After this evening we have a whole bunch of parts ready to be re installed in the boat. The aft head floor boards and door have had their sanded edges varnished to guard against moisture intrusion and are ready to be returned to their homes.
All posts by jeopardyracing
Winter Sabre Projects #4
By Rich
As I’ve said before, yachting and [especially] yacht repair projects aren’t always glamorous. Today’s mission was to get his little gem out of the forward head and home to the shop so I can rebuild it.
Winter Sabre Projects #3
By Rich
The aft head’s floorboards have now been sanded down enough to fit into their spaces with some room to swell without getting jammed into place. Next I need to varnish the sanded surfaces, and then this project can be called done.
I’ve made progress on repainting a second dorade vent too. This is how it started out:
Winter Sabre Projects #2
By Rich
We’ve got a bunch of projects started and underway, but progress is already being hampered by harsher than normal temperatures for this time of the year. All indications are that we are facing a very ugly winter here in Maryland.
The aft head door has been test fit twice and with some additional sanding it can be touched up with varnish and fit back into place permanently.
In the interest of eliminating a musty smell from the forward air conditioning system, I’ve removed the air handling ducting and have replacements on order.
Winter Sabre Projects #1
By Rich
Last fall we were looking forward to our January charter in the BVIs. This fall, with the cold about to steamroll us and the dark already here, I’m reminded that deferral of gratification is a hallmark of emotional intelligence. The last morning I woke up aboard Le Saberage some weeks ago, it took literally all of my self control not to turn right out of Lake Ogelton and start sailing for Florida instead of turning left for the boatyard. Alas, in my 40s I’m more mature than I was when I owned my first boat. Perhaps, with the Sabre in much better shape in the spring, I’ll see the virtue in my personal growth. But right now maturity feels like darkness, cold, and a huge To-Do list.
Still, there is progress and that’s good for morale. With Lisa’s help I got our new beast winterized – which is a much bigger accomplishment than it was with the J/29.
I’ve started some more substantive projects too. While winterizing the boat I elected to remove the water tanks to thoroughly clean them inside and out. During the removal I discovered that I am not pleased with the way they are secured against coming adrift and killing off-watch crew in the event of a severe knockdown, so I plan to reinforce part of the settee face before re installing them.
One More Night
With our winter haul out scheduled for Friday morning, I spent one more night aboard Le Saberage this past Thursday. Lake Ogelton rewarded me with another breathtaking sunset while I removed our mooring pennant and reviewed the boat’s documentation for sling and block locations.
We Face Our First Significant Test Aboard Le Saberage
By Rich
Whoooooooooosssssssshhhhhhhhhh…
Boom, Boom…
Slap, slap slap…
It’s 4 a.m. this past Saturday, and Lisa and I are asleep in the forward cabin of the Sabre, which lies on a mooring in front of Tred Avon Yacht Club in Oxford, Maryland. Actually, Lisa is sleeping but I have been drifting in and out for a while now. The wind is howling through the rig. Since arriving Saturday afternoon we’ve had a sustained 15 knots with frequent gusts into the lower 20s right here in the anchorage. Each gust makes the ominous noise cheap B-movie film makers like to dub over footage of the haunted house on the hilltop in the dead of night:
Whhhoooooooossssssssshhhhhhhhhh…
Continue reading We Face Our First Significant Test Aboard Le Saberage
Throwback Photos: J/29 Racing In Fresh Breezes
By Rich
I’m not one of those racers who can remember every leg of every race in his/her career. In fact I remember very little of any of them, but I remember this Annapolis Nood race and this beat in particular. We made the right call by choosing the genoa instead of the #3 (it was a borderline call). We substantially outpointed Huster for the entire first leg of the beat on starboard tack and had a big lead when….a massive lefty filled in. They tacked over and crossed us by a significant margin and beat us to the mark.
That’s yacht racing. Sometimes you can make all the right decisions and still come up short! Still this was only a slight negative in a regatta full of positives that resulted in a podium finish. Best of all was the sailing itself – just look at the J/29 going upwind with a full rail of crew and a nice, flat, 150% heavy genoa. The J/29 in its prime.
Looking At The Water. Just. Looking.
Tonight I needed to stop by the Sabre to check on her and retrieve a couple of items I’d left on board Sunday. This is the scene I was met with.
A Windy Weekend (Finally!)
- Stab self in the eye with a fork
- Get a root canal
- Prepare own income tax return, then write check to the IRS for the balance due plus interest and penalties
File all of the above under the heading of “I’d rather [fill in one of the above] than …” Racing sailors have at least one more item to add to this list: trying to sail downwind on cruising boats that aren’t rigged with spinnakers. Apart from being painfully slow, cruising boats (and even race boats for that matter) often roll miserably when sailing deep angles under main and jib & main alone. Ugh. This weekend I got a great surprise: our Sabre’s centerboard underbody means she isn’t a dullard going downwind without a chute. Actually, she runs dead downwind like a champ.
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