Sailing with Rachel cancelled

Rachel and I were supposed to go sailing... I arranged to dump my full car load at the locker and go sailing with Rachel.  The elevator was down at the locker ... actually two elevators were down.  I had to get a cart to move all my stuff upstairs.  That delayed my rendez-vous with Rachel. She prepared a nice lunch that we decided to have on her balcony.  The weather warmed up but there seemed to be no wind, and we were lazy so we cancelled.  

I went to Costco to gas up and do some groceries and came home. ... tired.

Pumpout and short sail

It looked like light winds in the morning.  

I got a pump out from the “allegedly” defective pump-out and set sail with very light winds.  After putting up the sail, I was drifting backwards.

Ryan was struggling too so I towed their shark back to the harbour and then I decided to return to the dock.  Total time less than 20 minutes of sailing.

Hugh Kennedy - Long Distance race

Sylvie and Maud came out for the Hugh Kennedy long-distance race.  The course was three sausages and 18 miles long. 

The winds were strong, 12 to 17 knots generally from the west. Basically three sausages with one long beat and one long run.

Bellum came in last, but we did race well.  The completion was challenging.  Maud helmed the whole race, which lasted about 3 1/2 hours in glorious winds.  

Maud and I polished some wine at the dock and then had supper with Audrey at the club. She really enjoys sailing.  Hope she does not leave the club.

I was tempted to sail out for the night but ended up going to ESB debut at Kelly's Orchard which was not really my cup of tea.  I returned to the club and had a scotch with Denise and James.  James as always was very annoying.

After midnight, we disbanded and I slept aboard with one heater. Two heaters were too much.

Night run

I biked to the club, dropping lunch off for Tonip.

Sylvie came to help me switch the 155 for the 135 for tomorrow's Hugh Kennedy race.  The 155 has been on since the AQVA on August 20.  That's almost a month.

After some lingering around the club, I set sail at 18h to seek an anchorage.  I motored to the club channel, put up the headsail and had a nice sail to the gut and to Beaconsfield in a close haul.  Nice sunset, but cold and I decided to return to the club at about 20h20.  Lingered at the clubhouse.

Silence came out shortly after my departure. She returned at about 9 and we convinced the club to make us a house salad since the kitchen closed early.

I slept aboard with two electric heaters and it was quite warm. First time with the heaters this year.

St Anne and IPYC

Tuesday at 11:15, Scott drives me to the club so I can get my car back.

I changed the linen for the custom sheets and winter duvet.  I organized my locker a bit. At two PM I sailed out of the club and sailed to St. Annes for 5.  

The place was empty. I lingered around and then motored to IPYC and checked in and got the wifi password. I BBQ a steak and potatoes and a zucchini and evaluated Darla's Gletlivitt.  Went to bed at 11 and got up at 8 or 9.  A nice lazy day.  

Wednesday at 2PM I departed IPYC and got stuck on two rocks inside the harbour.  I got off and motored through THE channel arriving at the club about 5.  

I packed the car, had a beer with Denise and Peter and Elaine.

I moved my bike to the lawn.  The rear tire was broken and the seat post was loose.

I drove home. 

The rain storm I was expecting went North of us.  Might have stayed an extra night, but had things to do the next day.

EMT, Fantail and dowkers

On Tuesday, I decided to bring the car home to bring home all the stuff from moving mom which had been left in the car for a couple of weeks. On Friday I emptied the car at the storage locker and picked up Sylvie's EMT (24 pieces). 

I had some errands to do but Sylvie was available to go sailing, so we went sailing.  We stored the EMT in my locker.

We decided to take the Fantail.  Before leaving we tested some rigging of dock lines to help with single-handed docking.  She was too shy on the throttle to properly pivot the boat into the dock

We departed about 2ish and motored to the gut and sailed to Baie'd Urfie in wide tacks and broad reach back, starting the motor to get back to the club at 18:30.

I decided to go sail into the sunset so I departed immediately sailing closed haul with some tacks to Grand Anse, but I decided on Dowkers at 9:30.  Supper was Confit Canard and potatoes.

It was a cold night, about 12 C and I had not taken the winter comforter which I had just stowed in the club locker.  Slept from 11 to 9, staying in the warm bed only getting out of bed at 10 ish.

