Surprise                    Log

21 June 2011,

Summer Sailing Trip, Mobile Bay Alabama to Port St. Joseph Florida.

We Set sail Tuesday morning destined for Port St. Joe.  This is our first over night sailing trip.  Forecast is for good winds and calm seas.  We have a nice sail out of the bay, heading south till we can clear the Mobile ship channel.  We head east staying about 3-5 miles of shore, we are sailing on a beam reach winds out of the south.  It’s a fantastic sail, I head below to check on the below decks and get a bottle of water, when I hear this boom and ragged flapping, I rush on deck to find the foot of the main torn away, the sail is flogging, I get hooked in and go up and with boys help get the main furled.  Now all I have is my jib, this does not deter us, and we continue on with the trip, a bit slower, but still sailing.   The rest of the day turns out to be a great day of sailing.  The Boys, Brandon & Austin

Towards evening we are beginning to see lightning in the north, I listen to weather and start to weigh my choices, I can run for Pensacola, or steer south and east and push off shore to avoid the inshore weather, I choose to run.  However the wind is starting to not serve us well, so I fire up the iron genny and start our run south and east, we are tearing along at 7.5 knots, the boys have the first two watches, and I go below into the heat to catch some sleep.  I know now that I need to have fans installed, wow it’s hot.   I pop the forward hatch in the head, this makes it bearable, but we are getting a little spay, so the head is getting a little salt spray from time to time. But getting a little sleep is worth it.  No issues all night, the boy’s wake me from time to time check on things but all is well.  At 0400 I take my shift, I check the position we are 50 miles off shore, wow what a run, I shut the engine down, adjust course, adjust sail trim and enjoy the morning.   I see flying fish, and in the distance a pod of dolphins playing in morning light.  It is fantastic, I break out the camera and get some great pictures of the sun rising, what an awesome sight. 

22 June 2011, At Sea

As the morning drags on I decide to set the spinnaker, the wind is coming out of the south, south west, perfect for a spinnaker run into Port St. Joe, and what a run, we are making good speed now at least 6 – 7 knots, wish I had decided on this earlier. That big sail really makes the difference.  We make port St. Joe about 1500, we top off on fuel, running all night really burned it off.  But for the boys peace of mind it was worth it. 

We are dead beat and cooking is not looking appealing, so we head to bar and grab some food.  We try some oysters, wow, they are fantastic.  We are told they come from Apalachicola, the best in gulf, I have no doubt.  We try some on our way back in different spots, and they don’t compare with these.  So note is that we want to come back for oysters and scallop season, you can get your own when they are in season. 

23 June 2011 Port St Joseph Florida.

We get up late; everyone is tired from our passage.  We have a good breakfast and I head into town on a bike from the Marina to pick up some snorkeling gear.  We head out and find a place and do some snorkeling, it’s a nice experience, I dive on the bottom of the boat and find some barnacles I know that this needs to be looked at, I make a note to talk to the Marina when we return.  The snorkeling gear is an n investment in our future so it’s worth it.  We see sea urchins, hermit crabs and all sorts of sea life… I so look forward to all there is to discover in the future. 

24 June 2011 Port St. Joseph, Departure for Mobile

We wake up and prep for our departure back to mobile, we pull around 0900 once again we pushing to get out before the weather hits us, gives us a great beam reach un out of the bay and then a good broad reach as head for the deep waters of the gulf.  Another great day of sailing passes As we close on Panama City, more evening thunder storms, and again wrestling with the choice of putting in or staying out.  We decide to stay out and head south again.  We douse the Spinnaker and unroll the Genoa.  The wind is starting to pick up, and beginning to clock.  This night will see the come from the south west, north and then out of the south by morning.  Our luck still hangs in there, a little closer this time as we get some wind this time, but nothing over 25 knots, I stay up longer and to ensure things are going to be ok.  Brandon stays on the first watch with me.  I am really proud of him tonight; I think he is really scared, but using bravado to get past it.  I don’t mind, he is really stepping up and watching and being very helpful.  We tuck a reef in, probably a little too much, it’s ok we are still tearing along; it’s a great sail in the dark of the night.  No engine this time the wind serves us well as we sail in the pitch black of the night. 

