End of 2010 and Looking Forward to 2011

Well considering we are nearing the end of 2010, I thought it nice to recap the year's sailing. I've had some great sails this year, both casual day sails and races.

I don't know who else follows me on this blog but for the record I would like to thank Martin and crew for allowing me to race with them on Cool Change each and almost every Thursday Night for the DIYC Thursday Night Races. We also race as a team in the Egmont Key Race, the Keel Boat Regatta and the Labor Day Night Race. It has been a blast to have some awesome races with such a cool crew of people.

I'd like to thank Pat and Lea for their friendship, for sharing the opportunity to race and sail on Rebel Rose and for allowing me to be present at their very private and intimate wedding. You both are very special people and I thank you for your friendship.

I'd also like to thanks Jessie for the Saturday sailing adventures on her O'Day. Some of the weirdest and chellenging moments on a boat by far. Those experiences have definitely made me a better sailor simply for the mere reason of having to think fast and react quickly. With Jessie - docking, forestays, engines and any number of other things is always interesting and a challenge.

I had a great experience with Reggie on his beautiful boat named Quo Vadis. I was fortunate to sail with Reggie and two life long friends of his back in May. We sailed from St. Petersburg to Key West. What a great experience with it's own set of challenges and adventures. Reggie is definitely a good friend and I thank him for his friendship and invitations to sail on such a beautiful boat. The Catalina 309 is definitely a boat I can see myself owning one day soon.

2010 was also a year of education with regard to sailing. As previously mentioned, I completed the US Power Squadron's Boat Safety Class at the tail end of 2009 but in 2010, I completed the Seamanship class and also a Chart Smart course. In mid January 2011, I will start the US Power Squadron's Weather Course and plan on getting the Piloting I class completed and maybe Piloting II if time and opportunity permit.

2011 is also a year of importance for me in other area of my life. In a few short weeks I turn 40.... I know - I know, I look great for my age and thanks to my commitment in 2010, I am 55 pounds lighter, stronger and in good health. I committed to working out and dropping the pounds throughout the year and am happy with the results and reward. I plan to keep this a habit in my life. I also have some focused work goals and a detailed plan of action to achieve those goals in 2011.

So with all that said, if there are any followers, I'd like to wish you a very Happy New Year. I hope you reach whatever you have as your dream, vision or focus in the new year.

Cheers!

Sunday Race

Well it has been a little while since a post so one was overdue, but then again there has not been much sailing to talk about. I've been busy with work, nieces' birthday parties, cold weather and just down right no sailing opportunities. Needless to say I was in need.

I met with Pat yesterday for the Sunday series of races at DIYC. The weather was very overcast with winds out of the Northwest, which means COLD... We got a new sailor to come on board with us, which was a good thing since it might have been a little to much to handle for just the two of us, racing anyway. We had a great start and all the legs were just fast reaches. We averaged 6 knots or so, which was pretty good given the conditions. It was an awesome sail with everything from heeling and rail in the water, to excellent sail trimming and fast sailing. Although it was cold, it was perfect.

So it's back to the grind,working towards the goal and plan...

Dreaming of Sailing

Well not much to report other then it has been real cold here in the Tampa Bay area. I guess I just decided to take a break from stuff to check out my Blog and realized a few things, that were not entirely unknown to me but I guess I just focused on today. First I realized that I may be the only person who actually visits this Blog and secondly, that may be because there really is not a lot of content except when I happen to have a sailing outing. Oh well, it is what it is!

I guess I was just day dreaming about some awesome sailing experience and staying focused on the fast approaching 40 year mark, focusing on some work and things that need accomplishment and finally some reward for getting it all done. Today, if I were to dream up a reward it would be the ability to charter a 30ish foot sailboat in the BVI for a few days of coastal sailing either with good company or on my own. With this cold weather I'm dreaming of warm breezes to fill the sails, warm water to sail and swim in, plus warm weather for cigars and cocktails.

