Alaska via the Inside Passage in 2017 on High Flight!

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LCBrandt
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Alaska via the Inside Passage in 2017 on High Flight!

UPDATE: I have edited this to update the post, leaving all prior comments in place.

"Life is what happens when you're busy making plans," they say. But 2017 will be the year. Or maybe it won't.

My goal is to depart Portland on or about Mothers Day, May 14, 2017, but I have a non-negotiable list of chores that MUST be done to the boat before leaving the slip at Portland Yacht Club ("PYC"). This is the year, or maybe not...because while I have a goal, I recognize that things can happen along the way. Weather, for instance. I wish this was a sunny el Niño year, but it's not. And at my age, I might not want to endure the cold and wet weather - a thousand miles up, a thousand there, and a thousand back - although this past Oregon winter has surely trained me for that. 

I have NO DEADLINES (the most dangerous thing to have aboard any boat is a skipper or crew with a deadline). Only wishes. I have set up a Facebook page for the trip and I'll be posting progress and the occasional observation or photo on that FB page. 

[My original posting from 2015: Well, that's the goal, anyway. Thought I would state it here in front of God and everybody, just to make it harder for me to back out. Sure, there are still some events that could derail the project...a skiing injury, maybe, or a pop-up major health issue, or the funds not quite in place when the time comes, etc. But at my age I figure it's now or never. 2015 will be the year for it. I'd like to position the boat in Olympia around April. Olympia is the southern end of the Inside Passage, and the destination would be Skagway. Lots of adventurous cruising along the way, for sure. About a 5 month round trip I expect.] 

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

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Larry,
That sounds like a GREAT trip!

Tom Sokoloski
C36/375IA Past Commodore
Noank, CT

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As the sun scorches hotter and the daytime average creeps up into the high 70s here in central California, my dreams have turned increasingly to the Northwest Passage and away from the South Pacific I'd always dreamed of. I'm jealous, Larry ... I won't be ready by next year but I hope to follow in your wake one day before too long. There you go: a little more pressure to do it!

Nick Tonkin
*Former* Website Administrator, C36/375IA
*Former* owner, C36 tr/fk #255, Santa Barbara, CA

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Good news Larry!  There's so much information now available on the interweb that I'm sure you will have it all planned, locked and loaded...  but feel free to give a yell if you think I might help you.  
It's a fantastic trip (I've been north to the BC central coast a dozen times and Alaska to Petersburg twice) every time is different and you never know what's around the next point.
We're going north as far as "The Great Bear Rainforest" summer 2015 (BC Central Coast) - keep in touch maybe we can meet up in Nanaimo or points north!

---- Howard & Linda Matwick ----

--- S/V "Silhouette" - Nanaimo, BC ----

--- 1999  C36 MkII  #1776 M35BC ---

Bruce Stanley
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Approx 1300 nm each way ... and 5 months!
That is one of the best trips one could make, and in a C36.
I will look forward to your progress!
ALL SMILES AND A LITTLE ENVY.

Bruce Stanley/ Sydney Australia
C36 #2282 / Fin

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Should be a great trip. And Howard, we'll stay in touch when the time comes and if possible share an anchorage along the way.

Long, long ago, I was a Beechcraft salesman out of Vancouver, and then later a Bell helicopter sales rep up there. So I know the BC coast from the air, and I have always dreamed of taking my time along the BC coast. The objective is to be in no hurry whatsoever. 

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

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clennox
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What a great plan! I too have been thinking of heading north.

Chuck Lennox
97 MKii Ventura Ca
Island Girl Hull #1611

alexanne
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Sounds like a great trip. Has anyone done the trip from the San Francisco to PNW in a C36 ?

Alex H.
SV Alexanne, 1985 #432 SR
SF Marina Bay YH

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HowLin
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Most people I know that have cruised down to Mexico or S Pacific get back to Ensenada or San Diego and truck their boats back!!  Otherwise best way back to PNW is via Hawaii  (you don't want to motor upwind, often against 25+ knots.....)

---- Howard & Linda Matwick ----

--- S/V "Silhouette" - Nanaimo, BC ----

--- 1999  C36 MkII  #1776 M35BC ---

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While you are waiting and preparing you can watch an Alaskan cruising video blog with 'Cruising LeaLea' on YouTube, they have been pocket cruising the same coast for several years.

