Dawn Patrol

Saturday, December 4, 2010

NC Challenge 2010: First Wind on the Neuse

At the start of the NCC'10 we rowed for 8 hours before finding our first good wind halfway up the Neuse River. Wind! What a treat. Glad to give the oars a rest.

First wind on the Neuse after much rowing

SOS at the helm. On starboard tack. SWof Oriental, NC

DWSB with Garmin chartplotter. Oars still at the ready, but resting.

GPS track: tacking on the Neuse and into the Harlowe waterway.
First wind began near the mouth of South River.
First bridge at bottom left.

Southern Skimmer overtaking us.

Southern Skimmer passing us.

We won the tacking battle with Moon Shadow.
Later that night in the Harlowe Canal Moon Shadow rowed past us.

Passing Crazy Russian's famous inflatable catamaran in the mouth of Clubfoot Creek

Entering Clubfoot Creek just before sunset

NC Challenge 2010: Sprint to the Finish

The sprint to the finish was my favorite part of our NCC'10 adventure aboard Dawn Patrol.

Finishing a race in sight of your main competitors, with first place up for grabs, on a sunny day in fair weather, with family and friends on hand --that's got to be a highlight in any adventure race. And it was this year.

At the Finish Line: Moon Shadow and Dawn Patrol.
Alan (SOS) and Paul (DWSB) met by Dawn (SandyBottom).
(photo by RidgeRunner)

The Surprise Ending

We were running up Core Sound at about 5.5 kts chasing "famously fast" EC22 Southern Skimmer (Roo and Tinker) while being chased by the "relentlessly rowing" SeaPearl 21 Moon Shadow (Jarhead and Bigfoot).  First place in the monohull sailboat class (Class 4) was up for grabs.   Southern Skimmer had a commanding lead and we knew we could stay ahead of Moon Shadow if the wind held. It seemed we would finish in that order: 1, 2, 3.   Wrong!   In a surprising turn of events Dawn Patrol finished 10 minutes behind Moon Shadow and an hour ahead of Southern Skimmer.    How?!

Second Wind

The sprint to the finish began to unfold at about 9:30 am when we found our "second wind" --figuratively and literally.  After being becalmed at sunrise and struggling to stay awake while rowing, a 10mph breeze picked us up, the sun warmed and brightened us, we had coffee and breakfast, and we began to enjoy the morning. That severe discomfort of sleep deprivation melted away.

We were energized and very glad to be sailing downwind.  That was a navigational treat on Core Sound because it meant we could raise our centerboard and shortcut over shallow areas. What an improvement over last year (NCC'09) which featured eight hours of beating upwind through big chop, carefully zig-zaging up the sound to stay in the narrow channels with centerboard down, hundreds of gallons of cold spray hitting us in the face.

The home-stretch was looking good. Feeling good.

Why Are They Still Rowing ?

We were constantly adjusting sails to best advantage and we were still rowing for two reasons:

(1) Far ahead of us, Southern Skimmer was gradually increasing their lead. We could see their spinnaker flying and we could only guess that they were not feeling the need to row.

(2) Hot on our heals, Moon Shadow seemed to never stop rowing.   They rowed even when they were sailing fast!   Later when I asked Bill "Jarhead" Fite about this, he said

"If the oar bites then it must help at least a little bit."

It was no accident that Moon Shadow took first place in Class 4 of the 2010 Everglades Challenge and first place in Class 4 in the 2010 NCC.

Relentless Moon Shadow as seen earlier on the Neuse: "They're still rowing!"
(photo by DWSB)

With wind, we had been able to stay ahead of Moon Shadow, but without wind (as in Harlowe Canal) they had enjoyed rowing past us.

