Black Friday SAIL

 We had a fun time spending the afternoon cruising down to the Bridge and back.  Jeff B and Adam Crane joined in on the fun.

Lots of other boats had the same idea and we 'raced' them as we tacked our way back to Harbor Island.  I found out that when a boat crosses between you and the wind (even momentarily on an opposite course) your apparent wind disappears for a few seconds- kind of like passing a semi truck on the highway.  

Boat photos below are all (c) Adam Crane: www.fourphotography.net.

Of note, the jib went the 'wrong' way (around the front of the headstay) twice on gybes.... so we gybed back to reset it.   I will have to figure out the best technique to prevent this in the future.

About Mystic Star

 

Mystic Star is a 30 foot sailboat made in 1987 by C&C Yachts of Ontario Canada.

Specifically it is a "C&C 30, Mark II" design by Robert Ball:

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/cc-30-2

After years of chartering and sailing on other people's boats, I decided this was the make and model I wanted for my 'first boat'.  Here are some of the key features I found attractive in a sailboat based on my experience:

• Headroom down below better than 6 foot 2 inches (this is a MUST HAVE based on my height)
• Sleeps 4
• Sits 6
• 'Eats' 6 (at dinner table)
• AFT Head location (prevents persons traipsing through the length of the saloon with wet swim or rain gear on, also much less disorienting when in use underway)
• Winches close to the helm (for short- or single-handing)
• Aft bunks face fore-and-aft, not athwartships (easier to sleep/nap underway)
• At least 50 gallons of freshwater tankage (about enough for 5-7 days for 4 persons).
• Fits in a 32 foot marina slip (much easier to find than a 34 or 36 foot slip). 
• 'Conventional' shaft drive (I don't want to deal with saildrive maintenance issues with my first boat).
• 'Conventional' Main sail rig (halyard).  I have found that furling mains tend to jam at the worst possible moment, plus they are more difficult to trim than a conventional main.
• SOLID fiberglass hull (no coring).  I don't want to deal with repairing soggy balsa core beneath the waterline.
• Some kind of swim step or walk-through transom for summertime swimming/snorkeling without climbing over lifelines.

• As an added bonus, the C&C30 Mark II is a relatively fast boat.  It has the speed rating (PHRF) of boats 4 to 6 foot longer (!)  

More info about the C&C 30 MkII is available at the C&C Photo Album/resource page:

http://cncphotoalbum.com/brochures/30mark2/302b1pg01.htm