tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64237053230109628412024-02-07T05:06:29.186-08:00DIANTHUSSailing around on our CS 36 Sailboat. And now sailing about the world on OTHER PEOPLE'S BOATS!!! Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-8559110111529971222023-12-30T09:03:00.000-08:002023-12-30T10:24:36.125-08:00Catching up on the past few years<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> It's been a while....</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">so let's re-cap the past 6 years!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">So in 2017 a lot happened. We sold my house, moved to the Northern Neck of Virginia, Carol's daughter got married, my son graduated from College, I (and we) did the Bermuda 1-2 race, I retired, we bought a piece of land to build on... Pheww, I'm tired just writing all this.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Anyway, over Christmas of 2017, longtime sailing friends that had been paid Captain/Crew on yachts called from New Zealand and said they bought their own boat and wanted us to come sail with them. Oh, and by the way, this guy we had been crewing for in the Oyster World Rally now has no crew and we recommended you to take our place! While you can read the entire blog about those 10 months <a href="http://sailordave.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a>, I'll post a few pics from that trip below. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gL22vjRsXr0KZFASUdzjDp7pYmVM6XJ1yaleza1eRcrUq18D1mWq4GsHVdSoPHfKhZV79y4GX7O-D54zDCMMXPrNS_YnLBv_jVXH8A6GNlIm-Q6Y9be1TAKL4mQERZAF_6pZJrAwbMS92-duRgJxBn4LV_hMgwETh7hk5dClxNgsR6JZB9Lv9Up5Ces/s4608/DSC_2722.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gL22vjRsXr0KZFASUdzjDp7pYmVM6XJ1yaleza1eRcrUq18D1mWq4GsHVdSoPHfKhZV79y4GX7O-D54zDCMMXPrNS_YnLBv_jVXH8A6GNlIm-Q6Y9be1TAKL4mQERZAF_6pZJrAwbMS92-duRgJxBn4LV_hMgwETh7hk5dClxNgsR6JZB9Lv9Up5Ces/s320/DSC_2722.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>So, o</span><span>ff to NZ</span><span> we went. Spent 7 weeks sailing around with them, took a 10 day Vacay to the South Island, then got on the Oyster 54. After a short break-in period around the Bay of Islands, it was off to Vanuatu. There we spent 3.5 weeks and even visited Mount Yasur, the active volcano on the island of Tanna.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2snnQwVVk73pnD-d1Nol5YQDfYXs3SjzmNX_F5FeFxTizve_DTooEGFHacYE1T1676as-nx4WztDOFp2YmdwPhVx6ta89aIG2ToW0QdOlC0rZzvXAFGmdFeXoPi-zS1-Y0-aSN1idH18vZZXbF351Oi6c1-RXfF_JGQyukFwpO64ITbOk88YXGC_rISY/s4608/DSC_3583.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2snnQwVVk73pnD-d1Nol5YQDfYXs3SjzmNX_F5FeFxTizve_DTooEGFHacYE1T1676as-nx4WztDOFp2YmdwPhVx6ta89aIG2ToW0QdOlC0rZzvXAFGmdFeXoPi-zS1-Y0-aSN1idH18vZZXbF351Oi6c1-RXfF_JGQyukFwpO64ITbOk88YXGC_rISY/s320/DSC_3583.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span><p style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-oSptWfvyb9Bu_xsLBPHIq4PtUJB9mzaXpafzJDtRDP-JokblTv5BJMTJ3p7cSRFhnQKoW10G0fYssoO0-x89aeCJUsFRxVS2G9a3uIVU-p6y-OJEnGao6wkpdDocDCAEDks38X52eT_xsUqYM2xDpnDj8pWCX0kIfO0ecPIihP7hB6GWqc0dnQ8GDg/s4608/P6300626.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-oSptWfvyb9Bu_xsLBPHIq4PtUJB9mzaXpafzJDtRDP-JokblTv5BJMTJ3p7cSRFhnQKoW10G0fYssoO0-x89aeCJUsFRxVS2G9a3uIVU-p6y-OJEnGao6wkpdDocDCAEDks38X52eT_xsUqYM2xDpnDj8pWCX0kIfO0ecPIihP7hB6GWqc0dnQ8GDg/s320/P6300626.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><div><span><span style="font-size: large;">Then it was off to Australia... we sailed to Mackay and then up the coast and over to Darwin. We even took a week to tour/campout in the Outback at Ayers Rock/Uluru. </span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqOOrXx3ST5bVJ-VPO06j4ibXaMlE0TFYw01xuCO2hfoPnvqg059zMCOY4kEko67YS9BwIbu0xo6RpozAHQqBNeUaWv06WS0FAaLi3Kka3eyB6OxIBDmZSpj3McWlGgf7nfIkTkO6uVdACzIgMHYk-CkzxbPLuOdEgfwN6jKrBYUZr04L-g5b44rfQIqc/s4608/DSC_3953.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqOOrXx3ST5bVJ-VPO06j4ibXaMlE0TFYw01xuCO2hfoPnvqg059zMCOY4kEko67YS9BwIbu0xo6RpozAHQqBNeUaWv06WS0FAaLi3Kka3eyB6OxIBDmZSpj3McWlGgf7nfIkTkO6uVdACzIgMHYk-CkzxbPLuOdEgfwN6jKrBYUZr04L-g5b44rfQIqc/s320/DSC_3953.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUoAsSwVyZbHRO9Udxdg08MJF80eD9K1ztlo10PPTQgZgrKhyphenhyphenSRiaGd3unY7AcNUrPn33pUBpx8lAHB4cbuwm_upOXpJALhReoiWMVigP59p3oBYF-FQohONERCJw_LBYd_TDzcdqx4TkxSe0JzLo5awAgFJQ7AVuIYbR40G9VqbooJ33p4JgjPR7NgRI/s4608/DSC_4353.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUoAsSwVyZbHRO9Udxdg08MJF80eD9K1ztlo10PPTQgZgrKhyphenhyphenSRiaGd3unY7AcNUrPn33pUBpx8lAHB4cbuwm_upOXpJALhReoiWMVigP59p3oBYF-FQohONERCJw_LBYd_TDzcdqx4TkxSe0JzLo5awAgFJQ7AVuIYbR40G9VqbooJ33p4JgjPR7NgRI/s320/DSC_4353.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Next up was Indonesia. There we did some diving and even experienced the aftershocks of an earthquake from 250 miles away. Little did we know that a few weeks later we would be very near ground zero for more aftershocks!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqD5g6csDTmXXH2MR8rV_991csH16sBRenYdGNBdyMGXLqdrGyY6YkMH1vTBhguO2LiZxLf5x-TRxb8iaQ44f3_iFeuLv2lC2TO-uq656WyYRmdbpcjWSFGnnPn44wH7iaHl9wrkTwgGrNwblHLchKDIvTes0rsgsmGhaaVRcq6EWXcoGzJtBD7kvra_k/s4608/DSC_4536.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqD5g6csDTmXXH2MR8rV_991csH16sBRenYdGNBdyMGXLqdrGyY6YkMH1vTBhguO2LiZxLf5x-TRxb8iaQ44f3_iFeuLv2lC2TO-uq656WyYRmdbpcjWSFGnnPn44wH7iaHl9wrkTwgGrNwblHLchKDIvTes0rsgsmGhaaVRcq6EWXcoGzJtBD7kvra_k/s320/DSC_4536.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivD6ALxMffWldUOafqNoCl3mA9yYUZKy6CQQAlkGeGey1gNYvYnuKyU5_R_KYpcnrCLb-Po1FS0kj6YLG-m_9If2ILMn18E_FjeJMJgCXarCUcCLUSBCElyb5knmY9ckYzdKEAcAXv0NBg-ArGgOKkIUw5NtJ-FpENdQbo0J3VVT-23UHSFiCmuTELnCw/s4608/DSC_4822.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivD6ALxMffWldUOafqNoCl3mA9yYUZKy6CQQAlkGeGey1gNYvYnuKyU5_R_KYpcnrCLb-Po1FS0kj6YLG-m_9If2ILMn18E_FjeJMJgCXarCUcCLUSBCElyb5knmY9ckYzdKEAcAXv0NBg-ArGgOKkIUw5NtJ-FpENdQbo0J3VVT-23UHSFiCmuTELnCw/s320/DSC_4822.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: left;">Carol's 90 y.o. father was in the hospital, so we decided to go home. After giving notice to our Skipper, her Dad got a pacemaker and said he felt great, and for us to not bother coming home. We then joined another boat that needed crew, this time, an Oyster 66. Leaving Indonesia we set sail for Cocos/Keeling island, an atoll that Australia owns in the Indian Ocean.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQ9UXJJavgAyf86u78E-cQoFmGlvdpQy09Tu5KCZGRpLNE_Y53dq_DMNGSptr1osQYek3OxU2qGME4zijiAo8RzZ6bvKr_NIP5UIG14PggGzD4H6I0jxJJerbq1tmgMnheZ3ELmcobkLycBuzLQ1D0hOjWXHXUxc-fvYjtNpjzEYYXjpkT36jxCerUvo/s4608/DSC_4985.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQ9UXJJavgAyf86u78E-cQoFmGlvdpQy09Tu5KCZGRpLNE_Y53dq_DMNGSptr1osQYek3OxU2qGME4zijiAo8RzZ6bvKr_NIP5UIG14PggGzD4H6I0jxJJerbq1tmgMnheZ3ELmcobkLycBuzLQ1D0hOjWXHXUxc-fvYjtNpjzEYYXjpkT36jxCerUvo/s320/DSC_4985.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">A lovely place with stunning beaches...until you walk around to the other side where all the trash and plastic washes up. Still, I'd go back in a heartbeat!</div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now we had a 14 day/2200+ mile passage to make to Mauritius. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHI5E5FuHYv8bLVZhtCrA1qybQzjFGf7pVZAiVYd8e6EMR3o8-h3loJE-rNkKWP_xnJk6EzZeBXfZnzOPpGlsZGbdl_KbQP1HdK3RhNmMq_L9T44-hEw3QArmtBQXFA31wVp9cx2zHUA147uBrFO4J9jzuefQocWb0rEkApBti275F4A4KmgdkL3TiQJ0/s4608/PA040557.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHI5E5FuHYv8bLVZhtCrA1qybQzjFGf7pVZAiVYd8e6EMR3o8-h3loJE-rNkKWP_xnJk6EzZeBXfZnzOPpGlsZGbdl_KbQP1HdK3RhNmMq_L9T44-hEw3QArmtBQXFA31wVp9cx2zHUA147uBrFO4J9jzuefQocWb0rEkApBti275F4A4KmgdkL3TiQJ0/s320/PA040557.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">A week later we had the worst sail of the year; 20 hours/135 miles to the island of Reunion, which is an Overseas Department of France. Which means, IT'S FRANCE! Gorgeous beaches, beautiful mountains, even a volcano, but most of all, French food and pastries!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkA1j036DslhHlmxQhI0FOrKK1FnKzcWkrGbsKQkbo2c5CTb05MI4s-WjGGhUY4Lwwwk_RmK6mZtAnnvhF7rYCJ2qVyjQnq04dWKbvL67GIE9uoQpheHDh66FEHfuWf9Z7eyw5WjOXf7REoHchMoUd6hgIWUasOgYYSsVktlHAx2j8S7-THjMsDV82sE/s4608/DSC_5385.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkA1j036DslhHlmxQhI0FOrKK1FnKzcWkrGbsKQkbo2c5CTb05MI4s-WjGGhUY4Lwwwk_RmK6mZtAnnvhF7rYCJ2qVyjQnq04dWKbvL67GIE9uoQpheHDh66FEHfuWf9Z7eyw5WjOXf7REoHchMoUd6hgIWUasOgYYSsVktlHAx2j8S7-THjMsDV82sE/s320/DSC_5385.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Our week in Reunion, turned into 11 days as our weather window took it's time showing up. Off to Durban, S. Africa we went, making it into port, just before the offshore weather turned totally crappy.</div><div style="text-align: left;">A week there, then a stunning 96 hour non-stop sail to CapeTown. This was very unusual, in that only about 25% of the time can you make the 850nm in one shot. There we did some sightseeing that we missed out on in 2011 on our honeymoon, and then took an 8 day safari in Namibia/Botswana/Zimbabwe/Zambia. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiyjIYxZnDQYlKydHoa_-j6alr5WuQuWFuwGo7julXjGtKjGHJ0WLWsDxTZhePgRAwDc3aE5i7vdR2qtYASIsuRVZrMw2KGLlB-Wl9A0R0xofed1evQD2lY5s1ZtuwSZ68p3wqU5G4RKE5HsdWhsQcGG81xv-9MLReoqbvucT5ZadRpxyYCJslBbR6iBE/s3872/DSC_0279.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="3872" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiyjIYxZnDQYlKydHoa_-j6alr5WuQuWFuwGo7julXjGtKjGHJ0WLWsDxTZhePgRAwDc3aE5i7vdR2qtYASIsuRVZrMw2KGLlB-Wl9A0R0xofed1evQD2lY5s1ZtuwSZ68p3wqU5G4RKE5HsdWhsQcGG81xv-9MLReoqbvucT5ZadRpxyYCJslBbR6iBE/s320/DSC_0279.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyxMjqF4BUp0OLE_pp3QjvY5LxGlO6chCThk33gHbiTIx1TfTEqmD6yCQzK7AqFdEP8QwbXuWW1mq85OptLlpG8T7uYoFjC7KI2e35Dp9FcgIRd4aUbdHkC4kMawjYuTZsWBCByeCNGpO6gSA7FzdCpVUwLTrGplZKBD3P_eVUYwMrRrL2UBTferHfjI/s4608/DSC_5984.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4608" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmyxMjqF4BUp0OLE_pp3QjvY5LxGlO6chCThk33gHbiTIx1TfTEqmD6yCQzK7AqFdEP8QwbXuWW1mq85OptLlpG8T7uYoFjC7KI2e35Dp9FcgIRd4aUbdHkC4kMawjYuTZsWBCByeCNGpO6gSA7FzdCpVUwLTrGplZKBD3P_eVUYwMrRrL2UBTferHfjI/s320/DSC_5984.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Then it was back to CapeTown and heading for home.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">2019: We finished designing our new house and started building.</div><div style="text-align: left;">While it was being built we framed up Dave's 900 sq.ft. shop.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVvdxDFSVS4hliKwSukLiv3o1qZjOw2qBlDq-T7aRilfiMCLMf7xvhd9BpYw6aESGK9DnlG5nfH1AprtMSpMnLtRj_i6_piYaSuEQO5wqyG6ycRIH1UGbOV9sS9KPxfCmbF88EOAwJdT2Ishs4M3DbPWeyadBYC2mgn9PdSl_343nvaK-Mkk6AbqjFb0/s5312/20191101_133051.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2988" data-original-width="5312" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVvdxDFSVS4hliKwSukLiv3o1qZjOw2qBlDq-T7aRilfiMCLMf7xvhd9BpYw6aESGK9DnlG5nfH1AprtMSpMnLtRj_i6_piYaSuEQO5wqyG6ycRIH1UGbOV9sS9KPxfCmbF88EOAwJdT2Ishs4M3DbPWeyadBYC2mgn9PdSl_343nvaK-Mkk6AbqjFb0/s320/20191101_133051.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXiEdO6IACUnTXnYB9UMy-EcTCmSpFc2NJbEqOwl4j0B83-nvsM3kXM2D9joA9gX4LUZI9sNOl3iYM_7kYiTm9XnIcscQ_Bv_ned8ZxaIic7g-qEGsQpFuD1LwFy-MksD50gwr85sU5nsAUzthSFBjYsGPeD22MmlhgBLDIXw267ZxuY4fMUB8nQTh4A/s5312/20191107_170010.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2988" data-original-width="5312" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXiEdO6IACUnTXnYB9UMy-EcTCmSpFc2NJbEqOwl4j0B83-nvsM3kXM2D9joA9gX4LUZI9sNOl3iYM_7kYiTm9XnIcscQ_Bv_ned8ZxaIic7g-qEGsQpFuD1LwFy-MksD50gwr85sU5nsAUzthSFBjYsGPeD22MmlhgBLDIXw267ZxuY4fMUB8nQTh4A/s320/20191107_170010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Of course, then COVID hit in Spring of 2020. Fortunately for us, we had purchased most of the furnishings for the house on Black Friday of 2019 and ordered the rest of the appliances in February. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Finally in July of 2020 the house was finished. Here are a few pics of the front and back of the house, as well as a view across the water out back.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24XjHhiGS7-deZNUAJQbFtkwj87H8QlpcQDx4NyMqp5lFmxcIInJ8HNaSOVDrogYEmm_YbN_XRsJgSHiA_fsGCnFBQVADY0iJYoLPwYfw6jAzrmRt2dONfqWgrjuByg34c8oGkHAgUuMU-LaAeGDTRf1MFCabJMDRrMTJDK88GcjM71Lf25fqzUMs_oM/s4032/20200808_082939.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24XjHhiGS7-deZNUAJQbFtkwj87H8QlpcQDx4NyMqp5lFmxcIInJ8HNaSOVDrogYEmm_YbN_XRsJgSHiA_fsGCnFBQVADY0iJYoLPwYfw6jAzrmRt2dONfqWgrjuByg34c8oGkHAgUuMU-LaAeGDTRf1MFCabJMDRrMTJDK88GcjM71Lf25fqzUMs_oM/s320/20200808_082939.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2NjI0f5pp8NNArd8ZD7Eb_v8SBWxrzQr_fr51QZFCvZEPhV6sirn5MEp95xek2vRB9nKL5OSG93PKNAamvwNc7YphD4yNy_un07pTfBB6MhOWxxuVgvxIUbiJDM0PzyyW4Ik1J2yuNzsLWwI3tBfQOOUwfRV75SX88E3tlzPe1XcDkd_-bXV1kJT3YM/s4032/20200808_082319.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2NjI0f5pp8NNArd8ZD7Eb_v8SBWxrzQr_fr51QZFCvZEPhV6sirn5MEp95xek2vRB9nKL5OSG93PKNAamvwNc7YphD4yNy_un07pTfBB6MhOWxxuVgvxIUbiJDM0PzyyW4Ik1J2yuNzsLWwI3tBfQOOUwfRV75SX88E3tlzPe1XcDkd_-bXV1kJT3YM/s320/20200808_082319.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1lfiI5fuMXlhZCQhDWlXi3iJfCCQnwDIjQ4dEFMR5NXpJ8Q0PnP4tHnDy3zoWCb95tlVq1mjJy-y1gsTwe6flR-tHF2ZBzfQh3t4LW29Vll107G_gpOLonmAf9dUKqT3lfJefN8PsSQm_T8FQQ7999B6stZoqJC2EvUW_YkobPGMwfIIFdK03tf_03M/s4032/20200817_062634.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1lfiI5fuMXlhZCQhDWlXi3iJfCCQnwDIjQ4dEFMR5NXpJ8Q0PnP4tHnDy3zoWCb95tlVq1mjJy-y1gsTwe6flR-tHF2ZBzfQh3t4LW29Vll107G_gpOLonmAf9dUKqT3lfJefN8PsSQm_T8FQQ7999B6stZoqJC2EvUW_YkobPGMwfIIFdK03tf_03M/s320/20200817_062634.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Then in 2021 it was back to doing the Bermuda 1-2.... or at least attempting to. We were on our way, and headed down the Delaware Bay, when I noticed the Tachometer didn't reset to ZERO after turning off the engine. Curious, I bumped the starter, and NOTHING happened. The engine would not start. Long story short, we got towed back through the C & D canal, sailed back to Baltimore to our old marina, (literally sailing into our old slip) and eventually got the engine fixed. That led to me being pissed off enough that in October I decided to get a new engine.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-In07BourTnT3LKAREuRu-LEzGP1mviy6yT-P1pTSF2-47BkSNdYvH0wt5ZwjnIdAa-nH4mnETMzvLiRS00qLTG3A-mE-EQunwlZTWaxk9bnfcJSCUKg5Zz5VOD6x2fmkxKuVH6oy6rKno1L_HTiT30bUQkPHiI4dmbA9gWokrJJ19U-80_5Nkb3Oxc8/s2058/20211109_170450.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1652" data-original-width="2058" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-In07BourTnT3LKAREuRu-LEzGP1mviy6yT-P1pTSF2-47BkSNdYvH0wt5ZwjnIdAa-nH4mnETMzvLiRS00qLTG3A-mE-EQunwlZTWaxk9bnfcJSCUKg5Zz5VOD6x2fmkxKuVH6oy6rKno1L_HTiT30bUQkPHiI4dmbA9gWokrJJ19U-80_5Nkb3Oxc8/s320/20211109_170450.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>That fall I bought two Chesapeake Light Craft kayak kits and spent a few months building kayaks for both of us. Good thing I had plenty of clamps!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrs9hNs8m_glD_YbNtocb3c1Iqt-g6Svpa8Wn-m3FZzFzOYKU2RfQdpbnL2HpHGEIVh4bmPVbTBimZM7HTCsScP1OPxWk5W2gwfsV8FhbJjxzw3dV7RX9SN5R-NEcDfRNpLhrZxAxI54mzp4u3ogkAvIJbV1_JLlBtVHoemrckyvNZjFF_898pTaStqA/s4032/20211027_123116.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrs9hNs8m_glD_YbNtocb3c1Iqt-g6Svpa8Wn-m3FZzFzOYKU2RfQdpbnL2HpHGEIVh4bmPVbTBimZM7HTCsScP1OPxWk5W2gwfsV8FhbJjxzw3dV7RX9SN5R-NEcDfRNpLhrZxAxI54mzp4u3ogkAvIJbV1_JLlBtVHoemrckyvNZjFF_898pTaStqA/s320/20211027_123116.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudAMqcrw1vfD-kY_6tIVr_kPgrdgDTXtV_hPizd9cWhB_DzyUdNidwK3m-xivG32rAQ2wcTxoBiOIs0UQCsp8VTCTy_E9fYODJhk-TwKv3AZwVrL1w2s95kIFuz5__Eosxq91spWV9V8rwTqrDA8KV9OsM7QJhT3FF4kOL_IWw_Icn6jK7EDiE-BXbeY/s1634/20211225_105138.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1634" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudAMqcrw1vfD-kY_6tIVr_kPgrdgDTXtV_hPizd9cWhB_DzyUdNidwK3m-xivG32rAQ2wcTxoBiOIs0UQCsp8VTCTy_E9fYODJhk-TwKv3AZwVrL1w2s95kIFuz5__Eosxq91spWV9V8rwTqrDA8KV9OsM7QJhT3FF4kOL_IWw_Icn6jK7EDiE-BXbeY/s320/20211225_105138.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">For 2022 I had big plans. HAD being the operative word. I was going to race my boat in the Annapolis/Bermuda Race, fly to Newport, crew in the Newport/Bermuda Race, then race my boat up to Newport in the new single/doublehanded race back. Well...I went skiing in Utah with some sailing buddies and fell and broke my hip.</div><div style="text-align: left;">So much for plans...</div><div style="text-align: left;">Notice the Max Speed in the pic below. Yeah, that was me...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRTzscohhNlQ3T_kVaOFliPGJ6J4epwn5Y56519tmzPzLozDGhrT2EuQK4tj2WI1TFdwFcfgmihmZzP3J_rPQ7w7QJ2EdyLWPvQLORXhp7VBhXKLzwTwWImFJK1qnVu3Aohp06Q_LeVdy0OMZXdtgyI44sLKMXcjRFMdoL5dSuAq71KG6VYdomMmpEig/s865/20220311_175519.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="865" data-original-width="501" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRTzscohhNlQ3T_kVaOFliPGJ6J4epwn5Y56519tmzPzLozDGhrT2EuQK4tj2WI1TFdwFcfgmihmZzP3J_rPQ7w7QJ2EdyLWPvQLORXhp7VBhXKLzwTwWImFJK1qnVu3Aohp06Q_LeVdy0OMZXdtgyI44sLKMXcjRFMdoL5dSuAq71KG6VYdomMmpEig/s320/20220311_175519.jpg" width="185" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLH0Gu9ByqSmTYDmM4wycqjwHxPcamwmFIqI0Y1d8nJb9wCFzypIi1UuphrsOqYs-iirhpI_LcCO2D1Hqja1Qq-q6dvKHvIA73rZykxrflT4NWJGb7cc62mocDPN_yugrdS3u2DlwDGy7NP45KzdTq9NJYb5QfvBNoAMoRyHuWeNjD03UqEKOZEoeCVPs/s4032/20220304_112445.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLH0Gu9ByqSmTYDmM4wycqjwHxPcamwmFIqI0Y1d8nJb9wCFzypIi1UuphrsOqYs-iirhpI_LcCO2D1Hqja1Qq-q6dvKHvIA73rZykxrflT4NWJGb7cc62mocDPN_yugrdS3u2DlwDGy7NP45KzdTq9NJYb5QfvBNoAMoRyHuWeNjD03UqEKOZEoeCVPs/s320/20220304_112445.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">While I didn't race in the A2B, I did crew for a friend in the N2B. The rest of 2022, was somewhat painful as my hip did not heal completely, necessitating a total hip replacement in December. Sailing, IE racing was good though. We won the Gov C</span>up in our class, getting the gun and first place, we won the Stingray Pt regatta in our class, and then I won my class in the Turkey Shoot and came in 3rd overall out of 51 boats!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">2023 was a mixed bag. With the new engine in Dianthus we headed to Newport for the Bermuda 1-2. A rough first leg had me finish just out of third in fourth place in class, having been edged out by a boat that finished 9 hours after me. I was 5th overall though in the final standings of 18 finishers (from the 23 starters). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0j8uEAaxVc2gCPTQRl9TxhzZzYtwy9O6CyqFMr5jMvVU3H0WONpdWiIePMEN8iOQXj2sqGUAlrBOz7l8k0GuA5HZm892ihHT2_POO14stt4WhnTgJhVRL6i778KzIXakslBiD25esMw75ICCOQuM6IUNnBgib_c0gZWUBhyphenhyphenulYpjgNLJQAcfB0L6A5NQ/s2564/cs36m-dianthus%20(10%20av%201)%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1923" data-original-width="2564" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0j8uEAaxVc2gCPTQRl9TxhzZzYtwy9O6CyqFMr5jMvVU3H0WONpdWiIePMEN8iOQXj2sqGUAlrBOz7l8k0GuA5HZm892ihHT2_POO14stt4WhnTgJhVRL6i778KzIXakslBiD25esMw75ICCOQuM6IUNnBgib_c0gZWUBhyphenhyphenulYpjgNLJQAcfB0L6A5NQ/s320/cs36m-dianthus%20(10%20av%201)%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUargzpqPkE8t2aLJcXioLWQ54Uo9gxTI81PE5zCs-6UdytsF9wP2MGGWK_Zh7PA9buKRhGnmrMiLqsrf-B-bjuLgIIpmsbWl-spGZAegSLg1IjVVO8gth9CpCb19cwDybOw6Rzd8utOk5ykqXYFZdcd9Tu8WpekXz_aiLpTcy7TYSHqU14MXynxurpuo/s4608/P6040295.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUargzpqPkE8t2aLJcXioLWQ54Uo9gxTI81PE5zCs-6UdytsF9wP2MGGWK_Zh7PA9buKRhGnmrMiLqsrf-B-bjuLgIIpmsbWl-spGZAegSLg1IjVVO8gth9CpCb19cwDybOw6Rzd8utOk5ykqXYFZdcd9Tu8WpekXz_aiLpTcy7TYSHqU14MXynxurpuo/s320/P6040295.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Two days into the race, one of my competitors passed me (he should have been way in front of me by then...) and we took pictures of each other. BLUR, a J111 from Sweden skippered by Peter Gustafsson.</div><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">On the double handed leg back, we were soaked by a squall two hours after the start. This leg was even rougher and marked by lots of reefing and shaking out of said reefs. We got our usual good start, hitting the line about 10 seconds after the gun. (For those of you who think that was a lousy start, you have to remember, if you're over early you get hit with a serious time penalty. It IS a 600+ mile/5 day race)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJAKl06c1h3AII-Z9_wVrdOJvU9TZcGy6ty_IBvsQq1skuAFONYLn3QEmeEIF4v2jFr9Yqsunbqpbh2OmFJK4gu4Z65cwhRtU3vHyIakPCMLwx45ufqKZadNjouii6DqsjnWMCtVfRxdcNTQ4zmXMtyagRCc3-GGujden2fTl6fDFlfketTgwGFclC1k/s4032/IMG-5839.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJAKl06c1h3AII-Z9_wVrdOJvU9TZcGy6ty_IBvsQq1skuAFONYLn3QEmeEIF4v2jFr9Yqsunbqpbh2OmFJK4gu4Z65cwhRtU3vHyIakPCMLwx45ufqKZadNjouii6DqsjnWMCtVfRxdcNTQ4zmXMtyagRCc3-GGujden2fTl6fDFlfketTgwGFclC1k/s320/IMG-5839.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Here we lead the rest of our class out the "Cut" leaving St. George's.