Newcastle on Santeria

After one day of working for a living it was back to racing on Santeria in Newcastle.

Very quick race, Thunderstorms were threatening, so it was only a 3 legged race.

We won the race!

Trip Odometer: 6.5 miles
Moving Avg: 6.0 knots
Moving Time: 01:36:11

Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120731.kmz

CS34 RHYC to WYC

OK, after a good nights sleep, I left the dock a little after 8am.

I was hoping to make it to the Burlington lift bridge for the 9am bridge opening, but was about 2 minutes late, the bridge closed before I got there.  I radioed the bridge master, and he said that the next opening won't be until 10am.  Oh well, I toured around Hamilton Harbour for a bit.

Getting through the bridge was uneventful, but alas, there wasn't any wind to speak off.  Motor sailed all the way to Whitby, arriving after 6pm.  Took the time to scrub the deck, clean the cockpit.  Also installed the lazy jacks.  They worked well as I dropped the mainsail in the Whitby Harbour.

Trip Odometer: 49.89 miles
Moving Avg: 6.0 knots
Moving Time: 10:14:15

NOTE: batteries were low on the GPS when I started out; could not lock on a GPS satellite.  Took me a while to figure this out, so the track does not start until after the Burlington lift bridge.

Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120730.kmz

CS34 Port Credit to RHYC

With the LO300 experience behind us, Mark Backman stayed on the Still Time Monday night.
We volunteered to bring Coug back CBYC (Mark's van was back a CBYC). 

We left PCYC and went outside of Toronto Island. 
With just two of us, we decide not to bother with the sails. 

Took some time to troubleshoot the leaking diesel fuel.  When I took the cover off the motor with the motor running, I could see a steady stream of diesel coming out by the rear injector.  There was a small plastic return hose that had come off.  I cut the end off and re-attached it, and problem solved.  Wish I had done this during the 300!

Trip Odometer: 19.21 miles
Moving Avg: 5.6 knots
Moving Time: 03:30:05

Google Earth Track:  https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120724-1.kmz

Mark drove me back to PCYC.

I immediately headed out for Hamilton single handed; wind on the nose again!  Didn't bother with the sails.

It was neat having them open the Burlington lift bridge for me.

Short YouTube clip:  http://youtu.be/6GkraZhzx38

Got to Royal Hamilton Yacht Club and got a slip with power on the front lawn.

Trip Odometer: 21.75 miles
Moving Avg: 6.2 knots
Moving Time: 03:30:05

Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120724-2.kmz


My friend Neil and I are volunteering as Marshalls at the RBC Canadian Open as we have done for the past 5 years.  We stayed on the boat until the following Monday.  Hamilton Golf and Country Club is about a 15 minute drive from the Yacht Club.  Neil came out with a vehicle and stayed the week on the boat.

It worked out really well, and RHYC didn't charge me a dime!

View from cabin of Hamilton Harbour

RHYC clubhouse

We cooked every night on the BBQ

Lake Ontario 300 on Coug

The Lovely Rita being serenaded on the PCYC docks

CS34 WYC to Port Credit

Friday before the Lake Ontario 300.  Dave Irons voluteered to sail with me from Whitby to Port Credit.

We went for a quick pump out and left the harbour a little after 8am.

Toronto Fireman Dave Irons on the helm of Still Time

Winds were in the 10-15 knots range from the WSW; we tried to sail close hauled making almost 6 knots of speed, but there was NO WAY we could clear the points on land and shoals off Ajax.  Was difficult because there were leftover waves from the SE.

We decided to motor sail with just the main, and got the boat going close to 7 knots.  Wind had swung to right on the nose, so after a while, we dropped the main too.

Just off CBYC, we were on a collusion course with a nice looking Mirage 33 on a starboard tack.  As they passed us, we saw their WYC burgee, and it Walter and Colleen Pingle on Wind Song II heading back from a mid week cruise to Toronto.  We had a conversion on the radio for a bit.

The wind was on the nose and the waves were building (6 to 8 ft), so we decided to go in Toronto harbour

Going into the eastern gap with a cruise ship coming out

It was much calmer in the harbour!

Toronto Harbour is very nice!

We got pretty close the the fireboats near Queen Quay

Once out the western gap, the waves were much bigger, propably could have sailed, but decided to motor and just get there.

We got to Port Credit, went immediately to the fuel dock; I was down to less than 1/4 tank of diesel.  Filled up for $80 and headed over the visitors dock:

Got assigned a slip for the weekend out by the breakwall. 

What a great slip!

The cost for the week was $68.  The reason I brought Still Time to Port Credit was to have a home base to sleep on before the LO300 on Coug.  Once the race was done, I would head to Hamilton.

