Friday September 21

I made a real effort to get my San Juan 21 ready for the Crescent City Regatta. The keel cable had slipped out of the keel pulley and increased the coefficient of friction beyond the torque capacity of my Pectoralis Major. Manipulation out-maneuvered frustration and the pulley was eventually removed.

Note that the sheave is larger than the side plates

An incorrect blade on the cut-off saw eliminated the possibility of modifying the pulley. The obligatory internet search and phone call to West Marine located a suitable replacement in Melbourne, a four hour round trip away. Two possibilities with significantly less required drive time occurred to me. Acme surplus had more than enough stainless steel of the correct thickness to replenish my dwindled stock. Monroe Harbour Marina provided a slim possibility of having a suitable wire block and it was only a few minutes from Acme surplus. On approaching the Marina I observed Show Me under power, head for the ramp, also in preparation for Crescent City. Unfortunately, and truly as expected, Monroe Harbour had no wire blocks. Fisk’s San Juan was derigged and ready for the road, right there in the parking lot. Look at that block on his backstay, total overkill for his backstay, but just right for the keel cable. Do you suppose? Nah, that would be a rule 69 for sure.

Bob Horian has acquired a sailing inflatable catamaran. Ron Semans and I examined it and hypothesized about the rigging options of such a vessel, and while progress was made, we determined that a close visual inspection of the assembly instructions that must be available on the internet, would be well worth the effort.

Fisk was in fact helping Andy get Show Me ready for the road. When I explained my problem, Fisk inspected his rigging box for a possible solution, but alas no. The Carters arrived to gather up all the pieces of the 29erXX. I now realize I should have asked Brent if he had an appropriately sized wire block, but I am sure my first thought was “the 29er can’t have any real rigging”, and besides Maryann had chocolate chip cookies.

Soon thereafter Andy, Fisk, and I were drinking beers at Wolfy’s, I know, everyone is shocked at that scenario.

This short meeting created the impetus for this writing, specifically as an addendum the Rum Race 091912 posting. It seems that, in the first leg, while we were being consumed by the probability that Fisk would hang his spinnaker on our air like a cheap suit. Fisk’s one and only true focus was that Paulie (his crew) be absolutely certain that no matter what, she was to keep an accurate elapsed time of this Rum Race. Particularly humorous to me was Fisk’s insistence that he knew that any possible question mark related to the time he turned in would result in the immediate discard of said time by the scorer (me). Of course he was perfectly correct especially since there has been a question mark or more associated with his time in the past four Rum Races. Isn’t it interesting how the most insignificant of autocrats are allowed to wield their  limitless power with authority and disdain. I suspect that is only going to last as long as I keep finishing at mid fleet or slower.

Bottom line here is it looks like my SJ 21 stays at home and the S2 5.5 goes on the road.

The Fastest San Juan 21

The three models of the San Juan 21, Mark 1, Mark 2, Mark 3 have long generated the question which one is the fastest. San Juan 21’s are one of the longest running one design fleets in the US and are particularly active on both coasts. Partially because they were manufactured on both coasts but more importantly because it has an active class and all the boats are competitive. There are numerous articles about the differences between them, and I am not an authority on those details. I have owned Mark 1’s and Mark 2’s, and raced both against both and have developed an opinion over the years. I have been impressed with how competitive all the models are. There is a lot of data available by looking at the scores of past competitions and I have done a modicum of researching that data. I am sure that others may have a different opinion but I am convinced that the boats are all very competitive if properly prepared and properly equipped. The original manufacturing quality controls seemed to have created a very consistent hull and appendages. Class rules do have a minimum weight requirement and modifications have been somewhat limited.

So, the fastest San Juan 21 has a fair and stiff hull, with properly faired foils. The weight should be at or near the legal minimum. I think the keel gasket is critical although the type of gasket is not so important to speed as it is to maintain-ability. The small fairing for the front of the keel slot is good but the standard gasket properly installed and in good condition is surprisingly effective. Good sails, properly adjusted standing rigging, and effective running rigging are critical to performance on every model. Preparation is critical, but it has to be preparation that works. Prepping the hull to a high gloss is fine but some of that time might be better spent tacking, jibing, hoisting and dousing. Controls to adjust the sails effectively are also critical but if running rigging is so complicated that it is too much trouble to put together, it can keep from going sailing. If it is too complicated it can cause mistakes or actually be a distraction.  If the jib dousing line gets tied to your jib sheet while you are trying to attach the 4:1 twing to the high compression stereo hydraulic spinnaker pole topping lift, you are going to be SLOW.

