2015 Texas102
Tarpon RV & Marina, Port Isabel, Texas to Padre Island Yacht Club, Padre Island, Texas
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The Texas200 is billed as an endurance sailing adventure along the southern Texas coast through the Laguna Madre and the ICW. It was definitely an adventure and it found the limit of my endurance. 102 Nm in 26.2 hrs of sailing spread over three days. What a ride! Through the course of this adventure I met a lot of good people, saw a lot of neat boats and had a lot of fun. In deciding to undertake this adventure I set several goals for myself and I achieved all but one of those goals, thus the TX102 instead of the TX200. The last half of the course still waits for my passage. At this point I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to all those who helped me prepare, get there, get through the event and return home safely.
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Day 1.
Shoved off from Tarpon RV & Marina just after sun up with the rest of the Tarpon group. It was a beautiful morning with a building breeze. I motored out of the harbor and began my usual circus show of hoisting sails and setting my rigging. I think I did three 360's before I got things set and headed out. I am sure it was very entertaining for anyone watching from shore. By the time I accomplished this I was no longer in the channel and already off my intended course. Situation normal. So I headed for the main channel and spent the next half hour getting settled in. Watched the rest of the fleet spread out on the horizon. Reached the main channel and laid over in a port tack that would be the longest in my sailing career. I would not gybe until I cut the corner at Port Mansfield. The wind and waves built slowly the further north I sailed till I reached the fish camps. From this point north is was nice wind and flat water. By this point I had found that "Tiny Dancer" really liked strong wind with following seas and strong wind with flat water. Heavily loaded she still easily cruised at 5 knots. By late afternoon I cut the corner at Pt. Mansfield headed out to the jetties and Camp 1. This put the waves more on the beam as the wind continued to build. An interesting run as I had to dodge moss beds and clean moss from the rudder about every ten minutes. I hit the channel to the jetties just east of the first island on the north side of the channel and this is where the fun began. Heavy wind, heavy seas, narrow channel, tacking upwind what more could you want? "Tiny Dancer" earned her name as she danced upwind close hauled and heeled. I was having a blast, I had not sailed this hard in years, pushing me and my boat to the limit. It was going to be a long slog up the channel, but we were making good way. Powerboats. The first powerboat overtook me from astern and forced me to bear off and lose all my headway on that tack. Guess he never read the rules of right of way. I had just cleared the second ship wreck when the real adventure began. I am getting back in my rhythm when the camcleats decide that the sheet load is too high and that I need to hold the jib sheets by hand. OK. Then a fishing skiff came past at full speed about 100 ft. off my bow. His wake came over my bow and filled my cockpit about half full of water. I am quite sure they heard my admonitions about seamanship as they sped away. I got the bilge pump started and started to sort things out when two tacks later. The UNITED STATES COAST GUARD in their fast attack boat crossed my bow less than 30 ft. away. My little boat submarined through their wake. Water came over the cuddy into the cockpit. I was swamped, my cockpit was full of water, everything that was on the seats was washed into the bilges. They never turned a head. I totally lost my cool said lots of bad words and had many evil thoughts. In my efforts to sort out the cockpit I allowed the jib to wrap around the forestay. Now I am really in good shape. Well, I stated on Sunday that I was an 'expert' so I began my self rescue. Boat is still afloat, bilge pump is working, head to port and sort things out. So I headed into Pt Mansfield. At this point I owe an apology to anyone who encountered me for the next 6-8 hours as I was in total meltdown. I rented dock space and spent the night pumping out, drying out and assessing damage from the days adventure. My fellow Pt Mansfield refugees were very supportive and helpful. The only real damage were ruined nav lights, dead marine radio, a significantly looser centerboard and an increased leak rate at the centerboard. Sleep on the boat. Exhaustion helps.
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Day 2.