Brent and Janie Farler
"Salsa Caliente"
1987 Catalina 36 Hull #719
Lake Texoma, TX

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Rob Kyles
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Sounds a real adventure, hope it comes to fruition.   Keep us posted :-)

 

S.V. Wind Star

Rob & Margie Kyles:    Auckland ,New Zealand
Mk I  Hull #105 1983   Std Rig, Std Keel

 

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Larry, DO IT!
Have a great trip, I did consider positioning Hilbre to do the same but we are currently taking some time off after our Mexican trip. Will look forward to following your Blog!
 

John Meyer
Hilbre
C36 MKll, Hull 2135

Cabrillo Marina, San Pedro, CA

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deising
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Late posting, but want to add my endorsement of your plans, Larry. As you say, if not now, when?

All the best!

Duane Ising - Past Commodore (2011-2012)
s/v Diva Di
1999 Catalina 36 Hull #1777
Std rig; wing keel, M35B, Delta (45#)
Punta Gorda, FL
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/diva-di/

William Miller
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Larry
When you get to Olympia sent me a email 2beachbums(at)q(dot)com. We keep our boat about 20 miles north of Oly at Fairharbor Grape WA . Would like to come to Oly to see your boat and maybe talk a little flying. You said you were a Bell rep, I flew CH47 Chinooks in Viet Nam and for a company Carson Helicopters flying Skorsky S61 and S58Ts

Bill Miller
S/V Lorraine
Pacific Northwest,Sound Sound
Grapeview,Wa
1990 Mk1

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I answered your message with a PM, Bill. I also sanitized the personal email address in your post to help prevent spam. Happy New year.

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

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I have been asked if I will blog about the trip; the answer is no. However I did create a Facebook page for the trip where I can collect plans, thoughts, events, observations and photos as convenient. If you have an interest in seeing this level of detail, on Facebook do a search for "High Flight Inside Passage", which should get you there. I believe the following FB link should take you to that page. Comment here if that doesn't work for you. Newbies to FB, you may have to join FB, but don't let that worry you: just avoid telling them anything important if you're worried about security.

https://www.facebook.com/SVHighFlight

 

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

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I guess I owe you folks an update. We postponed the trip until next year. Sorry to say family health issues delayed our departure from PDX. We should have been crossing into Canada around May 1, but due to unforseen circumstances we hadn't even left PDX by Memorial Day May 30. 

I've promised the boat a refurbishment this fall. I purchased a Raymarine 18 inch Digital Radar and a C125 MFD chartplotter. I hope to tackle this project about October, more or less. Two motives drove this purchase: 1) I wanted to get AIS on the display at the helm, and 2) I wanted to enhance the boat for a potential sale in the next couple years. Of course one can't expect to get the investment money back on an upgrade like this, but I believe it may improve the listing-to-sell date when the time comes.

Recent beneficial changes in Washington state law regarding taxation on visiting cruisers may just 'force' us to keep the boat longer than anticipated. God knows I L-O-V-E the boat and I love cruising Pacific NW waters.

 

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

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Larry,

How are things progressing  with a thought to the trip north? We are going to go north in July 2016. Maybe not Alaska, but at least to Ocean Falls.
We are planning on 6 weeks, so most of July and a bit of August.
If your AIS is working, look for "Touch of Grey". We will be on 16, give a shout.

Regards,
Bruce

 

Bruce Campbell
Evergreen Dreams #1409

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LCBrandt
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Hello, Bruce, from sunny and *bare* Kitzbuehel, Austria, where at the moment (December 27, 2015) the only snow is machine-made. We did not go North in 2015 but are planning on the trip in 2016 IF all goes well health-wise and boat-wise. Presently 80% through a major electronics upgrade, and we will be monitoring and transmitting on AIS-B. Hopefully we will me. 

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

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Larry,

I hope you didn't go all that way for snow when the PNW is covered!

We are headed north in July on our 'old people' boat, a Nordic Tug 42 that we bought in case we ever decide to get old. That should last 6 weeks or so. Plan to see Ocean Falls. We will be around Saltspring on our C36 end of August, first of September for Maple Bay Regatta and some close to home cruising.