The amount of rowing we had done in this race was shocking:  at least 18.5 of the previous 26 hours, rowing!  And yet we were doing it without muscle fatigue and without blistering our hands (thanks to applying SandyBottom's "Hydropel" on our palms.)  From the very start at 7:30am Friday we had rowed until 3:00pm when a “first wind” finally arrived to power us up the Neuse River to the Harlowe waterway. We rowed through the canal against a 1.7 kt current from 6:30pm Friday to 1:30am Saturday. Exiting the narrow waterway we found our “first wind” waiting for us in the open waters of the Newport River. The wind was good for four more hours of sailing,  through the bridge on Gallants Channel to the check point at Beaufort, out Taylor Creek, through Back Sound, and around Harkers Island into Core Sound.

By about 6:00am that "first wind" had died on Core Sound and we were struggling to keep our eyes open as we yet again resumed rowing. It was hard going. As the sun rose, we were painfully sleep deprived and forgot to reset tracking mode on our SPOT Messenger when it lapsed off.   I was falling asleep on my feet.  SOS said he was "feeling great" but his head was nodding as he held the tiller and we were both a bit loopy.

Now with our "second wind" we were feeling great. We flew the mizzen stays'l. Moon Shadow flew her stays'l, too.   They continued to row. We rowed.  Believing we could hold off Moon Shadow, we were focused on catching Southern Skimmer.  Miracles happen, right?

Game Changer

And then Moon Shadow changed the game.  About 10:45am as we were passing Thorofare Bay to port, Moon Shadow seemed to be on a bearing slightly westward of Southern Skimmer's track.  Southern Skimmer was already approaching the channel between Chain Shot Island and Harbor Island. They would soon be in deeper water of Pamlico Sound.  We were still in Core Sound in their wake.  Moon Shadow was still a bit behind us but getting farther away to port.

By 11:10am we realized Moon Shadow was not following Southern Skimmer. They were headed into Cedar Island Bay and toward Beach Creek which is the extremely shallow cut-through linking Cedar Island Bay to the Pamlico Sound.   They were going to attempt the shallow shortcut and might beat us all to the finish.

In a flash it was obvious to Alan and I that the cut was a good bet.  We turned 60 degrees to port to chase down Moon Shadow.   The game had changed suddenly: we were going to the cut, Moon Shadow had a lead of ~ 3/4 nm,  and Southern Skimmer could still win via the channel east of Chain Shot Island.

GPS Track of Dawn Patrol

GPS Track of Dawn Patrol

Flashback to Thursday

Alan and I had scouted the shallow cut-through on Thursday and had decided that the forecast of good winds would favor the deep-water route between Chain Shot Island and Harbor Island. Now we were gambling on the cut-through. At least we knew what to expect and our tracks from Thursday were still on our handheld chartplotter.

We learned later that the Moon Shadow crew had also scouted Beach Creek before the race and had decided that the route looked very promising. Just before the start of the race on Friday, Jarhead had checked the wind-driven (not tidal) water level in the cut and decided it looked deep enough.

Beach Creek Photos

During the sprint to the finish we were too busy to pick up the camera. Here are a few photos from our exploration on Thursday, September 23. In retrospect I would like to have had a camera mounted on a bracket aft of the transom to take time-lapse photos automatically.

Beach Creek: Thin water and white sand in the cut-through

Beach Creek: Looking NW at shoals and varying depths

Beach Creek: Looking North at opening to Pamlico Sound

Tracks: Thursday (yellow) and Saturday (black)

Running the Cut

As we left Core Sound, Moon Shadow now had a big lead. We were gaining on them and we were still 5nm from the finish line. Would we catch them in time?

The sprint through the cut was my favorite part of the race. The white sandy bottom of Beach Creek was beautiful with no shells, no oysters. We kicked off our shoes to run alongside the Dawn Patrol. The depths varied continually ranging from a foot or so to just 2 or 3 inches. Our sails were set for a tight reach with the stays'l flying and sheeted in tight. The centerboard and rudder were barely in the water. Using crew and gear as ballast, we heeled the boat over sharply to reduce keel draft through the thin water. In deeper spots we rowed. In shallow areas we jumped out and ran alongside. Occasionally we dragged the boat. The wind was a tremendous help, but one of the challenges was to control leeward sideslip.

