So . . . How Was Your Sail Today ?

[Ex-Calif]

24 Hours in San Francisco...

So my gf joins me in sfo for a week visit with my brother. We decide to do a 24 hour charter of a Hunter 31 set up on Friday the 13th from 9:00am till 8:00am Saturday.

5 days to launch the forecast is for rain the thundershowers. 5 days away I am confident the forecast is wrong. It rains Wednesday and Thursday so I think the rain came early and it will clear. Thursday night is raining hard and there is a low front west of SFO. At 22:00 it looks like the front is passing SFO and I am optimistic but unsure what the post frontal weather will look like Friday morning. 24 hours forecast is scattered Thunderstorms and >50% chance of rain. Morning weather shows the low has just passed to the east and I am confident of improving conditions.

We have to stop and pick up a friend of my son and we do that and eventually are 6 on the boat. 2 couples and 2 X 14 y/o boys. 4 "decent" sailors on board - me, my son, my gf and brother. It rains steady all the way to Richmond bridge and the crew is skeptical of my forecasting abilities but we get big sunny patches the closer we get to sausalito. We definitely will sail but I am a little concerned about the 2 new non-sailors, more for cold and rain than for the winds we eventually got.

Get to the boat a bit late after formalities and launch at around 10:30 at around a slack tide turning to incoming all afternoon. There is a good squall above us and we get slightly wet as we motor out fron Richardson Bay and I notice we are heeling under bare poles. Hmmmm...

I look out and there are a few boats out. Most with just a main up or a reefed main. I am expecting this to be my first "big wind" day in SFO and I want to be conservative. I call for 70% of the mast furling main. The plan is to reach across the gate, run downwind along the piers and cross parralel to the bay bridge, reach back across and head generally towards Berkley and the NE bay area.

The boat feels OK but I see good whitecaps already in the gate. I start the reach across and as we get out discover about 3 foot swells with like a 40 foot fetch. Sporty but OK. Winds are about 15g18. The boat wants to round up a bit but aggressive steering keeps an ok line. I actually work upwind towards the gate as I head up to take the bigger swells on the starboard bow.

Just after half way I turn the helm over to my brother and start tending the main. We bear away to a quartering sea and a very broad reach. The conditions are bulding still and soon no amount of sheeting off stops us rounding. Wind is 18g20 now and swells are probably 4 feet on the quarter. As we approach the south bank we gybe and have a big, out of control 360 round up to port. As she comes head to wind I furl the main in to 50% of boom length.

We stay in control past Pier 39 but we are doing 6 1/2 knots under half a main sail. The crew has been hanging on to rails for a while now. They were totally unimpressed with our near broach but confidence in skipper is slowly restoring as we progress along the watrfront and I keep smiling and saying how normal it is for the boat to round up like that - LOL. There are about 10-15 boats in a 1/2 mile radius all having fun but all under reefed main alone except one pretty well crewed 50 footer with reefed main and jib.

My spunky crew, headedd by my 14 y/o who went below to make sandwiches, even managed to have lunch on the run in 22kts and 4 foot swells! Even the newbies ate sandwiches, probably predicting their last meal on earth...

We finally gybe to the south and get in the lee of SFO and while windy the water is flat and under reefed main we still scoot along reaching at 4 1/2 knots. The ladies, one newbie and my excellent sailor gf, decide its nap time. For the newbie, fear makes you tired, for my gf its a 5:30 wake up to go sailing. They miss the best part of the trip as I modify the plan to stay in the lee for a while and head down to Giants stadium to check out the ball game. We don't duck in to the stadium where there a about 6 boats but we head south about 30 minutes.

Anchoring plan is Ayala Cove on Angel island and I had promised the newbie gal that we would get there in time for a hike as last trip we didn't have time. At 2:30 I decide to head north. As we approach the gap I am anticipating a strong reach, and my brother agrees I will helm. I reckon for comfort I will close reach and head up as to take the waves on the port bow. I also discuss with my brother that the weather helm is intolerable and we could use a "couple of feet" of stabllizing jib. We set up that way and as we reach the corner newbie gal comes up and I brief her for a rough ride. The bay is solid whitecaps now and I am thinking 25kts.

