Ending Our Summer In San Francisco Bay

[redbopeep]

Well, it's been a nice summer and now it's time to move on. We'll be heading back down to So. Cal to empty out the storage unit...in other words, build out the rest of the boat's interior! I'll be happy to be rid of a lot of the cargo net and duffle bag storage living and to have more lockers and built-in furniture. It is tempting to just head down into Mexico for the winter, but we'd never get everything done and we have elderly relatives from the Midwest visiting So Cal for the winter that we'd like to spend time with this year.

Here's a nice picture of us sailing on the Bay two weeks ago. And a link to a larger version of the same pic.

[Silver Raven]

My 'gawd' you two - THAT'S THE BESTEST EVER PICTURE I'VE SEEN IN MY LIFE. Many, many times WOW. What a totally marvelous picture (s)!!!!!!!!!!! You are an inspiration to us all !!!! We stand with great respect in the 'shadow of excellence' that you exude. Many thanks & acknowledgment for keeping all our spirits so high & dreams alive. Ciao, from down-under, james aka Silver Raven. PS - Why can't I tick the 'credits' star in forums more than 3 times a day. I'd read 10 a day at the least that need to be ticked.??? jj Oh & thanks again for your tireless, endless & time consuming efforts with & in the forums. By the way, I sent to SV (MV) Watermelon a thought I've installed on several cruising yachts that could assist 'cruisers' to stay safe while - offshore & in possible danger from 'dangerous people with no-good intent, BUT I've not heard back & I think the 'moderators' should moderate my thoughts before it 'hits the open board" My personal e-mail addy is; jamesaviculture@hotmail.com if you wish to contact me directly. jj

[Lighthouse]

Beautiful pic "Red"! That one is for framing.

[redbopeep]

Originally Posted by Lighthouse

Beautiful pic "Red"! That one is for framing.

The wonderful fellow who took that photo also took many others of us that day, so we're hopeful to have more than a few "framers" out of the bunch. Of course, in that photo, like all photos, there's always something going on...in this one, we'd just come about and everyone aboard was busy tending lines EXCEPT the fellow cheerfully waving at the camera. He was supposed to be letting go the jib sheet on the windward side while I cranked in on the leeward side. If you follow the sheet/line, you'll see how it is tight across the staysail...I was cranking and we were all yelling at the guy waving saying "let the sheet go, stop waving at people and start sailing!" We now are able to tease him about it calling him the PR guy.

[redbopeep]

We've been out-and-about and headed down the California coast. It's been a nice trip so far with just a few moments of terror and only a few things broken or chafed. I posted some pictures on our blog LINK of things so far. We're presently anchored at Port San Louis (just below Point Buchon) since we're not in the mood to round Point Arguello and Point Conception in the present conditions of 9-11 ft (13 second) swell plus wind waves (~2 ft). We'll wait until tomorrow when predictions are for 7-9 ft (13 second) plus wind waves (~2 ft). Somehow that seems better

We'll be heading to San Miguel Island after we spend the night at Cojo anchorage...and then onto some of the coves at Santa Cruz Island.

Fair winds,

[Silver Raven]

Originally Posted by redbopeep

We've been out-and-about and headed down the California coast. It's been a nice trip so far with just a few moments of terror and only a few things broken or chafed. I posted some pictures on our blog LINK of things so far. We're presently anchored at Port San Louis (just below Point Buchon) since we're not in the mood to round Point Arguello and Point Conception in the present conditions of 9-11 ft (13 second) swell plus wind waves (~2 ft). We'll wait until tomorrow when predictions are for 7-9 ft (13 second) plus wind waves (~2 ft). Somehow that seems better

We'll be heading to San Miguel Island after we spend the night at Cojo anchorage...and then onto some of the coves at Santa Cruz Island.

