It has been a trying start to our racing season, two weeks ago we couldn't start our season because the wind and seas were just to much and on top of that my heat exchanger decided that it had had enough. I installed the new heat exchanger and we went out last weekend for our first race, the wind was out of the east around 18 knots with the seas at a healthy 4 to 6. The crew had not raced since least November so their sea legs were a little off, but we only had one feed the fish. He was a real trooper thow and stuck it out. My grand daughter did not feel well either but she just hops down to the vee berth and takes a nap, she's something else, at nine she has been sailing with us for five years and is really excited about going to the Abacos in July. Back to the story, I had probably the worst start of my career missing it by over a minute, don't know were my head was but you can venture a guess. So we get to the windward mark and pop the kite, our spinnaker trimmer thought she had too many wraps on the winch so decided to take a wrap off. Of course this is exatly the time we got hit with a puff, and there was the smell of burnt fingers in the air. So now it's time to hoist the jib and douse the kite, well that's the exact time the jib gets jammed in the foil, makes for a very slow hoist and then we douse the kite but my mast gal forgets to hold on the the spinnaker halyard and it makes a round trip from deck to top of mast and back to the deck. Now we sail the third leg back to the windward mark with the jib luff too loose, our final tack on the layline at the windward mark and the jib sheet gets jammed on the winch and not released in a timely manner. It doesn't hurt too bad because I have overstood the mark by some fifty yards or so. Well we sail the last downwind leg without the kite,remember the halyard,and breakout the cold beer and head for home, missing the second race. Funniest part is the gal that roasted her fingers on the spinnaker sheet was the only one on the boat that showed any interest in sailing the second race. We are gonna try again this weekend at the Miami to Key Largo race, Thirty mile delivery south to Miami, then race another thirty miles south, then sixty miles home. Man I love this sh_t
Carl Wehe
1985 C36TM #443
Hillsboro Inlet,FL
You tell a good story, Carl.
It seems you have a lot of female crew; good for you. Did you mention to them all that sailing gloves are pretty important for just the reason you cited?
I have stopper knots on all my halyards so they can't go up the mast. I helped my buddy re-reave his once and it can be a pain.
Thanks for sharing your woes. Hopefully, all goes better next time.
Our race this past weekend was weather postponed to this weekend, but we are hauling the boat tomorrow and splashing Monday. In between is: sanding and two coats of bottom paint, replacing the cutless bearing using the C36IA special tool that was just delivered, and waxing/buffing the topsides.
BTW, I intend to take detailed photos of the steps for replacing the cutless bearing and post an article soon thereafter.
Duane Ising - Past Commodore (2011-2012)
s/v Diva Di
1999 Catalina 36 Hull #1777
Std rig; wing keel, M35B, Delta (45#)
Punta Gorda, FL
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/diva-di/
I am thrilled to report we have been out six times so far. Our first sail was March 15th!
Weather has varied from warm (80's) to this weekend's cool 57-60. The winds have been GREAT- 10-15kts!
I took a picture last weekend as we "caught up to" another C36 we spotted.
I will post the picture when I get the chance.
Hope all of you are sailing, or sailing soon!
Laura Olsen
Past Commodore
S/V Miramar
hull 938 (MKI 1989, TR,WK, M25xp)
Edgemere, MD
[QUOTE=deising;4885] Did you mention to them all that sailing gloves are pretty important for just the reason you cited?[/QUOTE]
I use sailing gloves most of the time and all the time when racing on a friend's boat. I was handling the spinnaker halyard one day on a douse, that puppy sure went fast: I personally know what fried fingers are like - first the smell of burning glove, followed immediately by burning finger. Those halyards sure eat up gloves and fingers quickly! All the gloves did was postpone the inevitable. By about a nanosecond....:) Finger healed, glove didn't.
Stu Jackson, C34IA Secretary, C34 #224, 1986, SR/FK, M25 engine, Rocna 10 (22#)
I trim main on a Melges 32 quite a bit, you want to talk about a mainsheet that eats people and hands for breakfast, wow. The main on that boat is 4' taller, 2' longer than on the catalina and the boat weighs 3800 lbs.
I have stopped using regular sailing gloves and now use work gloves from the hardware store. They are the cotton gloves that are dipped in blue rubber on the palm. I usually cut the fingertips off the index and thumbs. They are super grippy which really helps hold lines. In fact when they are new it is very difficult to ease a line through your hand! For about $5 a pair will last me a month or two before I need new ones.
Jason V
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Carl, I must agree with Duane - you are a great story teller! I am a published author myself and I admire your writing style. Sounds llke it was a day of learning, and oh yeah BTW, we are all still learning aren't we??!;)
Glenn Druhot
Carpe Diem
New Bern, NC
35* 6' 10" N / 77* 2' 30" W
2001 C36, Hull #1965
Std Rig; Wing Keel; M35B
In case anyone needs any encouragement to get out there, Nimue won the RVYC Hot Rum winter series 1 in Division 4, then took a rating hit and got knocked into division 3 for the second series. We won that series too!
A little tweaking here and there and I think there is more speed left in her!
Jason V
Vancouver, BC, Canada
'Grats on your wins Jason. Well done!
Good on 'ya, Jason!
Duane Ising - Past Commodore (2011-2012)
s/v Diva Di
1999 Catalina 36 Hull #1777
Std rig; wing keel, M35B, Delta (45#)
Punta Gorda, FL
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/diva-di/