Enjoying Life aboard Fine Lion

Come along with us as we cruise the US East Coast and the Bahamas

Fine Lion

Who: Steve and Kim Snyder
Port: Oriental, NC
04 May 2014 | 35 01.463'N:76 41.964'W, Oriental, NC
20 April 2014 | 29 53.099'N:81 18.329'W, St. Augustine, FL
10 April 2014 | 25 33.946'N:77 43.439'W, Cabbage Cay, Berry Islands
07 April 2014 | 25 29.752'N:77 43.952'W, Bonds Cay, Berry Iswlands
30 March 2014 | 24 06.145'N:76 24.307'W, Black Point, Exumas
27 March 2014 | 23 45.664'N:76 05.409'W, Williams Cay, Exumas
25 March 2014 | 23 43.951'N:75 02.859'W, Rat Cay, Exumas
13 March 2014 | 23 21.322'N:75 08.896'W, Thompson Bay, Long Island
11 March 2014 | 23 01.250'N:75 43.328'W, Water Cay
01 March 2014 | 22 15.048'N:75 45.111'W, Hog Cay
25 February 2014 | 22 20.217'N:75 46.825'W, Johnson Cay
23 February 2014 | 22 15.101'N:75 45.184'W, Hog Cay
17 February 2014 | 22 15.101'N:75 45.184'W, Hog Cay
12 February 2014 | 22 13.390'N:75 45.140'W, Hog Cay Cut
11 February 2014 | 22 14.994'N:75 45.220'W, Hog Cay
08 February 2014 | 22 14.994'N:75 45.220'W, Hog Cay
03 February 2014 | 22 15.004'N:75 45.183'W, Hog Cay
02 February 2014 | 22 15.004'N:75 45.183'W, Hog Cay
23 January 2014 | 22 10.261'N:75 43.687'W, Southside, Ragged Island
17 January 2014 | 22 10.261'N:75 43.687'W, Southside, Ragged Island

Live Entertainment

27 March 2012 | 24 17.202'N:75 25.267'W, Old Bight, Cat Island
Steve
You normally choose an anchorage for comfort and peace of mind; meaning that it will be calm through the night. We moved 3 miles yesterday from one side of the bay to the other for just that purpose. There is a front moving through so the wind will go from SE to SW to NW to N to NE during the day. The waves usually lag behind the clocking of the wind a little. This can create "difficult" conditions for getting a dinghy up on the beach. That's why most of the 14 boats in the anchorage stayed on their boats yesterday. But there's always the boat with the guests who are on a short term vacation and "need" to go ashore regardless of the conditions. What the hell, they're leaving in a couple of days and have things to see.

So yesterday afternoon a boat came into the anchorage and caught our attention right away. First, they dropped their anchor while moving forward and ran over the chain. Second, they only put out about 50 ft. of chain. Clearly, not enough to give us any confidence in their holding ability. Third, all three men were on the bow trying to put on the anchor snubber. So now we have the setting for live entertainment for the afternoon. Three guys, two of which are guests. They are so white Mike thought one was an albino. They then proceed to launch their dinghy. It is one with a steering wheel and helm seat. It's not a dinghy for "challenging" conditions. So now the guys are all set to go ashore for dinner. It takes a while to get them into the dinghy rather than the water. The guests are dropped off close to the shore and the driver backs off to find a place to put the dinghy. Either he's not comfortable with beaching the dinghy and avoiding rolling it in the surf, or he doesn't have an anchor for the dinghy, or both.

He goes up and down the shore looking for a place that is calm enough to put the dinghy. The guests are on shore walking to follow the dinghy. No luck. So now the guests are on the shore waiting for him to figure out what to do. He has them get back in the dinghy, which means they wade out up to their thighs and climb back into the dinghy. All three continue looking up and down the beach to find a suitable spot for the dinghy. Still no luck. So now they are coming back to the anchored boat into the wind and waves. They are all three getting soaked. They climb aboard. No dinner ashore tonight. We could almost hear. "Who knows how to heat up spaghetti O's?" They topped off the night by not turning on an anchor light. That's a big no no.

Kim said she'd go over and offer take them ashore for $50, Mike said he'd do it for less. At least it was live entertainment. It made me remember when down in the Raggeds, Bill and I were going hunting and Christy and Kim were going beach combing and we had similar conditions. We had to go to shore in breaking waves and drop them off. They jumped out in water to their thighs and grabbed their backpacks and walking sticks all without getting the dinghy sideways to the waves. It was worse picking them up. We had to get the dinghies close enough for them to jump up onto the front, throw their sticks and backpacks into the dinghies, and get aboard while we put the dinghies into reverse and avoided getting swamped by a breaking wave. We would have made the US Navy's Seal Team Six proud of our insertion and extraction technique!

It's just all in a day's fun.
Comments
Vessel Name: Fine Lion
Vessel Make/Model: Catalina 42
Hailing Port: Oriental, NC
Crew: Steve and Kim Snyder
About:
Steve lived in Annapolis, but has now moved to Oriental, NC. He's been sailing since 1975. He's a member of the Annapolis YC, SSCA, Royal Marsh Harbor YC, and a past Commodore of the Severn River YC. It's difficult to live in Annapolis, or Oriental, and not be involved in sailing. [...]

Fine Lion

Who: Steve and Kim Snyder
Port: Oriental, NC