Got some good action this Wednesday. Medium light conditions put us in an advantageous position. Tacked up to PR3 and had a couple close crossings. Got in a tidy spin set and played with sailing angles for best VMG on the downwind leg. Close to the finish we found ourselves approaching on port and had to negotiate rights with several competing boats. I was pretty exhausted coming off the holiday weekend but nonetheless had a fun time.
Century Club: Jonathan Nepini
Tuesday, July 4, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Today's route
Slipped out for a quick AM paddle before my 4th plans got going. Did an hour off the end of Camp Calvert Rd up Breton Bay towards McIntosh Run. Great weather for a quick morning ride.
Monday, July 3, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Took one of the club's old Sunfish for a rambling afternoon sail around the river basin. Rode light conditions up to the bridge, where I became becalmed for a bit. The wind slowly filled back in, and I enjoyed a nice downwind run in front of the Solomons boardwalk. I set up a deep reach, and continued downriver to Drum Point before heading back up to the harbor. I had a lot of fun playing with the boat and enjoying sailing in its purest form.
Thursday, June 29, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Working the spin set
Out on the Interlake tonight with John. Light conditions prevailed, but we were still able to get two races in. Got a flawless start on the second race, only to be recalled as the rest of the fleet got stuck behind the RC boat. I learned how to do a spin set and douse for the first time on this boat, and got some good tips on transitioning from downwind to upwind sailing efficiently. The evening finished with a great sunset.
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Tonight's crew
Moderate-ish conditions today and a new crew member on the boat. Got off the line with a downwind start and had a pretty good running leg. Put in a gybe a little late and had some trouble getting the spin down, a mix of problems on my end, at the mast, and some necessary hardware. Got through it and got going for a reasonable upwind leg. Chased down the Barba Roja on the last leg, but got stuck in their dirty air as Dewey tried a questionable rights move. All in all a great evening to be on the water as we continue to learn the unforgiving machine that is Dangerous.
Tuesday, June 27, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Today's route
Slipped out to Leonardtown Wharf this evening for a quick paddle after the thunderstorms. Enjoyed glassy conditions and nice cooler weather and got a pretty solid workout in.
Monday, June 26, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Today's route
Quick paddle in Solomons harbor this evening. Paddled by Harbor Island to peek at a boat I'd like to buy, then up Mill Creek for a bit, then up Back Creek to the marine museum to take a peek at their 1903 racing yacht Witchcraft. Very windy conditions made it a real workout but otherwise it was nice to get out there and get some fresh air.
Sunday, June 25, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Tight racing today (Ours is the yellow kite)
Out on Dangerous for the SMSA Summer Invitational. A pretty experienced crew of 3 for light-ish conditions. RC set up two W/L races out in the Bay. A tight start line made for tight, action-packed starts for both races. Austin coached Dewey and I on some light air tactics and we kept the boat moving pretty well in the conditions. I earned my keep on the bow with four sets and douses. Learned a lot about how to get through that process and managed to do it successfully all four times. We all put in a ton of work getting the boat around the course on two tight, action-packed races. 10th out of 13 so not particularly impressive results but we sailed very well together and got the boat around the course clean and we were all happy with the results.
Thursday, June 22, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Went out with John on the Interlake for Thursday night racing, but once we got out there there was heavy wind and steep chop so John decided to head back in to preserve the borrowed boat. We got the boat up on plane on the way back in.
Sunday, June 11, 2023 to Sunday, June 18, 2023
Number of days:
4 days
Returning from my last paddle of the trip
Took my paddleboard with me to Ocean City and was able to log a few days. Windy conditions persisted for much of the trip which made for some interesting trips. On the first night out it was blowing about 20kts and I was able to get the board to surf at tremendous speed downwind. Other trips were slightly more sedate but still pretty sporty. Nice to have a change of scenery and get some days in while I was out of town.