MacGregorSailors.com

Well went out for a day sailing on Sunday and all I could say was I sure hope that there are very few days like that.They say a major disaster usually is a cummulation of a a lot of small incidents... and that I can contest too.
Well sit down and read this post with a stiff drink in your hand.
Started off quite early. Was down at the Marina at approx 6:30 am for an early sail as the breeze was a good 10 to 15 knots and due to abate by the early afternoon for a lazy end of day on the water. The Mac sits on her trailer with the mast up. (Thats the big stick that supports the sail in case some of you are wondering ) Well I see a semi flat tyre on one of the dual axles. No problem,must have a small leak.I will go and inflate after I launch the Mac as the servo (Service Station) is just up the road. Not a good idea to inflate with boat on and stick up as power lines in the way and would get plenty attention from the Emergency Service people. Soooo. Go to hitch on to car and trailer out to the ramp. Lots of gravel noise coming from rear. Partner alerts me that the wheel with the flat tyre is not going round and a round. Bugger! Grab big spanner and start hitting wheel hub. Go back and forward,back and forward till free. All good again.Lubricate,No problemo. Tow to ramp do the usual stuff. Reverse and launch. Boat comes off easy. Too easy. Poor partner trying to hold on to the Mac as the stern heads out to sea. By the time I jump out and clamber onto the wharf a stroke of luck in the way of a boats wake pushes the Mac back along side the wharf. Had to explain to partner (calmly)to Cleat on asap to the dock much easier than trying to hold a Fat Mac with a good breeze on the side of the dock. She only weighs 52 kgs.
As I pulled out before I jumped onto the Wharf the Mac went side ways on the trailer. Silly me forgot to close the water ballest valve and she started to weigh in over the trailer wheel arch. Got caught up and started to be towed back up the ramp before finally letting go. All good a little dent in the guard that should be knocked out fairly easily. After coming back from getting the tyre inflated, park car and trailer and meet partner on the Mac. Start up motor and wait for an acquaintance to meet us. Check for tell tale sign of pump working on outboard. Nothing. Waiting waiting waiting...Stop motor and inspect before engine over heats. Finally after doing some Abra Cadabra stuff I see water coming out. I quickly have mind flashes of my noggin on "Time Magazine" Genius fixes out board motor pump with telepathic cursing thoughts"
Anyway...Acquaintance turns up puts his 2 cents worth and we head out to the sea proud as Punch as we see all the other boats still tied to their moorings.
Out the break wall to go and harass a real ship. A Passenger liner. Pacific Pearl at anchor about 600 metre off Mooloolaba Beach. We harass her like you see those tourist harass those English Queens guards with the big bear skin hats where they can't move or come at you. We motor around and right in front of her bow taking selfies. Enough sea larkin. Theres a breeze eager to please so hoist the sails and kill the noise. Well...this is sailing. A perfect day.Not a cloud in the sky. Not to hot,not to cold and a great early morning breeze. Acquaintance who seems to be a bit of a know it all is crewing. He's a bit slow on the winches but its not a boat he is use to so all is forgiven. The Mac heals over several times with the 150 genoa. I constantly loose control and she rounds up. Not to bad but not a fan.After boating around for a little while "old mate wants to get into close to shore off Mooloolaba. I oblige as the surfs not rough. He wants more selfies off the beach. They are having a huge day on shore as there is a National Iron man 70.3 mile marathon going on. Over 3000 athletes all with their support crew, ground crew,media and passenger ship tourists its BIG! I get in nice and close before we tack. Old mate stuffs up the tack. Were in irons and sailing backwards. He was to slow with the headsail lost the sheet which tangles around the shrouds in the fresh breeze. Not good as now can hear the breakers quite close. He's fiddling around and my partners face goes whiter then the breaking surf. We can easily see the sand on the bottom of the ocean.
To be continued after 100 views.

Small bites my friend, that 150 will kill you in your sleep, dont turn your back on it for a second, I'd recommend keeping 30% of it furled most of the time, she will tack easier as it will pass the mast without hitting it and tangling. Always have your motor down if you intend to get close to beach, you can still sail with the motor down but you have an insurance policy in case things go left when you go right. Its fun when the big ships are in town isnt it? Im going out for a week at the end of the month, cant wait.

We all have days when you can't do a thing wrong and other days that nothing goes right.

Learn what you can from both types of days.

As for being slow on the tack, I actually prefer to let the foresail backhaul for a little bit to help push the nose around a bit faster so I don't stall.