The water and sand felt great on our feet. We were jumping in and out of the boat as necessary. I tripped and fell out of the boat once into 8 inches of water. With air temperatures near 89 (F), the soaking felt great. As I jumped to my feet, Alan look back horrified for a moment thinking I might not be able to run fast enough to catch the boat. I did have to run fast, but no problem.

Mid-way through the cut, we looked back toward Core Sound and noticed that the Isotope catamaran crewed by HoldYourCourse and CourseSetter was entering the cut. After giving up on sailing through and after lowering their sails, they were having no problem walking through the cut, towing the Isotope behind them.

The Finish

Waiting on the beach, friends, family, and finishers with binoculars were astounded to see masts above Beach Creek and coming through the cut. Many kayakers had come through Beach Creek but Class 4 boats were unexpected.

Watching for incoming boats with binoculars... or telepathically.
(Photo by RidgeRunner)

Still finding their way through/over the shoals, Moon Shadow entered Pamlico Sound not far ahead of us. Would we catch them? They were less than 1.0 nm from the finish. Out in Pamlico Sound they, and then we, tacked and rowed toward the beach where we all started.

Moon Shadow landed first with a well-earned win in Class 4. Alan and I were very happy for Jarhead and Bigfoot, and we were glad we had taken the shortcut. It was the best part of the race.

Moon Shadow takes 1st Place in Class 4
(photo by Maura S. / SaltyFrog)

Moon Shadow, Jarhead and Bigfoot,
and Dawn Patrol on the horizon
(photo by RidgeRunner)

Dawn Patrol takes 2nd Place in Class 4
(photo by Maura S. / SaltyFrog)

Dawn Patrol: SOS and DWSB
(photo by RidgeRunner)

Dawn Patrol: SOS and DWSB
(photo by Maura S. / SaltyFrog)

DWSB, SOS, and SandyBottom
(photo by RidgeRunner)

Jarhead, SOS, DWSB, Bigfoot
(photo by Maura S. / SaltyFrog)

Southern Skimmer reached Pamlico Sound to find little wind. They had to row to the finish line for 3rd place in Class 4.

Southern Skimmer takes 3rd Place in Class 4
(photo by Kokopedal )

We Were Lucky

It's a tie....
Boat A averages 5.40 kts over the 8.4nm route (via Chain Shot Is.) to finish in 1.555hrs
Boat B averages 3.47 kts over the 5.4nm route (via Beach Creek)   to finish in 1.555hrs

From the point where we turned 60 degrees toward the shortcut, the distance to the finish was 5.4nm via Beach Creek, or 8.4nm via Chain Shot Island .   A boat taking the 5.4nm-route at 3.47kts, and another boat taking the 8.4nm-route at 5.40kts would reach the finish line at the same time.

These speeds are similar to those we experienced:  On Core Sound we were averaging about 5.5kts just before we changed course, and from the turning point to the finish line we averaged about 3.5kts as we sailed, rowed, and dragged the boat.

The shorter route was a better bet in questionable winds. But it was still a gamble. A shift in the wind or steadier stronger wind could easily have brought Southern Skimmer in for 1st place.

[GPS Track and Speeds]

NC Challenge 2010: Oars and Paddles This Time

The winds and waters around Cedar Island have many faces.    Weather for the NC Challenge (NCC) has ranged from windy and wild in 2009 to warm and placid in 2010.   The two adventure races were as different as night and day.

NCC'09 challenged us with wind and waves. Primarly due to rough conditions, only 9 of the 17 boats finished the NCC'09. Aboard the Dawn Patrol, Alan and I sailed 23 hours, rowed only 1.5 hours, and anchored for 7 hours for overnight sleep. The 1.5 hours of rowing in the Harlowe Canal was an enjoyable highlight. About half of the sailing was gusty upwind work pounding through the chop on Core Sound. The last mile was a fast tight race with EC22 Southern Skimmer (1st), kayak racer ArdieO (2nd), and Dawn Patrol (3rd).  We were in motion 24.5 hours and covered 94.1 nm (3.8 nm/hour).

