New Boat 4 Sled

[sleddog]

Though INTERMISSION doesn't definitely say "TWS = 4 knots," I take his answer as being correct, "a North wind at 4 knots." Congrats! Come for a visit anytime to CBC and collect your edible prize.

AlanH: yours is a pretty good guess, one I hadn't even considered. Santa Cruz Harbor can get 4 knots of current during winter storms and tsunamis due to bathtub like sloshing in its long, narrow configuration. But we needed TWS as an answer and the boat was 200 meters seaward of the Crow's Nest. That's in the Pacific Ocean.. WILDFLOWER was pretty fast, but not 4 knots BS in 4 knots TWS fast. That would mean the AWA was greater than 4 knots, and in fact it was 0.

The bonus still stands unanswered. The proximity of the Crows Nest is a blue heron.. There was a smell of french fries, and it did indicate a TWS of 4 knots. But leave the Nest out of it. That's not the origin of the french fries smell. Nor was it Aldos.

I'll bet Jonathan Gutoff knows. But he's busy with a "plumbing disaster."

 

[Howard Spruit]

I think Bio Deisel running WF's engine might account for the french fry smell.

 

[Jonathan Gutoff]

I agree with Howard. Could you add some garlic to the mix and make it garlic fry diesel?

 

[Philpott]

New Boat 4 Dazzler. Sweet. ~sleddog

Indeed. All lines lead to another Dazzler.



She is in the Richmond Yacht Club Harbor now. Tim the Harbormaster made room for her. For Tom, too.



She's a beautiful boat. Clean lines. Everything within eyesight. And with Tom sailing her? He says, yes he will be racing again. Another Wyliecat on the course. hehehe. That'll be fun to watch.

 

[sleddog]

A brief conversation yesterday with a singlehander, Phillipe from Argentina, who'd recently arrived in Santa Cruz Harbor on his 32 foot cruising cutter IMILOA on less than auspicious circumstances. Leaving San Francisco heading south, he'd hit 30 knot winds and rough seas and hadn't had rest as he closed the coast in the dark.

About 0400, 5 miles north of Santa Cruz, the wind went calm as it often does and Phillipe began motoring. In the dark in about 200' of water, and when he was briefly below, there was a loud clunk and the motor suddenly stopped.

Phillipe went on deck to find he'd fouled a crab pot and there were two buoys trailing astern with the rope snagged under his boat and fouled in his prop. He cut the line, but the motor, a Yanmar 3 with 3 bladed prop, wouldn't run. Vessel Assist was called and towed him into Santa Cruz Harbor, a $600 proposition if he had not been a member of the towing service.

Yesterday Phillipe dove under his boat and cut away the fouled line from the prop. He found the engine would run, but not in reverse. Phillipe suspects there is damage somewhere between the transmission and propeller and will have the boat hauled today for inspection. Not what he had planned on.

Word to coastal sailors: in vicinity of Santa Cruz, (and off Half Moon Bay and elsewhere) there are many dozens of recreational crab pots with lines to small floats that are nearly invisible at night. And it's not even commercial crab season, which opens Dec. 15. Recreational crabbers are allowed 5 pots/person, max 10 pots/boat.

Most crab pots have 2 floats about 5-10 feet apart, one float being partially or fully submerged. Phillipe said he was not aware of these potential obstacles when he set out. With 50' or more of slack in the rope running from the crab pot to the buoys on the surface, there can be a boat length or more of rope on the surface. Multiply this by a great number of crab pots often laid in rows and there are large areas of oceanic fences to snag unsuspecting sailors and whales. Equally unfortunate, the crab pot that was cut away and abandoned will likely continue to catch crabs.

I know there are proposed solutions to this problem. I haven't seen any in action. Too expensive or impractical? Maine has similar issues with lobster pots. One partial solution for sailors is to minimize night time passages along the coast and/or have a lookout forward with quick access to engine throttle/gear shift.
Another is, if a rope is wrapped around the prop, to stop the engine in neutral and rotate the prop shaft in reverse by hand. Sometimes you get lucky and can unwind a Gordian knot.

Possibly someone has experience with cutters, aka "spurs," fitted to the prop shaft. I do not.

 

[BobJ]

Indeed. All lines lead to another Dazzler.

Wow - what do all those lines do? It's a "simple" cat boat, right?

I ended up with seven rope clutches across Rags' cabintop (stock J/92s had three), plus three cam cleats. I'd have to scratch my head to remember what lines they held (and it's only been a year).

 

[sleddog]

BobJ[/B];24846]Wow - what do all those lines do? It's a "simple" cat boat, right?
I ended up with seven rope clutches across Rags' cabintop (stock J/92s had three), plus three cam cleats. I'd have to scratch my head to remember what lines they held (and it's only been a year).

