Endeavour Owners Forum News
OCTOBER 2001

THE ENDEAVOUR OWNERS GROUP seeks to provide a place for owners of ALL Endeavour sailboats to get together and meet other owners, share experiences, and discuss issues relevant to this line of sailboats.


IN THIS ISSUE
1. News
2. Membership
3. Welcome New Members
4. Security, Security, Security
5. Member News
6. "Rethinking Sinking" by David Schaefer
7. Pour Another Round
8. Web Site (ings)


NEWS
We have a lot of exciting news to report in this issue of the EOF Newsletter. First of all, WE MOVED! No not our offices but our web site. As most of you know I've been talking about moving it for some time now--'bout a year I think. All talk and no action you thought? We'll we finally put our money where our mouth was and did it. Many of you have kindly written to let us know that some of the links to pages weren't functioning, that postings weren't getting posted, or that the photos of the boats were gone. Simply put we ran out of server space and had to temporarily pull some features so that we could continue providing the more important parts. That worked for a while but eventually we couldn't upload anything else without removing the important stuff. Change was inevitable.

When I began the forum back in April of 1997, I piggy backed it on my AOL account. At the time it was an easy, available, and free solution, and not knowing at the time what kind of interest or growth there would be, a good way to start. At the time Lee and Carol Elwell, whom some of you know had been publishing the newsletter "Endeavour News" for about 2 years and were interested in having 'new blood' take on the responsibility. At the time the internet was beginning to explode as a medium and I thought it would a great way to communicate with and bring other owners together to share info. Little did I/we know how much interest it would garner and how rapidly things would take off. My only wish is that my cruising would do the same but that's another story. In any case the forum has grown very rapidly, almost too rapidly for me to keep up. Since 1998 when the EOF started up with the 50 or so "Endeavour News" members, the forum has exploded to more than 400 with members from around the world. That's more than 350 members in 3-1/2 years or a new member every 3-4 days! For a hobby, it's simply amazing. Hopefully now we can finally expand the forum to truly represent all the Endeavour boats. If you're interested in helping, please drop me a line.

As you might expect there is also a (huge) backlog of things to be posted. I have been collecting all the e-mails and postings that you've sent but I have to tell you that it will take a while to update everything. At least the process has started.

We've also begun to restructure the forum a bit. You'll notice that the Discussion Forum is now split into 3 separate areas: Discussion Forum, Info & Reviews, and For Sale or Wanted pages. The old page that incorporated all of this was becoming too cumbersome and people weren't locating much of the information we have posted. If you are selling or looking for a boat, all of our postings are now up to date on the For Sale or Wanted page (if you don't see yours, drop me a line and we'll get it posted); if you're looking for a supplier of Endeavour materials, go to the Info & Reviews page (this is continuously being updated); if you're interested in owners reviews, we've begun updating those but we still have a way to go.

Oh, and before I forget, our new URL and e-mail address is:

Please update your records and begin using the new URL and e-mail. The old site at AOL has forwarding info and will remain active for quite some time to help insure that we don't loose anybody. I'll be keeping it active at least until I feel confident that the search engines and other web sites that link to us are also updated.

Other news:
As you know the Endeavour Corporation that exists today is not the one that built the majority of the boats in this forum. The current company basically builds catamarans along with the occasional semi-custom 42 to 52ft monohull, if my info is correct. On that note I'd like to welcome to our family, our first multihull member! You'll find more about this in the Membership section.

So far this year we've had 2 rendezvous! The first one was the NE Rendezvous and was hosted by Bob and ML Tole of s/v Euphoria III, an E40. It was held last July 20-22nd at Napatree, Little Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island and is reported that about 6 boats made the trip to join in the festivities.

The second rendezvous was the SE Rendezvous and was hosted by Captain "Luther" Carrier of s/v Le Lair de la Mer, a 1986 E33, and was held on October 12th - 15th to take advantage of the long Columbus Day holiday. It was held at Longboat Key Moorings, Sarasota, Florida in an area of St. Petersburg that also hosts the Morgan Invasion. You can see the photos and read about the entire event at: http://www.endeavourowners.com/dscsn/events/rend2001.html

Fair winds!


