Shipyard RAID 2005
Well sit right back and I’ll tell you a tale of 9 raid boats, 3 support boats and some sailing and a lot of rowing & fun.
In the summer of 2004, Tad Roberts a marine architect and member of the Board of Directors at the Silva Bay Shipyard School on Gabriola Island in B.C. thought that it would be cool to run a RAID like those guys in Finland do. In the Pacific Northwest we have the Islands, the sailors with small boats, long summer days, and generally good weather. You get some boats together, schedule a time and place (September 2005), charge an entry fee. How hard can it be? Tad had no idea, and I suspect that was a good thing or this RAID may never have happened.
Well Tad has lots of friends, and among them is Jamie Orr, of the famed Sucia Mess-about run in July by the Coots of Oregon. Jamie was the second to enter the RAID with his boat, “Wayward Lass”, right after Tad signed up his own boat “Ratty” (owned & designed by TR, sailed by her builders). Well of course looking for more potential raiders, Jamie posted a notice to the TSCA-Puget newsgroup and sent me and Chuck Gottfried, another Chebacco owner, personal email strongly suggesting we join. So I did, even though in the spring I had really not fully committed to this endeavor. I have numerous commitments at home and had told my brother I would go fishing at Port Hardy B.C., told my girlfriend that I’d do a family campout in July, and that I’d go somewhere with her for a week in August. I did talk to my daughter and she seemed to agree to go as crew. So waffling along about the cost of all this vacation time, I listed some old technical books for sale on Amazon.com. The books sold and it covered half the registration fee, so I took that as a positive sign and sent Tad the whole of the registration fee.
Chuck took a bit longer to decide. I think he was thinking about rowing a Chebacco, the money and the time. All valid concerns. But then there was the offsetting great times on Sucia and the call of the sea, adventure in the islands etc. Plus the alternative to going on this RAID is to go to Finland and this one can’t be more expensive than shipping a boat about half way around the world. The song of the sea turns rational humans into insane sailors willing to spend hundreds of hours and dollars on what otherwise is an anachronistic pastime. And eventually as Jamie and I knew he would, he signed up.
Tad meanwhile was having troubles of his own, the three boats that had initially said they would all shepherd us on this route started dropping out for various personal reasons. And for the longest time, it seemed like there was just us three entries, then the registrations started to snowball as it got closer to the June deadline. So while there were 10 boats that said they would come, 9 actually made it.
For me, the summer was speeding along, June, July, August came and went and fishing was done, along with camping, vacationing, only problem was I wasn’t rowing anywhere nor was I sailing anything. My regular crew spot on a Thistle was put aside while my skipper moved his house. The few free weekends between trips got spent doing chores, laundry, cleaning up, mowing etc. you all know the daily drill. I did try to see the Tall Ships when they came to Tacoma and while I missed them by not reading the schedule correctly I did get a nice 12 mile row out to Blake Island State Park and back one morning. That reassured me that I should be able to row at least the shorter legs of the raid if it came down to that. Finally mid August I took the boat out for a row around Mercer Island on Lake Washington one night. 7:30pm on the water, and 11pm off, rowing by some of the nicest boats and lake front houses around the state, all with no one in them. Some people have no idea what they have. Then one trip fishing with my brother off of Edmonds. We hit the water at 3:30am to avoid the boat launch lines, and yes, at that hour there are no lines. And no fish either… which is why I suspect that there are no lines. I rowed us that day instead of trolling with the electric and my hands seemed to hold up ok.
Come late August and I went shopping for a new fluke anchor, a heaving line, a set of charts, a VHF radio, and arranged to borrow my brother’s GPS. Then I picked up a new set of flares, and a new LED Flashlight, hoping to never need most of this. Then my crew backed out. Turns out the race would be going on during the first week of school and a friend of my daughter’s was getting married, so that left me with no crew and a quandary about sailing solo on a small boat. My main concern was that I would be ok if the wind was constant from the time I left shore to the time I returned to a shore. But if it were to increase or decrease significantly I had better be able to change headsails, and reef on the water in less than ideal conditions. After cogitating for a while I came up with a block mounted on the bow eye strap and a loop of line and a cleat back on the centerboard to hold the tack of the jib down. That way I can connect up all three corners of the sail before hoisting, pull the jib tack tight, hoist and set the leeward sheet. I practiced this in my front yard sitting in the boat and was convinced that it should work fine on the water. Although I’m sure the neighbors thought I was nuts. Then thinking about the last long leg from the Southern tip of the San Juan Islands to Port Townsend, a 20 mile jaunt I ordered a geniker sail. Normally dories do not carry off wind sails. But I was not looking forward to a 20 mile row when there might be a light Westerly down the channel and I could sail it. I felt that if I didn’t sail that leg it could make for a very long trip indeed.
