Survival ??} Loss of: Rudder, Sails, Eng., Low on Drinking Water, etc.

[four winds]

I've raced ONE time, with a freind on his Pearson full keel daysailer in Perdido Bay. His wife couldn't go that time so I was happy to fill in.

We came in last, lol, and had a blast in high winds.

My friend said, "Well, at least we finished the race. That's the first time. Usually the committee boat and finish line have already gone back to the dock!"

Fun time.

[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Delivered a 32ft steel boat from Agua Dulce, Spain to London just using a self steering vane rudder linked to a tiller pilot using a pulley system.. mind it was all motor sailing (main only) and the worst weather was around F5-6... worked fine.

Thats a pretty impressive run boatman, what sort of windvane was it? Hydrovane type with an aux rudder or a servo pendulum with an enlarged and lashed blade? What was wromg with the rudder? Lots of questions but I love stories of make do. Cheers

[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

I've not wanted to get into this on the forum, Thom, but I'm a little weary of the condescension relative to me not being a racer. I don't like to do what might be construed as bragging, but, to clear the air a bit...

I was an active racing sailor in the SF Bay area for many years. Started in a Catalina 22, racing in the SYRA group for four years. Results: one year of poor finishes, then one first, one third, another first (over all season results). Sailed in the Nationals once: 10th out of over 60 entries.

Next boat was a Yankee 30. Raced her for years. Did one season with the local one design group, finished 3d in t he fleet... without a spinnaker. Then did my first singlehanded race, the second ever singlehand Farallones race. Finished mid fleet, without an autopilot or windvane, but got the bug. Did some more crewed racing, mostly one-off events like the Silver Eagle with mixed results and no big wins. But I was very turned on by the single hand stuff, and got involved with the formation of the Association of Single Handers (ASH), which pioneered SH racing along with the regular OYRA. This group sailed the full YRA offshore schedule, starting behind the MORA boats.We did two series per year, each with 6 races IIRC. I was pretty bad the first season, but improved with time. Eventually finished first overall in the last 5 series that I sailed. Also did the SSS Singlehanded Farallones race each year including one second overall, 19 seconds out of first. That was when the cruising bug struck, and Ann and I sailed to Hawaii and back in the middle of the racing season, and that was the end of my racing career. Never a super hero, but I did OK.

So, while I haven't raced in years, it is possibly not correct to berate me for not being a racer, and for lacking the mysterious skills that only racers posses.

And with that, I bow out.

Jim

Thats a very impressive resume Jim:thumbup:, I think you would be the first to agree that racing can make you a much better and safer sailer. Highly reccomended training for all cruisers!

Though I dont race much anymore I really value the skills I learned racing dinghys and keelers around the bouys and offshore. I remember once as a 12 year old being told to remove the rudder from our 7 foot P Class dinghys on the way back to the clubhouse. Eventually we worked out how to steer them downwind with bodyweight in the light breeze home (counterintuitively we actually had to sit right fwd, not aft, and aggressively heel to windward!)

I definitely hope I never need these skills well offshore, though they cane in handie once when a beachcat I was sailing on lost both rudders in big seas. We worked her around and back with me steering partly by dragging my body in the water.



The Patin catamarans in southern spain are a neat class that race with no rudder at all. Kudos to the sailers that race them. Looks like it would be fun on the start line!

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FR84BCWHjVk

[thomm225]

Okay Jim.

Like I said those attacks were a part of the back and forth between you and me that got a bit ugly.

I let things like that go fairly quickly knowing everyone has a day where they are simply less tolerant.

I have gotten racing out of my system after 15 years of it and maybe 400-500 races. I'm asked from time to time to race with the monohull guys but decline the invitation and receive some good natured abuse from them concerning my professed racing skills

I enjoy sailing this Bristol I have now and enjoying the scenery. We have a lab/germen shepherd that simply thinks he's a fish so he really loves anything to do with boats and saltwater which adds to the fun


Tom