C22 Whitby Frostbite Series Races 3&4

Got to the boat at around 10:30am, and gave her a good bath with a bucket, soap, and scrub brush.  Man she was filthy on the outside!  She has been neglected this year.

Took crew from the bank.  Karen is new to sailing, but has been out one or twice with Peter on Sumac.

Winds were howling at 15 knots with gusts over 25!  Put the old main on with a reef and the #3.

Karen was keen, and learned a lot as we practiced a couple of tacks before the race.  Before the start, I noticed that my power chord was dragging about 15 ft into the water of the bow.  I had to go forward to get it.  Karen took the tiller and steered us straight, as I went forward.  A huge wave broke over the bow with me on the pulpit putting the power chord in its place.  I was ALMOST thrown overboard.  I had both hands on the pulpit, and both legs up to my hips were overboard in the water.  I should have had a tether on, but I don't think it would have prevented me from going over.

First Race

We started at 8 because a couple of boats were late getting out.

8-4-6-8-4-8 was the course.

Boat was overwealmed in the puffs, but powered up nicely to pound through the waves.  Thought about putting a 2nd reef in, the winds and waves were too much.  Put the companionway board in. 
The main was also too bagged at the foot, but I couldn't do anything about it.

We finished last about 10 minutes behind everyone.


Second Race

8-4-6-8-9-8 was the course.

The winds were slightly diminished, but the waves were getting bigger.
I hove to at the start line, and hooked up the outhaul on the first reef to flatten the bottom on the sail.

We were late to cross the start line, but the flattened main made the boat sail much better.  After about 5 mins, the outhaul line line popped out of its jam cleet, and we were back to a baggy main.  Karen tried to tighten it, but the jam cleat broke off the boom.

There were many times we were heeled over so much that water was coming in the cockpit, filling the coaming boxes.  We were BOTH soaked.

Some of the waves were 8 to 10 ft!

Trip Odometer: 20.2 miles
Moving Avg: 5.6 knots
Moving Time: 03:37:00

Google Earth Track 1: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120922-1.kmz
Google Earth Track 1: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/12535935/Still%20Time/2012/20120922-2.kmz

Looking at the GPS, our maximum speed was 11.2 knots surfing down a wave!

It was fun, we came last, and I was sore!
Got the sails off and folded, and I went below.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MUCH WATER!
The bilge was full, took about 10 mins to vaccuum out.
The carpets were soaked.

When heeled over on a starboard tack with water coming over the cockput coamings exposes the cowl vents for the port fuel locker.  Water was rushing in these vents.  There was probably a foot of water in the port aft sail locker.  Everything was soaked!  Still Time was sitting way aft on her lines a the dock.

Port locker water

I have a 2 gallon shopvac.  Took 6 gallons out of the bilge and 30 gallons out of the port locker.  One gallon of water weighs approximately 8 lbs., so I had almost 300 lbs of water inside the boat!