Anyway, back to work... I have some projects with work that I want to get done before the end of the year and I want to outline a game plan for the 1st quarter projects of 2011. I want to get the jump on them as well so when 2011 hits I can hit the ground running. OK, one last daydream of two beautiful sailboats.

Sunday Race

I met up with Pat and some new sailors for the Sunday Race series at DIYC. The winds were great all afternoon with 10-12 knots and 15 Knot gusts. I did jib trimming and some mainsail fine tuning. It was a great ride with a bunch of legs. Our finish was not that great but for the Sunday Series it does not seem to matter. The importance is doing every Sunday race so the points add up. It would be cool to be in the Spinnaker division the next time around so that we can be competitive with the other boats that fly Spinnakers.

Never the less it was a great day of sailing and I even got some pictures taken of me in action.

Slow Saturday Sail

I met with Jessie to go out on her Oday this past Saturday, since the repair and replacements were made to her standing rigging. It was a beautiful day with good breezes in the morning but a forecast of lighter winds as the afternoon wore on. By the time we were out of the slip the winds were veyr light and we were making very little progress. I helmed for a lot of the time out and made very slow progress but we then choose to come in and call it a day.

This time of year is very pleasant even if you are just drifting along at a very slow pace. The tempatures are perfect in the mid 70's and the winds are either on or they are not. You really do not have the varying conditions that happen throughout the day like you do during the summer months. I suspect that things will continue to improve in the weeks to come, as well as get colder.

On that note, I have been looking into some foul weather gear. I already have the jacket, gloves and boots but am considering different bibs so I can stay warm and dry. I also am looking forward to the weather course starting in january with The Tampa Power Squadron. It's a pretty intense course but one that will be very useful in my quest for the sailing skills. Now that I have a more dependable car, I am also planning on getting the piloting course completed in 2011. I would be very pleased with the Piloting Class, Weather and Advanced Piloting completed by the end of 2011. That will leave with just the Navigation and Advanced Navigation courses for my offshore education.

Casual Thursday Night Sail

Since Cool Change was not racing last night, the owners of Karma, Sue and Reg Aiken were kind enough to invite the crew for a booze cruise. It was a great night as the sun set and the cool front started to roll in. Karma is a 41 foot sloop of some unique boat designer or builder. Below she is in beautiful condition with the detailed wood work, spacious salon and berths. Above deck she is beamy and spacious as well. We sailed with the main and jib for a while so we could all feel the rush of some wind and heel but after a few legs in the bay, we decided to furl the jib to flatten her out and enjoy our snacks and drinks.

I took a turn at the helm and it felt really nice. She stayed flat and straight with an average of 4 knots under main alone. I got her up to 4.5 which I thought was pretty nice for being under main alone. A great sail with nice folks.

The weather seems to be improving. Although the time change is around the corner and evening sailing is going to dark, the winds will be nice and it will be real nice to sail on Saturdays or Sundays in warm cloths or at least not dripping in sweat. Let's see if any sailing happens this coming weekend.

Thursday Night Raefore ce

I met up with the crew from Cool Change for the Thursday Night Race at DIYC. The weather lately has been beautiful with mid to lower 80's temps and clear skies with good winds. The wind for race time started off light but built just before race time. It was a short race course but a long last leg. There was only one Spinnaker run that I was the trimmer for.

All in all a great sail and a great time.

Problems Fixed

I know I have not posted in a while but I have also had some difficulties in some setting with Blogger. Seems all is fixed from that end now.

The last sail I did was on Jessie's O'Day. It proved to be another experience worth noting. It was a great sail from what I can remember. The day was nice, winds were good and we were sailing along. we decided to head in since a storm cloud was building and things looked like they would get a little rough. When I tried to drop the head sail, I notice a frayed part of the forestay closer to the top as opposed to the bottom. Needless to say, the hanks from the head kept getting caught on the broken wire and it kept getting worse as I had to force the sail down.

It was a mess but I got the sail down just in time as the winds kicked up. I used the halyard as a support for the forestay and we were able to motor in just fine. I understand it is all fixed and hopefully we will be out sailing again soon.

