Larry Wilson's Posts - SeaKnots2024-03-28T09:20:44ZLarry Wilsonhttps://seaknots.ning.com/profile/LarryWilsonhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2518404163?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://seaknots.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=1kut6nmxl857t&xn_auth=noSailing Seasontag:seaknots.ning.com,2013-03-23:900123:BlogPost:2026662013-03-23T21:11:56.000ZLarry Wilsonhttps://seaknots.ning.com/profile/LarryWilson
<p>Well, except for the forecast snow Monday, sailing season is pretty much here!! in the Middle Chesapeake. My sails are furled, ready to unfurl and hoist!!!!</p>
<p>Work continues on Mirage, a Columbia 8.7. Bulkheads cut and ready to install, soft decks under reconstruction. Hull ready to receive new paint. Engine rebuilt, new prop shaft. Might even splash her this year. (fingers crossed.</p>
<p>See you on the water!!!!!</p>
<p>Well, except for the forecast snow Monday, sailing season is pretty much here!! in the Middle Chesapeake. My sails are furled, ready to unfurl and hoist!!!!</p>
<p>Work continues on Mirage, a Columbia 8.7. Bulkheads cut and ready to install, soft decks under reconstruction. Hull ready to receive new paint. Engine rebuilt, new prop shaft. Might even splash her this year. (fingers crossed.</p>
<p>See you on the water!!!!!</p>You knew it couldn't last!!tag:seaknots.ning.com,2012-04-24:900123:BlogPost:1890352012-04-24T22:30:00.000ZLarry Wilsonhttps://seaknots.ning.com/profile/LarryWilson
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2539809270?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2539809270?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></img></a> Yeah, I did it. I took some of the cash from the sale of the Sabre, and bought another boat. A Columbia 8.7. Almost the same exact boat that I sail now. Just two years younger. The owner died, his son didn't have the wherewithal to maintain it. The sails blew off into the Poquoson River, and the boat broke free of her dock lines. She ended up across the creek, partially lying…</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2539809270?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2539809270?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a>Yeah, I did it. I took some of the cash from the sale of the Sabre, and bought another boat. A Columbia 8.7. Almost the same exact boat that I sail now. Just two years younger. The owner died, his son didn't have the wherewithal to maintain it. The sails blew off into the Poquoson River, and the boat broke free of her dock lines. She ended up across the creek, partially lying on her side. No major damage, just some gel coat scrapes.</p>
<p>So why another one just like the other one? Well, as I said, two years younger. A roller furling headstay. A teak and holly sole, a working head with holding tank, and a headliner and cushions. Also, with luck, a working Yanmar diesel. I'm working on the engine now to determine the condition.</p>
<p>The plan is to clean and repair, and transfer my gear to the newer boat. I'm hoping I'll find a new owner for my older model, which is in surprisingly good condition for being 35 years old. It's actually in better condition than most 20 year old boats. </p>
<p>Since I sold the Sabre, and junked the Columbia 8.3, I was feeling like I needed a project. Well, I have one.</p>One more boat has left the fleet!!tag:seaknots.ning.com,2012-04-14:900123:BlogPost:1886232012-04-14T13:29:12.000ZLarry Wilsonhttps://seaknots.ning.com/profile/LarryWilson
<p> I've been working on my Columbia Sabre for the past six weeks, making her nice for her new owner. Most of the work was interior cabinetry and cosmetic. I had to replace bunks, cabinet faces, counter tops, and I painted all of the wood work save two bulkheads and trim, bright white. It really perked up the interior.</p>
<p>While I was at it, I built a new sliding hatch, new lazerette…</p>
<p> I've been working on my Columbia Sabre for the past six weeks, making her nice for her new owner. Most of the work was interior cabinetry and cosmetic. I had to replace bunks, cabinet faces, counter tops, and I painted all of the wood work save two bulkheads and trim, bright white. It really perked up the interior.</p>
<p>While I was at it, I built a new sliding hatch, new lazerette <a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2539806134?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2539806134?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a>covers with inlays, and a new aft hatch cover.</p>
<p>We hooked the trailer up to the pickup, and drove from Richmond,Va to Warwick, RI on Monday. If you've never towed a 33 foot, 6500 lb boat thru the Bronx, it's not something you want to do unless you have a sense of adventure. We missed a ramp for the George Washington Bridge and had to drive thru residential streets that were never intended for large boats.</p>