Thanks Dave for coming with me.

Trip Odometer: 42.90 miles
Moving Avg: 5.8 knots
Moving Time: 06:37:11

Google Earth Track: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120720.kmz

C22 Whitby

John and I with about 3-4 knots of wind from the west with lumps left over from today's blow.
Course was 3 short.

We had a good start on starboard, and got a chance to tack to port after the line to be away from everyone else, and took it.  Good move.  We were 2nd to the windward mark behind the Tartan, and 3rd after the reaching leg just behind the Viking.  The downwind leg was brutal because the winds were dying, and the seas were lumpy.  We kept out boat speed up over 2 knots most of the way.

The course was shortened to just a triangle.  On the last upwind leg, we could see a wind line between us and the finish, so we tacked and took advantage of it.  Wind was dying at the finish, and we had to tack to miss hitting mark #9.  Good race, but we could not catch the Tartan.  In the lighter winds, their taller mast is a definate advantage.

We probably took 2nd of the 7 boats out there.

Trip Odometer: 6.68 miles
Moving Avg: 2.6 knots
Moving Time: 02:33:09

Google Earth track: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120718.kmz
 

Newcastle on Santeria

Got out to Newcastle and Wind Dancer had just come in from doing the crewr man over board drill for the upcoming Lake Ontario 300.  Kevin said winds were varying from 8 to 18 knots.  We decided to do full sail and ride the puffs out.

Course was 5 legs: N-W-S-N-W-N

Winds were as Kevin said from the SW.

We had four on Santeria:

• Neil (helm)
• Peter (jib trim and ballast)
• Brian (main)
• Me (pit and grinder and scorekeeper)

We really needed four guys to keep Santeria on her feet in the puffs.
For the most post we had dropped the traveller way down to depower the main.
Brian got really good at dumping the main in the puffs and sheeting in for power.

We had the boat going over 6 knots the entire course.
On the downwind leg were were surfing waves at over 9 knots.
Awesome ride!

We came second accross the line to Wind Dancer, and were 50 seconds behind her in corrected time.

Trip Odometer: 8.91 miles
Moving Avg: 5.2 knots!
Moving Time: 01:42:33
Max Speed: 10.1 knots (from GPS!)

Google Earth track: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120717.kmz

C22 Major's Cup Persuit Race

Went out singlehanded in the annual persuit race: boats start based on their handycap, so theoretically everyone should finish at the same time.  I was the first boat off 12 minutes in front of the fleet of 15 boats.  I really like this format because you get feedback how well you are sailing.

Course was a triangle: 4 miles to a mark by Ajax, 4 miles out in the lake to the Ajax weather buoy, and 6 miles back to the finish.  Winds were 6-8 knots from the south west.

I headed way in shore on the first leg and tacked when I saw less than 5ft of water.  In 45 minutes, I was the first boat rounding.  I was regularly doing 5 knots of speed.

On the second 4 mile leg, I was the second boat to round the Ajax weather buoy in about 45 minutes.  Nirvana just past me at the mark. Winds were diminishing.

On the last leg, I decided to sail the rum line directly to the finish.  Usually in light winds that works, as all boats in the wind; sail the shortest route. However, the wind had died completely, and I could not get the boat moving move than 1 knot, bouncing around on the waves.  At one point I was sooo hot, I spent about 10 minutes cleaning the cockpit, getting water from the lake with a bucket.  The water was very refreshing, so I closed the cockpit drain seacock, and filled the cockpit with about 2" of water to cool off.  I went slightly off course because there wasn't enough momentum to steer (you can see the dip in the GPS track).

Well that last 6 mile leg took almost 4 hours!  Finished ahead of Scotia Girl (CS36), Abcracadabra (Morgan 33), Sandpiper (Tartan 3400), and a little after Sumac (Viking 33).

After the finish, I jumping the water and scrubbed the hull and rudder.  There was a layer of green scum that came right off.  Very refreshing!

After race analysis over some beverages showed that the boats that went inshore got shore breezes and finished on the podium.

Trip Odometer: 15.49 miles
Moving Avg: 2.6 knots
Moving Time: 05:53:27

Google Earth track: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120714.kmz

CS34 Friday the 13th

Went out for a dinner cruise with Rita's son Mathew and his wife Danielle.

It was sooooo hot and humid at the dock, as soon as we got out of the harbour mouth, we felt relief.  We hooked up to a mooring ball and cooked up on dinner on the BBQ.  We stayed on the mooring ball for about an hour.  It was nice.

