Building Urist McDinghy

It started out with an Eastport Nesting Pram kit from Chesapeake Light Craft. The kit came with machine-cut wood, copper wire, and epoxy. First, you stitch it all together with copper wire. Then, add lots of epoxy. Then, cut it in half and paint. As you can see, it can be done in a bedroom if that's all you have. There was a lot of sanding involved and it probably took me over 200 hours to complete. I started out thinking this would be on a Cape Dory 28, but it ended up fitting alright on the Shannon 28 between the companionway and the mast. The name Urist is a Dwarf Fortress reference.

Sat Mar 31 2018

Buying Somerledi

I bought Somerledi in Baltimore. I made an initial trip to check things out myself, and then another trip for an official inspection and sea trials. There were a few key details that would have been good to know, but I guess it's normal to have to find out some things the hard way. For example, although the engine was running fine when we left Baltimore, accidentally running it with a powered-down electric fuel pump was causing the mechanical fuel pump a LOT more wear and tear. When the mechanical pump's diaphragm failed the first time we got the boat in the ocean, it was a scary situation! Anyway, it was an exciting first voyage.

Sat Apr 14 2018

Baltimore to Ocean City, NJ

My Dad and my friend Craig came to Baltimore to help move the boat north. I had rented a big SUV that I used to bring the dinghy down with, although we never actually unshipped it the whole trip. The first few days went okay - up the Chesapeake, through the canal (stopping overnight), and then down the Delaware to Cape May. However, the weather started to turn against us on our first attempt to make progress in the Atlantic, and while we were motoring the engine suddenly started running louder and at a much higher frequency. It wouldn't shut itself down for a scary 10 seconds or so while we pulled in vain on the kill switch. Inexperience with the boat, the waves and wind against us, and the loss of the engine for use in coming through the tricky NJ inlets led me to decide to make use of my TowBoat US membership. We got towed into Ocean City to have the engine checked. The next day it was time for Craig to head back up to work in New York.

Sun May 27 2018

Forked River, NJ

After our first time getting towed, we thought the problem with the engine was fixed. But then it failed for the second time off the Jersey coast. At this point I was almost starting to regret the whole endeavor. We sailed up close to the Barnegat Inlet and got towed again (with WAY too much horsepower - it turns out displacement boats can throw a decent wake if you drag them hard enough). This time, we were able to get to a Yanmar dealer. With their expertise and all the information from the last stop, we actually got the engine fixed this time. It had been a bad diaphragm in the fuel pump and fuel was getting into the oil. We were able to get some rest while waiting for repairs.

Tue May 29 2018

New York Fog

Can you see the cruise ship in the fog? We were on a pretty tight schedule at this point with all the delays we had had. When the fog rolled in as we were approaching New York, we didn't have much of a choice but to press on until we could anchor in Gravesend Bay. We could hear the deep fog horn of a big ship approaching as we crossed Ambrose channel. After we got mostly across the channel, we could see the outline of this cruise ship moving fast across our tracks. Add it to the growing list of things I would do differently today. The next day we had low clouds obscuring New York City, but we timed the current well to make it up the East River into the Long Island Sound.

Thu May 31 2018

Old Lyme, CT

The engine had been running really well, and I kept turning it off to check the oil as we went. If only I'd have thought to check the fuel in the tank! I have since discovered that due to the shape of my fuel tank, it runs out pretty quickly once you get down past 1/4 tank. Anyway, we ran out of fuel. We tried to sail east that night, but there wasn't any wind, and then the fog rolled in. I spent the whole night bundled up in the cockpit on the lookout for some big ship to come steaming straight for us out of the fog. The only thing I'd have been able to do is scream on the radio, ring the bell, and hope they'd hear or see us before it was too late. Luckily, the night passed quietly. In the morning, I made one final call to TowBoat US... this one was the most embarrassing. At least we were experts at getting towed, so we knew the drill. After we fueled up, I bled the air out of the secondary fuel filter, and the engine got us the rest of the way to Old Lyme.

Fri Jun 01 2018

Sailing Urist

This was maybe the second or third time I sailed it after building the custom sprit rig.

Tue Jun 30 2020

Rockland, Maine

I was sailing a little faster than this schooner on my way to Vinalhaven when I got this shot. I think they were purposefully over-sheeted to give the passengers a bit more of the heeled-over experience.

Fri Aug 27 2021

Stonington, Maine

On my way out to Mount Desert Island, I passed the picturesque town of Stonington on Deer Isle.

Sat Sep 04 2021

Vinalhaven, Maine

We stopped at Vinalhaven for what was only supposed to be a couple of days, but a storm kept us penned in for a week. We scavanged some wood to keep the stove going. Even when we eventually left, the seas were pretty rough - 8 to 10 ft. Going against that was very uncomfortable, so we didn't make it far.

Sun Oct 24 2021

Rockport Harbor, Massachusetts

We stopped in Rockport Harbor overnight after a day of motoring in calm swells. The dock was free, and although we didn't bother to unship the dinghy to go to shore, it was a really neat stop. The pictures don't do it justice, but you're really closed in by stone walls on all sides, with just a narrow little entrance channel.