<p>We made it to Warwick without any major issues after driving for 14 hours. Delivered the boat to the marina, waited while the marina crew offloaded it and blocked it. I had a couple of last minute jobs to take care of, like re-attaching the forward hatch, which had blown off in transit. Always remember to latch the hatches....lol.</p>
<p>Drove all day Tuesday and arrived back in Richmond before Midnite. All good, happy new owner, happy previous owner, though I will miss her. Wild Swan is the long, skinny boat on the left in the photo.</p>EarthNC google earth chart overlaytag:seaknots.ning.com,2011-02-04:900123:BlogPost:1566182011-02-04T02:58:00.000ZLarry Wilsonhttps://seaknots.ning.com/profile/LarryWilson
<p>If this is widespread knowledge, let me know and I'll delete it.</p>
<p>A great application for planning.</p>
<p><a href="http://earthnc.com/chartviewer/">http://earthnc.com/chartviewer/</a></p>
<p>If this is widespread knowledge, let me know and I'll delete it.</p>
<p>A great application for planning.</p>
<p><a href="http://earthnc.com/chartviewer/">http://earthnc.com/chartviewer/</a></p>Rebuilding a 1979 Columbia 8.3 sailboat/August 3tag:seaknots.ning.com,2010-09-03:900123:BlogPost:1411922010-09-03T22:36:11.000ZLarry Wilsonhttps://seaknots.ning.com/profile/LarryWilson
Since I had to be in Deltaville anyway, to secure my Columbia 8.7 for Hurricane Earl, I decided to take a couple of hours to take some measurements, and shovel out some trash, mostly delaminated plywood.About a 30 gallon trash bag full. Also managed to remove a short wall enclosing the head/shower. Earl, by the way, passed us by with no issues. <br/>
Since I had to be in Deltaville anyway, to secure my Columbia 8.7 for Hurricane Earl, I decided to take a couple of hours to take some measurements, and shovel out some trash, mostly delaminated plywood.About a 30 gallon trash bag full. Also managed to remove a short wall enclosing the head/shower. Earl, by the way, passed us by with no issues. <br/>Rebuilding a 1979 Columbia 8.3 sailboattag:seaknots.ning.com,2010-08-30:900123:BlogPost:1408502010-08-30T22:27:55.000ZLarry Wilsonhttps://seaknots.ning.com/profile/LarryWilson
Group,<br></br>I was given a Columbia 8.3 earlier this month, and I want to keep a running commentary on the rebuilding process. I thought that here, in my blog would be a good place to do it. <br></br><br style="font-weight: bold;"></br><span style="font-weight: bold;">August 7,2010</span> <br></br> Just a quick note. Looked at and bought a running Atomic 4 today. May not need<br></br> it, but thought at the price, it would be foolish not to have it standing by<br></br>
just in case.<br></br>
Now to clean up the old…
Group,<br/>I was given a Columbia 8.3 earlier this month, and I want to keep a running commentary on the rebuilding process. I thought that here, in my blog would be a good place to do it. <br/><br style="font-weight: bold;"/><span style="font-weight: bold;">August 7,2010</span> <br/> Just a quick note. Looked at and bought a running Atomic 4 today. May not need<br/>
it, but thought at the price, it would be foolish not to have it standing by<br/>
just in case.<br/>
Now to clean up the old engine and see if it turns.<br/><span style="font-weight: bold;">August 15,2010</span><br/>Picked up the title,boarding ladder and a wood burning bulkhead mounted stove today from the Previous owner. Made plans to move the boat off of his dock by the end of the month. <br/><span style="font-weight: bold;">August 30,2010</span><br/>I thought that I'd take a few minutes and update you on "the rebuild". This past Friday, I motored the 8.3 "Peace O' Mine" from Urbanna Harbor,Va. to Rivertime Marine in Deltaville,Va. ,an easy 12 mile trip. Rivertime is a new yard, committed to DIY'ers, but with full service available. They are not officially open yet, and are working on ground prep, but the have space for a couple of boats. <br/>So, Friday at 1 pm, they put the 8.3 in slings lifted her out of the water, power washed the bottom and by 3:30, had her on stands. <br/>Pete Malone was on his way to Deltaville to come sailing with me on the 8.7, so I had no plans to work on her this weekend. <br/>Saturday afternoon, after he'd had a nice nap on the high side of the cockpit,and while we were close reaching in winds approaching 6kts, Pete suggested that instead of anchoring out for the nite as we had planned, we go back to D'ville and remove the engine from the 8.3. <br/>Back to D'ville we flew,downwind in a 4kt blow....I know because the engine was pushing us just over 4kts, and there was absolutely no wind to be felt. We got in around 3:30, drove to Pete's boat, picked up something to use as lifting tackle and drove