Javelin 2015

Javelin 2018 Yachtsmen Cruise June 25 - June 30

Javelin 5/2016 By Rebecca Jonas

Just for fun, Steve Blecher's 53' J-160, Javelin kicks off the 2018 cruising season with a reprise of their college singing group, "The Yachtsmen" with Rick & Brian. The Crew:
Steve (Dartmouth '64) boat Javelin, home port Westbrook, CT
Rick Van Mell (Dartmouth '63), boat Vanishing Animal, home port San Francisco Bay
Brian Klinger (Dartmouth '62), ex-boat Special K

With Rick & Brian having schedule issues for a later Maine cruise, Steve worked out a fun week for the three of us. Outbound from Westbrook, CT we're headed for Northwest Harbor on the south fork of Long Island. Then a short jump and maybe a daysail with the Millers to 3-Mile Harbor just 5 miles east. Then a long, 56 mile romp across Block Island and Rhode Island Sounds to Sakonnet River, or if the weather gods object, just a 34 mile leg to Block Island. Next on to Newport and the seafood buffet at New York Yacht Club's Harbour Court. Heading for home, a night in Stonington or West Harbor behind Fishers Island, then back to Westbrook.

That was The Plan, and Shopping List, but you'll just have to read on to see what happened when the wind hit The Plan!

Pictures by Bob Miller and Rick Van Mell, and are grouped between days.

The table below summarizes daily runs and the date is a link to that day's log. Elasped time is generally time under way and has sometimes been adjusted for lunch stops. Cells with a darker background color represent changes from the original Plan. Engine hours may seem long, but we often have to run the engine to cool the refrigeration system or charge batteries for an hour or more at a time.

Sunday, June 24th

Though Rick touched down at JFK about 40 minutes late, Steve had adjusted and within minutes had picked him up and was headed for Scarsdale. Since it was still before 1700 hours, they headed for the local ACME supermarket and loaded up a cart with the last fresh food needed for the cruise. Steve had already procured and put aboard the dry and canned goods, and frozen a number of entree items. Following dinner at the Scarsdale diner, it was early to bed.

Go To Log Summary

Monday, June 25th

At 0658 Brian texted Rick that he was under way from Rye, New Hampshire, heading for Westbrook and Javelin. It happened that Rick texted back, from the car, that he and Steve had also departed Scarsdale for Westbrook at 0658!

Aboard Javelin at 0843, gear and food was stowed and we ran through Steve's 40 line "Getting Underway" checklist. It ranges from the obvious taking off sail covers and moving halyards to the mast, to 13 electrical switches, and closing certain sink drains before going to sea. A stop at the fuel dock added 14.2 gallons of diesel, and an attempt to pump out the forward and aft holding tanks. Neither tank seemed to empty properly - the aft tank not a drop. Steve noted that one of the winter projects for the yard had been to replace all of the hoses for the two heads and holding tanks. We figured we could use the pumps when we were out at sea.

Clear blue skies and a brisk 15 knot north wind greeted us as we departed south out of Westbrook Harbor at 1100. At the west end of Long Sand Shoal, 2.5 miles out, we turned east for Plum Gut at the eastern end of Long Island Sound. We rolled out the jib and, with the wind occasionally gusting toward 20 knots, made 6.5 to 8.6 knots on jib only.

After clearing Plum Gut at 1301, with lighter winds, we set the main and began a counter-clockwise circle of Shelter Island. Starting at Orient Harbor, we sailed past Greenport and Dering Harbor, past Conkling and Jennings Points, avoided the long rock ledge off Great Hog Neck, turned southeast at South Ferry Hills, then took our sails down behind Mashomack Point. Though Northwest Harbor is a large area, 1.5 miles north - south and .7 miles east - west, only a small quarter mile section had the 12' - 17' water depth we need for Javelin's 7' deep keel. Rick and Steve coordinated bearings, found the center of the sweet spot, and Brian dropped the anchor at 1620. A great day's sail with 35 miles under the keel.

Then began the great Kellet Caper. Last year (2017) we had picked up a mooring in Nantucket with a particularly long mooring line. During the night a combination of wind and current twisted the boat so that the mooring line became wrapped around the keel and we needed a diver to get us loose. Though in 20 years of cruising and anchoring that hadn't happened before, Steve wanted to take extra precautions to prevent it from happening again. A "kellet" is a weight lowered along an anchor line to put sag in it, and to provide a form of "shock absorber" against seas and wind gusts. In slack water it could be adjusted so it would also serve to hold the anchor line below the bottom of the keel and thus, in theory, the boat could swing around without the anchor line catching on the keel.

