Chili Pepper

Those are my kids, Ryan and Erin, when they were here in 1996.  We were out at Cape Lookout and were caught there by tropical storm Arthur which had 35 knot winds.  We had to stay there for 2 days till the storm passed.  Getting caught there was due to my stupidity.  This was just 3 weeks before Hurricane Bertha hit us with 120 knot winds.  That was the worst storm I had ever been in and the only time in my life where I was afraid I was going to die.  More pics to follow.

Approaching nightfall - wind really picking up with rain starting.

Heeled over from the wind gusts - we're at anchor with the sails below - it's blowing hard here.

Middle of the night - Erin, my daughter was seasick and was throwing up in bucket all night.

Erin was miserable.   Ryan and I were nauseated but never got to the throw up stage.

First light of morning - worst of storm blew through about 2 am but it's still really blowing at daybreak.  That gull was sitting there for hours, even when we went into the cockpit.

Kids named him Stormy.  Finally flew off about 10am after the rain stopped.

Here's Chili when I was cruising the Texas coast in 1992.  This shot is in Port Aransas, Texas.  Notice the solar panel - I sailed for weeks without external power, the solar panel kept my battery charged.

Test square - after compounding the weathered gelcoat off to get to fresh stuff.

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Dec. 2001 - I'm starting a restoration of Chili Pepper - she's badly weathered from years of use and a little neglect.

Part of the port side after compounding, after entire boat is compounded it will be gone over with a finer polish then waxed.

Chili Pepper is our 19' Sovereign shoal draft sailboat.  Purchased in 1991 she has sailed the Texas coast, Florida coast and now the North Carolina coast.

Fixed shoal draft keel as seen from port forward

Keel as seen from stern