailors prudence the decision was made to postpone such far flung northerly excursions for another day

Boat Tour: Setup of a Cruising Specification West Wight Potter 19 We begin by removing the tiedown straps that keep the boat on the trailer. This one goes over the bow, and is there in the event the winch should fail whilst towing The second strap is toward the stern of the vessel Boarding the boat is made easy by use of the swim ladder Once aboard, we can start preparing the mast for raising At the bow, the mast is lashed to the pulpit when not in use The shrouds are lashed to the mast for safe keeping A wooden block is used to support the mast at the mid point Here, the mainsheet is unlashed from the mast Now remove the adjustable backstay, which is being used to hold down the mast at the stern of the boat Next step is to remove the securing bolt from the mast tabernacle Then loosen all halyards and the mast raising tackle Now the mast is free and can be moved aft ready for raising Attaching the mast to the tabernacle Here we can see the "gin pole" laid out on the foredeck This pole is used to help raise the mast It's a piece of galvanized steel pipe with two lines attached The gin pole connects to the base of the mast, and the two lines clip to padeyes on the deck Here's a shot of the "block and tackle" used to raise the mast The dark red line is the one to pull but not yet The block and tackle is attached to the stem fitting at the bow Returning aft we make sure that the shrouds are not twisted at the tangs The mast is ready to be raised The jib halyard, shown here on the left is kept attached to the pulpit it provides an extra layer of security, as it also can be used to support the mast temporarily The mast is fully raised now, so time to remove the block and tackle and the gin pole The forestay is detached from the block and tackle and reattached to the stem fitting The forestay is attached to the stem fitting with a quick release lever The lever tensions the rig which then requires no further adjustment Tape is added to ensure no possibility of the quick pins coming loose Next, the bow dockline is flaked onto the deck It will be used to help with the launching of the boat from the trailer The adjustable backstay is brought into tension And the mast crutch is removed Shown here, is the 3d printed custom mastgate that keeps the sail slugs in place when the sail is being reefed it's necessary to remove this before fitting the boom and mainsail The boom and mainsail are brought up from the cabin and the aft end is attached to a wire lanyard connected to the backstay the gooseneck is fitted into the slot on the mast followed by the sail slugs Next the mail halyard is attached and the last of the sail slugs are inserted the mastgate is replaced into the mast some dry-lube is applied to keep things working smoothly The mainsail has a downhaul for tensioning the luff The control line is run through the block and cleat Jonah does not have a topping lift, but instead has a boom kicker The kicker attaches to the base of the mast via a boom bail As does the boom vang Next, the mainsheet is attached to the aft end of the boom The tiller cover is removed And the retractable keel is raised into the fully up position using the winch She's almost ready for launch now Stashing the swim ladder... we won't be needing that for a while now The bow dockline is tied to the trailer with a slip knot, to stop the boat from floating away after launching Driving to the launch ramp No video of me launching, as i was too busy There she is at the end of the dock, almost ready for adventures! The keel bolts, used to support the keel when the boat is not in use are removed Lowering the keel to the fully lowered position The kick up rudder is dropped down A figure 8 stop knot in the mainsheet Lowering the outboard into the water She's ready to put to sea!

Adapted from a "real-life" sea story, as described by Tristan Jones in his book "Saga of a Wayward Sailor". This is part one of a series. This real-life dramatized narrative of an epic seafaring voyage, detailing Tristan's survival at sea, is a captivating tale that you are sure to enjoy. If you would like to see more of these videos, please like, comment and SUBSCRIBE! The storm struck out of the southwest on August 3rd. It developed rapidly, in a matter of hours; from a steady blow to a howling rage of shifting cloud, rain, and wind, and the four cardinal points of the horizon galloped at me like the horsemen of the apocalypse. And me in the middle of them. Waiting, vulnerable, patient. [Credits: https://spirityachts.com/wp-content/uploads/spirit-f-bond-007-luxury-yacht-2.jpg https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-grWo2xywlrI/T16eSJthOFI/AAAAAAAAAfk/RWhADwT_GLg/s1600/PHTO0015.JPG "smiths ships clock", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sAtRSxZRTc "SV Ramble On | Chainplates Part II", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iPKdh4Twds "1gm10 yanmar engine. Cold start after 3 weeks in Jan/Feb", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LxFFalTIc4 https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/2016/08/29/NNDN/ghows-PJ-b251ace3-eec1-4f31-a290- 7983cc7f5caa-1f802f5d.jpeg?width=660&height=455&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp "Atlantic dismasting2", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWafZdd3irM "Navigation - Course To Steer", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ4TQ3sZQak "Galley Tips for Sailing an Ocean", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqtMEjMZJA0 https://palengkesentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/tuyo-scaled.jpg "Dillon Owen full of Norway herring", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOQAx8pYozo "RIAT 2018 Pakistan Air Force Lockheed C-130E", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot6jqow9_fc "Second Most Productive Fishing Port in US- Harbor Tour", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6slIP2IhqQ "Violent blizzard on a boat - our first real winter storm", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V_xqH_26cI&t=592s]

