December Sail

This is a holiday week for Peter and me, and we have been enjoying the time off.  After a very relaxing Christmas at home, we drove to Bainbridge Island on Tuesday afternoon to visit with family there.  Peter's brother Mark and his family are visiting from England, so we had a great evening catching up with them.  Eric and Eamon were there as well and I particularly enjoyed learning about recent career successes both have had, and listening to their engaging stories.  Such handsome, articulate men in this family!

But the real treat came on Wednesday, when we went for a December sail on Ablissian.  Early in the day we debated whether to go out, as the forecast was for 20-25 knots, with gusts to 30.  But the decision was made to go out and take a look.  We had the rare opportunity for the brothers to sail together - very hard to pass that up!  It wasn't actually raining yet, and it was very warm - in the low 50's.


We got the boat ready while Hailey, Naomi and Becky visited at the dock.  After a little hesitation, Naomi came aboard and looked around Ablissian.  She was clearly very comfortable down below - on a nicer day I think she might have enjoyed a short sail.  But we left her on the dock with her mother and her aunt, and off we went.



Because of the wind, we raised sails in the harbour just short of the ferry landing.  We reefed the main and flew the staysail.  Nothing for me to do but enjoy the ride with three experienced sailors on board.  We headed out through the channel, tacking in to give the ferry room to pass, then set course for Blake Island to the south.  We avoided quite a few floating logs, likely due to the high tides, and spotted a seal watching us as we passed the red nun at the channel entrance.  The winds were pretty steady at 22 knots, with gusts, but I don't believe we saw 30 at any point.  Ablissian once again showed us this is what she was built for.  With the reduced sail, she was strong and steady at about 5.2 knots, heeling comfortably.  It was an exciting, but uneventful sail, the best kind.  We had periodic light rain, but because it was so warm, it was very comfortable in the cockpit.

We had tea and debated how far to go south.  Mark and Simon took turns at the helm and we worked our way down to the southern tip of Bainbridge, but decided to circle back to the north rather than going around the island.  We took a quick peek at Blakely Harbour on Bainbridge, then cut between Blakely Rock and the shore and headed for home.

Once back in our slip the rain picked up so by the time we had the boat put away, we were all soaked.  So of course we stopped in the pub for a pint as we talked over the day and started plans for our next adventure - hoping for a more extended sail before Mark heads home, next time on Boadicea or with both boats.

This morning I was greeted with an email containing a photo Eamon took of us heading out yesterday - he was on the ferry that passed us.   Ablissian looks so small in this shot - heading out in the grey, rainy weather.

Yes, I am Still Here

How many times do I read favorite blogs with entries that start with that common apology, "sorry it has been so long since I have written"?    One of the challenges in starting a blog is that it implies a commitment to continue a blog.

Because I have so many commitments in my life (I'm sure you can relate), I'm not going to now try to catch you all up to what has been happening in my life in the last year that has made it difficult for me to continue my blog entries.  The short answer is that I started a new position at my company a year ago, and virtually all I've done for a year is work.  Good work, interesting work, but all consuming work.  So, little extra time to write.

But, I am happy to say, there has been time for sailing!  Ironic to read my last post on the Iceberg race last year, because we have just sent in our entry to this year's Iceberg.  In the intervening months we have certainly been sailing, and have been racing too.  Peter and I are learning more about handling Ablissian, and last week climbed to second in our class in a local race.  It was a significant race for us because we had a good start, we didn't give up (despite mid race doldrums that knocked us back), and we did a better job of dividing work according to capabilities.  (Stop smiling Peter!) What that means is I stopped volunteering for tasks I couldn't do well, and instead committed to tasks I could do.  So wish us luck in this year's Iceberg.  We are looking forward to even better teamwork!

