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Thread: New Boat 4 Sled

  1. #1941
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Discovery Bay, CA
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    496

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    Only 508 days and 14 hours to go assuming we start on 30 June, but who's counting?

  2. #1942
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    San Francisco Bay Area
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    2,095

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    An event which has fascinated me for a number of years is the Texas 200.

    http://www.texas200.com/

    I really like the idea of "run what ya brung"....and the large number of alternatively designed, home-built boats that do the event. Sure there are lots of Hobie catamarans, O-Day daysailers and MacGregor 26s that do it. There are seemingly normal home-built boats like Goat Island Skiffs and Welsford Navigators that do it.





    But there are also boats like these... a seriously customized Puddle Duck Racer, complete with built in chair, which I assume moves to the other side when you're on the other tack,but heck if I know. in 2014 a gaggle of Puddle Duck Racers did it.






    A lot of Jim Michalak (not my favorite designer, but whatever floats your....) boats have done it. One of those is the mayfly 14, which in fact I think is a pretty good-looking boat and perfect for this event.



    It's been done by guys in inflatable kayaks with inflatable pontoons.




    One of my favorite T200 boats is Andy Linn's "ooze goose", a 12 foot version of the Puddle Duck Racer, upon which he placed a cabin. To my eye, while the PDR's are just fugly, the damned goose actually looks pretty good.

    http://andrewlinn.com/2012/120603_launch/index.htm

    And then there's the famous incident where two guys cut out a Michalak boat at home and put the parts in their pickup truck. They drove to Texas, got there a couple of days early and assembled the boat. They painted it a shocking color. Then they sailed it 200 miles. They tried to sell it when they were done, but couldn't so they poured some gasoline on it and set it on fire. One of the builders, Andy Linn, has a penchant for setting boats on fire.

    I'm not making this up. Here's the boat.... it's a "Laguna" by Jim Michalak, and actually I think it's a good boat for this event.

    Last edited by AlanH; 02-09-2017 at 03:30 PM.
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  3. #1943
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    San Francisco Bay Area
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    Ooze goose with the mizzen furled, old skool..REALLY old skool....



    AMF Sunbird 16 production boat that competed with the O'Day daysailer. There were a bunch of 15-17 foot daysailers with little cabins built in the 70's that tried to fit into this market.



    it is, truly, the perfect event for the MacGregor 26.



    And just in case you thought I was kidding about setting the pink boat on fire after the event...

    http://s445.photobucket.com/user/jea...tml?sort=3&o=0

    =======

    I was going to take the Skerry down there and do it, summer of 2015 but I let Joan talk me out of it. It's a three-day drive to Texas...a day to set up and meet everybody. Another day is spent moving the truck/trailer to the end point of the event and getting back for the shrimp boil dinner. Then it's four days to do the event. A day is needed to recover, tell lies and hang out, and then three days driving to get home. I probably should have done it, but the skerry was only marginally ready at that point.

    There's a local guy who's done the event in a Mirror. The Mirror is a small pram-dinghy like an El toro, but 10 feet long instead of 8 and it has a lot more internal structure and flotation.
    Last edited by AlanH; 02-09-2017 at 03:48 PM.
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  4. #1944
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Capitola,CA
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    Drying out today after California's Central Coast, and Santa Cruz County in particular, felt the effects of three back to back storms over the last week that flooded homes, knocked out power and water, closed roads, and caused numerous land slippages.

    The National Weather Service used descriptive terminology for these weather events, referring to an "atmospheric river," "AR," "firehose," and "Pineapple Express." The earth was already saturated, and it didn't take much wind or rain to topple trees and cause hillsides to slide. For a time, all roads into and out of Santa Cruz were blocked, including Highways 1, 35, 9, 17, 129, 152, and 101. Highway 17, the major artery over the Hill to Silicon Valley, remains compromised due to an active slide and rocks falling on the highway.

    Here's a couple of short videos of the San Lorenzo River at flood stage. Check out the redwood trees floating downstream in swift current to the ocean.. Even the ducks sought high ground.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qx8PAQxboA

    Capitola Beach was recipient of more timber as Soquel Creek also reached flood stage. AlanH: come and get your practice cabers and stones, they're easy to find.

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    If you wonder why AlanH is seeking big poles (~22'x180 pounds) on the beach, and what he does with them, here's one visual explanation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytcjy3Em_O8
    Last edited by sleddog; 02-11-2017 at 08:32 PM.

  5. #1945
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Posts
    19

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    Hi Sled --

    We are considering a practice run from SF to Santa Cruz this weekend. Do you know if the harbor entrance is open for an 8 foot draft boat? I called the harbor office but have only been able to get the voice mail. Might have to change plans and go to Monterrey if Santa Cruz is closed out.

