Measure Twice PHRF Once!

My corrected 2009 PHRF Certificate.

Well I have never claimed to be the sharpest knife in the drawer and when I got my first PHRF certificate for SEA WEASEL I didn't question it.  Other skippers around me however did.  The couldn't believe that my boat was being rated faster than theirs.  I started to look into it but I found other CS 27 with base ratings around 198 so 209 did not seem that far off.  Years past with me having a tough time wining races.  I am sure being a novice racer and having old sails had nothing to do with it.

It was over lunch one day that Niko explained that PHRF in BC is usually ads 10% to normal PHRF ratings due to the light conditions and that the base rating for my vessel should be about 218.  Looking on the PHRF website I found one other CS27 that is raced on Okanagan Lake. With all code Five sails it was rated at 218. But I had code 5 sails (or so I thought).  I emailed the people at PHRF BC who got back to me quickly that my code "V" (not numeral Five) spinnaker gave me a huge advantage.  

Last time I had checked my tired old kite (made up primarily of spinnaker tape) was no bigger than any other boats' in my size range.  I went back and remeasured the spinnaker and sure enough I had given it 7' more when I firs submitted my first rating request.  How the heck do you miscount and add 7'!!  

Feeling like a moron I informed them of my mistake and they went ahead and corrected my rating.  Now with my old sails my boat rates 221 a full 12 seconds more.  Reviewing some of my older races I would have finished significantly better in some and would have even won a few!  I should have looked into my rating when my fellow 4-knot-shit-box skippers told me too.

For more information PHRF BC click here.

My Sailing Anthem!

Okay this pretty damn funny:

Polar Bear Race 5 Report

The Course.
It was overcast, cold, and rainy; a typical winter Vancouver day BUT there was wind. The brave crew assembled at the WEASEL with coffee in hand. Mike came out with his fancy new foulies, Curtis made it as did Dave. We climbed onto the boat and motored out to the start line.

The RC had moved the start line from the usual QC and was to the west of it. The wind was approximately 8-10 knots out of the East. As we approached we radioed for the course. It came back to quickly for anyone to right down. We hailed again but were told to come by the committee boat and read it. The next second the 5 minute horn went. We hoisted our sails and made for the committee boat. They had the flags up but their main sail cover was blocking them from our view.

We got in the mix at the start line and made our final run for the line. As we rounded the committee boat I noticed they only had a div 1 flag up. We bore away and fell back. The RC all season has started both fleets together and not being able to see the divisional flags lead us to almost starting off with the div 1 boats.

We got the course finally and started just ahead of CARLITO's WAY our only competitor. The first mark was the windward QC buoy. CARLITO's WAY bore away and heated up. We pointed a ton better but were slower. As we made our way down CARLITO's WAY tacked early and were going to have to tack again to round the mark. We kept our course intending to round the mark on one tack. As we came close to the mark we passed just in front of CARLITO's WAY; it was very close.

The wind as recorded at Jericho.

Rounding QC we made for the leeward freighter to the west of the start line. We got our kite up at about the same point as CARLITO's WAY but we were on the inside and going DDW and the heated up bearing away slightly. As the passed us on the outside I began to move over to shadow them and steal there wind but they maneuvered to make the impractical. We raced down towards the freighter side by side.

At the rear of the freighter things heated up. CARLITO's WAY ditched their pole and flew the sail free. The forced us to gybe and being windward we had too. They forced us down into the wind shadow of the freighter while they remained in a better outside position. Our kite was touching theirs at points. We slowed and they gained 5 boat lengths.

Now it was upwind to the Barge Buoy. Again we went close hauled straight for the mark and CARLITO's WAY dropped to the south. They found better wind and increased there lead. On the way to the Barge Buoy I went down below to pack the chute. While I was down below with Curtis at the helm I felt the boat lurch to the leeward and heard aloud bang and raised voices. Mike had lost his footing and was falling off the boat when his new foulies caught on the shroud cleat and held him up with only one foot dangling in the water.

After rounding behind them with little hope of catching up we both proceeded to the QC buoy. Rounding that we threw up the kite and made for the finish line. We did gain ground here but still 4 minutes and 5 seconds behind CARLITO's WAY.

It was a great aggressive race with 2 fairly equally matched boats. Last race we were in a 3 way tie for 3rd but this race pulled us ahead. With only one DNC we have pulled ourselves into second place by attending the most races. Participation ribbons for all!

The latest Polar Bear Race Results.

New Years Day Race Video Out

2009 NYD Race Video.  Produced by Niko.

The video is out!  This was this year's New Year's Day Race.   It was unique in that we had Lemans start where all the boats started at anchour with all the crew below decks.  It was a ton of fun.  Watch and enjoy.

TCYC Represents at the 2009 Robbie Burns Dinner

TCYC at the 2009 Robbie Burns dinner in Snug Cove (Left to Right: Curtis, Joseph, and Sam)

I had known who Robbie Burns was and I knew of the Burns' Suppers but I had never attend them. Considered a sort of Scottish, working class poet there have been annual dinners in his honour since his death in 1796. For years TCYC has been attending the annual dinner held at Doc Morgan's in Snug Cove on Bowen Island. I thought I would brave the freezing weather and sail over on the SEA WEASEL. New TCYC member Joseph brought his boat FIRE CHASER along for the ride too.

