Demo returns!...kinda...

ARRRGH!

Reminds me of the 70's, I'm stuck in a high and can't get out!!!

Arrived back in PDX on the 23rd, back to work today, and just got an assignment starting Wednesday in Pittsburgh PA for a week....

a Quick update, before I go....

New Rudder: Awesome, Incredible, Fantastic, Cool. Very light at the helm.. and super positive control. When surfing you can let go of the helm and do a victory dance. Worst features.. "Rudder Flutter"and "Too Balanced?".

The rudder at higher speeds "feels" the turbulence off the keel and "shutters" (you can feel the shutter, but not see it. I talked with Stan Honey about this, his also shutters) "Too Balanced" in the becalmed seas as we had in the Pacific Cup, the rudder is so balanced that you cannot scull. In heavy seas, with the helm balanced, the tiller responses quickly and with short motions.

Our Delivery: Astoria to SF (@700nm) began with about 20 knots and built to 50 knots and 20-30 seas. We surfed to a boat record of 19.2 knots... averaged 8.75 knots.

Rogue quartering waves on three occasions COMPLETELY filled the cockpit and set off our automatic inflating life jackets. The rogue waves immediately hit at the bottom of a "King Wave" and hit the boat with great force. Without tethers we would have lost people.. absolutely. The waves had the sound of a high pitched fuse as they approached , and made an incredible exploding sound as the slammed into the side. We named the waves..."Sneaker Waves"

Pacific Cup @ 2070 nm: Beaten by Weatherman and Hard Headedness! Race strategy was to sail the short course, the great circle. This strategy was bolstered by the weather faxes received 4 times daily....

after a week of bobbing and seeing the fleet south move away... gave up on the short course. I tore up my #1 slatting and four spinnakers beating out of the hole. The heads ripped off the spinnakers and left me without a downwind weapon. New trick: Tie a small diameter line to the Spinnaker Halyard, in bad conditions, so if the kite explodes you can pull the halyard and sail remnant back down... We had to make a trip to the top to the mast in big seas before we figured this out.

Finished the downwind run (1000 miles) with a poled out #2 and Blooper. Max surf @ 13.4 knots, ave speed, a dismal 4 knots.... cheeze, I could have walked there faster...

If it wasn't for Hurricane Daniel two days behind us I might have walked. Besides sails, the only other damage happened 3 miles before the finish line, when the crew failed to notice the running back snagged on the port spreader, and over cranked the runner without looking..... and ripped off the wooden spreader. Yipees!!!

We quickly put some spare halyards to the deck and saved the rig... Missed the party, and awards banquet... and spent the next three days stripping the boat and getting ready for Hurr. Daniel. He decided to go north and avoided OAHU.... The spreader was remanufactured by a Hawaiian cabinet shop out of oak for $50...

Delivery Distance sailed 2700 Nm: Lost All my delivery crew because of our late arrival. Lynn Bantley of Cal 40 "Sirocco" however had taken me up on a offer and was there at our arrival. Lynn's new name is "Iron Man" for his driving skills and endurance.... Lynn would drive in difficult conditions for 5 hours. My 21 year old daughter came over to help, this was her first time in the ocean, and almost first time sailing...

My dad also came over to help, an ocean veteran, but recovering from a difficult cancer operation last year, in which all of his bowels were removed. a real stud.

The trip home took us north to almost the CA/OR Border, and then east to Astoria. The delivery was to weather and 700 miles farther than the race. We made it a day faster than the race, covering the distance in 18 days. Made radio contact with "Red Head" a Cal 40 from "Idaho" kept in SF.

We caught more fish than we could eat, and discovered the joys of an autopilot. (this discovery is a story unto itself). The only pilot available in HI was an autohelm 2000 rated for 10,000 pounds. The 40 fully loaded for the delivery easily weighed twice that. The pilot worked fantastic, I'm sure that some of the success can be attributed to the light, balanced rudder.

Many lessons learned, and stories to be told... and pictures to post, but for now, Just a heartfelt thanks to all for the support, and a proclamation that the Cal 40 is indeed an awesome ocean going vessel... powerful and confident... this time out however i forgot to add the wind..... Double Handed in 2000? Demo!