Seal again

A nice calm morning, winds around 5 knots up till midday, and not too hot. I launched the Core Sound,  and met Anne and Kate down at AYC at 10. Andrew was down there with his Laser. He took some nice photos. This one was just as I arrived. You can see Ozzie's head looking over the gunnel, calculating whether it is too far to shore to jump ship.

The Core Sound made between 2.5 and 3 knots, despite the light airs.

We sailed over to Altona pier then out to the reef mark, talking, drinking tea and eating banana cake. It was very civilized.

Andrew was pleased with the light conditions as he can stretch and stand. I don't think Lasers were designed with comfort in mind.

I dropped Anne and Kate back, Oz had some shore leave while Andrew packed up for the day, then Oz and I  set off again. I wasn't expecting it, but the wind kicked up to 15 knots Southerly. I had a honking good beat across to Williamstown. A good opportunity to get in touch with my inner adrenaline

I must have been getting a bit tired, for as I was making a bee line straight for the yellow buoy, I suddenly saw a South cardinal mark which I was blithely about to pass to its North. A couple of quick tacks and I avoided whatever unpleasantness might lie beneath there, and I was soon passing by buoy T28 which had two, possibly three seals peacefully  sunning themselves.

It was a great broad reach back home, i think I  did it in about 40 minutes, holding near 6 knots most of the way. I started the engine, dropped the main, and sailed in under mizzen. I should have turned head to wind as the wind was much stronger than last time and I realised, rather too late, I had no way to slow the boat after I let the mizzen sheet fly. I got a line round a cleat and we came to a very abrupt halt. We didn't break anything or hit anyone, so, as the pilots say, any landing you walk away from is a good landing. But head to wind if possible  next time.

The kids came over for dinner, and Anne was going out so I cooked dinner and cleaned up afterwards. I went to bed tired but very happy - my idea of a grand day.

Sealy good fun

Despite a rather inauspicious, gloomy forecast, Tuesday turned out to be a splendid sailing day.

Daniel met Oz and I down at the boat ramp at 10, and we were sailing by 10.30.  The wind was a light South Westerly, so I started the engine as insurance, but raised the sails and we sailed majestically if very slowly round the dog leg out of the safe harbour, fortunately not meeting anyone coming in.

It was high tide, and we set off towards Kororoit Creek mouth.   I keep thinking it would be a good idea to try and pick my way into there.  As we got closer though, Daniel started talking about rocks in the channel.  I got cold feet and we headed along the coast instead towards Williamstown.

There is a large yellow "Transit Zone No Anchoring" buoy there which seems to be the residence of at least one seal.  He was home, and we sailed past at a respectful distance.  It always cheers me up to see him out there.  It is nice and boaty over there too, and the view as the bay round from Williamstown to Port Melbourne opens up is well worth the visit.

We turned round, and managed close hauled to just squeak by the cardinal marks off the coast there, then freed up for a nice broad reach back to Altona.  I got the staysail flying.   I think it will prove to be a good investment.  It is perfect for a long reach when the wind is under 10 knots.  It seems to add a bit of purposefulness to  our progress.   My new GPS ran out of batteries shortly after I switched it on so I am not sure precisely what difference the staysail makes yet. 

Surprisingly, there was no one around as we approached the safe harbour, so I dropped the main, armed Daniel with a paddle, fender and  boat hook, and sailed the boat back in, no engine going.  It really does make for a nice arrival.  The guy fishing off the end of the breakwater seemed impressed by our stately silent progress past him.  The wind was almost straight along the jetty, so I let the mizzen rotate completely forward as we came along side.  I was able to slow us down simply by running my hand on the jetty as we glided past, then dropped a line over the cleat and we came to a very gentle stop. One of my better landings.

It was one of the nicer sails I have had in the Core Sound.  I am coming to think that this is the sort of sailing I like best. 

Type 2 fun

Just back from my first and probably last regatta, the Mirror Nationals at Paynesville. Peregrina and I sailed between 50 and 60 nautical miles, top speed 8.1 knots, a reading from two different days, so I suspect it represents Peregrina's maximum hull speed down a wave with as much wind as we can cope with behind us.

The experience was what Al Humphreys would describe as "type 2 fun", where you are often cold, wet, frightened, sore and a bit miserable, but you hope at some point in the future the experience will take on a glow of satisfaction and achievement.

I had a port starboard collision with Daniel (not  my fault) and poor Peregrina copped a nasty gash along her front tank, which slowly filled with water, slowing me down progressively over the last two races to the point where I realized that more water was coming in than I could bail out, and I abandoned for that day.

Two of the sailing days were very windy. On the last day, a chap came over for a chat as I was rigging up. He pointed out his boat, a thirty foot trimaran, moored nearby. After considering the white capped grey water off the island for a minute he shook his head. "I wouldn't go out in that". I probably shouldn't have either, for I capsized not long after. I managed to self rescue but I  was cold for the rest of the racing. I hadn't managed to stop the leak either once again the boat got more sluggish as the racing proceeded, which is a very demoralising experience. I wasn't aware how much water had got into the front tank, and I did not drain it. When we came to try to lift the boat, Daniel had an additional 20 kilos of water to contend with and he dropped the front of the boat on the carpark tarmac resulting in some damage to the front and side gunnels.

So both Peregrina and I are a bit bashed and need some repair and recouperation. It was interesting being in a place right on the edge of a massive catastrophe but with everyone going on as normal. The air was thick with smoke most days and at night the smoke plume was illluminated by a crimson glow from the flames only a few kilometres away.  I am very glad we did not get trapped there or have to evacuate leaving boats or the caravan behind. The pic below is looking from near the jetty across to Raymond Island, a few hundred meters away.

I met some lovely people, learned a few things, and hopefully came away a better sailor than I was before. And I am now the Australian National  Mirror single handed sailing champion (thanks to a tiny field and the withdrawal of the guy who should have won) with a bit of huon pine to prove it. But I would not be in a hurry to repeat the experience.