25 June 2011, at Sea.

We awake to another fabulous sunrise, and shape a course for the Pensacola cut.  We make it around 1400, in time for some snorkeling and time in the water. 

After the Snorkeling I start messing the anchor, this becomes a mess, loose one anchor to the deep and unable to use the second because of the rope becoming snarled in the winch.  I decide I am going to all chain rode, it’s cheaper than replacing the winch.  We motor to the oyster bar just across the border in Alabama; we have dinner, (not that great) and tie up for the night.  We are worn down, what a long two days of fun in the sun. I didn’t want to stop and pay for another stop, but wow, it’s worth it to have the AC and good night’s sleep. 

26 June 2011 Lu Lu`s Florida/Alabama border ICW

 We take off early headed down the Inter-costal water way for Lu Lu`s.  After motor for several hours I give Brandon the wheel, and I rig up my hammock on the bow between the forestay and mast, what a ride, its pleasant and quite with the water rushing by.  Soon we are closing on Lu Lu`s. I take the wheel and get us docked; we go have a late lunch, good food, good music, and Good times.  The boys are enjoying the scenery so I go to lie down and take a short nap.  I try to lay down below, but it’s hot, too hot to nap, so I go back to hammock, aaahhh, now this is the life, then the knot gives out, what! And I plummet to the deck, going part way into the hatch, not such a good day anymore, bruised ribs, and trip to hospital to make sure nothing is broken.  WOW the pain is rough.  I make it back just before the music ends, I find a chair and get some good service and listen to the music.  We go to the boat and get some sleep, no power tonight, so it’s a little warm.

27 June 2011 Lu Lu`s Gulf Shores Alabama

 We wake up early and head out. We are head for our home port on Mobile Bay.  I manage to stay up for awhile, but my ribs are complaining so I go below and let boys man the wheel.  I come up and manage to stay up the rest of the cruise into the marina.  We get boat docked, fix dinner and I hit the rack, I am tired and I hurt. 

28 June 2011 Turner Marine Mobile Bay

The Journey is finished, what a trip it was.  Now for some maintenance and the long drive home.  I don’t get much done myself; the ribs complain too much and put me on my back again.  I get the boys to help some, but they are done being sailors.  Time for the trip home.

Brandon and Austin seasoned sailors, at this point, but still not buying a cruisers life, so we drive home J

More to follow as more adventures are yet to be had. 
My goal in the future is to start writing these as we go, adding a little more detail, so we can a better log. Takes practice and discipline. 

9 July Puts on Surprise again.  We are here for a week while we wait on the truck that’s got our stuff in it, we have moved from Radcliff to Phenix City Alabama.  It’s a short week, but good to be back on the boat again.  This is the end of spending lots of time aboard.  Job becomes a problem and paying for two houses.  Which I am still doing, finishing the move and all the expenses really hurt.  However as I write this I realize that I have to go to the boat, its gives me peace of mind and peace of heart, yet at the same time makes me long for the sea and the places that Surprise can take me.  I make friends with those that are passing thru and those taking a break, only to see them leave and head off to where I dream of going.  I tell myself that my time will come.  Ok, this brings us to today, 24 Oct.  I spent the weekend of the boat, it was great, no awesome sail, and I have got that itch to go again, but alas here I set at work only dreaming.  I spent the weekend 8 and 9^th aboard as well, another nice sail.  Before that saw us moving into our new house here in Phenix City, this is temporary dwelling to give my daughter a place to call home for high school.  It will work I tell myself.  I think it will.  I have some a good friend here, so that will help the winter months pass.  Yet, with each trip Surprise, I since its time to start preparing for that voyage to the south. Ok, its time to stop writing and look forward to my next trip Surprise.

