DECEMBER 14, 2021 A COLD WINTER BLAST

 

DECEMBER 14, 2021

A COLD WINTER BLAST

With the rain we got over the weekend and Monday, I was encouraged to see the sky clearing somewhat on Tuesday morning, but rain was not the only consideration.  There were predictions for 11 foot waves and small craft warnings for the afternoon.  During the morning, I studied the live harbor cam.  On Monday, during the storm I had checked the cam and it looked like victory at sea with waves breaking clear into the harbor., resembling  a washing machine on the rinse cycle!  Tuesday was much more benign and after looking at the harbor Cam for over an hour, I did not see any waves bigger than 5 feet and any waves that broke only broke about 5 feet from the outer jetty.  This told me that the harbor crew had kept up with the dredging and the East side of the harbor was deep enough to get in and out.  There was one other consideration:  As I studied the entrance in the morning, we had a 5 foot plus high tide. If we raced in the afternoon, the tide would only be 7 inches.  A much lower tide makes waves break with more force, but the harbor was obviously dredged well enough to be safe.  I decided to at least take PAD out and assembled the crew for a departure from the harbor at 2 PM.

As we were getting the boat ready to sail, the clouds seemed to be parting and the wind was still light on the flags.  As we left the harbor we were presented with a beautiful sunny, warm day on the bay and a light breeze from the north blowing us out of the harbor.  I decided to be lazy and only deployed the 155 jib. We breezed along in the light northerly, admiring the large sets firing off at Steamer Lane in the distance.  Were the waves increasing as the afternoon progressed?  Suddenly, we sailed into the developing wind which was from the normal northwest direction.  What was noticeable was the fact that this new wind was about 10 to 15 degrees cooler.  I did not get any objections when I suggested we head for the harbor.  As we turned for the harbor, we saw two more boats coming down the harbor “for the fun”.  Kicks  and Sea Quake just had to come out to see if anything was happening.  Having a few waves “show their muscle” at the harbor entrance, I felt the safest place to be was in the slip and headed for the harbor after talking to Kicks.  Sea Quake had just left the harbor and must have read our minds (or intentions) and turned right around for the safety of the harbor!

As we approached the harbor, we saw a black cloud forming over the ocean.  We had all dressed for the cold, but the fine misty  rain emanating from the black cloud added just enough chill to convince us we were going the right direction. It was definitely a cold winter blast.

Since there were only 3 boats that came out and conditions were so miserable, there is no Race QS track for this evening.  We had a great time at the club with great food, a good crowd and games that made it even more fun.

CALIFORNIA BOATER CARD:

Like many people, I have been putting off getting this card.  Taking the course and getting the card is a process that everyone that operates a boat must complete.  It is being phased in by age.  If you are 45 years old or younger you must have this card by 1/1/22. The older you are, the later the date.  At my ripe age, I could have waited until 2024 to get it.  As you need a driver’s license to drive a car, you will need this card to operate a boat.

To take this class, one option is to take a series of 2 hour classes (Boating Skills and Seamanship) by the Coast Guard auxiliary for a $75 charge. Registration for these classes will be offered on Wednesday January 5 between 7 and 8:30 PM  in the classroom on the east side of the harbor by R dock (365A Lake Ave). Classes will be conducted on Wednesdays starting Jan 12  for 13 weeks. 

I found multiple online classes that complete the requirements.  The class I chose cost $29 plus a $10 fee to get  registered with the state.  It took me about 4-5 hours for the whole course and to complete  the exams.  I found the process to be very informative and well worth the time.

Lets hope for better weather this next Tuesday.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

DECEMBER 7, 2021 AWESOME WINTER SAILING

 

DECEMBER 7, 2021

AWESOME WINTER SAILING

Monday was overcast, cold and dreary (for Santa Cruz).  I was hoping that Tuesday would be better.  Predict Wind was calling for 10 knots from the northwest through the afternoon.  After resolving a few crew issues, Pair A Dice was late getting to the start area, setting the start line and calling the course.  We called for course M2: start, Mile, finish.  This seemed to be a little conservative but you never know if winter winds will sustain through the afternoon.  We blew a 5 minute horn for a 3:17 start.