NCC'10 covered the same "100-mile" route, but the experience was completely different. Now the challenge was to row, row, row yer boat. It was a great year for paddlers in kayaks and for small boats that row well.  The beautiful calm weather allowed 29 of 32 boats to finish but challenged those of us in Class4 (monohull sailboats) in two ways: (1) the light/vanishing wind kept us rowing for 18.5 hours, (2) there was no weather-related reason to drop anchor.   We knew our competitors wouldn't stop to sleep.   Compared to 2009 it was a slower race: it took us 7.5 hours longer to reach the check point in Beaufort and overall we were in motion about 5 hours longer than in 2009.   Start-to-finish we covered 85.2 nm in 29.3 hours (2.9 nm/hour).

GPS Track NCC'10

42.9nm / 16.50 hours Fri Sept 24 (RED) 7:30am start
42.2nm / 12.75 hours Sat Sept 25 (BLUE) 12:45pm finish

GPS Track Summary

We rolled off the starting line on Friday at 7:30am and began rowing. The west / southwest wind was so light we continued rowing until the wind picked up at about 3:30pm. This "first wind" took us to the mouth of Clubfoot Creek by 6:30pm. In the wind-blocking Harlowe Waterway we rowed in the dark against a 1.5 knot (1.7 mph) current. By 1:00am Saturday we exited the waterway and found our "first wind" still strong and waiting to help us short-tack out into the Newport River basin. By 2:00am the lights of the draw bridge at Beaufort were coming into view. At 2:30am we reached Check Point #1 (CP1) on Taylor Creek. Sailing at 5 kts with a SW wind, we had rounded the eastern tip of Harkers Island at about 4:45am and began a downwind run up Core Sound. At 5:12am we stopped 15 feet short of hitting a line of pound nets and tacked east 0.1 nm to the narrow marked channel. The wind started to die at 5:30am and we began to row again. Our "second wind" kicked in at about 9:30am to send us on a downwind run up Core Sound chasing the EC22 Southern Skimmer and being chased by the Sea Pearl 21 Moon Shadow. Even when moving at 5kts the Moon Shadow continuted to row. The unexpected exciting finish was the highlight of our race.

Figure 1. GPS Speed Data for Day 1

Key: GPS speed (black dots connected by tan lines), smooth curve (red), rowing (shaded gray). Garmin GPSmap 76CSx was set to record [lat, lon] and time at 20-second intervals.

Figure 1 Summary

The race started at 7:30 am with a beautiful sunrise, warm mild weather, and light/vanishing winds off the beach. Away we rowed out onto Pamlico Sound. Rounding the Swan Islands and Racoon Island into the Neuse River we rowed. In the hot and sunny mid-day on the Neuse we rowed.

We rowed until 3:30pm when our "first wind" finally arrived. What a treat! We sailed close-hauled up the Neuse to the mouth of Clubfoot Creek and then at sunset short-tacked into the narrowing creek toward the Harlowe Canal.

In the canal we rowed in the dark against an unfavorable 1.7 knot current. The moon provided some light especially after it reached its apex around midnight and before clouds moved in. In the canal we passed two catamarans stopped to lower masts. With no sound or lights, Moon Shadow slipped up behind us and passed us with fast rowing. Two kayaks passed us. After we rowed under the 3 fixed bridges the current became slightly less unfavorable. It was midnight and Friday was history.

Figure 2. GPS Speed Data for Day 2

Key: GPS speed (black dots connected by tan lines), smooth curve (red), rowing (shaded gray). Garmin GPSmap 76CSx was set to record [lat, lon] and time at 20-second intervals.

Figure 2 Summary

Midnight on Harlowe Creek. As we neared our exit into the Newport River we caught up with Southern Skimmer stopped against the saltgrass banks to raise masts. We did the same.  In the pitch black darkness we somehow managed to arrange all the rigging properly and sailed off ahead of Southern Skimmer.  That "first wind" was still strong and waiting for us on the Newport River. We had been shielded from it while in the Harlowe waterway, but now we were able to short tack out of the creek into the open waters of the Newport River.

