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