We've Been Silent Too Long: I'm embarrassed to see how long it's been since we updated this site. Ah, well, our primary excuse is that we have done a lot to MAYAN and then sailed her a lot. Our secondary explanation is that we tried out using Facebook as a place to post things, which didn't work as well. The FB interface isn't set up to support someone who wants to write pieces that are more complex than a paragraph. As a result, we're back here.
To start with one of our more recent exploits as a bit of a tease for the rest of the story, here is our girl crossing the finish line in first place during the last race of the 2019 Rolex Big Boat Series.
Now, back to where we were when we last wrote here on this site.
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| Wet ride north of Pt. Conception |
Gettin' Outa LA: When we last blogged here, MAYAN was getting her new rail caps, a new cockpit, new fuel tanks, fresh fuel, and exhaust system, etc... etc... etc...
With that work finished, we left LA in a non-stop passage north to San Francisco in September of 2018. The short version is: No wind or waves south of Pt. Conception, 30-40 knot winds and enormous seas from Pt. Conception north, arrived in San Francisco sopping wet and tired. Cleaned and dried out MAYAN in two hours and greeted our guests for a cruise to the Sacramento Delta. There is a great deal more to the story, but that deserves and will receive its own story.
As we tied up to the fuel dock in Santa Barbara, the attendant greeted us: "Welcome home, MAYAN. It has been too long." In every port we've entered along the coast of California, MAYAN is a long-missed friend.
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| Commodore Glidewell awarding Beau the Jessica Cup |
2018 StFYC Jessica Cup: Following our cruise to the Sacramento Delta, we gathered MAYAN's race crew together and joined the fun in the StFYC Jessica Cup. Each year the Jessica Cup gathers a group of classic yachts together to race around the central San Francisco Bay. A fantastic venue for MAYAN as the winds are traditionally strong, and she loves a breeze. MAYAN managed to win both races on handicap and came away with the Cup.
2018 Leukemia Cup: Many of us have lost loved ones to the various forms of blood diseases. Each year the San Francisco Bay plays host to the most significant money-raising Leukemia Cup in the country. The Corinthian YC provided the racing and sent the classic yachts on a course, which was a lovely tour of the central Bay. With light winds and some great sailing by a beautiful 30-foot Bird class boat, MAYAN ended up in mid-fleet.
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| Sailing MAYAN home to Santa Cruz |
Following the racing, it was October and time to sail MAYAN home to Santa Cruz. We gathered up crew from 4 to 80 and had a lovely sail down the coast in postcard weather. We were finally back in our home slip and ready to get to work on winter projects.
We feel that this will become our pattern in future years. Enjoy the warmer spring sailing in Santa Cruz and points south, then move to the San Francisco Bay for the lovely fall weather, returning home as the stormy weather of November starts to arrive.
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| MAYAN showing her beam |
Winter Projects: As every boat owner knows, winter is the time when one puts dreams of warm, gentle breezes and gets to work on all the tasks it takes to get the boat ready for spring. This year would be no exception. It has been two years since MAYAN had been hauled out, and we had a long list of projects. In addition to refreshing the anti-fouling paint, we needed to sort through and service all the seacocks, and most importantly, do something about the rudder. The rudder project deserves a separate post; we completed the rest of the work as planned.
Once back in the water, it was time to get to work applying additional coats of varnish all around. People have asked, "What sort of varnish do you use?" and "How many coats does it take?". The quick answer is that the type of varnish isn't nearly as important as how much of it is applied, and most important of all is how frequently those coats are applied. An entire post is required here too.
The Sun is the enemy of varnish. If left exposed, a crew will need to apply a coat every month or two for the best results. If covered, as MAYAN's varnish is, one can use a solid base and three or four top coats, then leaving it covered and only needing a couple of coats a year.
2019 Master Mariners Race: With the weather warming up, it was time to go racing again! Since the 1880s, the Master Mariners Benevolent Society of San Francisco has held a race on the waters of San Francisco Bay. The entry fees were initially used to support mariners who were retired and left ashore in their old age, a near-fatal fate in the late 1800s. Over the decades, this old regatta has become much loved.
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| MAYAN: 2019 Master Mariners Regatta |
Now populated with classic yachts of all varieties, it has some comical racing rules. Our favorite is that one has to round all marks "...except that hitting a mark with a potato thrown from the Big Schooner will constitute a correct rounding, no matter which side of the mark the Big Schooner is on." Some intense competitors are said to have recruited an outfielder from the San Francisco Giants baseball team to join the crew, thereby allowing them to turn inside of other yachts but still follow this rule.
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| Sloppy wet ride heading south to Santa Cruz |
Cruising The Coast Again: Some sailors have asked us why we take MAYAN to and from San Francisco so often. Why not leave her in San Francisco Bay all summer? The answer is rather simple. Even in the worst weather, we'd rather be at sea sailing the boat than almost anywhere else. MAYAN is a great boat, even in foul weather. The video to the left is typical. After the Master Mariners Regatta, we headed back home. It was a wet gray day, with a bit of southerly chop running cross the NW swell, creating odd bumps-n-lumps. Because we were short-handed, we set the main staysail to steady the boat and headed for home under power. It was a wet and bumpy ride, but the heater was on belowdecks, Stacey's Amazing Soup was on the stove, and the crew was happy to be at sea.
