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Thread: Logs from LongPac racers

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    7

    Default Friday Afternoon Update from Tiger Beetle

    Good morning! Turned around last night at 126.41 (I overshot by 1 minute), at 00:48 this morning (shortly before 1am Friday morning).

    Spinnaker is up, pole on the headstay reach in quiet seas and overcast sky - should be a very nice day, as everything is forecast to remain mellow. All is well on board, I hope to be in the bay sometime Saturday - it's 164 nautical miles from my current position to the center of the Golden Gate Bridge.

    Position:
    36.49 x 125.39 course 074T 6.0 knots.

    We're doing the crazy round-robin VHF check-in that sometimes involve 4-way and 5-way relays (!). Well, that's the pain one puts up with if we don't want to put an SSB on each boat...

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    81

    Default Tiger Beetle log report: 2100 position report

    LongPac 7/31 2100 position report
    (from tiger beetle as ohanna's outbound email does not work)

    It's been another nice day out on the Pacific, conditions have been reasonably mellow out on the Eastern Pacific - perhaps too much so as some of the fleet appear to be trapped by a forming Low and associated trough extending along 126.30 W, which just so happens to be the line we run out to, tag, then turn around and run home.

    Red Sky reports 3 albacore (all released), and Rainbow has repaired his charging circuit.

    Constellation has retired from the race and is motoring eastwards, appears that all is ok.

    Check-in on VHF remains problematic, as the fleet has spread out too much to hear each other. Some of the relays involve four and five boats, and we were unable to pick up everybody tonight.

    alchera 37.08 124.40 070 7.9
    bandicoot 36.53 126.37 274 2.0
    barbaloot 36.47 126.30 030 1.5
    constellation 36.46 126.05 072 5.0 retired, motoring
    coyote 37.10 124.58 070 7.5
    culebra 36.52 126.20 090 1.5
    elise no contact
    ergo no contact
    galaxsea no contact
    gavilan 36.42 125.29 054 5.0
    great white 37.07 126.03 064 5.4
    green buffalo 37.02 125.12 050 7.0
    hecla no contact, presumed finished
    nancy 37.19 126.01 -- -- 17:40 position report
    ohanna 37.22 124.48 073 7.0
    outsider no contact
    poco loco 37.09 125.07 060 5.4
    rainbow 37.13 126.14 255 3.0
    red sky 37.10 125.42 075 5.6
    second verse no contact
    solar wind no contact
    taz! 37.01 126.40 078 0.2
    tesa 36.53 125.24 042 5.1
    tiger beetle 37.16 124.22 070 6.9
    trunk monkey no contact
    velocious no contact

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    7

    Default 21:00 check per Tiger Beetle

    Duplicate Post
    Last edited by Matt; 08-02-2009 at 01:14 PM.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    81

    Default Green Buffalo log report - 0800 8/1/09

    Overcast came in yesterday evening and temperature dropped several degrees. Back to wearing foulies and jacket.
    10-15k out of the north all night - beautiful jib top reaching in 50-70 degrees apparent wind - and boat going 6-8k.
    Woke up from naps a few times when the wind came up to 15k and the boat heeled "more then normal". Several 45-60 minute naps during the night.

    This morning the wind is taunting me as it swings from north to west for 5-10 minutes making me go "its chute time" - only to see it swing back north.
    I set the chute up just after day break (sheets, guys, pole, bag, halyard) and she's already to be hoisted - as soon as I get a steadier westerly. Would I mind it if the wind stayed north and I couldn't hoist until inside the Light Bucket?

    Do buffalo's get "barn shy" like horses? The skipper sure is. :-)

    60 miles isn't far - but its far enough. A few short naps will make the time to go faster. Though I think the napping is over once I get inside the Farallones.

    Barring the wind shutting off, I expect to finish between 3 and 5 pm this afternoon (I'll be fighting an ebb which could delay me a bit more... though maybe not... should be ebbing on the shore as I come in... flood starts at 6 pm).

    Looking forward to a warm bed that doesn't move tonight - though feeling a little guilty for half the fleet that will probably not finish till early Sunday morning.

    Jim

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    81

    Default Coyote log report on 8/1/09 at 0800

    Coyote had a great run yesterday from around 1300 (1pm) until now, with winds building from 8 to 15 knots.

    We seem to have reeled in some of the boats who got away at the turning point 126.4, gaining 25 miles of 50 we lost. Check-in is in 1/2 hour, so we will have a better idea of where we stand.

    Noisy ride last night as Coyote ran on a close reach all night, but it felt great to be making so many miles.....

    Only 16 miles from the Farallones Islands and 42 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge, looks like I may be back in the slip by 1700 (5pm today)!

    Not sure if I will get the kite up today, wind is forward of the beam, 13 knots, but I am ready if the wind shifts just a little.

    AIS is terrific, the alarm sounded twice yesterday, and I was able to contact the ships who were headed at Coyote, the ships could all see me via AIS, knew my course and speed, and they easily veered course just a little to leave me a mile away.

    I understand my transponder is not working, so I am going to move it now to the port side of the boat, maybe the satellites are all in the western sky, because since I started back on a port tack Connie tells me my transponder is not tracking.

    So off to move the transponder, and perhaps Coyote's last roll call this morning at 0900.

    Steve
    Coyote

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    81

    Default Green Buffalo log report on 8/1/09 at 14:33

    I jumped the gun thinking I would get home late this afternoon.
    The wind died just after my prior e-mail.
    2-4k of wind and making 2-3k. Made 25 miles in the last 7 hours.
    5 miles from the Farallones (not too sure if I am going to take the SE Farallone Island to port or starboard yet).
    Beating up the boat too - slatting. Will be interesting to see if the slatting will pop a few mast track screws making it impossible to get the main down (probably in the wee hours tonoght).

    Have the chute up and it seems to be helping a wee bit (if I don't pop it given its collapsing and opening every minute).
    Reduced the distance Coyote is ahead of me by a few miles.

    This is a great race for sailmakers... all those beat up sails. :-)

    In a day race, I would call it a day and motor home. But having come 365 miles... with just 35 miles to go... going to stick this one out (though if I am still not moving come midnight, I still might bag it.

    Maybe the wind will fill in later this afternoon... just need 8-10k... to get home by midnight.

    Jim

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    81

    Default Green Buffalo log report 8/1/09 at 17:52

    Last email...
    4 miles from the Light Bucket.
    8 knots of wind and doing 4k under spinny.

    I shouldn't do this, but I'll give an ETA of 10:30pm.
    If you see Coyote, I am 20-45 minutes behind her.

    A few miles in from the Frallones I saw three whales circling a patch of water - stirring it up with the birds joining in. Was strange as I sailed straight through the middle of this sort of whirlpool. All told saw over 10 whales this trip - all greys.

    Also just saw a large sea turtle - shell was maybe 5-6 foot across (passed just 150 feet away - I first thought it was an upside down dinghy).

    AIS alarm just went off a minute ago - for the first time (closest approach alarm is set for 2 miles and containership about to pass 1 mile away).

    I hear its been blowing stink in the bay... nuclear... wonder if the wind will die by the time I get there? Should I double pole gybe under the bridge - or will it be blowing hard enough I should use discretion and drop the chute just before the bridge and finish under jib top?

    We'll see...

    Jim

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    81

    Default Coyote - final log report 8/1/09

    Well, we did it - Coyote and I - finishing the LongPac last night Saturday August 1, at 2010 (8:10pm)!

    We finished, but it was not pretty.....We had a great ride in from the Farallones under Spinnaker, and turns out on max flood too, so we were doing ~9 knots coming into SF bay. Under the Golden Gate bridge we flew and into the main bay, then just before the take down, the spinnaker blew up,,,and in the process wrapped itself a dozen times around the furled jib. So there I was, max flood pushing me down bay, a half opened spinnaker hopelessly wrapped around the head stay, and I was in real danger of missing the finish line!

    I brought in the main and headed straight for the SF shoreline while being swept down bay, but we were able to make enough ground and when it was safe (around St Francis), I fell off and let out the main to finish. The good news was that once in the calmer winds, I was able to pull on the sheet and the spinnaker unwrapped, so I was able to do the takedown just as I finished. It was not pretty (in fact ugly) but we got the job done.

