Visiting Catalina



Leaving the Harbor at Avalon.

Well today was another great day in paradise. We started the day in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island. This was our brief tune-up cruise with Web and Ross, representing a little unfinished business from the 2009 race when we ran out of time to make this stopover.

This was a an important trip for us this time around as it gave a chance to see how the new Autohelm responded. The tiller fitted Autohelm now known as "Billy the Stick" guided us flawlessly and effortlessly in a 22 knot breeze on a close reach without incident. There is a series of manouevers required for the helm to 'autolearn' which requires a sequence of abrupt manourvers. Recognizing that this would have looked like a drunken sailor we soon all felt comfortable and at home with our new crewmate.

On the return trip this morning the wind was much lighter and with big sloppy waves the autohelm had a bit more difficulty finding its way. Slight adjustments to the tiller's response time and 'the Stick' was sailing like a pro again.

This evening we said thanks to our tuneup crew Web and Roscoe. We have had a great deal of fun this past couple of days and it is very clear how much they have helped us get the boat together. There have been quite a few conversations about figuring out how to bring these guys with us. Thanks for the help guys! We hope you have a safe journey back up the highway.