John B
04-07-2002, 10:43 PM
We got a week aboard with some pretty bad weather plus a couple of really good days. I'll break up the trip into 2 or 3 posts.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid18/p5019a6f896f1f48e939468d7c7397b41/fdd24443.jpg
The Close Call.
The Easter trip started on Friday a bit late. The problem was that our social director had arranged to give our house to someone else for the easter break and we get on very well with them. It sort of meant that instead of an early first thing kind of get away we left mid afternoon because of the rather late night.
20 knots or so, a run,...moody looking sky behind us , we headed for a destination about 20 miles away, the"bottom end of Waiheke"island.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid18/p8cccf7f2c1a39d7aab82d691b181093d/fdd27506.jpg
We couldn't lay through on starboard gybe so had to gybe to port. Call me old fashioned if you like, but I get nervous on a run. The big gaff main on Waione is really heavy on the helm flat off. You always have control, but it's strenous and an uncontrolled gybe is not an option. you have to sweat the sheet right in hard, set up the new windward backstay and dump the leeward, clank her over with the helm and let her fizz on out without losing the skin off your fingers.
So here we were on port gybe, a modern 35 footer about 50 ft to windward the same and pacing us ,when out from behind her a John Spencer Stilletto ( about 25 ft hard chine ply boat from the 60's) ducked up around the stern of the modern and starboarded us. " What shall I do about the Stilletto" says Kirsty. You know those little "time stands still " moments. I was busy thinking we can't crash gybe now when a radical luff by the helmswoman rather saved the day for us and meant that a nice little 60's ULDB could live on for another.
It rattled us though and it was followed less than a minute later by another close miss when a 50 ft yacht motoring, failed to give way to us and shot between us and the other yacht we were still holding station with. Kirsty told him off.
Too much drama in too short a time , we gybed her back onto starboard and settled down for the run/broad reach down to our home for the night. Strange little sea it was, wind against tide, plenty of wind, the chop stood up and flicked around while we sped at between 7 1/2 and 8 1/2 knots.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid18/p12976597801ed7ec2713548b3cd858f6/fdd2750d.jpg
We got in at 6 pm and stopped for the night .
[ 04-08-2002, 01:01 AM: Message edited by: John B ]
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid18/p5019a6f896f1f48e939468d7c7397b41/fdd24443.jpg
The Close Call.
The Easter trip started on Friday a bit late. The problem was that our social director had arranged to give our house to someone else for the easter break and we get on very well with them. It sort of meant that instead of an early first thing kind of get away we left mid afternoon because of the rather late night.
20 knots or so, a run,...moody looking sky behind us , we headed for a destination about 20 miles away, the"bottom end of Waiheke"island.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid18/p8cccf7f2c1a39d7aab82d691b181093d/fdd27506.jpg
We couldn't lay through on starboard gybe so had to gybe to port. Call me old fashioned if you like, but I get nervous on a run. The big gaff main on Waione is really heavy on the helm flat off. You always have control, but it's strenous and an uncontrolled gybe is not an option. you have to sweat the sheet right in hard, set up the new windward backstay and dump the leeward, clank her over with the helm and let her fizz on out without losing the skin off your fingers.
So here we were on port gybe, a modern 35 footer about 50 ft to windward the same and pacing us ,when out from behind her a John Spencer Stilletto ( about 25 ft hard chine ply boat from the 60's) ducked up around the stern of the modern and starboarded us. " What shall I do about the Stilletto" says Kirsty. You know those little "time stands still " moments. I was busy thinking we can't crash gybe now when a radical luff by the helmswoman rather saved the day for us and meant that a nice little 60's ULDB could live on for another.
It rattled us though and it was followed less than a minute later by another close miss when a 50 ft yacht motoring, failed to give way to us and shot between us and the other yacht we were still holding station with. Kirsty told him off.
Too much drama in too short a time , we gybed her back onto starboard and settled down for the run/broad reach down to our home for the night. Strange little sea it was, wind against tide, plenty of wind, the chop stood up and flicked around while we sped at between 7 1/2 and 8 1/2 knots.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid18/p12976597801ed7ec2713548b3cd858f6/fdd2750d.jpg
We got in at 6 pm and stopped for the night .
[ 04-08-2002, 01:01 AM: Message edited by: John B ]