Race day was Friday September 2, so naturally Thursday morning the 1st I started packing. By the crack of noon I had everything in the van and boat and was heading North to the Tsawwassen and Nanaimo ferry. Arriving at the ferry dock at 3pm I was informed that the 5:45pm ferry was sold out and I could wait in standby but that it was unlikely that I would get on. With the next ferry leaving near 8pm or I could take the Sidney ferry right now and drive up on the island side. I took the safe course and caught the Sidney ferry, which left me with an extra hour and half drive. It was beautiful though and I stopped for a view of the route we would soon be sailing. At the ferry to Silva bay the ticket taker asks me if I’m in the RAID noting that several other boats have crossed over that day. Then a guy wonders over to look my boat over and it turns out to be Dan Pence back from picking up his crew Sam Johnson and Arron Starr. Dan’s boat is already at the Silva Bay boatyard having been stored for a week at the boat school. Dan has a homebuilt Bolger Light Clipper called Wing Ding. I’ve looked at this boat’s photos on the web page and I know that it will be a seriously fast boat if we get some reaching winds.
It’s 8:30pm, after dark and I’m finally at Silva Bay. Tad had arranged for some local help to launch the dory. Little did I know that it was guys from the bar, so while I put on my boots, the boat got launched. Unfortunately without the drain plug! Jamie’s finger saved the day while I fished around for the plug and I was off wandering around the marina at night. I highly recommend arriving at marina’s in the daylight. One finger pier looks like another after dark. Then Splash and I hear Dan’s voice and they’ve launched Wing Ding in the same pickup and carry it in way. No cursing is heard, so I suspect that Dan remembered his boat plug. Neither of our boat launches beats Chuck who has to put is truck in up to the floorboards to get Full Gallop off her trailer on a very shallow boat launch. Well there are some advantages to having a small boat. I tie Tiger Lily up for the night and head off to park and sleep in my van. I no longer care where, other than that any quiet spot will do. Tad suggests the Fire station parking lot so off I go.
Friday morning Tuck Leitzinger, who owns a Silva Bay Shipyard built 17 ft Whitehall and I take our trucks and & trailers and stow them at the local fire station. Quill Goldman one of Ratty’s builders and part owner of Barefoot Wooden Boats ( HYPERLINK "http://www.barefootwoodenboats.com" www.barefootwoodenboats.com ) gives us a ride back to the bay. Tiger Lily is full of gear but not rigged and I miss first the skippers meeting and then the start as I frantically rig the lazy jacks, the reefing lines, the roller furler for the jib and tied in the dry bags. Well I did catch the bit about 5knts of current in the strait after the tide turns against us at 10am. Pushing off from the dock 15 minutes after the start I wasted no time fussing with sailing and put my back to the oars. Even so I wondered if I was going to make it, as by the time I was in the channel the current was running against me at 2knts and rowing I do at best about 4kts. But then if I quit now, how the heck was I going to get the boat out and back on the trailer when all those kind lads were in boats ahead of me? The weather just past the point of rushing water seemed nice enough… Note to self, get here earlier next year!
Well no sense in worrying about reading charts, plotting the course etc. on this first leg. It was easy to see where to go as everyone else is leading the way. But lunch was waiting for me on the beach at Blackberry point on Valdes Island and there is time for a new start on the next leg of the race. After all I’ve been sailing for a long time I should be able to keep up given a fair start. Bleeep! and we are off again and again I’m falling behind, in part because the wind is on my nose and I’m doing everything I can to hold the boat down, luffing, easing the main so that only the aft third is drawing, hiking with my feet under the seat. It was time to reef, which worked marvelously same as back home on the lawn. Loose both sheets, a quick wrist snap and roller furled the jib, set the lazy jacks, loose the halyard about 3 ft, set the reef hook, tighten the halyard, tighten the new clew reef line, pop the jib, set the sheets and I’m off only having drifted for a minute or so. Still though now I’m sailing fine and the wind is lightening… dang! repeat only shake the reef and then what’s that ahead? Whitecaps, this time I won’t reef and now I’m on my ear and there’s 3 gallons of water in the bilge and I’m reefing again and sponging it out 2 cups at a time. Glad I brought a huge sponge. After an afternoon and 8 miles of this I’m third from last into camp at Conover Cove on Wallace Island but its going well. I didn’t dump the boat in the wind gusts. She drifts totally safely with the lines let loose while I reef or unreef and when I took on water it was via a splash over the aft quarter from the bow wave as the boat rounded up into the wind. Not bad sailing, but boy do I wish I had my crew. Katie May skippered by Lynn Watson and crewed by Kees Prins is the first of the sailboats. They had a medium start at Blackberry point but then just rolled up the other sailboats going upwind in those gusts. Merry Sea designed, built and rowed by Ron Mueller (Wayland Marine) and crewed by Dale McKinnon by hiding in the lee of the Islands powered through the weather and was first overall. This was probably the hardest day for these two rowers however their years of rowing experience held them in good stead.