So although not much to report, the plan is a Thursday night race on Cool Change, maybe some weekend sailing with Jessie, Reggie is planning an overnighter in late October, plus Pat and I are going to do the next bunch of Sunday races at DIYC. The weather has been awesome, mid 80's and the winds have been real nice as well. I'm looking forward to some fall sailing.

Labor Day Race

I know it has been a while since a post but I have been dealing with work and other priorities recently that have pulled me away from a post. Since the last update the only sailing to report was the Labor Day Night Race at DIYC. We met up at the club and were a bit disappointed that there was not more competition in the Racer/Cruiser class. We really only had one competitor. The weather was great with a decent light breeze and calm waters which would be the tone for the entire night. There was also no moon so it was a dark ride as well. What normally would have been a 1:30 or 2AM "ish" finished ended with an almost 5AM finish. It was very long and slow once in the Gulf because the winds seemed to slow down and tide proved to be more of a factor. Never the less, with food, drinks and good friends it all seemed to be fine.

We decided to turn back after the finish and work our way home. It was a beautiful sunrise and I took a great nap on the foredeck as the morning wore on. All in all it was a great trip and we ended first in class but down the line on the list of the rest of the fleet.






Spinnaker Trimming




Mid way through the night!



Sunrise!

Recent Sails

Just wanted to update since it has been a few since the last post. I've been sailing on Cool Change Thursday Nights for the DIYC Race Series. We have done well in all the races, coming in 1st place each week. As a team we are definitely sailing well and with no major mistakes costing valuable time. I have been real light on the duties, only trimming the Spinnaker on our downwind runs. Although I'd like to be more involved with Jib or Main trimming, my weight is more valuable it seems on the rail.

Speaking of weight, I am down about 40 pounds and hitting the scales now around the 235 mark. I have been active since maybe February or March, doing between 1 - 1 1/2 hours of cardio 5 days a week. I started doing some weight training last week and dealing with the aches and pains of that. I'm not lifting any heavy weights and making myself do just enough to get 15-20 reps out of each set. Ideal situation is to be down to about 215-220 and tone from the weights by my 40th birthday, which is 5 months away. I'm not looking for any size or bulk, too old for that shit, just tone and fit looking plus in better cardio health.

I met with Jessie yesterday and we caught up with the guy who installed the instruments on her boat. We got the engine started up and took it out for a sail. Things seem to be going better with her boat and this new boat specialist is going to do some more work that is going to make it even better. The sail was awesome with 15 knots of breeze and building to 20 knots because of a pending storm cell sucking up some air in the distance. The boat sailed well and we made it to the dock just in time to avoid any showers.

On the near future agenda is the continued Thursday night races, any weekend sailing and getting ready for the Labor Day race at DIYC. I need to update some pictures as well and make it a point to bring the camera out more often. It appears that Rocket, the J35 sailboat is about ready to start doing Thursday's Races soon and I might need to make a decision on whether to continue to do Thursdays on Cool Change or switch to Rocket if the opportunity is available, have more sailing duties on the latter. Previously on Rocket I trimmed Jib and did Spinnaker. Let's see how the wind blows.

DIYC Labor Day Night Race

I just got the email from Cool Change and I have been asked to race in the Labor Day Night race that happens every year. I quickly responded yes and that I can't wait to race. It appears that we will be doing some Thursday night DIYC races for practice and throwing in some weekend practice sessions as well.

Hopefully I get to do some jib trimming or other duties in addition to the Spinnaker trimming I have been doing lately.

Awesome Sunday Sail

I wasn't able to meet up with the crew from Cool Change this past Thursday and from what I understand, it was just a booze cruise. I did however make plans to sail with Pat on Rebel Rose this past Sunday. The day looked kind of crappy with overcast skies and a light drizzle when I left home. At DIYC there was no rain but you could tell that it was not too far off. Since we both really needed the sail, we said the hell with it and took off. The winds were kind of light when we started, probably in the 5-7 knot range but were picking up. I was at the helm for the sail to a privately maintained marker past MacDill Airforce Base.

