ESSA Sailing, July 2014

A good start for TANGO 22.

Close hauled.

Spinnaker class flying their colors.

What wind? on the run.

At the helm. 

Wing on Wing.

Taking a break while sailing downwind.

Bimini Mounting on Tanzer 22

How to mount the Bimini on a Tanzer 22.
This may not work on your Tanzer.
Most Tanzers have a boom-end rigged main sheet.
When open, the Bimini will extend under the boom by 12-18 inches and will interfere with the main sheet.  On my Tanzer 22, a previous owner move the deck padeye of the main sheet forward 24 inches.
A bail was fastened mid-boom also.  That made it possible for me to install the Bimini without interference.
Hopefully the photos will tell the story.  I'll post more pictures later when I have the Bimini mounted.

(The cockpit is really dirty since working on it this spring.)

Mounting of  Bimini hardware. Note to keep the Head of the screw facing the cockpit. It will make it easier to install and remove.

 About 11 1/4 inches ahead of the cleat works well.

 The cockpit measuring from the companion way.

 My Padeye is located at 18 1/2 inches. about 24 inches forward from the original location. No traveler.
Spiders! Aaaarrrgh!

The original location. No known reason for moving it forward. (more spiders!)

More to come: Model number of Bimini, photo of bail, folded bimini and extended.

Wincher Self-Tailer Caps really work

I switched my genoa sheets to 1/2 line.

Wow, did that improve things.

Yesterday, I went solo with my genoa.

With lighter line (5/16), I always struggled when tacking.

Now, with three wraps around the winch, the line never binds.

Another plus is the self tailing caps really work.

The sheet nests itself up tight to the self-tailer to secure the sheet.

It works well with the winch handle also.

Releasing is easy. Just flip the line over the top and you can hold the sheet just before tacking.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=198461&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151&storeNum=50045&subdeptNum=50124&classNum=50128 

Barton Marine Wincher Self-Tailers

For my Tanzer 22 winches, I used West Marine Model No, 545772;  
2 3/4 - 3 inch drum diameter; Manufacturers No. 21642

Tanzer 22 Upgrade: New Genoa Sheet Car Blocks

Genoa Car Blocks

This is something that has worked well.

My original Schaefer car blocks were worn out and binding. 42 years of use and weathering will do that.  I also disliked the friction clamp. It slips and sometimes is hard to free-up for adjustment.

A fellow Tanzer owner suggested these Garhauer blocks. They accommodate the 1/2 genoa sheets that work well with my Barton self-tailers. Also, the original Schaefer genoa lead car blocks are twice as expensive.( ~ $110 USD).

Because it uses a stop pin instead of friction, you will need to drill holes.

These are really positive locking: no slipping. They are also much easier to move.

I drilled 9/32 holes between the mounting screws to accommodate the 1/4 locking pin.

I was content with a stop hole halfway between each pair of mounting screws.

Some of you may want more more stops. Have fun!

Drilling the holes will be easier if you use a pilot hole and center punch.

A variable speed drill is recommended. Since you will be drilling metal, a slower speed is recommended. A little oil will also help.

-Center punch your hole locations.

-Then drill a 3/16 hole about 3/16 to 1/4 inch deep.

-Finish it off with a 9/32 inch hole until you get a a shoulder on the hole to stop the car.

Be sure to use a sharp drill as the drill will tend to wander off center.

Drill until you have a full diameter hole with a shoulder.

Drill a test hole at the end of your rail to see what works before drilling the remainder.

If you can’t keep the holes centered, go to a 5/16 drill.

You know it is deep enough when the car doesn’t jump over the stop hole.

In the photos, you will also see a self tailing winch cap.

You can get these from West Marine. (On another post.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I got the car blocks at Garhauer, here's the link: http://garhauermarine.com/catalog_process.cfm?cid=28

 Track Car Single Blocks30-40 US - Stainless Steel Lite Blocks 

length:	5-1/2	width:	3-1/2
weight:	12 oz.	shackle:

sheave diameter: 2-5/8

Fits 1" t-track

$56.00 USD

The Garhauer blocks are stainless steel and larger to accommodate 1/2 lines

 Drill holes just deep enough to make a shoulder and stop surface.

 On the Left is the original Shaefer block; Garhauer on right. You may want to keep you Schaefers for Spinnaker rigging. Both can be on the rails.
Note that the block stands taller on the rails. Hopefully rope burns on the gelcoat will be less likely.

 Switching to 1/2 genoa sheets keep the line from overlapping and binding.
The self-tailer really works as advertised with the 1/2 line.  The Barton self-tailer has helped me greatly when sailing solo in stronger winds. The sheet press upward on the self-tailing cap and holds as tightly as a jam cleat. West Marine sells them.

