headed down to the boat with our sail bags, overnight bags, sleeping bags, and several bags of food.Jean and I checked out the boat (Carita, a 32' C&C that I'd sailed a few times before), Alice stowed the food, and we got ready to leave. Norbert was on the dock, ready to release the dock lines on the starboard side and walk us out. I asked Hans to remove the port side dock lines. As soon as he did, he got back on the boat, but I didn't look to make sure he'd done it right. That was my first mistake.
I started the engine and started backing out of the slip. Norbert hopped on board, and then the engine died. I started it again, it stayed on for a few seconds, and then died again. By this time, the boat was out of the slip, so I started it again, put it in forward gear and tried steering. I had no steering, and the engine died again. The wind was pushin
g us toward the boats in the slips off our port side, so everyone on board rushed to the port side and held us off from bumping the other boats, the dock, and the tall posts at the ends of the dock fingers. Now a lot of people had come out to watch, including one of the people who works for MSA, Lucas.I told Lucas that the engine kept cutting out and I had no steering and asked if he could help us. As soon as he boarded, I noticed that the dock line was still attached to the starboard stern cleat. It was tight, stuck under the boat... prop wrap... ugh... Apparently, Hans had untied the line from the dock but didn't make sure the line was brought up onto the boat.
Lucas cut the line and then was able to turn the wheel and unwind it from the prop. Eventually, he thought he'd removed it from the prop, so he started the engine. It sounded ok, so he got off onto the dock behind the boat and asked me to put it in reverse, then neutral, then forward, then neutral, then reverse, 
and went on like that for a few minutes. He watched and listened. Then he got back on the boat and drove us out away from the other boats and tried going in reverse and forward. He said it didn't sound right, so he brought it back to the slip, turned off the engine, and said that he thought someone should look at it before anyone takes that boat out..
and went on like that for a few minutes. He watched and listened. Then he got back on the boat and drove us out away from the other boats and tried going in reverse and forward. He said it didn't sound right, so he brought it back to the slip, turned off the engine, and said that he thought someone should look at it before anyone takes that boat out..So off I went to the office to see if they had another boat available. For the same price, they had a Pearson 32 available. They use that boat for BKS classes, so it's pretty old and bare bones... hanked jib, no self-tailing winches, etc. I asked if they had anything bigger available, and they did—Naniloa, a Caliber 40. It was a beautiful, fairly new big boat with all the bells and whistles. The charter fee was quite a bit higher, but I decided to go for it to save the day..
Off we went... back to Carita to pack up all our stuff and bring it over to Naniloa. That took a while. Jean and I got there first, and she suggested that she and I check out the boat before everyone got there. We started and got finished about 
the time everyone arrived. Once again, we loaded everything on board, and Alice took charge of the galley..
the time everyone arrived. Once again, we loaded everything on board, and Alice took charge of the galley..As soon as we were done checking her out, I was anxious to get started. I asked Jean to take the helm, and Norbert and I were in charge of the dock lines..
Just as we started untying the dock lines, Hans got off the boat and had a temper tantrum, yelling that he wanted to eat his lunch before leaving the dock and wanted half an hour to eat without the boat moving, and that if I was going to leave the dock now, he was going to go home, and he summoned Katrina to join him. Jean gave me a pleading and apologetic look, so I agreed to wait for Hans to eat his lunch, even though the rest of us were very anxious to get going. Katrina told him to come back on the boat and be quiet and that she'd get him his lunch. I'm not sure what he would have done about lunch if we'd left the dock at 11am, as planned. Anyway....
At that point, Jean, Norbert, and I decided to check out the roller furling main. I'd only used one once, and this one was quite different. Also, the boat was rigged for a staysail and spinnaker, as well as the main and jib, so there were a LOT of lines 
around the mast and foredeck. We took some time to figure what they all were for and to make sure we knew how to unfurl and furl the main.
around the mast and foredeck. We took some time to figure what they all were for and to make sure we knew how to unfurl and furl the main.Eventually, Hans finished his lunch and we got ready to leave. We untied the dock lines, I took the helm, and Norbert got ready to walk us out. Naniloa was in a slip on the last dock, so there was nothing behind us but open water. I thought it would be easy to just back straight out. That was my second mistake..
I started the engine, tested out the shift (which was very smooth), and put the wheel in the neutral position. Norbert walked us out and hopped on when the shrouds reached the end of the dock. I gave it a little gas and suddenly got the strongest prop walk I've ever felt. The stern was moving fast to the left, which pushed the bow out to the right. 
I tried to compensate by turning the wheel to the right, but I didn't quite make it. I heard something scrape the 8' concrete post at the end of the dock, and I knew that Jack, the owner of MSA was watching us from the motor yacht in the next slip. I put it in forward, turned away from the docks, and motored away. I was pretty sure I'd scraped the anchor on the dock post, and I figured that if I'd done any damage, Jack would have beckoned me back. So I just kept going and hoped the rest of our day would make up for the auspicious start.
I tried to compensate by turning the wheel to the right, but I didn't quite make it. I heard something scrape the 8' concrete post at the end of the dock, and I knew that Jack, the owner of MSA was watching us from the motor yacht in the next slip. I put it in forward, turned away from the docks, and motored away. I was pretty sure I'd scraped the anchor on the dock post, and I figured that if I'd done any damage, Jack would have beckoned me back. So I just kept going and hoped the rest of our day would make up for the auspicious start.The rest of the day was delightful, actually. We sailed around the back side of Angel Island and over to Pier 3 in Alameda to check out the party on the USS Hornet. It looked like a big party, but we couldn't hear any music and realized that we couldn't have docked there anyway, because the docks were much higher than our boat! They were made for battle ships and tankers!
So we sailed back to Sausalito via the back side of Angel Island again. Everyone had a turn at the helm during the day, including Alice, who is 
becoming a great little sailor! I took the helm when we got inside Richardson Bay and were passing the Spinnaker Restaurant. I felt I had to redeem myself by docking the boat perfectly. Well, Jack was waiting there on the dock when we arrived. Fortunately, I did dock it well. I was a bit further from the starboard side dock than I would have liked, and Jean and Norbert had to jump about 3 feet onto the dock, but I didn't hit anything, and I had the boat under complete control the whole time. Phew!
becoming a great little sailor! I took the helm when we got inside Richardson Bay and were passing the Spinnaker Restaurant. I felt I had to redeem myself by docking the boat perfectly. Well, Jack was waiting there on the dock when we arrived. Fortunately, I did dock it well. I was a bit further from the starboard side dock than I would have liked, and Jean and Norbert had to jump about 3 feet onto the dock, but I didn't hit anything, and I had the boat under complete control the whole time. Phew!Jack checked out the boat and then quietly walked away. After turning off the engine, I went down onto the dock to make sure we were lined up well and securely tied up to the docks. Norbert told me that we'd hit the bow pulpit, not the anchor,
as I had thought, and that Jack was looking at it to see if the encounter had warped it. We both checked it out, too, and we decided it was not warped... just a little more scratched up than it had been before. No real damage... phew!
as I had thought, and that Jack was looking at it to see if the encounter had warped it. We both checked it out, too, and we decided it was not warped... just a little more scratched up than it had been before. No real damage... phew!As soon as the boat was settled, we had a champagne toast to celebrate the 4th, and set out a variety of appetizers/snacks. Jean, Alice, and I went up to MSA's BBQ and got some food for everyone and brought it back to the boat. Then we all ate, drank, and chatted until it started getting dark. Katrina and Hans left, and Norbert left shortly after them. Then the three of us gals got comfy and chatted while waiting for the fireworks to begin. Jean had brought sparklers, and we had some fun with those while waiting.
The fireworks were good but definitely not as spectacular as the KFOG Kaboom fireworks. We talked a while longer after they were over, lit some more sparklers, and eventually went to bed. 
In the morning, we all got up early, cleaned up the boat, packed up our stuff, and brought it all up to Alice's car. We drove over to the Lighthouse Restaurant for an excellent breakfast, walked around town for an hour or so, and then headed home. It was a really nice way to spend the holiday.
In the morning, we all got up early, cleaned up the boat, packed up our stuff, and brought it all up to Alice's car. We drove over to the Lighthouse Restaurant for an excellent breakfast, walked around town for an hour or so, and then headed home. It was a really nice way to spend the holiday.Please check out my Picasa web album for more pictures!
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