Off Topic Forum...

[SpiritAlight 1]

Here are some photos from the mostly fogged in race/regatta I just did.

The 333 miles sailboat race from Chicago to Mackinac Island.

Almost 3 days to get there...it felt longer. Ha!

Could hardly see any boats and then there it would be!

Almost got hit by a ferry.

eye in the sky

Looking back at the mark rounding.

View from the island.

This 100th anniversary race drew 430 boats, and media attention.

The weather was nuts; if not foggy and somewhat calm, then it was crazy winds and some wild rain.

The lightning show and the stars and the orange almost full moon in Sunday night and then the huge wind bringing us to the finish made the race palatable.

What an experience!

Of course I cannot take photos when the real action is taking place. My hands are full in those moments.

Can anyone remind what sleep is?

Edited July 24, 2008 by SpiritAlight

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Yo Spirit

Where the spirits have you been???????

[Flames9_RN 358]

What happens on the waters, stays on the waters!!

[SpiritAlight 1]

Yo Spirit

Where the spirits have you been???????

Thank Len!

And i miss this place.

Seems like there is less and less time....for some reason.

I am glad to still be alive (no I am not being dramatic...I would admit that):

a ferry blasted its horn (2 seconds from us) and came out of the fog and almost hit us.

The four of us on deck quickly reacted to avoid the collision and to turn the boat in such a way as not to break anything, i.e. the mast or rip sails.

The seven below went flying to the side of the boat that was on its ear!

Ha!

Yes Flames9...you know it!

[Flames9_RN 358]

A few years before I got posted my ship--HMCS Kootney, it was involved in a collision with a civi boat! Was foggy out, vis was next to nil i was told and the Captain had orders the radars shut off as they were in midst of a "game" Obviously they didn't win,lol Dont think anyone was too badly hurt. Glad all turned out well

[KarenCee 3]

Have fun E!

Trailmix -- I do the same thing, thinking its a bit early then remembering where I am.

Marilyn --the first few days we were here we went out and bought a new washer and dryer. I went a little wild and got the front loaders, but with 6 of us there was no way I wanted to go to the laundromat

Oh I so want front end loaders...well, just to have new ones would be divine! The washer I have now works, but it's old as dirt and loves to "walk" when it spins. Dryer is ok...but you know when you buy a new washer you need a matching dryer.

I feel for you Marilyn...I've done the laundromat thing...it's sooo not fun. I hope you get a fantastic set one day.

[Ontarkie 14,145]

My old set used to walk if i didnt keep an eye on it just before we moved i had to replace the belt then the dial went on it, as for the dryer it was ok it took twice as long to dry anything but it did the job. I really hated the machine by the time i moved took 2 days to do laundry. If it wasn't for me selling my house we would not have spent so much on the set. all I ever had was old used ones so it was nice to be able to get a the "dream set".

Edited July 24, 2008 by Ontarkie

[Flames9_RN 358]

Love my front end loader!! Uses soo much less water, more water gets wringed out, which equals faster dryer time, which equals saved $$$$$. Was the very first purchase when we bought our condo!! gave away the washer/dryer that came with the condo for free on craigslist, went to a very deserving home!!

Edited July 24, 2008 by flames9

[Marilyn. 340]

Have fun E!

Trailmix -- I do the same thing, thinking its a bit early then remembering where I am.

Marilyn --the first few days we were here we went out and bought a new washer and dryer. I went a little wild and got the front loaders, but with 6 of us there was no way I wanted to go to the laundromat

Oh I so want front end loaders...well, just to have new ones would be divine! The washer I have now works, but it's old as dirt and loves to "walk" when it spins. Dryer is ok...but you know when you buy a new washer you need a matching dryer.

I feel for you Marilyn...I've done the laundromat thing...it's sooo not fun. I hope you get a fantastic set one day.

here's hoping...

I so want a front loader too.. those are the bomb..

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

Here are some photos from the mostly fogged in race/regatta I just did.

The 333 miles sailboat race from Chicago to Mackinac Island.

Almost 3 days to get there...it felt longer. Ha!

Could hardly see any boats and then there it would be!

Almost got hit by a ferry.

eye in the sky

Looking back at the mark rounding.

View from the island.

This 100th anniversary race drew 430 boats, and media attention.

The weather was nuts; if not foggy and somewhat calm, then it was crazy winds and some wild rain.

The lightning show and the stars and the orange almost full moon in Sunday night and then the huge wind bringing us to the finish made the race palatable.

What an experience!

Of course I cannot take photos when the real action is taking place. My hands are full in those moments.

Can anyone remind what sleep is?

Sleep, those little slices of death; Oh how I loathe them.

