Captain’s Log

 

From: "Richard N. Cain" <rcain3@mindspring.com>

To: Previous-Owners

Subject: Venture 22

Date: Tuesday, January 11, 2000 8:05 PM

Do you still have it, and how much are you asking?

 

From: Previous-Owners

To: rcain3@mindspring.com

Subject: Re: Venture 22

Date: Wednesday, January 12, 2000 12:52 PM

I have one interested person and I am asking 2500.00

She is Hunter Green and in good condition.... the motor is like new.

 

From: rcain3@mindspring.com

To: "Cain, Richard (HQW)" <Richard.Cain@mail.ihs.gov>

Subject: Fw: Venture 22

Date: Wednesday, January 12, 2000 10:30 PM

From: "Cain, Richard (HQW)" <Richard.Cain@mail.ihs.gov>

To: <rcain3@mindspring.com>

Subject: RE: Venture 22

Date: Thursday, January 13, 2000 9:44 AM

Do you have any pictures that you can email? I live in Albuquerque, NM, and it would be a long drive for a look. I'm definitely interested in the Venture's!

 

From: Cain, Richard (HQW) Sent: 13 January, 2000 12:19

To: 'Previous-Owners'

Subject: RE: Venture 22

Yes, I'll take it! I will have to drive down on a Friday and pick up on a Saturday. Let me know when will be convenient, the earliest I could make it down would be 21st or 22nd.

 

From: Previous-Owners

Sent: 13 January, 2000 11:25

To: Richard.Cain@mail.ihs.gov

Subject: Re: Venture 22

 

I will need some time to get the rigging and ropes together for you if you do want it. Please let me know........my husband is out of town and is in charge of storing the gear so it may be best if we work around his schedule.

Have a fun weekend!

Claudia

 

From: rcain3@mindspring.com

To: Previous-Owners

Subject: Re: Venture 22

Date: Sunday, January 16, 2000 12:14 PM

Will the 21st or 22nd be a good time to pick up, and do you need a down payment to hold? I can be reached by phone at (XXX) XXX-XXXX (when my daughters aren't on the phone), if you would prefer to discuss in real time. Or I can call you at a time that's convenient.

 

From: <Previous-Owners>

To: <rcain3@mindspring.com>

Subject: Re: Venture 22

Date: Sunday, January 16, 2000 12:36 PM

Hi,

My husband said that it would be best if you were to pick up the boat on the weekend of Feb 5th.

Is that OK with you?

I explained to him that I had discussed with you that we would let her go for #,###.##. If you would like to take the row boat with it I dont think that he'll have a problem with that.

Please let me know if this arrangement is good for you.

Sincerely,

claudia

 

From: <rcain3@mindspring.com>

To: <Previous-Owners>

Subject: Re: Venture 22

Date: Sunday, January 16, 2000 1:03 PM

Okay, I'll plan on the 5th. Do I need to send a down payment for you to hold it?

Sir Cain The Silicon Knight

 

From: <Previous-Owners>

To: <rcain3@mindspring.com>

Cc: <Previous-Owners>

Subject: Re: Venture 22

Date: Sunday, January 16, 2000 2:32 PM

Dont worry about it...........I will keep it for you.

If something comes up please let us know cause that other email I received is interested in it toooo. I told them that you had first dibbs and wanted it. Could you please make out a cashiers check payable to Claudia and also you'll need to provide a temp plate for the trailer for the ride home.

Kind of hate to let her go but you'll use her more than I am able to.

Congrats!

claudia

 

From: Previous-Owners

To: rcain3@mindspring.com

Subject: Re: Venture 22

Date: Sunday, January 16, 2000 2:33 PM

could you enlighten me on Sir Cain the Silicon Knight.....??

 

From: <rcain3@mindspring.com>

To: <Previous-Owners>

Subject: Re: Venture 22

Date: Sunday, January 16, 2000 3:12 PM

"The Silicon Knight" was my handle back in my Hacking days (when Hacking was cool, before the "wanna bees" gave it a bad rep). Sir Cain was a more "Open" name I used on BBS's etc. When the Statute of limitations ran out (just kidding), I merged them together and became Sir Cain The Silicon Knight. Silicon is used to make computer chips, so my nickname has no reference to it's medical uses. Someday, TheSiliconKnight.com (currently under construction) will actually have a web page up!

