Century Club: Alan Batcheller

I was watching one of my neighbors’ friends riding his EWave and wanted a closer view so I kayaked over to check it out.  Looks like lots of fun!  Perhaps next summer I’ll get a chance to try it out.  https://www.ewavesurf.com/

Just a wonderful day to go out sailing.

A 2:00 PM meeting got changed to 10:00 AM hence only had time for a quick Kayak this morning.  Overcast skies.

Conditions were perfect for a two-hour sail around Mattox Creek this morning.

Decided to go for a morning sail even though the wind wasn’t terrific.  Sail to day marker 4 was very slow but beautiful non the less.  The wind picked up a little and had a nice sail back home.

A beautiful morning sunrise, flat water, no wind, and an ebbing tide mother nature seemed to be telling me it would be a perfect morning to go kayaking so I did.  Near perfect wind and high tide in the afteroon so I was able to get in a real nice sail as well.

I was awoken this morning at 5:30 AM to the sound of thunder and while having my morning coffee looking out at the rain wondered if I would get to go out today.  Fortunately, the rain stopped and by afternoon I was able to go out for a sail under overcast skies.  Sailed out to DM 4 then to DM 9 and back home.

It feels like September.  There aren't all that many boats around Colonial Beach even in the summer but now that we are past Labor Day even fewer.  With the sun being lower there is an abundance of stars on the water.  The wind started out a little weak but once I got past Day Marker 4 the wind was steady and I was able to cleat my sails and with my tiller clutch locked pretty much just sit and watch the scenery go by as I sailed past the boardwalk at Colonial Beach, grinning from ear to ear as to how lucky I am.  The wind wasn’t as cooperative on the way home and I ended up motoring back the last 1.5 miles.  Another great day on the water!

Another terrific day on the water.  Stiff breeze but Karen and I felt comfortable sailing in it.

My outboard started okay but died out and wouldn’t restart before my wife and I go the boat off the lift.  I tried and tried to restart it but was unsuccessful.  I drained the carburetor, added some fuel stabilizer, and replaced the spark plug and it seems to work okay now.  Took a couple of hours but Karen and I got on the water at noon for a nice 2-hour sail.  I’m very proud of Karen as she seems to be enjoying going out and doesn’t freak out when the unexpected gusts of wind hit us. 

Went out around 6:45 AM for a morning paddle on Mattox Creek before the remnants of Hurricane Ida come our way.

Went out about 11:00 AM with my wife for a sail out to the Potomac.  Wind was marginal, particularly on the way back.  Still had fun and a few laughs as well.

Nice afternoon sail around Mattox Creek.

Another hot and humid August Day.  I went out on Mattox Creek around 3:00 PM for my 75th outing of the season.  Pretty much no wind for the first 30 minutes, just floated and baked in the hot sun.  Then, wtihout notice, the wind picked up nicely and it turned out to be yet another great day on the water.

The morning looked perhaps a bit too windy coupled with a low tide so I decided to wait until after lunch to go out.  Sailed up Mattox Creek about a mile or so then the wind became pretty much non - exisitant with the temperatures in the 90's.  Sailed back non the less and the wind was better just off the Potomac.

Perfect day for an 11+ mile sail on the Potomac.  Nice steady wind got me out and then the wind really picked up but I was able to get back home without incident.

Spent about 2 hours sailing around Mattox Creek.

The cracked hull on my sailboat has been fixed and I motored it to our pier from Stepp's Marina.

Another nice boat ride on Smith Mountain Lake.  Thank you Don!

Paddling around Mattox Creek

Actually more working that playing today.  Took my kayack out to work on my boat lift while my Precision is getting repaired.

I have a crack in the keel of my Precision so until I get it repaired, I’ll be doing the next several days on the water in my kayak which is fun but it’s not sailing.

Another hot day and my intention was to just got out for a little while and get another outing under my belt.  The wind picked up to make it a near perfect sailing conditions and I ended up staying out for over 4 hours. 

I saw a total of 7 sailboats on the Potomac but unable to take a picture to capture them all.  

Way too much chop on the Potomac so I stayed in Mattox Creek today.  Had a terrific morning sailing.

Nice ferry ride to and from Ocracoke Island from Cape Hatteras.