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxSQtf8Nxj8LMiRaPAuh4vC1zh5h2VyitCsLgbv-t7WlFYem2vb4pZfojjRyDAtMIerP8UzcTWQJukWhMi0cA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This video was shot about 2 hours after our start in Bermuda. The forecasted squalls came in as promised!</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbogOxANMptNTbm7Cb13rCG_Me38HXb-87jABsE34KgkZyFCetNtctew-PhtfL7eyOstbjH66ph2KFgfzRu4RBUtOSPjBRY4z1mF0ug7so4NMyGt_TuiJ8gxr5M19BvuD6QrRVbosOewwlPflxLQh7TOiU0DDBAll2dmrEmxn7KRy6CUGBB8j3AjxuOj4/s2048/P6150306.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbogOxANMptNTbm7Cb13rCG_Me38HXb-87jABsE34KgkZyFCetNtctew-PhtfL7eyOstbjH66ph2KFgfzRu4RBUtOSPjBRY4z1mF0ug7so4NMyGt_TuiJ8gxr5M19BvuD6QrRVbosOewwlPflxLQh7TOiU0DDBAll2dmrEmxn7KRy6CUGBB8j3AjxuOj4/s320/P6150306.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div style="text-align: center;">Carol on the helm already soaked.</div></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">The next 3 days were pretty rough, I must have reefed/un-reefed seven or eight times, and that was before we got to the Gulf Stream! There, we were double reefed, with just a scrap of jib out. By then we had received word that our chief competitor, CORDELIA was 40 miles in front of us. They had been ahle to sail a better angle right from the start and kept more sail up. There was however, a dead spot of no wind about a 100 miles from the finish that boats were sailing into and just parking. We hit it Sunday night and just sorta twirled around with almost no wind. Around 3 or 4am we were barely moving, as in the boat speed wasn't even registering on the knotmeter. The only way I could tell we were moving was by the change in our L/L position! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Around 0530 we were starting to sail and by 0700 we were over 5 knots! Eventually the wind speed and angle allowed me to put up BIG RED and by 1000 we were doing 7-8 knots plus. I spent most of the next eight hours trimming the kite in effort to get a little extra speed. We knew that GRYPHON, one of the boats in our class was 20 miles behind us and could catch us. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArYXgdcPnOb67KlPdEXAGyEK_09Slaih4WU6azAemNA72BC1JQOrf6aSatH2J4ESkkFJfUJmZ2jgHyiU1kjw_efMWB8Pi0yHZOP7e7sJdoZIlYmaqgRNiel6ECcRdpHAs2jrOzofyUe1MI7PIsE3YzWomPrGDYuhjK2obth4oi1VBrouMRFmuTAUKDws/s4608/P6190318.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArYXgdcPnOb67KlPdEXAGyEK_09Slaih4WU6azAemNA72BC1JQOrf6aSatH2J4ESkkFJfUJmZ2jgHyiU1kjw_efMWB8Pi0yHZOP7e7sJdoZIlYmaqgRNiel6ECcRdpHAs2jrOzofyUe1MI7PIsE3YzWomPrGDYuhjK2obth4oi1VBrouMRFmuTAUKDws/s320/P6190318.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTojhjC0wvCzV-urDviHWmSsxwfuwAR8Crz59RwDDwrcSPLjlrrDaDczInAo4NEFJ16HAZqu4TlwKshmJ8DQ9rsEkF_qeDUqe7FEPVP1N1WXLKEqJPb2qHOvQ4kgqBzKsJnVBqDixHLpcqM6nTMz0oc8Fkme2Wy9OVdqPJ3Apq1No03qZVL5M8LHDFHLQ/s4608/P6190320.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTojhjC0wvCzV-urDviHWmSsxwfuwAR8Crz59RwDDwrcSPLjlrrDaDczInAo4NEFJ16HAZqu4TlwKshmJ8DQ9rsEkF_qeDUqe7FEPVP1N1WXLKEqJPb2qHOvQ4kgqBzKsJnVBqDixHLpcqM6nTMz0oc8Fkme2Wy9OVdqPJ3Apq1No03qZVL5M8LHDFHLQ/s320/P6190320.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;">We finished at 2052, almost three hours ahead of GRYPHON, but alas, they corrected over us to take second place in class. We were third for the double handed leg and in the combined scores for both legs we were third in class.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">We spent the next week and a half sailing around Narragansett Bay and Block Island. Met up with a couple of friends and then motored all the way back to Chesapeake Bay where we met up with more friends and saw the July 4th fireworks in Annapolis. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">August saw us racing in then Governor's Cup again, this time with John and Wendy Clarke as crew. Like last year we took the GUN in our class, but corrected to 2nd this time...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">September was a very good month. We started off by winning our class in the Stingray Pt. Regatta. we won the distance race on Fri, took the one race on Saturday, and both races on Sunday. We also won the Southern Bay Cruising Class trophy for the year.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">The next week I was back in Annapolis for the NASS Oxford Race doublehanding with John Clarke. We started in very light air that gradually filled in, and ended with a great spinnaker sail.... until the wind shifted, and hit with 32 knots on the beam! Fortunately, I had doused the chute about 90 seconds prior!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Next weekend we were back racing at FBYC. The first half of the race was a spinnaker run down to Wolftrap lighthouse. I was blanketed by another boat and just couldn't pass him. By the time we finally did pass and then rounded the lighthouse, our two main competitors were way out in front. Instead of playing follow the leader with them, we opted to stay out in the bay and work our way back up just concentrating on sailing fast. When I tacked inshore I couldn't figure out where the other boats were. Looking at AIS I realized we had completely passed them, and were well out in front! Then we sailed into the dying breeze. Mad Hatter did eventually catch up and just barely pass us, but we corrected over them by a lot.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">The latest big news is that the end of November 2023 we bought a J42! It, and Dianthus 36 are both at the yard in Maryland awaiting spring. Dianthus will be put up for sale, and the 42 will become the new Dianthus and gradually prepped for racing as well as cruising.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Come on 2024!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p></div>Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-72203951143747482072017-11-05T13:33:00.001-08:002017-11-05T16:12:05.694-08:00Carol's version of the Double Handed Leg back!<br />
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The second leg of the Bermuda 1-2 race start was pushed up to the morning because there were maxi sailboat races going on that day as well. The harbor was full of all kinds of boats anchored everywhere because of visitors coming for the Americas Cup races. Dave and I leave the St. Georges Dinghy and Sports Club pier at about <span class="m_1934724428348461188gmail-aBn">8:30 am.</span> Pulling away from the dock in the current and wind was not easy being closely parked between other race boats all aft in tied to the pier with our bow tied to a mooring ball. With help from a small, adroit skiff unhitching us from the mooring ball we head to the fuel dock as well as the customs office. We need pick up our flare gun. This was confiscated after the first leg of the race. Our brand-new B&G instruments are not working though they did on the first leg of the race. We have no depth indicator so the fuel dock looked precarious surrounded by coral reefs. Dave decided we don’t need to top off the fuel. Really I think, we are sailing 635 miles with a fuel tank that is not full? Okay I think it is a race and we only use the engine to charge the batteries, but still? It starts to sprinkle as we head to customs. The customs dock was full with boats that were arriving as part of a rally coming to see the America’s Cup. There is no place to dock. After calling over to the customs official on the dock, they allow us to raft to a boat and collect our flare gun.</div>
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At this point it is <span class="m_1934724428348461188gmail-aBn">9:30am</span>, raining and we have no instruments in the cockpit. The first start is at <span class="m_1934724428348461188gmail-aBn">10:00am</span> and our start is <span class="m_1934724428348461188gmail-aBn">10:20am.</span> All 29 boats are now sailing back and forth around the busy harbor. The ferry boat that comes in and out of the cut is coming in to pick up passengers. I am driving around trying not to panic about the rain, the lack of instruments, the ferry, the other race boats weaving about the harbor. The first Class start with spinnakers flying and Dave turns to me and says we are going to put up the chute. I am now terrified.</div>
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The wind shifts again, the rain abates, our instruments except for wind mysteriously turn on, the ferry heads out the cut, and Dave changes his mind about the chute. “Head for the committee boat,” Dave shouts and as usual, with Dave's navigation skills, he is right on time and we are first over the line in our class. “Sail out the cut,” Dave shouts again over the wind. With Aggressive on our starboard hip trying to pass, I steer us out the cut. On the rocky left-side bank, we see spectators and we hear, Zach’s girlfriend, Margo shouting, “Good luck Carol and Dave.” We wave and we are off.</div>
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The race is on. The sky wants to be clear, the waves are less than a foot and we can look behind and Bermuda is retreating. I look at Dave and say, “You want me to grind you up the mast don’t you.” We needed to figure out what had happened to our wind instruments. If it was a connection that was bad at the top of the mast now was the time to find out. I wanted to get Dave up there while I could still see land. Up he went with camera in hand and us racing along at 6.5 knots. Nothing wrong up at the top. We concluded that it was so rough during the first leg that some electrical connection shook loose, but we didn’t want to mess with it now since we had everything but wind. Later in the season the problem was solved. It was a wire connection that should have worked and did not. </div>
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This was the first overnight and first ocean race I have ever done. I usually drive when we race around the buoys <span class="m_1934724428348461188gmail-aBn">on Wednesday</span> evenings or on a weekend race when Dave and I double hand. If we have crew I am relegated to the rail. I started sailing when we met eleven years ago and not often until the last two seasons. Learning to sail in my 50's has not been easy. Dave finds this out on day two in the ocean when we go to put up the spinnaker. I don’t remember what all those lines are. Most aren’t labeled and if they are he calls them by a different name. We laugh. I learn again and try to remember.</div>
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I had only experienced this race by watching the tracker from home in 2015. It is so easy to wonder why the heck the boat would be going that way and why are they slower than the other boats right now. “Come on, Dianthus you could do better. Get going”. Out in the ocean it all becomes clearer. You set a course, you rely on weather predictions and forecasts, instincts, wind instruments, and downloaded grib files which we also were not able to get. Two out of four wasn’t bad. Primarily in this race you want to hit the Gulf Stream at a good spot that gives you current in the right direction and get through it quickly. Secondarily you don’t want to break much on your boat.</div>
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The weather before the Gulf Stream was not bad with times where the wind picked up and the clouds looked ominous. On the morning of day two we were farther east of most boats. After sunrise, we had been becalmed for an hour or two and had just started moving again. We began to hear chatter on the radio. The race suggests that boats try to contact each other at 7am and 7pm each day for safety reasons and just to see how everyone is getting along. The radio transmits about 5-10 miles. AIS which most of the boats send and receive can see Class B boats about ten miles. We heard someone say they might as well make a nice breakfast because they weren’t going anywhere soon. Others agreed. Concussion said they were sailing 6 knots. We were sailing 6 knots. We were excited. We told no one.</div>
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Each day we would see a boat or two on the horizon. Bluebird, In Concert, Yankee Girl, Cordelia, and Concussion all passed or we passed them within a half mile or less. We try to assess where we are in the fleet but it was usually impossible since the boats were too far away.</div>
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My job seemed to me was to get Dave to sleep when nothing too crazy weather wise was happening. We never had strict shifts. For example, when we thought the tough part of the gulf stream was coming up in about three hours due to the water temperature beginning to rise I got Dave to sleep. While Dave slept, sailing alone in the ocean is magical. I remember sailing an evening shift alone during night three before the moon rose at about <span class="m_1934724428348461188gmail-aBn">2:30 am.</span> The milky way was glorious from horizon to horizon complete with shooting stars. One afternoon alone, I saw a large tuna looking fish breach the water fairly close to the boat. We saw together magnificent sunrises and sunsets with just water between us and the sun. <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">We ate dinner together which mostly consisted of dehydrated food which one of us added the water to. Our other meals were pretty much on our own. We also grabbed food for each other as we head up to the cockpit.</span></div>
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One night I was asleep and Dave was on watch. He inadvertently had also fallen asleep for an hour in the cockpit. He wakes with a start with the spinnaker pulled tight as we boomed along. He calls to me to get up. We have to take this sail down before it blows up. He looks at me and says, “We are going to do a letterbox take down.” “Okay,” I say, “what the heck is that?” I soon learn I am turning the boat so the sail can be lowered on the starboard side of the boat between the main sail and the boom then down through the companion way. </div>
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At <span class="m_1934724428348461188gmail-aBn">midnight</span> on the last day I woke after three or so hours sleep to take my shift. The wind had kicked up and we were sailing in the 7 to 8 knot range. Our remaining instruments had become temperamental at this point and were not always working. We were relying on our handheld GPS with just speed and direction. We had our mainsail and jib up. Waves were about 4 feet. Dave goes to take a nap down below. A few hours later when he wakes the waves were higher the wind stronger. As the day progressed we found ourselves surfing down waves going about 6 knots up a wave and 11 knots down. I went down below and hear a PanPan from the Olson 30, Concussion. Their mast has a large crack in it. We realize we are the closest boat. Dave calls Jason and suggests he find something to make a splint and take some strong line and wrap the mast. Jason and his ER doctor partner Rhiana decide to cast the mast. They wrap it in Dynema line they have on board around a bulkhead and the mast and coat it with quick drying epoxy. The Coast Guard decides to send out a cutter named Tiger Shark. We are contacting Concussion every hour to get their coordinates and to be sure they are doing okay. The mast holds. Dave lays down for another short rest. Fog roles in. Periodically it was hard to see the wind indicator at the top of the mast, our only wind instrument. Fishing nets start appearing that need to be avoided. Dave is awake again. Our AIS stops working. Yankee Girl calls us up and wonders why we aren’t using our AIS in this fog. Zack warns us of a fishing boat of our starboard side. Dave reefed the main sail. The wind increases. Dave puts in a second reef.</div>
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With less than 60 miles to go we get a text on our InReach from a friend on Block Island. Racing is cancelled because of 30 to 40 knot winds. We are headed straight for it and by the way we had been in first place the day before but Cordelia is closing in fast. We know now that we most likely could not take first place on corrected time, but we could take first place over the line if we kept moving. We dreamed of lobster traps getting in Cordelia’s way or Roy navigating to the wrong buoy at the finish as he had done the last race. If we beat Cordelia we also would come away with the family trophy as well. There had been eight competitors at the start. Now the competition is down to just Cordelia and Dianthus. No such luck, there is not enough time to correct over Cordelia to win in Class 3. I looked at Dave and told him to keep hand steering. The winds gets even stronger and Dave puts up the storm jib. We are still averaging almost eight knots up and down the waves.</div>
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It is now about <span class="m_1934724428348461188gmail-aBn">5:45pm.</span> We have caught up to Cuncussion followed by Tiger Shark. Yankee Girl is behind us and the wind is blowing about 25 knots. Cordellia is closing in just 7.5 miles back. For the next four hours, we are like an armada racing for the harbor. Yankee Girl is trying to stay ahead of Bluebird and we desperately want to finish before Cordelia. We finish the race at <span class="m_1934724428348461188gmail-aBn">9:45pm</span> second in Class 3, first over the line and 13<sup>th</sup> in the fleet of 29 boats. Cordelia finished an hour and a half later correcting to first in Class 3.<br />
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Now to get into a slip in 20 knots of wind, in the dark of night, sailing through the harbor to the Newport Yacht Club. I have put out fenders and rigged the bow dock line. I have a large flash light at the bow and am directing Dave around mooring balls and yachts toward the slip that we have been assigned. I have been up now for 23 hours and am feeling quite punchy. Dave comes roaring into the slip with Roy, the race organizer, yelling to slow down, but Dave nails it perfectly. We hand off the dock lines and we are done. Actually, we are now quarantined until Customs interviews us. No shower for us we are told until morning when they will allow us off our boat. Fortunately, customs did come to the marina that night and we were in the shower and then asleep by <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1270638635" style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204); position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">midnight</span></span>.</div>
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Would I do it again? Ask me next year.</div>
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Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-54602556153184045622017-11-05T13:31:00.000-08:002019-02-10T09:48:12.274-08:00Double-Handed Back to Newport, or Carol's Big Adventure!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Bermuda. I've been there probably a dozen times. I don't need to go to the Swizzle Inn (and stagger out). Or any of the other sights. The St. Georges Dinghy and Sports Club is a bit... dingy though and sometimes you need to go do something. Fortunately the America's Cup races were on island over at the Dockyard. Several of us took the high speed ferry over and saw the first day of racing for the finals of the challenger series. New Zealand v. Artemis.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrKuA1LQGyOL6FmtNJB2p6T1mIJSbOyLO4JWNbFxpEqECaoI0HNTw3FU0LIAuVCP8f_OMiYJFuDGDbX_q-nCkbjaVQttqzY9aq-a8VvbtEtnYW5Nimg-ZuW5qHksE-iAYtrdLSO8eXbI/s1600/P6100259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrKuA1LQGyOL6FmtNJB2p6T1mIJSbOyLO4JWNbFxpEqECaoI0HNTw3FU0LIAuVCP8f_OMiYJFuDGDbX_q-nCkbjaVQttqzY9aq-a8VvbtEtnYW5Nimg-ZuW5qHksE-iAYtrdLSO8eXbI/s200/P6100259.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Moet Chandon tent!<br />
Roy, Ray, Kristen and me.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdjEN7qsjH8sWO2W8-62tKPnmej8K-nhm277bTLiXAmJkZWAzng47Wy-v9Zc_kartb0RwxaXRWu6JwJS00y60wB6Wv0YKAF7pYafSsQk-IzyyFkcrr7JJ_h2EWeTZaXdfvKzRQKVOry0/s1600/P6100263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdjEN7qsjH8sWO2W8-62tKPnmej8K-nhm277bTLiXAmJkZWAzng47Wy-v9Zc_kartb0RwxaXRWu6JwJS00y60wB6Wv0YKAF7pYafSsQk-IzyyFkcrr7JJ_h2EWeTZaXdfvKzRQKVOry0/s200/P6100263.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Zealand wins!</td></tr>
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Now in 2015 when I did the 1-2, Carol was there for a few days. She was constantly asked, "so, are you the "2"?" Well, after doing a bunch of double handed races on Chesapeake Bay the past two years, often in rather rough, windy weather, she decided this time she'd be the "TWO".<br />
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Carol flew in a few days prior to the start back to Newport. I had procured probably the widest plank to walk on to the boat being "Med moored" to the seawall. At least now we don't have to set and anchor and worry about it dragging as the club has several mooring balls that you tie your bow to and then drift back to the seawall and tie up. The last couple of days were spent inspecting the boat and prepping for offshore, a weather briefing and discussion about the Gulf Stream.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtv4-TxgjHsyBkbBMRwj0rnuuFZt4PHFpF0VL5dPKhpcq9QCTXT8z-0idBCJsSqQQ6tBh6Us_ieWJXgBnpOO3ueBAQosXJxKfEhZKi8IKL0j9Up91DN4_p_cOzBvbM1Cv6WqFpJhx4AA/s1600/DSC_0096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtv4-TxgjHsyBkbBMRwj0rnuuFZt4PHFpF0VL5dPKhpcq9QCTXT8z-0idBCJsSqQQ6tBh6Us_ieWJXgBnpOO3ueBAQosXJxKfEhZKi8IKL0j9Up91DN4_p_cOzBvbM1Cv6WqFpJhx4AA/s320/DSC_0096.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Med" moored at the Dinghy Club. DIANTHUS is number 8</td></tr>