Pair A Dice was a little early to the start area and did a 360 to slow down.  As it turned out PAD and Pacific Spirit had perfect starts right on the line right on time.  Several boats tacked over early which was the right thing to do since they were getting bad wind from boats upwind of them.  On PAD we sailed the “longest tack” first, sailing all the way to the lay line for Mile before we tacked over on port.  As we approached the lay line to round Mile, Nidaros crossed easily in front of us.  At Mile, Nidaros was the first to round followed by PAD, Perfect 36, Pacific Spirit and Kicks.

On the run back to the finish line, we tried to set a whisker pole, but the wind was not in the right direction for using a pole so we took it down.  The wind was so favorable, I was thinking of lengthening the course to round Gov, but then the wind seemed to wain a little upsetting that plan.  I was encouraged to see boats going downwind with crew on the bow rather than the cockpit:   BUTTS ON THE BOW!

At the finish it was Nidaros first 33:19 followed by Pair A Dice 33:34, Perfect 36, Pacific Spirit 35:49 and Kicks 41:09.   To be fair to Kicks and crew, they were late getting to the start area. All times are elapsed and the course distance is 2.07NM.

PHRF adjusted times for this evening:

ADJ SEC	ADJ PLACE
1641.4	1	PAIR A DICE
1763.02	2	NIDAROS
1770.92	3	PERFECT 36
1813.66	4	PACIFIC SPIRIT
2096.4	5	KICKS

 I had braced myself for a very cold afternoon sail, but  the sun was out and we had great wind for our  race.  It was a perfect example of awesome winter sailing in Santa Cruz.

We had an awesome time at the club over drinks discussing and reminiscing World War II stories as relayed to us by relatives that had participated in that war.  It was the least we could do to honor this day in history: the 80^th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack.

RACE QS:

We had 6 boats out for the fun, only five of the boats ran their Race QS tracks. You can view the replay at: https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&updatedAt=2021-12-08T00:35:21Z&dt=2021-12-07T14:45:25-08:00..2021-12-07T16:35:13-08:00&boat=Pairadice&time=1638921490564&focus=Pairadice&rival=Nidaros%20II&tab=setup&view=manual&lat=36.950576&lon=-121.997384&tilt=8&range=1120&heading=211

  “LONGEST TACK FIRST” VERSUS “NEVER SAIL TO THE CORNERS”

These are two strategies that racers use.  The longest tack first is great if you can get clear air.  Eliminating tacks helps, especially if you notice that you are getting lifted almost the whole time as PAD experienced on this night.  As it turned out we ended up “sailing to the corner” but the “corner” was very close to the mark (Mile).  This could also be attributed to Mile not being directly upwind. Never sailing to the corners is employed when the mark is directly upwind and you are dealing with other boat’s disturbed wind.  Never sailing to the corners also allows you to take advantage of headers and lifts.  If you can tack at the right time on a header, you are lifted which can be a huge advantage.

HOLIDAY SEASON SAILING:

If conditions permit, we will be sailing the next two Tuesdays (December 14  and 21).  The last Tuesday of the month (12/28) the club is closed for the week and I will be out of town so we will not have a sail or barbecue on this last Tuesday of the month.  We will be back sailing on Tuesday January 4.  I hope all of you have a joyous holiday season and a happy new year!  STAY SAFE!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

NOVEMBER 30, 2021 THE CHECK FINALLY CLEARED!

 

NOVEMBER 30, 2021

THE CHECK FINALLY CLEARED!

After last week’s horrific no-wind experience, I was concerned about potential conditions we would have on this day.  Predict Wind was not encouraging predicting 3-6 knots of wind, decreasing as the afternoon progressed.  As we left the harbor at about 2:15, I was encouraged to see wind spread across the bay, but would it continue after three o’clock?

