Odalisque - August 9 &16, 2003 Logs

Log 2003 – August 9th and 16th

August 9, 2003

On Saturday August 9th, Matt, Jessie, and Caleb met at "Odalisque" by 3 pm. Matt had replaced some of the missing cars for the mainsail in the mast conduit. It was overcast at Steppingstone Marina with some light rain falling so we waited 5 minutes to wait for the rain to subside before we asked to be taken aboard the launch boat. Tips were doled out to both John and the younger guy for their work.

We decided to motor into Manhasset Bay and find the pump out station, so we could cleanse Odalisque by emptying her holding tank. Motoring was easy with winds mostly less than 5 mph but the sky was overcast. As we motored into Manhasset Bay I noticed what I thought might be moisture in the air to the starboard side and a light burst of wind ahead. Darkening clouds did not deter us from our task to get to the pump out station.

We found the Town of North Hempstead Town Dock which has a public pump out service; best at high tide. Find "Louis" restaurant from the water and the town dock is just East of there.

We were unable to open the on deck access to the holding tank. Though we tried in different configurations, neither the jovial but large bellied employee with a hammer, or any of us could get the deck bolt to move. We resorted to cutting the plastic pipe that led up to the deck fitting. This approach worked, keeping in mind that there were strands of metal woven into the pipe which we had to cut. We were able to use the pump out service there only after we cut the hose that feeds it. This system needs looking into, and maybe replacing, if we want to be able to use the head regularly.

We left the Town of North Hempstead Town Dock at 6:23 pm and motored out past some mooring fields until we could head into the wind and raise some of our own sails. We passed some motorboats that were fishing near the promontory in Manhasset Harbor. One boat had caught a bluefish. The fish wriggled uncomfortably on the gaff hook a crew member had sunk into it. The Manhadden were running and the blues where hunting them down, from below. We had winds to propel us so we silenced the engine.

It was a wondrous day because there was very little traffic on the water. There was no thunder or lightning. There was a vague fogginess to the parts of the atmosphere that were wetter than the others.

At low tide, we sailed around the forbidden triangle. Around the lighthouse, back to Kings Point, closer to shore near the buoys that help demarcate the forbidden triangle. It was an adventure, it was trying to get better at this mariner stuff.
Jessie and Caleb were slightly exhausted by the physical output it took to deal with all of this and decided not to sail the following day.

— Caleb Davison

August 16, 2003

Came out to measure and sit. Laurie, Jackson, Julian (and Matthew).

I agree we should change holding tank –
cut hose - <36”
Feed hose - ~30” (<36”)

small hose ~ 3/4” – 6’ should be fine

John made us leave quick –

— Matthew Schlanger