First Overnight Shakedown/Training Sail

So a few weeks back I set sail for the first true shakedown and training session. I decided to go and use the Maine Rocks race course starting in Rockland Harbor, sailing out to Mitinicus Rock, rounding and heading to Mount Dessert Rock out in the Gulf of Maine, rounding back towards Mitinicus Rock, and back into Rockland Harbor. 

The Breakdown:

Saturday Morning 11:30am - Depart mooring. I tried out one of the new main sails and had more to get ready than I had thought. I wanted to treat this whole event like a proper training session, making the genius decision to leave the motor behind on the dinghy at the mooring. Set off towards the faux starting line. 

Saturday 11:45 am - Cross the starting line and head for Penobscot Bay. Wind was around 15-20 apparent, left under just a main

Saturday 4:30 pm - After 5ish hours of up wind sailing with a first reefed, then double reefed main sail and full jib, Zealot and I finally got to bear away and throw the spinnaker up and shake the reef headed towards Mount Desert Rock. No real crazy boat speeds up to this point

Saturday 7:00 pm - I decided since the boat and everything was stable, Zealot was behaving nicely with "Auto, The Helm" (Full Name, don't judge), and the infinite lobster pots dwindling, it would make for a good time to enjoy a warm meal. I got the jet boil out and prepared a gourmet bowl of just add water noodles. Everything went well and was very yummy with a gorgeous sunset to watch while chowing down.

Saturday 10:00 pm or so - Shortly before rounding Mount Desert Rock, we ran into our first bit of trouble. With the now set sun, lobster pot avoidance was purely luck dependent. I had to take over driving because the floats would show up with no more than 10 feet to move to avoid them. All was going well until I felt a jerk of the rudder followed by another, and another, giving the exact same feeling as if you had a fish on the end of your rod. There was nothing to do except wait and hope that it would let go. Then the jerking stopped. We got off super lucky, then rounded Mount Desert Rock. It was dark at this time so no pictures of substance, my apologies.

Sunday 12:00 am - No wind

Sunday 1:00 am - No wind

Sunday 2:00 am - No wind, but I did take a couple 20 minute naps. Looking back at the tracker, I ended up doing a 360 at some point.

Sunday 3:00 am - Somehow less than no wind

Sunday 3:30 am - A whisper of breeze, up wind breeze but something none the less

Sunday 5:00 am - the faint whisper of breeze stayed ending up fluctuating around 6 kts

Sunday 8:00 am - Still working towards Mitinicus Rock ahead of the return leg. The night was freezing and I learned that prepping a warmer kit would be essential moving forward. I warmed up some water and made a cup of coffee in an attempt to warm up.

Sunday 8:30 am - Rounded Mintinicus Rock and pointed back towards Rockland

Sunday 9:30 am - Boat goes dead. After some panic and trouble shooting I learned I have some learning to do, along with more system trouble shooting. After freaking out for 30 minutes I got the boat alive again with a solar panel thrown on the aft quarter. The wind had lightened bringing the boat speed down to 2 kts

Sunday 10:00 am - Sunday 7:00 pm - AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! There wasn't a lick of wind for 9 hours!!! Aside from flying every sail I had onboard, about 8 sail changes, I averaged 2 kts for the final 25 miles all the way to the mooring. Remember that genius decision from the beginning to leave the motor on the dinghy, so do I.... every last bit of it.

Conclusion:

After a few weeks to calm down from the agonizing frustration of drift fest day two, I would do it again. I learned things, found issues I need to address, and got a new found respect for those sailors who can suffer through that all the time and not lose their sanity. As for myself, I need to learn how to live on a boat that's sailing, everything from sleeping, to cooking, to using the bucket (yes, that bucket). 

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