Saturday started off with more of the same, the weather is cloudy, the wind is from the South and I’m nearly late for the start again but I row out of the harbor set the sails and I’m off. This time I stay with Ratty, covering and tacking with her including one pause to reef until about half the way up the channel and then I switch tacks and she takes off on a wind I don’t have… Cover, cover, cover, when racing! So I finally make it into the lunch stop at 2pm after having missed the tide change through the last pass. I try rowing it but I’m not making any headway, so I sail some more across the channel and back and well I’m at least another 100 yds up the shoreline. It’s 2pm and I pull in for lunch at Prevost Island just as the rest of the crews are getting ready to leave. Merry Sea has pulled in first, with Full Gallop with Chuck and his crew Sarah Lyn leading the sailboats this time followed by Katie May and Wayward Lass. I take a 5 minute break and I’m back out and on the start line. This time after 10 minutes of sailing I’m again out of it. I’m starting to really wonder if bringing a rowboat that sails vs all these sailboats or pure rowboats was really the right choice. As the sun begins to set, and the wind is dying, I am rowing against the current and my hands are beginning to ache. Tad offers me a tow. I see the Sea Scouts ahead of me and I’m not gaining anything on them so I accept and ride the last mile into camp on a line. I’m DNF but I’ve saved my hands for another day. That night we enjoy another delicious dinner aboard Grail Dancer. And tomorrow is just a five mile jaunt to Sidney spit with the afternoon off from racing and a nice long rest.
Sunday and it’s a sail to Sidney Spit. There goes the Merry Sea followed by Tuck and Linda in Roar, rowing fast as usual. I’m again last in a light Southerly and end up short tacking up the spit against the current. Katie May lead the sailboats with Bear right behind. The scouts are getting the hang of rowing hard. Ratty then Wing Ding and Wayward Lass. The day is beginning to clear, I can rest, relax and with a Southerly wind tomorrow I should be able to reach across Haro Strait to San Juan Island on this nice Southerly we’ve had for the past two days and keep up with those sailboats. The speedy rowboats well forget that…
Sunday afternoon some of the folks make a trip into the city of Sidney B.C. on the foot ferry for a shower, some of us walk the sand spit and the rest of us hang out under Dale’s & Ron’s tarp reading. Tarps, never have I so appreciated having access to one. Ron and Dan do a race repair as the crew on Wing Ding has broken an oar. Fortunately Ron pulls out his handy dandy fiberglass & epoxy repair kit and I donate a set of latex gloves that I brought for cleaning fish. I’m finally getting to know the rest of the raiders on this trip. Most evenings I have too tired to pay attention to who is on which boat and what they are up to. It’s probably because I’ve been burning the candle at both ends all summer and that has taken its toll. This evening the sea scouts give us all a treat and let us row their long boat out to Grail Dancer for dinner. Now some would say, letting you row, is like letting you paint a fence but with a special boat like this one it was a rare event. Jamie got out his bag pipes and I feel like I’m in the highlands of Scotland. It’s a real treat to row that long boat. While it feels like a very large log rowing, the comradery of rowing with a group is fantastic. Then add a piper in the bow and its stuff of legends. The long boat was built by the Wooden boat school in Port Townsend as a near replica of the boat used by Captain Vancouver when he explored this region over a hundred years ago (well over, 1792 to 1794, just over 200!). Even though it has some modern construction it as the feel of the ages when rowing it.
Monday and its fog in the forecast and there is no wind. I pull out my brother’s borrowed GPS, turn it on, paste a waterproof a map in the stern sheets, power up my VHF radio and start rowing. The fog sort of drifts in and I’m thinking maybe I should just stay with Ratty and the Sea Scouts in Bear. I can see them just off my stern quarter and then its just Ratty’s masts and an outline of Bear and then there is nothing but gray everywhere. With my compass behind my back I rely on the light breeze that keeps my flag streaming just so and a bit of cold air in my left ear. In part this wind is from my rowing so its not totally accurate for keeping a course. After every 100 strokes or so I glance at the GPS which I can’t read while rowing due to the glare to see that I’m going sort of Northeasterly but at least not in circles.
