Comparisons inevitable

 

Gavan in his Little Tern and me in Derry the Skerry got out from St Kilda Marina on Friday, the only half decent day for a week. The Altona ramp carpark was about 90% full at 6.15 and more cars and boats heading in when Ozzie and I went past on our morning walk. So I headed over to St Kilda with some trepidation, but the carpark was half empty, and there was a much more relaxed vibe.  Perhaps the $14 carpark fee acts as a disincentive. But it was easy launching there. The biggest downside is the long narrow busy channel out to open water, not so good rowing into a headwind as I discovered coming home.

The Bom forecast was for East North Easterlies, which would have been perfect for a run up to Sandringham, but in fact it was a Southerly, so bang on the nose and we had to tack. No doubt, the Tern can point higher than the Skerry. The Skerry could go faster, but as far as VMG is concerned, Tern was better, by about 10 degrees. This could be because of the chap job I did with the dagger board. My new project is to make a new, improved dagger board. I have ordered Oz goose plans from mik storer which has templates for foils, and I think I will add an inch or two to to length and reduce the curve at the bottom of the leading edge. I  will try loosening off the foot of the sail too. If no improvement I can try a new larger rudder, I notice that the Terns rudder is larger. 

Good to have another similar boat to sail with,I would not have twigged there was an issue otherwise, and it would be annoying to find myself on the TN raid with everyone hauling off to windward and leaving me behind.

We had a long beat back and forth alon the coast, and decided to go for the dog beach inside Brighton harbour for lunch.  Quite a few dogs came over hopefully to see if we had any surplus sandwiches, but their owners studiously ignored us. The wind was getting up so we put a reef in the sails and headed off for a fast run back to St Kilda. The skerry, being lighter, seemed faster downwind, and there was some good surfing, up to 6.8 knots catching the occasional wave. 

The wind was blowing directly down the channel so a stiff row back, but the Skerry rows well and we didn't have to work too hard.

Getting home over the Westgate took a while in the Friday afternoon traffic but we got there. All in all  a good outing. I can see more launching over that side of the bay coming up, Black Rock next time.