So . . . How Was Your Sail Today ?

[redcobra]

Originally Posted by Jim H

This is an invite for brief sailing/cruising reports about daysails or trips recently done.


This morning we spent about four hours re-stepping our Cal 20 mast and replacing the fore and back stays. Unfortunately, this had to be done in some driving downpours, but it was time to get the boat out of the yard. (It had been pulled to be part of the Portland Boat Show.)

The fun part was discovering our new fore stay was a foot too long (after installing it and raising the mast by hand). Maybe someone should have checked the length next to the old one first... Anyway, we moved the boat to the high lift rails with walkways and were able to pull the mast over with a boat hook to directly re-install the old forestay without lowering/raising the mast again (not overly safe in the rain).

After that, we motored about an hour up the Columbia River to our regular moorage, and it was great to be out. Lots o' water and current, but not as many drifing logs as last weekend. Three other sailboats were out, lazily running with the wind upriver. We wanted to sail, but the rain was simply imminient, mixed with sun. It felt good to tie up at our "home" slip again, and if there's a decent break tomorrow, we'll sail with the kids.

So, any other intrepid sailors go out today? How about those in drier, sunnier climes?

Spent yesterday and today wiring in new fans and tracing another wiring problem. Leaving tomorrow for a week or longer on the Chesterpeak. Definite stop at Tiki Bar in Solomons.

[zopi]

No sail today, but I did stop at the boat to procrastinate a few things...bed at midnight last night, up at 0430...so a pirate looked at 40.....winks....gabbed with a couple of dock mates and bailed...
Tomorrow will be taking my rugrats for their first sail...and will down hook over a nice clean sandbar somewhere to scrape my keel...will be getting a new battery, and bilge pump in the morning, and probably a fancy port a potty since I have so many females going...me, I usually use the starboard a potty...

[smithy]

Just spent a week out on the Potomac with my scouts, and had very light winds all week. Of course when it was time to pack up today, there was a freshening breeze down by the docks as I was tying everything down. Go figure.

At least my tan is better.

[zopi]

Sailed day before yesterday...basically just sailed straight out from the James River Bridge...light squirrelly winds and hot as a boilers butt...but it was quiet and calm, which is what my girls need so they have time to understand how the rig works, and so I have leisure to talk to them and teach them to sail the boat...twenty knots of wind and two knots of tide on the bow is not the weather to teach in...lol...

[Connemara]

We had planned a weekend trip to the Toronto Island Marina, but the wind probs were for three or four knots Saturday and the same Sunday, with the possibility of rain. So we prepared for a long slog, with the OMC saildrive doing its thing.

Instead, we left Ashbridge's Bay in about 10 knots from the east, sailed through a pretty dense fogbank, and into a beautiful clear day. Probably averaged about 4.5 SOG, counting in the half hour running downwind at 3.0 or there-abouts.

Lovely night for dinner at the Rectory Cafe (highly recommended) and a full moon to light our stroll back to the boat.

Sunday was cloudy, but the wind was 10 or 12 from the east, so a great thrash back -- 5 knots or so tacking across the harbour, then 6+ once we got out of the Eastern Gap.

Bonus... our sail coincided with a race from the west, with about 30 boats all close-hauled to make a turning mark just off the southern end of the Spit. As we reached their line, they all turned and came back, spinnakers flying as we crossed in front of them. Glorious.

Connemara

[Missou]

We had a beautifull weekend sail on Lake Champlain. The wind and and sun where there with us during the days and the nights were very peaceful. It was a very relaxing trip.

[groggy]

it was ai'ght.

[44'cruisingcat]

IMGP0099.AVI - YouTube

[El Vikingo]

Did some sailing in the sun yesterday here in Copenhagen, Denmark. Temperature around 10 degrees and the water 8 degrees ...... Brrrrrrr

Made a small video:
http://vimeo.com/31673258

[Pete7]

Jens, very nice video and welcome to CF too

Pete

[Ex-Calif]

October 27-30 we rented a 31 foot Hunter in SFO bay. Great recommendations by Bash on places to see and the place we rented from (club nautique) - they were top notch!

Thursday afternoon had a check ride and familiarization around Sausolito. I arrived on the 3 days in the century that SFO did not have wind. Very crazy! Had to motor sail through the entire ride.

Friday we motor sailed the bay and stayed at angel Island. The cruising guide said with the current running the mediteranean style mooring pickup at Ayala cove could be tricky and it was. If I had a do over I would have snagged the stern first but as it was I snagged the bow and then wiggled like a fish in 2 knots of cross current trying to back down to the rear buoy. Finally backed upcurrent abeam at about a 45 degree angle and drifted down the stern mooring.

Saturday we again motorsailed the central bay counterclockwise and did all the touristy sites, bridge, Alcatraz, waterfront treasure island etc. And then headed up to China Camp for night 3 (night one was at the marina). Arrived with plenty of light and only two other boats on the anchorage. Picked a spot fairliy far out as we we being uber conservative on the current (anchor drag) and tides which were running minus a foot and a half during the period. All was well and had a great night.

Sunday we headed up towards Benicia before turning back and dashing straight to Sausolito. As we approached the channel (racoon strait) we encuntered the race fklet out of Berkley or some place running east. Must ahce been a hundred boats. I remember commenting in the morning what a great trip it was and if God was smiling he would give us some wind to end it on.

Well the fleet had all but cleared the channel and when we hit the channel I guess we got 15 knot winds. We cranked up and both my brother and son got to helm at over 6.1 knots for about 45 minutes through racoon strait. We rolled one boat and did ourselves proud.

Got back, cleaned up the boat and swore we'd do it again in the spring.

Great trip!

[FrankZ]

We had, what is likely, our last sail of the season yesterday evening. It was cold, wet, windy and glorious.

[Ram]

Sailing the South Peloponnesian coast, Greece - YouTube

My Last sail for the year was last week where the seas in 2 hours went from 2-3 feet to 15 feet -with 35 knots of wind ! here is a small shot of part of it before it really got bad - then like magic it calmed down and cleared up

[GeoPowers]

Headed to Solomons last weekend, heading to St. Michaels this weekend- love fall sailing and the empty anchorages!!

[SaucySailoress]

Had my first sail of the season today (well, on a yacht - beachcat sailing happens year round) - on a friend's Lagoon 420 with staff to feed us and everything!! It was warm, dry and calm, but glorious... wish I had taken a photo of the golden seas at sunset!