MEMBERSHIP STATISTICS 10/2001
Since our last newsletter sent out in February of this year, we've grown by 73 new members! We also lost a few members either from the selling of their boat or as a result of a changed e-mail address but our net total is now 435, or 398 owners and 37 non owners! For those of you into numbers, here's the scoop:

SIZE NUMBER YEARS REPRESENTED
32 111  1975-1982
33 33  1983-1986
35 27  1983-1986
37 76  1977-1983
38 25  1984-1990
40 47  1980-1985
42 48  1983-1991
43 21  1978-1984
45 1 1992
48 0
51 1 1985
C28 1 1990
37 non-owners
TOTAL 435


WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!
On that note, I'd like everyone to welcome all of the new members who have joined the forum since our last newsletter:

MONOHULLS
Frank Alter (IN) "Sea-Ya" 1980-E37
James F. Ash (AL) "Tropical Hideaway Too" 1978-E37
Gary & Terri Beckett (MA) "Sabbatical" 1981-E40; formerly Our Prime Time
Jean Paul Bol (Netherlands) "Relax" 1977-E37; original owner
Joe M. Braden (FL) "Joan Ellen" 1981-E32; formerly Web Spinner
Terry & Diane Brant (FL) "Faremar" 1977-E32
Marc Brideau (NB-Canada) "Manna" 1984-E33
Thomas Bullock, Jr. (VA) "Oracle" 1978-E43
Tom Callahan (FL) "Unplugged" 1978-E32
Zach Carney (SC) "Dogs Life" 1984-E38; formerly Bo Linda
Dick & Sammie Caswell (TX) "Island Time" 1983-E35
Ron & Kathie Cofall (SC) "Serenity" 1985-E42; formerly Agape
Heather Courtney (MD) "Brown Eyed Girl" 1978-E32
Tom Cowell (MI) "Noble Endeavour" 1986-E33; original owner
Russell DeJarnette (NY) "Misty Morn" 1981-E32
Sam Densler (FL) Stories She Could Tell" 1983-E37
Scott & Donna Fargersten (AL) "Guerriero" 1983-E33
John Feldtmose (NY) "Sallty Paws" 1983-E40; formerly Rocinante
Bill Fuller (NH) "Petrel" 1984-E35; formerly Alpha-Centauri
Kevin Gil (FL) 1978-E32
Howard Gilbert (MN) "Liberty" 1984-E35; formerly Aureus
David Glasser (ME) "T'shuvah" 1979-E32; formerly Lady Blu
John Goslin (ID) "Solitare" 1981-E43
Chuck Grant (NC) "Knight Life" 1979-E32
Ken & Sandra Green (NY) "Persistence" 1985-E35
Bob & Elizabeth Griffin (NC) "Fenian" 1979-E32
Sandy Grima (RI) "Interim" 1979-E32
Howard Hammermann (CA) "Makani Kai" 1984-E33
Robert Hanraads (TX) Celerity" 1979-E32
Robert S. Janke (CT) "Hot Fudge" 1981-E32
Richard Lassman (NJ) "Summer Wind" 1986-E42
Robert Lucey (TX) "Libertine" 1978-E32; formerly Pagan
Bob & MJ MacFarlane (VA) "Highland Light" 1985-E42 formerly Patience and Queen Mary
Ron Magliacane (SC) "End 37" 1979-E37
Ed Maitz (PA) "Ecstasea" 1984-E35
Bruce McCampbell (MI) "Horizon" 1979-E43
Dale McKey (LA) "Mariucci" 1981-E32; formerly Gypsy
Preston McMillan (Alabama) "Starting Over" 1979-E32
Harry Meyer (FL) "Nightwind" 1984-E33
Geoff Milsom (FL) "Windstar" 1984-E35
Mark R. Mineo (CA) "Undine" 1981-E37
Pam Monroe (MD) "Traumerei" 1985-E42
Bradford Munro (MA) "Watermusic" 1981-E37; formerly Kairos
Jim & Anna Neihoff (FL) "Island Dreamer" 1983-E35
Paul Ness (NY) "Barefoot" 1976-E32
Tom Novak (MD) "Ms. Shirl" 1978-E37
Lynn Olson (TX) "Eden" 1977-E37
Doug & Wendy Oulsey (MO) "Windy Gale" 1977-E37
Joyce & Charlie Parmar (BC-Canada) "Inish Mourne" 1981-E43
Dan & Pat Parrish (MI) "Raku" 1980-E37
Charles Pawlosky (WI) "Travels with Charlie" 1984-E33
Dr. Michael Ray (TX) "Lady Libertine" 1978-E32; formerly Libertine
Al & Maggie Ressa (FL) "Temptation" 1991-42 (last one built)
Tom Rice (FL) "Noseeums" 1984-E33
Matthew Ruby (OK) 1981-E32
Jacob & Linda Rudy (MD) "New Attitude" 1982-E40; formerly Beaupre
Stefan Sargeant (MA) "Vermonster" 1981-E37; formerly Natalia, formerly Sprite
John & Bridget Schmidt (IL) "Soteria" 1981-E37; formerly Halfmoon Bay
Liz & Pete Scudder (NJ) "Dorothy Vaughn" 1979-E32; formerly Seajay
Saul Silverman (NY) "Joyride" 1988-E38
Mike Siwkowski (FL) "Triton" 1977-E32
Joe Svoboda (IL) "Solitude" 1984-E35
Robert Updegrave (PA) "Radiowaves" 1986-E42; formerly Southwind
Phil Valois (FL) "Island Fever" 1985-E38; formerly Respite
James Vaughn (GA) "Lighting's Child" 1978-E32
Linda J. White (VA) "Take Two" 1978-E32
Joe Wood (MD) "Happy Puppy" 1977-E37