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The start for Thursday June 15th had been moved up to 9:00 am from our usual 11:00 Atlantic (Bermuda) start time due to the maxi boats racing in the area we would be transiting. Feeling a bit rushed we untied from the seawall and needed help untying from the mooring ball due to wind and the proximity of the other boats. Finally free and clear we headed across the harbor with the idea of getting some fuel and then going to the Custom's House to pick up my flare gun that I had unfortunately admitted to having on board when I cleared in a week earlier. Should have just left it home. With Carol as the helm I popped below to turn on the instruments and came topside to find...NOTHING on the displays. Oh, they were backlit, but no data. Great. Meanwhile I'm trying to figure out exactly how to get to the fuel dock and not run aground on a reef that is nearby. On top of this I see multiple boats arriving at the Custom's House and starting to tie up. I ended up deciding I wasn't going to get fuel and we'd just go pick up the damn flare gun. Oh, but there is no room and it's definitely going to be a while. Just then I see one of the very nice Bermudian Custom's ladies on the dock and I quickly explain that I just need to get my flare gun. She says to come on in so we raft up to another boat, I hop off and 5 minutes later we're out of there.<br />
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The Bermuda 1-2 double handed leg starts at the west end of the harbor. That means you SAIL out the cut; a narrow (probably 200 foot wide) entrance blasted through the rock and coral. At least the wind was out of the west and would be directly behind us so we wouldn't have to tack or motor through the cut as allowed in the rules of the race. Carol was on the helm as usual when we are racing double handed. I was directing her where to go and plotting our tactic for the start as well as trying to keep track of all the other boats so we wouldn't get in a tight spot. Thinking we might be able to fly our spinnaker I rig the sail and get everything set. First the Class 4 slowest) boats start and they sail out with most boats flying spinnakers. Then I realize our course to the cut will be exactly dead downwind. Not only a slow point of sail, but if it shifts at all after I hoist the sail, we'll have to gybe and of course that will be when Mr. Murphy shows up...nah, no spinnaker hoist now. Finally our class goes in to sequence and we come in to the start line on port, round the pin and nail the start leading our class by several seconds.<br />
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We head out the cut and there is a crowd of onlookers on the rocks waving and cheering as the boats sail by. Over all the voices I hear Margo (girlfriend of another racer) yelling to us. Always good to have a cheering section! Now that we're clear of the Cut and in deep water we can head for the first mark, Mills Breaker and I'm pondering putting up the spinnaker. The sky however has gotten dark and gray to the northwest and shortly it's sprinkling rain. Not sure if heavy air will accompany the rain I elect to stay with the Jib. A couple of boats pass us but for the most part all of our Class 3 competitors are close at hand.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NxCK9Tl9HYv1FZ_ZfQiJZNAEe55zrnsfzR9D-wTuzmMq3slzGgZPgTURIjWZ2epmXsLc1963Jsg2eRxL8D_bPGotRr1LJT9z7WOSYTSvbRqrd6_Ii7le0Aou3I2pRcSPnMjwgMzH3Mc/s1600/P6150285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NxCK9Tl9HYv1FZ_ZfQiJZNAEe55zrnsfzR9D-wTuzmMq3slzGgZPgTURIjWZ2epmXsLc1963Jsg2eRxL8D_bPGotRr1LJT9z7WOSYTSvbRqrd6_Ii7le0Aou3I2pRcSPnMjwgMzH3Mc/s200/P6150285.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AGGRESSIVE, C&C 35</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iFpSJSSyFTQ3eMmgFo9pfxfSdarKCVHfXw3rDEl7Eh65NzATs0kJzCtSaxzfWnwCrpFlXtHMiBFYYPugT1raTeeGoHK32uSRmz3cDxgmIjXzFlOXG4ACO14uhIJ3bFDqSamOtEAWrWc/s1600/P6150288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iFpSJSSyFTQ3eMmgFo9pfxfSdarKCVHfXw3rDEl7Eh65NzATs0kJzCtSaxzfWnwCrpFlXtHMiBFYYPugT1raTeeGoHK32uSRmz3cDxgmIjXzFlOXG4ACO14uhIJ3bFDqSamOtEAWrWc/s200/P6150288.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CORDELIA, Valiant 42</td></tr>
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Meanwhile, some of our instruments have started working but still no wind data. Great. Earlier in the week I had gone to the top of the mast to check the rig after the brutal crossing over and everything looked good. Now I'm wondering if I overlooked something; is the data cable from the wind wand loose? Two hours out and Bermuda is getting hazy behind us, the sky is beautiful, the sea the deep, purply blue I've come to love when sailing beyond the Gulf Stream and calm with just 1-2 foot wavelets. I'm sitting there knowing what I need to do and thinking now is the only time I'm going to have to do it safely. Carol looks at me and says, you're going up the mast aren't you? Yep.<br />
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I strap myself into the bos'un's chair, put my kayak helmet on and rig a safety line with a prusik knot around another halyard that is fastened off. Carol starts to grind me up and I'm about 5 feet off the deck when I remember the camera. STOP! She hands me the camera because without pics... IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. She tries to time her turns on the winch handle with the roll of the boat and soon I'm 52' up in the air. The wind instrument looks good, the cable is secure. Damn, I was hoping this was the problem. Then again at least it isn't coming loose. I take a few pics and soak in the view (damn is it pretty), and then call for Carol to lower me down. This is probably the 4th time in the past month she's had to grind me up the mast and she is well versed in how to safely lower me down. Still, I am very glad to have a safety line JUST IN CASE.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqWWhamaEa7w8PM9AA_ny1Vs7HKx0QLu24j6YGE4iMy0Zdd5-PdaJcFHiaRQFt6_2o_je775PCbICIEup2MmIMIZzWh8ZNjNHQmKV3-T6VCGsU2EH2_ie-iYsznJHrel72e1V_2fnPVA/s1600/P6150306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqWWhamaEa7w8PM9AA_ny1Vs7HKx0QLu24j6YGE4iMy0Zdd5-PdaJcFHiaRQFt6_2o_je775PCbICIEup2MmIMIZzWh8ZNjNHQmKV3-T6VCGsU2EH2_ie-iYsznJHrel72e1V_2fnPVA/s200/P6150306.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from above, Carol grinding the winch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGHhstyIy8s5BNkezc7wxQ8DTXAvHYlnONedgqsULStShBuDNR8CHxzOoikUvrxH5-tXz9KCtIHXjgceW6r4kubowQY13X_AXWnwANsS0b2xoeITMH8GoTx9vWDSZmrGloswQT96I__s/s1600/P6150311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeGHhstyIy8s5BNkezc7wxQ8DTXAvHYlnONedgqsULStShBuDNR8CHxzOoikUvrxH5-tXz9KCtIHXjgceW6r4kubowQY13X_AXWnwANsS0b2xoeITMH8GoTx9vWDSZmrGloswQT96I__s/s200/P6150311.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">52' up. Don't want to get a headache! </td></tr>
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We're making good time and late in the afternoon we overtake Gus on BLUEBIRD, a Morris Justine 36 in Class 4. We take pictures of him and them of us and later exchange photos. The first night out is pretty mild and the wind eases. We watch a sunrise come up over a really calm, almost glassy sea. The wind is light and with the slight wave action the sails slat back and forth. That is really hard on a sail and the noise just grates on me. In 7 hours we make about 14 miles. Finally the wind starts to pick up; we see ripples on the water and we start moving. Listening to the VHF I hear others in our class complaining about not having any wind and asking what conditions the others are experiencing. I say nothing knowing this is our opportunity to make some headway and try to get a lead.<br />
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By early afternoon the wind is up in the high teens and out boat speed is pushing 8 freaking knots! SMOKIN! I write in the logbook. This continues for all day Friday and into Saturday. Saturday night as the sun starts to drop I decide to take down the spinnaker we have had up and down during the afternoon as the sky is starting to look stormy. We're approaching the Gulf Stream and because of the bathtub water temperature of the Stream, thunderstorms are a distinct possibility. Midnight comes and it's DARK with lightning everywhere around us. Rain sets in but just a gentle soaking, nothing violent. We seem to have hit the GS just right. There was a big "knuckle" that we were aiming for so as not to be sailing directly into the foul current and we are making decent speed. About this time I get a text message from Dan, my double handed partner from 2015 saying we have moved into 1st place in our class over CORDELIA! Wow. He had texted me earlier saying we were in 3rd, then moved up to 2nd. Now in first place this lights a fire in us. We know it will be hard to hang on to first place but if we can cross the line first that's a big deal too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaNIihuVsa57Px0AWYXzK5RSk2Bj9MuJdtkQaj9b2_tRoJ0OX6txAWJj5G3NFKMS7UWpBadm075ytqBtsGqux2HKs2TFoeJrkUPKNqaziCIjg6Mf47OfQzgoty8SBU2pCxZtIPOeKHjw/s1600/17Jun2306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="1431" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZaNIihuVsa57Px0AWYXzK5RSk2Bj9MuJdtkQaj9b2_tRoJ0OX6txAWJj5G3NFKMS7UWpBadm075ytqBtsGqux2HKs2TFoeJrkUPKNqaziCIjg6Mf47OfQzgoty8SBU2pCxZtIPOeKHjw/s320/17Jun2306.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hitting the Gulf Stream; boats are getting pushed off to the East.<br />
The straight red line represents the Rhumb Line from Bermuda<br />
to Newport.</td></tr>
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The wind is light now that we're out of the GS and I play with various sail combinations trying to get the boat moving better. Finally with our big Red/White/Blue spinnaker up we start moving and it stays up til the middle of the night. We're making 8 knots and in just over 4.5 hours we make 34 miles. The spin comes down in the middle of the night as the wind increases; it's probably blowing 18 or so right on the beam and the spinnaker pole is just barely off the forestay. I am surprised the chute hasn't blown out by now! Looking at our log entries we make 25 miles in 3 hours 20 min. This is getting exciting!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZai6fJaI2PJ_WSAHJyOAqLw7rxL7wqU422zHoYI_vJgOKnMWBU53ysKZ9AgFF2y6o8-XBgpRnymmS-ozGQxLqBf0X-ZlDrXKeBHFZvgYY9fz0QKZVQRtP1HEpSzHlqTbTXIv62__f1Y/s1600/18Jun0522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="1600" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZai6fJaI2PJ_WSAHJyOAqLw7rxL7wqU422zHoYI_vJgOKnMWBU53ysKZ9AgFF2y6o8-XBgpRnymmS-ozGQxLqBf0X-ZlDrXKeBHFZvgYY9fz0QKZVQRtP1HEpSzHlqTbTXIv62__f1Y/s320/18Jun0522.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trailing tails show the effect of the Gulf Stream.<br />
CORDELIA was having some "issues" as evidenced by her<br />
meandering track.</td></tr>
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Monday morning I'm on the helm hand steering a little after 0600 when Carol sticks her head out the companionway and says Justin on CONCUSSION (an Olson 30) is calling a PAN-PAN. I yell at her to grab pen/paper and write down whatever they broadcast. They have a crack in their mast and want to advise everyone of their situation. They actually are able to reach the Coast Guard, who informs them they will dispatch a cutter out to meet them. I call Justin to get his exact position and course realizing that we may very well have to rescue them if the mast comes down. His outboard motor had pretty much crapped out by the time he got to Bermuda so he would have no way to get to Newport if he loses the mast. We discuss options for him to repair/stabilize the mast and come up with a possible solution. He ends up wrapping the mast with high modulus line and slathering it with fast setting epoxy that basically made a cast around the mast. For the next 4 or 5 hours I check in with him hourly to get position updates until we hear the Coast Guard show up. Still can't see him but we hear all the radio chatter and we're getting closer to him.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLvZrUXEduwjwqN4PblRZmYgYjYjiMZiXLzza6xVxrVS3nqagvPAQCEqt7YpKvU6HrnRHGBg0zUnt1oEWdq6UzrJkaW9CrgUBzqlCMh-90DxoINwGsAHDhhKD1l1K9OxfsTwnHnOHB60/s1600/P6190333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLvZrUXEduwjwqN4PblRZmYgYjYjiMZiXLzza6xVxrVS3nqagvPAQCEqt7YpKvU6HrnRHGBg0zUnt1oEWdq6UzrJkaW9CrgUBzqlCMh-90DxoINwGsAHDhhKD1l1K9OxfsTwnHnOHB60/s200/P6190333.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early Monday morning, 124 miles<br />
to go, making almost 9 knots!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGA1ILU5O-SjNVPLXzXBYv05e9cHAk8o_mNpM3-Qyqs31uFx3ClaohmETreFmI_W16agSvRYriVWIm80oUGCefH7vHm8C62qZ8PYU2lNe8inWUWJMiv4l4SIbUbePcnWTdd0itDIysgio/s1600/P6190342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGA1ILU5O-SjNVPLXzXBYv05e9cHAk8o_mNpM3-Qyqs31uFx3ClaohmETreFmI_W16agSvRYriVWIm80oUGCefH7vHm8C62qZ8PYU2lNe8inWUWJMiv4l4SIbUbePcnWTdd0itDIysgio/s200/P6190342.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monday morning, last day.</td></tr>
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In all this we've been playing tag with YANKEE GIRL, another Morris Justine. Zach is sailing the hell out of that boat trying to keep far enough ahead of BLUEBIRD to win the second leg to go along with his win on the first leg. Fog sets in, the wind has increased perceptibly and we're doing almost 9 knots at times. I get a text from my buddy Dan saying that racing was cancelled at Block Island due to high winds. Great, we're going to finish in the dark in high wind and rough seas. By now the wind is blowing consistently over 20 on the beam, or at least I estimate it to be so and a quick radio call to YANKEE GIRL confirms this. We're in 5,6 sometimes 8 foot seas and doing a solid 7-8 knots. Late in the afternoon I decide to put up the storm jib and while our speed drops a bit, the boat is more comfortable and we're still making good time. I hear CORDELIA call YANKEE GIRL and I realize there is no way we'll finish far enough in front of them to win on corrected time but we should finish first on elapsed time. By now we've caught up to CONCUSSION and their CG escort TIGER SHARK. Fog sets in again and the Coasties are blowing the fog horn. Amazingly CONCUSSION is still sailing and making 6+ knots with just a reefed main and no jib!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibCRowKuTXPztfpz6H5xl_4_tR3ZM2DxzCli3AewjmCysp9tEQhVtJrtF7qXvhifDRFfMpuECaVsdneJDB7S_f3XA6YQYMuoJirgZoT_RNIxV0nWmjUBIB85JNi63ms3YmsG6nH984bE/s1600/P6190346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibCRowKuTXPztfpz6H5xl_4_tR3ZM2DxzCli3AewjmCysp9tEQhVtJrtF7qXvhifDRFfMpuECaVsdneJDB7S_f3XA6YQYMuoJirgZoT_RNIxV0nWmjUBIB85JNi63ms3YmsG6nH984bE/s200/P6190346.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coast Guard cutter TIGER SHARK</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3H5TLnbun7WPRxWdXfsR3iEeeWvljOD4Q0QsM_cRFop_xX6A7DbWISaGDYh3JihGv0FfxTeeD4m3rx6pcoRr5ZO_ExeYMfaytLsiUUxbwspWThyjYYR-9WDtefPbLW3SoYguasACWVI/s1600/P6190354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3H5TLnbun7WPRxWdXfsR3iEeeWvljOD4Q0QsM_cRFop_xX6A7DbWISaGDYh3JihGv0FfxTeeD4m3rx6pcoRr5ZO_ExeYMfaytLsiUUxbwspWThyjYYR-9WDtefPbLW3SoYguasACWVI/s200/P6190354.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just barely visible in the center is the<br />
mast of CONCUSSION.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsSejep2LKvy02Kv-f33fisXYFQCVUtdrlzEr1GAeb1qkL-E9iAO40UAqxZmGSoiv_0OVER1IgVHc18g0DRA_ioZ3FQliH0SukxdRsXNoaNEs6TTASF4ELfELF3YRwHC6YNlpflcB9Qs/s1600/P6190353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQsSejep2LKvy02Kv-f33fisXYFQCVUtdrlzEr1GAeb1qkL-E9iAO40UAqxZmGSoiv_0OVER1IgVHc18g0DRA_ioZ3FQliH0SukxdRsXNoaNEs6TTASF4ELfELF3YRwHC6YNlpflcB9Qs/s200/P6190353.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carol on watch the last afternoon.</td></tr>
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We approach the finish "line", an imaginary line 0.5 mile to the SW of Red 2 outside the entrance to Narragansett Bay. YANKEE GIRL has passed us in the dark, and it's blowing hard and the waves are up. Zach finishes, then less than 2 minutes later we cross at 9:45pm, followed a few minutes later by CONCUSSION. The CG is right behind Jason and there is a small CG vessel coming out to tow him in. Needless to say it was a bit hairy out there. We get the storm jib down and then the main and turn a big circle to let the CG and Justin go by.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnBnvwebu-I0t8cxy-XqeAzyjT6X0h7zMV3ftpvD9ODvv_ZvkAG4qVWnAhOFSf3ffgGlmSZKf8dGw5HjghV6nG0h4wm83YzmCZgtylOX4X_qSC6UDE8xCD2n03ZeBCr20HfxRNTlu0h0/s1600/B1-2finish19June.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="1140" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnBnvwebu-I0t8cxy-XqeAzyjT6X0h7zMV3ftpvD9ODvv_ZvkAG4qVWnAhOFSf3ffgGlmSZKf8dGw5HjghV6nG0h4wm83YzmCZgtylOX4X_qSC6UDE8xCD2n03ZeBCr20HfxRNTlu0h0/s320/B1-2finish19June.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing all three of us less than 0.4 miles in trail.<br />
YANKEE GIRL, DIANTHUS, CONCUSSION</td></tr>
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Now the fun begins. It's dark, no moon, blowing 20+ and we've got to find our way through the harbor with boats anchored or on moorings everywhere, and with the lights on shore it's hard to see what's in front of you. We hear Zach talking with the race coordinator about a slip at the yacht club and he doesn't want to go where they plan to put him. I wasn't wild about where they wanted to put us, so when he decides to go to a mooring ball I ask about the slip he turned down. It actually was in a good location and easy to find in the dark. After getting all our lines and fenders rigged I head in, aiming right at the seawall on Long Wharf, turn left down the fairway and see Roy and company on the dock. He's yelling at me to slow down; not happening tonight, I need to keep control in this wind. I turn into the slip, almost straight into the wind, pull back on the throttle for just a second as Carol tosses the bow line to Roy. I lean over and toss the stern line to the other dock hand and the boat stops and settles down. As they say in basketball, nothing but net! Didn't touch anything and the boat gets tied up safe and sound. We've made it. It's after 11pm, we're tired, somewhat wet, smelly, sweaty, and hungry. Oh, and they tell us Customs won't be there until morning and we're supposed to stay on the boat. Damn, I really wanted a shower.<br />
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10 minutes later there's a knock on the hull and we find out that Customs is at the yacht club and want to see us. We trudge up with passports and documents in hand and get cleared in. Hot showers are next and then we fix something to eat.<br />
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-32750751040186000402017-07-25T19:19:00.003-07:002017-11-06T08:35:22.289-08:00BERMUDA 1-2 Take IIAs noted in the previous post things were a bit hectic in April and May. Son Zach graduated from college....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDnaklQDodXV0S2ZKXxEwOYDhujdLSw6jzaUBMyP3llhPKL2cA-rsjPUB9UhVnxuxskQupoMfZAMHZepjGRi47d6-P_UHvd5QJlLnO3tjK78fkLME2_yLFd1XvlXyjXGP_K7asfHb9Yw/s1600/20170506_191020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDnaklQDodXV0S2ZKXxEwOYDhujdLSw6jzaUBMyP3llhPKL2cA-rsjPUB9UhVnxuxskQupoMfZAMHZepjGRi47d6-P_UHvd5QJlLnO3tjK78fkLME2_yLFd1XvlXyjXGP_K7asfHb9Yw/s320/20170506_191020.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
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and daughter Rigel got married to Andy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-vJDUAKip4klLVGrGFSFoZe6iK2-WTfYfQLFKaQKF3svyj35AdeZPJ_Ao1_tY3ZYO89SNY9OAs4ki5WgUY-Q-66H4YiLVIsUhIf-ESuu8IR8AjrgRL0wyJmRvJNTaHI19SIhuVebGQs/s1600/20170521_000246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1494" data-original-width="1171" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-vJDUAKip4klLVGrGFSFoZe6iK2-WTfYfQLFKaQKF3svyj35AdeZPJ_Ao1_tY3ZYO89SNY9OAs4ki5WgUY-Q-66H4YiLVIsUhIf-ESuu8IR8AjrgRL0wyJmRvJNTaHI19SIhuVebGQs/s320/20170521_000246.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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Last minute rush jobs were giving me a huge headache, the weather kept the yard from pouring Spartite around my mast and I hadn't had a chance to program the new instruments.</div>