The BEST model, not the fastest, is the one that is best for you. I require a Mark I because I want the bigger cockpit. I don’t use a traveler because I want the bigger cockpit. All my halyards are secured to the mast because I don’t want to spend any more seconds rigging at the ramp than absolutely necessary. Granted, the way that my controls are secured on the mast is not common but it works for me.

I have over rigged a number of boats, especially Catalina 22, and San Juan 21, and as the femtoseconds pass me by I am learning the elegance of simplicity and functionality. In summary I say the fastest San Juan 21 is the one that you can sail the fastest, which almost without any contradiction is the one you like the best, and the one you spend the most time on. If you want a fast San Juan almost the only thing you HAVE to do is sail it, often, make it work the way you want it to and watch the tell tales.

-wb-

San Juan 21 Christmas call out.
December 21, 2008

San Juan Fleet 29 and others begin anew as the wife of one member is reported to have quipped “The San Juan Christmas call out.”

Multi beers encouraged my former student  to challenge me to a go around the buoys.  Not being inclined to deny the opportunity for any of my studentia to spank the pseudo-master in a duel of sail trim and hull speed I am certain that my acceptance of the previously mentioned chin gloving was most gracious, in fact since the recent appearance of Ralphie and the Dixie Chicken had inspired the self appointed acme of instructorship to actually sail the San Juan 21 Ollie Oop. It was obvious that the challenge must be extended to the  all current active San Juan sailors and  in fact anyone else that felt like bringing their floating chariot to the coliseum.  Times were approximately agreed upon and Sunday morning a gathering took place.

In addition to the newly reformed and nearly enough for their own start,San Juanfleet, the Vulcan Mermaid and Great Pumpkin joined in to run the gauntlet between the Romance markers and the eastern most Manatee sign, with a short but close hauled leg to the East Basin channel marker.

In the first race the initiator of the challenge (Just Us) started first and to windward, cleverly covering the afore mentioned legendary if not overly fast instructor. Around the windward mark, and Ol Yeller set a kite, with Just Us following suit as quickly as possible, (a little work is still needed here). The Dixie Chicken and Ollie Ooops traded windward and leeward positions with genoas and whisker poles for a while as we all began to hunt for a manatee sign reputed to be near Stone Island. The rounding of the mark was relatively uneventful and a starboard tack favored windward leg followed with Ol Yeller in front, followed  by the Chicken, with Just Us and Ollie Oops bringing up the back side. Shifts allowed the Chicken to overtake the generally expected to be first Kyle and Jeremy in Ol Yeller, while the genoa powered Oops managed to squeeze out a third over the conservatively head sailed Just Us.

In the next tribulation the wind freshened and shifted make the whisker pole useless. Ol Yeller kept their spinnaker up and stayed high on the mark, providing a lesson in how to leave the fleet well behind. Just Us also flew the kite albeit slightly less effectively until the building breeze forced them to wrestle their octopus to the deck and hoist the small but extremely efficient jib. The Chicken, having had no good fortune with the whisker pole and genoa opted for a spinnaker set that lasted a really long time. Ollie Oops managed to round the leeward mark well ahead of the Chicken and their colorful if not well trimmed chute, but Ol’ Yeller and Just Us, were long gone. On the windward leg the outhaul died on Ollie Oops and in an effort to compensate, the newly improved backstay tensioner was brought to bear, excessively in fact. The mast now had so much bend that the mainsail was completely inverted and useless. Effort to east the backstay proved fruitless until the helmsman moved to the back of the boat and used both hands to release the tensioner while steering with his right foot. Luckily for Ollie Oops the Dixie Chicken rounded up into tacking mode with little warning. I say this because none of the intentional tacks were nearly as quick or as smooth as the slamming over of the bow we witnessed in this particular incident. Ol yeller completed the day with a 2^nd and a 1^st. Just Us with a 4^th and a 2^nd, Dixie Chicken had a 1^st and 4^th, and Oops was a least consistent with two 3^rds.

Big time fun was had by all, now all we need is a fifth SJ21, it could be you. If you really want to improve your skills, consider ignoring the handicap and get into the boat for boat scenario. Good Sailing.

-wb-