vicarious travelling: Lake Erie Interclub, 2025

This year Rick and I volunteered to work on the Customs Dock as the boats arrived on the race from Erie, Penn. These were the first 3 boats and they arrived shortly after 10:30am, having left Erie around 6am. A very fast crossing.

After that they started arriving fast and furious. There were 6 of us to catch ropes, tie them fast, warn that the tires on the dock would leave black marks on white hulls, and then untie and push off when the customs officials had finished with them. There were 8 customs officials but unfortunately only one computer but they got more efficient as the day progressed and no-one was on the dock for too long. While waiting for room at the customs docks the boats milled around in the harbour as we tried to bring them in in approximately the same order that they arrived. Many of the 37 boats continued up the river to dock at the Port Dover Yacht Club, some went to the Port Dover Harbour Marina and 2 of the largest, docked in the Commercial Basin with the fish tugs. We were done by 2pm.

The next day they were supposed to race around Long Point Bay but it didn't look very promising.

When they were supposed to start, at 10am, we could see them out there, no sails up. We had Rick's radio and monitored the wavelength they were using. The start was delayed, waiting for wind.

They finally decided not to race around the bay but to place a tetrahedron out, for a windward mark, and just race back and forth to the committee boat a couple of times. Rick and I headed down to the marina and took Spellbound out to watch (and so I could get some pictures, I took 160!)

I love the spectacle of a fleet of spinnakers flying, they are so pretty.

There will now be too many spinnaker photos.

It doesn't always go to plan. I suspect they are in the process of "gybing" the spinnaker (moving it from one side of the boat to the other)

We sailed around for a while as the day was perfect - breeze strong enough to comfortably move the boat but light enough that we weren't healed over and we had the lounge chairs out to sit on. Then we maneuvered over to the leeward mark, the green tetrahedron on left of the photo. The boats flew spinnaker down to it, rounded it and went back upwind using only the jib and mainsail.

Love the colouring on this one.

There are different ways to drop a spinnaker. The boat, second from left, is using a sock which is pulled down to encapsulate the sail. The one on the right is pulling it in from the cockpit and dropping the halyard from the mast (I am not 100% sure of this as that may be a j120 and as they have a bowsprit it may be slightly different from what I am used to)

I always get photos of Dreamer, a wooden ketch (2 masts) out of Erie, but she wasn't here this year so I got this shot of the only wooden boat participating.

We were in a perfect position for me to document a full spinnaker take down as Promise approached the mark.

The person on the foredeck unhooks the spinnaker from the pole that attaches it to the mast at the bottom.

As the person on the helm turns the boat, the spinnaker flies free on the leeward side. At this point crew is also starting to trim in the mainsail and the jib and the person on foredeck is bringing down the pole to get it out of the way.

As the spinnaker halyard is released (letting it drop from the top of the mast) crew are pulling the sail into the boat (usually down the companionway, into the cabin, where it will be repacked and readied for the next hoisting at the windward mark)

The crew is scrambling to bring it in fast enough for it not to drag in the water but they are also still working on getting the other 2 sails in tight.

So sometimes it does get wet. Its a complicated process that requires speed, coordination, teamwork and at least 6 people if it is to go well.

We watched Shaibu come past the committee boat and retire, not enough wind for a big heavy boat.

Then we sailed up parallel to the course to give me more opportunities for spinnaker pictures (because, you know, you can never have too many)

Rick and I sailed a while longer and then went home for supper before heading in to the Yacht Club for a drink and to socialize with sailors.

The Club was decked out for Canada Day and packed with members and Interclub participants.

The fish fry was almost finished and there was a band playing on the deck

During an intermission from the music, flags were awarded for the first 2 races. From Port Dover, Between the Sheets, Sequence and Sea of Dreams all won flags.