We approached the start area and determined the wind was coming from 225 degrees, a little south of the normal 240.  We set the line, called for course Whiskey 5: start, Schuyler, finish.  We set a line that was a little short for the 12 boats that were out for the fun but it seemed to work out well since the line was square to the wind.  We blew the 5 minute horn and had a clean start with everyone crossing the line simultaneously.

Right after we crossed the start line, we were being shadowed by larger boats and tacked over toward the inside for clear wind and waves on the beam rather than the bow. Most boats sailed further out on starboard tack before tacking toward inside.  All boats tacked their way to Schuyler and the first around was New Wave followed by Aquavit, Zoop, PAD, Perfect 36, Pacific Spirit, Nidaros, Muffin, Simpatico and Kicks.

On the way back to the finish line, many boats sailed further inside on the rhumb line to the finish. On PAD we stayed outside with whisker pole on starboard keeping the wind at the most efficient angle (in the box).  At the appropriate time, we jibed over with the pole on port.  This seemed to work well for us as we seemed to make time on the inside boats.  At the finish, New Wave was first around 38:23 followed by Zoop 41:00, PAD 42:00, Perfect 36 42:16, Aquavit 42:23, Nidaros 44:04, Pacific Spirit 44:27, Muffin 46:55, Simpatico 51:44 and Kicks 54:00.  All times are elapsed and the course distance was 2.68NM.

It was a beautiful day with classic winter conditions for sailing: steady light breeze with sunny skies.  With the wind staying consistent at 10-12 knots through the afternoon, it seems like my check to the wind gods finally cleared!

We had a great “last Tuesday of the month” barbecue potluck with many people coming to the club for food, drink, comradery and games.

RACE QS:

Everyone is using this app and the track can be seen by clicking on this site:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=77215&updatedAt=2021-12-01T04:32:14Z&dt=2021-11-30T14:45:03-08:00..2021-11-30T19:16:37-08:00&boat=Pairadice&time=1638316464200&focus=Pairadice&rival=Zoop&tab=match&view=follow&lat=36.951363&lon=-121.994147&tilt=23&range=425&heading=232

PHRF ADJUSTED RESULTS:

			2008.85	1	NEW WAVE
			2043	2	PAD
			2078.4	3	ZOOP
			2154.4	4	PERFECT 36
			2237.7	5	PACIFIC SPIRIT  6  WIND II
			2341.9	7	NIDAROS II
			2354.85	8	AQUAVIT
			2433.4	9	MUFFIN
			3104	10	SIMPATICO
			3240	11	KICKS

SAILING “IN THE BOX”

On Pair A Dice, when sailing downwind, we find that sailing “in the box” is the most efficient point of sail.  Sailing in the box means having the masthead windex pointing at the tabs used to indicate sailing hard on the wind while sailing upwind.  We find that this maximizes our speed going downwind.

NEED CREW? WANT TO CREW?

As we progress with our Tuesday afternoon sailing through the winter, there seems to be an imbalance in crew. Some boats have a large crew, some boats have only 2 people and other boats do not come out because of lack of crew. Some boats are turning away crew for lack of room.   If you are interested in crewing on other boats, please send your sailing resume to sailingpairadice@gmail.com  .  This sailing resume should include: years sailing, boat types you have sailed and positions you are willing to fill (mainsheet, foredeck, Jib sheet etc).  On the other hand, if you are having trouble getting crew that are available for these afternoon sails, please send me an email stating how many people you need to sail your boat.  I will send resumes of people wanting to sail to people needing crew, so we can resolve this discrepancy. Sailing on other people’s boats is an awesome way to improve your sailing skills!

TOES ON THE NOSE:

We all know to get weight on the front of the boat for the downwind leg.  All surfers know that the old “hanging ten” on the long board was to increase speed.  I had an interesting experience on this night.  We had 6 people on board and for the downwind leg, most of us got out of the cockpit and congregated on the foredeck around the mast.  This helped our speed, but I wanted to do more so I inched forward and sat with my legs straddling the bow.  I watched as I took this position and noticed that our ranging on competitors increased dramatically.  Standing by the mast is better than staying in the cockpit, but getting weight further forward is even better. So “toes on the nose”  while surfing has morphed to “Butt on the bow” for sailing!