I hoisted the main at the mooring ball, motored away from the mooring ball, unfuled the jib, and we sailed on a beam reach toward Pickering.  The winds were light from the south, with hardly any waves.  Easy sailing.  Got the boat going over 4 knots is probably 5 knots of wind.

We sailed to Ajax before turning back, as Mathew and Danielle were going to a movie.
On the way back the 3 Demmers sat on the bow enjoying the sail.  Unfortunately, Danielle dropped her sunglasses in the water.  Friday the 13th offering to Neptune's waters.

Nice Glasses!

Thanks for coming out guys!

Rita and I ended up staying on the boat; we were so hot and sweaty that we had our first showers on the boat.  The shower works well, although you do have to sit on the bench.

Trip Odometer: 8.57 miles
Moving Avg: 3.3 knots
Moving Time: 02:36:12
Stopped Time: 01:03:12

Google Earth track: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120713.kmz

C22 Whitby Race Night

Looking at Windfinder for the last couple of days, we were expecting 1 knot of wind.  John and I headed out with full main and light #1.  The winds were light, by more like 3 to 4 knots.  Course was 6 short, as the winds were from the SSE.

There about 30 boats out (most that I have seen), with 6 in our class.

We had a good start on a starboard tack, but on the pin end (non favoured) away from all the traffic.

Winds were very shifty during the legs of the race; regularly shifting 45 degrees, so we had to keep on our toes to keep the boat moving through the lulls. On the last leg, the wind had shifted to the NNE and picked up slightly.

Winds again shifted 45 degrees nearing the finish line, and we had to throw in another tack to make the finish line.

We were 3rd accross the line about four mintues behind the Tartan 30 and Viking 28, and may have caught them on corrected time.

Good race!

UPDATE:
In corrected time we finished 2nd to the Tartan 30.
We are now tied for first with Knotty Girl for the series!

Trip Odometer: 8.34 miles
Moving Avg: 2.8 knots
Moving Time: 02:56:59

Google Earth track: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120711.kmz

Newcastle on Santeria

Neil, Peter, and I: winds were from the SW about 6 knots, full main and #1.  Course was N-W-S-N.

We got out and tried a couple of different points of sail, and noticed that the wind pressure was less as we went into shore, so we decided to start mid line on a starboard tack going offshore.

We had a great start, got the boat moving at around 4 knots, pointing slightly higher than Wind Dancer, who was also on a starboard tack at the pin of the startline.  Wind Dancer was going slightly faster than us, but was the windward boat and had to keep clear of us.  Since we were pointing slightly higher, they decided to tack away.  Anybody who went towards shore got into a wind hole.  Four boats got caught in this hole after the start.

We pondered shortening the race to 2 legs, but the wind started filling in.

Cajun had cracked off the wind for speed, and beat us by 6 minutes to the first mark.  The winds were diminishing by the 2nd mark, but we were gaining on Cajan and closing the gap to within 4 minutes.  After passing this mark, we pointed slighly higher than the finish line.  Cajun had cracked off for speed in the diminishing winds, and sailed into the wind hole at the finish.   We kept our boat speed close to four knots all the way to the mark, and crossed the line within 20 seconds of Cajun.

Definate win for Santeria; first in a while.

We sailed around under main alone for about another hour taking the times of the boats finishing.

Trip Odometer: 8.52 miles
Moving Avg: 3.1 knots
Moving Time: 02:46:20

Google Earth track: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120710.kmz

CS34 Sunday Afternoon

Got down the boat in early afternoon, went for pump out, then out to a mooring ball.  Wind was from the south probably 2-3 knots, not enough to sail with the lumpy waves.  We were in 7.5 ft of water.

I took the time to hookup the reefing lines, hoisting the mainsail for a little stability in the waves.

We spent over an hour cleaning the boat: Rita on the interior, me on the exterior.  The deck wash down pump worked great!  Didn't think I would use this much, but it was kewl to have an infinate supply running water from the lake.   Poor boat was filthy inside and out.  I was hot and sweaty, so I jumped in the lake.  It was cool, but refreshing.

We had a little snooze down below, only to be wakened by the mooring ball rubbing the hull.  The wind had shifted from the south to the north and picked up.



GPS track while on mooring ball

You can see the boat swinging on the mooring ball, then see the sudden wind shift to the north.

Shortly after this, since the main was already hoisted, I dropped the mooring ball and let the wind push us away, while unfurling the jib.  Took off on a beam reach with over 5 knots of speed towards Pickering.

Winds had picked up to over 10 knots; very fast sail.

Rita took over the helm, and we tacked back just past Harwood Rd in Ajax.  Jib sheet caught on the partially open front hatch.  Oh well.

