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18 gusting 22

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/12/2004 : 10:43:59

Yesterday I had Indiscipline III out in the strongest winds I've yet been in. According to the bouy data, it was 18 gusting 22. According to Gary's wind meter it was 5. But the seas were covered with white caps and it was really blowing. We even had white caps in our fairway. I had the main reefed and I hanked on the 110. The boat was balanced nicely and at times I could even let go of the helm. I was flying however, I saw speeds in the 6s all day and peaked at 6.75 knots. The boat was often at 30 degrees of heel (with no weather helm) and at times to 45 when a wave hit.

It was really fun. I sailed to La Jolla in rough seas and then returned to Mission Bay to practice around my makeshift race course. Inside the bay (flat water) was when I saw the speeds over 6.5 knots.

I am getting good at doing tight carves around the racing bouys, and single handed tacking and gybing with no autopilot in strong winds. (it was too gusty for the autopilot).

I've developed a method for a single handed tack - kneel in the cockpit. Put the tiller over. Hold the tiller centered using the small of my back. Tack the sheets. Tighten up course. Adjust sheets (may use the pilot just to lock the tiller for a moment at this step). Lock the jib sheet on the self tacking winch - or - if its a short tack I just hold it (getting strong).

Then I sit way forward and outside on the combing and steer to the tell tales using my tiller extender. I generally have one or both sheets in my other hand.

Sailed 6 of the last 7 days (every day for a weeek but Saturday!)

Indiscipline 1978 FK SR #398

Edited by - on

RichardG
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2004 : 13:12:29

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">every day for a weeek but Saturday!<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Jim:

That's fantastic! I missed yesterday due to family/holiday commitments, but I was daydreaming all day about sailing under the warm sunshine and gazing at the treetops blowing in a good breeze.

We were thinking of going out Friday, but it was still pretty cool and cloudy at 11 am with little breeze, so we decided to wait for Saturday. Turns out that was a mistake because a beautiful sunshine came out and the wind picked up Friday pm.

I think Saturday was the least best day the past week. We went out for about 6 hours, but it stayed cloudy and cool all day, and the winds never really picked up like they did Friday and yesterday. Despite that, it was still a pretty good day and we hooked many barracuda.

I would also like to publicly thank Jim for providing very valuable help (via email) in building a motor mount for my new Costco Special inflatable dinghy ($87 Intex Seahawk II). It's finished, everything fits and it seems pretty sturdy.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2004 : 20:13:38

So Jim, do you miss the power boat?

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2004 : 21:16:36

FRANK........

Oscar
250WB#618 Lady Kay in Venice Inlet, Florida USA.

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2004 : 21:18:10

FRANK........

Oscar
250WB#618 Lady Kay in Venice Inlet, Florida USA.

Edited by - on

Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2004 : 21:19:46

Way to go Jim. I'm glad to see someone out there having a YEE HAH kind of day. Single handing even.

Nice

I can't wait for my TVA controlled lake to come up so I can get my boat into my slip.

Edited by - on

ssteakley
Captain

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USA
467 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2004 : 22:02:59

Jim,
that is what we are all about!
Steve

Edited by - on

Ben - FL
Admiral

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880 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2004 : 22:17:35

Holding the tiller with the small of your back may be a little unorthodox, kind of like holding the sheets with your teeth. But sometimes a sailor's got to do what a sailor's got to do

.
I've practiced very hard not to do those manuvers and still find myself steering with my foot. One thing I always do when gybing is grab the mainsheet (all three parts) just below the boom and ease it over as she comes through. I took Chick-a-pea out in thirty knot winds solo just to see how she would do. Also I use a Tiller Tamer quite a bit. With the Tamer I can adjust the tension were I can move the tiller but it will stay a short while unmanned. I am glad to hear somebody is getting in a lot of sailing. Without a motor I can sail but getting back into the slip might be difficult.

Edited by - Ben - FL on 04/12/2004 22:21:54

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 04/13/2004 : 00:28:05

I am having more fun sailing than I ever did on the power boat BUT the family is much less involved. Its hard to get them excited about 5 knots. Kids want to go places.

Edited by - on

gnorgan
Admiral

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USA
563 Posts

Response Posted - 04/13/2004 : 00:35:12

Hi Jim. Good. You found the wind meter in its box inside your gas storage compartment. I forgot to send you an email about that. We'll have to try figure out what is NOT happening with it. Would be nice to have it work correctly.
Hope to see you soon on the water.
Have to take Michelle to her CalPoly SLO freshman orientation weekend in San Luis Obispo this Friday through Sunday so won't be down to sail. Will try to sail during the week next week and then the following weekend for sure.

Edited by - on

baibai
Deckhand

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2 Posts

Response Posted - 04/24/2004 : 12:32:41

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 04/24/2004 : 22:10:19

the dinghy is fine for 3 or 4 people, and fishes 2 people quite well.

It was easy to make the motor mount and I am sure an electric trolling motor would do quite well.

Edited by - on

RichardG
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 04/25/2004 : 12:23:57

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Intex Seahawk II....motor mount <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Last years model (Seahawk 400?) came with already-attached mounting points for a motor mount. The mount was available for purchase from some web vendors (approx. $50). Jim made his own, and gave me a lot of help on mine. The Seahawk II, however, does not come with the motor mount points, so I did it a little different.

