"I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship."
(Louisa May Alcott, American novelist)
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| pic:freeimageslive.co.uk |
Last month I crewed aboard a 50' ketch sailboat, Star, in the 185 nm Around Block Island Race. Starting in Stamford, CT the course had you shoot straight down the Long Island Sound, out into the ocean, around Block Island, and back to Stamford. My first ocean race. I was nervous, and excited.
Discussion at the dock revolved around provisions and a storm coming in from the West. Some one stated they'd heard a second weather occurrence was forming and the two storms may merge. Another ocean race newbie on the boat expressed real concern, but I told her with a half smile and a shrug, "we're committed now." Indeed.
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| pic: glen-I.com |
For two days we sustained a steady increase of gale force wind and waves with gusts clocked at 40 knots. However, not more than an hour into the race we blew out the gooseneck on our mast which guides the main sail up. Forced to drop the main, the captain decided to sail with the mizzen and the jib. We secured the boom to the deck so that when we got out into the ocean it wasn't wildly swinging about.
The boat was consistently heeled over at an angle whereby walking simply three feet required grabbing anything nailed down. And even when something was nailed down, it didn't guarantee it wouldn't come off in your hands, or that your grip wouldn't slip. Going to the bathroom? Ha! I had four pant layers and bib foulies first off then on again, so using the head felt like an audition for Cirque de Soleil. It was cold, rained constantly and the waves pounded the boat, at times sending Star airborne over one wave and crashing into another. The boat pitched about tempest tossed and everything inside and out was wet.
But... I loved every minute of it!
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| pic: treehugger.com |
Unfortunately, 15 miles from the finish line, our mizzen now reefed, our #3 sail up, a wave slammed over Star's bow and ripped a three foot hole in our jib. As I lay in my bunk half asleep having pulled a 1-4am shift, I hear "all hand's on deck!" Everyone down below scrambled to put on jackets and pfd's, gloves, and raced to the bow to help pull in the jib. With no more sails to get up in a hurry, the captain withdrew from the race and started the engine. Damn!
Two weeks later we found ourselves in another race with less than 5 knots of wind. Our sails barely filled, we inched along on a hot day. A big boat like Star doesn't go very fast in light air. Had we discovered a genie in a bottle floating by, I know what our collective wish would have been - wind! After several hours (the race was only 14 miles), many boats began to withdraw as they wouldn't be able to complete the race in the allotted time given in the racing rules. Our captain reluctantly acquiesced to the lack of wind and started the motor too. Again, race over. No boats in our division finished that race. I turned to the captain and said, "give me a gale any day compared to that!" He agreed. Crew and captain decided we're due for an awesome race and finish. Next time!
City Island Yacht Club Distance Race June 15th
