Set the Forward Spring First!

Bob at the helm

One would think that after 7 days on board the 42 foot motor yacht Sequel, I would have learned to “set the forward spring line first,” when we came alongside a dock because, if I were not already doing it, the skipper would call out, “Jim, please set the forward spring first!” I was slow to catch on.

Bob Knight, my cousin, had sold this beautiful boat as it was too large for him and his wife Andrea to handle easily. They were downsizing to a smaller 34-foot craft and he was meeting the new owner, Don, in Rochester, New York where I would disembark. Bob and Don were to go East on the Eire Canal to Albany where Bob would turn Sequel over to Don and head home. On May 6, 2008, I boarded Sequel at the elegant Grosse Pointe Yacht Club at Grosse Pointe Shores Michigan on Lake St. Clair, to serve as Bob's crew. Bob, Andrea, and a friend. Corky Swengaard, had brought the boat from Charlevoix, Michigan to Grosse Pointe. There Andrea and Corky had to leave. I was replacing them to help Bob take the boat down Lake Erie, through the Welland Canal and east on Lake Ontario to Rochester, New York, a trip of about 400 miles. This water-loving, dry-land yachtsman was very excited.

Now about “Set the Forward Spring First!” There are six lines to choose among when tying up Sequel. Two at the bow, two at the stern and two amidships called “Spring Lines” but please don't' ask me why that is their name. Having sailed a lot over many years, I thought I knew something about small ships and about which lines to use for docking. However, to me docking conditions always seemed to be variable. I thought it was up to me to use my judgment to decide which line would be best to use first. When Bob skillfully pulled Sequel alongside a pier, I'd forget the standing order, and do what I thought most appropriate. Invariably, I'd toss the wrong line to the waiting dockhand. Then, I would hear, “Jim, please set the forward spring first!”









Even though I was a challenged line handler, this trip was a great adventure. The first day we went down stream on the Detroit River along downtown Detroit and Windsor, Canada, passing the Ford Motor Company's vast River Rouge foundry and plant, and then into the islands of western Lake Erie. We spent our first night at the charming village and marina of Put-in-Bay in the Bass Islands. As Bob brought Sequel alongside the dock the Harbor Master was standing by and called for me to pass the bow line to him. I dashed forward, responding to his order just as Bob called out, “Forward Spring First, Jim!” Darn, I should have anticipated my skipper's wish and ignored the Harbor Master's command. A bit chagrined, I managed to tie us up safely.

We were at Put-in-Bay just ahead of the yachting and tourist season and few ships and people were there. Put-in-Bay was now a lovely quiet town. It was a short walk from the dock to the village green and the Canadian - U. S. Peace Memorial commemorating the victory of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry over the British Lake Erie fleet on September 10, 1813. This was an important victory leading to the U. S. take over of Fort Detroit and helping to secure the Northwest Territories as part of the United States. I knew about this battle, but had no idea about where the engagement had taken place or the nature of the fight. So, in going to the museum and seeing the short movie, I added to my knowledge of the lore of our country. It is an exciting tale.

The next day, it was on to Mentor, Ohio, a harbor town a few miles east of Cleveland, cruising under ideal conditions with moderate waves on the port bow. The twin 450 horsepower Caterpillar engines rumbled along at 2,000 rpm for cruising at 11 knots. The automatic pilot kept us on course. We alternated watches at the helm to oversee the course, track and plot of Sequel on the computer monitor. Boring? Not at all for me. I love to be on the water! Rough water is an adventure, but smooth water is a delight and there is always something to be looked after or to observe, gulls, cormorants and a few other ships. Time was filled with wonderful, leisurely conversations with Bob about our families, our lives, successes and disappointments and just plain good story telling. Later when I headed home from Rochester I was sorry my visit with Bob was ending.

Back in December 2007 when Bob had asked if I'd like to join him for the trip, my immediate response was, after a quick calendar check with Janet, “You, bet, Bob, I'd love it!” I also said, “I do insist that I buy one load of fuel because on our last adventure, I'd bought none! Bob, said, “Oh, Jim, you don't need to do that.” When we arrived, at Mentor and as we pulled up the fuel dock, the dock hand called for the starboard stern line, as I handed him the line, too late Bob called, “Forward spring first, Jim!” I noticed a touch of exasperation in his voice. A few moments later, after we had finished tying up I handed the dock hand my credit card and said, ”Filler' up!” Well, 20 minutes, and 278 gallons of diesel fuel later, I signed a credit card bill for $1,180! Now, I understood another reason why Bob was going to a smaller boat.

