First time with the auto-helm powered up. Since I sail single handed, this is going to be a game changer for me. While my Nonsuch is generally a well behaved boat, it does like to do it's own thing if nobody is watching. Also while hauling up that big sail, wind forces on the boat make it want to turn away from the wind as the sail begins to come up forcing me to make corrections.
Relaxing afternoon sail. Happy to see warming temperatures....
Just as it says. Motoring out so I could back the boat back in after being unable to accomplish this the day before...
I'll figure out a reliable system for backing in all Wx conditions eventually!
ENE wind 10-15 and an outgoing tide so I headed out into the bay and turned north. As I turned back at Buckroe Beach the breeze eased and at about 2.5 knots I slowly sailed back to Fort Monroe. Of course, just as I arrived back at the marina the wind picked back up to 15+. This of course makes backing into my slip difficult for my current skill level so bow in for the night...
With the unusually cold and breezy weather I had to jump at the chance to get in a little on the water time. Light south winds were forecast to increase later in the afternoon ahead of an approaching cold front the following day. As I am still struggling with backing the boat into its slip I stayed close to avoid the complications a gusty breeze would bring. I have a cat rigged sailboat, and with its large mast positioned so far forward it acts like a wind vane pushing the bow. I'm slowly building my skills backing the boat and a plan for dealing with a variety of wind directions and intensity as well as tidal current within the marina.
My initial technique was drive forward into the marina, pass my fairway as the boat coasted almost to a stop. Then angle to offset the propwalk before shifting into reverse. This worked most of the time. However, particularly with an east wind, with the combination of propwalk and wind vane effect I was unable to control the boat in the narrow area available. The solution to this that has worked a few times is to get the boat backing outside ot the marina so I have sufficient water movement over the fin keel and rudder before entering the marina from the opposite direction.
I usually have enought fuel to do this until the sun comes up so as long as I never hit anything or anybody else...
Images are infrared 720nm
Very light SW breeze as I slowly headed onto the channel at Fort Monroe. A container ship was inbound and while it appeared there wouldn't be any issues, I fired up the diesel anyway and was well out of the channel before it passed.
It was so nice on the water with temps in the mid 60's. Even with the light wind I was moving at over 4 knots, mostly due to the outgoing tidal current. Just off of Oceanview Beach after a brief calm, the winds picked up nicely and I was able to easily sail back to OPCM.
A sail across the channel to the mostly without tidal current Willoughby Bay. There I dropped anchor and noted the sailing at anchor tendencies of my Nonsuch 30. Then, I put up the Riding Sail I recently made to see the difference. It seems to be doing it's job and cut the wandering back and forth by more than half. It was interesting to watch the spoiler block the airflow to one wing as the boat moved off the wind and the other filled with air to bring us back. More testing to come.
Light winds but perfect for a relaxing sail in the sunshine. I sailed over to the east side of the HRBT to photograph a friend unsucessfully attempting to retrieve a lost anchor before heading south to Oriental NC.
The Gerald R. Ford made multible passes over sensors near the Willoughby Degaussing Station and with the help of a couple tugs turned around right in front of Fort Monroe. Quite a sight!
Unusually cold weather and an unending case of bronchitis has kept me off the water for most of the month. Monday while still not feeling 100% I had to get out. Fortunately, light winds and sunshine made for a very comfortable day on the water. In the sun going downwind, quite warm. heading upwind in the shade of the sail, not so much...
Quite a few warships on the channel. 2 Aircraft carriers, 2 submarines, plus the usual Navy patrol boats protecting them, and at least 4 tugs, and several cargo ships.
Unusually cold weather and commitments has got me off to a slow start this year.
Forecasted to be near 50, I saw my chance. Unfortunately we never made it out of the low 40's. However, with sunshine and light winds it was beautiful on the water! Only problem, it was peak ebb tide. With the light wind I could go this way or that but the end result was that I would be going with the flow...
I sailed about 7 miles down the Elizabeth River and back.