[Public-List] Fwd: Two days sailing...leaving the helm to make adjustments at the mast.

Wed Jun 13 13:37:06 PDT 2018

I guess just jamming a telescoping hiking stick into the cushions marks me
as a Luddite.
Michael Grosh
#220

On Jun 13, 2018 2:14 PM, "Hernán Scarnichia via Public-List" <
public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:

I used to run a line from the tiller to a block on the cockpit coaming,
then forward to a block near the bow and back again on the other side to a
block on the other side of the cockpit and back to the tiller. That way I
had a loop of line all around the boat and could steer from anywhere,
either at the mast or on the foredeck when changing jibs. sometimes I would
also add a bungee cord to counter the weather helm. Now I have a tiller
pilot that works great.

On Tue, Jun 12, 2018 at 7:50 PM Zachary Smith via Public-List <
public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:

> I almost exclusively single hand my boats. The routine for me depends on
> situation, but here are the common cases:
>
> 1) Marina.
> Exit marina under aux power. Point into wind, adjust engine speed to push
> the boat forward at 1-2 knots. Bungee tiller to neutral. Go to mast and
> hoist. Don't forget to keep an eye on watercraft around you.
>
> 2) Switch Jib/Genoa Underway.
> Maneuver to reach. Balance the sails. Tiller free. Free the jib sheet. Go
> forward drop genny/jib. Boat will will round up to to heave. Raise the new
> jenny/jib. Go back and start turning back onto a reach. The boat may not
be
> on the same tack you left her on at this point. Sheet in the jib/jenny
> before she makes the reach. You can steer the tiller with your butt while
> you sheet in.
>
> 3). Holy Crap Situation.
> Turn the boat into the wind. Let the tiller free. Get that jenny/jib down
> before she bears off. Now you're heaved and you can address the problem. I
> use hank-ons for a lot of reasons; if you use a furler you can't run a
> downhaul on the forestay (or could you? never tried). But I run downhauls
> on my foresails so I can get them down fast without transiting all the way
> to the foredeck (safe!).
>
> The thing about the A30 is, with just the main up you can leave the tiller
> free and she'll heave. This is your primary tool in lieu of a complicated
> mechanism like a tiller pilot or a wench.
>
> Zach
>
> On Tue, Jun 12, 2018 at 9:28 PM, Michael Connolly <crufone at comcast.net>
> wrote:
>
> > Zach,
> > By hand downwind? Would you explain?
> >
> > I was suggesting how to safely leave the helm for let's say 30 sec to
> make
> > an adjustment at the mast and then head back to the helm. All this with
> out
> > any sophisticated gadget on board. For someone who single hands this
> would
> > be handy information.
> >
> > Let me add that the sea state is reasonable, wind not too heavy or gusty
> > and no specific current.
> > Michael
> >
> > ------------------------------
> > *From: *"Zachary Smith" <zacharysmith.us at gmail.com>
> > *To: *"Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all" <
> > public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
> > *Cc: *"Michael Connolly" <crufone at comcast.net>
> > *Sent: *Tuesday, June 12, 2018 10:53:41 PM
> > *Subject: *Re: [Public-List] Two days sailing...
> >
> > Balance the sails on a reach, jib sheet to tiller hard on, by hand
> > downwind.
> >
> > Zach
> >
> > On Tuesday, June 12, 2018, Michael Connolly via Public-List <
> > public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
> >
> >> Gord,
> >> Now that I know you don't have a tiller. What simple system would you
> use
> >> if you had a tiller? What would be simple and reliable to jaunt up to
> the
> >> mast loosen the halyard and jaunt back to the cockpit?
> >>
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >>
> >> From: "Michael Connolly" <crufone at comcast.net>
> >> To: "Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all"
> <public-list at lists.alberg30.or
> >> g>
> >> Sent: Monday, June 11, 2018 5:35:47 PM
> >> Subject: Re: [Public-List] Two days sailing...
> >>
> >> Gord,
> >> What do you use to handle the tiller whilst you go forward to the mast
> to