Fair winds,

G'day 'Sheila' & 'bloke' (Aussie slang - for 'great 'gal' & 'guy' - term of endearment). To you both - Brenda & David - WOW - & 1000 times WOW. Without trying to embarrass you two in any way - - you two are - true legends - top shelf quality - inspirations - to us all. 'lill-old-me, with my motivation mind-set saying - - 'Every reality begins with a dream' - just don't cut-it - compared to both of you & that LOVELY, MAGNIFICENT SAILING HEART-BEAT, that you have so lovingly restored so you can join with her soul & yours and - "Do or do not - There is no try". With 10's of 1000's of words - I could never paint the pictures that yours & your narratives - bring to life for all of us to live - in real time - your joys & tribulations. I AM SO GRATEFUL to you both much more than mere words can express. Thanks for everything - the endless time spent in - allowing us to share, the spectacular pictures, the superb story of 'Mahdee' & her rebuild & sailing 'life'. I've just spent over 2 hrs @ 0400 hrs (here in Auss) looking into 'links' & only got 1/10 the way through. The pic in your 'links' - 14th Sept @ Belvedere Cove, SFYC - taken from - port,-aft 1/4 of her whole deck, hull (prt side) & lower rigging - - is without doubt - a picture of what 'Schooner MAHDEE' 's soul really is all about. Thank you two so much for all your efforts (given with much love - I'm sure) which will help keep all our souls alive until we can join you three. Thanks again, james aka "jj-geri-hat-trick". Sure hope you saw the pics of Vasilis' brother Nikos' beautifully restored 'Faneromeni' cause it's got that WOW & "X" factor just as 'Schooner Mahdee' has !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[redbopeep]

My goodness, James,...dunno what to say...

However, thought I'd post a pretty picture of us in the San Simeon anchorage:

[Lighthouse]

Great pic Brenda. Thanks for posting it.

[Spike_dawg]

I agree with the group. Really nice photo of a really nice boat.

[edsailing]

I've just delivered a 71' overall modern classic schooner http://www.sandemanyachtcompany.co.u...yachtsforsale/ from the Med to Belgium but Mahdee looks just as good.

Schooners are just so gorgeous!

[Nusailor]

Originally Posted by redbopeep

Well, it's been a nice summer and now it's time to move on. We'll be heading back down to So. Cal to empty out the storage unit...

You guys did a beautiful job on that boat. As I remember the shot of you with the hammer pounding in the oakum? I was thinking how much boat that was. I was worth it ,thank you for sharing the project and the finished product with us.

John Nusailor

[redbopeep]

Originally Posted by edsailing

Schooners are just so gorgeous!

I just went to the broker site for that boat. Very lovely. How'd she sail? I see in one picture that a light air headsail link was used rather than a larger fisherman or golly between the masts. The sail plan shows traditional fish/golly. Did you sail in light airs? If so, what was employed? Really curious about the matter.

I envy you the opportunity to deliver that boat!

Fair winds,

[edsailing]

Originally Posted by redbopeep

I just went to the broker site for that boat. Very lovely. How'd she sail? I see in one picture that a light air headsail link was used rather than a larger fisherman or golly between the masts. The sail plan shows traditional fish/golly. Did you sail in light airs? If so, what was employed? Really curious about the matter.

She sailed very nicely, on a reach getting up to about 11 kts in a F6 /7 with a reef in the fore and 2 in the main. The present owner only purchased 3 weeks before I got onboard. The light airs sail was not deployed - the new owner had bought an asymmetric spinnaker which he flew but he lost the halyard on the first hoist. After we got it re-rigged in port we had head winds or too much wind to fly it. The reefing plan I came up with was 1st reef main, second reef main, reef foresail, 3rd reef main, drop fore sail, furl Jib, reef staysail.

I think she would have gone well in light airs going downwind with the asymmetrical - it was a shame we did not get a chance to use it after the first attempt. The rig needed tuning as well - I don't think it had been touched since new and everything was a bit slacker than it should have been and the foremast had less rake than the main. As a result she did not point very well and tacked through about 110-120 degrees. Overall a very comfortable motion - I was sorry to leave her! at the end of the delivery (approx 18 days in all)

[redbopeep]

110 degree "course made good" is about as good as we get. Our actual tack angle is less, of course, but leeway always plays a role and that must be considered. Were you talking course made good or just the tack angle?

