[Rhodes22-list] First Time Out

[MichaelT]

Hello All,

After working on the boat for the past several weeks and taking down the
mast for the 1st time to add a new pop-top slider, windex and pre-wiring for
a vhf I was finally set to go. Replaced my first impeller on the 20 year old
yamaha 8hp, hiking stick w/ coaming box, all the wiring/lights tested and
operable as the former owner never had a battery installed. And a solar
panel from GB to boot.

So I went out for the first time for the season yesterday this being my
first boat, first season. Everything was going swell. Wind was 5-10 mph. 2
hours later the wind picked up a notch and still all was well. When it was
time to go home, we lost our bearing and realized we were downwind and
started to beat the wind. The boat started to heel and heel a lot. So much
we the jib started touching the water and scooping water from the gunnels. 

The wind picked up even more and this when the problem started. I decided
that it would be best to take down the sails and just motor in. We tried to
head the boat into the wind and couldn't. Boat still heeling. We let out the
sheets to steady the boat. Tried to furl the jib in. Furling jib is
stuck.What to do? While the boat was heeling, wind is now 20+, I go forward
to check the furling unit and noticed that there was hardly any line in the
spool. I had to hand wind the sail itself and was able to roll in about
2/3's of the jib. The 3rd still flapping. I grabbed the boom, lifted the
topping lift, released the outhaul which just flew away and pulled hard on
the main sail furling line and thank goodness the main sail furled in. Motor
down, motor started and we now were heading into the wind motoring, the jib
still flapping. I noticed that my mast stay turnbuckles on the starboard
side was being turned loose from the flapping jib. Turnbuckles was
reinstalled w/o cotter pins by our marina guy. Which way to tighen? Counter
clockwise ok. Settled down the jib on the mast stays. Swells were building
up and we would hear the motor wining when it caught air.

As we started heading into our channel at Cedar Creek, our point of sail was
now a beam reach and the 1/3 of our jib sail started to heel us over and now
the motor was all air wining. Placed the motor in neutral while we sailed
and instructed my partner to throttle the motor when the boat flattened. We
finally made it into our marina, in our slip without fanfare as the marina
was sheltered form the winds in the Barnegat. It started raining cats and
dogs the moment we were gathering our things to pack up. Secured the dock
lines, lifted the motor and rudder off the water. We just left the boat amd
went home.

What do I do now? I might have broken the furling jib when I physicaly hand
wound the whole unit. Where do I even start to figure out why there wasn't
any line in the spool. Is it possible when the mast was taken down that it
may have gotten unwound? How do i get the furling jib back in order? Other
questions linger...Why couldn't we head into the wind? Center board was
down. We're we just having fun heeling and seeing the jib touch water or
were we already in danger?

Thanks for listening and appreciate your input...

Michael
Rhodes 87', Silverside

-- 
View this message in context: http://www.nabble.com/First-Time-Out-tp18187630p18187630.html
Sent from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at Nabble.com.