We will see you next Tuesday for a 3pm start.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

NOVEMBER 23, 2021 SHOULD' A BROUGHT A POLE

 

NOVEMBER 23, 2021

SHOULD’A BROUGHT A POLE

Showing up to the harbor at about 1:30 for our 3 pm race, there was very little wind showing on the flags.  By the time we left the harbor after 2:15, there was a southeasterly blowing with pockets of wind up to 10 knots.  It was a glorious day for a winter sail with predominantly clear skies.  We had 11 boats out for the fun and we set the line for wind that was coming from about 130 degrees.  We called for course M2: Start, Mile, finish at start.  As the clocked ticked down to the 3 pm start, the wind seemed to be dissipating.  By 3pm, the wind was nearly nonexistent for most of us.   Some of the lighter boats were able to use the less than 1 knot wind to S-L-O-W-L-Y sail toward Mile buoy.  In breeze that was light to nonexistent, if you were close to any boat at all, there was no progress.  Indeed after 30 minutes of bobbing, Pair A Dice was less than 100 yards from the start line.

As frustrating as it is for all boats in a race, organizers of races feel the frustration at an excruciating level.  Sailing in Santa Cruz is fraught with changing conditions.   A period of no wind is usually a transition from one wind to another.  We all deal with these changes on a regular basis.  The usual way to deal with this is to scan the water for where the wind is developing.  On this night, there was no transition.  It was just dead, leaving boats with no auxiliary power in a precarious position and needing a tow in.   Thanks to the boats that assisted with this effort.

As we retired from the race and were entering the harbor, I was pretty bummed out and one of my crew reminded me: “what a beautiful evening it was on the water even with no wind!”  My lesson for the night is realizing that we are truly blessed to live in such an environment.  As far as sailing this evening, I should of brought a fishing pole to take advantage of the conditions.

The club has a perfect view of the bay and sure enough as we were eating dinner at about 5 o’clock we looked out to sea and saw healthy wind ripples out on the bay, so it was a transition after all. 

LAST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH BARBECUE:

Next Tuesday is the last Tuesday of the month.  Our tradition has been to have a potluck barbecue on the last Tuesday Night sail of the month.  We will continue this tradition for Tuesday afternoon sailing.  I am looking forward to enjoying the social repartee we all enjoy at these events.  We have been conducting games at the club on Tuesday evenings at the club, so after dining we have backgammon games.  I can also set up a craps table for non-gambling craps.

Lets hope that we at least get some wind next week.  We will start the race at 3pm with the 5 minute horn at 2:55.

HAVE A FANTASTIC THANKSGIVING!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

NOVEMBER 16, 2021 FOGGY MORNING, SUNNY AFTERNOON

NOVEMBER 16, 2021

FOGGY MORNING, SUNNY AFTERNOON

After only being able to sail on one of the last three Tuesdays, I was concerned when I saw the fog rolling into Fogtos (the local acronym for Aptos).  I checked the conditions at the harbor on the Harbor cam and verified there was fog in Santa Cruz.   Wait and see!   By the time I got to the harbor at about 12:45, the fog had cleared back out to sea leaving a sunny bay to sail on.

As we approached the start mark area, there was a steady breeze across th bay coming from approximately 230 degrees.  We set the line mark and called for course Mike 2: Start, Mile  and back to start.  We blew the 5 minute horn and noticed that the wind was steadily increasing.  I made a snap decision to call for a longer course Whiskey 5 (Start, Schuyler, finish) and announced the course change on the radio.

We had a clean start with everyone starting on starboard tack.  Soon after crossing the start line, boats started tacking over for the inside, taking waves on the beam rather than the bow.  Bucking waves is not a fast point of sail!  We all tacked our way to Schuyler with the first boat around being New Wave with Zoop right behind them followed by Perfect 36, Pacific Spirit, Pair A Dice and Muffin (simultaneously), Avatar and Kicks.