Though I haven't seen Tom's boat, I'll take a guess at what all those lines are leading aft. Mileage may vary.

Port side (in Jackie's pic) in no particular order are the port side choker, the topping lift, a Cunningham, the reef tack downhaul, and the vang. Starboard side, out of view, is a winch, and the main halyard, the outhaul, the reef clew outhaul, all led through clutches, and the starboard side choker cam.

The mainsheet and choker are the most important lines on the boat. The choker is adjustable from either side. The choker pulls the front end of the wishbone aft and flattens the sail, or when eased, relaxes wishbone tension and makes the sail fuller.

The likely reason the upper lifeline is low on the aft pushpit is to facilitate the mainsheet passing cleanly on gybes.

We'll see if Tom P. or Wylieguy validates any of this, or, more likely, I'm off in left field.

 

[Wylieguy]

"Simple's" definition is complex. On "NANCY" there are: (1) a double-ended mainsheet, (2) a double-ended "choker"), (3) a sail halyard, (4) a "boom vang" (although it 's not a vang), (5) a downhaul/Cunningham (combined on 1 line since the tack "floats"), (6) 2 reefing lines, and (7) a topping lift. If you count the "ends" it comes to 10. Other Wylie are rigged similar, but there are variations.

You'd be surprised how much adjustment(s) occur. It's a "simple" sail with a million shapes.

 

[BobJ]

Scratching my head didn't work so I looked up Rags' cabintop running rigging.

The seven clutches were for five halyards: Main, jib 1, jib 2 (also used for a pole lift), spin 1, and spin 2 (non-stretch for the code zero). The other two clutches were for the spinny tack line, and one shared between the jib's inhauler and the solent stay tail.

The three cam cleats were for the cunningham and two vang tails. I forgot four more cam cleats - one for each genoa car adjuster and two for the snuffer up/down lines.

Poor little boat...

 

[sleddog]

I think Bio Diesel running WF's engine might account for the french fry smell.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner. Howard and Yvonne not only get a chicken dinner but stuffing too with all the trimmings.

WILDFLOWER was motoring just outside Santa Cruz Harbor at 4 knots. The wind was light Northerly, dead astern, at TWS = 4 knots. The AWS was zero, and the fragrant smell of bio-diesel exhaust would attract crew aft, where they would roost, laughing and marveling at the french fry smell from exhaust of the Yanmar 1GM 10 diesel engine that was burning 100% bio-diesel.

I tried to run 100% bio-diesel, but not always possible. Even a 10% bio mix with petroleum diesel was beneficial and the exhaust was not obnoxious. During this time, the Santa Cruz dredge and work boats were also being run on bio-diesel with a government subsidy.

Unlike the soy diesel WILDFLOWER was running, bio-diesel these days is usually made from filtered, waste restaurant cooking oil. It is 100% EPA compliant, provides excellent environmental benefits, and is available here in Santa Cruz at $4/gallon.

 

[tiger beetle]

The seven clutches were for five halyards: Main, jib 1, jib 2 (also used for a pole lift), spin 1, and spin 2 (non-stretch for the code zero). The other two clutches were for the spinny tack line, and one shared between the jib's inhauler and the solent stay tail.

The three cam cleats were for the cunningham and two vang tails. I forgot four more cam cleats - one for each genoa car adjuster and two for the snuffer up/down lines.

The way I look at it, every string is something to tug on that might make the boat go fasterer!

- rob/beetle

 

[Tom P.]

Though I haven't seen Tom's boat, I'll take a guess at what all those lines are...

Sled got it pretty much right, but what he didn't known is that my new boat has two halyards. There's some rigging variation among the WC30's and I expect to yet make a few changes.

Deceptively "simple"... As Pat alluded, it's not as simple as it looks. When I sold the former DAZZLER, I warned the new owner to expect at least a season's learning curve. He was not patient.

I've had the boat less than a week and I'm going to enjoy the process of making it my own. There will be some changes.



Tom P.
Wyliecat 30 - DAZZLER

 

[Tom P.]

Though I haven't seen Tom's boat...
The likely reason the upper lifeline is low on the aft pushpit is to facilitate the mainsheet passing cleanly on gybes.

Gybing a Wyliecat on a blustery summer afternoon is a religious experience. One has to be a believer that it will all work out. Its’s properly called a “Hudson River Gybe” (look it up). The boom is about 20’ long so that means there is a lot of free running sheet flying across the back end. Trust me, if there’s anything to catch on, the sheet will find it.

