The North Channel Cruise was a wonderful experience, a fine group of guys,
who are all very good sailors and a feisty lady who acted as our guide and
authority on everything. We met her through a connection that Tod made with
her on the internet. She cruises the NC all summer in a Slipper 17 "Raggedy
Anne" and formerly spent five summers there in a Potter 15 "Peapod". So the
NC is this beautiful clear part of Lake Huron (even drinkable) surrounding
ancient mountains tops worn down by thousands of ice ages. Others will
probably have more to say, but for me it was a great place that shouldn't be
missed. I will definitely return there. I think Frank is already planning
another cruise for this autumn, but he only lives 300 miles from Spanish,
where we launched.
Whenever we talk about cruises we focus on the location, but for me lessons
learned from conditions encountered and tips picked up from the other
cruisers are of great value. Like Bones had this great little stove
"Jetboil" that boiled water fast, had a built in coffee press and stored
everything including the fuel inside the cup. Also, Bones, "the Fisherman"
had a neat kickup rudder on his M17 that worked off a cleat which released
at set strain on the line. I never saw it in operation, but it looked like
it would work.
Frank showed me a more convenient topping lift setup than the conventional
one of a line going from the aft end of the boom to a block at the top of
the mast and then cleated off at the foot of the mast. To copy Frank's
setup I mounted an eye at the mast head, put a block at the aft end of the
boom and a cleat about three feet forward. A single line goes from the mast
head through the block and to the cleat. To adjust the topping lift I don't
have to leave the tiller. In the past I almost always forgot to slacken the
topping lift and had to go forward again to do so and then knowing how much
to release was not always clear. This system is simple and easy to use.
Along those same lines, it has always been a wrestling match trying to reef
my mainsail because the sail slugs would fall out of the slot opening above
the boom. I've tried different approaches without success. On the NC
cruise I would reef while still at anchor if I thought I needed less sail.
Half the time I just shook out the reef and wrestled with getting the lower
sail slides into the slot while under way. I no sooner got home than I
noticed a solution from two sources. SCA had a one page description of
exactly the system that Tod describes "BruscaBrisas" has and well, I figured
I'll give it a try. So this morning I closed the standard opening in the
sail track and opened one below the normal boom position. It's beautiful.
The sail when in the down position stacks right on the boom because I don't
need to use a sail stop to keep the slugs above the previous opening.
Bending the sail was easier because I made the new opening smaller so there
was less tendency for the slogs to fall out. Reefing and shaking out was
simple and straight forward. However, the seaway in my backyard was rather
calm.
Doug teaches me something every trip and the NC was no exception. I have
been perfecting a remote steering system for a couple of seasons that I got
from Doug. Last year I added a very comfortable companionway seat that
allows me to sit there and steer. Doug likes to stand in the cabin to steer
which is also a nice alternative to sitting in the cockpit. This year I'm
working on handholds that grab the steering line, making it more comfortable
to grab.
So, you can see I really like the remote steering system, but on this cruise
I, or I should say Tod and John identified a very serious problem concerning
the use of this method. We were sailing dead downwind in a strong breeze.
I clocked 8.6 knots with a reefed main and no jib. I believe John hit 9.1
knots in his M17. We were approaching a very narrow passage, with rocks on
both sides (all shores of the NC are rock) and of course Tod was passing me.
Anyway I decided to take his picture and while doing so I broached which was
a real wake up call to say the least. Next I decided to drop my sail,
because I didn't think I had enough control to make it through the quickly
approaching and narrowing inlet. I got the nose of the boat into the wind
and went forward to drop the sail. As I did this broach number 2 happened.
I tried again, number 3. I was being knocked over and blown into the rocks.
I couldn't even get to the engine and it felt like my expensive LED masthead
light would be the first thing to hit. I figured I had one more try and
luckily got the sail down and the engine started. Neptune let me off the
hook to sail another day. I humbly admit that there was no skill involved,
unless fear qualifies.
So, what happened? Every time I pointed into the wind the remote steering
system held the tiller amidships which made the boat want to sail when it
got some wind in the sail. So it would start to sail and then broach and
would have continued to do so until the rocks halted my forward progress, if
I didn't get the sail down. I was saved, but shaken and the next day I
practiced the same maneuver in high winds with a free tiller. It was a
breeze.
Rick Langer
M15 #337 Bluebird
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