After an hour of relying totally on my instruments I spot Ratty going in a Southeasterly course. I decide that being lost with someone else is better than being “right” and by myself so I turn and row with them. After about a minute I recheck my GPS and call over to them to check theirs and lo and behold they weren’t watching it closely and now the two of us turn back to the Northeast. With three guys to take turns rowing they are difficult to beat but for the moment they aren’t pushing hard so keeping up isn’t too much of a strain. The fog starts to clear and we spot Tad and on the Southern horizon a bulk cargo ship making the most god awful noise. But we are clear of the shipping channels and head for the Northern tip of Henry Island rowing steadily. As we approach the tip I see what looks like rocks off Battleship Island and veer back away and cross the bow of Ratty. Richard calls out to me that its only kelp so I turn again and now it’s a sprint for the channel at the head of Roche Harbor. Ratty and I clash oars going through the kelp but I make it through first and manage to nip them at the line by 20 ft despite that they pour it on in the last 100 yds.
Now onto customs. As any of you who have spent time crossing the border know that its always a crap shoot as to what you are going to need. This time they wanted my boat registration. While a 15ft 8” dory isn’t required to have it, I have registered with the state so I can fish with an electric motor. But I don’t have it with me with my passport, or at least the first time up in line I’ve forgotten to bring it. Fortunately I had pasted a ziplock bag with an old registration up under the bow with duct tape and return to the counter with it. First question, “How come you guys are an hour and a half behind the rowboats?” I mutter something about being lost in the fog.. Next question, “If I hold you here indefinitely will you lose?”.. the agent was this young & beautiful blond woman and had I been my more jovial self I might have made remarks about it being an odd way to propose a lifetime engagement but then joking with agents from INS and customs can get you sent to an island in the Caribbean for a long time, so I say something about this leg being already over.. The guys on Ratty have their own catastrophe and all the dried Buffalo jerky is confiscated. I had no idea that smoked meat was a terrorist weapon. Ron comes over and mentions that he and Dale are over by the boat ramp. Ratty and I then cast off and look for a place to hang out while the sailboats finally arrive and process through. The boat ramp looks rocky. The air in the inner harbor of Rosario is full with the diesel fumes from waiting boats, aircraft exhaust from the float planes and Los Angles air began to look good. We exit stage left and leave for Posey Island State park and crash on the beach for lunch.
An hour or so goes by and in comes the sailors, Bear, Wing Ding, Wayward Lass, Katie May, finally Full Gallop. In order to avoid the sweep of the current in Haro strait they had headed more Northerly and wound up in a reverse current right on the nose that runs along Spieden and Stuart Island. That produced a confused sea with very light winds. Everyone saw the freighter go by, some a lot closer than others but we were all across Haro Strait safely.
Finally everyone is done with customs & lunch and we are off to Jones Island for the night. It’s strictly a rowing race of 5 miles. The Merry Sea of course leads followed by Tuck & Linda on Roar. I’m pulling hard but can’t catch either of them. I try one minor tactic and cross the channel to Spieden in hopes that there is a favorable current but nope none exists and in fact its worse so I cross back. Then a miracle happens, Merry Sea decides to head to the South side of the Island for better camping, and Roar didn’t start at the official start line so I get a first into the Jones Island harbor. Whee! A technical first, but since I’ve been last so often on this trip it still feels good.
Monday night and we are again eating dinner on Grail Dancer and I notice that there are deer on Jones Island. They’ve come down and are wandering through our campsites. I had heard about Fallow deer on Sidney spit but missed them but I did see mice that other scourge. Asking aloud, how did these critters get on the islands, deer swim was the answer. And what about mice? “Oh they come over in people’s shoes…” Yeah right.
Since we are back in the US, we are allowed to have a campfire. The sea scouts gather wood and build an excellent fire. Wayne brings his violin from Grail Dancer, a mandolin appears and Richard of Ratty plays it. Ann from the Sea Scouts produces a flute/whistle, a pair of musical spoons is out with another scout, Chris? and we have a folk band! Music, fire, a clear night, songs and best of friends it can’t be beat. This night sticks in my head as being one of the best of the trip.
It’s Tuesday morning and I had gone to sleep with a light scraping noise on my tent. Thinking that deer were licking the dew from the fly I didn’t bother to check and had quickly drifted off to sleep. I pack up, shove on my boots and start carrying my duffle to the beach to load up and there is something soft in my boot. It moved! Hopping around on one foot I pull the boot off and shake and out comes a very confused mouse! Ok, maybe mice do come to these island in people’s shoes! (BTW the mouse appeared to have survived a bout with my stinky socks, no bites on my side either.)