 

[Wylieguy]

Sled, It isn't so much that the mainsheet (which is doubled and nearly 30' long on a running jibe) catches. It's more that the mainsheet drags down on the top safety line with standard stanchions when running. The lower pushpit and resulting sloping lifelines allow the mainsheet to extend out without "humping" over the top safety line. I've decided to keep the original stanchions and live with things. I've also wondered if lower stanchions would comply with a strict interpretation of offshore safety requirements. It is important for a top lifeline across the transom to keep the sheet from snagging.

On a jibe, the mainsheet is completely unloaded as it crosses the boat. I guide all that slack line across with one hand as it passes through the cockpit. And let go before it takes up. A Wyliecat jibe looks dramatic, but it's actually pretty controlled, considering how much sail, mainsheet, and wishbone boom is swinging thru an arc that's about 50' wide. The sail/battens snapping is loud and frightening to newcomers. It's a good idea to keep bodies in front of the tiller however; getting pinned against those pesky lifelines at the jibe's conclusion is painful (don't ask). The wishbone boom is high enough that getting conked by it isn't going to happen. You'd be swept over the side by the lower part of the sail instead if you were to stand up during a tack or jibe.

Jibing in the middle of dark nights with 25+ knot wind and 15 foot swells on the way to Hawaii is another jibe story, however. For another day.

You're invited to come sailing some windy day. Pat Broderick

 

[sleddog]

Gybing a Wyliecat on a blustery summer afternoon is a religious experience. One has to be a believer that it will all work out. It's properly called a “Hudson River Gybe” (look it up). The boom is about 20’ long so that means there is a lot of free running sheet flying across the back end. Trust me, if there’s anything to catch on, the sheet will find it.

Thanks all for educational elucidations, especially gybing techniques and terminology on catboats. DAZZLER wins the trivia prize for "Hudson River Gybe" and I didn't even have to ask the question, hihi.

Vital to a traditional Hudson River Gybe is something called a "Patent Horse." Anyone know what that is and where you might see one?

The photo of Tom Wylie and someone else shows something cool about Wyliecats of all sizes.



You can cruise around all day under sail, with Aunt Gertrude and the dog, in pretty much any breeze, gybing fearlessly in the Slot, without even having to take the mainsail cover off...Just hoist the sail so the first batten is wishbone height, and off you go, sailing out of the slip faster than I could say "Hudson River Gybe" and "Bob's Your Uncle."

I haven't heard Wylieguy's jibing story. Sounds inspirational and we might learn even more, which is one reason I like to post here. If it was me considering "jibing in the middle of dark nights with 25+ knot wind and 15 foot swells on the way to Hawaii..." I think I'd consider lowering the main to the above mentioned first batten height and "gybe ho!" to anyone listening. That technique might have helped win the 2018 SHTP.

DKW would say "you're all wusses."
"Coach raced a Wyliecat30 to Hawaii, and singlehanded back without an autopilot."

Who the heck is "Coach," and what does he know we don't?

 

[sleddog]

Look at all the pretty colors!

Last night's graveyard shift National Weather Service forecaster must have gotten bored and pulled out his colored pencils.

 

[Tom P.]

I've also wondered if lower stanchions would comply with a strict interpretation of offshore safety requirements.

Jibing in the middle of dark nights with 25+ knot wind and 15 foot swells on the way to Hawaii is another jibe story, however. For another day.

Pat, I considered the implications of the lowered stanchions. I think you are right that they don’t meet the lifeline height requirements for offshore. The boat also has perfectly lovely vinyl coated wire lifelines. Jackie assumed I was going to change them to “cheese cutters.” I expressed my opinion that the requirement is aimed at people who don’t know how to maintain their boats. For now, I have no intention of going offshore.

We look forward to reading your jibing story.

 

[Tom P.]

Vital to a traditional Hudson River Gybe is something called a "Patent Horse." Anyone know what that is and where you might see one?

DKW would say "you're all wusses."
"Coach raced a Wyliecat30 to Hawaii, and singlehanded back without an autopilot."

Who the heck is "Coach," and what does he know we don't?

You’ll particularly find Patent Horses on gaff rigged sailboats. I’m trying to remember where I’ve seen them locally. Maybe GAS LIGHT or ALMA.

And of course “Coach” is WMT, Jr.

 

[WBChristie]

View attachment 4918

Look at all the pretty colors!

Last night's graveyard shift National Weather Service forecaster must have gotten bored and pulled out his colored pencils.

Yes, well here in southern Oregon we are tying things down. House roof is next.

 

[sleddog]

Yes, well here in southern Oregon we are tying things down. House roof is next.

Gary is not kidding about tying down the house roof. There's an historical meterological "bomb cyclone" with direct aim at Brookings, Oregon due to arrive this afternoon with storm force winds 55 knots and higher, waves to 36 feet.

The weathermen are bug-eyed about this rapidly deteriorating weather situation featuring a precipitous drop in barometric pressure to 978 mb.. Hang on, Gary!

https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/