Hydrovane installation and first use

Our new Hydrovane is now installed and (thus far) works great!

Our Hydrovane "Fin" installed on Pelagia

First try -- "Fin" worked great immediately (sailing in English Bay)

We purchased our Hydrovane just over a year ago. Will Curry (who is currently sailing their Beneteau Hydroquest in French Polynesia) from Hydrovane came down to Pelagia to check measures and suggest placement. Will recommended mounting the Hydrovane with an "H" bracket on the stern grid (after "beefing up" the stern grid) and an "A" bracket on Pelagia's transom. Will's in-person check really helped (of course, it helps that "Hydrovane International" office is located in nearby West Vancouver)!

Last Spring (2012), we contacted an installer recommended by Will -- unfortunately, that person turned out to be completely unreliable and strung us along and finally never showed up. (Yes, we noted our negative experience to the Hydrovane folks.) Lucky we had, by then, postponed our departure by 1 year. 

It turns out that our rigger, Paul at Ocean Rigging is also an installer recommended by Hydrovane. One thing we know about Paul, besides his good work, is that when he agrees to a job, he does it when he says he will (weather permitting, of course).

Paul and Gus came down to Pelagia a couple weeks ago, and we began the process of mocking up the placement of the Hydrovane. (The "mockup" uses PVC pipes to determine placement of brackets and lengths required for the stainless steel pipes.)  This was a rather drawn out process, and we ended up with a placement of the "A" bracket that was somewhat different than suggested by Will. (Will thought the "A" bracket would go to either side of the transom walk-thru, but this was not possible with the fixed 40-degree angle of the bracket.) We found that one arm of the "A" bracket could be placed below the walk-thru and the other arm placed starboard to the walk-thru. A benefit of this is it allows easy access to the stern grid (for swimming, dinghy access, and for putting on/taking off the Hydrovane rudder).

Gus & Paul check angles of mockup (white tubes are PVC)

"H" bracket on stern grid (not yet reinforced); "A" bracket on transom

Significant reinforcement of stern grid underside (all stainless steel)

"H" bracket on top of anodized aluminum backing plate

It took a little over a week to complete the reinforcement of the stern grid -- we did a little more "beefing" up than suggested by Will Curry. Nothing wrong with building something stronger.

Last week, we got together again, and did the final measures and installed the Hydrovane. This too required the better part of a day.

The next day, Michelle and I headed out on Pelagia for a few days sailing (in the sun!). Immediately upon entering English Bay, we hoisted our sails and tried out "Fin" the Hydrovane (well, it looks like an Orca's fin, and Vancouver fans will know "Fin"). Amazingly, we got Fin to work on our very first try! (It probably helped that we'd had previous experience with a windvane -- a Monitor -- when sailing on SV Berkana back from Hawaii in 2004.) After several tacks, we set course across Georgia Strait: Fin guided us all the way across to Porlier Pass, where we then anchored in Clam Bay. A couple days later, Fin again guided us from outside of Silva Bay all the way back across the strait to Bowen Island.

In Snug Cove (Bowen Island). Fin "resting" after steering us across the strait

Look Ma, no hands! Fin steering us in English Bay

It is still early, but we are pretty happy with Fin, our new crew member.



(Again, thank you to Paul and Gus of Ocean Rigging, and to Will of Hydrovane.)

Easter 2013: Sunshine!

Out for 4 days/nights. Beautiful sunny warm days. One night at Snug Cove (Bowen Island) and three nights anchored in Port Graves (Gambier Island). Unfortunately, only a little actual sailing.

Point Atkinson and Vancouver

Sunny Vancouver in its glory...

 

Position report by HAM SSB

Anchored in Port Graves, Gambier Island

TIME: 2013/03/28 23:32
LATITUDE: 49-28.42N
LONGITUDE: 123-21.25W

Test post via HAM RADIO SSB

Recently upgraded SSB radio with P4 Dragon modem, allowing us to post positions etc via email

Pelagia sails again -- Mast re-stepped (finally)!

Sailing home after re-stepping mast (Point Grey and North Shore mountains in distance)

After way too many months without mast and rigging (late September 2012 to March 2013), Pelagia is again a beautiful sailboat.

