Avast, ye readers who be lookin' for some new-fangled speak. This here log entry be made by Capt'n Chicken Gybe.
Forecast: She be blowin' stank (20+knts, gusts up to 30)
Observed: She be blowin' stank (whitecaps, 3' waves, relatively steady, sustained gusts of very heavy wind)
When me be arriving at the port-o-call, me hearty had already rigged up a Byte CII. She not be a vessel that you'd normally catch Capt'n Gybe on, especially after the wounded knee incident, but me couldn't scupper a perfectly rigged boat. The one cursed' thing I was warned about was that the hiking strap had just been replaced, and I should check the know to see if it was seamanlike. But Capt'n Gybe wastes not time on knots!
I set me course for Aylmer Island, nearby which (where the old salts tell) the Ghost Ship can be found (i.e. I was told Mike R and Annie had taking a H16 out towards there). Me legs be burning like the pits of Hades as I hiked on the close reach, but alas! The cursed knot came undone, and me went down to Davy Jones.
A jury-rigged knot later and I was sailing again, although not trusting the hiking strap...
A kiteboarder in trouble was spotted, just as I cam within hail of the cat. We stood by for rescue while the boarder tended his lines. Eventually, he untangled, and made it to shore. A broad reach back to the club concluded adventures for this day. Muscles sore next couple of days, and rum prescribed to medicate.
Lessons learned: The cunningham was the control I used most to de-power, although the vang was useful too. Didn't let out controls bearing off, leading to an awkward gybe. Pay more attention next time. PUT CLEW ON BOOM BEFORE HOISTING SAIL!
Monday 21 September 2015
Wednesday 9 September 2015
Log - Sept 5-6, 2015 - KSC Open In an Albacore
Labour Day Weekend is the traditional time for the KSC Open Regatta. Albacores and Lasers from across the globe (well, us and NSC) convene to battle for suppremecy.
Saturday Light to very light winds.
Race 1: We arrived at the club late, and had some issues rigging the boat. Primary that the boom was too long for the sail, and the outhaul couldn't be attached properly. We did a poor jib jury-rigging it but it definitely affected our sail shape. There was a bit of wind, but not tonnes.
We started in the middle of the pack, and took the starboard tack. One by one the other boats started tacking, and we aimed to keep in the pack. Due to crew limitations, the tacks were not executed efficiently, and between that and a slow boat we soon gave way. Finished last of the Albacores, but we beat the Lasers.
Unfortunately, my crew wasn't feeling very well. I took her up to the cottage, and didn't race in races 2-4 (which apparently had more wind...)
Sunday: Light to very light winds
Single handed today. I made some repairs ashore -- added a line to extend the outhaul, rigged the main properly, used tap to fix a few holes in the mainsail, etc. Also, carrying a whisker pole today.
Race 5 - A bad tack just as the race was starting meant that I was near the back of the pack, fighting with Ken for 2nd-last place. Ken had more boat speed than I did on the upwind, but started later and I rounded the windward mark first.
I made a mistake here -- I mistook a lull for a wind shift, and set the whisker pole for wing-on-wing. After a few minutes I realized my mistake, and moved the jib back to a reaching position. Ken made up several boat lengths, and had mark room at the gybe mark
On the second reach we played leapfrog. The wind was almost directly behind us, and it came down to whom could read the shift first to get the sails on the correct side of the boat. Ken happened to be in front when we rounded and the race was called FOC.
Race 6 - a storm blew through between race 5 and 6, and the course shifted 90+ degrees. This was FUN. I actually had to hike... Then the wind died before the next race :(
Again, a bad start. The "upwind" leg was actually a close-hauled leg on port, and the "reaching" leg was oscillating between a starboard reach and dead-upwind. The wind died, but I went to the port side "top" of the course as I saw air there. I made up some distance from my bad start, but didn't catch Ken and Corinne.
Lessons learned: Rig the boat up WELL beforehand, to make time for repairs. Stay very close to the line in very light airs.
Saturday Light to very light winds.
Race 1: We arrived at the club late, and had some issues rigging the boat. Primary that the boom was too long for the sail, and the outhaul couldn't be attached properly. We did a poor jib jury-rigging it but it definitely affected our sail shape. There was a bit of wind, but not tonnes.
We started in the middle of the pack, and took the starboard tack. One by one the other boats started tacking, and we aimed to keep in the pack. Due to crew limitations, the tacks were not executed efficiently, and between that and a slow boat we soon gave way. Finished last of the Albacores, but we beat the Lasers.
Unfortunately, my crew wasn't feeling very well. I took her up to the cottage, and didn't race in races 2-4 (which apparently had more wind...)
Sunday: Light to very light winds
Single handed today. I made some repairs ashore -- added a line to extend the outhaul, rigged the main properly, used tap to fix a few holes in the mainsail, etc. Also, carrying a whisker pole today.
