Some further thoughts on the Epic

1. I can't hear the VHF effectively over the engine. I can't think of anything to do to fix that.
2. It gets bloody cold out there. I had a windproof pile jacket, and I was still shivering when we came in. I had heavy pile pants in the cabin, along with socks, but I didn't take the time to change up when the sun started setting. That was a mistake. I should have changed clothes and started the heater as soon as it started getting cold. We should have also made sure that there was adequate cold weather gear for everyone on the boat.
   
3. Food. We had snacks (cheese and crackers, ramen cups, coffee, and so forth), but no real food. Loretta had the foresight to stop us long enough in the morning to make a box full of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Thank the Lord! She was a lot smarter than the rest ofus. Those sandwiches came in handy. I need to figure out some boat food that will store, but be easy to fix and eat, even if it means taking a thermos full of very hot water to make instant stuff. I'll have to think on that for a bit.
4. The traveler gets hung up when we jibe the boat. When the boom is in tight the traveler just won't slide, but as soon as we loosen the sheet, it pops right over. Maybe it needs a little lube. I'd love to replace it with a Harken adjustable traveler and a new 4:1 end-boom mainsheet system, but that'll have to wait until at least fall haul-out.
5. The heater works great! Warms the cabin right up, particularly when we close the companionway cover and hang a towel where the dropboards usually go.
6. I need a red light for checking charts at night. I don't really want to go below and use the red light at the nav station, because I'm not comfortable being away from the helm, particularly in a narrow channel.
7. We did a horrendous job of docking her in the slip. We have four 25' dock lines. We put the loop end over the cleats, and tied off the other end on the piling. I think this is backwards. I think we should have pulled the free end through the loop, and used a boathook to drop that over the pilings. Then we could cleat off the free end on the boat.
8. We did a horrendous job of docking her in the slip. :-) I think I need two 40' or 50' dock lines to use as amidships spring lines. We can use the spring line to control our position while using the engine to hold us in. When we come down the fairway to the slip, we have a dock dead ahead, and the slip is on the starboard side. We should prepare the two bow lines and two stern lines. Then we should prepare the fenders and two spring lines. We should run the port spring line outside the stanchions and around the stern to the starboard quarter. Then we should drift down the fairway close to the pilings on the starboard side, and turn to port as we approach the dock. This should kick the stern in towards the slip, and I can drop the port side spring line over the outside piling. (I'm assuming here I have room to do this before hitting the dock - I might have to rethink.) The boat's momentum will carry the stern towards the dock. Then go to astern gear and use the spring line to hold us on the port side of the slip. Then drop the port stern line over the piling and idle the engine. At this point, she'll be secured. I, or a crewperson, can jump off, secure the starboard stern line, and then the starboard bow line. We can use fenders and the starboard spring line to tie off on the dock.
9. Docking is the most stressful part of sailing. Believe it.
10. VHF 16 is NOT the same as CB 19. Some of those people were quite annoying. Sigh
11. Those ratty speaker mounts are going to let all this rain into the boat. Possibly onto the charts and log books. I should make it more a priority to rip those out, fill the gap with epoxy, and fit Beckson deck plates in the holes.
12. Even with the cunningham and vang released, the main doesn't go all the way to the top of the mast. That bugs me. I think I need a bigger mains'l. ;-)
13. I don't know what to do when being overtaken by a larger vessel in a shipping channel. I'm quite sure they have the right of way, but I'm not sure of the proper behavior. I'll have to look that up.
14. I really love sailing.