Both 'Evergreen Dreams', C36 and 'Touch of Grey', NT 42 will be broadcasting on AIS. Hope to see you up there.

Bruce

Bruce Campbell
Evergreen Dreams #1409

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William Miller
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Bruce
You are so right about the snow,what marina are your boats in?
Bill

Bill Miller
S/V Lorraine
Pacific Northwest,Sound Sound
Grapeview,Wa
1990 Mk1

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bcam
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We are at Elliott Bay Marina in Seattle.

Bruce Campbell
Evergreen Dreams #1409

William Miller
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Great marina, I worked for the company that built it

Bill Miller
S/V Lorraine
Pacific Northwest,Sound Sound
Grapeview,Wa
1990 Mk1

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UPDATE: S/V High Flight is on its way to Alaska.

I'm writing this from Port McNeill, BC, about 4/5ths the way up the inside of Vancouver Island, or just about 600 nm since we departed Portland Yacht Club on May 16, 2017. 

We took two days down the Columbia River to Astoria, Oregon, enlivened by two hailstorms. Then a beautiful day and a half ocean trip to an anchor overnight at Neah Bay, on the upper left corner of the Olympic Peninsula. Another day down the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Port Angeles, WA. There, we took a rental car home for a dental appointment and a divert to Fisheries Supply in Seattle for 300 ft of new rope anchor rode. 

Then I crossed the Strait to Friday Harbor, in fabulous weather. Once again the Admiral came aboard. Then outward bound to clear Canada Customs at Bedwell Harbour and a lovely few days at Ganges, on Saltspring Island. From there to Nanaimo (where the bars come from), and then to Comox. Here we competed for dock space for a night with the Van Isle 360 race boat fleet, some 30+ boats racing around Vancouver Island. (PS: The VI 360 is one damn tough race, folks.) At this point the Admiral flew home on the airlines, as per plan. She will fly to Juneau on Alaska Airlines to meet the boat, and to be aboard for our July 25 permit entry to Glacier Bay National Park. 

I've since taken the boat on to Campbell River for a night, then through Seymour Narrows to Johnstone Strait, where its traditional Northwesterlies crashed and banged. Short story long, I'm in Port McNeill for three days to let a gale pass.

Saturday I hope to go on to Port Hardy to wait for boat parts: new throttle and shift cables and attach hardware from Catalina Direct. I intend to replace these before heading out to round Cape Caution. 15 years of hard use, and now when I select Forward it's a 50/50 chance that the transmission will actually go into Forward. Not good for marina maneuvering. Stay tuned.
 

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

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LCBrandt
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There are two ways that those interested can follow this voyage: 

  1. Garmin InReach posts a map that displays the detailed route. It is at the following url. The password to enter is Cat36.    https://share.garmin.com/mapshare/LawrenceBrandt 
  2. I have set up a Facebook page for the trip, kind of a mini-blog...few words, but more pictures. Search of Facebook for "@SVHighFlight", or for "High Flight Inside Passage".

Enjoy.

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

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Attaboy Larry!

Nick Tonkin
*Former* Website Administrator, C36/375IA
*Former* owner, C36 tr/fk #255, Santa Barbara, CA

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Good Luck Larry! 
 

Bob & Maggie B. Hobby Time 1999 C36 MK II TM/Wing Hull #1796 Warwick, RI

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UPDATE 8/22/17: Made it to Juneau and am returning south with an unplanned stop in Prince Rupert, BC. High Flight had its SECOND Hurth transmission failure of the trip(!) about 30 minutes after threading through an absolutely spectacular serpentine pass, Watts Narrows, exiting Baker Inlet into Grenville Channel.

Heading into a strong south wind, I tacked and tacked south in Grenville Channel to attain the lee in Klewnuggit Inlet. I found then that I could make 1 kt in reverse, and so backed into Klewnuggit for two hours into a tight bay called Exposed Inlet. A lonely anchorage overnight in a place with no VHF weather, no cellphone, but only my AIS and my InReach satellite text communicator. Next morning I radioed a passing boat (spotted on AIS), and our conversation was overheard by another boat who immediately turned around to offer assistance. The schooner Mycia, may she sail forever under God's good blessing, came in, towed me through the rocks enclosing Exposed Inlet, intending to release me once sailable winds were found. Which weren't found, and so they loaned me a crewman to help steer and towed me 50 nm to Prince Rupert. Believe me, there's nothing even slightly shameful being towed by such a lovely 68 ft schooner as Mycia.