It was a great sail to the range marker with the boat heeling most of the way and beating to windward for an exhilerating ride as the winds kicked up. As the day progressed we could see that clouds were building and there was going to be some storms closing in on us. There were storms cells over the St. Pete area which looked like a huge downpour, there were some cells towards the Brandon and Apollo Beach area moving our way and there was a cell over the downtown Tampa area.

Our decision to gybe around and head back was a good one since it looked like all of these cells would converge and give us a huge soaking when they met. The ride back was even faster with more heel and a great wake. The sails were trimmed nicely and it was just a matter of sailing the headers and lifts. In all it was almost a 12 nautical mile sail from the DIYC to the Range marker and back.

We pulled into a dead calm basin and docked very easily before the storm. You could say it was the calm before the storm. As we walked up to the Tiki bar, the skies opened up and gave a huge soaking to the area.

It was a great sail both ways and much needed given the stresses of the past week and looking forward to the week ahead. If things settle down to successful work weeks and great sails, then you could just about say, "I'm Living a Dream!"

Thursday Night Booze Cruise

Not much to report on the sailing front, as far as racing is concerned. I met up with the crew from Cool Change this past Thursday but since we were a little light on foredeck crew, we decided to make it a social sail with appetizers and drinks to watch the race and sunset. It was a great time and a lot of fun to just socialize.

Some conversation went on about the upcoming Labor Day Night Race at DIYC and getting some practices coordinated with plenty of time in advance. I hope that goes well and to be a part of a cool group for the race.

I spoke to Jessie who seems to still have some battery issues on her boat but progress is being made in that department so the engine will start and not have any more problems. She is also getting instruments put on the boat which should be cool. She will be out of town for the next two Saturdays so it seems that Saturday sailing will be on hold for the time being unless Cool Change gets into some practices or I can meet up with Reggie and sail on his baby.

Let's see what the next few weeks holds for sailing.

Helm Time!

I met with Jessie this past Saturday afternoon to get some sailing in with some great winds forecast. The Tampa Bay area was on the outer bands of tropical storm Bonnie that crossed the state and dropped a bunch of rain in the area. Winds had been in the low teens through the morning and a storm front was off in the distance so we knew it was going to pick up and probably wet. After getting Jessie's boat all rigged up for the sail, the engine would not start again. After a week of charging, the batteries were dead again. After accepting that nothing was going to correct the problem, we opted that it be wiser to not try and sail out and back since we did not know what to expect once we were out. It was deemed that it may be too strong and with no engine it would be a much greater risk.

As we were walk back to the car we bumped into Reggie who was coming down to his boat for some afternoon reading. He was not planning to go out as he thought it was not a good idea to go out alone in what seemed to be building conditions. He offer to go sailing if we came along and had no hesitation in saying yes. The breeze was good, the boat was healing and I took the helm for a bit enjoying the rush. As the front approached, I tacked the boat and sailed her back to the entrance to the basin. It was exhilarating to helm under those conditions and keep her straight and sailing along.

After arriving at the dock just in time before the downpour of rain and the arrival of strong thunderstorm clouds, we decided to grab some food and a beer. Reggie again offered to be happy to give me helm time whenever I wanted. He is such a nice man and always so generous with his time, boat and friendship. I hope to take him up on his offer and get some more practice behind the helm. He also talked about a short two day trip to Venice one weekend in October. Let's see if we can make that happen.

Ouch!

I'm a little behind in a post but this past Thursday race at DIYC was a new experience for me. We were ready around the start time and making our way for the line, when a collision was about to take place. As we were making our approach just before the horn, we were boxed in by a boat to windward and leeward, just about then another boat was running the line and we had no where to go. Our anchor hit their stern rail, bending it out of shape and even ripping a winch off their deck. Now this boat we hit is in need of some repairs and for a winch to be ripped off the deck, I wonder how solid she is.

