More practice learning to sail my boat.
The high pressure system that’s been sitting off the coast of Northern California for the month of February, robbing us of much-needed precipitation, but in turn providing warm balmy days, finally relented. A good bit of wind on a Saturday to test my new boom sheaves, and refreshed wheel brake, engine controls. Couldn’t muster a buddy, so single-handing.
This was an upgrade from my last reefing test, which included a 12 year old (+.25 crew) a 5 year old (-.375 crew) and dog (-.25 crew).
Got my reefing lines properly tied to the boom, and everything worked as intended. Set the second reef to begin with as I knew it was going to blow, and I wanted to lay out some jib for practice and to keep the boat balanced. The main still winds up with too much beer-belly overhang that I need to address at a later date with lazy jacks. In the mean time, I could use the reefing ties built into the sail. I didn’t bother with it and would have had a bit of a challenge as my dodger impairs easy access to a good part of the sail.
Fought out to spitting distance of being under the bridge. Lots of current and varying wind in “the slot” as I am told people call the Golden Gate itself. I don’t have a functional wind meter onboard present. I would guess on the Beaufort, near the South Tower of the GGB, I saw, “Moderate waves, taking a more pronounced long form; many white horses are formed. ” which is a Force 5, 17-21 knots, based on this scale.
Turned around and headed back to Sausalito. Navionics on my phone said we did 8 and change knots. I don’t really care how fast I can make my boat go, (but of course, everyone deep down cares about how fast he/she can make his/her boat go…)
Another test run Monday. Need Lazy Jacks, but need an Autopilot to help drive the boat while I raise and lower the main with complicating lines. To get the Autopilot, I need to get a better handle on the electronics, and to do that I need to study and plan to begin by excising my Dead-On-Arrival, now totally-outmoded Loran.
Right, remove the Loran to get rid of the beer belly in the main. Onward.
