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Thread: New Boat 4 Sled

  1. #1101
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    pogen is offline Sailing canoe "Kūʻaupaʻa"
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    Spelled like "rat-lines", pronounced "ratl'ns".

  2. #1102
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    Ratlines ("ratlins") are a quick and easy way to go aloft. But ratlines aren't for everyone. The first time I stepped up on MAYAN's ratlines, they broke underfoot. Apparently David Crosby hadn't renewed sun damaged rope.

    The new owner of MAYAN removed the offending ratlines. He was afraid his grandkids would climb the mast and get in harm's way. Also, he thought ratlines were not racy, and were extra windage not credited on his PHRF rating.

    I've never seen it, but always thought the most practical ratlines would be to have double (split) backstays, one to each quarter of the transom, with ratlines strung between. Up and down the mast would be a cinch.

    Back in the day of Jack Aubrey, ratlines were used for marksmen to climb aloft in order to draw a better bead on the opposing crew.

    The most unusual use of ratlines I've heard was in the 1953 Honolulu Race aboard the 161 foot schooner GOODWILL. Shortly before the Diamond Head finish, as GOODWILL boiled down the Molokai Channel at 14 knots under 30,000 square feet of sail area, crewmember Morgan Lord Morgan climbed the ratlines to the top of the foremast. There, with a safety line around his waist, Morgan gently walked 25 feet out on top of the 10,000 square foot spinnaker and peered over the front.

    I wouldn't have believed this possible if I hadn't have seen the photos. Don't try this on your J-92.
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    Last edited by sleddog; 09-24-2015 at 06:48 AM.

  3. #1103
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    I missed seeing all of you in Half Moon Bay. I offered Rags to the Women's Sailing Seminar at IYC again this year. Founded by Mary Quigley and Linda Newland (a SHTP vet) 23 years ago, the seminar has been instrumental in getting hundreds of women out sailing.

    While a couple of the ladies we had aboard may have preferred Christian's "Offshore Umbrella," Alice Watts would have been more interested in your ratlines. For 17 years Alice has been ALMA's first mate and is a senior instructor at SF Maritime. She came aboard wearing a FREDA B t-shirt and with a request to know where all the safety equipment was stowed. I directed her to the Safety Equipment Location chart on Rags' main bulkhead - we got along fine after that.

    Rags was the only boat to hoist a spinnaker. At the end of Sunday's Bay Cruise, Alice said she'd always wanted to steer a boat while under spinnaker so that box got checked off for her. She said Rags handles a bit better than ALMA.

    I'd post a couple pictures but this board isn't letting me do that.

    Hopefully I'll see all of you in Vallejo.
    Last edited by BobJ; 09-24-2015 at 08:41 PM.

  4. #1104
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    It was fun to see everyone at Half Moon Bay, and to welcome those that continued south to Santa Cruz, especially SEA WITCH and DURA MATER. We had a pleasant afternoon sail on DURA MATER from Santa Cruz Harbor to Capitola and return, and Jackie got to experience the local merry-go-round provided by the westerly wind offshore, and the easterly eddy near the beach. This local afternoon wind phenomenum, when sailed counter-clockwise, provides a broad reach east along the coast, then another broad reach back west, with a transition between.

    I guess somewhere on DURA MATER's ascent of the Coast back to Berkeley the screws fell out of Jackie's Harken self-furler drum. I don't know the details, except she spent considerable time on the bow getting things organized.

    Loctite Threadlocker (blue #242) paste is a good thing to use when screwing fastenings in a maritime environment where vibration may loosen things.
    Last edited by sleddog; 09-26-2015 at 02:13 PM.

  5. #1105
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    Most agree EYRIE wins races because she's skilled not only at turning the wind, but tough as nails. But there's another winning ingredient called the "Frozen Banana Squeeze" she keeps in her cooler, especially for those warm days in the Gulf of the Farallones like the recent race to HMB.

    FROZEN BANANA SQUEEZE: Chill or freeze 4 over-ripe bananas. Thaw bananas enough to break off the stem, and squeeze out the creamy innards like toothpaste into a bowl. Add 2 tbsp. cocoa powder, 1 tsp. pure vanilla and 2 tbsp. real maple syrup. Maybe a bit of cinnamon, some coffee mud, or Kahlua. Stir it all together and pour it into an ice cube tray. Freeze, then eat like frozen Bon Bons.

    Happy 1st Birthday to Synthia's Australian sheep dog puppy, "Rreveur." What a pair.
    Last edited by sleddog; 09-30-2015 at 07:18 AM.

  6. #1106
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    Team Soggy Beavers, six young Canadians paddling an outrigger canoe with a foot of freeboard, finished a respectable 7th in the recent Race2Alaska. They stroked all 750 upwind miles, rarely stopping and then only to stretch their legs. Soggy Beavers finish time of 11 days, 4 hours, made them the first paddle craft to ring the finish bell at Thomas Basin. Way to Go, Soggy Beavers!

    Rumor is floating a small group of dedicated rowers billing themselves as "Team Feral" may charter the STAMPFLI EXPRESS for the next R2AK. What's the STAMPFLI EXPRESS? It's a Swiss built, 144' rowing shell, rowed by a coed crew of 24 and one coxswain, pulling 48 oars. The STAMPFLI EXPRESS, the world's longest racing shell, is a jaw dropping sight to see when underway. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzp1wDwSXpE

    Currently, the STAMPFLI is touring the East Coast, and participating in regattas where they regularly finish a half a dozen lengths in advance after 1,000 meters. STAMPFLI's current best time for 2,000 meters is a blistering 5:36, or 11.7 knot average.

