Am I the only yawl owner on the SBO? There are so many yawls on the coast of Maine and NE, there has to be more of us.
Last weekend saw pretty typical October winds. The prevailing Southerly winds have now shifted more toward the North. Saturday and Sunday would start with a Northwesterly wind and gradually clock through West and finish, with a high note (and knot) out of the Southwest.
Starting with 10 to 15 and knowing it would blow 20 before I returned home, I left the main covered and sailed out under 'jib and jigger', a term that dates back to Colonial times (that could be an exaggeration,...).
I don't care much for 20 knots - even 15 in fact, but I can enjoy sailing in 20kts if the boat is set up to be in control, no drama. You can achieve that only by reefing. Leaving the mainsail down, half my boats sail area, is deeply reefed. The combination of a small jib on the forestay and a small mainsail (mizzen) off the stern can be nicely balanced.
But no matter how I set the boat up, sailing in 20 knots to windward, is not something I enjoy for very long. I know from experience, this wind forecast is a great time to hug the Western coast of Penobscot Bay which would be in the lee for the next 24 hours. The roller furling jib makes it easy to set a size, which went in an out as I hugged the coast.
On the other end out of sight (behind me), the mizzen makes itself known mostly by the helm. Over trimmed it can turn the wheel into a weather helm beast. Just a quick loosening of a tiny sheet, soothes the beast(helm).
The boat sailed well often in the 5 knot range and up to near hull speed, but never overpowered. Easy sailing. The main draw back to this configuration becomes apparent if you have to go to windward in these conditions. So I don't and hug the shore in the lee.
Which made Rockland, a harbor just 3 miles South of mine, a good place to overnight. With the centerboard lowered, after a couple tacks, I was about to sail into the harbor to windward and grab a vacant mooring in the outer harbor. Rockland Harbor is still busy with fishing boat and ferry traffic. Once that traffic stopped at nightfall, I felt like I had the large harbor to myself.
It was cold! A Westerly wind on Penobscot Bay in October usually is.
I got a concerned text from home (3 miles away) : "Brrrr,...are you warm enough?"
I texted back: ",...I'm managing,..." But I didn't send this pic.
I was fine. I had to kindle another fire in the morning as the cold Westerly blew sea smoke across the ports. Mid morning the Southwesterly filled in - strongly. I dropped the mooring after breakfast, with just the two sails again, and headed homeward - hugging the coast in the lee.
In outer Rockport Harbor (home), I gauged a point to start my final tack in (another yawl trick - wait for it). The day had warmed up a bit due to the Southerly effect in the wind so I planned to have lunch out here in the 20 knots.
Sailing a broad reach, at my estimated point I brought the bow through the wind for the last time, furled the jib, sheeted the mizzen tight and flat on the centerline and let the boat fall off. As we layed ahull, the last thing to do was turn the wheel downwind, and tighten the lock on it.
Yep, the boat is simply hove to. I enjoyed a half hour lunch protected from the 20knots sitting on the bridge deck inside the dodger. In fact I'd over estimated this last 'tack' so had some time to start sorting things out to leave the boat on the mooring.
It's a pretty neat yawl trick. The boat rode 'like a duck' traveling an average .6 knots, dead down wind. This was the 30 min. lunch track from star to pin.
I turned the motor on and headed for my mooring. It took 3 tries to finally hook the pendant in the wind a wave. That was the hardest part of this solo overnight sail.
Last weekend saw pretty typical October winds. The prevailing Southerly winds have now shifted more toward the North. Saturday and Sunday would start with a Northwesterly wind and gradually clock through West and finish, with a high note (and knot) out of the Southwest.
Starting with 10 to 15 and knowing it would blow 20 before I returned home, I left the main covered and sailed out under 'jib and jigger', a term that dates back to Colonial times (that could be an exaggeration,...).
I don't care much for 20 knots - even 15 in fact, but I can enjoy sailing in 20kts if the boat is set up to be in control, no drama. You can achieve that only by reefing. Leaving the mainsail down, half my boats sail area, is deeply reefed. The combination of a small jib on the forestay and a small mainsail (mizzen) off the stern can be nicely balanced.
But no matter how I set the boat up, sailing in 20 knots to windward, is not something I enjoy for very long. I know from experience, this wind forecast is a great time to hug the Western coast of Penobscot Bay which would be in the lee for the next 24 hours. The roller furling jib makes it easy to set a size, which went in an out as I hugged the coast.
On the other end out of sight (behind me), the mizzen makes itself known mostly by the helm. Over trimmed it can turn the wheel into a weather helm beast. Just a quick loosening of a tiny sheet, soothes the beast(helm).
The boat sailed well often in the 5 knot range and up to near hull speed, but never overpowered. Easy sailing. The main draw back to this configuration becomes apparent if you have to go to windward in these conditions. So I don't and hug the shore in the lee.
Which made Rockland, a harbor just 3 miles South of mine, a good place to overnight. With the centerboard lowered, after a couple tacks, I was about to sail into the harbor to windward and grab a vacant mooring in the outer harbor. Rockland Harbor is still busy with fishing boat and ferry traffic. Once that traffic stopped at nightfall, I felt like I had the large harbor to myself.
It was cold! A Westerly wind on Penobscot Bay in October usually is.
I got a concerned text from home (3 miles away) : "Brrrr,...are you warm enough?"
I texted back: ",...I'm managing,..." But I didn't send this pic.
I was fine. I had to kindle another fire in the morning as the cold Westerly blew sea smoke across the ports. Mid morning the Southwesterly filled in - strongly. I dropped the mooring after breakfast, with just the two sails again, and headed homeward - hugging the coast in the lee.
In outer Rockport Harbor (home), I gauged a point to start my final tack in (another yawl trick - wait for it). The day had warmed up a bit due to the Southerly effect in the wind so I planned to have lunch out here in the 20 knots.
Sailing a broad reach, at my estimated point I brought the bow through the wind for the last time, furled the jib, sheeted the mizzen tight and flat on the centerline and let the boat fall off. As we layed ahull, the last thing to do was turn the wheel downwind, and tighten the lock on it.
Yep, the boat is simply hove to. I enjoyed a half hour lunch protected from the 20knots sitting on the bridge deck inside the dodger. In fact I'd over estimated this last 'tack' so had some time to start sorting things out to leave the boat on the mooring.
It's a pretty neat yawl trick. The boat rode 'like a duck' traveling an average .6 knots, dead down wind. This was the 30 min. lunch track from star to pin.
I turned the motor on and headed for my mooring. It took 3 tries to finally hook the pendant in the wind a wave. That was the hardest part of this solo overnight sail.
