Sea Stories: East River Queen - Cap'n Jack and SUGAR 2

04 Feb 24:

A Sea Story, or River Revelation: Cap'n Jack had a Catalina Capri 18 in Corpus Christi, it was a well built tank of a boat with a small cabin. With a 2 1/2 foot draft, heavy shoal keel and moderate size rig, the Capri offered a nice living room couch feel for a daysail. Good stable boat for Corpus Christi Bay wind and chop.

He sold it.

Fast forward to Navarre, Florida and the shoals of East Bay. Jack and the Commodore had moved into our waterfront townhouse, which also had a boat dock and slip. We, I say we, because Skipper was outnumbered and the Commodore had the checkbook, found Jack another Capri 18, with a wing keel this time. Overall we thought we'd have fun tinkering at the dock drinking coffee but knew the tide would need to be just right to take the couch out for a sail.

We bought the boat and in a stroke of brilliance decided to rig it and launch it at the East River Boat Ramp, to wind our way 1 mile down the narrow tidal river into the wider mud flats that dribble into East Bay. 

The river for the first mile is just over 100 feet wide and bordered by 80 foot pine trees, the channel maybe 15 feet max, just over 2 foot deep at times. We knew we couldn't sail the first mile so we set the iron sail and motored off down the river to the quiet purr of the 4 stroke Suzuki. Audrey was at the helm and she talked to the boat and the bottom, at times telling us to be quiet so she could hear. She steered us out with style and grace, and once the river opened up a bit, we hoisted the main and the jib, doused the motor and found our way to the new slip for "SUGAR 2."

Video: River Run

Debrief: Audrey says "It was a tight squeeze..."

We had 2 beautiful sails on SUGAR 2 with Jack, then it was time to sell as with his cognitive decline it was not smart for him to go dock to deck. We shifted gears to beach launch sailboats, lapstrake runabout and canoe. 

Fast forward again to the failed attempt of me and our friend Tim trying to motor SUGAR 2 back up the river/channel/trough/trickle to the East River ramp to take her out. Picture in your mind the scenes from African Queen, with me as Bogart, minus the leaches but add the vibrio. We found the mud flats with the wing keel/plough anchor and never got anywhere near the tight river channel. Discretion being the better part of valor and more importantly we had not brought snacks, we returned to the townhouse slip, and later took the boat out at the very steep Holley ramp, an 87 degree incline in my mind. I'd been hesitant to use that ramp with 2000 pounds of boat/trailer and only 3000 pounds of car, but our friend Tim offered the services of his 4WD pickup and up the ramp she went. 

SUGAR 2 found a new home in Ft Walton Beach and last we saw of her she was rigged with Christmas lights in the new owner's driveway.

Jack sails the stars now, Audrey misses the part of her soul that she left in the narrow channel of East River, and I remain ever hopeful that the nautical side of Marining About will soon overtake my amphibious side.

Clark

Capt US Marines

Capt Delta Air Lines

Moveable Ballast

Corpus Christi Texas Sunfish 1996

05 Mar 20:

Skipper's parents were the main enablers for our Sunfish restoration adventures, they restored several boats in Corpus Christi, TX. Skipper took sailing in College and developed her fondness for the Sunfish, and a few years later she was given a Sunfish from her Aunt Pat, 1965 Alcort Sunfish WAVE. That started an avalanche of boats, 1982 AMF Sunfish PHOENIX showed up soon after, then 1981 AMF Sunfish MADISON at one point. Plus 2-3 other Sunfish that they restored and passed on to new owners, and one that travelled to Jacksonville. They also had their Capri 18 HUI for a bit, she was a fine sailer, but took a few more minutes to rig and launch than the Sunfish. One of the boats had a nice vintage 5 panel sail, those were phased out in the 1970s but they are good sails if you come across one.

They also scored the nice 1984 Riviera Sunset sail that we use on WAVE.

Capn Jack's SOPs - Trailer, Boat Gear, Car, Launch and Retrieval

23 May 19:

Came across some note in Capn Jack's memo book, a rough draft of his Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for trailer sailing his 1971 O'Day Day Sailer II CYANE. We are transcribing them here for posterity and further development. If you have comments, please add them below and we'll incorporate them into future checklists.

Unedited v1.0
Boat Trailer
1. Trailer coupled to car and pad locked
2. Safety chains connected
3. Tipper mechanism locked in place
4. Boat tie down straps in place and taunt
5. Trailer wheels greased
6. Tail lights connected
7. Boat winch safety strap connected to boat
8. Dolly wheel cranked up
9. Safety rope for boat to trailer

Boat Gear
1. Anchor and rode - S
2. Life jackets - S
3. Seat cushions - S
4. VDS Visual Distress Signals - S
5. Weather radio - S Cell phone
6. Compass
7. Fist Aid Kit - +
8. Hats with spares - +
9. Water and snacks - +
10. (Tools and parts) box
11. Paddles (two) - S
12. Sails, boom + rudder tiller
13. Drain plugs
14. Bow and dock lines
15. Knives, bailer, frnder
16. Sunglasses and sunscreen
17. Deck shoes
18. Battery and case, motor
19. Flags

Car
1. Grease gun and lug wrench
2. Spare tire, lug nuts
3. Chocks to block wheel on car when launching

