My Quest

Chapter 1: Portage de Sioux


When I talk to people about my dream of retiring on a sailboat, the first question is always the same: How did I decide on a sailboat? Well, the answer, is a series of events that led us on our current path. Several years ago, Martina and I visited Puerto Valarta Mexico, while there, we chartered a Whale watching cruise: It was aboard a sailboat. I liked the way the boat glided through the water with only the sounds of the wind and ocean. The Captain told us stories about his sailing past and his desire to sail on to Hawaii after the tourist season. This gave rise to an idea in my mind and watching those majestic creatures swimming so close to our boat just added to the appeal.



Martina also had a friend that she worked with who, along with her husband, had purchased a sailboat and started reconditioning it as a live aboard. After several years of sailing lessons, sailing trips, and finishing their boat, they quit their jobs and set sail. They had planned to go to Belize and start a sailing charter business, but ended up starting their business in Mobile Alabama instead. After the oil spill in the Gulf, they sold their boat and moved back to land.


Martina and I started talking about the possibility of using a sailboat to travel the Mediterranean. I love history and love visiting ancient sites and could spend many years exploring the Med. We decided to buy a cheaper starter boat to see if we even liked to sail. The boat we chose was a Lancer 25. It was listed on Craigslist as having a motor that didn't run and a good list of included items. When we looked at the boat I noticed that it has several bags of sails, and the engine didn't have an electrical cord. Being from a mechanical background I was confident I could fix the engine. We settled on a fair price and the lancer was ours.


We renamed her Sentio Ventus: Latin for Experience the Wind. I repaired the electrical cord on the engine and after new spark plugs, new fuel, and a shot or two of starter fluid, she fired up and purred like a kitten. We also hit the jackpot with the bags of sails; We had two main sails, two front sails, and a storm sail, all in good condition. The boat has originated in the great lakes and came packed with safety gear and charts for the Mississippi and great lakes regions.


Even though I had never had a sailing lesson and had only been on one sailboat in my lifetime, I felt confident that I could sail: After all, I had read several books about sailing. So we prepared the sails, pulled the lines and backed out of the slip. We motored into the canal leading to the river and the engine promptly died. After pulling on the rope for what seemed like eternity and using a few choice words, the engine not making a peep, we paddled the boat out of the way of other boats and tied up to a bush. After pulling the rope for another eternity with no results, I called the Marina owner and requested a tow.


After being towed back to the slip and securing the dock lines, I tried the engine again and it fired right up and ran like a top (of course) but after running for a few minutes it stalled again. The engine was overheating and I hadn't even noticed the fact that no water was coming out of the back of the engine. The elderly sailor next to us pointed out that the pump wasn't pumping, grinning at my lack of marine knowledge as well. So off the engine came and into the back of my Explorer it was laid to make the trip home to be repaired. After wrestling with the three foot long shaft on the motor and replacing the impeller, back to the river we went.


This time after starting the engine, we got the stream of water out the back that I should have noticed missing on our last trip. Once again we prepared the sails, backed out of the slip, the boat abruptly turned the wrong direction and we ended up motoring out of the Marina in reverse. After correcting our direction we pointed her into the wind and raised the main sail, shut off the motor and turned to let the sail fill. Fill she did, and the boat heeled over hard to starboard and scared Martina and I out of our wits. Martina was frantically trying to pull the sail down while I started the motor (yes, it started) and back into the Marina we motored. It turns out it was too windy to sail that day,  Hell, I thought you needed wind to sail. My neighbor was there grinning again, asking about our sail when we returned.


The next trip out seemed to be perfect, We motored out and set the sails and sailed out across the river and even had our first tack to bring us back. After sailing up river towards the Marina for about an hour I notice the statue of our lady of the river was still on my port side and had been there after we tacked. Yes, we were sailing but at the same speed as the river current and not gaining any ground, but the sailing was relaxing and the background of the cliffs on the Illinois side made for a perfect day.


We decided to motor in the rest of the way and fired up the old Evinrude. Just outside of the Marina entrance there is a whirlpool and the boat jerks back and forth as you motor through. Right in the middle of the whirlpool our motor jumped up and down and abruptly fell off the back of the boat with me still holding the tiller in my hand. No, I'm not making this up; our engine would have gone to the bottom except for the fact that I left it tied to the steering shaft; I tied it there when reinstalling it so it wouldn't fall overboard as I remounted it. The sails were still up and I quickly adjusted them so I could sail into the canal. We barely made it in before the current pushed us past and tied up on a log. I reinstalled the motor and even though shaken, we motored back to our slip.


The motor came loose a few more times and we determined that the transom was loose. I repaired the transom and through bolted it with stainless steel bolts so it would never come loose again. We sailed a few more times on the river and then decided we should move the boat to Carlyle lake to a better learning experience. We visited all the Marinas at the lake and decided on Boulder Marina. The Harbor Master, Schmitty, even offered to move our boat.


The day we moved the boat, Schmitty showed up with a trailer and I motored over to the haulout area. He backed the trailer into the water and I pulled the boat on. Schmitty said the trailer didn't fit the boat and would have to be adjusted and that he would pull the boat out first and then make the adjustment. Out she came for the first time in who knows how long and up the hill we went. The boat was balanced on her keel and Schmitty yelled up for me not to move at the same time that I did, and you guessed it, the boat fell over on its side, crushing a trailer fender in the process. After righting the boat using the mast and mainsail halyard, we adjusted the legs on the trailer and bent the fender back to make it road worthy, and off she went.




Chapter 2: Carlyle Lake

By now you may be wondering why I even continue to sail? Well, the short answer is that I like it. When Sentio Ventus arrived at Carlyle Lake it was the beginning of the sailing season, so we took advantage before putting her in the water to make some improvements, we had her bottom painted and replaced the old Evinrude with a four stroke electric start motor.

With spring Martina and I signed up for sailing lessons with St. Louis sailing and learned the ropes from Bill Learn. Bill is the best sailor I have ever met, I would trust him in any boat in any weather. The weekend we trained it was cold and rainy with high winds and high waves, the worst conditions to sail in but the best to learn in. Over that weekend Bill taught us things that we never even thought about, his confidence and ability showed me what a seasoned sailor could do with only the wind as engine power. I will take his lessons with me whenever and wherever I sail.

We decided to enter a few races to hone our skill and with new found friends in the Marina we had willing crew members to help. One particular race, a night race comes to mind. I had never sailed in the dark and wanted to try it. Martina opted to sit this one out, but William (my son), our slip neighbor, and I accepted the challenge and set off into the twilight. Its an eerie feeling sliding along in the dark, at one point we had to round a tower, actually a partially submerged grain silo; seeing that tower emerge from the shadows and closing in fast lead to a tense few minutes, but reflecting back after the race makes me proud of how far I've come. One of our crew falling into the companion way after docking because he had a few too many made it priceless. he didn't even spill his drink.

After a trouble free season of sailing we decided to upgrade to a bigger boat, one that was more in line with the one we will live on in the future, all be it a smaller version. We looked at several boats and decided upon a Catalina 27, it was big enough to be comfortable but still small enough not to be too intimidating to sail. I also like working on and upgrading her. We named her Aquilon: Latin for North Wind, because she is fast and nimble. Trouble, however, caught up with us again, on our second trip out, while motoring back to the Marina, smoke started bellowing out of the engine compartment. The impeller had failed and the engine overheated; sound familiar? This engine, however, is a inboard diesel, I have experience working on diesels, so it was an easy fix.

In the time since we have had Aquilon, we have upgraded the interior and I also built a custom folding bed to make for more comfortable sleeping, we have also made many upgrades topside including changing the sail covers from red to blue. We added a gas grill and using it to make breakfast along with fresh coffee is one of my favorite times on the boat.  I like listening to the wildlife around the Marina in the early morning hours (except for the Carp banging on  the bottom of the boat all night). Recently I finished staining and sealing the teak on the top of the boat and this winter the headsail is getting an overhaul along with a blue uv cover to match the other covers.

I will continue to sail and enjoy the sounds of the wind and water and dream of sailing on clear blue seas. I know that every mile I sail makes me better and every challenge I overcome make me stronger and I have made many friends who share the same dream and that encourages me even more.