Summer sailing Charleston and the Leukemia Cup!

We've had incredible sailing weather this July, only one Wednesday night race was cancelled due to lack of wind; and most of the fleet raced informally anyway. Last year there were several races where we actually could have gone faster if we'd jumped in the water and pushed.

For the second summer series CORA split the non-spinnaker class into two fleets, D and N. The N fleet are the non-spinnaker boats that rate less than 200 phrf. This made for a lot more close racing for us and for a change we weren't the lowest rated boat in the fleet. As the season shaped up our arch rivals this year have been "Fate" and "The Usual Suspects" who we owe 5 seconds and 33 seconds a mile respectively. Unfortunately I was out of town for the first two races so we didn't have enough finishes to be scored in the series, but race 6 was our most successful race, although we finished fourth we finally beat Fate! For more frequent updates visit the S/V Peregrine facebook page.

One of the highlights for me during the second half of the season was the addition of a GoPro camera (birthday present from my adoring children) to the ship's equipment list. I'm still working on the best place to mount it to capture both crew activities and some of the close sailing we're experiencing.

Peregrine's new light air spinnaker

We've recovered from our spinnaker disaster in the Sheriff's Cup to Bohicket race where we completely blew out our only spinnaker shortly after turning South outside of the jetty. Our replacements include a light weight symmetrical from Bacon Sails and a Gennaker picked up on eBay.

Our next race will be an ocean race, the Savannah Cup and we'll be back in C Class. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we'll have an incredible night sail down the coast.

We've also started fund raising for the Leukemia Cup; this is a two day regatta that takes place in September. As a ship our goal is to raise $10,000 for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, in addition to funding research they also provide financial support to patients. If you are able to support our team send me a note or go to our fund raising page at:  http://www.leukemiacup.org/pages/sc/char14/TVienneau

Your contributions of any amount are greatly appreciated!!

Charleston Race Week 2014

Wow!! - We had a blast this year at Charleston Race Week (we had a blast last year as well). We raced in the Pursuit Non-Spinnaker Class again this year which grew from four to twelve boats. I like racing in the pursuit class because it gives us a chance to recover from small errors and it gives us an opportunity to enjoy a nice sail on the ocean and get back to the marina relatively early in the day (if the wind is good). We were wonderfully blessed this year to have great weather and wonderful people to enjoy God's creation!

In the pursuit class each boat has it's own start time based on it's rating. If everyone sails to their rating we should all finish together so you actually know where you placed when you finish (if the Race Committee doesn't shorten the course).

The wind was variable all three days. Friday was the most consistent and we sailed the long course and finished in fourth place - I was pretty happy that we finished in the top half of the fleet. We had a rough start as a result of a couple of inbound ships that made excellent wind blocks of the light winds in the first few miles. By the time we made it to the channel we were doing better and continued to catch boats as we worked our way around the rest of the course. After the race we grilled burgers and had a little party on the boat so I never even made it to the party at the marina.

On Saturday the race was changed to the short course.  We were off to a better start and we made good progress out to just past G25 where there was a calm spot that caused the whole fleet to bunch up. This hurt the slower boats and helped the faster boats since we essentially caught the fleet. Once the wind filled in we quickly passed several boats and ended up chasing Waterlily, the only faster boat in the fleet, back in the channel. We ended up finishing third behind Waterlily and Direction.

Post by Thom Harrison.

Sunday was another light day race, the fleet stalled just past the end of the jetty's in four foot swells and light wind. Two of our crew fell victim to sea sickness while we were in the swells. We worked our way North to some wind we saw in the distance and were able to get some speed and make it to the G13 and head South to the mark. We passed several boats on the way South and ended up finishing Second behind Direction when they shortened the course by half, ending at the midpoint mark. Along the way to the mark we were passed by a large leatherback sea turtle - you can tell the winds are light when you get passed by a turtle.

Thank you crew for working really hard to keep the boat moving its fastest all weekend. We all learned a couple of things.

