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Thread: New Boat 4 Sled

  1. #321
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    In the Virtual Vendee Globe Race, SLEDCAT continues her ascent of the S.Atlantic, a couple hundred miles south of Rio. We are just west of the Great Circle. And mounting a challenge to the vanguard of the "sans options" division (one jib, one spinny.) But there's gonna be decisions ahead, with land and a stationary low in the way. A tack east will be necessary to clear the NE corner of Brazil.

    I received brief radio messages from a boat back near New Zealand. Propagation is difficult and the noise below requires earplugs. I think the boat and her support crew hails from Tahoe. If you are reading this, please identify more fully. SK? Renee?

    Of greater surprise, another racer appeared out of the night, crossing jibes. I put the night vision binos on him. Holy Macaroni. It's DOGBARK. No kidding, Al Hughes, from SSS Singlehanded Transpac is also out here on the virtual sea. What are the chances. It looks like a match race between DOGBARK and SLEDCAT back to Les Sables. I got Al on VHF, and will say "hi" from you guys and gals.

    Alan, your sail is too cool. Graphics on that should be a cinch with masking tape, spray paint and magic markers. I forget your clan plaid.
    Last edited by sleddog; 01-10-2013 at 05:52 PM.

  2. #322
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    Sep 2007
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    San Francisco Bay
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    227

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ergo View Post
    Hey Alan,
    You are my new role model for self-sufficiency. Love it. Did Girfriend break in the poop deck?
    Bill
    It takes a sloop for GF to poop.
    Ride, captain ride upon your mystery ship. Be amazed at the friends you have here on your trip.
    Ride, captain ride upon your mystery ship. On your way to a world that others might have missed.
    ~ Blues Image

  3. #323
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    "Does this boat make me look fat?" is still my favorite.

  4. #324
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    Dec 2008
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    The boat you heard from back in NZ is skippered by Renee, a friend of mine from the Tahoe area. She is new to ocean racing, has just finished her first season of boat ownership with her Santana 20 and is pluging away at it so I turned her on to Sledcat. SDK

  5. #325
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    Sep 2007
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    My brother flew west from Annapolis, bringing with him a new carbon/Technora #1 his loft had built for a local client. Arriving at Oakland Airport after dark, he rented a car and drove to the nearby Airport Hilton restaurant for a meal. He parked in the restaurant lot, under a light and camera.

    When he returned an hour later, his car and two others had been victims of a smash and grab. Though his duffle bag and clothes were gone, the boxed sail, which weighed 40 pounds, was still there. I can just see someone trying to fence a large black sail in E. Oakland.

    He spent much of the rest of the weekend trying to verbally contact the police to file the report. The online report was returned, and he never could get that filed. The good news is the new sail fit to a "T".

    On his return flight east, the pilot announced they had locked into a 200 mph tailwind, and their SOG was over 700 mph. Unusual for a commercial airline to go that speed.

    On a slower bell, this evening on my walk to the cliff, an osprey flew by at eye level with a fresh fish dangling from his talons. The crescent moon looked cold in the sky. Windows around Monterey Bay were reflecting fire red in the sunset. I was glad I was wearing extra fleece.

  6. #326
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    Sep 2007
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    Sled, on Saturday I sailed aboard FLICKER, Ed Ruszel's J/32. In ghosting conditions his very cruisy J coasted along pretty well. I'd never risked this but Ed has many times: We circumnavigated Brooks Island and the Richmond breakwater. It was high tide but starting to ebb, so a careful eye on chartplotter and depth sounder was the order of the day.

    A nice afternoon - thanks Ed!
    Last edited by BobJ; 01-14-2013 at 10:03 PM.

  7. #327
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    Sep 2007
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    It is full court press time in the Virtual Vendee. Not only are DOGBARK and SLEDCAT practically overlapped. But with 3944 straight line miles to go to the finish at Les Sables d'Olonne, if we average 11.7 knots or greater, we'll break the mythical 80 days Around the World.

    Currently, DOGBARK, to leeward and ahead is close reaching at 12 knots with his Blast Reacher led outboard to the port side outrigger. SLEDCAT, going a little higher and slower, is under Code Zero genoa. Next up for both boats is crossing the Equator, and the ITCZ (Doldrums).

    I see Al's cabin lights intermittently at night, and know he is fine tuning his course and trim, as am I. The decks are dry, the tradewinds are blowing at 15 knots from the east, and flying fish are becoming airborne in the lee side bow wave. Virtual sailing at its best.
    Last edited by sleddog; 01-15-2013 at 02:33 PM.

  8. #328
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    Our clear and cold weather high pressure weather has been good for green flash viewing at sunrise. Seven counted now since New Years. The mountain range south of Hollister, 30 miles distant, provides the necessary sharply delineated foreground.

    The osprey has returned to his cliff side haunt. I've seen him/her three times in as many days, twice carrying a surf perch in his talons as he flew by at eye level. The third time, close up, about 20 feet away, on his favorite willow branch, where he perched for 20 minutes until a gangster crow drove him away.

    The "Made in Santa Cruz" reunion in late May is picking up steam. How they are gonna fit every boat in our little Harbor is going to be interesting. Too bad MERLIN won't be attending. What a Santa Cruz icon. I calculated once that MERLIN gave more people more fun miles than about any boat I know.

    Wednesday night races, MERLIN regularly had 30, 40, even 50 crew aboard. You never quite new how many, because they were scattered all over, above and below decks. It drove the Coast Guard wild.

    Like clockwork, every Wednesday night, after MERLIN had returned to her slip, the Coasties would appear and ask Bill Lee to produce lifejackets for the horde of crew that had walked up the dock ramp. The Coasties would count each disembarking crew. And like clockwork, Bill Lee would produce six large sailbags filled with lifejackets, which he would dump on deck and count out the needed amount.

  9. #329
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    Sep 2007
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    Listen up everyone. I just heard from my good friend, Capt. Jan Brewer, that she needs more volunteers for Race Deck at GGYC for the 3BF. She wouldn't ask if she didn't need you. So don't sit on your butts if you are not racing. Call Jan today in Alameda, 510.684.5555, and tell her you want to help. SSS is run by volunteers. No experience necessary. That''s you. Call today, operators are standing by.

    Jan also wants everyone to know the Skipper's Meeting is gonna feature some really fun happenings. Knowing Jan's Southern penchant for flair, you'll want to be there to see what this is about.

  10. #330
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    SLEDCAT crossed the Equator last night at midnight. I toasted the passage with a glass of virtual champagne and went back to sleep. Al on DOGBARK has nabbed a slight advantage by cracking sheets and making for the NW corner of a split Azores High. In the real Vendee, we are both in the same water as Alex Thompson, the Brit on HUGO BOSS. Our speeds are in the 10 knot range as we transit the ITCZ, starboard tack, in TWS 9 knots.

    I saw the osprey again this morning, and wasn't surprised to see he has a mate. The two of them were chirping at each other, pursed by a gang of crows, who haven't taken kindly to ospreys invading their turf. If there's two ospreys, can a nest be far behind?

    I was sorry to hear my long time friend, yacht designer Doug Peterson, is recovering from a stroke in San Diego. For those who don't know, Doug is probably the most influential yacht designer of the latter half of the 20th century. His GANBARE set the IOR era on its heels. I've sailed on many of Doug's designs over the years, including SCARLETT O'HARA, CHECKMATE, BULLFROG and JURA. Upwind they go like a witch. And downwind, unlike other IOR lead dogs, they are well behaved, controllable, and don't leave a walloping stern wake . I wish you a speedy recovery, Douglas.
    Last edited by sleddog; 01-18-2013 at 09:40 PM.

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