Never the less, the race was over for us and we made out way back to the club so the owners could sort out the work and damage. I really have not had much luck lately with the Thursday races but I hope I can get a good one in soon.

Saturday Sailing and A New Challenge

I met with Jessie to go out sailing on her boat Saturday afternoon, as winds were forecast to hold in the 8-10 knots range. We motored out of the slip easily and down the basin to the break wall. I had the main sail up as we passed the break wall and raised the jib as we approached the pier. Right about that time the engine died and would not come back on. I suggested checking the battery level because if she continued to crank it would only deplete the battery to a point that it would not turn over. As suspected, the batteries were low and motoring back in was not going to be an option.

I suggested we sail around a bit and wait for the winds to fill in a little more consistently before attempting to sail her into the basin and the slip. Now I've sailed into the same area with a Rhodes 19 or Ideal 18 but that was different given the size of the boats and in those cases only sailed up to the dock very slowly to tie her off. This was going to be different in that it's almost 30 feet of boat and it was sailing her into her slip with lots of other expensive boats around to sail past. Basically it's like parking along a curb with the smaller boats versus parking a bigger boat into a parking space at the mall with all the other spots occupied. I admit I was a bit uneasy.

I felt the best thing to do was preplan the best option and maneuvers that would make it successful, anticipating everything the boat would do based on the feel and winds. I suggested we sail as close as possible to the concrete walk way of the Pier and Gybe so that we had a straight shot into the basin past the break wall. Just about that time there was a bunch of traffic coming in and out of the entrance, but since we were under sail and moving at a good speed, it went smoothly. Once in we waved another sailboat past since they were under power. I moved forward and dropped the jib into the forward hatch. Once we sailed past the first line of docked boats we headed up towards our row of slips. I warned that the main would Gybe as we turned into the row and about half way up the row I dropped the main sail since we were coasting along at a good speed. I coached Jessie from the bow to slightly turn into her slip, close enough so that I could hook her dock lines and pull us in.

All in all, the sailing in went textbook and not even close to any dangerous mishaps with any of the other boats. It was carefully planned out, thinking a few steps ahead and anticipating what the boat and sails would do at each point, coaching from the bow and no tense raised voices that is often heard from boaters in unfamiliar situations and conditions. Jessie did well at the helm coasting her in as I instructed from the bow.

This is definitely not something I'd like to do all the time but it was rather rewarding to test my skills of planning, expectation of response from the boat and making it happen flawlessly. I couldn't have been happier with the outcome and neither could Jessie since it is her baby.




Here is a photo kind of explaining what I'm trying to describe by tight spaces.

Need Some Sea Salt

It has been a bit since a post but to put things plainly, there isn't shit to report. I didn't sail last Thursday because Cool Change was overloaded with available crew and it seems there may be some sort of a rotation system working itself out. Let's see how that pans out. I didn't sail this past weekend because or actually the last two weekends because the weather was crap or no available boat to crew on. I'm not sailing tonight because Cool Change is not racing in the Thursday Night race this week and let's see what the weekend holds.

I've basically been stuck with some work frustrations, cash flow frustrations and basically just working out to relieve stress. The workouts only fill the void for a few but lately the next day brings is own share of frustrations. I really need to get some sailing in soon. I've even gone as far as dreaming about trimming sails, time at the helm and flying through the breeze on an overcast day. It must be a sign of the need to sail when you dreaming the stuff.

I've also killed some time reading a book called "Close to the Wind" by Pete Goss. It is a great book on his story of sailing and the round the world races he has been involved in. I'm about halfway through the book, which is saying alot for me, but so far my opinion is that it is a motivational story caught between sailing and attitude. This will definitely be a re-read book to note down some personality traits to learn from. A hidden secret about myself is that I really don't read much. I can't even get through a magazine article if it doesn't grab my attention. So for me to finish a book, that is saying something about the content. I'm not done yet but so far I have a hard time putting it down.

Hopefully the next post will have some sailing in it and who knows, maybe a picture of it all.