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Finally Carol and I shoved off and headed up the Chesapeake into a foul current and then it started to rain. I was below when I heard the engine throttle back and immediately popped my head up to see what was going on. "We have company" Carol said and I see a Coast Guard boat and RIB coming up astern. One of the Coasties hails me* and asks when was the last time I was boarded. I chuckle and say NEVER! He said they'd like to come aboard for a safety inspection. "Do you have any weapons on board" he asks. Being the smart-ass that I am, I said, "well, by weapons I assume you mean a firearm, because I have about 5 things in the cockpit alone that can kill a man, but NO, I don't have a gun on board!" So I open the side gate and they come on board. I explained that we were on our way to Newport for the 1-2 and I had way more safety gear than necessary.</div>
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Carol had throttled back to idle and the guys in the boat had no steerage so they told her she could keep moving. Good thing too because we're already behind schedule.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">USCGC CROCODILE </td></tr>
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One to do the inspection, the other to do the paperwork. First thing he says as he points in to the aft cabin, "well I see you have your OIL discharge placard". "And over there is my TRASH placard" I said, pointing to the galley. Next he asks about fire extinguishers... "Oh, one in the cockpit locker, one in that aft cabin locker by the OIL placard, one there in the galley and one right HERE" as I slapped the one in the hanging locker. He doesn't say much but I can see the gears turning: not going to find anything wrong on this boat!</div>
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"How about PFD's". "Sure, 2 type I with lights and whistle, plus 2 type 3 in the V'berth". He says "I see your inflatable's hanging there (3, with tethers), you know they... And I finish his sentence... yeah, they don't count unless you're wearing them". I think by now he'd figured out where this was going.</div>
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Um, okay, how about flares? Oh, goody I get to pull out my offshore package. Flares, Parachute rockets, Smoke bombs, more in the ditch bag in the cockpit locker, PLUS that bin over there has more that are expired!</div>
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(I could put on a regular 4th of July party)</div>
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Only other thing he asked to see was my horn. Manual pump up, PLUS the compressed air horn I also carry. Okay, I think we're done here. Now the only thing that bugged me is they wanted to see ID and I said, sure, let me get our passports. No, they wanted to see Driver's Licenses. They were harder to dig out (where is your license Carol???) and he phones in to the SECRET WARRANT SEARCH OFFICE and find out that no, we are not wanted or bad, evil hombres.</div>
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Meanwhile Coastie #2 is writing down all the info off my USCG Doc paper doing it all longhand (can't they do this more efficiently?) and finally finishes. He starts up the companionway forgetting that the plexiglass slider was closed because IT'S RAINING and promptly hits his head. Slides it back, then climbs out, steps on the bridge deck, stands up and cracks his head on the underside of the boom! Carol just looks at him and matter of factly says, "it IS a sailboat". Coastie #1 who was as nice as can be just smiled and shook his head. I did think to get a pic of them as they were leaving.</div>
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While I can't say I'd like to be boarded again... they were very pleasant and professional. Of course it helps that I run a tight ship and keep things legal.</div>
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* When I popped out of the cabin they hailed ME as skipper. Not Carol who was sitting out in the rain driving the boat. WTH is that all about? Like she couldn't happen to be the skipper if I, the male, was on board?</div>
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A few hours later as we're transiting the C & D canal we pass the Coasties tied up presumably having dinner. About 2/3 of the way through the canal we start to get a bit of a push from the current and then start down the Delaware river/bay. Taking a short cut through the Cape May canal saves a few hours plus we need to stop for fuel as we've motored for almost 20 hours straight. Sitting down to breakfast was a nice treat also.</div>
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As we were getting ready to leave I had to walk past the Hinckley Bermuda 40 yawl ANYTIME that was getting ready to depart. A few hours later as we were sailing up the Jersey coast he called me on the radio and we chatted a bit. He also was headed to Newport and pulled in a few hours after us 2 days later. (A few days later he stopped by to chat with me at Newport Yacht Club) </div>
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Unfortunately the first several hours of sailing slowly deteriorated as the wind slowly veered to the northeast and the seas got lumpy. The next 40 hours or so were spent motorsailing and putting up with rain and cold and just crappy conditions. We got to Newport late in the afternoon on Tuesday and promptly got showers, did laundry and started prepping for the race inspection the next morning.</div>
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I, of course made a trip up the mast to check everything over and while there took a few pictures of some of the other race boats. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGvGW1Qrxi0bFt_-D2AEl-5L3JRFwuT9iIJYBFlYSiILOg3DOi2TR3QtiBFz4eWMFKpSpw9dWItE1UynjAkSC1BDz_w9Rlp4vZ9EnHYKlwUKn9_riBlauqoAFR71oHdsPL3_42x2fLJDQ/s1600/P6010150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGvGW1Qrxi0bFt_-D2AEl-5L3JRFwuT9iIJYBFlYSiILOg3DOi2TR3QtiBFz4eWMFKpSpw9dWItE1UynjAkSC1BDz_w9Rlp4vZ9EnHYKlwUKn9_riBlauqoAFR71oHdsPL3_42x2fLJDQ/s320/P6010150.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PANACEA, MELANTHOS 2, WINDSWEPT</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CORDELIA (156), CONCUSSION, VELOCITY GIRL, SERIANA (if front of 156)</td></tr>
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This was the first day weather was actually nice. Newport had been having a lot of cold, dreary, foggy days. <br />
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June 2 rolls around for the start and we have a nice day although the wind was SW which means we have to beat out of Narragansett Bay. Ugh. I get a pretty good start, just seconds after the gun and right behind MELANTHOS who nailed it and PRAIRIE GOLD who can screaming in on a reach. I could have shut the door on him, but that's not nice and we had 635 miles ahead of us.<br />
The first several hours were pretty nice and we were booming along on course. In this pic below there are 5 boats in my class all probably within 1/4 mile of me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An hour into the race, leaving Narragansett Bay.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four hours in.</td></tr>
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I fortunately ate dinner early, prior to the 1850-1910 "chat hour" with the other boats. I say fortunately, because right as we were finishing up, this front blew through and I put in a reef, and then a second. You can see from the clouds in the next few pics that it was a bit blustery.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OZMvgBsINey73BSk1oHYn-84sc8Nyo7ZlHxezfPDQqdXOkG4ZsbnN-blAEOD9ocN1o0cx7XbS0QuC727A0D9UwH6SOGdMexZkMhJk4Ux0gwcHVsqzZjob4PgOZtWii7ZCrmJYDAnx9c/s1600/P6020185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OZMvgBsINey73BSk1oHYn-84sc8Nyo7ZlHxezfPDQqdXOkG4ZsbnN-blAEOD9ocN1o0cx7XbS0QuC727A0D9UwH6SOGdMexZkMhJk4Ux0gwcHVsqzZjob4PgOZtWii7ZCrmJYDAnx9c/s320/P6020185.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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So the first night was pretty uneventful but cold and I was glad to have my secret weapon; a hot water bottle to stuff inside my foulies! Saturday morning was spectacular; The spinnaker was up, the seas were calm and I even had some tunes cranked up while eating breakfast.<br />
Evidently though, when that front blew through there was some lightning associated with some of those clouds because the next morning FLYING TURTLE was headed back to Newport with pretty much all of its instruments shot. He didn't think he took a direct hit, but it must have been close enough to make them wonky. Turned out to be a good move on his part.<br />
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That afternoon the first of the really gusty wind showed up and the sea turned into a washing machine. I had to bear off a few times to keep the apparent wind speed down to avoid blowing out my jib. After a few hours things quieted down a bit and the next day, Sunday was pretty nice. The Gulf Stream crossing was almost a non-event. Unfortunately, I wanted to be further to the west and this was the beginning of the end for my race. The next day the wind started to blow harder from the SSW and I couldn't make ground to the west of the rhumb line. <br />
While blasting along that Saturday afternoon I saw I was closing on SCALLYWAG II. And rather quickly too. WTH? I called Bob on the VHF and it turned out his autopilot was out. And his backup went also. He ended up turning around and bailing out also. Again, a wise move on his part.<br />
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Then, that afternoon I heard Jason on CONCUSSION talking to Justin on SPADEFOOT on the VHF. Seems SPADEFOOT was concerned about the attachment of his lifting keel and in the rough seas that were developing he was afraid the keel was going to break out of the bottom of the boat in a catastrophic failure. CONCUSSION texted to shore and received some guidance from the CG. Justin ended up deploying his liferaft and Noel on SOLARUS picked him up shortly thereafter. (SPADEFOOT ended up drifting around for 3 weeks before it came near enough to Bermuda to be towed in.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7t1KLF9NPWmo2fZKxQImB19QKXPrRH54I-wS-M1oTqpKRQJv8OzIoHsLp8BNnIPuhvMQZ35B_DM8CS7aZ3MVrmHnhyphenhyphenMYJ8w1VJxbdKGxuiiOY3Xq9n3Y4NpVve7htL0fVZ0QOX30_Vw/s1600/Trackermonday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1162" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7t1KLF9NPWmo2fZKxQImB19QKXPrRH54I-wS-M1oTqpKRQJv8OzIoHsLp8BNnIPuhvMQZ35B_DM8CS7aZ3MVrmHnhyphenhyphenMYJ8w1VJxbdKGxuiiOY3Xq9n3Y4NpVve7htL0fVZ0QOX30_Vw/s320/Trackermonday.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DIANTHUS is the highlighted boat. The yellow boat that zig-zagged is SOLARUS after it picked up Justin. SPADEFOOT is NOT visible now on the tracker as it was put in "hidden" mode after being abandoned.</td></tr>
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Here is a link to the <a href="http://www.svshearwater.com/?p=1941" target="_blank">SPADEFOOT </a>story. <br />
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By now the wind and sea state had increased to the point that I was double reefed and had the storm jib up. I would remain single or double reefed for the rest of the race.<br />
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Now, being just 10-12 miles north of an abandoned boat with nightfall approaching and wanting to be further west I made the decision to tack to the west.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tacked west for about 4 hours. You can see how close I came to where SPADEFOOT was abandoned.<br />
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While on this tack I took advantage of the slightly more comfortable ride to sack out on the cabin floor in my wet foulies on top of wet sail bags and contemplated my options. 200 miles to go, at least 2 more days of this weather and it was supposed to get worse. Gee. Isn't this fun. Briefly it even entered my mind to turn around and run downwind back to Newport. Nah, 400 miles and who knows what the weather will be.</div>
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Around 12:30 am or so I stuck my head out the companionway and the first thing I see is a green Nav light. AIS said it was Team Wichard. I'm thinking if Vernon is still out there in a freaking 21' mini, then I'm going on.</div>
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Tuesday morning I see HALCYON on the AIS and call up Dan to ask him if he would call Carol on his satphone and let her know I'm okay but have no communication as my satphone has not worked since Newport. I didn't think she was too worried since I was obviously still sailing but...</div>
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Tuesday was pretty much more of the same and Wednesday was also but obviously getting a bit more wind wind and confused sea state.</div>
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Video from Wednesday afternoon. <br />
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I finally was on approach to Bermuda Wednesday afternoon and the last 10 miles or so the wind was in the 20's, AWS high 20's and sometimes over 30. Seas were 6' plus. In general, it just sucked. I just wanted to get in At least it was daylight. Finally I finished (cross within 0.25 miles of Mills Breaker when it bears 270 degrees. <br />
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After a couple of days of getting tossed around all I wanted to do was clear in and get cleaned up but NOOOoooooo. Motoring in the "Cut" Bermuda Radio tells me it's one boat at a time at the Custom's dock because of the high wind and I'll have to wait. In fact they want me to go anchor in PowderHole. Uh, you do realize I'm singlehanding, it's blowing 30+ and there are boats anchored/moored EVERYWHERE? <br />
So I ask the pilot boat to give me a hand thinking they could just take a line to my bow and hold me steady while I pull out the anchor, drop it and set it. Noooooo, they come alongside me with their big flared side and promptly bend three of my stanchions. So I ixnay that idea and end up motoring around for an hour and a half. Finally get cleared in and instead of going to the mooring where the Race committee had worked out for me, I ended up rafting up to another competitor at Town Dock. Phewww. Finally, safe and sound. So I trudge up the hill to the Dinghy club to get a shower and who do I meet there but Steve Pettengill. He did this race a few times years ago, as well as the OSTAR and came in third in the BOC roundtheworld race in '94. And Carol and I sailed with him on a mutual friend's boat a few years back. So off to the WHITE HORSE it was for a late nightmeal.<br />
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Next up... a week in Bermuda and the Double Handed leg.</div>
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Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-61466289015957177362017-07-20T13:49:00.001-07:002017-07-20T13:49:17.820-07:002017: Work on the boat and an answer<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Of course everyone I talked to wanted to know if I was coming back in 2017. My answer was "ask me in January 2017!"</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">That was from the post race analysis of 2015's Bermuda 1-2. Well, January 2017 rolled around and I was a bit busy on New Year's Day (racing in the Hangover Regatta on my Laser) but on January 2 I signed up for the 2017 edition!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So this spring the boat got a makeover. New standing rigging, a new furler, AIS, new instruments and a chartplotter. I also installed a new shore power inlet in the cockpit. The boat was made with a standard screw fastened shore power in the anchor locker of all the stupid places to put one. I got a new Smart Plug kit at the Annapolis Boat Show last fall at a huge discount. Taking advantage of the warm winter I installed it and relocated the AC power in the nav station and ran proper stranded wire. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">When my son Zach was on Spring Break I put him to work, namely scrubbing the topsides, rinsing, and then waxing the entire hull. A huge help; THANKS ZACH!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">While all this work (and $$$) would have been a big undertaking in and of itself, on the home front we sold the "Tabor Inn" in April and rented a house on the water near Fishing Bay. This necessitated packing up 3000 sq. ft. of house stuff, plus my complete shop in the 3rd bay of the garage and moving it all 170 miles away. Oh, and the Porsche, and the Laser, and the less than completely restored wooden Lightning! And putting it all in a house 2/3 the size of the Inn. Oh, and let's not forget my son's college graduation and planning for Carol's daughter's wedding (which was incredible!). In the meantime we're living with my Father-in-law in his apt while I work til the end of July at which time I will be retired! Yea!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">My old instruments on the left, while perfectly serviceable were somewhat limiting and I wanted the capability to program waypoints and course to those waypoints. When the rigging was taken off it became apparent that the furler also needed to be replaced as it was starting to show signs of cracking on the torsion tube and the fasteners were all frozen in place. Josh from Oak Harbor did a great job of glassing shut the three existing holes where upon I drilled new smaller holes for the B & G Triton instruments that were going in.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXDqRBVB1LKlOzxK0NbKKuKNT4BoxImX9ahWyGDtYTo3lKIhAoxSJoytXH-3c8DqTkcDGHL-_bBjSTzbhlk52KG68rHt1e3aAZm5M8SbyLy2-xzKpg7M5FQAMJ_3ZlVFs_g0UPyI7r3A/s1600/20170401_111653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXDqRBVB1LKlOzxK0NbKKuKNT4BoxImX9ahWyGDtYTo3lKIhAoxSJoytXH-3c8DqTkcDGHL-_bBjSTzbhlk52KG68rHt1e3aAZm5M8SbyLy2-xzKpg7M5FQAMJ_3ZlVFs_g0UPyI7r3A/s320/20170401_111653.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old Harken Furler. You can't see it but a crack is starting to develop on the torsion tube.<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgDIZSgVrYEIG2Je9h0MkVDWI-G3TM16U07hTsLvolZ_Rm2f_iIm2ae8pzSArVjjDQYRG7ruYpWaKJ2255R92bQWt3HSToAsEJxW0pYQLLlow5vxb9g-FP16CsJfVexN3QEqP56qB-wQ/s1600/20160918_151349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgDIZSgVrYEIG2Je9h0MkVDWI-G3TM16U07hTsLvolZ_Rm2f_iIm2ae8pzSArVjjDQYRG7ruYpWaKJ2255R92bQWt3HSToAsEJxW0pYQLLlow5vxb9g-FP16CsJfVexN3QEqP56qB-wQ/s320/20160918_151349.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old Datamarine instruments that Carol really liked. I ended up selling them to a gentleman in Baltimore who was happy as could be with them.<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq38QRL1kmHg8nm5e2GFAuS-P2VMANBs1zIWHLbrGOnDSat9mQN_PwRbz3i2m94H0Mx0C_W9m8mxDOaU1mSuarZp0Y9l-gDxRbeiSLAZn3ixTljglOo0eDU61vLU01EXCRH6r5ZUJrfg8/s1600/20170512_100533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq38QRL1kmHg8nm5e2GFAuS-P2VMANBs1zIWHLbrGOnDSat9mQN_PwRbz3i2m94H0Mx0C_W9m8mxDOaU1mSuarZp0Y9l-gDxRbeiSLAZn3ixTljglOo0eDU61vLU01EXCRH6r5ZUJrfg8/s320/20170512_100533.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New smaller holes I carefully drilled out for the B&G instruments.</td></tr>
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Newly installed on the left and making some serious time in the Bermuda 1-2 Single-handed leg.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrypZyR43bQRZgz0km7CLf2h4zyzaqCMtTVN9fs5aHaSdz-aZ7sikrLpCqyQJ6KU5-9P38ed_aHJnzy3-4i0g5nTEPG5Ss5lSuuTVtJ3cLawtlNTZA7o-OGaRUESLrmDAUH5cnhVAbnhA/s1600/20170512_104518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrypZyR43bQRZgz0km7CLf2h4zyzaqCMtTVN9fs5aHaSdz-aZ7sikrLpCqyQJ6KU5-9P38ed_aHJnzy3-4i0g5nTEPG5Ss5lSuuTVtJ3cLawtlNTZA7o-OGaRUESLrmDAUH5cnhVAbnhA/s320/20170512_104518.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Meanwhile, also in the yard was a friends Beneteau First 38 that was getting some serious attention, including having the keel blasted. Well, since they're going to be right next to my boat, what's a few more hundred $$s?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Had the keel blasted and then began the arduous task of filling and fairing all the gouges, divots and dents in the keel to make it more slippery in the water.</span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BjHfSERdXzkj08WewLs6tBwZl8G_TGG4uuJZ-kQOtR8hS-1z8ohwGbfoGMi94AmpCzsuW35LHcvqvLiDbcGHfRlyR5efTKz8MutUyZYlCoVkoCu5q3xo3wovdRYXTdu997d2x5y3YPY/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1195" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BjHfSERdXzkj08WewLs6tBwZl8G_TGG4uuJZ-kQOtR8hS-1z8ohwGbfoGMi94AmpCzsuW35LHcvqvLiDbcGHfRlyR5efTKz8MutUyZYlCoVkoCu5q3xo3wovdRYXTdu997d2x5y3YPY/s320/image.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trailing edge looking like something took a bite.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpMpAPYGS4Dk0Ykvy6lGwO9swc08sCnJuy2Sv1Rlf5rINGBUrmamr9rPnCmztGkxU7D1iK5fQvC_r6pC2GBmxvx1-pk4pX4z-H5sbr7D8t0gsXJEQMksWV7QmFp65-_I2buIaVy_p1V8/s1600/image+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpMpAPYGS4Dk0Ykvy6lGwO9swc08sCnJuy2Sv1Rlf5rINGBUrmamr9rPnCmztGkxU7D1iK5fQvC_r6pC2GBmxvx1-pk4pX4z-H5sbr7D8t0gsXJEQMksWV7QmFp65-_I2buIaVy_p1V8/s320/image+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not visible are the huge gouges on the leading edge of the keel.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_hjNY-f6vwxt1MzlFWvT_TcQuWIX9ImMykzZQYSsCQ0SpokT4H6W-WIRu2lC3Ecj1HVAhOitlzfLwB82ZtBJ5hEEWtrX5HVdIeXaMbSo05iLzX-BTweqWnW_nPHrtxqDbOTPCKpKDN4/s1600/image+%25284%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_hjNY-f6vwxt1MzlFWvT_TcQuWIX9ImMykzZQYSsCQ0SpokT4H6W-WIRu2lC3Ecj1HVAhOitlzfLwB82ZtBJ5hEEWtrX5HVdIeXaMbSo05iLzX-BTweqWnW_nPHrtxqDbOTPCKpKDN4/s320/image+%25284%2529.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Multiple trips to the yard were required to mix epoxy/filler, smear on the keel and then come back and sand and fill some more. Not perfect but a huge improvement.</div>
