Sail and Oar VS Oar, paddle etc.

[Daniel Noyes]

Rowed the Essex River race last weekend Sat 9th 5.5 miles of tidal creeks and sound.
There were three sail boats I noticed among the 100+ entrants.
A nicely maintained Peapod with a plug in the dagger board trunk, Clint Chase with his beautifull Drake (Mast step, no slot in hull for lateral resistance as the sail is for off the wind) and the Alpha Dory with a centerboard, pair of chain plates ie. stayed rig.

I was rowing with Sea Scout member Ben in the fixseat double category, we finished in 6th place of 6 boats 1:28 the fastest boat in our class was a ultra light plywood ( the deck was cloth) whitehall inspired type craft with two experienced rowers at 1:08 so I was pretty happy. It was my first time rowing the boat double and the stations were a bit close, I have since moved the second station 2" aft.
I hadn't rowed in 6 months and it was Bens 4th time out rowing!

Clint did great in Drake (passed us) 1:12, 5 munites ahead of the Shear Water, similar shape boat.

Dan
http://dansdories.googlepages.com

[wtarzia]

Congratulations! I have to get my boat out there, this summer I hope. That is one of the most beautiful spots on the NE coast. -- Wade

[Daniel Noyes]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3072/2919069238_3c1f2063e5.jpg?v=0

Wade let me know when you stop by.
here is the row boat with sail up behind Plumb Island
http://dansdories.googlepages.com

[wtarzia]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3072/2919069238_3c1f2063e5.jpg?v=0

Wade let me know when you stop by.
here is the row boat with sail up behind Plumb Island
http://dansdories.googlepages.com

--- Gorgeous. I have kayaked out there with my niece, but have to time tides perfectly if I want to paddle my outrigger through the Parker River (the outrigger is too awkward for paddling far against current). I didn't think of sailing it -- I suppose if you can be quick up and quick down with the sails in the right weather the sailing would work (you seem to get through the meanders just fine with yours), but I've never sailed a narrow river area. I would like to sleep at anchor out there somewhere, squeezed onto my 6 foot by 17 inch deck across the thwarts (luckily I sleep on my side ;-), with a mosquitoe net tightly tucked around me -- I have sharp memories of greenhead torture when I was kid on someone's boat going through Parker River and Annisquam! --Wade

[Daniel Noyes]

At High tide theres 4 miles x 1 1/2 of water the islands and meanders just make it interesting, you can sail right up to the bank (within 5 ft+-) as the bank drops off 4 ft to the mud flat. At low tide there isnt room to sail just a narrow trickle between the sand bars, time for the oars.
Just made up some sleeping boards to go between the thwarts in the Alpha dory makes a 5'x 8' sleeping area, got to work out a boom tent.
yeah green heads are nasty, best defence is a heavy pair of jeans
Dan
http://dansdories.googlepages.com

[Clinton B Chase]

Dan, I hate to be the devil here but have you worked out the leech problem on your main...that is, recut the sail so all the slack is taken out?

I just returned from a wild row/sail in Drake. We (me and Drake) rowed out of Casco Bay, through Whitehead Passage, around the outside of Cushing I. (wild: choppy, and over-gunwale-height standing waves at one point got my heart racing), then past Portland Head Light and downwind and with the swell back into Portland Harbor. Stopped at a bunch of moorings, tied off to a FRP Whitehall, put up the sail, and absolutely rocketed back to East End launch ramp. Drake sailed faster then a nearby 30' sailboat which had all sails drawing. They looked at me in awe. I was awestruck too: I did not expect that speed nor the stability. It was A LOT like sailing Ben Fuller's Faering. The long keel absolutely kept me on course even on a close reach, at one point. That also surprised me. The sail I am using is my Shellback Dinghy standing lug rig with boom. I may just stay with this rig, but want to start looking into a more dedicated rig using the Shellback mast (why make another). The sail area of the Shellback is just right. The rudder lines are 14' long so I can sit near the mast, if I needed to, and steer the boat. There is a lot of weather helm in those lines, but not too much. I was trying to imagine gybing a dipping lug sail with a wood batten to help hold out the foot of the sail. What was nice about the boomed standing lug was that it self-gybes and the boom holds a nice shape off the wind. But it is one mroe spar to have in the boat. Thoughts about sail rig? Gartsides BOB, a major inspiration for Drake, has a rig that I am thinking about, but gybing it would take practice and figuring out the right batten along the foot of the sail so I don't have to use an oar to boom out the sail would be nice (there is enough lines, etc to hold onto!).
http://www.gartsideboats.com/catrow2.php
http://www.gartsideboats.com/bob.php

Man am I tired...and happy.

Cheers,
Clint