Around the World of Sailing

24 July 2002

Event News:2002 Chicago Mackinac: The Race
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/news/atwos/2002/jl/0724/ms.htm

The 2002 Mackinac will be remembered as a fast one. A new
record was set and sailors have many new high speed stories.

The recent benchmark for fast Macs was 1987. Was 2002 the
same as 1987? Consensus seems to be almost, but not quite.
There was as much wind but not quite from the same
direction. In 1987 boats could sail the rhumb line, losing
no time to gybes. This year the wind direction was enough
different that you had to gybe back and forth to hold
course.

The final start took place @ 1410 on Saturday off Chicago.
Winds for the start were in the double digits from the SE.

Mirage a Santa Cruz 70 averaged 12.6 knots in the first 3
hours of sailing. This figured to a time of 26 hours, very
near record pace.

It was a fast 1st night for the Chicago Mackinac fleet. At
Muskegon winds were from the south ranging from 10-17 knots
overnight. As the night went on they increased. At the North
Lake Michigan weather buoy near N. Manitou Island winds were
from 13-27 knots from the S & SSW. Winds stayed up and
pushed the boats and crew hard. One of the Great Lakes 70's
reported sailing from Big Sable to Point Betsie in 2 3/4
hour.

Some of the boats that most closely trailed "1st to Finish"
Pyewacket experienced a windless park from Beaver Island to
the bridge. This cost anyone else a shot at breaking the
1987 record.

Sunday night a line of heavy wind spread chaos north to
south. For those finishing, it made up for some of the
drifting. For those further south it helped keep the pace
up.

The GL 70 class had an extremely close finish in the
chaotic, squally conditions. Holua beat Evolution across
the line by a mere 25 seconds. They were then followed by 7
boats in the next 3 minutes!

The bulk of the fleet finished by noon on Monday. The
majority of the boats beat the 48 hour mark, which is a rule
of thumb for a successful Mac.

The overall monohull corrected time winners were a pair of
light weight boats under 35 feet. Certainly both of these
boats experienced lots of double digit speeds even at night.
Probably the biggest problem they had was keeping good
helmsman on their tiller with enough stamina to keep to boat
on an even keel!

The 2002 race may not have been quite as fine a race as
1987. However, it was a fast and hard race that challenged
successful crews as they raced hard in tough conditions to win.

2002 Chicago Mackinac Winners
Complete Final Results at:
http://www.chicagoyachtclub.com/racetomackinac/results/RaceResults.htm

Outright 1st to finish: Pyewacket 23 H 30 M

Mackinac Cup Division Overall
1. Illusion Mumm 30 Section 3 Corrected time 30 H 47M
2. Bacchant 75 Sq. Meter Section 3 31 H 7 M
3. Pronto 1D 35 Section 3 31 H 53 M

Chicago to Mackinac Trophy Division Overall
1. Holy Toledo Hobie 33 Section 6 Corrected Time 30H 27 M
2. Bantu Block Island 41 Section 9 30H 35M
3. Pronto II J 105 30H 44M

Multi Hull 1st to Finish: Adagio 30H 5M

Multi Hull Top 3
1. Merloe F 31 33H 13M
2. Gamera F25C 34H 40M
3. High Priority 2 34H 45M

Links:
CYC Official Site
http://www.chicagoyachtclub.com/racetomackinac/
Unofficial, Independent Site
http://www.chicagomackinac.com

Theme Article: Sailing Tools- Engine Tools
http://www.torresen.com/news/atwos/2002/jl/0724/ms.htm

Spare parts kits are available for most makes of marine
diesels. A 'minor' kit has common parts needed for routine
maintenance, such as an oil filter, and for small underway
repairs- a seawater pump impeller. Along with this
selection of parts you need a few tools.

In speaking with the Torresen Marine service department here
is a tool list for the parts in your minor spares kit. Some
of the particular sizes are in reference to a Yanmar 2GM20 a
common engine model. You should check your engine to size
tools correctly. You'll also note sizes are often metric.

Oil Filter- Remove it with either a large pair of channel
locks or a filter wrench

Belts (Water Pump and Alternator)- 13 and 14 MM wrenches
along with a big flat blade screwdriver for adjusting and
tensioning.

