I took a licking today

[Guest]

took my little bitty boat out today in a gale force wind, why, don't know if I am just nuts. My wife and I are cocktail cruisers when it comes to sailing, but we had to be on the water today. We had one of those weather change days, when a front goes through and it blows a gale with gusts, like increases of probably five to eight knots of wind. We started out and he wind was 15 to 18 knots and about one hour into the mid day, the wind started to howl through the stays. We reefed the main and finally took the jib down after laying the boat completely on it side twice, but still did not take water over the covering boards. Thanks for the covering boards as they worked as planned unlike most of the simular designs of boats around here. We held our own, and my wife, the novice boater held her ground and said dang the boat did not come apart and did not take on any water and it righted itself.

On our return, we sailed on the jib, tacking our way back the nine miles back to the ramp only to find that the ramp was full of runabouts with soaking wet wifes covered with wet towels and a clogged entry with boat ramp screaming going on. We basically were in a holding pattern with the current running and luffing the sails upwind till finally I made my approach at the narrow entry of the cut out boat ramp. We sailed in with the jib and placed it next to the dock, and lowered the sails, while watching the angry runabout wifes gathering up their belongings and literally throwing the stuff in their vehicles. Now let it be Lowenbrau.

[Steve Day]

Mike,

What a fine story. Sounds like you and the wife had a fine day. Did your wife have any comment about the powerboaters and their misfortune?

It is days like that that make sailboating worthwhile.

Thank you for that fine tale. That is the first I have read about how your little boat sails. Glad to hear that it works that well. Congratulations on another successful building project.

Steve

[Guest]

We have had a great time with the boat in 10 to 15 knots of breeze while I am at the helm. I did have a more experienced person out last week and was not so impressed with the boat and its rigging. But every person is different with likes and dislikes and uses hulls differently as in my case.

I did change some of the rigging that I had originally used upon launching and did get my new sails, which is fantastic in light winds. Reefing this type of hull is very important at 15 plus knots, though. When we get the winds out of the north or ortheast, you can best count of gusty winds, which is pretty tough on the nerves with the unsuspecting .

I have also removed the aft seat thwart and built in side seating all the way to the mast thwart. This is another advantage to building you boat versus a production hull, if you find out that its not quite to your liking. Just start over, fix it the way that it works for you, paint it all up and its good to go again.

She has short legs and found out that she has to step to high to go foward and had little back area to lay against, so out came the sawzall and fixed it. She now stretched out along side as we place it on a nice easy cruise.

We will still use the garvey to fish, as fall fishing is coming up and we cannot do without a freezer full of fresh fish for the winter. We do not, however venture out, especially wide open when it gets like today was, for a fun filled weekend. I do not know what folks think that they are accomplishing by doing that sort of things. We hope that you are getting things half way straightened out.

FWIW, this is a link that our church association is involved in with the disaster relief team. They are in Meridian Miss. right now.

http://www.biblicalrecorder.org/content/news/2005/9_1_2005/katrina/index.shtml

p.s. have you seen my new hull yet on any thread or did I sens you any shots of it, 23 foot round stern?

[Ken_Potts]

Arrgh! Yer killin me! I've taken to heart the comment you made about how you run up to Raleigh just to go to the grocery store and I've been wanting to head down your way for a day sail. I've just been busy the last few weekends - Last weekend was a Virginia trip and this is my BOATBUILDING weekend (I'll post pics soon). But maybe in a week or two (or even a month or two) if you and your wife are still having fun with the boat?

I'm glad to hear the boat treated you right when you needed it. That's a good feeling, eh?

[Mike Pennington]

Mike, you and your wife do us all proud, sail on.

[Guest]

The one thing that the homefront group has tried to do is stay afloat every avaliable moment that does not require work and the necessary chores to maintain the homefront. We boat as long as the weather and temperature is up around 50 and the wind is less than 20 knots, dictated also by the direction of the winds. Yes Ken it is possible to find us on the water when the "dingbatters" have long gone home and are making plans to venture to the arena just east of you, to see those stinky hulls under the quartz lights. :wink: :shock:

[Craig]

Sounds like a funner day then mine Mike. Sunday the winds were puffy and light. I took a new guy out for a couple of hours and had a pretty good time. Yesterday it was an old Navy troop I have worked with for years. Paper and TV said 8-14s and 1-2 ft chop on the Bay. I opened with the first reef! It slowed down out in the big bay so I shook out the reef and hardened the main for all she would go. Winds got to where I dropped the peak as he was having trouble holding her. I've never had to do that before. Works good. We got a large puff and not watching what I was going let the main sheet slip through my hands. After him turing up wind I started to haul in the main to get the bitter end. About half way there he lets the boat jibe!!!! That was fun, in a now ++25 kt wind with growing seas. We got her back under control and I set him up for a down wind run to the west so I could relax a bit. The wind and waves kept building over the next 20 minutes or so and I decided it was time to head back to the shelter of the smaller bay. When I took the boat and made the turn I couldn't keep her on the wind. No helm. I looked in the Laz and damned if a piece of 3/4 ply holding a rudder cable bloc had not failed by delamination across the entire surface of the 6x6 piece of ply! Apparently the jibe was all she was going to take and it lasted just another 1/2 hour before completely parting. The face lmination just pulled away. The epoxy held very well but the ply just ripped away. This is wood failing not the glue. Oh well Stevenson said to bolt them through the hull. Now I'll follow the directions. Say, I've never had to run that 9.9 at full mil before. It took 100% to maintain a course into the wind and waves. Just another beautiful day in paradise. Miller Time was declared in mId bay and fun was had by all. Strangely, my friend wasn't telling any more sea stories. I will speak to the Manufacutrer about the materials warantee on this thing! He fixed the tab after all.

[umop_apisdn]

On our return' date=' we sailed on the jib, tacking our way back the nine miles back to the ramp[/quote']

Ok, novice sailor question here.... How exactly is sailing with only a jib accomplished? I have made several attempt at it (trying to dock the boat without the use of the motor), and I can only sail downwind. The weather helm is so bad that any attempt to sail upwind, or even at 90degrees to the wind is fruitless. I suppose a lapper would help this a bit, but still....

Noel.

[Guest]

Well, you maybe asking the wrong fellow here about your problems with sailing on the jib and weather helm. But I have my jib attached at the stem of my boat unlike all of the pictures of weekenders that I have seen attached at the end of the bowsprit. Acoording to all of the pros that I have run into upon rigging my hull with a bowsprit, that if I moved my jib out to the end that it would increase my weather helm a lot.

I have a huge centerboard, also on my hull which is not on a weekender. In a big wind I have found that its easier to tack downwind and come back up into the wind. I do not know if you could move your sail to that part of the sprit, but maybe someone else will chime in and add to this statement. Keep in mind that I am going out on a limb in this thinking. But the boat handled it beautifully and we even had lunch under those conditions on the return trip. I would some times turn it off the wind and gain a bit of speed and steer it back, and jogged a bit better upwind as I wanted to return as quickly as I could from being so far down the sound when it breezed up on us.

[capt jake]

I had a similar experience when my Mom and StepDad were out with me. It got a little 'dicey'. After stopping on Hope Island, we ended up motoring back to the marina. The wind came up really fast and showed no signs of letting up.

Glad you and the Mrs are OK; it sounds like you had a good time in spite of the unpredictable weather.

[Steve Day]

No Mike, I haven't seen the "new" hull.

What'chya got?

Steve