Trailer Sailor Feature Articles
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Mead Madness 2000 - part 2
Posted By: Gary "Doc" Hansen
Date: 5/12/00 4:16p.m.
Mead Madness 2000 - part 2by [gary]I come up with this idea from the "string line" that is in the back of the Isthmus on Catalina Island. What I'll do is pound in two "beach stakes"... one on each side of the cove... and run a line across the cove to "catch them" as they enter. Then, they can attach the line "bow and stern" and face to the wind. Otherwise they will have to go and seek out another cove, and it will be almost dark when they get here. Not something they will want to hear... the string line is our only shot... as I'm hammering in the last stake the radio comes alive again. They are south of us by a mile or two, and heading in now, should be here in just a few minutes... do we have anchorage for them???... OVER. Affirmative Finally, we have a great spot WITH A VIEW just for you, OVER. As they enter the cove... they realize they will be "snagged" with a line pulled from shore to shore... They look a little TENSE... but I don't notice any SWEAT coming from Capt'n Scott's brow. Just as planned he pulls up to the string... and the boat is tied bow and stern securely to both shores. A CHEER GOES UP, and the boats are now together in the cove. We hear from Finally that during our "construction period" they heard that Endless Summer and the 26X with Barry were getting a beating with waves coming over the 26. Endless Summer, being a Cal 21 and much lower to the water... thought that it would be best to retreat back to Calville, rather than risking a crossing of the Virgin Basin in those conditions. They made the right call, as once in the canyon... you have no option other than at each end. We do pick up some garble on the radio, but that is the last we will be hearing from them for a while. We all just hope that they make it back safely. Mead is dangerous at times, and one should NEVER take a risk with her. When one looks on the NOAA chart, your boat TO SCALE is about the size of a period at the end of this sentence, and YOU are standing on that period. She is HUGE, and can blow you away... smashing YOU... and your BOAT into little pieces upon her GIANT ROCKS. Mead DOES RULE... Enough said.
"For Lake Mead...Winds, tonight ...NORTH 15 to 25 with gusts to 40... " I feel the hair on my neck start to rise... we are on a dock that will be exposed to North winds, and the thought of it blowing us FLAT on this dock in 40 knot winds with no escape... isn't a good way to wake up. We call a huddle with all the skippers, locals, and Pat... we decide that it would be "prudent seamanship" to just go around the dock area, and pick up some empty slips tonight. This will give us not only protection, but also a way out in the morning, should the LIAR be actually telling the truth for once. The engines are pulled awake, and we circle the marina to our slips for the evening. Now, we are safe... and after a few more "rounds" we go off to sleep. I leave my halyards set up to CLANG should the wind pick up to 20, and next thing I know it's morning. "HAPPY ANNIVERSARY HONEY"... we wake to Saturday morning and our 11th anniversary. We decide to celebrate with a nice breakfast from the restaurant. We must try again to call Eric and Amy, as they couldn't be reached the night before except on the machine. They do answer, and we get the scoop... the Cal is being replaced by a new boat... at this point we know not what... but they are EAGERLY on the hunt. We tell them we are glad they are safe, and EXCITED FOR THEM and wish them luck hunting. I feel relieved that there are no problems, or injuries so far... and we have our breakfast while watching the flags on the staff snapping in the building wind. Down at the docks the crowd is building too... some are up to see us off, others are up to see IF WE LEAVE... the LIAR's report doesn't change, and it's the 40's that he keeps talking about that has me worried. I don't want to take anybody off a nice secure slip, and out into Mead if she's going to blow 40. Madness is not to be taken that "literally" here. We have the morning huddle and it's decided that we GO, and the sooner the better... before she has time to get nasty in "The Islands" that we have to get thru. Once clear of them we should just ROAR down to the Temple Bar Arm, and past some "unusual" rock formations to a cove that I have used for years. The run will be 20 something miles and the only stop along the way is to show "Just Right" Cathedral Cove... a beautiful cove just past "The Islands". The 100 percent is flying off the bow and the SURF MUSIC is playing on the CD down below... as we sail with Just Right throughout the day. Finally, about an hour behind us... shows up only as a spec on the horizon. We are not getting slammed with the 40's, but rather some on-off breezes that seem like they can't decide what to do. We don't seem to care, and just take all the downwind runs that she's dishing out. Before long we are heading to Temple Bar Marina.