The morning was windless, I got a marine traffic message saying Redline just left St. Anne.  Next, I saw Redline at the sandbars.  

About noon, I hauled anchor and sail- drifted to Pointe Claire and started the motor back to the club.

I tidy up the locker, removed the boat trailer and loaded up the car and moved the car to the outside parking and rigged the trailer to the bike.

Norm docked and he was going to the "sausage party" for MHA.  I had just booked supper at Mr. Spicy. I biked to Mr. Spicy without the trailer and biked back to the club to pick up the trailer and had a nightcap with Mike Jason and Kelly.

I biked home with the trailer. The upcoming weekend was supposed to be wet.

Overnight Alone

Sunday

The winds were light during the day and I hung around the club tidying things up ... managing my perpetual tasks.  

At 4 ish, the wind picked up and I took off.  Sailed around the lighthouse in 10 to 12-knot winds to the gut.  Came across Flow Control after the gut.  I was closed haul and tacked to Grand Anse at about 8:45.  Sunset now was 19h15.  

I made corn on the cob with ribs.  And I tested the Glenlivet. 

Had a bad night with nightmares.  The next morning was windless as forecasted.  I napped to twelve and then hauled anchor about noon with minimal winds.  Motored a bit to get out of Grand Anse.  I drifted for 4 hours.  I cleaned my portlight mosquito nets and gaskets.  

Redline was at the sandbars but apparently left just before I got there.  The winds picked up and I sailed to Grand Anse passing Matchmaker there.  I anchored, and she left.  I spent an hour there, swimming and cleaning the transom. The water temperature was 23C.   

Later I sailed back to the club passing Balade drifting before the gut.  I offered her a tow but she did not need it. 

I sailed around the lighthouse, towards the Cardinal Lachine, and then to the harbour's entrance before starting the engine as Matchmaker was entering the harbour.  

The forecast was for lots of rain Tuesday. My crucial decision now did I bring the bike home or the car.  It was going to rain Tuesday.  I decided to take the car.  As I got on the highway, I saw the harvest moon and regretted not staying aboard for the evening.  Slept in my own bed.

The Harvest moon

In the morning, I biked to IGA to pick up some salmon, corn and peppers.

Sylvie and I left the dock at four after waiting to accommodate Dazzle's delayed departure - his needing to have lunch and then diesel. It took quite a while for her to get out on her maiden journey.  

She followed us to the gut and then to the sandbars and then rafted up to us after we decided not to raft up with Redline. After a short raft-up, Dazzle departed. 

Redline, Zig-Zag, Dissidence and Fugu were the sandbars, Tara was supposed to be somewhere, but not findable.

At sunset, the winds picked up and we decided to pull anchor and go sailing.  We sailed to Gand Anse and anchored sans carbon somewhat around Denise. Sylvie had never experienced night sailing before.  She liked it.

The sunset was spectacular and the moon rise was very slow and red turning white.  A power boat was blasting music.  There was an impressive firework display was held in the south.  I always remembered our experience 11 years ago when we had a head malfunction on Cygnus during the Harvest moon of 2011.

Supper was salmon, potatoes, peppers and a clove of roasted garlic.

Sunday morning, we pulled anchor at 10:30 and sailed a bit before we started the engine to get to the Fall GNS race.  The race was postponed for a while before being cancelled.  

We sailed around and returned to the dock at two pm when Sylvie departed.

I lounged around the harbour.

Sylvie O was on her mainden solo run.

Kahnawake Marina

Friday, I torqued the toe rail - all around.  A port stanchion was broken.

Friday afternoon I departed at 14:47 and had a good sail to Dowkers and then through the windmill point channel when the winds died then I motored through the seaway and to Kahnawake Marina arriving at 7 PM.  I sailed into the harbour and the bar was still very quiet so I anchored outside.  

Had supper of hot dogs and a raspberry cider. I had a swim and got infested by noseeums.  At about 9 PM, I decided to dock and had an Okeefe and then I spent the night at their fuel dock.

I departed at 7 AM on Saturday, heading back to the club and doing groceries for the Harvest moon.