Race 5 - A bad tack just as the race was starting meant that I was near the back of the pack, fighting with Ken for 2nd-last place. Ken had more boat speed than I did on the upwind, but started later and I rounded the windward mark first.
I made a mistake here -- I mistook a lull for a wind shift, and set the whisker pole for wing-on-wing. After a few minutes I realized my mistake, and moved the jib back to a reaching position. Ken made up several boat lengths, and had mark room at the gybe mark
On the second reach we played leapfrog. The wind was almost directly behind us, and it came down to whom could read the shift first to get the sails on the correct side of the boat. Ken happened to be in front when we rounded and the race was called FOC.
Race 6 - a storm blew through between race 5 and 6, and the course shifted 90+ degrees. This was FUN. I actually had to hike... Then the wind died before the next race :(
Again, a bad start. The "upwind" leg was actually a close-hauled leg on port, and the "reaching" leg was oscillating between a starboard reach and dead-upwind. The wind died, but I went to the port side "top" of the course as I saw air there. I made up some distance from my bad start, but didn't catch Ken and Corinne.
Lessons learned: Rig the boat up WELL beforehand, to make time for repairs. Stay very close to the line in very light airs.
Tuesday 1 September 2015
Log - Aug 31, 2015 - Race night sucks
After last week's success, I was enthused for the final race night of the summer series. But it was not to be...
Forecast: Wind from NE 10 knots around 5:00pm, dropping to about 5 knots by 8:00
Observed: Wind from N around 7 knots, dropping to 5 by the time the race started at 6:30 and 3 by 7:00
First of all, I wasn't feeling too confident in my boat. The traveller was a bit stretchy, the daggerboard was as smooth as 40 grit sandpaper painted over with a clogged brush, and the cunningham was incorrectly adjusted and didn't actually pull on the luff at all. But that's okay, right? I'll just win the race through tactics! Don't take 259.
There was some air at the start, and everyone was having a good time messing around in the boats. Mike T and Steve H were having fun covering each other and forcing each other around the middle of the line. I thought I could take advantage of their distraction, and went to the boat end.
The start whistle goes, and I'm definitely the first to start... wait... what's that? A second whistle? And why is RC holding up the individual recall flag? SHIT!
I bear off to go back down beneath the line. Oh no! Ken S is there, with right of way. SHIT! I turn back up, tack, bear off around the committee boat, and finally start. Everyone else is ahead by 10 boat lengths.
On the first upwind leg, most people seemed to be going right. I took a chance, and went left. Given the wind, right might have been slightly faster, but I'd never "catch up" with them by following, and figured if I go left, catch a lucky break and get a localized puff then I'm back in the race. Remember my post on not taking risks? Well, I didn't follow my own advice. I'm now 20+ boat lengths behind rounding the first mark.
It didn't get any better. I kept taking risks, justifying to myself that "I had to do something to get back into the race" and they never paid off. Race night sucks.
Steve won, followed by Ken E. I'm not sure where Carla, Ken S and Mike T finished. Tony and Rob were behind me in the H16, but I still feel like it was my worst performance of the year.
Forecast: Wind from NE 10 knots around 5:00pm, dropping to about 5 knots by 8:00
Observed: Wind from N around 7 knots, dropping to 5 by the time the race started at 6:30 and 3 by 7:00
First of all, I wasn't feeling too confident in my boat. The traveller was a bit stretchy, the daggerboard was as smooth as 40 grit sandpaper painted over with a clogged brush, and the cunningham was incorrectly adjusted and didn't actually pull on the luff at all. But that's okay, right? I'll just win the race through tactics! Don't take 259.
There was some air at the start, and everyone was having a good time messing around in the boats. Mike T and Steve H were having fun covering each other and forcing each other around the middle of the line. I thought I could take advantage of their distraction, and went to the boat end.
The start whistle goes, and I'm definitely the first to start... wait... what's that? A second whistle? And why is RC holding up the individual recall flag? SHIT!
I bear off to go back down beneath the line. Oh no! Ken S is there, with right of way. SHIT! I turn back up, tack, bear off around the committee boat, and finally start. Everyone else is ahead by 10 boat lengths.
On the first upwind leg, most people seemed to be going right. I took a chance, and went left. Given the wind, right might have been slightly faster, but I'd never "catch up" with them by following, and figured if I go left, catch a lucky break and get a localized puff then I'm back in the race. Remember my post on not taking risks? Well, I didn't follow my own advice. I'm now 20+ boat lengths behind rounding the first mark.
It didn't get any better. I kept taking risks, justifying to myself that "I had to do something to get back into the race" and they never paid off. Race night sucks.
Steve won, followed by Ken E. I'm not sure where Carla, Ken S and Mike T finished. Tony and Rob were behind me in the H16, but I still feel like it was my worst performance of the year.
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