A ship is coming in crosses us and we pass between the ship and it's tug. The ship is making knots and the wake lifts us pretty good (about 10 feet) and we slam fairly hard. My gf in the v berth shows up 30 seconds later and asks if the fun is starting - LOL.

The crossing is tough. I reckon peak waves were 5 feet and we saw 30kts true at times on the guage. We were smoking along at 5 1/2 - 6 kts but we were fighting an incoming tide and I was heading up and luffing to take the biggest waves and steering down hard in the troughs. Plenty of water gets over the deck and we get some nice spray in the cockpit. I decided to run the engine to keep us moving when I luff and also help fight the current. The boat is well balanced with the jib confirming that idea and doing well but the engine really helps stabilize the speed running it at about 1800 rpm.

Halfway across I take note that we are just about the only boat in the gap. Local sailors probably figure its better to bbq than bash about on a Friday with a hankerchief up for sails...

We head up to towards the southwest end of Angel Island as my plan is to bear away hard and then take the swells on the port quarter. Newbie gal looks concerned but not green and not scared. The sailors on board are having a blast, the newbies are on the high side hanging on and getting wet and my crazy son has found the best place on the boat, forward cockpit bench on the starboard side. The spray is completely blocked by the doger, he is laying on the low side so he can't fall out and I soon notice he is ASLEEP as we pound through the swells!!!!!!! Ahhhhh... My son is a sailor!

The bear away works great and we run 10 minutes to the lee of Angel Island. In Robertson(?) cove we decide that we've had our sailing fun and it's time to cruise. W douse our 12 square inches of sails (LOL) and motor around a bit towards the landing. It's pushing 4pm and we poke around the corner and dock at Ayala Cove. The hike was wonderful and we decide to get the mooring done before dark. Of course the boys disappear and are late coming back but a blast on the horn makes them show up in ten minutes on the trot.

Get to chatting with a couple and they say they a going to swing rather than bahamian moor as is recommended. I am lazy and decide that's sounds good. There are only 3 boats in the cove so I am not woried about being unfriendly. W get the bow on and I make my famous one pot mac and cheese with spicy sausage. The girls notice we are sailing back and forth a lot which is very uncomfortable and after a bit of discussion we decide that there are two reasons to bahamian moor in the cove - get more boats in and not sail around on the ball. It is dark now but we splice some bow line together and kite backwards back and forth across the stern ball. Eventually we pay enough out and swing close enough to snag the stern ball with a boat hook and my son deftly ties us of by the stern. I motor forward as my brother takes in slack. We end up pretty taught between the moorings and the boat is now very stable. Learned about mooring here.

The folks we talked to bobbed and weave all nite as did another boat who did the same plan. At about 8:30 a fifty footer came in and had 30+ minutes of drama trying to get hooked up in the dark as the wind in the cove was still 15 knts till after midnight.

- Post frontal sailing rocks!
- saling a hunter 31 under main alone is not the good plan. Even 4 feet of jib totally solve weather helm
- don't plan to swing moor in Ayala cove in wind. Not too relaxing
- moor before dark

Couple of photos attached...

[Ex-Calif]

The weirdest weekend for a while. Full moon at its perigee is my only explanation...

Saturday we headed to the boat for an afternoon cruise. Weather didn't look promising but a bad day on the boat is better than a good day at work. Walking into the marina we were approached by a pleasant looking young man, "excuse me." he said in a European accent. "Do you know any boats going to Indonesia or Australia?" Not many visiting yachts in Singapore right now so I was a bit stumped.

This young Polish man has been hitchiking for about 6 months from Poland. Made it through Russia, into Bangladesh, Tibet, Nepal and India. Couldn't figure out how to hitch through Myanmar so the only leg he flew was Calcutta to Bangkok and did Thailand and Malaysia ending up in Singapore about 18 hours before. I love adventurers and invited him along for our booze cruise - I am impulsive like that.

We ended up with about 10 kts and a nice 3 hour sail up and down the coast and through the many anchored ships on Singapores Southeastern coast. I took him along with us to the sailing club, bought him a meal and "found" him a place to slepp and bum a shower from the club.

