Elise back to Bay mode

Serge's work

Cleaning the anchor

Cleaning the bilge

Removing the offshore gear after the Half Moon Bay race and putting the new cooler on the boat. Also swapping the lifeline and stanchions for the shorter Bay ones

Bilge bath

Fixing the starboard jib car turning block

lifelineless Elise

Sheet bag for main halyard

Oiling the settee

The bilge...before

And after...

Autopilot man...

Lessons from SHTP

Other than the personal issues which hopefully won't happen again right before the next events...

I debriefed with Skip this past weekend. I feel so humbled sitting across the table from one of my sailing God (who builds his own boats...) - he is a true world class sailor who like me just enjoys being out in the ocean or on the water. Even now, that's where he spends his summer, even if it is coastal navigation. Just because it would be hard to find a better place to be...

• need to start prepping now. Ran out of time (but then everyone did)
• either remove connectors or get brand new ones and better waterproof them before the event to make sure they do not fail
• probably just one big fat battery bank instead of 2 of them since they will basically be constantly under charge
• go west to Farallones mostly first and then I was too far North, despite the fact that the High was way way North
• bigger twin sails? Keep spinnaker cloth. Perhaps just broader shoulders so I can use my regular poles?
• fly spinnaker even more often and see if using spare rudder helps fly the spinnaker even when it is howling ie enable the autopilot to keep up with the sail
• make sure my wind instruments work so I can fly the chute in the light stuff with the AP on and get some serious sleep there...and be faster...isntead of being torn between sleep and flying the chute...
• external fuse for Doomsday and a spare one taped to the brain
• take a spare HH GPS in case the one I have craps out...it would have saved me several hours instead of approaching by the South just because I couldn't go down below to check the boat GPS without having to take the chute down...

zoo

Was tough to launch the boat in the middle of BBS!

both docks and launch space were quite full. Photos courtesy of Serge

Transformation

From here

to there...

Fender Bender

Serge project

Beautiful sunset photo

Nathan sailed to Half Moon Bay too a couple of weeks ago and took a few shots at sunset. I particularly love this picture. Posted with permission.

New barometer, new cooler and new masthead fly

Slowly, Elise is getting back into shape. She also has new connectors for the solar panels.

Going up the mast to install the new masthead fly. Photo courtesy of Serge

Driving Elise to the hoist area

Life is cool from up there.

We got company!

It stayed by the boat for a little while

Serge cleaning up the boat - she needed it! She was filthy! Full of pine needles...

Elise's new cooler!

Made in Sergeland

Elise's new barometer

This guy came right up to the deck...

Disappointed because we only had seaweed and not fish...

Delivering Elise back to San Francisco

The day started with delicious French Toast and strawberries at Ketch Joanne with David Herrigel and his wife - and then met up with Jim to get Elise back home

Jim is getting Elise out of the harbor

The smell reminded me of Clandestino

Heading out of Half Moon Bay

Warm and steady light breeze

Sea lions greet us in the morning

Passing the point

A happy boat...

and a happy driver

We came across two sunfish! I saw two of them the day of the race also.

Very cool . Just basking in the sun

This thing is HUGE!!!

It let the boat approach and stand by it forever...I could see its eye though but we didn't seem to bother him at all.

Saying good-bye to the sunfish

The rest of the day was under kite

With Jim driving

and out comes the frog..

Enjoying some white wine

Nibbling 

Korean style!

Jim is a great natural trimmer - always calm, anticipating and reacting fast in a recovery. A pleasure to sail with.

Three boats had someone aloft...Strange...

It was so packed that we had to leave Elise 'hanging' off the end of a dock... The harbor master was going to put her into a slip later that day