Started out around noon with very little wind and just floated a bit on my way to the Potomac.  A gentle breeze picked up which brought me out to Maddox Creek marker #1 then the wind pretty much stopped.  Decided to come in with the assistance of my 3.5 HP Tohatsu outboard when the wind really picked up and I was able to come in just under sail.  

Perfect day, or so it seemed, to cruise out to the Potomac.  Steady 7mph breeze from the east created a bit more chop on the Potomac than I was comfortable with so I sailed back into Mattox Creek.  My wife Karen called me and asked if she could join me which she did.  A little background, Karen was terrified of sailing and I used to beg her to just go out in flat water.  Looks like she is coming around.  

The wind was marginal starting out this moring but picked up and it turned out to be one of the best days yet to be out on the Potomac.  Sailed from Mattox Creek to just past Colonial Beach.

Went out for what I thought would be a very short afternoon sail but it turned out that there was just enough wind to have fun.  

Third day in a row with perfect sailing conditions around Mattox Creek. 

Nice westerly wind of perhaps 7 knots with gusts to 15.  Perfect wind conditions to practice my tacking.

Saturday afternoon turned out to be a great day for a mellow sail on the Potomac.  As you can see I wasn't the only one with that idea.

Great day for a sail to Alexandra Graham Bell's Bell House in Colonial Beach, VA

Went for a sail to Dockside Restaurant with a fieind visiiting from Atlanta.  I think I had the smallest boat but proboably the most fun getting there.

Perfect day for sailing with a steady wind from the north so I decided to cross the Potomac to Cobb Island.  About a 4 hour roundtrip sail.

Another day that was too windy to sail so I did a little paddling instead.

Morning sail around Mattox Creek to Stepps Marina before the wind picked up too much.  Here’s a picture of a neighbor’s front yard.  As you can see from the fallen tree we have had more than our fair share of very windy days.

I was able to get a Sunday morning sail in before the wind got too gusty. 

It has been incredibly windy the past week.  My neighbor texted me a picture of my boat on the lift with the jib sock flapping in the breeze along with the sail.  Not in a million years would I have thought that wind could unzip the sail cover, but it did.  The jib had seen better days and I had already purchased a replacement hence no big deal. Fortunately, the jib sock was not damaged.  Went out for a quick sail with the ripped jib before the sun went down.

Lucky day # 13 was a continuation of day 12.  Near perfect weather with just the right amount of wind.

A very windy Friday evening limited my boating to a very brief outing in my kayak, maybe 150 yards total.   My judgement and boating skills are both improving.

They were predicting another strong, gusty wind day but I decided to go out anyway.  It was about 8:30 when I left and it didn't look that bad.  A strong wind from the west pushed me out of Mattox Creek quickly and I realized it was getting windier and should head back.  When the winds died down a bit, I should have taken that opportunity to furl my jib and lower and secure the main but I didn't.  By the time I decided I should secure everything it was too late.  I furled the jib okay but wasn't able to secure the mainsheet very well so it just flapped around as I motored in.  It was very challenging getting onto the lift with the high winds and I came close to having the head of the mainsail getting cut or caught in my outboards propellor.   I thank God for making it back safely and fortunately no damage to the boat.  I will definitely think twice before I go out when they are predicting gusts over 20mph.      

The day started out with very little wind then picked up nicley.  Spent just under 3 hours sailing out to the Potomac then around Mattox Creek.

A beautiful Sunday monring with a very slight breeze so I decided to take a quick sail around Mattox Creek before the wind picks up to the preidicted 20 MPH with gusts to 40 MPH.

I was very optimistic about spending day 3 on the water.  It was still pretty chilly with temperatures in the 40’s but the winds were much gentler than the day before.  I motored out to raise the sail and guess what?  I inadvertently reefed my sail with a newly discovered figure 8 reef.  I sheepishly motored back to my dock, put Bente back on the lift, and removed the twists from the sail.  Went back to the house, enjoyed a Mt Gay and had a good chuckle. 

SpinSheet's Century Club’s Happy Hour on January 15th inspired me to try to join the club.  It’s a little too early in the season to put my Precision 15 in the water so I decided to go out for a short paddle in my kayak on a chilly, 41-degree January Day.