back to D'ville to pull the Atomic 4. Pete doing most of the work, had the engine mount bolts out in short order. I on the other hand was having no luck trying to remove a frozen clevis pin from the Morse control cable for the shifter.With light failing, we put away tools,cleaned up and ate the excellent dinner Pete prepared. Drove again to Pete's boat (about a 35 mile roundtrip) and picked up his old halyards to use to stabilize the boom as we lifted the engine. Mine were totally shot, good only to use as messenger lines to run Pete's thru the sheaves. <br/>Sunday morning,we were up, showered and fed by about 8am. We arrived at the 8.3 just after 8, and with minimal fuss, finished freeing up the motor. All cables were loose, wires were noted and removed from starter,alternator,fuel pump and assorted sending units. <br/>Pete ran the halyards, rigged the boom and attached the lifting gear (my rather lightweight boom vang, and his heavier version). I stood below decks to guide the engine, or to catch it if it fell...riiiiight. All went as planned. We lifted to the bridge deck, made a couple of adjustments, lifted it so that it would clear the gunnel, horsed it around the stanchion gate, and lowered it to the ground. All told, about 5 hours of actual labor, maybe 8 man hours, as I spent alot of time watching what Pete was doing. We derigged the harness, put everything away, Pete showered and was on the road home by just past noon, just as he'd promised his bride. <br/>After he had left, I remembered that I had wanted to remove the "D" marine battery that must weigh 125 lbs, while we had the lifting rig attached. Oh well, next time. <br/>I'm home for a day, then back to D'ville to start the onerous task of cleaning the bilge. I promise not to waste alot of time reporting on that part of the rebuild. <br/><br/>Larry Wilson<br/>Columbia 8.7 "AllAboutMe",Columbia Sabre "Wild Swan", Columbia 8.3 "Peace O' Mine" and 6 or so other assorted sailing vessels. <br/><br/>Wow,I love my Job!!!tag:seaknots.ning.com,2010-02-20:900123:BlogPost:1257482010-02-20T02:55:25.000ZLarry Wilsonhttps://seaknots.ning.com/profile/LarryWilson
Wow , I Love My JOB<br />
<br />
Hey y'all, thought you might get a kick out of this.<br />
<br />
I Love My Job<br />
<br />
<br />
Poor guy!!<br />
<br />
This is even funnier when you realize it's real!<br />
The next time you have a bad day at work... think of<br />
this guy.<br />
<br />
Rob is a commercial saturation diver for Global<br />
Divers in Louisiana.<br />
He performs underwater repairs on offshore drilling<br />
rigs.<br />
<br />
Below is an E-mail he sent to his sister.<br />
<br />
She then sent it to radio station 103.2 on FM dial<br />
in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, who was sponsoring a worst<br />
job…
Wow , I Love My JOB<br />
<br />
Hey y'all, thought you might get a kick out of this.<br />
<br />
I Love My Job<br />
<br />
<br />
Poor guy!!<br />
<br />
This is even funnier when you realize it's real!<br />
The next time you have a bad day at work... think of<br />
this guy.<br />
<br />
Rob is a commercial saturation diver for Global<br />
Divers in Louisiana.<br />
He performs underwater repairs on offshore drilling<br />
rigs.<br />
<br />
Below is an E-mail he sent to his sister.<br />
<br />
She then sent it to radio station 103.2 on FM dial<br />
in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, who was sponsoring a worst<br />
job experience contest.<br />
<br />
... Needless to say, she won.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Hi Sue:<br />
<br />
Just another note from your bottom-dwelling brother.<br />
Last week I had a bad day at the office. I know<br />
you've been feeling down lately at work, so I<br />
thought I would share my dilemma with you to make<br />
you realize it's not so bad after all.<br />
<br />
Before I can tell you what happened to me, I first<br />
must bore you with a few technicalities of my job.<br />
<br />
As you know, my office lies at the bottom of the<br />
sea. I wear a suit to the office. It's a wet suit.<br />
This time of year the water is quite cool.<br />
<br />
So what we do to keep warm is this: We have a diesel<br />
powered industrial water heater. This $20,000 piece<br />
of equipment sucks the water out of the sea. It<br />
heats it to a delightful temperature. It then pumps<br />
it down to the diver through a garden hose, which is<br />
taped to the air hose.<br />
<br />
Now this sounds like a darn good plan, and I've used<br />
it several times with no complaints. What I do, when<br />
I get to the bottom and start working, is take the<br />
hose and stuff it down the back of my wet suit.<br />
This floods my whole suit with warm water. It's like<br />
working in a Jacuzzi.<br />
<br />
