This log book updated 2/15/98.

This is the page running the Ship's log book. The entries on this page where featured on the ship's log page in past months and were kept here by request of readers that have come aboard for the first time.

Although Colorado is not known for its large bodies of water, I purchased my first sailboat in 1986. "Destiny" is the name I chose for this fine sailing vessel.

It was everything I thought it would be with the exception of being able to sail in a straight line for more than fifteen minutes. Chatfield lake, only a couple of miles long, makes for short daydreams about being on the ocean. Oh, and look out for the waterskier!

PRELUDE

I can't remember exactly when I started dreaming about sailing. It's just one of those things that I thought about occasionally, and it was so good that I started thinking about it a lot. I was fortunate to have a very successful limousine business and could spent a lot of time dreaming.

I worked twenty hours a day seven days a week for six years, and it was time to start living some of those dreams. After a hard day at the company, I could go aboard Destiny and close my eyes and hear the peaceful sounds of the ocean. I would be hundreds of miles away from the nearest phone or radio or pager. The sounds of the water lapping at the sides of Destiny stirred a lot of thoughts of a new adventure every day.

Most people thought I was out of my mind to give up a beautiful home, a successful business, and a secure life to go sailing. What makes people give up everything to seek adventure? I have always believed in one motivating thought, "Success is the journey - not the destination." This is the only chance most of us are going to have!

I started spending more quality time on Destiny; loving the twice a week races. In fact, when I finally left to go sailing, the yacht club's only regret was some other boat would have to be last. Destiny (through no fault of her own) never even came close to anything other than last place every race, but damn it was fun!

Learning how to sail was an educational experience in itself. I learned how to improvise on my sheets and rigging because my crew (at the time) and I had to reef the sails in heavy weather. Every trip out onto the lake was a new learning experience. I didn't want to be just a fair weather sailor.

Ships log April, 1986:

Acquiring a boat (or being acquired by a boat);

While driving around town on a beautiful spring day, my path crossed "Destiny" sitting on a trailer in a used boat lot. She appeared to me to be a yacht; all 22 feet of her. As with most boaters, it was love at first sight! Destiny had one mast (sloop rig) and a full keel, which is why it looked so big sitting on that trailer with that big thing that the sails go on (mast).

I could not wait to look inside her. John, the yard owner, could not keep from laughing at my rush to climb aboard. She appeared to be in great shape! The cockpit was large and had a varnished tiller. Below decks was a small kitchen (galley), a table and seats, and a forward V berth with a port-a-potty underneath. I was in LOVE! What else was there to know?

John helped me hook up the trailer lights so I could pull my new yacht home. I am now the "Captain" of a ship. Did I mention that I had never sailed a boat before in my life? A minor oversight. I had no idea how these things worked. I figured that with being a "Captain" the knowledge came with the title. "How hard can it be?????? Yes, I can swim." (And John did give me a couple of life jackets.)

Ships log May 1986: They don't build boat ramps in Colorado for sailboats!

No wonder I got such a good deal on Destiny. I thought a full keel was a good thing. With the trailer tongue fully extended and my Ramcharger backed all the way down the ramp until water was coming in the doors, Destiny was still a foot or so away from becoming a yacht. I know I looked as stupid as I felt!

Neptune was smiling ( his sides must have hurt from laughing ) because just about the time I was going to damn the torpedoes, John, the guy I purchased Destiny from, came over to see how I was doing. He had just finished showing another new boater how to sail and thought I might need some help. Seems he forgot to tell me how to launch the boat on most ramps.

[But, first the mast must be raised. Does anyone know the number for 911? Need I say more on this?]

To launch Destiny's full keel on most Colorado boat ramps, the boat and trailer must extend a good ten feet behind my Ramcharger. To do this, I had to unhitch the trailer and attach a cable from my hitch to the trailer tongue. The entire unit would then be backed into the water without any control over the trailer. I wish I had a picture of this because the sight can't be put into words.

To witness this entire spectacle, I had brought a new girlfriend. If you really want to impress someone, bring them along the first time you launch a boat that you have never sailed before; keeping in mind that you have never sailed before. She and I are still good friends.

At any rate, in my mind the full keel gave me the illusion of being on a larger boat, and I could close my eyes and dream I was on the ocean with a thirty or forty footer with the salt spray in my face. (I could even smell the salt.) Because Chatfield lake is only a couple of miles long, is close to Denver, and a very pretty lake, it is also very popular (crowded). If I closed my eyes for too long, I would put lives in danger.

During the next few weeks, John and I became good friends. He not only taught me how to sail he taught me how to enjoy the thrill of it. John loves the sport!

Boating, by its nature, is very dangerous. There are so many things you can die from if you don't stay sharp and use some common sense. To get the most enjoyment, you must take it very seriously and know that all safety precautions are followed to the letter. Then, as "Captain," you can sit back and experience the thrill of why you do this in the first place.

