After the 2010 Transpac racers offered some notes from their experiences. Is there any chance that 2014 participants can be tempted to share the same here?
After the 2010 Transpac racers offered some notes from their experiences. Is there any chance that 2014 participants can be tempted to share the same here?
The Generals barometer worked and Lightspeeds Expedition software did not. Relying completely on software routing technology can backfire! My lesson learned, is you need to do the race to know how to do the race!!...
I second Rick’s comment: the 1st race is a learning experience. But so is the 2nd, I think, time will tell. That said, comparing my 2012 and 2014 experiences, what felt like the things I did differently that helped me the most are:
• Lighter boat (truck loads removed, no harpsichord, etc… F=ma I’m told)
• Better balance of seamanship and racing
– Forget comfort & accept sail and gear damage
– But if done well, with good luck, faster
• Realistic strategies (Frolic is not a sled)
• Lots of attention on relevant weather and my barometers (versus celestial which is fun but not fast)
• Better sleep habits (2 hr timer vs 1 hr)
• Beefed up gooseneck, etc (stuff that was edgy in 2012)
• Powerful below-deck autopilot drive (I destroyed two grand prix tiller pilots in 2012)
• Better spinnakers and gear (I learned a lot from Green Buffalo)
– More chutes, more sail time
– Two pole jibes (wow!)
– Outgrabber
It’s hard to quantify but I've no doubt that the interaction I've enjoyed since 2012 with SHTP vets, several who I now count as friends, really helped. It’s a great group and I feel fortunate to be a member!
But the real kick in my pants was the last paragraph in Lee Shore Blues – a must read :-)
As usual, I should have kept my mouth shut
Frolic has Raymarine electronics, with the X10 autopilot computer and type 1 below-deck motor, but they are there almost accidentally and I don’t necessarily recommend them. While the Raymarine has so far been OK, there are probably better choices for blue water racing. For example, Green Buffalo uses an Alpha system (two aboard) and Jim seems very pleased with his redundant system. Ken Roper uses tiller pilots on Harrier. The best choice of course will depend on your boat. A J/92 weighs a lot less than an islander 36 and has a very different underbody. I don’t know anyone who has a broader knowledge of autopilots and their best application than Brian Boschma, and I recommend getting his advice on that topic.
The only equipment failure on Harrier was one Raymarine tiller pilot 4000 (might have been a 4000GP).
But it really just wore out. Stopped working after 4 days, but what failed was the little plastic (!) gizmo
in the drive unit. Replaced the AP with a like unit (a relatively new one, but not unused) and it worked
fine the rest of the way...11 1/2 more days. As a matter of fact, it worked all the way back to LA too.
I do carry spare motors, but never have had to replace them. Keep the water out with a cover and
silicone grease on the thruster so the seals are kept functional. My supply of "tiller type" pilots is fairly
extensive....Some Navicos, but mostly Raymarine. The latter interface with my sailing instruments so I
can sail in "wind mode" when it suits me. I have an Atoms wind vane, but didn't carry it on the race.
I do get weather fax with a XAXERO software connecting SSB transmissions to my laptop. Had very
little luck with this on this race until I replaced my recalcitrant SSB rig (poor receiver performance). So
I had good wx faxes on the way back...tee hee. My barograph is pretty sensitive and kept me in the
wind the whole way over on the race.
Didn't tear up any sails or rigging in either direction. Only used one 3/4 oz GP chute and it held up fine.
Probably because I had 4 other chutes and also used my nylon twins a lot.
If I weren't getting so damn old, I'd look forward to #14 with essentially the same gear and boat.
Fair Winds to all Ken