In case you were wondering...

We have done two races in the Balmain Sailing Club's winter series. The first was quite windy and so we reefed at the last minute and glad we were that we did. Cheshire Cat was nicely balanced and rarely too far heeled as we did the circuit round the islands including Goat and back to the club for a beer and the results. We came 6th.

The next day was threatening to be awful weather but turned out rather nicely. No reef in the main but a small tuck in the jib just to keep us balanced. A similar course around the islands including Goat and back to the club for a beer and the next set of results where we can 5th! Improvement!!

We also received a plaque as winners of last year's Three Bridges Race. And as a footnote, the wooden paddle for the summer series. I guess that means last! I blame lack of races sailed not poor sailing!

Charlie and Ang in Solveig have been doing rather better.

We are loving the new walk on, walk off home for our pussy! Sure beats rowing home after a hard sail, not to mention the very easy access to the club bar.

New home

Leaving the beach for the last(?) time
Cheshire Cat is now in the Hopetoun Quays marina. Once we get used to parking we are looking forward to the ready access and ease of doing chores aboard without the row out to the mooring with all the necessary paraphernalia. And very quick access to the Balmain Sailing Club bar!
New home

Pluses and minuses

After getting a nice clean shiny bottom and with the depth sounder working at last Cheshire Cat and crew of Anni, Jenni and John headed for Broken Bay for a small R&R and to meet up with the ASCC for the Commodore's Cocktail Party on the Friday night at Akuna Bay. Deirdre fortified us with coffee and hot cross buns and we set off with following winds but a very rough sea. John managed to wrench his already bad shoulder just out of the heads and we all began to feel a bit queasy, some more than others. I resorted to a Quells which helped a bit.
Travelling north
As John is now a Marine Rescue volunteer we had some inside information on the service. In spite of us calling up Marine Rescue Sydney their counterpart Marine Rescue Port Jackson kept responding. But they didn't actually log us on so Marine Rescue Sydney then had to come to the rescue as it were and enter us into the computer.
After a bumpy but not too lengthy trip we were all very glad to round Barrenjoey and get into calmer water.
Much happier now - Lion Island in the bg

We sailed for a bit but the wind eventually died away and we resorted to the engine. After poking into Pinta Bay looking for a mooring but finding them all taken we decided to try Castle Lagoon, a favorite sheltered spot, and lo and behold as we rounded the hidden entrance there was an empty mooring! It was a relief to secure ourselves and open a very nice bottle of champagne. Deirdre had also cooked chicken Marengo for us and sent the history of the dish as some educative entertainment. We had a lovely peaceful evening, too much red wine and a good sleep.
The morning was beautiful, calm and sunny. Perfect Broken Bay weather. After a leasuirely breakfast we motored on down to Akuna Bay where we berthed in the marina. As the wind had picked up I struggled to get into the allocated berth. Probably should have been content to go in forwards given the gusts but was determined to try and back in. It was not to be. Even John couldn't get us in so we took another berth further in and turned the boat around by hand. I was very glad later that night that we had as a stomach bug meant a few late night trips to the bathrooms which were mercifully very close by.
John and Jenni were collected by Deirdre and then the other three ASCC boats arrived. Afternoon Delight berthed next to Cheshire Cat and Doriana and Quest were on the next arm. A pleasant afternoon of reading! chatting and some afternoon smackerells before the cocktail-less cocktail party got under way. The marina had put up a sign welcoming us and put out some magazines and floating key rings for us. Noice!
It was not a late night but a very disturbed one for me. Mike had kindly agreed to be my crew for the trip back to Coasters so after everyone had breakfasted and packed up we headed back up the creek.
Mike in charge
It was another lovely sunny day so we stopped at Hallets Beach for a lunch stop. The boys went for a swim and shower under the waterfall at Cottage Rock while I basked in the sun and recuperated.
Following Quest
We found the last mooring close to the jetty at Coasters but as the afternoon wore on several boats left and there were spots close by for Doriana and Quest. A little homophobia from a very drunk stink boat owner was unpleasant but he didn't persist fortunately.
Dawn at Coaters
The morning ferry brought Dayna and Julie to sail back down the coast.
Laine and Neil wave goodbye
Another sunny day was a bit spoiled by headwinds. But we decided to sail so while it was a long day it was very pleasant. Sadly no wildlife joined us on the trip home although we were hoping. We finally picked up the mooring at about 6pm. A short adventure but sweet.