1. Having a clean bottom makes a huge Huge difference in boat speed. (We were pretty foul for the Frostbite Series races and it showed)
2. We can be competitive in light wind, we had convinced ourselves that we needed heavy wind to be successful and this simply not the case.
3. Keeping the sails well trimmed is a continuous process and requires constant attention of the trimmers and tactician.
4. The driver needs to focus on driving the boat. Every distraction (like sea turtles or a conversation) costs time.

The weekend was a lot of fun - getting some hardware made it extra special.

Ugghh

So far the 2014 racing season has not been kind to Peregrine,  for the CORA frostbite series we decided to move up to C class, which is with spinnaker. We were all set for the first race, but it was cancelled due to lack of wind. Unfortunately we also managed to clog the fuel filter so ended up drifting down the channel and finally anchoring while the intrepid crew changed the fuel filter and purged the fuel system. In the mean time a fog bank rolled in and we stationed a crewman to ring our fog bell since we were anchored at the edge of a channel. After about two hours we were able to fire the engine and motor back through the fog to the marina.

Race two was also a challenge and this time there was more wind than we were comfortable flying the spinnaker in. This was a good safety decision but didn't help our finishing position; we decided to withdraw when it appeared we were going to be lapped. The third race Peregrine stayed at the dock. David crewed on the J-24 Dirty White Bouy and I worked with the race committee at the start/finish line. It ended up being another drifter and was fun to watch from the Carolina YC dock. The fourth race was looking good but when we got to the marina wind was gusting to 30 knots and I decided it was too risky to try to get out of the marina with that much cross wind, most of the other skippers agreed with me and only a few boats started that race. The B fleet actually decided to defer a day and race Sunday instead.

This brings us to the final race of the series, scheduled for tomorrow. Last weekend when we were readying for a pleasure sale we discovered a crab pot float had fouled our propeller. I was hoping to clear it today but the cold weather deterred me and Peregrine will remain at the dock until the weather warms up. We did manage to get a picture of the offender and it doesn't look pretty.

With any luck the weather will warm up so I can get in the water and clear the prop and inspect the running gear. Hopefully this is not an indicator for the season.

It's a wrap!

The year is winding down and so apparently have the pleasant weather sailing opportunities; last weekend we were going to go out to watch the Christmas parade of boats, but the rain discouraged us and we ended up grilling at home instead. Our last adventure was helping Sea Scouts move their Watkins 27 - Menehune from the Charleston Harbor Marina to Pierside Boatworks, a distance of about five miles. We had a pleasant broad reach with the current and sailed under genoa alone following the Sea Scout vessel Menehune up the Cooper River. Just as we tied up to the dock at Pierside, the light drizzle turned into a downpour and we moved the crew from the Menehune onto Peregrine where the majority wisely sought shelter below.

The deluge continued as we motored back to Patriots point against the incoming tide and with a 20+ knot apparent headwind. Several of the Sea Scouts took a turn at the helm braving the elements and did a fine job safely moving the boat up the channel in reduced visibility. We also had Scouts below deck monitoring the AIS for any traffic that might be sneaking up on us.


While putting away the boat, a couple of the crew commented on the new pedestal cover, the old one finally succumbed to years in the sun. We sewed up a new one and it works like a champ!


The Charleston Ocean Racing Association has posted the race schedule for 2014, so if you are planning on joining us save some dates and drop me an email to be included on the crew evites, two of the major races are:
10-13 April 2014 - Charleston Race Week
23-25 May 2014 - The Gulfstreamer

We're also getting ready to do the Frostbite Series which are harbor races on alternating weekends starting January 5th and running through March 2nd.

Looking forward to seeing everyone on the water!