Steve's solution was a half gallon plastic milk bottle filled with small stones, a carabiner and a retrieving line to lower it down the anchor rode and bring it back. Simple in theory, but the carabiner proved too small to get around the anchor rode, and it was difficult to reach ahead of the bow roller to get it on. Two changes solved the problem. First, by using the engine to push Javelin ahead a few feet, we could grab the anchor line, bring it back outside the bow pulpit and hook it over the port side cleat to which it was secured. This was now accessible and we got a large shackle that fit over the rode with the carabiner attached to it. Once secured, it could be eased/shaken down the rode for about 12'. With a little pulling, the rode was freed from the cleat and ran true from the bow roller. The last step was to bring the retrieving line over the bow roller and drop a loop in the end over the windlass. Mission accomplished. Pictures below.

Steve's friends Tom & Amy Wolf were invited aboard for dinner, but Amy got caught up in a business call and Tom came out alone on their sleek Grady White 22 footer with a 200 hp outboard. Some nibbles and libations preceded Steve's cruise-favorite dinner of spaghetti and meatballs. The Javelin special dessert of Oreos, blueberries and whipped cream wrapped up the meal. Tom departed for shore just as the sun set.

Brian had brought his guitar, and for the first time in many, many years, the 1963 Yachtsmen, as we three had called ourselves when we sang for sailing events back in Dartmouth days, launched into old favorites. Maybe it was just the fun of it, but we all agreed we sounded pretty good an hour and a half later. Picture below shows us in Rick & Brian's dorm room, 7 Richardson Hall. And no, despite what Brian tried to say, we didn't get dressed up to practice as we did on many evenings.

Welcome aboard ...	Javelin	from bow ...	to stern ...	big wheel ...
roomy cockpit ...	companionway ...	instruments on ...	A/C running.	Galley ...
breads ...	sink ...	freezer and fridge ...	frozen ...	cool.
Rick's cabin.	Nav station.	Steve's ready ...	Starting out	Under way ...
Jib set.	Brian relaxes.	Steve too.	Approaching ...	Plum Gut
Plum Gut light.	Rick's turn ...	into Orient Hbr ...	Orient Light	Nice schooner
Checking course ...	Great Hog Neck	Around Shelter I.	The Kellet caper ...	can't reach ...
This worked ...	Good setup ...	hooked on ...	lowered away ...	Retrieving line secure.
Riding sail up ...	All set in ...	Northwest Hbr	Waiting for Tom Wolf	Sunset over Tom's boat
Good night.	The Yachtsmen 1963.

Go To Log Summary

Tuesday, June 26th

We tried to blame Brian, but it also may have been the extra two minutes putting the Kellet away that delayed our departure from Northwest Harbor until 0905. Our destination was Three-Mile Harbor, just a 7 mile run out past Cedar Point, running east 2.5 miles to the 3-Mile Harbor entrance, and another 1.6 miles south into the anchorage to pick up Bob & Maryann Miller. Long time friends of Steve's, Bob & Maryann often rendezvous with Javelin aboard their Mason 44, Mast Transit, whose home port is Three-Mile Harbor. Today they were hanging out in their dinghy on a mooring that Javelin was to use tonight so we could pick them up for a day of sailing.

The agreed pick-up time was 1000. Independently, we noted aboard Javelin, and they in their dinghy, that we came alongside at 1002. With them aboard, we retraced our steps and headed back to Shelter Island to circumnavigate clockwise this time. At 1051 we were back to Cedar Point, then continued under power in light wind to Jessup Neck, where we turned southwest for a detour into Little Peconic Bay. A sandwich lunch break seemed to appease the wind gods, and at 1243 we set sail with 10 knots of wind.

It was light going and we tacked downwind, keeping the apparent wind at 120 degrees aft to provide enough angle for the jib to fill. Javelin showed her stuff by doing almost 7 knots in 10 knots of wind, and was making 7.8 knots on 11.4 knots of wind when we again passed Jessup Neck back to the circumnavigation route. By 1500 we were clear of Shelter Island and romping across Gardiners Bay, occasionally touching 9 knots over the bottom.

Secure on the mooring at 1624, we relaxed with some nibbles and set up the grill for Steve and Bob to master the steaks for dinner. Rick added mashed potatoes and salad, and we, once again, finished off the evening with the Javelin special dessert. As we chatted, we realized all five of us had Ham radio licenses: Steve KN2JMJ; Rick KI6PUR; Brian K2YJI; Bob KD2KGI; and Maryann KD2KGH. Another delightful sunset with a local cruiser capping a picture and the full moon already an hour up in the east.