Winds had shifted slightly on the way back, so we were on a close reach all the way back to Whitby.  We were regularly doing close to 7 knots.  When the boat started heeling too much for Rita, I dropped the traveller, to put the boat back on its feet.  After a while the main was doing nothing, so I quickly threw in a reef on the main, and furled in the jib about 2 ft.  We picked up speed to well over 7 knots, hitting 7.5 most of the time.

Great sail!

It was a PITA to drop and flake the main; we actually did it at the dock.
Project for this week is to install the lazy jack lines.

Trip Odometer: 9.89 miles
Moving Avg: 2.7 knots (skewed by mooring ball movement)
Moving Time: 03:38:00
Stopped Time: 02:58:20

Google Earth track: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120708.kmz

C22 Whitby

John was camping with his family, so Paul and I went out.

Winds were forecast for 6 knots from the south west, full main and #1.

Before the race started, the wind died, leaving 1-2 ft lumps around.  Was worried it would be a long race (4S), but before the gun, the wind filled in from the NW to about 8-10 knots, so the race committed postponed for 10 minutes and reset the course.  Course was 2M.  Getting ready for the start, we hit 7.3 knots on the GPS on a beam reach.

Originally, I wanted Paul to do the helming, but it was very puffy, so I took over the duties as I did not want to round up at the start with all kinds of boats around.    We had a good start, just to leeward of the all the starboard tack boats near the committee boat.  We were neck and neck with our competitors around the first and second marks.

On the long upwind 4th leg, I deciced to stay offshore close hauled on a starboard tack.  This was a mistake, as our competors tacked inshore early, and beat us to the windward mark.  Looking at the GPS track, there was lift towards the mark, meaning they didn't have to go too far inshore before tacking to the mark.

On the final short upwind leg, we came in close hauled to the commitee boat.  Good thing we did, because the wind was diminishing, and shifted about 45 degrees to port, and we almost missed the other side of the line.

We finished last in our division, but not too far behind the others.

UPDATE: we were last in corrected time, but still in 2nd place for the series.

Trip Odometer: 14.20 miles
Moving Avg: 4.1 knots
Moving Time: 02:50:20

Google Earth track: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120704.kmz

Newcastle on Santeria

Last week the fuel line connection to the motor had broken (its plastic), so we had to be towed in.  Picked up a new one from Nat's Marine in Pickering after work.

Neil, Peter, and I with a motor that now has fuel to it!

Winds were forcast for 6 knots from the east, but when we got out there, it was around 2 knots from the south.  Course was N-E-S-N, full main and #1.

We were the first around the east mark, and the winds dimished to nothing.  After 90 minutes of racing, we still another 1/2 mile from the south mark in the lead, so we abandoned the race.

Trip Odometer: 4.53 miles
Moving Avg: 2.1 knots (includes motoring in/out)
Moving Time: 02:11:19

Google Earth track: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120703.kmz

Mad Hatter

We were going to go out, but there was not much wind, so we sat around on John Berry's Hateras 38 power boat out of the sun; man it was hot.

I think at one point we had over 20 people on the two decks.

CS34 Daughter's First Sail on Canada Day

After the introduction to sailing on the 22ft boat, we took the 34ft boat off the dock.

Winds were light, about 8 knots from the south  Under headsail alone, we were doing 2.5 knots.  Melissa drove and did great job.  Decided to hoist the main, and our speed picked up over 5 knots on a beam reach towards Oshawa.

About 2/3 of the way there, the wind died completed, and swung around to the north.  We dropped the sails and motored into the Oshawa harbour.  Saw Cajun and Whisper on the wall.  Headed back under motor as the wind was now from the west (where we wanted to go), hugging the shore looking at Oshawa/Whitby from the water.

Melissa had to head to a BBQ with her friends, but it was fun day on the water.

Watched the fireworks in Whitby Harbour from the back of the boat in its slip

Trip Odometer: 12.91 miles
Moving Avg: 4.9 knots
Moving Time: 02:39:23

Google Earth track: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120701-2.kmz

C22 Daughter's First Sail on Canada Day

Sunday of the long weekend, daughter Melissa came down for her first sail.

We got some lunch from the grocery store, visited the beer store, and got the propane tanks refilled for the big boat. 

Wind were light about 8 knots from the south.
Spent some time at the explaining different parts of the sailboat, and putting the sails up.

Got out the channel and hooked up the autohelm, so would could concentrate on sailing the boat, and explain tacking, gybing, points of sail.

Was fun, we really got the boat moving before coming in.

Trip Odometer: 6.86 miles
Moving Avg: 3.9 knots
Moving Time: 01:46:54

Google Earth track: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120701-1.kmz