| August 18, 2002-- We've made it to Astoria -- we'll go up the river to St. Helens tomorrow and then we'll be home from this great adventure. But I thought it only fair to update you on our adventures since I last wrote. I posted our last message from Hot Springs Cove, and from there we planned to head to Ucluelet. There was quite a lot of wind blowing -- across Hot Springs Cove. The cove is long and narrow, and usually the wind blows up or down the cove, making it easy for float planes to deliver and pick up tourists there. There are two or three landings and take-offs per hour during the daylight. We watched several floatplanes try different strategies for taking off in this cross wind -- one laid out his course between us and the next boat, nearly grazing a point of land, and barely making it off the water before reaching the First Nations village on the other side of the cove. Another tried the usual course down the cove (sideways to the wind), and as soon as he lifted off he put a pontoon back in the water, barely recovering. There was 15 knots of wind inside the cove, and a predicted 35 knots outside. We carefully prepared, putting two reefs in the main (for non-sailors, that means cutting more than half of the area out of the mainsail) and battening everything down. Despite the best laid plans, and the most careful sailing, we experienced an accidental jibe. (That's where the mainsail suddenly goes from one stable condition (all the way out on the port or left side of the boat) to the other (all the way out on the starboard or right side of the boat). This all happens in the blink of an eye, and the lines simply do not pay out that fast. We did this once going down the coast of California in my father's boat (a wooden Lapworth 39), and the jibe broke the boom. We were "lucky" this time -- it only broke part of the traveler, and bent up one of the half inch stainless steel bolts holding the traveler in place. The traveller rail was moved sideways six inches. (We actually were lucky the bolt bent, because otherwise the traveller rail -- a 25 pound aluminum extrusion -- might have just sailed off the side of the boat -- kersplash -- and continued down 300 feet.) This made the mainsail unusable, rendering it unwise for us to continue to Ucluelet, particularly in that wind. Instead we went back to -- you guessed it -- Tofino, the Grand Central Station of the west coast. The very friendly harbormaster was not surprised to see us back, and helped us find a place that was actually on the dock, instead of rafted onto three other boats. We checked our instruments, and the maximum apparent wind for the day was 50.1 knots and our maximum speed was 13.3 knots! (The boat has a theoretical hull speed -- top speed -- of less than 9 knots.) We've since heard of other boats that sustained damage that day. A 60 foot tuna boat had a windshield smashed and cabin bent up when he took a rogue wave. Another sailboat had its rudder broken, and had hired a diver (perhaps Marcel?) to attach a new one. Our problem seemed minor by comparison. Craig got on his cell phone (likely a dollar a minute) and started figuring the logistics and tracking down the parts necessary to effect the repairs. We still planned on Ian coming, and Phil (who had sold the boat to us, and who stays in touch) arranged to have Lewmar (the traveller manufacturer) ship the parts to Ian by overnight delivery so he could bring them along. Ian went to Tacoma Screw, and then to a machine shop to acquire the necessary specialty bolt to replace the bent one, and have it machined to specification. Amazingly it all came together, and Friday night we met Ian's plane, and Craig and Ian started working on the repairs. At 11:00 p.m. another boat in the marina complained about the sawing noise, and they quit until morning. Lots of sealant goop later, and we were ready to depart for Astoria at 10:45 a.m. The trip back was pretty uneventful compared to what went before. Lots of fishing boats, not much wind (we only got about 6 hours of sailing out of a 28 hour passage), several whales, several dolphins, and much boredom. We enjoyed spending the time with Ian -- something we don't get to do very often -- and the sailing was really very nice. We tried out the Monitor windvane again, and confirmed that it's working perfectly. Ian's girlfriend, Sibyl, met us in Astoria, and all is well with the world. Thank you Ian! Thank you, Phil! We couldn't have done it without you! This will be my last message of the trip. Thanks to all who wrote with enthusiastic messages of support for our sailing, writing and house selling endeavors. We have loved hearing from you. |
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| Left: Approaching Astoria. Ian's comment: "M&M's: the breakfast of champions" Below: Craig, Barbara, Sibyl & Ian -- Sibyl met us at the dock in Astoria. |