Surprise!

[BobJ]

There seems to be some interest in making this an SSS event, so I looked into it further.

One rule (yes, there are rules) was apparently added after the race in the video. The boat and trailer must be at least as long as the vehicle towing them. Since I drive a Honda Insight and own a 38' Alerion, this shouldn't be a problem.

Another pesky rule is that at least three feet of the boat must still be connected to the trailer at the end of the race. It doesn't say which three feet.

 

[BobJ]

Racing to Drake's Bay and back, the AP drive worked well and the code sail rocked it! It would have rocked more had I hoisted it sooner on Saturday. I had it in my head that I needed 47 degrees AWA, but I just needed 47 TWA!

Sailing back Sunday, I elected to hoist the A2 without the sock. This was fine in light wind but it sure wasn't light wind after the finish! It got exciting trying to get it down before fetching up into Ft. Mason. A letterbox douse saved the bacon.

Great weekend, and Surprise! held her own against many of the light boats. Sorry, no photos to post (unless someone else has one).
.

 

[solosailor]

I came in hot with the A2 doing 14k+ and then had the rude awakening of the barge anchored directly in the path. Very sketchy take-down but managed to not really shrimp or tear the spinnaker.

 

[BobJ]

I guess I'll go pull a winch off and see what's underneath. The replacement has been sitting in my office way too long:

 

[BobJ]

All done except the interior cosmetics, and it works fine. Does anyone know where to have teak boxes made? The off-the-shelf teak dorade boxes aren't deep enough.

Gamayun named Surprise!'s old halyard winch "the magic button." The magic button is available, if you're weary of grinding a heavy, full-battened main up the mast.

 

[BobJ]

Coming up on one year so I'm thinking of killing my "new" boat thread. Would anyone miss it?

 

[Philpott]

Coming up on one year so I'm thinking of killing my "new" boat thread. Would anyone miss it?

Yes, I would miss it, even though I can even walk down the dock to see Surprise! But if you’ve done everything you’re going to do ( and what more can you possibly do?) then go ahead and crush our envious little hearts.

 

[rlbaker]

Coming up on one year so I'm thinking of killing my "new" boat thread. Would anyone miss it?

Bob...Yes, I would miss it! Please continue to share your knowledge, experience and sailing skills. Your AE38 (SURPRISE!) is very unique and you continue to make many very interesting improvements. It makes us all better sailors and boat owners...Thanks.

 

[Lanikai]

Coming up on one year so I'm thinking of killing my "new" boat thread. Would anyone miss it?

By this logic, shouldn't the sled thread have died a few years ago? I don't like that idea, either.

and what more can you possibly do?

So much! Is any boat ever 'done'? As I recall there was a pink flamingo at some point on Ragtime. Personally, I'm waiting to see what Surprise! gets. A pink e-rudder? An emergency flamingo?

 

[BobJ]

No comparison to Sled's thread. Once the new Wildflower was completed, that thread took on a life of its own.

Regarding the pink flamingo, Surprise!'s first cruise-out is coming up.

 

[BobJ]

I get talked into things. I ordered Option A:

 

[AZ Sailor]

Good call. Option B looks out of proportion.

 

[jamottep]

That's really cool! Looking over your shoulder and the only thing you see is this "!" gaining on you. Fill in the blank ...

 

[BobJ]

I installed the H5000 Autopilot CPU yesterday and will seatrial it today (after I figure out why it's not seeing the rudder transducer). It will be the primary AP and will drive the T2 hydraulic ram (which replaced the leaky Robertson drive).

The backup AP will be the Simrad AC42N with AC24 controller that came with the boat, driving a Pelagic cockpit actuator. Again, my goal is to have this second AP completely separate from the B&G system. It has its own heading sensor but initially it will share the rudder transducer (the AC42 wants that input). It probably can't have wind input unless I install another wind transducer somewhere (and that would be over the top) - AFAIK you can't have two APs in the same NMEA 2K network.

It appears I need a second NMEA 2K backbone to connect the Simrad components. Suggestions welcome - this stuff is confusing.
.

 

[sleddog]

Back to electronics. This stuff is confusing.

! !

At 16 I was working a summer job at Watts Sails cutting out sail bags with a hot knife, when, bright and early Monday morning, in walks Fred Smales. In those days, colored spinnakers were not available except with red stripes. Fred, an excellent competitor, had the first all green spinnaker ever built for his beautiful and fast, light green, wood, Cal-32 (45' LOA).

Fred wanted an insignia on his new green spinnaker, a Fleur-de-Lis. Kenny Watts assured Fred we'd have his spinnaker with a Fleur-de-Lis on Friday for pickup. When Fred left, we all looked quizzically at each other. "What's a Fleur-de-Lis and where do we get a drawing of one for a stencil?"

I remembered in my lunch bag were some Girl Scout cookies and pulled out the cookies. Sure enough, there were Fleur-de-Lis. Burke took one of the cookies to his office and a few hours later emerged with a 5 foot stencil of a Fleur-de-Lis and cookie crumbs on his shirt.



Keith and crew traced the stencil on white, spinnaker, sticky back cloth and cut out the Fleur-di-Lis which was carefully applied to both sides of Fred's crisp green spinnaker. All good, and Fred was all smiles when he returned for pick up of his spinnaker on Friday.

Apparently Fred's good will didn't last long...At the weather mark of Saturday's race, in close quarters with the fleet, ESCAPADE's crew hoisted the green spinnaker with the Fleur-de-Lis for the first time. Guffaws were heard over the water and from ESCAPADE's crew...Apparently Burke's stencil of the Girl Scout cookie looked very much like an obscene middle finger gesture..Fred was a conservative and proper yachtsman and didn't like to be embarrassed. Boy was Fred mad when he returned the spinnaker bright and early Monday morning!

Beware Girl Scout cookies!

 

[Philpott]

Back to electronics. Suggestions welcome - this stuff is confusing.

When I saw you yesterday you were diving into your lazarette with all your tools.

My suggestion? Go sailing, Bob. It's a beautiful day today. 13 knots in the Reach.

 

[BobJ]

I didn't WANT to spend another afternoon in the lazarette, but I reminded myself that in two weeks I'll get to race to Vallejo with by buds (and bud-ettes). So dive in I did and as described above, all was mostly well by the end of the day. Today Eric Steinberg took my call while he was lounging at Muir Beach (what a guy!) and reminded me to "point" the rudder transducer to the new CPU. That allowed me to complete the dockside calibration, so I headed out this afternoon to complete the seatrial.

What a difference! My old Simrad had performance settings that ranged from "Don't Spill Your Drink" to "Trolling for Really Slow Fish." This H5000 is for Sailboats. Racing Sailboats. The settings range from "Prompt but Smooth" to "Gymkhana." At the latter setting I was roll-tacking my 38'er (well, almost).

Another matter... While taking photos at the Women's Sailing Seminar, a certain long-time SSS'er commented about Surprise!'s scuzzy-looking toerails. This is also being addressed...

 

[BobJ]

Beware Girl Scout cookies!

Can I get a spinnaker with Samoans or Thin Mints on it? Those are my favorites!
.

 

[Black Jack]

Bob, I really like and a bit envious of this thread. We have such similar tastes and directions. you are doing it while I just take from your done to make my list to do. Thanks for sharing.

 

[BobJ]

Thanks Ted. Where do you keep Lively Lady? Pretty Penny and The Shadow are both within view from Surprise!'s slip.

Not much explanation is needed for this afternoon's project. Six out of the eight original lenses had cracks. I replaced all eight today but tomorrow I'll probably re-do them - because of misaligned holes (pre-drilled by Bomar), I think they'll crack again before long.