Nifty Newport 2010

Submitted by patho on Sat, 18/09/2010 - 20:40

My recent career-shift to TOBIUS as Enterprise Architect for the PERFORM Team (Project & Portfolio Management) meant that I had to tune down my holiday ambitions, but still we had a really great time at our coastal studio in September 2010. Almost full-time at Sea with a regatta of the WSKLUM - during which we ruined an entire spinnaker sail - and skippering practice with the Flemish Sea Sailing School. Minus points for crashing into a pontoon during mooring practice at lee shore. Plus points for entering with a lightening speed of 12 knots at harbour with the Breeze (a racing yacht of 9.58 metres lenght over water). On-shore me and Shanshan tasted the best beers in Belgium (already claimed to be the best beer country in the world) at the abbey of Westvleteren and the Dolle Brouwers in Diksmuide. Another discovery was the picturesque coast of Nord-Pas-de-Calais in France, such as the Côte Opal and Cap Griz & Blanc Nez.

Ready to race | Fishermen leaving for Sea

Tacking duel during the race | Beautiful antique cutter entering the harbour of Nieuwpoort

Cycling tour Nieuwpoort-Veurne | At the Dolle Brouwers (Crazy Brewers) in Diksmuide

Storm at Cap-Griz-Nez | Same cutter at Sea


Crazy surfers at Boulogne-sur-Mer, click on image below to play or download video ...


Personal notes VZZ Practice # 1

Great web-source for marine weather conditions at Belgian coast: www.kustweerbericht.be

Gyping:

  1. Move opposite side of the helm
  2. Sail broad reach ("van ruim naar ruim")
  3. Warn crew "klaar om the gijpen" (ready to gybe)
  4. Order "grootzeil inhalen" (haul in the mainsail)
  5. Afvallen (steer towards the sail)
  6. Foresail falls in
  7. Warning "boom" as mainsails comes over
  8. Keep on course, don't steer too much into the wind

Motor:

  1. Switch on the battery inside the cabin
  2. Motor in neutral, handle in reverse
  3. Lights up when you switch on the contact
  4. Alarm beep should sound when switch down
  5. Switch up warm up maximum 10 seconds
  6. Push start button
  7. With diesel keep pushing until motor is ignited
  8. Cooling water should be flowing
  9. Put motor in neutral, handle inthe middle
  10. Don't forget to switch off the contact
  11. Button inside or near gaz to switch off motor

2 sail indicators when sailing broad reach:

  1. Foresail fall in > almost ready to gybe
  2. Part of mainsail at mast (achterlijk) trembles > too sharp in the wind

Too much:

  1. Foresail > lijgierig (boat wants to move in the wind)
  2. Main sail > loefgierig (boat wants to move away from the wind)

Disembarking at lee shore (lagerwal):

  1. Fix at stern (spiegel)
  2. Add a lot of fenders (stootwilgen)
  3. Gently reverse on motor
  4. Release front
  5. Bow will turn through the wind
  6. Foward & release back

Reverse (on motor of course):

  • Point helm in direction you wish to go
  • Not too much power as you won't be able to hold the rudder

For big angles, turn in angles of 90 degrees:

  1. When changing direction on a river
  2. Turn 90 degrees
  3. Directly cross the river
  4. Turn 90 degrees

Mooring:

  1. Approach the pontoon gently at 30 degrees
  2. Compensate constantly until you are parallel to the pontoon
  3. Reverse to stop the boat
  4. When reversing, keep the helm straight

To reduce surface of mainsail (reven):

  1. Aan de wind / almost in the wind
  2. Release vang and mainsheet (neerhouder en grootschoot)
  3. Release val

Raising & lowering the fore & mainsail:

  • You can only raise the mainsail in the wind on motor
  • Foresail can be raised on any course

Stabilise the boat "Bijdraaien na overstag":

  1. Tack but don't let genoa come over
  2. Put helm parallel to foresail

Lower the mainsail:

  1. Neerhouder los
  2. Grootzeilschoot los
  3. Kraanlijn aan
  4. Grootzeilval lost

Miscellaneous:

  • Pass buoy bovenstroom, away with current
  • Less current closer to the coast
  • When steering, fix on a point in the horizon. Don't allow boat to shift horizontally, only up and down vertically.
  • Dry deck in the morning
  • With helicopter rescue lower the sail, because the power of the rotors can tip over the boat
  • "Vlinderen" keep mainsail at port side (bakboord) to retain priority
  • Run electric wire to sure along side opposite of dis/embarkement (so no-one trips over it)

Extra's on on "gaffelgetuigde" Valk:

  • 2 "vallen" instead on 1
  • "Klauwval" the mast
  • "Piekenval" at the end