J/30 Rambunctious

[Jason K]

Here are some photos of the boat (haulout photos to follow). Most of the rest are at the links below (click to enlarge the website photos):

Exterior ---Interior --- Motor

I'll fill you in on some boat details this evening. Pictures first:

Exterior:







First time using a tiller pilot. I'm in love:



Interior:







Ample storage:






Yanmar 2GM:

Did someone say engine access?

[Figment]

Did someone say engine access?

Shut up.

Sigh. That's one nice CLEAN boat. Remarkable in its cleanliness.

Also remarkable is the spinnaker pole length! Is it just the camera lens, or is that thing J + a couple feet?

[Tim]

Looks nice, Jason! Nice and clean, like Mike said.

I see you've already started removing the old name.

Enjoy!

[Summersdawn]

Nice boat Jason. I've always been partial to the J-30's - they're fast, sail nicely, and have loads of room. Looks like you got a nice, clean, well looked after one. Enjoy.

[dasein668]

I'll fill you in on some boat details this evening. Pictures first:

Now here's a guy who's got his priorities straight! Everyone sit up and take note.

Nice looking boat, Jason. As Mike said: Nice and clean. Congrats!

[Rachel]

Wowee, nice and clean.(I realize I'm just an echo here, but... it is!)

I've never seen a J boat up close. Looks like a lot of fun.

Congrats,

Rachel

PS Perhaps I missed this, but have you chosen a name?

[dasein668]

PS Perhaps I missed this, but have you chosen a name?

I recommend checking the title of this thread....

;-P

[Jason K]

Thanks for the complements. It is a very clean boat. It hasn?t been used in years and once the dust was cleaned up, you would never guess that the boat is an ?81.

Here are a few shots of today?s haulout:











After I bought the boat, I spent several late hours Wednesday cleaning the interior and rigging the boat for the trip across the lake.

My wife and I were up early Thursday and we sailed and motor sailed the boat across with no problems. It was a very easy trip, but the wind was due south ? as was our destination. The rig is obviously out of tune. On port tack, the boat goes to weather pretty well. However, starboard tack is not nearly as efficient.

The boat is very responsive. Even with the #3 up, it tacked quickly, getting right back up to speed. It also accelerates in the puffs more than I?m used to (I crew on a boat with the same rating, but it is a much heavier boat). I motored into the marina to see where I was going to lay up and, when I picked a spot, I spun the boat around. The boat will spin in its own length. I was able to bring the bow right through the little vortexes the rudder created when I put it over. It is going to be a fun, fun, fun boat. I can?t wait to get out in decent breeze with a full crew.

Mike, the spin pole is J+1 (12.5 ft). The chute does not go to the masthead, so it?s not as huge as that photo suggests, though I won?t call it undersized either. I?ll snap some photos when we fly it, if I have a free hand.

The delivery main has a rope luff and I think I?m going to change it to plastic slides. It was a bear getting that sail up shorthanded. It doesn?t feed easily. In addition, the main halyard is a wire/rope splice. The wire is awful and full of meathooks. I couldn?t grind the sail up from the cabin top winch because it was feeding so poorly, so I just jumped the wire halyard without gloves. Also the boat does not have a topping lift or a rigid vang, so this was a real test of my limited coordination.

I motor sailed with just the main for a bit to see how the Yanmar 2GM runs. It ran like a top, but it is not a quiet engine. All the more reason to keep it off as much as possible. My only real gripe is that the only instrumentation is the tach. I would be happier if I could monitor water temp. and oil pressure, at least. It has alarms, of course, but what if the alarm is broken? Also, does anyone know the ideal cruising RPM for the 2GM? I tried finding out late Wednesday, but a brief internet search did not turn up anything definitive. I kept it at a sedate 1800 RPM for the brief time it ran.