We shoved off at first light. All the fishermen at Pt Mansfield ensured that we did not miss the dawn. I motored out of Pt Mansfield under the watchful eye of fellow sailors. Just outside the port in the light morning wind I tested out "Tiny Dancer" with a few maneuvers and she handled well so I headed north again. Being a shallow draft boat I was able to cut the corner again and made for a point about 7 miles north in the channel. This allowed me the pleasure of watching the fleet sail north in the channel. The wind was lighter today than yesterday so it was a slow sail north at about 2 knots. The wind slowly built till I was making about 4 knots dead down wind by the time I entered the Land Cut. Once again I had flat water and good wind, too fun. One of the interesting things about this is the ability to visit with other boats as overtaking occurs. A new experience. Then the wind began to fade. Walter and his WWP coasted along with me for a long time. We bobbed and baked together. I broke out a rod and caught a nice ladyfish. That did the trick. The wind came back, strong and abeam. "Tiny Dancer" stepped out. She set a new best speed of 6.1 knots. The wind continued to build and clock around to the north. By the time I approached Camp 2 I was sailing close hauled and watching the masts ahead to see how far it was to camp. As I came in to camp I heard Ray yell "Mud's Deep" and Paul yell "Water's Very Deep", so I drove her all the onto the beach under full sail. Ray kindly took my anchor ashore and set it up the beach. I had made it. Camp 2. Later I provided entertainment as I attempted to set up my little 2 man tent in the wind. At least 6 people assisted me, out of self preservation I am sure. I fully expect to see it on youtube someday. Once again camaraderie was the highlight of the evening. Exhaustion. Sleep under the stars, shooting stars, rising moon, coyotes singing.
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Day 3.
I am up just before first light, feeling good, ready to go. I break camp as the others begin to stir. Very light breeze down the cut. I shove off the beach as soon as I can see down the channel. I am the third boat off the beach. Ghosting along as the sun rises. This is so cool. This is when I found that "Tiny Dancer" does not like dead downwind in light air. We started to squabble. Then suddenly no air, no movement, nothing. I look behind me and see a wall of sail. The entire fleet is arrayed behind me. A beautiful sight, but not a breath of air is getting past all that sail. I fuss with "Tiny Dancer" as the entire fleet passes by, one, two, three at a time. Neat to watch all the boats, visit with everyone. My frustration builds as the temperature rises. Then as I approach the end of the Land Cut the wind starts to build. We stop squabbling. The wind moves a point or two off the stern and I am getting happier. I exit the Land Cut into Baffin Bay, wind and waves. Happy me. Open water and the waves build to about 2 feet. "Tiny Dancer" struts her stuff. She starts surfing about every third wave. I am having a blast. We start to reel the in the fleet. One boat at a time. Over three hours of surfing I am exhausted. Still a long way to go. Periodically dolphins come by and visit. Too cool. The islands start to break up the waves turning the bay into a washing machine. The wind continues to build slowly and slowly clock around to the east. Point by point. Plowing along, wind, chop, heat. Fun, just not as much fun. Frustration, channel markers no longer match my large map and my small maps are difficult to read in the strong wind. Not a problem I know where I am going and I can just follow the line of masts that extend to the horizon. Neat sight. Not one seen on the coast very often. By this time solo is starting to show. "Tiny Dancer" has handled everything well, but she is working me pretty hard. Once the JFK causeway is in sight I feel a little relief, the island is starting to reduce the chop, and Camp 3 is in sight. The jib sheet fails, the jib is flogging. Not good conditions to go on deck and make repairs so I haul down the jib and continue under main alone. There is plenty of wind and I only lose about half a knot. Finally reach the entrance to the harbor where PIYC is located. I drop the main and motor in as the wind is dead down the channel. The docks are full and I anchor on the bulkhead, third down from the fence. I set both anchors over the berm and secure "Tiny Dancer". Complete and utter exhaustion. Fluids, food, AC and sleep.
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Day 4.
I awake last. Everyone else is up and heading out. Exhaustion. No more endurance. My event is done. It has been a great ride. Congratulations to y'all that continued on.
Glyn Buckley
"Tiny Dancer"
O'Day Daysailer II
17' LOA
Lessons Learned.
1. Solo is tough, I would definitely have crew in the future.
2. A bigger boat. The event would be more fun in a larger more comfortable boat. The O'day Daysailer II is more than capable of the task and a lot of fun for parts of the event, but works you pretty hard for the rest of it. 20+ feet minimum.
3. Leave half my gear behind. I always take too much stuff.
4. When the wind dies, fish or motor.
5. Shade, add a bimini to any boat that you plan on using for this event. It is worth it even if it requires changing the rigging.
6. A better camera. The photo ops are awesome.
7. Go. a tough event. Prepare and Go