So, I am 'embayed' here in Rupert. Yesterday I ordered a brand new PRM120 transmission to replace the Hurth. It's 1 and 1/2 inch longer than the Hurth, which will cause me to remount the engine 1 " forward. I am intending to write this up for the C36IA archive when winter comes.

Because wi-fi is spotty on this trip, even here in Cow Bay Marina, I don't get on this site very often. The place to follow the mostly non-technical aspects of the voyage is on the boat's Facebook page. Search on Facebook for 'SVHighFlight' or for 'High Flight Inside Passage'. Deep technical matters will be covered in a Technical thread I'll begin, and in the writeup I will do for the C36IA Upgrades library.
 

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

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Congrats on making it to Juneau, Larry! Sorry to hear about the tranny problems. Always happens on a trip, doesn't it? Your InReach track doesn't sem to cover Glacier Bay National Park; did you make it there for your reservation?

Thanks for updating us here. Well done!

Nick Tonkin
*Former* Website Administrator, C36/375IA
*Former* owner, C36 tr/fk #255, Santa Barbara, CA

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Sorry to hear about your troubles.  Your story on the tow just reenforces my belief that sailors are a great group of people. 

Les

Les & Trish Troyer
Mahalo 
Everett, WA
1983 C-36 Hull #0094
C-36 MK 1 Technical Editor. 

Commodore

 

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Another compelling demonstration of the adage that cruising gives us the opportunity to fix our boats in more exotic locations!
Having just seen your screenshot of your track from your FB page, I'm impressed by what you endured and managed that day in Grenville Channel. 
Best of luck to you for the remainder of your trip.

Matthew Chachère
s/v ¡Que Chévere!
(Formerly 1985 C36 MKI #466 tall rig fin keel M25)
2006 Catalina Morgan 440 #30.
Homeported in eastern Long Island, NY

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Thanks for the good wishes. And apologies for the lengthy response following.

Nick, your question: Because of previous mechanical difficulties that consumed so much time I had to hurry north (I was solo from Comox north) to meet the Admiral who was arriving by Alaska Airlines. We used the boat as a base in Douglas Harbor in Juneau, then flew to Skagway for explorations, back to Juneau, then flew to Glacier Bay, then back. The Admiral was with me for 9 days and we had a wonderful relaxed 'vacation.' Frankly, I needed a 'vacation' from the boat. I called Glacier Bay to forfeit the reservation so someone else could use it.

All through the nine days my brain had been chewing over a nagging coolant leak that I swore MUST be fixed before I departed south. By the time she left on the airlines, I was suffering from psychosomatic head gasket failure caused by a broken or warped cylinder head. I waved goodbye at airport security. I am pleased to tell you that (using a coolant system pressure tester from NAPA, about $100) I had the leak identified and repaired before she landed in Portland. It was a *bitch* of a leak that was blaming a neighboring hose for the problem. Oh happy day! Next morning I headed south, once again solo.

Speeding up the story. I departed Ketchikan 0400, pitch dark and PEA SOUP fog. Maybe 100 ft visibility. Cruise ships entering, tugs working, some seiners headed out (I assume, I couldn't see them). although viz lifted a couple hours later to 1/4 to 1/2 mile, I was in the fog crossing Dixon Entrance all the way. Then it got better into Prince Rupert via Venn Passage. Cleared Canadian customs here.

A couple days later I headed south, entered Baker Inlet late afternoon through the spectacular Watts Narrows. Lovely anchorage. I was the only boat there. I wouldn't trade the experience of that anchorage for anything.

'Tranny Troubles Part Deux' began about 30 minutes after exiting Baker Inlet through Watts Narrows at 0700 next morning. Had the failure happened in Watts Narrows I would have lost the boat.

Symptom...cruising in Grenville Channel into a strong (15 to 20 knot) headwind, 2200 rpm making 6.3 knots. I look down, same rpm, making 2.5 kts. What the...? Must have snagged some kelp. So I let the boat come to a stop in the middle of Grenville, put it in reverse to let the kelp wind off. Kind of rough conditions, but I sensed some reverse, so went back into Forward, and No Go. Literally, the engine was fine, but there was no thrust from the prop. 

