Where Is The Far Reach—Part II

[sloopjohnl]

John,
you hit the nail on the head. With my wife, brother and his wife, my niece and her friend/co-worker, four cabins for us and a shaded party deck and sunning/tanning trampoline everyone enjoyed the week and we got to experience alot of the islands. But even they appreciated the sails hoisted and the engines shutdown when we reached and ran to Scrub island, Jost, and St. John's.

[John Stone]

Got a chance to use the SCUBA hookah in great Harbor, JVD. Worked great. Bottom paint is 19 months old. Had a few barnacles but a fair amount of algae. Took 45 min of scraping with a yellow plastic West epoxy squeegee—I don’t use metal scrapers though I do carry and occasionally scrub with a small square of indoor/outdoor carpet when I need a little more than the scraper. My philosophy is to keep the paint on the bottoms of the boat. I left the SCUBA bottle on the boat and dangled the air pressure gauge over the side so I could monitor it. Gayle served as support and tender from topside.

A tank of air at Jost van Dyke was $16. Would have cost $8 if I had done it at St Thomas. I wore my swim trucks, fins, gloves, mask, a UPF 50 long sleeve shirt, and my weight belt with my dive knife and 4 lbs of weight. No BC. No back pack. No octopus rig. So I was clean and streamlined. When I set up the hookah, I whipped a snap link on the air hose and lashed a brass ring on my weight belt. By snapping the air hose to the weight belt the air hose pulled on the belt and not on the regulator in my mouth. I think this is a good capability to have aboard as you’ll see in my next post.

[Steve Laume]

It seems like the next step would be a float for the tank with a diver's flag.

I have scrubbed Raven's bottom a bunch of times while free diving and it is quite a chore. That rig would make it much more pleasant, Steve.

[John Stone]

It seems like the next step would be a float for the tank with a diver's flag.

I have scrubbed Raven's bottom a bunch of times while free diving and it is quite a chore. That rig would make it much more pleasant, Steve.

Steve, yes. I have seen that set up. Very nice. I think that could be very useful and expand the capability of the hookah. They make a float for that very thing. But, for me, I’d have to carry more gear which I don’t want. Right now, I just rent the tank. I put a towel down on deck and laid the tank down on it against the bulwarks so it could not roll off the boat. With 50’ of hose I had more hose length than I could use. If you had the tank on a float you could easily get by with 20-25’ of air hose. If you purchase a male to male adapter and a separate hose you could extend the air hose for a deeper dive if needed.

For all:
Got a PM today about my post on using my hookah I want to address as others may have similar thoughts. The comments made to me are all correct. They are from someone I respect and were well intentioned and I take them that way. I thank him for looking out for me. I hope he continues to do so. I agree with his comments 100 percent. No argument. But I’m not changing what I am doing. Why not?

Yes, my weight belt should be separate from my knife and the tether for the hookah. In a perfect world, I should be able to drop the weights and keep the hookah air hose and regulator with me. But, right now I only have one weight belt. So the weights and hookah have to attach to the same belt. I been on the lookout for a rubber belt for the weights. A rubber belt contracts as you go deeper so the weights stay in place. Then, the hookah tether snap link would connect to a separate belt with a left hand release. That would be safer. In the meantime I have to rely on a simple easy to release snap link and remember to use it. But let’s be realistic. I only have four pounds on the belt and I am still a little positive buoyant. I’m only diving to 5-6’ feet. So, I’m not going to get excited about it.

The reason for keeping the knife separate from the weight belt is sound too. If the knife was on a separate belt, or strapped to my leg, and I had to drop the weights I would not lose my knife. But, I like my Swedish SS Marakniv blaze orange knife that fits on my belt. I’m not wearing a dive knife on my leg. So forget it.

The reality is I just don’t want all that gear on me...or on the Far Reach. No BC. No octopus rig, no wrist mount depth gauge or dive computer. Keep it simple. Pay attention to what I’m doing. I accept a little risk. You have to make your own decisions and decide how much risk you can take and still feel comfortable and safe.

Well, a short update for this post...we are anchored in Cane Garden Bay, Tortola. Man, it’s gorgeous here. The water is so clear. We are anchored in 24’ of water. The 44 lb spade is buried in a sandy bottom. The cool breeze is blowing down through the hatches. Gayle and I ate our sandwiches on bread we made yesterday. She’s lounging on a folding cushion chair in the cockpit under in the shade of our sun awnings. Dobie Gray’s “Drift Away” is playing—“thanks for the joy that you’ve given me”...I’m completely content.

[Sea Hunt Video]

I’m not wearing a dive knife on my leg. So forget it.

I don't know John. That would be very UDT Mike Nelson from Sea Hunt.

[John Stone]

I’m not wearing a dive knife on my leg. So forget it.

I don't know John. That would be very UDT Mike Nelson from Sea Hunt.

Well, since you put it that way Roberto. I’m all about it!

[Jim Walsh]

Great photo. That water looks so inviting and catching the pelican soaring was quite lucky.

[John Stone]

I mentioned in an earlier post about our tacking dual with an Halberg-Rassy 37. She was on a mooring behind us in Great Harbor, JVD. Great looking boat. HRs are very well made and are fin keeled performance cruisers. I admire them greatly. Anyway, this particular boat departed just before we did on the morning of 19 March 2019.

She motored out and her in-mast leisure fuel main was deployed followed by the big jib on a furler. We raised our main with two reefs and slipped the mooring in the crowded harbor. We used the little Honda 9.9 to weave a path between the big charter cats. Gayle took the helm and I shut the engine off and used the block and tackle to pull it up into the vertical stowed position. Next, I hauled up our hank-on working jib.

