Yasmine Ann

It has been a week today since we took possession of our catamaran.  We spent the first 4 days at the city marina at Fort Lauderdale.  Lots of cleaning and finding places for our stuff.  Seems to be plenty of storage, for now!!!

On Tuesday, we set sail for Marathon to meet up with Pat and Walt from Waves of Grace.  This is their third winter here and I can see why  We arrived on Wednesday and Pat had made us a welcome dinner.  Both Pat and Walt have gone out of their way to show us the town and things to do here.  We love it and look forward to getting Yasmine Ann into tip top shape while enjoying the beautiful weather and great company.      

         Fort Lauderdale strip along the beach.

                                       Local wildlife

               Leaving Fort Lauderdale

         Our fist sunrise at anchor in Rodriquez Key.

 Wake during 8+ knot sailing.  Wind was blowing 25-30 on a beam reach down Hawk Channel.

       Now that is a Happy Admiral

 My GPS to use when working below.  8.1 knots in this picture.  Max that day was 8.8.  Yumsuch would be doing the same, but the next picture tells the difference.

     Notice the bottle of water sitting still on the table.

       Now that is an office with a view.

      Waves of Grace right next door.

Sold and Bought

Mixed feelings.  We were shocked to have an inquiry, from the last blog posting, within 2 hours of publishing.  That was on a Monday and by that Wednesday we had the deposit in hand for Yumsuch.

A great guy from Baltimore, who works for a company that is involved in electric automobile engines, is the new owner of Yumsuch.  He purchased her for the electric propulsion.  He wanted a completed live aboard size vessel, that also was electric.  Yumsuch fit the bill perfectly.  She passed her survey with flying colors and splashes on the 5th.  We plan to spend a couple of days with him to show the systems and bring her for a sail.  In the spring, he plans to bring her to his home near Annapolis, so we hope to be able to see her there every year.  He plans to work with his engineers to fine tune the propulsion system and the batteries to see what they can accomplish.  We look forward to seeing the changes over the years.  She has been a great boat for us and will be missed.

Selling Yumsuch so quickly allowed us to look at a higher price range.  We had already decided on a Lagoon catamaran due to the vertical windows in the salon.  It answered our needs to have visibility all day while I worked.  Most other cats require sun shades on their angled windows.  So we went back to one of the original boats we viewed, a 2003 Lagoon 410 S2.  It is an owners version, so the starboard hull has a queen bed and a three piece head, vanity and shower area.  There is also a desk, with shelves, for all of my work stuff (another priority).

We had our survey and sea trial yesterday and approved it for purchase, so we will close right after we finish with Yumsuch next week.  We have already made plans to hook up with Pat and Walt in Marathon in the next couple of weeks.  Yasmine Ann (new boat name), sails well.  The polars show she is about the best sailing cat that Lagoon has ever made, so we look forward to tweaking everything to get the best she can provide.

More pictures will follow.  Not sure what we will do with blog name or make a new one.    

Sea trial with captain and surveyor.  You can see one of 3 - 120 solar panels on the hardtop.  

1990 Nonsuch 33 by Hinterhoeller with carbon rig and electric propulsion

This boat is ready for cruising!  We have been living aboard for the past year and half and have sailed nearly 5000 miles.  She is completely refit and loaded with everything you need to go cruising in comfort.  The newest addition is a brand new, custom designed and built composite mast and wishbone boom from Composite Engineering in Massachusetts.  She was just delivered in June and we have sailed extensively in the Mid- Atlantic and down to the Southeast.  Nonsuch's are fast, stable and yes, they can point as high as any other sloop rigged boat.  Her long waterline of 31.5', provides a 7.4 knot hull speed, and we have surfed up to 11 knots with her.  A dream to sail with her fin keel and newly balanced rudder.  

