SASSY
Member II
Hi Everyone,
Well we didn't make it to Mexico, but the time we spent offshore was an invaluable experience that none of us will soon forget. We managed to get 175 miles off shore and 50 mile north of Cuba before turning back. Having never sailed together before was a non-issue for the team-spirited QCYC crew on SASSY II's shake down cruise. Due to a number of mechanical and parts supply issues SASSY II's stick could not be raised until the morning of the race, leaving little time for the crew to get acquainted with her systems. The late start was all we could do to give the competition a fair chance at winning. The wind blew 18 to 20 knots through the day and into the early morning but required reefing during Andrew and Diane's iron man 2 am shift. Rick Hardy played a pivotal role in all aspects of our adventure. At tactician he gave us a good line on catching the fleet, and sail trim getting the most out of the canvas we had to fly. Late night reefing was not his favourite task, but he did it with ease, teaching the entire crew a lesson or two. His ham and cheese sandwiches became a staple quickly. Allister Drummond spent many long hours at the helm keeping our course true even with the boat bucking in the confused seas of the Gulf. No surprise to anyone, little Diane ground every sheet taut, and lit every one of Andrew's cigarettes as he manned the helm in the early morning 25 knot gusts.
Although the crew of SASSY II was up to the challenge, a number of her systems were not. The first bilge pump began to show signs of problems at the beginning of the first day as it most likely sucked up some sort of debree, clogging the hose to the through hull. With the boat heeled over with rail in the water for most of the race the wailer mechanical bilge was not able to pick up any water. The final and most significant of failures was a blowout of the engine's front seal spewing oil all over the engine compartment and contaminating the alternator to the point of failure. With no way of charging, our batteries would have been depleted well before the most crucial and difficult crossing of the north bound portion of the Gulf loop between Cuba and Mexico.
The return trip was slow and tedious, nursing the leaking engine home with the wind on the nose and 5 foot plus seas proved stressful and daunting but the crew kept up their spirits and pushed on. Although the wind and seas were relentless for most of the trip there were a few hours of calm allowing the crew to sit on the fore deck and watch the ocean pass by.
The little part of ocean we travelled for the most part was very quiet, with only a glimpse of the occasional freighter off in the distance, and a few freeloading finches hitching a ride in the cockpit, one boldly taking refuge in the cabin. A school of 20 plus dolphins danced on our bow wave for a short time, allowing us a unique opportunity to see them as the were meant to be, free and happy.
I will take many things away from this adventure, first and foremost is that there is a lot of water out there, and once you're out there it's a long way back. Having a crew you can depend on allows you to sleep with confidence that you are in good hands, and what can go wrong can and often will. Rick Hardy's catch phrase "In a perfect world" rang true over and over again. Especially when we thought the head wou,ld be a quick fix just before it blew up in my face. And although the captain needs not take any crap from anyone, in this case I'm pretty sure I took a little bit from everyone.
Thanks to everyone that monitored our progress back home and afar, it was a very nice to hear.
P.S Please don't ask Andrew where his hat went.
Andy Oakes
Well we didn't make it to Mexico, but the time we spent offshore was an invaluable experience that none of us will soon forget. We managed to get 175 miles off shore and 50 mile north of Cuba before turning back. Having never sailed together before was a non-issue for the team-spirited QCYC crew on SASSY II's shake down cruise. Due to a number of mechanical and parts supply issues SASSY II's stick could not be raised until the morning of the race, leaving little time for the crew to get acquainted with her systems. The late start was all we could do to give the competition a fair chance at winning. The wind blew 18 to 20 knots through the day and into the early morning but required reefing during Andrew and Diane's iron man 2 am shift. Rick Hardy played a pivotal role in all aspects of our adventure. At tactician he gave us a good line on catching the fleet, and sail trim getting the most out of the canvas we had to fly. Late night reefing was not his favourite task, but he did it with ease, teaching the entire crew a lesson or two. His ham and cheese sandwiches became a staple quickly. Allister Drummond spent many long hours at the helm keeping our course true even with the boat bucking in the confused seas of the Gulf. No surprise to anyone, little Diane ground every sheet taut, and lit every one of Andrew's cigarettes as he manned the helm in the early morning 25 knot gusts.
Although the crew of SASSY II was up to the challenge, a number of her systems were not. The first bilge pump began to show signs of problems at the beginning of the first day as it most likely sucked up some sort of debree, clogging the hose to the through hull. With the boat heeled over with rail in the water for most of the race the wailer mechanical bilge was not able to pick up any water. The final and most significant of failures was a blowout of the engine's front seal spewing oil all over the engine compartment and contaminating the alternator to the point of failure. With no way of charging, our batteries would have been depleted well before the most crucial and difficult crossing of the north bound portion of the Gulf loop between Cuba and Mexico.
The return trip was slow and tedious, nursing the leaking engine home with the wind on the nose and 5 foot plus seas proved stressful and daunting but the crew kept up their spirits and pushed on. Although the wind and seas were relentless for most of the trip there were a few hours of calm allowing the crew to sit on the fore deck and watch the ocean pass by.
The little part of ocean we travelled for the most part was very quiet, with only a glimpse of the occasional freighter off in the distance, and a few freeloading finches hitching a ride in the cockpit, one boldly taking refuge in the cabin. A school of 20 plus dolphins danced on our bow wave for a short time, allowing us a unique opportunity to see them as the were meant to be, free and happy.
I will take many things away from this adventure, first and foremost is that there is a lot of water out there, and once you're out there it's a long way back. Having a crew you can depend on allows you to sleep with confidence that you are in good hands, and what can go wrong can and often will. Rick Hardy's catch phrase "In a perfect world" rang true over and over again. Especially when we thought the head wou,ld be a quick fix just before it blew up in my face. And although the captain needs not take any crap from anyone, in this case I'm pretty sure I took a little bit from everyone.
Thanks to everyone that monitored our progress back home and afar, it was a very nice to hear.
P.S Please don't ask Andrew where his hat went.
Andy Oakes