Thursday Night Race

Well it's July 4th weekend so it has been a few days since the Thursday Night Race at DIYC, but the experience of this Thursday night race adventure is worthy of noting. The few days prior to the race have been very rainy with some severe thunderstorms as well. All related to a tropical depression turned hurricane which went for Mexico. We met at the boat and headed out to the racing area in very overcast conditions with building cloud cover throughout the area. It was obvious that we were going to get wet and that there was a strong chance of winds kicking up. We decided to reef the mainsail and sail with a full jib prior to the start. Our start was great and we were on our way to the second mark. After rounding the second mark I trimmed the Spinnaker for a downwind run. The winds were picking up and we were definitely flying along ahead of our competition. Nearing the next mark it started to rain and the winds started to kick up as expected. We doused the Spinnaker but unfortunately a little to quickly for the foredeck crew who had to handle the sail. The Spinnaker got stuck and torn on the anchor, causing a rip along a the top portion of the sail. By now the rain had really started coming down and visibility was very poor. The bay water became very choppy with whitecaps all over the place and some of the waves reaching their rolling effect. Because of the combination between needle sharp rain, strong winds, the excessive heal of the boat plus the wave and poor visibility of the race area; we decided to ditch the race and make it back in.

Those conditioned not only persisted but intensified on our way back to the slip. Because the visibility was so poor, we were all acting as lookout for oncoming traffic of other boats in the area who were facing the same conditions. Our decision to reef the mainsail was obviously the right one and proved to be beneficial given the conditions. If we had gone with full sail, things very well may have turned out a little differently.

Needless to say it was a very exhilarating ride and the adventure did exactly what this sail was supposed to do, allowing me to forget about all the other stuff I have going on with work and life. We made it to the dock in the downpour with the winds calming down enough to make docking easier. We tied her off and after everyone left, I enjoyed a rum and coke with Pat, Lea and Martin.

It was an awesome ride and refreshing to get some real wind to sail in.

Great Sunday Race

I met up with Pat and Michele for the DIYC Sunday Race, where we spent some time at the bar as a strong thunder storm passed by prior to the race. The winds kicked up and so did the rain. It was a quick moving cell and conditions improved by the start. We got out of the basin right on time for our start and between the three of us, we each did numerous functions during the race. I had a great leg at the helm from the first to the second mark and we were able to stay with the pack of larger boats and smaller dingies. Michele took some helm time for the next leg and then handed it back to me before the next mark. Pat followed up with the downwind helmsmanship for a wing on wing run the last mark.

The winds fluctuated from a good breeze to some puffs and some dead spots. What can one expect for mid day doldrums. We crossed the finish and had her tied off and packed up in no time. I couldn't stay to hang out because I had to go to a birthday party at a friend's house, but it was a great sail and I really needed and enjoyed it. I'm racing this Thursday on Cool Change with what will probably be a lot of people on board. I heard that Rocket is back together and she will probably be ready for Thursday soon too.

I don't have any pictures from this Sunday's race but I do have some shots taken on someones camera at the party last night. I'll post some of those because there may be a good profile shot in the bunch, in case anyone other then me reads this.

New Sailing Stuff

Well I played with the background and look of the blog a little bit and also organized some of the picture from Key West Below is a beautiful shot George took of a sail boat on the way back to Tampa Bay. It's a beautiful shot because of the water and cloud cover in the background.

Update

Not much to report in the way of sailing but I have been working on a few items worth a post. I found some really cool sites that I linked too that not only forecast the upcoming wind patterns and strength but also provide a 24 history of the wind speeds and direction. I thought this was pretty cool since it would provide a method of seeing a trend for a specific day. I have saved the links in my local area where I race and day sail where I think this information will come in very handy.

On another note, I received a CD yesterday from George Bailey with some more pictures from the Key West sailing adventure. If there is no sailing planned for this weekend, I'll spend some time organizing the photos to publish and update the links section with some of the links I found of use and value. Who knows, I may even post a past report on the Key West sailing adventure from my recollection.

