Hobie 20 Catamaran Sailing on Great South Bay / Fire Island

Safety:

The obligation to assist a person or boat in danger is the first obligation of all boats and competitors (see RRS 1.1) The safety of participants is the priority, boats and property are secondary

Weather

These are weatherstations mounted at Wet Pants Sailing Association clubhouse and The Hudson River at 11th street in NYC. Pines Pantry, Cherry Grove and Fire Island Lighthouse. click on the square to see the dashboard.

Download the “wunderstation” app for more real-time and historical data.

GSB1

GSB1 is a weather buoy in the middle of Great South Bay between Browns River and Cherry Grove. It is operated as a research project by Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. It delivers real time conditions and is a good friend of mariners on the bay.

Ikitesurf Pro-Forecast

I use the pro-forcast for southeast NY as part of a go/no-go sailing decision.

Electronic Chart of Great South Bay

Tide Sayville

Tide FI Coast Guard Station

One Lap of the Bay – Notice of race

Racing Strategies

If you want to be on the list for all boats and crew at wetpants you can find it at wpneedgiveahand@optonline.net

About the boat and the sailing:

The 2019 season is here. Last year I broke my leg and couldn’t sail my boat. This year i’d like to make up for lost time. I am going to try to sail every weekend and two days a week (probably wed – Friday). If you would like to sail or crew with me please send me an email to let me know. I will post the schedule below.

The boat, “Hazardous (when wet)” is a Hobie 20 (Miracle) Catamaran. We sail out of Wet Pants sailing association at Port ‘O Call, about a 5 minute walk from the Sayville / Fire Island Ferries and a short distance from the Sayville Long Island Rail Road Station. About an hour from NYC Penn Station.

“Hazardous (When Wet)” is the 1992 Queen of the Bay winner and among the fastest sailboats on the bay. This summer I am, once again, adding a spinnaker to make the bay smaller. Three years ago we sailed from Wet Pants, under the Captree Bridges, then turned east and sailed to the Smith Point bridge and back to Wet Pants in 3 hours flat. I like days like that. Otherwise we generally sail to one inlet (Democrat Point), or the other (the New Inlet at Old Inlet – the breach left by Superstorm Sandy) or to Fire Island – usually Cherry Grove for lunch, or Talisman for a swim in the ocean. The boat can take four people, three is preferable and for racing it’s just skipper and crew.

What you need to bring

• Catamaraning is like swimming so wear what you would swim in. you will get completely drenched, IT IS UNAVOIDABLE and part of the fun.
• A hat (with a tether or you’ll pay a tithe to Neptune)
• Croakees and sunglasses
• water shoes, secure sandles or sneakers that can get submerged in salt water.
• waterproof sunscreen (if you use sunscreen)
• a towel and change of clothes.
• enough cash to get a meal (money still works fine when wet).
• Sailing gloves are a good idea, I have some but they are all huge.

What I supply

• Trapeze Harness
• Personal floatation device (if you don’t have one of your own)
• there are no dry places on the boat so if you want to bring things that must stay dry, you’ll need a dry sack.

Bloodthirsty Guarantee

• There are no guarantees for the wind, the waves and the weather.
• You will get entirely, completely soaked.
• We don’t know exactly when we’re leaving.
• We don’t know exactly when we’re getting back.
• We don’t know where we’re going.
• We don’t run on any schedule.
• If everything cooperates you will have a singularly unique and memorable experience.
• CAUTION: The boat is Hazardous (when wet).
• WARNING: Sailing is addictive, as is racing. you might catch the bug.

So pick a date and send me an email, and weather permitting, we’ll go sailing.

About Dan Scolnick

email me at dan@Iknowthecow.com

“The sea is selective, slow at recognition of effort and aptitude but fast in sinking the unfit.” Felix Riesenberg

“Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement.” Rita Mae Brown

“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.” Benjamin Franklin

“Clutter can be a very good thing, when it’s my clutter.” Dan Scolnick.

“Listen to what they say, then compare it to what they do.” Dan Scolnick.

“Deal in experiences that money can’t buy.”