Great photos and it is indeed always a pleasure to hear from Her Most Trascendental Empress of VJ, we are all humbled whenever you grace us by your presence.    Don't worry about being busy, the other day some weird guy was telling me "time is fleeting, madness takes its toll."   Sounds like the race had everything but a white whale.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

What happens on the waters, stays on the waters!!

Unless the lighthouse is dark.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Spirit, I can empathize with your experience missing that ferry in the fog. I used to crew for my Dad, and during C.O.R.K. (Canadian Olympic Regatta, Kingston) the year before the Olympics (1976) we were taking alternate crews and coaches out to Charlie course where the Tornadoes were racing. We had an old Cal 28 at the time with a flush deck and the reputation of sleeping 6 and drinking 40! Anyway we were pretty well loaded with 13 people aboard on the far end of Charlie course when a line squall came through. Lightning was striking the water around us, all of us taking care to stay away from anything metal (hard on a boat's deck!), visibility at zero because of the driving rain when the wind literally tore the clew out of the foresail! Nothing we could do but run with the wind and the course was directly through the center of the race course. We were praying there were no Tornadoes on a collision course either way - us or them. Fortunately we were far enough out on Lake Ontario that we knew we were safe from shoals or running aground and all we could do was run until the squall played out and we could safely bring the foresail down and put another up. There were a lot of 'casualties' and some 'heroism' on the lake that day. One Tornado catapulted 'end to end'!! before fragmenting and sinking. Another competitor close by saw it happen (as did a media person on board a nearby support boat and it was all caught on tape) and immediately went to the rescue so the three man crew was saved. A number of boats dismasted and sails were torn - ours wasn't the only one losing a clew. So, your story reminded me of that event and I can empathize with your experience.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

A few years before I got posted my ship--HMCS Kootney, it was involved in a collision with a civi boat! Was foggy out, vis was next to nil i was told and the Captain had orders the radars shut off as they were in midst of a "game" Obviously they didn't win,lol Dont think anyone was too badly hurt. Glad all turned out well

If it was a war game, I wonder what would have happened if the civilian vessel had a cannon instead of a horn, in the fog it might have been interesting if the civilian captain fired it.

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

Spirit, I can empathize with your experience missing that ferry in the fog. I used to crew for my Dad, and during C.O.R.K. (Canadian Olympic Regatta, Kingston) the year before the Olympics (1976) we were taking alternate crews and coaches out to Charlie course where the Tornadoes were racing. We had an old Cal 28 at the time with a flush deck and the reputation of sleeping 6 and drinking 40! Anyway we were pretty well loaded with 13 people aboard on the far end of Charlie course when a line squall came through. Lightning was striking the water around us, all of us taking care to stay away from anything metal (hard on a boat's deck!), visibility at zero because of the driving rain when the wind literally tore the clew out of the foresail! Nothing we could do but run with the wind and the course was directly through the center of the race course. We were praying there were no Tornadoes on a collision course either way - us or them. Fortunately we were far enough out on Lake Ontario that we knew we were safe from shoals or running aground and all we could do was run until the squall played out and we could safely bring the foresail down and put another up. There were a lot of 'casualties' and some 'heroism' on the lake that day. One Tornado catapulted 'end to end'!! before fragmenting and sinking. Another competitor close by saw it happen (as did a media person on board a nearby support boat and it was all caught on tape) and immediately went to the rescue so the three man crew was saved. A number of boats dismasted and sails were torn - ours wasn't the only one losing a clew. So, your story reminded me of that event and I can empathize with your experience.

Wow Kathryn that sounds like some crazy stuff, glad you made. I always heard that that part of Lake Ontario was really nasty especially near Marysburgh.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Wow Kathryn that sounds like some crazy stuff, glad you made. I always heard that that part of Lake Ontario was really nasty especially near Marysburgh.

There are a significant amount of shipwrecks in that area - so much so that local legends refer to the area as the Bermuda Triangle of the Great Lakes. There are incredibly deep waters there and surprising shoals and with the prevailing winds that whip in around around the islands and across the lake you can get some surprising conflicts between wind and current and wave and huge swells. In some of the channels between the islands the waves can reach 30 or more feet high (between crest and trough) as the massive amounts of water narrow through the smaller gaps - and really short spaces between the waves - that is what makes them dangerous. I remember seeing some monsters tower over top of our mast as we rode between them (on other times, not this one).

Actually, the squall that I described above would have been in the general area that is considered on the eastern edge of the Marysburgh vortex - or a little bit north east of Main Ducks Island. I didn't make that correlation until you mentioned Marysburgh. I was glad we made it too. That is one time that I seriously had questions if we would.

Edited July 24, 2008 by Kathryn41