Where is Serenity

Date: May 13th, 2008
Location: Docked at Gilberts Restaurant, Cross Key, FL, USA
Coordinates: 25.11014, -80.23318
Weather: Sunny, 90F, wind 5 knots
Sea State: Flat

It was Scot’s turn to make breakfast this morning. He made hash browns and steak egg sandwiches. It was very good. After breakfast we went
over lot of material. Navigation signals and signage. Right of way. Knots, Points of sail, a lot of different things. CJay then said he was going to give us the test for ASA 101. I had a suspicion that he would give us a test since we had just reviewed so much material. Out of the four students the lowest score was 97 out of a 100. Not bad.

By the time the test was over it was 13:00, so we prepared to set sail. Scot checked the starboard bilge and found that the sole was almost awash in water. We checked thru hulls and traced lines but could not find where the water was coming from. Cleaning the bilge filter greatly improved the performance of the bilge pump and the water started to drain. The water is now at an acceptable level and we are checking it very several hours. But we have not figured out where the water came from.

The crew worked on raising the anchor while I prepared lunch. By the time I had the pork jambalaya finished, we were well underway. The crew eat as we motored toward our destination. Everyone seemed to enjoy the lunch and several even had seconds. We set the jib to its full extension, which was about 110%. We had to repair the mainsail before it could be set. One of the pins that hold the luff of the mainsail to the track had fallen out in the heavy winds yesterday. We scrounged around and found a screw driver that would work to hold that part of the sail to the mast. I suggested using the shaft of my writing pen to reduce chaffing. Mainsail repaired, we removed the reef from the day before and hoisted the main. The winds were very light, so we set a tang line on the jib to give it a better shape and the best performance possible in the wind we had. We then practiced more gybing and tacking. We also practiced heaving too and man over board drills. Finally we practiced sailing by the lee. Sailing by the lee is running downwind, while keeping the main and jib on different sides of the boat. It can be very dangerous because if you allow the main to gyb unexpectedly the shock can break equipment. With the mechanical trouble we have been having with “La Bamba” who knows what would break! Now I want to say that Scot and I were talking and we agreed that the mechanical problems we have had on “La Bamba” we were choosing to viewing as a great learning experience. Now, if the boat was to actually sink, or a problem was to negatively impact our time spend learning to sail, we would probably change our minds.

About 17:00 we headed to a dock at Gilberts Restaurant on Cross Key to spend the night. When was got to the dock a student from one of the
Blue Water Sailing Schools other boats pulled CJay aside and asked to jump ship. She was having a very bad time on the other boat. Some sort
of interpersonal problem with the instructor. CJay wanted to allow her to come on our boat, and asked us all several times if it was okay. We all agreed it was okay. I think we would all be more hesitant to agree if we felt that she would interfere with our time spent getting to do the various sailing duties on board. But CJay assured us that she was just hitching a ride back to Fort Lauderdale. I do not want to sound mean or appear callous, but the reason we picked Blue Water Sailing School (BWSS) and paid a premium was the small class size. Each student added reduces your time at the helm and mast. CJay was going to put the female student in his cabin, since he has been sleeping in the aft cockpit. Greg one of the other students mentioned that I was sleeping in the salon, and perhaps I should get his cabin. So the new gal is sleeping in the salon, and I am now in the starboard aft cabin. I guess a true gentleman would have refused the cabin.

We had dinner at Gilberts Restaurant, it was very tasty. I order every item on the menu that had conch it it. Conch fitters, conch salad,
conch chowder, and a conch burger!

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