The Mystery of the Stern Anchor

The dinghy loaded with the displaced anchor gear.

3pm. I receive a call from Miguel saying that my boat has moved in the anchorage. Since the Pearl is anchored bow and stern this normally would not happen; it appears that the stern anchor failed, and the boat was being held by the bow anchor alone. The explanation that came to mind was that one of the fittings came under - between the line and chain, or between chain and anchor. However, this is the most unlikely of days - a sunny hot day with no wind at all.


The Pearl was terribly close to the other boats in the anchorage, all set bow and stern. I start hauling on the stern line and it's heading in the opposite direction than I previously had it. Furthermore it was just dragging along the bottom so I was surprised when I pulled the anchor up - a small 20lb Claw anchor.

This was no anchor dragging event; the only explanation I could come up with was that a boat somehow caught my anchor line, dragged the gear 100 yards, and then proceeded to drop it. How that could have happened is difficult to visualize - maybe a submarine? Either way, it's good to be nearby and deal with fouled anchors immediately.

Going aloft, mast steps are cool

The boat looks like a lilly pad floating on the water. The aluminum mast is hollow and vibrates like a nervous giraffe, it sways like one too!



If able to go aloft quickly on your own, you'll be more likely to check the condition of fittings, spreaders, blocks - and this is important for safety. Also if a light bulb breaks or a line needs to be run through the masthead in the middle of a storm - hope not!



The Black Pearl has mast steps - triangle ones at the bottom and foldable ones the rest of the way. Chaffing of lines and sails is a real problem but this setup minimizes that effect, while giving you the flexibility of climbing quickly.

First sail aboard the Black Pearl

I like how easy this is going... so far. Bought the boat on thursday, by saturday we were casting off the lines for a day sail. The only work done on the boat thus far was maybe 1 hour of tidying up and organizing.

Outside the harbor we raised the main and jib and saw the delightful rips already existing along the leach of the sail (the back part of the sail - or is that the luff? I always get it confused). But the wind is light so we go for a cruise anyway.



Fran, Ed, and his dad Maurice, brought over a bottle of champagne and we celebrated on the dock - they helped back out of the dock, which is tricky on a down wind slip (wind pushing the boat into the slip) specially with the outboard.

When the propeller is behind the rudder, as it is with an outboard, maneuverability is compromised. That is one of the many advantages of an inboard, since the prop is in front of the rudder, and powers the turns more accurately. That being said, I'm glad I don't have an inboard, for reasons to be explained later!

A rough video taken with the trusty cel phone:

The Black Pearl - 1964 Cal 30'

8 months had gone by since I sold the "Tabula Raza". Living in an apartment just wasn't... satisfying. I couldn't help looking everyday on Craigslist for boats and marine gear. A guy in Long Beach was getting rid of his 26ft Islander for $750 and I was about go buy it. The day before that happened, I went to the harbor to check out the this Cal 30 that I saw listed.

Immediately I knew the boat was for me. Seeing it opened that door to imagination that led me to anchorages in Mexico, skirting about in the Galapagos. I had been dreaming for months about this and now it was here. A cruising boat loaded with serious gear - a burly hull from 1964, classic look - an ideal setup of sails, rigging, and engine.

Purchased her the very next day for $4250 cash. I had $1250 in my account and I pulled $3000 from my 12.5% line of credit from Wellsfargo. Such good equipment:

-2 Bruce anchors on bow rollers with lots of chain and a Windlass, plus stern Danforth
-3 headsails, spinnaker, 2 mainsails, lines led aft to cockpit, boom vang and self-tacking jib setup, mast steps.
-Radar, GPS, 2 vhfs, oven and 2 burner stove, manual sink pump, coal burning cabin heater, shower.
-75 watt and 15 watt Solar panels, 2 batteries.
-9.9 horse Johnson four stroke high-thrust, electric start, cockpit controls, battery charging alternator.
-A beauty black hull, mast, red boom and spreaders.

The Blessing of the "Black Pearl"....