We have owned her 10 years and have replaced nearly every mechanical and electrical components.  She is powered by a Lynch 13KW, 72VDC electric motor and is capable of speeds up to 7 knots.  Quiet running with all the tremendous torque from 1 RPM and up.  Recharge your batteries while sailing, through regeneration, and have all the power you need to motor back to your slip or mooring.  Have to motor a long distance?  Fire up the Honda 2K generator and run like a hybrid.  We enjoyed a 2400 mile sail out the St. Lawrence, from Lake Ontario to Boston, and only burned 5 gallons of gas in the generator.

Upgrades and improvements include:

Full cockpit enclosure    

Nexus wireless wind with speed depth and server for custom programming (2010)

Simrad DD15 below decks autopilot with AP 24 interface and heavy duty drive computer (2011)

Three 10 lb propane tanks

Rail mount Magma Catalina grill attached to propane. 

2 Kyocera 85 Watt solar panels with Blue Sky MPPT controller (2008)

Superwind wind generator with discrete controller (2010)

7" Standard Horizon Chart Plotter (2011)

All new running rigging (2010-2012)

New Spade 44 lb anchor with 35 lb CQR.  Both mounted in bow roller (Spade 2012)

Custom Hood stainless steel ports with shades (2005)

All teak swim platform

All exterior teak is finished with Interlux Schooner varnish (2 new coats added every 8 months)

Brand new stainless steel stove and oven by Dickinson (2011)

Custom copper countertops with custom copper sink (2009)

Built in Engel freezer on pull out drawer (2009)

7 cubic ft of refrigeration with high efficiency, Isotherm, 2 stage compressor system. (2009)

400 Amp hour AGM house bank by Lifeline (2010)

225 Amp hour AGM engine bank by Energy One. (2008)

New teak and holly cabin sole (2009)

All new leather upholstery with spare set (2010)

Custom Tempurpedic mattress for master stateroom. (2007)

Led lighting used all through interior and exterior (2009)

Raritan Elegance full size vacu-flush head (2009)

Precision Temp stainless steeI instant hot water heater (2009)

Propane fireplace that heats the whole boat. (2009)

Click for Original Brochure for Nonsuch 33:

http://ina.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/ns33insert.pdf

Some additional features from the standard Nonsuch 33 are:

Old 48 gallon fuel tank was used as a male mold to create and additional water tank.  Vessel now carries 150 gallons of water.

Maxwell Electric Halyard Winch

Maxwell Anchor Windlass

Caribbean style bimini, with a soft dodger, allows for full head height entrance to companionway and a clear view to top of mast from the control lines.  Also there is a clear window above helm for sail trim.  All canvas was done in 2004, but has been maintained and repaired professionally.  Until 2011, she was kept in Lake Ontario and stored in a barn during the winter months.

Haarstick mainsail that was original built in 2002.  With the new mast, she has a new luff and has been recut for stiffer mast.  Haarstick has maintained and inspected this sail yearly and says there are several more years left in it.  With the new rig and cut, we have are able to point as high as 30 apparent in flat water.  We have always seen 40 apparent in all conditions.

Custom cockpit cushions with lounging pillows. (2011)

Dinghy davits that can support up to 300 pounds. 

Total of 5 charging systems:

·         Original Heart 50amp charger/1000 Watt Inverter with interface.

·         Blue Sky solar charger with LED readout

·         Superwind charger and load resistors

·         Zivan High Frequency 72VDC, 30 amp charger for engine bank

·         Quick Charge 72VDC, 10Amp battery charger for engine bank

·         Lynch motor controller that allows the engine bank to be charged while sailing.

All through hulls and sea cocks have been replaced with Bronze or stainless steel

2008 bottom was stripped and barrier coated with 4 coats and Micron CSC was applied.  She is currently on the hard in St. Augustine, but will have her bottom repainted for launch after the holidays.

