October Sail

[tjr818]

We put away the big 155 Genoa for the rest of the season. We were out yesterday the winds at 15kts gusting to 20. We had one reef in the main and we had the original (1981) working jib set. It was such a pleasure. I had forgotten how docile these Cape Dorys can be. The winch handle stayed in its holder all day and we just enjoyed a lovely daysail, tacking back and forth as we pleased. Never over powered, a light tiller, and we only rolled over to 30 degrees once in a big gust. Never spilled a drop of the wine (or Guinness). It makes it even harder to face the upcoming end of another season. When the Fall colors are gone the winter cover will come out and Slainte will be tucked in for the winter.

Our thoughts are with our East Coast brethren. Good luck to all,

[jen1722terry]

We were out a few days ago in similar weather under just our Yankee. 20-30 knots. Fabulous sailing! Real Cape Dory weather!

I love the fall (except, of course, for the hurricanes, which I have no intention of sailing out in).

terry

[psjanker]

Will not go out this weekend (hurricane)but thought I would augment with an account of our sailing last weekend.

The weather forecast for the Chesapeake Bay was certainly not encouraging for the impromptu Cape Dory rally planned for last weekend. I crewed with Ed Potter and his wife Katie, the weekend prior, to position their Cape Dory want-to-be (Island Packet) at Pirate’s Cove just south of Annapolis so that they could participate. An unexpected funeral however forced Ed to postpone his sailing, although I could hear in his voice how he had only worked with the guy for twenty years and there had been that one year gap when he went to work somewhere else…..but at the end, Ed (with plenty of assistance from Katie) made the appropriate decision. (see note 1)

Bottom line up front is that the forecast called for small craft warnings with NE winds of 10-15, with gusts up to 25 on Sat and E winds of 15-25, with gusts up to 30 for Sunday. It would be very difficult for anyone who was moving from the southern or middle bay to make it to the Annapolis area for the planned cruise. As a result as we approached the weekend each boat resigned themselves to the weather gods and made alternate plans.

Based out of the Bush River north of Baltimore, SV Dakota Lee (Cape Dory 30b) was well positioned to adjust its itinerary (staying to the North) and do some sailing. I carefully queried my partner in crime (Tom Moroney) who had already received his wife’s permission for the trip, purchased steaks and beer who readily endorsed the change in plans.

The trip was an unqualified success with a leisure Friday night cruise across the Bay to Worton Creek which provided a protected harbor within the mooring field. On Sat morning we exited the creek and proceeded to beat up the Bay against a NE wind which was slow (in terms of northern progress) but enjoyable. (see video) Tom took a few photos and managed to catch a wave top as it came over the bow. My laughter was not at Tom’s expense but was because I was able to slip behind him and shelter myself from the wave….note, Navy Commanders make for better than adequate wave blockers!

After an exciting sail in winds gusting to about 25, we ducked into Still Pond, where I proceeded to go aground…after assistance from the Iron jenny, we had a nice lunch of steak, asparagus, yellow squash and roasted potatoes, washed down with a single beer (we live well on the Dakota Lee) We concluded the trip with a nice downwind run (6-7.4 knots) to the Bush River and back to our marina at Gunpowder Basin.

Overall a great trip after the fall cruise was washed out and a reminder that if the weather gives one lemons then the sailing capabilities of our Cape Dories allow us to sometimes make a bit of lemonade.

Unable to post the videos of my laughing at Tom but will enclose a few photos.

V/r

Pete
Note 1: During our sail down the previous week, Ed discussed the Cape Dory 36 that had just been sold on EBAY, noting that the CD 36, in his option, is the “most beautiful sailboat ever made”. That and the fact that he still bemoans selling of his Cape Dory 30 should give all of us enough reason to tolerate his Island Packet during raft ups!

[David Morton]

Also out on the water a couple of days ago in a stiff 15-20 kt SW Maine breeze that sent me from Harpswell to Round Pond at a brisk 6 kts SOG. As I passed by Sequin Lighthouse atop her island, I was struck by the odd light and reflections on the water and the wonderful high cloud formation. Ain't Fall in the Northeast a wonder!?

[Jim Walsh]

I was able to slip behind him and shelter myself from the wave….note, Navy Commanders make for better than adequate wave blockers!

Very funny observation. My type of humor

[Jim Walsh]

[quote="David Morton"]Also out on the water a couple of days ago in a stiff 15-20 kt SW Maine breeze that sent me from Harpswell to Round Pond at a brisk 6 kts SOG. As I passed by Sequin Lighthouse atop her island, I was struck by the odd light and reflections on the water and the wonderful high cloud formation. Ain't Fall in the Northeast a wonder!?

Great picture David. Truly, fall can be wonderful.

[Sea Hunt Video]

Pete:

Very nice story and great photos. Mmmm, steak and beer. Mmmm.

On a totally unrelated topic, what is the color of your non-skid Thanks

[psjanker]

Roberto

It's KIWI grip in cream. I used it on my 28 four years ago and fell in love with the product. Very easy to apply and is water based. Holds up well.

V/r

Pete

[Sea Hunt Video]

Pete:

Thanks. Apparently, Kiwigrip nonskid has four (4) colors to select from. Awlgrip has a trillion. I am beginning to think I like Kiwigrip better.