Launching and Retrieving Boat
1. Untie mast and slide back in crutch
2. Bend jib to mast
3. Ensure side stays are connected and free to move
4. Insure halyard is in mast
5. Slide mast to tabernacle
6. Raise mast while keeping watch on shrouds as to tangling. Connect mast to tabernacle
7. Connect jib forestay to boat bow
8. Connect boom to mast
9. Bend sails to mast and boom. Remove boom crutch
10. Tie main down haul and out haul
11. Install and tie rudder and tiller
12. Install motor and battery
13. Connect bow line
14. Remove boat to trailor
15. tie down strap
16. Remove trailor lights
17. Back trailor down ramp and set brakes. Put trans in park, block wheel and turn engine off
18. Disconnect wench strap from boat bow to trailor
19. Tip trailer (use "T" handle) if needed
20. Slide boat off trailer
21. Start car and put in drive. Remove chock while depressing brake and unlock same

Reverse SOPs to retrieve boat.

"Coffee Time"

S - Safety
+ - Health

Jack was an Environmental Safety and Health professional, so we are guessing that his annotations of the S and the + sign that looked like the first aid cross were to denote Safety and Health gear. Part of his job at at the chemical plant was to develop SOPs, so it naturally carried over to his messing about.

We couldn't help but laugh at a few of the steps, like Boat Gear #8. Hat's with spares...."oops, there goes my hat!" and Launching and Retrieving #4. Insure halyard is in mast....that must have been a fun day :)

Let us know what your notes would be!

Cheers
Clark and Skipper and Capn Jack

1980 Drascombe Lugger ONKAHYE Dodger

01 May 19:

Capn Jack testing out the dodger on ONKAHY circa 1982, Corpus Christi T-Heads.

Log of ONKAHYE.
http://smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com/p/18-apr-19-it-is-with-heavy-hearts-that.html

Capn Jack Crossing the Bar

18 Apr 19:

It is with heavy hearts that we enter into the log the crossing of the bar of Skipper's Dad, Capn Jack. He taught us all he knew about all things Sunfish, O'Day, Drascombe, canoe and kayak. He also taught Skipper how to putty, to this day she would make a great bank robber because the putty stripped the top layers of skin off of her fingers. We are sure that he will continue to whisper in our ears with his sailor buddies Hazelwood and Lt. Hunter, watching and laughing from above. Thank you for your service Petty Officer Heuer, we have the watch.

Jackie Dean Heuer of Pensacola, Florida crossed the bar on April 18, 2018 at the gentle age of 80. Jack was born in Wyanet, Illinois on August 8, 1938 to Harold and Grace Heuer. He had a short, cold career as a newspaper boy and graduated from Wyanet High School in 1956. He served in the Navy as an Aviation Structural Mechanic (Hydraulic) and achieved the rank of Petty Officer 3rd Class, finishing up his 3 year, 11 month and 8 day tour at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi Texas. During his time in the Navy he flew as flight test aircrew and observer, and was awarded the Navy Good Conduct Medal. In 1958 he married Adrienne Nelson and they had 4 children, who they raised in Corpus Christi. Jack had a long and successful career in Corpus Christi with Hoechst Celanese and retired as a Department Head from the Technical Center.

Jack loved canoeing and sailing and taught many others the joys of messing about in boats. He built a sailboat with his family and friend Hazelwood, and owned several classic boats, including the Sunfish, DaySailer and Drascombe Lugger. He was an accomplished square dancer and photographer, and was most entertaining when picking banjo and guitar.

Jack is survived by his wife Adrienne; son Rick (Karen), grandsons Ben and Chris; daughter Audrey Lewis (Kent), grandsons Timothy, Benjamin and John; daughter Sue Rees (Jeff), grandsons Jeffrey and Dylan; son Jeff (Lori), granddaughters Alexandra and Jessica, great-granddaughter Bailee; and brother Richard.

A private ceremony will be held at the Barrancas National Cemetery at Naval Air Station Pensacola Florida.

Jack and crew built a PETREL in the early 70s and named her ADRIENNE. They gathered parts each payday and his buddies at the plant MIGHT have made a few of the bits out of high grade stainless on night shift :)

About the same time he experimented with a sailing canoe. He designed the rig for a Grumman 17 double ender, fabricated the spars, leeboards and rudder and Ms Adrienne cut down a Sunfish sail for it. It made several trips to fun sailing spots.

Jack taught his buddy Tom to sail and together they commissioned a 1980 Drascombe Lugger, ONKAHYE. Tom transferred Command of ONKAHYE to Jack in 1982, and Jack transferred Command of Skipper in 1994. Together we have had fun sailing with family and friends, from Corpus Christi Bay, to Oceanside Harbor and the Pacific Ocean, Senators Wash off of the Colorado River by the Imperial Sand dunes, Marine Creek Reservoir, Lake Ray Roberts and Lake Worth near DFW Metroplex, and the Pensacola area.

Standing watch with EDUARDO, our first Florida restoration

Capn Jack supervising.

Drascombe Association News Photo Competition 2016

06 Jun 17:

The Drascombe Association hosts an annual photo competition, a photo of Skipper and her Dad was a Runner Up. The photos were posted in the Summer 2017 Drascombe Association News number 121.

Log of the Onkahye.