> >> adjust halyards, etc.? Bungee cords? Auto helm? Tiller tamer?
> >> Michael
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >>
> >> From: "Gordon Laco via Public-List" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
> >> To: "public Alberg 30 List -- open to all"
> <public-list at lists.alberg30.or
> >> g>
> >> Cc: "Gordon Laco" <mainstay at csolve.net>
> >> Sent: Monday, June 11, 2018 9:15:22 AM
> >> Subject: [Public-List] Two days sailing...
> >>
> >> Hello gang…
> >>
> >> Well I got out on the water both days this past weekend… they were very
> >> different days sailing…
> >>
> >> On Saturday I had intended to work on my MG, which is undergoing what
> has
> >> become a massive rebuild. Well I should say I was going to hold tools
> and
> >> watch while my friend did the work, but he had to cancel so I sat here
> >> wondering what to do with an unexpected day with no obligations… then I
> >> remembered that Saturday is the day our Club was running its annual
> Single
> >> Handed Race. I gulped my coffee and made it to the club just as the
> >> skipper’s meeting was ending, and got my name on the list. When asked
> if I
> >> was wanted to be rated flying sails or white sails, I first said ‘naw,
> >> white sails only, I don’t feel very energetic.’
> >>
> >> Then I looked out the clubhouse windows at the glassy water, slack
flags
> >> and masthead wind indicators pointing all different directions and
> thought
> >> about the misery of the downwind leg back from Flat Point… and said
‘Oh,
> >> can I change that… flying sails please’. They changed it.
> >>
> >> As usual for a weekend race, the fleet was much diminished, being
> >> composed of myself in SURPRISE, two Express 30’s, a CS27, three Sharks,
> the
> >> deadly fast VOODOO DANCER, a well sailed Viking 28, and my friend and
> arch
> >> rival Matt in his Pearson 27. Matt and I chatted bit on the wharf
> catching
> >> up… but suddenly I saw the committee boat shooting out of the club…
> crap,
> >> we’re late, better get out there for the start.
> >>
> >> So out SURPRISE and I hummed, when out at Midland Shoal buoy I shut
down
> >> the mill and hoisted sail. Looking back over my shoulder I saw Matt in
> >> SUNDANCER hoisting sail right at the club’s breakwater… hmmm, he’s got
a
> >> long way to beat to get to the start, I thought, and joined in the to
> and
> >> fro swinging. Before the start.
> >>
> >> No sooner had I got into the fray but the air started filling in. East
> >> with a bit of north in it… could this be? Yup… Like a slow motion movie
> >> being sped up to normal speed, all the yachts began showing bow waves,
> then
> >> heeling over as the breeze built. The five minute horn went, I caught
> it on
> >> my stopwatch… down came the sequence and as the last seconds counted
> down
> >> here comes the herd all on starboard tack jostling each other up to the
> >> line. Were was I? On port tack of course, reaching along at 5 knots. I
> let
> >> them all cross our bow and the line… then hardened up my sheets and
> crossed
> >> alone in clear air at speed. The rest of the fleet all ran a few
hundred
> >> meters on starboard then one after the other tacked onto port and
> started
> >> down the course.
> >>
> >> I should describe the course… the Single Handed is a ‘distance race’,
> >> normally running east to Flat Point off Port McNichol, then north and a
> bit
> >> west up to Ross Shoal, then back round Midland Point to a finish off
the
> >> Club’s breakwater. Because the air looked so light, the course was
> >> shortened to just Flat Point and back…. and it was looking like I could
> lay
> >> it in one long close reach. Could this be? Oh yes.
> >>
> >> The wind steadily built, and backed a little more to the north so after
> >> the first fifteen minutes we found ourselves bounding along at 6.4
knots
> >> with sheets cracked a little, heeling about fifteen degrees… in first
> >> place.
> >>
> >> Several miles later, I knew we were nearing the red pin off Flat Point,
> >> but as usual I couldn’t see it against the trees behind it. I swear
it’s
> >> one of those pins that is mischievously moved by the CCG just to annoy
> >> people trying to find it… then I saw it… a few degrees to leeward. The
