Weather: Overcast and cool. Winds: Calm to SE 25. Seas: <1ft.
Interesting day and interesting with all its connotations.
Started calm, with the tide and a boring motor making 7-8kts with a 2-3kt current. An uneventful ride to Port Townsend then a SE (off shore) wind started to pick up. The main and centerboard were already up so the screacher was unfurled. Broad reach turned beam reach by boat speed.
5kts.
6kts.
7kts.
8kts.
30min later, 9kts by Point Partridge.
10kts and still increasing. With no reefs in the main, decided to bring the screacher down in favor of the genoa. Made a mistake.... Should have blanketed the screacher with the genoa before attempting to furl. The stress was too much and the sail shredded along a couple seams. Damn and a lot of noise! The genoa was unfurled (too late for the screacher). Kelly took the helm and turned us more into the wind. I went forward and managed to stuff the wreckage into a hatch. All the while making 8kts, depowered, in a close reach! Since it was an off shore wind, the wind waves were only about 6in!
Once again at the helm, we made for home, quickly accelerating.
8kts.
10kts.
12kts.
We entered Burrows Bay at a sustained 14kts, full main and genoa! We had previously had momentary excursions to 15kts and have sustained 12kts for 10min or so. Off Harrisville, MI, we sustained 11kts for a couple hours. But this was new and we were moving! Spray was flying off the downwind port ama, to the point I could not see it at times! All the while, the ama bow was only down about half way - no problem! It was fun doing speed/distance/time calculations and realizing we would be home lickity split! Can you tell I'm still excited?
NAS Whidbey flew by (pun intended). Deception Pass disappeared (historical reference intended). 14kts boat speed GPS, 20kts apparent wind speed in a beam reach. 25kts actual wind was a broad reach. Perfect! Finally got a chance to see our planing wake!
Once in Burrows Bay, we tucked in behind the east side cliffs and dropped the main in the lee and sailed under the genoa only to the marina entrance where we furled and motored in. Winds inside were moderated and mooring was uneventful.
What a ride!
Aftermath: Took the screacher to a local maker and it was pronounced DOA. The seams could have been repaired, but there was a lot of delamination, the polyester had stretched causing the mylar to delaminate. "I like to use this sail a lot." "I know," he said, "your signature is all over it." Got a bid from him.
Lesson Learned: Blanket the screacher or spinnaker with the genoa.
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