Memorial Day shakedown sail

By Sailor Keddy -
I motored out to the anchorage last week and dropped it for the third season I've spent in Newport. Soveraine is finally ready to go, with her name painted on the transom in a font I'd like to call "10 minutes with a chip brush", and you would think a child in elementary school did it for some milk money. It should be temporary, since I plan on painting the topsides sometime soon, but its also a nose in the air salute to Newport in general. I've gotten some guff for it however I'm almost positive vinyl lettering won't improve my performance or safety.

Memorial Day finally came, after 5 days of no sun and pissing rain storms. And with it, myself, Elizabeth (actually, there were two aboard), Seabass, Micah and Gretchen took Soveraine out for an inaugural sail of the season (a season I'm planning to perpetuate indefinitely). It was blowing out of the west for awhile before the sea breeze kicked in, and kick in it did. We had full sail up while it was blowing a solid 20 and gusting to over 25 knots. Too much sail? Absolutely. I really wanted to get those chainplates working though, and we dipped the rail pretty deep a few times. Overall, it was a complete success. It turns out my main sheet isn't quite long enough, the main topping lift needs to be replaced, but that about sums up the necessary work on the rigging.

It wouldn't be a complete shakedown sail without at least a little bit of mishap/adventure. We dropped sail and were motoring back towards the anchorage when the engine RPMs dropped and it cut out completely. I tried to start her again, to no avail. Sloop Providence was to leward and Soveraine was close to being impaled on her massive bowsprit. I called for the jib to be unfurled and Micah and Gretchen ran forward. I handed the boat hook to Elizabeth while Seabass tended the sheets, we were going to grab a mooring but first had to get some way on to dodge Providence. Elizabeth grabbed the pennant while Seabass eased the sheets and within three minutes of the engine sputtering to a stop we were tied off safely. The take home message: don't coil your jib sheets until the anchor is dropped and the motor is off!

I spent most of yesterday trying to figure out what had happened. As it turns out, even though I had about a gallon of fuel left in the tank, the pickup tube sits about an inch and a half off the bottom. I suppose in a tank larger than 10 gallons this isn't a big deal, but I had no idea I'd lose 10% of my fuel capacity! So yes, long story short, we technically ran out of fuel. Just one of many lessons learned that day as I listen to what Soveraine has to tell me, both under sail and otherwise.

Comments

Lizard said…
So glad to have been a part of the inaugural sail of the season!! Was a fantastic day of sailing....mishaps and all :) Can't wait for more to come with Soveraine and Captain Keddy
May 29, 2013 at 9:12 PM
sgkuhner said…
I can't believe it. The same thing happened to Kitty and I ob our Allied Seawind 30, Bebinka, as we were powering down the ICW on the start of our circumnavigation in 1971. We had an 18 gal fuel tank and the pick-up was a few inches above the bottom. We sailed back to Bellhaven Marina and a guy on the dock taught me how to bleed the engine to get it started again. From then on we never let the tank get below 4 gals.
June 4, 2013 at 10:47 PM
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