Here?s a mostly complete list of the short term upgrade/repair/maintenance schedule. I may not be able to get to everything, but this is what?s on the plate for the next 5 weeks:

-New Baltoplate bottom
-Minor blister repair
-Repair below waterline delam around through-hulls, remove and rebed affected through-hulls, and insulate from core with solid glass
-Remove and reinstall prop (it?s loose)
-Have Martec recondition prop?
-New head (plumbing looks OK, just swapping the head)
-Either fix existing instruments or replace, nothing too fancy
-All new running rigging
-Replace sheaves as necessary
-Check turning blocks at base of mast, replace if necessary
-Replace original Antal ?line stoppers? with Spinlock clutches. I had to bat the Antals open with a winch handle when they were under load
-Careful inspection of standing rigging by professional rigger. A preliminary inspection checked out OK
-New Tuff Luff headstay foil (existing one is brittle; old damage repaired with rivets)
-New fixed mount GPS
-New fixed mount VHF
-New stereo, inside speakers only
-New forward hatch, existing one is very cheap with cracked plexi. It?s a sail eater.
-Lewmar One Touch winch handles - 2
-Spinlock Asymmetric Tiller Extension
-Harken windward sheeting traveler car
-Rigid boom vang
-Engine tune up: hoses, clamps, filters and fluids
-Properly installed battery maintainer (existing one is very cobbled together)
-Shore power (not a priority)
-Electrical connections: check, clean and upgrade as needed
-Find out why aft bilge area is not draining forward to where the bilge pump is
-Clean stuffing box area and monitor for drip rate
-Replace stern light
-Replace bulbs on all navigation lights
-Purchase MOB pole (required for race)
-Install lower lifeline at gate (gate is on stbd. and there is no lower lifeline right where crew will be hiking)
-Polish and wax topsides (heavily oxidized)
-Repair minor gelcoat dings and try to color match
-Remove all traces of former name
-Order and apply ?Rambunctious? vinyl graphic on both quarters
-Rebed chainplates
-Rebed stanchions and pulpits
-Varnish exterior wood
-Purchase Coast Guard required safety equipment
-Lots of incidentals plus a couple of big items that I can?t remember or haven?t discovered yet

[catamount]

Yanmar 2GM:

Are you sure? It looks a lot like a raw-water cooled 2QM15 to me...

[Jason K]

Well, Tim, you're right. I (obviously) don't know my Yanmars. I was under the mistaken assumption that the 1981 boats had the 2GM motors. However, ten minutes of research shows that the motor in my boat is clearly the 2QM15. That motor was built through 1980 and was replaced by the 2GM. One of the goals of the 2GM was to reduce vibration. Apparently, it is also nominally lighter.

Thanks for the heads up, Tim. I'm reasonably sure I would have noticed that sooner rather than later, but perhaps not before I ordered parts for a 2GM. :)

[Rachel]

PS Perhaps I missed this, but have you chosen a name?

I recommend checking the title of this thread....

;-P

I just now logged on, clicked "new posts since last visit," instantly saw the name of the thread, and equally instantly realized how stupid my question was, and that who knows how many people had already read it.

I was smarter at the beginning of the week. Really.

Nice name, Jason.

Rachel

[catamount]

Jason,

In my experience so far, the 2QM15 has been a pretty reliable engine (I have one), but since they haven't been made in over 25 years, parts availability, at least for some parts, may become an issue. The exhaust manifold, in particular, is no longer available -- and being raw-water cooled, these manifolds apparently don't last forever (at least on the ocean). But yours looks to be in great condition. Good Luck with it!


EDIT: regarding engine instruments, I don't even have a tach for mine; I just adjust the fuel advance by ear :-) Also, with the engine being raw-water cooled, it's running temperature will be 145F or so, which is lower than most common temp gauges show.


Regards,

Tim

[Tim]

Also, does anyone know the ideal cruising RPM for the 2GM? I tried finding out late Wednesday, but a brief internet search did not turn up anything definitive. I kept it at a sedate 1800 RPM for the brief time it ran.

I don't know offhand for the 2QM15, but most people tend to UNDER rev their small diesels, thinking it's "good" for the engine. No. Diesels like to run, and don't want to be babied, so don't be afraid of the RPM as needed. Generally, cruising speed on a small diesel is around 80% of WOT. Underuse causes most of the problems that people experience with their auxiliary diesel engines. 1800 RPM is very low; these Yanmars are high-revving engines.

I cruise my 2GM20F (the offspring of the 2QM series) at about 2800-2900 RPM, with WOT at about 3500.

Note that all diesels are different, and not all diesels are intended to run, nor capabable of running, at speeds as high as 3000 RPM, but the small Yanmars have always been high-RPM engines. I'm pretty sure the RPM range for the 2QM15 is similar to the newer engines that are based on the QM series, so your cruising speed will likely be between 2500 and 3000 RPM. DO run it at cruising speed when you should be running at cruising speed; don't hold back.

...it is not a quiet engine.