Slipping

Another race, another less than stellar result. Sunday 4th was a nice day, we had a crack team, Julie, Dayna (welcome back!), Jenni, Roberta, and a good start right at the gun. In fact we were so close i was a little worried that we might have been over. But all was well and we headed north to be quickly overtaken by most other boats. Among other excitement we were about to go to the rescue of a capsized dinghy. One of the little kids started screaming and we couldn't see the other one properly and feared a head injury or a tangled foot. The battery went to 1, the furling headsail line was cleared and Julie was about to dive in when the safety boat arrived and one of them dived in instead. The kids were safe. Not long afterwards a dinghy capsized right in front of us. We didn't run them down but it was touch and go. They righted themselves and were back on course before too long. But after a lovely sail we came last again. At least our handicap is now very low.


And we have the boat up on slips having her bottom sanded and re-anti-fouled. It's been 18 months since it was last done. Now we should go fast again.

Maintenance

Thanks to Paul White, but I changed the beer. He's right about Corona being wee.

Bad and Worse results

We've sailed a couple of times since Xmas. Results are unfortunate.

A good day out on the 8th January was marred by us (read me) failing to read the instructions properly and therefore missing the final mark of the course and being marked DNF (did not finish). That was followed by a last place in the race on the 5th February. Both days we enjoyed the sail although being three handed on the 5th meant I had to work way harder than I am used to and I was rather tired at the end of the day and very stiff the next day. But I see this race as a handicap correction measure.

A beer at the Balmain Sailing Club afterwards is a nice way to finish up even if it means climbing all those stairs afterwards.

But it is great to get out and good to keep using Cheshire Cat. Poor thing is in need of some TLC at the moment. All the canvas covers are starting to wear out and the bimini is looking particularly sad with bird poo and green mould on it where the water doesn't drain properly.

I've sailed with Charlie on Solveig in the Friday twilights couple of times as well. She is doing much better with regular podium finishes. Her handicap will get the better of her eventually though.

Spring Series Results

So we came 7th out of 12 in the Balmain Sailing Club Spring Series spite of only doing three races.

Southerly Buster

We raced on Sunday (me, Julie, Roberta, John and Paul - Terina piked after a BIG night). We started in warm, light breeze and lovely blue skies. We stated well and headed for Long Nose Point where the mark was in place this time, then west towards Gladesville and back around the islands towards Goat. The clouds were building, the south west was black and we could see the rain coming and the lightening flashes advancing towards us. Storm a'comin'

Undeterred, although Paul did keep predicting mayhem, we rounded Goat, tried and sometimes failed to fall into windless holes, and then the wind hit. Gusts of 20 knots just as a ferry was bearing down on us heading for East Balmain. But having managed to bear away we benefitted from the following wind as we headed home. North of Cockatoo we reefed the headsail and the main without mishap thanks to John's dexterity and skill and then rounded the island to find the wind had dropped off. But we decided not to risk losing time by shaking out the reef as we had so little distance left to cover.

You can see the wind spike just in the middle of the race which started at noon

Southern Aura 11 that was near us got stuck north of Goat Island and eventually decided to retire. Amon Re also retired when they ripped their headsail before the storm arrived. We got soaked but had a good race and eventually came 4th. We still don't know what the flashing blue light on the club house means. The flashing yellow was for a shortened course but was posted too late to mean anything.

