Having picked up my powerboat from its Boatel on Wednesday to bring it home so I could do Race Committee for the Round Bay Sailing Association, I had to return it to its boatel this morning before driving into the office in DC. Chilly out there this morning!
Century Club: Richard Turman
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Expected to need my powerboat today to serve as Race Committee for Round Bay Sailing Association race, so drove to the Boatel where it is kept in Annapolis and drove the boat home, up the Severn River 7 miles to my home. In 16 knots of breeze from the NE with gusts in the mid-20's. With spitting rain. Annapolis Harbor was pretty choppy, but the Narrows was great, and Round Bay itself was white-capped.
In the event, the race was cancelled, so I have to take the boat back tomorrow morning.
Monday, June 19, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
First really humid warm day -- in the mid 80's -- that I'd ventured forth on Lark this year. Went out mid-day because the wind was projected to build, so left at 11 and returned at 2. Breze 8-11 knots from the South. Still had the jib on, which was good since I was single-handing. Tacked back and forth to good effect to hopefully, finally, get the wind angle calibrated correctly, since we'd been using a bigger offset and I was eventually able to get it to record about 27 or 28 degrees on both tacks. Ran a course that took me first to N then over to C and back to V and then B and home. Great, consistent wind allowed me to get better and better at handling the boat. Which is wonderfully solid.
Sunday, June 18, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
took the six cages worth of oyster spat that we've been fostering under our dock since last September and put them in five-gallon buckets and put them in the trunk of our car and added bay water. Drove to Jabins' boatyard where my SeaRay 205 is, and the boat was in the water by the time we got there at 10:00. Got everything on the boat and drove away at 10:20, by which time the oysters had been out for about an hour. Arrived at the oyster reef being built (re-built?) on the Severn, just south of the Rt 50 bridge. Dumped them overboard and drove back, taking time for a sunday drive, as it were, up Back Creek well past Jabins. Delightful morning, and got to use the boat as a truck, which I always appreciate the opportunity to do.
Saturday, June 17, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
My daughter treated me to a wonderful sail in 15-18 knots of breeze on Woodwind, one of the two 74-foot schooners that take customers out for 2 hour sailing trips. Was a fantastic day with good breeze for a well-founded boat. Travelled up to the Bay Bridge and back, and happened to encounter Falken, a 65' ocean passage-making sloop skippered by Andy Schell, who used to be a deckhand on Woodwind back in the day. Had a good-natured impromptu race on the way back, and while Falken could point higher, Woodwind did better on a beam reach. Glorious sailing weather -- and I got to steer!
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Wind from the NW produced a start at N in 16 knots of breeze with gusts to 21. Good-sized chop for Round Bay made it an exciting start, but we won the start and headed off upwind to V, which we passed to port on the way down to D and back to N. Did three curcuits, and then went to the 1st-series pizza party. Good time chatting with the other boats, and then headed ome, returning by 9:30. Came in 4th out of 8 in the Standard Course; corrected over by several boats in part because we declared spin and did not use it, and they declared non-spin. Started with a reefed main and the jib instead of the genoa; boat stayed on her feet well, and shook out the reef as we completed the second trip around the course. Great race on a long night with sustained breeze over 10 knots after 8:30 pn.
Tuesday, June 13, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Took Lark out in 10 knots of breeze from the SE, which was particularly strong on the south side of Round Bay. Really engjoyable time, with the full main and the genoa up.
Saturday, June 10, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Took my sister sailing on my new boat for the first time late morning in 9 to 15 knots of breeze, and with the main up, we travelled down Round Bay to Sherwood Forest and back, occasionally hitting 5 knots with just the main up. Great time!
At 6:30 pm the same evening had a glorious 2 hour sail, again down to Sherwood Forest and back, this time with main and genoa in steady 9-10 knots of breeze. A great time!
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Had a good, long race in wind that started out around 9 and then dropped to 3 when we rounded the last mark and turned downwind and put up the spin, but we persevered, the wind filled in, and we finished fifth out of 10.
Sunday, June 4, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Had a buddy out who wanted to practice open water swimming, and afterward we took Lark out for an hour into 7 or so knots of breeze and had a grand time.