Water Pump Seal, Water Pump Gasket, Impeller- 10 MM Wrenches
and a regular screwdriver. A utility knife for removing the
gasket.

Bleeder Plug, O-ring - Phillips and regular screwdriver.

Air Filter- No tools needed just unsnap housing to access
element.

Fuel Filter- Both Philips and Regular screwdrivers and 10
MM wrench.

Additionally Torresen Marine service personnel recommend a
tool kit that contains wrenches from 8 to 19 MM. The 8MM
size for cable stop nuts, sizes up from that for other
parts. Also, a large regular screwdriver and a multi tip
screwdriver with a variety of bits and a nut driver.

Links:
Yanmar Spare Parts Kits
http://www.marinedieseldirect.com/yanspare.htm
Universal Diesel Spares Kits
http://www.marinedieseldirect.com/universal/spares.htm
Westerbeke Spare Parts Reference
http://www.marinedieseldirect.com/universal/spares.htm

Event News: Chicago Mackinac The Record
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/news/atwos/2002/jl/0724/ms.htm

Pyewacket set a new mono hull record for the Chicago to
Mackinac course measured at 333 miles. Owned by Roy Disney
Pyewacket finished @ 1340 Sunday afternoon, a time of 23.5
hours. This is an average speed of 14.1 knots.

This breaks the record of 25 hours 50 minutes set by Pied
Piper in 1987. It is short of the outright record of 18
hours held by the catamaran Stars and Stripes set in 1998.

The 23.5 hour time will go in the books at the 19th fastest
passage, and the 5th fastest by a monohull. For this
passage Pyewacket receives a Sailing Record Score of 99.45.
Last month Pyewacket set a Bermuda Race record which
received an 'SRS' of 72.6.

Pyewacket reached the Manitou Islands in 9 H 50 M. This was
over 8 hours ahead of the next yacht Colt 45 a Santa Cruz
70! To achieve this remarkable run Pyewacket averaged 20.5
knots which is up in Playstation territory. For the
remainder of the course they averaged a more typical 9.6
knots.

Contrasts this with the fact that driving time from Chicago
to Empire MI, which is near Sleeping Bear Dunes/The
Manitou's is figured at 9 H 38 minutes. Granted it's a 371
mile drive vs. a 202 mile sail, but rarely does a sailboat
achieve parity with an automobile.

Links:
Sailing Records by Average Speed
http://www.torresen.com/sailingrecords/speed.htm
Sailing Record Score
http://www.torresen.com/sailingrecords/score.htm

News: Boat Smart
Available on line at:
http://www.torresen.com/news/atwos/2002/jl/0724/ms.htm

Boat Smart is a weekly column written by Chief Tom Rau,
Group Grand Haven, U.S. Coast Guard and appears in a number
of newspapers. Chief Rau has been writing and promoting safe
boating since 1986. Many of his columns are taken from real
life experiences from Station St. Joseph/South Haven, where
Chief Rau is currently serving.

Nearshore rescues challenge Coast Guard boat crew and find
boaters unprepared

July 4, 2002, Coast Guard Station St. Joseph, Mi. The
report of a possible drowning off the South Haven pier found
commanding Officer Larry Ahlin of Coast Guard Station St.
Joseph transferring command of the 47-foot motor lifeboat
over to Coast Guardsman Joe Margherome.

The plan was to send the 47-motor lifeboat 22 miles north to
conduct search patterns off the South Haven pier.
Meanwhile, Ahlin would rap up the security patrol for the
fireworks show that had just ended at the mouth of St
Joseph's harbor. Now aboard the station's 23-foot rescue
boat, Ahlin figured it would be an uneventful closing to an
evening that found little need for rescue resources.

At least not yet.

Just before the fireworks began, the Coast Guard received a
call from a 31-foot powerboat anchored 3.5 miles south of
the harbor reporting engine problems. The captain elected
to drop the anchor and watch the fireworks. Besides, with
the harbor mouth secured there was little the Coast Guard
crew could do until the show ended. At the time the captain
of the 31-foot boat made the call, the seas were calm but
began to build during the fireworks.