On the run back to the finish line, most boats used their whisker poles to increase exposure to the wind.  At the finish, New Wave was first 36:09, followed by Zoop 37:34, Perfect 36 39:56, Pacific Spirit 40:00, Avatar 41:35, Pair A Dice 41:58, Muffin 42:31 and Kicks 48:20.  Times are elapsed and course distance was 2.65 nautical miles.  It was a close race between Perfect 36 and Pacific Spirit after spirited competition in close quarters on the run to finish.  It was an awesome sunny day for a sail after a foggy morning.

The PHRF adjusted standings with corrected times are as follows:

1  Zoop     31:19

2 New Wave       31:50

3 Pacific Spirit     31:58

4 Perfect 36         32:57

5 Pair a Dice         34:09

6 Avatar                35:52

7 Muffin                36:31

8 Kicks                   40:31

Race QS:

We had 10 boats out for the fun and 8 ran tracks on race QS.   The track for this afternoon can be found at:  https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1017739&divisionId=77007&updatedAt=2021-11-16T23:00:29Z&dt=2021-11-16T13:50:02-08:00..2021-11-16T15:00:28-08:00&boat=P36&time=1637102733964&focus=P36&rival=Nueva%20Ola&tab=setup&view=follow&lat=36.954499&lon=-121.996342&tilt=0&range=942&heading=239

 

THE ROLLING HITCH KNOT:

On this night Avatar was doing very well as usual until they had a problem that set them back.  They had an over-wrap on a jib sheet winch which prevented them from tacking. This is a common problem on sailboats. That’s what Tuesday sailing is all about: learning how to prevent and get out of such situations.  To prevent this, I have a block on the rail that helps feed the line to the winch.  Even with this it takes attention to not let sheets get loose allowing them to create an overwrap.

As important as preventing an overwrap is knowing how to get out of it.  If discovered soon enough you can take a line and tie a rolling hitch to the taught sheet line, go to another winch and take the tension out of the line to undo the overwrap.  A rolling hitch is a great knot to know. It is a knot that slides easily one way and cinches and holds the other way.   A rolling hitch is like a normal clove hitch with an extra wrap around the standing end of the line before completing the normal clove hitch.

NORMAL CLOVE HITCH

 

                    THE ROLLING HITCH

WORK IN PROGRESS  3PM STARTS:

Tuesday afternoon sailing is a work in progress as we try to improve the event.  We have been starting the “races” at 2PM.  As the process is advancing, we have added “game night” at the club along with food being served throughout the winter.  The food is excellent and ranges from Tacos, Spaghetti, Pot pies or Shephards pudding depending on the night.  It is a great deal for $15 per person.  So you can come to the club, have dinner and stay for games even if not a SCYC member.

The problem with our 2pm start is that, with most races being about 1 hour long, we are finished by 3:30 which leaves a gap of time before dinner is served at 5pm.  If we start the races at 3pm, the finish would allow a smoother transition with the bar opening at 4pm.   If you want, you could even have your significant other join you for dinner, games and introduction to SCYC.

As far as games, to this point we have had several Backgammon boards for people to play Backgammon.  I have a craps table layout that we could set up for playing craps with no money gambling!  If someone wants to introduce chess, checkers or other games I am certain participants will step forward.

I know there are boats that like to use Tuesdays as awesome sailing experiences before or after racing.  What a combination!  Have a race, then go sailing.  Starting races at 3pm will change the order to having a pleasure sail first then race.  Starting at 3 will also allow people that are still working to get off early and sail.   Wintertime sailing in Santa Cruz can be awesome!

NEXT TUESDAY IF WE ARE ABLE TO SAIL, WE WILL BE STARTING AT 3PM.

SCYC WINTER SCORE RACE SERIES:

This Saturday, November 20 will be the first Score race in the Winter series.  You will need a current PHRF certificate on file to enter.  Why not apply the skills you are learning on Tuesdays to a formal race?  To register go to SCYC.org > Regattas.

