DIRIGO II
America’s Schooner Cup 2015
Dirigo II, 1939 Alden Gaff Rigged Top’sl Schooner
72’ loa, 9 1/2 draft, 18 1/2 beam,100k disp., 27k lead ballast
Built Goudy & Stevens, East Booth Bay Maine
What a day! After sailing down the coast from the San Juan Islands Washington last October and spending the ‘winter’ (no winter) up in the beauty and wildness of the Sea of Cortez, we had stopped at the customs dock in San Diego to check back into the U.S. of A.
Paul Mitchell, from the Silver Gate Yacht Club came over to our boat, said Hi, and invited us to the upcoming race, sponsored by their club. A race just for schooners, how could I resist! I’m glad I didn’t!!
At the skippers meeting the afternoon before, Jerry said it looked like it was going to be a little cooler than usual for race day, resulting in some fresher breezes. He was sure right. We got a pretty good start, with everything up that we could carry. The wind built as we made our way out of the bay, and by the time we were rounding buoy 4 out past Point Loma, it was blowing 20-25 knots with a decent sea running. Perfect for the heavy built for the sea Dirigo II. We had the rail down, with water squirting up through the gunnels and spray flying, making 11 and a half knots steady!
Just as we started really moving our main top’sl tack let go in a puff, and our crew Ian went aloft and retied the bowline, hanging from the triadic to grab the flapping sail with the line in his teeth.
We elected to harden up and head out to try to lay the next mark, buoy 3, on one tack. It paid off. We barely got over the Schooner California, having a time of it short tacking around bouy 3. As we came back into the lee of Pt. Loma the wind got fluky, with lot’s of gust and holes. California got a big bone in her teeth and came charging up to leeward. Damn that boat has a big bowsprit, especially when she’s making 10 knots just barely off your quarter. But we got a lift and escaped being impaled. Dropped the big genny and set the jib top’sl, and after some close tacking in around the sub base buoys, bait floats, and guys fishing in tiny little skiffs (we barely missed one, lucky guy), we charged off down the channel, crossed the line and got the gun. Curlew did manage to sneak by us at the last minute, and the course ran out before we had time to catch her, oh well.
It was a great day, with a great crew, a great boat, and sponsored by some of the nicest and most gracious people I’ve ever met. Silver Gate Yacht Club, you’re the best. The post race gathering and dinner was first rate! When it came time for the “awards”, I could have fallen over. Seems we got real lucky and won First in Class B, and, unbelievable, First Overall!! Who would have thought. I just didn’t want to hit anybody and didn’t want the super fast and beautiful Schooner Martha (also down here and Mexico from the Pacific Northwest, frozen north) to pass us, again, and they didn’t.
I guess it’s true that every dog has a day now and then. I’m glad of that and it was super fun! A great Day of sailing with great crew, beautiful schooners, and sponsored and organized by some of the nicest and most gracious people I’ve met. Thank you Silver Gate Yacht Club for making this happen. For the 27th time! And for a very good charitable cause to boot.
Think we’ll try to make it up to San Francisco for the Master Mariners Race at the end of May. I’ve decided not to beat back to the frozen north this season. Even though it is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. My daughter Morgan and I have a little charter biz out of Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, with our “classic” boats. San Juan Classic Day Sailing. Private charters in the San Juan Islands, and Day Sails. Going to stay down here where it’s warm and people sail all year! Hope to take some people out for some unique sailing adventures with us as we cruise and race from San Diego up to the Channel Islands. A day, or a week, or ??. Come join us. Plus it’s a lot closer to the Sea of Cotez for “winter” from here. The Dirigo II will be here to race again next year. Too much Fun.
Who knows, might get “lucky”.
But fact is, just feel lucky to be here doing something I love. Good enough.
Thanks again all the people at Silver Gate for making it happen.
Art
America’s Schooner Cup 2015
Dirigo II, 1939 Alden Gaff Rigged Top’sl Schooner
72’ loa, 9 1/2 draft, 18 1/2 beam,100k disp., 27k lead ballast
Built Goudy & Stevens, East Booth Bay Maine
What a day! After sailing down the coast from the San Juan Islands Washington last October and spending the ‘winter’ (no winter) up in the beauty and wildness of the Sea of Cortez, we had stopped at the customs dock in San Diego to check back into the U.S. of A.
Paul Mitchell, from the Silver Gate Yacht Club came over to our boat, said Hi, and invited us to the upcoming race, sponsored by their club. A race just for schooners, how could I resist! I’m glad I didn’t!!
At the skippers meeting the afternoon before, Jerry said it looked like it was going to be a little cooler than usual for race day, resulting in some fresher breezes. He was sure right. We got a pretty good start, with everything up that we could carry. The wind built as we made our way out of the bay, and by the time we were rounding buoy 4 out past Point Loma, it was blowing 20-25 knots with a decent sea running. Perfect for the heavy built for the sea Dirigo II. We had the rail down, with water squirting up through the gunnels and spray flying, making 11 and a half knots steady!
Just as we started really moving our main top’sl tack let go in a puff, and our crew Ian went aloft and retied the bowline, hanging from the triadic to grab the flapping sail with the line in his teeth.
We elected to harden up and head out to try to lay the next mark, buoy 3, on one tack. It paid off. We barely got over the Schooner California, having a time of it short tacking around bouy 3. As we came back into the lee of Pt. Loma the wind got fluky, with lot’s of gust and holes. California got a big bone in her teeth and came charging up to leeward. Damn that boat has a big bowsprit, especially when she’s making 10 knots just barely off your quarter. But we got a lift and escaped being impaled. Dropped the big genny and set the jib top’sl, and after some close tacking in around the sub base buoys, bait floats, and guys fishing in tiny little skiffs (we barely missed one, lucky guy), we charged off down the channel, crossed the line and got the gun. Curlew did manage to sneak by us at the last minute, and the course ran out before we had time to catch her, oh well.
It was a great day, with a great crew, a great boat, and sponsored by some of the nicest and most gracious people I’ve ever met. Silver Gate Yacht Club, you’re the best. The post race gathering and dinner was first rate! When it came time for the “awards”, I could have fallen over. Seems we got real lucky and won First in Class B, and, unbelievable, First Overall!! Who would have thought. I just didn’t want to hit anybody and didn’t want the super fast and beautiful Schooner Martha (also down here and Mexico from the Pacific Northwest, frozen north) to pass us, again, and they didn’t.
I guess it’s true that every dog has a day now and then. I’m glad of that and it was super fun! A great Day of sailing with great crew, beautiful schooners, and sponsored and organized by some of the nicest and most gracious people I’ve met. Thank you Silver Gate Yacht Club for making this happen. For the 27th time! And for a very good charitable cause to boot.
Think we’ll try to make it up to San Francisco for the Master Mariners Race at the end of May. I’ve decided not to beat back to the frozen north this season. Even though it is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. My daughter Morgan and I have a little charter biz out of Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, with our “classic” boats. San Juan Classic Day Sailing. Private charters in the San Juan Islands, and Day Sails. Going to stay down here where it’s warm and people sail all year! Hope to take some people out for some unique sailing adventures with us as we cruise and race from San Diego up to the Channel Islands. A day, or a week, or ??. Come join us. Plus it’s a lot closer to the Sea of Cotez for “winter” from here. The Dirigo II will be here to race again next year. Too much Fun.
Who knows, might get “lucky”.
But fact is, just feel lucky to be here doing something I love. Good enough.
Thanks again all the people at Silver Gate for making it happen.
Art
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