In the morning ...	the Kellet survived ...	retrieving ...	all cleaned up.	Old Three-Mile lighthouse
Into the channel	Bob & Maryann aboard	Having fun ...	Peconic Bay detour	easy going ...
gybing downwind ...	clear of Peconic ...	Peconic track	making 7.24 knots on 10.1 knots wind	Heading for Three-Mile Hbr
Bob's relaxed ...	Steve too ...	Brian & Maryann too.	We're flying ...	going fast
9 knots SOG	Rick is ...	very happy.	52 Mile Day	in Three-Mile Harbor
Steak dinner.	Evening cruiser ...	sliding by.	Full moon rising.	Farewell, and
good night.

Go To Log Summary

Wednesday, June 27th

Sakonnet River was our Plan target for today, but the forecast for Thursday morning was rain and south-southeasterly winds in the 20 knot range. That would mean a wet and lumpy ride into Newport, our Thursday destination, so Steve called New York Yacht Club and was able to add Wednesday night to our mooring reservation for Thursday.

Either way, it's over 50 miles from Three-Mile Harbor, so, after a quick juice, coffee and oatmeal breakfast, we dropped the mooring at 0725. The course is generally northeast and the wind was predicted as southerly, and if strong enough, would have been a delightful spinnaker run the whole way. Alas, the wind gods were lazy, and except for some tantalizing 10 knots as we turned east below Gardiners Island to get farther from the current at The Race, we saw true wind under 10 knots the whole way and at times under 5 knots. The good news was that it was overcast and pleasantly cool. That tempered the 7 hour drone of the engine and the rolly-polly open ocean swell until we got behind the lee of Block Island.

Our early arrival in Newport at 1415 made it easy to find our mooring. Perhaps the wind gods thought we were done for the day, and relented with a delightful southwester blowing through the harbor and lower Narragansett Bay. It didn't take us long to decide we'd rather be sailing than sitting on a mooring, so we cast off at 1455 and made sail. Running north under the Newport Bridge, we passed west of Gould Island. Gusts peaked toward 15 knots, true to the early forecast of increasing winds late in the day. Javelin is so powerful upwind, that in true winds of 15 knots or higher, the apparent wind quickly gets into the 20s -- perfectly fine for long deliveries and power racing, but not the most comfortable for 3 people to beat back against for 5 miles.

So, we practiced our reefing skills and shortly had a double reef tucked into the main. Again the wind gods took offense, and never went back above 13 knots. However, the very definition of a "sailboat race" (two sailboats in sight of each other) shortly came into play. Beautiful, dark blue, perhaps 70 feet with a bright white full main and medium genoa this glorious sight was beating south, perhaps a half mile north of us. We traded three sets of tacks, and at first, with the wind stonger, we were holding our own. As the wind backed off under 11 knots we slowly lost ground until, just arriving at the Newport Bridge, she was a boatlength to leeward and in our wind shadow. Maybe she just gave up, and maybe had better things to do, but at that point she bore away and furled her jib as we sailed on to Newport Harbor.

Secure on our NYYC mooring 707 at 1722, we had a small libation, debated briefly, and agreed Rick would cook the swordfish in a pan rather than try setting up the grill in the afternoon breeze. Mixed veg and rice, a leisurely dinner, and we secured all of the hatches against the expected rain, and headed for our bunks between 2100 and 2200.

Departing Three-Mile Hbr ...	Brian's on helm.	Rounding Gardiners I.	Clearing Montauk Pt	Montauk Ptlight
Pt.Judith light.	Big barge.	Steve's got it.	The dumplings.	Tourist boat.
into Newport Harbor.	Great old 8 Meter.	Three-Mile to Newport	Off for a day sail ...	breeze is picking up ...
2nd reef tied in.	18 knots apparent.	Newport Bridge	R.I. Sail Training ship	Among tall masts ...
one stands out ...	mean bow ...	long low cabin ...	person looks tiny ...	big helm stations ...
rugged boom.	Old Newport church.	Lots of money.	Old 12 AC Meter	Another beautiful 12.
Newport day sail	Swordfish dinner.

Go To Log Summary

Thursday, June 28th

Fog? Yes. Wind? Yes. Rain? Some. After a peaceful eight to ten hours in the rack, we still were all up at 0700. The classic "McHank" breakfast sandwich was on the menu - thanks to Hank Jonas' gift of the Hamilton Beach double breakfast sandwich maker. But, to do that we needed to run the generator to get a supply of 110 volt electricity. Routine. Just start the generator. Which ran for about a minute and died. Restarting didn't work, so we checked the fuel lines to the diesel tank under Rick's bunk and discovered that the shutoff valves were closed. Once opened, breakfast proceeded apace.