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Next, the yard rolled on a coating of Epoxy paint and then a coat of red paint. I then finished w/ the ablative paint I have been using with great success.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4QNxwmZdljgaE0SxZHWSJNLJoAlQA7FXzu0tnoVW7qJSGcMkWT6u8SJPF1fWCDCjq4k-WzMNFSmAfRpVCPw3CAVy4VuASBP1esDJ385zxjsrR7jjzdwhuMZOz7JI9kBbOB_LZ9s-HU8/s1600/keelpainted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="925" data-original-width="691" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4QNxwmZdljgaE0SxZHWSJNLJoAlQA7FXzu0tnoVW7qJSGcMkWT6u8SJPF1fWCDCjq4k-WzMNFSmAfRpVCPw3CAVy4VuASBP1esDJ385zxjsrR7jjzdwhuMZOz7JI9kBbOB_LZ9s-HU8/s320/keelpainted.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-4277800146994720032016-10-04T18:28:00.000-07:002016-10-06T12:00:06.541-07:00Electrical work, sure I do that too.<br />
Last year on the way to Newport for the BDA1-2, my bow lights went out. Then on the way to Bermuda, my tricolor went out; the anchor light too. I suspected there was some short somewhere in the boat and wanting to change a few things, plus planning for future work, I decided to rewire the electrical panel. There was one other consideration and that was that in it's original configuration you had a very small hole to stick your head through to reach the terminal blocks and it was damn near impossible to work on. What I really wanted was something that would be easy to work on, neater and a little more orderly. This is what I started with: <br />
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The panel as it was when I bought the boat.</div>
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After removing everything but before I cut out the plywood.</div>
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Next came the fun job of disconnecting everything from the terminal blocks and then tracing all the wiring to verify what went where and if it actually worked.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhDYFysV3BiDrQED3FxkybbV2qzK2aFbUyoZxCn_boZT09xEqUOB1B70SOssHmfsvQFy4qQIb9jgC8uyO3zjtWW0Q0RVAm_qiRU7udToUEQNPIJn7kF7jMTgakMb62_0YB3CYpp6Ysc4/s1600/20160109_133837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhDYFysV3BiDrQED3FxkybbV2qzK2aFbUyoZxCn_boZT09xEqUOB1B70SOssHmfsvQFy4qQIb9jgC8uyO3zjtWW0Q0RVAm_qiRU7udToUEQNPIJn7kF7jMTgakMb62_0YB3CYpp6Ysc4/s320/20160109_133837.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Oy, what a mess. The blue tape marks where I cut out the existing plywood. </div>
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My double handed partner from last years BDA 1-2 helped immensely as we spent quite a bit of time testing every wire and circuit to verify if it worked and then labeling everything. One thing that puzzle us to no end was not having power at the bow for the bow light cable, but getting continuity. then half way between the bow and the panel we had power. I finally figured it out when I pulled out the wire and found this:</div>
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Basically the wire had been compromised at some point and moisture and corrosion did their work on the wire. Of course some of this damage is from me giving a good hard yank to pull it out and breaking it free from behind the liner.</div>
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Oh, and the tricolor went out because it had water in it! Nothing wrong w the wiring. Signal Mate replaced it the same week I sent it back. Kudos to them!</div>
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Carol and I then spent several hours one cold February day removing all the solid copper Romex cable for all the 110v outlets on the boat and pulling new stranded wire to bring the wiring up to ABYC code. While solid wire was standard in the 1980's, it's susceptible to breakage from the vibration and movement on a boat. Oh, and let's not even talk about the wire nuts that were joining some of the splices! A HUGE no-no in the marine environment.</div>
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I had bought a brand new BLUE SEA DC panel and and AC panel for the boat as well as a piece of 1/2" black Starboard to mount them on. After drawing out my layout on vellum and carefully measuring multiple times I cut out the openings, drilled and tapped holes for the fasteners and did a trial fit. Almost perfect and after shaving off a bit here and there it was. Perfect that is. To further gussy things up and to hide the plywood edges I cut some Brazilian Cherry scrap that I had in my shop and made the trim pieces that go around the edges of the new panel. With a stainless steel piano hinge so the whole assembly can fold down for ease of working I was ready to move on to the next step.<br />
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Next came the really interesting work albeit slow and sometimes tedious. Mounting terminal blocks on Starboard behind the panel I set to work making all the connections. Wire runs from the various lights, fixtures, instruments had a label attache with clear shrink tubing and then ring terminals crimped and heat shrinked. Then I had to do the same going from the terminal blocks to the appropriate breaker on the panel.<br />
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While I still have a few things I want to add and tweak, this new panel is so much better than the previous one. Having room to expand and having everything clearly marked is a huge improvement.</div>
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-84860576569697928722016-10-04T18:27:00.000-07:002016-10-06T12:01:54.167-07:00We got the gun. No, we got the CANNON!For the past several years, even before we bought DIANTHUS, Carol and I had raced in the CONSTELLATION CUP, a benefit race into Baltimore's Inner Harbor to benefit the Historic Ships.<br />
Three years on WHARF RAT, the CS 40 I used to race on and the past 4 years on our CS 36M.<br />
In 2014 we came in second but that was tainted by a protest that had no validity, yet left a sour taste in our mouths. And to really piss us off, we got booed when we were given the 2nd place award. <br />
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So in 2015 we went back looking to kick some butt and loaded up with some heavy weight crew (size and sailing ability). It was a typical CONNIE CUP day; blustery and overcast. Carol had even asked a young woman from her work to come along. Caitlin had sailed on dinghys but not big boats and brought her boyfriend who had never sailed. <br />
On the upwind leg towards Ft. McHenry we saw apparent wind speeds in the mid 20's. Reefing down the main, but not furling the jib we started to pull away from INFRARED which had been catching up. Turning the mark by the Fort I looked back and saw a Tartan 40 closing rapidly.<br />
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Fortunately we made it around the mark with a decent lead and then had to make 11 tacks in a tacking duel to the finish at the Inner Harbor. Sailing each tack as close as we dared to each side we got a huge lift right at the finish and crossed the line 1 min ahead of the Tartan. Just about the time I said, "what, no gun?" (first to finish traditionally gets a gun), they fired the cannon off the deck of the CONSTELLATION and the whole harbor shook! Needless to say we were quite happy. We finished first in the Fin Keel Class, First Overall and got to keep the perpetual trophy half hull model of the Connie for a year.<br />
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Oh, and the boyfriend who had never sailed? Caitlin emailed Carol the next week and said he was terrified... but had a blast!<br />
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At the post race party....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1-ViR_JnrkZTYopPMgBSr-z1vaZ-BsIgPEamb8v4uID43LybfowIV33JpIjV1-I0Kcu5wbMbmb04hluhgo39dVLHSN_uSgesD860Y65Okaexn335_43vyPHdEvO5riAgT6KhMw5RwE4/s1600/20160208_082432-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1-ViR_JnrkZTYopPMgBSr-z1vaZ-BsIgPEamb8v4uID43LybfowIV33JpIjV1-I0Kcu5wbMbmb04hluhgo39dVLHSN_uSgesD860Y65Okaexn335_43vyPHdEvO5riAgT6KhMw5RwE4/s320/20160208_082432-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
FINALLY got the trophy 3 months later!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3g2msI0vuyfP-APFJKqUk1pRiCelno1_nbCYWyNTvrbqSbdusEFcLHF8m1YXxRnW2dLW2fAhe5akkqkZwQSaGZAxktwtqRggeYUvRls-mc4C5OngJio_OAkEEPu2KxyOcoecdS5TtzM/s1600/Constellation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK3g2msI0vuyfP-APFJKqUk1pRiCelno1_nbCYWyNTvrbqSbdusEFcLHF8m1YXxRnW2dLW2fAhe5akkqkZwQSaGZAxktwtqRggeYUvRls-mc4C5OngJio_OAkEEPu2KxyOcoecdS5TtzM/s320/Constellation.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This summer everyone was at our house for our annual summer party so we had to take a picture with the perpetual trophy! Pete, Greg, me, Carol, Dave, Bob (l-r)<br />
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We will be back looking to defend this year!<br />
<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-73736900073930339092016-04-09T18:03:00.002-07:002016-04-09T18:24:11.451-07:00Double handed leg to NewportSo Dan and I are prepped to race back to Newport. All the racers get a weather briefing the day before; nothing unexpected except a low that is the remnants of Tropical Storm BILL is supposed to pass through New England over the weekend and could impact us.<br />
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Thursday is a beautiful Bermuda day w/ wind out of the North and the race will start at the west end of the harbor and we will actually sail out of the Cut into the ocean. Hmmmm. We get a pretty good start as the third boat across the line in our class and quickly move into second. Passing through the Cut we are just barely behind ISLAND GIRL but when we get through the cut and into clear air we quickly leave all the boats in our class behind and are first to Mills Breaker buoy. The first two days are delightful sailing even if we all are tending to go east of the rhumb line. Even saw some dolphin. And we're leading our class. That is until Saturday night when, trying to escape the wicked foul current we take a take to the west, get in even more foul current and two boats in our class leave us in their wake. Damn.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyOhisF2G1f7VKtuxdnohltfPAAVv6_uohFkuTKLuY1OvTUkJ4mF5ykK4L1_VOam2p3PKHIEQMGsBIsrp9k3uzSJQBy5Enuf3bXAa1IESk2WPTgmrVbfxY4PYgOeG8lLi1JT2-HeRkoo/s1600/P6200311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyOhisF2G1f7VKtuxdnohltfPAAVv6_uohFkuTKLuY1OvTUkJ4mF5ykK4L1_VOam2p3PKHIEQMGsBIsrp9k3uzSJQBy5Enuf3bXAa1IESk2WPTgmrVbfxY4PYgOeG8lLi1JT2-HeRkoo/s320/P6200311.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfLK5kFHlj753PXATyOctnOhYSBvoW86m90M2jdIEY76KyG1iFTlmYw__CLuoxs5WWETSVQmmVds5BzxQAPM8i61g4iXfG3oXMyySD6RhB9Q3WyCeqRJIY_kEwvLreIrJob9WdIA4ieg/s1600/P6210333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfLK5kFHlj753PXATyOctnOhYSBvoW86m90M2jdIEY76KyG1iFTlmYw__CLuoxs5WWETSVQmmVds5BzxQAPM8i61g4iXfG3oXMyySD6RhB9Q3WyCeqRJIY_kEwvLreIrJob9WdIA4ieg/s320/P6210333.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Meanwhile, our friend TS BILL has tracked further south then anticipated and we wake up Sunday morning to the news that he's going to pay us a visit with winds in the 40 knot range. Late that morning I furled the jib and hoisted the storm jib, set flying. Unfortunately we can't point well and while we stayed on course for the next few hours we eventually were forced well off course as the wind veered. Coming on watch at noon, I ended up helming by hand for over 7 hours. By now we were double reefed on the main and just the storm jib. The wind and seas built and by mid afternoon it was blowing in the 30's w/ solid 10 foot waves. Nothing to worry about and even when it rained it wasn't awful. However, this continued and as the wind veered more to the NW the sea state got confused and the wind kept increasing. I guess it was around 6pm or so when I started seeing GPS speeds well into the teens, apparent wind speeds in the high 30's and waves that were pushing 15 feet! When a couple of big waves lifted the boat and we took off surfing down breaking waves and I was thinking "OH SH!T" I decided enough was enough. I called Dan topside and we deployed a couple of 1" thick lines over the stern to slow the boat down which worked great, but then an even bigger wave and a gust that Dan said hit 41 Apparent Wind Speed while I was watching double digit boat speed convinced me we needed to deploy the Galerider drogue. Over the transom it went and worked like a charm. <br />
Only trouble was we were still making 6-7 knots in the direction of Newfoundland! Clipping on in three places I muscled the double reefed main down and lashed it to the boom. Now we were pretty much parked making less than 1.5 knots, which is how we spent the next 10 hours. Early the next morning we set sail and <i>tried </i>to make our way back towards Newport. Unfortunately we were stuck in more foul current and it was an extremely exasperating day. <br />
Here is a screenshot of the tracker showing how several boats got forced off course and suffered the effects of "Bill". DIANTHUS is the highlighted boat in blue.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuLHL7DYJtiErl66_wP9QSGFuTYEfwn4iNTDFGpNDe-P6IHvtpNkAa3M40FtYSkAs_qxUG_Qorm2OuaEOXtmDECFGcJqCBanUdRg5iaqvirvSgttpzHeBdcwjwvkLk3pM2Z1J7IkYLpU/s1600/BDA1-2TSBill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuLHL7DYJtiErl66_wP9QSGFuTYEfwn4iNTDFGpNDe-P6IHvtpNkAa3M40FtYSkAs_qxUG_Qorm2OuaEOXtmDECFGcJqCBanUdRg5iaqvirvSgttpzHeBdcwjwvkLk3pM2Z1J7IkYLpU/s320/BDA1-2TSBill.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here are a few videos from that day and a few pictures of lines/drogue in the water.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtD0VqPd-XWHN8QaFKL1MDk2zcmcZ1Q2DcHybhTE9ni2oC99758FVr7YbjbTwjN4pIlomYcgb54NDZ3DIznvGVwm9CJeIVAmK9Rdo9056dnB2YJoWNG8PAcO3Z27fDoCcgYbaeuiBZiVU/s1600/P6210358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtD0VqPd-XWHN8QaFKL1MDk2zcmcZ1Q2DcHybhTE9ni2oC99758FVr7YbjbTwjN4pIlomYcgb54NDZ3DIznvGVwm9CJeIVAmK9Rdo9056dnB2YJoWNG8PAcO3Z27fDoCcgYbaeuiBZiVU/s320/P6210358.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I don't really think we hit a max speed of 20.4 knots. I think that's the GPS calculating things in both the vertical and horizontal plane to come up w/ that number! BUT, we definitely were in the teens at times...<br />
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Regardless we struggled on knowing that even though the race was pretty much over for us, we had exercised good judgement and kept us and the boat safe. <br />
The last day was interesting in that we had heard parts of a radio conversation between the Coast Guard and another boat in the race. Evidently they were taking on water and having other issues. Not knowing exactly where they were I contacted the Coasties to advise them we were willing to lend a hand if need be but they had things under control. (KONTRADICTION also lost their mast when the backstay broke! They ended up going in to Martha's Vineyard and then motored to Newport a day later.)<br />
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The fun wasn't over though as the last full day (Tuesday) we kept listening to weather alerts about thunderstorms. All day the area under alert kept moving further south until about 8pm when Dan stuck his head up and said "we are now in the alert area". Well no kidding Dan, I've been looking at a light show for the past hour and it keeps getting closer. Prudence told me I didn't want to be holding on to that metal wheel with all the lightning so we furled the jib, double reefed the main, lashed the wheel amidships and went below. Dan was lying on the floor and I quickly joined him. (can't fall any further!) Within minutes the first gusts hit and the boat heeled over sending foamy, white water past the cabin windows. Then the rain started. After about an hour and a half things abated, we went topside to find NO DAMAGE whatsoever and started sailing again. About an hour later we're blasting along under reefed jib and single reefed main and I hear a loud BANG, and something hits me in the back. Turns out it was a rachet turning block on the furling line and it just exploded into several pieces. Guess it was one size too small! Amazingly, that was the only gear failure we had on the return leg despite the nasty weather. We sailed through the night and of course, the last few hours had the wind right on our nose but finished just before 0730. <br />
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Putting the boat shipshape and getting in to Newport harbor took another 2 hours and then we could relax. Meanwhile Carol was putting together a delivery crew so I didn't have to burn more leave and she and I could go back home together. Dan's lady friend Corinne, a friend of hers, and Doug, a friend of ours that had helped us deliver DIANTHUS from Bristol when we bought her came up. We had a nice couple of days relaxing and then it was time to depart and let Dan bring her home.<br />
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While we didn't score any silver on the return leg, it was a great experience. As I told some folks, I had never towed lines in the water, towed a drogue or flown a storm jib in anger. I did all three of those in one day! And 2 days later I lashed the wheel, went below and left the boat to itself; also something I'd never done before. Despite all the racing and the foul weather, Dan and I had a great time, got along swell and the boat came through wonderfully. I never felt like the conditions were going to overwhelm the boat or us. Of course everyone I talked to wanted to know if I was coming back in 2017. My answer was "ask me in January 2017!"<br />
<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-12149288459218068862016-01-02T11:41:00.002-08:002016-02-18T15:28:20.699-08:00Single handed leg to Bermuda<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Friday morning of the 1-2 is a beautiful sunny, cool June day. Wind out of the NE and forecast to stay that way for some time. We putz around the dock doing all the last minute things that always come up; loading the frozen food, checking the weather, making last minute guesstimates about where to hit the Gulf Stream. Finally it's time for me to dress the part of a racing sailor and shove off.<br />
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Carol went out to watch the start w/ my friends Ian and Cindy who are the captain and crew on an Oyster 655 that was in Newport for the summer; Bibi and Frank, sorta family by marriage went along too. <br />
I head out and check over some of the rigging as well as try to put up my asymmetric spinnaker that was jammed inside the hoisting sock. It was still jammed so I took it down and headed back to the start area.<br />
When it was time for my class to start I was a little lower to the start line then I wanted and then when I went to roll out the jib it wouldn't budge. Damn, I left the assy boot wrapped around the furled jib. Ran forward to take it off and hurry back to the cockpit. Now the wind shifts and I backwind the jib. Damn. Tack real quick and then back again. Meanwhile the rest of my class has started and I'm over a minute behind. Oh well, at least I'm off to Bermuda! Being the scratch boat in my class means I'm faster than the rest of the class. Proving this to be the case I had passed almost everyone in my class by the time I cleared Brenton reef and headed out to sea. I settled down for the afternoon and even tried to catch a few Zzzzzs. Of course by late afternoon my stomach had paid tribute to King Neptune and I was suffering from my usual combination of mal de mer and Scopalamine poisoning. Ugh. Heated up dinner of some soup in a can and shut the hatch as it was drizzling rain. Pulled on my long john pants and settled down for a bit of sleep. Water temp was right around 50 as was the air temp. Brrrr! <br />
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Saturday dawned gray with light wind. The wave action caused the sails to slat and crack like a whip; when that happens I just see dollar signs worth of wear on my brand new sail. And of course the noise is real annoying too. I try multiple combinations of restraining the boom, furling the jib, reefing the main, all to no avail. Finally I try setting my small, heavyweight spinnaker and get a little more speed out of the boat. I can see SCALLYWAG in the distance and I close on him but when the apparent wind speed starts getting up into the mid/upper teens I decide it's time to be prudent and take down the chute. Shortly thereafter I reef the main and furl the jib part way; even under this reduced sail I'm making in the 8 knot plus range.<br />
