Those of you who didn't join us on SF Bay today didn't miss much, except for
sunshine. The winds were _very_ light in the afternoon. The forecasted small
craft advisory never materialized, and we never did use the jiffy reef we
rigged before setting out.
We pottered around "Chicken Bay" (south of the Bay Bridge), staying close to
the estuary because the winds were only about 4-5 mph, with frequent calms.
The boats to the north of us, near the city skyline & the Golden Gate were
bolt-upright, so we didn't head that way, especially since we knew the return
trip in light winds would be against an ebb tide.
The weather was warm and the sailing slow and peaceful. The P-19's ultra
light weight served us well, and there were moments of satisfying purposeful
speed where we sailed right past some large, heavier vessels, leaving their
skippers looking up at their sails with perplexed looks. With the light winds
and so little drive from our crippled mainsail, my first-n-only mate David had
to sit on the leeward side to induce a little weather helm.
We played a bit today with the backstay, trying to get a feel for how much
bend we could put in the mast. With the 6:1 purchase blocks set up, we
easily produced not only two or three inches of bend not only aft rake at the
tip, but also two inches of forward bowing in the middle section. It was
interesting, because jib stay tightened with the mast head raking aft, and the
sail flattened with the middle mast section bowing forward. I can't wait
until we get our new mainsail and some real wind to see how that affects the
way Red Wing handles.
This was the first time we were out with the mainsheet rigged 4:1 instead of
3:1. Tacks were smoother, since we didn't have to adjust the sheet each time.
With the mainsheet cleated off, the boom now swings outboard the same distance
to both sides. We're slowly getting Red Wing back in shape... every time out
there's something newly fixed to appreciate. Today it was the new mainsheet
rigging, the new solar fan (where the old cowl used to be) that dried the boat
out in just two days, and the newly rebedded chain plates that no longer are
dripping rain and sea water into the anchor locker, cabin and dungeon.
At 4 PM good sense (and the sight of twenty other sailing vessels heading for
home) induced us to return to the estuary. Motoring against an ebb tide, and
with the sun slipping behind tall container ships at drydock, we got cold very
quickly in the thickening winter twilight.
All-in-all, a good 4th or 5th time out on the water in Red Wing.
Judy Blumhorst
WWP-19 #266 "Red Wing" - waiting excitedly for her new wings.
SF Bay Area, CA