Race Cancelled

It turns out that people must have complained about the missing mark off Long Nose Point. The race has been cancelled from the pointscore. Maybe there were protests against the committee. Doesn't make any difference to us as we haven't sailed enough races for it to count. But it will no doubt help someone. I am told that the buoy was laid but went missing, either run over by a power boat or washed away in the wind.

Feather Dusters

Yesterday cock of the walk, tomorrow a feather duster. Cheshire Cat's winning streak came to an abrupt end with yesterday's race when we came 8th!! from 12 boats. A windy day so we furled the headsail a bit to make the winch wenches life a bit easier. We completely missed the start, unable to hear or see the signals but managed to start a slow catch up until we fell in a hole while rounding a non existent mark near Long Nose Point. Amon Re turned before us thereby getting ahead and then our windless hole compounded the damage. Still, it was a lovely day and we enjoyed the sail. Worst part was that when we got to the Balmain Sailing Club the sausages had run out. Julie and I shared the last one. Bummer!

You can see how it was a bit windy in the middle of the day, right at race time.

Balmain Regatta Pictures

Here is the proof that Cheshire Cat rocks! We leave boats in our wake. By Goat Island we were five abreast but then we took off!




Jenny Gill's pictures.

Another Win - Who Knew

Don't you love the handicap system!

We won the race last Sunday in spite of coming second last and generally not having a great race. When my start clock stopped we had to guess the time, wimped out and tacked just as the horn blew, losing our rather commanding position. But our new crew valiantly learnt the terror of the winches and we sailed the course without any major mishaps. It was a lovely day and we did enjoy everything except the winching bit. And we decided not to go back to the clubhouse but to stay on the boat and have a beer, which was very pleasant.

And then the results were posted on the web site and there we were - winners again!

The Cat's Whiskers

We won the Balmain Regatta! at least we won our division, open yachts B, a non-spinnaker division.
No one was more surprised than me. Very surprised skipper with the trophy

I had been complaining that it was the single worst race I had ever sailed. In very light winds we were overtaken by a bigger boat on the start line as we crossed just after the gun, and we lost all our wind. That combined with a tide running out against us meant we came to a complete stop then drifted backwards "kissing" the start boat. Fortunately they were not fussed and just reminded us about the 360 rule. So we set off again, we managed to cross the line and tack up towards Birkenhead, Cheshire Cat finally gets past the start line

watching poor Solveig struggling to get moving. Solveig struggling against the tide

Then we battled fickle winds, outgoing tide and predatory boats around the islands including Goat where thankfully there was some wind. At one point there were five boats all in a line side by side between Goat and Mort Bay but good old Cheshire Cat pulled ahead aided by some excellent sail handling by the crew.
We then headed towards the Hunters Hill mark and rounded it then fell straight into irons. Thanks to some very poor helming. We then hit the mark but managed to avoid several other boats rounding behind us. So another 360 turn was made quickly while we had some wind and the crew were running on adrenaline. Finally away again we rounded the final mark and had a neck an neck race to the line with another boat, eventually pulling ahead to cross first. We were about 13th across but WINNERS on handicap!
Lucky Jenny has cemented her nickname.
Some of the old gaffers racing
Pictures are by Barbara Hamilton at BSC

Yes we have sailed again

We went out twice in three days! First was the Friday twilight at Balmain Sailing Club. The breeze was OK but as we did our second lap of the islands we discussed how long the course was given the supposed cut off finish time. We also wondered why so many boats were taking a short cut between Cockatoo and Snapper/Spectacle. We later discovered that the course had been shortened! Next time we will take more notice of the big flashing yellow light on the clubhouse roof.
We came 13th out of 15 finishers.

Then we went out for the Sunday race. Another beautiful day but a few technical fixes meant we started late. And we never caught up. A dirty boat bottom doesn't help and neither do those bloody winches.

Time for a service I think. Or replacement if a lottery win comes our way. We came last, both over the line and on handicap. At least our handicap will be lower next race.

Too long ashore

This is what happens if you neglect your boat.