Tuesday and it is a 2 mile sprint to Deer Harbor on Orcas Island. There is a very light breeze but it’s going to be a rowing race. Merry Sea and Roar are back at the start line so it’s a third at best for me even though I have to really pull hard to keep Ratty away. Waterline & drag really do matter when its just a rowing race. The finish was over just as the wind was coming up. I stayed out in the harbor and practiced setting my jib with the block mount which I had rigged back on Jones Island. It worked great, I sailed around a bit in the harbor and thought about more sailing however what awaited was a BBQ salmon dinner, a wooden boat festival, music and new friends so I bagged it and tied up.
But first, there was the wash and a shower. Civilization! Then there was the Deer Harbor rowing race. Just what I need, more rowing! Dale and Ron in the Merry Sea and Richard on Ratty with some scouts at the oars, Ann, Chris, Matt, and Emmet decide to enter it. Ron and Dale don’t even bother to unload the tarp, or chairs or anything else. Ratty pulls the mast and sails to lighten up a bit. Ratty not being quite so long on the waterline or so lightly built. The gun goes off and its Merry Sea before the boats even hit the island for the turn point. The Merry Sea does fly with those two powerhouses rowing it. Ratty with a load of Sea Scouts makes a run for it and when those kids get to rowing, the oars do bend. Maybe the requirement to have a spare oar wasn’t such a ridiculous idea after all. We all holler to be easy on those oars but they seem to stand the stress and the boat motors along.
Wednesday, and now the piper for that previous short day must be paid. We have 20 miles to go today. It’s fortunately broken into two legs, first to Spencer spit, and then onto Watmough Bight for the night. At this point the needs of the rowers clearly diverge from the needs of the sailors. Ron and Dale on Merry Sea decide that crossing the Rosario Strait is best done North of James Island and the sailors who with a possible forecast of gale strength winds in the Straits of Juan de Fuca for the next day want as much sea room as possible, head for Watmough bight. After talking it over before hand and again on the radios, Merry Sea is off to Bowman Bay State Park for the night and the rest of us head for Watmough Bight. Tuck and Linda on Roar end up with the middle course and row first to Watmough without waiting for the afternoon start. The weather is beautiful and they are at least an hour ahead of the bulk of the group. So its entirely reasonable and prudent to take advantage of the good weather. Once Tuck and Linda arrive at Watmough they decide to cross the straits today in no wind, flat seas, and clear viz, rather than wait for possible wind tommorrow. It makes for an extremely long day for them by adding another 5 miles to their rowing.
Meanwhile the Sea Scouts in Bear and I are neck and neck rowing towards Spencer spit. I missed the part of the skippers meeting where the finish line was discussed and land first but the Sea Scouts beat me through the line which was between the spit and Frost Island. Disgusted with myself I leave the boat beached on the wrong side. Ratty arrives and Quill borrows my boat to go get something he left on Grail Dancer and re lands on the correct side and finally I’m “correctly” finished. But it doesn’t really matter as the day is as beautiful as it gets. I’m snoozing on a sand beach under a hot September sun with friends. Life just doesn’t get any better than this.
Toooot! and we are off again to Watmough Bight. There are two thoughts about which way to go, the inside passage of Lopez and Decater Island which should have less current and wind or outside in Rosario strait, where there should be more of both. The Sea Scouts and I pick the inside and we race neck and neck down Lopez Sound. I make it through Lopez pass first but it’s a hard pull going through. The current wasn’t supposed to change for another hour but its running maybe 2 knots against us. We both make it though and look for the others, specks on the horizon but to the North of us. Whew there was no wind anywhere, so the inside was the way to go but you had to row fast or you wouldn’t have made it out at all. The outside was probably the right way for the slower sail boats to go.
Then another treat was in store for us. A gray whale feeding in Shoal bight! He rolls maybe 50ft from my boat feeding, as I pull toward the South. I think about a photo but by the time I’ve got the camera out he’s another 100 yds astern and moving North. Rather than lose my spot to the scouts by chasing whales I soak in the sight with my mind’s eye and row on. I think every boat other than the Merry Sea passed by this spot and got a peek at him.
