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Last Tuesday and Wednesday (3/28/06 – 3/29/060 I finally got my Vacationer “ MORDAG” in the water again after the disastrous maiden Voyage in November 2004(we capsized, had to be rescued by the Coast Guard, treated for hypothermia, etc.)
I launched, with help from my son, at Mountain Point boat ramp which is only about 5 minutes drive from home. There was a pretty stiff NW breeze blowing onto the dock which made it hard to get away from the dock and out of the small harbor. The jib, though furled, caught the wind and I couldn’t get her to head into the wind. I ended up rowing out backwards, no outboard, and then raising only the jib and running around Mountain Pt. to get in the lee of the land so I could get the head to the wind to raise the mains’l. Finally got everything set and had a great afternoon sailing in winds varying from almost calm to about 15 knots. Around 1630 I left the mouth of George Inlet, rounded California Head and headed for Bold Island where I planned to anchor for the night. Good sailing all the way. I had a few rather hectic moments trying to get the anchor rigged before I got to the small bay I planned to anchor. I tried Heaving to, with only moderate success, and I had to make couple of quick trips back to the wheel to straighten things out, before I got the anchor all rigged. I should have had that done before I left, but, in the rush to get going it slipped. Once everything was set, with anchor and line run back to the cockpit so I could release the anchor without having to go forward again, I sailed on in, ghosting the last little ways and lowered the anchor. I was probably to far out as the water was deeper than I hoped, but, let out lots of line and kept a close eye on things for a while. It was around 1845 and just getting dark when I anchored. The anchor held, so I secured the sails, sorted out sleeping arraignments and fixed a very simple dinner. I was all done and ready for bed by 2000. I went out to check the anchor and spent a half hour just looking at stars. It was a beautiful, calm, clear night, a very rare occurrence in rainy Ketchikan. Away from town the stars were incredible.
It dropped below freezing over night and I awoke to find everything outside covered with a heavy frost. I waited for the sun to come up and thaw things out and got going around 0845.
I was planning to sail around Bold Island and back to the ramp. The wind had changed to SE and so after about 3 hours of beating into the wind and tide I finally conceded defeat, turned around and ran back down the channel the way I had come. The wind was around 15 knots and gusting higher, so I was kind of nervous running in the 2 foot seas produced. I had no problems though, even did quite a few gybes with no problems, so I was pretty pleased with the boat and myself.
I got back to the ramp around 1430. I had to walk home to get my truck and trailer, and my son. We pulled the boat with no problems to complete a very successful outing. I hope to have more this summer, but, summers are crazy with work, so we’ll see. I still have a few issues to work on. She still does not want to tack, if there are wind and seas more than about 10-15 knots and 2 foot seas. She did tack in lower seas and wind.

Sounds like a good outing with good conditions for the most part.

I'm sure you probably already tried this, but most often failure to bring the nose around on a tack is a result of trying to approach the tack pointing too close to the wind. Then trying to turn too quickly with a bit too much rudder. Quite often the rudder actually turns more than about 30-35 degrees from center. When it does that, it actually slows the boat down more than turning it. It is like trying to move a board thru the water sideways pushing against the broad side.

So, what I've found is that if you fall off the wind a little to pick up more speed and then turn the boat, you will pull the nose far enough that the wind will help you around the rest of the way. But do it a little more gently on the turn.

If you do have more than about 35 degrees of rudder movement to either side of center, you can install a couple stops on the inside of the lazerette to keep the tiller from going further than that.

You may find that keeping a little forward headway going into the wind with the engine and not having the jib set will make raising the main a lot easier. Then set the jib. Any time the jib is set without the main, you are going to have the boat wanting to turn away from the wind. I'm surprised though that having it furled under power that you couldn't go ahead into the wind.

So please tell us more as you get to use your Vacationer. Nice to hear about another one in the Great White Northlands.

Steve two thing come to mind with the reluctant tacking. First the VACs need to be driven into the turn. Ease off to build speed then gently push the rudder into the turn. After the nose goes over give here more rudder to finish the tack. If you are doing this already how is the boat trimmed as she rests on the water? If she is down a bit at the sterm it is very possable that the nose is too high and is being blown back on course before the turn can be completed. I had this problem what with the companioway battery, 6 gallon tank onder a seat and the ~100 lb motor on the transom. 260 lb of lead at the base of the mast tamed her right down and no more tacking problems.

Steve,

I've been looking for this post, since you teased me on my forum. Please feel free to copy it to my itty-bitty Alaska site.

Barry and Craig's advice sounds good to me, the bow down makes a big difference.

Although, I would strongly advice that you think about a motor for your area. hock: I know, I sailed a few years without one; but, I got tired of scaring the firstmate and myself. And true, the currents may not be as strong way out there as Cook Inlet or the inside passage, still, think about it.

I could have gotten away with a motor smaller than the Honda 9.9 A six hp, would probably work just as well.

Now, one more point, doesn't anyone have a digital camera on your island? Your boat is beautiful, why so shy my friend? Your baby, makes the Wolf look like a barge :lol: Opps, I hope she didn't here that.

Mike

I have the same tacking troubles, due to the extra weight in the stern of the vessel, motor, battery, fuel for motor, and crew. I put some movable ballast, (my son) in the bow, the tacking went much better. I plan to place some permanent ballast in the bow, or on the keel.

I operate on a farly big lake in the north as well, and put a lot of dependance on my 9.9 motor. I use in when conditions require, and to launch and recover at my mooring. It affords me more control of the situation. It has brought me home in conditions of 4-5 foot waves, and 25 knot plus winds, when sailing would have been hazardous to my boat and crew.


Greg

The Vacationer, motors well in rough water. 8) I was impressed last year at the Katchemal Bay Wooden Boat Festival. The wind came up in the late afternoon, big wind and big swells, I decided to play it safe and drop the sails. The boat handled so well that any little worries I had went completely away. :wink:

I forget who named the Vacationer the "Battleship" of the Stevenson Fleet, way back when, but the term is accurate.

Sounds perfect to me Steve...a really great sailing trip. Hey if we wanted easy we would have built motorboats.

I believe Konrad was the first to coin the term Battleship Vacationer.

Jon