Not surprisingly, I prefer ice cream stores that sell only chocolate and vanilla. You want strawberry, go someplace else

[Jim Walsh]

Pete:

Thanks. Apparently, Kiwigrip nonskid has four (4) colors to select from. Awlgrip has a trillion. I am beginning to think I like Kiwigrip better.

Not surprisingly, I prefer ice cream stores that sell only chocolate and vanilla. You want strawberry, go someplace else

Roberto,
Once you have narrowed down the colors to a few you find acceptable you can start a new topic with a poll question and let the members make the final decision for you. In this manner you specify the options to be polled and won't be burdened with people like me voting for violet or lime green.

[godspeed]

There is no October sailing along the southern New Jersey coast. we have gone from bad to worse: a week of small craft advisory to gale warning with gusts to 45. i crawled out the dock at the marina last nite just to check the dock lines and double up on the windward side.
the weather will subside just in time for us to pull for the winter. And none of this is due to the hurricane which will stay well off the jersey coast.

[Astronomertoo]

There is no October sailing along the southern New Jersey coast. we have gone from bad to worse: a week of small craft advisory to gale warning with gusts to 45. i crawled out the dock at the marina last nite just to check the dock lines and double up on the windward side.
the weather will subside just in time for us to pull for the winter. And none of this is due to the hurricane which will stay well off the jersey coast.

Gentlemen, and ladies,
Congratulatons on missing out on another terrible hurricane. You guyus must be living under a lucky star--perhaps the blue-white giant Rigel, in Orion?
You guys are all incredibly lucky to "only" be dealing with horendous northeasters, floods, downed power lines, and flooded cars, although that is not very good either. Just keep checking and adding dock lines and breathe a sigh of relief when this local stuff if all over. You have dodged a big bullet, and I could only wish you could all get together and have a hurricane party in honor of this bizarre one one missing the entire continent. It will instead be heading toward England, which if you older sailors recall, is how the deadly Fastnet storm got them.

To Jim Walsh: lime green? Reaally? Ha! Yes the yellow is different. I am still a buff person.

To Roberto: I was working at St Lucie Nuc Power Plant during Hurricane Andrew and we were keeping up with friends down at Turkey Point nuke, and on Key Largo, so I understand what you went thru. It affected us way up at Ft Pierce, where my own 27 foot boat was triple anchored out in Coconut Cove using an antique 35 pound Yachtsman anchor, a Danforth 22, and my regular Bruce 22, with lots of chain. We were so lucky on that one, and had only minor effects. My friends at Florida City had the same results you described. That was indeed life or death, personified. The TP nuke plant did lose their storm proof meteorological instruments and had seaweed up on the top turbine deck. The double fossil plant on the same property had one of its tall smoke towers crack up bad enough they had to drop it later. Nuke plants shut down to hot standby for safety, and run on offsite power during times they may lose off site distribution lines, and they lost everything offsite. They ran on their emergency diesels for a long time after that. Which is why the area was dark for so long.
Best wishes to all.
Bob C

[Bob Ohler]

Great report Pete! Good looking CD30B as well. (You need to watch that guy Moroney though. He runs with a rough crowd on Saturdays.)

[fmueller]

Here is what it is doing this morning in New England (screen capture - NOAA Graphical Forecast) - so I'll just be going to the marina (East Boston) to check the slip lines.

Tim,

Last winter I had the original 100% Ulmer jib that came with Jerezana modified for my Harkin furler (just needed the clips/wire removed, roller furling luff tape stitched on) and have been alternating between my 135% (dog days) and this much smaller sail all season. I read the threads here about "reef the main early" (if you are flying a large jib) but Jerezana seems happier in "medium air" (15 knots) with the main up full and the 100% leading the way, than flying the 135 + reefed main - and can handle gusts to 20+ easily like that, especially since you have such good quick control of the main compared to any jib. If it's going to be trending to 20, then I'll put the first reef in the main. In fact I got caught in a squall in August with one reef in and the 100% up, and it was wild, but I just put the boat in the slot after the first burst (which knocked me over pretty far), and once she got moving, I was ok. That first blast might have been 35-40 knots (I was too busy to look!). Then I had about 5 minutes of 25-30 knots ... then, like all squalls, it began to subside and was gone 20 min later.

I'm not sure I want to make a habit out of sailing in wind that might require the double reef in my main + the 100% flying (and have not been out in those conditions yet). I think she could handle todays conditions deployed like that, but I'll be content to just imagine.

One thing for sure, flipping that little jib back and forth with the sheets led to the coach roof tracks, in any kind of wind, requires 20% of the effort compared to bringing the big jib around the stays. And I can make under 40 deg apparent, about 45 true easily due to a tighter sheeting angle, plus the little leading foil seems to couple with the main best ...

Not to argue too strongly (because what do I know?) but I have a hunch Mr. Alberg designed the boat to be outfitted this way essentially - in other words, our CD27s are designed to fly about 360 sq ft of sail in medium air, with most of that footage provided by the main, a genoa being reserved for light air ...

I don't really miss the larger sail until it becomes one of those days where you really aren't going anywhere anyway ...

I am thinking about having a proper new 100% furling jib made - (my original "hybrid" does not have UV protection or or shape retaining foam in the luff - if I might ever want to roll it in a little - the next squall!).

cheers

Fred

great shots in this thread !

[abcnuzeman]

This may have been my last sail of the season Tuesday. Pretty disappointing really, less than 10kts of wind, barely making 3kts, but hey, it was sailing. Oh well, there's always next year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiSI7pW3_Ms