Tag: Howe Sound

Madsu

Bring on the Tourists

Its been weeks since we’ve seen any kind of cumulus clouds in Howe Sound.

With a bit of a weather change the last couple of days, we’re seeing some lovely picture perfect cloud formations, like this one over Vancouver, framed in the foreground by Passage Island.

Weather here can be extremely localized. When I left our house in North Vancouver, about 10 km away from where the boat is moored, it was drizzling slightly. At Horseshoe Bay, it was all sun.

With a nice southerly at about 12 knots, Madsu was doing 5 knots SMG beating to windward, against the flood tide current, as we headed out to the Straight.

Tags British Columbia, Catalina 22, Howe Sound, Passage Island, sailboat, sailing, Vancouver

Madsu

I’d Rather Be Doing – What ?

Post author By bigsnit
Post date June 17, 2009
No Comments on I’d Rather Be Doing – What ?

I finally got around to adding the GPS and MP3 player to my minimal companion way nav station.

The light for the compass is passed through the teak board and goes to a standard 2 pin car-hitch connector that I picked up at Lordco for about 3 dollars. I ran a lead off the house lights switch and it’s secured just inside the companionway.

Once I drop the board in, I just have to plug-in and I’ve got a lovely green glow from the compass for night passages.

The MP3 player plugs into a standard mini plug that goes to the house stereo system, and there’s a charger if needed. It plugs into a standard ‘cigar lighter’ plug I mounted inside out of the wet, just to port. that I usually run the GPS on its rechargeable batteries, but also have a DC plug I can use that goes to the same charge plug.

I had wanted to mount my handheld Icom VHF (IC-M72) on the board, but its electronics cause a huge amout of compass deviation when it’s within 8 inches or so, so it’ll stay in my lifejacket pocket.

I had thought about adding a bungee strip to hold my cell phone, but mostly I turn it off once I leave the dock 😉

Tags Catalina 22, compass, gps, handheld vhf, Howe Sound, icom, Madsu, nav station

Madsu

CAN266

Post author By bigsnit
Post date June 13, 2009
No Comments on CAN266

This J22 is looking good, working to weather on her way out of Howe Sound and heading toward Vancouver.

Tags CAN266, Howe Sound, J22

Madsu

Ideal Conditions, Again

Another brilliant day in Howe Sound.

I got down to the boat a bit late in the morning, and the southerly inflow was already well established.

A reef in the main and the #3 jib were in order – as the puffs were fairly strong and Madsu, like most sailboats, prefers not to be on her ear. Skipper too.

It was another hot day and working our way to weather at 4.5 knots felt pretty good. This may be the last time I use the old #3. Marcia at North Sails called today to say my 2 new jibs have arrived. Perfect, since we’ve been getting lots of katabatics in Howe Sound with all this heat.

I’m sure the 100% will get used tons, and the storm jib will be a welcome over the next few weeks.

Tags Howe Sound, katabatic, North Sails

Madsu

Sail Changes and Reefs

It really was a day packed with sail changes and reefs.

When I headed out at 9:30 (when I took this picture) there was a light wind from the North, just enough to keep Madsu moving at 2 knots. The forecast was for 20-30 knots from the south by noon. I put some BB King on the MP3 player and sat back and enjoyed the air.

Right on track with the Environment Canada forecast, the wind shifted to a southerly inflow around 11:30.

After beating for 2 hours, I now found myself having to beat again to head back the way I came.

No complaints though.

The wind built steadily, so I reefed the main. Next I had to douse the 150 in favour of my bagged out #2 jib.

I made a quick half tack and dropped the jib on the bouncing foredeck, bagged it, and hoisted the #2. It’s beat up and tired – it came with the boat, and aside from looking a lot like a pillow case when I hoist it, it was never cut correctly for the boat. Still, we managed a lumpy 4 knots or so to weather in a wet wind-over-tide chop. I can’t wait for the 2 new head sails I have coming from North Sails.

By the time I got back to where I’d come from, it really was time to dump the #2 for the #3, but I decided to call it a day, taking a few minutes (and tacks) to play in the gusts rolling off the headlands.

Besides, I was hungry. It was 2:00 and I’d been so busy sailing I hadn’t had any lunch.

Now there’s a west coast complaint for you – “I was too busy sailing to eat my lunch”. Awww.