Evanston: ‘incomplete’; small
Evanston: ‘incomplete’; small
The first sight in three weeks of GANNET sitting neatly at the dock yesterday brought a smile to my face. She is such a simple and pure little boat
Once aboard, her cabin was stocked for the mini-cruise that never was.
I removed the batteries without difficulty and loaded them and the never yet inflated Avon RedStart dinghy and a waterproof computer case with my old MacBook Air that I intended to use as a chartplotter and my iTouch and a few other items into the dock cart.
Only when I reached the inclined ramp to the shore did I realize that I was pushing my own body weight uphill. If ants can lift much more, so can an old one-eyed man.
Thoughts of unbending sails were ended by rain, so we drove home.
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I have been trying to evaluate where I stand with GANNET, but I’m not sure. The mini-cruise is like a missed mid-term examination. Three or four days and a couple of hundred miles would have taught me a lot and enabled me to have a clearer idea of my progress.
The plan to go sailing in September was a good one; but we know what the Scottish poet says of plans, and Ecclesiastes of time and chance.
I don’t think I failed the course; but I don’t know if GANNET will be ready to go to a coast at the end of next summer; and so I have to take an ‘incomplete.’
Over the winter I expect to have some new sails made; and next year I will paint her exterior and install solar panels, a chartplotter, and possibly new genoa tracks and a few other items. I did everything I planned to on the little boat this year--except sail her.
I’ve been thinking back and don’t recall that I sailed CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE much before taking that first leap into the unknown and setting out for the Marquesas.
The season here is, of course, short.
Hopefully next summer I’ll sail earlier and much, much more.
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When the new RedStart came I was displeased that Zodiac had replaced the old drawstring bag with a more complicated folding pack. However, once I figured out the new pack, I find it superior. The dinghy is easier to fit inside, and once secure, as shown in the top photo, the pack is flatter and has several handles for easier carrying and maneuvering. Hopefully that will still be true even after the dinghy has finally been in the water.
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Manufacturers come out with new models every year. Last year’s S95 did not tempt me; but this year’s S100 does, extending the zoom at both ends to 24-120 mm, improving on already excellent image quality, and adding GPS tagging, which I don’t really need, but might find interesting after passages; so I’ve pre-ordered one.
My initial thought was that I would sell the S90; but I am beginning to think that I might keep it as a back up and sell the D90 instead. There will be a few shots I’ll miss, but not many; and the trade-off of less in my backpack on flights to and from NZ and less to store and try to keep dry on GANNET is compelling.
For inquiring minds, I took the above photo with my third camera, a waterproof Pentax W60, intended to get dramatic shots on deck in heavy weather. The last time I tried was during the gale on the final day of the fifth circumnavigation. The images did not capture the reality.
Monday, September 26, 2011