Late spring update

Ok, this is my late spring up date.  Since my last post I have been down to the gulf twice.  The first trip was in March to check on the boat and make sure it had weathered the winter ok.  It was good to see Surprise, like seeing a long lost friend.  I climbed aboard was pleased to not be greated by that familure stinch, :) but was greated by a normal boat smell... while I was gone I had had the forward holding tank removed and a leak repared, It had been leaking from a fitting, the previous worker had used teflon tape on the fitting, not a good thing, so it was taken out cleaned up and replaced with caulk, no leaks, thats a good thing.  It has gone a long way to controling the odor. 
The next problem was the batteries had went dead, the solar panels are working but there is something that causes them to not put out to the batteries, I discovered this on my second trip to the boat in April.  So the result was dead batteries, and all the food in fridge bad, that included the fish in the freezer, so that was a new smell, lol.  So went into clean up mode.  got it cleaned up, now it smells like fish and clorox, lol.  its going away slowly.  So got batteries charged, still need to tackel solar problem, but need that to be when I am down there, I need to be invlolved in the fix. 

This trip saw my first real sail on the gulf, wow, what a great sail, and I realized, that I REALLY love to sail on open water, it was new experience, but I loved it.
We left the night before and sailed from Turner down to Navy cove, where we Phillip my crew spent the night.  What a night that was, has to be the roughest night I ever spent aboard.  The wind was out of the north, and blowing 20 knts, no shelter so had it on the nose all night.  Oh didn't mention setting anchor, well it was on wrong roller, so here I am in 2 ft rollers moving a 40lb anchor in the dark, what a mess, dropped it chipped the glass on the toe rail, a repair for later.  Got it switched, anchor set. had a light dinner and hit the rack.  Got up early had coffee, and frozen bfast sands heated up in microwave, thank goodness for Genny. 
While we were working in this we got by the wake from a freighter a mile away, wow, what a wake, hit us broadside as we were still head to wind.  that was close, stuff went flying, I had a cabinet open and thens took flight, I grabbed what I could with my hands, hip, and knee, and them Phillip jumped it and help hold it until the wake was gone.  With all secure we fired up the engine pulled the anchor and headed for the ship channel. 
We put the main up and then motor sailed through channel, once far enough out we put out the jib and sailed on a close reach for 20 miles. What a sail! it was great, watching the water change color to a bright blue, seeing the jelly fish floating by.  It was great.  We sailed all day till mid afternoon we realized we had goofed off to much the wind was not serving us well so we fired up the iron jib adjusted our course and headed towards Pensacola, or more towards Pensacola.  We motor sailed for probably 2-3 hours until wind had picked up and then sailed into the Pensacola to big lagoon in the dark.   Going through the cut we found the muddy bottom as we had strayed out of the channel, was confused by a mark for the air station, it was a red on the wrong side of the channel, any way we got off easy enough, then made to the lagoon, to anchor, where we again found the bottom.  Note to self "trust the chart plotter" and not someone else that wandered into shallow water and was lucky not to run aground.  ;)  So we backed off, trusted chart plotter and anchored in 10ft.  All in All it was great sail, learned lots and had lots fun.  That evening Phillip's parents invited us to there boat for beef stew, that was piping hot, it warmed our cold bones.  After a nice evening of good friends good food and good drink, I made my way back to Surprise.  Running the dingy aground on the way back, I was 100 yards off shore, but it was very shallow, but made it off and back to the boat, and good nights sleep. 
The Next day I took off, choosing to motor back along the ICW.  It was nice ride, till the bay, I put the jib up surfed all the way back to the marina, what a great sail. 

The next trip was Spring break with the kids, what a wonderful trip that was. 
We arrived later afternoon on Saturday 2 April 2011.  We topped off the water, got food and then went to sleep.  We got up early and took off in the fog, made out on to the bay safely and set sail.  We sailed all day long, all the from the marina to Pensacola.  It was a great sail, the kids first sail on blue water, they enjoyed, a little bit of sea sickness but it passed. 
We spent the three days in big lagoon.  What a great time.  exploring seeing dolphins from the dingy once, time on the beach.  Awesome trip.  Was great to see kids enjoying themselves. 
One highlight was the storm one night that weathered.  Anchor held, had 60 knts once, average was probably 30-40 knts.  Outside of that storm it was a great week, with another sail off shore back to the bay.  We made it all the way to the lower east corner of Mobile bay where we anchored for the night.  We got up earl the next day motored to Lu Lu's for a later lunch and live music that night.  A great finish to our week on the boat. 

