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Thread: 2014 Fiasco Stories Here

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    Default 2014 Fiasco Stories Here

    The Race Deck asked for stories during the race. Here are some from:
    Fly By Night: "while dropping anchor we lost about 3/4 mile"
    Smokin Joe: "we are calling in to retire. We took a hard knock down, lost all our equipment overboard ... the crew's pretty shaken up..."
    Lightwave: "race committee, we're out of beer, so we're calling it a day"
    Unknown vessel: "We're retiring back to Alameda and bound for glory!"
    Stink Eye: "we've ducked into Horseshoe Cove and are waiting for this storm to subside after which we plan to emerge and continue the race"
    and
    the female captain of one of the many ferries: "Race Committee, there are dozens of sailboats blocking my vessel's passage. Could you get on the radio and tell them to get out of my way?"

  2. #2
    pogen's Avatar
    pogen is offline Sailing canoe "Kūʻaupaʻa"
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    Wow, those 'ferry' tourboats are really a piece of work. They are not deep draft vessels constrained to a channel (otherwise, they couldn't get in to Pier 39) but they act like they are the Exxon bloody Valdez.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
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    For us it was the 9-bridge fiasco. We crossed the Golden Gate 9 times before calling it a day.. Caught in a maelstrom together with about 30 other boats next to the North Tower. Constance #346

  4. #4
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    Jul 2012
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    Pogen, the vessels exiting 39 would likely argue they are operating in a constrained fairway and we are impeding passage.
    Driving a 100ft vessel out/into there is stressful enough but when you're limited in horsepower facing a 3knot plus current, we'll....
    Limiting buoys may be a necessary evil during years where there is peaking ebb round noon.
    As for the vessel trying to get in laying on the horn, yeah, that was annoying.
    I skipped this year in favor of working for a different ferry operator and enjoyed watching you intrepid souls give it your all- (I think I freaked Dark and Stormy out by giving a rousing one man applause from my boat around 1930!)
    The only issue I had was Beowulf heading home with no lights crossing my bow near Alcatraz in the black - not even the wave of a flashlight (but a surprisingly decent radar target). How such apparently fine sailors can have such a lack of judgement blows me away. I'll be on the course next year fer surz. Looking forward to the Corinthian.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
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    Berkeley
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    We on Now & Zen had a great day. We got to use our new headsail, we got to practice flying the spinnaker, the skipper (me) got to do foredeck because the crew had an injured knee, we got to practice anchoring and had a lovely lunch about 30 yards off of Crissy Fields beach, and we got a very nice view of the entrance to Horseshoe Cove. Oh and after motoring through Raccoon Strait we had a lovely sail back home to Richmond!

    Thanks Race Committee!!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
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    Berkeley
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    For the most part, our race took place in the small area between the fort mason piers and aquatic park. There were a handful of us short-tacking there for a few hours "we'll get you on starboard next time!". Still a beautiful and fun day. Thanks SSS!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Capitola,CA
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    Except for paucity of wind, a beautiful winter day on the Bay. Most 3BF participants are to be congratulated on their seamanship and keeping a sense of humor. Anchoring in swirling currents or drifting backwards out the Gate is a trying experience. Throw in commercial traffic of all description, especially some big boys coming into the Bay at double digit speed, and many of us had our hearts in our throats at least once.

    The toot fest began early, with engineless DRAGONSONG being excused from further participation for interfering with an inbound ship. I heard at least five more 5 Blast Danger Signals in different parts of the Bay, including two in the vicinity of the Richmond Long Wharf: one from a VLCC tanker and one from a tug pushing a barge.

    Brings up an interesting question. There were boats racing that lacked engines or the means to move out of harms way in the windless conditions.

    At least two racers found the boulder near Yellow Bluff, marked on charts with a "4" (feet of water), near the entrance to Horseshoe Cove, 50 yards SW of Pt. Cavallo. No serious damage reported.

    I think I saw DARK AND STORMY going clockwise around the course, under a monster Code Zero spinnaker. I could be wrong, but after DARK AND STORMY rounded Blackaller, she went down the City Front, crossed over to Angel Island, and disappeared ahead down Raccoon Straits. Congrats to them!

    It was perfect conditions for Code Zeros, those big, light mast head spinnakers that can be flown upwind. Even the venerable YUCCA was using a masthead Code Zero as she approached Red Rock at sunset.

    The lead boats that went clockwise before time expired were OUTSIDER, three Moore 24's, and CALIFORNIA CONDOR. After rounding TI and Red Rock, they disappeared into the twilight near Raccoon Straits. And ran out of what little wind they had.

    Thank you 3BF committee!!
    Last edited by sleddog; 01-27-2014 at 09:34 AM.

  8. #8
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    Sep 2007
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    3BF results will be made final at 1900 tonight, so today is your last chance to challenge the R/C on your posted mean lower-low average reverse polish notated drifting speed.

    16 lucky winners have been logged for future R/C duty.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
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    First off, let me join the chorus and send a big THANK YOU to the organizers and RC for this event. Even without wind and getting swept out the gate, I had a good time.

    I realized I only took a couple of pictures for the whole day, and even then only because I thought I was going to record a bad crash. Don't know if this was one of the people who had to drop out for interfering, but they sure got 5 blasts.



    I think the freighter's bow wake is about to hit the sailboat in this pic.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
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    Berkeley
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    I figure I tied for 2nd place overall.

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