Where's the crew?

At the bar of course!

Sail Date 9.29.07

The Epic finally got her first taste of the SF Bay proper this Saturday. All previous voyages have been in the Oakland Estuary only. Soon I will want to try for and overnighter at Angel Island with some hiking and camping. I would love to hear from any of you who have done this to learn more about the logistics of doing so. Feel free to read my log below.


We had ample winds and sunshine all day. I didn't think I would need to use the Iron Jenny until our close hauled tacking course was vexed by a giant mountain of something on a barge headed straight down the channel. This is not the sort of thing one expects to share a narrow channel with. In a moment of chaos we doused the jib and fired up the motor to safely clear the barge. We took safe harbor at Scott's Seafood where the captain (myself) ordered all crew members (Ensign Erik) to drink beer and wine in order to calm our nerves and ward off scurvy after the barge encounter. Future note: The routine of sailing to Jack London for drinks got a little old. I think I'll start off at Quinn's next time.

After getting underway with the motor, Epic cleared the channel and we set course for the South Bay. The captain decided this would be a good area to relax and sail with less traffic and obstructions. We took advantage to the North Westerley's and remained on a Southwest broad reach until the sun began to set. We then reversed course and headed back to the channel.

Upon nearing the entrance to the channel we encountered several cargo ships underway and bound for sea. Initially the captain became nervous as he did not recognize these particular ships on the way out. The captain then consulted the chart to be certain that we weren't heading into some other basin or shipping area. Ensign Erik insisted that we were on the correct course by reckoning us with two small trees onshore that we had passed previously. As it turns out Ensign Erik was correct and a court martial for his insubordination shall be waived.

Upon entering the channel winds died down and our run became too slow given the amount of time until dark. We again fired up the combustion drive and motored on. Darkness fell about one third the way home and Ensign Erik was ordered to equip the portable navigation lights. We continued home in darkness and safely docked at the Grand Street ramp.

Technical notes:
We seem to have lost one small batten off the mainsail. It is possible that the batten was left on the dock prior to departure or is lost in the cabin. If I am unable to find it, a replacement will be necessary either by factory order or fabricating one myself.

The plastic jib hanks performed poorly as they would detach themselves when the jib was down requiring the Ensign to go forward and reattach. I believe it will be necessary to prevent this from happening in the future. I am also considering the use of the early roller furler equipment I have. The jib seems to be of standard design but might possibly be modified to work on the roller furler.

The forward mounted mainsheet system is a problem for two man operation. I will consider an aft system in the future.

Ensign Erik accidently dumped the cooler's mostly melted ice in the cabin - partly on one berth and the rest into the bilge. I will now have the unpleasant task of trying to mop it up before it becomes a moisture problem.

Thus far I have been using two "BoatMates" suction cup mounted organizers for equipment in the cabin. I do not at all recommend these products as the suction cups are of inferior design and seldom hold their place for long. Also the nylon organizer bags hold a bad shape when loaded with gear. I must look into better ways to keep gear secured.

An Angel island overnighter is being planned so anyone who has done this is highly encouraged to help me plan. I certainly hope to get out the with the Potter Yachters as soon as my schedule is less unpredictable.

Thanks to anyone who bothered to read all this.

Log of "Epic" concluded.