Sir Cain The Silicon Knight

 

From: Previous-Owners

To: rcain3@mindspring.com

Subject: Re: Venture 22

Date: Sunday, January 16, 2000 9:17 PM

Gottcha!

Interesting!!

Very inventive!!!

I like it.........

 

How old are your girls? I have two too. 4 and 5. They are liking the phone already!

Any boys?

Time to call it a wrap for the evening.

Nite

 

From: rcain3@mindspring.com

To: <Previous-Owners>

Subject: Re: Venture 22

Date: Sunday, January 16, 2000 10:38 PM

Two Girls 18 & 14 (15 in March)

One Boy 12

Two Dogs, Three Cats, and a ferret!

Sir Cain The Silicon Knight

  

From: <Previous-Owners>To: <rcain3@mindspring.com>

Subject: venture 22

Date: Tuesday, February 01, 2000 11:10 AM

just checking to make sure that you will be headed here for the boat this weekend.

hope all is going well......sir silicon knight

claudia

 

From: rcain3@mindspring.com

To: <Previous-Owners>

Subject: Re: venture 22

Date: Tuesday, February 01, 2000 7:43 PM

Yes, I'm planning to leave Friday Morning and arrive before noon on Saturday. I tried to get a temporary tag here, and they said that I didn't need one. They gave me two Bill of Sales (one for the boat and one for the trailer), they said that would be all I needed. Does the trailer have an expired tag on it now? What kind of connector does the trailer lights have (4 or 6 prong), and does it have powered brakes?

 

Sir Cain The Silicon Knight

 

From: rcain3@mindspring.com

To: Previous-Owners

Subject: Re: venture 22

Date: Wednesday, February 02, 2000 11:46 PM

You haven't already sold it, have you? :(

Sir Cain The Silicon Knight

 

From: <Previous-Owners>

To: <rcain3@mindspring.com>

Subject: Re: venture 22

Date: Thursday, February 03, 2000 6:03 AM

still have it!!

my husband is going to try to call you today or tonite.......if you would like to try us please call

c l

 

From: rcain3@mindspring.com

To: Previous-Owners

Subject: Re: venture 22

Date: Thursday, February 03, 2000 6:59 AM

Okay, I don't get home from work until 8:30PM Central Time. I'll try to give you a call when I get home, if that's not too late.

Sir Cain The Silicon Knight

 

From: "Richard N. Cain" rcain3@mindspring.com

To: "Jeff & Claudia " Previous-Owners

Subject: Venture 2-22

Date: Sunday, February 06, 2000 11:33 AM

We made it home without any problems. After all the stop & go on 290, I felt like a pro by the time we got to I-10. We get some gusty winds after dark, but they seemed to bother the Mack Trucks more than us. I'll keep you posted on how things are going. Thanks again,

Sir Cain The Silicon Knight

 

From: <Previous-Owners>

To: <rcain3@mindspring.com>

Subject: Re: Venture 2-22

Date: Sunday, February 06, 2000 12:04 PM

glad to hear that you made it home without fail.

she's a good little boat.........i know that you'll have good times on her.

tell the kids i said Hi!

got you in my email file.

all for now......i am painting the living room...auuugggggh

claudia

Sir Cain The Silicon Knight


4 Feb 2000

We got a late start after spending 45 minutes trying to get the printer to work so I could print the driving directions to the Previous Owners. The kids picked up lots of snacks when we stopped to fill up at the Diamond Shamrock in Albuquerque. We only had to stop at rest areas twice, and just east of El Paso, TX both tanks were on empty. I used the portable CB to contact a trucker who said that there was a Service station just 15 miles further that had diesel. We had passed several stations that didn't have diesel, prior to that. When we stopped I bought some beef jerky and the kids got lots of other snacks. I don't like to eat while driving because it makes me drowsy. We drove all day and arrived in Austin TX at approximately 0130hrs local time, and got a motel room.

Lessons Learned:

Start looking for diesel when you get to the halfway point on the second tank, because it goes quick after that.

5 Feb 2000

I couldn’t find the driving instructions I had printed from the Internet in the truck. I stopped at several gas stations to use the pay phone to call the Previous Owners for directions, every one took my money and told me that if I wanted to make call "Please hang up and try again". Calls to the repair number informed that the number couldn’t be called as dialed. An attempt to charge the number to the home phone didn’t work because Gina didn’t answer the phone. After giving up on Pay Phones, I decided to buy a map. The guy behind the counter, let me try to call from his phone. The line was busy for 20 minutes, so I purchased the map. We were able to find the ’s house with no problems, and arrived 20 minutes ahead of schedule.

