The Pierce Invitational Race
Invitational? I didn't get an invitation, but I showed up anyway!
The day started, much like many Pierce mornings, as a foggy, cloudy, windless mess that was predicted to clear up. We expected this.
In the fog. We just hooked up our chartplotter GPS on a makeshift mount, and it works amazingly well. It really helped our nervousness being in the fog with it. We motored out about 1/2 mile south of Charles Island.
It pretty much looked just like this until well after the appointed starting time of the race had come and gone. While waiting for the wind to come up, we were subjected to showers of freezing May rain. That sucked. Here is Joyce steering with new crewmembers Erich and J.R., along with Chad.
Here's some of the other boats, similarly picking their way through the fog.
The weather cleared, and we got off a downwind start to Pond Point, in very light winds. We were the first boat in our class to get to the mark, but a combination of lack of wind and misjudging the current left us in third place after the rounding. We managed to keep our place and put pressure on the boats that beat us.
We won 3rd-place, and here I am enjoying the sunshine. The sun put in an appearance during the race and decided to stay.
It was brutal having to wait a couple hours for the race to start, then another hour and a half to get the race done. At least the weather turned nice, and we had a lot of beer in the icebox. In fact, we stayed out and sailed around for another hour while quenching our thirst!
We're in the water! Yay!!!
Last Friday our boat was launched. I couldn't be there for it, because I was selected as an Internet Correspondent at the Connecticut State Democratic Convention. See my other blog (one of them) at
"Connecticut Bob" for details on my busy weekend.
This photo is from last year, when we were taking a week sailing the Eastern Sound. Another few weeks, I'll be able to take a similar photo.
But I did get down to the boat early Sunday and finished rigging the mast and sails. We're planning to do our first race this Thursday, and possibly again on Saturday for the Pierce Invitational.
Looks like the weather is gonna warm up this weekend...I can't wait!
A schweet new boat!
.
Lori and Tim brought their newly purchased Pearson 40, "Blackthorne", into Branford Harbor last weekend. What a beauty!
Here's Tim and Lori posing in the cockpit under the dodger. Check out the early May sunburn on Tim.
As evening fell, Joyce, Pete, Teri and Lori enjoyed a toast to the boat with champagne; you have to do these things right. Plus, Joyce LOVES champagne.
Down below, Dave and Patricia enjoy the roomy cabin with Tim and Lori.
Joyce found her favorite spot below, in one of the two outboard main cabin bunks.
Patricia and Dave sit at the table and enjoy one of the many varieties of beer we had on hand that night. The main cabin easily contained eight people with no sense of crowding. The 13 foot beam probably has something to do with it.
We absolutely love the new boat and wish Lori & Tim many, many fun times and great cruises!
Wet sanding is fun and good for you!
Oh...did I mention that I've declared today to be "Opposite Day"?
Here's me in my Tyvec suit, backwards baseball cap, latex gloves and Ipod headphones (I hate earbuds...they kill my ears). This was at the start of the today's sanding, which is actually Day 4. My back is killing me, my right shoulder is sore, and it's about 52 degrees today with a windchill of approximately minus 20.
Did I mention how much I hate sanding?
The good news is that I've finished the boat today.
The bad news is that I've probably absorbed about 200 times my recommended daily allotment of cuprous oxide, or whatever poison is actually contained in Baltoplate, through my face.
Anyway, I'm looking at getting the boat in sometime late this coming week. Wahoooo!
Windjammers Spring Social!
Friday was the annual Windjammers Sailing Club "Spring Social", which is the yearly excuse to gather at the Milford Yacht Club and drink/talk/eat/and plan for the coming sailing season.
Joyce and I enjoy the happy hour drinks while the twilight fades over the harbor. Pete and Teri were there a little later, but the picture I took of Teri caught her talking, so I decided to be nice and I didn't use it.
I
won't say that it's almost impossible to take a picture of her
NOT talking, because she'll hurt me physically.
She's been working out, you know.
"Full Tilt" crew Chad and "Sea Hound's" Mike chat.
Can you guess by this picture that tonight was "Cinco de Mayo"? In the spirit of the occasion the MYC served up Mexican snacks.
Harold (left) talks with Chad's powerboater buddy Josh, who's a pisser in his own right, and fit right in with the Windjammers.
While Harold, who's a Welshman living in America, was showing his photo portfolio to Josh (Harold is a painter and photographer; he specializes in artsy and tasteful nudes) I leaned over Josh and took a picture. Harold tactfully reminded me of the
generosity of the American civil justice system, especially in obvious cases of
copyright infringement. I may be slow, but I can take a hint. Hence the white bars. Sorry, guys.
It was a mild evening, and as Joyce and Brita (from "Sea Hound") enjoy the outdoor deck overlooking the harbor lights, I take the opportunity to accidently char their retinas with my camera's flash.
It was a great start to the weekend, and the weather was promising for the next few days, so we're gonna get a lot of work done on the boat. I'm guessing maybe 10 days till we get launched.
Next post will have pictures of Lori and Tim's new boat. It's a beauty!
In the fog. We just hooked up our chartplotter GPS on a makeshift mount, and it works amazingly well. It really helped our nervousness being in the fog with it. We motored out about 1/2 mile south of Charles Island.
It pretty much looked just like this until well after the appointed starting time of the race had come and gone. While waiting for the wind to come up, we were subjected to showers of freezing May rain. That sucked. Here is Joyce steering with new crewmembers Erich and J.R., along with Chad.
Here's some of the other boats, similarly picking their way through the fog. 
We won 3rd-place, and here I am enjoying the sunshine. The sun put in an appearance during the race and decided to stay. 
It was brutal having to wait a couple hours for the race to start, then another hour and a half to get the race done. At least the weather turned nice, and we had a lot of beer in the icebox. In fact, we stayed out and sailed around for another hour while quenching our thirst!
