Second time out

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Geoff
Posts: 294
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2019 12:04 pm
Investigator Boat Name: #50 Timeless
Location: Monto, Queensland

Second time out

Post by Geoff »

This is an essay. If too long, I had a good day out.

You have all been here before, so critique away, and expedite my learning!

Took advantage of the relaxed rules, can now travel 50 clicks.
Last Thursday I went out to Lake Cania. Enclosed freshwater inland reservoir.

I went out on the same dam in January, first time out. Busy as with powerboats, almost no breeze. Only me in the boat, but wife on shore. Low key but a good easy intro.

This one was different. I went out to the dam on my own, left about 6am. Forecast winds 8 to 10 knots with gusts up to about double that. I packed thermos, coffee, sandwiches and tied 20c in the corner of my hanky.

Got there just before 7 and started rigging up. I took my time so I could try to establish an MO, a protocol. The goal was to only climb the ladder once before launching. Made a coffee and took my time. Lifted the outboard box out of the mighty Tribute and fitted the outboard. Carried the rudder from the car and placed it behind the boat. Can't fit it yet because my mast prop uses the top rudder pintle.

Stepping up the mast was the easy part. Working through the next steps, actually hooking up the sails, took some time. Set jib with downhaul.

When I stepped off I fitted the rudder.

All up, took about an hour being very methodical. I see where Ray can do it in about half an hour. That's my goal, and I think very doable, with practice.

Due to the recent discussion about the need to tilt the trailer, I tried to be scientific. I had all the time in the world at the ramp. It was just me and the crows and the pelicans. It is a pretty steep ramp. I didn't tilt, a bit of a push and Timeless slipped away quick. I walked her to the adjacent sand beach, dropped the anchor over the front into the sand and took the car and trailer back to the car park.

When I came back, I climbed over the bow. That's a poofight. Walked aft, fitted tiller and fired up the mighty Mariner. While it warmed up I rang my wife and said all's good and pulled the anchor in. The dam is like glass, no wind. Not Lake Cania, it's Lake Geoff, I own it. Tied the motor off and used the rudder to steer, dropped the centreboard.

Motorsailed for a while. In the next hour the breeze picked up gently, so killed the donk and raised the sails. I can't imagine conditions for a better training run. Dead calm at the start and gently increasing wind as the morning went on. Good fun, going from totally ignorant to gaining a little understanding of cause and effect as it applies to sailing.

I put the bimini up early, but dropped it as it interfered with my view of the sails and my 'wah'. During the morning, 2 tinnies launched, each with a couple aboard, and both only on the lake for about 20 minutes. Checking crab pots I think. Still Lake Geoff.

About 11am, the breeze had picked up. Some big gusts gave me a scare. All relative, I have read posts of other's, and watched youtube vids. Nothing like that. But first hits and learning how to use the mainsheet and tiller to negate it was pretty empowering. And I had planned to practice mainsail reefing, so I did. I had changed the reefing setup on the boom and was keen to try it. Worked great. Went straight to second reef. The difference was unbelievable. From scary to training wheels.

So I played around on my private lake for a couple more hours and headed home. On retrieving I tilted the trailer, and the winch load was much easier than without.

Next time I am going to try parking the boat starboard parallel to the beach when I launch, and climbing in over the transom ladder, and even firing up the eggbeater in that pozzie.
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Geoff
Investigator #50 'Timeless'
Investigator #111 'Missy'

As the engineer said, "sure it works in practice, but will it work in theory?"
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Raya
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Joined: Sat May 05, 2012 4:25 pm
Investigator Boat Name: Tme Out
Location: Gold Coast

Re: Second time out

Post by Raya »

Geoff,

Great to hear that all went well. The first outing in a new boat often predicates one's enthusiasm or otherwise for future marine endeavours. I'm glad your sea-trials went so well. Well done on rigging the boat on your own. It isn't hard but you need a bit of planning. You obviously had thought out each task well ahead.

