CYC Sunday evening

[storm petrel]

Hi All,

Storm petrel will be sailing down to Sydney on Sunday and staying overnight at the CYC. We should be relaxing in the CYC bar by 5pm and would be happy to swap a few tall stories over a cool one if any Tophatters are in the vicinity.

Cheers,

Mark and Jacko
Storm Petrel

[Shaun]

G'day Mark,
How was your sail & stay at the CYC?

cheers
Shaun

[storm petrel]

Hi All,

Jacko and I left about 10am on Sunday from Pretty Beach and sailed out into a flat ocean with a 12knot NW blowing (a bit different from the solid seas and 20-25 knot SW we had last year when you joined us for part of the journey on Nightcap Shaun). The wind moved NNW and freshened a little by the time we had got to Newport, so we hoisted the symmetric spinnaker (big red)and had a fabulous run down to North Head with the sun shining and the old girl throwing a bit of a bow wave as she ran down the coast. With dolphins following the boat, ham and cheese rolls and a hot coffee or two, we were in Tophat sailing heaven.

The reach up the harbour was a delight and we settled into a berth D8 at the CYC between two Sydney 38s about 3.30 pm. The CYC bar rocking with live music and lots of the harbour winter series racers swapping tales of daring do. We had a hot shower, a few cold ones and a very acceptable meal at the club before retiring to Storm Petrel for a good night's sleep. Where else can you get waterfront accommodation with bar and restaurant, on Sydney Harbour for $35 a night? Frank the guy in charge of the marina is really great bloke, easy going and very accommodating even though we were sailing a boat that was dwarfed by all the amazing yachts that are permanently moored at the CYC.

We woke early on Monday to clear skies and a 12-15 knot WNW breeze, after a spot of breakfast on the boat (the club doesn't open until about 8.30am for breakfast on week days.), we sailed out into the harbour with one reef (freshening winds expected) and no2 headsail to be greeted by two US naval ships entering the Heads. We got quite close(perhaps too close) to one of them before clicking that they must have timed their arrival to enter the harbour on the 4th of July (American Independence Day).

On rounding North Head the wind increased in strength to around 15 knots and shifted to the NW. No problem as we headed up the coast close hauled on a port tack sliding a little out to sea as we went. By the time we reached Curl Curl, the breeze had freshened to 20-25 knots and we put the second (deep) reef in the main and wound up the headsail to about a working jib size. There was no swell but the ocean was covered in short chop and white tops, the decks were awash and we were starting to cop a lot of spray. With the reduced sail we couldn't point as high and continued to drift seaward. By the time we passed Long Reef we had reduced the headsail further and were about 6-7nm off shore. At this stage we estimated the gusts to be 30-35 knots, with the sea full of white tops and spray continually lifting from them. It was getting pretty busy, with the heel angle such that mullet were regularly visible from the windows in the cabin and my first mate (Jacko) spilling both our hot coffees over the cockpit. Needless to say it was at this moment that the spinnaker pole lashing gave way and I had to make an exciting trip to the bow to prevent it from going over the side and/or taking out the pulpit where it had become wedged by the pressure of water exerted on the half of the pole that was in the water. While I was up there, green water came over the bow and soaked me up to the knees - so it was soggy sox and sand shoes (trench foot) for the rest of the voyage. The little Tophat just bashed on through. I was a little worried about the rig and sails holding up, but the boat was rock solid and never gave me a minutes concern even when she was almost knocked flat by a couple of gusts.

At this stage good sense prevailed and we decided to tack back towards the shore where the seas whipped up by the offshore wind would be smaller and the wind might be a little lighter. An hour on a starboard tack took us to 1-2 miles off the middle of Collaroy/Narabeen where the chop was greatly reduced and the wind had eased to around 20 knots NW. Back on a port tack, headsail back to a working jib size and a couple of hours of bashing into the short chop got us near Newport where a brief rain squal drenched us. After the rain the wind backed to about 10-15 knots and the sun came out! We shook out both reefs, put on some music, fired up the metho stove for a coffee (fortified with a big dose of whisky) and had a beautiful sail back to Pretty Beach, arriving just on dark.

The trip down took us about 51/2 hours from the mooring at Pretty Beach to the CYC pen at Rushcutters Bay(a little over 24 nm). The trip back in contrast took almost 9 hours!

All in all a great couple of days- you wouldn't be dead for quids!

Mark,
Storm Petrel

[Miker]

Nice story Mark, now I don't feel so bad taking 9.5 hours to get from Little Manly to Careel Bay in a 20knot NE!

Michael

[Shaun]

Thanks for the story Mark, Sounds like you had a great couple of days sailing & really enjoyed it, well done.
cheers