Everything was going well until all of a sudden, my<br />
butt started to itch. So, of course, I scratched it.<br />
This only made things worse.<br />
<br />
Within a few seconds my butt started to burn. I<br />
pulled the hose out from my back, but the damage was<br />
done. In agony I realized what had happened. The hot<br />
water machine had sucked up a jellyfish and pumped<br />
it into my suit.<br />
<br />
Now, since I don't have any hair on my back, the<br />
jellyfish couldn't stick to it. However, the crack<br />
of my butt was not as fortunate.<br />
<br />
When I scratched what I thought was an itch, I was<br />
actually grinding the jellyfish into the crack of my<br />
butt.<br />
<br />
I informed the dive supervisor of my dilemma over<br />
the communicator.<br />
His instructions were unclear due to the fact that<br />
he, along with five other divers, were all laughing<br />
hysterically.<br />
<br />
Needless to say I aborted the dive. I was instructed<br />
to make three agonizing in-water decompression stops<br />
totaling thirty-five minutes before I could reach<br />
the surface to begin my chamber dry decompression.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
When I arrived at the surface, I was wearing nothing<br />
but my brass helmet.<br />
<br />
As I climbed out of the water, the medic, with tears<br />
of laughter running down his face, handed me a tube<br />
of cream and told me to rub it on my butt as soon as<br />
I got in the chamber. The cream put the fire out,<br />
but I couldn't poop for two days because my butt was<br />
swollen shut.<br />
<br />
So, next time you're having a bad day at work, think<br />
about how much worse it would be if you had a<br />
jellyfish shoved up your butt.<br />
<br />
Now repeat to yourself, "I love my job, I love my<br />
job, I love my job"First time sailing a multi hulltag:seaknots.ning.com,2009-08-20:900123:BlogPost:1038622009-08-20T01:04:32.000ZLarry Wilsonhttps://seaknots.ning.com/profile/LarryWilson
Those of you who know me, know that I'm sailboat addicted. I own 11 sailboats, not counting the Hobie 16 that I cut into pieces yesterday.<br />
Sadly, I never have time to sail any of them except the Columbia 8.7, a heavy keel boat.<br />
Well, today, that changed. I trailered the Aqua Cat 12.5 (12 1/2 foot catamaran) over to Swift Creek Resevoir, and a friend let me use a private ramp to launch.<br />
<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" height="293" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2539792108?profile=original" width="200"></img></p>
<br />
I'm used to sailing in the big boat, averaging maybe 4 or 5…
Those of you who know me, know that I'm sailboat addicted. I own 11 sailboats, not counting the Hobie 16 that I cut into pieces yesterday.<br />
Sadly, I never have time to sail any of them except the Columbia 8.7, a heavy keel boat.<br />
Well, today, that changed. I trailered the Aqua Cat 12.5 (12 1/2 foot catamaran) over to Swift Creek Resevoir, and a friend let me use a private ramp to launch.<br />
<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2539792108?profile=original" alt="" width="200" height="293"/></p>
<br />
I'm used to sailing in the big boat, averaging maybe 4 or 5 knots. This little bugger was flying in the teens with less than 10mph winds. I was amazed at how fast it seemed. The only other time I've ever sailed a small boat was 40 years ago. That was a Sailfish, and I couldn't figure out how to find the wind, so, just sat at the end of the dock for half an hour.<br />
THIS little sucker was 1/2 a mile down the lake before I even figured out how to release the mainsheet without falling overboard.<br />
So, now that I've sailed this one, I really want to get the Hobie 16 finished. I just need to do some minor repairs to the trampoline, and pick up a cheap set of sails that fit. I had purchased a set of Prindle 16 sails, but they don''t quite fit.<br />
Anybody have an extra set?<br />
I'm also working on a Hobie 18, doing some repair on the hulls. That should really be a great sailing experience.<br />
Okay....back to Craigslist to find sails.Chesapeake Bay Buddy Cruise September 21,2009tag:seaknots.ning.com,2009-08-07:900123:BlogPost:1004722009-08-07T03:44:40.000ZLarry Wilsonhttps://seaknots.ning.com/profile/LarryWilson
I'm going to attempt another planned cruise on the Chesapeake in September. Sheila (wife,Admiral) and I on our Columibia 8.7, and Martin Duffy on his CS27, possibly one other couple on their Hunter 46 (?). Any and all are welcome. No set agenda as yet, just attempting to sail as far north as possible in a couple of weeks. Our starting point will be Urbanna, Duffy will be Deltaville. Anyone to the south or east can meet up with us in Dville area, or along the northern route, probably on the…