Jeff wasn’t at home when we arrived, so Claudia let us look at the boat. When Jeff got home she fixed the kids something to eat, while Jeff and I hooked up the boat and got the lights to work. I had to by pass the 6-pole connector, so either the 6 to 4 pole adapter is bad or the wiring in the 6-pole socket is incorrect. (Note: check the wiring on the 6-pole connector). The Previous Owners are real nice people. It was worth the trip just to meet them.

I decided to take Hwy 290 back instead of I-35 to back to I-10. There were signs up the night before reminding everyone that I-35 would be closed in places for construction beginning on the 5th. The Hwy 290 route was a bit slower (speed limit 55), and passed through several small towns. One of them was having a Town Picnic, so the traffic was real heavy there. By the time we got to I-10, I was comfortable pulling the trailer/boat, and we made good time. We stopped to eat at McDonalds about dusk. It was my first real meal since we left the day before.

6 Feb 2000

We stopped at a rest area just East of El Paso and slept for 3 or 4 hours. It was cold so I left the truck running for a while so the heater could run. Just before dawn we resumed our journey. I stopped at the last Rest Area before entering Albuquerque, and received some nice comments about the boat. We made it home about 10:30 hrs, with no problems. The driving instructions I’d worked so hard to print, and couldn’t find upon arrival in Austin, were sitting nonchalantly in the printer.

12 Feb 2000

I cleaned up the boat a little and pumped the water out of the bilge. I took pictures of the interior and exterior of the boat. These are to be the "before" pictures, since I intend to do some remodeling. I stopped by Taylor Marine for the "Boat Show", and purchased a "toss ring" and a "Jolly Roger" flag, rail mount, and lock hasp. The Boat show was a wash…

19 Feb 2000

I pulled the old Galley out and bought a sheet of ¾" Red Oak plywood to build a new one with. It was already dark by the time I got home so I didn’t start on it. I also bought a 5 quart bucket, sponge, and some vinyl tubing for the galley pump.

20 Feb 2000

I built the new galley today. I decided not to put doors on it because the motion of the boat would just toss everything around inside, and then when you open the door everything would fall out. There’s plenty of room on the none sink side to put an ice chest, so that’s probably what will go there. I used the counter top of the old galley, since it was in good shape and had been made to replace the original counter top. I’m going to get some Formica to cover the counter top and the table top.

25 Feb 2000

I tried to register the boat with the New Mexico MVD. After waiting for 20 minutes I was told that they had to look at the boat, or I had to get a Police Officer to verify the number. I opted for the later, since it would take at least an hour and a half or two hours to hook up the boat drive there and then bring the boat back. Way too long for a "before" work task.

26 Feb 2000

I called for a Police Officer to come by and verify the Hull number. It took him 4 hours to get here, and I saw him drive by at least once. The only boat on the block, and in plain view!!! Thank God it wasn’t an emergency. I had to scratch the number into the hull, since the boat didn’t have one (not required in 1972). They call it an "owner applied number", which I feel completely defeats the purpose of having someone check it (Duh). While I was waiting on the Rio Rancho Department of Public Safety, I put the first coat of sealer on the Galley. I’ll do another coat tomorrow.

I almost forgot, I ordered some stuff from Havencraft (see list below).

Interior Lights (2)
Galley Pump (1)
MacGregor Decal (4)
Owners Manual for Venture 2-22

I also wanted to order the Owners Manual for the MacGregor 65, but decided to wait until I see what I’m getting for an owner’s manual. Some of them are available on the Internet, and if it’s just a few pages run through a copier, I’ll get the downloaded version.

27 Feb 2000

I put another coat of sealer on the Galley. I also was gathering up stuff for the boat, and noticed that the Compass doesn’t seem to work. I had the VHF Radio sitting on top of the box with the compass in it, that may have messed up the magnet. I’ll have to get another one if this one doesn’t check out.

28 Feb 2000

I registered the boat and trailer today ($150.50). Now I have to find the numbers to go on the bow and put them on. Of course New Mexico puts the validation decal on the opposite side from Texas!

