Go Fast Boat - August 06

For the past several months I’ve been dividing my time between home and my boat. I spend as much time as work and kids will allow on my boat and the rest of my time at home missing my boat.

It took some getting used to at first. For one thing, food was an issue. My boat doesn’t have an icebox, so a large cooler has to work. Which means continually lugging ice down the dock. This is good in that it limits the sorts of snack food readily available to me and bad in that it limits the sorts of snack foods readily available to me. Over those first months I stocked the boat with spices, non-perishable snacks and meal items, a hot plate because I didn’t trust the galley stove, a rail mounted grill, and all the necessary utensils for preparing food. And rum, of course. I got tired of lugging trash back and forth constantly so I bought a nice set of flatware, plates, and of course glasses for the boat. I’m saving the environment one rum drink at a time. But now I can cook anything, and have. Which my kids find slightly ironic because I rarely cook at home anymore.

I also appreciate creature comforts. The first item I took to the boat was my old flannel sleeping bag. In the winter it’s warm and in the summer it serves as extra padding in the berth. Later I added goose down pillows and Egyptian cotton sheets. Don’t smirk. Why not? It isn’t like they’re going to get drenched in sea spray on a hard tack. In the winter I bought a heater for the boat and when it got warmer outside I added two small fans to circulate air. Ambience is important so I also have a small collection of candles that I use at the dock or at anchor. It just adds something to the experience. Entertainment is important. I like to read before going to sleep so in the corner of my berth there’s a small stack of magazines (sailing of course) books, and crossword puzzles. I also have a stereo. And a collection of CDs. And fishing gear. And cards in case a poker game should break out.

So I’ve created a nice little second home for myself. And I love it. On race nights, I don’t have to drive home after the inevitable party afterward; I can just sleep on my boat and be perfectly comfortable. I can have friends over for dinner, anchor out, or just hang out on the dock. And I do sail, of course, and have everything stowed so that I can still leave the slip within minutes of getting to the boat. A fact I was very proud of. Until recently.

Friends have been telling me lately that I should race my boat. Me? Race my own boat? Oh I don’t think so. It isn’t a race boat and I’m not experienced enough. I’ll just crew for others. But every time I heard the suggestion, I felt the pull of competition and a thrill of excitement. Why not race my boat? And when a couple friends who are experienced sailors volunteered to crew for me in club races this fall, I decided to explore the idea.

First thing to do is get a PHRF rating. I printed out the application and read over it. Yikes. I did know the difference between a fractional and masthead rig (mine is masthead because the forestay goes all the way up) and was rather proud to realize I knew this! Yet how on earth would I know what my ballast is? Apparently ‘heavy’ is not a sufficient answer. And I have no idea at all what I, J, P or E are. So I asked Brian and Hope, who used to own a US Yachts 25, to help me. Problem solved. PHRF app submitted. I’m on my way Baby!

Well, sort of. Next I ordered sail numbers. I still have to install a winch for the main halyard, replace my sheets (that would be jib sheets, not the Egyptian cotton ones), and fine tune my rigging. I’ve also been advised to wash the bottom before the first race. Even though the bottom paint is only a year old it “couldn’t hurt.”

But the real kicker was the advice both of my potential new crew gave me. In the words of Frank, “And get rid of the 500 pounds of junk you have aboard.” And Tom’s, “Right. That doesn’t make the boat go fast does it?”

Fine. So I’ll clean out the lockers and remove anything that isn’t currently in use like the 25 pounds of blankets and extra pillows, the portable heater, the extra “just in case” anchor, the spare tools and cleaning agents, the wood scraps that might come in handy, and all those other items that are in lockers because I don’t use them. I’ll take home the hotplate, coffee maker, tea kettle, and portable food locker. And I’ll rent a dock box for the extra rum, stereo, water toys, fishing gear, bottled water, and dishes. But I draw the line at my bedding, the candles, and the handful of other personal items I use regularly. No, they may not make the boat go fast, but they certainly make her skipper happy!