Labor Day Summary

It's now after Labor Day, and I would like to summarize the season's issues.

First, the PDQ WiFi extender system is absolutely non-functional.  It appears to have components which could be usable, but there is no technical support whatever.  Not recommended in the least.

The early-season failure in the Raymarine radar turned out to have been in the main console.  It was repaired by the manufacturer, after about 6 weeks in  their shop, and worked for the rest of the summer.

The transducer for the depth sounder was replaced in early July, and I can't have been more pleased. Depth soundings are consistent, and frequent, although they are still often disturbed by wakes.  Without a new set of electronics, using a different signal processing, I don't think its performance can improve.

Rune's wind sensor failed on our cruise to Cuttyhunk.  When we returned, I sent a technician to the top of the mast, and found that the sensor connector was loose.  Connecting it again solved the problem.

For the first time in seven years, we raced in the Classic Yacht Regatta, in Newport, RI.  For the race, I removed the self-tacking jib and its boom.   We raced without spinnaker, and the rules prohibited our Mylar genoa.  Incidentally, the rules also would have prohibited our square-topped mizzen if it had been a mainsail.  They also prohibited a flying sail change, which we were able to do with our experienced crew; if we had placed we would have had to protest ourselves.

We took 6th out of 14 boats, which was quite respectable.  As always, we found things to improve.

The genoa track on the port side was lifted and bent by the load of the #1 jib.  The primary reason seems to have been that the genoa car was positioned above a scupper in the toerail, which forced the shipwrights to use a short screw to fasten the track.  The screw gave way, and the rail bent.

Fixing this issue is a matter for some thought.

The sail prefeeder for the headstay foil  track was lost in the confusion of setting or changing sails, so I replaced it after the race, and changed the lanyard to a steel one.

I also found that the lanyard I had added to retain the headsail feeder was wrong. It turns out that when we wish to change sails during a race, we need to hoist them independently of the roller furling mechanism.  To get the masthead swivel out of the way, we must drop it down to the bottom of the headstay foil, past the sail feeder gap, and stow it just above the roller drum.  Then the swivel is below the feeder gap, and we can feed the sails into the foil above it.

I had fixed the sail feeder in its place in the gap with a short lanyard, which encircled the headstay.  It was too short to allow the swivel to drop below the feeder, so I cut it and replace it with one just long enough to pass the swivel.

Andrew believes that the 150% roller-furling genoa, which was our most useful sail in  this and most regattas, is past its worthwhile life.  It can't be set with a firm trailing edge because it stretches away from the mast if set at its optimal tension, and tangles with the upper mainmast spreader if it is set too tight.  He suggested I try to get Doyle Sails to make one with a modern loop attachment at the clew, instead of a grommet.

The #2 genoa,which is really about a 105% sail, worked well for the windward legs.  We could perhaps have used a reef in the mainsail for about 15 minutes, but the course changed down wind, the relative wind moved aft and we were able to carry the sail comfortably.

It seemed that the mizzen staysail flew better when tacked to the base of the #5 and #6 main mast shrouds than when tacked to the loops on the cabin roof we have been using since we began racing.   When I looked at the photos taken by North Sails from their regatta support boat, I thought the base of the windward forward gate stanchion might be even better.  It is  adequately reinforced, and does not need the awkward redirection of load on the turnbuckle when the sail is tacked to the shroud.