Anyone else do this?

Also, I had a 110 job and replaced with 150 genoa; I loved sailing my Jib but hated I got left behind from Macs with Genoas.

The genoa CAN give me extra knot of speed but is a PITA sometimes; I'm thinking about putting my job back up.

Okay, you met your view goal. Finish the story.

BTW, doesn't seem like a good idea to " harass a real ship". They have right of way and if something goes bad, it could turn ugly. I hope that's not part II.

--Russ

Rick62.

Just a thought!

When tacking, don't start pulling the Genoa across the deck until it back fills with wind. It will then go much easier to complete the tack.

I'v had your situation once too much. This forum has educated me

Ray


Wools! i took too long to post my thoughts from this morning, and sencmac26x beat me too it with the back filling the Genoa.

RussMT wrote: BTW, doesn't seem like a good idea to " harass a real ship". They have right of way and if something goes bad, it could turn ugly. I hope that's not part II.

Considering it was anchored...

Good story so far!

I read it as a fictional parody off all the things that go wrong while sailing.

Didja know that there's a small line between cruising & cursing!

Rick is the Mac sites version of Rudyard Kipling telling his sea tail...............in serial form.

Ray

I keep hitting refresh to get us to 100 views so I can find out what happens next.

Looking forward to hearing how this story wraps up. Still alive to tell the tale so it can't be too bad.

DaveC426913 wrote:

RussMT wrote: BTW, doesn't seem like a good idea to " harass a real ship". They have right of way and if something goes bad, it could turn ugly. I hope that's not part II.

Considering it was anchored...

I missed that part. Then It's perfectly fine.

K9Kampers wrote:Good story so far!

I read it as a fictional parody off all the things that go wrong while sailing.

Didja know that there's a small line between cruising & cursing!

Yeah. "I" am the difference between cursing and cruising.

Thanks fellas.
Sorry for the delay but you need to remember there is a time delay as we are on the opposite side of the planet.
Your response has been out standing and I appreciate your input.

Anyway...Part two of my Saga last Sunday.
…Cont”
Whilst “old mate” was trying to untangle the genoa sheets from the shrouds I had my hands busy on that stupid wheel. I would give anything for an ol skool tiller. At least with a tiller you know exactly where your rudder is. Not with a wheel. I was trying to control my Mac but to know avail. Within seconds we were now gybing and pointing around towards the beach again. Then Bang! The boom hit old mate’s head with the Force of Thor’s hammer hitting the ground. Blood splatted all over the mainsail clew like a shotgun wound to the head. He ricochets back over to the lee side and over the gunnels into the water. Back first, arms out stretched, his eyes rolled back into his arced head. It happened so fast we couldn’t do anything. His body now quickly sinking to the shallow bottom. My partner screamed like a teenage girl at a Justin Bieber concert. It took a second or two but his body came rocketing back to the surface. It was his self-inflating life jacket that brought him back into a pool of his own blood. By law in Australia you have to wear a life jacket to cross a bar. Getting out the Mooloolaba rock wall you have to cross the Mooloolaba bar. My partner bought me the self-inflating jackets when they were on sale for the same price of the manual ones.
Meantime I could see he was now conscious but dazed. As for me I was Captain Nowhere. I felt like a monkey riding a runaway camel.
All of a sudden I felt the boat quickly rise by about a metre and a half then drop back down even quicker. Not good and I could see the back of the wave that just lifted us breaking towards the shore.Thank God at least we were back in irons as old mate was slowly swimming to the back of the boat. I’ve now gone to “Defcon 1” …a disaster is imminent. I have no control, a partner who is in shock yelling, “do something!” and a soul in the water. I didn’t notice it at first but my partner noticed a brownish figure in the clear green water swim right past us. She can notice a “Sale” sign in a women’s shoe shop at five hundred paces. I had to focus through the glare of the sun hitting the water, and the silly fact I left my Polaroids down below when I went to pick up my phone for the selfies as its hard to see the phone screen when wearing them. But I could finally see its head moving side to side. In a slow deliberate manner. Its broad head accenting its slim muscular body. There was no mistake what it was. Not even a dolphin could come close to impersonating this predator. A four letter word came racing out of my mouth at full throttle that would leave a trucker speechless.

To be Cont after 500 views

I can hit refresh 499 times...

Just saying.

If this story ends with a decoder ring and a message saying, "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine." I will be unhappy.