Working above the deck…

Many tasks on a boat become chores as everything on a boat is compact and neatly hidden away so to maximize the use of space. Even the simplest of tasks can become quite an adventure with a bit of wind or wave action. This is quite exaggerated when you are working 20-50 feet above the deck. Mast climbing is an art that most sailors would rather someone else master. I myself always forget how much I hate it until I get about 10 feet off of the deck then I remember that I really did not want to do this.

Today I went up my mast just to the spreaders to install a block for a flag halyard. This seems like such a simple task but it turned out to be quite a job. I was going to just use stainless screws but was reminded that the spreaders are aluminum and that the use of dissimilar metals would cause problems. So the new answer become rivets. Now I had to borrow a rivet gun and rivets and learn a whole new skill set prior to going up the mast. Heavy cordless power tools are even more a problem when swinging between the rigging.

I have not spent much time working off of the deck so I was grossly unprepared for the task at hand. I needed leashes on the tools that I did not have so I was constantly worried about dropping tools to the deck or worse yet on the sailor that was holding my life in his hands. And the casual rouge powerboat that forgets that it is the law to follow "no wake" signs. In Texas you are lawfully responsible for your wake, but I think that most power boaters on a lake no as much about boating as a plumber knows about brain surgery. I am always amazed at the lack of consideration that boaters give each other on North Texas lakes.

I did actually get the pilot holes drilled and in fact put two rivets in to hold the bracket that keeps the new Harken block captive. Now I just need to put one on the starboard side and run the lines and I will be ready to go. The thing that made it even more of a chore is that my Beneteau 331 has no extra halyard so I have to drop the jib to have a line to go up on. The 331 is rigged with the jib halyard on the starboard side of the mast with the line in a cam cleat. To use the halyard you have to undo a line like the out haul or in mast furling line to run the jib halyard through a block and down to the winch.

When I got up and finished my work, my helper tried to let me down to find out that the line had fouled. Fortunately the line had just found the cam cleat and had secured itself. I was down on the deck in no time. In the heat of the afternoon when the temp is at least 95 degrees and you are 30 feet over the deck and water working power tools over your head and trying to hold on to everything for your life it can be quite a draining experience.

I still have one more to mount; I am not looking forward to doing it again.

 

Pirate Mike

"Living on land for a sailor is like a fish taking residence in a lighthouse. Neither is very happy in short order. Just being close to the water is not good enough." – Pirate Mike

People of the Bow! – A word from the Bowman’s Union

Yes the Pointy End People have their own PEEPS! And we are unionized! The men and women of the bow must unite and come together. You can find this writing at the following web address:

http://www.bowmansunion.com/2002_web/html/2002_People_of_the_Bow.htm

This is not one of my writings but I loved it so much I thought that you might enjoy it and these guys need all the support they can get!

People of the Bow

Many of us started our sailing carriers on a small boat in a one design dinghy class, but as we grow up we soon want to move to something bigger. It is a common practice for young people coming from junior sailing clubs to start on the bow as their first position on a keelboat (I don't know why). Although it is not an easy task to do the bow on a Laser, for many of us the transition to keel boats does not come easy.


The bowmansunion.com introductory self-examination for beginning bowmen.

So you want to be a Bowman? Or Bow woman ?
Maybe you're tired of being an under appreciated grinder. Or you have finally shed that extra 20 pounds and feel it's time to redeem yourself on the pointy end. Well here is a short test to get you going in the right direction and help you to see if you have what it takes to become a bowman.

First of all, to be a good bowman, you must have a high tolerance for pain under many adverse conditions. Dealing with pain and continuing to perform the duties of the bow is paramount to being successful in this position. Seeing if you have what it takes is simple, just follow these few steps.

1. To make things realistic, start a cold shower and get in. I recommend wearing your foul weather gear, but that's up to you.
2. Spin around about ten times or so, just enough to make it seem like the shower is "heeled over".
3. Now, with a medium sized frying pan, give yourself a good whack on the top of the head while yelling "MADE!"
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 every five minutes or until you black out.