You know, traditional rigs are a bit slack compared to today's modern rigs. Most folks used to modern boats think things are too slack when they are not. Were there running backs available?

Our boat was owned by a well know West Coast racer during the late 1960's and early 1970's and it is no surprise that the rig was too tight for his time of ownership and after...and that she ended up with a broken mainmast step because of it. We beefed up the mast step but have no intentions of sailing with such a tight rig.

We've tuned our rig to what I call the "just a bit tighter than slack" and keep it properly tuned--that takes little time but is done every month or so since we've launched in 4/2009. Fore and aft we have a running bobstay (for the jib) and running backstays (to assist the fixed backstay) but we note that after a year and a half of sailing...maybe only 2000 miles total...we need to tighten up the triadic between fore-and-main. The freshwater stay has a turnbuckle to tighten and we've tightened it only once but the triadic is now a bit slack and has no turnbuckle. Since the running backs pull to the top of the mainmast, when we run with double reefed main (often) the head of the main is at the triadic stay point but with no running backstay directed to that point we're unable to keep things tight as we'd like.

Our method of tightening fore-and-aft is to tighten up the running bobstay such that the jibstay (end of sprit) and twin forestays (either side of stem) all three are are equally taut. Then, the running backstays can be employed as the winds come up to keep the whole rig tight fore-and-aft. In practice, when sailing short handed (just hubby and I) we often are pulling the running backs forward to the main shrouds and not using them, thus we don't benefit as we should in highest pointing (though we do achieve the 110 degree course made good). We were pleased that we (in our gaff-foresail schooner) were pointing higher than many staysail schooners on the recent schooner race we participated in San Francisco. We could see our jibstay sadly sagging during the race (winds in the mid-30's, gusts to 40 knots) but with 5 crew aboard we were short handed enough that we didn't have crew to manage the running backstays during what turned out to be a brutal course and a brutal day.

Your reefing plan must change with point of sail--no? When working so we're pointing very high upwind, our 1st sail reducing action is to go to the 2nd reefing point on the mainsail. This because the schooner main becomes frightfully powerful with higher winds. Unfortunately, this main doesn't have a third reefing point and it needs one. Ideally, the next reef would be the (non existent) third reef in the main but since we don't have one, we then decide if we're going to keep high or change tack. If we're staying with high pointing then we'll just entirely drop the gaff foresail. Though the boat becomes very "twitchy" with the large moment provided by jib, staysail, and main, it works very well to keep us pointed high. Conversely, if we're broad reaching, we can work it by double reef the main, then drop the jib, then reef the fore, then drop the main (needs that third reef!), then drop the fore, then down to staysail.

I digress into all this detail, but it is fun to discuss how another schooner sailor is using their rig. We have several light wind sails (mostly different sizes of fish and a golly) as well as a very large headsail much like the one pictured in the link. We learned from a previous owner that that large sail was only used when they'd disconnected the forestay and gotten the staysail completely out of the way. At the time, they didn't have a running bobstay...so I can't see us doing what they did to allow tacking that big sail. We've had that sail up once in light winds and had to manage it from the foredeck to get it around the forestay and staysail stay. In truly light winds, not a problem but it is not set flying (as the one in the linked photo is flying) but rather is hanked onto the jibstay on the sprit. Therefore, getting it down can be a mess.

Enough digressing...hope you continue to have wonderful sailing adventures on schooners!

[edsailing]

Thanks for that Brenda - yes we did have running backstays and used them consistently. You are so right about the power of the main, once the wind starts to increase it needs reefing, and reefing hard, otherwise the weather helm just builds and builds making steering very difficult. Three reefs in the main and a full jib gave very good balance. It was quite surprising how much much power (and speed) was generated by the jib, considering how small a sail it was. Experimentation demonstrated that it contributed approx 1.5 knots to boat speed.

Unfortunately, delivery jobs on beautiful boats like this are few and far between so I'm going to have to go back to reality and the modern plastic boats now. Next up is 2000 miles on a Bavaria 36 - I may notice the difference!