UPDATE: In the light of accumulated experience, I'd like to clarify something. Namely, that the inner sail track I added to the cabin top is only useful when going to weather in a blow. That is to say, close hauled (and maybe a close reach) with the 90% jib. For the time and expense involved, it would be worthwhile to consider how often one anticipates sailing in that configuration. I have tested the combo of double-reefed main and 90% jib to windward and found that I can make way upwind, even in 25 kts of headwind. Personally, I feel it is good knowing that I could do that if I ever found myself on a lee shore and needing to claw off. But such antics are wet, tiring and not particularly fun. Consequently, I rarely *choose* to do that. Jonah is a 1986 West Wight Potter 19, built by International Marine in Inglewood, California. She is a capable coastal cruiser that can be rigged and launched from a boat ramp in less than one hour. We start at the bow of the boat where an 8 lb Danforth anchor is mounted on the pulpit using a piece of PVC pipe attached with two large hose clamps. When stowing, the anchor is dropped into the pipe, shank first. The obligatory tennis ball is covering a part of the anchor to prevent any possible snag from a flailing head sail. Moving to the side of the vessel, we see the mast is stowed resting on the pulpit, along with the tiedown strap holding the bow down onto the trailer. A block-and-tackle is used to raise the mast and is kept in position; attached to the forestay at the quick-release lever. Amidships we see Jonah's deadlights and reflectix window coverings, along with the inner and outer jib sheet tracks. The inner track is mounted on the cabintop and is used for the small jib, allowing it to be sheeted in at an optimal angle. Here we see a close up shot showing the swivel cleat that is used to control the jib sheet. Moving to the stern of the boat, we have the dockline cleat, a fishing pole holder and a rope clutch. The rope clutch is used to control the code-zero sheets. The transom carries a swim ladder, the bluewater kick-up rudder and a 6 HP long-shaft outboard motor. Here we get a sense of the "bluewater" nature of this rudder. It is thicker than the standard rudder, being 1 1/4" thick with a heavier stainless steel rudder post and cheeks. The 1 1/4" rudders from Ruddercraft are not prone to warping and reputedly have never failed on a West Wight Potter. In between the motor and the rudder is mounted the AIS antenna. This antenna is mounted here so as to avoid the complication of having the plug/unplug the cable when raising / lowering the mast. My basic objective with a trailerable boat is to make setup and teardown as quick as possible, and so I've chosen to sacrifice some AIS range here. Here we have a side view of the rudder in it's kicked up position, as well as the adjustable backstay block-and-tackle. The backstay block-and-tackle is attached to a chainplate bolted to the transom. Moving into the cockpit, we're looking at the starboard dockline cleat which also has attached a turning block for the code-zero sheet. Here's the view looking from the below decks starboard seating whenever the boat is derigged, the mainsail and boom are kept on the port side foc'sl sleeping berth. The companionway steps have a useful storage area behind. It contains the trash can, spare fenders, the shore power cable and the two burner camping stove. Here we look into the port side quarter berth used as stowage. Vecro attaches the reflectix window coverings. Looking down the starboard quarter berth we see the coolbox, which slides out to enable access Inside the cabinets are a number of crates containing food and equipment. The quote-unquote "enclosed head" is on the starboard side, along with the 7 gallon water storage container. I'm not one of those bucket and chuck it aficionados. My preference is more for the "pack it in pack it out" approach, similar to what wilderness hikers do. As such I've found a combination of bin liner, kitty litter and ziplocks to be highly effective. And what's more, there's no holding tank or chemicals involved, and thus zero odor! The electrical panel and handheld vhf. When the sails are not up, things are quite crowded in the foc'sl. Here we see two sails and the inflatable kayak. The keel winch system uses dyneema and a quick attachment using a single bolt, allowing for its removal when the boat is in use. Dry-Dek keeps the skippers feet dry and the cabin sole looking tidy More storage further forward. Here we see the battery charger mounted to a custom forward flotation plywood bulkhead. If you look carefully, you can just about see the 75 Ah Gel battery stored amidships aft of the compression post. Please subscribe for part two. Thank you!

The final part of a "fairly eventful" cruise in a 14' 0" West Wight Potter from the Isle of Wight to Kloster Fjord, Sweden October 12th to November 17th, 1965. This real-life dramatized narrative of an epic seafaring voyage, detailing Stanley's survival at sea, is a captivating tale that you are sure to enjoy. If you would like to see more of these videos, please like, comment and SUBSCRIBE! [Credits: Stanley T. Smith, October Potter, West Wight Marine Ltd., (published in 1967). Robin Somes, October Potter (republished, 2020), https://smiths.robinsomes.co.uk/ Epic Cinematic Trailer | ELITE by Alex-Productions | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx0_M61F81Nfb-BRXE-SeVA Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Full credits for the entire three-part series at the end of this video] It now being mid-November, the weather had deteriorated to such an extent as to make the crossing a significant test of endurance. With the strong headwinds, below freezing temperatures and frequent snow storms, crossing the Kattegat was going to be a challenge, even for the hardiest of seafarers. #sailing #singlehanded #solosailing #seastory

Part two of a "fairly eventful" cruise in a 14 foot West Wight Potter from the Isle of Wight to Kloster Fjord, Sweden October 12th to November 17th, 1965. This real-life dramatized narrative of an epic seafaring voyage, detailing Stanley's survival at sea, is a captivating tale that you are sure to enjoy. If you would like to see more of these videos, please like, comment and SUBSCRIBE! [Credits: Stanley T. Smith, October Potter, West Wight Marine Ltd., (published in 1967). Robin Somes, October Potter (republished, 2020), https://smiths.robinsomes.co.uk/ An Epic Story by MaxKoMusic | https://maxkomusic.com/ Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/] --- About a quarter of an hour later Stan was very close to the first of the breakers. They looked absolutely terrible, and he was appalled. He stood up for one last look round then, about half-a-mile to the North, to his amazement and delight he saw a small ship with a very business-like look about her. Stan thought it was a lifeboat, although he knew for certain it could not have come so soon in answer to his signals. In any case it was coming from the wrong direction. There is no harbour for many miles to the North of Hvide Sande. This little ship bore down towards him, so he put out a long line from forward (Ulstron, which floats !) so that she could hook it up and hope to tow him clear of the breakers. #sailing #singlehanded #solosailing