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