Hair Trigger

I was getting the boat ready for racing and thinking about how to make things better. I thought back to a time when because of how long it took me to throw up the flag, I lost the protest. I've seen a design with a small tube and a thin line that let's you launch the flag emphatically... I'm too cheap to buy something like this, I'd rather make it out of stuff I already have. So, this "one time use" design popped into my head. It relies on a piece of tape, I'll probable upgrade to a Velcro of sorts, but this will work for the first day of the season.

I didn't need it today, if we could have managed better starts we may have actually challenged Team Wilson for the win, both races! We were at the pin end too soon the first start and barely cleared it, Wilson rode over the top of us and we tacked away. We botched the tack, had to tack back... it got ugly. We made good on a shift in the middle of the course while others floundered. Made 2 stupid tacks and rounded 3rd close behind Goebel, Wilson was gone. Mike went ddw in light air and we scooted out to the breeze and better current. We were catching the Knarrs, but the the wind shifted from a north to a west south west. It became a parade to the finish.
Second race we were over early, went back, gybed and went right when everyone else went left. It didn't kill us because we caught up to the group at the windward mark. Gybe set at the mark and scooted past three boats, caught Freddie just before the leeward mark. Tommy was still ahead of us, we rounded poorly and let Freddie get on our hip, but we pulled a head not pointing high, but going fast. Up the course we split from Tommy somehow and on our first cross we had to duck him. But that put us in great position on the next cross too close to the three boat circle to lee bow us... Wilson was gone. We defended second place to the finish. Then, the race back to the harbor Kurt drove Josephine and crushed Wilson!!! No points for that though.
Let's all have a moment of awww, that's too bad for Tommy who lost his jib halyard at the very end of race 2 (held off Peter for 3rd place) and had to go all the way back to the harbor on just a main in 20 knots and ebb lump.

Finishing Touch

The cradle pad spots and keel where the boat rested are the last spots to be prepped and sprayed. After a second coat on a Friday the yard guys leave it hung over the weekend to let the paint fully harden before splashing her first thing on Monday. Boatyard curtesy, put your fenders on deck and your dock lines at the ready.
Picked up the new sails from Doyle, all set now :)

Midship Cleat

I hate drillin' holes in the boat. For a guy who measures once and cuts twice this was really a struggle. There is nothing worse than holes drilled in the wrong place. Dad did the research for me when it comes to managing the heavy surge of a Folkboat in Gas House Cove. I had to do this to USA 105 when I had her at the end of gate 4 and I was hoping never to have to do this to Josephine, but this is preventative maintenance and would cost a boatload more if I put a spring line to the winch or hand rails. After much internal debate and good advice from Peter (mike's crew) I decided to go big and put seriously beefed up backing plates in place. Not even tsunami surge could budge this bad boy.

Catch Me if You Can

I love the smell of fresh bottom paint... Maybe that's what's wrong with me... two coats sprayed, please, no burnishing. At a certain point of smoothness the return benefit doesn't make the loss of paint worth it. Thanks Tom Reed for the great advice. It enables guys like me to be lazy.

Boatyard Antics

I'm not old. But I'm not young either. Knee surgury and tall guy back issues makes you rethink the stuff you do to save yourself from aches and pains. I saw Brock varnishing Per's mast and suggested he raise the mast somehow, but he declined my offer. Richard saw the value and allowed me a boatyard creative moment. We found a table, put it on saw horses and bogarted another saw horse to hang the mast from so at least most of the mast is at shoulder level. When I do my mast I always figure out a way to hang it so I'm not stooping all day. I hope no one needs a saw horse anytime soon.

How to Make A Tiller Extension

In the last Wednesday evening race I lost my tiller extension... It mysteriously lost it's pin from the universal joint and my custom work fell overboard, much like my first iPhone. I bought a tiller extension for the next race, but I just never liked the way it felt compared to the T-bar arrangement. A coworker gave me the idea when I saw he was just throwing away a pair of ski poles. I was a universal joint and two screws away from having everything I'd need to make my own. So I did. I still had the other pole so, let's do it again. Only this time I'll make some improvements.
First, instead of cutting a smaller section of ski pole for the T part I used an .89 cent piece of plumbing and epoxied that into the tube. Second, I didn't tape off the holes at either end so it can breath. Whatever, $26 for the universal joint plus a piece of plumbing and some tape vs $100 for a new one? Yeah, I'm a cheap skate.

I'm Not the First

I got tired of writing down all the item codes and relaying it to the clerk... I showed the clerk my phone and said, "Put me down for 20 feet of this."

Hauled Out 2011

Werner, Goebel, and... That very last minute guy Keldsen. He showed up today with the family on a delivery day, only a week and half till the season opener. We'll see if the yard can accommodate him in time.

Per's Mast/Boom

If I had a nickel for every time I heard some say, "In this economy...." Well, in this economy it's hard to sell a boat. So, to make Per's boat more appealing, Brock has volunteered some sweat equity into per's mast and boom in hopes that someone will pull the trigger and buy this boat. He took it down to wood, epoxy resin sealed it and is now timing the coats of varnish around the weather reports. Keep up the good work!

What's Wrong with this Picture?

All comments welcome

Rust 3

When I got the boat it had this soft caulking between the keel and the hull. People said it was common because of the temperature range the boats go through in Denmark. One day I'll have to remove the keel, clear out all that junk and epoxy the seem shut. But not this year.

Phase 3...

Rust 2

Phase 2... Pictures in no particular order.

Rust

At the last minute decided to haul out. Wouldn't you know it, keel rust issues. The problem with keeping your boat in seriously salty water year round becomes obvious when this happens. Thank goodness for better living through chemicals and a good friend like Brock. These are his pictures and while I was at work Brock started the process, otherwise I'd miss the start of the racing season.

As Luck Would Have It

I had no plans on how to get back to SF, but sometimes it's best not to plan. As I'm putting away the boat I remember Brock lives in alameda, perhaps I could bum a ride and pay him back with drinks after Wednesday races this summer. What a great guy, he's home and says he'll be right down no problem... Sweet.
I finish stowing gear, lock up the boat, toss out some trash, drink some water and start on the second half of a sandwich and perfect timing Brock shows up as if right on que and takes me to BART. Thanks dude. I pull out the Bart ticket I always keep in my wallet and head up the stairs. I wait 30 seconds, my train shows up. All goes well, I get out at the embarcadero, go across the street, raise my hand and immediately get picked up by this suicidal Russian taxi driver who hauls ass across town and drops me off back at the marina and my car... Big tip for you bro. Zip home before 8pm in time to kiss Annika good night. For starting all this a 4pm, I set a personal record for efficiency and time management. Let this be the sign of good things to come.

Curse you container ships!

The annual trip to Svendsen's was the fastest ever... SFMarina to the yard with big winds and favorable tide: 1 hour 40 minutes. I almost got Malachi crunched (urban dictionary that if you don't know what that means) by two container ships as I entered the estuary. It was blowing so hard I didn't use the whisker pole and I left the halyards attached. Guess I was either scared or lazy to leave the cockpit.

All Good Things...

must come to an end. I got evicted from my most epic spots... sniff. But thanks to Mark S, I'm only over in the east harbor for the racing season. Sigh... Now I must contend with heavy surge and challenging landings. I was spoiled for a long time.