There's something very distinctive about the way those Yanmars sound in a J/30. It's an instantly recognizable sound from across the harbor.

My only real gripe is that the only instrumentation is the tach.

Yeah, Yanmar really cheaped out on most of their panels. This continues today. I don't know why engine manufacturers think that this is a good place to cut costs; you'd think they'd be more interested in ensuring that the customer could take good care of the engine.

You can always add ancillary gauges. I've been meaning too for years...alas, it hasn't happened yet. Soon, you'll learn to understand your engine, though, and its proper sounds, etc., and the lack of gauges, while irritating, isn't really that much of an issue.

One thing it won't do is just quit for no reason. Ever. Unless you run out of fuel (which, of course, is a reason, after all...so it won't ever quit for no reason). You'll love it, once you get used to it. The lack of an electrical system is a lovely thing.

It is going to be a fun, fun, fun boat.

J/Boats, in spite of whatever issues they may have, are great fun to sail. They're all popular for good reason. I did quite a bit of sailing on J/24s and 29s (I always liked the 29 in particular), and they are great fun. Certainly a whole nother world of responsiveness and performance after your Triton!

The delivery main has a rope luff and I think I?m going to change it to plastic slides.

Smart, smart idea. Those rope luffs are just so 1981. The 80s called and they want their rope luffs back.

Is there anything funner than a new-to-you boat? Enjoy.

[Jason K]

Thanks for all of the great information about the motor. I'll be sure to give it more revs from here on out.

In my experience so far, the 2QM15 has been a pretty reliable engine

I have high hopes for this one as a repower is not in the diminishing budget! I'll give it a thorough tune-up and constant maintenance; I think it will be a great motor.

J/Boats, in spite of whatever issues they may have, are great fun to sail. They're all popular for good reason. I did quite a bit of sailing on J/24s and 29s (I always liked the 29 in particular), and they are great fun. Certainly a whole nother world of responsiveness and performance after your Triton!

They're certainly not for everyone, but I think I found the right boat.

As an update - the delamanation that's around the head discharge through-hull is not caused by wet core. That's great news. Also, when the through-hull was removed, we found that it had already been isolated from the core. I'm not sure what we were hearing as percussion testing sure sounded like delamanation. However, a number of test holes revealed bright, dry core and adhesion of both skins. So, good, but perplexing, news.

The bottom prep is well underway. The boat should be back in the water in a couple weeks.

Is there anything funner than a new-to-you boat?

Not that I know of!

[Jason K]

I thought I'd post an update.

The boat is still in the yard. The pace of work has been maddeningly slow.

They're still wrestling with quite a few pinholes and there are a number of spots where the fairing putty has not been sanded fair. However, they've painted the boat twice! I stopped by today and almost all of the paint was sanded back off - I assume as a result of our discussion about the deficiencies that took place earlier this week.

It's frustrating as this is a well regarded yard and I'm in the uncomfortable position of pointing out problems when I stop by. I feel like I'm nagging. I won't take a bad job, though, and it's hard to keep quiet when they're burnishing 5 coats of new paint that looks as fair as a pizza.

I should have some photos this weekend. I'll be installing electronics and hardware in the yard as the boat certainly won't be in the water by Saturday. We're registered to race from New Orleans to Gulfport, MS next Saturday so the clock is ticking to get this boat race ready. I have my doubts as to whether or not we'll make the race. More importantly, the Gulfport-Pensacola race is the following Friday. That means the boat needs to be race ready by Wednesday the 13th if we're to have any hope of making the start line.

More this weekend - good stuff too.

[Figment]

It sounds like you have quite the campaign planned for this season!

Is this yard well-regarded by racing sailors, or has it earned its reputation with the Sea Ray crowd? There are a few otherwise very well-regarded yards around here that simply cannot seem to learn that Smooth Matters when it comes to race boats. I guess they have plenty of other work so the motivation to achieve that last 5% is minimal.

Hold that line. It's worth doing right. You'll remember it during some future very light air race when you catch your own Private Puff that squirts you through the middle of two other boats that just can't quite accelerate the same way as your slick-bottomed little featherweight.

[Jason K]

It sounds like you have quite the campaign planned for this season!

That's the plan. The more I get involved with the J/30 the more pleased I am that the Catalina 30 had such a horrible bottom. I think racing will be more of a part of using the boat than I anticipated. I've done a lot of racing over the last few years and I'm really ready to campaign my own boat.