SEE FIG. 1

If you made it through this exercise at least five times without losing consciousness or ending up in the emergency room, then congratulations, you are ready for the next level. If you didn't, then you'd better stay behind the mast you wimp!
OK, as soon as the swelling goes down it is time to see if you have the brains to be on the bow. The bow is a very mentally challenging position. This exercise will give you a good idea if you have what it takes.

To test your problem solving skills, go to your local toy store and buy a Rubicks Cube, you might already have one lurking around your basement from the mid '80s. Once you have found one, follow these short steps to see if you are sharp enough for the front of the boat, or if you are destined to turn a winch for the rest of your days.
1. Take your "Cube" into a completely dark room or closet, or if you are at work, a blind fold will do just fine.
2 . Have a buddy time you at solving the puzzle, and since you will experience lots of distractions on the foredeck, have your buddy smack you on the face repeatedly while you complete this task (quit whining, do you want to be a bowman or not ? ) .

See FIG . 2

If you were able to solve the puzzle in less than 3 minutes then you probably already have Dennis Connor on speed dial. Under 5 and you probably wear your harness to work under your business suit. Anything under 10 and you have what it takes but you need a little more practice. If it took you 10 minutes or more, well, let’s just say there is always a future as a tactician.
Our next exercise is one of mental toughness, to see if you have the "clock weights", if you will, to persevere through the torment and ridicule that will surely come from the other crewmembers aboard.

This is our final test, so good luck.

1. For five days you are not allowed to speak to anyone, not your roommate, spouse, siblings, parents, kids, friends, boss, coworkers, NO ONE.
2 . You are only allowed to verbally communicate in the form of yelling and screaming. This includes phone conversations.
3 . Be sure to include as much profanity in each sentence as possible.

So for an example, if your boss asks for an over due report. Instead of saying "I will have it for you right away sir." You could say "I WILL HAVE THE #&*$@% REPORT FOR YOU AS SOON AS IT IS @*&%#@ DONE, %&#$ FACE!" Of course you can insert your own profanity where you see fit .

Once you have completed this exercise you should have a good idea of what it is like to be on the bow of a high performance racing sailboat. The faces people have given you and the obscene hand gestures you have received during this last five days are very similar to the ones you will receive in your new position on the bow. However, if you made it through this exercise and you are still married, your friends still call you or talk to you, and you still have a job, then you didn't try hard enough. You will undoubtedly fold under the pressure of this demanding position, in other words you are a wuss. Don't feel too bad though, not everyone is cut out for this life. It is lonely world up there; some sailors just can't handle the stress and separation. Just be thankful that you took this exam, think of all the pain and ridicule you have saved yourself.

If you passed all three tests, then congratulations. Once the bandages come off and you have begged your boss for your job back, the next step is to get your name on your local crew list as an "Aspiring Bowman". Be sure to mention that you have passed the "bowmansunion.com introductory self-examination for beginning bowmen". Bring along the Rubicks Cube and a blindfold to any interviews with skippers and you are sure to have a fast ride on the bow of your choice .

Good Luck

Living, Sailing, Racing & Sharing Moments in less than 300 square feet of space.

One thing about me that people seem to always find amazing is that I find enough room to live on my sailboat. Not only do I survive I thrive in my little enclosed palace. Coming from growing up in a 8000+ square foot home at the base of the Cascade Mountains in the state of Washington to living in Lake Dallas in a 3500 square foot home to now living aboard on a 34 foot coastal cruiser. Not just for a weekend, or a week but now almost for 2 years. And no, I cannot get by with 3 pairs of shorts and a few T shirts. With a "walk in" closet on the dock and 3 dock boxes, well and a 10x15 storage unit "Sail Loft" I seem to manage maintaining my "Dallas Lifestyle."

With a Length over all of 33'11" and a Beam of 11'4" Libertà Dolce's maximum square footage (if the boat was a perfect rectangle) would be around 363 square feet and I bet by the time you carve everything out you are much closer to 250 square feet and I think I may be being generous. Living on my boat I typically don't have more than 4 people aboard, and normally only one other person. I have become quite accustomed to brushing by someone to grab something or finding an unoccupied "corner" to sit and think. Boat living is very intimate as you are rarely ever more than 5 feet from someone. This can be a lot of fun and can pose some interesting problems and interesting social interactions.

