Well, Bob, it's like this... (doesn't that sound like the beginning of a yarn?)

Posted By: Gary, Santana 2023A, Milwaukee
Date: 8/14/07 8:11a.m.

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In Response To: Which way is up? (Bob Frak)

Hit the Mackinac Bridge at dusk. Hove to in Lake Huron for a swim break. Tourist boat full of camera's snapping God-zillion pics of us. Fired up some cigars, popped a couple of beers. Like the fools we turned out to be, we 'chilled' where we shouldn't have, breaking my #1 rule: always make distance, always try to be ahead of PIM (plan of intended movement). I barely spotted the T-storms coming, as it was very dark. Spotted the blot of stygian darkness to the SW, by means of what few lights there were on shore. Decided to shag ass, with a passing freighter (hailed) who confirmed he was tracking those storms. Anyway, in the photo, what is 'up' is what is up. In other words, it's orientation is correct to you as the viewer. The shot is from the cockpit, over the companionway, of the forward port side. The aft rail (#2) of the pulpit and port side bow cleat are already under 'green' water, with more coming. That line? Well, I never noticed it in the darkness of night, and wouldn't have slithered up there on my stomach even if I had. It was a small diameter 'temp' mooring line, when going pierside for a short period of, say, 15-40 minutes in calm weather. It had been lashed straight aft along the deck to some rear stanchion a day earlier, and forgotten. Obviously, she didn't stay lashed... but that was my buddy Dan's faulty knot, not mine. Honest! ;^) The spinnaker halyard is visible on the right of the pic. White with a red tracer. Another half inch or so, and you'd have seen the port side of the mast. No, it wasn't as bad as it may seem. I wasn't heeled 85 degrees, nor was it a 10' breaking wave. Looks damned good, though, doesn't it? Keeping in mind that I was just a TAD pre-occupied with other matters (in this weather) 99.9% of the time, I can tell you that I did *not* see the inclinometer quite hit 40 degrees. Of course, on those occassions which were severe, by the time I wrestled around to look, we'd be in the 30's (sure we took a few 40's-to-50's, but I can not ATTEST to this). Later on, when we weren't taking the pounding on our beam any more, we flew along with an inch or two of the side deck submerged (at the beam). We had VERY solid 6 and 7 footers... possibly the occassionl 8 footers, maybe more. Again, I can not attest to this as I was preoccupied with night sailing, and it was pretty damned dark at the time. Again, this photo I only posted because I thought it looked pretty cool, and to remind me of the fun. My friend Dan was on the tiller at the time and, when I showed it to him, he actually couldn't make sense of it through several looks, either. Pretty neat stuff. At (somewhere along) the time, I recall wishing that I'd had all of you guys, you Santana 2023 owners, you 'virtual' friends that have helped me out on this site, along with me for the joy ride, as it was something to behold. At the least, George and Allen, what with them being Michiganers. But it would have been cool to have everyone aboard, get some tiller time snap shots, etc, even though you guys have done this and more. By the way, anyone ever need some crew, this friend of mine, Dan Haeg, is DAMNED good, and would probably be interested in some (limited) travel time to meet you. Gary