Maciej seemed like a nice fellow so I mentioned my brother is headed from Langkawi to Darwin soon. Long story short we skyped up and Maciej is hitching up to Langkawi to join the boat. Hope it works out. For those who think you can't travel cheap or go small Maciej carried his entire life in a backpack, including a tent and has been making it on $3 a day.

Sunday was the crazy day. With 3 minutes to go before the start of our Sunday race (we weren't competing) a huge sumatra blew through. The start was abandoned, the sky was almost green/black and the 4 boats that were readied stayed out and tried to weather the storm. Post storm some boats reported 50 knot winds.

As we arrived at the club there was an ambulance and the storm was just finishing. Trees were down in Changi Village. The ambulance was for the main trimmer on an IOR one tonner. Something happned in the storm but apparently the boat gybed violently and he either fell or the sheet loads got him. He broke is back at around L12(?). Poor guy. The boat arrived at the dock and it took about 30 minutes to board him and lift him off.

As they are loading hm up a second ambulance arrived! There was a beach cat caught out. It hit the dock once. Was able to get away but hit the dock a second time trying to land on the beach. Apparently the crewman broke his leg!

Post storm we debated going out because of all the bad stuff happening but decided to go with 8 on board for another pleasure cruise. Overcast skies still, light winds, maybe 6 knots, and a ripping current of about 2-2 1/2 knots. We motorsailed with the engine barely ticking over.

Then someone spotted one of the numerous "milk bottle" floats used for fishing and decided it was being dragged, probaly by a huge fish! "let's get it someone shouted." I was a bit skeptical thinking it was just current but I gt caught in the moment, like everyone else, donned some gloves and grabbed the boat hook.

I hauled about 20 meters of clothes line and then a rock (weight) and then fishing line and then hooks started coming on board. At about hook 3 a 6 inch lion fish came aboard. The boat was being steered in slow circles around the line. Then I couldn't haul anymore. The line was firmly attached to the bottom, and the line was stretching, and I had 8 big nasty fish hooks at my feet.

And then I thought, "This is gonna end in tears..." Hold the line, cannot. Let it go carefully? Fish hooks sliding through my hands? Crappy choice... I released about 4 feet and 3 hooks immediately set into my left leg and foot. Now I am attached to the rig and the rig still wants to go overboard. There is no knife on deck as this was not a well thought out plan. All we wanted to see was the shark we "knew" would be there.

I grimaced and pitched the remaining clothes line over. I have no idea how the hooks came out of my leg but instantly I am standing there at the starboard rail bleeding all over the deck and fishing line and milk bottle are back in the water. A heel penetration and a nice deep scratch from pinkie toe to ankle but the best one was outside the left calf. Very dark blood (deep water blood) dribbling out. The flesh started to bulge indicating subcutaneous pooling. I squeezed my calf and squirted blood over the life line out of a small hole.

After washing the decks and my leg and putting a compress on the hole it was decided a 3rd ambulance wasn't going to be necessary but liberal amounts of beer and rum needed to be consumed to sterilize the internals and anesthetize the patient.

Now I get to go find a tetanus shot - oh joy...

Moral of the story? Leave the fishing to the experts, especially at a full perigee moon... And if sh@t happens in threes, try like hell not to be the third guy...

[zeehag]

sailed sat in 25-30 kt winds in a piver 40x 28 tri--wow--was a gas---banderas bay IS a great sailing locale..winds every afternoon and a huge place in which to play. and the weather is perfect. sunset was awesome......pair a dice....

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

The weirdest weekend for a while. Full moon at its perigee is my only explanation...


Now I get to go find a tetanus shot - oh joy...

...