CATAMARANS
Mike Calpin (NC) "SailMates II" 1990-E28 Catamaran

NON-OWNERS
Frank Bacon (FL)
James Basara (MI)
Mike Congleton (AZ)
Ed Davis (NJ)
Michael Howard (ON-Canada)
Denis Kiefer (FL)
Geoff Kloster (WI)
John R. Olsen (WI)
Todd Parsons (CA)
Les Rogers (FL)
Tory Silvia (MD) looking for an E35
Ken Simpson (MA)


SECURITY, SECURITY, SECURITY
One of the biggest complaints I hear from owners are that their aluminum fuel tanks eventually have to be replaced because they start to leak. Everything that I've read about this indicates that "water" in the bilge is the the single biggest factor contributing to their demise--so keeping them dry is very important! Having said that, I recently read of an owner (not an Endeavour) that came up with a great way to help prevent this. Since many tanks like his sit in the bottom of the bilge where water collects, his idea was to raise the tank off the bottom so that it wouldn't continuously sit in bilge water or trap condensation. He took nonpervious plastic such as polyethylene (the stuff plastic cutting boards are made of--you can buy stock at WEST Marine), cut it into strips, and using a sealant glued it to the bottom of the tank. The strips were aligned fore and aft so that as the boat pitched, it wouldn't hinder water flow. It was also noted that the sealant must make a complete seal so that water isn't trapped between it and the tank.

Planning an extended cruise? You might need a Tempanol Dental First Aid Kit. This dentist in a box, introduced by a Petaluma, CA. company about a year ago (U.S. DenTek), is about the size of a deck of cards, costs about $5 and is intended to fill the gap (no pun intended) until you can get professional help. It contains toothache medication, temporary filling material, swabs, wooden applicators, and a jar to store a dislodged crown or tooth (might want to add a small mirror). They're also sold at Wal-Mart and Kmart.