As you read through the list, it does not say enough about what has been done to this boat.  She was purchased in 2001 with the intention of keeping her for the rest of our lives.  So while she was wintering, in an insulated barn, we have done everything we could to ensure she was fit for that lifetime.  We also wanted to make sure we had all of the creature comforts of home while cruising.  She truly is a remarkable example of a 33 Nonsuch and has been an exceptional boat for us.  Living aboard full time, and still working, has driven us to find a vessel with more personal space.   We never wanted for more storage space on Yumsuch, but needing an office has become the driving force to sell her.  Including the new mast, she has had over $120,000 in upgrades over the past 11 years.  There is absolutely no work needed to go cruising! 

Feel free to email with any questions or for more pictures.

Update

We wanted to let everyone know where we are.  The boat was hauled on Monday in St. Augustine, FL.  This was after 8 days in Fernandina Beach waiting for Sandy to officially leave.    Besides some barnacles on the metal, no problems seen.  We have hauled for the bottom paint to be updated, drop the pitch back one notch on the prop, and take care of properly preparing and painting the underwater metals for the saltwater.  

Since we don't plan to go back to the boat until after the holidays, we will leave it ashore until after Christmas.  Then we plan to head to the Keys for the rest of winter.

We will be putting Yumsuch on the internet marketplace while we cruise.  Pass the word to anyone you know.

    

 Another beautiful sunset on at one of our many anchorages we visited on the way down through Georgia.  I believe we are anchored at Lanier Island near Brunswick, GA 
 Submarine base near Cumberland Island, GA.    

 Cumberland Island Anchorage.  This was two days before Sandy.

 Saw our first air boat right after we crossed over into FL.

Ever vigilant Yammy finally caught a dolphin jumping.  This was at our dock at St. Augustine.

For Sale!

Yes, I am serious.  It has been a tough decision, but we are selling to go to a bigger boat.  All of our research and work on Yumsuch does not make up for the fact she is just a little too small.  I think it is more due to the fact I still have to work and am down in the cabin 5 days a week with all of my stuff strewn all over the salon table.

Also, when you use her for weekends and a few weeks out of the summer, you spend most of your time in the cockpit.  The large cockpit, storage and our over sized enclosure is why we bought this boat.  Once you live aboard, you find a lot of your time is spent below.  We still have plenty of storage and all of my mods have her equipped with every creature comfort.  We do not regret buying this boat.  She was perfect for the past 11 years and was the right size to be economical when using her on only weekends..

But, the decision is made.  We are meeting with a broker in St. Augustine next week, but if anyone knows a person interested, it will be cheaper without a broker in the middle.  Asking price is $125K right now.

Just to answer everyone's critique of no diesel.  The broker says that he gets a lot of calls with people looking for an electric boat.  That it is only $15K to stick a diesel back in and the new carbon rig far outweighs the lack of the diesel.  He said a real sailor is who will buy the boat.

Have a buyer?  Email or call. We'll keep yo updated with our new boat search.


      

Georgia

Yes, after almost a year, we are out of the Carolina's.  We are in Savannah Georgia.  We had 3 beautiful anchorages and a one night stop at Hilton Head before arriving on Saturday.  Some very nice sailing on  the ICW along the way.  Ever sail at 9 knots with only 6.5' of water under the boat?  More white knuckle sailing for the ICW rookies.  Sunday we rented a car and toured Tybee Island and the downtown waterfront of Savannah.

We actually rented a Toyota Prius.  When they offered a hybrid, I had to try it.  All day of driving around and 1.6 gallons of gas.  Figured I would test out the hybrid idea for Yumsuch.  We warned the guy that he may get a car back with no batteries.    

Just got back from a nice visit and dinner with Pat and Walt.  Plan to spend some time with them in Marathon this winter.  They are not rookies.  

      First night's anchorage after leaving Charleston.

        We toured Tybee Island Lighthouse and the fort.

                View from the top of the lighthouse.

