Boat Thoughts

Syzygy in the marina at Heron Lake, July 24, 2010.

This has not been a very sailing summer, although we've experienced plenty of boating-related activity. Syzygy has spent time in the harbor and only been out a few times, mostly with Gerald and his friends. And even then, one of the trips ended in a bit of embarrassment when the engine wouldn't start and they had trouble furling the headsail. So, we've added a couple more projects to the boating work list.

At Heron, I've been out much more on the little Perception kayak that can be seen above, with trips to the landing below our cabin and one trip all the way out the Narrows and across the lake to the wind warning island. I also taught a New Mexico state boating safety basics class at the Heron Lake Visitor Center and helped out with the New Mexico Sailing Club's booth and open house during Heron Lake's Osprey Festival.

Some non-boating related projects at our cabin have also kept me busy. And, if we ever get caught up, we have some Sunfish dinghies there and a catamaran in need of some repair and restoration.

In the mean time, we've been to Elephant Butte only a few times but not sailed on Carol Anne's boat, Black Magic, since early May, when our friend Marty Stevenson fell overboard from Constellation and died.

My trips to the Butte have been for meetings with the state park folks and representing the Rio Grande Sailing Club in working out an agreement for a new mast-up sailboat storage lot. I also went south with Carol Anne just this past week to El Paso to attend the memorial service for our sailing friend and past RGSC commodore Richard Dittmar. The sailing club has had a tough year for losing members and friends; just recently the son of Colin and Christine Dykes, Matthew, died in a freak accident, and earlier in the year Jo Petersen, who had sailed on the sloop Delfin, passed away suddenly.

Black Magic will need some attention when we can spare her some, as well. She needs work done on her outhaul (fittings on the end of the boom that pull the back corner of the mainsail back) and floorboards, among no doubt other projects.

Despite other uncertainties and pressures and projects awaiting our attention, we did recently find time to look at a boat belonging to some friends. Besame, an Ericson 35 mark 2, is for sail, since our friends have a bigger boat where they now sail in the Caribbean. Some exterior pictures are in a recent post.