I'm going to attempt another planned cruise on the Chesapeake in September. Sheila (wife,Admiral) and I on our Columibia 8.7, and Martin Duffy on his CS27, possibly one other couple on their Hunter 46 (?). Any and all are welcome. No set agenda as yet, just attempting to sail as far north as possible in a couple of weeks. Our starting point will be Urbanna, Duffy will be Deltaville. Anyone to the south or east can meet up with us in Dville area, or along the northern route, probably on the western shore. It would be great to make it to Baltimore with stops at St Mary's, Solomons, Annapolis. Perhaps more or less. Then back down the eastern shore , Oxford, Onancock, Tangier? Just playing it by ear at this point.<br />
Start date, Sept.21,2009.<br />
Reply here with suggestions or comments. I'll post something on the Columbia Yacht Owners wall as well.The Dreamtag:seaknots.ning.com,2009-02-05:900123:BlogPost:594512009-02-05T16:30:00.000ZLarry Wilsonhttps://seaknots.ning.com/profile/LarryWilson
AllAboutMe (A Columbia Yacht)<br></br>
<br></br>
<br></br>
<br></br>
As with so much in life, many of the experiences that I had hoped for in my twenties and thirties, had to be put aside, in order to raise a family, and earn a living.<br></br>
The dreams just didn't fit in the space that was left. Then, in my middle forties, health issues seemed to bring any hope for early retirement to a screeching halt. So that now ,the dreams that had been put aside for later, had to be put back on the shelf,most likely to be…
AllAboutMe (A Columbia Yacht)<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
As with so much in life, many of the experiences that I had hoped for in my twenties and thirties, had to be put aside, in order to raise a family, and earn a living.<br/>
The dreams just didn't fit in the space that was left. Then, in my middle forties, health issues seemed to bring any hope for early retirement to a screeching halt. So that now ,the dreams that had been put aside for later, had to be put back on the shelf,most likely to be left there, gathering dust, just like so many old copies of National Geographic.<br/>
Now, in my <s>early</s> late fifties, I am determined to take at least some of those dreams down off the shelf, dust them off, and focus on me.<br/>
So, from the dust of dreams, I present to you,<br/>
<br/>
COLUMBIA YACHTS<br/>
8.7 Metre Sloop<br/>
AllAboutMe<br/>
<br/>
1<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2539786342?profile=original" alt="" width="1600" height="1200"/></p>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
This wonderful Yacht was donated to a local Power boat squadron, and I just happened upon her after having spent the better part of the day looking at other sailboats that I had found listed on the internet. I had just eaten lunch, and was on the way to Stingray Point Marina in Deltaville to look at one last boat, probably a Hunter, when I saw the entrance to Deltaville Yacht Center.<br/>
On a whim, I pulled in and parked.Walking inside, I noticed the broker's listing sheet taped to the bulletin board. There were three boats that fell into my size and price range. Locating a broker, I explained what I was looking for, and grabbing several sets of keys, he led me to the boats.<br/>
The first two were both at the top end of my price range, the third a little under. None of them really appealed to me. The broker,at this point probably having decided I was just out kicking tires as it were,pointed to one last boat.<br/>
The only thing left, he said, that comes close to your price range, is this charity boat. It was donated and the owner here agreed to list it. It's not the sort of boat we generally deal with, and the folks want to sell it.<br/>
Not a striking boat by any means, but good lines , and the trade mark champagne glass transom, marking it as a Columbia. He laid up the ladder, I climbed aboard,glanced at the golden oak colored tiller, (everything else I'd seen that day had a wheel. I pulled out the hatch boards, climbed down into the cabin, and fell in love. It was full of mildewed cushions, and there were empty bottles of household cleaning products all over the counters, but it fit. I could stand up without hitting my head. The settees were long enough for me to stretch out full length, and the whole cabin was done in a dark mahogany colored teak.Only the overhead was white, and that was bare fibreglass finished with flat enamel. There was work to be done for sure. Without even looking hard, I saw rotting window facings, and all the wood needed refinishing, but it was me. A little too old, a little out of shape, and in need of a new friend.<br/>
I bought her the next day; For half the asking price, and only after we were able to start the engine.But I would have bought her anyway. She was the dream.