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Farallones Race Questions

Philpott

Philpott

Cal 2-27 Dura Mater
Looking at my newly purchased map of the Farallones, and comparing it to the race tracks from last year, I see that this race is not around the Farallones but around only the Southeast Farallon. Not to be rounded are the North or Middle Farallones, nor Noonday Rock or Fanny Shoal. Unless our race, titled the Singlehanded Farallones Race, is different from the Full Crew Farallones race? Aren't you all glad I ask the dumb questions, so you don't have to do so?
 
You can round those other rocks if you really wish to -- but only SE Farallon is required! Keep a good lookout for whales, they are often right there within a mile of SEF itself.
 
Is anyone interested in doing a write up of his/her experience in this race? Course? How and when to avoid the potato patch?
 
Philpott said:
Is anyone interested in doing a write up of his/her experience in this race? Course? How and when to avoid the potato patch?
Click to expand...

Here is my writeup of the full crewed version last year, yes the LSC year

http://neversealand.downtothesea.org/2012/04/16/oyra-farallones-2012/

I did the DHF last month, and did not write it up -- a pretty inglorious outing for us, pretty much reachy-reachy on fairly flat seas.

I entered the SHF two years ago, but it was very rough, and I pulled out. I think Red Sky and Culebra also retired, at least one with damage from the very boisterous seas. In the meantime I have gone to hanked on headsails, which when short-handed make it easier (though slow) to change headsails.

This year my goal is just to finish. We will see if I have guts enough to set the spin.
 
Philpott said:
Looking at my newly purchased map of the Farallones, and comparing it to the race tracks from last year, I see that this race is not around the Farallones but around only the Southeast Farallon. Not to be rounded are the North or Middle Farallones, nor Noonday Rock or Fanny Shoal. Unless our race, titled the Singlehanded Farallones Race, is different from the Full Crew Farallones race? Aren't you all glad I ask the dumb questions, so you don't have to do so?
Click to expand...

S.E. Farallon Island.jpg

Jackie, All the "Farallones" races (OYRA, BAMA, SSS) only go around the S. E. Farallon Island. If you want to get techincal, however, they also go around Maintop I. and Seal Rock since the "S.E. Farallon Island is actually a small group of islands.
The Middle Farallon Island is just a single rock jutting up a mile+ N of the S.E. Farallon. It's difficult to see in bad conditions, especially fog. Good idea to have it in your GPS just for good measure. It's not marked/lit and high tide doesn't stick up very much.
The North Farallones are a small group of sharply tilted rocks sticking up about 5 nm NW of the S.E. Farallon. Fanny Shoals is another couple of miles NW and is marked with a buoy (and named for the clipper ship "FANNY" that found it in the 19th Century and whose remains are still there).
You can see both the Middle and North Farallones to the NW as you approach the S.E. Farallon - if the weather's clear and you're not too busy dealing with heavy swells. About the only time any SSSers sail up around the N. Farallones or Fanny Shoals is coming or going on the LongPac. If you ever drive up to Bolinas on a clear day, the N. Farallones are clearly visible from Duxbury Point. If you know where to look, you can see the Fanny Shoals buoy with bonics, too.
 
Saw the North Farallones up close and personal for the first time last July when delivering the boat after the SH Transpac. I was surprised to see they were more rocks then islands - though large enough to be considered islands. A lot of shear vertical rock walls. I found more beautiful then the SE Farallones (without the stink too :-)). There was a humpback doing full body breaches at the same time... it was the middle of the afternoon under a clear blue sky... the whole thing was a bit surreal.
 
Returning on the 2010 LongPac, Michael and I were too far north (long story) and came in just north of Fanny Shoals shortly after sunset. We turned south and sailed along inside the North Farallones. There was enough moon and it was partially foggy/overcast, but clear enough to make things out most of the time. It was eery and beautiful as we passed those slanted rocks with the moonlight glinting off of them through a haze that came and went. Sort of cubist-painting-like. Like Jim says, they are almost surreal -- and maybe worth a trip up that way just to see them. They're unlike anything else you'll see along our coast.
 
David's ("pogen") write-up of the 2012 OYRA Crewed race (linked above) provides some good descriptions of how it can be out there. I would read this carefully and consider your boat's ability (and your personal ability) to endure these conditions for several (many) hours, since that's what you may need to do. It is important to have what you need in the cockpit and to be careful while below. If something is out of place (a line gets loose, etc.) fix it immediately - problems can compound quickly in those conditions.

To avoid any possible confusion from his write-up, the Crewed race allows you to round SE Farallon in either direction and he rounded with the island to starboard. Our (SH) race requires that you round with the island kept to port.

A few additional thoughts:

Because of its length the race starts early (0835) and that increases the likelihood the wind will be light at the start. Together with the ebb, this makes the three restricted areas a challenge (Anita Rock, H-Beam and the So. Tower) - and even more so this year since we'll be starting at the St. Francis YC. Some years, boats have not been able to clear the So. Tower and have had to drop out. So after your start, get onto port tack as soon as you can and work out towards center span. Also, plan way ahead for ship traffic because it may take a long time to get out of their way.

