My O'Day 22 Sailboat Blog

Its been about a week since my last post so I thought I just quickly post a little update about whats going on. I have not gone sailing much since the last trip out to the oil rigs. Earlier this week I did take my mom, brother and his girlfriend out on the boat late on a Sunday. They came to visit me for my birthday which was the 10th of this month. Nothing too exciting. The marine layer was thick and fog was rolling in so we decided to stay in the harbor. By the time we got out it was getting difficult to see across the launch ramp.

I’ve been checking out little dinghy’s on craigslist for use with the sailboat. Preferably I’d like to find a little walker bay style dinghy that is versatile so I can row, sail or motor. My wife does not like the idea of me getting another boat even though its not REALLY another boat. I will just keep a sharp eye out for whats in the market in the meantime. I’m also contemplating building my own dinghy using downloadable plans online. This guy made a nice little D4 Dinghy from the free plans offered by bateau.com. I’ve not built my own boat before but I think it would be a fun and interesting project. We’ll see how things go in the next few months.

Thinking about building a home made boat that looks something like this.

Next week I am going on a little camping trip to Yosemite National Park. A friend of ours invited us to come along for this trip. It was a nightmare apparently to book the campsite as they are extremely book in the summer time. Unfortunately there will be no sailing involved in this trip. Hopefully I will get to take the boat out again in the next couple of weeks…

This past Monday I finally had another free day to take the O’Day out for a full day of sailing. It had been 3 weeks or so and the weather has been really nice in Southern California. The usual June gloom was finally replaced by sunny 80 degree weather.

Andre came down for the day to join me for the day. He has become my go to first mate on the boat. For only being sailing on the O’Day 3 times and once on the Capri, he is getting more and more competant. His wife got him sailing lessons at the Santa Barbara Sailing Center for this birthday so he will finally learn from someone who actually knows what they are talking about

Having learn the last lesson when we sailed down to Oxnard and ended up getting home late, I told Marlene ahead of time that I was more of less going for the whole day. We packed lunches and brought drinks for the trip and off we went at around 10AM.

The boat ramp was crowded as many people have the day off before the 4th. There seemed to be a lot more PWCs than usual both in and out of the harbor. As long as they follow the rules of the water, they don’t much bother me. I have been on them myself and they are actually quick fun. It’s when there is a dude doing donuts at the harbor entrance then it becomes a nuisance for everyone.

We started out by just sailing up towards the pier as we did not want to beat and tack all afternoon on the way back. After a few tacks we made it about 4 nautical miles up the coast to around the area of Emma Wood State Beach. We decided that we wanted to make a run for one of the oil rigs out in the middle of the channel and see if we can make it there and back in time. We tacked to starboard and began sailing on a close reach headed directly at an oil rig in the distance. I had no idea how far it was and did not know whether or not we would make it in time. The plan was just to make it out as far as we can before we have to turn around. It was closer to noon at this point so we figured that we could make it out about 8 miles before having to turn around.

Andre getting ready to head out just outside of Emma Wood State Beach

That turned out to be just about right. We made it 8 miles out and get as close to the rig as we could. We didn’t have time to round it as it would have taken at least another 30 minutes and caused us to be late.

Other sailboats had the same idea as us. This is as close as we got to the oil rig

Just when we got out and was about to turn around and head back, we started noticing that there was a school of some kinda fish out in the distance headed our way. After a closer look we realized they were a pod of Common Dolphins! It had been along time since I had seem them out in the channel. Often they like to come right up the boat and swim near the bow wave. I didn’t think they would have much interest in the O’Day’s miniscule wave as we topped out at just over 6 knots but I was surprise to see about 5 of them doing just that.

5 Dolphins at the bow of the boat

Swimming along next to us

It was pretty cool to have them come up as close as they did to check us out. The previous times when I’ve seem them I had been in much bigger power boats. This is as close as I’ve gotten to see them come up to any boat. At one point I thought I could literally reach out my hand and pet them as they came up for air. They stuck around for about 15 minutes and left probably to find other faster and more interesting vessels.

