#81... I had never been out on the RC boat before. I joined Steve, Mariah, and Jonna, and I had a really good time and learned a lot about how the RC boat works to time the races.
Century Club: Bob Ohler
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
It was the last Wednesday night race of the year. The wind started off fine and allowed us a downwind start. We were late to to line. Down and back to the start line would have been enough, with darkness coming earlier. The RC shortened the course to 3 legs, thankfully! #80 is in the books.
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
#78... I took advantage of cooler temperatures, and a light SE breeze, along with an easy chop. I paddled to the Breezy Point property line and back, taking my time, soaking it up. It's not just making 100 days on the water but rather taking in the Bay and wildlife that I see. This morning I saw an osprey, eagle, yellow butterfly, along with the usual seagulls. 78 is great! I've got this as long as I stay disciplined and take advantage of opportunities.
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
In pursuit of 100 days on the water, I logged #’s78 and 79 today. A morning kayak run and an evening single-handed sail tonight in Solomons. Ironically, I passed one of the Miss Susie charter boats tonight. It was onboard Miss Susie II, on December 10th, down on the Potomac, that I hit #100 last year.
Sunday, September 10, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
I was supposed to sail with Dave and the girls today. We woke to rain, a lousy forecast, and no real wind. We canceled sailing but I made the most of a flat Bay. I left the house as it was starting to sprinkle again. "Oh well." For a change, I paddled south to the Breezy Point flagpole. It was a great workout. I'm working on my paddling strokes. As I got home, it started to sprinkle again. "Perfect." I hosed my sandals and took an outdoor shower. Number 77 was in the books.
Saturday, September 9, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Solo sailing 9/9/2023
I got up early and packed my lunch so I could leave directly from Men's Group to head for Solomons. Once onboard, I immediately made the decision to go sailing rather than work on the boat. It was a good call. I was underway at 10:10. My original thought was to either sail out into the Bay or sail as far as I could up the Pax before turning around. I ended up doing neither. Initially, the wind was light and fluky, but it did build in from the SW. Instead of sailing to a spot, I simply followed the wind, tacking, trimming, and heading to wherever the sailing was best. I passed Dangerous, Rakali, and Neptune's Wager at one point or another. I took a few good pics of Dangerous and sent them to Dewey. It got very hot as the day progressed. I headed back to the slip. I was out 3 1/2 hours, with a top speed of 6 1/2 knots. The a/c in the car felt great!
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
I had a great morning paddle before it got hot. I paddled north past the dead-tree zone and almost to Camp Roosevelt. I saw a pair of Bald Eagles sharing a branch, a pair of ospreys, a hawk, and a heron. It was great to be out there!
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
We had a big crew onboard last night. We were first across the start line but finished 2nd to Elan, but we weren't exactly racing to win. We ghosted across the finish line as dark was settling in.
Tuesday, September 5, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
I got to the beach and was surprised by the northeasterly breeze, the slight chop, and the strong ebbing tide. I got a good workout paddling north against the chop to the dead tree zone and then enjoyed the "push" on the ride back to the launch area. I was surprised by how many jelly fish were in the water, the number of poplar leaves floating on the water, the comfortable temp and breeze. I saw a bald eagle, ospreys, and a lot of seagulls. It was a good workout.
Friday, September 1, 2023 to Sunday, September 3, 2023
Number of days:
3 days
Stingray Point Crew 2023
This was a good event for me, as I had had never raced at Stingray Point before. We had a great crew on board. I drove down to meet the crew in time to join the Friday distance race. We sailed mistake free and took first place for the day. On days 2 and 3, we were up against some really tough local competition including an S2 7.9 ( Cheeky Monkey) and an old Pearson 30 (Windas). After Saturday, we sat in third place overall and we felt good going into Sunday. On Sunday, the first race was abandoned due to no wind but the RC did manage to get in two more races. On the last leg, we had a bad gybe, compounded by the spinnaker sheet shackle coming unsnapped. That probably cost us third place in that race. We finished fourth in that race, and fourth overall for Saturday and Sunday, missing third by one point. I was very disappointed at first until I put things in perspective... I got to race all weekend! Thank you Barba Roja and Crew for a GREAT weekend!