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New Boat 4 Sled

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One of the 2023 SHTP entrants practices spinnaker handling off the Marin Headlands in a recent Lightship Race. With the rudder out of the water, and the boom in the water unable to be eased further, the boat is "pinned" until something can be done with the spinnaker. Easing the guy further is a non-starter...I guess I would ease the halyard a lot but not let it run while trimming both guy and sheet. The chute will then lay near or on the surface of the water without "shrimping." Once the boat is upright and bears off, the spinnaker can either be rehoisted with the guy back in the pole. Or gathered aboard under the boom, proceeding to the finish under white sails. With the shore so close, good thing it was a round up and not a round down.

Perhaps the skipper would care to comment so we can all learn how they got into and out of this pickle?
 
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One of the 2023 SHTP entrants practices spinnaker handling off the Marin Headlands in a recent Lightship Race. With the rudder out of the water, and the boom in the water unable to be eased further, the boat is "pinned" until something can be done with the spinnaker. Easing the guy further is a non-starter...I guess I would ease the halyard a lot but not let it run while trimming both the guy and sheet. The chute will then lay near or on the surface of the water without "shrimping." Once the boat is upright and bears off, the spinnaker can either be rehoisted or gathered aboard under the boom. With the shore so close, good thing it was a round up and not a round down.

Perhaps the skipper would care to comment so we can all learn how they got into and out of this pickle?

Wouldn't you ease the spinnaker sheet so that the spinnaker luffs enough for the boat to regain her feet, then - once she is upright again- ease everything very quickly and bear off sharply ?
 
Wouldn't you ease the spinnaker sheet so that the spinnaker luffs enough for the boat to regain her feet, then - once she is upright again- ease everything very quickly and bear off sharply ?

Easing the spinny sheet would be the instinct. However, the sheet is likely on a leeward winch underwater. Looking closely, the starboard guy is no longer in the pole. Easing the sheet way out is going to let the spinny rise even higher, still pinning the boat...With a large ease on the sheet, if and when the boat rights, you're looking at the potential for a large wrap of the spinnaker around the roller-furled jib, and/or the spinnaker sheet under the bow of the boat. Festive indeed. Ask Hedgehog and Synbad how that went on their jibe under the Bridge for the finish last week. We remember the red Aerodyne 38, FAST FORWARD with an irretrievably wrapped spinnaker that blew on the beach near Pt. Bonita and was retrieved by helicopter, a total loss.

Pt. Bonita.jpg
 
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Easing the spinny sheet would be the instinct. However, the sheet is likely on a leeward winch underwater. Looking closely, the starboard guy is no longer in the pole. Easing the sheet way out is going to let the spinny rise even higher, still pinning the boat...With a large ease on the sheet, if and when the boat rights, you're looking at the potential for a large wrap of the spinnaker around the roller-furled jib, and/or the spinnaker sheet under the bow of the boat. Festive indeed. Ask Hedgehog and Synbad how that went on their jibe under the Bridge for the finish last week. We remember the red Aerodyne 38, FAST FORWARD with an irretrievably wrapped spinnaker that blew on the beach near Pt. Bonita and was retrieved by helicopter, a total loss.

View attachment 8382

For sure if the guy is off the pole- all bets are off and you are probably toast with my tactic. Then for sure your plan- ease the haly, tighten the sheets and let the spinny fold in half - which wouldn't shrimp it.
 
In race results unlikely to be found elsewhere, Inverness Yacht Club held its first distance race of the season yesterday, a 7 mile Tomales Bay tour called the "Half Hog" Race. Conditions varied from variable ESE to WNW, 8-10. Congratulations to Milly and Anna Pia in their 110 BIG PINK, who bested Kim and Bill Erkelens in the Flying Scot GRANUAILE by 3 minutes corrected. Bren and Erik 3rd in LADY BUG. With a predominance of reaching, Milly reached into her bag of tricks and pulled out a seldom used asymmetrical spinnaker that worked wonders over everyone else using smaller symmetricals. (110's can carry either aboard, but not both a symmetrical and asyo.) Run with what you got.