Assuming the prevailing NW wind, your result in the race will be determined largely by how well you can stay on the north side of the course. It is typical to get lifted as you sail west (on starboard tack) and this helps, but to round SE Farallon at a safe distance you may need to tack to the north (onto port) for awhile. Typically, the wind bends and becomes more of a westerly closer to the coast. That makes a hitch to the north less costly if you take it earlier, but it's harder to know how far to go before tacking back onto starboard. I plan my exit of the Gate (the strait not the bridge) to be on the north side as I pass Pt. Bonita. Comparing your boat speed to SOG (on the GPS) will enable you to stay in the ebb, and I've found it doesn't drop off as much as most skippers think on the north side of the flow. Staying on the north side from the outset helps you to get some money in the bank.

When I pass Bonita and get out into the bigger breeze and chop I make my first evaluation whether to continue. Do I have everything at hand? Is the boat doing okay? Am I liking this? (etc.) I have yet to hear a skipper criticized for making the decision to turn around - it's called good seamanship and is respected.

Again, assuming the prevailing NW wind, I usually sail out just north of the ship channel, between it and the Fourfathom Bank (including Potatopatch Shoal). I don't sail in the main ship channel and I try to stay outside the northern boundary of the westbound traffic lane (see a chart). If you decide to take an early hitch to the north, I don't recommend doing it until you reach G "1" to avoid crossing the Fourfathom Bank.

More later (if this is helpful) . . .
 
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I agree with Bob's strategy. Starting at the SfFYC can make it difficult to clear the S. Tower if you don't get out into the middle as quickly as possible. The problem is we're Starting just after Slack and the Ebb forms first along the seawall in front of the SfFYC. That means there's likely to be more current in than out during the Starting Sequence, but the Ebb will build out toward the middle. I always think it's a good idea to get to the Start Area a little early and "feel" where there's Ebb and how strong it is. Of course you don't want to be caught on the OCS of the Start Line with an Ebb and probable early light wind! That's why "LSC" was an hour late in last year's OYRA Farallones Race.
I like the North side at Bonita. I probably tack North sooner than Bob suggests if I look to the NW across the Four Fathom Bank and it looks okay. But, if the wind's got enough North in it, I continue North of the shipping channel, trying to stay above the layline to the island. I always want to decide whether to go North or stay headed out by the Lightship. If you get South of the island when you're at 123º W, it's a long, long, long slog up to get around it! I've always found the tacking angles at the S.E. Farallon to be incredibly wide.
The island is actually a little WSW of Pt. Bonita (about 240ºm); if you sailed directly West you'd probably find Noon Day Rock (another clipper ship) and Fanny Shoals instead of the S.W. Farallon.
It's about 60ºm back to Bonita.
 
More . . .

A good resource is the buoy reports, including Dial-a-Buoy. It's an electronic voice and the data comes quickly so you should try to get below and out of the wind before calling, and have a pencil ready. It's great data and only 60-90 minutes old. The number to call is (888) 701-8992, then Press 1 to enter a station number.

For this race I like 46026 (18 nm W of SF). You'll hear wind data first (speed, gusts and direction) and then a wave summary including swell height, period and direction and windwave height, period and direction - just what Jim A discussed at the meeting.

I also like 46237 (SF Bar). No wind data from this one but the same wave summary. Most stations also give you the pressure and air and water temperature. A couple other stations for future reference: 38721 (Fort Point) and 46012 (HMB - offshore).

Briefly . . . old school SSS wisdom for a port rounding of SE Farallon in the prevailing NW's: For the last three hours you've been staring at the knob on the NE corner of the island. Pass it well outside the 4.5 fathom shelf (see the chartlet on the race entry page), then DON'T BEAR OFF until you pass the NW corner of the island (actually Maintop Is.) In other words, hold 255M (= 270T = due W) as you transit the north side of the island. Don't be tempted to bear off and follow the shoreline. As you sail across the top, watch for any larger breaking waves ahead off your starboard bow. If you see any, you need to tack and get farther north.

After passing the NW corner, some skippers bear away hard and cut too close to the W side of the island - you can see these tracks on the chartlet. I almost had to fetch an Antrim 27 out of there - it's still a lee shore. Respect the six fathom contour line as most tracks on the charlet show.

Then you have the mother of all gybes at the SW corner - a chicken gybe should be considered. After you pass Seal Rock you'll have a lull (in a prevailing NW'ly) in the lee of the island. This is a good time to clean things up, check things over and make sure you have what you need in the cockpit for the ride back.

More if I get a chance . . .
 
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I always hear the words of Jeff Berman: First I leave the dock and see if I want to continue. Then, when I get to the end of the Estuary and head under bridge I check the Bay, and decide if I want to go on. When I reach the Start, another check, both before and after. For the Farallones, I see how I'm doing at Bonita, the Lightship, and whenever. If I'm not feeling right about getting that far, I turn around, call the Race Committee, and enjoy the ride home."

When I earned my blue sweatshirt, I kept that advice close. When I passed the Lightship and the wind and waves changed, I weighted whether I wanted to change headsails or turn back. I was tired....it was around 2or 3 PM....I missed my double hand. I went home. Great!
 