Boarding Manual

A common Sea Scout practice is to providea boarding manual before an event to share the necessary information with all the participants. In going over my log notes andgemails to the crew in advance of our recent trips I came up with a sort of a standard boarding manual for weekend cruises:

This document is updated from time to time as we get smarter! (most recently January of 2024)

LET THE SKIPPER KNOW about any medical conditions or medications you need to take in the event of an emergency. If you prefer you may give the skipper a sealed envelope that will only be opened in an emergency.

Packing List:

We may be offshore for 40 hours during a weekend passage and over 96+ hours for a long coastal passage, plan accordingly. Take the season into consideration, a heavy sleeping bag probably isn’t helpful if the temperature will be in the 80s. 

Sailing gear (also for day races)-

• Hat with a brim to block glare
• Deck shoes (sea boots optional)
• Gloves - sailing, and/or insulated (condition dependent)
• Foul weather gear, rain jacket, and pants
• Sunscreen - SPF 30 or better
• Safety whistle
• PFD (life jacket) with light
• Knife (folding or fixed blade)
• Harness and tether (let me know if you don't have one)

Clothing/sleeping (remember to "be prepared")  -

• Sea bag or Dry bag for gear
• Sleeping bag and pillow
• Personal hygiene equipment
• Towel and washcloth
• Shower shoes - for the marina shower
• Earplugs
• Dry change of clothes
• Pajamas or sleep clothes
• Watch cap or hat (warm hat)
• Long underwear, wool or polypropylene preferred (for cold weather)
• Swimsuit (for warm weather)

Personal items  (* are required) -

• Bible
• Sea time log
• Flashlight (or headlamp)*
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen - SPF 30 or better
• Notepad / pen
• Sea scout manual, course book or other reference
• Camera
• GPS (handheld)
• InReach or other satellite communication device
• Deck of cards
• Suduko book
• Personal Medication
• USB charging cord(s) for your devices

Shared items:

• Normally on offshore passages, each crew member will be responsible for some food or beverage for the crew.

Watch Schedule:

When we have five or more aboard, we will be using a Swedish Watch (5 per day) system for the trip, this is a self-dogging watch - meaning that the individual watch schedule shifts each day. For safety, I require two-person watches, if you are seasick you may need to drag yourself on deck to provide whatever help you can to the watch. The watch assignments will be posted on the whiteboard.

If we are four or fewer people on board, we will rotate one crewmember off for rest every four hours.

I normally spend the entire trip "on call" and do not stand a watch. If there are sufficient crew, the cook and navigator are also "on call"

0800-1300 (5hr) Friday
1300-1900 (6hr) Friday
1900-2400 (5hr) Friday
0001-0400 (4hr) Saturday
0400-0800 (4hr) Saturday
0800-1300 (5hr) Saturday
1300-1900 (6hr) Saturday
1900-2400 (5hr) Saturday
0001-0400 (4hr) Sunday
0400-0800 (4hr) Sunday
0800-1300 (5hr) Sunday
1300-1900 (6hr) Sunday
1900-2400 (5hr) Sunday

The "On" watch is responsible for steering the vessel on the planned course and keeping a lookout (in all directions), monitoring the radio and answering/making radio calls when needed. Radio calls will be entered in the log. 

The helmsman will monitor depth, wind strength, and direction. When under power checking the gauges at least every quarter hour, when under sail monitoring the trim of the sails. 

Every hour the watch will inspect the boat, checking for water in the bilge, oil or fuel leakage, chafing of lines or sails, gear that is not properly secured, excessive leakage from the shaft when under power. At night verify that all the navigational lights are working and the proper lights are in use.

The watch captain will make an entry in the navigation log hourly or whenever an event of navigational significance (change in course, etc.) takes place.

Wake the Skipper:

If any of the following are experienced, wake the skipper immediately.

• Crew overboard
• There is an injury to any of the crew.
• There is breakage or damage of any equipment on the boat.
• There is a significant or unexpected change in the weather conditions.
• There is a risk of collision (within 4 nm) with another vessel or obstruction.
• A distinct line of clouds appears along the horizon in an otherwise consistent sky
• Any time you feel the boat or crew may be at risk and the watch captain is unsure of the proper action to take.