Soon after the 47-motor lifeboat departed for South Haven,
Ahlin received a call from the skipper of the disabled boat
that his anchor was dragging. By the time Ahlin and his
crew reached the boat, it was in nine feet of water and
within yards sandbars and shore. In order to take the boat
in tow the Coast Guard crew had to first deal with the
anchor, which was tending straight off the bow, taking heavy
strain and dragging.

Ahlin came along the bucking boat; 6-foot waves slammed into
his bow, and rained down on the crew. A crewmember hooked
the anchor lines with a skiff hook. Ahlin throttled ahead in
the shallow water while the line attached to the anchor line
took strain. A simple maneuver, you bet, if performed in
calm seas, but the Coast Guard crew was dealing with a rapid
rap-slap wave action with sand bars looming nearby. They
also had to deal with a seasick family- two adults and two
children.

Hopefully the skiff hook attached to the anchor line would
ride down the line to the anchor head thus allowing the
anchor line to become a towline. When Ahlin came ahead, the
skiff hook eye took strain on the anchor line and as the
boats moved ahead the anchor line tended underneath the
disabled boat. Ahlin directed the skipped to bring in the
anchor with his automatic windlass but the strain on the
anchor line prevented this maneuver. He then ordered the
skipper to cut the anchor line, but he did not have a knife
aboard. All the while both boats were rapidly drifting back
towards the beach.

Now what?

The Coast Guard crew now had to deal with several hundred
feet of tow line snaking off its stern while at the same
time backing down the single screw boat towards the disabled
craft . The staccato like wave motion beat into the small
rescue boat's bow forcing the it sideways to the sea. If
that happened there's a good chance the towline could get
rapped in the rescue craft's prop. Ahlin, carries a surfman
pin, an insignia worn by the Coast Guard elite boat
handlers. Ahlin told me later the surf training certainly
helped, that and a lot of swearing.

Working the throttles and wheel like a drummer in beat, he
backed down keeping the bow into the seas. Coast Guard
auxiliarist David Gould, broke off the tow line attached to
the anchor. Then Coast Guardsmen Shawn Barnes and Kevin
Stryker performed an amazing feat. Again using the skiff
hook, they hooked the boat's trailer eye, a U-shaped bolt
that is attached to the bow at water's edge. In those seas,
it was like threading the eye of a needle while bouncing on
trampoline. Even more amazing, neither boat touched.

While towing the boat into open water, the crew received
another call of a boat in the surf one half mile south of
the St Joseph pier. Now in open water, Ahlin ordered the
skipper to drop his anchor. Within moments, the Coast Guard
crew lay off another disabled boat; however, due to
darkness, high surf and with the boat so close to shore, the
Coast Guard boat crew could do little but standby.
Overhead, a Coast Guard helicopter night light followed the
floundering 24-foot pleasure craft as it washed up onto
rocks with four people aboard. Coast Guard personnel and
local police safely brought the four crewmen ashore

But that's not all. A 20-foot speedboat came ashore near
the 24-footer. The vessel quickly filled with water and
swamped before rescuers could respond. The folks aboard
walked away.

Unfortunately the crew of the 47-foot motor lifeboat's
mission ended the eventful night on a tragic note. Two
teens had swam from shore out to the South Haven pier head.
One of them made it up a ladder; the other was carried away
by heavy seas and drowned.

I could get into the wherefores but I'm more concerned about
the root cause of these events. That recreational boaters
so often find themselves in harms way suggests they simply
don't recognize the danger, or they simply ignore the
danger, and worst yet when danger calls many are simply
unprepared to deal with it.

Two boats were wrecked, a life lost and if not for the Coast
Guard crew, it would have been a third boat lost with
possible lives. Let this story tell it own story- Boat
Smart, be prepared and give Lake Michigan the respect it
demands.

Links:
Boat Smart
http://www.boatsmart.net/

This recent photo of Big Sable Point Light reveals sand bars that extend along the entire eastern shore of Lake Michigan . Sand bars have trapped countless vessels and they can deny rescue boats access to boaters in distress. Photo by Senior Chief Tom Rau