CS34 Sunday Sail

We had a wonderful brunch with my Daughter Melissa and her boyfriend James at The Lake Grill in Whitby, we headed to the boat for a Sunday afternoon sail.

Before heading out, Dave from Skana lost his main halyard 3/4 way up the mast, so he hauled me up the mast in a bosun's chair.  Melissa tended the safety line and took pictures:

This was James' first time on a sailboat.


Winds were from the southeast 10-15 knots, so we went out with a reefed main and genoa, getting the boat going over 6 knots, with a reasonable amount of heal.

The sun was warm, and we sailed out to the Ajax weather buoy (wind on the beam), then gybed toward Pickering.  Winds were lightening a bit, so we headed to Whitby close hauled. 

Melissa took the wheel, and was struggling to keep the boat on course and not luff the sails.  I showed her how to go on the low side and sail to the tell tails.  After that she had NO TROUBLES.  I was proud of her.

A Catalina 375 rolled over the top of us (two boats, you have a race!)  I recognized the boat "Mayhem" which belongs to Bob May ex-commodore of Frenchman's Bay Yacht Club.  His daughter Karen was on board: she was our sailing instructor at FBYC in June 2008.

After a while, the wind swung further east meaning we couldn't make it to Whitby on one tack.  We tacked out for a bit, but decided to douse the sails and motor the rest of the way.

Nice day on the water.

Best of all James DID NOT feed the fish!

Trip Odometer: 17.67 miles
Moving Average: 4.7 knots
Moving Time: 03:45:00

Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2013/20130929.kmz

C22 New Sail

Port Whitby Marina was hosting a boating yard sale on Saturday morning.

Got down there and picked up a Garhaurer double block ($10) for the end of the boom in the double ended mainsheet.

There were various sails there, many of them older.

There was a Quantum sail there, and the guy said it was from a CS22.  Quickly Googled the rig dimensions of the CS22, and almost identical to the C22.  It  looked brand new: high tech mylar carbon fiber fabric, hank-on, with draft stripes.  Guy said it belong to a friend who purchased the sail new a couple of years ago, but never used it more than couple times before selling the boat.   I unfolded the sail and measured it, would be a perfect fit!  Couldn't get the $200 out of my wallet fast enough!

In the sail bag was a bill from Quantum Sails from 2009 for $1600!

SCORE!!!

 

Melissa and I hoisted it on little Still Time on Sunday, and the fit looked good.

Can't wait to try it in the last singlehanded race on Wednesday!

CS34 DRANKS

Still Time was the host of The Durham Recreation and Knowledge Society.
The DRANKS meet for after-work drinks on the last Friday of each month.

My daughter Melissa had three of her girlfriends from work out on a BEAUTIFUL Friday evening.

No wind the speak of so after some appetizers, we motored around a little bit.

Trip Odomter: 6.01 miles
Moving Average: 4.3 knots
Moving Time: 01:23:00

Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2013/20130927.kmz

C22 Whitby Singlehanded

After work I watch Team Oracle USA win the America's Cup!
AMAZING!!!

Back to reality... Windfinder was forecasting 1-3 knots at race time.
At 5pm there seemed to be a little more, so we headed out to try and get a race in.

Three boats: Still Time, Cheeky Monkey, and Iris.

Course was 4 short.

Wind was decent near the start, could get the boat going 3 knots, but was dying as the night progressed.  In light winds, I always have trouble on a port tack going to mark 4; the wind, waves, and current slow the boat down.  I tacked to starboard for some more speed.  As I look at the track, I sailed a lot of extra distance.  Plus I missed the mark and had to throw in a couple of extra tacks.

Wind died further and swung to the west.  I was able to keep my boat speed around a knot.  We decided to shorten the race to 9-4-6-8.  Even this took 01:40 to complete!

Thanks Chris from Iris for there shots:

It was pitch black coming back to the dock.

Trip Odometer: 6.51 miles
Moving Average: 2.4 knots
Moving Time: 02:45:00

Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2013/20130925.kmz

C22 Double Ended Mainsheet

On a Catalina 22, the traveler and mainsheet are on the stern rail.  There has been many a time when single handing, or with crew, when it has been difficult to trim or more importantly dump the main in a puff.  When sailing downwind the boat likes crew weight forward, or even in the cabin by the keel (just not at the stern)

Catalina Direct sells a kit to install a double ended mainsheet:

 http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_ID=609&ParentCat=29

The kit is $199 and includes several blocks and tools to set it up.

