One of Life's Great Questions....

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 4:21 pm

As humans, we all wrestle with life's Great Questions. Sometimes we're lucky enough to discover the answers.

For me, a burning question has been "Just how badly will a 44yr old Triton with soggy decks and ill-fitting sails get beaten by a nearly-new J-80 with brandy-new sails?"

The answer, I discovered: REALLY badly. He owed us about 15 minutes, but beat us by about 30. But we drank more than twice as much, so we still have bragging rights on something.

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 4:58 pm

Short-Story-Long:

The local AIA chapter decided to host an "annual" regatta (I've always wondered about the wisdom of labeling something "annual" in its inaugural year) this year. The boss puts the flier on my desk and says "let's use your boat". A day off? Sailing required? Ow, stop it, you're twisting my arm off!
We enlisted crew from among the office staff, registered the boat, and promptly forgot about the whole thing. When we eventually remembered (a week prior to the event), it was too late to get people on the boat for an "orientation day". For that matter, we had a laundry-list of questions..... overnight mooring? spinnakers? number of participants? driving directions?
The organizers were rather thin on details. It was clear that they're far more accustomed to hosting schmooze luncheons. Bah, no matter. We're in. Whatever it turns out to be, it turns out to be.

The host venue is about 12 miles west of my usual homeport. I took Thursday afternoon off of work to take the boat over and spend the night.
Beating 12 miles into 20-25kts singlehanded was less than comfortable, but I figured it was better than doing it at the crack of the following dawn.
I arrived unscathed and was directed to my overnight-transient berth. While signing in at the dockmaster's office, I asked if other boats had arrived yet for the regatta. No? hmmmm, oh well, I guess no one else is bothering to come from such distance.

The following morning I'm munching a muffin at the skipper's meeting, contemplating a regatta to be sailed in heavy winds with a lime-green crew, when the RC reports that "The third boat just called in to say that they're not coming because of the weather".

THIRD BOAT???!!!! you mean it's just me and the dinghy-on-steroids that just pulled up to the dock sporting carbon spars?? oy, this oughta be worth a laugh.

Ah, but we had a great time. 15 minutes after the start, the weather calmed down to about 14kts, so I got adventurous and shook out the reef. After the top mark I changed to the 145-ish genoa. By that time the crew was on their second beer, so I kept the boathandling to a minimum.

As we finished and turned to port for the open-bar "cocktail hour" awards ceremony, the wind went back up to 20, so we had a SCREAMING broad-reach dragrace back to the dock. I think he let me win that one.

Post by **Tim** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 6:06 pm

Sounds like fun! In the end, that's all that matters, isn't it?

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 8:53 pm

Oh, a great time for sure. It was a great event at a fantastic venue.

Schmoozing my way around cocktail hour, I started thinking..... hey, that 20kt southwest breeze will carry me home in about two hours. Maybe I oughta leave tonight instead of paying another $2.50/ft transient fee...
As I start saying my goodbyes, 4 of my 5 crew give me the big "can I come?" puppydog eyes. It meant driving them back to their cars afterward, but I couldn't say no.

So we had a great downhill sail back to homeport. We all took turns lounging on the foredeck listening to the bow wave. The wind died down to about 6kts over the course of the trip, but the timing was perfect.... the sun set juuuuust as we rounded the point into the river. Zero traffic = zero hassles upriver, but it had been a looooong day (morning comes early when sleeping aboard, no?) and I had about 90 minutes of driving ahead of me, so I elected to beat feet outta there before the bugs realized we'd arrived. "I'll come back tomorrow to get the boat cleaned up and squared-away".

Yeah, right. After shuttling people back to their cars, I made it home at about 00:30, told Julia all about it, then slept til 10:30. Still exhausted, it was easy for her to entice me to go to lunch at our favorite buffalo wing place, then run a few errands to kill the rest of the afternoon.

Sunday was boat-cleaning day. As I scrubbed down the decks, a light rain started falling to aid my rinse. A perfect weekend.

Anyone else want to sign my petition to standardize the 2-1/2 day work week?? :)

Post by **dasein668** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 9:26 pm

Figment wrote:Anyone else want to sign my petition to standardize the 2-1/2 day work week?? :)

I'm actually against a standardized 2 1/2 day work week. I'm too greedy. Don't want to share the bay!

;-P

Post by **Tim** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 7:17 am

dasein668 wrote:I'm actually against a standardized 2 1/2 day work week. I'm too greedy. Don't want to share the bay!

Oh, Mike's way down in Long Island Sound. I think we can allow him to come out during the week!