J-Bay is a really nice place. It is also REALLY HARD TO FIND if you don't know where it is, or haven't been there before. You actually go into a "box canyon" that looks like it just ends... but instead... it opens up to starboard and becomes a cove like the letter "J". We motor in and pick up a beach at the back, with Just Right behind us. Justin is getting this beaching down, and we tie up the boats using MAR~GAR~ERA's "basement inventory" that he calls it. Yep, we do carry a lot of stuff. Finally takes some time in showing up, and Justin goes into his boat and comes out with an inflatable kayak. Ahhhh, Justin has some surprises down in the hold himself. He and Edith climb into the kayak and paddle out into the basin where they find Finally hunting for the entrance. Linking up, they guide Finally into J-Bay where they drop anchor in the middle of this beautiful cove. Soon, Ellie and "Hell-on Wheels" their little boat dog are rowing the dingy to shore for Hellon to go on PATROL. Hellon was a great little dog on this trip, and I haven't mentioned her till now, as she was keeping a low profile until J-Bay. Now with the addition of the dingy, she would be coming ashore to be sure that the coyotes that cruise the area stay clear... knowing that Hell-on Wheels... is near. We spend our time in "J" hiking the low mountains using the donkey trails. The views are great, and the hiking keeps the ole body tuned up from all that "boat butt" that you get from hours at the helm. We set up the beach with the BBQ and all the party seats and the STAINLESS STEEL TIKI TORCHES that we have along for this trip. They are a real bonus and we love them. Torches light up the beach at night, and give our site the "party look". So much in fact... that every night there is a PARTY... The wind has been picking up outside, and we are at the extreme end of our planned distance. From now on we will be beating into the wind to get back thru the crack. We decide that ole "J-Bay" isn't a bad spot... and burn a second day enjoying it together...Because Monday, Just Right and MAR~GAR~ETA will take the predicted light breezes and make a run for the narrows, and thru to the Boulder Basin where we will spend our last anchorage.
We go thru the narrows with out a hitch... OPPS... THAT'S NOT TRUE.... DOC RAN OUT OF GAS... AND JUSTIN SAVED HIS... (What rhymes with gas????) ~<);^)= Yes, I should have filled that extra can at Echo Bay, but having a new motor on this trip, I didn't know my range under power. I'll tell ya, I KNOW NOW. I'm going to figure my rate at 10 MPG in the future and it won't happen again... I promise. I had notified Justin on the radio that we were running really low, and that I probably wouldn't make Calville. He responded that he had plenty, and would pass me some if I ran out. It was nice that he was behind me, and carrying extra fuel. I went to full sail in the narrows when I got down to the last few cups. I was saving that for an emergency, but along comes Just Right and we re-fueled under way with only a little sloshing on my shoes. When you run out of gas you deserve...a Stinky gas foot to remind you "E" doesn't mean... ENOUGH. Once in Calville we checked out the bar, got some ice, and Doc fills up with fuel. We have the charts out and plan to make a last nights stop in Hidden Cove. We pull off the docks in the late afternoon under power, as the wind has blown itself out today. Hidden Cove is a pretty spot, with flocks of migrating birds swooping over our heads. We have some dinner and some nice wine... watching the sunset from our Hidden Cove. We are planning on leaving for the ramp in the early morning, in hopes to avoid taking down the rig in the heat... but it's that "quiet last night sound" that puts us to sleep in Hidden Cove.
Soon Just Right is at the ramps and we are all in the take down mode. The trip has been a great success with all the boats in attendance having "one hull of a time". Even the boats that missed the trip... have exciting things happening because of it. When the rig is down and the tie downs are secure, Eric bids us good-bye and Mary and I head for the BIGGEST showers on the planet... at Calville Marina. We both take long showers and freshen up for the 6-hour drive home. When we come out we find Just Right is de-rigged and ready to roll as well. We say our good-byes to Justin and Edith who have been with us every step of the way. Just Right has done a GREAT JOB... and is the sweetheart of the trip. Edith would always amaze us with the GOURMET meals that she would produce each night from Just Rights galley. When it was time to "get it on" on the windy days... Just Right was right out in front of the pack. Justin truly did a fine job on that little boat, and we hope to be cruising with Just Right, and Justin and Edith on many, many more cruises. Fine job guys.
Just Remember... Mead Madness strikes AT LEAST once a year... until YOU go... YOU haven't been there! Enjoy your Madness Memories Till we meet again [docsig] |