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| Stacey Vrolyk |
I have gone long enough without introducing Stacey, my perfect partner in life. MAYAN and her crew clad in MAYAN logo-gear, our sailing team shirts are legendary for their bright colors, and the soup is to-die-for! Without Stacey, this program wouldn't be the same. From the help she gives the race team, through the fantastic cruises she hosts aboard, to her incredible willingness to learn an entirely new sport, she's great!
From someone who had never been sailing, let alone heading out in the rough-n-tumble of San Francisco Bay and the legendarily rough ocean beyond the Golden Gate, she has been a willing supporter of the MAYAN project. Our cruising crew's first question is: "Will Stacey be bringing the food?!!?"
Going Sailing Again - Boogedy Boogedy Boo: After a summer in Santa Cruz, we started our fall on the San Francisco Bay with the StFYC Labor Day Cruise to Tinsley Island. MAYAN was sporting some new awnings as she took up her usual place at the Sail Dock. Built from CostCo tarps and PVC pipe, they worked well enough to let their builder (me) avoid extreme criticism. Keeping the Delta sun off the decks helps a lot with the temperature below.
Our trip up the coast was uneventful, took all night, and made under power. For those who aren't acquainted with the central west coast of California, the wind blows hard from the NW, starting around 1200 hours and continuing until about 2100 hours. Most evenings, it dies down, and a few hours later, the sea state calms. The trip from Santa Cruz to San Francisco is almost directly into that strong wind, so we start the passage after a leisurely dinner at around 2200 hours. Typically, we arrive in San Francisco for a warm breakfast ashore. (Of course, Stacey's Soup is gone by 0300.)
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| Photo finish: Race 1, 2019 Rolex Big Boat Series, Classic Class |
2019 StFYC Rolex Big Boat Series, Classic Class: For many years, I have worked with various people to try and get classic yachts into the Big Boat series. This year, with the election of Paul Cayard as Chairman of the Board of StFYC, I found a strong supporter of the idea. We rounded up five stunning classic sailing boats, and the Classic Class was born. Rolex became a strong supporter of the newest class, with two of their team sailing aboard MAYAN in one of the races.
I'll do a separate post about this event. The summary is that the racing couldn't have been better, the addition of the Classic Class was a fan-favorite with the starts and finishes right outside the Clubhouse windows, and there was enough drama for everyone to stay interested to the end of the series.
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| MAYAN crossing San Pablo Bay |
StFYC Stag Cruise: With the Big Boat Series behind us, we moved MAYAN back into cruising mode and headed up the San Joaquin River to Tinsley Island. The sailing couldn't have been better. Broad reaching in 25 to 30-knot winds, MAYAN set a new record to the Island. This was the first year that our son John joined us. It was great to have him see for himslef the varous hyjinks his male adult relatives have been up to all these years. He also managed to wind 1st place in the Laser racing, no surprise there. Returning to San Francisco, we off-loaded the cruising gear and returned MAYAN to racing trim in time to be ready.
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| The Sailing Heals Crew |
Sailing Heals: This is the first year that MAYAN has sailed with the Sailing Heals team. This organization takes folks with cancer and their caregivers out for a day sail. We were thrilled to host 6 survivors aboard for a sail. Two survivors, who had a little sailing experience, drove MAYAN out under the Golden Gate Bridge, back into the Bay, rounded Angel Island to port, and then back to the City front. The smiles on their faces brought tears to their caregivers. It was a deeply touching event for us all.
2019 Jessica Cup: Once again, we found ourselves setting up on the starting line just outside the Clubhouse windows with a group of classic sailboats. We did miss having YUCCA join us this year but still managed to find the competition excellent. MAYAN took home the Jessica Cup again with a crew hardened by four days of close competition in the Rolex Big Boat Series.
2019 Leukemia Cup: Once again, we lined up with our fellow sailors to support this great event. Once again, the Corinthian YC did a great job of running the races. Once again, we ended up mid-fleet, and that well-sailed Bird boat took home the prize. Despite the challenges, the crew had a fun time sailing for a terrific cause.
Sailing Home Again: Leaving San Francisco after breakfast, MAYAN carried us home to Santa Cruz by dinner time. The calm weather of the fall made this a slow trip down the coast; we powered all the way. After all the trips we'd made this year, that was fine with the crew. Some slept, some read, we all ate Stacey's soup. I wrote out the list of projects for the winter haul-out and watched from the tip of the bowsprit as MAYAN's stem cut through the swells occasionally joined by a porpoise. Remembering makes me smile.
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| MAYAN winning the start, Race 4, Rolex Big Boat Series, Classic Class |