Charleston, SC

We are off the boat again after a week of cruising.  We explored Georgetown for 2 days and then had a great offshore sail to Charleston.  The trip to Charleston brought 20-30 knot tail winds.  We were at 7-8 knots all day with surfing speeds up to 11 knots.  We were so fast we actually caught up to and passed two pods of dolphins.  We also almost ran over two large loggerhead turtles either mating or fighting on the surface.  Whatever they were doing, they didn't care that we almost ran them over.  Weird.

We spent three days anchored in a creak near Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island.  Kayaking and enjoying an anchorage so quiet we felt we should whisper.  Gorgeous and, after 2 weeks of boat repairs/maintenance,  restful.  All the new systems are working great!

The boat is at St. John's Yacht Harbor just outside of Charleston.  I had to travel to the Midwest and will meet Yammy at the Annapolis Boat Show.  We did get a chance to tour Charleston and some of its surrounding features.  Even went to the Taste of Charleston at the Boone Hall Plantation.  They had around 30 restaurants represented there.

After the boat show, we plan to keep heading south.

          Typical Anchorage.  Inlet Creek with swamp weeds all around.

         Miles of flat beach during low tide at Isle of Palms

        Palmetto Fountain at the waterfront in Charleston.

Pelican statue made from the garbage collected in one day of beach cleanup.

Angel Oak Tree in St. Johns, SC.  Believed to be up to 1500 years old.

          Manitowoc Harbor.  View form my hotel in WI.

Submarine you can tour at Manitowoc harbor.  USS Cobia from WWII.  

         

Almost Ready

We have been back in Myrtle Beach, at Osprey, for the past 2 weeks.  Here I thought we would not be coming back until spring.  But, Osprey is one of the best places to be if a hurricane comes up.  We have been watching the tropical updates daily and, so far, the jet stream and upper level winds are keeping them out to sea.  If all looks good this weekend, we plan to start heading a little further south.

Here we left the boat due to rain and we come back to our condo with a flooded bedroom.  The water heater upstairs was leaking and no one noticed.  With the amount of mold, we figure it must have started right after we left.  The new plastic ceiling stopped any structural damage, but it funneled the water right down our bedroom wall on to our bed.  Our Tempurpedic mattress probably soaked up a 100 gallons of water.  There was a small stream running down the wall and not a drop on the floor.  It also ruined our Kincaid painting and some clothes (mold).  Working with insurance.  I guess it is pretty common here, so they plan to replace everything they can and reimburse what they can't.  We had one of the water restoration places remove everything and clean up the mold.  

We have done a lot of maintenance to the boat including re-bedding all of the ports, new 72VDC battery monitor,  installed the repaired/upgraded controller and throttle for the electric engine, replaced the guts of the electric engine, and repaired our rusty grill.  That along with polishing, waxing and teak maintenance.  We want to make sure we are ready for our time in FL this winter.  All kinds of things didn't like sitting around for 7 months over the winter.

I know everyone will ask, the armature of the motor was worn due to heavy use.  It is only a $400 part, so think of it as a water pump or 3 trips to the fuel dock (sailboats).  Reducing the pitch, of my over sized prop, and keeping it barnacle free will provide a longer life.    Working with Lynch Motor has been a dream and we are so happy with the performance of our new controller.

Looking forward to hitting the water again.  We will be driving to the Annapolis Show.  If anyone is interested in buying solar panels or a wind generator, let me know.

 First sunset in a month.  I guess it rained nearly as much in Myrtle Beach.  20 days in August.

While anchored in Mile Hammock Bay, we got to watch a helicopter practice picking up and dropping off what looks like an I-beam.  Interesting during the day, but they came back and practiced for another hour at 10:00pm.

You have heard the term, "once in a blue moon".  This was August's blue mean.  Every three years, we get two full moons in the same month.  It is not blue, but you get the idea.  

I want that job.  Locals beach (at low tide) near the Wrightsville Beach bridge.  

Rain, Rain and Oh, Did I Mention Rain?

