Learning To Sail Part 4 Continued

Palmetto, Florida
Regatta Pointe Marina
New Horizons

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Twenty Years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover!  ~~Mark Twain

Learning to Sail Part 4 Continued….

5^th Time Out

 

Our naked savior was able to get us back to the boat, Thank God!!  We were all a bit tired and anxious but none the worse for wear.  Danny was the one that was just exhausted…we were barely able to get him out of the dinghy and into the sailboat and into the main cabin to lie down and get some water into him.  So while Danny was resting, Keith and Tony began to see how we were going to be able to get the sailboat to Danny’s new marina, Longboat Key. 

The sun was setting it was getting late so Tony and Keith both decided that we would put up the sails and begin sailing the boat while Keith was below checking the engine.  So we got under way.  Tony was at the helm, Christina and I were handling the lines and Keith was checking the engine below.  After we were under way Keith found out that there was water in the fuel and the fuel filter was clogged with water.  That was the reason the engine shut down, it was not getting any gas!  Keith then took out the filter element, drained the fuel lines and reassembled the fuel filter assembly without the fuel element in it; put it all back together and, voila! The engine was fixed!  That was great news to all of us since it was getting pretty dark out and we were still a long way out from Longboat key marina. 

By this time, Danny began to feel better and was able to get up and captain his sailboat through two bridges. 

When someone is sailing a boat through a bridge they need to get on the radio as the sailboat is getting closer to the bridge and say, “Bridge tender, bridge tender, this is Danny on the 30 foot sailboat, Adventure, requesting the next bridge opening, to Cortez Bridge, over”…that is what Danny said when he got on the radio requesting they open the bridge.  The person in the bridge booth then comes back and says, “I’ve got you Captain, over”.  That person then stops all traffic crossing the bridge and begins to raise it.  It is quite a sight!  That evening we had to go through two bridges, Cortez Bridge and Anna Maria Bridge.  That is something that we needed to learn so when we begin traveling and need to cross bridges.

After we got the engine running and since the sun had set, we decided to lower the sails and turn the engine on.  We weren’t sure about the depth of the water so we had to find the markers that would keep us in the channel and not let us run aground. 

We had one really strong spot light that we were using to find the markers and Danny went to the bow of the boat to try and find them and point us in the right direction.  But, alas, the light died!  Right about that time we all felt a bump…we had run onto a sandbar!  Tony was at the helm and quickly reversed the boat did some maneuvering and was able to get us off the sandbar.  So we are back!  Going in the right direction…but as I am glancing to the back of the sailboat, the dinghy seems to be getting further and further from us!  When Tony had put the sailboat into reverse to get it off the sandbar, the propeller cut the line to the dinghy!  Again, Tony did some fancy maneuvering and Keith was able to throw the lifesaver ring into the dinghy as we motored by and pull the dinghy close enough to get the line and tie it back to the sailboat.  Phewwww…one more catastrophe averted!!

Needless to say, we made it to Longboat Key at about 11:30 pm, safe and sound.  Put Danny’s sailboat into his slip, unload the boat of all our stuff, deflate the dinghy, put it in the trunk of Danny’s car and pilled in and went home.

I tell you, every time we go out sailing we learn one more thing that we should or should NOT do!  LOL!  It is always an experience, we learn a lot and can’t wait to go right back out!!

We are having a BLAST! 

Stay with us to read more about our sailing adventures, our movie night with the neighbors and our pot lucks on our marina!!

El

Captain Danny

Will be adding more pictures as soon as the internet connection is better!