New Boat 4 Sled

[sleddog]

6/12/12

Longtime friend and respected artist and boat captain Robert Flowerman is in Friday Harbor for his grand daughter's high school graduation. We got together for a sail on WILDFLOWER and cruised the Friday Harbor waterfront. Blue skies and a civil breeze of 6-10 knots prevailed. That's Robert steering in the attached photo. At the head of the harbor was the purposeful tug TIGER HORSE, complete with a full race Cal 20 on its upper deck. Who needs a trailer when you have a tug with hoist to get you to the regatta?

Yesterday I hiked across San Juan Island to Lime Kiln Point lighthouse. Tourists arrive at this prime orca viewing spot to see the orca show. Kinda like a Disneyland ride, everyone had high hopes for a noon viewing. When a little harbor porpoise poked its fin up briefly, the cry went up "ORCA!!!" Cameras flashed and the crowd went on to their next adventure. Who was I to burst their bubble? The local orca researcher in the old light house confided his "spotters" had the 85 members of resident pods K & L 40 miles away off Vancouver Island.

I hiked uphill and visited friends Mary and Jim Guard, who live on the top of Mt. Dallas, highest mountain on San Juan Island. Jim used to sail with Bob Derecktor, and we first met in 1971, when I was on IMPROBABLE for the SORC in Florida.

With an almost 360 degree view from Jim and Mary's home at 1036', we could see Mt.Rainer, 120 miles to the south, Mt. Baker, 80 miles to the east, the entire snow covered Cascade Range, and the Olympic Range across the Straits of Juan de Fuca. Mts. Baker and Rainer resembled giant vanilla ice cream cones poking into the blue sky.

In the small world department, my sister and her husband are off to Europe. Their first stop will be Prague to visit our good friend Capt. Ivo Hruza of the Czech Republic. Ivo was captain of the MSC TORONTO, the giant container ship that plucked me safely off the original WILDFLOWER, returning from the 2008 SHTP. We have remained good friends since and get together when his shipping schedule permits.

 

[sleddog]

You don't have to go far for action on the Friday Harbor docks. It comes to you. While doing laundry in a bucket, I watched a large (2'), orange, 20 point starfish sprint along the nearby sea bottom, going somewhere at about a foot/minute.

Nearby, a family with a load of suitcases in a large dock cart, lost control on the steep low tide gangway, and suitcases spilled all over. Luckily, no one was run over or injured. A sexy 30' powerboat came in to tie up with the wife/girlfriend at the controls in an attempt to back in the slip. The husband/boyfriend jumped to the dock just before the driver somehow shifted into forward at half throttle, nearly launching him into the water before he let go. She then hit reverse, and the boat accelerated into the slip at a high rate. Luckily, the rubber inflatable dinghy was hanging from the stern, and with a loud "sprong" sound acted as the perfect bumper as the sex boat rammed into the dock. As Chick Hearn would say, "no harm, no foul."

It's a veritable dog show here. No exaggeration to say 50% of the visiting boats come with at least one dog aboard. And they all walk by WILDFLOWER's slip, owners in tow. Film at 11.

 

[sleddog]

6/18/12

Went hiking today with local writer/author Janet Thomas on the trails of American Camp at the S. End of San Juan Is. It was windy near the cliffs overlooking the Straits of Juan de Fuca. Just offshore, the water was flecked with white horses coming in from the west on a 20 knot breeze., Grand vistas in all directions with virtually no one around. The shingle beaches have a mass quantity of criss crossed sun bleached logs, blown ashore in winter storms. Inland on the gentle hills are re-established prairie grasses. The whole area is under jurisdiction of the National Park Service.

Unfortunately, there is a man made environmental tragedy whose aura pervades American Camp. The previous well meaning NPS superintendent, ignoring local outcry and political mandates, exterminated the local rabbit population using carbon monoxide pumped into their warrens. These European rabbits, non-native, were previously kept under control by "9 species of raptors" (from the NPS color brochure) including bald and golden eagles, and local foxes.

According to Janet, the rabbit gassing occurred in 2010. Now, American Camp is mostly devoid of wildlife. The food source is gone. Today, a perfect raptor day, we saw none. The eagles' nests are abandoned. A couple of grazing deer sighted. Equally sad were the emaciated foxes, begging food from passing cars. This area of island is a prime example of good intentions, with unintended consequences. Most sad.

