A small crew for today's sail to enjoy the unseasonably warm temps. A bit chilly on the water compared to land, and somewhat light conditions, but pretty scenery and very relaxing.
Century Club: Jonathan Nepini
Monday, February 20, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Trimming on a reach
Quick trip this evening up to the bridge and back. Had a few guests who normally sail on faster boats so we decided to show them what the Barba Roja can do. Sailed up to the bridge, turned around, and hoisted a kite for a tight reach back down the river. Great speed despite the light conditions, and a nice time was had by all.
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
A rare shot of us from outside the boat, courtesy of Neptune's Wager
As I was getting home from work I was thinking "Wouldn't it be nice to go for a sail this evening!" and lo and behold, I got a text from Steve abou† 10 minutes later inviting me to the boat. I beat him there and got everything ready, and we set off shortly before sunset. Plenty of wind on the river, with apparent gusts into the low 20s. We ran with a partially-furled headsail, and took a nice run to the bridge and back. Found our friends on Neptune's Wager and did some jockeying to get pictures of them with the bridge in the background. A fantastic impromptu trip and a perfect way to enjoy a warm evening.
Thursday, February 9, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Great breeze and sunset views
A short-notice after work cruise to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather. Nice steady 12 knots of breeze made for an easy run up to the bridge and a beat back. The clouds cleared out just enough to see some pink as the sun went down. A nice way to ease into the weekend mood.
Sunday, February 5, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Crew of the day + bonus dog
Out on the Barba Roja again this Sunday to enjoy the (relatively) warmer temps and get some fresh air. Gusty and breezy, with occasional puffs over 20kts. Took a long trip to the bridge and back twice, dropped off a crew member & picked up another, and sailed out to PR3. I did some driving & we all had a good time. Steve planned on going out for round 3, but it was getting dark & cold so I hopped off after the second trip. Slowly checking off the days, trying to front-load early in the season as much as possible.
Sunday, January 29, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Sunday morning sailors
Out for a short "coffee sail" this morning on the Barba Roja. With winds 8-24 we decided to sail up the river, and ended up having plenty of wind to run the traditional course of the SMSA Frost-Goode Race. A speedy reach up the river followed by a gusty, often-overpowered beat back down. Lots of feathering upwind to keep the boat on her feet. Another nice morning on the water.
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
The viewing party
Took a ride out this evening to watch the rocket launch from out in the Bay. We had just the barest of breeze as we left the river, and we did a bit of light air sailing while our intrepid skipper Steve made grilled cheese sandwiches down below. We had a spectacular view of the rocket launch and everyone enjoyed the impromptu weeknight get-together.
Sunday, January 15, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
The crew braving the cold
Gorgeous conditions other than the cold, so several Barba Roja friends got together for a sail. Breeze in the high teens in the river and slightly more with a sturdy chop out in the Bay. Ran about halfway across the Bay, under the bridge, and then all the way back in the harbor under sail. Got some practice with close-quarters maneuvering tacking up Back Creek on the way in. We ran under headsail alone all day and made great speed. A fantastic afternoon and well worth braving the cold temperatures.
Sunday, January 8, 2023 to Sunday, August 13, 2023
Number of days:
10 days
Dangerous with a gleaming new bottom
Spicy Meatball after a much needed cleaning, many more projects to come!
Logging my 10 maintenance days here - I have more than that from various pre-season prep and ongoing work to Dangerous, and will have more to come as I start sorting through projects on my new-to-me '77 Chrysler Buccaneer, the Spicy Meatball.
January 8 - Dangerous
February 18 - Dangerous
March 29 - Dangerous
April 1 - Dangerous
April 2 - Dangerous, Epoxy application to keel repair
April 11 - Dangerous, Bottom paint application
April 15 - Dangerous, Bottom paint application
April 18 - Dangerous, Delivery & running rigging installation
May 14 - Dangerous, Halyard replacement & spinnaker hardware install
July 7 - Dangerous, Bottom cleaning
July 21 - Dangerous, Bottom cleaning
July 27 - Dangerous, Windex installation & other gov cup prep
August 13 - Spicy Meatball, Delivery to SMSA & cleaning
Sunday, January 1, 2023
Number of days:
1 day
Smoke on the water
Trimming the kite
I had so much fun doing Century Club last year I decided to go for it again this year. I started the year off right with a New Year's Day sail on the Barba Roja with Steve and friends. Very little wind out of the harbor, but spectacular views as the morning sun lit up the fog on the river. We motored out to the Bay to find some wind and enjoyed a bit of sailing. We planned on motoring to the bridge, but on our way we heard some other friends had engine trouble so we swung by the dock to pick them up. Motored back out to the Bay in search of more wind, then back towards the bridge where we finally found a bit of breeze and set a kite. A beautiful afternoon and a great way to start off 2023.