SolarFry@aol.com wrote:
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> West Wight Potter Website at URL
> http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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> Got to sail P19 on Intracoastal yesterday (about 2 miles each way). Ocean was
> running 6 - 9+' (wind was pushing 35 MPH) and breaking over the inlet... Wife
> had offered to sail with me so... rather than scare beejesszuz out o'er I
> sailed Intracoastal.. Under reefed main and lapper. (First time I've ever
> reefed any sail - usually I just drop a sail...) I discovered the only two
> holes that allow a regular rope through the sail are in the luff and leech.
> The three holes in between require a 3/16" string. That was a discovery for
> me as I though all along I could use a 5/16 line for the whole thing...
>
> Wife lifted and lowered mast with "new" mast raising system (MRS) composed of
> one part garhauer and one part harken ratcheting fiddle blocks plus fulcrum
> pole. I rigged all those little lines and blocks needed to keep the stuff
> working. The ratcheting block helps keep forestay/furler tight against
> stanchion while I sit, lean over, fall in attempting to put lil pin thru
> stanchion/furler. I can then thread round cotter pin into stanchion/furler
> pin while I dangle from my teeth over bow with my feet in the water... <BG> I
> accomplish this maginificent feat just before I fall completely in the water
> and have to swim back to boarding ladder. (now that was a worthwhile
> investment).
>
> I still wonder why the heck they put that cheek block on fulcrum (gin) pole.
> It is useless. Lotsa beer, booze and giggling must of gone into designing that
> mast raising system at IM. They must ROTFLTHO every time someone buys it...
> Once you create a triangle with main halyard and fulcrum pole you don't need
> that cheek block as line is not going to need to roll through it. An eyehole
> screw is enough... That fulcrum pole halfway up mast is ridiculous. You gotta
> stand on a pitching deck and try to thread a screw through it and not your
> head while avoiding pitching with it into the drink. (would it not have been
> easier at base of mast?) Well it works in it's funky sort of way... But there
> is a better way... Isn't there?
>
> While fidgeting with the MRS I found out the Genoa track is too short and that
> lil upstanding block is worthless. IM should just make genoa track about 12"
> longer to bow and delete lil standing blocks when someone orders genoa gear...
> I guess I will be replacing Genoa track with a longer one all the way to side
> window...
>
> I would say IM needs help.. Whatch think?
>
> Oh yeah! The sail...
> We sailed out of Lake Santa Barbara, south on intracoastal for about 2 miles
> to Commercial Blvd bridge, under reefed main and full lapper and managed to
> sail back. Couple of times she heeled up to about 40 degrees under those 30
> mph gusts blowing between houses and cross canals. But, all in all we had an
> enjoyable sail as wind averaged 10 Mph on intracoastal ( from 0 to 30 ). All
> those big buildings on beach really cut down wind speed. A couple of areas
> had those big tall Australian pine trees I like but newcomers to FL hate.
> Those trees cut wind down to about 3 mph. All in all a decent sail with all
> kinds of wind speeds in the stretch. Wind at the lake was closer to 25 MPH (
> I guess it was the fetch made it windier) when we anchored for lunch. That 8
> lb danforth held like a champ... Sure picks up a lotta mud though...
> (sing->)Mud here, mud there, everywhere a mud, mud. Ole man Solar picked some
> mud... Eeee I eeee I ooh... And on that mud he found some ole shoes... Eee I
> eeeeeee I ooohhhhh!
>
> What really awed me about this sail was the huge motorboats slowing down as
> they passed by... and... waving! Such courtesy (or were they nosy?) It was
> enough to make you believe nice boaters abound...
>
> Best
> Solar Fry
> P19 # 1028, "Elusive Margin"
> Florida Weather: Temp 78 F
> Partly Cloudy, wind ENE 25 - 30 MPH Gusting to 45, Seas 6 - 10+'
> Canal wind NE 20 - 25 gusting to 35, canal waves 1 - 2 1/2'
> 350 ci turbocharged V8 hanging over the stern...