Place SKIPPER SAIL # BOAT NAME BOAT TYPE HANDICAP CORRECTED TIME

1 Biller 445 Big Pink Intl 110 89.3 0:01:27:47
2 Desenberg 4817 Granuaile Flying Scot 89.1 0:01:31:48
3 Meyer 300 Lady Bug Intl 110 89.3 0:01:32:52
4 Shapiro 14122 Loup de Mer Day Sailer 98.2 0:01:32:54
5 Duncan 124 Johnson 18 Johnson 18 86.4 0:01:37:08
6 Engle 54 Puffin Tiburon 14 105.5 0:01:37:21
7 Sporer 4 Oremus Intl 110 89.3 0:01:39:31
8 Congdon 486 Flotsam Intl 110 89.3 0:01:41:21
9 Longaker 681 Unbeatable Harold Intl 110 89.3 0:01:42:11
10 Pierce 14574 None Snipe 95.0 0:01:47:59

Pink5.JPG

Meanwhile, whales are being reported in SF Bay, both at Potrero Reach, 1 mile from RYC, and Sausalito Ferry Dock. Where next? St.FYC bar?
 
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Here's an interesting satellite, altimeter, sea level animation of Kelvin waves currently bringing warm water from the western Pacific eastward to the west coasts of the Americas. This warm water current is the precursor to an El Nino event building this summer.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/inter...m_campaign=nasajpl&utm_content=elnino20230512

NOAA has recently released info stating that "starting in the May to July 2023 period, the probability of an El Niño event forming in the tropical Pacific rises to 90%, hastening climate change and altering global weather patterns."
 
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A 5 day, 4 night expedition to an off-the-grid, coastal state park just south of Morro Bay with trailer in tow consumes about equal parts preparation as a passage under sail down the west coast of Baja: navigation, equipment checks, shopping and stowing, planning, weather, etc.

Here's RUBY, the 12x6x7 x 2,000 lb. retro "canned ham" with bike and 2 kayaks loaded.
Montana de Oro Ruby.jpg

Deserted Coon Creek Beach at Pt. Buchon has as large cavern at its west end. Crossing Coon Creek at the high tide line, impassable a month before, was an easy jump.
Montana de Oro Beach.jpg

The cavern has round sinkhole in its roof, 50 feet up, that lets a shaft of sunlight downward onto the wet sand.
Montana de Oro Cavern.jpg

Launching kayaks into Morro Bay at 3 Stacks beach proved a challenge with a dozen Coast Guard practicing firing flares directly overhead. The explosions were ear splitting.
Montana de Oro flares.jpg

Local sailors, boat builders, and Bengal cat advocates, Craig and Vicky from schooner Mini-MAGIC, found the Morro Bay entrance warning signing nearly unreadable unless a close approach was made. There was a peregrine falcom nest nearby and about 75 feet up. Maybe time to issue the Coasties some paint and brushes along with their small arms?
Montana de Oro Entrance.jpg
 
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One of the 2023 SHTP entrants practices spinnaker handling off the Marin Headlands in a recent Lightship Race. Perhaps the skipper would care to comment so we can all learn how they got into and out of this pickle?

The skipper replies; "Oh, yes--I bought that photo and shared on social media before my friend recognized me! Although we won that race, we rounded up each time we tried to jibe because I was unable to reach the spin sheets which we inexplicably led to the cabin top winches. After that, I ordered a spinnaker sock so I can jibe or douse easily on SHTP. And sheets are back to cockpit. (We did Great Vallejo race last weekend. what an absolute blast)."
 
Montana de Morro.jpg

After being mined, blasted, and quarried for many years, it's amazing anything still remains of 600 foot Morro Rock, a significant landmark at the entrance to Morro Bay. As most know, Morro Rock is off limits and illegal to climb on due to cultural significance as well as nesting peregrines. For a bowl of Macapuno who or what tried to ascend Morro Rock before being apprehended by authorities. One guess only/24 hours.

1. A blind Boy Scout trying for his rock climbing merit badge.
2. A juvenile black bear who presumably forgot to put batteries in his GPS.
3. A large male beaver looking for the last remaining tree, a large pine, to gnaw down.
4. A local Day Sailor skipper whose spinnaker inexplicably became detached at all 3 corners and flew itself halfway up Morro Rock before snagging on a cactus.
5. A large Pacific octopus on walkabout from his home in the nearby breakwater.
6. MOJO's large rubber dinghy that detached from MOJO when she was wrecked in the Entrance. The dinghy became airborne and landed partway up Morro Rock.
7. Tabarly, when he briefly stopped at Morro Bay Yacht Club in 1969 with PEN DUICK V, enroute to his SHTP record of 39 days, SF to Tokyo.
8. Photographer Ansel Adams.
9. An escaped zebra from San Simeon who got loose when the trailer relocating him overturned on nearby Highway 1.
10. Lux, a small dog being walked by his mistress at the foot of Morro Rock when he was picked off by a dive bombing peregrine and flown back to the nest.
 