Does anyone know the math? I was not good with calculus and do not have anyone around that could calculate it for me and I would be curious what the exact square footage of the Beneteau Oceanus 331 really is. Even if it is only a good approximate!

I crew on a J122 for Second Star Racing Hull #74. That boat has a bit more room but I don't live alone there I share the boat with 8-10 others so many times it is difficult to carve out enough room to lay down stretched completely out. I think most think that they would get claustrophobic but in reality most people find that they adjust to the "lack of space." This can take some time and there may be a few clashes before everyone works things out but typically people do adjust to their new found surroundings after the initial shock is over. One thing you have to remember in confined spaces is that everyone needs "their own space."

"Susan in a sea of spinnaker"

So as the boat fills up with gear, sails, provisions, etc usually there is not much room left for anything else – The Crew! Everyone jockeys for staterooms, couch space, deck space etc and use every form of seniority imaginable, from ownership, sponsorship, tenure, position, ranking, work completed in a day, best tactical input, best salvation move etc. But at the end of the day as long as you can lean over on something or someone you will find a place to sleep. Many times I have been found on the deck with my arm wrapped around a stanchion or lifeline passed out during the middle of a shift waiting for "next orders." Bowman/Foredeck seem to work in quick sprints, as our boat gets faster the time between work calls is shorter and shorter. The new J122 seems to offer no rest for the wicked and I now seem to almost be "constantly moving."

We are just barely getting the new J122 broke in but we are adapting to the new space quite well. Coming from a Beneteau 33.7 there is a lot more room to work and live. Funny enough the bigger boat also has bigger sails and when sailing an asymmetrical spinnaker the sail sizes get astronomical. Just packing our "Big Cute" can become quite a task all by itself especially when it is nasty outside and everything is wet. This weekend was no different. We went out on our 2 hour sail to reach the "battle ground," and watched the rain bring with them the storms. By the time we had gotten the first race underway the lightning came had noticed the Lima flag and decided to "come within hail." After seeing several sky to water strikes the boat closest to the lightning (at the weather mark) lol decided to pressure the race committee in abandoning the racing. Of course we were within striking distance of the leader a Farr 39 that was trying to make tracks in the awkward weather.

We did sail back to our marina (2 hours away) and make it back for the best part of the rain storm (downpour) and then after the boat was secure inside the slip everyone found their way down below. This was one of our first attempts to cope in the new boat. Wet, tired and a bit battered we all found a place to sit. Short crewed (6) we had luxury space to hang out and drip dry. After the rain subsided a bit we all went topside to put the sails away and pack her up for another day.

We did not get our chance to do battle but we did get a few brief hours to learn more about our new bride. Like a bride we are still in the honeymoon trying to figure out what to expect. Over the next year or two we are surely to see all sides of her. So far all we have seen is high winds, wet weather and lightning. We look forward to a few good races in moderate winds and to fill our crew rosters back to their capacity so that we can get Second Star to where she needs to be – First Place!

Pirate Mike, aka Bowman Brooks

2009 Lakefest Regatta

(2009 Second Star Racing team consisted of: JD Hill, Susan Hill, Ben Gray, John Kleineberg, Michael (Pirate Mike) Brooks, Angela Haar, Harald TenWolde, Scott Spurlin)

I am writing the chronicles of another great adventure. Texoma Lakefest (website) a long standing tradition in North Texas has been recognized as the largest inland charity sailing regatta in the nation. 2009 was no different and a tremendous amount of effort was put in by the races sponsoring yachtclub the Texoma Sailing Club (website)! 47 boats and close to 300+ competitors came to battle it out on one of Texas' biggest lakes. Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest Corps of Engineers (USACE) Lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District. ¹

4 days of fund raising for a great charity; the Make A Wish Foundation (website). Thursday is the Chaos Cup where the corporate sponsors get to try their hand at sailboat racing! Teams are sent out to have a great time and get a chance to meet the sailors that will for the next 3 days battle it out with the famous North Texas weather and the top rated competitors that come from around the nation to try their hand at getting their name engraved on the ever sought after silver cup. Thursday had overcast but fair weather as we saw great sailing from the cast of competitors. Almost event free Thursday did bring about one casualty when 2008 3^rd place competitor Nelda Ray snapped their mast to end their campaign for the silver cup.

