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New Boat 4 Sled
- Thread starter sleddog
- Start date
MAGICdreamer
Member
Checking on the "M" and should get back to you soon. Craig
Having worked with America's Cup designers and builders, and trained with an America's Cup crew, you and I can discuss "trickle down" to modern sailing 'til the cows come home. Remember keel wings? For every advancement, there have also been brief faddish flops.
Certainly the America’s Cup, past and present, has no shortage of wealth to support the historical competition. Look to Bermuda, where currently seven 135 foot J-Class yachts are racing with the best skippers, crews, sails, spars and rigging money can buy. J-Class, the peak of their design era, and the most beautiful yachts ever launched.
As Howard (MOKU) and I (WILDFLOWER) sailed our small plywood, home-built cats side by side yesterday in calm waters off Santa Cruz, I reflected that with all the technological advancement in sailing the past century, the multi-million dollar catamarans with sophisticated and fragile wing masts and knife sharp foils currently flying above the green-backed waters of Bermuda's Great Sound would not be going faster. ORACLE or TEAM NEW ZEALAND, the 49 foot AC cats, can't be sailed if the windspeed is 5 knots or less. Like it was yesterday in deep blue Pacific waters off Santa Cruz as Howard and I glided side-by-side in 2-5 knots of wind, enjoying an afternoon afloat.
Further reflection brought a smile to my face. Another catamaran was making history yesterday half-way around the world from Bermuda.
Led by 7 other traditional voyaging canoes, early yesterday morning, under a rainbow, and three years after setting sail from Hawaii using only the stars, the wind and ancient Polynesian navigation techniques to voyage around the world, the HOKULE'A, a traditional double-hulled Hawaiian sailing canoe, rounded Diamond Head from the east and arrived home in Honolulu.
Tens of thousands, both ashore and afloat, welcomed HOKULE'A home, a tearful, joyful, emotional and historical homecoming marking the end of a voyage. A voyage that covered 40,000 miles and visited 150 ports in 23 nations with the mission of connecting and inspiring to help take care of Island Earth, the only Earth we have, for now and future generations.
Aloha! HOKULE'A. You have done a remarkable service and your story will be told for generations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvb-MjiqIY8
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Daydreamer
SAILOR
Hi Sled,
I would be honored to accept your offer of a visit to your place, see your memorabilia, and discuss SHTP.
I am always fascinated with your posts.
My contact is gca at goldrush dot com
Greg
I would be honored to accept your offer of a visit to your place, see your memorabilia, and discuss SHTP.
I am always fascinated with your posts.
My contact is gca at goldrush dot com
Greg
It's good to hear a member of our tribe, Christian W. will be departing shortly on a solo passage from Southern CA to Oahu and return. Christian, as you know, is author of the well received audiobook Alone Together: Sailing Solo to Hawaii and Beyond and an offshore veteran. Although on different boats, both Christian and I were in the '79 Fastnet Race storm and have shared memories of those days.
I queried Christian why he is choosing to landfall at Ko Olina on the southeast shore of Oahu for his upcoming passage.
"Cause the Transpac fleet ate all the transient slips and apparently Hawaii is closing other slips for “Improvement”. The sales job on my family was that they get to visit a different island. And they bought it."
I think this is a good choice by Christian. The weather, sealife, water clarity and scenery along that section of shoreline, the Waianae Coast, between Barbers Point and Kaena Point, is as nice as it gets in Hawaii. Tradewinds lie nearby to the south of Barbers Point, daily winds are gentle afternoon onshore seabreezes, and sea conditions are smooth in the lee of land.
Christian will be sailing his well traveled 1984 Erickson 38.
Fairwinds my friend!
I queried Christian why he is choosing to landfall at Ko Olina on the southeast shore of Oahu for his upcoming passage.
"Cause the Transpac fleet ate all the transient slips and apparently Hawaii is closing other slips for “Improvement”. The sales job on my family was that they get to visit a different island. And they bought it."
I think this is a good choice by Christian. The weather, sealife, water clarity and scenery along that section of shoreline, the Waianae Coast, between Barbers Point and Kaena Point, is as nice as it gets in Hawaii. Tradewinds lie nearby to the south of Barbers Point, daily winds are gentle afternoon onshore seabreezes, and sea conditions are smooth in the lee of land.
Christian will be sailing his well traveled 1984 Erickson 38.
Fairwinds my friend!
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Been there, done that. In the '61 Transpac aboard the 49' S&S yawl KIALOA, back when sextants were the only navigational instrument of choice, we entered the legendary Molokai (Kaiwi) Channel just before sunset.
There it was backlit by the sun under the yellow spinnaker, my first Hawaii landfall: Oahu to starboard and Molokai to port. Pleased we'd be finished in a few hours, our crew of 8 were all smiles. That is until we noticed an additional island straight ahead where an island shouldn't be.