4 Mar 2000

Stopped by Wal-Mart today and picked up the following: Electripac (battery pack), 2 children’s PDF’s, a thermometer, compass (small car type), Stern Light, Fire Extinguisher, floating key chain, Storm whistle, and paint (3 Gal.’s), and an organizer. I scanned all the "Before" pictures of the boat, into the computer.

11 March 2000

I went to Home Depot and picked up some polyurethane and some more tubing for the Galley pump. I found some indoor/outdoor carpet at a reasonable price. It's similar to the carpet in a car, and has rubber backing. I might get some for the berths to help protect sleeping bags etc.

12 March 2000

I began putting the polyurethane on the Galley sides, and painted the hull in the Head and main cabin, as well as, the bench where the Galley sets Battleship Gray. I put on two coats and it looks pretty good. It took two coats to cover up the underlying paint. As I was putting the polyurethane on the Galley, I couldn't help but thinking how lucky I am to be single. I had the Galley sitting on the kitchen counter as I applied the Polyurethane, a married man would have received several bumps on the head from skillets, brooms, etc. if he'd been caught painting on the wife's kitchen counter!

14 March 2000

I bought a Marine/RV battery for the boat at the Base. It's 120 amps, and cost $63.95! I might get another one later on for that price.

18 March 2000

I ordered three books (Sailing for Dummies, Celestial Navigation, and Latitude Hooks and Azimuth Rings) from Amazon.Com. Sabrina and her friend cleaned the mildew from the Aft and forward areas, so I could continue painting.

19 March 2000

I painted the forward berth and Aft Starboard berth (gray). I decided to paint the tabletop gray, and the top of the Galley White. I found a broken wire in the aft storage area (close to the battery). I fixed that but the running lights still didn't work. I think I'll have to trace down all the wiring to figure out what's wrong with the running lights. It looks like the bilge pump and the running lights might be cross-wired.

20 March 2000

Received the books from Amazon.Com.

26 Mar 2000

Finished painting the Gray areas on the inside, and the table top. I picked up a drop cloth from Home Depot to cover things up when I paint the ceilings and walls.

27 Mar 2000

The weather report didn't say rain, so it did all day. I left the top up, and had to put a canvas over it when I got home from work. I'm sure it already had plenty of water though. It looks like the compass is okay after all, so I don't have to get a new one (I have a little hand held one anyway).

3 Apr 2000

Cleaned the water out of the bilge, and tied down the canvas to prevent water from blowing in again in the event of rain. I purchased a Coleman thermoelectric cooler and an inflatable dolphin at the BX. I put down the masking tape so I can start painting the walls and ceilings. I'm going to do the ceiling first in the Bow, and work my way back. Then I'll do the walls.

4 Apr 2000

M&E Marine was having a liquidation sale, so I purchased the following:


14 May 2000

I finally finished painting the inside of the boat, and I installed the Galley and the Coleman cooler. It looks real nice. I took pictures of the inside and the outside with the top up. I’ve closed it up and locked it so (hopefully) nothing gets stolen. I still have to fix the running lights, install the Antennae, get an anchor light and ball, and the new Porta Potti should be here tomorrow. Some carpet for the berths and curtains are on my to-do list. I’ll try to paint the outside between now and the 17th of June when I’m planning to make the maiden voyage. I might just paint the bottom and get the rest afterward.

16 May 2000

The new Porta Potti arrived, along with the Side Mount Spare Tire Carrier. Now I have to get a spare tire!

23 May 2000

I put the pictures of the interior in to be processed, they should be ready on the 25th.

25 May 2000

I picked up the pictures. These came out better than the first one’s, it must’ve been the daylight.

27 May 2000

I ordered the following from Sail Net, so now I should be United States Coast Guard (USCG) Compliant! When they get here of course. Damn Governments legislating the fun out of everything.


12 June 2000
Received the above order, except for the Replacement Bulb and fuse.

13 June 2000
Mounted the Mega Light to the masthead, but I couldn't get the wire to go down the inside of the mast. I'm going to try running some fishing line with weights down and then pull the electrical wire down.

15 June 2000
The fishing line worked, and I was able to get the electrical wire pulled down inside the mast. I now have the Mega Light operational. Yeah!

