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New Boat 4 Sled

A large, intense (962 Mb) and beautiful cyclonic storm is approaching the West Coast today, Wed.1/31/2024.

Storm1.gif

It extends all the way from Alaska, southwest to Hawaii. It's strongest winds, storm force, with gusts upward of 50 knots, are not in the center. But in its western quadrant where the atmospheric pressure has its steepest gradient. IE, the closer the isobars (lines of equal pressure), the stronger the winds.
Storm2.png
 
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sleddog said:
Did anyone else who went clockwise have the gumption to go CCW around Treasure Island? In a straight line it's 1.8 miles further. Both the Moore-24 ENAMORED, and Bren and Skip S. on UNO made it work big time, to win their Class and finish in the top 5 overall monos. Gutsy choice. And the correct one it turns out.
Click to expand...

We did both... I was crewing for my dad on his F-27, Seabird, and we first tried going CW around TI. After floating in the hole for a long time and playing bumper boats, we turned around and went the other way. Unfortunately we got around the North end of TI to see that the wind had filled in and a parade of boats were riding the ebb to the finish. Fortunately the wind stayed up and we followed everyone in an hour later after completing the TI rounding CCW.

Here is Checkered Past as we entered the hole
3bf2024.jpg
 
sleddog said:
A large, intense (962 Mb) and beautiful cyclonic storm is approaching the West Coast today, Wed.1/31/2024.

View attachment 8875

It extends all the way from Alaska, southwest to Hawaii. It's strongest winds, storm force, with gusts upward of 50 knots, are not in the center. But in its western quadrant where the atmospheric pressure has its steepest gradient. IE, the closer the isobars (lines of equal pressure), the stronger the winds.
View attachment 8877
Click to expand...

Sunday looks like more ! Stay safe everyone !
 
Winds1.png

Note to self: 100 mph of wind is 87 knots..

Unsure what is was blowing here yesterday afternoon (Sunday2/5/24) at CBC just inland of the roiled waters of Monterey Bay. CBC does not have an anemometer, preferring a modified Beaufort Scale. My estimate, shortly before 3 pm, is we were experiencing Beaufort Force 9 characterized by real estate sandwich boards and voting placards being flattened, backyard deck umbrellas taking roost in trees, nearby 170 foot eucalyptus bending to 30 degrees, and power lines humming.

At 3:05, the SE gale went calm, or nearly so, and a minute or two later returned as a SW Storm Force 10. Dock boxes and kayaks were blown overboard, roller furling jibs were unrolling, and several dinghies were blown off trailers. This period was a "FROPA" in National Weather Service lingo, "Frontal Passage" shortened.

Shortly thereafter, the barometer bottomed out at 997 Mb and began to rise. I tuned into Half Moon Bay Weather Buoy 46012, which like its brother 40 miles south, Monterey Bay Weather Buoy 46042, had gone missing and was no longer reporting. No drama, Saildrone #1073 replaced the HMB buoy and was confidently reporting every 10 minutes while sailing in place, just like it had been doing for 3 months. Wind speed I saw coming from the zero handed and lonely little Saildrone topped out at 45, gusting 57 knots.

All in a day. I know the power was out in Pacifica, West Marin, Capitola Village, Aptos, and Las Osos. Any reports from other Forum denizens?
 
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We're at the south end of the Oakland hills and tucked in a valley, so we get a lot of turbulence that makes sensing wind strength and direction difficult. When it is windy, we hear it howling on the nearby ridge tops. Late in the afternoon, I thought we had a lull that might have been the frontal passage. At some point, we felt a big thump, and this morning saw that a eucalyptus and come down on a house a couple of blocks away. Early in the day, we paid a visit to Brickyard Cove. a few boat covers trying to fly away, but all okay.

Sam
 
We had a wind gust like no other around 4:30 pm on Sunday in West Marin. I was out in the barn tending the horses, and glad that we were all in the barn, as I watched the air fill with branches and the noise become deafening. Right after that, I heard about the 89mph wind at Pt Reyes , which is only a few miles west of here,
 
stege said:
Where do you find the Saildrone reports?
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Hi Robert, Go to the Half Moon Bay weather buoy site https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=46012
Scroll down a paragraph. And there, outlined in red, is a link to Saildrone 1073 reports. Says the site, "the SD is leased by the National Data Buoy Center." I wonder how many other anchored weather buoys are being substituted or replaced by Saildrones? Calling Capt. Hedgehog, white courtesy phone please.

