First Day to the Max

adventure

We were losing the Sun. We’d sworn an Oath with the charter company not to sail at night yet here we were suddenly determining the official time of sunset and performing mental time and distance mathematics.

Completing the skippers’ briefing ahead of schedule and good to go we cleared the Apooiti Marina and outside moorings and set sail. We were mindful of adjacent Raiatea Airport’s clear zone — marked by yellow restricted buoys guaranteeing landing aircraft an approach free of our 62′ mast. Otherwise we had fun on a zig zag course toward our first obstacle challenge: Grand Banc Central, a reef in the lagoon marked with Cardinals. Rather than beating through the narrow Passage Tearearahi we ran engines and got through without muss. Uturoa was our first point of interest and after locating the visitor dock we made fast for a couple of hours. We split groups for some last minute provision hunting and to hike a 1000′ vertical rise (Mont Tapioi) for a vista reward.

Hot and a bit parched at the conclusion of our trek we detoured for ice cream cones in Uturoa and in hindsight, we squandered time (daylight) in its pursuit. Our overnight anchorage was short range but we were now pressed to make it in time. With the sun disappearing behind Taha’a but our Motu (Mahaea) just beyond Passe Toahotu in view we raced the failing light arriving just in the nic.

Handling Sail Test

boats

The Leopard 39 by Robertson and Caine is a livable platform with great comforts and stability but with catamaran sailing qualities requiring special consideration. She is a motor|sailboat with emphasis on motor. One per hull allows excellent handling. For example with one prop in idle forward and the other in idle reverse  can spin the boat on its own axis center-line.  With a single throttle advanced the boat can be made to turn about the axis of the opposite hull. This is a terrific for docking or maneuvering within restrictive confines.

The catamaran is not known for sailing into the wind well at all. Whereas a mono-hull might be able to point reasonably high when going to weather, the cat struggles to come within 30 degrees on either tack (for a total of 60 cardinal degrees unusable). Unless sailing off the wind or with lots of spare time you’ll find yourself motoring in such cases.

A catamaran with sails raised is a beast. From a dead in the water start the boat has to be gently coaxed to begin sailing in the desired direction. The jib can easily overwhelm the rudders. Hardening sails early or too soon forces this boat to head up and cranking the helm has no effect as rudders stall. She goes into irons and back to square one suggesting that the engines are best used to mitigate this indignity. Also, I noted that when tacking (another typical catamaran shortcoming as they rapidly lose forward way when passing through the eye of the wind) is that the rudders are again too easily overpowered during the maneuver. If one doesn’t finesse the jib properly its as if you hit  a barrier and fail to complete the maneuver. Gentle rudder control is necessary as they become ineffective if you rush the helm. I have a bit of Hobie Cat handling experience and memories of this returned very quickly only magnified!

2200 engine rpm from the sail drive gives a thrifty 4.5 knot cruise speed.  The bottom was due a cleaning and I reckon a .5 knot drag loss penalty because of this. The engines are your friend. Use them to establish your route and then, wind conditions allowing, shut them down and enjoy a tranquil sail. Broad run sail speed conversion was roughly .5 to 1 or in other words with 8 knots of breeze our boat would do about 4 knots. The best speed that we saw was 6.5 knots during a 17 knot gust on a dead run. Reaching is the point of sail that results in the most performance fun and the cat will not disappoint.

Victoria BC

jogging

Jogging the city of gardens, I was jazzed to start my inner harbor waterfront run at the Empress and end at the Parliament Buildings. Beginning at daybreak is the best way to enjoy quiet peace but the boulevard route, Dallas Road, that I chose would seem to be light on traffic at other times. It shadows breakwater, parks, and shoreline. [ GPX ]

John Heinz NWR

jogging

I’ve run the perimeter road on the east side of Philadelphia International next to the Delaware. But on the airports west side, only a mile away, is an expansive conservation area. The 200 acre John Heinz National Refuge is gated and operated by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. It is PAs largest remaining natural freshwater tidal wetlands. The place is popular with bird watchers equipped with binoculars and long lense cameras. There are quite a few miles of trails contained within. I sampled only a portion as I jogged the Impoundment pausing once or twice to admire the beauty. Although some are wooded foot trails I chose the wider utility road route which were open to the view. [ GPX ]

One lap of Ft Worth Alliance Airport

jogging
Once clear of Westport Pkwy the perimeter road has sparse traffic and wide lanes. The western side is quiet country livestock pasture land — reference the Texas Long Horn(s). American has a large maintenance / engineering base on the airport property, north end. [ GPX ]

North Kingston

jogging
The Quonset Point Trail, asphalt paved and multi-use, may also be known as Davisville Bike Path. The area was largely an old Navy Base and Camp Endicott, home of the Quonset Hut (but maybe you guessed that!) The later half of this trail is actually old Navy road, re-purposed. There is an unspoiled Narragansett Bay mud beach and clear tall grass field if you care to step off of the adjacent trail and see bird wildlife in the Rhode Island view.

Atlanta

jogging
A jog while out of town is good recreation and gives a glimpse into the surroundings. During two days in Cobb County, Georgia I saw some of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. A 3 mile loop, Cochran Shoals is extremely wide and is popular with those who are out walking. The area is wooded wetlands with peeks of the river between trees and lookout vista points. On a different tack, the Bob Callan / Rottenwood Creek Trail is concrete and paved surface 2 lane bike trail with foot bridges that cross the creek several times.

Minimum Fuel

cars

The “fuel gauge” in the EV indicated 3/4 which equated to 71 miles remaining. In everyone else’s petrol powered car, 71 miles left in the tank means the reserve fuel warning light is about to come on. No biggie if you’re only headed for the corner plaza or the gas station but a definite double think if you need to cross town and back. I can see that many trips would require planning and forethought, i.e. with the EV ‘can I make it there and back’. It’s complicated. Whereas a fuel powered car is easy to estimate with a known relatively consistent MPG rating, an EV is subject to additional variables. Static battery temps influenced by extreme ambient conditions can be a concern. Hills, AC or Heat, can cut the estimated range by half.

How many residual miles remaining on the indicator before things get serious. What is your comfort zone. The thing is, with a zero emissions vehicle there isn’t a gas engine. No backup limp home mode. When the energy is depleted that’s it. Call for a tow or carry a longish extension cord.

Until remote charging outposts proliferate I propose a business service which I will call: Battery Rescue. A mobile truck equipped with a fast charge (480v) system could be a phone call away. Help for those who misjudge or need peace of mind and preferable to suffering the indignity of a flatbed truck. Pricing tiers for 1x emergency or all the time subscription plan.

Range Anxiety

cars

We’ll call it: Battery Valet. At some point the battery pack in your EV will be quick changeable. Instead of enduring an overnight charge there will be a drive thru where you can swap out in just a few minutes. Good to go with a fresh battery. If you are local then just plug-in at home while you sleep. But if you are on a road trip you don’t want to rely on hit or miss parking with hook up umbilical. Arrive at your out of town destination layover and my service will retrieve your EV, renew its energy and return it to you topped off.