Rules Aboard/General Housekeeping:

Know the location and proper use of all safety equipment, seacocks, electrical and fuel shut-offs on the vessel. There is a diagram at the navigator's station if you are unsure.

PFDs are worn at all times on deck while underway. At night or during rough weather all crew on deck will use a harness and tether. 

Peregrine is a dry boat while racing, wait until we’re tied up after the race to enjoy alcoholic beverages.

No controlled substances (illegal drugs) are allowed aboard ever. 

We have found that cell phone service is available to about 8nm offshore along most of the coast.

When going below be mindful of your wet gear and make an effort to keep dampness contained near the companionway.

Put all garbage promptly into the garbage bag under the galley sink, put all recyclables into the designated basket.

Review and obey the posted waste management plan and discharge placards posted on the companionway stairs.

Before using the head verify with the captain that it is “open” to ensure that it is properly configured for use. If there is firm resistance when pumping, stop and inform the Captain.

To minimize clean-up we use the starboard aft head, do not flush toilet paper, put it in the trash bag in the head. For number 2, use the paper lunch bags which are biodegradable. Open windows to keep the head from smelling, be considerate of the crew assigned to the aft starboard cabin.

The heads can also be used to hang wet foul weather gear as long as it is kept orderly and out of the way of for the crew using the aft cabins.

If you are assigned a pilot berth, keep your gear at the foot/head of the berth, not on seats in the dining area. Ask the captain if you need more room

Don't waste food, be realistic about how hungry you are, you can always have seconds.

Conserve water, we have a limited amount and letting the tap run without purpose quickly uses a lot of water. That said, please use all the water you need.

Conserve electricity, particularly when under sail, turn off lights when not in use. When under sail, do not use the cabin fans. We have a limited battery bank, we usually charge devices while the engine is running.

Seasickness:

If you are concerned, take your medication before we leave the dock, once your are queasy it is too late.

If you feel seasick, even a little: 

1. Notify the Captain!
2. Get up on deck and get some fresh air.
3. Look out at the horizon (or perhaps take a turn at the helm). 
4. Stay hydrated - this means drinking WATER, not tea, coffee or soda
5. Have a ginger ale or some dried ginger to settle your stomach

If you are being sick: 

-On deck: Aim for the downwind side of the boat or the stern, try to get past the deck.

-Down below: If you can't make it to the head, use a bag or bucket to contain the mess

-While you are suffering from seasickness, try to get as much sleep as you can and stay hydrated by sipping water even if you can't keep the fluids down.
- Finally, be considerate of the other crew, once you are able, clean up after yourself.

Post sail cleanup 

After a long race, show Peregrine some love. 

• Coil and hang all lines, tethers, etc. from the rail or boom so they can be rinsed. 
• Wipe down the instruments with a damp microfiber cloth, power off and put on the covers.
• Rinse, dry, deflate and store the dinghy in its bag along with oars and pump.
• Clear out all personal gear from the boat, remember your water bottles and charging cords.
• Collect all the trash and move the trash and recycling to the dock
• Remove all perishable food from the icebox and lockers and wipe up any spills, wipe out the icebox with Clorox wipes.
• Neatly hang all borrowed PFDs 
• Hose down and wipe out all the heads, run the shower sump to get rid of the water
• Wipe down the interior of the cabins including the walls (to get the dried salt spray) and floors with a damp cloth rinsed frequently or Clorox wipes.
• Secure all hatches and ports before washing the deck
• Wash the deck with boat soap. 
• Brush down and rinse all the metal on deck; the pulpit, the furler, the spinnaker pole ends, all the blocks and running rigging, the shrouds and turnbuckles under the covers. 
• Do not brush the teak in the cockpit.
• Rinse all the lines that were hung out.
• Rinse the snatch blocks and put them in the galley sink to dry
• Run the shore power cord and turn on the breakers, verify that the boat is powered up.
• Replace the depth sounder with the blanking plug if the boat will be unused for several days.
• Double check the bilge and shower sump are pumped out.
• Close all the seacocks (ask the skipper about the air conditioning seacock).
• Note any broken, damaged or non-functional items in the log book.
• Close out the logbook for the voyage.
• Close up and lock the boat.
• Inspect the docklines and fenders to make sure all are correct.

