DaySailer.org Forum

I see that the Texas 200 is about to get underway. Best wishes to any DS skippers who are sailing the Gulf Coast this year.
We look forward to your stories.

+1 on hearing these stories!

Made it thru the first day. Camping at Port Mansfield. Unusual weather this year. Light rain occasionally and wind out of the NE. No one done here has memory of wind out of the NE this time of year.

John

NE? So tacking all day long? What kind of wind speed?
Isn't there a hurricane on the Florida side of the Gulf? I could see how a cyclonic flow over there could bring NE winds to the Texas side.

Good to hear John!

No storm over here, but there is definitely some serious rotation going on in the Gulf right now ...

We have finished day three. Had to careen the boat when leaving camp two, jammed centerboard,gotta love the DS2 centerboard. Winds this morning were around 12 knots, strengthening in the afternoon as we dodge the ferries and came a little close to a fishing boat that was blocking the way we needed to go. We are in camp now at a place called the Quarantine Shore.

We lost two boats one the first day. One with a rigging problem, the other the route out in the Gulf and capsized near the first nights camp. From what I heard the boat was total lose. A Prindle catamaran also pitchpoled on the second day, but continued on to camp two. At camp they had to repair a two foot gash in their hull.

John

CB troubles?!?!

Hope ya got it sorted out John. Back here, we're kicking around a few ideas for a CB DH bungee-thingy that might cure that issue once and for all ...

Hope you have a great rest of your trip, and please continue to keep us posted. That capsize in the Gulf is eerily reminiscent of a similar situation during the EC this year ...

Finished day four, hardest day of sailing so far. First day was 43 miles, days 2 and 3 were each 50 miles. Day 4 was longer, 11 hours of sailing into a stiff wind with navigational hazards. Last day is suppose to be only 24 miles. Centerboard trunk is leaking water into the cuddly and draining into the , lots of bailing. Main halyard came lose today while under sailor no apparent reason,. Many boats went aground today in the shallows. Last day is all that lies ahead now. We have had some good sailing.

John

Good for you, John. Nice to hear updates, and I can't wait to hear the full story when you are finished and back--hopefully with pictures! I'm sure you are exhausted, frustrated, and longing for the end and an opportunity to put the boat back right, but we all appreciate your updates.

Wow. Thanks for having these adventures.

Very interested in the centerboard issues. Did the steel-cable part of the pennant cut into the hull? What part of the CB equipment jammed? I'm assuming you have the "standard" retrofit bungee to keep the uphaul cable out of the way. Could it be the downhaul?

Get some sleep. Maybe a beer. (Not necessarily in that order.) Then let us know.

We finished the Tx200. It was about 220 miles this year. The last day was basically a 24 mile run, but the sun was really beating done on us today. We were glad to get in. No swimming this year. Worst problem was water getting into the cockpit via the centerboard uphill. When we put the boat on the trailer and opened the bilge drain, there was no water.

Last night`s camp was at a place called Army Hole, a WWII Army Air Corp base that has been abandoned since 1946. All the runways are still there as well as the loading docks.

When we got in tonight, there was a big shrimp boil to end the event.

Day Sailer 2 performed well. Daily speeds were usually about 4.5 to 5.5 knots, except for today when speed was about 3 to 3.5 knots. Winds were generally 12-15 knots with temps around 90, a cool year. We needed part of Monday afternoon, and also put in one reef Wednesday. The rest of the time it was full sail.

John

Congratulations!!

Water in the cockpit from the CB, with a dry bilge. Hm. Looking forward to the analysis.

Sounds like this was a relatively mellow year (well, if you weren't on the boat lost in the gulf or the broken catamaran.) But 5.5 knots ain't too shabby. Actually, it's about our theoretical hull speed without planning. (is it even possible to plane with 5 days' baggage in the cabin?)

It sounds like there is a T-200 capsize adventure every year for someone. I was wondering -- has anyone made an auto-inflatable-masttop float? I'm thinking of a PFD C02 cartridge that only fires if it is totally submerged, and that inflates a ball at the top of the mast. It would live hoisted on a small continuous halyard. If you capsize and it deploys, you can haul it down after self-rescue. Just wondered.

My bilge rarely leaks. Water from the CB trunk squirts into the cuddly and drains into the cockpit.

This was a better year temperature wise, temps in the mid 80`s to 90 during the day, overcast for three of the five days. Winds were about the same as last year, sometimes a little stronger, but coming from an unusual direction making some days harder than in the past. We encountered some rain which hasn't` happened ever in the past. Unlike last year when we sailed with a double reefer main, we sailed with full sails most of the time. The Tx200 is never mild.

The catamaran made it to camp after the pitch pole despite a two foot gash in one hull. At camp they made repairs and ended up finishing the event despite losing some gear and supplies including their GPS and VHF radio. The other boat that capsized lost both it`s masts when it rolled in the surf. Some boats had flotation at the top of the mast.

Our top speed was 10.8 knots.

John

Zowie. According to Crouch's Planing Speed Calculator, that's like a power boat with a 2.7 hp motor.
(Assuming the boat weights 600lbs and is carrying another 600 lbs of crew plus baggage.)

I'll get a report of the Texas 200 together in the next day or two. A more detailed report will be sent to the Day Sailer Quarterly.

Crew this year made a lot of difference over previous years. My crew was a Vanguard sailor who also has experience sailing a DS. He definitely had more skill at sailing than I had. Having a sailor with me that knew centerboard boats was definitely an improvement over my cousin who was a keel boat sailor.

John