I hope to see you out next Tuesday and please do not hesitate to offer suggestions on ways to improve out Tuesday sailing experience!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

 

NOVEMBER 2, 2021 FIRST TUESDAY AFTERNOON SAIL

 

NOVEMBER 2, 2021

FIRST TUESDAY AFTERNOON SAIL

Predictions were all over the place for conditions on the bay.  I have learned to just go with the flow and just deal with conditions that are delivered.  Starting at 2 pm, is good because by this time in the afternoon, the weather has usually settled.  We were dealing with a steady light wind from the south across the bay and an awesome sunny day.   The wind was coming from 190 degrees, almost due south.  We had 10 boats out for the fun and called for course M2: start, mile, finish and blew a 5 minute horn for a 2pm start. Though the SCYC marks have been removed for the winter, an anchored “red stick” has replaced the start mark and is visible enough for us to use.  Thanks to the race committee for providing this.

The start was uneventful with Avatar nailing the start right on time, establishing a lead in clear air which allowed them to consistently expand their lead.  At the weather mark, Avatar was first around followed by Aquavit, New Wave, Pacific Spirit, Nidaros, Pair A Dice, Muffin, Simpatico and Kicks.

On the way back to the finish line, the wind seemed to be decreasing as we all moved slowly toward the finish.   At the finish, Avatar was first 47:03 followed by New Wave 52:30, Nidaros 54:25, Aquavit and Pair A Dice both at 54:44, Wind II 57:20,  Muffin 1:00:08, Simpatico 1:05:57 and Kicks 1:10:28. All times are elapsed and the course distance was 2.07NM.

It was a beautiful classical winter day and an awesome first Tuesday afternoon sail for the year.  Congrats to Avatar and crew for showing us how it should be done!

RACE QS:

Everyone ran and uploaded their Race QS tracks.   The track can be seen at:

 https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&updatedAt=2021-11-03T01:15:37Z&dt=2021-11-02T13:45:02-07:00..2021-11-02T18:15:36-07:00&boat=Pairadice&time=1635889523234&focus=Pairadice&rival=Nueva%20Ola&tab=match&view=follow&lat=36.942350&lon=-121.996581&tilt=3&range=2101&heading=202

ADJ SEC	ADJ PLACE
2549.76	1	AVATAR
2903.66	2	PACIFIC SPIRIT
2911.4	3	SAILING PAIR A DICE
2920.23 2999	4	NEW WAVE 5 WIND II
3029.02	6	NIDAROS II
3137.03	7	AQUAVIT
3309.92	8	MUFFIN
3609.24	9	SIMPATICO
3855.4	10	KICKS

HARBOR ENTRANCE TACTICS:

Winter conditions require more attention to detail while leaving and entering the harbor.  There can be shoaling, which usually starts just inside the west jetty, but can also extend outside the harbor when large swells persist. Check the harbor soundings if in doubt!  It helps to have crew with surfing in their history to read the waves.  Surfers learn to “read” lumps of water in the distance and can also read how shallow the water is by how the waves are breaking.  When there is a shoal across the entrance while exiting the harbor, if you find you are going straight up the face of a breaking wave, DO NOT  let your boat crash straight down the back of the wave!  Instead try to take the back of the wave at an angle so you do not bounce off the shoaled bottom!

Once again, when entering the harbor, reading the waves is a valuable skill.   When there is a swell, you will try to time the entrance between sets of waves using your motor to speed through the entrance.  Always enter the harbor with your boat perpendicular to the face of the wave without your boat headed for a shallow part of the shoal or toward the rocks.  If you are not perpendicular to the wave face, the energy of the wave will cause your boat to spiral out of control.  You do not want to be out of control at the entrance.  Jetties and shoals are not very forgiving. 