Ouch......No sailing yet for me. Because I've been staying on land that's because my boat is still in the boatyard. Launching prep has been interrupted because my girlfriend has decided she needed a vacation between her teaching gigs at the University. So she's chartered a 45 foot Cat for eight days in the Exumas. To get along go along I say. The things we sailors have to do to remain in relationships. Since this is a crewed charter I think after reading about your experience I'll let the Captain handle the fishing for most of the charter. I'll just sit back with a couple of cold brews and other librations.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by mbianka

Ouch......No sailing yet for me. Because I've been staying on land that's because my boat is still in the boatyard. Launching prep has been interrupted because my girlfriend has decided she needed a vacation between her teaching gigs at the University. So she's chartered a 45 foot Cat for eight days in the Exumas. To get along go along I say. The things we sailors have to do to remain in relationships. Since this is a crewed charter I think after reading about your experience I'll let the Captain handle the fishing for most of the charter. I'll just sit back with a couple of cold brews and other librations.

Sounds like you definitely need to hang on the that gf! I know it's tough but I am sure you can do it...

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

The weirdest weekend for a while. Full moon at its perigee is my only explanation...

Saturday we headed to the boat for an afternoon cruise. Weather didn't look promising but a bad day on the boat is better than a good day at work. Walking into the marina we were approached by a pleasant looking young man, "excuse me." he said in a European accent. "Do you know any boats going to Indonesia or Australia?" Not many visiting yachts in Singapore right now so I was a bit stumped.

This young Polish man has been hitchiking for about 6 months from Poland. Made it through Russia, into Bangladesh, Tibet, Nepal and India. Couldn't figure out how to hitch through Myanmar so the only leg he flew was Calcutta to Bangkok and did Thailand and Malaysia ending up in Singapore about 18 hours before. I love adventurers and invited him along for our booze cruise - I am impulsive like that.

We ended up with about 10 kts and a nice 3 hour sail up and down the coast and through the many anchored ships on Singapores Southeastern coast. I took him along with us to the sailing club, bought him a meal and "found" him a place to slepp and bum a shower from the club.

Maciej seemed like a nice fellow so I mentioned my brother is headed from Langkawi to Darwin soon. Long story short we skyped up and Maciej is hitching up to Langkawi to join the boat. Hope it works out. For those who think you can't travel cheap or go small Maciej carried his entire life in a backpack, including a tent and has been making it on $3 a day.

Sunday was the crazy day. With 3 minutes to go before the start of our Sunday race (we weren't competing) a huge sumatra blew through. The start was abandoned, the sky was almost green/black and the 4 boats that were readied stayed out and tried to weather the storm. Post storm some boats reported 50 knot winds.

As we arrived at the club there was an ambulance and the storm was just finishing. Trees were down in Changi Village. The ambulance was for the main trimmer on an IOR one tonner. Something happned in the storm but apparently the boat gybed violently and he either fell or the sheet loads got him. He broke is back at around L12(?). Poor guy. The boat arrived at the dock and it took about 30 minutes to board him and lift him off.

As they are loading hm up a second ambulance arrived! There was a beach cat caught out. It hit the dock once. Was able to get away but hit the dock a second time trying to land on the beach. Apparently the crewman broke his leg!

Post storm we debated going out because of all the bad stuff happening but decided to go with 8 on board for another pleasure cruise. Overcast skies still, light winds, maybe 6 knots, and a ripping current of about 2-2 1/2 knots. We motorsailed with the engine barely ticking over.

Then someone spotted one of the numerous "milk bottle" floats used for fishing and decided it was being dragged, probaly by a huge fish! "let's get it someone shouted." I was a bit skeptical thinking it was just current but I gt caught in the moment, like everyone else, donned some gloves and grabbed the boat hook.

I hauled about 20 meters of clothes line and then a rock (weight) and then fishing line and then hooks started coming on board. At about hook 3 a 6 inch lion fish came aboard. The boat was being steered in slow circles around the line. Then I couldn't haul anymore. The line was firmly attached to the bottom, and the line was stretching, and I had 8 big nasty fish hooks at my feet.

And then I thought, "This is gonna end in tears..." Hold the line, cannot. Let it go carefully? Fish hooks sliding through my hands? Crappy choice... I released about 4 feet and 3 hooks immediately set into my left leg and foot. Now I am attached to the rig and the rig still wants to go overboard. There is no knife on deck as this was not a well thought out plan. All we wanted to see was the shark we "knew" would be there.

