Damn you underslung rudder!! My maiden voyage, I spent 3 days preping cleaning, and adjusting, anticipating today like a first date. I finger tightened the motor on the transom (you already know where this is going)didnt want to overtighten, and headed out. Wind blowing 10-15 from the S-SE , motored from my backyard to the main channel which runs N, wind is blowing over the starboard side, waving at the neighbors, who wave enthusiastically back. It felt great to be in the water again. The jib and main went up as we had practiced all winter long. I kept the motor on beacause a couple of hundred yards away, I would hit the main channel crossing under the causeway and into the bay. This would be a beating run out into the bay, the motor helps and is necessary since the wind dies down when going under the causeway bridge. Beautiful day, I am awstruck with the depth gauge, its awsome looking at the readout and knowing exactly how much water is between you and the bottom. I make it out past the bridge, and am now in the bay a couple of hundred feet from the bridge is a set of markers, The chop is about 1 1/2 to 2 feet, I am on a starboard tack and I have the green marker in my sight, I have a choice of tacking one more time or passing just windward of the mark. I have fished here before I know its about chest high, so I stay the course and AAARRRGGGHHH my depth gauge goes from 17' to 2' in 3 seconds I hear the keel scrape bottom and the rudder kerchunks the boat to a stop. I have run aground. OK its not the first time, you dont panick untie the jib and let the main out, but with the chop I see the boat is kinda pogo sticking on the rudder. " I can do this" the first thing that came to mind was pull the retainer pin and release the rudder, bam, that worked the boat was floating free in 2 feet of water, I started the motor and putt- putted into deeper water, I thought about trying to put the rudder back on but looked down at the motor prop and decided against it. Once I was in the deeper water I turned off the motor and tried to put the rudder in, with the underslung rudder you cant just drop in straight the overhang has to clear the bottom skegg you have to point the tiller all the way to starboard or port, which when you do this, if you have any forward motion, the rudder is pulled away from the transom. So I could not get the rudder back on, I had to stop all forward motion, so I dropped the sails, ouch I forgot to attach the top-stay to the boom end, having to much fun with the chop hitting the boat broadsides now, since I have lost control totally and am now drifting towards the shallows again. Enough is enough I start the motor again and start to go back. I decide I really have to get a transom mounted motor mount, my motor shaft keeps coming in and out of the water causing me to slip in the chop. Im slipping and sliding and finally I am coming up to the bridge, its a tight squeeze and I am silently praying and hoping the motor doesnt decide to quite now, I am a little nervous here and rev it up a little to speed this passage. Another wave pushes me sideways and the motor is now on only one hold down, and I am struggling to keep her on course and keep the motor from coming off, darn I obsessed with sailing all winter for this!!! I got the motor back on the transom and did my best to tighten down the clamps by know I am coming thru to the protected side, the winds and the water have calmed down and I can check my underwear for leakage, I am OK, I go down a little ways and decide to try to install the transom again, since the seas are not rolling me around anymore. I succeeded, I raised the jib and the main, like we had practiced all winter, the boat took off, I start sailing a broad reach back to my house, the wind is at my back, the afternoon beautiful. I begin to wonder, when can we do this again??
gilbert 1974 Monty 17 #46 _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
