Sunday, January 11, 2009

TBF Preparations (1)

(B)log . . .

None for this post
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(B)log comments

None for this post either - Throughout Jan, I'll be posting a lot re: the TBF Preparations. Typicaly I'll number these and not post an entry from the (B)Log, My Grandfathers 1953 Circumnavigation Journal.
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My Blog . . .

My preparation for the Three Bridge Fiasco (TBF) has been officially kicked off. I’ve finished chapter 16, the Chapter on Charts, of the 65th edition of Chapman, and I’m on to my next reading challenges.

Carol Anne got bumped. Tilly is going to have to take a back seat. I’ve got some serious reading to do. Chapter 17 is Piloting, and the 3BF is a piloting challenge. The crazy 70’s, when dinghy racing on the bay was at its peak, was all about local knowledge. Towards the end of that decade, dinghy sailors were being recruited to become crew on Maxi racers in the Big Boat Series. When you were short tacking up the city front, reaching across to Harding Rock, jibing around that corner of the universe and blasting over to Aquatic Park, the intimate knowledge the dingy sailor got from going over, around, through and often under waves was some kind of wonderful. Owners of maxis wanted those rock stars on their decks and in their cockpits.

The Star and 505 scene was the center of that world. Kimball Livingston, at the time a newspaper reporter, wrote about that world. His book, Sailing the Bay, is in my mind, the ultimate story of local knowledge. I bought the second edition last year, gave it to somebody, then forgot about it. The first edition has a prominent place on my bookshelf. So I’m attempting to memorize that first edition. But I get lost in the imagery, which is not such a bad thing, it’s just terribly distracting. My coworkers and team mates on the project that pays my bills are wondering where in the world John has wandered off to.

Where was I? - oh yes, Amazon.com. I’ve ordered another copy of the 2nd Edition of Kimball’s book. Paid more for shipping than the book itself (I just had to get it as soon as I can). My recollection is that the second edition is a little drier than the first, perhaps I’ll be able to focus a little more. Unlikely, but I’m often delusional, so what?

While I was finding a copy of Kimball’s book, I also added his
blog to my reader subscription list. And I found myself back on a blog by Cheryl which borrows from the title of Kimball’s book.

Both Cheryl (a Google Goddess) and Kimball are professional writers. Any resemblance that EVK4, Tilly or I have to these people is limited to recognition by people wearing sunglasses at night. Cheryl's blog has now taken a prominent position in my reader chart, hers is the third column. She started writing in Aug. of 2007, so there is less to read, but it's that good that she's just behind EVK4.

So I have a LOT of reading to do between now and Saturday, when the Admiral and I find ourselves in the same boat again. I think I’ll call in sick on Friday.

OH NO! did I just write that on my work laptop?

Dang!

Ok, so at the Admiral’s request, here are the important things for find in Kimball’s book for the local knowledge to play the TBF correctly:

His account of the role that winter storms play in the bay area, where they come from, how they form, what their cycles are. Choosing the course is all about what weather is passing over the bay area that day.

If that day is between storms, then Tidal Currents will be the determining factor for the course. The first edition has a fantastic set of time lapse pictures of the Bay Model during a confetti test. One picture for Max Flood, the other for Max Ebb. The Max Ebb shot clearly shows the South Bay Surge that creates a tide current shadow north of Treasure Island.

My recollection is that the second edition substituted a discussion of Tide Current Software models for the confetti test pictures. Too bad if that’s true, the confetti test was cool.

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