Page 321 of 628 FirstFirst ... 221271311317318319320321322323324325331371421 ... LastLast
Results 3,201 to 3,210 of 6278

Thread: New Boat 4 Sled

  1. #3201
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Saratoga
    Posts
    336

    Default

    The pin is not only to keep the line from jumping the roller, but keeps the cheeks from spreading from side loads, as so many boats found out the hard way in the great Cabo storm of the late 70's or early 80's. ( I forget the exact year )

  2. #3202
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    296

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by sleddog View Post
    GANNET's sheet to tiller steering can be seen in action here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx4f36BoYfk
    Basic, but apparently effective in certain conditions: shock cord pulling the tiller to leeward, balanced by the leeward jibsheet crossing the cockpit to the windward rail, then attached to the tiller. If it worked for him, it might work for you, although bigger jibs would be hard to handle without a winch between.
    Yes, he says that one key is you must be able to hold the working jib sheet with one hand without a winch to get it rigged. I.e., needs to be small boat/small headsail.

    I think this is how it worked: With a reef in the main and the jib partially furled, he ran the working sheet through a block on the leeward side across the cockpit to a block on the windward side, and then tied it to the tiller. Shock cords from the tiller to the leeward side counterbalanced the pull of the jib sheet. Wind tilting forward increases the pull of the jib sheet, causing the boat to fall off; wind tilting aft lessens the sheet tension, and the shock cords pull the tiller leeward, bringing the boat back up. Adjusting the tension of the shock cords to match the force of the wind, and the system replicates the action of a wind-vane self-steering system, holding the boat to a constant angle on the wind. So I imagine it works well in conditions in which a vane would, but probably can't handle high wind as well as a vane would.

    Does that sound right?
    Lee
    s/v Morning Star
    Valiant 32

  3. #3203
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Capitola,CA
    Posts
    3,338

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by AZ Sailor View Post
    Does that sound right?
    Exactly. Thanks, Lee.

    Vanes can hold an approx. course 20 degrees either side of desired when calibrated to a balanced sailplan. I was impressed GANNET's sheet to tiller could do the same at the point of sail in the video, a beam to broad reach in ~12 knots of wind.

    Sheet to tiller and windvanes are becoming "old school." New AP's are attractive but come with caveats: they require significant power, they aren't very waterproof, they are noisy, and subject to failure at inappropriate times. Ask PJ about DOUBLE EXPRESSO, with wung out sails in the SHTP, accidentally getting turned around 180 and sailing backwards with the AP steering and himself offwatch belowdecks. At least he was going in the right direction, even if stern first,

  4. #3204
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Capitola,CA
    Posts
    3,338

    Default

    Just when the saga of local shipwrecks was reaching denoument, who should appear but two lovely women I recognized from their SSS exploits. I asked what they were doing, and the story, varying at times, seemed to be there was a book and possible movie in the works about women pirates. And they were here to practice plundering to see how it feels.

    I agreed this was fertile ground, and we spent the next 45 minutes digging through a pile and several barrels of Cal 27 debris at our feet, about to be hauled to the dump. There were all sorts of treasures. Harken and Schaefer blocks, cams, shackles, bronze winches, a 12' spinnaker pole, Whale pumps...

    Name:  Cal27plunder.jpg
Views: 1425
Size:  533.7 KB

    We stuffed our pockets with all the usable booty we could carry, and made our own rat's nest for later collection.

    Then I hosted my pirate friends to coffee at Mr. Toots and we traded yarns about present and future expotitions under sail. Much is in the works. However, except for a new rudder for one of the women's ship, I am sworn to secrecy and can only reveal that between the two piratesses, 4 Pacific offshore voyages are in the offing, two of medium length and two longish.

    In fact, and this is confirmed, one of the piratesses will be on a polar exploration in the near future. Whadda you think of them cookies?
    Last edited by sleddog; 05-17-2019 at 05:03 PM.

  5. #3205
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    3,485

    Default

    Whoo hoo! Sailing is obviously more fun, but literally digging around in the sand for loot is a very useful skill for anyone and pirates, too. Carliane is now the proud part owner of a pretty little blue-hulled Newport 20. So she needs the following: new rigging and sails (meaning any rigging and sails), blocks for her windward traveller, line and etc.

