Odalisque - August 19th, 2006 Log

Log 2006 - September 17th

Sunday September 17th, 2006
“Couples with no wind”

Crew: Matt, Laurie, Caleb, Jessie
Depart: 1600
Return: 2000
Current: up river

We worked on our bilge pump after replacing some valves in the JABSCO 17202-0000 diaphragm pump mechanism. I took a swim in the Hudson and inspected our prop and knocked off a few barnacles with and old putty knife with a metal blade and a wood handle. I had also previously covered the flukes of the propeller with light epoxy and it seemed to be just fine.
The refurbished bilge pump did not work as well as it had. Its flow was intermittent instead of a steady flow. We have more work ahead trying to fix this very necessary apparatus. There is a lot to think about in the bilge pump department. We might want to get an auxiliary pump that pumps faster than our standard 120 GPM pump. We also need to fix the onboard hand operated backup. Take it apart if necessary. The small portable hand pump on board is only for emergencies.
Our chores finished, we decided to motor for a bit as it was quite warm. It was nearly 80 degrees F in the sun when there was no wind. I let Jessie steer us upriver with the current as it would be ebbing in hours and therefore diminishing. We got up to the cliffs of the Tors as the sun disappeared over the heights and were in its awesome shadow. We eventually found more sun and a breath of wind while heading back south down river towards the Nyack Boat Club mooring field.
We lowered the main and kept the jib up and bested the current heading downstream as the ripples on the water indicated a breeze. Eventually we motored back to the dock and deposited Matt at the “drop and go dock” who would come and meet us at the mooring in a tin boat. This too was becoming quite familiar and easy to do as long as the engine, drive train and prop and rudder are working. If we were not there all of Odalisque’s accoutrements would have been neglected and remained unused. And just who would know which of Odalisque’s systems were not working?

Wednesday September 20th, 2006
“Race night or not”

Wind: W, NW near 15 with a few gusts near 20
Crew: Matt, Caleb, Ernie
Depart: 1830
Return: 2030

Air temp: 65 – 70 F
We boarded the last launch and Ernie proved he knew his way around a sailboat. He hopped up and removed the main sail cover and sail ties and was a pleasure to have onboard for the rest of the night. I thought he worked out quite well as a crewman for Matt and I.
The starting line was confusing as was the course we were to follow. We probably should have radioed the committee boat for instructions but we did not and we followed our competition which ultimately led to our demise of DNF in the race.
The wind was somewhat opposed to the current but the waves were not too confused until we got to the lee shore on the eastern side of the Hudson at buoy #10 and headed down to #8. There was a nice three mile fetch here and the waves had built considerably from the Nyack or western side. Over there it was flat and lightly rippled with cat paws trailing across towards us. On our side of the river there were 2 to 3 foot waves that Odalisque happily bounced through on the way from #8 to #10 buoys.
It would appear that an additional upwind mark was added to the raced that was not on our diagrams. Most of the race course was on a reach of some kind or another and we raised our centerboard until the final (we thought) upwind leg of the race. Before # 8 we lowered the centerboard doing 5+ knots We should have had the board down a little further during this whole leg as Matt was having problems with the tiller keeping her really straight.
On our broad reach down to #10 I noticed a barge and tug heading up river. I thought he would pass us when I first clocked his position and speed. So did the other boats in our class and some adjusted course to avoid the tug and barges and headed for his stern just slightly down river. We followed them rather than keeping a true compass course. By the time we got to that spot on the river I would say that the tug and barges had passed us by several minutes.
By the time the sun had long departed the sky and the clouds danced in rows of silver and rose colored stripes. Ernie took the tiller as we furled the jib and dropped the main. He found our mooring just fine and handled our A4 engine nicely. I would have him back as crew any time.

Wednesday September 27th, 2006
“Another fall race with crew”

Crew: Caleb, Matt, and Richie and Jack joined us.

Once on board we pulled a clothesline around our submerged hull to try and clean it a bit. Then Richie and Jack joined us from the launch boat just in time to set off for the starting line. We had invited them to come along with us on the race as crew and wer every happy that we did. They proved to both good company and good crew. We sailed a good race and were not the last boat over the line. A moderate sized crescent moon showed itself between the gray clouds. The air was warm enough that no one seemed to get cold. We were underway and I was at the helm. It had been a very agreeable time spent on the Hudson while racing with kindred spirits. Richie was quick to point out the tug and barge steaming up river at us on the final leg under a light afterglow. Good looking out!
After PHRF adjustment we came out firmly in the middle of the pack in this race beating Larry Dolan on his Santana 30 (he had a bad day and usually beats us, sometimes by seconds).

— Caleb Davison