Sail 19: Gybe with gennaker

Perfect weather. Steady wind ca 5m/s (f3-4). I started by tacking upwind towards the city centre. I set kicker fairly hard, half to full. When large ships passed, I practiced surfing on their waves, this increased speed and gave some fun.

Finally I turned round, returning to the club downwind with gennaker. I zig-zagged to avoid flat runs and powering up the gennaker. Each gybe with gennaker felt very easy. Too easy. Finally I was so relaxed that I turned too hard in a gybe caught all wind from the side and instantly capsized, and inverted. I must practice more on gybe with gennaker!

Raising the boat, and the gennaker was now tangled like a figure 8. I started untangling pulling the sheets. Almost finished, I capsized again, and inverted while I focused on pulling in the gennaker, second capsize in 10 minutes. This time I got exhausted raising the boat and slid onboard from the transom. I need righting lines and/or mast float for more safety.

After that, all went well with gennaker back to the club. Total two hours on the water. Max speed on the tack 6 knots, max speed downwind 9 knots.

Sail 19 at EveryTrail

Sail 18: Row, row, row your boat…

Today was a national holiday and nice weather. But very light wind. After a while bobbing around outside the club area, I gave up, dropped the main sail and paddled home. At least I got some exercise.

Sail 17: Testing

First sail for the new year. Good strong wind with white crests in the gusts, so I pulled the kicker hard to depower the main sail.

Vareo 158 leaving boat club for short test run. Photo by club member.

The water is still ice cold so I tested dishwashing gloves, which kept my hands warm and dry, but the rubber was too slippery to hold the main sheet.
I refreained from setting the gennaker in the hard wind until I had practiced more, but I still got some occasional planing with only the main up.

A few moments of Nirvana (no not the rock group)

This is the only way to be on the water in Stockholm in February. It was a perfect day for skating. Solid ice not covered by snow. Temp just below freezing. The ice is likely to break up during March.

Winter

This is Stockholm in winter. Yesterday, on the way bicycling to work in -12 degrees temperature, I faced this beautiful sun dog (parhelion).

optical phenomenon in cold air

Next sailing will probably be around March, when the ice breaks up and I can play “Titanic”, zapping around trying to avoid the iceflakes.

Take it easy, take it icy

Planned to sail today. But air temp is below freezing. Frost and snow all around. Sorry, no fun. Hoping for warmer air next week.

Sail 16: A Winter’s Tale

Winter is approaching. During previous sail my hands were freezing despite neoprene gloves. I need something better, and affordable. Scuba diving, I used to have a pair of dry gloves that consisted of 5-finger wool mittens and rubber gloves with watertight seal. I decided to try something similar. I used a pair of wool mittens and a pair of dishwashing gloves size XL. I “sealed” the wrist with a rather loose elastic strap.

Today the forecast promised good wind. 6m/s  (f 3-4) with 10m/s (f5) in the gusts. So, go, go go!

I had downwind towards the city centre, raised the gennaker and raced ahead. At this speed (maybe 10-14 knots), I ‘d be in the city centre soon (distance 3nm), on one single tack. My goal now was to go straight until the Parliament Building and then turn round. I swooshed by a large sailboat that went by motor. It felt so easy.

But after 1 nm something happened, maybe the wind turned or I was caught by a gust. Possibly helped by the fact that I had forgotten to pull up the centerboard during the reach, the boat suddenly turned slightly upwind and slowed down. Wind pressing the sails from the side, no speed/momentum to turn downwind, I could do nothing but go down. With white crests on the waves, I struggled to raise the boat, tried 2 or 3 times. Yes, I will install righting ropes on the sides, good for safety!

When the boat was up and the gennaker was in, it was time to tack back home.

And what about the home-made sailing gloves?
It worked! No water had leaked in despite my repeated capsize. And even if wet, the wool would keep my hands warm. The air temperature was 7°C and water temp about the same. The video was interrupted during take-off when the camera went to sleep mode. Maybe the watertight box presses on the lens. Pity, the capsize would have looked interesting.