Ok, that gets us to 23 May 2011. 
I am hoping for another trip on the boat in June.  This will be a much longer trip.  we are hoping to make a run to Tampa Bay and back.  I am planning at least 6 days to get there.  Taking our time do some sight seeing along the way.  Then do Disney while the boat is anchored in Tampa or tied to mooring ball. 
The only thing will put a kabash on this would be getting job.  But the way things have been with the job market, I don't see that happening.  So it should be a great trip.  But will have to wait and see how it goes if it goes.  More to follow on that.  I have to be careful with the weather as its the beginning of hurricane season. 

More later
Capt. Bear s/v Surprise 

arrival in Mobile Bay Nov 2010

new bottom job, nice n clean now, got three years out of the last one

our neighbors for a week on a the hard while got new bottom they have a Catalina 30, next to a Catalina 42

LU Lu's at homeport Marina, Gulf Shores Al. we came for the gumbo, this is Jimmy Buffets sisters place, he sings for gumbo here, ;)

tied up for gumbo :), oh and a cheese burger in Paradise, mmm...good

Dolphins!

Sailing on the Gulf, I am loving it

if you look really close over my on right side you can see a ship on the horizon.  Its making its way into the Mobile ship channel.

The View South, nothing but water, WOW

This is the update, with pics that I promised.  Little late, but better late than never.  A great time was had on the trip.  I am so ready to go back and do some more sailing.  The bay is shallow, but I have already started learning the my way around, knowing the locals and there knowledge is key. 

Its been since 5 Dec that I have been on the boat, I am starting to really miss it, and I need to plan a trip back down to check her out.  I have friends that check on her, but its not the same as laying your own eyes and hands on her.  This trip was a test in many ways to see how I would enjoy being board for a long period of time, I think that I passed, I love every min of the trip, even the bad. 

So would I do it again, yes, I learned a lot of lessons from this trip, and I am prepared to some some off shore sailing now, I have plans for some short stuff, like a day sail to Navy cove, that's right by the mouth of the bay.  I will over night here and then jump out side for a day sail, then comeback and over night at navy cove, sailing back to the Marine the next day.  Then I will do a run over to Pensacola, that's a long day, but very easily done in a day.  I will keep doing some stuff like this and then do an overnight, Soon I will be do longer runs, but those will come later, when I have more time experience and weather windows.  Well that will do it for now.  I will post more as I have it and have time.  When I have trip planed to check the boat out I will post it here.  I plan to continue to use this a log for my adventures aboard Surprise. 

Capt. Bear aka.  Barry

HOME,

We are home now, I will not say home at last, because I felt like I was home the whole time.  I had a great trip. 
We end the trip with a motor across the Bay to LuLus at home port marina.  We had gumbo listened to live music, spent the night and got early for a motor to the mouth of the bay and short sail on the gulf. 
The motor was long, not as long as we had been doing, but it impressed on me the size of Mobile Bay, this is truly a large body of water. We made to the mouth of bay and set sail.  We sailed out past the sand Island light then turned around, running out of time to make it back to the marina before dark, although, I guess we could have anchored out, some place.  Oh well.  I was a nice sail, wind was only 5-10, that's a little tame for Surprise, but was good times.  We got to see dolphins that surprised me a bit, not something I expected. 
That puts me into January now after Christmas with my parents, I am now back home planning what comes next.  I could do with some sailing, I know that.  But Job is next I think, and I will work towards that end to get me closer to Surprise, I hate being so far away from her.  So that's the next task, more to follow on the Adventures of Surprise.