Regarding getting on the boat from the bow, just do it backwards, as if you were getting off. Put your back against the bow and lift your bum up on the gunnel. Saves getting wet. The shift in weight as you go to the cockpit will usually lift the bow enough to allow you to motor backwards off the beach.
Ray
Investigator #39
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Geoff
Posts: 294
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2019 12:04 pm
Investigator Boat Name: #50 Timeless
Location: Monto, Queensland

Re: Second time out

Post by Geoff »

Thanks Ray, I will give it a shot. Just have to make sure the anchor bollard doesn't interfere with some of my favourite bits. :shock:
Geoff
Investigator #50 'Timeless'
Investigator #111 'Missy'

As the engineer said, "sure it works in practice, but will it work in theory?"
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Ozzie
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Investigator Boat Name: Spritzig II
Location: Lake Macquarie
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Re: Second time out

Post by Ozzie »

Great stuff Geoff. There is always a little bit of magic with sailing, never more so that the early days. It’s great that you had ideal condition to start, there is nothing worse than rushing when you’re starting out and forgetting something vital. On the early days I would run my main halyard through a block and cleat it on the cb cleat so I remembered to put the keel down.

Eventually stuff becomes second nature. It takes time to gain trust that the boat won’t tip over, unless grossly over canvassed in bad weather and it’s all part of the fun. Still on the haulout. Have pics of my windows to post. Soon.

Always loved those blue and white sails on your boat. Classy.
Ozzie
Investigator #143 "SPRITZIG II"

The Mariner - “It’s too strange here. It doesn’t move right." ...
Enola - “Helen said that it’s only land sickness."
Waterworld (1995)
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Geoff
Posts: 294
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2019 12:04 pm
Investigator Boat Name: #50 Timeless
Location: Monto, Queensland

Re: Second time out

Post by Geoff »

Hey Ozzie,

Yeah really looking fwd to when things become a bit automatic. Everything now is trying to work from memory! After the other day I trust the boat implicitly. Still got real work to do to get it to trust me. :lol:

Looking fwd to your pics.
Geoff
Investigator #50 'Timeless'
Investigator #111 'Missy'

As the engineer said, "sure it works in practice, but will it work in theory?"
Yara50
Posts: 835
Joined: Mon May 25, 2009 7:10 pm
Location: Sydney

Re: Second time out

Post by Yara50 »

Hi Geoff,
Good to see you are enjoying Yara.

Boarding from the beach is a simple limbo. Turn your back to the boat, slip under the railing, and lift yourself up onto the deck. The slope of the bow helps the boat slip off the beach when you are at the stern. Hold tight on the tiller and drive off in reverse.
If you don't tilt the trailer when launching you can damage the keel. There is a lot of weight at one point as the boat pivots over the last roller.
Just be careful as you flip the tilt, as the boat will shoot off like a rocket, and you do not want to get caught in the bow rope, or hit any swimmer who might have crept up behind.
Cheers
Ian
BTW my new boat is a Spacesailer 24. Nowhere near as nice as Yara. Same age, but years on a mooring take their toll..
Ian B
Ex Investigator 563 #50 Yara
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Geoff
Posts: 294
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2019 12:04 pm
Investigator Boat Name: #50 Timeless
Location: Monto, Queensland

Re: Second time out

Post by Geoff »

Hey Ian,

Great to hear from you. Ray gave me the drum on boarding that way, thanks for concurring!

Great you have a moored boat, I know that was your ideal.
Geoff
Investigator #50 'Timeless'
Investigator #111 'Missy'

As the engineer said, "sure it works in practice, but will it work in theory?"
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Ozzie
Posts: 1621
Joined: Wed May 27, 2009 1:07 pm
Investigator Boat Name: Spritzig II
Location: Lake Macquarie
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Re: Second time out

Post by Ozzie »

Good to hear you got your yacht Ian. Post some pics. I’m sure you will have it back to A1 soon.
Ozzie
Investigator #143 "SPRITZIG II"

The Mariner - “It’s too strange here. It doesn’t move right." ...
Enola - “Helen said that it’s only land sickness."
Waterworld (1995)
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