2019 Crew Roster

Mike D. John B. * Alphonse G. Chico Joel Harry M. Christine O’ Aaron T Nicolas O. Janie D. Roy T. Kelvin Z. * BingBong B. Bin G. Steven C. * Ben G. Marina S. * Izzy M.	Steve G. Dylan Z. * Don W. * Mark C. * Dj M. Joe B. * Yeoshua C. Art J. * John S. Jackie N. and Kodelia Keane (13) Merema M. Rick B. Kyle F. * Dylan W. * Max * Tino

June 2019 Calandar

• 6/26/2019 Shakedown Sail – CANCELLED – No Wind
  • Dylan
  • Don W.
• 6/27/2019 Crew Call – No Crew Yet
• 6/29/2019 Wetpants Spring Pursuit Race 12pm, our start 12:53pm
  • Mark C.

July 2019 Calandar

• 7/3/2019 Crew Call
  • Kyle F.
• 7/4/2019 Crew Call
• 7/5/2019 Crew Call – spectacular sail. 10-12 SE. GSB1, swam at talisman, saw dolphins, then BBYC and back – 4.5 hours.
  • Kyle F.
  • Janie D.
• 7/6/2019 Crew Call
  • Steve G.
• 7/7/2019 Crew Call
• 7/10/2019 Crew Call – awesome sail. 12-15 SW Cherry Grove, Ocean Beach, evening races, man overboard excercise, saved marine life from a metalized baloon, Dylans first sail ever.
  • Dylan
• 7/12/2019 Crew Call – turned into near survival conditions late afternoon GSB reported 32 knot gusts out of the west and we were flying, both hulls at times. Talisman and back!
  • John B.
  • Art J.
• 7/13/2019 Crew Call – wetpants club sail to talisman at 11am. wind came in at 11 exactly as forecast 10-16 SW. lovely sail. Only boat to participate. hecksher, ocean beach, beach at the grove for a swim in the ocean, talisman and back to wetpants. less than 3 hours.
  • Kelvin
  • Kyle F.
• 7/14/2019 Crew Call – motored out on Dilly Dally instead.
  • Steven C.
• 7/17/2019 Crew Call – Outstanding sail. the weather is locked in SW came up on time 13-17wse – sailed through an isobar to babylon – under the bridges. sailed back to wetpants, ET 2:15 or so. Wind kicked up SSW 20-28 – took dylan for his first ride talisman, cherry grove and back. no evening races due to threat of severe t-storms – pasta night at wetpants. Paid with wet 20, got dry 10 back as change.
  • Kyle F.
  • Dylan W.
• 7/18/2019 Crew Call RAIN
• 7/19/2019 Crew Call – Another awesome sail, the summer thermals are locked in. Originally we were going to sail west along the south shore to Dickerson Channel, go south in the channel to crazy charlie then sail east along fire island. The thermals came in, on time and strong. the first tack brought us to Water Island, so i decided rather than tack 40 times into a strong headwind South in the channel, i’d just reverse course. It pays to be flexible. so we did then entire north side of fire Island west bound on 4 tacks, then reached north through the channel, the east along the south shore of Long Island, passing ganymede by hecksher park. 45 miles in 2 hours 15 minutes. wind got up to 24 – 28 SW. crazy!
  • Mark C.
• 7/20/2019 Crew Call – an even crazier day, 100 degrees, short sail. cherry grove for chicken parm. sailed home along fire island to talisman channel, the beam reached on a WSW back to wetpants. Winds 24-32 WSW. was afraid to fully trim the jib on the north side of the bay, traveled 2/3rd’s out.
  • Mark C.
• 7/21/2019 – Day off. Last day of 100 degrees. even my quadriceps hurt.
• 7/24/2019 – Winds NE clocking through the east through SW. Dicey and somewhat light. Completely delightful sail. took max to cherry grove for lunch, then we sailed to atlantique then to talisman and back to wetpants.
  • Max
• 7/25/2019 layday
• 7/26/2019 sachem day. Sailed in light air with JB. Picked up Dylan on the water at Sayville yacht club. Joe Beitch and Billy C were there as well. Dylan learned to trapeze, do ‘the wild thing’ on the bow. Main block “U” shackle failed in two parts. part 1 was leaving the beach when we heard and felt something yield and had a “what was that?” moment (ducktile failure), then later on it experienced a brittle catastrophic failure and let go. We jury rigged the boat while sailing then put Dylan on the helm and sailed on a while longer before we returned to wet pants. He successfully gybed the boat under jury rig and Dylan is now one of only 3 people on the planet who, after 27 years, has landed my boat at Port O’ Call. John B. me and Dylan Williams have been trusted and capable to land “Hazardous“! Dylan and I then took the broken parts to west marine, found the replacements (12 bux) and fixed the boat. it’s ready for the next sail.
• 7/27/2019 – Lay Day. Sore tendons, not much wind
  • Kalvin?
  • Tino?
• 7/28/2019 Cancelled – Lay Day
  • Don W.
  • Alphonse G.
  • Dylan W.
• 7/29/2019 Rigged the spinnakker mount on the front crossbeam. removed the spin halyard cam cleat and doused it in WD40.
• 7/31/2019 Outstanding sail to POW. everyone on the helm, everyone trapped. Dylan landed the boat perfectly for the second time.
  • Joe B.
  • Billy C.
  • Dylan W.
  • John B

