New Boat 4 Sled

[Philpott]

I don't know what it is, but it's pretty slick. Nice paint job, too. Love the color. Probably gets lots of speeding tickets.

[BobJ]

https://www.iceboat.org/2022/10/22/a...-in-the-world/

And here's a fun article about Bill Mattison, who rebuilt the previous record-holder (for size) in 2006:

https://www.iceboat.org/tag/deuce/
.

[Philpott]

Oh dear. A whole new culture to explore, distracting me from installing my new, beautifully rebuilt exhaust manifold and elbow (thank you, Karl Swartz and Cree Partridge).

I'll be visiting Madison Wisconsin in early December, where it has been warmer there than here. Ice freezing may not occur until my next visit after that. I'll make a point of scheduling it so I can attend an ice sailing regatta.

https://www.iceboat.org/

Sailors have the NOAA forecasts. People in Wisconsin have this site:

https://www.aos.wisc.edu/~sco/lakes/msnicesum.html

I will introduce myself as a “soft water” sailor.

[sleddog]

No matter how you cut it, Tomales Bay south of Tomasini Point on the East and Teachers Beach on the West, is a frickin' wind tunnel most afternoons when the prevailing breeze is from the west to north quadrant. This is due to a narrowing of the Bay and the hills and mountains on either side. When wind is against a strong ebb, things can be festive indeed. This unintentional watercraft was recently spotted sailing zero-handed ....southbound

[BobJ]

Oh, THERE it is. I hope the dog is still inside.

[DaveH]

the dog wasn't blown off the chain?

[sleddog]

So how do you tack a 138' J Boat displacing 183 tons with 58 feet of combined overhang? Not like you might think. Here's the scene aboard Jim Clark's HANUMAN:



Navigator Stan Honey, "10 seconds to layline for windward mark."
Tactitian Brad Read, "Ready about!"
Skipper Ken Read, '5,4,3,2,1 Helm's Alee."
(30 crew begin to change sides)



At this call, Ken Read takes his hands off the wheel without changing course and steps back. Simultaneously, the full width main sheet traveler is hydraulically pulled rapidly to windward causing massive weather helm that begins to turn the boat. The inertia of the rotational momentum of the overhangs keeps turning the ship while the jib sheet is cut (released) and an hydraulically powered winch on the opposite side begins to turn , sheeting the jib home.

As soon as HANUMAN is on her new course, skipper Ken Read returns to the helm and begins steering on the new tack, as the main is recentered on the traveler. The reason tacking a J Class yacht is done this way is that if the tack was done by forcefully turning the massive rudder, the rudder would act as a water brake slowing the boat. This way of "Look Ma, no hands" barely slows HANUMAN at all.

[MillyB]

Yep- Home, sweet home !

[MillyB]

Whoa- That is spectacular ! I bet Stan or Ken came up with that !

[Howard Spruit]

This unintentional watercraft was recently spotted sailing zero-handed ....southbound

the add read "Sleeps 4, doesn't go to weather"