But don't come any closer! hehe

Post by **dasein668** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 7:48 am

Oh, yeah, sure. I've got nothing against Mike "seeing the light." I just don't to standardize it!

Post by **Tim** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 10:31 am

Right...after all, it's bad enough that the rest of those people get to have Saturday and Sunday off! :<)

Post by **dasein668** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 10:49 am

Indeed. I think we should standardize on an 80 hour work week.

hehe

Post by **Tim** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 12:14 pm

dasein668 wrote:I think we should standardize on an 80 hour work week.

...for everyone but you and me, of course. And I'm not even sure about you! hehe

Hey, someone's gotta fill the void created by "workdoesntcomefirsters" like us in the great capitalist machine!

Dave, 397 · Post by **Dave, 397** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 1:19 pm

[Tim Wrote: ...somebody has to fill the workings of the great capitalist machine...]

Isn't that what Ken Kesey's character 'Chief Bromden' referred to so incisively as "The Combine"?

Dave

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 8:04 pm

Hey, someone's gotta fill the void created by "workdoesntcomefirsters" like us in the great capitalist machine

That, Sirs, would be me. I am working my last week at my current job and will soon become voluntarily unemployed so that I can spend more time on my boat. I am going to play until the money pile is gone. Then I am going to anchor in front on your house and look REALLY, REALLY, hungry. Or maybe just paint a BIG sign on my hull stating "Will scrape for food".

-Britton

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 8:06 pm

errr... I should really read the posts more carefully. That, Sirs, will NOT be me...

-Britton

Post by **dasein668** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 9:14 pm

bcooke wrote: Then I am going to anchor in front on your house and look REALLY, REALLY, hungry. Or maybe just paint a BIG sign on my hull stating "Will scrape for food".

Phew! Good thing I live 35 minutes from the shore! hehe. That'll be tougher on Tim.

I'm sure that there'll be plenty o' work going on at the barn this winter...

Post by **Tim** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 6:11 am

bcooke wrote:I am working my last week at my current job and will soon become voluntarily unemployed so that I can spend more time on my boat. I am going to play until the money pile is gone.

It's surprising how few people in this country would even consider such a thing as an option! But living for now is the only way, to my way of thinking. Sounds like a good plan. Have fun!

I wish you could anchor in front of my house...I wish I could, too. No such luck, sadly. A marine railway into my barn would pretty much make all things perfect, no?

Post by **dasein668** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 6:37 am

I'm tellin' ya man, we need to find a way to buy either Clapboard or Hope Island....

Get on that, would ya?

Post by **Tim** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 3:46 pm

Sure...I'll start working harder. But not till I get back from my 4+ week cruise.

And I might decide then that I don't really want to work harder, so it might take a while.

But I promise: as soon as I make my second million, I'll buy an island. (sorry, the first million is pre-spent...)

bcooke · Post by **bcooke** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 8:49 pm

But living for now is the only way, to my way of thinking. Sounds like a good plan. Have fun!

Thank you. Your words are some of the few encouraging comments I have received. Most think I am crazy - which is true- but not for leaving my job.

Hopefully I will have time for more of those "perfect weekends" Wait a minute. Every day is a weekend now!

Is there much racing to be done with an older design like the Triton? I have never actually raced (well, not in a proper sense - only against unsuspecting rivals I meet on the way - I still lose most of the time). Most of my sailing has been on old wooden gaff rigged plugs which struggle to get out of their own way.

-Britton

Post by **Tim** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 7:22 am

Tritons are best raced with other Tritons, but they have been known to make appearances on mixed-fleed courses as well. In many typical race-course situations, especially with today's emphasis on short legs and lots of crew work, the Triton will be at a distinct disadvantage. Tritons are good sailing boats, but not strictly competitive with more modern boats in a set format. The base NE PHRF rating is somewhere around 246 or higher, compared to something like a J/24 which rates somewhere around 168, give or take. The Pearson 30 also rates about 168 in racing trim.

Racing success is not impossible, to be sure. And it may be fun regardless. I guess it depends on the fleet more than anything. Forget about a "gung-ho racer" fleet, but if there's a local fleet with a nice low-key, laid-back attitude, it might be fun.

I think the only way I'd now consider going back to racing at all would be in a one design fleet. Sailing boat for boat is much more fun, and more satisfying, than handicap.

Congratulations on making the unpopular decision to put living ahead of working. Those naysayers will become green with envy as they see how you enjoy your new freedom, and, somehow, manage to still pay your reduced bills and be a productive citizen in the meantime. Good on ya!