Race #2

Departure: 6:00pm
Return: 8:00pm
Weather conditions: Clear & calm
Tide: ??
Boat: Wee Blow
Crew: 1 (Woody)

I feel spent. I'm sitting here in my chair trying to work up the energy to write this entry, and it's a struggle. Yesterday, I raced again, and that is tiring all by itself. Besides the race my wife and I stayed up until 11:00 painting. Later, after going to bed, my daughter woke us up complaining about a stomach ache, and then after that we were awakened again by a strange cat running around our bedroom in a panic. Apparently it had crawled in through the window we left open and couldn't remember how to get out. So yes, I'm tired, but that's not what this blog is about. You want another thrilling tale of the drama and adventure on the high seas, and I want to deliver.

Today's, actually yesterday's, drama is racing, and it started with the kind of drama that only mother nature can deliver. The temperature was warm (70), white puffy clouds raced above in their own sea of blue, and a gentle wind pushed form the south. Okay it was a little too gentle sometimes, but it was better than the week before, and I'm trying to paint a poetic picture here. Toward the end of the race, the glow of a beautiful sunset reflected off a very crisp looking Mt. Rainier. You couldn't lose being out on a day like this.

I was more prepared this time. None of my children wanted to come which was a bit of a bummer. It's more fun with one of them along. Even one of the other boats asked where my helmsman was. But, without a passenger to coach, I did have more time to study the conditions and prepare my strategy. First, I noted that the wind was from the south, and therefore, I'd be tacking all the way to the first mark at the far southern end of the harbor. My rigging (lug sail) does not do well close to the wind which means I have to zig and zag more often than the boats with the triangular sails (bermuda rigs). Second, the wind was light; another disadvantage. The curve of my homemade sail is not as ideal as it could be. Also, somehow I'd rigged flatter than usual. I wasn't sure what I'd done differently so I had to leave it. In light winds, it's better to have more curve in the sail than less. My strategy was going to be to watch what other good sailors were doing, and to allow for the broader tacks; hopefully making up for distance with speed. My final strategy was to make a better start, and I'm proud to say this turned out all right.

I milled around the starting line with everyone else and timed it so I was doing a beam reach along the starting line when the horn went off. It was a good start, but futile. An important truth blew across my brow; my boat is not fast. Everyone zipped past me on their first tack, and there was no denying I couldn't keep up. This was a little discouraging. I'd hoped, deep down in my heart, that at least in some conditions my boat could be competitive. It didn't matter though; it was still a beautiful evening and I wanted to complete the course. And, there was one boat that wasn't that much faster than me. It took them quite a while to get a good lead on me. It was the same boat I was behind last time.

The time to the first mark seemed to last forever. I hit good patches of wind at times and almost dead calm at others. I crawled past the Tides Tavern in shame while everyone got a good loooooonnng look at me. By the time I reached the first bouy, I was alone. I had a good breeze finally and was able to make the turn and run with the wind. I should point out that sailing close hauled, into the wind can be tiring. I think it's called beating to weather in sailing terms; I sure felt beaten. It wasn't the sea beating me though, it was the rigging. I have no cleats for my main sheet and my rudder is a little too short so I end up using brute force to bring the main in close while keeping the tiller steady behind my back. Even in light wind, this got old. I have some ideas for improving the rigging to make it easier. Leaving the first buoy, also meant leaving the beating behind.

Running with the wind was a nice break. I could hardly feel the wind because I was moving with it, and it was steady enough that I didn't have to jibe once. In fact, I tied off the main sheet, set the tiller and let the boat sail herself. I noticed that my shifting my weight I could make micro-adjustments to the direction without touching the sail or the tiller. I was able to stretch my legs and straighten my back, put on my sweatshirt and generally relax a bit. I feel I caught up a bit at this point because running with the wind is all about sail area and not so much sail curve. this put my boat on more equal terms with the others.

I reached the second mark (across from the starting line) in half the time it took me to reach the first; maybe even less. The wind served me well for a little while longer before it fizzled and I was left inching my way toward the third, and last, bouy. I did it though; I rounded the final buoy and headed back. I didn't actually go through the finish line. I turned in at my dock which was halfway between the third buoy and the finish. I didn't see the point really. Sure it would have been nice to finish, but the judge boat was gone, most of the other boats had gone in, it was getting dark, and I knew I needed to do my share of the painting at home. I felt good about rounding all three buoys and that was enough for me.

I plan on participating in the Gig Harbor Maritime Festival Dinghy races, but with my performance so far, I'm not sure it'd be worth it. I'll have to think about it. I have one week.

Until then.
Sail on.

Racing day

Departure: 6:00pm
Return: 8:10pm
Weather conditions: Partly Cloudy and light breezes
Tide: High
Boat: Wee Blow
Crew: 2 (Woody & Sophia)

I am flying so high from our experience racing yesterday; it was so fun. I'm tempted to give you a blow by blow account of the entire evening, but that could be hard since there wasn't much blow at all. The wind turned extremely faint of heart. It all started out well enough.

First of all, my daughter wanted to come along. My families interest in sailing is fair-weather at best so this was exciting. It was also necessary because this race was for women and kids 18 and under. I'm not sure how PC (politically correct) that is, but I didn't make the rules.

Second of all, I discovered a really slick knot to use to improve my handling of the main sheet on the boat. The knot is called the topsail halyard hitch and I used it to attach the main to them middle of the boom so I could manage it with Sophia at the tiller. It worked really well.

We were pretty nervous as we walked down to the boat. We could see a host of white sails milling about on the water. Sophia started losing her nerve and several times proposed we go home. I was scared myself, but I really wanted to try it out so I wouldn't hear of it. We rigged the boat quickly enough and we were on our way.

Sophia is a great sailor. The rules of the race required that she man the helm at all times. She quickly started remembering how to move the tiller to steer the boat. We had to paddle out of our little cove because the wind wasn't reaching us there - or so we thought. In reality, there probably wasn't much wind at that point either and would have served as a good omen.

My first point of anxiety was finding the start boat and turning in our paperwork. I'm sure we could have just started racing, but I wanted it to be official. We found the boat easily enough and got everything arranged. After that it was practice. We needed to get comfortable steering, trimming and working together.

The race started in 3 phases. The bigger boats go first, then the lasers, and finally the dinghies. Each start signal is sounded at 5 minute intervals with warning signals at 4 minutes and 1 minutes. The triangular course consisted of 3 marks around which we needed to sail keeping the marks to starboard. The first mark was at the northwest end of the harbor, the second mark was midway down the harbor on the east side, and the 3rd mark was at the south end of the harbor. The starting point was in the middle of the harbor on the west side - across from the 2nd mark.

Before the race, the wind was decent and we had fun identifying right of way and getting used to everything. However, about 5 minutes before the race, the wind got quite light, and we found ourselves sitting in a dead spot. When the starting signal sounded, we were still fighting our way out and hadn't passed the starting line. Even for a fast boat, starting last, doesn't help. For is, it was the end of the race. We started last, and we stayed last. The wind continued to get lighter and lighter. Several times we found we weren't sailing at all, and once we started moving backwards. In the end we spent 2 hours rounding the first mark; we felt good calling that our race and headed back in under oar power.

Other highlights of the voyage were the snacks, the many compliments we got on the Wee Blow and her sail & the drunken sailor in front of us who kept laughing at everything.

Would I do it again? Absolutely... next week.

Until then.

Racing practice (dinghy)

Departure: 1:00pm 5/15/2007
Return: 2:00pm
Weather conditions: Sunny, warm and windy
Tide: ebb??
Boat: Wee Blow
Crew: 1 Woody

Wow! That's just about all I can say about Tuesday's weather. Wow!

This area is a great area to sail, but it's not perfect. It's often cold, sometimes wet and the winds can be fluky. But sometimes....

Sometimes, everything can come together just right to make for a gorgeous day - perfect for sailing. That's what it was like on Tuesday. The temperatures were reaching into the upper 80's. The skies were clear and blue and the wind was nice and steady (probably around 7-10 knots). When days like this come along, I'm usually not expecting them and they quickly slip away like water from my hand.

But as luck, or fate, would have it, I'd chosen this particular day to practice sailing the Wee Blow for her first race. And so, I stumbled into the nicest sailing experience I could have hoped for. And I needed it.

Sailing a dinghy is quite different from sailing a larger keelboat. The center of gravity is higher, and without the additional ballast, the dinghy feels more unstable. It tips and wobbles about, and every time a gust of wind hits, you think you're about to go overboard. The Wee Blow is a good boat though. She's pretty stable for a dinghy, and she's roomy so moving around isn't as difficult as a smaller dinghy would be. Stability is only one difference however.

The Wee blow has a leeboard instead of a center board and so the forces acting on her don't line up in quite the same way. (A leeboard hangs off the side of the boat to act as a keel instead of sticking down from the middle). The result is a tendency to favor starboard tacks over port tacks. I also have trouble pointing as close to the wind as I would in a larger keelboat. The rigging could also use some improvements. Right now the main sheets leads from the tack of the sail (back lower corner) directly to my hand. I don't mind trimming the sail by brute force; that's sort of how dinghy's are. But, the angle of the sheet to the yard can sometimes be extreme and that multiplies the force needed to trim. I'm going to try and rig something better before the race.

Speaking of the race, I should probably share the details. It's a monthly series every Thursday in May at 6:25 sponsored by the Gig Harbor yacht Club (GHYC). They are just for fun, and open to all classes of boats. Sophia and I are going to race the Wee Blow this evening if our courage doesn't fail us.

We've never raced before. Well, actually two times with club boats and club members, but that was so casual it was hardly a race. it also involved only two boats. This will be many more. I've been reviewing racing rules, but there are too many. I'll never remember any of them.