The "look at the radar" game, and the forecast, called for rain most of the day. Rain & fog, with wind up and down between 8 and 18, came and went with passing curtains of water lasting for a minute or two at a time. An excellent opportunity to build pictures into the log and add text.

Rick had a neighbor who had just moved from Mountain View to Barrington, RI and called Nancy Hill to see if they were around. It turned out Nancy was available and joined us for a sandwich lunch (and Javelin dessert), arriving about 1330 and departing at 1530 after an enjoyable visit.

For the rest of the foggy and rainy afternoon Brian and Rick swapped the guitar back and forth trying to relearn the chords for folk songs sung long ago. Steve joined in occasionally, and added his recollection of various word choices and the sequence of verses in songs.

Hailing the NYYC launch Navette, we were all ashore, up the long steep stairs of Harbour Court and walking into the grill at 40 seconds to 1800. By the time we had hung up our coats and gone to the head, we had a table ready for us, and headed for the seafood buffet. Oysters, clams, shrimp, and clam chowder were round one, followed by lobsters and beef tenderloin for the entree. An assortment of sweets completed the feast. We practically rolled down the hill and were back aboard by 2000.

Reading, log writing, and running to cool the fridge wrapped up the evening.

McHank breakfast ...	tastes great.	Grey morning ...	foggy bridge ...	and Ft. Adams ...
breezy too ...	New York Yacht Club.

Go To Log Summary

Friday, June 29th

Fog horns blared past midnight, but dawn was clear with light westerly winds. Rick got up to go to the head at 0558, and there was Steve, dressed and setting up coffee. So the morning had begun. A quick cereal breakfast and we dropped the mooring at 0650 and headed home under power to Westbrook to get the holding tanks looked at.

The 56 mile route from Newport first heads south about 8 miles to Pt. Judith. Thursday's southeasterly winds had built up ocean swells running 2 - feet, with occasional 5 - 6 foot rollers giving us an uncomfortable ride along this stretch. Turning west at Pt. Judith, it's a 15 mile run to Watch Hill point, the junction between Rhode Island and Connecticut, and the protected waters of Fishers Island Sound. The flood current pushed us along, augmenting the usual 8 knots under motor to occasionally getting us over 9 knots.

At 1010 we were swept past Watch Hill with the stately Ocean House hotel and the Watch Hill light gleaming in the bright sunlight. Lunch was left over spaghetti and meatballs, augmented with fresh onion, celery and tomatoes. As the current turned from flood to ebb, we arrived at Westbrook at 1333. We again tried pumping the forward holding tank and with some difficulty managed to get it empty, but it was clearly not working correctly. The aft tank - now completely full - couldn't be pumped. When the yard had replaced the hoses, something had gotten crossed. A project for next week.

By now a fresh southwester has settled in and we headed out for an afternoon sail at 1422. Close reaching out past the west end of Long Sand Shoal, we tacked back once, then out again, and finally aimed back to Westbrook - sailing around 8 knots most of the time. A delightful 18 mile sail. Timed to get back into Javelin's slip before dead low tide, the cruise came to an end at 1654.

Pork chops and mixed veg, with a "Javelin Shortcake" dessert gave us time to reflect on a wonderful cruise. Brian & Rick broke out the guitar, and with some contributions from Steve, worked their way through about 20 of the 57 songs in our "Songs of DCYC's Yachtsmen of the 1960s." It is mostly folk songs popular in that era, and was first compiled 21 years ago for the reunion of about a dozen of our sailing classmates for the May 9-11, 1997 Alumni Regatta on Lake Mascoma, Dartmouth Sailing home base.

Friday morning ...	leaving Newport ...	heading for ...	Pt. Judith waypoint.	Approaching Watch Hill ...
Ocean House ...	another beauty ...	Watch Hill light ...	flying past ...	entrance buoy.
Westbrook channel ...	close aboard.	Westbrook Day Sail	Safe Home.	Just desserts!

Go To Log Summary

Saturday, June 30th

It was a "late" breakfast starting about 0730. Bags were packed, bunks stripped, log finished, boat hosed down, and the fridge and freezer emptied by 1015. Leaving Javelin secure in her slip, Brian drove off headed home for Rye, New Hampshire, and Steve dropped Rick at JFK for his flight back to Mountain View, California. The end.



Go To Log Summary

Clear Sailing.

Rick Van Mell vanmells@ix.netcom.com

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