The wind was maybe 18 gusting 20-25. The HR 37 was close hauled on port tack. We went out behind her. Maybe 100 yards back and about 100 yards to leeward. We were towing Sweet Pea, which we don’t normally do but, we were headed up wind to Cane Garden Bay on Tortola about 5 miles on the rumb line so towing Sweet Pea made the event a little easier. I figured the HR 37 would just pull away. But that’s not what happened.

At first I just glanced over at the HR. She looked good. Long and lean. She appeared to be a stiff boat too. She looked like a hunter...little did she know she was about to become the hunted. Queue the dramatic music.

I noticed right away she was not pointing much higher than the FR. Maybe 3-5° better. And we were gaining. Hmmmm...”I’m gonna check the jib leads. Gayle pull up on the traveller and tighten the sheet. Check the flow of the tell tails on the leech of the main. Easy corrections on the tiller. Make sure you don’t pinch” The Far Reach was perfectly balanced. Helm almost neutral. Heel about 20°. She was powering up.

After 20 min we were about 250 yards ahead but still to leeward. The HR 37 tacked. We covered and tacked too. Now we were to windward and still ahead increasing our lead by the minute. Gayle did a beautiful job on the helm. Small corrections. I sat on the lee side and called the tell tails on the jib. Gayle helmed and handled the main during the tacks while I hauled the jib across. With the Dynex Dux (dyneema) forestay removed (the stays’l was still bent to the forestay but in the bag and lashed to the base of the mast) the jib came straight across. Almost no winching required. We made a half dozen tacks over the next 45 min. By then it was clear they would never catch us. Eventually, we split tacks with the HR 37 bearing off to Thatch Cut while we continued on to Cane Garden Bay. It was a fun informal drag race.

Under most conditions the HR 37 should have crushed us. Perhaps she was not well handled or had a fouled bottom. Nonetheless, we were dialed in. Our tacks were seamless. Without the propeller aperture and the advantage of a bigger rig...with the aerodynamic hank on jib and a perfectly balanced helm, the Far Reach was fast enough to cover herself with glory. Humor aside, these boats can sail very well when properly handled. I think many people underestimate Mr Alberg’s boats...but certainly not the owner of a particular HR37.

[mgphl52]

"Such a Lucky Man you are!"

[John Stone]

Had a fantastic week at Cane Garden Bay, BVI. Met and made friends with a neat couple that sailed a Centurion 32 upwind from Panama (a grueling upwind bash in anyone’s book) after the skipper had already sailed from the Baltic across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. They are both dedicated surfers and having a fine time.

Saw a couple of neat boats to include a 50’ish wood ketch. Rented a car and toured Tortola. Swam, slept, read, and rowed. Sailed back to Jost van Dyke this morning then cleared out after saying goodbye to my friends Ali Babba and Urinthia. Then sailed over to St John to clear into The USVI...only we couldn’t because the computers were down. They had no manual back up. So we will clear in to St Thomas when we get there.

The boat has sailed wonderfully. Just very happy with her maneuverability, speed, ruggedness, sea-kindliness, comfort. We have had no system failures nor has anything broken. She has been perfect.

[John Stone]

Just finishing our second day at Caneel Bay, St John. You have to pick up a mooring here since it’s part of the National Park. The water is very clear. But, there is a current and the mooring field is under the steep slopes of the west side of St John which means light air across much of the moored boats. So the boats swing to the current and bump on the mooring balls. I have a super secret system I use on the FR that prevents the bumping.

We finally got the new Customs and Border Patrol App, called ROAM, to work and so we cleared in to the US electronically. It was painful and took a couple hours of trouble shooting the APP including making a number of dead end phone calls to government offices that only use voice mail and never call back. I think it was the swearing that finally got it to work.

We hung out on the boat and did a little shopping in Cruze Bay. Gayle rented a SUP and had a fun time paddling along the shore.

We finally picked up a little 3.5hp two stroke for Sweet Pea. It seems like a good little engine to have for long rides you sometimes have to make by dinghy. I don’t intend for it to replace rowing or sailing her whenever I can. I can stow it easily under the cockpit sole (the old inboard engine compartment). I’ll have a padded bag with tie points made for it when I get home so I can quickly secure it in a snug spot I have in mind.

Baring some unforeseen even the next destination is back to St Thomas.

[John Stone]

Far Reach underway. All plain sail. Speed 4.5 kts. Steering 170° M. Destination St Croix.

[Jim Walsh]

Looks fantastic John. I'll be in the water myself in a few days.

[John Stone]

Arrived Christiansted, St Croix about 1130. Excellent sail. 35 NM in about 7 hours. Winds 6-10 when we started and about 12-14 by the time we arrived. Reach to a beat as the morning wore on. Anchored in 12’ of water in a patch of sand in the lee of Protestant Cay. Found a source of ice right on the water front...60lbs for $8. We are living large.

Interesting town. Lots of history. Will explore it a bit over the next few days.

[John Stone]

Hauled water today. Worked on my trolling lure and supporting bungee cord. Used my block plane to remove a little wood from the swollen ice box plug. Rowed ashore with my sweetheart and ordered brick oven pizza right on the board walk.

Spotted two Alberg boats in the mooring field of Christiansted harbor: a Typhoon and what looks like an Alberg 35.

Tomorrow we rent a car and tour the island.

Easy living continues.