Also, if you're looking for the original Endeavour manufacturers and suppliers, don't forget to visit our Manufacturers and Suppliers page at http://www.endeavourowners.com/dscsn/info/list.html


MEMBER NEWS

Judi & Dave Nofs of s/v FIA, a 1981 E40, are currently in the Southeastern Caribbean and are offering their boat for a crewed charter. "If anyone is interested in trying out the Caribbean before sailing their own boat south we would be delighted to have them. It will be bracing sailing as most times the trades blow at between 20–25kts. and beautiful waters & beaches. We have been down here in the Caribbean onboard FIA for the last 9yrs. and have plenty of experience." You can contact them at: nofsfia@hotmail.com

Gary Kurchyn of s/v Outer Limits, a 1983 E33, passed away last year. He was a member of the EOF since 1998 and after having bought Outer Limits in Annapolis in 1991 had sailed her on Lake Ontario. He also had chartered bigger boats in the BVI and Grenadines, but still preferred his trips up to the Thousand Islands and Kingston, Ontario. If all goes well, Outer Limits will have a new owner in the Newfoundland area--John and Betty Roil--who say that it's one of the greatest cruising grounds in the area. They also want to thank all the Endeavour owners that helped them with their questions.

Dan & Robin Hawryschuk, the owners of s/v Nomad, a 1978 E37A located in Tampa Bay are selling her so we can devote their time, energy and $$ to their new business: Integrity Canvas and Sail, Inc./UK Sailmakers. They are also a dealer for C Cushions, Harken, etc. We are located on Florida's East coast in the Palm Beaches. You can reach them at 561-844-3884.

Bruce & Mona Bonbright wrote to tell us about their summer of 2000 aboard s/v Hale Moana (sorry about the delay). "Hi Paul! Mona and I have spent the summer taking cruises from the Channel Islands Harbor along the central coast of California to Anacapa Island and Santa Cruz Island. For the first time in four years, we didn't have an opportunity to visit Santa Catalina Island. Anchoring has become an easy task this year as we had a vertical windlass installed by our boat yard on our Hale Moana, an Endeavour 38 center cockpit sloop. What a wonderful addition! After living aboard for nearly four years, Mona and I moved ashore to a condo near the boat. We really enjoyed our stay aboard, but the logistics were always complicated. Now at least I will be able to tackle a couple of tasks that were more difficult when living aboard such as revarnishing the forward cabin and that sort of thing. It looks like I will need to replace the old stream stay furler before we do any serious sailing next spring. Best wishes and Happy Holidays to our fellow Endeavour Yacht owners!

Jerry Bernath of s/v BiBi headed for the Abacos last February, but because of the nasty weather, spent most of the time in the Exumas. He then went to the Barry Islands, Lucaya (Grand Bahama) and crossed to Ft Pierce, FL. and returned to the US last May. Jerry reports that the "fish gods" were with him as he caught many types of fish. "My time in the Bahamas was great."

Adam Rhude writes to say: "...we are off to cruise for a couple of years...our plans are to start in the Bahamas and summer in Maine for the first year then Belize and the Islands the second year. Thanks again for all the Forum hosting. Cheers."

Joe Casey writes to say that s/v Halfmoon Bay, his 1981 E37 has been sold.

Mark Swisher reports that Viewfinder, his 1982 Endeavour 37, won the BCYA Annual Rock Hall Race in the Chesapeake Bay this past weekend. Way to go mark! He reports that conditions were 15-20 knots which were just perfect for this boat. She's a mudder and likes the slop. Average speeds of 6.8-7.2 on GPS for most of the race. Most of the other competitors had to reef and were slowed down significantly by the chop.

Michael & Jo-Anne GendelI of s/v SeaVousPlay, an E42, just put a new Yanmar 63 hp, 4 cyl, Yanmar diesel. He says that if any one needs advice, to contact him at: mgendel@worldnet.att.net . Mark says that it took about 5 man hours, me and the lift operator. Having done it once, I think it could be done in about 4 or less. Another important milestone in the slow but steady renovation.