Half inch lines are also much easier on hands.  Three wraps and the tailer grabs. To release just unwrap one wrap-around.

Sailing on the Chesapeake May 1-5, 2014

Aaaarrrghh!  it’s getting closer to the date when we say good-bye to our families that we miss so much when off cruising.  This year we are down to a crew of six as two of our regular sailors will be absent. Interested sailors are welcome to fill the void.  Bring a joke to tell and a wallet full of cash. You will have a solid alibi.

Our crew from last year. 

There were two more, but we lost them somewhere on the bay.

Our sailing vessel:

http://www.annapolisbaycharters.net/boats/jeanneau53_auspicious.php 

Jeanneau 53

Auspicious on a close reach. Hull speed = 9.7 knots. 

Here is the Float Plan for you consideration. 

Sorry, you have no say on our destinations; but, you can select the taverns in which to carouse. All marina reservations have been made. Commemorative T-shirts have been ordered.

  

May 1, Thursday evening, Check and board “Auspicious”. Jeff arrives at the Airport.

Joe N, Joel, and Paul will be the Beer Committee this year. No cans, No lite beer.

We can work the very important details on future emails.

If we don’t forget, there will be a ceremony to remember those who cannot join us this year.  The arts and crafts committee will fabricate a wreath to toss in the deep currents of the Chesapeake. 

May 2, Friday,  (28 NM.) We sail from Annapolis. Bagels and Lox for breakfast, yes! From Annapolis, out the Severn River, we set a course to Baltimore Inner Harbor, up the Patapsco River to Harbor East Marina. The Marina is located near Little Italy and Mo’s Seafood Restaurant.  We stayed there a few years ago. Remember the crab cakes? http://www.mosseafood.com/crabandpasta 

http://www.harboreastmarina.com/

May 3, Saturday, (53 NM.) Auspicious quietly departs the Inner Harbor to St. Michaels. This is the long leg of our odyssey, 53 Nautical Miles or more depending on the winds and our point of sail.  Take your Dramamine, ladies. We tie off at Saint Michaels Marina. More crab cakes? More stories from Joe and Joe's past police work? 

http://www.stmichaelsmarina.com/

May 4, Sunday, (25 NM) Herrington Harbor South is the destination.

A easy trip up the Miles river, down Eastern Bay and across the Chesapeake.

We stayed at HH a few years ago and rated the facilities very highly. 

They have an on-site restaurant called “Mango’s” which I recall was very good.

We will let Joel apply his rating system.

http://www.herringtonharbour.com/south/

http://www.mangosonthebay.com/home.html

May 5, Monday, (20 NM) The shortest leg of the trip returns us back to Annapolis for pump-out and unloading.

We want to get back at the dock by 4 PM. ABC wants us back in the slip by 5 PM.

Please plan you departing flights accordingly.

Total travel is estimated at 126 Nautical Miles (or more.)

For the non-sailing literate that equals “a long way’ in statute miles.

A photo of Captain Stuckie's cabin.

Quiz: Improve your sailing knowledge

A sailor aboard a Marconi rigged sloop hits his head on the boom.

What is the remedy? Pick the best solution.

1) He should sit down,cry, and call his mommy.

2) He should wear sandals instead of high heels.

3) Shorten the topping lift, relieve the main sheet, and boom vang.

4) Relieve the boom vang, relieve the main sheet, and shorten the topping lift.

5) Wear a hard hat.

6) Drink one of Jeff’s Bloody Mary’s to kill the pain.

Captain Stuckie, 

"always in charge, always wrong"

~~~~ /) ~~~~ ~~
~~ ~~~ /) ~~~ ~
~~~ ~~~~ ~ ~~ 

Freeze, Froze, Frozen

The Deep Freeze: Some photos around Cambridge, January 31, 2014.
Low temperature: 1 degree Fahrenheit,
The Choptank was frozen as far as the eye could see.

The creek: That may look like water, but, it is ice.

 900 Marshy Cove from Generation 3 Marina

 Choptank River, Malkus Bridge, Green Buoy Number 3. Solid Ice

View from the Cambridge Marina looking East.

 Light House and Visitors Center

 Shooting ducks at Great Marsh

 Birds of different feathers find a wet spot: Canada Geese, Mallards, Canvasbacks, and Sea Gulls

 Looking south from the Cambridge Creek Bridge

 Waterman's day off.

Big Fish! Bubba was here?

Send your comments to mc900@comcast.net 

BIG LOU cuts a slot

BIG LOU is a Maryland State tug boat that docks in the Cambridge Creek.  In the past two weeks the ice has thickened to about two inches. BIG LOU assumed the task of clearing the channel. Some watermen are still working the river despite the chill factor. With an upcoming dose of the "Polar Vortex" navigating should become more challenging.
All things considered, Eastern Shore winters are more tolerable than the Philadelphia suburb winters.