Watmough Bight. What a beautiful place. There are herring schooling along the cliffs, it looks like salmon are feeding. I think about the rod and reel I packed for just such a fish and look at my blistered hands. I want off this boat. Watmough is a great pirates cove in that the bay is protected by two large rock outcroppings on either side. Of course the first thing the Sea Scouts do is climb the trail to the top of the Northerly side! Where do they get all that energy? 20 miles of rowing a barge, ok, long boat, and now a climb? A couple of us follow much more slowly to find a wonderful rope swing in a tree. We all take turns getting swung about by Laura, Robert and Matt and then scope the next day’s run to Port Townsend. We can clearly see the whole course, Smith rocks, Whidbey Island and it looks easy. Long but easy. Nothing like flat water, a high view point and warm weather to lull one into a false sense of ease. However I do pick up one bit of useful information from Dave the other Scout leader and that is the wind is likely to build as we get near Point Wilson. Then at Point Wilson there is likely to be more wind than we’ll want.
Thursday morning early it is clear but the fog is rolling in. Based on the predictions of clearing later we sit tight drinking tea and coffee and thinking about a 20 mile row in the fog. Wayne on Grail Dancer has some new fangled plotting software connected to his GPS and he and I spend an hour figuring out how to use it. Computers, I can’t seem to ever get totally away from them. It’s now 10:30am and its beginning to clear, that sort of thinner fog soup that you can see straight up but not sideways through. We hear from the Merry Sea on the other side of the strait that there is fog still along the shore of Whidbey Island and that they are following the shoreline We figure that by the time we get there it will be gone.
11am and the horn goes off and it’s a sprint to the mouth of the cove everyone is rowing as there is no wind inside this cove. I foul Jamie Orr on Wayward Lass and do an immediate 360 turn as penalty but still beat him out the mouth of the cove. Bear and I decide to stay to the West of the fleet hoping for that forecasted wind. Ratty and all the other sailboats head for Whidbey Island and maybe a thermal along the shore. There is a thick band of fog along the shore and I’m not too keen on rowing in fog again. After about an hour of rowing I’ve pulled ahead of the long boat but we are really just pacing each other. They raise their sails on a light breeze from the Southwest. I stop rowing and follow suit. This allows them the pass me to the lee, I eat my lunch and fret whether to start rowing again. This is the most beautiful sailing ever, sunshine, a light wind but I’m only doing 3+knts and Bear is slowly pulling away. The wind lightens, lunch is gone and that’s it sailing is over for now. The main is down, the jib is too and its back on the oars. This time I put my back to it and regain my lead.
It’s nearly 3 o’clock and the scouts and leaders on Bear and I are still rowing along with the sailboats moving slowly up the far shore. I can’t tell who is who without the binoculars and that would mean stopping rowing again so I just keep on. Then over the radio I hear Grail Dancer talk to Ratty and mention that there is wind in Admiralty Inlet. Dang! Bear and I have gone the wrong way. There is still no wind here. Row on, and on.. as the minutes tick by my hands begin to really ache. I hear that the Merry Sea is ashore and that folks are awaiting our arrival. Then its’ only a mile to Pt Wilson and I can see a dark blue line on the Western horizon. Bear’s sails which are up but slack now fill. Dang! no wind near me but then here it comes, I re-ship the rudder in place, raise the genoa & main. I think about that gennaker still in the bag. I could raise it but Pt Wilson is so close and last night’s warning about the wind… and it stays in the bag.
Looking aft, and I’m pulling away from the scouts, Wing Ding is still on the far shore of Whidbey.. I’m thinking, a technical second that won’t so bad. Yeah I should have gone with Ratty but with the three of them rotating the rowing I’m not sure I would have been able to keep up anyway. Sure is nice to be finally sailing a reach.
Pt Wilson and its blowing 25kts+! I’m on a close reach and the dory is screaming! Or is that me? The boat is plowing the bay, maybe 6” of freeboard left before I take blue water over the bow. Now on a close reach its much harder to slow down than going upwind. I ease the sheets and the boat accelerates, must have been oversheeted! In the tough of the waves I round up and let fly the sheets. Drop that jib and reef the main. Looking back I hear a dull roar and Bear with everyone on the windward rail is doing over 8kts! I can see Pt Hudson a half mile in front and I realize that there is no way I can reach off and smoother them stealing their wind or head up and beat them on speed. It’s too late to put a small jib up and besides I think I’m doing hull speed. Anyway I’ve got my hands full so there is no way I’m reaching inside the boat to get at the GPS. Now I hear another roar on the windward side of me and its Dan, Sam and Arron on Wing Ding! Where did that clipper come from?!? They finally got the reaching winds that boat excels with. Wing Ding is on the close reach and planning and take me to the windward side. It’s a neck and neck race between Bear and Wing Ding but Dan on Wing Ding, misreads the finish line which isn’t square to our course and heads for the shore side and its Bear at the line by a bow!
