Bristol-Blue Lake Michigan Sailing Adventures

So I never did get the kite cam down to the boat this season.  However I dug out my old helmet cam from the basement and wire tied it to the end of my boat hook for our last trip out this season.  Here are some of the  videos.  The helmet cam is not HD so everything looks like and old 70's era video very fitting for a 78 Typhoon.  In a few videos we poke around the boat.  However the neatest ones to watch are the ones where we threw the pole down below.  You get a sense just how fun it is to sail a Typhoon as you watch us tacking, jibing and recovering the spinnaker.  Lots of fun here today.

The weather here in Michigan has started to turn cold.  This week we have seen our first nights dropping down into the 40's. Many have started pulling their boats and docks for the season.  We are still sailing.  This weekend, however, we took a break to visit Wolf's Marine in Benton Harbor.  They held a swap meet over the weekend.  I've gone to this event before and have never been disappointed.  Last time, I walked out with a nice forespar spinnaker pole for cheap.   This time I took my brother and dad down we all found good deals on parts for our boats.  After sifting through the swap market we headed across the street to Wolf's main store front where they where having a big sale in conjunction with the swap meet.  We even got to visit their other warehouse full of boat seats, motors, trims and other odd marine industry over runs.  So on to the goodies. One Aqua Meter Marine Insturment compass, complete with mounting hardware, and in...

We finally did it we got out for a ride on the Duck Boat in Saugatuck .  This has been on our bucket list for a while.  We have seen the Duck boat many times.  Sometimes we are pretty sure we are part of the tour other times we are more than sure we are part of the tour.  I'm sure the jokes are different each time.  It was a cheery fun trip out and around the bay and ride through the town.   Anyway I know it's not sailing but this thing is just cool.  If you get a chance to go on one don't miss it.  Video in....  SpLaSh! Video Out....  ThUnK. With out us out on the lake this was the loan sailboat.  A Kayak sailor  not nearly as nice looking are our Typhoon.  Well hope this nice weather holds we are heading out sailing tomorrow. 

This might not work.......  Then again it might.  So today I went down to the boat and started taking measurements for a boom tent.  The plan is for this tent to start over the coach house and extend all the way to the back stay.  This will encompass the entire cockpit giving us some more room when we spend the night on board.   After 15ish years we decided to retire our old dome tent, so I have several good quality parts to work with.  There will be three arches with approximately 50 inches between them.    So after getting all the measurements down the wind took my note pad and threw it in the water.   Grrr. This project might be cursed. I came home and recopied all my measurements from the soaking wet paper on to a new piece of paper.  This is a pretty rough start.  I think I'm going to make a proto-type with some old fabric creating a rough pattern to work from before building a true final project.    This might not wo...

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One little thing that bothers me is finding water in my winches after it rains.  I decided it was high time I sewed up some winch covers.  This little project took very little time once I sat down and got it started.  The tape measure made several trips back and forth to the marina in the bottom of the cooler before I used it to measure the winches.   The winch is three and a quarter inches tall so I started by making the sides up.  This gets sewed to the round top piece. Turns out a Bush's bean can is the perfect circumference.  I put the cover on the can to pin up so I'd get a nice tight finish. Completed i turned it right side out and it looks like this is finished. I left the elastic extra long to tie under the winch mounting brackets. There we are. Nice, cozy and dry winches tucked in under their covers. The long elastic ties under so the wind does not take them away. 

A few weeks ago we got together with some family.  My uncle and I were talking about sailing at night and all the great adventures we've had out on the lake after dark.   Well little ears are always listening. Myles I think figured out that if he could talk us into sailing at night he would be able to stay up past his bed time.  He has been relentless in his pursuit of a night sail.  So Friday we made it happen.   The weather all day was gorgeous with a nice sailing breeze but we held off until night.  Leaving  the dock about 9:30 in the dead calm.  About an hour later the wind returned.  The south side of the lake was super quiet with the exception of a few late night fisherman returning.  The north side had a nice party going on with a great live band.  As we drifted back and forth we went from silent to rock and roll.  It was quite a contrast and very humorous.   Here we are doing a light check before we leave...