Peter Gradeff of s/v INANINA, an E-37 Recently noticed a strong H2S - like odor in the first 3-4 cups of water taken through the faucets and I was considering drastic clean-up of the tank, but after replacing the hose(s), the odor disappeared completely.

Peter Erdo sold Andante II, his 1979 E32 last spring. "Your list has been a source of very useful information and I wish you all the best."

Fred & Donna VerPlanck write to tell us that they spent last winter on the hard at Peake's Boatyard, Trinidad. "We cut a door-sized slab out of our keel and put in a new fiberglass fuel tank, and a buncha other stuff. New pulpit, new water tanks, new port lights cut into the hull, etc, etc.

Ed Piriczky of s/v Sugar, a 1981 E40 tells us that "After almost 5 yrs. of hard work the E 40 I bought that was totally wrecked is nearing completion. Nearly everything has been replaced, repaired, or upgraded. Much of the interior is new, all the wiring, plumbing and hoses are new. Just wanted to say what a help the group has been while working this project. I got loads of information to work with. So if any one needs any advise on a repair or project on an E40 I will gladly give my help.

Julie Roberts & Billy Vance of s/v Tenacity, a 1981 E32 write to say that after 14 months they have "finished" our 'Tenacity.' We bought a hull, and started from there. Every moving part, every cable, hose and line. Newly relocated and redesigned Nav. station. All new electrical. New plank teak sole (replacing the herringbone teak sole). Port lights. Canvas. Paint. Varnish. Fiberglass. Bottom work. Deck work. Sails. Standing and running rigging. 1994 3GM 27 horse Myanmar. It's done.

Mike & Denise Brennan reports that s/v Imagination II, their 1984 E33 was broached by a Northern Right Whale off the coast of Maine, in the Bay of Funny, last summer. "We were sailing wing on wing heading back to Dipper Hr. just after noon on a beautiful late August day after spending 10 days cruising Maine. The winds about 6-8 knots SW and we were doing about 4-5 and very relaxed. Earlier in the morning we had seen whales off in the distance but had paid them no never mind. Suddenly, from out of nowhere this Northern Right Whale breeches under our boat, shoots about 15-20 feet out of the water on the starboard side, just by the radar mast, does a little roll, and falls over into the cockpit and rolls off the back! It all happened in under 20 seconds. The stern rail was bent, the radar mast broke off, and the outboard and BBQ went overboard. The E33 is a VERY STURDY vessel.

Ed & Melissa Phillips report that they are about five months late for their departure date of August. Ed and Melissa are planning to do a leisure circumnavigation. The refit (1983 E37 s/v MAG MELL) has been a long drawn out process. We still need to haul out and add about a foot to the keel to get rid of some weather helm, purchase our life raft from "Winslow", pick up a new dingy motor, put together our medical kit, and replace the life lines....Overall, the boat is like new, and ready to go.

William Lowenberg sold Last Dance, his 1985 E42 last spring and Pam Monroe is the proud new owner and member of the forum.

Allan Saunders of s/v Swan Song writes to say "We are out here in Hawaii, living on our Endeavour 40'. We have spent six years planning and restoring our boat, to cruise blue waters. Hull, wiring, plumbing, everything, we've done it."

Mike & Linda Mikoloff of s/v Tatiana, a 1978 E37, has retired and are beginning a voyage from Detroit Mich. to who knows where via the Erie canal on October 1. At the moment we are in Ashtabula, Ohio hoping for good enough weather to continue on tomorrow.

Spencer Garrett of s/v Coastal Dancer, a 1978 E32 was a missing member and has popped up in Tasmania.


RETHINKING SINKING
By David Schaefer
Originally published by SailNet, http://www.sailnet.com

When a single-hander finds himself in water up to his knees down below, it’s a little late to make a plan. Here’s how one voyager learned that lesson—the hard way.