    Name:  skip and carliane.JPG
Views: 827
Size:  533.1 KB

    So if you have extras, bring 'em to the Farallones awards meeting Wednesday night when you come to show your appreciation for the other participants of the race.

  6. #3206
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Montara, CA
    Posts
    803

    Default

    "Polar exploration." Good one, Sled. Fun times for SSSers. Not so fun for lost boats. Double indignity to be buried up to the gunnels in sand, a hole where pieces are being thrown out, and graffiti tagged on the side.
    Attached Images Attached Images  

  7. #3207
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Capitola,CA
    Posts
    3,338

    Default

    Ocean sailing records are getting harder to come by. The Figure 8 is over halfway to completion. The Atlantic was just crossed by a Frenchman in a barrel. 67 year old Fyodor Konyukhov is about to reach the Drake Passage after rowing his 27 footer from New Zealand enroute to a circumnavigation.

    It's rare Santa Cruz is involved in many sailing records. I do know several locals who have been on crews that set the Los Angeles to Hawaii "Transpac Record." After all, this is the birthplace of ultralight sailboats.

    But few can recall what 7 giant redwood logs from Santa Cruz, the Guam National Museum, and a small kitten have to do with a Guinness Book of World Records singlehanded sailing exploit.

    On Aug.31, 2002, a strange looking craft was towed into Santa Cruz Harbor. It's sole crew claimed rudder problems . There was a small kitten aboard who appeared to be uncertain about its involuntary participation. The skipper was vague and dreamy, saying he had set off from Half Moon Bay 3 days before on his homebuilt raft NORD VI headed westward to some uncertain destination "as far as I can sail." Which apparently was Santa Cruz Harbor, as the skipper said it was the end of his voyage, only 55 miles from the start.

    Name:  Raft.jpg
Views: 769
Size:  57.1 KB

    NORD, 39 feet beam and 49 feet LOA, had been built at Big Creek Lumber near Davenport with 24' diameter, 2 ton redwood logs donated by local Santa Cruz lumberman Bud McCrary. McCrary had also donated the homeless kitten.

    In talking with the skipper, I learned the raft was lashed together with manila and sisal rope, and that he had constructed his craft "adhering to strict environmental principles." He claimed he'd use solar power and two large cotton-and-linen sails for propulsion. Drinking water would come from rain collection, waste would be burned, and his simple diet of bread, potatoes and canned foods would be complemented by food from the ocean - "at least 25 percent of my total food."

    "The ocean is one of the last frontiers of freedom," he said. "I'm from Russia and freedom is an area that is shrinking and shrinking."

    His claim that Santa Cruz was the end of his voyage to nowhere was apparently a ruse to disarm a potential threat from the Coast Guard designating his raft as "Manifestly Unsafe," and the voyage should not proceed. Two mornings later he, the kitten, and the raft were gone, towed 20 miles to sea by VESSEL ASSIST and released.

    Name:  raft2.jpg
Views: 669
Size:  55.5 KB

    I never did hear what happened after that until recently when I came across a Guinness World's record for "the First Known Raft to have crossed the North Pacific Ocean." Say what? It went on to say, "The Raft NORD Transpacific Expedition, captained by Andrew Urbanczyk (USA), sailed from Half Moon Bay, California, USA, to the US-owned Pacific island of Guam, a straight-line distance of 5,110 nautical miles (9,463 km or 5,880 miles), in 136 days from 26 August 2002 to 28 January 2003."

    That works out to 38 miles/day at 1.6 knots. Record holder NORD is apparently on display at Guam's National Museum. I just hope the kitten found a good home.
    Last edited by sleddog; 05-18-2019 at 05:15 PM.

  8. #3208
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Bodfish, CA
    Posts
    436

    Default

    Good work to the Pirates and the beach cleanup in Capitola. I better keep quiet about the buried treasures in Bodfish.

    Thanks for the updates on Andrew Urbancycz. It hard to keep a good adventurer in port.

    Polar?? I will have to wait for the updates..

    Ants

  9. #3209
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Alameda CA
    Posts
    497

    Default

    This story has some weird six-degrees qualities for me...
    I met Bud (and his brother Lud) McCrary when I was the production manager for Shakespeare Santa Cruz, around 2003.
    Long time community supporters, they donated a flat bed full of shiplap siding that had been sitting in the Davenport mill yard for some time.
    it was weathered, cupped and basically unsellable - perfect for decking the set!