I did find more info here: https://www.saildrone.com/news/weather-buoy-swapped-ocean-drone-protect-seafloor
The HMB weather buoy was replaced 9/1/2023 by SD 1073 as the buoy's position in 100 fathoms in a National Marine Sanctuary and mooring anchor chain on a large radius was potentially damaging "delicate coral"....read the story and form your own conclusions about how a more environmentally friendly permanent mooring will be engineered. If at all. Seems like a Saildrone is pretty good bang for the buck.
 
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Very interesting Sled ! I wonder if there is a Saildrone replacement for Bodega Bay Buoy, which has been offline for several years, and was the go to weather observation point for entering Bodega and Tomales Bays. I will have to see if I can find out
 
In a developing story, Ronnie Simpson, aboard his 50' SHIPYARD BREWING, was dismasted yesterday in the S. Atlantic 10 days after rounding Cape Horn. His position is 650 miles ESE of Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the boat fell off a wave and dismasted. Potential hull damage encouraged Ronnie to detach the mast and rigging. Ronnie has activated his EPIRB, and in the face of an incoming storm, is asking for assistance. No further details available at this time.

shpyard brewing 2.jpg
 
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Good news that Ronnie has boarded the bulk carrier SAKIZAYA YOUTH, enroute to Buenos Aires, which back-tracked 50 miles to meet up with SHIPYARD BREWING and take her skipper aboard. A bittersweet but smart move by Ronnie, as an incoming storm could roll the boat with him below. As well, there were no spars left to effect a jury rig. And motoring isn't gonna get you very far.

Shipyard Brewing.jpeg

Here's Ronnie's analysis before leaving SHIPYARD BREWING, ex SPARROW.
https://m.facebook.com/globalsoloch...tic-12022024-globalsolochal/1482712145675119/

Shipyard brewing 3.jpg
 
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Though I don't pretend to know what happened aboard Ronnie's 30 year old, Open 50, SHIPYARD BREWING, there are certainly clues to possibilities. Doubtless, Ronnie will compose his usual thorough report
Looking at above photo (on post #6211) of the mast laying over the starboard side shows SB was reaching on port tack, likely at 8-10 knots. SB is a ULDB, 18,000 pounds, similar to a Santa Cruz 50 both in dimensions and habits, one of which is in fresh wind and choppy waves forward of abeam, the pounding can be challenging, and anything not secured in the forward cabin can become airborne.

We know from SB's previous log, then named SPARROW, that her owner/skipper found the boat flexible in parts, not unusual for ultralights. But perhaps not a desirable trait in high latitudes. Hull flexibility can have an effect on rigging tension, especially when being launched off a wave and downward into a hole.

Looking closely at the photo, we see the butt of the mast is not in the maststep, something that could only happen if the mast was stepped on deck, which it likely was. Whether the combination of the flexible hull, on deck-mast step, and jarring impact when the boat came off the wave was causal to the dismasting is not known. But certainly possible.
 
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Unsure what is was blowing here yesterday afternoon (Sunday2/5/24) at CBC just inland of the roiled waters of Monterey Bay. CBC does not have an anemometer, preferring a modified Beaufort Scale. My estimate, shortly before 3 pm, is we were experiencing Beaufort Force 9 characterized by real estate sandwich boards and voting placards being flattened, backyard deck umbrellas taking roost in trees, nearby 170 foot eucalyptus bending to 30 degrees, and power lines humming. At 3:05, the SE gale went calm, or nearly so, and a minute or two later returned as a SW Storm Force 10. Dock boxes and kayaks were blown overboard, roller furling jibs were unrolling, and several dinghies were blown off trailers. This period was a "FROPA" in National Weather Service lingo, "Frontal Passage" shortened.
Click to expand...

Storm 10.jpg

Storm 8.jpg

Storm 6.jpg
 
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If i recall correctly, this particular Open 50 had a history of rudder bearing issues. Another symptom of low-stiffness structure?

Sam
 
Xavier said:
If i recall correctly, this particular Open 50 had a history of rudder bearing issues. Another symptom of low-stiffness structure? Sam
Click to expand...

You are correct. A primary cause of the rudder/steering binding was the flexible stern section of SPARROW, a primary reason WS abandoned his around the world attempt. Whether SPARROW had been stiffened in this area before the Global Solo Challenge is unknown.
 
Phoenix.jpg

Photo shows PHOENIX, William MacBrien's Class 40 awash 1500 miles west of Cape Horn. Given the Global Solo Challenge fleet has watertight bulkheads, it is unclear what the cause of the boat filling was. MacBrien is now aboard the bulk carrier WATATSUMI, destination Brisbane.

We do know Ronnie's SPARROW, aka SHIPYARD BREWING, is no longer afloat. Before boarding SAKIZAYA YOUTH Ron opened 3 seacocks. Happy news is he is now ashore at Necochea, Argentina.
 
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