Seriously.  Two people from Syracuse, NY and we are complaining about too much rain.  I have heard of the citrus state, the sunshine state, the show me state and the apple state.  We are going to name North Carolina the rain state.  We have not had a 24 hour period, without rain, since we first arrived at Oriental, NC.  I know we were gone for 3 weeks, but even then, I was checking forecasts there and it showed rain everyday.  In NY, when you had a 10% chance of rain, that meant, you probably would not see any.  Here, it means 1 hour of rain. 50% means 5 hours of rain.  Seems to fit.  Everyday they predict at least 10% chance of rain and we get at least an hours worth. I know, whine and moan, whine and moan.  One positive note is that it is a warm rain.

We went to Ocracoke and spent 8 days there.  Mainly because we never had more than a few hours of dry weather to see anything until our last Saturday.  It was a great sail and as we approached the channel, we were "cranking" at 5 knots when a huge pod of dolphins came up and swam in our bow wave.  Being on autopilot, I was able to see them up close this time.  They are big!  I was so excited, I forgot the camera.  Seeing dolphins and turtles never gets old.  The anchorage was large and great holding with easy shore access.  It is a touristy town, but on the back roads you can find some unique shops and eateries.  I think we would come back here again.  For the record, our favorite restaurant was Howard's Pub.  Great raw oysters, clams, steak and beer selections.

Friday night, at Ocracoke, we had the worst thunderstorms either of us could remember.  So much lightning, wind and rain.  Our trusty anchor held us tight, but some of the local boats dragged.  Our phones started beeping with a tornado warning and when the power went out in town, all the tourists flocked to the Anchorage Hotel for shelter.  We were told a tornado hit Portsmouth Island about 5 miles away.  Not sure if that is true, but the locals liked the story.  They also liked telling everyone that they do not have basements on a barrier island.  I guess that is what everyone was looking for during the storm.  There was so much rain, Yambo would have sank if I didn't pump her out before we went to bed.  Water was lapping over the transom.      

We left Sunday, and with the wind out of the NE, we decided to head towards New Bern instead of Roanoke Island.  After sailing through several thunderstorms, we ended up back at River Dunes for the night.  This is where we gave up.  We called Miles, at Osprey Marina in Myrtle Beach and he said they have had rain, but only a couple days a week.  With Isaac heading to the gulf, we decided to start heading south a month early.  We'll tie up there for a few weeks and do some boat projects before proceeding further down.

Next summer, we just need to get further north.  The NC locals say that it has rained more than normal, but expect 3-4 days per week of some rain during July and August.  Wow, the grass is not always greener, except where it rains a lot.

Stacks at the entrance to the channel that goes to Ocracoke and the inlet.  Still there from Lehigh dredge that sank in the 1930's.  The channel changes so often that until the late 70's it was on the other side of the Lehigh.  

Required when tacking into a 30 knot thunderstorm down Bogue Sound on the ICW.  The south side shoals so quickly you see the locals using as a beach at low tide.  Storm changed the wind direction from a nice southerly to a westerly and beat at us for an hour.  When the wind stopped, we pulled into Spooners Creek Marina.  Nice stop with an easy mile walk to a mall and Walmart.

This 60' speedster would be my preferred weapon of choice for that storm.  Easier to walk.  Especially with the light wallet.  
          

    

We're Back!

It has been a busy month of travelling for business and seeing family.  Many good times and laughs along with beating miles.  5400 miles in the past month.

We leave tomorrow morning for a 28 mile sail to Ocracoke.  Everyone says we must go and we are looking forward to our trip.

In the spring, we bought a new Spade anchor and have enjoyed a better nights sleep when on the hook.  This anchor grabs so hard it will make you lose footing on the foredeck.  After the 3 days at Cape Lookout, where the wind never dipped below 15 knots, the mud was 6' up the chain.  That means the anchor went 7' under the bottom.  The CQR never does this, it just lays on one side and "plows" until it grabs.  The salesman said. " do you dig a hole with a spade our a plow?"  Good point.