16 June 2000
We have reservations at Lake Heron for a campsite for tonight and tomorrow night. Two nights of living like cavemen, and a day of boating! I had to take Gina to get her car registered and insured today before we left, so we got a late start (1345 hrs). The trip up was pretty much uneventful, but it was windy and we could see the smoke from the Los Alamos fire. We arrived at the campgrounds around 1800 hrs and set up the tent. We couldn't have a fire or even use the charcoal pit to cook on. Because of the recent fires, wind, and dry conditions, no open flames were allowed! Not even if you weren't a member of the New Mexico Park Service! Good thing I had the Coleman stove!

After we ate, Sabrina and Ricky walked down to the Marina, while I scraped the old Hull numbers off the boat and applied the new ones. I had enough letters to put "Lady II" on, but decided not too until after I get it painted. I think I'd like to have larger letters as well. A Park Ranger brought the little one's back, to the campsite, he told Sabrina that there was a mast raising rig setup at the Marina. That would be helpful. When the light began attracting bugs, I lit a citronella candle and set it inside the cockpit of the boat, so no one could see the "Yellow" flame. Sabrina straightened up the inside of the boat, arranging the galley and putting out air fresheners, i.e. adding a "woman's" touch.

After the kids hit the sack, I set up for a while watching the clouds role by. They were thick and black, laden with water. The wind blew through the treetops, but was barely perceptible on the ground. I felt the call of the wild, and new this was the peaceful serenity that our distant ancestors enjoyed before television was invented. Sigh.

There was a thunderstorm around 3 A.M. The clouds finally decided to drop their heavy load, at least a hundred drops hit the tent! These desert storms can be quite devastating!

17 June 2000
We pulled the boat down to the Marina, and I pulled up to the Mast Raising rig. It was just a hook on a cable that hung down from a beam that hung over the boat. The beam was attached to the top of a very tall pole, and the other end of the cable was attached to a hand-cranked wench a couple of feet from the ground. There were no instructions on how to use it, so I had to figure it out on my own. There was a loop on the forward part of the masthead that looked like it would be a good place to hook the cable. Only one problem, after you get the mast raised, how do you unhook the cable? About that time a Park Ranger drove by. I asked him if he knew how the mast-raising thing worked. He didn't know either. I decided to loop the cable around the mast, underneath the spreaders, and hook the cable to it self. That way after the mast is raised, I just loosen the cable and it drops down so I can unhook it! It worked! I could've been an engineer! Of course if I had been an engineer, I would've been on a train and not raising the Mast of a sailboat. Duh!

While I raised the mast and hooked up the stays, Sabrina and Ricky aired up the inflatable raft, tube, and whale. Then they applied Sunblock. I decided against trying to figure out how to hook up the sails, because it was too windy and I didn't want to risk trying to learn how to sail. So I decided to just use the outboard on this trip.

Putting the boat in the water was easy enough and I left Sabrina holding the line while I parked the truck and got it out of everybody else's way. When I got back the wind had blown the inflatable whale off the ramp and across the little bay next to the dock, and Ricky was wailing about it. Sabrina was holding the boat, but just barely. The current was pushing the boat away from the ramp and toward the dock. We pulled the boat up to the dock and tied it down so we could get everything loaded. We put the raft and tube on the bow and tied them to the pulpit and mast.

I got the outboard cranked and decided to go after the whale, so Ricky would stop wailing! We didn't get very far before the wind flipped the raft and tossed the oars in the water. I fished out one oar, and the other was out of sight. I decided to go after the whale, which was being blown further down the shore. Then the other oar reappeared and we got that. The outboard didn't seem to be moving the boat very well, no matter how much I turned the throttle. The current was taking us in the right direction though. It wasn't long before we were on the shore close to the whale. Sabrina jumped out to retrieve it. When she got back onboard, I put the boat in reverse and backed away from the shore.

We were pushing up against a cable that stretched across the Marina. There were lots of boats moored on the other side of the cable. This was obviously a part of the Marina that wasn't intended for public use. I put the outboard in "Forward" and gave the throttle a twist, the motor revved up but we weren't moving in the right direction. The motor just wasn't pushing the boat! The current on the other hand was, and we were going in the wrong direction, toward the back of the Marina! It wasn't long before we were pushed up against the shore at the very back of the Marina. Even at full throttle the outboard wouldn't push the boat!