From first time newbie's to Amercia's Cup sailors Texoma Lakefest brings them all together in the spirit of competition and love of the sport. Friday is the first day of competition and typically is full of emotion and excitement as the boats get launched and the competitors look over the scratch sheets to see whom they will be battling it out with. This year Friday brought lightning storms and while we all went out to the battle ground not one race was started. After the high winds and lightning got within masts reach the races were postponed and we were sent in to wait out the weather. By the time the weather was past us night had fallen. Over the Eastern sky one could see thermal lightning giving everyone a great fireworks display. Dinner was a great Texan tradition barbeque catered in from a great Fort Worth practitioner. (Riscky's Barbeque)
The night wouldn't have been complete without some great dancing to a live band and Captain J.D.'s Lavaritas! Saturday started off well as the dangerous weather had passed us and we were hoping to get out on the proving grounds and play hard! Rain started to fall as the winds had given way to glassy seas. With light to nonexistent winds we got off one race that became extremely tactical as we raced for what seemed like an eternity. The multi-hulls and the spinnaker boats got off the course in reasonable time but the working sail classes extended the race for about 3 hours till there was no more wind or light to race. Coming back to the marina everyone was joyous and in one piece all wanting more wind and a chance to compete. Saturday night Riscky's came up with a great meal of fajitas while the headliner band broke out with some winner tunes. Lavaritas (margaritas that come from a ten foot volcano) were flowing again as the mountain starting erupting as soon as the competitors landed. In sailor style competitors bid silently for all kinds of trinkets of all kinds and values from a nice massage to a Donzi boat. Dancing went on till everyone was satisfied. Everyone went to sleep early as they knew that the race starting times had been pushed up an hour early so we could get in enough races to satisfy the regatta.

Sunday was the day, sunny cold and windy. Wind started off easy 8-10 knots as everyone got suited up for the insanity. When we got out to the proving ground out in the exposed main body of the lake the winds quickly bumped up to 20 knots. Everyone suited up in full armor as we awaited the starting sequence. 3 races convened that opened everyone eyes to the dangers of sailboat racing. From the many near misses and close calls to gear breaks and collisions Sunday was full of "Lakefest" spirit. Lakefest is always a serious competitors concern as the weather is always a big factor; proved again Lake Texoma brought forth serious conditions for the competitors to overcome.

"Godspeed's collission took them out of the race with a broken boom and more"

From Terra Nova getting hung up on the judge's boat to God Speed having a serious collision and boom breakage to fishing sailors out of the lake to the sad personal injury on Predator. It was a busy day indeed, and the weather came back to revel her serious side to us. To the family & crew of the injured sailor we send our best wishes. We await the verdict on the injured sailor but from some reports someone fell and possibly broke ribs and collapsed a lung. We pray that he heals fast and comes back to win more races. As the sailor lay on the deck in serious condition some of the last reported words from his mouth were, "Finish the race!" Predator did manage even with a DNC to finish in 2nd place for class #2. Congratulations to all the sailors that made that win possible! (Consequently Predator was in OUR fleet!)

All in all it was a typical Lakefest averaging about 15 knots from days at zero to days with gusts over 30. The official results will be posted on the Lakefest website
and on the Texoma Sailing Club's website.

I learned a lot and am grateful that we only had a few mishaps and no serious injuries. I am blessed to have met Scott and Harald two passing experienced sailors that graced us with their skill for this special journey. I look forward to our new J122 and learning how to use it as the weapon that it is. To everyone out there, fast sailing…

Pirate Mike.

"Sailing doesn't make a man but it reveals him to himself. His strengths, his weaknesses, his fears and his accomplishments. Sailing is a culmination of everything he knows, thinks, and feels. It brings all the senses together and like the rest of nature shows us how small we really are. Sailing puts things into perspective but yet allows us to be supernatural if even just for a moment." – Pirate Mike…

1 Reference pulled from Wikipedia at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Texoma