Captain's Log

Wind, Spray & Bruises

Since the trip with Kenya Jacaranda was called off, I had decided that I would sail today. Tomorrow we are going on holidays so I have to do some packing. Anyway, I woke up in the morning and it was cloudy, so I thought it would be chilly and I wore jeans. As soon as I got out of the house, I realised it was a bad choice because it was warm for jeans, but I didn’t have time to go back in to change. I arrived at the club and, quickly, I started rigging. Steve was not there yet but I was hoping he would come. I went out for the first race and I realised that it was very windy. I knew that swimming would be inevitable.

During the first race, things seemed quite under control. My main problem was that I was getting in-irons. Soon enough I found an effective way to get out of it. Let the kicker off, raise slightly the centreboard and push the boom away. As the boat turns, you are sitting to windward. You are sheeting in and as the boat starts moving you push the centreboard down, pull the kicker and you are beating again. I finished the first race with a dry capsize. I went out for the second race and the wind had picked up considerably. It was quite gusty so it was making things difficult. I capsized once on the upwind leg but I thought I could handle it. On the downwind leg, I didn’t dare to run by the lee. I thought it would be too difficult. I still got into a death-roll though, that sent me swimming. By this time, boats were capsizing all over the place and there were three safety boats in the water. I got the boat upright, got in it and started sailing downwind. Soon, I got into another death-roll. This time the boat inverted completely and the mast got stuck in the mud. A safety boat came and helped me pull it off the mud. John was in the safety boat, so he knew what he was doing. This made things easier. As we got the boat off the mud and it was on its side, the mast was pointing to the wind. I knew that as soon as I would bring it upright, it would come on top of me. So I decided to try a San Francisco Roll.

In the San Francisco Roll, or Eskimo Roll, you grab the centreboard to bring the boat upright and you hold it as the boat is coming on top of you. This way, as the boat capsizes on its other side, you end up on the windward side holding the centreboard with the boat to leeward. In case the wind is not so strong that pushes that boat all the way to the other side, but your weight keeps it upright, you only need to reach up with your hand, grab the windward side gunnel and pull yourself up. Then you climb into the boat and off you go.

So my first attempt to the San Francisco Roll was quite successfully. I was a bit worried that the centreboard might hit me and as I was going underwater I tried to keep it away from my head and face but still holding it. It slipped off my hands, so as I got on the windward side I had lost the boat so I had to swim to it. Then I realised that next time I must try to keep the centreboard close to me because the spin produces centrifugal force that pushes you away from the boat anyway. Generally speaking I was happy with it because I was afraid to try it, but I discovered that it is much easier than it sounds. Anyway, when I got in the boat and I decided that I had enough bashing and better go in. I wish it was that easy. It was blowing a force 5 with gusts 6 and things were very difficult. I was sailing for survival and not fun any more. I capsized once more, on my way in and I was really tired. At around that time Steve arrived. He seemed seriously hangover, but as he saw the strong winds he was toying with the idea of going out. Eventually he chose the safety of the bar.

It was a difficult day and I have the bruises to prove it. When you capsize in such strong winds your arms hit the gunnel quite hard. Hanging from the centreboard to bring the boat upright doesn’t make things any better either. I de-rigged Bubble and covered her. I won’t see her for two weeks, nearly three. I have made plans to sail while in Greece with a friend of mine, but it’s subject to our schedules matching. I hope we’ll manage to do it.