We reached the draw bridge at Beaufort just ahead of the Moon Shadow and we both waited for Southern Skimmer at the draw bridge. What were we thinking? Sleep deprived people do strange things at 2am. The drawbridge operator was friendly and would have opened the bridge anytime we asked. The channel through the open bridge was upwind and against the current, but we got a running start and had no problem getting through the bridge with only one or two strokes of the oars.

Reaching into Taylor Creek, all 3 boats simultaneously paused at the small dingy dock to check into CP1. All three captains hopped onto the docks to sign the log at about 2:30am.   Later, Jarhead of Moon Shadow said he was going to write a nice long comment in the CP1 log, but then he realized that that Dawn Patrol and Southern Skimmer were not waiting around for him to finish signing in.

Leaving Taylor Creek we saw Southern Skimmer  aground ahead of us right where the channel should be. Entering Back Sound required very close attention to our handheld Garmin chartplotter to sail through the channels and shoals at night.  We rounded the eastern tip of Harkers Island at about 4:45am and began a downwind run up Core Sound. At 5:12am we stopped short of hitting a line of pound nets and tacked east 0.1 nm back to the narrow marked channel. The wind started to die at 5:30am and we began to row again.

Our "second wind" kicked in at about 9:30am to send us on a downwind run up Core Sound chasing Southern Skimmer and being chased by the Moon Shadow. We flew the mizzen stays'l on port or starboard all the way to the finish line. Even when moving at 5kts the Moon Shadow continued to row. With all sails up we rowed too. Between 10:45 and 11:00am M.Shadow seemed to be veering slightly westward of S.Skimmer's track. By 11:09am we realized they were headed toward a shortcut --the very shallow cut-though of Beach Creek--  and as we turned 60 degrees to port at 11:10 to give chase our exciting sprint to the finish.

NCC'10 Weather History

Friday, Sept 24 at Piney Island weather station on Pamlico Sound

7am - 1pm... winds 0-5 mph from the South and variable

1pm - 7pm... winds 5-13 mph from the South, maximum gusts 18mph

7pm - midnight... winds 5 mph from the South

Air temperatures 73-89 (F)

Friday (www.wunderground.com/history)

Saturday, Sept 25 at Beaufort airport weather station on Newport River

midnight - 6am... winds falling from 13 to 0 mph, S becoming W

6am - 10am... winds rising from 0 to 10 mph from the West

10am - 2pm... winds 10-14 mph from the West becoming South

Air temperatures 70-91 (F)

Saturday (www.wunderground.com/history)

Friday, November 19, 2010

NC Challenge 2010: Cedar Island Sunrise

Sunrise on Cedar Island, NC on Friday, September 24, 2010 (photo: Ms. Kokopedal)

Cedar Island awoke on race day to a warm and almost windless sunrise on Pamlico Sound.

Having photo opportunities is one of the ways cruising differs from racing. When cruising, we can usually pause for photographs. At the most exciting and memorable moments in the race it often seems there is no time for picking up the camera. Some of the best photos of the NCC 2010 were taken by friends and family observing the race, or were taken before the start.

(photo: Ms. Kokopedal)

Moon over DawnPatrol at sunrise
(photo: RidgeRunner)

The moon was still over the beach. To those of us on the beach making final preparations and counting down to the 7:30 AM start, the calm conditions and beautiful sunrise were a welcome sight. The start would be easy for all: sea kayakers, sailing kayakers, racing kayakers, and monohull or multi-hull sailors with paddles or oars. The immediate challenge would be moving our boat on inflatable rollers down from the highwater mark to the thin glassy water and then far enough out to reach deep water.

Those of us with sails were optimistic that fair winds would build in as the sun warmed the morning. In fact, we were in for a shocking amount of rowing.