It is important for each skipper to decide whether to even leave the harbor depending on the conditions. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO! Check with the harbor office about entrance conditions before leaving the harbor and realize that a difference in tide can affect these conditions. My personal standard is that if there is a 5% chance of crashing my boat, I will not go out!

*************************************************

I asked Don Radcliff for his input on this important subject and he submitted the following.  This is great stuff!

These are harbor entrance tactics.  Exiting is another matter.  Always be aware of the state of the tide and the surf forecast before you leave.

If I have seen waves breaking in the entrance, I tend to approach the entrance at slow speed and watch for breaking waves.  If some waves are breaking partially across the entrance, I will do circles just outside the danger zone until I sense a lull.  Then it's time for full throttle, and be prepared to bail out if you guessed wrong.  Once you are within a couple of boat lengths outside the west jetty, there is no turning back.

 It is still shallow outside the entrance, beyond where the dredging ends.  If the surf forecast is for more than 10 ft, be prepared for breakers 200 yards out.

 

Look at the latest Harbor Entrance Sounding.  The shoaling has already started at the west jetty, and you need to stay more mid-channel.  Because the entrance to the harbor is at an angle to the prevailing waves, you can't be perpendicular to the wave face all the time.  However, it you see a wave starting to mound up and break behind you, turn perpendicular to it just before it hits.  Once it hits you and you accelerate, turn left and cross behind and return to mid channel before the next wave hits. 

Once the waves start breaking all the way across the entrance, it's time to wait for high tide and less surf. The best time to run any bar is just before high tide when it is still flooding. If you are on a falling tide, consider anchoring by the wharf or heading to Moss Landing.

Do not try to come in on the same wave with another boat, because you then have to worry about hitting them as well as the rocks.

If you have to pull an engineless boat in light winds, have someone prepared to drop the towline if they start to surf.

SCYC MEMBERSHIP:

I have never been one to twist peoples arms to become SCYC members. I have suggested membership to some people that I thought would benefit and each of them are happy with joining the club.

I sailed for many years without becoming a member thinking that my wife would not enjoy the club.  Finally in 2009, we joined and I would like to share some of the many benefits I have enjoyed as a member.  One of the regular events at the club is Friday Night dinners.   The first Friday night dinner we attended as new members, we were lucky to be able to dine with Ernie Rideout and immediately knew we had made a good decision in joining.

SCYC has a reputation as a sailing club!  Just dining and socializing with members can be a huge education in all aspects of sailing and racing. Dining or sharing cocktails with people that have sailed around the world or won national regattas or even manufactured winning boats can be an enthralling experience.  You can come to the club as a guest, but you will never get to know and learn from these very talented people without joining.

There are many yacht clubs where members try to impress other members with their net worth.  SCYC is not one of these clubs.  As active as I have been in this club, I do not know the financial status of most of the members. 

Speaking of other clubs, one of the things I enjoy while traveling is exercising reciprocity with other clubs.  You can only enjoy this benefit as a member. When going to Maui, I enjoy the food, drinks and ambiance of the Lahaina Yacht Club.  Going to San Francisco? Visit and dine at St Francis Yacht club or most other clubs in the San Francisco bay.  I have had the pleasure of visiting the Royal Hong Kong Yacht club, Singapore Yacht Club and Lauderdale Yacht club in Florida and many others.

The mission statement for the club is to promote sailing and without the SCYC backing, support and facilities, our Tuesday Night sailing could never have been as successful as it has become.

I have also enjoyed assisting with the many regattas our club organizes.  It is an incredible education to be on one of the committee boats with a front row seat watching as world class sailors set up for their starts.

There are many social functions that occur throughout the year and each social event is another opportunity to cement your many friendships made at the club.

The procedure for joining the club is to have two members sign your application and pay $1000.  Yearly dues are about $650.  If you are interested or have questions about joining, talk to me or any member when you are at the club.