I grimaced and pitched the remaining clothes line over. I have no idea how the hooks came out of my leg but instantly I am standing there at the starboard rail bleeding all over the deck and fishing line and milk bottle are back in the water. A heel penetration and a nice deep scratch from pinkie toe to ankle but the best one was outside the left calf. Very dark blood (deep water blood) dribbling out. The flesh started to bulge indicating subcutaneous pooling. I squeezed my calf and squirted blood over the life line out of a small hole.

After washing the decks and my leg and putting a compress on the hole it was decided a 3rd ambulance wasn't going to be necessary but liberal amounts of beer and rum needed to be consumed to sterilize the internals and anesthetize the patient.

Now I get to go find a tetanus shot - oh joy...

Moral of the story? Leave the fishing to the experts, especially at a full perigee moon... And if sh@t happens in threes, try like hell not to be the third guy...

that is one sad story...ouch...DVC

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

Sounds like you definitely need to hang on the that gf! I know it's tough but I am sure you can do it...

I've been doing that for 30 years so no use changing now. Even though "her vacations" do delay my boats launch. I look at them as scouting trips for places I will bring my boat back too at some point. Which may actually start happening this year. Though it has been tough, She won't let me bareboat during these vacations. Something about me getting into my "Captain" mode? So the charter boat's Captain plots courses around unfamilar (to me) reefs, finds anchorages and fixes what needs to be fixed on board. While I have to sit back with a cold beer or other libation and watch. Yeah, it's tough but, I've gotten use to it.

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

The weirdest weekend for a while. Full moon at its perigee is my only explanation...

Saturday we headed to the boat for an afternoon cruise. Weather didn't look promising but a bad day on the boat is better than a good day at work. Walking into the marina we were approached by a pleasant looking young man, "excuse me." he said in a European accent. "Do you know any boats going to Indonesia or Australia?" Not many visiting yachts in Singapore right now so I was a bit stumped.

This young Polish man has been hitchiking for about 6 months from Poland. Made it through Russia, into Bangladesh, Tibet, Nepal and India. Couldn't figure out how to hitch through Myanmar so the only leg he flew was Calcutta to Bangkok and did Thailand and Malaysia ending up in Singapore about 18 hours before. I love adventurers and invited him along for our booze cruise - I am impulsive like that.

We ended up with about 10 kts and a nice 3 hour sail up and down the coast and through the many anchored ships on Singapores Southeastern coast. I took him along with us to the sailing club, bought him a meal and "found" him a place to slepp and bum a shower from the club.

Maciej seemed like a nice fellow so I mentioned my brother is headed from Langkawi to Darwin soon. Long story short we skyped up and Maciej is hitching up to Langkawi to join the boat. Hope it works out. For those who think you can't travel cheap or go small Maciej carried his entire life in a backpack, including a tent and has been making it on $3 a day.

Sunday was the crazy day. With 3 minutes to go before the start of our Sunday race (we weren't competing) a huge sumatra blew through. The start was abandoned, the sky was almost green/black and the 4 boats that were readied stayed out and tried to weather the storm. Post storm some boats reported 50 knot winds.

As we arrived at the club there was an ambulance and the storm was just finishing. Trees were down in Changi Village. The ambulance was for the main trimmer on an IOR one tonner. Something happned in the storm but apparently the boat gybed violently and he either fell or the sheet loads got him. He broke is back at around L12(?). Poor guy. The boat arrived at the dock and it took about 30 minutes to board him and lift him off.

As they are loading hm up a second ambulance arrived! There was a beach cat caught out. It hit the dock once. Was able to get away but hit the dock a second time trying to land on the beach. Apparently the crewman broke his leg!

Post storm we debated going out because of all the bad stuff happening but decided to go with 8 on board for another pleasure cruise. Overcast skies still, light winds, maybe 6 knots, and a ripping current of about 2-2 1/2 knots. We motorsailed with the engine barely ticking over.

Then someone spotted one of the numerous "milk bottle" floats used for fishing and decided it was being dragged, probaly by a huge fish! "let's get it someone shouted." I was a bit skeptical thinking it was just current but I gt caught in the moment, like everyone else, donned some gloves and grabbed the boat hook.

I hauled about 20 meters of clothes line and then a rock (weight) and then fishing line and then hooks started coming on board. At about hook 3 a 6 inch lion fish came aboard. The boat was being steered in slow circles around the line. Then I couldn't haul anymore. The line was firmly attached to the bottom, and the line was stretching, and I had 8 big nasty fish hooks at my feet.

And then I thought, "This is gonna end in tears..." Hold the line, cannot. Let it go carefully? Fish hooks sliding through my hands? Crappy choice... I released about 4 feet and 3 hooks immediately set into my left leg and foot. Now I am attached to the rig and the rig still wants to go overboard. There is no knife on deck as this was not a well thought out plan. All we wanted to see was the shark we "knew" would be there.

I grimaced and pitched the remaining clothes line over. I have no idea how the hooks came out of my leg but instantly I am standing there at the starboard rail bleeding all over the deck and fishing line and milk bottle are back in the water. A heel penetration and a nice deep scratch from pinkie toe to ankle but the best one was outside the left calf. Very dark blood (deep water blood) dribbling out. The flesh started to bulge indicating subcutaneous pooling. I squeezed my calf and squirted blood over the life line out of a small hole.

After washing the decks and my leg and putting a compress on the hole it was decided a 3rd ambulance wasn't going to be necessary but liberal amounts of beer and rum needed to be consumed to sterilize the internals and anesthetize the patient.

Now I get to go find a tetanus shot - oh joy...

Moral of the story? Leave the fishing to the experts, especially at a full perigee moon... And if sh@t happens in threes, try like hell not to be the third guy...

Between your "fishing" injuries and other events at your marina. Plus the tragedies that happened recently on the Pacific coast of the U.S. and Mexico. One wonders if their is not some bad Juju occuring on those waters. Hope you are healing well.

[Connemara]

Well,, can't top that tale of adventure, but Saturday we launched. Kicked off at about 8 am (some screw-up with the crane positioning delayed the start) and finished at 5. Toward the end we were splashing one boat every four minutes. All told, well over 100 boats.

Sunday, I got the mast up with a little help from my friends, tuned the shrouds, put the boom on, got sails bent on, erected the dodger (whew) and went for a short sail in Ashbridge's Bay.

Light winds, beautiful sunshine, clear blue sky. No excitement at all, but man it was nice to be back on the water.

Connemara

[Ex-Calif]

With Relax Lah's! Diesel pulled out we are ready for haulout. It is about 12 miles from SAFYC on the southest corner to Changi Sailing club on the northeast corner where we will haul out.

The course is about 1 nm south, 2 nm east 3 nm northeast, 4nm northwest, then 2nm west with expected southwestern winds. Tide wil be running in from about 8am till noon and with only a 5hp pusher we don't want to have to fight a current and no wind or a freak opposite wind so we plan to leave around 9am.

It's always a bit dodgy when you have to sail to a schedule but we don't expect anything we can't handle.

We are 3 up and meet around 8:20. Pick up a full tank for the outboard, drop a car at CSC, stop in the village for beer, ice and a roti prata brekkie (yum) and head for SAF.

9am departure becomes a 10 am departure after situating stuff on the boat - isn't it always that way?

Winds dead calm and mild seas but the pusher engine is probably only giving us 3 knots through the water - this is pretty well confirmed as we start the third leg after about 1 1/2 hours - we are fighting a mild current.

The incoming tide here "splits" at the northeast channel and runs up the channel but also west along the southern coast. So from SAF headed 170 we are set to the west and when we turn to 090 we are bucking a current.

But at 12:00 the southwest breeze sets in and after a little goofing around we get the sails set and reset our course to about 65-070 to head for the channel. Nice to get the engine off and a little peace and quiet on the boat.

Otto appears very happy holding course with a quartering sea and maybe 3-4 knots boat speed. Winds are still light - maybe 8 knots. Skies are cloudy with building cumulus. I predict a good chance of a thundershower before we are done.

Of course we are also late on the tide and hit the channel about 1:00 and the tide has just turned against us for the 4 mile run. We gybe to around 320 and it looks like we will be DDW up the channel.