Robbie Burns circa 1759

With little wind we motored most of the way in close formation. I did try a few valiant attempts at sailing but they did not last long. Getting into Bowen we made our way to the Bowen Island Pub for some craft beer and a appy. Then we made our way back down the hill to Doc Morgan's. The food and company was quite good. There was the traditional addresses and a live piper who played a few tunes. I was surprised to find that haggis was in fact quite good. It tasted almost like a turkey dressing of sorts. Following the three course meal we made our way back to the SEA WEASEL and were later joined by past TCYC members.

The next morning with a moderate inflow we made our back home. It was a cold but pleasant sail and Curtis and I took turns warming up next to the diesel heater. The Bowen Island Robbie Burns dinner is going to be on next year's agenda.

Vancouver Fog Cancels Latest Polar Bear Race

Vancouver looking like a city in the clouds.

Last week Team SEA WEASEL headed out for the latest installment of the VRC's Polar Bear Series. Vancouver had been socked in for over a week with thick pervasive fog. The morning of the race Curtis, Dave and I made our way down to the marina. The fog was supposed to completely lift by noon and in the creek it was a little lighter giving a half mile of visibility. We decided to fire up the GPS and head out there to see if the race would go ahead after the fog lifted.

As we motored out between the Ganville and Burrard Street bridges visibility roped off to 20 meters. We found ourselves motoring out with SHAWPA and FANCY FREE. It was eery with nothing visible at all. You could not tell where the city was the shore or the sun. I did not have the start line pre-programmed into my chart plotter so I opted to follow FANCY FREE who did and also had radar.


We arrived at the start line and as we drifted we saw the dim ghost like shapes of sail boats moving around us. I thought we were the only people fool hardy enough to head out in these conditions. There we sat waiting for the fog to lift. The only point of interest was listening to a temporarily disabled PSYCHO DUCK calling for a tow lost in the fog. FANCY FREE even with radar and GPS was unable to meet up with PSYCHO DUCK until they were able to get their engine back on.


Finally after a long wait the fog just got worse and the Race Committee threw in the towel and the race was cancelled. We fired up the GPS and motored back blindly. In the fog with less than 10 meters visibility we radioed the Vancouver Traffic VHF channel and were given a green light to head into false creek. The chart plotter really proved its worth guiding us all the way back to the marina. In all this was the third failed Polar Bear race due to weather.

Winter Getaway

The two boys enjoying the high-life in Gibsons.

After the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, parties, and visiting with family and friends I needed a bit of time away from it all.  Early January looked like the prefect time to go on a short winter cruise and get away from it all. 

Kingsley hiding out down below.

I set out on a Wednesday afternoon.  As usual I had planned to get Gibsons the first day but because of my late start I opted for Snug Cove.  The boat was a mess as I was in the middle of redoing the headliner and insulated the main cabin ceiling.  By the time I got under way the boat was a little neater but it was late and I just wanted to get out there.  To complicate things I also brought Kingsley our 7 month old Boston Terrier.

When Kingsley did want to be on deck he had to wear his day-glow orange life jacket and be bundled up.

As I motored out into a calm English Bay I began to relax.  Kingsly is not built for the cold with very little fur, and even though I swore I would never own a dog with clothes I had him down below and bundled up.  About midway across the bay a breeze blew up and with no trouble I hoisted the #1 Genoa and sailed over to Bowen at about 5 knots.

At Snug Cove I found that the new floating marina building was in place and workers were fixing it up.  They are going to put in more washing machines and showers.  Also they are going to expand the chandlery and put in a "boaters lounge".  So it sounds like the facilities will be really improving at the marina.  Considering the prices they charge for moorage this is a good thing.

Motoring by Keats Island.

The next morning Kingsley and I set out for Gibsons.  The weather was grey cool and overcast.  There was not much wind at all so we motored for most of the way reaching Gibsons in 2 hours.  The transient dock was virtually empty except for a few live-aboards.  I tied up and set Kingsley on the dock and went about plugging into the shore power.  When I was done I turned around and could not see the dog.  He is not a big fan of being on docks so I assumed he ran down to the gate.  I walked down the dock to the gate and saw an older gentleman with his dog.  He had not seen Kingsley so I figured the little idiot must have ran down towards the other end of the dock.  I got down to the end os the dock and didn't see him.  Now the funny thing about docks is that there is usually no place to hide.  I looked back and between a boat and a dock finger I saw a little dog with a bright orange lifejacket swimming in the water.  I ran over and grabbed the handle on the lifejacket and scooped him out.  He was shivering badly.  I ran back onto the boat and stripped off my shirt.  I held his little quivering body to my chest and sat down infront of the electric heater.  Slowly he stopped shivering.  

Gibson's Harbour

With the crisis averted we went about a few enjoyable days wondering around Gibsons and reading books.  On the Sunday I was to return I woke up feeling extremely unwell.  I had eaten some fish the night before that had been in the ice box for a while.  Thinking back it had been in there longer than it should have been.  After a failed attempt at finding a hospital (the closest one is in Sechelt I threw up  and felt better.  

The motor back to Vancouver was cold but uneventful.  After surviving a near dog drowning, and food poisoning I was ready to be home.

Winter sailing is well worth braving the elements.  Marinas are cheaper, there are way fewer craft out there.  The only trick is being able to heat your boat.  With a electric heater and a diesel heater I was able to keep the boat toasty.