Ships log June 1986:

A big part of my enjoyment came from the fact that I could take time off to sail during the week. I kept Destiny at the Chatfield Yacht Club and could go sailing on a moments notice. I joined the club races that were held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Unless I wanted to look like a fool every week, I needed to learn to sail. Some of these crews were serious about winning.

Needless to say we never won, but we sure did have fun with a great bunch of people. One thing about boaters is they love the water and have a common bond, and by their nature are wonderful people. It cannot be put into words the fellowship that boaters have.

Granted, there is the constant riff between power boaters and sailboaters, but if either one gets in trouble the other will risk their life to help get them out safely. Otherwise, some of the names they call each other can't be printed here.

Since my mini-yacht had a small cabin with hand pump water port-a-potty, and a stove, I spent a lot of evenings anchored out on Chatfield. Beautiful Colorado evenings with our famous sunsets, and if I was lucky to have a friend onboard, got me to thinking I could live like this! I soon designed a holder for my gas grill and became quite a good chef.

Everyone that has become angry sitting in a traffic jam or couldn't get their mind off problems at work, needs to sit in the cockpit of a boat at anchor engaged in good conversation with friends at the end of the day. You are transported into a whole new dimension of life. "No worries."

And then there is going to sleep. The gentle rocking of the boat and the fresh air, the subtle sound of water lapping at the hull of the boat. Just close your eyes and try to imagine the sleep you can have. You wake up in the morning looking forward to that first cup of coffee in the cockpit of your yacht, and suddenly surprised to find that you did not have enough rode on your anchor line! Where are we?

Setting the anchor for the night has proven to be one of the best lessons I've learned for a comfortable night's sleep. There is a real thrill to waking up in the morning and seeing the same shore line as last night. (You will also have a better chance of getting your same crew back for another week. People that we somehow talk into going sailing with us assume that we know how to handle the boat, not just sail!)

You are in charge of their lives and the safety of the boat. Every person on board should wear a life jacket or, at the very least, have them on deck at hand before leaving the dock. Every crew should have a shakedown on the boat's systems in case something happens to the captain or some other emergency. The play time will be a lot more comfortable and fun when the crew is safe and informed.

Don't expect someone to tie a line to the dock without being shown the proper knot. Don't expect them to know how to stow lines so they won't go overboard and foul a prop. Don't expect them to know where to stow gear so it won't go overboard. It's your boat. You are the captain, and it's your responsibility for every thing that happens to your crew and boat. You need to check the lines. It is your responsibility to make sure that the crew is prepared for any sudden changes in the boat behavior such as turns, sudden stops, or acceleration.

There are books written about boating safety, and they need to be read with the information put to practice. One of the funniest afternoons you can spend is to sit at almost any dock on a weekend and watch the follies. (See log above ref. launching a sailboat.) Only now do I wish someone would have video taped Destiny's baptism.

Over the next five years, I grew to love the every day challenge of sailing. It seems as though every sail was different from the last. Different crew members and guests posed a new sail plan, and on top of that, the weather changes all the time, minute to minute in Colorado. Sailing in late April or May here could mean a morning of 70 to 80 degrees only to have a snow storm by the afternoon! The stories you hear about Colorado's weather are true. I looked at Colorado's weather patterns as my training ground for the day when I could go sailing on the oceans. (You need to know how to handle your vessel in all kinds of weather and sea conditions; how does each sail in your inventory handle the wind; how much of each sail can be raised and their effects on your boat; and how well can you handle your boat by yourself in each condition?)

I practiced every chance I had. At first I would ask the crew for less help on some of the simple things and included these things in my responsibilities. Each new sail I would take on more and more duties, and the crew was only to lend assistance if needed. The first time I tried docking under sail, I had the engine running, but not in gear, and there were a lot of nervous boat owners looking on. (Have you ever tried to dock a sailboat into a slip in a crowded marina without your engine by-your-self? You can blow by your slip before you know it and have nothing but the end of the dock closing on you fast. The day will come when you will have to know, and you had better know how! It seems there are a lot of powerboaters that aren't aware, or don't care, that a boat under sail with the engine off has the right of way. Toss in a crowed marina and a changing wind and you have a thrilling ride to the slip. Try it! You never know when you will need the training.)

My slip was about 2/3 the way down a narrow set of docks. Too much sail or rudder could mean disaster. I must constantly have an escape plan and a "what if" plan. KNOW THE BOAT! How much side slip did I have under each sail configuration? How is my speed affected by how much rudder? What is my turning radius? Can I sail out of the mess I got myself into?

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One of the best and entertaining things you can do is sit in your cockpit on a busy weekend and watch. The follies begin at the crack of dawn and generally get better toward the end of the day. Get some beer and invite some friends down for a BBQ for soon you will not believe what you are seeing. Even if you don't own a boat it makes for a very entertaining day to visit a busy marina. I have witnessed the start of a good many divorces over boating.