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If you look real carefully at the GPS in the lower left you'll see 8.5 knots! All day Saturday the wind continued to gradually build. I was still seeing other sailboats and at one point a freighter passed in front of me. He kindly offered to alter course to keep a safe distance from me. That was the only ship I saw the entire time. Saturday night I realized my masthead Tricolor light was not working and since SCALLYWAG was till nearby I turned on my anchor light for no other reason than so he could see me. My portable, battery powered backup nav lights worked great, but being at deck level I didn't want to count on him seeing them. I hand steered for a good part of that night until we diverged a few miles.<br />
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Sunday the wind got even stronger. Over the course of the morning the waves grew from 4-6 footers to 8, to 10-12 footers, some of them even breaking a bit. I was hand steering and one wave caught me a little more on the beam than I would have liked, rolling the boat over a bit and sending water gushing down the leeward deck and tearing out one of the grommets on the starboard weather cloth. WHOA! That got my attention! Aside from the tricolor light and later the anchor light failing, that was my only gear issue on the trip down. I ended up hand steering most of Sunday <br />
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I have very little recollection of Monday other than it was pretty much just keeping the boat moving straight to NorthEast breaker off of Bermuda. I did have the opportunity to try out hoisting the storm jib as some dark clouds were approaching and I didn't want to get caught with the jib out. Of course soon after I set the storm jib the clouds moved off and broke up. Sometime around midnight Monday I sacked out and must have overslept because just after 3am I woke to voices on the VHF radio talking about how light the wind was and it was going to be slow going. I could feel the motion of the boat was different too. I jumped up to check the AIS and saw it was MIRARI and HALCYON, two boats that I knew would have trouble in light air. Realizing this could be an opportunity I went topside and headed up a few degrees to give me a better wind angle and get some speed. Debating whether to set a spinnaker I decided to wait the hour or so til it was lighter so I wouldn't risk screwing it up. First I set the heavy reaching spin and after a few hours changed over to the big lightweight Red White and Blue spin. The wind slowly built<br />
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Bermuda on the horizon. I never get tired of seeing land at the end of a passage. <br />
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I meant to take a picture of KITCHEN SHOALS as I approached but was more interested in keeping the boat moving fast and forgot. I took this pic looking BACK at the mark.<br />
Shortly thereafter I passed Mills Breaker Buoy and marked the time. 11:36 EDT (not Bermuda time) for an elapsed time of 96:16. Only faster trip to Bermuda was in the blustery Newport/Bermuda race of 2012 on a 44' boat w/ full crew.<br />
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I get the sails down, tidy up a bit and head in the Cut to St. Georges Harbor. Off to Customs to clear in for the first time ever as CAPTAIN! Tried to look a little presentable but 5 days w/o a bath and sweating my buns off the last morning means there's only so much you can do to look good. <br />
After clearing in and departing the Custom's dock, I'm motoring through the mooring field and my phone rings; I run down below, grab the phone and see it's Carol. Answer the phone and say "I can't talk, go to the Dinghy Club"! Arriving at the St. Georges Dinghy and Sport Club I have to stand off the dock for a while til they can fit me into a slip. Finally I pull inside the breakwater and as I'm nosing into my slip, just like in the movies Carol steps out of a cab and is there to take my bow line. WOW. I did it. Singlehanded to BDA!<br />
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Of course as soon as I was finished tying up I was handed the obligatory Dark n' Stormy and a very much needed token for the showers! Boy talk about feeling good, and not just from the D/S. I did take some time to hose off the boat as you could have cured a whole pig from all the salt that had accumulated.<br />
Then it was off to find our apartment for the next 5 days that we had rented; it was the second highest house on the hill overlooking St. Georges and the view was stunning.<br />
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If you look close you can even see our DIANTHUS battle flag flying just to the right of the Dinghy Club.<br />
Here is a better pic.<br />
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Carol and I spent a few days relaxing and running around and even went out for a "three hour cruise"!<br />
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Dan, my crew for the double handed leg flew in and was present for the awards ceremony where I got the Brian Oatley Award for the best finish by a first time entrant. While I would have liked to have placed higher in my class I was 7th overall out of 24; not too shabby! <br />
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-47828741249310136292015-08-29T20:00:00.000-07:002015-08-29T20:00:27.104-07:00BERMUDA or BUSTAnd for a time it looked like BUST.<br />
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So here it is, the end of August and it's been quite a busy summer. Where we left off the boat was ready for delivery to Newport for the Bermuda 1-2 race. Carol and Dan, my crew for the double handed leg and myself left on Wed May 20 for Newport. Without the new mainsail I might add. The delivery itself was pretty uneventful; Thursday afternoon brought light air and rain off and on but Friday was delightful. Friday night as we passed to the northwest side of Block Island we squeezed between numerous race boats in the Round Block Island race. We pulled in to Newport Harbor around 4am and prudently grabbed a mooring so as not to be motoring around an unfamiliar harbor in the dark in 15-20 knots of wind. Got some shut eye and then went to Newport Yacht club to arrange dockage for the next two weeks.<br />
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Saturday was spent making the boat orderly and Sunday we got a rental car and drove back to Maryland.<br />
Sail STILL hadn't arrived.<br />
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So the next week was spent pulling out what hair I have left because the sail hasn't arrived from S. Africa and all the other stuff I have to do to get ready. The Iridium GO unit I ordered arrives and of course it won't pair up with my Samsung phone but does work (sorta) w/ the Ipad I bought Carol for her birthday. (But I won't let her have it til after my race!) So FINALLY the mainsail arrives in the states and the sailmaker checks it over, puts the numbers on, etc and sends it to Providence on Southwest air freight and even makes arrangements for me to get a cab service when I fly up the next day so I can pick up the sail and go to Newport. Fine. That works.<br />
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So I get to Newport and the next day (Sunday) it's blowing pretty briskly so I can't raise the new sail. I did get my pre-race inspection done and with the exception of a question about the gear that was in the life raft package I rented, I passed with flying colors. Damn right. I obsessed over that requirement list all winter long and made certain I had it all. Monday and Tuesday it's raining off and on; so I still can't get the main up. I did get together with some old sailing buddies, a couple that are crewing on an OYSTER 655 just like the one we sailed across the Atlantic a year and half ago. Had dinner with them and another old crewmate. <br />
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Wednesday dawns absolutely gorgeous, not too cool, not too hot, no humidity. I had emailed the previous owner of DIANTHUS and told him I was back in RI with the boat and invited him to come visit. He was going to be nearby on business so we made arrangements to meet up. We had a really nice visit and I heard all about his plans for cruising up the St. Lawrence river in his Bristol 402. <br />
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Afterwards I finally got around to raising the main and as I was lowering it to check the reefing points, a sail slug popped out of the mast track. Hmmmm. Lowered it a bit more and another slug pops out. Well, WTH? I know the mast gate is closed properly. I go take a look and it appears the slugs are just barely in the track. So I grab a handful of sail and pull and two more pop out! The sail had the wrong damn size slugs on the luff! Good thing I wasn't out sailing in some wind. A frantic call back to Annapolis and I get the sailmaker on the phone. We figure out what the correct size is and he says he'll overnight me the right ones and make arrangements for someone to sew them on. <br />
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Meanwhile Carol has arrived after driving up from Philly where she spent the night at her daughter's place. We decide to go find a sailmaker in Newport and try to get the slugs there. Found a guy who had ONE of the correct size so we take it back to the boat to make absolutely certain it was the right size. Fortunately yes. <br />
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Thursday morning FEDEX shows up w/ the slugs but now I hear the guy who is coming to sew them on can't come until after 5pm. Carol gets into a conversation with one of the other racers who knows a sailmaker guy in Connecticut. We call him and he says sure, I can help you out. So Carol drives an hour to Stonington while I go to the racer's weather and pre race briefings. <br />
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Five o'clock rolls around, she's back with the sail and we bend on the sail. It looks good. I breathe a sigh of relief and we head off to a nice dinner with my friends from the Oyster. Maybe I'll make the starting line after all.<br />
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Next up: The race.<br />
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-22257271281852230852015-05-15T23:26:00.000-07:002015-05-16T20:21:02.399-07:00The three year re-fit. In three months.5/15/15 <br />
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Several years ago I learned about a race called the Bermuda 1-2. Race single handed from Newport to Bermuda, then race back to Newport double handed. For some reason this kept nagging at me and when we were looking for a boat of our own I wanted one that would be able to go offshore safely. Fast forward to 2014 and having raced to Bermuda several times, once double handed, I decided it was time to go solo. <br />
Last September I went outside the Bay and did my 100 mile/24 hour qualifying sail figuring I better get that out of the way before I invested a lot of time and money in prepping the boat. Thus started a 9 month project of research, buying stuff, emailing and organizing to be able to race starting June 5, 2015<br />
Another wicked cold, icy, snowy winter put the kibosh on doing any kind of work on the boat until about March, hence the title of this post. Following is a list of most, but not all that has been done this spring.<br />
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Starting last fall at the Annapolis Boat show I bought an EPIRB; the boat show price with rebates was only about $75 more than what it would have cost me to rent and pay overnight shipping fees for the time period I needed it; a no-brainer decision. I also bought some Navisafe back-up LED nav lights. Excellent product!<br />
Then in October I ordered new sails from Chesapeake Sailmaker in Annapolis as well as had then make up some canvas work for the boat. (roll up cloth doors so I could take the teak doors of the head and V-berth, lee cloth for sleeping in the main cabin settee, and weather cloths for the cockpit with my race number.<br />
After the rig was pulled and the boat shrink wrapped for the winter (highly recommend this as it keeps the snow off, as well as leaves and debris!) the rigger came and did an inspection and came up with an action plan for the spring.<br />
I helped keep the economy rolling w/ multiple purchases from various marine chandlers especially DEFENDER.<br />
I then:<br />
Removed the old POS traveler, installed the new Lewmar traveler<br />
Removed the end caps from the boom and found some corrosion as well as the fact that two of the bolt holes were completely torn out of the end of the boom from a crash jibe the previous owner had. That necessitated having the rigger cut 1/2" off the forward end of the boom and me drilling new holes to attached the end fitting.<br />
Replaced the VHF cable.... more on THAT later. Replaced the VHF antenna!<br />
Replaced the steaming/deck light that was wonky and the deck light never worked.<br />
Replaced the wonky stern light with an LED light. Another job that got bigger and bigger. Also resulted in the only piece of varnished teak on the exterior of the boat!<br />
Having previously replaced most of the running rigging over the past 2 years I replaced the reefing lines, vang sheet and furling line.<br />
Installed the new VHF radio w/ AIS and internal GPS that I bought last year but hadn't installed.(also, more on that later!)<br />
Bought an ATN Galesail Storm Jib from Bacon Sails in Annapolis and had the sailmaker add an International Orange patch to the all white sail. <br />
Went back to Bacon's and bought a "chicken chute", a flat cut 1.5 oz. spinnaker that's a little smaller than normal for use in higher wind conditions in case I get ballsy.<br />
Also found a great waterproof bag at Bacon's to use as an Abandon Ship bag. Or hopefully to NEVER use. <br />
New blocks for the base of the mast to lead lines aft.<br />
Lots of AMSTEEL on sale at APS to make soft shackles of various sizes<br />
A new PLASTIMO MOB module (inflatable pole w/ light and safety gear you throw over the side if someone falls overboard.) Again, hopefully to NEVER use.<br />
A new DSC enabled handheld VHF.<br />
Fabricated a G10 wedge to hold the batteries in place <br />
Bought 4 new double clutches and 2 single clutches to replace the 10 single clutches on my cabin top.<br />
Bought a "Q" flag and a Bermuda courtesy flag.<br />
Registered with Customs and Border Patrol and got the sticker so I can clear back into the US easier.<br />
Reserved a liferaft<br />
Reserved a Satphone<br />
Borrowed a whole flare/smoke bomb kit from my buddy George along w/ some other goodies<br />
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All of this obviously took lots of time to research, buy, take to the boat and install. <br />
So that leads us to mid May. And a rotating list of NUMBER 1 PROBLEMS. This is not good because we're leaving for Newport RI in less than a week. I need to get the boat there, come home and work a week before going back to Newport for the race inspection and pre race stuff.<br />
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NUMBER ONE PROBLEM (Part one) The VHF doesn't work. Okay, must be one of the crimp on connectors I put on. Nope, they all test fine. But why do I receive weather stations, but can't hear or talk? Ask my dock mate Scott. We put our heads together and figure out it MUST be the connector up at the antenna. Up the mast I got with Carol grinding the winch to raise me 50' in the air. Seems all right but I remake it to be certain. Try out the emergency antenna and it works so the radio isn't the problem. More muddling about. Get another buddy to crank me up the mast. Finally call in a pro. Decide to pull the cable and solder a connector on. UP the mast I go. I pull about 2' of the cable out of the mast and go AWWWW $&*@&^%$(*#&$^! We're leaving in LESS than a week!<br />
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Seems that back in January when I pulled the new cable while the mast was on the rack I used the existing cable, taped the new cable to the end and pulled it through. Then, because it was winter and nasty I left just a little bit of the OLD cable sticking out of the top of the mast and the NEW cable still taped to it INSIDE the mast so it wouldn't be out in the icy, snowy, wintry crap for 2 months without a connector. Then in March when I got some connectors and the guys in the yard told me what to do, I went back to install them and walked up, crimped the connector on the cable at the top of the mast, plugged it in and was done. NOT! Never did pull the short piece of cable out and get to the NEW cable... ugh.<br />
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NUMBER 1 PROBLEM (part two)<br />
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This past Wednesday I went back to the boat (3 time in 6 days) and went out for a solo sail in gusty wind to try out some gear. Had a blast then went back to the dock to pick up crew for the weekly race. Wind was mid teens so we were seeing high teens Apparent Wind Speed going upwind. On a starboard tack I happen to look down and see a crack about a millimeter wide at the aft end of the turning block that WASN'T THERE BEFORE! When we tacked it closed up and just the usual gelcoat crazing was present. Tacked back and it opened up again. #$)%&*)$%T*)$(*%! <br />
So first thing Thursday morning I go find JB, the yard manager and tell him what's going on. He sends his fiberglass guru, Josh down to take a look but tells me I have to do the prep work b/c they're behind schedule. So 31 years after I swore I'd never grind fiberglass again... I'm grinding the gelcoat off and prepping it for glass work. Things are progressing quickly and it doesn't appear the glass is cracked. This will be an easy fix and will be done in a couple of days. We're still leaving in LESS than a week!<br />
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NUMBER 1 PROBLEM (part three)<br />
The sailmaker still hasn't delivered my new mainsail. The new jib looks and sails great. I see him at the marina this morning and ask if he has my new main. It's supposed to ship TUESDAY from S. Africa. TUESDAY!!!! I was supposed to have it a month ago. ARRRGHHHHHHH!<br />
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Here are a few pics...<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpG1ZdKu5i1T4o_s3pEdq8e45fPdRpocbg3DBt0XhY0jGblm_P_DvOw6_SPvjaJsxd9d-h9612ruS2_NsYht7Mz_EntBdwaa2hF6XGK4ikl4t6DV-EebB7RPDNxjO1lhwGQUayEKWLNaw/s1600/20150402_192340.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpG1ZdKu5i1T4o_s3pEdq8e45fPdRpocbg3DBt0XhY0jGblm_P_DvOw6_SPvjaJsxd9d-h9612ruS2_NsYht7Mz_EntBdwaa2hF6XGK4ikl4t6DV-EebB7RPDNxjO1lhwGQUayEKWLNaw/s320/20150402_192340.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new traveler.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYaD6RBlpoiqgl4fIrRA6NKDrYDM_177KeSkBtUC-IlLDGgaoUcxv_keCFPEbmdzyJHtibsOB6IBdgsgZfFHXNhX6fPlRI4XLYm1ScqY5bpHKWK6Zxs7ghGDt-VnlxHixJCIs3r3h9Vw/s1600/DSC_1989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYaD6RBlpoiqgl4fIrRA6NKDrYDM_177KeSkBtUC-IlLDGgaoUcxv_keCFPEbmdzyJHtibsOB6IBdgsgZfFHXNhX6fPlRI4XLYm1ScqY5bpHKWK6Zxs7ghGDt-VnlxHixJCIs3r3h9Vw/s320/DSC_1989.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Removing the old clutches.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4v65lxcHrnNkalhcN0HDZuQdf0DVRyOCwCKaUCbdWRWo5piQ19hGp7iCpxR-BqL6mYij1PJVfrKHBcK7bICjXuxDkW7I4-XekFoOF3uWQDrhx21ZsB-sn3sHquybVEtVNEPWYx4QL8EQ/s1600/20150512_150208.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4v65lxcHrnNkalhcN0HDZuQdf0DVRyOCwCKaUCbdWRWo5piQ19hGp7iCpxR-BqL6mYij1PJVfrKHBcK7bICjXuxDkW7I4-XekFoOF3uWQDrhx21ZsB-sn3sHquybVEtVNEPWYx4QL8EQ/s320/20150512_150208.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new clutches in place!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlFNEb-_9xFilT97lkXiu_pHulLjwn3Ank7PMiN0FP4y_JByLYy6YwAumEZfej-b2T3ubsRQwmPBhZf3b8wJdYM7YxiNR7IAdp4CI9F0gjG0s477tSswf8cbquCqSA3WYV87VXOoVqQ0/s1600/20150321_153222.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlFNEb-_9xFilT97lkXiu_pHulLjwn3Ank7PMiN0FP4y_JByLYy6YwAumEZfej-b2T3ubsRQwmPBhZf3b8wJdYM7YxiNR7IAdp4CI9F0gjG0s477tSswf8cbquCqSA3WYV87VXOoVqQ0/s320/20150321_153222.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice corrosion and torn out hole... The rigger lopped off that much of the boom.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutVUHEAwZyeYANkhdYR18vKvcSaHhl3QLoHqy5fyhI23PchjWEhTCl6Dq2zEIrFJfz-XjcyTFF6gRVfc5zeP7P8sksjooWIE0RkzTWGa3N-MHHqYPKGYHIs-a1Egal4SGRY8ciYBGAgo/s1600/20150424_131124.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutVUHEAwZyeYANkhdYR18vKvcSaHhl3QLoHqy5fyhI23PchjWEhTCl6Dq2zEIrFJfz-XjcyTFF6gRVfc5zeP7P8sksjooWIE0RkzTWGa3N-MHHqYPKGYHIs-a1Egal4SGRY8ciYBGAgo/s320/20150424_131124.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My G10 block to lock the battery in place.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1LM1cl13VZYXt8pQMXlefQqQDqTqbrKYC8vM-oY1k4wImLWHrEKPhmTG_KEnXCpNB6L4aYSL8Om6XhgbFXM00vIKqBbkqP2TpvsaAo2ZgAwgT5nUmmFy8EG0L-2CgtmgJ11ff2bEdpNE/s1600/20150512_150216.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1LM1cl13VZYXt8pQMXlefQqQDqTqbrKYC8vM-oY1k4wImLWHrEKPhmTG_KEnXCpNB6L4aYSL8Om6XhgbFXM00vIKqBbkqP2TpvsaAo2ZgAwgT5nUmmFy8EG0L-2CgtmgJ11ff2bEdpNE/s320/20150512_150216.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new "chicken" chute.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmPhHmLisOxMzfuiMBHaPbI8DM5w8gAUPNmClo6MbnLZLqb1bq2LPMF4h57-Q9u46HgLf8L1TqCoXnu0RHMwgWdusEh_KudM231gzec_gU3D1UjrEEghpu9cRw_sG0hCAfUDHAOI8gq4/s1600/20150512_153801.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmPhHmLisOxMzfuiMBHaPbI8DM5w8gAUPNmClo6MbnLZLqb1bq2LPMF4h57-Q9u46HgLf8L1TqCoXnu0RHMwgWdusEh_KudM231gzec_gU3D1UjrEEghpu9cRw_sG0hCAfUDHAOI8gq4/s320/20150512_153801.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storm Jib. Actually works really well in about 20 knots AWS. Hopefully I won't have to have it live up to its name!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhxCn_FhtH_Gmgx4ZuKm00tW9rjZI61ail2YPfdi6wuQhucOspuXL3SO7HIZRmpjg0oNVeW3mnLLmNdaBAXQ5-xbTeYRxnSwShQsCbbryD3DUAmawWtcDrk6Vh5XyzKNak6XWWh8of98/s1600/20150514_093410.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEhxCn_FhtH_Gmgx4ZuKm00tW9rjZI61ail2YPfdi6wuQhucOspuXL3SO7HIZRmpjg0oNVeW3mnLLmNdaBAXQ5-xbTeYRxnSwShQsCbbryD3DUAmawWtcDrk6Vh5XyzKNak6XWWh8of98/s320/20150514_093410.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gelcoat ground off. No cracks in the glass thankfully.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWHMIkejE8lR1mmJz-RTUhh4V81RypUOeDFiDAK7A7sLDOlAjtrEZ2IaPDSZ3VguCUPbuPhxLb__lJWMIwqMu7n7XpTeHV2tJDekCJdSojdrdknKjnE5PBvCo-qrhorPlW_mjahHfcOM/s1600/20150514_110135.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWHMIkejE8lR1mmJz-RTUhh4V81RypUOeDFiDAK7A7sLDOlAjtrEZ2IaPDSZ3VguCUPbuPhxLb__lJWMIwqMu7n7XpTeHV2tJDekCJdSojdrdknKjnE5PBvCo-qrhorPlW_mjahHfcOM/s320/20150514_110135.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I then used some Vinylester putty to fair out the pad and soften the transition to the deck to eliminate stress cracks.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-67263922400799316022015-01-10T07:56:00.002-08:002015-01-10T08:01:45.973-08:00Summer Racing and moreSummer 2014<br />