Wow! What a finish! After 20 miles of rowing it came down to less than 20ft for Bear and Wing Ding. I’m about 100 yds back for 4th and I’ve had it with sailing. I pull down the main and crab across the bay under oars to the marina and dock up. Tuck and Linda who have a room with a view at the hotel next door cheer me on and life is ok again. It’s been a great voyage!
The final results are in and Ratty is first overall with a lot of mid place finishes and a final first. Merry Sea takes second only because she didn’t start enough legs. Every leg she does enter she wins. Bear, the Sea Scout boat is third and clearly the first boat by enthusiasm. I’m fourth and really just glad to have competed. It took most of my years of sailing experience to make this a safe and fast trip alone.
Thursday night and its still blowing what seems like 35 knts and dinner on Grail Dancer is low key. Folks are beat after two days of 20 miles of rowing. Ron said it would take the starch out of us and he is right. Plus some of the sailors live here in Port Townsend and have headed off to warm showers and their own beds. I haven’t made a reservation at a hotel, thinking I was going to camp, but campsites are a ways away. George Hill, one of the Leaders from the Sea Scouts has offered me a couch at his home but I missed him going by to straight to dinner vs meeting him at the Wooden boat show like I had said I would. So Wayne gives me a bunk and Linda offers a sleeping bag. Wow! Again a treat, sleeping on a schooner! I am in heaven. That left only the van & trailer at Silva Bay to collect. Tuck says it’s a 6am leave time for him and Linda to head for Port Angles and the ferry back to Victoria. I’m welcome to come along and now we are staring in our own show of the “Great Race” Silva bay and back in one day. Wayne offers to row me ashore at 5am, necessitating a 4:30 am wakeup. Now if that isn’t the sign of a true friend I don’t know what is. Wayne and Maureen run a Bed and Breakfast using Grail Dancer and their home so if you are out this way looking for a sailing B&B, I highly recommend their hospitality.
Tuck & Linda and I make a very long day of it getting the trucks and trailers. We end up taking their second truck up to Nanaimo. Tuck and I on the ferry across to Gabriola Island try to hitch a ride but no luck. Old enough and in good shape guys just aren’t pitiful enough to get a free ride. Instead we grab an island taxi get the vehicles & trailers and return to Nanaimo, drive back to Victoria and are on the last ferry back to Port Angles. This day crossing the straits there is a gale blowing. There is a 5 to 6 ft swell down the channel with a 1 ft chop on top with whitecaps. The ferry rolls and walking about is hard. I am so glad to not be out there in that. It looks survivable but no going upwind in my boat. In the coffee line on the ferry back from Victoria Linda picks up a woman heading to the kayak festival which is going on at the same time in Port Townsend. The woman’s ride didn’t make the ferry and there is no public transport at that time of night to Port Townsend from Port Angles. So Linda offers her a ride. Nice when one can, to return a favor to the universe after all of the favors we’ve been given on this trip.
11:30 pm I’m back in the parking lot at Port Townsend. It’s lightly raining but I want my gear and boat out of the water. The campsite I checked on driving into town was full so its going to be somewhere else for the night. The van is self equipped so I really only need a dark safe spot for the night. But I look at the map, see that its only 2hrs to home and resolve to stop at a campsite or two on the way but drive in the direction of home. The next state park I hit has a sign, camp closes at 10:30pm so that’s it home calls and at 3:30am its my driveway and a warm bed.
Things I learned that I guess I should have known before. Don’t bother bringing fishing gear. On the days you have time to fish, where would you put the catch? Oiled leather boat shoes are great and do not get gammy like rubber boots. By the end of the trip I had to hose out my boots. Yuck! Light weight nylon clothes are great. No need for foul weather gear when there is just a light spray as the clothes just dry in a second or two when the weather is this warm. Crew! Did I mention how handy crew is? They can read the map, steer, give you a break at the oars, run the radio, switch jibs while you are still sailing! And as moveable ballast they can’t be beat. Dry bags, well mostly they are dry but you’ll need inner bags to keep the nearly wet from the dry clothes. Clothes, bring fewer and plan to wash them half way through the trip at a marina. GPS, get one with a non glare screen if you expect to read it while rowing. The ones with the charts built in are great but if you can translate coordinates to map locations you can manage fine. Waterproof maps are key. Buy them. But when you get home unfold them and wash and dry them out otherwise they smell like sour milk. Reefing points, really handy, for next year I’m having a second set installed and getting a storm jib.
