We beat Arthur

Friday, July 4

We beat Arthur

Thursday, the winds resumed, and we continued to sail.  With minimal spillage, Mike, Greg and I managed to transfer the 10 gallons of diesel from the jerry jugs to the starboard tank. 

Hoisting the spinnaker furled on the antitorsion line we found first that the upper portion of the sail was twisted extremely tightly, and that when we began the unfurl, the lower portion had reverse twisted.  Thus untwisting the top twisted the bottom tighter and vice versa.  This has been a common problem that plagues this device and occurs when the twist stored in the antitorsion line is released at the end of furling.  As it untwists, it grabs sail, usually below the clew, and twists it in the reverse direction.  Then, when unfurling, the event is impossible because unfurling above furls the bottom even tighter.

Down on the deck, I was able, I thought, to untwist the reverse furled part, and now with free spinnaker at the bottom, I used yarns to gather it up into sausages as was done in olden times (pre socks, pre furlers). Back up, pulling on the sheet as we unfurled the antitorsion line, only a bit of sail came out to catch the wind.  And then, the sail ripped extensively.  Another casualty of the $%#**&#@ top-down furling system.

We still sailed well with jib, main and mizzen until after dinner when the skies began to look ominous.  We lowered the main, sailing jib and jigger until we saw big squalls marching across Massachusetts Bay toward us and at around 10 pm, with all sails down, were hit while motoring with 40 knot winds and thunderstorms.  No problem.

Avoiding fishermen as well, we finally pulled into our mooring at 1 am on July 4th.  Tired and facing too much wind to safely go to the CYC dock, we just sat on the mooring until 5:30 when with dawn, we went to the dock, cleaned the boat, and Addie met us with pastries from A&J King bakery.

Post script, 7/7/2014.

      Took the spinnaker to Quantum Thurston in Bristol.  It was hopelessly and multiply reverse wrapped and wrapped so staggeringly tightly that the layers almost seemed annealed together.  Each layer had to be peeled from the next.  A technology that has a few bugs to be worked out.  Back to the sock would be the wisest move.

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