Last revised: 24 August 2024

Around Cape Hatteras

This past weekend we made our first coastal passage; traveling from Norfolk, VA to Beaufort, NC. This was a big step and the first time any of the other crew had been on the open ocean.

Elizabeth and  David along with Kim and Caleb Yecke met up with me in Norfolk Friday night after spending a few days visiting historic Jamestown and Yorktown. Elizabeth had already shopped for the trip and had settled up with the Marina so we were ready to go! Little Creek Marina was a great place to stop and particularly sit out Sandy.

Unfortunately Zach Nelson, who had accompanied us on the previous leg was ill and unable to join us for this leg of the trip. He and his mother Susan did come by to see us off and present us with a beautifully engraved helmsman's knife which straps on nicely next to the wheel.

We cast off at 0805 on Saturday morning, only 5 minutes later than planned, leaving the Chesapeake Bay with an ebbing current. As we moved offshore we made several radio checks with the Sea Tow service at Little Creek Marina reaching them easily at over 20 nm. Cell service was also available from time to time as we moved down the coast, averaging 6-7 miles offshore throughout the day Saturday and into the evening.

As we passed Virginia Beach and picked up a 3 foot swell, Kim fell victim to Mal de Mare (sea sickness), and spent the first half of the voyage in misery. She was a trooper and rallied for her midnight to 0400 watch with David for the rounding of Cape Hatteras. By the morning she was feeling much better and was actually able to enjoy the rest of the trip.

The weather was cool and the wind about 10 kts on our nose most of the day Saturday, by about 10 pm the wind had dropped off but the cool temperatures remained. It wasn't until Elizabeth and Caleb took the 0400 watch that the temperature improved. The sky was clear and moonless (until just before morning) so the stars were incredible all night.

After rounding Cape Hatteras we took a relatively straight course from Diamond shoals to Cape Lookout Shoals which put us about about 14 miles out and beyond cell phone range of shore. This vexed the shore crew, Thomas and Alexis who were in the process of bringing the van back from Norfolk to Beaufort.

Sunday morning brought a beautiful sunrise and short sleeve weather, along with a wind shift that allowed us to run or broad reach most of the way to Beaufort. Along with the improved weather came an increase in sea life. During the last several hours of the trip we saw several pods of 10+ dolphin, a shark finishing off a meal of some sort and a leaping marlin. We also spent some time being shadowed by the Privateer Lynx which was enroute to Georgetown before heading on to Charleston next weekend.

During the trip, the ship's systems didn't miss a beat and we were able to average 7.1 knots during the 223 nautical miles trip over the course of about 32 hours. Before the trip we'd taken on 4 - 5 gallon cans of fuel, we added 10 gallons Sunday morning as the fuel gauge approached 1/4 full which saw us comfortably into Beaufort.

Everyone took a turn at the helm and did a great job keeping us on course. Alexis and Thomas pulled off a marathon road trip from Charleston to Norfolk to bring the van down to Beaufort and stage it for our return trip home, Thank you!

Norfolk!

The next morning we departed Calvert Marina, they were efficient and had left an envelope with maps and a Wifi code for me so we were able to do a quick weather and email check before heading out. We topped off at the fuel dock at 0905, we were the second boat in line when they opened. There were a number of boats headed South as well and we spent the morning following the Mystic Star until they turned off to the West, while we proceeded South towards Norfolk.

By this point we were getting proficient at staying out of shallow water and we spent most of the day in the middle of the bay, away from both shallow water and commercial traffic. We did pass several barges, headed North. Early on I mistook one for a lighthouse - telling Zach to use it as a course reference point; it became a standing joke to point out my "lighthouse" every time a barge passed us.