    I believe this record was broken less than a week ago on the Potomac where an elite crew of rowers, including 8 Olympians, stroked so hard at the finish when the cox called for "power 20's!" that the surge launched the coxswain off the back of the boat. Luckily, the only thing preventing an embarrassing overboard for the ex-Olympian was a homemade Go-Pro tripod he fetched up against. Yiii doggies! http://www.row2k.com/video/Potomac-B.../#.VhBBhyuyq8B

    Apparently, the braintrust behind "Team Feral" calculated the STAMPFLI can average 8 knots in smooth water, even with 8 crew sleeping "off watch" on their thwarts, thereby potentially finishing the 750 mile Race2Alaska in just under 4 days, and claiming the $10K first prize by a long shot over the trimarans.

    "Boys (and Girls) in the Boat?" I thought about this wild ass idea while working out on the Health Club's Concept2 Rower. 4 Days? Really?? Even though the STAMPFLI is flexible, what I see happening is the first 4 foot Nordic Tug wake to cross their bows will break the 925 pound STAMPFLI EXPRESS in half.

    I'm not sure when the STAMPFLI EXPRESS is coming to California. Your guess is as good as mine. You'll just have to get yourself to Boston in time for The Head of the Charles Regatta on Oct.17 & 18 to see the STAMPFLI EXPRESS take no prisoners.
    Last edited by sleddog; 10-03-2015 at 02:09 PM.

  7. #1107
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    24 people x 800 calories per hour / person = 2304 Kind bars per day, or 1000 crispy cream donuts. They will need to pull a similar shell just to carry food and water.

  8. #1108
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    Quote Originally Posted by brianb View Post
    24 people x 800 calories per hour / person = 2304 Kind bars per day, or 1000 crispy cream donuts. They will need to pull a similar shell just to carry food and water.
    who knew that donuts were such efficient sources of energy? Mmmmm! Maple bars, glazed old fashioned, chocolate sprinkles ... Imagine the barge that would be required to tow those!

  9. #1109
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    Breaching humpback whales in Monterey Bay having close calls with boaters is not a new thing. Two weeks ago two kayakers barely escaped being crushed by a surfacing humpback off Moss Landing. Was their survival a matter of luck? Or can a 40 ton animal with eyes on the side of it head and purported to be colorblind navigate an ascent from the depths so as to narrowly miss humans on the surface? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDuHILGA2_Q

    Yesterday, a mile north of Santa Cruz, a Moore -24 racing in the Fall Series had a close encounter with a humpback. Bill and Melinda Erkelen's EIGHT BALL had a humpback breach alongside, and with a flick of its tail, break their headstay so the mast fell down. They did not see the whale before or after this scary event.

    EIGHT BALL's color scheme is a black hull with a white bottom. Did the surfacing humpback mistake the Moore-24 for an orca?

    Once, sailing WILDFLOWER home from Hawaii, I had a lone bull sperm whale pop its square head up alongside, not a boat length away. It's eyeball, about the size of a plate, scanned the boat. The sperm whale then disappeared beneath the waves.

    In 2006, Natalie of ELISE was crewing a 40 foot racing sloop home from Hawaii when a sperm whale aggressively punched its head through the hull. The boat quickly sank, but the four crew were fortunately rescued from their liferaft by a passing commercial ship.

    Though whales are not normally aggressive towards boats, I don't think the intentions or actions of whales in the vicinity can be predicted. The idea of playing loud music or turning on the depth sounder as a warning seems a bit far fetched, about as useful as spraying a nearby whale with pepper spray.
    Last edited by sleddog; 10-04-2015 at 09:15 PM.

  10. #1110
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    For anyone in the vicinity of Spauldings in Sausalito, I recommend a visit to check out JZERRO, Russell Brown's 36' proa, late of Port Townsend. Not only was JZERRO the fastest boat in the Pacific NW, but Russell successfully cruised her to Baja, New Zealand, the Queen Charlottes, and many places between.
    http://www.pacificproa.com/brown/jzerrophotos.html

    JZERRO recently sailed under the GG Bridge at 20 knots under spinnaker, and Russell emotionally handed over the keys to his well traveled vaka to new owner, Ryan Finn of New Orleans.. Some of you may remember Ryan, now 37, from the 2004 Singlehanded TransPac when he sailed his J-90 SURFINN.

    Ryan, a cancer survivor, doesn't intend to let moss grow on JZERRO's bottom. I'm not sure when, but Ryan's plan is to double Cape Horn singlehanded, first to do so in a proa, as well as set a NY to SF record. http://www.allatsea.net/ryan-finn-an...can-adventure/

    If you are standing above JZERRO and wondering what that pod is on the main hull, that is the cabin and sleeping quarters. The pod is relatively roomy and comfortable. Unlike most proas, JZERRO's ama or outrigger is always to windward. 60 pumps on the handle of the big pump quickly fills the ama with 500 pounds of water ballast.

    If you wonder how JZERRO tacks, basically the boat reverses: the bow becomes the stern, and the stern becomes the bow. To do that you lower the jib and rudder at one end, and hoist the jib and rudder at the other end, and Bob's Your Uncle.

    I wish the best to Ryan and JZERRO. It looks like a successful match to me.

    Russell and Ashlyn Brown weren't boatless for long. They just bought a well worn and unloved Gougeon 32 catamaran found in a backyard on Whidbey Island.
    If anyone can restore the 32 to better than new, they can.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYmKqu4zIs8
    Last edited by sleddog; 10-05-2015 at 08:45 PM.

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