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Thread: New Boat 4 Sled

  1. #181
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    San Francisco Bay area
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    45

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    Thanks Skip...very helpful! I recognize those little friction clamps; they look like the ones used to hold my cockpit table to the binnacle guard. I didn't realize that your panel swivelled with the longer side inboard....sounds like a great idea. My use would be primarily to trickle charge my two group 27 batteries so a little shade occasionally would be no problem for me either.
    Richard
    Libations Too

  2. #182
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Capitola,CA
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    3,338

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    Hmmmm. It appears that even the Americas Cup can't overcome the fact that multihulls are still considered second class citizens by mere mortals.

    After multiple phone calls, and snail mail through the required hoops of photo, registration, and insurance with Brickyard Cove named additional insured, I thought I had a deal with Brickyard Cove Marina for dry storage. WILDFLOWER met all the printed requirements, including measurements. She displaces 800 pounds, about 1700 pounds less than an Express 27, and is highway legal beam (8.5'), 9" less than an Olson 30.

    Don't count your chickens, sleddog.

    The printed material began with "Welcome to Brickyard Cove Marina! We are excited to welcome you to our harbor."
    But hold on. Why won't the office currently return my calls?

    A terse e-mail answered the mystery today: "Unfortunately we are not permitted to accept catamarans to store at Brickyard Cove."

    Well, butter my buns and call me a biscuit.

    On the other side of Brickyard is happier news. Rich Weirick, long time harbor master at RYC is retiring Oct. 10. Richie has been a true friend to sailors for years. And if you needed a thing-a-ma-jig for your broken smart pig, Richie likely had one in the back of his "office."

    Well done, and thanks, Richie! We wish you fun cruising.
    Last edited by sleddog; 09-26-2012 at 01:31 PM.

  3. #183
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Capitola,CA
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    3,338

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    Once a year or so, in the Fall, a combination of high pressure, offshore flow, and downslope winds brings a heatwave to the Coast. Yesterday we were bracketed by triple digits: 106 in Aptos, 105 in Soquel, 107 in Scotts Valley. More to come today before the cooling influence of stratus (marine layer) from a Southerly Surge makes it way up the Coast.

    Reminds me of an unusual weather phenomena in the Big Boat Series some years ago. There was an inversion level down to about 50' and hot offshore zephyrs were wafting down from the Berkeley Hills across the Bay. About 3 pm the cool Westerly filled beneath the Gate, and blew eastward along the surface, under the warm Easterly.

    Across the drifting fleet the unusual sight of the lower half of spinnakers filling with Westerly, while the upper half of the sail plan was sailing to windward in the old Easterly. It did not make for good headway, and I remember we all went swimming before the race was called at sunset.

    It looks like a good sized fleet of SSS'ers racing to Vallejo. Tho we won't be racing WILDFLOWER this year, I look forward to bringing the boat to Vallejo as "escort" (or beer boat if you prefer.) We'll try to stay out of your water and off your wind. In Vallejo, feel free to stop by and say hello.
    Last edited by sleddog; 10-02-2012 at 09:57 AM.

  4. #184
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Posts
    50

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    Bert HATES multihulls. And kayaks too. Nothing to do with logic or reason. Just No.

    (No longer a tenant.. Tom of Constellation.)

  5. #185
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Capitola,CA
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    Driving a boat over Hwy 17 and up the 880 is not for the faint of heart. But we got WILDFLOWER safely to Berkeley Marina yesterday. All went well with rigging. The plan was to launch using the 2 Ton hoist. Surprising to us, the lift clearance wasn't sufficient to get the boat up off the trailer. I shortened the slings, then we pulled the trailer out from under, like pulling a rug.

    The plan was to sail across the Bay and take in the AC 45 Fleet Race. We tucked in a reef and left Berkeley at 3 pm in typical conditions of 18-20 knots and short chop. Overhead, six Blue Angels were roaring around in their practice. The big question: what was that little red bi-plane doing practicing with the Blue Angels? I think it was a Pitts Special, and was certainly hauling ass.

    We got to the City Front at 5pm, in time for the AC Fleet Race start. The "arena" was well patrolled with big CG boats and many smaller boats with flashing red and blue lights. We watched the 11 AC cats start, round the first mark off the Marina Green, then take off "downwind." Downwind is relative for these high speed craft, as they always have the apparent wind forward of the beam.

    Tho the racing was interesting from a distance, the real spectacle was the spectator fleet. There was several mega-yachts and a giant black ketch mixed in. Everyone seemed to stay clear. But clearly having a VIP flag let you speed around closer to the action with your RIB. Some creative flag maker should be selling those.

    Our run back to Berkeley was fast, with the sun setting behind the fog over the GG Bridge. As we entered the Marina, there was a Dragon Boat being coached by non other than Lat.38's Max Ebb. Max has an interesting scientific theory: paddling in unison is not as fast as random paddling, each to his own speed and pace. I did mention we are in Berkeley?

