Odalisque - October 15th & 22nd, 2006 Log

Log 2006 - October 15th & 22nd

Sunday October 15th, 2006
“October sail and another spin test”

Crew: Caleb, Jessica, Matt
Air temperature: 58 was the high, we brought layers of clothing
Wind: fluky. W-NW at first to 15 then from all over the compass at 2 – 10
Depart: 1500
Arrive: 1800

Distance covered: around 10 so our average speed was near 3.3 knots

The clouds that had blocked our sun moved off to the east leaving us in glorious sunshine while we close hauled up river. The winds were shifting west to northwest and we were being pulled by the tide up river also. Near Ossining we tacked across the river. Matt took the tiller and there were some whitecaps and he succeeded in burying the rail. I know this to be true because the port side jib sheet was wet when I next handled it.
We buzzed the mighty cliffs of the Tors (Hook Mountain to locals) and Pyngyp (bread loaf shaped from the Dutch…) before turning south. It was here that we tried flying the spinnaker. It worked for a while in the hesitant winds near the cliffs. Eventually the wind backed to the south whence the spinnaker did not like it and back winded itself around the forestay. I headed us back up river while we doused the chute. Jessie helped Matt with disentangling the lines from the sail and I tried putting out the jib and tacking towards home. We tried flying the spinnaker and it worked pretty well for a while in the light and fluky winds near the cliffs. The wind backed south which the spinnaker did not like so we headed back up river if only to douse the spin. If it had been much windier it could have been much more fun and or much worse.
Jessie helped Matt with disentangling all the lines from the spinnaker (sheet, guy, lift, downhaul and twings) while I headed us back down river under power. We tried using just the genoa but in such light airs we needed to motor. The night loomed ominusly and we needed to get back before we lost all our light. We used the touch and go dock and met Matt back out at the mooring under steely bright skies. It had also become cooler here so we made haste closing up the boat and getting to shore at twilight.
Our sailing season this year has consisted of many day sails similar to today. The core crew has been my wife Jessie and old friend Matt and sometimes his wife Laurie. I love and cherish the core crew and most of the others who are brave enough to come along. Each time we go out it is certainly different yet ultimately the same. The cliffs of the Tor’s are the same but they look different every single day depending on the light and season. The weather is different each time and so are our moods and dispositions, sometimes changing in step with the weather.

Sunday October 22nd, 2006
“Last Sunday NBC race”

Crew: Matt, Caleb.
Air temps: high of 58
Current: heading down river starting at 1345
Wind: 5 – 15 S SE
Race course distance: around 9 nm if we did it correctly
Distance covered: 12 – 15 nm
Tree foliage: peak or near peak
Lighting: provided by cloud cover and some direct sunlight.

After the start we found ourselves so far behind the other boats in our class that we couldn’t converse with them at all. No Gray Poupon for us. On the downwind leg we caught up a little using the now old spin/whisker pole on the genny. Beating back upwind we lost a lot of distance on the other boats. We crossed what we thought was the finish line and were told by the race committee (RC) on channel 72 that we had to round the windward mark again before finishing. This helped us as the boat in front of us did not round the windward mark again and presumably got a DNF. Never follow leaders watching parking meters. We finished 3rd and we will see where we place after our lovely tub’s 240 PHRF rating is factored in on a longish race.

— Caleb Davison