The yard is supposed to be the best in the New Orleans area for this type of work and I brought the boat there despite the higher cost. In fact, another J/30 goes in tomorrow for a Baltoplate bottom. I'm not sure what the deal is when it comes to my boat - they seem unmotivated to focus on the tedious details. I don't know if the glut of storm work - which is rapidly dying off - spoiled them into easy work and big insurance company checks. I do know that I'm not getting the standard of work they built their reputation on.

I'm sitting down with the owner tomorrow. The boat needs to be in the water Saturday with a race quality bottom. I have to have the boat in Gulfport, MS by Wednesday and the yard is closed Sunday and Monday. I did not get nearly the amount of work done Saturday that I planned to (though I did almost get heat stroke in the attempt), so quite a bit remains to be done.

Speaking of this weekend, I - as mentioned - got too little done and left the camera on the boat to boot (where it will probably melt). I installed the tiller extension (master craftsman that I am), installed a new stereo system (head unit and two interior speakers only), a new VHF, and removed the head to make way for a new head. Getting the head out took almost two hours, believe it or not. The fasteners were completely corroded and hard to reach (SS bolts and who-knows-what nuts).

Sunday though was much more productive. I put down the tools and picked up the wallet. I started the morning by ordering a new Garmin chartplotter (GPSMAP 440; the small, affordable one) and the external antenna. I still need to get a swing mount for it, but I haven't found a good one for anything approaching a reasonable price.

Also, I met with the owner of a boat that got cleaned out in the storm. He had all of the gear that was removed from the boat prior to the sinking. I got a main, #1 and spinnaker that he used as his A sails. I'll have to put them up to see how they compare to what I've got. I also got 4 spin sheets, 2 jib sheets, a set of tweakers (twings), a J/30 battle flag, an MOB pole (score - need that for the upcoming race), and a bunch of miscellaneous hardware. I spent Sunday evening explaining to my wife - over a nice dinner - why all of these things are absolutely vital and how nice they will be to use on our cruise home...

[dasein668]

I spent Sunday evening explaining to my wife - over a nice dinner - why all of these things are absolutely vital and how nice they will be to use on our cruise home...

Hehe! They will be nice to have! Good luck with your schedule and dealing with the yard.

[Tim]

I still need to get a swing mount for it, but I haven't found a good one for anything approaching a reasonable price.

I know the prices are stupidly high and unjustifiable, but those aluminum swing mounts at West Marine are awfully nice. I don't for a minute defend the NASDAQ-rallying pricing of these mounts, but unless you're a machinist your only other choice is some glommy wooden thing that just won't work as well, look as good, or be appropriate for your boat. (I've seen a couple nice wooden mounts in my day, but they are few and far between. I much prefer the sleeker aluminum mounts myself, and they fit your J boat better, I think.)

In the scheme of things, what's $70 (if you can live with the "basic" mount) for a quality, attractive, and functional support for your GPS? The pain of purchase quickly passes, and you have a piece of gear that's good for a lifetime and works well and as advertised.

That said, a truly viable alternative that cost less would be nice. Wish in one hand...

[Jason K]

OK, I ordered the West Marine one. Thanks for the prod in the right direction, Tim. What the boat wants...right? (This better be a well satisfied boat by the end of this refit).

[Lloyd]

Jason
I hope you worked out all the bottom painting problems and bought/installed all the new gear needed for the
Gulfport Pensacola race. If the race had a friday afternoon start you should be in Pensacola about now. Good luck and give us a report on how the new boat did.

I hope you had lots of fun and had a good breeze all night.

[Jason K]

Llyod, thanks for the thought - unfortunately the boat was not ready. It is still in the yard. The THIRD attempt at properly painting the bottom is underway.

It's unfortunate, but my relationship with the yard has become somewhat contentious. We had a meeting of the minds about a week and a half ago and I'm surprised the yard owner did not end up in the water. I'll spare you the details, but I think it worked as the pace and quality of the work this time around was much improved.

I inspected the boat yesterday and the bottom looks pretty good. They will be able to wrap up a few remaining defects with just spot repairs and they'll just have to do under the pads and keel.

I'm disappointed in the yard. I shouldn't have to spell out how I want things done (the right way) and then babysit the progress. I took a fairly hands-off approach for the first MONTH though and it led to our showdown.

The bad news is that I've had to cancel the race and, as importantly, the cruise home. I had another ride to go, but I was so set on racing my own boat, I turned them down.