Mentor had such a beautiful marina and a yacht club that served great meals, we decided to spend a lazy Friday there as the weather looked doubtful and the Saturday forecast was good. On Saturday morn under a sunny sky and on calm seas we crossed Lake Eire to Port Colborne Ontario, to spend the night at the entrance to the Welland Canal. The Canal and its 8 locks would allow us to go “down the 180 feet of Niagara Falls.

On Sunday, May 11, we passed through the locks during an amazing eleven hour transit. Some of the locks dropped our boat 46 feet. This required constant attention to fender location so as to protect the Sequel from the abrasive concrete walls. We also had to attend continuously to the bow and stern lines that we paid out slowly so as to keep our position among the other craft in the lock as Sequel rode the water down.

I'd been fascinated with these locks for years as they made ocean ports of Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee and Chicago and I was thrilled to be passing through them. It was very physical as fenders and lines had frequently to be reset. We started the transit with our 8:30 AM phone check in and completed it at 11:00 PM. There were extended periods of waiting for locks to clear huge 700 to 800 foot long lake freighters. At the north end of the Canal the last four locks came in quick, exhausting succession. But the passage was exhilarating,

For a stunning finish to the day, Skipper Bob, in the dark of the night, safely took us to St. Catharine's Harbor and placed us securely in a narrow dock slip. I was very impressed at his navigation and seamanship! And wonder of wonders, I set the forward spring line first. I was catching on. After a late Mother's Day phone call to Janet and one to our son Steve in California who had been born on Mothers Day in 1952, a glass of wine, and a quick snack, Bob and I both fell into a sound sleep. I was dreaming of a possible visit the next day to Niagara-on-the-Lake, a delightful resort town just a few miles East, still in Canada. However, we awoke early to a lovely day and very calm Lake Ontario, Skipper Bob said, “We are headed to Rochester, New York. We can easily get there by 5:00.”

It was a great run with a gentle “following sea.” The views along the North Shore of New York state were constantly interesting as we watched homes, towns, water towers and smoke stacks glide by. When we arrived, the harbor of the Rochester Yacht Club was busy preparing for a Red Cross fund raising fishing tournament with over twenty additional boats and 125 fishermen. They hoped to find perch, salmon, lake and rainbow trout among their catch.

We received a warm welcome from the friendly, very busy Harbor Master. As we came along side the dock, I coiled the forward spring line carefully prepared to make an artful line toss to provide a glorious finale for Bob, showing that I had learned “to do it right!” But, some of the coil caught on my fingertips and the line landed in the water. Bob, busy handling the wheel and throttles, did not see my goof. With out his ever knowing I quickly recovered the line and Bob saw me make the second toss in good seamanship fashion. Whooie, I got by.

A phone call before supper let us know the new owner would come aboard 10:00 AM the next day. So, on Wednesday morning, we arose early and set to scrubbing the decks, vacuuming the carpets, dusting the interior and washing the many dirty cabin windows. As we finished a few minutes before ten, a smiling new owner arrived, proud of his new vessel but immediately awed by its mechanical and electronic complexities. Bob would have 5 days on the Erie Canal to “show him the ropes,” though I think the ropes on a sailing vessel would be easier to learn.

We had a great dinner that night at the Genesee Club in Rochester with a sailing buddy of Bob's. So we got a look at Rochester, which I had thought was close to Lake Ontario, but rather it is on the Genesee River with access to the Eire Canal and four or five miles from the lake.

Our last trip was a short one to a neighboring marina to get fuel and re-enter the USA. As we came along side the fuel dock, with Bob and the new owner watching, I proudly threw the “Forward Spring first!” Here we checked in with US Customs by a video camera-phone and Bob handed the dock woman his credit card. I watched the fuel pump clicking away, only another $1,300! I thought, am I ever glad we bought a family farm instead of a yacht, and there are no “Spring Lines” to toss!

By: Papa Jim
May 22, 2008

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