Well, another winter come and gone....finally. Sure picked the absolute wrong winter to leave Boomerang! in the water, but it worked out all right. Seemed like it took forever to even be able to bend all the sails on. Been traveling a lot, most of the winter, and into May, but finally got decent weather (and time) to get it done.

Finally had a new A-sail cut....a beautiful blue asymmetrical spinnaker, with a Selden GX15 Top Down Furler (Gina HATES flying the big kites, dealing with the poles, guys, preventers, etc.), so this accomplishes the same goal, without the hassles for mostly short handed crew.

Also, as much disdain as I have for lifeline netting, we do have new pups that sail with us most of the time. Two beautiful American Parti Cocker Spaniels both 7 months old. So, the mate insisted on the netting. I really doesn't look TOO bad....but it keeps the babies on board, and now I call it the playpen.

Will really start in earnest on this blog this year ( I know...I keep saying that...), but we have a few trips planned this year. Bermuda and the Florida starting in early December is the plan...but there will be a few between now and then. See you soon!

Well, after getting the crap kicked out of us most of the weekend...blowing NNW 20-25, gusting to 35, with 4-5 footers on the nose for most of the trip west and south, we finally ended up running with the weather, making no southing at all.

Saturday afternoon, evening, and Sunday Gina was not amused with the submarining, water coming down the decks (I was having a blast!) as the seas never did abate at all, and in fact, the weather was supposed to break...it didn't....so the slog really was, after a while, more than either of us wanted to deal with. Cape Charles would have to wait....

We finally decided to run with the weather, back into Trippe Creek to the Deepwater Point/Pirates Cove anchorage we like, to spend Sunday night on the hook with friends (who never got out in the fray, by the way), awaking to a beautiful, finally calm Monday morning. Winds had shifted around to the ENE giving us reprieve from the pounding we took earlier in the weekend.

Overall, it was a nice way to end the holiday weekend, and after picking up the hook, we sailed, calmly, all day home. The pic above was about the only decent shot coming out of the weekend, as the platform was too unstable to get too many.

Well, after getting the crap kicked out of us most of the weekend...blowing NNW 20-25, gusting to 35, with 4-5 footers on the nose for most of the trip west and south, we finally ended up running with the weather, making no southing at all.

Saturday afternoon, evening, and Sunday Gina was not amused with the submarining, water coming down the decks (I was having a blast!) as the seas never did abate at all, and in fact, the weather was supposed to break...it didn't....so the slog really was, after a while, more than either of us wanted to deal with. Cape Charles would have to wait....

We finally decided to run with the weather, back into Trippe Creek to the Deepwater Point/Pirates Cove anchorage we like, to spend Sunday night on the hook with friends (who never got out in the fray, by the way), awaking to a beautiful, finally calm Monday morning. Winds had shifted around to the ENE giving us reprieve from the pounding we took earlier in the weekend.

Overall, it was a nice way to end the holiday weekend, and after picking up the hook, we sailed, calmly, all day home. The pic above was about the only decent shot coming out of the weekend, as the platform was too unstable to get too many.

Well, after a long winter, that was mostly just cold and miserable, with little snow, and too much rain.......

We finally were able to splash Boomerang! a couple of weeks ago. A few pics are attached of the process. Gina always gets anxious while the yard guys back the big trailer under her to place her on the slings...she has to walk away.

It really was nice to get the final work done, primarily soda blasting off several decades of bottom paint (seemed like it...) to find a gelcoat surface in really good shape with little evidence of any further blistering. All the old blister repairs, though few, were still perfect. After repairing the few additional minor ones we found, filling with good quality 3M epoxy, and fairing the bottom, I put on 4 coats of Interlux e2000 as a barrier coat, and a couple of coats of Interlux Micron Extra - she is ready for another decade! Wow! That means she'll be 42 years old! Never know she is 32 years old looking at her today... Classic grace and elegance in motion, even at the dock! Man, Lapworth and Jensen knew how to draw and build gorgeous, well found, fantastic sailing yachts.

I am currently installing the new electronics, the stuff I did not get to last year or over the winter. New Simrad network is installed, the new radar is mounted, and this week I hope to get the new NSS MFD installed at the helm. Most of the wire and cables are in... Ran all new power to everything just in case....

Were not able to get out this weekend due to my travel schedule, but I imagine we'll make up for it with a few afternoon/evening sails this week....and some longer treks on the coming weekends getting ready for the race in June.

See ya!

Wow, all, I just realized that it has been quite some tiime since I updated this blog!!

Last year, we updated everything on the boat, investing heavily in her. New rig, newly rebuilt engine and transmission, new sails, and more....then sailed her the rest of the short season that was left.

In October, 2012, Good Old Boat Magazine asked to do a feature boat spread on her, so they came put during the Annapolis Boat Show, and took about 1000 still images, and several videos...one of the stills, my favorite, is the new face of this blog.... The issue is now out on the book store stands, March/April edition....its a well done article... One of the photos here on this post....winds 18-20, gusts to 25 the day of the shoot...so you may notice we are reefed down....

Just a few weeks ago, rebuilt the house battery system, added another 520 A/H of batteries, finished soda blasting the bottom, new barrier coat, and new paint. Splashed her a week ago...finally.

Planning on bending on the new sails this weekend, and getting ready for the DelMarVA Rally in June.

She truly is ready for her world tour now! More later....

Well, after a long hard winter on the hard, Boomerang! finally splashed this past Thursday. With a falling tide, 20-30 out of the west and a nice chop, my business partner and I were looking forward to a nice slog south to Boomerang!'s new home on the middle Chesapeake. As we made our way out through skinny waters on a falling tide out to the Eastern Bay Channel, we hoisted sail and began flying south down the Bay.

All was right with the world.......then, with a quick shift to the northwest the main blew! With the 110 out, we made great time south. Later in the day as the wind eased and seas lay down, and I hauled the 110, raised the 155 and we were flying again. A couple of hours later we made port, and checked the issue with the main. Seems that the head cringle parted....and dropped down the in mast furler (which I have hated since I bought her (always hated furling mains, frankly)) and while furling it in, it got all jammed up in the mast...what a nightmare.....

After getting to her slip we finally relieved the jammed main, and pulled her down. Seems the head cringle let go, giving me the immediate excuse to go ahead and get the rigging company to set up a time to pull the mast, and redo the whole thing....sandblast, awlgrip, new electrics, new standing and running rigging, baby stay, new everything....and folks, that is NOT a cheap venture!

Meanwhile, since I've decided to wait until November to do that, the old main (with the furling system I hate) is being rebuilt with new UV protection and all to get us through the season here, is underway at my local sail loft... Spent the day Saturday with friends aboard under the 155 alone, and man, what a blast! Does she fly!!

Hope everyone is well!

C