February 20, 2013
Went for a gorgeous solo sail! After doing the training with the coach this weekend, I learned I need to make a few modifications to the boat. So yesterday’s efforts was to re-engineer the bowsprit and bobstay and today I went out to test drive the modifications. The bobstay seems a little short, which is fine, as it’s easier to make it longer than shorter. But, in the process of trying out the gennaker, the stopper line on the luff let go and the gennaker became no longer attached to the NexGen furler at the base! ARGH! Oh well, the mission was accomplished to test the equipment and I got a bonus learning opportunity of how to douse a gennaker to weather with all the sheets to leeward! Fun Times!!!!
Diane
February 17, 2013
Two days of fantastic and tough training. It was the first official weekend training for the group of us. There are six boats all together, which seems to be a perfect number. Yesterday’s training was basic boat handling drills, including tacking upwind single and double handed, helming in a straight line (sounds rudimentary, but when you’re doing a drill tacking two boat lengths past the boat ahead of you, things get really busy!), getting the kite up and down and gybing etc.
Today had more focus on boat control. We were in 15-20 knots of wind today, doing more tacking drills to get to weather, then hoisting the gennaker and sailing off the wind, furling, gybing and redeploying. It was tough work in 20 knots, especially when our sheet got tangled around the prop of the engine and caused us a nightmare of trouble. We cleared it, I stowed the engine down below and we were off again, but not until the rest of the group got away from us. Fortunately they came back upwind for another tacking exercise and we were able to join right in. I think the engine is going to find a new home at the dock when I’m not doing training sessions!
So, now I have a new list of things to modify on the boat for next weekend’s training. Hopefully I will be all set and will get some time on the water to practice with the new modifications before the training!
I have been remiss in mentioning both Nikki and Katrina in the last few days of fun and festivities. On our “inaugural sail”, Nikki came out for the ride on the boat with me, and during this weekend’s training, Katrina was my double handed partner on the boat. Not only did both Nikki and Katrina have to suffer with learning the odd qwerks of how someone else runs their boat, but Katrina had to be “stacking bitch” for the training this weekend. That means that every time we tacked, Katrina had to go below and move any “stuff” she could get her hands on…to the weather side of the boat. Not a fun job on a good day! Katrina, Nikki and I have officially formed the “English Speaking” contingency at AOS. Even though I am often “translator bitch” for them, we have definitely made our presence known 🙂
Diane
February 15, 2013
First sail! We got off the dock today and headed out to do a little upwind run and came back with the kite up. It was a fantastic day. The sun was shining and I had my Aquafolia suntan lotion on for the first time! Plus, almost everything worked on the boat. The only thing that failed was the pawls on the winch. A little penetrant and all was better. Tomorrow is training day! We’re to meet on the pontoon for 10am all ready to roll!
February 13, 2013
One tuned rig! Probably a bit tight, may be an F or an E sharp, but I can always tune down an octave if I need to. Next up is to get the Genoa to the loft this morning to repair a tear and load the battens into the training main and go for a sail. This weekend’s training has been confirmed with our guru Tonguy, but I’d like to get out for a sail before that to make sure everything goes up and down properly….hmmmmm wonder what the weather is looking like for the next couple of days!
Diane
February 10, 2013
Check out the you tube video of us launching OGOC at the AOS yard in Lorient, France!
The rig is now up and we’ve been moved over to our official slip for the season. One little problem. The rudder cross arm that was broken by an unknown assailant just before hauling out last spring…is still broken. So moving the boat from the pontoon to our slip required a little help from Nikki and Katrina.
Nikki was in charge of “manning” both rudders by hand so that we could steer into the slip while being towed by the RIB. Katrina fended off as we flung ourselves through the marina, and I had to hold the bow line tight so that we kept in alignment with the RIB. I think Gildas had quite a laugh from us!
Diane
February 6, 2013
We’ve had a very productive last few days! First task was to rig the mast. After finding all of the parts and pieces, spreaders and bolts, the mast was disassembled, then reassembled. Each section and bolt was thoroughly cleaned and then a new thin layer of TefGel applied. Here’s the mast ready to go up on Saturday.
The next issue was to load all of the “stuff” out of the boat and into the locker. Sails, gear, tools…you name it and it got loaded in. Soon we’ll have an up to date picture of the locker, the hanging loft for the sails and the shelves for all the bits and pieces.
The final task was to mend up the rudder cross arm. The night before we got hauled out last spring, OGOC was rammed from behind and our rudder cross arm got smashed into three broken sections.
Here’s the beginnings of the repair job.
First step was to mend the damage from the underside.
The next task was to mend the outer end of the shattered section.
Tomorrow I will have the laminated up top side of the rudder arm.
The final task over the last few days was to bail myself out of getting locked out of my van. The fantastic van has a very frustrating security lock. In it’s previous life the van was a secure document vehicle requiring a security key at all access points. With the brilliant help of my Aussie friend Katrina, a boat hook was used to gently reach through the pass through from the cab of the van to reach all the way through the van to the keys. Thanks to Katrina I was able to sleep safe and sound for another night! Tomorrow we’re off to training with Lorient Grand Large. The session is all about prepping for offshore racing on a mini! Should be interesting!
Diane
February 3, 2013
We’ve arrived! OGOC has made it to Lorient and is parked safely in the AOS yard, ready and waiting to get prepped for the water and a mast to go up. Today’s big job was to get the hundreds of pounds of gear out of the boat and into a locker. Tomorrow, after a bit of a road trip to Douarnenez to get my cross arm, I’ll start sorting out the mast and then build the new cross arm for the rudders. Depending on the weather and the launch bookings, we might get in this weekend, or sometime next week! Woohoo!
Diane
February 1, 2013
After a long ferry trip and then a long 4 hour drive to Lorient, I arrived safe and sound. Met up with my friends Katrina and Nikki and went and found some food and a couple of pints. Then crashed in my van for the night. But, not after spending a long time trying to figure out how to not get locked into my van. This fantastic van was an alarmed secure document van, prior to being enlisted into the mini fleet. There’s a security key for every point of access into the van and even after unlocking with the secure key from the outside, once you close the doors, they lock up again. Makes things tricky in the morning when you try to get out. So, last night I jurry rigged up a little system and crashed out on the boat cushion that the guys so nicely left in the van for me. The next mission is to get the boat down to Lorient from Douarnenez and get a few things set in the van so I can cook.
January 31, 2013
TADA! One Canadian Mini sailor has arrived in England and is on her way to France. It’s been a crazy adventure (as always with me) all the way! First we landed at Heathrow on a one way ticket, waiting for a conversation from customs. But, they let me! Silly buggers! Then I took the tube to the DVLA office to sort out some paperwork for Geoff’s van (aka my new home). 
Then me and my 150 lbs of suitcases (literally) dragged our way onto the train to get the taxi to take us to the van. After figuring out the complex alarm system and annoying every neighbour within 5 miles, I was off to get the drysuits. After all of my adventures, I ended up at my friend Jake’s ship to crash for the night. He’s out of town, so his brother and girlfriend and a boat load of their friends all made me feel very welcom. 
Now the van and I are loaded up onto the ferry for France and on to our next adventure!
January 29, 2013
Just cleared security at the airport. Figures I would forget something. While packing for this fantastic adventure I packed all of my inflatable lifejacket replacement cartridges…..in my carry on. Silly girl! I actually had them in my checked bag, but in moving stuff around, I moved the tool pouch with the screwdrivers and the cylinders into my checked bag. So much for them! Fortunately they are cheap to replace!
Diane
