Drift Away: Go Ahead, Chuckle

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Go Ahead, Chuckle

I know Spring is supposed to be here. According to the calendar, it's already Spring, and this morning on TV I see that the cherry trees are in bloom in Washington DC. Here in Connecticut, there are tiny buds on the trees and I've seen Robins. It's cold here though, only 35 degrees as I write this. Looking out the windows, I see ice on the water, a sure sign that it was in the mid-twenties last night.

As a 40 year lake sailor, I'm still fascinated by tides, which run seven or eight feet here. The water goes up and down twice a day, covering and uncovering whatever is on the bottom. When a skim of ice forms and the water drops, the ice covers everything like a layer of cake frosting.

The forecast today is to get up to around 40 degrees. So all you loopers and cruisers in Florida, the Bahamas, and Caribbean... stay put, or take your time wandering back north. It's still hat and gloves weather here.

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Drift Away Specs

Drift Away is a 1980 Cheoy Lee 46' LRC (long range cruiser). She has twin 120 HP Ford Lehman diesels, 15 kw and 7.5 kw generators, and carries 800 gallons of fuel and 400 gallons of water. She cruises at 8 knots and has a top speed of 9.5 knots, plenty fast enough for this old sailor.

She is somewhat unique in that the inside helm staion is on the main level, along with the galley and saloon. There is also a helm on the flybridge. The lower level has three staterooms, each with a full head, plus the engine room.

Drift Away sat on the hard for many years before we bought it from an estate. She has suffered considerably from neglect, but we are amazed at all the things that work, like the two Ford Lehmans, and the Naiad stabilizers. There was and is much work to do, but we will return her to ship shape condition. Eventually. As long as it doesn't interfere with having fun.