I attended one of Tampa Power Squadron meetings last night and it seems, or at least there is talk of, the start of a coastal piloting class and a weather class by the end of the year. I haven't admitted this but if I don't start getting more educational benefit from the squadron, I'm leaning towards no involvement other then membership so I can take the classes I'm interested in taking. I have hesitated from taking the classes at other squadron further away because my car is in need of repair or replacement, but money is tight. I think the next hit of cash will go towards a repair to buy me some more time with this faithful car. If that happens then I can take these and other classes at other squadrons in my area. I'd be very happy to get Piloting I and Weather completed this year so that in 2011 I can focus on Piloting II, Navigation and Advanced Navigation.

I think that those courses will give me the knowledge necessary to move towards future plans of my own boat and coastal cruising. Hopefully the next post involves at least a bit of sailing in it.

Landlocked

Not much in the way of sailing this week. Most of the crew is unavailable for the Thursday Night races at DIYC so no plans to head down there. I'm sure I could have gotten a boat to let me crew for them but there are to many other things on the mind these days. I didn't make it to the water Saturday or Sunday either, unless you count the pool. I spent my Saturday and Sunday playing with my nieces and getting some pool time with the girls.

I have made an effort to refresh some sailing lessons with my collection of various books related to safety, weather and more. I want to at least continue to reinforce my knowledge so someday I can through off the bow lines and coastal cruise in confidence of my skills.

I'm sure there is some upcoming sailing going to happen so more to come. I've been watching the weather patterns lately and the summer doldrums are definitely a factor.

Another Key West Pic to Enjoy

This is another shot of a vintage sailboat that I took while in Key West. The sails look a little worn but still a beautiful classic none the less.

We May Have a Theme

I met Pat at DIYC for the Sunday Race but the winds were light again. The club house digital equipment was reading a 2 knot breeze with a 3 knot gusts from time to time. Nothing to get excited about or requiring that we get out the PFD's and tethers, but better then Saturday's breeze. The start was slow and the wind was just non existent. we rounded the first mark and decided to head in for a DNF.

Although we did not finish, we still accumulated our 5 points for rounding the first mark. The comfort of the air conditioned bar was much more enjoyable, especially when you top it off with a tall and smooth rum and coke. I need to post a few pics from the weekend so stay tuned. The pics are not of any major racing shots or boats healed over in the breeze, but still entertaining none the less.

So it is with a sad tone that I regret to admit that the summer time doldrums are here. I guess we'll have to resort to looking for late afternoon sea breezes or cloud cover that announces a coming storm and offering some great breezes along the edges. I picked up one of my Power Squadron books again last night and started from the beginning to refresh some lessons, see if I missed anything or just to entertain myself with sailboat thought.

Full Day Duldrums

I went for a race with Reggie and brought a friend along for her first ever sail. The forecast was light and this time they got it right. We just drifted for the better part of the start and got a postponement that seemed to drag on in the hopes of wind. I had to give the committee guy credit for waiting so long but it just never happened.

We ended up motoring in and sought the comfort of AC at Wing House. I'm meeting Pat tomorrow at DIYC for a Sunday race but the forcast is more of the same. Let's see what happens

Sent from my iPhone

The weatherman Lies

I was reminded last night of something I read a long time ago. It said that the weather reporting job was the only job you could always be completely wrong at and still collect your pay. If their pay depended on accuracy, they'd starve. The forecast for Thursday Night's race at DIYC was supposed to be dismal with winds topping out at 2 knots, but it proved otherwise as the evening wore on.

We met at the boat where there were extremely hot temperatures and no breeze at all. The basin looked like glass. Never the less we headed out towards the race area and while the committee boat was deciding on a short course, the winds picked up and stayed consistent. We did not get as good of a start as the previous weeks but caught up to the competition in the first upwind leg. Our second leg was a reach where we continued to improve on the distance between us. After rounding the second mark, I trimmed the Spinnaker and held onto our lead to the final mark before the finish.