Thanks for the great advice Bob. You answered several questions I was pondering. Much appreciated from a rookie perspective.
 
Keep the anchor handy to prevent going over early and not being able to get back to the start line.
 
2013-05-15_113129.jpg
 
Thanks David - that's much better.

The green track going up the right hand edge of the image is what happens if you don't work the north side of the course going out (see the middle of my Post #8). That boat did a lot of hard sailing just to get back up onto the course - then he cut way too close when he finally got around the top of the island.
__________________________________

Okay, so you finally got around the island and you're headed back. You shook out the reef in the lee of SE Farallon, took a leak*, made sure you have some water and snacks in the cockpit, checked your spotlight so you can light up your sail number when you finish, etc. *BTW, I never pee over the rail when sailing single-handed, especially not while in the ocean.

As you emerge from the SE corner of the island out into the solid breeze, you broach - with no kite up. Welcome to the leg from the island to about the Lightbucket. If you have a westerly or southwesterly you can set - otherwise you might want to reach up with white sails for awhile. Easing the vang a bit will help with the broaching but how much depends on your boat. If I can't set, I run the headsail sheet through a reaching lead near the rail and sail a bit high so I can bear off and set sooner down the track. Those who set early in a NW'er often end up sailing down towards Ocean Beach, then have to douse and reach back up to the Gate. Check what the current will be for your ETA at the Colregs line, then plan how you want to come in - north side or south side.

All those waves you were bashing through while sailing out are now coming from behind and making the boat slew around. You can square off and surf them but if you do that enough you'll end up in Half Moon Bay - so there are compromises. The main point here is that as you come back towards the bar, you need to again think about breaking waves. They are much harder to see from behind and if you aren't paying attention you can find yourself in the midst of them. This is especially bad on a slower boat and is probably what happened to DAISY. So know where you are relative to the main ship channel and sail back in along its north or south side. In other words, stay in deep water if it's breaking on the bar.

If you've surfed down to the south side of the channel and it's still ebbing you can consider going inside Mile Rock for current relief - it's not restricted in our race - but I rarely do that and I don't think I ever have single-handed. A broach at the wrong time could park you on the bricks under the heli-pad, plus there are shallow spots in there. Be extremely careful if you decide to try it.

Watch over your shoulder for incoming ships and under the bridge for outgoing ships. If it's foggy or getting late, don't forget your nav lights. It gets busy near the end of the race and you don't want to get disqualified for no lights - that DSQ is automatic. I turn mine on early just so I don't forget. Call the R/C after the South Tower Demon gets done with you, to let them know you're approaching the finish. In poor visibility, please use your (required) spotlight to light up your sail number as you cross the line, then listen for those three horns and a call on the race channel to see if they want to inspect your boat. (You DID get inspected before the race, right?)

If you hung in with me through all this, the race will be a piece of cake in comparison. Have fun out there!
 
For San Francisco, the ColRegs line is between Pt. Bonita and Mile Rocks. It's labeled as the COLREGS DEMARCATION LINE on your chart (18649).

It's our exit point for the rest of the world - like the back wall of the wardrobe in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe . . . purple pen land . . . freedom.
 
Mike Jefferson ("FOXX FYRE") used to participate in the "Experienced Skipper" pre-Farrallon Race presentation. His specialty was personal preparation. His mantra was "Stay Warm, Stay Hydrated, Stay Fed." He'd even demonstrate underlayers and outerlayers, usually accompanied by hoots and gasps from the skippers present. His words of wisdom are still pertinent: Stay Warm! If you get cold, you're alone and going below to warm up isn't really an option. It's better to over dress and be warm for the first hour or two than to be cold for the important and potentially dangerous to be chilled on the longer middle part of the race. Keep plenty of water available and drink. Keep handy food in the cockpit: power bars, fruit, easy to eat stuff. It's likely you'll have your hatchboards in and be hand steering, so going below can be chancy.
Heaving To. If you need to go below for an extended period of time, heaving is an option. You've practiced heaving to singlehanded, haven't you?
Peeing. I think the most dangerous thing a male can do is pee over the side, hanging on (to a shroud). My position is kneeling in the cockpit with a hospital urinal in one hand. I know it's a greater problem for women, but you need to have a plan. I've wondered about NASA diapers myself.
Pay attention to what Bob J. said about swells on the way back in. They don't have to be breaking to get you. You can be pooped by a high swell if you're not paying attention (don't ask me why I know this - nor why I know an inflatable PFD will go off when it gets doused by that wave).
Mile Rock. I know of 3 boats that "found" the roc inside Mile Rock. There's been a Santana 35 sailing around under the Golden Gate Bridge for decades, for instance. My advice is to stay out unless you are very sure.
 
Bob-

RE: "Check what the current will be for your ETA at the Colregs line, then plan how you want to come in - north side or south side."

What is the correct strategy for current and if you are going to go in on the North or the South? I would think if there is a flood one would want to be near the center, and if there is an ebb it would be best to be south, so if the wind backs (NW to W) you would not have to jibe as soon.

Thanks,
Todd
 
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