I decided to remove the tiller, it wasn't needed and was more or less in the way. Sabrina jumped out of the boat to pull it around. I continued to try to get the motor to work, and eventually figured out that what I thought was "Forward" was really "Neutral"! No wonder it wouldn't push the boat! A Sheriffs car pulled down to the launching ramp, but he didn't get out of his car. I guess after watching us "flounder" around for a while, he decided we weren't sinking, in danger of drowning (we all had on life vests), or stealing the boat. And even if we were trying to steal it, we weren't going to get very far! The only way to get to where we were was to walk around the bank, and that would've gotten his shoes dirty! Eventually he left, probably with aching sides.

I jumped out of the boat to help Sabrina turn it around and get it facing in the right direction. I had to remove my shoes when I got back in the boat, because they were covered with the gooey mud. I put the boat in "Forward" (the real forward this time), and it worked like a champ. We were moving forward! I slowed down so Sabrina could climb aboard, but she said that she'd rather swim back to the dock. Hmm, I wonder if that was a vote of confidence? She had on her life jacket and Ricky's flippers, so I figured she'd be okay. It was only a hundred yards or so, and if she got tired the bank wasn't very far. I scooted back to the dock and tied the boat up, and we waited for Sabrina.

While we waited, a group with a motor boat was having there own problems. They were floating about 20 feet from the dock, and couldn't get the engine started or find their gas can. I felt better.

Sabrina made it to the dock, and after she rested for a bit, we set out for the deep water! Before we made it out of the Marina bay, the wind caught the raft and flipped it up. The force of the wind spun the boat around. I told Sabrina to put the anchor inside the raft to hold it down. Twice more the wind caught the raft, and dumped the anchor overboard both times. Well, that was enough for me, "Arrrrgh, DEFLATE THE DAMN THINGS"! So now the raft, tube, and whale have their plugs opened and they're stuffed inside the salon. That's better. Now we're making headway!

As we approached the mouth of the bay, I noticed that the waves had white caps. Humph, this is a no-wake lake, but apparently somebody forget to inform the water! We finally got out onto the lake proper, and the waves were spraying Sabrina and me with water as we cut through them. Ricky was inside with the task of letting the air out of the inflatables. We didn't get far out on the Lake, when Sabrina felt it was time to go back. She was tired of the water spraying in her face, and the waves seemed to be getting bigger. We had only been out for an hour or so, but the concerned look on her face helps me decide that it might be a good idea to head back. After all she's not plagued with testosterone and probably has better judgment when it comes to taking unnecessary risk. I turned the boat around and headed back for the Marina.

About five minutes later we were being hit broadside by the waves. The boat was tilting at 30 to 40 degree angles as the wave rocked us from side to side! The waves were almost as high as the sides of the cockpit (2 to 3 feet) on both sides when we were in the troughs! Now it's my turn to be concerned. I didn't have the keel down, and was worried that the mast might cause the boat to capsize. I headed into the waves and back out on the lake. I waited until we were even with the mouth of the Marina Bay, before I headed back in.

Ricky wanted to fish, so I let Sabrina drive the boat while I put a lure on his fishing pole. Sabrina drove around inside the bay, and I let Ricky throw his line in the water (without bait). The water wasn't so rough here and Sabrina was having fun again, so we kept at it a while. Several other boats came in and I wanted to let them clear the launch ramp before we headed in. One of the incoming boats was a Pontoon and it was pulling a small Sailboat that had capsized! I felt better.

It took about an hour to wrestle the boat back onto the trailer. I drove the boat up to the trailer and tossed the rope to Sabrina, but she couldn't get it pulled up close enough to hook the cable onto the bow eye. We switched places and I let Sabrina drive the boat up to the trailer. I had backed the truck up a little further so that the trailer was a little more submerged, and was able to get the cable hooked to the bow eye. I cranked the wench a few turns and had to walk out into the water to straighten the boat up. The current kept pushing the stern off the trailer. I had to keep repeating this process until I finally got it loaded. Whew!

While I was tying the boat down, one of the guys that was waiting at the dock for someone to get there, told me that the wind gusts in the Marina were 35MPH, and out on the Lake they had been higher! I'm glad I hadn't run up the sheets!

