Single handed for two nights with a Squall

After the Tuesday race, I dropped off the crew and I had a very nice night sail to Dowkers after the DNS.  There were a few other boats that were night sailing too. Nice winds. 

I anchored and had a supper of pork chops.

Wednesday morning was calm and hot.  We have been in a long heatwave.  Then a TCB started forming

CB forming over the main lake

Winds started to pick up and I decided to stay and put out more scope.  

A squall came in Pointe-Claire Dorval and downtown but missed us.

After the storm, the winds picked up nicely and I sailed around the lake and ended up at Grand Anse.  Had more pork chops and a nice night's sleep. That's two nights on the hook.

Thursday was hot and windless.  I swam to cool down.  Norm asked when I was coming back.  He needed help installing Telecom batteries.  I set sail and sailed for an hour to get to Beaconsfield when the winds died.  I motored back to the club and tidy things up and I went of a swim at the pool 

Norm showed up and we installed the two new batteries.

There were no winds and I had no crew so lingered around and attended the new members' event.

Norm and Chris came aboard and we had supper of Conard Confit and the last two pork chops.  

James and his friend came by with drinks.  We had a discussion about his experiences at Lord Reading.  Chris disappeared and I went to bed.  Apparently, he got drunk on the powerboat and woke up on the couch at 6AM

Tuesday DNS with Maud

I left for the club on Tuesday afternoon to race the DNS.

Maud showed up at 5:35 and we took off for the race. It was our first DNS race that counted to the first series.  

Maud complained about the vibration that was still there due to the loose cable on the steering quadrant.  I later tightened it further.

Maud helmed and we had an excellent start and an excellent race.

The race was short, the winds were good.  We got back to the club at about 8.  I checked the weather and I decided to go back out single-handed.  Maud helped me depart.

 

We did pretty well, but Maud said we could have done better! :)Add caption

Sailing with Natalia

On Saturday morning, as I came into the harbour from the Duggan Cup, Peter was sitting on his boat looking depressed.  His headsail was down. It turns out he had a messenger line installed and it was stuck in the masthead sheave.

I got my Bosen chair and quickly went up to fix it and cleaned up the spider web on her mast.  For last-minute service, I doubled my fee to two beers!

Nathalia showed up at three, we enjoyed my prize of two beers and took off.  There was no wind and I was hot with the single-handed race and the mast climbing so we pulled in to Valois Bay for a nice swim.

The winds picked up so we pulled anchor and sailed to Grand Anse snacking on the way there. A typical nice sunset and we had a nice steak

supper after the sunset.

On Sunday morning I had to be back at the club to move Naomie to BYC for her new owners Dan and Denise.

It was a nice week at the club.  I came back home by bike.

Nathalia went off to le circuit Abbey of Saint-Benoît-du-Lac.

Duggan Cup

Got up and shared a virtual coffee and USB cable with Tara.  Her phone battery was dying and he forgot to bring a charging cable.

The race was to start at 11.  Zig-Zag slept in.

Tara wen first followed by Ballade.  Ballade abandoned the race shortly after starting.  Zig-Zag started 7 minutes late. I started next, passing Zig Zag but I never caught up to Tara II in three hours.  

I was single-handed and everyone was family so we were fully COVID 19 compliant.

Tara and Zig-Zag

Tara and Zig-Zag after up at the sandbars.  I went back to the harbour to pick up Natalia.

RESULTS

1 : Tara II 

2 : Bellum 

3 : Zig Zag

DNF Ballade 

DNS : Folkboat 

DNS : Slow Dancer II 

DNS : Gaucho 

DNS : Bête Noire

Hectic Friday race preparation and the Duggan - FFR

Friday morning I lingered around the club.  Then I went to IGA on the bike to do some groceries - got some pork chops and T-bone steaks and portabellos.

I had a very hectic skipper's meeting with Luc with the Duggan Cup and Jason with the FFR pursuit race.  Because of low winds for early Saturday, we delayed the start of the Duggan Cup until 11.  Andre had not registered for an SLVRYA handicap.  Eight boats registered for the Duggan cup. 

We had a good FFR with Jimmy. 

Rafted up with 6 boats - Bellum, Tara II, Zig Zag, Ballade, Gaucho, Slow Dancer II, 

We had Confrit Canard with Aberfeldy.  Jimmy returned with Slow Dancer and I stayed aboard for the Duggan tomorrow.

Congrats 1st place Susan of Talisman IV

DNS not

Norm and I motored out to race the Thursday DNS but there were no winds.  Race was cancelled at 7.  About 5 boats showed up.  

We started motoring back just as winds came up.  It was threatening to rain so we did not sail, but it did not rain. 

We had Souvlaki chicken and potatoes with a caesar salad on Redline under the protection of the Bimini.

Single handed Canada Day at the Sandbars and slept at Dowkers

On Wednesday morning I got up and tried to adjust the steering quadrant to make the steering wheel symmetrical to architectural specifications. 

Darla texted me from the sandbars so I motored out to the sandbars in the morning.  

It appears I had adjusted the steering the wrong way.  And the steering cable was too loose, causing lots of vibration.  Probably causing the rudder shaft to vibrate.

Zig Zag

Chingos

We had a couple of beers floating at the sandbars and making good use of Chingos' bimini in the heatwave.  Tara, Zig-Zag, Thalassa III anchored around us.

.  

We went our separate paths around six as Darla went to PC and I sailed towards Dowkers and when I started the motor, the steering was making noises again

A powerboat just departed the middle of the bat and I grabbed the prized spot to anchor

I readjusted the steering the other way, tightened the cables and had supper.

Thursday morning I left Dowkers, sailed towards the Gut and then sailed around hunting for SLVYRA racing marks out there.  Then I returned to the club.

The steering was much better.