Tue Nov 09 2021

Stamford, Connecticut

We made a long overnight passage from Newport, RI to Stamford, CT. The current through The Race was perfect, and we were going over eight knots for hours. But then as we were approaching the western end of Long Island Sound the wind turned against us and it was a long morning and afternoon coming in. We left for NYC the next day in what turned out to be a bad decision - very strong winds and waves coming into the cockpit on occasion. One really soaked Morgan and it was something like 40 degrees Fahrenheit out. It was probably the worst she had it on the trip, but there was a lot of really bad conditions we were heading south in. Late November is rough.

Thu Nov 18 2021

New York City

We finally arrived in NYC after a very difficult sail up the western Long Island Sound. We anchored near the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island for one night and then moved to a marina in Hoboken, NJ in order to take a break, see the city, and wait for a good weather window to continue south.

Fri Nov 19 2021

Thanksgiving

We stopped in Atlantic City to wait out a gale. I managed to run aground here, but the tide was rising, so we motored off and anchored once the current had eased a bit. We managed a pretty decent Thankgiving meal, all things considered. The next day was super gusty, though, and the boat was swinging wildly out of the opposing current. After getting us smoked out of the cabin a few times I finally gave up on using the wood stove, because the wind direction was too unpredictable. During one moment, the flow reversed so suddenly that flames blasted over a foot out of the stove vents back into the cabin. That was the end of that. Most other experiences with the stove have been good.

Thu Nov 25 2021

Christmas Lights

We added some decorations for the holidays while in Hampton, VA. Somerledi was here a month at a very good price. This was Morgan's last stop before heading home, while I visited family for a couple weeks.

Sun Dec 05 2021

Atlantic Dolphins

It took four days to get to Cape Canaveral from Charleston. I had light winds on the second day of the passage, and didn't make much progress. But these dolphins joined me and the weather was nice and warm. I had planned to come into the Ponce de Leon inlet, but the conditions were nasty, so I hove to that night and came into Cape Canaveral the next day. It was lucky timing, because I saw an Atlas V rocket launch as I was coming in.

Sat Feb 26 2022

Hauling Out

Somerledi was stored in Florida up the St. Johns River. I had to camp nearby while I got the boat ready, because they only allowed people to be in the storage areas while they were open.

Wed Apr 06 2022

Bahamas bound!

Two summers passed, and then, in December 2023, I set out to prep the boat and get it to the Bahamas.

Tue Dec 05 2023

St. John's River

I made it to St. Augustine to meet my dad in two days of motoring.

Thu Dec 07 2023

South in the Intracoastal Waterway

We sailed and motored south in the ICW, passing fancy houses along the way. The weather for the crossing was not looking great, so we had to wait a few days in West Palm Beach. It gave me a chance to put together the new kayak and for my dad to try some sushi.

Tue Dec 12 2023

Crossing the Gulf Stream

The window for crossing was narrow, but we were mostly okay with wind out of the southwest. We checked in at the Grand Bahama Yacht Club in Port Lucaya, and then made our way on a second overnight to the Berry Islands, where we got some rest before the rough, final passage to Nassau.

Mon Dec 18 2023

Junkanoo

On Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, there is an all-night parade in Nassau called Junkanoo. I slept for about 13 hours the following night.

Mon Dec 25 2023

New Years

My friend Maggie came for some sailing experience, and we went to Spanish Wells for New Years. Maggie made some friends that took us to see the sights.

Sun Dec 31 2023

Royal Island Harbor

On our way back we stopped for a few days in Royal Island, and I was able to install a new dyneema topping lift. We also did some snorkeling - see the pictures for Maggie's description.

Tue Jan 02 2024

Docking in Too Much Current

Long story short - the secondary bow roller got a little bent up. This was very stressful for me, but it's okay. Current can be tricky.

Fri Jan 05 2024

Morgan Arrives!

It was all fun and games when Morgan and her friend arrived until Morgan got stung by a stingray. It was just behind that swing. We learned to shuffle our feet when walking through shallow water.

Sat Jan 13 2024

Hatchett Bay

We had good sailing to Hatchett Bay and also on the next leg. The bay is super well protected with a narrow cut as an entrance.

Tue Jan 16 2024

Pineapple Keys

This was a truly beautiful anchorage, and what made it even better is that we were able to walk to the best pizza place on Eleuthera and leave the dinghy on the beach.

Wed Jan 17 2024

Rock Island Sound

We explored some really cool caves while staying for a few days on land at Rock Island Sound.

Sun Jan 21 2024

Man-of-War Cay

We made it up to MOW in the Abacos to meet my aunts. We left a little early because there was a good weather window to sail all the way back to Jacksonville.

Sun Feb 04 2024

Return to the USA

The way back was pretty smooth except for when the wind turned against me the last day. I was worried it would take another day, but luckily made it into the St. John's river inlet while the tide was still favorable.

Sun Feb 11 2024

Green Cove Springs Again

We had some cold days to use the wood stove one last time while we were waiting to get hauled out. With the Bahamas trip done, I had decided to try and sell the boat. We got the boat as ready for sale as possible and left it with the cover on it.

SAIL

CODE