Stay on Topic

Racing! Racing! Racing! Right now there's over 20kts of wind on the bay. If it holds that C&C might hit 9 or 10 kts!

 

wind + water + me = me farting in the pool

 

damn... yours are worth alot too....

 

I raced on the C&C tonight and the owner asked me to take the helm for the race. All good!

On the starting line one of the other boats tried to pinch up to the leeward starting pin (which from where I was looked impossible) and a wind shift caused them to be back winded which forced them over and into us. I turned to starboard (right) to try to avoid the collision but here was nothing I could do to avoid them. This forced us to head into the rest of the oncoming starboard sailing fleet. With us now on a port tack it was MY responsibility to avoid any oncoming boats. (Port sailing boats owe right of way to starboard sailing boats) The closest of them was a 25 footer with an outboard pointing 90 degrees out from it's stern. I don't think we missed it's metal prop by more than a couple inches. It was one of longest 30 seconds of my life. It's amazing how time slows in a crisis.

The collision was only a glancing blow between two boats moving at the same speed and not quite the same direction with the result of a bent stanchion and a bit of gouged epoxy layup. (Easier to say when it's not my quarter million dollar boat) The real danger was what could have happened to one of the smaller boats if we had hit them at speed on opposite courses.

Looking at the big picture no one was hurt. A piece of metal will be replaced and a few hours of glass work and some paint will make everything right again but it's going to take me a while to calm down enough to sleep tonight.

 

Wow! My only accident avoidence experience is on the road--water accident avoidence sounds way more difficult! But it also sounds like you rock and that it's a good thing that you have experience or things might not have turned out as well as they did. Glad all is well and I hope you got some sleep last night!

 

Missileman Thank Your Son for me for serving this great county!

 

Oops! I missed that ^^^^! Thank him for me too! You must be so proud!

 

Thanks, I am proud. I just talked to him on the phone, he sounds kinda nervous right now. I'm meeting him at the airport when he gets there. I work on the other side of the airport but I'll be able to see him for a few minutes.

 

wow..... thats alot of made up words that nobody could ever understand....

 

Spell check knew them so they're real words

Like many activities sailing has words and terms that aren't used in everyday life.... Sailing terms are a world wide standard that was developed over hundreds of years. If you know them you can sail on any boat anywhere in the world and be able to function efficiently.

 

I just got a $50 part for my water heater for FREE!!! Just called their tech line, explained what was going on, said I didn't want to spend $50 on a part that might not fix it, asked the error codes told them what was wrong, and the guy was like "How about I send you this for free and you can call me back if it doesn't work?"

 

how come when you have your own special words its ok cause they are sailing words but when i have my own special words people just look at me like im retarded? thats totally flarb!

 

are you flarbin serious!? i cant check that site from work to verify but what the hell are the chances i pick that one. thats some glarpin flugnarts!