I ended up purchasing a Harken 140 swivel block with cam cleat from Nat's Marine for $90.  I used some blocks and line that I had around:

Really like how the forward end of the mainsheet drops right at the companionway steps.  I can even trim the main from in the cabin!

Can't wait to try it out singlehanded tonight.

CS34 Sunday Sail

Rita's sister Debbie and her husband have been visiting from Victoria BC and used the boat as a hotel for the weekend.  While the ladies went shopping on a Sunday afternoon, Hans (Debbie's husband) and John (Rita's other sister Wendy's husband) went out for an afternoon sail.

It was a little cold at 14 degrees, but sunny with a NW wind 15-20 knots.  We went out with a reefed main and full genoa.  Wind on the beam, got the boat going over 6 knots the entire time.

Past Oshawa, the wind dropped a little and shifted to the NW (behind the beam) so we shook the reef out. We turned around near the Darlington nuclear generating station, and headed back to Whitby close hauled.  Winds started picking up, so we put the reef back in and furled in a little of the genoa to keep the boat in its feet.

John did a great job on the helm.  It was nice to not have to trim the sails, as Hans was looking after that!

Trip Odometer: 18.10 miles
Moving Time: 5.4 knots
Moving Time: 03:21:00

Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2013/20130922.kmz

Splash

Walking down the dock on Saturday morning, we talked for a couple of minutes with vice commodore John Berry as he was getting ready to work on a dinghy he is going to sell.

Going to the car, we heard a SPLASH behind us.  Hans and I dropped everything on the dock and rushed over to where John had fallen into the water.  Once we saw that he was alright and swimming, I did the only thing I could think of: TOOK PICTURES!!!

John swimming around his boat

The club had installed some ladders on the finger on the other side of his boat.  They were testing these to be installed on all docks as we have had several of people fall off the docks/boats in the last couple of years.  Turns out our pilot dock ladder doesn't go far enough into the water for someone to get back on the dock by themselves.  Hans had to haul him up to the first rung.

I checked the water temperature, and it was 16.4 degrees C.

I shudder thinking what could have happened if the water was colder, John had hit his head, or we weren't there to hear the splash!

To quote John:

"There are 2 kinds of sailors: those that have fallen in, and those that will"!

C22 Whitby Singlehanded

Four boats, winds 5-8 knots from the SE, full main and light #1.

Convinced friend Colin to come out with us.

Course was 6 short.

Fairly flat water, and could get the boat going between 4 and 5 knots upwind.

BEAUTIFUL night, bright moon (full moon is tomorrow night).

Gin N Tonic in the moonlight

Finished less than a minute behind Cheeky Monkey.

Trip Odometer: 9.17 Miles
Moving Average: 3.3 knots
Moving Time: 02:44:00

Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2013/20130918.kmz

Santeria in Newcastle

Neil asked me to come out for the Sunday Newcastle race, as lots of wind was forecast, and he didn't want to go out singlehanded.

Forecast was for 14-20 knots from the west, so very wavy.  Course was set as N-W-E-N-W-N.  The two of us went out with full main and #1.  We majorly tensioned the outhaul and halyard to flatten the main.  We also moved the jib cars back and in to put some twist in the foresail to depower the bottom and spill wind out the top.  PERFECT AMOUNT OF SAIL!

We had a great start and got about a 3 minute lead after the first and second legs.  Not enough in corrected time on our competitors.  On the last upwind leg, we decided to go offshore where there was more wind.  Everytime you go close to shore, there is less wind, and the current affects you.  PLUS you sail more distance.  This was a turning point, as we took line honours by 9 minutes.

Great race; LOVE sailing on Santeria!

Trip Odometer: 11.3 miles
Moving Average: 4.4 knots
Maximum Speed: 7.6 knots
Trip Odometer: 02:32:00

Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2013/20130915.kmz

C22 Rudder

A couple of weeks ago when I went swimming and cleaned the hull and rudder, I noticed that the stress cracks on the rudder have gotten worst!

Took some photos:

Starboard

Port

Definitely replace the rudder in the off season.

Don't know about the pintels and gudgeons; probably should!