On a happier note, the large Washington State ferries arrive here at Friday Harbor hourly. As they approach the landing, about half mile out, passing Brown Island and making about 10 knots, the ferry captains sound one long, two short blasts on their booming horn. Extra credit for anyone who can tell what this horn signal means.

 

[sleddog]

Happy Solstice, All. The sun rose this morning at Friday Harbor at 5:18. There was a McGregor 26 next door last evening. It had a fully enclosed cockpit structure, with a rubber dinghy on top of that. I honestly thought it was going to capsize in the slip. In harbor, the owner prefered to motor in reverse, as viz forward was compromised.

Out on the main dock is the 152' motor yacht AFTER EIGHT, built in Anacortes and registered on the Isle of Man. She carries a crew of 12 and her tanks hold 15,000 gallons of fuel for her 2,300 horsepower engines. Her brochure describes an "economical" cruising range of 4,000 miles at 20 knots. I don't see how you can afford to run something like this unless you own at least a couple of oil wells, a small refinery, or both. To fill AFTER EIGHT's fuel tankage is gonna cost upwards of $75,000, in this country anyway. Despite all the fuel, it was interesting to observe that upon coming alongside the dock, the first line ashore was the aft spring. The second was the shore power cord, the size of a hawser. Friday Harbor's lights dimmed when AFTER EIGHT plugged in. http://www.superyachts.com/luxury-yacht-for-sale/after-eight-1664/

On a more sensible note, I hiked over to Shipyard Cove yesterday to get a close up view of the tug TIGER HORSE and her on deck consort, the beautiful little Cal 20 SITKA ROSE.

 

[Jan Brewer]

What do I win?

Hi Skip,

Answer to your question is 35.c.

Happy to read about your adventures and keep them comin' okay?

Jan

 

[sleddog]

Hi Jan,

Good to hear from you! Sorry, on the extra credit quiz, you don't win anything yet.

For those unfamiliar, Jan is referring to Col Regs section 35.(c) which says a vessel shall sound one long, two short horn blasts in or near an area of restricted visibility, when this vessel is

"not under command, a vessel restricted in her ability to maneuver whether underway or at anchor, a vessel constrained by her draft, a sailing vessel, a vessel engaged in fishing whether underway or at anchor and a vessel engaged in towing or pushing another vessel shall sound at intervals of not more than 2 minutes three blasts in succession, namely one prolonged followed by two short blasts."

The whistle blowing Anacortes/Friday Harbor ferry, to which I refer, is likely feeling restricted in her ability to maneuver as she approaches the landing from .5 mile out. BUT, and here is the conundrum, Rule 35 (c) applies only in restricted visibility (the "fog" rule.) These ferries are blowing their whistles in clear visibility. Col Regs Rule 3 defines "restricted visibility" as meaning "any condition in which visibility is restricted by fog, mist, falling snow, heavy rainstorms, sandstorms or any other similar causes."

The question might be, does 35 (c) the "fog rule" also apply if you have to make a shallow turn around a point of an island, and can't see what might be coming on the other side? I don't know, and Col Regs don't seem to give guidance in this department.

For those of you who don't know, Jan captains an amphibious duck that carries tourists along the SF waterfront. She is the only person I know who, when under way, must follow both DMV (land) and Col Regs (sea) rules without her leaving the driver's seat.

 

[Philpott]

That Jan is such a showoff. Mr Sleddog, I am sure enjoying your missives. Are there any more quizzes? I like winning prizes.

 

[Dazzler]

A Warp and Two Woofs

Skip,
I too have been enjoying your posts. They bring back fond memories of enjoyable times in those same places. As for the Washington Ferries non-regulation use of whistles (a warp and two woofs), there's is a good explanation, but it's best explained at:
http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=7191

Tom Patterson
Dazzler (Wyliecat 30)

 

[sleddog]

Wow! Thanks, DAZZLER. Who would have thunk that the "warp and two woofs" that today vibrate the Friday Harbor waterfront windows is distinctive ferry boat music dating back over a century. If you haven't visited Tom's link, cited above, it answers the extra credit question in a way I had no idea existed.