Single handed sailing Monday to Thursday with Sylvie

Monday 7 PM I departed for Beaconsfield anchoring between BYC and Lord Reading after the Windmill point race.  The supper was a steak that had been sitting in the fridge for a few days.

Tuesday morning, I sailed a lot around from 11 to 7 in quite strong winds - single-handed.  Initially, I had the full 155 on broad reaches, then reefed as I closed hauls and later the winds decreased and I unfurled.  I sailed around the lighthouse and decided not to return to the club and sailed out again circulating around Dowkers and then went to PCYC.  I asked Sylvie to meet me at PCYC tomorrow.

I docked in PCYC.   Nobody was there and I charged my drained batteries overnight.  Did a visit to Gigi pizzeria to get a menu. Supper.

Wednesday morning, Sylvie met me at PCYC and we had a delightful sail in very light winds.  I had a head of lettuce and made a basic salad for lunch.  We sailed around till 18h when I did a touch-and-go docking at PCYC dropped Sylvie and motored to the sandbars for a fabulous sunset with butter chicken.

I sailed from Sandbars to the gut and motor back to the club on Thursday morning.  I biked home and did a guided tour of Falaise St. Jacques and did groceries at Arkavan.  I worked at home unit 4 and biked back to the club for the Vendee Globe presentation.  I slept aboard.

'Canadian Scott Shawyer of Canada Ocean Racing, mentored by British legend Alex Thompson of Hugo Boss fame, is mounting a campaign to participate in 2028. Alex is one of the world's most successful offshore competitors.'

Labour day race - Wind Mill Point Race

Sylvie and Andreanne came out for the Windmill Point race.

Our position was  6 out of 10.  

Beer on the lawn

It seems that I had worked on the failed propane detector that evening..

bike ride with Rachel

Woke up in the rain.  cloudy and the temperature suppose to go up to 17.  I didn't feel like going sailing so I decided to bike with Rachel. 

FFR Pursuit race and raft up

Light winds, Andreanne cancels - she is not feeling well. Darla came as a last-minute invitation.  David and Kirill also joined us.

I gassed up, washed the boat, filled the water tank and had a pump out.

I had to rush to the race area as Darla did not arrive until 1:20PM

Ten boats showed up. Winds were light. RC had motor problems, we were waiting for about half an hour before I decided to drop anchor and be RC.

Bellum's start was 24 minutes after the scratch boat with Chaos and Antanzas but after the J95, J70's. That is to say we had practically no chance of winning. Boats were retiring one after another and we eventually retired after RC decided to shorten the course up current to SLRVA 33. But after we retired, Antazas suggested ending the race at the GUT. arg.

The raft-up was Bellum alone.

Friday with DJ at the sandbars

Friday started slowly.  Darla was waiting for the fridge guy.  I decided to install a12 volt outlet at the dining table for my laptop.  That took about two hours.  Then I decided to fix the broken fuel gauge which turned out to be a broken wire at the resister coil in the sender.  That took another two hours after two attempts to solder the resistive wire to the terminal wire.

Winds looked light and Darla decided to stay home and rest.  I sailed out in 12-knot winds which I had not expected. Nice sail into Grand Anse and then in search of Compromise who had a DJ and a raft up.  I rafted up, danced, and then went to sleep on Bellum when Gerald came to see where I was.  It was 1:30 and they were ready to break up the raft-up.  I untied, drafted back and anchored and went back to sleep.

The following day I got up at 7 and sailed to the gut and motored back to the club for my 9AM private yoga session.

Thursday with Pierre, Marie Claude and Sylvie

I had a meeting with Luc to set up the FFR pursuit race course.  After leaving the keys for mom's apartment I biked to the club.

Sylvie wanted to race but not on Obsessive Scientist so we agreed to race on Bellum.  Pierre has lost his crew due to COVID and injuries and offered Marie Claude as crew and Pierre thought he might join us in which he did.

We had the 155 on and on the way out, the winds were 12 to 17 so we felt we did not need to reef.  In fact, most of the race was in the 15-plus range.  Had a great start in a crowd of boats, Slow Dancer was on my port side, I could hear him screaming.  

We raced well. MC had problems with the larger sail and winches, as it seems she was used to Laser 28's.  

Supper was at the club with Sylvie.