WYC Race Marks

One of my last duties as WYC Fleet Captain is to get the race marks in for the winter.

There are 9 marks approximately a mile and a half offshore:

Three of use went out on the race committee boat Tanker Jones.
There was about 10 knots of wind from the north, but it was very cold around 4 degree C.
Dressed up with plenty of layers of clothes, foul weather gear, and a touque.

Flat water with the north wind

Race Officer Paul piloting Tanker Jones

Marks in the cockpit

The marks are in anywhere from 50ft of water (north mark) to 100ft of water (south mark).  It was hard work pulling up over 100ft of chain with a 25lb concrete anchor block.  Basically we had Ken and I pulling the marks with Paul putting the chain in a 5 gallon pail.

Took us a couple of hours.

We could not find mark 5.  In the past couple of weeks, we have had MAJOR storms with strong winds from the SE.  We will have to make up a new barrel, chain, and anchor for next season.

Tanker Jones comes out next Friday, so remaining tasks

• replace some chain buckets
• put marks on land
• remove the canvas
• remove the flag halyards and mast
• pump out and winterize the head
• position the cradle