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After being mined, blasted, and quarried for many years, it's amazing anything still remains of 600 foot Morro Rock, a significant landmark at the entrance to Morro Bay. As most know, Morro Rock is off limits and illegal to climb on due to cultural significance as well as nesting peregrines. For a bowl of Macapuno who or what tried to ascend Morro Rock before being apprehended by authorities. One guess only/24 hours.

1. A blind Boy Scout trying for his rock climbing merit badge.
2. A juvenile black bear who presumably forgot to put batteries in his GPS.
3. A large male beaver looking for the last remaining tree, a large pine, to gnaw down.
4. A local Day Sailor skipper whose spinnaker inexplicably became detached at all 3 corners and flew itself halfway up Morro Rock before snagging on a cactus.
5. A large Pacific octopus on walkabout from his home in the nearby breakwater.
6. MOJO's large rubber dinghy that detached from MOJO when she was wrecked in the Entrance. The dinghy became airborne and landed partway up Morro Rock.
7. Tabarly, when he briefly stopped at Morro Bay Yacht Club in 1969 with PEN DUICK V, enroute to his SHTP record of 39 days, SF to Tokyo.
8. Photographer Ansel Adams.
9. An escaped zebra from San Simeon who got loose when the trailer relocating him overturned on nearby Highway 1.
10. Lux, a small dog being walked by his mistress at the foot of Morro Rock when he was picked off by a dive bombing peregrine and flown back to the nest.

No basis for any guess, but Lux, the small dog seems possible. Choice 10

Ants
 
Because of size restrictions here are a couple of more pics from Morro Bay and vicinity:

The sinkhole in the cavern ceiling at Coon Creek Beach
Montana de Oro Sinkhole.jpg

The wreck of MOJO by a breaking wave at Morro Bay entrance, mentioned in trivia answer #6
MOJO.jpg

3 Stacks with Craig paddling in the foreground. The stacks and the large building are slated for demolition. Fat chance there is enough money, and much permitting necessary.
Montana de Oro 3 stacks.jpg
 
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I do not know the answer, but if one choice in the list had involved a badger, I would have guessed that one. The only place and time I have seen a live badger was at the end of Morro spit at dawn while entering the harbor in thick fog. It was foraging along the wrack line.

Sam
 
I do not know the answer, but if one choice in the list had involved a badger, I would have guessed that one. The only place and time I have seen a live badger was at the end of Morro spit at dawn while entering the harbor in thick fog. It was foraging along the wrack line.Sam

Hi Sam, Thanks for the info about the sighting of a badger on Morro Spit in thick fog...Wow, who would have thought. Ranger Vicky, are you listening? Badgers are listed as a sensitive species in the Morro Bay area. I've seen them in the Sierra, but never on a coastal beach...
 
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View attachment 8397

After being mined, blasted, and quarried for many years, it's amazing anything still remains of 600 foot Morro Rock, a significant landmark at the entrance to Morro Bay. As most know, Morro Rock is off limits and illegal to climb on due to cultural significance as well as nesting peregrines. For a bowl of Macapuno who or what tried to ascend Morro Rock before being apprehended by authorities. One guess only/24 hours.

1. A blind Boy Scout trying for his rock climbing merit badge.
2. A juvenile black bear who presumably forgot to put batteries in his GPS.
3. A large male beaver looking for the last remaining tree, a large pine, to gnaw down.
4. A local Day Sailor skipper whose spinnaker inexplicably became detached at all 3 corners and flew itself halfway up Morro Rock before snagging on a cactus.
5. A large Pacific octopus on walkabout from his home in the nearby breakwater.
6. MOJO's large rubber dinghy that detached from MOJO when she was wrecked in the Entrance. The dinghy became airborne and landed partway up Morro Rock.
7. Tabarly, when he briefly stopped at Morro Bay Yacht Club in 1969 with PEN DUICK V, enroute to his SHTP record of 39 days, SF to Tokyo.
8. Photographer Ansel Adams.
9. An escaped zebra from San Simeon who got loose when the trailer relocating him overturned on nearby Highway 1.
10. Lux, a small dog being walked by his mistress at the foot of Morro Rock when he was picked off by a dive bombing peregrine and flown back to the nest.

My guess is 8 Photographer Ansel Adams
 
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