......................MacGregor Index Page.......... 2015 Bahama Trip Index Page
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............ .......--- Georgetown Stay Continues---
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..........................................................(April 20th) ...................Anchorage --- Same as days before this. |
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Monday more of the boats and crews that were going to compete in the regatta came in ....
... with different support boats with them like the one above.
The anchorage by me and others also filled as more cruisers came in to see the regatta.
The power cat above was anchored not too far away and I had wanted to go over and check it out but didn't make it. I was wondering if it was owner built.
I thought the boat above was pretty interesting but don't have any info on it.
Above you can see a boat practicing with some guys that were there cruising on their own boats going out for the day and lending their weight to the practicing boat.
Above a small group of the single handed boats practicing.
The guy above ran close by before joining up with some of the others out practicing. There were a number of these boats and the next larger left on anchors near me each night.
Above some of the mid-sized boats also out practicing.
Above you can see how the boards they hike out on are secured to the boat and how they can slide them from one side to the other.
While I was anchored I checked my rigging again like I had one other time on the trip. The boat's forestay has a Johnson Lever under the furler drum and it...
...is pinned to the drum at the top and to a toggle at the bottom and the toggle pins to the chainplate there. The bottom pin was pinned in a fashion that is was trying to come out with some tension on it in that direction. The ring-ding that holds it from coming out had a very small nick on it where where it had probably been rubbing due to the tension on the pin. I didn't like that as once something is nicked that is probably where it will break if it does.
I had my mast raising jin pole and block and tackle on board so connected it to the point where I could lower the mast if needed but I just needed to use it to the point of taking the tension off the forestay so that I could turn the pin around. I took the tension off the forestay by releasing the Johnson Lever and letting the mast raising system hold the mast forward and pulled the pin out and using another longer pin I had on board reinserted it turned 180 and used a new ring-ding on it. All of this took less than a half hour and I felt much better about the situation afterwards. I don't want my mast to come down. So the moral of the story is 'check your rigging'.
============== Tip of the Day ======================
With the days getting hotter I would start opening the window area at the front of the pop-top cover and clamping both sides back so the air could enter easier than having to go through the screens which slow the air down. Since the boat is on anchor it is always pointed into the air and a lot of air comes in like this. The problem is the air tends to just go straight back and out the companionway without finding its way down into the lower part of the cabin where you are seated.
To take care of that problem I clamp a piece of Sunbrella I have on-board from one side of the pop-top to the other. I have also used a beach towel. No the air comes in and is diverted down into the cabin. It is amazing how this simple setup diverts a lot of air down into the lower part of the cabin.
The arrow points to another piece of Sunbrella, a bag Ruth made, that I clamp along the side. The computer monitor that is on a swivel mount is right behind it and I sit behind that and the Sunbrella blocks any sun coming down into the cabin.
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..........................................................(April 21th and 22nd ) Anchorage --- N 23º 31.740´ ==== Trip Mileage = 733 miles .7...............W 75º 45.984´ ==== Day's Mileage = 2 miles |
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Late in the day Tuesday ....
.. I moved back over to the anchorage by Monument Hill as I had planned on possibly going north the next day if the weather cooperated.
When I took the picture of the monument at the top of the hill I didn't notice it at the time but later looking at the picture ....
.... it looked like there was a huge bird nest on the top of it. Not sure if the white thing is a bird's head or something else. If I would of know this at the time I could of zoomed in more with the camer and no with the picture.
My plans of possibly leaving the next morning evaporated with the weather forecast. When I anchored the wind was out of the west and driving me away from the shore. Then it started to go to the south and the southwest and that swung some the boat within about 50 feet of a rock outcropping. With that happening and the wind going up I pulled up near the anchor and dropped the second one. If I was going in the rocks it would be with 2 anchors out front.
That didn't happen and the next day the wind clocked back around and I pulled up the second anchor that had gone down. The lines had wrapped so the boat must of wandered around 360 during the night. Getting the second anchor up would let me get off anchorage quicker in the morning if I needed that.
One plus with staying until Thursday was that Wednesday the boats were now racing and not practicing.
I was a ways from the race course .....
.... but with binoculars and the camera the action was easily viewed.
The racing came to an end and so did the day and I was pretty set on finally leaving Georgetown and heading north in the morning. Of course with that plan in mind some thoughts also started to materialize in my mind about the trip down and what was going to be in store for me going north having to go out into Exuma Sound again.
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