Do You Really Know Your Boat?

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by zengirl

I understand but it's little hard to measure it in Ct, when I'm in Tx.

Plan B. I have a friend in Essex that commutes to Darien once a week or so. If you offered him a couple of gallons of Captain Morgan (he doesn't work cheap) bet he would measure for you. He would even bring his own tape measure.

[zengirl]

Hahaha and thank u very much. After searching for two days I finally found the same site !!


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[zengirl]

Anyone who makes me laugh is tops with me!


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[Orion Jim]

Hold on a minute! I'll do it tomorrow for ONE gallon of Captain Morgan, and I'll supply the tape measure. Payment required at time of service of course. I already have a 401k full of I.O.U.'s.

[zengirl]

Hahahaha


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[Coops]

Just take the mast out and lay it down. Easy then to measure it. Oh no, that won't work will it? You want the height not the length.

Coops.

[zengirl]

Hahaha you guys are crazy and woderful


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[zengirl]

Wonderful


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[Coops]

Being full of wode could be interesting though. "Hit the wode Yack." Favourite Asian kareoke tune

Coops.

[zengirl]

Hahaha and won't you go back no mor. What time is it where u r


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[zengirl]

I think they'll kick us off this thread for being frivolous


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[Coops]

Originally Posted by zengirl

Hahaha and won't you go back no mor. What time is it where u r


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3.14pm. No they won't, I am one of the kicker offerers.

Coops.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Did more than my share of beer can racing and I always figured on at least 2 seasons to get to know the boat well enough to win the odd race, there is so much to learn, especially how the boat sails in different conditions.

+1

Originally Posted by Sandero

Identical boats inidentical conditions with crew of the same skill level will perform the same. How could they not?

Tell that to all the one design racers...

I raced J24s for a couple of years - even with stringent class rules and measurements all boats are slightly different.

Although the reality is they are close enough to make the crew the deciding factor.

Therefore the better the crew knows the boat the more likely they are to apply the correct tactics win.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

Yep. We've been her custodians (considering that one never really owns a boat but merely has temporary custody for a greater or lesser period) for 12 years and by now, after a few days on our boat, particularly on passage, we seem to become "one" with her moods/dispositions. Late at night, for example, she speaks to us with her bow wave. Sometimes she moans a groans to tell us when we're pushing her too hard. Sometimes her rig moans--"Give me wind and I will give you miles!" (She's a French boat, after all, for those of you that know...). Sometimes she sighs at the end of a hard fast run... Yes, we have experienced the Zen of being aboard and, sometimes, the wish that a passage didn't have to end... But. There's always a next time. Until there suddenly isn't.

This is the closest answer that resonates with me. And mine is French too. But I've just got a hint of this when in stormy seas which I've been in just twice.

[oldcal46skipper]

Thanks for sharing on this interesting thread.
Next March we will have had our Cal 46 for 33 years. Here name is "SATORI"
Why that name? First the owner/builder Jack Jensen named all of the Cal boats he built for himself SATORI. When we bought her from Jack's estate, there was no way the name would change after having been a student of Zen for many years. She is enlightened.

Of course, as with all Cal Boats she was designed by the genius Bill Lapworth, as a matter of fact he was bidding against me for SATORI, but I won. Like all of his boats, she is fast, sea kindly, easy handling and perfectly functional for two people to live aboard and cruise. We cruised full time from May 1988 to December 2002, but had to swallow the anchor to care for aging family members. I could go on for pages describing our SATORI, but the OP asked
"Do you really know your boat?"

Yes! We do in many ways. After two yers in Mexico and Central America we came through the Panama Canal 15 May 1990, piddled around exploring Panama then realized we were not in California and hurricane season was approaching, so we headed for Mobile, Alabama. The trade winds had moved a bit south and were averaging 15 knots, so a #3 jib and one reef in the main we broad reached non-stop from Panama to Alabama averaging 6.7 Knots, only running the engine when in the lee of Cuba, by the Yucatan.

We had planned on short stops at several places along the way, but when I asked the Admiral she said, "No, this is too sweet." SATORI loves to broad reach, the winds were right and the Saye's Rig did most of the steering. Perfect!

I did run the genset so the ice cream would be firm and beer cold, but that too is part of the dream. Since then we have had other notable passages that were enlightened, like Puerto Rico to Key West, dead down wind in the trades. Two jibs poled out with a reefed mainsail dead amidships to reduce rolling, she was singing to us.

Enough, I could go on and on but.... the dream is over as age and health issues preclude anymore cruising. SATORI is at our dock behind our house on Bayou Chico, still loved and well maintained. We both cry when we discuss letting her go, but I guess we should.