To see as much of the world as we can,
Using the smallest carbon footprint we can,
Spending the least amount of money we can,
Making as many friends we can.

Team Red Cruising

  • Guests

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    IMG_1373.jpg

    Went sailing with a bunch of guests from work. Did I take pictures? No.

    That's sort of awkward, isn't it?

    I did take this picture.

    It's a cleat that attaches to a shroud. We use these for our various flag halyards.

    It broke. So I took a picture …


  • Answers to some little questions

    We had two "events" on the way North.

    1. The chain looks really cruddy. Flakes of metal are coming off. Not a good look for chain. The question is "Exactly what kind of chain is it?" The difference in measurements between ⅜" HT, ⅜" BBB and 10mm chain is tiny. And …


  • Fireworks and the return

    Once we finished fixing the various things that needed fixing, we could do what we planned to do in Norfolk. Nothing. The trip back was eventful and a bit more delightful than the trip down.

    The fix list from the trip down was reviewed in "Running down to Norfolk." Here's …


  • Running down to Norfolk

    The trip down wasn't a "delight." It was eventful, but we pulled if off without a major problem. Except for the panhandlers.

    We made the dock by 19:00 more-or-less. The wind was almost non-existent. We were out of the creek on a rising tide during the last hour of …


  • Planning for July 4th in Norfolk

    We'd like to leave July 2, Thursday night, and do an overnighter down the bay to Hospital Point. It's 36 miles. Rate×time=distance, right? How hard to can it be?

    The basis for all of the planning is to work out the departure time. We don't want to arrive …


  • Circumnavigators

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    IMG_1303.jpg

    We met folks finishing their circumnavigation of the planet.

    On Red Ranger, we did some jobs. CA fixed our red sail covers. I played with Epifanes. CA broke a needle. There it is — shattered needle from serious stitching.

    Safety note. D-rings must be stainless. The non-stainless D-ring was …


  • Return from Cape Charles

    Tall Ships. Fellow Sailors. Beer. Food.

    There's nothing quite so good.

    Defeating the Arch-Enemy. Even better.

    Video: Red Ranger in the Chesapeake.

    It's about 25 miles from Deltaville to Cape Charles. With a fair wind, it can be done in 4-5 hours.

    IMG_1282.jpg
    IMG_1282.jpg

    With a contrary wind, it can …


  • Yet More Pumps

    Today, we rejiggered the deck wash down system. And solved two mysteries. One was a mystery that could have sunk Red Ranger. The other was just mysterious.

    The bilge system involves a secondary use case for deck wash down. The deep bilge pump normally pumps bilge water overboard. We can …


  • Pumps and The 5F's of Safety

    On Red Ranger, we use the 5F's of safety.

    • Flooding

    • Falling Overboard

    • Fire

    • First Aid

    • Fatigue and Famine

    These help us separate what's safety critical from what's merely a good idea.

    Which leads us to pumps. Hull integrity, hose integrity, and hose clamps are important preventative measures. A dripless shaft …


  • Red Ranger's Mascot

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    IMG_1263.jpg

    We've find a new location for our mascot. You can see him peeking out of the bottom instrument window.

    IMG_1261.jpg
    IMG_1261.jpg

    He's sitting where some former instrument used to be. No idea which instrument it was. But there he is.

    We found him inside the aft hatch sliding …


  • Party Time and Water System Repairs

    With the water tanks a mess, we can still host guests and sail around in the Piankatank River. Outside party time, we do have some new water problems to solve.

    Memorial Day 2015
    Memorial Day 2015

    We set up some gallon jugs of dock water in each head and five gallons of grocery …


  • More Season Setup

    We're limited in what we can do on the weekends. Partly it's the time. Partly it's CA recovering from surgery. She still can't lift much or bend over. Activities must be balanced against rest time.

    Smart helps. Sometimes, we're smart. Sometimes not.

    We bent on the two head sails. We're …


  • Current Leak [*Updated*]

    IMG_1194.jpg
    IMG_1194.jpg

    Our two most recent zinc anodes haven't lasted 6 months.

    They used to.

    What changed?

    (1) Solar panels. (2) GFCI outlets. (3) A few small things.

    The solar panels mean that we now generate power constantly. Constantly.

    I added a Camp zinc grouper. This is 6 pounds of …


  • Essential Repairs

    Our insurance requires a survey every five years. We contacted John L. Schnoering. Traditional Yacht Surveyors, in Deltaville, and got a detailed list of what's right and what's wrong with Red Ranger.

    The "red flag" item on Red Ranger? What's the single most dangerous thing that must be fixed? We'll …


  • Launch Day

    Some things we did during the winter.

    1. Have a skilled carpenter fix the bang rail. There's a wooden fender that runs down both sides of Red Ranger. We broke parts of it off in Vero Beach. We finally got fixed. It looks great! Pictures later.

    That was it.

    We didn't …


  • Visiting The Boatyard

    IMG_1164.jpg
    IMG_1164.jpg

    Took some of the family — Niece Hjördis, CA, Sis Nancy, Mom Judy — to see Red Ranger on the hard at the boat yard.

    Not shown in the picture are Bro-in-Law Andy, Nephew Sumner, and Nephew Winsor.

    Red Ranger weathered the winter without too many problems.

    1. The bilge froze …


  • Competitive Rock Climbing

    I shouldn't be surprised there's such a thing as competitive rock climbing. As a sailor I know that if there are two sailboats going approximately the same way, it's a race, pure and simple. Maybe not so cutthroat competitive as America's Cup or Volvo Ocean Race, but… All it takes …



  • The Rock Gym

    Since it takes two to climb, how did we get these pictures? Glad you asked. Rock climbing is all about puzzle solving. And that's your little puzzler.

    IMG_1122
    IMG_1122

    Top rope climbing is a two-player team sport — one person actually does the vertical ascent part — the other person belays them. The …


  • Richmond Sights

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    IMG_1061

    It appears that they do this on purpose: they shoot under the railroad bridge, then — somehow — raise the bow up and drop their heads into the water before hitting the next waterfall.

    The railroad bridge is after some flat water in the middle of the sequence of rapids.

    I …


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