If Jan can tell us that she too has blown a warp and two woofs on her Duck horn, then you both win a spinnaker reach on WILDFLOWER from Pt. Blunt to Richmond, followed by a beer at the Boiler House.

 

[sleddog]

6/22/12

Three lovely sail training ships arrived in Friday Harbor this afternoon. ZODIAC, a 160' topsail schooner, was the last working pilot schooner in the U.S. and under the name CALIFORNIA, for 40 years ran San Francisco Bar pilots out to the Lightbucket in fair weather and foul. http://www.schoonerzodiac.com/history.htm

ADVENTURESS, at 133' overall, was also a SF Bar Pilot schooner, beginning in 1915, and worked the Gulf of the Farallones for 35 years, only missing one day of work and that was when her foremast went over the side. This evening I paced off the length of ADVENTURESS's main boom: 57'! In 1989 ADVENTURESS was named a National Historic Landmark. http://www.soundexp.org/index.php?page=home

ODYSSEY is an 89' Sparkman and Stephens steel yawl, 1938, looking for all the world like DORADE on steroids. "Massive" is the descriptive word that comes to mind. http://www.sssodyssey.org/shiphistory.html

These three vessels are on two week cruises through the San Juan and Gulf Islands. They are crewed by kids 14-17. I met many of their crew. Not an I-phone or video game to be seen. The kids were respectful, aware of their boat's histories, invited me aboard for a tour, and not at all put off that they'd be drawing straws to see who'd be sleeping on deck in their sleeping bags, wrapped in plastic, in the rain. (More crew than bunks below.)

I gotta say that if the Larry Ellisons of the world decided to spend a small fraction of an AC catamaran budget on supporting youth sail training programs such as ZODIAC, ADVENTURESS, and ODYSSEY, the world would be a better place. I believe there is no better hands on education for teens than working aboard one of these wind ships. They teach living in harmony in tight quarters, the practical value of hard work, and an environmental awareness that will last a lifetime.

 

[sleddog]

The idea of carrying a boat hook at the ready is you never know when you may need it. Yesterday, the aluminum barge "PUMPTY DUMPTY" floated by WILDFLOWER, no one aboard. Her skipper was nearby on the dock, but seemed to have lost contact with his vessel. PUMPTY DUMPTY is no ordinary barge. It roves the harbor and empties the holding tanks of the local yachts by means of a big pump, hoses, and a large tank.

I grabbed our boat hook and extended its three part section out a full 12', long enough to snag the wayward PUMPTY DUMPTY before its odoriferous cargo should come to mischief.

I wouldn't normally mention such a benign rescue. But the Coast Guard lads were walking down the dock nearby, about to board their 80 footer and proceed on the day's mission in Haro Straits. That mission includes vessel safety checks, including holding tank compliance. It's bizarre to consider, but as no lives were in danger, would the Coasties have lassoed the PUMPTY DUMPTY had they noticed? Or would Vessel Assist been called?

Even more strange, while the CG is enforcing holding tanks in U.S. waters, across the U.S./Canada border, not 10 miles away, the British Columbia capitol city of Victoria, and its environs, totaling 330,000 citizens, continues pumping its raw, untreated sewage into local waters and has been doing so for many years. The (g)astronomical output from the "City of Gardens" totals 35 million gallons of sewage daily, into what essentially is a lake with one outlet: the entrance to the Straits of Juan de Fuca.

The orcas and other sea creatures don't get a vote on this. Bad dog, Victoria.

 

[BobJ]

There's hope - in 2010 Victoria approved plans to build treatment plants, which are supposed to be online by 2016. It has been an embarrasment to this otherwise picturesque city for years.

A personal life observation: I started sailing in the Alameda Estuary in 1968. The water around the docks had an oily sheen and smelled bad. The pilings were clean - no marine growth or bait fish to be seen. It wasn't hard to find a few dead fish floating near shore. The Estuary appeared to be a dead waterway. If you looked across at the Oakland hills on a typical Summer day you could barely see them for the smog. I wasn't environmentally-conscious in those days (few were) but I remember this well. As I sail in the Estuary today it is dramatically better. It's alive again, and you can see the Oakland Hills.

No big political statement here; just glad for those who've taken on the polluters and prevailed. It is very much worth it.