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So after racing to Bermuda on WIDOWMAKER and spending a few fun days at the villa George rented we returned home to the realization that we were woefully behind in our training for RAGBRAI (www.ragbrai.com) the 400+ mile bike ride across Iowa w/ 20,000+ of your closest bike riding friends. We had been training since April to prepare and now after being gone for 2.5 weeks we needed to get back on the bikes. And we only had 3 weeks to go.<br />
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In the meantime, the third series of races had started and we were doing pretty well in the Non Spin class. It usually boils down to us and our friends on CARIBBEAN MAGIC, a sister ship to WIDOWMAKER, as to who gets first. They are much faster but owe me time. Interestingly, one light air night I was right on their heels as we rounded the first mark and slowwwwwllllllyyyyy started reaching for the finish line. We actually beat them boat for boat by 2 seconds. The whole way down that leg both crews were making smart@$$ comments back and forth teasing each other, all the while providing comic relief to the folks on the committee boat who could hear every word in the still night air. That leg was so slow I think any decent swimmer could have beaten us!</div>
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But Off to IOWA and 25,000 of our closest bike riding buddies!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66DA69eQksinW7lw9vehHRVWwawT3KzIrUvuUgq_gr1FRbmez-YP-xGNyRoBEQN3zaTVeGX_CsdsjHua1k7rWs3yYPDKUxZj-AB0rHv_L3dcsckbURWQ_AecqFumDYzKcWBFcVXfLlmA/s1600/RAGteamtabor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66DA69eQksinW7lw9vehHRVWwawT3KzIrUvuUgq_gr1FRbmez-YP-xGNyRoBEQN3zaTVeGX_CsdsjHua1k7rWs3yYPDKUxZj-AB0rHv_L3dcsckbURWQ_AecqFumDYzKcWBFcVXfLlmA/s1600/RAGteamtabor.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
TEAM TABOR ready to take on RAGBRAI; all 418 miles!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixBkQkE8IKUtHFL45D-BfzEE-PWGaCVdHYcVjCdeAvEQTfJ6Y1EipnSeP3ELy-AwExTBxznKOFHiT3kAaDvZpMf4BCqqrkV4bc7Q_7YklqXt4rvSuI_56EmZ3w106stGWhZGHZu_eXEg/s1600/IOWAbikehanging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixBkQkE8IKUtHFL45D-BfzEE-PWGaCVdHYcVjCdeAvEQTfJ6Y1EipnSeP3ELy-AwExTBxznKOFHiT3kAaDvZpMf4BCqqrkV4bc7Q_7YklqXt4rvSuI_56EmZ3w106stGWhZGHZu_eXEg/s1600/IOWAbikehanging.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Just one of the many unusual scenes greeting us as we rode into yet another town!<br />
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Ever been in a BIKE traffic jam?<br />
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PIE! Lots of pie. I ate 9 pieces plus some shortcake. And let's not forget the homemade ice cream!<br />
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Okay, nice break, back to sailing! The Maryland Yacht Club Challenge Cup was approaching and as the defending Non/Spin champs we were psyched for the race. Unfortunately the wind Gods conspired against us. As in the wind was almost non-existent by the time we approached the first mark although we were leading most of the boats as evidenced by this picture.<br />
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Our nemesis, CARIBBEAN MAGIC took first and a last minute entry MOLTOBENE took second. Amazing was several more feet of waterline will do for your boat speed. Oh well. We had a revenge on CM a few weeks later when we not only beat them boat for boat for the second time, but by 2:31!<br />
And we did win the Fall Series even if it was b/c the last race was cancelled and thus there was no "throw out" race. That meant that by showing up for every race and not missing one we had a better score than our main competition. Sometimes it really is about being there.<br />
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We also had an unpleasant experience in a fundraising race that we've done 3 times on this boat and crewed on WHARF RAT three other times. Finished second but got protested for flying a double headsail in the Non/Spin division. Told "that's the way it's always been" and "it's always been *understood* you don't fly two headsails". HUH? Gee, it wasn't in the Sailing Instructions. And if it's not in the SI's then it isn't legal.<br />
Very ugly situation where they wanted us to take 4th instead of 2nd (so the other local boats would place). I told them we get 2nd or you boot us out, but it's up to you to figure out how to do that.<br />
Then they wanted us to SHARE 2nd place. They finally decided to let the standings as we finished, but then we get booed while getting our crappy little second place plaque. So much for being a gentlemanly sport.<br />
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The last race of the season we raced Spinnaker and didn't do badly but could have done better. It was a nice blustery fall day and one of my club members was out sailing and took this pic of us which Carol has since redone in watercolor.<br />
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AND now for the big news: <br />
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DIANTHUS will be racing in the Bermuda 1-2 this June. That's single-handed from Newport RI to Bermuda, a week to recuperate and then Double handed racing back to Newport. <a href="http://www.bermuda1-2.org/">www.bermuda1-2.org</a><br />
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As part of this I needed to do a qualifying sail of at least 100 miles and at least 24 hours on the open ocean.<br />
So in early September I left and sailed/motored down the bay. A frontal system was going to pass through bringing some good wind and my goal was to ride that out to a weather buoy 64 miles East of Va Beach and then turn around and sail back. After getting a decent night's sleep in Cape Charles City I left and by 9am had passed through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel channel and was heading out to sea. Wind was about 17 knots or so just forward of the beam and waves about 4-5, sometimes 6 feet. Even reefed down the boat was making 7-8 knots and handling things well.<br />
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Making 7+ down the bay flying the symmetrical solo!<br />
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While the Asyms are easily to handle, I love the way this sail looks and flies.<br />
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About an hour after passing the CBBT on the way out to sea. <br />
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NOAA buoy <a href="http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=44014" target="_blank">44014</a>, my turning point on the qualifying sail.<br />
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Here is a short video from about 6 hours into that passage.<br />
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The sail was a success although as I re-entered the bay the next day the wind was just dying out completely. I then spent the rest of that day and the next motoring up to just south of Annapolis with a stop in Reedville to spend the night. After another night on the hook I motored back to Rock Creek. After cleaning up the boat, Carol came over and we fulfilled our duties as Race Committee that night. All in all a VERY busy 6 days of working on the boat and sailing. Between down the bay, out to sea and back up the bay I put 410 miles on the boat single handing.<br />
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And THAT wraps up 2014....<br />
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Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-49203048826843418272014-11-09T07:10:00.001-08:002014-11-09T07:10:20.236-08:00OPB: June Delivery to NewportANOTHER YEAR . . .<br />
Has passed and I've not updated the blog!<br />
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It started off busy and got busier. First I had the usual Spring rush to get things done on the boat. Then in June Carol, me and another couple took George Bauer's boat WIDOWMAKER (C&C 44) to Newport RI to position it for the Newport Bermuda race. We left on Friday the 13th and promptly sailed through a short summer squall just north of the Bay Bridge.<br />
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Notice the Sh!t eating grin on my face! <br />
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Then we passed through the C and D canal arriving in the Delaware Bay late Friday night. Dark as all get out and LOTS of shipping traffic to watch out for. Morning dawned blustery and we headed up the Jersey coast. The forecast was for the wind to slowly subside but it kept blowing 18 to 22 knots the whole next night. Made for an<i> interesting</i> sail up to NYC. As planned we made our approach to New York Harbor in the daylight hours but then had several hours to kill so we could make our passage up the East river w/ the tide.<br />
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In the meantime we took advantage of the layover to check out the Statue of Liberty, the new World Trade Center, Brooklyn Bridge and went as far up the Hudson as the GW bridge. We also got a few up close and personal looks at the Staten Island Ferries that DO NOT YIELD to other traffic.<br />
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This pic of a buoy will give you an idea of just how fast the current is ripping down the Hudson. <br />
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We finally headed up the East river and out past Throg's Neck.<br />
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The skipper tactfully decided everyone could use a good night's sleep and was going to anchor out, when the light bulb blinked and I called City Island Yacht Club to see about a transient mooring for the night. SCORE! For $40 bucks we got a mooring, free use of the showers and facilities and we even walked into town and had a really good breakfast. Then it was off to Newport. Bright sunny day, but not a lot of wind so we motorsailed out Long Island Sound.<br />
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Motored through the night and then had a grey, chilly, overcast and slightly misty sail from abeam Block Island into Newport harbor making fast to the dock in bright sun. <br />
Our intrepid crew: Rick, Lori, Carol and me.<br />
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Next up after getting the boat all cleaned up and ready to race was the 2014 Newport/Bermuda race. Almost 170 boats in over a dozen classes race w/ the start taking place just off Castle Hill Light.<br />
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-85887141062787774742013-10-14T07:25:00.003-07:002013-10-14T07:25:34.975-07:00ARRRGGGGHHHHH!Sometimes I REALLY hate racing. And I really hate going sailing and having a frustrating experience. In fact it's been almost three weeks now and I'm just getting around to posting what happened the last time out.<br />
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So, between foul weather, the cruise on the Bay and life in general I had missed a couple of Wed night races. Took 2nd in one, got a bullet in the other. I knew a bunch of other NonSpin boats were missing races and being the competitive person I am I wanted to do well and win the fall series. (and the $10,000,000 first prize that goes with it!)<br />
So on a light air night me and two of my lady crew started. The wind was about 6-7 knots at the start. Maybe. And dropping. Within about 20 min. the Race Committe announced they were shortening the course. Right after that the only other N/S boat dropped out. I was bound and determined to finish the course because then we'd get credit for the race, plus I was letting Lori helm for the race and she was all excited.<br />
We finally get around the windward mark and are making slow (very slow), but steady progress downwind. All the spin boats pass us, it's dark but moving as we are we'll make the time limit. <br />
And then we start slowing down. 1.1 knots. 1 knot. 0.9. 0.5. Until we stop. Completely dead in the water. 0.0 Speed over Ground. Not even moving w/ the current. Or at least not enough to even register on the GPS. We sit there, 50 yards from the pin end of the finish line staring at the buoy while the 2 hour time limit expires. The RC even gave us a few extra minutes hoping we'd make it across. Nope.<br />
Two hours of racing and .... nada.<br />
<br />Well, not true. Lori had a blast steering, Wendy enjoyed getting out on the water, we found out just how little wind it takes to move the boat and we saw THIS SUNSET.<br />
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Ayyy, they'll be another race... And I did find that I won the tie breaker to take the fall series so all is good!Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-50918170699588709172013-09-26T20:23:00.000-07:002014-03-21T06:24:06.069-07:00Ahhh, September SailingSeptember is one of my favorite months. While I have mixed feelings about the month because fall is starting to set in which means cold weather approaching, it also provides some of the best sailing weather. Warm days, cool nights, decent wind, usually NO thunderstorms like July and August on the Bay. And it reminds me of my days in college and right after graduation when I'd often find myself sitting down by the sailing center looking out over the river as the sun set.<br />
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So with that background information here's what Carol and I did last week. While we have daysailed a lot and even overnighted on our boat and others we had not taken a lengthy trip just cruising. In fact, other than a week I spent in the Spanish Virgins with some sailing buddies I had never cruised before; it's always been racing or a delivery. So with a week's worth of vacation and a great weather forecast....off we went.<br />
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Friday the 13th was the first day of our cruise. (Yes we set out on a Friday and on the 13th; talk about tempting fate!) We sailed down to our friend's Rick and Lori's house outside Annapolis and tied up on their mooring ball and had CRABS! Rick catches them and puts them in his floating box till he gets enough for a real meal. Saturday the four of us took off in the NASS Race to Oxford with 130 some other boats.<br />
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Just a few of the spinnakers flying down the Bay. Wharf Rat is the blue spinny at the far left and WIDOWMAKER is the white spin w/ the spider. Two Naval Acad. boats w/ their blue and gold spins.<br />
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This was our first venture into spinnaker racing in PHRF B. Needless to say we did not place well but we had a great time, flew the Red, White and Blue spinny and even did a gybe and takedown flawlessly; somewhat of a surprise given that we were shorthanded and the ladies were not schooled in spinnaker 101.<br />
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Carol on the wheel, Rick trimming and Dave contemplating!<br />
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Here's a pic that our friends at SPINSHEET took of us unbeknownst to us.<br />
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So we get to Oxford, raft up w/ our friends on WHARF RAT and WIDOWMAKER, two boats I've previous served as bowman on for offshore and Chesapeake racing. Fun time had by all! And unlike some past Oxford races the party on shore was pretty tame.<br />
Sunday we set sail heading south. This was our only day in 9 days of cruising where we had to beat to windward. Reedville was out of the question so we put into Solomon's and anchored out for the night.<br />
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Monday we took off under gray skies, the only day all week that looked sorta ominous. Felt a dozen or so raindrops but never got wet. Being as the wind was almost right on our arse and we couldn't keep the jib or the asym full going DDW, we finally went w/ just the main. Even then we were almost never below 6.5 knots SOG since we caught the ebb tide.<br />
Part of the reason for our visit to Reedville was to look as some property. Neat lot, lots of shoreline but not so neat house. We did tie up to their dock for the night so that was cool. I also discovered the source of the water in the bilge that had been bugging me for the past week; the packing gland needed tightening and so Tuesday morning we put into Jennings Boatyard and Charlie fixed the problem right away. (My wrenches just weren't big enough) Or maybe I wasn't muscled enough...<br />
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Anyway, that issue dealt w/ off we went heading to Deltaville. Now Deltaville was, and somewhat still is a HUGE Boatbuilding town. Several marinas and yards and a mix of power and sail boats. We sprung for the nightly docking fee at Deltaville Marina and borrowed their one speed bikes to ride into town. First stop West Marine b/c you always need something there and then off to dinner at The Galley. Or at least that was the plan. We hadn't ridden very far when first Carol's chain popped off the rear wheel, then mine. And thus started the dance; we'd pedal a ways, a chain would pop off, we'd coast to a stop, hop off, put it back on and pedal some more. Oy Vey.<br />
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Wednesday we hooked up w/ a realtor and went looking at property; saw some neat houses, but they really didn't FLOAT OUR BOAT so to speak. To say nothing of the fact DIANTHUS wouldn't have floated in the shallow water either! Finally we shoved off about 2:30 and started sailing. Sorta. The wind was light but steady and as evening approached we were moving along nicely if slowly. Carol made yet another tasty meal as evidenced below.<br />
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The moon came up and it was such a nice night I decided to keep on sailing right past the Great Wicomico river and Reedville.<br />
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Carol caught some Zzzzzzs for a few hours and then joined me after midnight. We eventually made our way back to the Solomon's and anchored out just down from where we had a few days earlier. And fell into our bunk at 5:15am!<br />
After catching a few hours sleep and pumping out our new holding tank which was almost full, and a quick trip to the Calvert Marine Museum and West Marine (see the pattern here?) as well as smoothies from Roy Rogers, we stopped in to see Clark @ Quantum sails to discuss how I can spend lots of Boat Units. <br />
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Departing Solomons Thur afternoon we cleared Drum Point and headed north. Being daring, and since the wind was too far aft to fly the asym we put up the RWB spinny. By ourselves. Made nice time up the Bay and saw another gorgeous sunset and moonrise. And just the two of us did a takedown w/o even getting the kite wet! <br />
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Thursday night we anchored outside the entrance to Herrington Harbour South in Rose Haven, an area I knew very well from sailing there w/ my sailing club over the past years. And just the spot to anchor out and watch the HHS 4th of July fireworks. Slept in, and then had the bright idea to motor into the marina, borrow the key to the head that our friend George keeps on his boat and freshen up w/ a shower. Sure felt good!<br />