I can offer a couple of high points in the previous 12 months.  Sailing in Pudget Sound is always a pleasure, and I have had so many great weekends filled with great sailing days and peaceful nights at anchor.  Our typical schedule is a drive from Portland to Bainbridge Island on Friday night after work, sailing on Saturday - either a night on the hook Saturday night or back to the slip, then an early start back to Portland on Sunday.  Sounds a bit hectic, but the relaxation achieved during those 36 or so hours away makes up for the challenge of fitting boat time into the weekend.  Periodically the Saturday sail involves a race, where we try out our skills and get to know our boat better.

On a personal note, I find it interesting that racing together brings Peter and I closer (after almost 30 years of marriage).  Peter is a much better sailor than me, but we are both learning and developing skills together, and the process is one we are both passionate about.  Examining the race as we head back to our slip, we both focus on how we can work together more effectively.

In August we took a real vacation and spent two weeks on the boat, cruising in the San Juan and Gulf Islands.  We have done some version of this every year for at least 10 years.  This year for the first time we partnered with Simon and Becky on Bodicea, and had the wonderful experience of sharing our adventures with close family.  So much fun to share anchorages, explore new territory and just sail together!  I hope this is a regular event every year.  Two highlights for me:  stepping from one boat to the other while under power (me doing the stepping, returning to Ablissian after an afternoon on Bodicea), and finding Bodicea in a sheltered harbor after a long day's sail apart. Gin and tonics with ice and swimming in the relatively warm water of the bay.  Lovely!

The holidays are now upon us, so we won't be back to the boat until just after Christmas.  But we are looking forward to some end of year sailing soon!

Nancy

Iceberg Race

We looked forward to motoring out of Eagle Harbor in the wake of Simon and Becky’s new boat, Boadicia, on the way to the Sloop Tavern Ice Berg Race together, but that dream was put on hold by the news that both boats would be short of crew due to illness.  Instead, Simon joined us on Ablissian, and we had the benefit of his skill and enthusiasm.   We look forward to having both boats out together soon.

We were one of 9 boats entered in the non-flying sails class, no spinnakers for this group, and as such, we had the first start of the morning. Due to winds gusting into the high teens and a crowded starting area, we played it safe and crossed the line just behind our competitors. But with one reef in the main and our smaller genoa, we were pleased to find ourselves able to sail right back into the middle of the pack.  As we anticipated a broad reach after rounding the first windward mark we had to shake out the reef before the rounding, a feat handled ably by Nancy and Simon as we continued to maintain our position amongst a fleet that was converging on the mark.  Once reaching across the Sound, we found the sweet spot with sail trim and saw the knot meter register a high of 8.2 knots while we continued to work our way past boats that had sailed away from us in the early going.  Great fun! 

After rounding the next mark  we managed to sail into a hole and had trouble getting the boat moving again while the wind remained light.  Lighter boats and those flying spinnakers had more luck and began to sail away from us at this point. When finally the wind did return to us, we had lots of ground to make up to avoid falling into last place in our class. We kept at it, and over the next two hours we were able to build a significant lead over three boats.  We tried every maneuver we could think of to catch our next closest competitor, but they managed to stay just beyond our reach.  Our efforts were worthwhile as, in the final result, with each boat’s handicap figured in, we finished 5^th out of eight boats, just ahead of the boat we had been chasing and just behind the boat that had been chasing us.  

Racing for us is really just another excuse to get out on the water and enjoy practicing our sailing skills in the company of like-minded folk on other boats.  This race served that purpose well.  Good wind, reasonable temperatures (mid-40’s) and not too much rain, contributed to a satisfying day on the water.  Off the dock in the morning just before 9am and back in our slip by 4:30, after a relaxed sail back across the Sound, we looked forward to enjoying a good meal together.  We found just that at Simon and Becky’s house where the day ended with good company, good food and a warm fire.

(Posting by Peter)

Some pictures of the day, beginning with the muffin that is one end of the starting line:

These last two are pictures of our boat, taken by our friends on Blue Lullaby.

Running the Engine

We have spent many weekends on the boat over these winter months. We fiddle with boat chores, read and relax. I look forward to Saturday morning scones from Pegasus Coffee Shop.

