I sailed a fairly uneventful light air Gov Cup Race on "Windalier" the 58'Abeking&Rasmussen built yawl. We had a nice reach down the Bay and celebrated Mike Keeen's birthday with a cake on deck with candles @ sunset......later in the evening the wind dropped out leaving us to nurse the 50,000 lbs of lovely mahagony and cedar into the St. Mary's River in light air. One wonders why this race can't be finished in the Potomac River. Who would complain about motoring up the St. Mary's River?? The deal with Windalier is that we don't like to have to "restart" her. Therefore lot's of effort is concentrated towards "keeping her moving" in the light stuff.
The delivery to the start of the race and from St. Mary's back to Rock Hall is a very different story than the race! Lot's of wind/waves and a learning experience for the crew as we continue to learn what the boat likes in various conditions. Thankfully, one of our crew with Log Canoe experience under his belt had seen this movie before. The clouds over Sandy Point were dark and rotating. The next hint was the appearance of "dust devils" on the beach. This gave us the cue to pull down/roll up anything resembling a sail! We ran downwind (prior to the start) under bare poles with short steep waves making up due to the fetch down the Magothy River....the boat is making over six knots (cog), so what to do when the Eastern Shore is looming large to leeward. Well, try a tad of stay sail? It's blowing the dogs of chains and I am concerned that a bit of stay sail will give us leeward helm but wow! The small bit of stay sail allows for about twenty degrees higher heading and some breathing room on the lee shore. I recall that we also applied some of the after centerboard (small appendage usually reserved for downwind control)to gain some more weather helm.
Later that evening I pull up some floorboards to find the bilges bone dry! I love double planked wooden boats!
Captain Thad Bench of Worton, Md. puts an eclectic and skilled crew together including sailors from Kent, Talbot, and Anne Arundel Counties. So when off watch we have the opportunity to compare what's going on in these distinctly different cultures!
Once at anchor in the St. Mary's River the crew enjoyed a soothing swim in eighty degree water, decorated ship, and went ashore for the festivities. Thanks to Thad for a memorable weekend on Windalier!
The delivery to the start of the race and from St. Mary's back to Rock Hall is a very different story than the race! Lot's of wind/waves and a learning experience for the crew as we continue to learn what the boat likes in various conditions. Thankfully, one of our crew with Log Canoe experience under his belt had seen this movie before. The clouds over Sandy Point were dark and rotating. The next hint was the appearance of "dust devils" on the beach. This gave us the cue to pull down/roll up anything resembling a sail! We ran downwind (prior to the start) under bare poles with short steep waves making up due to the fetch down the Magothy River....the boat is making over six knots (cog), so what to do when the Eastern Shore is looming large to leeward. Well, try a tad of stay sail? It's blowing the dogs of chains and I am concerned that a bit of stay sail will give us leeward helm but wow! The small bit of stay sail allows for about twenty degrees higher heading and some breathing room on the lee shore. I recall that we also applied some of the after centerboard (small appendage usually reserved for downwind control)to gain some more weather helm.
Later that evening I pull up some floorboards to find the bilges bone dry! I love double planked wooden boats!
Captain Thad Bench of Worton, Md. puts an eclectic and skilled crew together including sailors from Kent, Talbot, and Anne Arundel Counties. So when off watch we have the opportunity to compare what's going on in these distinctly different cultures!
Once at anchor in the St. Mary's River the crew enjoyed a soothing swim in eighty degree water, decorated ship, and went ashore for the festivities. Thanks to Thad for a memorable weekend on Windalier!