Didn't Leonard Cohen write an "Anthem"
There is a crack in everything
That's how the water gets in

C22 Whitby Singlehanded

We had three boats out for the first race of the fall singlehanded series.

Winds were blowing 20+ knots from the SW and major rain.

I found what the problem with the autohelm electrical connection was: the wire feeding the connector I guess is NOT tinned, so the copper wire has become brittle.  However it was raining too hard to fix it.

I rigged a double reef and #3, and could do 4-5 knots boat speed in the 3-4 foot waves.  Comfortable amount of heel.  Course was set as 3 short.

Kept with Cheeky Monkey and Iris to first mark, but alas, the winds were diminishing.  I had to shake out the reef(s).  Doing this without an autohelm in the waves was tough!

Yellow is where I shook out the reef(s)
That is NOT racing!

From the above picture, it looks like mark 3 has shifted slightly.  I was going directly towards according the GPS, but could not see it in the waves until I got closer.

Finished a couple of minutes behind the other two. 

I love sailing in conditions like that!

Trip Odometer: 7.55 miles
Moving Average: 4.1 knots
Moving Time: 01:51:00

Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2013/20130911.kmz

CS34 with Neil

Came down to the boat after work, and Racoon had done his business all over the cockpit!

DISGUSTING!

Got out the pressure washer to clean it up!

Neil came down, and I did some work on his new to him notebook, and showed him how to use the computer to do some fundamental drafting.  Neil just sold his house in Colbourne and is designing a new one to build.

We headed out into Lake Ontario, winds 15+ knots from the SW.
Neil took the helm, and we sailed with just the headsail for a mile out into the lake.

We anchored by the East Beach and BBQ some burgers.  Very rolly!
Did a tour of the harbour before coming in.

Trip Odometer: 4.26 miles
Moving Average: 3.6 knots
Moving Time: 00:01:12
Stopped Time: 00:43:00

Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2013/20130910.kmz

CS34 Stack Pack MOD

Marilyn had said she was going to come to the boat to fix the baggy sailcover:

She had picked it up yesterday:

Today she installed the fixed up one:

MUCH BETTER!!!

CS34 Head Intake

The electric head on Big Still Time was making noises and not flushing right.

I had installed a raw water strainer (called a pump saver):

It was clogged with weeds!

Problem solved.

C22 Whitby StoneHaven Cup

WYC Stonehaven Cup is the last race of the season counting towards overall standings. Winds were forecast to be 10-18 knots from the north.  Went out single handed with a reefed main and heavy #1.

There were 5 boats out for the race in my class.

• Still Time (Catalina 22)
• Cheeky Moneky (Shark)
• Salty 11 (Shark)
• Eclipse (Viking 28)
• Iris (Catalina 25)

Start line at mark 9, windward to mark 1 then out to Ajax weather buoy and back.

Going out to the start line, I noticed that there was a clump of weeds on the rudder.  Could only do 2 knots with sails and motor.  I tried to backup, but the weeds were wrapped around it.  Used the whisker pole to clear it, but broke the end off of the pole in the process.

Wind was less at the start about 10 knots, got to the windward mark with all other competitors.  6 miles downwind to the Ajax weather buoy.  Electrical connection to the autohelm was on the fritz again, so setting the pole for downwind was difficult; could not keep the boat on course going forward to set the pole.  Wind was very gusty and then died; 3-5 knots of knots dead downwind.  Shook the reef on the main and got wacked by the boom RIGHT in the glasses.  Finally gave up and just reached out away from the mark.

Got the to Ajax buoy behind the fleet (DFL).

I had to do something different, so I swapped out the heavy #1 for the light #1.  I followed some wind to west towards Ajax and got the boat speed up to 5 knots for about half an hour away from everyone in the fleet.  Risky move!

Winds died yet again, so I swapped the old main for the racing main.  After about 15 minutes, the winds filled in from the SE so I had a beam reach right to the mark, and finished less than a minute behind Cheeky Monkey. 

In corrected time I won the race for my division (5 boats), and placed 2nd in the fleet (18 boats).

Enough to secure first overall in division 1 (small white sail).

Before the race with all the forecasted wind, I was thinking of using the #3, but in the end I used all the other sails on Still Time (except for the spinnaker).