First, I removed the all-around grab line from attachment point on the stern, so now it goes from stern quarter (bowline), around to the bow, back to the other stern quarter (another bowline). I opened the eyes on three 1/4" eyebolts (5" long, I think) and then closed the eye of one of them on the above grab line attachment. I closed the eyes of the other two on each end of the stern handle. My mounting board is 3/4" plywood, through which I drilled 3 holes for the eyebolts so that the lower ones (attached to the handle) angle a bit upward and the upper one angles a bit downward. I got a piece of 1 1/2" closed-cell foam, and doubled it (so it's 3" thick) to put between the stern and the board. I drilled three holes through the foam for the eyebolts. You can go to a pool supply store for the foam -- they sell rectangular 1 1/2" x approx. 5" closed-cell long, foam swimming "noodles" for about $7 (basically fancy swim noodles). I used locknuts on the ends of the eyebolts to compress the foam between the stern and the board. Per Jim's advice, I took 2 pieces of 1" ID Sch 40 PVC pipe about 3' long, glued on two 90 deg. elbows, and about 5" PVC pipe to the other ends of the elbows. The short piece below the elbows go into the fishing rod holders on the boat. The other ends of these "brackets" are screwed into the top, outside edge of the mounting board -- push the top of the board a little towards the stern when you do this so that board is more stable when you set the screws. The PVC tubes are secured into the fishing rod holders by drilling horizontal holes all the way through the rod holders and PVC -- these can accept appropriate screws/wing nuts. The key is locating the top of the board high enough so that the knobs holding the motor to the board can't puncture the stern, but not too high so that the prop is sufficiently burried in the water, and not too far back that the weight of the engine is put further aft than necessary.

Got it? Clear as mud! Hope this helps.

I already had the foam, PVC and board laying around, so the total cost of the project was around $5. I used regular non-stainless hardware, so I'll have to watch out for corrosion.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/25/2004 : 12:59:03

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by JimB517
 Yesterday I had Indiscipline III out in the strongest winds I've yet been in. According to the bouy data, it was 18 gusting 22. According to Gary's wind meter it was 5.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Maybe Gary's meter uses the Beaufort Scale--Force 5 means 17-21 knots.

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 04/25/2004 : 13:33:18

I found out that Gary's meter works better if you give it a good whack while holding it into the wind. Then the needle jumps up and settles down on something close to the wind speed. Yesterday afternoon - into the wind at 4 knots boat speed, it was reading 7 gusting 9. Seemed about right.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 04/25/2004 : 23:27:39

anemometer

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voyager606
Deckhand

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USA
3 Posts

Response Posted - 05/01/2004 : 01:41:27

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by RichardG
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">every day for a weeek but Saturday!<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Jim:

That's fantastic! I missed yesterday due to family/holiday commitments, but I was daydreaming all day about sailing under the warm sunshine and gazing at the treetops blowing in a good breeze.

We were thinking of going out Friday, but it was still pretty cool and cloudy at 11 am with little breeze, so we decided to wait for Saturday. Turns out that was a mistake because a beautiful sunshine came out and the wind picked up Friday pm.

I think Saturday was the least best day the past week. We went out for about 6 hours, but it stayed cloudy and cool all day, and the winds never really picked up like they did Friday and yesterday. Despite that, it was still a pretty good day and we hooked many barracuda.

I would also like to publicly thank Jim for providing very valuable help (via email) in building a motor mount for my new Costco Special inflatable dinghy ($87 Intex Seahawk II). It's finished, everything fits and it seems pretty sturdy.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Edited by - on

voyager606
Deckhand

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USA
3 Posts

Response Posted - 05/01/2004 : 01:42:23

Edited by - on

voyager606
Deckhand

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USA
3 Posts

Response Posted - 05/01/2004 : 01:42:58

Edited by - on

baibai
Deckhand

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2 Posts

Response Posted - 05/04/2004 : 01:33:24

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by RichardG
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Intex Seahawk II....motor mount <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Got it? Clear as mud! Hope this helps.

I already had the foam, PVC and board laying around, so the total cost of the project was around $5. I used regular non-stainless hardware, so I'll have to watch out for corrosion.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

RichardG
Your info is very helpful to me, I am just worried about the minn kota trolling motor cuz I went to some store and they told me that the battery for minn kota motor is very heavy like auto's. I never used mototr before and would like to know is any small size motor which can fit well to this small boat. BTW: Could you post a picture to your lovely job since I am still not sure how to install one by myself? Thanks

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 05/04/2004 : 09:51:27

"battery for minn kota motor is very heavy like auto's."

Yes, the battery you'll need to support a trolling motor weighs as much as most small outboards. Honda, Yamaha etc. have models that would be suitable for a dinghy in ranges from 2 to 4 hp. Google will find you plenty of info.

If you don't live in California you can buy VERY lightweight 2-stroke outboards... "Cruise-n-Carry' is one that comes to mind.

Edited by - on

RichardG
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 05/04/2004 : 11:57:43

Baibai:

Not sure about photo's...my scanner hasn't been working lately. Also, I've never used a electric motor, but I assume it could work as the motor itself is pretty light. As others pointed out, the battery is heavy. I suppose you could build a platform in the boat to support the battery, but lowering it from the boat to the dinghy could be difficult.

These dinghies are not designed to have big motors because it puts a lot of weight aft of the stern (I seem to recall last year's model had a spec. of less than 2 hp). It could be possible that they removed the motor mount points on this year's model due to liability concerns (flipping dinghies) because few people have motors that small. I use an old Eska 1.5 hp air cooled 2 stroke which weighs around 17 pounds -- I like it because it has been very reliable, and its weight cannot be beat. It is, however, quite loud and not really meant for saltwater use (but good maintanence can overcome that).

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