I don't think they're in yet. The breeze went real light (2-3) from about 1:00 am to 6:00 am and that'll set them back a bit. I suspect most boats will finish around noon. I've always said this race should be in May when it's 10 degrees cooler and there is more consistent breeze.

I've bought all the refit gear except halyards and I just need three days to get everything installed. My home office looks like a chandlery - or the best Christmas ever.

I've been working with some other J/30 owners and we're reinvigorating the Gulf Coast J/30 fleet, which is good news. The first fleet meeting is in a couple of weeks and we'll have our own OD class at the Bastille Day Regtta on July 14. So, although the boat is taking far longer than anticipated, there is a full schedule of racing, cruising and fleet events for the remainder of the year. Plus, I'm still getting my week long cruise in sometime.

[Tim]

It sure is a shame that boatyards across the country seem to continually let people down with their performance. I think the problem is that too many boatyards have become too large for their own good. As soon as the personal touch disappears, so goes the quality of the performance as well.

Good luck with finally acheiving a satisfactory end to this ridiculous bottom job. Sailing away from that yard should be a happy day indeed.

[Jason K]

Sailing away from that yard should be a happy day indeed.

I sailed away from the yard late yesterday and I was very, very happy to do so. Considering the grief and expense, I will certainly be doing it myself next time. It hurt to cut that check.

Anyway, I'm back in and ready to go sailing. I have a few shots of the bottom, but they aren't the best. From a distance, you can't see detail and the bottom looks very dark. So, I took some close up shots and it's pretty featureless. However, given the appetite for photos around here, I figured I better post something:

[Summersdawn]

Looks good. It must be a relief to finally get your boat in the water. Did it come out as smooth as you orginally wanted? It looks smooth and fair in the photos, but sometimes it is hard to tell.

[dasein668]

Now we get to hear how she sails! Congrats on getting outta there, Jason!

[Jason K]

Now we get to hear how she sails!

Update time. I love this boat. I'll be the first to admit that a J/30 is definitely not for everybody, but I still can't imagine a better boat for my purposes and budget.

I am embarrassed to say I do not have any photos of us under sail. Most of the sailing has been at night, just after dark when the breeze fills in and the temperature drops.

Of the times we've sailed during daylight, I've either had my hands full or forgotten the camera. I'll be on the water all weekend and I should have some really good shots by Monday.

It is a very dynamic boat. One of my concerns was that it would be a poor daysailer/cruiser. It's constantly reported that you need to have people on the rail to keep the boat flat; I was concerned the boat would be constantly on its ear when we went out shorthanded or with non-sailors.

It will definitely power up and for racing we'll certainly need crew, but for casual sails, it does a nice job too. When my wife and I first sailed it, we put up the #3 and a full main in less than ten knots and moved right along. The boat also sails very well under main alone. This Saturday, we had four people on board and, as we wanted to get out on the water more than go fast, I just put up the main. It was blowing a little under 15 knots and we were able to eat crackers with a few dips and make drinks in the cockpit - doing 7 knots.

Our attempts at racing have been foiled so far. I showed up at a skipper's meeting two weeks ago to discover there was no meeting and no race - I misread the schedule. Drinks at the bar! The next week, after checking the schedule but not the weather I showed up again. The race was cancelled due to NO breeze. Drinks at the bar!

This Saturday will be our first race and it will be a tough one for an inaugural race. We're racing One Design against six other J/30's. We're going to die. New Orleans has always had one of the most competitive J/30 fleets and no other skipper has less than 5 years on the boat; several have owned and raced their boat since the early '90's. One of the boats is the current J/30 National Champion - and they've won six years in a row. They lost their boat in the storm (the thin skinned J/30's got creamed) and their new boat is in the same yard that took a month of Sundays to get my bottom done, so they may not make the start line (I hope they do make it...kind of). We certainly won't win the 4 race regatta, however I have high hopes that I can, with the help of my miscreant crew, win the party. It will also be great fun and a great learning experience.

Four boats are on the Northshore with me and we're going to cruise down together on Friday evening. Should be a great weekend, even if the wind is light.

I've also had my share of small projects. I have some bigger ones to do (brightwork and a small area to recore) but I think I'm going to wait until it cools off. It has been brutally hot.

I've replaced the head, installed some new hardware and electronics, and done some rigging work. Some of the work is detailed here.

Also, I've been updating the worklist I posted above in an earlier post. The updated worklist is here.