I hadn't been out to the boat for a long time and we hadn't sailed since before Christmas. So stuff started growing. I expect that on the bottom and had a diver clean the hull before the race which obviously helped our result, but I was not expecting a vege patch on the deck!

And this is a better shot of the trophy showing the nice three bridges detail on the sails.

The Cat Rules!

Cheshire Cat rocks! We won the Balmain Sailing Club 3 Bridges Race on Sunday. The race is a handicap start and the course goes past the Iron Cove Bridge, under the Gladesville Bridge
Coming up to the Gladesville Bridge

and up the Parramatta River to within sight of the Ryde Bridge. And back.
Julie on the foredeck
Julie and Terina discussing tactics - not!
Rooky crew and winch wench in training, Jenny

The skipper trying to concentrate

It was a tricky, tactical race with some luck thrown in. We had light winds but managed mostly to stay in the breeze, both passes of the Mortlake Ferry it was safely on the shore as when its in mid river it isn't safe to pass over the cables, and our tacking duel with Amon Re on the last leg saw several really excellent winching efforts by the crew so we held our lead position to finish 10 seconds ahead. Nail biting stuff. The winning team, happy at the bar!

The race is a handicap start and we were the third boat to cross the line but we quickly passed the others and held the lead all the way. Exhilarating.

And what was especially nice was that as we motored back to the mooring all the boats behind us clapped and cheered for us. Sweet.
The handsome trophy!

Poop - we came 6th

No so bad except it was out of 8 boats!

I did think we did better than that but that's handicapping for you!

Balmain Regatta

On a day that started out sunny and ended in a downpour, but well after we had put the trusty Cheshire Cat away, we had a boat full of rock stars and sailed a great race. A reasonable start in mild winds around the Balmain islands leading to very brisk winds around Goat Island and then a run home, well ahead of our rival Rogate and several others in our division - non spinnaker B open yachts. With John, Jenni B (ex CYC youth training coach) and Terina, Julie and Dayna we had a great time, maybe a bit too much chat from time to time with everyone catching up on the months or years of not seeing each other. Jenni and John were not happy with the placement of some of the running rigging so did some instant rethreading.

After the race we stopped for a beer and wine but then decided to take Cheshire Cat home to bed before heading back to the club for the results. Just as well, apart from selling Jenni B my extra dinghy it meant that when the rain bucketed later we didn't have to go boating in the wet. We did have to climb the club stairs and the very steep hill to the car so managed to get completely soaked anyway.

And we know we didn't win or come second but have no idea where we placed as the rest of the results have not yet been uploaded to the BSC web site found here

Another great day out

Cheshire Cat continues her excellent performance with Balmain Sailing Club.

Shrugging off the disappointment of being demoted from second to fifth in the winter series Cheshire Cat was back with a second in the third spring series race. The first was cancelled due to severe winds. For the next one Cheshire Cat was mastless at Noakes waiting for a mysterious "part" for the forestay. The second race we were in Lake Macquarie earning over a thousand dollars for the Cancer Council and Marine Rescue so this was our first race of the series.

A windless start gave way to a light breeze as we made our way around Spectacle, Snapper and Cockatoo Islands. We were doing OK when we fell in a hole and Amon Re passed us just off Woolich. But we weren't last by a long shot and as the wind picked up so did we and eventually passed Amon Re, Rogate and a couple of others when we caught a lift and managed to avoid tacking on the work from Berry's Bay back to Rozelle. Fine steering by Jenni and exceptional crew work form terina and me kept us in front. We even overtook Southern Aura II around Goat Island as the wind picked up. Sadly Amon Re and Southern Aura II managed to pip us by seconds at the finish but on handicap we came second.

Even three handed these girls rock!

I have been asked how to donate to Heaven Can Wait's two very worthy causes, NSW Cancer Council and the NSW Marine Resuce volunteers. If you go here and select Cheshire Cat then click the "donate now" button you should be able to follow the prompts. But be warned I think it closes tonight, Sunday 10th. You will find more details at the Heaven Can Wait web site.