Trip Odometer: 14.3 miles
Moving Average: 3.2 knots
Moving Time: 04:25:00

Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2013/20130908.kmz

C22 Whitby Fall Regatta

After getting our foul weather gear on, John and I headed to clubhouse at 9:30am for the skippers meeting.  Man it was raining hard and NO WIND!

They postponed the race for one hour, and eventually cancelled the regatta because the low pressure system was going to hang around all day.

To our surprise, Cam had fixed the bulkheads and chainplates on Cheekey Monkey.  What a drag that these races were cancelled.  He would have given us a great run for overall!

It was great shooting the breeze with all the sailors!

Fish TV

Got to the boat after work and to my surprise the water around the docks was CRYTAL CLEAR!
Took a look around the CS34 for my prescription Oakley sunglasses that went overboard almost two month ago.   In the shadow of the boat could not see much.

I decided to move the boat to another slip and have a better look.

Dockmate John Berry and I looked for about five minutes and really didn't see much but clam shells, rocks, and weeds.  I layed on the dock finger and had a close look shielding my eyes from the sun, and could see a dark patch that looked promising.  Out with the Fish TV.

Low and behold there were my glasses covered in silt.  John scooped them up with his fishnet under my careful Fish TV eyes.

So far Fish TV has recovered:

• two pairs of sunglasses
• one marine rail ¢lothe$ pin
• several other small items

Now if they could only find Harvey's knife and Wade's ring.

Santeria Newcastle Last Thursday Race

Last Thursday night race.

Neil was asking for crew because there was going to be tons on north wind tonight.
I couldn't because of a board meeting for the WYC nomination committee.

I talked with John Berry after work, and he said to go, race, we can do the nomination committee stuff after you get back.

Neil, Peter, and I, full main and #1.

Winds were lighter than the forecast from the NW, about 10 knots with gusts close to 20.
Four boats.

We got the boat moving really well.  We were 30 seconds late on the start, but still crossed the line before everyone else.  We made sure we got windward of Cajun on the first leg, and led the race the entire 5 legs of the triangle.

Santeria a 24 foot boat beat the 34/32/26 foot boats out there.
Perfect conditions for her.

Love sailing with Neil and Peter.

Trip Odometer: 10.12 miles
Moving Average: 4.5 knots
Moving Time: 02:23:00

Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2013/20130905.kmz

C22 Whitby Final Wednesday Race

John, Melissa, and I, winds were forecast to be 12-20 knots from the NW.  We rigged up the old main with a reef, and the heavy #1.  Perfect amount of sail, even in the puffs. Course was 2 medium.

We were a couple of minutes early approaching the line, so we were luffing our sails.  With less than a minute to go, I brought the jib in, and John was trying to go up, but the mainsheet was wrapped around the tiller TWICE.  Boats behind us were calling for us to go up, but we couldn't.  Got the mainsheet untanged from the tiller and up we went at the gun.

To the windward mark we were fifth behind the two Sharks, the Viking, and the Catalina 25, not too far behind.  We gained on the fleet on the reaching/downwind legs.

Cheeky Monkey, the Shark 24 was in the lead, and on the 2nd last upwind leg, a puff ripped their chainplate out of the bulkhead, and their mast came down.  Luckily no one was hurt!

Iris was now in the lead, but they sailed an extra leg for some reason.

On the 2nd upwind leg towards mark 9, we purposely went around both Tanker and Mark 9 because that has always been the rules.  We lost a LOT of ground to the other Sharks and the Viking who just went around Mark 9.  The rules in previous years stated that you cannot cross the finish line unless you are finishing the race.

We came in fourth across the line behind the Viking, and two Sharks.
In corrected time we were second.

However, I was talking to Marty on Time1 in the bar afterwards.
Because we couldn't go up before the start, Berserk had rammed the back of them.
Marty has some damage on his boat and is protesting us.



Yellow is our start
White from the 2nd windward leg
You can also see our finish

Looking at this, I think Time1 could have went above us, but didn't want to because it was before the start and they would have been over early.  The time on the data point before coming up was 06:39:42, and the next data point was 06:40:08 which is at the starting line.

We clearly sailed and extra 1/4 mile to not cross the finish line on this leg.


Trip Odometer: 9.48 miles
Moving Average: 4.5 knots
Moving Time: 02:07:00

Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2013/20130904.kmz