    It took Coyote and I - 3 ½ days (81 hours 6 minutes) to complete the 400 mile course. It took 39 hours to get to Longitude 146.4, and 42 hours to bet back to SF.

    The sleeping for 25 minutes at a time during the night worked well, and I also took naps during the day. As the trip progressed, I would increase the nighttime sleep increments to 35 minutes and during the day typically slept for 45 minutes at a time. Only once felt sleep deprived, but that was the "turn around day" when I was up for many hours trying desperately to get to the turning point with very little wind, coaxing the boat along as best I could. Last night I slept for 12 hours, at home in bed, and had many bizarre dreams. (probably needed to catch up on my REM's)

    The nights were black as ink, having no moon - which was covered up by thick fog, and scanning the horizon at night was useless - I could see nothing. During the day, we had fair to great visibility, and the sun did come out at times, sometimes for 4-5 hours. Although it was very foggy, it was quite warm during the day.

    I ate very well; many hot meals (meals in the oven is the way to go, no boiling) just throw it in the oven, and wait. Lasagna, quiche, turkey divan, etc. Then I took the trash off the boat today, I noticed most of the garbage was actually recycling - I had a bag full of empty water bottles! Overall, I lost 5 pounds on the trip.

    I seems like the transponders - giving out positions was very helpful to those shore side who followed the race - worked great, we still have a few kinks to work out with these, but it seems like a great investment. Having Email capability is also good, to stay in touch. The SatPhone is great too. I was able to call Connie twice a day, and once she called me! The AIS is a very useful tool, knowing when a ship is coming straight at you in the middle of the ocean, and having an alarm to alert you to this fact.

    For me, this is one of, if not, the biggest accomplishments of my life, and I feel terrific and proud that I did it! (For weeks, and right up to the race, I was very tentative about going. Then I decided that if I was not having fun, I would just turn around and come home. So I decided to just go for it.) It was a great race, and everyday it seemed that there were battles. Either battle the weather (especially when there was no wind), gear failures, navigation problems, sleep, fog, ships or the competitors!

    I am especially proud of Coyote. Coyote held up very well, and performed great. She is a great boat. After running for so many miles, it was hard to get her to stop. We raced across the bay after we finished, and into the slip at RYC. However, once in the slip, it all I could do to keep Coyote back in the berth, she kept trying to pull forward, and I strained my back trying to restrain her!

    Thanks to all of you following along and sharing my experience, and rooting for Coyote!

    I got emails from many; your encouragement was great and very enjoyable hearing from you.

    Back to normal life for now, signing off.

    Steve
    Coyote

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    134

    Default

    Congratulations, Steve. You sailed Coyote really well and it seemed like you were always either in front of me or catching up. Now that you've got the taste for offshore racing, is a SSS TransPac in your future?

    - Mark

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    134

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Green Buffalo View Post
    A few container ships went by during the night mostly heading from LA to Asia - none closer then 2 miles away. One entrant, Alchera I believe (J/120), passed astern just 100 yards - at maybe 3 in the morning. I spotted him directly astern at closest approach when I first woke up from a hour long nap. He was heading south at a good clip. I wonder if he was awake and saw me? I had my pig stick strobe going at the mast head all night... Jim
    Yes, that was me (Alchera) almost climbing up your transom in the wee hours of the night, crossing to the south. You triggered the radar alarm at about 5 miles out and then I watched as our paths intersected, it sure looked like Alchera was headed for your transom! So I bore off sharply for a few minutes to go below and then resumed my southerly track. Didn't see your strobe though, are you sure it was on? The masthead light was nice and bright though, no problem picking it out. I had my strobe on that night because of the fog, turned it off during my course change to avoid you, and then turned it back on as I resumed course below you. It always amazes me during these races that after spreading out for a day or more, two boats can randomly come so close together. Just goes to show, one needs to keep maintaining a lookout! It's not just the big ships you have to worry about.

    By the way, congratulations on a great performance! Well done!

    - Mark

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