The Bitch

Excuse my language.

The bitch got me again.

She gets me all excited because sometimes I can pass her.

Many times she lets me get right up next to her and then I drift away

She is young compared to others around her.

Other suitors try around me.  None succeeded last Saturday when we tried to woo her again.


The race was from Salty's to Sand Island (Atkerman to others).  I let someone else drive and they got the stooges into the middle of the river - always a bad idea in light wind.

It really didn't matter - we all got up to the bitch and could go no further.  She was fickle as usual.

It poured and we all got wet.

All good.

The bitch - the 205 bridge

The perfect Brew

Ahhh!!

The perfect brew - the perfect sunset. (And we got a bullet this night)

How many cops

How many cops?

Went to launch Light Speed on Saturday.  It was about 10:00am.

42nd street ramp on the Columbia River.  It doubles as a Sheriffs station.

Steep drop down off the dyke.  It was constructed after the Vanport flood.

http://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/vanport/#.V0hqXPkrKM8

The entire basin is regulated and we paid for the dams in Canada.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River_Treaty


But I digress.

It takes 4 cops to watch (not help) a couple of people to launch a Cal 20.  They had their ticket books out and ready.  Kerry had made a cradle for the mast and we stepped it quickly and were away before they could ticket us.  Last I saw - 2 of them were running down the dyke.

The way I sees it

 The way I see it

From: Fred Hazzard [mailto:fshazzard@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, May 06, 2016 7:38 AM
To: Dennis Damore <dennisdamore@comcast.net>; Cole_John <cole@lumber.com>
Subject: Race last night

Poe sailed with us last night and we were fast .  we won the first race by at least 100 yds.  Second race with nice lead at leeward Mark we shrimped the chute.
Good winds. 12 gusting to 18. Upwind in gust he would count down the seconds to the gust and be prepared to ease the jib to keep us on our feet and allow us to work up in the velosity lift.  We always tacked at the start of a gust.  Better boat speed thru the tack and a velocity lift.
Tight main and jib sheets.  Heavy  back stay.
Chute set with no pole.  Gybing main first.  Gybing chute with pole left on till last.  Pole off with chute coming down as we came into the mark. Always looking for gust.  Keeping wind clear and separation from other boats. Staying to leeward of other boats.  Trying to max speed at all times.  Constantly working sheets.
Very  busy and always fast.

Moe

The way I sees it

What Fred did not say.

We always tacked at start of gust but not every gust.

We came into the last mark of the second race.  We weren’t first but we were dang close to first.  Everyone gathered at the Mark (including a few Rangers).

Back of the boat – “Get ready to douse the chute” – I always hear the same thing from both people about pole, halyard, etc etc

Pointy end - Me – no comment – I got the pole off and flaked the halyard so it would not foul.

Back end of the boat screamed – “Dump the Chute” – I dumped the chute – not release the halyard type but a “Dump” dump

The back end was in no way ready for me to dump the chute and by the time I looked back – it was in the water.

I later got a lecture that Dump doesn’t mean dump.

We lost 3 places because of Salmon we caught in the chute and then another 2 places because we left the halyard underneath the boat for the upwind leg.

Got a call later from Denny - Dump means Dump - get your hand off the halyard and let her run.

Love the main first gybe!

John “The real deal” Cole

Well done is better than well said.

Benjamin Franklin

Went out with Commander Mike

Went out with Commander Mike of the US Navy on Sunday.  Funny thing - most navy guys I know don't know how to sail.  Mike thinks that because he has helmed a 533' navy boat of some persuasion he should know how to sail.

Went out to beat the bitch - the Glenn Jackson bitch.  Always hate sailing past that thing.  The winds die, swirl and screw me up.

We started out with a West Wind.  Went to a East Wind.  Then light and variable.

Once we passed the bridge it was a true easterly and we cruised.


“May the bridges I burn light the way.”