Not much choice now, gotta sail. Which direction, downwind back to Rupert, or upwind to some overnight stop towards Hartley Bay? I made a stupid choice. The desire for summer being so strong, I sailed upwind, finally into the lee of Klewnuggit Inlet. You can see this on my InReach track. But there was no wind in the lee of Klewnuggit! So what to do now? Ah, I found I could back at 1 knot, so I backed for two hours into Exposed Inlet (that's the name). The schooner Maple Leaf (an eco charter) had come by to anchor for an hour or two in Exposed Inlet to hike some bear flats, and they offered assistance that I used only once: after backing through the rocks entering Exposed I began to drift in a slight current toward the rocky wall. I asked their inflatable dinghy to push me off a bit so I could anchor. Then he put power on the stern to help set the anchor once deployed.

They left about an hour later and I was absolutely alone. No engine power. No VHF weather. No cellphone. The InReach let me text the Admiral that I was safe and doing fine.

Then the warm front hit. 

Next morning, dead calm. I turned on the chartplotter. Push AIS, 'List targets.' Nada. Zip. Not one AIS target listed. Time to chill. Be patient. Couple hours later I looked again. Aha! Two recreational vessels out there. I called one by name, told them my plight. 'Although I could back out at one knot, I couldn't control direction very well. So all I needed was a tow a quarter mile through the rock and then I could sail,' I told them. (I thought I could see sailable wind a short way out.) Unbeknownst to that boat and to me, a schooner overheard our conversation and turned around to come and get me.

God bless the schooner Mycia and all who sail in her.

A lovely 68 ft schooner built in Port Townsend, she hooked up, and towed me out per agreement to the Channel, to sailable wind.

Only there was not enough wind to sail. So they loaned me one of her crew to help steer, added another hundred feet of tow line, and towed me 46 nm to the breakwater at Cow Bay Marina in Prince Rupert. And towed me FASTER than my normal cruise speed!

Next day we are hand-lining High Flight from the breakwater into its own slip, and a guy - Jim Phillips from Catalina 34 S/V Bliss - walks by. I enlist him to take one of the lines we're using. Rain begins, we get soaked. But High Flight is safe in her 'home' slip. Ten minutes later...

Then the cold front hit.

So many lucky things have happened to me on this adventure. Meeting Jim Phillips at this moment, is one. Earlier this year he changed out his Hurth for a new PRM120 transmission. An hour or two later he sent me an email that was like an engineering dissertation: list of considerations, costs, part numbers (!), tradeoffs...turns out he's a marine engineer.
 
Anyway, here I sit in Cow Bay Marina waiting for Greyhound to bring my new PRM120 transmission (C$1700), 4 new engine mounts (C$400 each), and new damper plate (C$250 or so). I've thought through most aspects of the transmission change out and I think it'll be a good upgrade. I created a thread on the C36IA Technical forum to discuss that, but Ithe tale I'm writing here is a cruising one, not technical.

Enough of this. I didn't intend to write so much, but I'm still hyper from the experience. 
   
Let me give some credit to:

  1. The NAPA pressure tester. You got a coolant leak? It is worth the hundred bucks to pump up the system *cold* to troubleshoot.
  2. My Raymarine below-deck autopilot. I could not do this trip without an autopilot with a) the muscle to steer the boat in ocean swells offshore Washington state; b) the reliability to help me solo on so many 8-, 9-, even 12-hour days; c) the muscle to tack in 15 to 20 knots single-handed.
  3. My 44 lb Rocna with 100 feet chain and 300 ft rope rode. Several times I have had almost all my rode deployed. And that Rocna has been FANTASTIC. It's a pain to manhandle gently around the furler drum, but man that monster holds! 

To Jim Phillips of Catalina 34 S/V Bliss for the conversation and guidance regarding the transmission change out.

And of course, to the lovely schooner S/V Mycia. May God bless her and all who sail in her.

* end of story* (for now).

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

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TomSoko
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Larry,
So glad that your "adventures" have been overcome. Quite the exciting story!

Tom Sokoloski
C36/375IA Past Commodore
Noank, CT

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