The image I’ve always had of sinking involved storm-tossed seas, the dark of night, lightning, probably the failure of a port light or a thru-hull connection, or a collision with an unseen floating object. In this scenario, highly motivated crewmembers wrestle the inflatable from the deck and launch it. But there I was all alone in broad daylight not far from land and Dream Weaver was going down in the middle of the Intracoastal Waterway somewhere in the vast and desolate marshes of coastal Georgia. I wasn’t ready for this; it didn’t happen here, not now, and not to me.

I was alone aboard my 32-foot Endeavour early on a June afternoon. For four days my only company had been the occasional dolphin rising beside the boat and, along the shore, egrets and wood storks. In the last few hours I had seen just one small fishing boat. The shoreline was a distant shadow rising above miles of marsh grass. I had been making such good time that at 1400 I passed my planned anchorage at Cattle Pen Creek and decided to press on across St. Catherine Sound. Then, three thunderstorms popped up within minutes, two passing off to the west, but the third one dead ahead, coming at me very black and very big, with a lot of cloud-to-ground lightning. The weather radio had warned of waterspouts offshore between St. Catherine Sound and Sapelo Sound, not far away.

I’d seen at least one of these storms every day for the last four days, and they often packed 40-mph winds. I didn’t want to be caught in St. Catherine Sound by that one, and there was just one possible anchorage between us: Walburg Creek, with a four-foot shoal across the entrance. Dream Weaver draws only four and a half feet and we were one hour into a rising tide. One guide indicated that you could make it at low water by putting ICW mark 124 directly over the stern and heading parallel to the north shore.

I took a deep breath, put 124 directly behind, and slowly headed in, but soon felt the gentle nudge of the bottom. I shifted the engine into reverse, and suddenly, clunk. No reverse. No forward. What was the problem? Must be the transmission linkage, I thought, because everything aft of that was brand new five days prior, when the prop shaft and coupling had been replaced by a reputable boat yard. So I tried the gears again. Nothing, although it felt like it was going into gear.

I headed forward to toss out an anchor, but then, on the foredeck, changed my mind and decided to look for what might have caused the clunk. Inside the cabin I was stunned at the sound of water pouring in—a lot of water. The depth sounder read 28 feet—I must have drifted off the mudbank—so I pulled open the engine compartment to find the bilge nearly full of water and everything below and behind already submerged. Through the adrenaline rush I hastily pondered my situation and options. The latter had narrowed considerably.

With the thunderstorm bearing down, going over the side to investigate in this murky water and strong flood tide didn’t seem like much of an option. Certainly I could launch the inflatable, now partially deflated and turned upside down on the foredeck, and salvage whatever I grabbed, but the boat would sink and become a hazard to navigation, spilling its oil into the waterway in the process. What should I save? What should I leave behind after six months of cruising from Florida to the Bahamas and back? To abandon my fiberglass friend that had taken me from Vermont to Hemingway’s haunts in Cuba and back to Florida seemed a traitorous thought.

The Mayday call elicited an instant response from the US Coast Guard. As the water rose in the cabin the Coast Guardsman directed me to put on my life jacket and go to Channel 22 Alpha. He gathered the essential information: location, number of people on board, latitude and longitude, description of the boat, flares, and signaling devices on board, along with a summary of the situation.

"Stand by on 22 Alpha," the voice from the Coast Guard directed me.

I realized that this was the time to dig out the cell phone and call the towing service that covers my boat. So after providing my location to the woman on the line, I learned that a boat was being dispatched, but was at least a half-hour away. I hastily began to pack an abandon-ship bag; not rescue gear, but personal items in a large, clear waterproof bag. I was not at risk, but everything on board was heading for the bottom unless I managed some miracle.

Then a new voice erupted on 22 Alpha. It was Rescue 1. A red Coast Guard helicopter banked overhead and I instinctively unfolded an orange distress flag on the bimini top. I’m sure he saw it because I could clearly see someone in a red jump suit standing in the open door looking at me. When I jumped back below to get on the radio, the flag blew away. The storm was arriving in earnest.