While watching the circus one lovely weekend, we saw a large powerboat (30 ft.) coming into dock for some fuel. No one aboard was wearing a lifejacket and we could tell from the laughter that everyone was having a great time. The captain was handling the boat very well even with the breeze that was blowing. The biggest problem that we saw from the start was no one was on deck to handle the dock lines and there were no dock lines on deck either for that matter.

By the time the captain decided to put someone in charge of the lines he was committed to his approach to the fuel dock. Dock lines had to be taken from the lazaret, (a storage space between the decks of a ship, usually in the cockpit), sorted out, and attached to the boat. It was keystone cops time! One brave soul reached over the side of the boat to grab the dock and hold the boat to it. The strong breeze proved to be more than this brave deck hand could handle and for his effort, and to the delight of the spectators, he was extended with his toes on the boat and his hand holding the dock cleat.

I had to laugh at this sight and pray no one got hurt. This brave crewman ended up in the bay for his effort, and a gallant one it was. The entire episode gave the captain the advantage of having a crewman now on the dock to hand the sorted dock line to. (You gotta have a camera ready at all times!)

Take a few minutes before casting off and give your crew and guests a rundown of the boat and equipment onboard. Don't worry about impressing them with proper names as much as telling them what each item is used for and who should use it. ( I had to learn this the hard way at first but then discovered the real fun for me is in having a prepared and informed crew.)

Boating has an entire dictionary of its own, and a lot of people are curious about what things are called. You are the expert, take a few minutes and go over them; because in an emergency, there is not time to educate the crew about the ships inventory, location, and why you have it on board. A good captain should know his inventory no matter what size boat he has.

For instance: Don't try to anchor without one. It's not fun to get ready for a quiet night an a beautiful cove only to discover you lost your anchor the last time out. AND, a ski belt is not a lifejacket! If you get stopped by the marine patrol you need to have an approved lifejacket for every person onboard.

Sorry about the preaching, but in the upcoming log pages are some of the reasons why I feel so strongly about being prepared.

Sept., 1989

I was beginning to feel like I could really do this! This boating season was coming to a close and I could hardly stand it. Destiny was always one of the first boats in the marina and one of the last to leave at the end of the season. I knew that I was going to take some time this winter and explore the possibilities of going sailing.

How long could I go and what would it cost? What about crew? What about a boat and what kind? West coast, east coast?

Think about a total change of life style. I had horses for years and enjoyed going to the mountains camping by myself. I loved the cowboy lifestyle but how does this fit in with the ocean. Instead of a rope to catch critters I need to learn to use a Hawaiian Sling to catch fish. Instead of ground tying my horse I need to use ground tackle for my boat. I didn't even like to eat fish that much.

No matter, I was going to do this and no amount of common sense was going to talk me out of it. Hell, I can sail into my slip without power singlehanded. How tough can it be?

April, 1990

As I was getting Destiny ready for the boating season I met a wonderful lady that had a great deal of potential to be a crew member. Not just any crewmember but more of a "mate." First mate if you will. She was curious about sailing. She also had horses and had "been there done that" with most things on land.

We sailed together that summer and she even took scuba lessons at the lake. She did great and she loved it. We planned a scuba trip to the Florida Keys in August of that year and took some time to look at boats while we were there. By the time the trip was over I think you could say we were hooked. I purchased more Jimmy Buffett tapes. Sailing my little 22 footer would not do the job anymore.

While in Florida we walked the city docks in Key West and had an opportunity to chat with some real life "cruisers". What a interesting bunch of people! They are people of the world, South Africa, France, Australia, Canada, Sierra Leone, sailing the world because they want too. They had so many stories to tell and adventures to share, I didn't want to go home.

We only had a couple of days left of our trip so we went boat shopping in Miami the next day. One of the most important things you can do is get hooked up with a reputable boat broker. Ours was Robert with Florida Yacht. Not only can they help you find a good boat they are also boaters (most of the time) and have a vault of information they will be happy to share. It seems that in most states boats aren't regulated like cars and houses. You can end up buying a submarine when you don't want one. There are thousands of boats for sale so be careful and buy what you want but heed the advice of a good broker if you have one.

The kind of sailing are you going to do will have a great deal to do with the type of boat you should buy. How many will be in your crew, minium and maximum? Can you handle the boat by yourself if you need to? Will there be enough accommodations for your guest. Will the boat be safe in offshore conditions should you be caught out in bad weather? Purchase price is only the beginning because I never once was aboard a boat that was ready to go even though they were billed as "ready to cruise". More on this later.

Neither of us had been on ocean going boats before. One of the first was a 45 foot ketch rig with a center cockpit. We loved this boat but it was out of our price range, but I knew this was the type of boat I wanted to own and sail. Robert ,our broker, also pointed out there was a problem with the hull that I would not have known anything about. He spotted it right away.

Robert informed us of the Miami International Boat Show that was coming up after the first of the year and this would be a good place to see almost every boat made. We made plans to come back for the show.

Continued next week!