Here's a few photos:

[dasein668]

It was blowing a little under 15 knots and we were able to eat crackers with a few dips and make drinks in the cockpit - doing 7 knots.

Hehe.

Looking forward to some sailing pics, but thanks for the update!

[Tim]

I think the ability to sail well under main alone is one of the greatest assets of those original J-boats (22, 24,29, 30). Very handy sometimes, and few boats sail well, or at all, anywhere approaching a beat with only the main.

Somehow, I missed the posts from a couple weeks ago, so a belated congratulations on departing the boatyard.

[Jason K]

We have had a hard time getting our first race started. Schedule conflicts, no breeze, and entirely too much time in the yard conspired to keep us from starting a race. I'm a little disappointed to report that our first race ended with a DNF. We had a great time and a great weekend, though. Here's what happened.

NOYC hosts a Bastille Day Regatta annually. This year the resurgent J/30 fleet was scheduled to have its own start. I sailed the boat down to New Orleans from the north shore of the lake on Friday in close company with Hot Chocolate, another J/30. It's remarkable how close we stayed to each other. We were less than a boat length apart for miles.

On Saturday, we showed up to race and we had 5 J/30's ready to go. However, the weather did not cooperate as some severe thunderstorms built right before most boats left the dock. The race was postponed and ultimately cancelled for the day. While we watched the weather from the club balcony, it continued to build. I have seldom seen so much lightning. We all went inside when one struck so close the air sizzled for seconds after the strike. It sounded like a shower of sparks in your eardrum and all the hair stood up on my arms. Close, close, close.

Despite an ominous forecast, the race was rescheduled for today. It was a blow to the regatta as almost all of the registered boats did not show up to race. The forecast called for widespread storms, the lake was very rough (it really kicks up with breeze) and it was blowing steadily in the low 20's with higher gusts. This is from NOAA:

ALONG THE SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA COAST AND THE NEW ORLEANS REGION...
NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE LOCALLY STRONG THIS AFTERNOON...WITH
THE PRIMARY THREAT BEING FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...WINDS
GUSTING TO 40 MPH...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES.
SOME MINOR STREET FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE HEAVIER
DOWNPOURS.

.MARINE...A FEW WATERSPOUTS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE EARLY
AFTERNOON HOURS OVER THE NEARSHORE COASTAL WATERS.

I think most assumed the race would be cancelled again. The remainder lost their crew to other commitments. I was the only J/30 ready to race today, which was a bit of a disappointment; we joined the PHRF fleet.

I had an All Star crew on the boat for Saturday, including a six time (in a row) national champion. I had a great crew today as well, but not an experienced one and we definitely did not have enough people. I lost one at the last minute which put us down to four, including me, before a phone call snagged one more. That brought us to five, two of whom had virtually no race experience and none of us had raced a J/30.

With the breeze filling and storms moving in, we went out to get one race off. We left the dock quite late as we were waiting for our fifth crew, who I had woken up with my phone call. It was a good thing we waited; it would have been extremely challenging without him.

By the time we got out there, the prep warning sounded. We sailed behind the committee boat and the course board said twice around JHA (three club marks). It was a lot rougher and windier on the lake than it appeared from the club, so we made a decision to go from a #1 to the #3. By the time we got everything squared away we were a couple minutes late for the start. We headed towards our mark (we thought) on the low side of the course.

It turns out that the JHA indication on the board was from an older race and the RC was unable to get it cleaned off of the board. The real course was entirely different. We missed the radio announcement. All I heard were Vietnamese shrimpers chattering away. Oh well. We didn't realize we had a problem until Footloose, a J35, tacked away. All of a sudden our decent spot on the course put us in the worst possible spot. The other tack would have at least brought us closer to the real mark.

We simply decided to follow Footloose around the course. As we reached the weather mark, we discussed whether to put up the chute. I have one that is incredibly garish...it's a rainbow and purely awful. We decided to put that one up. Whoa. Despite some minor issues we got it up and we were really moving. I have no idea how fast we were going but we were cranking. We chickened out and doused the chute rather than gybe it. We simply did not have enough crew.

As we reached the next mark, huge cells were building all around us. We were totally overpowered and completely out of contention in the race due to our start and guesswork navigation. We decided to retire rather than go around again and keep ourselves and the RC out longer than necessary. Footloose was finishing and we weren't even halfway to the top mark.