We have anchored in sand, hard mud and silty mud (Hammock Bay).  It always sets instantly and never slips.  I would recommend it.  If anyone wants to get one, just let me know and maybe you can get a better deal through the guy I purchased from.

The curved shank makes it pop right out when you get on top of it.  

              

Full Circle

We spent the last week cruising from Morehead to Cape Lookout and up to Oriental, NC.  We are docked at River Dunes Marina for the next month.  We will be travelling for two weeks of business and then plan to use this as a home base for day sailing and maintenance for the rest of the month.  The pool and exercise facility makes that an attractive option.

To get here, we had to pass the spot on the Neuse River where our old mast said Bye Bye.  We were running before a gusty 20-30 knot wind, and I swear, just about at the point we were last time, a wave came and spanked us on our starboard quarter, splashing into the cockpit.  I think the river wanted us to know it was still in charge.  Our circle is complete.  Let the new journey begin.

We said goodbye to Dick and Lynn, one more time, from Morehead City.  That night a bartender solidified our decision and went to Cape Lookout for the next two nights.  Absolutely stunning.  Empty, powder soft beaches full of whole shells, huge turtles swimming around all day and a great tour of the Cape Lookout museum.

Funny, on our way out, we saw a bout a 5 foot shark swimming in the wave crest.  I knew I had the right size boat (JAWS), but it makes you think before you jump in to swim.  I told Yammy that the predator fish feed in the morning and evening, so only swim during the day.  Sure enough, on our last night, I was getting ready to hoist the dinghy and a baby shark (2-3') is circling underneath.  Yammy thought it was cute.  I just made sure I didn't fall in.  You know there were more.  

We also got to sail close hauled into 4-6' waves and 20-25 knot winds on our short 7 mile sail back to Beaufort inlet.  Full main and stiff as a rock.  Love this new mast.  Best sailing we have ever experienced with less jerky motion and, as stated before, no boom banging.

Those elusive sea turtles.  When coming in to anchor, I kept having Yammy steer around what I thought were rock piles or coral heads.  They were sea turtles.  Some of them are enormous.  If you look close, you can see the head sticking up.  This was not easy to get and does not justify what we saw.

 Yumsuch on the hook.  If you haven't seen it before, the orange and white thing is my anchor sail.  It keeps the bow pointed into the wind.

                      Shell collectors paradise.

 Never felt so secure.  We had a Coast Guard Cutter anchored behind us and their helicopter flying over several times a day.  Semper Paratus!

Just Cruising

Another week has passed and we are sitting in Morehead City at Portside Marina.  Dick and Lynn just left this morning on Ladyhawke.  We keep running into them.  They passed us on our way from Wrightsville Beach and we anchored next to them in Mile Hammock Bay.  Fellow ICW cruisers know all of these names.

Everything is working well.  We have had some great sailing on the ICW.  They are predicting thunderstorms everyday, so instead of doing the 65 mile offshore sail to Morehead, we went the inside route.  We have been pleasantly surprised on how good the sailing is in this narrow part of the ICW.  One thing for sure is that it isn't boring.  Some of our highlights:

- Dolphins seen everyday
- A large Loggerhead turtle that was camera shy.  He reminded us of the seals up north.
- Great provisioning at Harris Teeter, Wrightesville Beach.  
- Best seafood pizza in Swansboro.  Fresh shrimp and crab with a garlic and basil base.
- Excellent shrimp and crab from the market at Carolina Beach
- The call of the osprey seen on many marker posts.
- Unusual and beautiful homes along the way.
- Kayaking in the salt marshes alive with wildlife.

             They swam right through our mooring field.

                                     Really?

                  Momma and nearly grown baby.

   They kept saying something about getting the redhead.  We barely escaped with our lives.

                   Bringing in our shrimp dinner.

           We could hear the turbines wind up just over the tree line.

NOAA just said they can definitely say there are no mermaids.  I see one right here.  Proves once again that the feds don't know anything.