August 2019 Calandar

• 8/1/2019 Crew Call
• 8/2/2019 ESE 5-10. sailed to “b” barrel in the northeast corner of bellport bay, up the channel by the smith point bridge then back by new inlet at old inlet. 5 hours. picked up new spin halyard cam hardware on the way home. met billy’s mother.
  • Don W.
• 8/3/2019 S9-13. Marina trapezed for the first time. Davis to POW. MoB excercise, tightest and fastest i’ve ever done it. had options for left right and center when mark picked it up. Anchored at cherry grove. Sand Castle for drinks and lunch. Swam in the ocean. Stopped by the Wetpants Clam bake, but the muddy entrance was impossible to get into. back to wetpants. Dinner at umberto’s IN New Hyde Park. Excellent day.
  • Mark C.
  • Marina S.
• 8/7/2019 Standing Wednesday Sail – The locked in thermal has gone nuts everyday. we had a brief sail in westerly 25-30mph winds, 2-4 foot short chop. talisman, pines, home – tacked once. joe and dylan trapped. joe commented that it looked pretty scary out. i thought so too, so we went back in along with everyone else. Bob C. gave class a lecture on the bad weather the day before. Billy C cleaned my boat – it looks new again. who knew it was white and not GSB brown!
  • Dylan W.
  • Joe B.
  • Billy C.
  • Max
• 8/9/2019 Crew Call Cancelled winds over 30.
  • Mark C.
• 8/10/2019 Cancelled winds over 40.
  • Mark C.
• 8/14/2019 Standing Wednesday Sail. they sailed at Point of Woods. fixed the rib with Marianne, main cables were corroded. towed back the sunfish. night race was abandoned because of 3 raindrops.
  • Dylan W.
  • Joe B.
  • Billy C.
• 8/15/2019 Crew Call
• 8/16/2019 Wind SSE started at 17-22, but quickly moderated down to 8-12. Did the eastern loop of the “One Lap of the Bay” Race. Confirmed buoys in Bellport Bay. Billy trapped and steered going to weather. Found the micro groove. Ran into JB on his Hobie 16 on the way back. Raced back from Pines Harbor to wet pants. JB alone on his Hobie 16 was UNcatchable and quickly took a definite lead. I asked him today, was it pure sailing ability? faster boat? or that i was carrying 700 pounds of live ballast (close to twice the weight of the boat) to his 170 pounds of live ballast (1/2 the weight of the boat). I think it was pure sailing ability (and light air).
  • Billy C.
  • Kyle F.
• 8/17/2019 Crew Call sore from yesterday, icky day, humid not much wind.
• 8/18/2019 Crew Call icky day, humid not much wind.
• 8/21/2019 Standing Wednesday Sail cancelled due to t-storms
• 8/22/2019 Last day of summer sail? we’ll see. W-SW 12-25 shifty, gusty. sailed to pines harbor, east past democrat point and into the ocean. landed and went swimming. amazing currents, clean enough water to see the rudder tips. fast reach home. Outstanding sail!
  • John B.
  • Michelle
  • Dylan W.
• 8/23/2019 cancelled, rain, no wind, cold.
• 8/24/2019 cancelled cold, no wind.
  • Izzy M.
• 8/25/2019 cancelled cold, no wind
• 8/28/2019 Standing Wednesday Sail cancelled no wind.
  • Dylan W.
  • Joe B.
  • Billy C.
• 8/29/2019
• 8/30/2019
• 8/31/2019 One lap of the bay?
  • Izzy

September 2019 Calandar

• 9/1/2019
• 9/2/2019
• 9/21/2019 Fall Pursuit Race 12:00 pm Crew Call
  • Mark C.

Crew Shots

Our Sailing Friends

Connetquot River Dinghy Club

South Shore Racing School – We Focus on Foiling!