    About 10 years later, I was involved with building, and later installing, the displays for permanent exhibition - "The Journey of the Chamoro Peoples" for the Guam Museum (scroll down to the 3rd picture on the link).
    While I was not involved with other portions of the museum, I can confirm that the NORD was still there; at least as of 4 years ago when we installed the displays (after 5 years of delayed stop-start progress on the project).

    odd seemingly off topic fact; the worlds largest K-Mart is just down the road... sadly, it's a far more popular tourist attraction than the museum.
    but then it does feature every flavor of Spam, including one you can only find there!
    the connection? - when I was a student at UCSC in the late 80's, I graduated from Kresge College... which was originally endowed by the Kresge Family Foundation. The family Kresge is the "K" in Kmart.


    DH
    Last edited by DaveH; 05-18-2019 at 09:11 PM.

  10. #3210
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Capitola,CA
    Posts
    3,338

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by DaveH View Post
    This story has some weird six-degrees qualities for me...
    I met Bud (and his brother Lud) McCrary when I was the production manager for Shakespeare Santa Cruz, around 2003.
    Long time community supporters, they donated a flat bed full of shiplap siding that had been sitting in the Davenport mill yard for some time.
    it was weathered, cupped and basically unsellable - perfect for decking the set!

    About 10 years later, I was involved with building, and later installing, the displays for permanent exhibition - "The Journey of the Chamoro Peoples" for the Guam Museum (scroll down to the 3rd picture on the link).
    While I was not involved with other portions of the museum, I can confirm that the NORD was still there; at least as of 4 years ago when we installed the displays (after 5 years of delayed stop-start progress on the project).

    odd seemingly off topic fact; the worlds largest K-Mart is just down the road... sadly, it's a far more popular tourist attraction than the museum.
    but then it does feature every flavor of Spam, including one you can only find there!
    the connection? - when I was a student at UCSC in the late 80's, I graduated from Kresge College... which was originally endowed by the Kresge Family Foundation. The family Kresge is the "K" in Kmart. DH
    Geez, Mr. Hedgehog, your recent post is an unbelievable trove of information, far surpassing any posted heretofore. So the average Chamorro consumes 16 cans of SPAM/year, the most of any country or island in the world. Though SPAM is convenient, easy to use and has a long shelf-life, perfect for singlehanded sailors, it's also very high in fat, calories and sodium and low in important nutrients, such as protein, vitamins and minerals. Additionally, it's highly processed and contains preservatives like sodium nitrite that cause adverse health effects.

    The diet of early Chamorros, or natives of Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands, was predominantly plant based and included taro, yams, breadfruit, bananas, cas-sava, coconut, and fish. However, after World War II, with military installations having taken over 2/3's of farming land, the Chamorro diet began to shift from locally grown foods to imported rice and highly processed canned goods, such as Spam®, corned beef, and Vienna sausage.

    Name:  Spam1.jpg
Views: 713
Size:  22.2 KB

    This change has led to high rates of obesity and chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cancer. Fully 60% of Chamorros die of diet related disease, a legacy obesity crisis by any measure.

    To feed this appetite on Guam and other Pacific Islands, Hormel Food Corp., based in Minnesota, produces 15 and counting different flavors of SPAM: classic, less sodium, lite, hot & spicy, Black Pepper, Jalapeño, spread, singles, singles lite, hickory smoke, bacon, cheese, garlic, and roasted turkey. That's 14. And there is one flavor made just for Guam. To join Mr. Hedgehog and me for an afternoon of consultation at Capitola Boat Club, what is the 15th flavor of SPAM made exclusively for Chamorros on Guam?. 1) Oreo SPAM? 2) Macadamia SPAM? 3)Scampi SPAM? 4)Creole SPAM? 5)Sushi SPAM? 6) Tabasco Island SPAM? 7) Portuguese sausage SPAM? 8 Nutella SPAM? 9) Mutton SPAM? 10) Liberation SPAM? 11) Tocino SPAM? 12) Shave Ice SPAM? 13) Teriyaki SPAM 14) Chorizo SPAM.

    Name:  Spam2.jpg
Views: 1463
Size:  28.8 KB
    Last edited by sleddog; 05-18-2019 at 10:33 PM.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •