First sail of the year stories?

[albanysailer]

So how bout it, anyone go out over Memorial Day? Any other time this spring so far?

I didn't get to go out last weekend, but it looks like this coming Sunday will be our day! Can't wait, hopefully I can live vicariously through some of your stories for now!

[SaltLakeSailer]

I grew up near the ocean and always had ventured out under power, until I hooked up in a club regatta and helped a 52' sloop take second in her "class". Bitten by the bug, I hunted down Daysailer 3533 from 1969 in the Mountain West and started to learn the tricks of lake sailing against the mountains.

Last weekend, May 24, I kidnapped a land-loving backpacking/hiking friend to crew for me, and we ventured out onto one of the first reservoirs to lose her ice. Water temps were in the mid-50s, so nobody cared to get very wet. Winds were just right for my novice ability, right around 10 - 12 mph with few gusts above 15.

It was close to perfect. I sailed conservatively, letting the main spill air when gusts came up, and generally did everything I could to keep things level. (Where - what angle - does a Daysailer lose her footing and spill her occupants?)

Overcast skies kept the winds fresh and the wave runners home, and the reservoir held only four or five other boats, all idling and fishing, along with a few float tubes. We held course for about two hours, then trailered home.

I hope to hit it like this again Saturday to end the month of May on a high note.

If someone can share that secret something about getting more speed and the thrill of decent heel without a knock-down, I'd love to hear it.

[algonquin]

To add speed and stability at a high angle of heel you have to couple sail control with ballast position. I am sure you have already experienced to some degree, the effects of moving the ballast (a.k.a. crew) to positions that lend more stability to the boat and reducing heel as speed increases. This becomes very critical on a DS. Have you tried moving both captain and crew to the windward side of the boat ? How about hiking out to windward ? My DS doesn’t have hiking straps but I have found that staying close to the cuddy and with you derrieres on the coaming and leaning your back to windward helps a lot. If you haven’t got a tiller extension that allows the helmsman to do this I highly recommend installing one. Brad

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[bkafer]

We drive around the lake to get to our house. I had the Oday in tow and after 80 miles I was glad to see the lake. Glad, that is until I see it looks like a mirror. Not one breath or wind.

We get to the house and unload the car, get everything put away and then I see it. Yes one of the flags in the back yard moved, not a lot but it moved.

We jumped into the car and headed to the ramp. Thats when the trouble started.
I backed down the ramp and hear a crash. Part of the support holding the mast broke. The weld just decided it was time to go. No problem we'll get that fixed during the week.

I would liked to have rigged the boat on land but some genius decided to put overhead wires across the middle of the ramp. So in she goes and while I'm parking the car Dee moves the boat around the dock and onto the sandy beach. The first thing I notice is water in the back of the boat.
The water was coming in thru the plug. Well I had an extra plug and that took care of that.

she's rigged and we push off and try to turn the boat so we can start the motor. Just then the wind decides to start blowing and is sending us towards the docks. We both paddle like mad , get the boat facing out and the motor starts on the 3rd pull ( ye ha). It runs for about 30 seconds and stops. I choke it and it starts on the second pull , runs 30 seconds and stops . Ok choke it , she starts , as it begins to sputter I pull out the choke and it runs normal for a bit. Took about 3 minutes and she's now running great so It may have been dirt or who knows what . ( the last time this motor was used was 2001 . )

( i took it apart when I got it and new plugs and hoses and filters and took the carb apart and cleaned it) Now I'm happy its running good.
So I tell the mate ( she thinks she's the admiral) to raise the jib. What?
The jib, raise it. Isn't that what you steer with, the jib?
So now I'm showing her how to raise the jib.

Next the main. You have to get the slugs into the mast not too hard except I can't get the sail to go up more that about 6 feet.
The mate is sitting on part of the sail. DUH!!! ok were just a bit from shore sails up , we catch the wind and were off.

sailed for about 3 hours BUT theres more water in the boat.
The bailer is letting water in . It seems when your moving , water comes in and when its sitting still no water. That was an easy fix and the problem is now solved.

Next I checked the inner hull. It was wet but not enough to worry about and not enough to even soak up with a sponge, it was just wet .
So I guess thats good.

Thats enough, butt hurts , tired, some sunburn lets go in for lunch.
My dock space has a tree near it, you have to go around the tree and into the slip. Suddenly she stops dead in the water and begins to turn. The board wasn't fully up. I release the line attached to the board and then yanked it up till I heard the thunk knowing it was up. Now of course the wind had blown us into the tree.

I turned the motor and we seemed to come out ok. I ask the mate are we clear of that tree , and she answers yes.
I turn towards the dock and suddenly the boat leans to the side , I hear a loud snap and look up to see a spreader dangling in the breeze.
One of the lines going up the mast had caught on the tree and pulled against the spreader
causing it to snap. so we left the boat in the slip, dropped the mast and took it home and took it apart and now I'm off to find some aluminum of the same size.

This morning I checked the boat, there was no more water in the boat
so thats good.

I stopped in my local hardware store , showed him the broken piece
thinking he could tell me where to buy new tubing.
The owner replies, how many feet. He actually had it in stock.

I bought enough and made an extra for the next time we mess with that tree.

[kylempayne]

the wind was great there wasn't many people on the lake but when we go out our centerboard would not go out and we got blown up against the shore and had to walk it about 200 yards back to the boat ramp (I have a luger leeward 16)

[GreenLake]

When you want to go sailing,
it's best to have all your ducks in a row.

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