The navigator consulted his charts. Whoops, we were in the wrong approach channel, the Pailolo, not the Molokai. That was Molokai to starboard, not Oahu. Maui to port, and the island of Lanai straight ahead.
Down spinnaker, up jib, sundowners spilled on the cockpit floor as we sheepishly altered course 90 degrees to starboard and laid the lee rail under.....
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BobJ
Alerion 38 "Surprise!"
My goodness, the random charter boats here in Friday Harbor put ours to shame.
The 72' 1939 Alden tops'l schooner DIRIGO II, the 42' 1934 Alden cutter IRIS (built by the Stone Boat Yard in Alameda), the 62' 1977 Sloan schooner SPIKE AFRICA, a Seawitch ketch (I think) and a pilothouse sloop:
The 72' 1939 Alden tops'l schooner DIRIGO II, the 42' 1934 Alden cutter IRIS (built by the Stone Boat Yard in Alameda), the 62' 1977 Sloan schooner SPIKE AFRICA, a Seawitch ketch (I think) and a pilothouse sloop:
BobJ
Alerion 38 "Surprise!"
I'm sorry some of those photos got cut off - cell phone shots plus a slow WiFi connection. I'll try again when I have bigger wires.
What's the story on SPIKE AFRICA? For a boat designed by Mr. Sloan himself and allegedly built in his Newport Beach back yard, she has stunning lines and appears to be in excellent shape.
What's the story on SPIKE AFRICA? For a boat designed by Mr. Sloan himself and allegedly built in his Newport Beach back yard, she has stunning lines and appears to be in excellent shape.
Ah, SPIKE AFRICA, one of the loveliest vessels afloat. Captain Sloan designed and built her as a working schooner and she had a large main hold amidships for cargo, now converted to cabins. Sloan carried cargo, mostly racing boat sails and delivery gear, up and down the West Coast and Mexico and frequently to Hawaii and return during Transpac.
Sloan, the consummate working schooner man, loved SPIKE AFRICA. His passing is mourned by schooner people and sailors to this day. Unfortunately, Sloan's SPIKE AFRICA fell on hard times. But she has now been rescued and restored by a wealthy individual in Friday Harbor. This person also owns the Sea Witch ketch in your photos.
SPIKE AFRICA now does sunset sails, day charters, overnights, and schooner races based out of Friday Harbor. I have seen SPIKE AFRICA several times up in Desolation Sound and Princess Louisa. What a ship! If you can ever get a ride, I recommend SPIKE AFRICA as the real deal. Unfortunately, the light winds of the Pacific NW doesn't do her sailing capabilities justice.
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Karl Kruger aboard HEART OF GOLD became the first Stand Up Paddleboard to finish the Race2Alaska yesterday in a time of 14 days. Karl is not a crazy guy, but a good sailor with a well planned and practiced approach to the challenge. It was not easy, especially wind against tide in the 45 mile Grenville Channel.
Congratulations, Karl. Respect. Karl's other boat is the 50 foot, ex-IOR racing sloop TOMAHAWK at Deer Harbor, Orcas Island.
Further south, the first EPAC hurricane of the season, DORA, has developed 200 miles off the Mexican Mainland Coast, abeam Cabo Corrientes, and is moving NW. Winds currently near 80 knots. No land is threatened, with DORA forecast to track south of Cabo San Lucas and north of the Revillagigedo Islands (Socorro, et.al.)
DORA will be short lived, and begin to weaken in the next few days, dissipating in 96 hours. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/?epac
Congratulations, Karl. Respect. Karl's other boat is the 50 foot, ex-IOR racing sloop TOMAHAWK at Deer Harbor, Orcas Island.
Further south, the first EPAC hurricane of the season, DORA, has developed 200 miles off the Mexican Mainland Coast, abeam Cabo Corrientes, and is moving NW. Winds currently near 80 knots. No land is threatened, with DORA forecast to track south of Cabo San Lucas and north of the Revillagigedo Islands (Socorro, et.al.)
DORA will be short lived, and begin to weaken in the next few days, dissipating in 96 hours. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/?epac
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Long time friend and famed yacht designer Doug Peterson passed yesterday in his hometown of San Diego. He was 71.
In the early '70's, Doug's breakthrough IOR design GANBARE revolutionized yacht design. GANBARE ("good luck" in Japanese) was built in 7 weeks on shoestring of $15,000 by Doug Peterson and Carl Eichenlaub. In an era of tortured hull shapes, GANBARE's sweet canoe underbody and hydrodynamic fin keel showed her transom to some of the world's best One Ton class racers in San Diego in 1973 and began the Peterson legend.