We take the boat out as often as weather permits, and today was a Weather Permitting day. In contrast to last weekend's gale warnings, we had no wind, so this was a motor rather than a sail. We enjoyed it anyway. We raced the ferry (they always win), circled Blakely Rock, and checked out the cormorant gathering. It was good to give the engine a workout, and great to feel some sun on our faces. Next weekend, we race!

Weekend Not Sailing

We are cozy on the boat, but in our slip in the marina listening to the wind howl in the rigging. No sailing for us today with wind at 40+ knots. Instead we did boat chores, drank tea and read books. Peter scrubbed the deck and hull in preparation for racing in two weeks, and we installed our new clock and barometer - my Christmas present from Peter

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November Already?

No, I didn't intend to stop blogging once we brought the boat north, as that is the point where the adventure truly begins!  It has been an eventful couple of months, but rather than go back and create historical entries, I choose to pick up in the present.  You will no doubt see some references and photos related to adventures over the past few months.

Most recently we had our first official race on Ablissian.  Yes, we did do one race on the Columbia a few months after buying the boat, but we had no PHRF rating at the time, so the results are suspect at best.  This time we were official!  We entered the Sloop Tavern Fall Regatta, held on October 16.  Peter and I drove to Bainbridge from Portland on Friday night, then got up early Saturday morning to drive the boat across to Shilshole for the start of the race.  We picked up our able crew - August and Lola - and joined the boats milling for the start.

I'll admit that the few experiences I've had in the past with sailboat racing have not inspired me to do more.  Either we had no wind and moved at a snail's pace, or we were the slowest boat at the very back of the pack.  This time was different, as we were able to make a respectable showing against other boats in our class, finishing 7th out of 11 boats.  We had wonderful weather, with a good 10-15 knots of wind.  We had a lot of fun switching off on handling the winches during tacks, and exploring what the boat can do.  We are very much looking forward to more challenges in races coming up next season!

Here are a number of photos from our day of racing - the fantastic photos (and the one above) were all taken by August.  He is an amazing photographer!  Enjoy:

From Neah Bay to Bainbridge Island

After a peaceful night at anchor, we woke for an early start. We pulled up the anchor and I drove us out of the bay. We sighted a lovely Ketch coming toward us from the west, and I felt a sense of kinship imagining her recent travels off the coast.

We pulled out into the channel, turned right and headed east. The forecast was for a bit more wind today, so we looked forward to some sailing. We raised the main, which helped our progress, and the crew settled into the watch schedule. Deb took advantage of the warmth to read on the foredeck; Peter even napped a bit in the sails on the bow. August in the northwest.

As the day warmed, we removed coats and sweaters to feel the sun on our skin. We played with the auto-helm given the calm conditions. Look, no hands!

As the day passed, we realized that we would not make Port Townsend until after dark, so decided to anchor in Port Angeles. This was a good decision, as we had time to have a delicious meal and an early night.

On Wednesday morning, we woke to heavy fog in the Strait. But such a difference in our view of this challenge. Our last boat had no radar, so heavy fog meant you go back to port and wait. Now, although we were very cautious, we could keep going. Visibility varied through the day from less than a mile to an estimated 3 miles, so it was reasonable to travel. We moved just ouside of the shipping channel, and watched the chart plotter and radar. We had a crew member on the bow and blew our air horn periodically as required.

We passed several sailboats going the other way. It seemed magical to first see them on the radar, then staring intently to see them emerge ghost-like from the fog.

We rounded the point and headed south. The trip from Port Townsend to Bainbridge Island is one we have done so many times on our prior boat, Zenobia, so it was very relaxing to navigate these waters. We raised all of the sails - the main, genoa and staysail.

The quiet was lovely, and we soon found ourselves reading, knitting and chatting in the cockpit. We hadn't expected this kind of slow, cruising relaxation on this leg of the trip, so everyone was very happy.

By late afternoon we sighted Shilshoe Marina, followed by the Seattle skyline. Down around the red buoy and we pulled into our new home in Harbor Marina. Simon, Becky, Charley and Deb treated Peter and me to a celebration dinner at the Harbor Pub - smiles all around!