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