Cruising on "Mariana"

  As luck would have it, Blogger sent me a notice saying that I have exceeded the limits of posts on this blog right as I have completed the project.

I took this as a sign that I should privide a new method of providing information to anyone who may be interested in the voyages of "Mariana"

so, here are a few ways to learn more :

On youtube, I am found here :  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKiOesO5f4Gu0XluHVpjbLg

and I am on instagram under @supercruiserphotos 

Dinghy motor

In the interest of saving weight, the dinghy is fitted with a nice little Honda four stroke.   This will allow me to carry only one small extra gas container for both the dinghy motor and the little EU 1000 Honda generator....... There'll be no mixing gas and oil on this ship.

more shakedowns in the Columbia River Gorge

EPIRB

Nothing like dropping $500.00 on something I hope to never use......

For our trip offshore down the west coast, I chose the  Global Fix Pro EPIRB by ACR.  It takes a little time to register it online with NOAA but knowing the coast guard has your back is a good feeling.

first night anchored out on the Columbia River.

Anchored off the public beach and somehow am able to get full internet from shore.  Here's a shot of the fading sun with the lights of Hood River in the back ground.  18 ft of water with a light westerly breeze.

Tractor vs Bus ;pre stretching the bow pole stays.

Im using 11mm Dynex DUX for the two bow pole stays which is about 10 times stronger than they need to be.  In order to remove most of the constructional stretch due to hand working the brummel splices (  http://www.animatedknots.com/brummel/index.php?Categ=splicingi)  in place,  I played  tug of war with my 1955 TO35 Ferguson tractor and my bus.   After applying the parking brake on the bus and getting a few running starts with the tractor, the stays became really  compact.

Sailing with Main and Jib on the Columbia

first full sail

"Mariana's" Main sail.

bending on the mainsail.


http://vimeo.com/117731598

The mainsail went up for the first time today.  

cold cat

We are in for a bout of snow, sleet and freezing rain here in Hood River, Oregon.  Temps in the teens.

Can't wait to get this cat into warmer waters.  She's a fish out of water.

sea trials on the Columbia River.

A friend of mine took this picture from the bluff of the Washington state side.  Too bad I look like a moron with my fenders still down.

We raised the Jib and sailed a little bit on a light east wind.  This allowed me to check out the roller furller as well as the low water alarm!  I found that the Hood River sand bar fans out further than I had thought.  Motoring along, the Garmin depth sounder began to scream out loud and we were lucky that the default depth alarm had been preset to 5 feet. I immediately put the boat full astern .....I now know that in an emergency, I can motor in 3 feet of water