Ever have a day when nothing goes right?
How about:
outboard stuck below cockpit (mounting bolts frozen). Neither pliers nor "persuader" accomplishes anything but bending the handles. Resolved with a corrosion-dissolving product, time, and jiggling.
changing jibs (#1->#3) takes longer than expected, late for first start
bad douse, kite a drenched, twisted pile at end of race (change to new kite because there's no time to pack)
small tear in jib, growing (fix with sail tape). late for second start.
very slow douse at last leeward mark. blow up new kite.
struggle across finish line, within 20 minute time limit (get horn, salvage some margin of dignity, sail for home)
catch life jacket release in mainsheet, set off (inflatable jacket)
try to open beer for rest of crew. bottle opener disintegrates in hand.
(posting from boat, please forgive spelling issues.)
***
(side note: boat next to us at dock broke tiller bolt and a few other things today- haven't talked to anyone else)
2 comments:
Just happened to be reading this, as I was brining up the back of the J24 pack (red J24, Flotsam) yesterday and was trying to see if we got zapped with the 20 minute rule, and I must say, this is hillarious!
Yes, one of the crew was looking at me rather oddly when I started laughing after the bottle opener broke.
An odd day- things like the mounting bolts freezing (both of them, solid) were unexpected because Elise is actively raced and maintained even through the winter and everything is mechanically fine (started fine, just couldn't get it out of the cabin initially).
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