 The slot..

 Cracking away..

ESSA: Results from the last race of the season.

The big news: Tango 22 did not finish last.
 

Series 3, Race 6 - September 18, 2013 at 6:00 PM

Start: Start 1, Finishes: Finish time, Time: 6:00:14, Distance: 2.52, Course: I-B-A-I, Wind dir: W, Ave wind: 6

 

Tally	Boat	Class	HelmName	SailNo	PHRF	Rank	Finish	Elapsed	Corrected			Ave speed	Points
8	Epicure	J-29	Jack B	31628	111	1	6:35:49	0:35:35	0:30:55			4.249 kn	1.0
7	Lazy Ethel	Catalina 27	Dotty H	877	213	2	6:41:09	0:40:55	0:31:58			3.695 kn	2.0
16	No Name	J-29	Joe B	267	114	3	6:37:18	0:37:04	0:32:17			4.079 kn	3.0
6	Reveille	Tartan 33	Tom J	43181	126	4	6:40:19	0:40:05	0:34:47			3.772 kn	4.0
11	Adventure Kwest	Cal 39	Paul W	23814	126	5		OOD					4.5
1	Tango 22	Tanzer 22	George B	135	240	6	6:55:02	0: 54:48	0:44:43			2.759 kn	5.0
10	Capella	Catalina 30	Tom M	2631	190	7	6:54:22	0:54:08	0:46:09			2.793 kn	6.0
12	Sea Hawk	Merit 25	John M	4112	174	8	6:55:17	0:55:03	0:47:45			2.747 kn	7.0
3	Touche	Comet	Bob D	53462	132	9	6:54:50	0:54:36	0:49:03			2.769 kn	8.0
2	Dudley DoRight	Hunter 336	Dave B	93359	156	10	7:04:52	1:04:38	0:58:05			2.339 kn	9.0
9	If...	Catalina 35	Greig M	330	168	11	7:06:09	1:05:55	0:58:52			2.294 kn	10.0
4	Aura	J-100	Bob G	93487	96	12		DNC					12.0
5	North Star	Pearson 33	Fred G	8805	162	12		DNC					12.0
15	Carpe Ventum	Hunter 340	Jay V	H340	171	12		DNC					12.0
14	Sawdust	Catalina 34	Bill L	1037	162	12		DNC					12.0
13	Madras III	Hughes 38	Lee B	82	159	12		DNC					12.0

Racing on the Choptank

Wednesday evening on the Choptank River, Cambridge, MD

The wind was a steady 10-15 knots.

This was good sailing weather for the weekly race.

The larger boats take the lead on the first leg of the race.

Beating the wind on a close hauled tack.

This is George on TANGO 22. I have the smallest and therefore slowest boat in the fleet.

This week I had to sail solo so I went short sail using my working jib instead of my 135 Genoa. The working jib is much easier to handle when tacking; however, the smaller jib is a disadvantage on a downwind run. Nevertheless, I was able to maintain 5 knots despite the jib.  

"IF" is a Catalina 35 cruiser that TANGO 22 managed to track through most of the race.  I closed the gap big time on the downwind run; but, they pulled away on the beam reach back to the finish line.

Cruising along at 5.5 knots. Hull speed for a Tanzer 22 is 6.1 knots.

The leaders get their rails wet. This looks scarier when you're on the boat. 

That's Tango 22 chasing the fleet.  

Of the 10 boats sailing, Tango 22 finished last.  After handicap adjustment, 9th place was mine. The winner came in at 59:24. Tango 22 came finished at 1:09:02.
Using a Genoa would have shaved off a few minutes.

 Distance: 5.07, Course: I-A-H-D-Finish, Wind dir: SE, Ave wind: 12

Stuckie and Friends Go Fishing.

Monday, May 6, 2013, was Rockfish day for us.

Seven people, Seven fish!
By regulation, this time of year all Rockfish must be over 28 inches with a limit of one per fisherman per day.

All eyes on the fish. Smile for the camera.

The big one is mine!

Captain Perry Davidson of Excalibur.

One of the few good men that can clean fish and tell jokes at the same time.

http://www.excaliburcharters.com/default.asp

Three measured 36 inches each and tipped the scale at approximately 17 lbs.
All caught fish measured over 30 inches.
After catching our limit and recovering the lines, two more Rockfish took the bait but, of course, were released. (They could have been yours.)

Despite the overcast weather, the attitude was sunny all morning. We were back on the dock by 10:30.
Next year maybe you will join us.

The "Rockfish Seven". left to right.

Jack, Leo, Rob, George, Phil, Lynne, Terry.

We didn't get the names of the fish.

However, Bubba is still out there.

See you at the dock, Captain Stuckie