    Thanks,

  6. #1946
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Santa Cruz
    Posts
    108

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    Hello Ian~
    Howard Spruit here~
    Skip is on a camping trip, not expected back until later in the week.
    I have been monitoring the harbor mouth daily.
    Yesterday the surf was flat and at High tide a 9 foot draft fishing boat powered out at High tide and radioed back he thought he rubbed the bottom.
    The deepest part is close to the East Jetty.
    The dredge is out of service due to a blown engine on the service tug.
    I would say entering at this time with an 8' draft is marginal at best.
    SO Monterey or Moss landing may be the smart thing to do.
    I hop this helps.
    Howard

  7. #1947
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
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    19

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    Quote Originally Posted by H Spruit View Post
    Hello Ian~
    Howard Spruit here~
    Skip is on a camping trip, not expected back until later in the week.
    I have been monitoring the harbor mouth daily.
    Yesterday the surf was flat and at High tide a 9 foot draft fishing boat powered out at High tide and radioed back he thought he rubbed the bottom.
    The deepest part is close to the East Jetty.
    The dredge is out of service due to a blown engine on the service tug.
    I would say entering at this time with an 8' draft is marginal at best.
    SO Monterey or Moss landing may be the smart thing to do.
    I hop this helps.
    Howard
    Hi Howard --
    Great info, I think we will pass on Santa Cruz. These newer boats do like bumping the bottom.

    Thank you for the quick update.

  8. #1948
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Capitola,CA
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    Gentle Sailors,

    In these times of tumult and tribulations, here's a fun (and challenging) geographical/nautical quiz. There are three sections, A, B, and C. The first correct answer to section A wins fish tacos at Olitas on the Santa Cruz Wharf. First correct answer to section B wins a delicious margarita at Olitas. And first to answer section C has the option for a yummy dessert also at Olitas. Ready, Set, Go!

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^/)^^^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    The Central California Coast is incredibly spectacular, rugged, historical, and challenging to navigate, especially in small craft. Flippy recently visited a headland along this coast that gets doubled regularly by small boats northbound, much less often when sailing southbound.

    This headland is distinguished by vertical bluffs, arch rocks, inaccessible coves, sea caves, sea stacks, a blowhole, a giant sinkhole accessible by kayak from waterlevel, and other wonders.

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    Inland from the headland are hills that have been occupied for 9,000 years. Currently the hills are home to only wildlife that includes badger, coyote, rattlesnake, cougar, bear, deer, bobcat, vole, ground squirrel, white egret, peregrine, golden eagle. There are also seals and sealions, abalone and otter near shore and a mountain of gold that yields its bounty to those who seek.

    Once, on this headland, there was a Maine lighthouse with a fully operational Fresnel light. Today, the headland's skies are the darkest on the Central California coast. Southeast of the headland is a cove of the warmest water on the Coast, often 79-80 degrees. But no swimming, as the bluff trail stops short, past Windy Point and Rattlesnake Cove.

    Enough clues. Question A: what is the name of this above described and photographed headland, or the park to its north?

    Question B: Within view from this headland is a magnificent stone castle landmark, visible miles to sea on a clear day, guiding sailors to a sometimes safe harbor, but sometimes not. What is this landmark?

    Question C: Australian actress, singer, and activist Helen Reddy nearly won an Academy Award singing a famous torch song on this headland ….what was the name of the musical she was leading actress in, on our mystery headland?

    I regretfully must DSQ Howard Spruit who, in the early '70's beached his Hobie 14 on this headland when a plastic rudder pintle broke. Repairs were made on the small beach whence Howard completed his voyage.* Also, CHAUTAUQUA is DSQ as she grew up summers on this headland and shoreline, as her grandfather Oliver once owned and farmed the surrounding land.

    * Howard recollects " I was not Racing. We were on a “Pleasure cruise”.The boat was a Hobie 14 and we were the only boat on this adventure. The surf was totally flat that day and the wind was a beam reach in both directions. The plastic rudder pintle on the port side sheared off so I sailed up to a wet sand beach at the base of a high cliff, the beach was about 20 feet wide and 50 yards long I replaced the pintle with a couple 3/8” bolts that I LUCKLY had in my tool kit."

    "While on the beach we wandered around, ate our sandwiches, and discovered a small cave just above the high tide line. In that cave somebody had built a wall with concrete blocks from about 2’ off the floor to just overhead and about 3’ wide that damed off a freshwater spring and formed a small reservoir, at the lower end of this wall there was a water faucet with a porcelain handle, that had the word COLD written on it. I opened the faucet and indeed the water that came out was cold."

    "There was no visible way to scale this cliff and the beach would be gone at High tide….. So there was a very dedicated soul out there with a tremendous sense of humor just trying to mess with my mind.
    "
    Last edited by sleddog; 02-18-2017 at 06:31 PM.

  9. #1949
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    3,688

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    A: Piedras Blancas
    B: Hearst Castle
    C: Pete's Dragon (the song was Candle on the Water)

  10. #1950
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Capitola,CA
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobJ View Post
    A: Piedras Blancas
    B: Hearst Castle
    C: Pete's Dragon (the song was Candle on the Water)
    Excellent, BobJ! You have one correct answer, C, out of three, and won dessert at Olita's for identifying Pete's Dragon as the musical Helen Reddy was leading actress and Academy Award nominee on our mystery headland.

    Anyone wanna win the fish tacos and/or margarita by correctly identifying the A: mystery headland/park, and/or B: stone landmark of safety/danger?

    Hint: the ego of a famous movie actor was proximate cause of one of the most spectacular shipwrecks ever photographed in vicinity of the stone landmark.
    Last edited by sleddog; 02-18-2017 at 10:05 PM.

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