 

[sleddog]

With the clock ticking to the start, I join family, friends, and supporters of SSS in wishing all competitors in Singlehanded Transpac 2012 a safe, fast, and fun voyage! It is sure to be one of the most memorable experiences of your lives. Look out for each other, for your boat, and for yourselves. Bless you one and all. ~skip

 

[sleddog]

Part of the pleasure of walking the docks is seeing the various means people have of getting afloat. Last night, a unique and historical sailing vessel tied up nearby. She is the 47' steel ketch COLIN ARCHER, the last design of the Norwegian designer Colin Archer. Archer's most famous design was Nansen's FRAM, the first boat through the NW Passage and for many years a fixture of Golden Gate Park out near the windmills.

Compared to our cat's 800 pound displacement, COLIN ARCHER's is a mind boggling 70,000 pounds "light." Her 12' timber bowsprit compares to modern sport boats carbon toothpicks. It takes 15-25 knots of wind before COLIN ARCHER leans to the breeze and picks up her skirts under sail. COLIN ARCHER's North Sea lifeboat pedigree is plain to see. http://rscolinarcher.com/

It was good to run into Sue and Jim Corenman on the docks here also. Their beautiful 50' Schumacher HEART OF GOLD is currently on the hard in Anacortes, getting a fresh bottom job. Sue and Jim have a new kitten, "Fred." in training as a boat cat.

 

[LOrion]

Oh thanks for that, Kept, note, pics and refined the great information sheet so it's a bit more readable.
Posted it here on flickr http://tinyurl.com/6okrmsv

 

[sleddog]

6/30/12

Successful weather routing for the SHTP is not a trivial exercise, and has occupied WILDFLOWER's nav station and coms department over the last month. (We are shakedown cruising in the Pac NW, and not racing this year.)

Most SHTP entries do not have "polars," and these have to be developed by experience. In addition, a router has to know the boat's sail complement, whether symmetrical, asymetrical spinnakers, or twin jibs are aboard, whether the competitor and his self steering are comfortable flying a spinnaker at night. Or even flying a spinnaker at all.

Beginning a routing project, I look at the calendar for stages of the moon. In the 2012 SHTP, competitors will be favored by a full moon near mid-race, making night time sailing more user friendly.

Also considered is the state of El Nino/La Nina, as the temp of Pacific waters can influence both trade wind strength and squall development. Currrently, at the end of June, we are at the end of a La Nina episode, and in an El Nino neutral position. El Nino neutral means storms track further N, and the Pacific High becomes the predominant weather feature in July/August.

Once polars are developed, the sail inventory analyzed, the skipper's experience level, night vision, and self steering systems considered, the massaged polars are fed into an Expedition routing program. Days leading to the start, a "Pt A," "Pt.B," and "Pt.C" are defined and refined. "Pt. A" the most important, is located at the desired latitude to cross longitude 130 W. Pt. B is at 135 W, Pt. C at 140 W.

As race day approaches, long range weather forecasts become more reliable for the race period. Computer wind forecasts can now look ahead with confidence out 3-5 days, and even a week's prognosis can be used in routing.

What does this all mean? In a perfect world, the competitor understands the general weather forecast for the Eastern Pacific, the forecast trends, and the weather history and winning routes of previous races. A "Game Plan" is developed. In addition, the router has supplied the SHTP competitor with suggested way points as aiming marks, and a "sidewalk" of fast sailing possibilities bounded by "fences" on the north and south side of the "sidewalk." This info is intended to give confidence to the SHTP competitor, as opposed to planning uncertainty. Single handers are traditionally time crunched before the SHTP start, and few have the time or tools to give to detailed weather routing.

Below is a routing chart for a SHTP 2012 competitor, based on his polars, and wind forecasts that were downloaded last evening (Friday night). Added are a black line above and below the optimized route (red). The black lines indicate the boundaries of a "sidewalk". The routing calculations suggest sailing anywhere within this sidewalk without having to pay much of a penalty in terms of extra passage time.

As evidenced, the sidewalk is wider in the latter half of the passage reflecting the fact that you can jibe back and forth in a fairly wide area in this region without having much effect on the finish time.


Onward.

 

[sleddog]

Surprise of the SHTP so far is performance of SCARAMOUCHE. By her owner's admission, "non-competitive." Don't believe it. This was one of S&S's best designs of the early 1970's, a development of RAGAMUFFIN. If the winds stay modest and few can break out of displacement mode, "MOOCH" may surprise. It will be no surprise if "TRUTH" breaks the mono record. She is fully capable, and in capable hands.

Exercised WILDFLOWER yesterday in SW 12-18 knots, a beautiful sunny day with a big flood tide. So many islands passed close aboard in 3 hours, I had to keep the chart handy and checked off. Islands rounded or coasted included: Brown, Shaw, San Juan, Tift Rocks, Yellow, McConnell, Reef, Orcas, Coon, Crane, and Cliff.

Finally, a seamanlike landing. Not easy for this tree leaf (flower petal?) in a cross wind. Got back into the slip without incident. Only to find I'd gone in the wrong slip ....ours was two boats over. ;-) Below is pix of boat in correct slip, with happy captain.....

 

[H Spruit]

The Wild flower looks good, and I see you have properly loaded it forward and are using most of the bottom paint!
We sailed in similar conditions Sunday, close reaching, full main, jib furled, with the weather hull very light and bouncing up!

 

[sleddog]

After 24 hours of steady rain, at noon today the skies abruptly cleared. I removed my cup taped to the overhead, where it was catching drips above the pillow from a leaking deck fitting, and exited the hatch for a walk.

Out on Friday's Harbor's main breakwater float, the circus was coming to town. Dozens of boats were descending at once on the Marina in anticipation of tomorrow's 4th of July celebrations: Parade, Pig War Picnic, Rock-the-Dock Music, and Fireworks.

It was blowing 20-25 offshore (SW). Many of the approaching fleet were from Canada, and had to tie up on the outside of the main dock to clear Customs. Not easy, broadside to the stiff breeze. The contingent of a dozen or so MacGregor 26's from Canada seemed to manage better than most, although they were all a bit bedraggled from a wet and windy crossing (under power). Curiously, the beam wind was heeling many of the Mac 26's almost rail down. Under bare poles!

Midsize powerboats of all description were also attempting to land. The burly and armed Customs officer had no interest in anything but checking passports. Who was gonna take a line from all these boats and secure it on the docks? No marina employees in evidence.

With incipient chaos looming, there was need for strong line handlers on the dock. Several times over the ensuing hour I found myself handling lines from two boats at once.

One 100' power yacht, with upper deck stadium seats, decided it was his turn to jump the queue. He came in bow first into the midst of the Mac-26's. I don't know his plan, as he was short 90 feet of dock. His bow crew managed to leap off with a mooring line. But his ship blew back out into the stream, leaving him ashore, attached to nothing. The MacgGregor crews were thoroughly amused.

The burly Customs officer went from boat to boat, getting his salad fixings together. As well as checking passports, he was confiscating plastic bags of tomatoes and peppers.

The 100' powerboat tried another approach, this time stern first, with dual exhausts now belching smoke on the previously amused Mac 26ers. The 160' schooner ZODIAC was also getting into the act, but thought better and went to anchor out.

After helping secure about 30 boats, things quieted. I made my way back to WILDFLOWER, not quite sure what I had been a part of. Wednesday in Friday Harbor.

 

[sleddog]

It is appears the main body of the Singlehanded Transpac Fleet will be sailing into lighter winds ....they likely got themselves into a too far north "slot car" lane, without means of getting south where more wind will blow for remainder of race. The Hobie 33 is truckin' down south, and should get even faster when the tradewinds fill.
Solar panels and autopilots taking a beating so far: little or no sun, and electrical problems.

4th of July in Friday Hbr. was warm and sunny. The hometown parade featured dogs costumed as orcas, a Sea Shepard Pirate Ship, old tractors. Even the U of Washington Marching Band led by a 300# black dude high steppin' and adroitly twirling the baton.

After all the excitement, a walk on the beach down by Jakel's Lagoon was in order. The tide was way out and no
one around but bald eagles scavenging the waterline. We found a 40 foot driftwood log, and built a teeter totter.

The evening's fireworks, launched from a barge just offshore the docks, were memorable. The full moon rising in the background, and the reverberations of colorful explosive reports echoing around the island's hills and valley's, had the fleet clapping in applause.