    Today we sail to RYC for the Vallejo 1-2 start. CU there.
    Last edited by sleddog; 10-05-2012 at 08:02 AM.

  6. #186
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    577

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    Skip, the start is on the Circle, so you may as well stay in Berkeley. It's where G is supposed to be; I'll be setting our inflatable mark.

    Looking forward to checking out Wildflower in Vallejo.
    Max

  7. #187
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    Sep 2007
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    Capitola,CA
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    Yes, thanks, Max. Understand the Vallejo 1-2 starts off Bezerkely Circle, halfway between Richmond and Berkeley. But tonight at RYC is birthday party for SSS sailors Jonathan and Christine, born on same day of same year. So we are heading over there. As we are not officially racing the Vallejo 1-2, it doesn't really matter where we start, as long as the beer is cold.

    I hope Capt. Jan is coming to Vallejo. Haven't seen her in a coon's age. Just imagine any other sailing organization having a amphibious Duck for a consort, like SSS does. (Just read Jan is RC Race Deck, and would appreciate assistance.)

    Regarding the Pitt Special bi-plane working out with the Blue Angels yesterday. The Pitt is no ordinary plane. With 240 hp to hoist her 1200 pounds, she can climb at 3,000 feet/minute. http://www.aviataircraft.com/pitts.html I'm guessing the only SSS boat that could match that would be JETSTREAM with a JATO bottle. Daniel?
    Last edited by sleddog; 10-05-2012 at 12:27 PM.

  8. #188
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    3,688

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    Skip, before my family started sailing we did airplanes. My Dad had a Knight Twister, designed by Vernon Payne in Bellflower. Like the Pitts it was a racing biplane but with a more "modest" 150 hp Lycoming - yet only a 12' wingspan! Mom had him beat - she had her license but was also trained to do aerobatics. She spent a fair bit of time in a Citabria - the same model of plane in which adventurer and SHTP record-holder Steve Fossett lost his life. Citabria is air_batic spelled backwards.

    It was an interesting childhood.

    I have to work today but hope to sail down from Vallejo on Saturday morning's ebb. I'll look for the little cat in SP Bay, then will turn around and race you for pink slips back to VYC. At least that's the plan.

  9. #189
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Capitola,CA
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    A fun Vallejo 1 today, with 53 boats on the line in Southerly wind of 6 knots. EYRIE, ARCADIA, and OUTSIDER battled for the early lead along the Richmond shore, while TIMBERWOLF stayed well to the north. JETSTREAM, on starboard jibe, was one of the few to pass Redrock to the north, and seemed to benefit from an early flood.

    The wind took a dump off Port Pinole, and the race restarted. A light SWerly filled to about 8 knots, with gusts to 10. The Santana 22 OREO was up in the high rent district, pacing the Expresses, the Moores, and seven Wyliecat 30's. MOONSHADOW went retro, and flew spinnaker and blooper from the 70's.

    The fleet jibed down towards Vallejo in bright sunshine and pleasant temps. Up at the front, MAX, FLIGHTRISK, OUTSIDER, and JETSTREAM, were doing well.

    The fleet had the usual port tack fetch to the finish up Mare Island Strait. OUTSIDER took line honors, a few lengths ahead of JETSTREAM. Jan and her crew on Race Deck finished the fleet and had the results posted online almost simultaneously. Thanks, Jan, for the salute to WILDFLOWER!

    Vallejo YC members were stationed throughout the marina to guide everyone to their docking assignments, hot showers, and hamburger feed. Well done, VYC.

    Overall winner of today's leg was OREO. Congrats, Garth!
    Last edited by sleddog; 10-07-2012 at 07:23 AM.

  10. #190
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Capitola,CA
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    Thanks to all who stopped by at Vallejo YC for a tour of WILDFLOWER. It was fun to meet you all!

    We had a fun afternoon with excitement thrown in. After picking up guests at RYC, we sailed for our slip at Berkeley Marina. Wind in the slot was 18-20 knots. We sailed upwind with EYRIE for a bit and took some pics of Syn and Ellie looking good. Then cracked off on a reach for Berkeley.

    Owen, from Marblehead, MA was driving and WILDFLOWER was truckin. The thrill meter (Velocitek) was consistently above 8, with bursts to 13. As we approached the Berkeley breakwater, Owen said he couldn't steer. WTF???

    I looked over the stern. Our RudderCraft blade (HDPE/ high density polyethelyne) was broken off flush with the bottom of the cassette. We hadn't hit anything, as there was no noise or bang when it went away. We dropped sail, and motored in. No drama. But there are some questions to be posed to RudderCraft tomorrow, who claim less than 1% failure rate on 10,000 rudders sold.
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    Last edited by sleddog; 10-08-2012 at 01:38 PM.

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