General Category - Pearson Owners and Enthusiasts > Cruising

Made-it Voyage (Maiden)

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Frayed Knot:
I can't say enough good stuff about Frayed Knot.  We left out Saturday from the fix it marina (Hague -  Socastee, SC) to our slip near the mouth of the ocean (18 NM).  So we stayed over night at our slip( Cricket Cove Little River , SC)  and got a early start Sunday morning.  It takes 30  minutes to get to the ocean from our slip.  When we hit the MO A went to port for a beam reach. 10 to 15 kt. winds seas 2 to 3 ft.  we are sailing at 7.6 to 7.9 Knots ( Is this possible).  I am high on life...I think the full batten main has something to do with it.  Went up the coast 10 to 15 miles and turned around and made it back to point "A", Which Is a good day.  I am loving this boat, and my wife for letting me have it.  I think she likes it more than Harley's...(and I Own an Harley Shop) She just told me she does.

The Great Godsea:
wow, inspiring. we're yet to take our first real voyage. this has got me fired up!

Frayed Knot:
  If I knew I was Going to live this long I might have taken better care of myself.  But sailing with the family is a another adventure...    This is the second sailboat that I ever had with a engine....   Thanks  DAD  (P323 living the dream)

Captain Bri:
Great Story!  Thanks for sharing.  The hull speed on the boat is about 7 knots so chances are you were either surfing on a wave or reaping the benefit of an ebb tide.  Either way it sounds like a blast!

Dave:
Very nice!

Our maiden voyage was an adventure. Our motto is it is not an adventure until something goes wrong. And one thing went terribly wrong. We bought Searenity in Pensacola Florida and had planned on sailing her back to Carrabelle Florida. Pensacola is 5 hours from our home, so we went down and day sailed her for a month and a half to get used to her. My wife and I had been sailing together for about 18 years, so we knew we had to get to know her, she is a well balanced and well behaved boat, so it went well.

We finally said good bye to Pensacola and headed down Santa Rosa Sound. Had perfect wind and consistent 6.5 to 7 knots, beautiful sail. Late afternoon we hit the Fort Walton bridge. Upon approaching we think......we may not make it under. So I back track a mile or so and run a line up the mast and measure it and measure to the water......yes we should have 5 foot clearance. Start to make it to the bridge and on the other side is a guy pointing emphatically at the bridge and our mast.....it really looks like we are going to hit the bridge. Wife puts her head in her lap, I hold my breath, and we slide under the bridge with the wind vane just missing the under support. Whew.

We spend the night in Destin harbor and go ashore and have a nice meal. My seven year old was a bit stressed going under the bridge, so now we are all happy.

Next day we sail outside from Destin to Panama City marina and stay a day. Nice sail, but we had to motor for about three hours. After a day of relaxing at the marina we go through the jetties and head for Port St. Joe. Wonderful sail, beautiful wind making 5 to 6 knots the whole way and 1 foot rollers. We are going to meet some friends in White City in late afternoon and we get to Cape San Blas at noon. Take the dinghy ashore and have some fun on the beach killing a little time. I notice storm clouds rolling in and we have been caught in storms in St Joe bay in our O'Day 25. The bay is shallow and dangerous in a strong blow. About half way across the bay the swells turn to breaking waves washing over the stern and through the cock pit. I am motor sailing and trying to angle between the waves to get past the shallows that guard the channel going under the bridge leading to White City. I have to turn the boat toward shore to let the breaking waves hit the stern and then turn sideways to try and get to the channel. The wife and son are down below and someone is on channel 16 screaming they are going to die in this storm. They had rented a pontoon boat and got caught on the bay when the storm hit. They are not helping my wife and son down below. I can now see the channel markers and think, we are about there.......then my wheel pulls off in my hands......I am holding the wheel and staring at the shaft as the boat rounds up into the wind. I see the key is still in the channel of the steering shaft. So I watch it go to the left....pause go back to the right. I wait for the pause and shove the wheel back on the shaft and turn the boat back toward the channel. We have been pushed closer and I do not think we are far enough over. I turn the boat toward shore to take a breaking wave over the back and after the wave washes over we ground......dead stop from 5 knots.

Not good. The next wave raises us and I hold a course to keep the boat so the waves wash over the back so we don't get rolled from a wave hitting us broadside. We get lifted and ground two more times and then we get lifted and slide into the channel. So happy to go under the Port St Joe bridge and up the ditch to White City. Storm goes on for four more hours as we reconstruct the interior of our boat as everything got thrown about. We spend the night on the dock in White City with friends that brought their sailboat from Carrabelle to meet us. Next morning we sail with our friends to Carrabelle. It was quite the first cruise on Searenity. She was solid all the way. Good times.

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