We are too lazy to rig the spinnaker and it is a nice day so I decide to just "sail the angles" to keep a nice breeze over the deck. We are making good progress and it is a nice day out. We end up short gybing several times as there is a fair amount of ship traffic to dodge but stay out of trouble and people's way.

We finish the channel run by about 2:30 and the skies are darkening a bit. The airplanes into Changi airport are landing to the northeast. We notice that the heavies (777, 747 and A380s) all all dropping vortexes on the water - big ass water spouts that we have been knocked down by before. We are going to have to pay attention when we sail under the flight path.

We sail under a Cathay 777 and are tending sheets just in case. The wind is about 15 knots now and the crew says "Didn't happen." just then the vortex hits the water about 100 meters downwind of us - lucky miss.

So we are set up for a broad reach into the last leg about 2 miles to the club. Great day. We are enjoying our 6th or so beer and we get a big gust from behind. Otto gets a bit overwhelmed and we round up about 60 degrees. Sheets off, Otto to standby and reef the genny. There are dark clouds behind us - the thunderstorm is coming.

Genny in - sail on main only we are only 400 meters to the club. We have a bit of time lets sail the mooring and see what boats are here. Then in front of the jetty we drop the main - I notice a ball in the water but thought we are clear. The outbound current sets us right over the ball which wraps the rudder.

The kids are out in dinghys and the ball is a temporary mark. A 1 meter ball, 8 meters of rode 2 meters of chain and a lunch hook - damn. Never mind let's get on the mooring and we'll clear it then.

5 meters from the mooring in 4.5 meters of water the hook sets and we are stuck - LOL... the boat now starts to turn and wants to head down channel.

A taxi boat is on the water. We hail him over, toss a line and have an inglorious tow to the ball. How embarrassing - LOL.

But no one died and we had a great 5 hours on the water getting off about 5 minutes before a light rain sits on us.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

But no one died and we had a great 5 hours on the water getting off about 5 minutes before a light rain sits on us.

A freind of mine says "It don't get no better" a lot.

I guess he is right a lot.

[Bobalu]

On Saturday, my sailing buddy and I took his Corsair 31 tri from South Haven out to visit the Southern Lake Michigan Buoy. Not much else to look out in the middle of Lake Michigan. A good stout 80 mile day.

We started out in morning with an easterly wind at our backs and a big asym flying. Averaged about 6 knots. About noon the wind picked up so we doused the spinnaker and put the main and job and sailed the rest of the way out the buoy at around 10 knots. A late morning front entertained us with a bunch of waterspouts. Luckily they passed south of us.

After rounding the buoy (not particularly exciting), we picked up a south-westerly breeze so we broke out the screecher and rode it until the wind died about 15 miles from port. The outboard did fine until it died literally 50 yards from the drawbridge in South Haven. We ended up donating our beers to the RIB that towed us the rest of the way to the slip. Oh well.

[Bash]

Returned yesterday from a two-week Delta cruise.

Hot. Nothing else to report.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Bobalu

On Saturday, my sailing buddy and I took his Corsair 31 tri from South Haven out to visit the Southern Lake Michigan Buoy. Not much else to look out in the middle of Lake Michigan. A good stout 80 mile day.

We started out in morning with an easterly wind at our backs and a big asym flying. Averaged about 6 knots. About noon the wind picked up so we doused the spinnaker and put the main and job and sailed the rest of the way out the buoy at around 10 knots. A late morning front entertained us with a bunch of waterspouts. Luckily they passed south of us.

After rounding the buoy (not particularly exciting), we picked up a south-westerly breeze so we broke out the screecher and rode it until the wind died about 15 miles from port. The outboard did fine until it died literally 50 yards from the drawbridge in South Haven. We ended up donating our beers to the RIB that towed us the rest of the way to the slip. Oh well.

80 miles...

That's a long day in the saddle pardner...

And you had beer left?

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Bash

Returned yesterday from a two-week Delta cruise.

Hot. Nothing else to report.

Oh, I'm sure if you told us what anchor you used we could really blow this thread up...