About people? Raiders are the best folks out there. Everyone on this cruise was generous to a fault. Kind beyond belief and while racing we did keep an eye on each other. Dave, Kim and George the sea scout leaders were way more courageous bringing this pack of scouts than the sea scout leaders I when I was in the core. Enough can’t be said about Rusty in Tatiana and Wayne and Maureen on Grail Dancer, Tad in Seka. They were our water angels keeping a weather eye out for us. Naomi, what a cook! I felt like I was eating at a 3 star restaurant every meal. Tad? Well without his vision this wouldn’t have happened. However as the leader of this sort of RAID, he could have used a couple of lieutenants to give him a break and help with some of the details.
Boats? Well my 16ft dory is the absolute minimum in size, and even then I used my 35 years of sailing small boats to keep safe. Had we been caught by that gale on Friday I could have kept her upright, but go upwind. No way, neither rowing or sailing. I suspect that as a group we would have just waited out an extra day in a safe harbor. This year the light winds favored the rowboats. Had it been mostly reaching, that Light Clipper/Sharpie, Wing Ding would have been untouchable. More head winds and Katie May was clearly the upwind champ, although Wayward Lass and Full Gallop kept her honest. A daily steady 20 to 25 winds and I would have considered bailing out at some intermediate port. A dory with crew can sail in that kind of weather but by myself it was a lot of work and kept me on edge the whole time. My sliding seat was a lifesaver for rowing. Using it I could use my leg muscles as well as my back and arms. Neck and neck, the only boats faster rowing than my dory was Roar and Merry Sea. Longer waterline and less drag really pays off. Sailing upwind the Whitehall was worse than the dory and so Tuck and Linda nearly always opted to row. But that made for long days for them even if the miles were reasonable. Still each sailor made the most of their boat. And as Jamie said, the boat you have is probably the best boat to bring.
Boats for next year? Well there was no one favored boat on this trip by all the RAIDers. The Merry Sea however was clearly in a class of its own. Next year Ron is planning on bringing a fast sailing boat that is a bit closer in sprit to this type of race. You can see the other boats that he has designed at HYPERLINK "http://www.waylandmarine.com" http://www.waylandmarine.com so you know that what ever he brings is likely to be a contender. Wing Ding was my pre race favorite. Planes, long waterline, narrow beam for rowing. In point to point racing you rarely have just up wind or down wind legs. You nearly always get reaches. Unfortunately for them this year we got upwind legs or no wind. With a set of rowing rigs and some strong rowers it could become a very fast RAID boat. We’ll have to see what modifications Dan comes up with. Katie May, Full Gallop and Wayward Lass all needed consistently stronger winds to show their full potential. Rowing them proved tedious at best and a chore most of the time. My Swampscott Dory and Tuck & Linda’s Whitehall are classic row/sailboats, but both of them proved to be less than perfect RAID boats. Neither of us can point upwind with the pure sailboats and we can’t plane on a reach if the wind comes up limiting our top speed to that of our hull length. However we can row, and when rowing we were tough to beat. Although being small boats at 16 & 17ft both of us were very cautious when the weather kicked up. My dory handles the chop a bit better than the Whitehall as Tiger Lily rises over it. When sailing or rowing the bobbing slows me down but I don’t take on water. The Whitehall powered through all the chop until it reached about 2 1/2ft at which point it started to splash water in over the bow. At that point Tuck and Linda headed for a protected shore to wait it out. On this trip there are plenty of those shores except for crossing the two straits and the run down to Port Townsend. Sailing it was very tender in most of the winds where you would want to sail, it was faster to row. I did have a dream on the second night that I had a longer dory built for next year, by about 2 to 3 ft. That may be too much windage for one rower but that was the boat in my dream.
Would I do it again? You bet! Hope you decide to come next year too. Details for next year and more photos from this year’s trip can be found at HYPERLINK "http://www.shipyardraid.ca" http://www.shipyardraid.ca and HYPERLINK "http://homepage.mac.com/waylandmarine/PhotoAlbum21.html" \t "_blank" http://homepage.mac.com/waylandmarine/PhotoAlbum21.html Thanks again Tad for putting this year’s RAID together.
My boat is a Gig Harbor Swampscott Dory. You can see more of it at my home site HYPERLINK "http://www.geocities.com/garyLambda/SwampscottDory.html" http://www.geocities.com/garyLambda/SwampscottDory.html I also run a yahoo group HYPERLINK "http://groups.yahoo.com/DoryBoat" http://groups.yahoo.com/DoryBoat for folks who love dories to chat. Information about Wayne and Maureen’s B&B can be found at HYPERLINK "http://www.sunrisegrail.com" http://www.sunrisegrail.com