We dropped the jib and sailed towards the harbor under just the main. We were still on our ear. By this time, the rain was coming down in sheets and there was a lot of lightning. It was probably not as dramatic as I am making it sound, but it was a pretty wild ride. As we neared the harbor we started the motor and dropped the main. As soon as we passed the breakwater, the water smoothed out and, as we were already soaked, we just enjoyed the weather from our unique perspective After putting the boat up, we changed in the club and had a few drinks. Our chute did not go unnoticed and we took some ribbing in the club. We also were generously given an engraved regatta champagne glass as a tribute to our first race and as a consolation for stinking up the place.

It was an amazing weekend and, despite not finishing, a wild race. Here are a few photos.

Shot from Hot Chocolate on Friday's delivery:



Friday morning:


The next three are of Hot Chocolate and also from Friday:






In the New Orleans Yacht Harbor:





Photos taken from shore as we come back into the harbor. Footloose is the boat in the top photo. It looks like he made it in just before the rain. The photo of us is as we are putting in from behind the breakwater

[Shark]

Jason,

Sorry you're having such a tough time getting started racing your new boat, boatyard troubles and weather etc. I'm sure it will all come together sooner rather than later.

Last Thursday evening, during our weekly race, we were doing well during the first three legs, flying our spinnaker in spite the high winds, the boat surfing now and then. Then mother nature sent a thunderstorm which resulted in the race committee declaring the race "abandoned". We rode out the heaviest part of the squall with just our main up then fired up the outboard and headed for shore. We all arrived back at the club soaked but safe.

It happens to us all.

[Jason K]

Thanks Lyman.

Our FIRST race (the last one was, ummm, practice) went pretty well. It was just a Wednesday night race, but it's still pretty competitive.

We did very well upwind but lost a LOT of time on the spin set. Our foredeck got left and right confused for a little bit. We ended up with the chute around the forestay and it took some effort to get it sorted out. Once it was sorted, though, we were moving right along. We sailed into a storm system that clocked the breeze about 150 degrees. We dropped the chute and put up the #1. On our last tack for the line, the spreader punched through the sail just above the spreader patch. We lost a little more time getting the sail carefully down. I tacked back to free it, we dropped the sail, tacked back to our course and did the last 50 yards or so under just the main.

We still finished five minutes ahead of the other J/30 over a 5.5 mile course (no idea why they were so slow) and we were less than five minutes out of fourth. We lost at least that much time on our mistakes. We came in 9th, which was lower middle for our class. So, once we get the kinks sorted out, we should have a pretty competitive boat. The boat speed is definitely there.

I'm ready to get the boat back home. All of this racing in the rain has left the boat a mess. Plus, I have some work to do on it. I was going to bring it home yesterday, but the weather and work schedule prevented that (mostly the weather, I'm tired of sailing in the rain). There were multiple water spouts on the lake (see below). I'm going to try again late this afternoon as the weather looks rough for the weekend and I was volunteered to help out with a Junior Lipton regatta over the weekend.

From an NOYC member


From nola.com

[dasein668]

Ummm... Yikes!

[Shark]

Jason,

Our foredeck got left and right confused for a little bit.

Suggestion: Colour-coded lines. No kidding. I went to colour-coded lines for my spinnaker last season and it has been one of the best things I've done on the boat. Inexperienced crew or crew unfamiliar with the way your boat is rigged, are able to respond much better to "pull the red line" than "sheet the spinnaker" once confusion sets in.

I have red and green spinnaker sheets, a black halyard and a blue line for the spinnaker pole topping lift.

It works!

[Jason K]

Actually, the lines are color coded. :)

The pole was on the wrong side of the boat, though it hurts to admit it. We popped the chute and, realizing the mistake, sent someone forward to remove the pole while we tried to fly it poleless from the back of the boat. There was some pole handling difficulty and the chute collapsed and then got wrapped around the headstay. I had to head way down to refill it, which brought us perpendicular to the course. It filled, we attached the pole, trimmed it in and brought the boat back up to course. Then away we went for about two miles before the wind shifted and we doused the chute.

The crew is getting constant reminders - starboard tack (to the mark), portside pole. We won't do that again. I can say with confidence that we're on to new and more exciting mistakes.

If it hadn't been for that and, to a lesser degree, the torn genoa, we would have a pretty good race in terms of standings. I think our next race will go quite well.

[Shark]

Jason,

Good luck and keep us posted!