"I see your tow coming," crackled the voice from Rescue 1. A towboat pulled up, but it was not the one that covered me, it was a competitor. He happened to be 15 minutes away, he told me, and overheard the conversation. I explained that I was covered by his competitor and would opt to wait. (My cruising budget had already been blown by a series of repairs along the way.)

"He’s 40 minutes to an hour away, he’s near Savannah," said the operator. "I hear you’re taking on water."

"Yes I am," I told him, because the water in the cabin was then well over my ankles, but not rising as fast because it was filling the wide spaces under the berths. I sealed the ditch bag and moved it into the cockpit.

The operator of the towboat had pulled up a few yards away. "How about pumping?" he asked. "I have a pump on board."

"That sounds like a pretty good idea," I responded, so he brought the boat alongside as I finally dropped the anchor. "How much is this going to cost?"

"Just my hourly rate."

In a few minutes he was tied alongside, had handed the four-inch pump hose over, and I dropped the hose into the bilge. He fired up the portable pump generator and climbed aboard. "You have a lot of water in here and it’s coming in fast," he observed.

"Yes, I packed a ditch bag." The storm was hitting hard with rain pouring down. The anchor dragged and we let out more scope. The water level in the boat dropped quickly as the generator roared.

"I have some, too." They were kept on a shelf with the flares and smoke signals, always at hand, just two dollars worth of tapered wooden plugs that had lounged around for 10 years, waiting for today. I passed them down and he quickly found one that fit, hammering it into place with my pipe wrench. I got on the radio to the Coast Guard to inform them that the leak was plugged and the boat was pumped. The tow skipper returned to his boat to make a radio call and came back with an aluminum clipboard and "the paperwork," as well as a surprise.

"I called my base," he said, "and they tell me I have to charge you the salvage rate for pumping."

"How much is that?" I didn’t want to argue much, I was glad to be afloat. If a boat is about to be lost, or if the skipper abandons it, my understanding is that the salvage laws apply.

"One hundred dollars a foot." Three thousand two hundred dollars.

"Ouch!"

"Your insurance should cover it, given the situation."

As we waited for my towing service I mentioned the directions from the guidebook for entering the creek directly off Marker 124.

"Oh, they moved Marker 124 when they added 124A. It’s farther south than it used to be."

The Coast Guard helicopter called in to make sure things were all right on board and then returned to base. Then the Coast Guard station at Tybee Island directed me to stand by on 22A. "We’ll call you every 15 minutes until you are on the dock somewhere." I love those guys.

Afterwards, my towboat arrived at about 1600 with two men on board. "What’s your displacement," they asked?

"About 14,000 pounds," I told them.

"Looks like we’re going to Savannah. You’ll have to steer or the boat will go crazy." The first tow boat skipper helped hook up the bridle, said goodbye and took off.

The storm had left behind a cold, windy drizzle and I was shivering in my thoroughly wet shirt under the foul weather jacket as I steered the boat through St. Catherine Sound and on through miles of marshland. It was a long ride to the boat yard, which gave me time to think about what had happened. Should I have called in a Mayday? I still don’t know. It seems extreme, but if I had simply called my towboat service the boat would have gone to the bottom while waiting. Should I have argued about whether or not it was a salvage situation? If the towboat had not been nearby, Dream Weaver would have sunk in about a half-hour or so.

Maybe I should have first crawled down under the water in the bilge's, alone, to find the leak and see if I could stop it? Yes, I think now that the risk of getting trapped down there would have been worth saving the boat. Find the hole has become my new mantra.

Perhaps I should have realized right away that the prop shaft had backed out, but that was a first-time experience for me. At the time I assumed that I had backed into something and punctured the hull. I mean a reputable yard had installed the shaft just five days earlier. So, later, after consulting an attorney, I asked the yard for my money back on the labor involved, and received it. Fortunately, the prop and shaft were not lost because the new zinc had stopped it at the strut that holds the cutlass bearing, which made for a noisy ride to Savannah.

