The weekend was wonderful. Some things I'm learning about sailing on the Potomac River...
One: You better have your head on a swivel when entering the main shipping channel. There is a LOT of big boat traffic like the Spirit of Washington, water taxis, dinner cruises and so on. Rules of navigation require sailboats under sail to stay out of their way since they are restricted to the channel and sailboats are not.
As a result, you develop a sense of time/distance estimation. You better if you don't want to get run over.
Two: Solar panels break when stepped upon. In other words, if it is working fine where it is, don't move it. That mistake cost me $50.
Three: Channel markers do not move. The second-worst sound you can hear in a boat is the crackling of fiberglass as you run a near 2000 pound sailboat against an immovable steel pole. So far, I am only enduring wounded pride and minor to no damage to my rub rails. I was lucky and was able to fend off the worst of the collision to have it run along the hull rather than take it broadside. More importantly, have the impact occur well behind the chainplates in a non-loading bearing area. I could have sworn I saw the hull flex at impact but it appears the damage so far is minor. Hence why it is the second-worst sound you can hear.
The worst sound to hear is the gurgle of water in your hull after said impact.
The lesson learned from that little disaster is don't attempt an upwind tack near a channel marker in light and variable winds in a 1 knot current flowing in the direction of said channel maker. For future reference, continue beyond the marker and either attempt the tack upwind in a steady wind nowhere in line of the marker or jibe to downwind, pass the marker and then head back to windward once well clear of the potential boat killer.
My reactions were good in getting the beam away from the mark and pointed downwind but bad for attempting the maneuver that close to begin with. Like any mistake, it is a lesson that was driven home rather loudly and one that will not be soon forgotten.
Lesson learned: Channel markers are not your friend.
Four: Landing jets make one of the coolest sounds you'll hear. I didn't know what it was at first. Then my friend Tom pointed out this whistling, echoing, high-pitched rush of air with no wind associated with it was the jetwash from the landing airliners. The odd thing is it is like lightning and thunder. There is a delay between the time the jet passes overhead and when you hear that sound. Roughly 20-30 seconds. And you have to be more or less directly under the plane as it passes by to get the full effect.
If you have a chance to sit directly in line with the landing flight path at Reagan National, give it a try. It's kind of nifty. Apparently you can hear it at the right spot at Gravelly Point but in the water directly south of the runway lights on the southern end of the runway is perfect. You swear you're in some banshee infested echo chamber.
More to come.
One: You better have your head on a swivel when entering the main shipping channel. There is a LOT of big boat traffic like the Spirit of Washington, water taxis, dinner cruises and so on. Rules of navigation require sailboats under sail to stay out of their way since they are restricted to the channel and sailboats are not.
As a result, you develop a sense of time/distance estimation. You better if you don't want to get run over.
Two: Solar panels break when stepped upon. In other words, if it is working fine where it is, don't move it. That mistake cost me $50.
Three: Channel markers do not move. The second-worst sound you can hear in a boat is the crackling of fiberglass as you run a near 2000 pound sailboat against an immovable steel pole. So far, I am only enduring wounded pride and minor to no damage to my rub rails. I was lucky and was able to fend off the worst of the collision to have it run along the hull rather than take it broadside. More importantly, have the impact occur well behind the chainplates in a non-loading bearing area. I could have sworn I saw the hull flex at impact but it appears the damage so far is minor. Hence why it is the second-worst sound you can hear.
The worst sound to hear is the gurgle of water in your hull after said impact.
The lesson learned from that little disaster is don't attempt an upwind tack near a channel marker in light and variable winds in a 1 knot current flowing in the direction of said channel maker. For future reference, continue beyond the marker and either attempt the tack upwind in a steady wind nowhere in line of the marker or jibe to downwind, pass the marker and then head back to windward once well clear of the potential boat killer.
My reactions were good in getting the beam away from the mark and pointed downwind but bad for attempting the maneuver that close to begin with. Like any mistake, it is a lesson that was driven home rather loudly and one that will not be soon forgotten.
Lesson learned: Channel markers are not your friend.
Four: Landing jets make one of the coolest sounds you'll hear. I didn't know what it was at first. Then my friend Tom pointed out this whistling, echoing, high-pitched rush of air with no wind associated with it was the jetwash from the landing airliners. The odd thing is it is like lightning and thunder. There is a delay between the time the jet passes overhead and when you hear that sound. Roughly 20-30 seconds. And you have to be more or less directly under the plane as it passes by to get the full effect.
If you have a chance to sit directly in line with the landing flight path at Reagan National, give it a try. It's kind of nifty. Apparently you can hear it at the right spot at Gravelly Point but in the water directly south of the runway lights on the southern end of the runway is perfect. You swear you're in some banshee infested echo chamber.
More to come.
1 comments:
Hmm, you have never heard of lending jets before?
F-5 makes a loud roaring sounds.
F-18 and F-15 due to their turbofan engines makes are really loud roar.
I work next to a military airbase.
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