In the mid afternoon a front passed by and we had light rain for about an hour. Throughout the day Zach and I took turns at the helm. There was some ominous clouds to the West and occasional lightning flashes, but they stayed away and we enjoyed good weather for the rest of the afternoon. As sunset approached we got a call from Zach's mom warning of storms in the Hampton Roads area. We considered our options and decided that most likely they would be past Norfolk by the time we arrived at 2230 that evening. I took some time to straighten the anchor locker, laying out the lines on the deck for inspection and then re-stowing them in case it was too rough or windy to safely dock the boat and we were forced to anchor. I also rigged the radar reflector as we would be crossing several shipping channels and were unsure what the visibility would be.

An hour or so after sunset (2030) we started to feel the effects of the storm, the wind shifted out of the West and started to build. Our instruments reported winds of 26 kts and the waves were about 4 feet on our beam and it was raining fairly hard. I was considering taking down the bimini top and then the wind speed started to drop. By the time we made the Norfolk channel markers it was blowing a gentle 10 knots with a little drizzle. Zach was at the helm through most of the bad weather and did a great job keeping a steady course.

We pulled into a slip in the Little Creek Marina at about 2230 and with the help of one of our new neighbor we were quickly tied up at a T-head. We linked up with Susan Nelson and then went to town for a quick dinner.The next morning, Angie in the office (also a former Sea Scout) went out of her way to make sure we were well taken care of.

Solomon's Maryland and beyond

Over the Labor Day weekend we completed our most ambitious leg so far. Friday after work, one of my co-workers, David Hansen, was kind enough to drop me off at the boat before heading to the airport to fly home. Elizabeth drove up to Norfolk, VA where she connected with the Nelson family who we met through Sea Scouts. Zach is the boatswain for ship 747 and had agreed to join us for this leg of the trip. Zach's mom, Susan shuttled Elizabeth and Zach up to Galesville where we linked up. As soon as they arrived we shoved off bound for Solomon's, MD. We managed to find a shallow spot just outside of Galesville but were able to back off and continue our journey.

Saturday's journey was uneventful as we proceeded South. That changed once we turned West on the entrance to Solomon's. We were arriving after dark, so were relying heavily on our GPS as we approached the unfamiliar harbor. Before we made the final turn into the marina the course to steer pointer on the GPS became disoriented and pointed us towards shore, as the water got shallower, we figured out something was amiss. As we felt our way back out to the channel and bumped the bottom several times but eventually made it to the correct side of the channel marker. A quick look at the GPS led me to question the GPS, it was showing the direction of travel was oriented 90 degrees to port, so it kept telling us to turn to starboard and into the houses along the shore. While I was trying to reorient to the  landmarks Elizabeth prayed for guidance. A few moments later we heard  a VHF call to the boat trying to enter the harbor.  This helpful call from a local boat "Key West" offering to help guide us into the marina. After a brief conversation it turns out they were offering to help another boat but we took them up on their offer and once they described what the general approach to the marina looked like from a "shore lights" perspective we were back on track and following the channel markers into our dock. We found our parking spot just as described and were quickly tied up and then walked up to the "The Back Creek Bistro" for dinner, we were seated even though we were a little under dressed, and put our order in minutes before the kitchen closed. The meal and service was excellent and we look forward to our next visit.

Family Sailing

A few weeks ago we joined the College of Charleston Recreational Sailing Program and last Sunday was our first family sail outing since we moved from California. The weather was great - not too windy, a great day for a new sailor. Some friends came along and helped crewing. The tide was with us and we made it most of the way to Fort Sumter before heading back to the sailing center at Patriot's Point.

"Cougar" the J-22 we took out was a fun boat to sail - more lively (and less roomy) than the Catalina 27 we sold before we left California. Hope to get out again . . . soon.