We will see you next Tuesday afternoon at 2 o’clock at the start mark area.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice           

OCTOBER 19, 2021 NO RAIN, LIGHT WIND

 

OCTOBER 19, 2021

NO RAIN, LIGHT WIND

My heart sank when I first heard of predictions for rain on Tuesday.  We all want rain, but please don’t rain on my parade!  I got to the harbor around 4 and the sun was shining, but the wind was very light as evidenced by limp flags on the Crow’s Nest.  As we left the harbor around 5:15, it was encouraging to see a steady wind on the water of about 9-10 knots.  As boats filed out of the harbor, we determined that the direction of the wind seemed to be changing but predominantly around 240 degrees.  We decided on course G3 which was the shortest course available for this direction of wind and set a start line between square to wind and square to Gov.  Despite our efforts, the starboard end of the line was favored.  We had 15 boats out for the fun and blew the 5 minute horn for a 7:55 start.  As the 5 minute time started, it seemed the wind took the horn as a signal to decrease.

On Pair a Dice, though the starboard end of the line was favored, I wanted to get clear wind further down the line.  When we finally got going in the very light, less than 4 knot wind, we were only moving at between 1.5 to 2 knots of boat speed.  I called to shorten course to finish at the line between Gov and wharf end taking Gov to starboard.  With the nonexistent breeze, even this shortened course seemed like an ambitious task.  One by one, boats started retiring and heading for the “Taco Bar” at the club.

Kudos to the boats that actually made it to the finish: Tusitala, Toad and Friskie (Homer’s new boat).  New Wave got very close but could not cross the line.  It was a nice evening on the water blessed with a beautiful amber full moon rising from the East horizon.  It turned into a no rain, light wind evening.

We had a good turnout at the club for the food offered which was a Spaghetti dish with excellent salad, garlic bread and even a dessert.  Though we like the Taco’s usually served, spaghetti was a great switch.

Next Tuesday is the last Tuesday of the month and will be a barbecue potluck evening at the club after the race.  Please show up for this last potluck.  At 8pm I will be announcing boats and persons of special note and tokens of appreciation.  Since this is a potluck night, this will be the last Tuesday NIGHT sail of the season.  See below about our continuing to sail on Tuesday afternoons starting on November 2.

NEXT TUESDAY IS A BARBECUE POTLUCK EVENT AND WILL BE THE LAST TUESDAY NIGHT SAIL OF THE SEASON.

Race QS:

Most boats are running this app.  To see the track from this night click on this site: https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&updatedAt=2021-10-20T02:15:52Z&dt=2021-10-19T17:45:05-07:00..2021-10-19T19:15:41-07:00&boat=Pairadice&time=1634694916102&focus=Pairadice&tab=setup&view=manual&lat=36.958420&lon=-122.012577&tilt=6&range=720&heading=0

TUESDAY AFTERNOON RACING:

Since many of us are retired, we will continue racing on Tuesday afternoon through the winter.  This endeavor is much different from the summertime with multiple obstacles: rain, the harbor getting shoaled over, the marks we use for racing are taken in for the winter. Despite these problems, winter sailing in Santa Cruz is often sublime with sunny conditions and steady light winds.  With variable conditions and obstacles, there may be Tuesdays we will not race.  Each boat that wants to participate in these Tuesday afternoon races should send me an email or fill out a form (next Tuesday at the barbecue) for me with the following information: Boat name, contact person and email address for notification of cancellation if conditions are not appropriate. We will continue to meet at the start mark until the SCYC marks are removed for the winter.  Once the marks are removed, we will meet at Gov and will set up a start line there.  I am thinking that we should meet at 2 o’clock for these races and communication will still be on channel 69.

SCYC SANCTIONED RACES:

Tuesday Night Sailing has been very popular and is a great way to hone your racing skills.  I have seen incredible progress by boats that had never raced until they came out for Tuesday Nights.  Why not apply these new-found skills in a SCYC sanctioned race?  All that is necessary is a current PHRF certificate  (PHRF forms at SCYC) and registering through the SCYC.org website under regattas.  The next sanctioned series of racing is the Mid winters series which will be on the 3^rd Saturday of each month starting on November 20.  You may even win a trophy to display at home.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice