Pot of Gold [Pot] Operations Manual

1. Rainbow 24 Specifications

2. General: Pot [real name is Pot of Gold because of her original yellow color] is a 1972 Rainbow 24 foot day sailor sloop of fiberglass construction with fin keel, spade rudder, tiller steering, and outboard powered. The stern swim platform and swim ladder allow easy access into and out of the water. Pot is suitable for day sailing and limited cruising if you are willing to rough it. Pot is outfitted with a bimini cover over the cockpit [2007] for shade. The vessel has no stove and no water tanks are installed. A 12 volt battery powers LED lighted running lights, an automatic bilge pump, and the VHF marine radio. Recharging is done at the home dock from shore power. She does have a port-a-potti in the cuddy cabin and platform bunks that could be used with charterer supplied air mattress and sleeping bags for roughing it overnight. Her hull and sail number are 386. The hull color is red and the deck is off white. She is registered in the State of Maryland [MD 8016LA]. The cruising speed under power is about 5 knots. When estimating time of arrival under sail you should use an average of 3 knots to allow for the vagaries of wind and beating to windward.

Be sure to let John Bailey know of your planned arrival time so he can schedule his time for your orientation to Pot. It takes about half an hour before you are leaving the dock.

Since Pot is usually used for day sailing, the sailing area is normally across the Chesapeake Bay and back on a beam reach. This gives you the most enjoyable sail. The the Bay is about eight miles across in this area the round trip can take up much of the sailing day. The built in compass and GPS enables easy return to the mouth of the Patuxent even if a summer haze might obscure the details of the Western shore when you are across the Bay. The other option is to sail up the Patuxent River to explore such beautiful creeks as St. Leonard Creek and Cuckhold/Mill Creeks on the west side just above Point Patience.

3. Need Help? If you have questions while sailing, call John on his cell phone 410-474-8723 [if you brought your cellphone]. We seldom monitor the VHF radio. If we do, we answer to "Baileywick" on channel 16. We no longer own the local marine assistance firm, TowboatUS Solomons. It was sold January 1, 2002. If needing assistance, you should call Baileywick for consultation. Usually degrounding, if not able to get off on your own by climbing down the stern swim ladder and pushing the boat to deeper water, is done by TowBoatUS. Call for "TowBoatUS Solomons". If out of range, call with your cell phone to TowBoatUS 24 hour central dispatch at 800-391-4869. The cost of marine assistance for degroundings is normally your responsibility. You should join BoatUS and take one of the higher option towing plans. Baileywick is not able to obtain BoatUS for a charter boat but the charterer can purchase it for any boat he operates at reasonable cost [In 2006, unlimited towing coverage was only $99 per year plus $14 membership fee]. Call BoatUS direct at 800-888-4869 and use your credit card.

If having an emergency, the Coast Guard can be reached on channel 16 or by cell phone to 911.

4. Driving Directions: Pot is at the Bailey's private dock at their home in Lusby on Leasons Cove off Mill Creek, about one mile to Solomons harbor by water. Obtain driving directions by email or call Capt. Bailey at 410-474-8723. The Lusby Liquors store at the corner of Route 760 and Route 765 is handy for large blocks of ice and beer. The Fastop and CJ's convenience stores on Route 760 also have ice and groceries--handy for things you should have remembered.

5. Parking, Loading and Restroom: Park your car and those of your guests side-by-side with the car hoods facing the smaller yard shed that is to the left of the house. Do not park in front of the garage doors or in my back out space to the right of the garage. Carts to haul your gear are near the shed. After sundown, the lights on the path are automatically activated by body heat. Even though each light set has a switch, it should be in the "on" position as the lights turn on automatically and shut off after a few minutes after the heat source is gone. The restroom, with shower, can be reached through the basement porch door outside the screened porch. Once inside the door, the restroom is the second door on the right down the hall. Unless an emergency, please limit your access from 9 am to 11 pm. John is usually in his office up stairs so come to the front door. A lending library of paperback books is available in the downstairs lounge room. Additionally, historic [meaning older, used] copies of the Maryland Marine Chart books are available for you [until all gone] to take home for your use and to keep.

Even though there is a usable port-a-potti in the cuddy cabin, it is highly recommended that prior to leaving the dock for the day, all crew empty their personal holding tank [bladder] in the restroom ashore.

6. Provisions by Charterer: The following checklist should help you plan for necessary consumables, equipment, and food. Six adult life jackets are kept aboard. Additional ones are available. If any young children are to be aboard, Baileywick does have an assortment of child sized lifevests available. The lifevests should be selected prior to departure. However, you are encouraged to bring one that the child has become accustomed to. Maryland State law requires vests to be worn by children under age of 7 when a vessel of less than 21 feet is underway. In the case of Pot of Gold [being 24 feet], this does not apply--but is good practice. Additionally, as of April 1, 2006, Maryland State law governing lifevests for children under 4 years or weighing less than 50 pounds must wear a new type of lifevest that includes a strap between the legs, a high collar, and a web handle. Baileywick has two regulation children lifevests for use by customers for children of less than 50 pounds. The children lifevests are normally not stored aboard so be sure to tell us about your needs.

8. Outboard Motor: The 5 hp Yamaha outboard [1999] has a safety line connected to the port stern cleat. Tilt down the outboard by tilting outboard forward and at the same time pull up the lever of the tilt support bar on the starboard side of the outboard. As you hold the tilt lever, push the outboard down into the water. To lower the motor bracket, pull the bracket release lever forward and ease the motor down. Do not drop the mount more than 2 notches. Pull the bracket release lever forward and up to raise engine from the water. When done with your charter, raise engine mount and tilt engine up so the prop is out of water.

The shift control must be in neutral, otherwise it won't start. Do not change the setting of the fuel valve located on starboard side of engine as it is kept in the down position for the tanks in the lazarette. Up is for the built in tank which is empty. Horizontal is off. Fuel is kept only in the remote tanks. Turn choke clockwise full on, set throttle on handle to start symbol position, pull cord handle. Usually takes 2 or 3 pulls. When outboard starts to run, immediately ease off the choke by turning it counterclockwise to vertical position while warming up for 1/2 minute, then turn the rest of the way off. Pull shift control forward for forward, center for neutral, and aft for reverse. Handle throttle must be at idle for shifting. If outboard does not start after 3rd pull, adjust choke a little and try again. If motor has recently been run, it will not need full choking.

Back out into the cove in low RPM reverse using the outboard to steer with the tiller held in the center position [either by a crew member or by the Tiller Tamer device] from the dock. Once you are in a clear area with the bow pointed to the north, idle down, shift into forward, adjust the throttle to cruising rpm, and move into the cockpit to take command of the tiller.

Normally, you will not need to refill fuel tanks as at least one is completely full and the fuel line can easily be switched to the spare tank. In the unlikely event you do need to purchase gas for the outboard, it must be mixed with outboard oil at the rate of 8 oz oil to 6 gallons of gas.

9. Sails:  Boat sails well with main and genoa jib in winds below 15 knots. With winds above 15 knots (white caps in Bay or Patuxent River), consider sailing on only the genoa or a partially furled genoa. You may want to consider reefing the main before leaving the dock if winds are over 15 knots. Winds of 25 knots or more may be too much for comfort in this boat unless you just sail on the genoa jib. The boat can not capsize and sailing on only the genoa works very well. If there are small craft advisories, you may reschedule, if you wish, to another open day.

Mainsail:  The mainsail is left installed and covered with the sail cover. A topping lift supports the boom when the main sail is down. Before raising the mainsail, release the boom vang from the jam cleat on the cabin top and the mainsail sheet. Raise the mainsail at the mast using the starboard side winch [new 2004]. The port side winch is for the jib and should be left as is. Check outhaul tension at the cleat on the boom. The mainsail is rigged with a slab reefing system.

To reef:

Furling Genoa Jib:  A roller furling 150% genoa is installed on the Schaefer Snapfurl 500 roller furling system [new 2004]. The genoa jib sheets must lead through the genoa turning blocks before wrapping clockwise around the jib winches. The jib halyard must be kept tight or the roller furling will not work properly. If using the genoa jib partially furled, the sheet blocks may need to be adjusted for track position by unscrewing the stop screws and sliding the block to proper position. A pliers is stowed in the tool box if the knurled screws are too tight to loosen by hand and you don't wear a Leatherman multitool when sailing, like I do.

11. Port-A-Potty: Toilet paper is stored in a container on the port side of cabin. Lift lid, pump liquid into bowl with handle on left rear corner of toilet. Do your mission. Pull handle on front of toilet to open trap door, pump liquid into bowl to rinse, close trap door by pushing in handle. Prior to leaving the dock suggest to all crew that they empty their personal holding tanks in the bathroom in the house basement as it is much more convenient and private.

12. Running Lights: Although POT is considered only as a day sailor, running lights for night sailing with a steaming line for motoring are installed. Also, a white light on a long wire is available for use as an anchor light or for use in the cabin or cockpit. All lights are switched at the breaker panel on the starboard side of cabin entry. The 12 volt battery should last several days of use if you remember to turn off lights when not needed. A battery charger is installed near the battery case and should be plugged into shore power extension cord when returning to the dock.

13. GPS Plotter [Garmin Map 162]: The Garmin GPS Map 162 [added June 2007] is installed on the port side of the cockpit on the bulkhead. It is powered from the 12 volt outlet so "outlet" breaker must be in the 'on' position inside cabin on starboard side. The battery is only recharged when connected to dock shore power. The GPS memory is loaded with Chesapeake Bay navigation details, water depths, and tides. Turn on or off by holding down the power button for a couple of seconds. With the GPS there is no reason to run aground or get lost returning the the home dock.

14. Leaving the Dock:  Make sure the outboard is warmed up. Untie lines from the dock, push stern from the dock, place engine in reverse at idle, back out, at idle, away from dock making sure the tiller is fastened in midship position, and use the outboard to steer in reverse until well clear of the dock. At idle, shift into forward gear. You are on your way. When sailing, unclamp the Tiller Master to allow easy steering. If sailing alone, the Tiller Master allows fixing the tiller position while you raise or lower sails, etc.

15. Returning to Dock: Make sure you know where home dock is located. Baileywick dock is a waypoint on the Garmin GPS chartplotter. When returning from the Patuxent River, you enter Solomons Harbor, turn starboard [to the east] into Mill Creek and follow Mill Creek rounding marker "R-4". Continue following Mill Creek to Leasons Cove. When "G-7" is reached, Leasons Cove is to the starboard. This is the third cove on the starboard side when returning. If you pass marker "R-8" on Mill Creek, you are going too far up Mill Creek and are passing Leasons Cove. Turn in to Leasons Cove and go past the house with the big B on its water side and continue to our floating dock with the American flag flying and the white catamaran powerboat with green bimini and twin black outboards. The house is all brown on a bank on the starboard side as you are returning. If you paid attention on the way out to go sailing, or have the GPS on, you should have no problem finding your way back. If you get lost, call me on the cell phone at 410-474-8723. When easing in to the dock, leave the outboard running in neutral and go into reverse gear to stop along side the dock.

Be sure to stow the seat cushions back in the cuddy cabin, reinstall sail cover, raise the outboard out of the water, and plug the shore power cord into the battery charger. Trash can be placed in the garbage can inside the small shed.

16. Aground: Experience has shown that it is worth trying to turn the boat with the engine and motoring off the direction you came from. Because of the shallow draft and the installed swim ladder on the stern, it is very easy to climb overboard and push the boat off the shallow. Don't forget to keep a hold of the boat so you can get back aboard. Hiking out from the shrouds and sheeting in the sails will help heel the boat to reduce draft. If you are really stuck, call TowBoatUS Solomons, and you will be assisted.

17. Wind and Weather on the Bay: Winds from the southerly quadrant prevail during the summer months, about 35% of the total time.

Patuxent River:

21. KEEP CLEAR--Big Ships in the Chesapeake Bay: A major shipping channel runs the length of the Chesapeake Bay, and here pass tons of cargo borne by the big ships. An awareness of the constraints under which these ships operate provides the best protection against dangerous confrontations. This discussion focuses on some highlights of encounters with big ships, though it serves as no substitute for seamanship and a firm understanding of navigational rules.

Some Facts You Should Know:

What Can You Do?

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