The questions kept flowing through my mind. Should I have had an abandon-ship plan at the ready, along with a list of things to save? Absolutely. The log, GPS, handheld VHS, cell phone, passport, credit cards, wallet, camera, family photos, Pocketmail unit, and gifts with a sentimental value were all in the ditch bag, but I left behind the computer disks for the book I was writing and other essentials. I found other items in the bag that I planned to throw away, a sure sign that packing during an adrenaline rush is not a reasoned process.

It was after 10:00 p.m. when we arrived at the dock and a half hour later the tow boat crew was on its way after completing the paperwork. Without insurance coverage I would have been out another $864. As it turned out, my insurance did cover the salvage pumping bill as well as the cost of hauling and inspecting the boat, which as it turned out had sustained no serious damage. In the end, all I lost was a lot of rusty canned goods that eventually landed in the dumpster.

That had been a very long day. I checked the wooden plug in the stuffing box to make sure it was tight and then fell into the V-berth. For the next two days I found myself saying, out loud, "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday," and shaking my head in disbelief.

Dave Schaefer cruises from his base on Lake Champlain, Vermont. He is the author of "Sailing to Hemingway’s Cuba" (Sheridan House, 2000) and owner of "Dream Weaver", an Endeavour 32


POUR ANOTHER ROUND!
Excerpts from "A Sailor's Dictionary"

Captain: See FIGUREHEAD

Distress Signals: International signals which indicate that a boat is in danger. For example in American waters: the sudden appearance of lawyers, the pointing of fingers, and repression of memories; in Italian waters: moaning, weeping, and wild gesticulations; in French waters: fistfights, horn blowing, and screamed accusations; in Spanish waters: boasts, taunts, and random gunfire; in Irish waters: rhymthic grunting, the sound of broken glass, and the detonation of small explosive devices; in Japanese waters: shouted apologies, the exchange of calling cards, and minor self-inflected wounds; and in English waters: doffed hats, the burning of toast, and the spilling of tea.

Etiquette: Marine custom establishes a code of social behavior and nautical courtesy for every conceivable occasion. Thus, for example, a boat belonging to another boatman is always referred to as a "scow", a "tub", or a "pig-boat". When one skipper goes aboard another's boat, he does not hesitate to tell him frankly about any drawbacks or disadvantages he finds in comparison to his own craft. Sailors welcome every opportunity to improve their vessels, and so he knows that his remarks will be greatly appreciated. When one sailboat passes another, it is customary for the captain of the passing boat to make a bladder like sound with his lips and tongue, and for the captain of the passed boat to return the courtesy by offering a smart salute consisting of a quick upward movement of the right hand with the second digit extended.

Figurehead: Decorative dummy found on sailboats. See CAPTAIN.

For more, please visit http://www.kichwa.com


WEB SITE (INGS)
Tom Yang, an Endeavour 37 owner, has opened a website http://www.7knots.com which is designed to include every sailor, every sailboat and all sailing activities on planet earth.

Cap'n Ric aboard the S/V Sezaneh sent us this one. Within a year there will be affordable global digital phone/fax/data/email service available to the average consumer. If you haven't already acquired an SSB rig you may want to wait. I use a cellular modem and my laptop from the Canadian Maritime Provinces down to the keys. It works well within about 30 miles from a shore based tower and is 20 times as fast sending email. Plus, its a phone without having to use a land patch. I've also heard that there are companies that will allow you to pick up your e-mails over the telephone.

Joe Svoboda of s/v Solitude, a 1984 E35 and slip neighbor of mine, came across a great find! There is a company called Thai Teak Marine at which he found the exact same drawer pulls for his boat. Besides being inexpensive, they seem to have other items that Endeavour used and that owners would be interested in. They have an online catalog and a wide variety of products that they sell to boat manufacturers, and best of all you can buy direct from them. They also do custom work. This is a must check it out: http://www.thaiteakmarine.com

Until next time . . .

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Paul Uhl
Endeavour Owners Group