I had the good fortune to sail on many of Doug Peterson's designs including CHECKMATE, BULL FROG, JURA and SCARLETT O'HARA. They were always sweet to steer, upwind and down, and you knew you were on something special.
Doug Peterson was a non-conformist from the get-go, sporting a shaggy beard, unkept hair, plaid shorts, and nerdy glasses...Despite the shaggy look, Doug was a fierce competitor and excellent helmsman, having grown up around boats in San Diego and later sailing with the band of San Francisco ragtag hippies aboard George Kiskaddon's 33 foot SPIRIT.
Doug Peterson's many designs continue to ply the world's oceans with grace and speed and we can be thankful such a talented sailor put his intuitive and visionary yacht design skills to good use.
Sail On, Dougie.
In the early '70's, Doug's breakthrough IOR design GANBARE revolutionized yacht design. GANBARE ("good luck" in Japanese) was built in 7 weeks on shoestring of $15,000 by Doug Peterson and Carl Eichenlaub. In an era of tortured hull shapes, GANBARE's sweet canoe underbody and hydrodynamic fin keel showed her transom to some of the world's best One Ton class racers in San Diego in 1973 and began the Peterson legend.
I had the good fortune to sail on many of Doug Peterson's designs including CHECKMATE, BULL FROG, JURA and SCARLETT O'HARA. They were always sweet to steer, upwind and down, and you knew you were on something special.
Doug Peterson was a non-conformist from the get-go, sporting a shaggy beard, unkept hair, plaid shorts, and nerdy glasses...Despite the shaggy look, Doug was a fierce competitor and excellent helmsman, having grown up around boats in San Diego and later sailing with the band of San Francisco ragtag hippies aboard George Kiskaddon's 33 foot SPIRIT.
Doug Peterson's many designs continue to ply the world's oceans with grace and speed and we can be thankful such a talented sailor put his intuitive and visionary yacht design skills to good use.
Sail On, Dougie.
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Exciting news for shipwreck aficionados. The storied Coast Guard cutter U.S.S. McCULLOCH has been discovered by a NOAA ROV 3 miles northwest of Pt. Conception where she sank 100 years ago in a collision with the passenger ship SS GOVERNOR. The northbound McCULLOCH, steaming at 8 knots in zero visibility/ fog was T-boned by the southbound GOVERNOR, making 14 knots. Both ships heard each other's foghorn. But it was too late. The McCULLOCH sank in 30 minutes in 300 feet on June 13, 1917. One life was reported lost.
Converted to steam from a 3-master, The McCULLOCH was based in San Francisco and considered the largest cutter of its era. The McCULLOCH was capable of 17 knots, as well as breaking ice with her reinforced hull.
During her 20-year career, the McCULLOCH cruised the Pacific, enforced fur seal regulations in Alaska waters, served as a floating courtroom in remote areas, and joined US. Asiatic Squadron during the Spanish-American War
Federal regulations apply to the wreck of the McCULLOCH, and no artifacts may be removed.
Bonus points for naming what other famous shipwrecks occurred in the McCULLOCH's vicinity at 9 pm, Sept. 8, 1923, and the cause. 1) Fog 2) Earthquake 3) navigational error of overestimating speed 4) Following orders 5) All of the above.
Converted to steam from a 3-master, The McCULLOCH was based in San Francisco and considered the largest cutter of its era. The McCULLOCH was capable of 17 knots, as well as breaking ice with her reinforced hull.
During her 20-year career, the McCULLOCH cruised the Pacific, enforced fur seal regulations in Alaska waters, served as a floating courtroom in remote areas, and joined US. Asiatic Squadron during the Spanish-American War
Federal regulations apply to the wreck of the McCULLOCH, and no artifacts may be removed.
Bonus points for naming what other famous shipwrecks occurred in the McCULLOCH's vicinity at 9 pm, Sept. 8, 1923, and the cause. 1) Fog 2) Earthquake 3) navigational error of overestimating speed 4) Following orders 5) All of the above.
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Much thanks to RED ROO of Cambridge for forwarding photos of the recent Tall Ships Festival at Boston Harbor, especially photos of JOLIE BRISE, the first Fastnet Race winner in 1925. And twice thereafter.
View of JOLIE BRISE's bowsprit
"And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the tiller's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking."
Canada's National Pride and Ambassador and replica of BLUENOSE, her most famous racing ship, Angus Walters, captain. Note main boom length = 81 feet
View of JOLIE BRISE's bowsprit
"And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the tiller's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking."
Canada's National Pride and Ambassador and replica of BLUENOSE, her most famous racing ship, Angus Walters, captain. Note main boom length = 81 feet
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Daydreamer
SAILOR
I like the "modern" plumb bow of JOLIE BRISE and the reverse "wave piercing" bow of the U.S.S. McCULLOCH.
Everything old is new again.!
Everything old is new again.!