Here is a video of the Dolphins as they swimmed next to us. Towards the end I climbed up to the foredeck and probably scared them away

This is when we first spotted them. I just happened to be shooting a video clip. Note how excited I got when I saw them…

We made it back to the harbor right on the money at 4PM. The winds had been perfect all day and we even sailed right up to the dock without using the motor. Today was probably the furthest trip we’ve made so far since I got the boat. In the next few weeks maybe I will plan a weekend trip up to Santa Barbara and stay a couple nights at a guest slip. Before the end of the summer maybe I will even plan a very first trip out to the Channel Islands.

Last Wednesday I took the Capri for a little ride out of the Santa Barbara harbor. Marlene vlolunteers Wednesdays at the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network so I went along for the ride and picked up the boat along the way.

I have been prepping my utility trailer for use with the sailboat for the last week or so by adding a plywood floorboard and wooden frames. When I got to Andre’s place and loaded the boat up, it seemed to work fairly well. I didn’t want to relegate the trailer to be only a boat trailer but making it too custom so it was not custom fitted to the boat’s hull. It did fine on the freeway and around the neighborhood streets of Santa Barbara on my way to the launch ramp.

Capri 13 atop the utility trailer.

Launch at the ramp was fairly easy. I just slide the back of the boat into the water until it floats and the rest comes down without a fuss. Rigging everything at the dock took maybe 20 minutes and I was ready to roll. Andre met me there and took some photos of the Capri in action.

Rigged and ready

Off I go

With the wind coming directly at the launch ramp, it took me a few tacks to get her out of the harbor.

Trying to tack out of the harbor

Away I go

Once I was out and about, the wind picked up outside of the protected area. The sailing got a lot more exciting. I continually trimmed and ease sheets to prevent capsizing but a couple of times I did. I haven’t capsized in this boat yet so I knew I was in for a wet ride today when I decided to leave the harbor. You can push the boat quiet a bit without any risk of turning it over but its falling off from up to down wind course that gets a little insane. These little dinghys love sailing downwind. It picks up speed extremely quickly and if you are not use to it, a capsizing is almost a guarantee. Luckily it was fairly easy to right her by applying some force and weight against the daggerboard. You have to make sure the mainsheet is uncleated or you will be in for a surprise recapsizing to the other side when she comes back up.

On my way back to the harbor I was confronted was a speeding powerboat coming out of the harbor. We were in a collision course about 1/4 mile away from each other. As all educated mariners should know that a motor boat shall always yield to a sailing vessel under wind power. Unfortunately many power boaters do not find it necessary to educated themselves with the proper right of ways of the sea such as this idiot. As I was moving along on a port tack and this guy was getting closer and closer to colliding with me, I finally had to turn to windward to stop the boat so he wouldn’t run me over. I shook my head as I looked at him drive by with his entire family at the bow. He clearly saw me the entire way but apparently his method of determining right-of-ways is “survivial of the biggest and blackest engine smoke”. As he motored by he threw his arms up as to say that he had done nothing wrong. I just kept shaking my head and thinking what ignorant idiots are allowed out in the water.

There really ought to be a requirement for boating licenses. As much of a hassle as that may sound, it really would make sense. A lot of sailors have at least had some form of formal sailing instructions at one time or another. It’s just the nature of this sport. Sailboats requires more know how and understanding as compared to power boats. I have never encountered another sailboat that was not awared of their right of ways. That also seems more apparent to me that more power boats get boarded by the coast guard for inspections than sailboats for the same reason.

I know there are a lot of you that enjoy all types of boating. Many boaters own or have access to both powerboats as well as sailboats. I am not saying that all powerboaters are one way and all sailors are another. I would like to at least see people take the time to get to know the rules of the water before they get themselves out their and potentially cost someone their life.

For those of you that need a refresher on the proper right-of-ways, here are just the basics:

1. Sailing vessel not under power always have the right of way over another vessel under power (regardless of size or type!)
2. Sailboat on a port tack should give way to another on a starboard tack
3. Windward sailboat should give way to the leeward sailboat on the same tack
4. A boat overtaking another should avoid the boat being overtaken and stay to starboard

General rules of thumb:
1. Boats that have more control should give way to boat with less control. This should explain the right-of-ways of a windward versus leeward sailing vessels as well as the power versus sail.
2. When giving way to another vessel make your course changes early and obvious to the other vessel and stay with you decision
3. Do not change course at the last minute if you are not on a collision course

Feel free to add more right-of-ways to the comments if I missed any.