> >> leaders of the pack were now about even with me but several hundreds of
> >> yards to windward… and clearly they hadn’t seen it yet and were still
> >> sailing the higher course. They were VOODOO DANCER and two of the
> Sharks.
> >> haha.
> >>
> >> Then the air got softer, SURPRISE slowed dramatically to 4.1 knots. I
> >> dashed up to the mast and eased my halyards, eased the outhaul, then
> jumped
> >> back to the tiller. As I returned I saw my foes had finally seen the
> mark
> >> and were coming down, carrying a renewed breeze with them…. They got by
> me,
> >> one of the Sharks blanketing me a bit but we all rounded together…
> >> SURPRISE’s bow nearly overhanging VOODOO’s transom. One of the Sharks,
> >> VOODOO and SURPRISE started back to Midland… the new breeze making the
> >> return again a close reach. At first the Shark and VOODOO stayed in
> close
> >> company… but as the wind built again I could not only keep up but felt
> like
> >> overtaking. The Shark took a shot upwind with tight sheets…. I was in
> about
> >> a boat length behind VOODOO. I could see him continually glancing at
> me… I
> >> guess he could hear my bow wave and this was annoying him. I feigned a
> shot
> >> to windward myself as it I were going to try to drive over him but as
> soon
> >> as I saw him tightening his sheets to climb himself in order to block
> me, I
> >> eased sheets and dove to leeward. VOODOO didn’t look back for a fatal
> four
> >> or five minutes during which I got far enough to leeward that I could
> drive
> >> through below him out of his wind shadow… and got by.
> >>
> >> By this time VOODOO was far enough up that he was feeling the nearness
> of
> >> the Shark, and for the rest of the race the two of them jostled each
> other,
> >> the Shark trying to get by, VOODOO trying to defend his lead. I left
> them
> >> to it, and concentrated on getting the most out of the building air. I
> was
> >> up to the mast and back several times tuning for the increasing breeze
> that
> >> was romping us along at 6.1 knots. We passed Midland Shoal buoy, one
> mile
> >> from the finish… when VOODOO saw that we were going to beat him to the
> >> finish. He finally stopped fighting with the Shark and eased sheets a
> >> little in order to use his windward position to come down and catch us.
> It
> >> didn’t happen.
> >>
> >> So SURPRISE, a full keeled yacht heavily laden with cruising gear that
I
> >> can’t be bothered to unload despite the fact that we race every week…
> won
> >> on real time, then was catapulted ahead by our PHRF rating. What a
great
> >> race. I think what saved us was the fact that the shortened course
> didn’t
> >> have any hard beating to windward, just close reaching both ways which
> of
> >> course is our best point of sail. Wahoo.
> >>
> >> But what happened to Matt in SUNDANCER? He was very late to the start…
> so
> >> didn’t do the race. I don’t know what happened to him, but hope nothing
> >> broke.
> >>
> >> Sunday, I went for a sail out of Toronto with my good friend Janice in
> >> her A30 LITTLE WINGS. Down in the city it was blowing 20 - 25kts or so,
> >> whipping white caps in the harbour and sending Albacore dinghies
planing
> >> back and forth as we took the tender over to the island. We tucked a
> reef
> >> in the main, but ended up sailing under genny alone all day and that
was
> >> plenty of sail for a pleasure jaunt. Out past the East Headland, the
> east
> >> wind was sending waves down the length of Lake Ontario, so the waves
> were
> >> nice mature 5-6 footers with an occasional breaking crest. We bounded
> away
> >> south for a while, then tacked and bounded back to the city. Wonderful
> >> sailing in really exhilarating conditions.
> >>
> >> A fellow in a trimaran paced the racers on Saturday and took a series
of
> >> nice photographs of some of the boats in the Single Handed Race on
> Saturday
> >> (two of the Sharks, the CS27, an Express 30 and ourselves) I’ll forward
> >> them if anyone wants to see them.
> >>
> >> Nice weekend.
> >>
> >> Gordon Laco
> >> www.gordonlaco.com
> >> #426 Surprise
> >>
> >>
> >>
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