We went back to the campsite for a final night of roughing it. After I unhooked the boat, we drove down to the Dam, and took some pictures. Wouldn't you know it, the wind had died down and the lake was calm. When we got back, we enjoyed another prehistoric meal (left over steak, hot dogs, and a fresh can of beef stew) prepared on the Coleman stove. I had trouble sleeping when I finally turned in. The sunburn on my arms kept me awake most of the night. There was a fly crawling around on the ceiling of the tent, and watched a spider make its way down the side and head for my bedding before I mashed it with a well placed shoe. I felt better.

18 June 2000
We ate breakfast and packed everything up. It took about 3.5 hours to make it home. I parked the boat and we unloaded the left over food, etc. Thus ended the maiden voyage of the "Lady II". No one drowned, there weren't any leaks, the boat didn't sink, and we didn't have an accident! A complete success!

Lessons Learned:
Sun Block works better if you use it.
The tops of your feet will sunburn if you take your shoes off.
Inflatable rafts etc., are a nuisance on a boat.
Read the instructions on the lid of the Coleman stove, and your pots won't get smoked up.
Don't forget the bug spray!

18 Jul 2000
Received the Mega Light Utility Replacement Bulb and Fuse. I'll put them on the boat in case they're needed.

28 Aug 2000
Made reservations at Lake Heron for the 8 & 9 of September. I got the same campsite as the last trip (#42).

2 Sep 2000
Purchased a 6’ Grappling Hook, Anchor float, 5/16 & 3/8 Anchor shackle, from Taylor Marine. Total cost $31.78.  I still need a spare tire for the trailer.

8 Sep 2000
We managed to get on the road by 1500 hrs, two hours later than I planned. Gina managed to drive through the garage door while pulling her car up to make room to pull the boat out. Going on this trip it was Regina, her friend Audrey, Sabrina, Ricky, both dogs, and myself.  I had only intended to take the Big Dog (Angel), however Gina insisted that the puppy (Chris) had to go as well.  The trip to Lake Heron was pretty much uneventful, but  we did run into some rain and hail about an hour before we got to the lake. On of the bolts on the mast crutch had worked its way loose, and the mast had fallen against the roof of the cabin. We arrived at about 1830 hrs, and set up the tent.

Cooking was a bit of chore, because it was dark (even with the lantern and electric light) and there was an off and on drizzle. After we ate, Gina began whining because there was nothing to do. She built a fire in the charcoal pit with charcoal, and some fallen pine twigs. The twigs were wet, and promptly smoked up the camp. Gina and Audrey were going to make some smores and had to use tent pegs to roast the marsh mellows, however the charcoal was only smoldering (like it is supposed to) so there was some difficulty roasting the marshmallows.

The girls slept in the tent with the puppy to keep her quite, and Ricky and me slept in the boat. It stormed all night, and several times there was hail. It was cold, but the sleeping bags kept us warm for the most part. When I rolled over the draft would wake me up. Several of the bolts in the roof of the cabin leaked. I’ll have to see about sealing those a little better. Not a very good nights sleep. I only have four sleeping bags, so Sabrina had brought a blanket, but she said that she was still cold.

9 Sep 2000
I awoke to the puppy running up to an old man that was walking his little dog. The old fart was yelling at Gina to come get Chris (I call her puppy, but she’s two years old), even though Chris wasn’t even that close to them and wasn’t being at all aggressive. Gina had let her off her leash around 0500 and let her run loose.

While I was cooking breakfast, Gina did nothing but whine. Ricky felt obligated to join in as well. With all the moaning and groaning from Gina, Ricky’s constant nagging, and the dogs requiring constant attention, I gave up and decided to go home. It was too much aggravation, with no end in sight, and I just couldn’t see getting all of us, and the two dogs on the boat. We made it back without any problems, other than some asshole shooting the boat with a paint ball in Rio Rancho. I believe this was one the punk kids that lives on our street. There are a couple of little bastards that need to be taken out to the woodshed much more frequently, unfortunately they have the "politically correct" parents that don’t believe in discipline!

Lessons learned:
1.  No dogs on vacation.
2.  No Gina’s on vacation.

10 Sep 2000
I picked up a couple more bolts for the mast crutch at home depot.

 19 Jun 2001
While moving to Oregon, I caught the edge of a Median pulling out of a Wendy's just outside of Salt Lake City.  The boat bounced a little and managed to knock the winch handle off.

31 Dec 2001
I didn't manage to get the boat in the water this year, but I did get quite a bit of traveling under my belt.  Maybe next year!!!

 

LADY II