Got an impromptu invite to sail on JF's Corsair 27. Quick ride out to Dobbins and back in time to help set up for the meeting. Gorgeous day and excellent breeze!
Century Club: Tim Ford
Installed a new centerboard trunk cover on an ancient FS (hull number 1249) and then a race in excellent coditions, NNE 11-17 kn and pretty consistent, for the most part.
Trimmed main for BOXCAR. Course: DLDL
We took 2nd, which was nice for their first race of the season. Those downwind finishes heading into the setting sun are rough on the eyes though. Fun night!
Strapped the 25 foot long mast onto my 15 foot long SUV and made it to the club with no issues, including getting passed by MD State Police and AA County cops. Apparently my set-up was legal or too minor an infraction to mess with.
Got a quick paddle in with one of the F1 progeny. I love the way the marsh (swamp) comes alive in early May.
MId-week vacation:
Day 1 - RC boat with folks from Miles River Yacht Club. Impressive race management team considering it's WNR. Separate course for Stars and Handicap boats. Mark boat and pin boat? Wow. Docking was fun on the trip back to the club. Engine took a brief time out as puffs built to 20+ in a very tight spot. FEND!!!
Day 2 - paddle and sail. Took a brief paddle to flog the creek with a fly rod. Then a great sail on VOLITION, out to Kent Island and back, arrived in time for Board Meeting within seconds of meeting time. Thanks Mr. Palmer!
Type of watercraft should read: power/kayak/sail but who's counting?
Light air eight and change nm race around a triangle course of gov't marks. I think we saw 7 kn of breeze. Maybe. There was a lot of jib jail, that means lying down on the leeward rail staring at a gray wall of genoa material. But we kept the boat moving and to me, that's the way to win drifters...just. Keep. It. Moving.
Later the sun came out and we retired to the PSA dock for post-race chitter chatter. Nice day!
Got a quick paddle in with the tide way up high. Went to the backwaters of the creek very quietly and had a muskrat approach the boat to within 5-6 feet and I made a little noise and the critter did an abrupt U-turn and disappeared into the marsh.
MRSA race #2 was our first and there was rust. An OCS, and some flubs on the line-handling end. To be sure, we were shorthanded at six up and folks had to do jobs they haven't done in more than 6 or 7 months.
And yeah, there was rust. :-)
I'll take a "boat work" day! Got the bottom nicely prepared, 600 wet, 900 wet and 1200 wet in some forward areas. Perfect day for wet sanding. And cleaning the deck and house.
Fun night! Five people on an 18 foot powerboat (thanks Patrick!) doing race committee. It went well. Well, sorta. We got three windshifts before the Warning so AP and Foxtrot were up quite while. Finally the WNW breeze settled nicely into the SSE and we set a course for 2 laps.
During the first manuever to up anchor and move the line, I pulled the rode and chain to the boat, remarking on how light the anchor was...well, of course it was, it was gone!
See photo and this is why I hate those anchor chains that have a plastic coating. The coating chafes away, water penetrates and then, with no ability to inspect due to the aforementioned plastic coating, your anchor says buh-bye.
We were able to borrow an anchor from one of the competitors and after that, things went swimmingly.
Felt like summer. Tried to finish waxing the topsides but hey it was too hot. Went out for perch and wasn't bothered with any bites. Then a 40 minute drive to a spot I could have paddled to in 30 minutes (N. Ferry Pt to S. Ferry Pt)
Got some things done with Ed on Incommunicado.
Paddle sandwich.























