Gorgeous conditions other than the cold, so several Barba Roja friends got together for a sail. Breeze in the high teens in the river and slightly more with a sturdy chop out in the Bay. Ran about halfway across the Bay, under the bridge, and then all the way back in the harbor under sail. Got some practice with close-quarters maneuvering tacking up Back Creek on the way in. We ran under headsail alone all day and made great speed. A fantastic afternoon and well worth braving the cold temperatures.
Century Club: Jonathan Nepini
Sunday, January 8, 2023 to Sunday, August 13, 2023
Number of days:
10 days
Logging my 10 maintenance days here - I have more than that from various pre-season prep and ongoing work to Dangerous, and will have more to come as I start sorting through projects on my new-to-me '77 Chrysler Buccaneer, the Spicy Meatball.
January 8 - Dangerous
February 18 - Dangerous
March 29 - Dangerous
April 1 - Dangerous
April 2 - Dangerous, Epoxy application to keel repair
April 11 - Dangerous, Bottom paint application
April 15 - Dangerous, Bottom paint application
April 18 - Dangerous, Delivery & running rigging installation
May 14 - Dangerous, Halyard replacement & spinnaker hardware install
July 7 - Dangerous, Bottom cleaning
July 21 - Dangerous, Bottom cleaning
July 27 - Dangerous, Windex installation & other gov cup prep
August 13 - Spicy Meatball, Delivery to SMSA & cleaning
Sunday, January 1, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
I had so much fun doing Century Club last year I decided to go for it again this year. I started the year off right with a New Year's Day sail on the Barba Roja with Steve and friends. Very little wind out of the harbor, but spectacular views as the morning sun lit up the fog on the river. We motored out to the Bay to find some wind and enjoyed a bit of sailing. We planned on motoring to the bridge, but on our way we heard some other friends had engine trouble so we swung by the dock to pick them up. Motored back out to the Bay in search of more wind, then back towards the bridge where we finally found a bit of breeze and set a kite. A beautiful afternoon and a great way to start off 2023.
Friday, December 30, 2022
Number of days:
1 day
I'll make a sailor of him sooner or later...
Quick trip on the Barba Roja with my twin brother to close out 2022. A cold and light day, with just the oystermen and us out on the river. Michael took a turn at the helm, and after a while we motored up to the bridge and back into the harbor to see where the back portion was iced over. A nice way to get out and get some fresh air despite the cold weather and a great way to end the 2022 season.
(Photo courtesy of Steven Birchfield)
Saturday, December 10, 2022
Number of days:
1 day
The Barba Roja lit up for the parade
Helped the SMSA high school team decorate the Barba Roja for the Solomons Lighted Boat Parade. A cold, calm evening to ride around listening to Christmas carols and having fun. The team did a great job decorating and we won best sailboat.
Sunday, November 20, 2022
Number of days:
1 day
The fleet rolling out of the harbor
SMSA Frostbites #4, the last race of the season. Another cold, heavy-air day. I took it easy on this race and mostly served as rail meat as Steve makes the transition back to helming his own boat. One of the coolest downwind starts I've ever seen, with the whole fleet charging out of Solomons harbor. Made great time on the first leg, but had difficulty on the long beat to the bridge with our high-cut #3. Did our best to make it up on the return, but didn't score our best finish. A typical late-fall race and a great way to finish out the racing season. Racing was followed by a much-appreciated soup potluck at the club.
(Photo by Steven Birchfield)
Sunday, November 13, 2022
Number of days:
1 day
Rail meat in the blow
SMSA Frostbites #3. Back on the Barba Roja for a vicious heavy-air race. Set a reef in the harbor, and decided once we got out that we should put the #3 up. Come to find out the #3 wasn't on the boat, so we tried to set a staysail as a heavy air jib. We couldn't get enough luff tension to point well, so we ended up taking that sail down and running under partially rolled genoa. A couple minor hardware failures on account of the wind. Nailed the start and kept the boat moving fast through the whole race, including a couple brutal beating legs. A cold, wet, but fun day on the water, and an 8th place finish.
Sunday, November 6, 2022
Number of days:
1 day
Getting the old Beneteau moving
Made the last-minute decision today to get behind the helm of a friend's '83 Beneteau First 35 to help him get it around the course for frostbites race #2. Our goal was to safely complete the course and get the boat moving, which we accomplished. This was the first time I was making most of the big-picture tactical decisions. I misjudged the start and we got across the line quite late, but managed to get back going and put together a decent race. Lots of strange shifts all across the course, plus all of us learning the new boat made things interesting. A last-place finish but still a great day on the water and a nice way to get out and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather.
(Photo courtesy of Steven Birchfield)
Sunday, October 30, 2022
Number of days:
1 day
A big (and prehistoric) crew
A beautiful day and a full boat for fall frostbite #1. Steve put me on foredeck for the race as that will be my job on Dangerous next year. Hardly any wind at the start, but it slowly built to respectable light wind conditions. I worked with several members of the crew with foredeck experience to learn the role and solve problems as needed. 12 people onboard and a dirty bottom did us no favors and we only managed a 10th place finish. Tommy brought his dino costume and we got some amusing pictures as a result.
Sunday, October 23, 2022
Number of days:
1 day
Went with a couple friends to sail on Sloopy (soon to be renamed Dangerous) for the SMSA Fall Invitational. A pretty green crew, and one of my friends' first time on a sailboat. Moderately heavy conditions kept the racing in the river for two windward/leeward races and one random leg race. I worked the foredeck and did some headsail trim. Last-place finishes in every race, but we were significantly held back by a barnacle-laden bottom. The newer crew members picked it up very well and we consistently improved throughout the day. I'm getting excited to see what we can make the boat do next season.
(Photos courtesy of Steven Birchfield)