Eventually we headed north to Annapolis w/ the idea of catching up w/ friends but they were busy. Called Rick and Lori to have them meet us in town but they had a better idea; come on back to theire house and have more crabs! Plus two other couples were coming that we knew. Cool! More the merrier. So back we went for more crabs. <br />
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Saturday was blustery and we had a short sail back to our marina so we just used the jib and made decent time. Final tally was 310 miles over 9 days and about 14 hours on the engine, most of which was going in and out of anchorages. All told we probably only motor-sailed about 3-4 hours the entire week.<br />
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Carol and I both agreed w/ needed another week. But alas, work awaited me on Sunday; for Carol on Monday. <br />
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-86181113762420710182013-09-01T20:44:00.001-07:002013-09-02T09:03:02.605-07:00RACING:<br />
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Oh the highs and lows. Earlier this year (see previous posts on Excuses) I raced and sailed too long a course thus costing myself a few places in the Wednesday night race. Over the course of July and into August I was much better, even beating out a faster boat on corrected time. In fact I did well enough that I won the 3rd series of Wednesday night races. July and August sailing is usually pretty crappy; hot, little or no wind but the Wednesday night races have generally been pretty nice.<br />
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Two weeks ago was the MARYLAND YACHT CLUB CHALLENGE. MYC is just down the creek from my marina and they ran a pursuit style race where everyone starts at different times based on your handicap rating for the length of the course. Slow boats start first, fastest boat last; the idea being that theoretically everyone would finish together.<br />
Rick and Lori were crewing for me and while the skipper almost blew the start and was 10 seconds late for our start time we sailed a good race and held off a late charge upwind and a dying, shifting breeze to take the gun for the NonSpin class. Only we didn't get the "gun". The RC didn't realize we were the first NS boat to finish and gave the gun to Caribbean Magic! <a href="http://www.capitalgazette.com/maryland_gazette/top_stories/maryland-yacht-club-hosts-inaugural-sailboat-race/article_7a792207-db58-5540-8f60-c3047b0dd793.html" target="_blank"></a><br />
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Regardless, that Friday night was the dinner and I got a nice shelf ornament. We even got a nice write-up in the <a href="http://www.capitalgazette.com/maryland_gazette/top_stories/maryland-yacht-club-hosts-inaugural-sailboat-race/article_7a792207-db58-5540-8f60-c3047b0dd793.html" target="_blank">Capital Gazette.</a><br />
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Then Saturday was the Boatyard Bar and Grill Regatta to benefit CRAB. 72 boats were entered in the various classes and SPIN/NONSPIN. With George, Bob and Shawn as crew we had a splendid day on the water and finished a respectable 14/42. Sailed back that evening and rode the flood tide from the Bay Bridge all the way to Sparrows Point. Beautiful evening, moon rising over the Eastern Shore and a fast ride.<br />
65 miles total for the day. Phewww!<br />
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-72316212628991384532013-09-01T20:37:00.001-07:002013-09-01T20:45:11.716-07:00PROJECTS <br />
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Winter projects. Well, the fact that it's the end of August and I'm just now posting this should tell you that I've either been A) REALLY busy or B) really lazy or C) both. Actually, now it's already September but I started this post in August. See, I told you I was busy!<br />
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So when DIANTHUS was built it wasn't a problem to have a thru hull that threads onto a ball valve. However that does not meet ABYC standards and I really didn't feel comfortable w/ this arrangement so I removed the three in the V-Berth and replaced them w/ brand new GROCO thru hulls and ball valves mounted on a G10 fiberglass disc I epoxied into place to spread the load. Looks like THIS:<br />
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Now I'm in the process of putting in a holding tank to replace the bladder the boat came with.<br />
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And to make it easier to access the sink drain seacock and offshore flush valve I cut an access door that I am in the process of trimming out and putting a door on.<br />
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Meanwhile I bought new VPC halyards and spliced them myself. </div>
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Did the same on some spin sheets too. Like so:</div>
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The yard put on a MISEA Led Tricolor/anchor light which will use a lot less battery power and is wayyyy more visible. I also had them wire up the engine hour meter I installed as well as the battery monitor. When you only have 190 Ah's of juice you need to keep an eye on how much you use!</div>
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Come spring time Carol and I compounded and waxed the hull one nice April Saturday.</div>
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Life wasn't all work and no play. We did find time to go to Rob Floyd's Annual Sock Burning Party which takes place around the Vernal Equinox.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKA9oPE1LLy4diwPqeElVlaRUge4uMocsw3XsKNJthWuv8PJcJ5-NQrlV3vcJcy3Yx3hynpWqF0NGK3Dd_-9Iwy_GEmhqRMO6a4dVhIk4EikVSwEd8CphNeaWtUl_K31gWwPRQ4TGeAA/s1600/Sockburning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKA9oPE1LLy4diwPqeElVlaRUge4uMocsw3XsKNJthWuv8PJcJ5-NQrlV3vcJcy3Yx3hynpWqF0NGK3Dd_-9Iwy_GEmhqRMO6a4dVhIk4EikVSwEd8CphNeaWtUl_K31gWwPRQ4TGeAA/s320/Sockburning.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
This is a particularly "Annapolis" like tradition. Time to burn those smelly socks you were forced to wear all winter b/c it was COLD and now that spring has sprung you can go back to being sockless.<br />
Of course some of us always wear socks. Just the way I am.<br />
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-45265963140939766132013-08-23T07:37:00.003-07:002013-08-23T07:37:23.852-07:00EXCUSES.<br />
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We've all got em. And most of us have hundreds. I only need a few. I just realized I haven't posted in a while and I haven't shown a good pic of the boat! Here is a pic I pulled off of the SPINSHEET site that was taken during a benefit race in Annapolis last August. (And tomorrow is THIS YEAR'S event!) Even though the boat looks like it's driving itself, I am down there on the low side! It's hard to get a good pic of your own boat when you're always ON the boat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc6wI2XzAqs55iWg4sMUzxBlgG2s_LEUf-Q2rglYXbsDsBEJ7DXqWP9WM1NkKU9r1Fq7wU3KDZh04J8sfhNrk6czbA1ljoNEdOeUFFfKlI_JF22oOL_RbVhYPSciO-_d0Pr7vCtCzkOYQ/s1600/DIANTHUScrabregatta.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc6wI2XzAqs55iWg4sMUzxBlgG2s_LEUf-Q2rglYXbsDsBEJ7DXqWP9WM1NkKU9r1Fq7wU3KDZh04J8sfhNrk6czbA1ljoNEdOeUFFfKlI_JF22oOL_RbVhYPSciO-_d0Pr7vCtCzkOYQ/s320/DIANTHUScrabregatta.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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I also haven't been sailing as much as I should. Which leads to excuse number 2. I was really (still am) busy this spring. Between tearing out a bathroom and re-tiling, training in the gym to get ready for an offshore race and actually sailing said offshore race... (George and I did MARION to BERMUDA on his C&C 44, Doublehanded!) And #3. We didn't place well in the race despite being 1st or 2nd in our class for a couple of days because we couldn't link into the Internet and download updated weather. Thus we were not as far west as we should have been and got killed the last day and a half and ended up beating our way into Bermuda. BUT, we had fun and it was a neat experience. Of course it helped that the Gulf Stream was pretty much a non-event and the whole passage was probably the easiest one I've ever had to Bermuda.<br />
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Excuse #4 Right before I left for the Bermuda race I did a Wednesday night race, singlehanded. Blew away the slower boats and actually took the "gun" as first to finish in the NonSpin Class. Silly me, not having sailed w/ this group before and not having the SI's, sailed one mark too far up the channel which allowed some of the boats to close on me and end up correcting over me on time. Had I not done this stupid thing the worse I would have been was 2nd. Oh well, live and learn. But I did get a nice pic out of that race!<br />
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So I'll put this post up and then later next week I'll update the blog w/ some really cool news as well as pics of the projects I've been working on.<br />
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-10596466965866090952012-11-24T11:27:00.001-08:002012-11-24T11:27:56.419-08:00Last weekend sail. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Two weeks ago was our last weekend sail. We spent the day taking Carol's Dad and brother out for a sail and then spent the night on the boat. While it was a bit chilly, we had a ceramic space heater on board. And we were rewarded w/ a spectacular sunset.<br />
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-80898827125614956762012-10-31T17:55:00.001-07:002012-11-02T03:46:19.058-07:00SANDY<br />
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A hurricane making landfall this far north the end of OCT? What's up w/ THAT!?<br />
Since the yard was fully scheduled to haul boats all weekend I trussed up Dianthus like a spiderweb and hoped for the best. The marina is very well protected and is well back in the creek so I wasn't too worried. Doubled up lines, added two more spring lines and adjusted them all until I was satisfied she'd be okay.<br />
Monday night as the wind speed rose and the rain came down in sheets I was sorely tempted to drive over to the marina after work but figured I was just asking for trouble and there wasn't really much I could do. Tuesday morning though I drove over and got there about an hour after high tide. The docks were completely covered w/ water to a depth of about 10 inches but it was receding. All the boats appeared to have come through completely unscathed.<br />
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-11065742057719497422012-10-31T17:12:00.001-07:002012-11-02T03:45:09.529-07:00Race #3 My first single handed race! <br />
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The Harbor Cup starts down by the Baltimore Light at the mouth of the Magothy and finishes by Fells Point, just past Ft. McHenry. I didn't have any crew and was planning on going sailing anyway, so I signed up for the Non Spinnaker division. Trimming sails while steering does NOT make for a fast boat. While it was a little bit like being a one-armed paper hanger, the worst part was once I turned up the Patapsco and was off the wind, I could have used a larger headsail. Beating up the Bay I had the 110 up, but really could have used the #2 or even the #1 in the river. I could have changed the sail but that would have necessitated using the autopilot and since this wasn't an official singlehanded race I wasn't sure it would be legal. So I slogged on using what I had. While there were just two of us in the NS class and I finished second, (IE last!) I was encouraged by the fact that I corrected out just 2min, 21 sec behind the other boat. They were fully crewed! Had I had even one other person I think I could have taken them. I coulda been a contenda.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-17546190448342971472012-10-31T16:55:00.002-07:002012-11-02T03:46:03.977-07:00RACE #2<br />
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The Constellation Cup is a fundraiser for the ships in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, namely the USS Constellation. I've done it the past 3 years on my buddy's boat and it has blown like stink each year.<br />
This year was different. Forecast was for 5 kts all week but Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny and a FX of 10-15! We had a couple that Carol knew through work on board that were not sailors, Thad again, and a ringer in the person of Rob who I knew from racing on Widowmaker as well as him being a previous Wharf Rat crew. We did fairly well finishing 6th out of 16 in the Fin Keel Class. The best part was crossing tacks w/ my pals on Caribbean Magic (a C/C 44) and actually keeping up w/ them! Of course we tied up on the dock next to the Constellation for the post race party.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-78463586371341044872012-09-25T12:10:00.002-07:002012-09-25T12:10:30.127-07:00Taking stuff apart on a boat PART IIConcurrent w/ the deck sheave project I wanted to remove the fuel tank for cleaning. A few weeks earlier while on our way back from Baltimore the engine completely quit. Would not start. I had time for just a cursory inspection of the engine and since the Racor filter was clean I had my mechanic take a look and he found the fuel pickup was completely clogged. Rather than tempt fate w/ losing the engine at a most inopportune time I decided to remove the tank now rather than over the winter and have it cleaned. First up, draining the 8 or 9 gallons of diesel. My friends Gary and Greg loaned me there hand pump and provided moral support. Then came getting the screws out that held the brace on top of the tank in place. Two came out w/ minimal cursing and sweating. Two wouldn't budge. After much grunting by Gary and myself, heating w/ a torch, and using an array of screwdrivers, vise grips and other assorted tools w/ got the last screw out. I also wisely took a picture of the wiring on top of the tank to the sending unit and grounding tab. Shine a light in the tank an there is gelled GUNK on the walls and pickups. No wonder I had problems.<br />
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Of course the place that I wanted to take the tank was only open M-F so I had to drive to Glen Burnie on a Mon morning and back again that Thur after work to pick up the tank. Get it home and shine a light in and the sides still have fine grit and stuff on them. Oh, and they put a "cap" on the bottom of the tank as it was pitted. Made the tank sit just a bit higher in the boat meaning it BARELY fit. <br />
Call the shop. They'll clean it again while I wait, but this means another whole week to get the tank to them and then installed. Okay, whatever.<br />
They do a nice job this time, I race off to the boat, put the tank back in, go to wire it and.... I forgot my camera w/ the picture of the wiring. While I'm SURE I know how it goes, I don't want to screw up, so on to other projects until I can call Carol to look at the pic and tell me what goes where. (That is a whole other story telling her how to work the camera!) Then on to hooking up the fuel fill hose, vent and supply/return lines.<br />
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The good thing in all this is after putting 15 gal. of diesel in the tank it only took a few minutes of priming the racor to get flow. Fired up the Volvo and VOILA! Ah, success!Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-53886274778439813122012-09-25T11:55:00.003-07:002012-11-02T03:49:06.494-07:00Taking stuff apart on a boat. PART INothing on a boat is easy. You might think it is and it may even <i>appear</i> to be straightforward but that is just anti-karma setting the hook in you. Take my deck organizers for instance. A wire to rope halyard had worn one of the sheaves out and several others were worn and had the edges broken. Okay, so I call up my new favorite marine supply company, Holland Marine Parts in Ontario, CAN and order some sheaves. Or so I thought. They were out of stock; didn't know when they would get some. Okay, back to more important issues. (see the post below about my transducer leak) A few weeks went by and not having anything important to do while on a break at work, I called again. This time they found there were some in Canada (eh!) and I ordered 12 of them.<br />
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Cool. So last week I decided to go ahead and swap the sheaves on the forward organizers. Easy, right? WRONG. Oh, the bolts came out pretty easily enough. But then I realized that they were through bolted and the nuts/washers were up in the headliner, not bolted into a tapped plate set in the cabin top. So let's take the headliner down. Oh, but first we have to remove the teak trip around the small hatches in the main cabin. The finish on them was pretty worn so at least I can either refinish them or replace completely. Of course the center of the headliner is underneath the trim around the companionway hatch; no WAY am I taking that down. So, after enlisting my buddy Ron to help w/ the job I carefully pulled down on the edge of the plywood liner and squeezed my arm in w/ a ratchet to fasten the washer and nut whilst Ron applied pressure to the screw from above. Then came the fun of putting it all back together. But at least I know how to do this and what is accessible from where.<br />
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<br />Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6423705323010962841.post-85564565503231783222012-09-03T20:04:00.000-07:002023-12-11T14:13:04.491-08:00DIANTHUS? Why?So by now you're wondering, why in the hell is their boat named DIANTHUS? And maybe you're wondering what the hell is a Dianthus? Answers below!<br />
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Well, when Carol and I first started dating, or whatever it was we were doing, she bought a house in October 2006 and I stopped by and left a pumpkin and a Dianthus plant for her. She planted it in her flower bed and in the spring, lo and behold she had more Dianthus. We dated for over a year and then "took a break" to borrow a phrase from FRIENDS. That lasted about 3 months or so and then we started going out again. The plant came back again in the spring (2008). And the next year (2009) it came back also. So we were outside walking around and she said "look, it came back again", I said, "yeah, I thought they were supposed to be an annual". Carol replied with her usual quirky sense of humor, "yeah, I was supposed to be an annual too!" I couldn't help but crack up over her sense of humor about me dumping her. (although she says she broke up w/ me.) We've since figured out the plant just re-seeded itself since it was the annual type although there are also perennial species.<br />
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Now, when naming a boat you have to really think about how the name sounds and looks. It has to be easy to say, easily understood on the radio (think Maydays to the Coast Guard!) easy to pronounce and not be cutesy or some stupid play on words. Think anything w/ the word "SEA" or "C" in the name. Usually powerboaters do this. I also didn't want something that might be a little too risque; maybe if it was purely a race boat, but not for a boat we'd be cruising on.<br />
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I had always liked the idea of using DIANTHUS but wasn't completely sold on the name. It was on the short list though and one day I got to wondering if there was ever a Navy ship named Dianthus. Well, our good friend "<b>the GOOGLE</b>" <b>*</b> answered that right away. Turns out there was a USS DIANTHUS, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Dianthus_%28SP-639%29" target="_blank">SP639</a>, for Section Patrol boat. During WWI, also known as The Great War, the US Navy took over private yachts and used them to patrol the coastal waters to defend against German U-boats. Dianthus was a private motor yacht used for 1 year and then returned to its owner after peace broke out. What was interesting is she was designed and built by Nathaniel Herreshoff in Bristol, RI which is where we bought our boat. I figured that was as good a sign as any that DIANTHUS should be the name.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBtZ_4rjnA3cc5pw1rWS7S7UMrH8H1rUMV6-ZDJQpVGVpgAQQDE-k2wBKk7Iuz8M1GCiDsz0c53uCxMBFX5uS8fYbWfKdp2DXUoxQZ2sSxw9m_aD75LuyL838bc60Fp-nzl99aD54kW0/s1600/Dianthus+%285%29.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBtZ_4rjnA3cc5pw1rWS7S7UMrH8H1rUMV6-ZDJQpVGVpgAQQDE-k2wBKk7Iuz8M1GCiDsz0c53uCxMBFX5uS8fYbWfKdp2DXUoxQZ2sSxw9m_aD75LuyL838bc60Fp-nzl99aD54kW0/s320/Dianthus+%285%29.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Oh, and here is a picture of some Dianthus from my flowerbed. They come in over 300 species of various colors; pink, red and variegated being the most common. Also known as Sweet William.<br />
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*</b> Gotta love "W"isms!Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16064407294472773220noreply@blogger.com0