I'll report on how it goes. In the meantime, enjoy the photos of the Wee Blow sailing.


The above image is supposed to be an animated picture of me leaving. it's not working on my browser, but I'm leaving it in for a bit in case others report that it's working for them. You'll know it's working if you see movement.

A note about pictures

Most of the pictures I upload have larger versions. To view the larger versions, just click on the image.

Dinghy racing

I wanted to officially announce that I'm going to participate in the Gig Harbor, Maritime Festival annual dinghy race. I have never raced before and I'm terrified and excited.

There is a weekly race happening every Thursday in the Harbor, and I'm hoping to use that for some practice as well. I will post pictures and comments as they happen.

Early Rowing

I may be compromising my entire blog by doing this, but I'm going to post a NON-SAILING entry. The reason? I have a nice picture I want to upload. And... it does involve the sailing dinghy I built.

Last week I found a spot in the harbor to keep my dinghy for the summer, and it only costs $20/month. This has opened up all sorts of possibilities for using the dinghy. Now it's only a matter of minutes to get the dinghy in the water and ready to go whereas before it was a big hassle just getting it into the water.

Two times in the past week I' awakened extra early to row around the harbor. It's usually calm in the harbor in the early morning and when it is, it's very serene and picturesque. On the first row, I went by myself; on the second row, my wife came along for the ride. We finished our morning with a cinnemon roll from the bakery and some hot chocolate. It was a fun morning date. It was so much more fun to have her along. Hopefully, I'll get her to come again.

I won't post my rows any more unless something exceptional happens.

Nothing to report

Departure: 1:00pm 5/7/2007
Return: 5:00pm
Weather conditions: Partly Cloudy and breezy
Tide: Ebb??
Boat: Blue Club Boat
Crew: 3 (Woody, Tom & Carol)

I need to catch up; it's already been a week since the May club sail happened. Time flies, and I've been distracted by more important things (yes, as much as I love sailing, I have to admit there are more important things in life). But this is not the place to discuss other "important things"; this is the place to discuss sailing.

Our club sail was as fun as it usually is. Only 3 of us showed up, and the wind was light with periods of calm. The temperature was warm and the sun was out. It was a very pleasant, if a bit too relaxed, afternoon.

One funny thing we discovered was that none of us came on the cruise with a watch or a cell phone. I discovered this when I needed to check the time to make sure we returned home at a decent hour.

We sailed as far as the Tacoma ferry dock before turning back home.

Really, that's about it. No pictures either - how boring!

He's Dinghy

Departure: 3:00pm 4/28/2007
Return: 5:00pm
Weather conditions: Clear and breezy
Tide: Ebbing
Boat: Club Dingy (Walker Bay)
Crew: 1 (Woody)

One of the things I really like about sailing is how it all seems to come together when I go. That's how I know it's right for me. Take last Saturday for instance. I had it in my head that I'd like to go. Several weeks earlier, I had been asking men to join me in renting a boat and we had planned for Saturday. But, as the day approached, I couldn't find enough men available. I was also a volunteer site leader in our community "Parks Appreciation Day" and would be spending the morning doing that. Monica was out of town buying a new car for the family so I had all four children in tow. In other words, it didn't look like I'd be going sailing. But, it was still on my mind; I left a tiny window of hope open in my mind and waited to see what happened.

I decided I'd take the club dinghy out instead. It's free, and a one man job. However, after the park stuff, the kids and I needed to get a couple of things done before I could justify it. The fact that I'm making an entry should have been clue enough that I did end up going. In fact, it was funny that a friend of mine called me up that afternoon and wanted to know if I wanted to go out on the harbor. I was already going so, we planned to hook up.

Sailing a dinghy is nothing like sailing a larger boat. For one thing, it responds to forces much more quickly. Winds, tides and weight shifts all have an immediate effect. For another thing, they are small. The club's Walker Bay is 8' long. I'm a large 6'5" man who weights around 250lbs. TAcking and jibing and steering (with my hand behind my back on the tiller) is akin to changing clothes in a small closet. If you've ever had to do that, you know what I'm talking about.

Still, it was fun. The sky was a happy blue, dimpled with puffy white clouds. The breeze was nice and steady. The currents were negligable as well. It was especially fun to meet friends.

It's funny. I'm always wanting to have other's join me in their boats on the water, and yet, it's really not a good way to socialize. You can see each other, but other than that you're sort of doing your own thing. My friend brought his canoe, 5 children and a puppy with him while I was sailing solo. We chatted a bit when I sailed close, but in general I was faster than they were. When they paddled in to explore the estuary, I couldn't follow because I didn't want to risk getting pinned in by the wind. In order to go int othe estuary, I'd have had to raise my center board and depower the sails.

We didn't do much interacting, but it was fun to be out there together. It was hard not to feel slightly superior as I circled the canoe in order to chat. Every now and then the wind would let up to remind me of my fallibility.

I don't know how much this is making sense, but I did want to record that I went out. Have a nice week.