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Hi Jack:
I had thought about going out yesterday, but it looked a bit more than I could
handle so, instead, I pulled the boat for the season as my slip runs out at the
end of the month and I won't pay $500+ to keep a piece of ice over the winter.
I was, however, out Tuesday afternoon and had an interesting experience. The
wind was running well below 10mph and I rigged the spinnaker and full main.
Just after I rounded the corner south onto the river, and shortly before the two
markers by the sunken wreck, an interesting thing happened. All of a sudden I
heard all of the sheets tighten and the sails snap/stretch out into full shape.
Then the boat slowly heeled 'til the starboard rail was almost in the water. I
thought that maybe I was going to have a more exciting afternoon than I had
planned and released both sheets. The boat popped upright, but the sails didn't
flap around like they usually do when I release them in high wind. Then I looked
aft and saw the cutest little water spout -- about a foot and a half high --
dancing away up river. It lasted about thirty seconds. It was a wing tip vortex
from an a big jet that had landed at National Airport a few minutes before!
I watched for more spouts, but saw none. I've only see them a few times before
and always wondered what would happen if I got caught in one. I suspect that it
could have been worse as I know that such things can flip a light plane in the
right conditions.
For the rest of the list, National Airport is on the Potomac and I was sailing
under the southern approach about a half mile from where the planes touch down.
They are usually about two hundred feet up at that point, but sometimes they are
lower.
Pulling the boat was routine -- but the Potomac water is already uncomfortably
cold. About the only problem I had was that I forgot to check the trailer tire
pressure before I left home and when I put the boat onto the trailer they looked
a little low -- so I had to run home and get my little compresser and air 'em
up. I pressure washed the hull in the driveway yesterday afternoon and removed
all of the green scum, but the bottom is a permanent shade of brown. I will
paint the bottom before the boat goes back into the water in spring...
Regards
Rye Gewalt
Grace II 1990 HMS 18 S/R
Springfield, VA
JackRams@aol.com wrote:
> Hi Rye!
> I believe I saw you going out today. I was going out earlier but decided the
> wind was beyound my skill level. I hope to get out a couple more times before
> the ice forms.
> Hope you had a good sail!
> Jack
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Hi Jack:
I had thought about going out yesterday, but it looked a bit more than I could handle so, instead, I pulled the boat for the season as my slip runs out at the end of the month and I won't pay $500+ to keep a piece of ice over the winter.
I was, however, out Tuesday afternoon and had an interesting experience. The wind was running well below 10mph and I rigged the spinnaker and full main. Just after I rounded the corner south onto the river, and shortly before the two markers by the sunken wreck, an interesting thing happened. All of a sudden I heard all of the sheets tighten and the sails snap/stretch out into full shape. Then the boat slowly heeled 'til the starboard rail was almost in the water. I thought that maybe I was going to have a more exciting afternoon than I had planned and released both sheets. The boat popped upright, but the sails didn't flap around like they usually do when I release them in high wind. Then I looked aft and saw the cutest little water spout -- about a foot and a half high -- dancing away up river. It lasted about thirty seconds. It was a wing tip vortex from an a big jet that had landed at National Airport a few minutes before!
I watched for more spouts, but saw none. I've only see them a few times before and always wondered what would happen if I got caught in one. I suspect that it could have been worse as I know that such things can flip a light plane in the right conditions.
For the rest of the list, National Airport is on the Potomac and I was sailing under the southern approach about a half mile from where the planes touch down. They are usually about two hundred feet up at that point, but sometimes they are lower.
Pulling the boat was routine -- but the Potomac water is already uncomfortably cold. About the only problem I had was that I forgot to check the trailer tire pressure before I left home and when I put the boat onto the trailer they looked a little low -- so I had to run home and get my little compresser and air 'em up. I pressure washed the hull in the driveway yesterday afternoon and removed all of the green scum, but the bottom is a permanent shade of brown. I will paint the bottom before the boat goes back into the water in spring...
Regards
Rye Gewalt
Grace II 1990 HMS 18 S/R
Springfield, VA
JackRams@aol.com wrote:
Hi Rye!
I believe I saw you going out today. I was going out earlier but decided the
wind was beyound my skill level. I hope to get out a couple more times before
the ice forms.
Hope you had a good sail!
Jack
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