Although we came in ahead of the competition, because of corrected time they proved the winner for the evening. Had the course been longer we may have added enough to the distance to offset the corrected time. It was a great sail none the less, with a short course and much better outcome with the wind then the expert weather forecasters had predicted. I'm racing with Reggie on his Catalina this coming Saturday and looking forward to it. I'm bringing a friend and it should be a good time as always. I promise to take the camera and post some pictures.

Thursday Night Race at DIYC

I met up with the crew to race on Cool Change yesterday afternoon. It was of course hot and humid with some storm clouds in the distance. We had another great start in our class and took the lead at from the beginning. Our first leg was a reach followed by a very slow down wind run. I trimmed the Spinnaker and it was a constant effort of trim and ease to keep it full on this leg because of the light winds. The following leg was a Spinnaker Gybe which worked out well. I came back to the cockpit and held both sheets while the foredeck crew straigtened out the pole and guy. I was able to keep the sail full and powered up once everything was in place with the pole and guy.

By this time the winds started to build because of the storm clouds and our next leg was an upwind beat. This boat just does so well upwind. We all hiked out over the side and put more distance between us and the competition on this leg. After round the next mark we reset the Spinnaker on a broad reach and were now flying downwind. You know you are moving when you can only look up to trim the Spinnaker but can hear the rush of water as you coast to the next mark.

After rounding the last mark, it was a reach to the finish line. The result was another first place in class and actually found out that we were the fastest boat with the exception of the Melges 24's. This was definitely another great race for us. Although I'd like to trim Jib, with the amount of crew on board everyone needs something to do, so Spinnaker trimming is cool as well. Let's see if this coming weekend has to offer in the way of sailing.

Hemingway's Key West Crib

In the interest of using this blog to keep up with my activities, not only related to sailing, I wanted to share some recent pictures taken. Below is a link to some cool pics taken at the Hemingway House in Key West.

http://picasaweb.google.com/101365712098774386107/HemingwayKeyWestHouse#



This is a picture of the lighthouse that is visible from the balcony outside of Hemingway's bedroom.

On the sailing end of things, we had a practice last night on Cool Change so that the current crew could get accustomed to Spinnaker sets and Gybes. The evening way beautiful with a light breeze and we were able to get in a bunch of sets, Gybes and dousings. Tonight is the scheduled Thursday Night Races at DIYC. Let's see if all that practice paid off when you are in a hurry and under pressure of the competition.

Mobile Post

With new changes to my sailing blog and I have added the feature of
being able to post updates via email. Let's see how this works.

It should be real cool for adding updates and pictures on the fly.

New Blogspot and New Post

I have always had a love for boats and the water since my teenage years, especially a curiosity towards the art of sailing. When I turned 37 I finally started on the plan to learn and experience what sailing was all about. My learning curve has been very quick because of things like reading a Basic Keelboat Book and taking a course that enabled me to use club boats for a year, getting involved with a group that races every Thursday evening in my area, participating in longer distance races as well as cruising along the gulf coast. From there I have developed several friendships that have afforded me the ability to experience different boats, sailing conditions and opportunities. My only regret is not to have pursued this sooner in life. Who knows where I would have sailed or what other experiences I would have had at a younger age.

I almost always have a book on sailing close at hand. I have taken some courses from the US Power Squadron in my area, which is definitely a great resource for any aspect of water sport. Through this group I have taken a Boat Safety course, Seamanship, Charting and am planning on taking the first course in Coastal Piloting.

I have a previous blog here in Blogspot that has some information on previous experiences but I hope to use this new location for future posts and to enhance the content much further. If anyone reads this, they are welcome to read through the previous location. The url link is http://mysailingexperiences.blogspot.com/


My goals for this new blog is to serve as my journal of experiences, lessons and as a reflection to look back on over time. I don’t know if others will stumble upon this blog but I hope to create something that will be enjoyable to read with good content, pictures and stories.



This is a picture I took of a Beautiful classic sailboat while on a recent sailing adventure to Key West last month. I will work on a post with details of my trip as well as adding some more awesome pictures, both sailing and just cool other pictures.