Again, the weather made things difficult for us. With an appointment at 2pm on Tuesday with the crane in Steveston, Sunday and Monday gave us strong (20-25 kn) northwesterly winds -- which would make the 27nm trip at best uncomfortable and possibly worse (wind over tide at Sand Heads). We waited and watched all day Monday; finally saw a decrease of wind and seas late afternoon. Forecast was for a further decrease, so we left at 5pm, making for "Coward's Cove" at the end of the North Arm of the Fraser River, with plan to anchor just before the sun went down at 730pm.

Arrived Coward's Cove 7pm, after an exceedingly rolly trip when beam-to the seas around Pt. Grey. (My goodness, how a sailboat without its mast ROLLS with small waves!). "Cove" was empty and looked like a good choice for the eve (this was our first time here). Charts show 10 ft at zero tide; we arrived on a rising tide, currently at ~4ft above datum. Surprise, surprise, we bump the soft sandy bottom (i.e., <6ft). Becoming darker, we decide to anchor closer to the river channel in about 8 ft. Luckily, a calm night windwise, but the river remained busy with commercial traffic all night. Not much sleep -- noisy and rolly; up at first light to hi-tail it out of there. (No, we're not likely to re-visit Coward's Cove!)   

Arrived Steveston early (1130am) -- moved crane appointment earlier due to coming severe weather forecast. (Gale warnings, rainfall warning; even a waterspout warning!)

Mast re-stepping went very smoothly -- again thanks to Paul and Gus at Ocean Rigging.

Mast in parking lot (in the distance, Michelle checking out boom)

Mast rolled out to crane/travel lift slot

Mast lifted

Gus and Paul being very careful...

putting in mast partners

Mast boot... tried-n-true inner tube method

Completed mast boot (lots of rain overnight w/o a leak!)

Next day (Wednesday), we were stuck at dock in Steveston with gale-force winds all day, until sunset. Thursday morning the winds were down to Northwest 5-15 knots, giving us a perfect sail all the way from Sand Heads (end of Fraser River South Arm) to Snug Cove on Bowen Island (after first visiting the Stellar's sea lions and cormorants near Sand Heads). Our first night "cruising" since September! Friday, we managed another sail most of the way back to Vancouver.

A very large (male) Stellar's Sea Lion

Cormorants and sea lions at Sands Heads

Sailing north

Finally, a mast with sails!

Pelagia at Snug Cove (Bowen Island), after a great sail from Sand Heads

Great to be sailing again!

This is not a baby step...

Our moves towards sailing away (into the sunset? to Mexico? ...) have not always been large. Some may even think we've been making mostly "baby steps".

Well, today we took a BIG step: Our condo went on the market today.

Selling our condo, where we've lived for the past 17 years, is not easy. But it is time. Assuming we do get it sold, it will be one less thing to worry about while we are sailing, and one less expense (a significant expense).

Should it not sell, it is not critical.  We still go sailing.

Mast install? "No" says the weather...

We were scheduled to re-install the mast with new standing rigging, LED trilight, spreader lights, etc this past Monday (Feb 25th). To do so, we would have to return to Steveston, normally a 27 nm trip via Sand Heads and the Fraser River.

The normal route from Vancouver Harbour to Steveston (North up)

Michelle and I planned to go either Saturday or Sunday, depending on the weather forecast. Well, it was not to be. For the first time in a very long time -- we cannot remember the last time -- we had three days of gales in Georgia Strait. Both SE and NW gales.  And it really did blow.  Given that Sand Heads (and the route) are very exposed to both SE and NW gales, and there can be nasty conditions where the river outflow meets NW winds in the strait, we decided to re-schedule to later in March.  (Much better for the rigger, who probably wasn't looking forward to going aloft in strong -- and cold -- winds.)

If the same forecast happens in March -- unlikely -- we may take the protected (weatherwise) back route via the Fraser River North Arm (entrance just off "Pt. Grey" on the chartlet above) to New Westminster then down the South Arm to Steveston (an  extra 15 nm). The low bridges on this route will be no problem, given our lack of a mast!

We are anxious to become a sailing vessel again. Until then, some more skiing and lots more other stuff on Pelagia.