Surefire sail boat

21/10/2022

22/05/2021

Surefire ready to sail this morning.

Morning at the Folk Arts Theater quay, before the habagat wind picks up.

16/05/2021

We were all ready for a violent swipe of the boom across the boat, and braced ourselves... for nothing. That's sail racing! With Kim and Glen Carberry.

21/03/2021

Sunday race, 22 March 2021. Photos taken at the finish by Marjoe Laud, Race Officer.

03/03/2021

Surefire dry sail (no drinks except water!)

25/02/2021

Fun day on the water with Noel Bonoan!

07/02/2021

Thanks for the great photos and video, Damen Trigo!

02/02/2021

11 things I learned from yesterday's Corregidor adventure:
1. I need a haircut. Photos: Quintin Jose Pastrana
2. Surefire handles terrifically under full sail in 20 knot winds, like we had from Manila to Corregidor. We made 6 knots average. She needs a lot of attention at the tiller, though, because she's so light: unlike a heavy cruising boat with a full keel, waves tend to slap her around, so you need a lot of effort to keep her on course. That's the price of speed.
3. There is a hidden coral reef in the Northern approach, between the "tail" of Corregidor and Caballo Island. We hit it, and ran aground. It was a moment of panic, but we got off, and no major damage. The correct approach is to stay much closer to Caballo Island. I wish they would put a marker buoy. The first time we went, I actually passed in the gap between the last rock of the tail and the one before it, and didn't hit anything.
4. We need to carry a lot more spare impellers. When the boat is heeling hard to port, it is possible for the engine raw water intake to suck up air and lose priming. We blew the impeller on the raw water pump, and then the spare. I think we need to relocate that water intake, as well.
5. Because we still needed the engine to maneuver, B**g and I rigged up the tiny little bilge pump (it's half the size of a soda can) to suck sea water out of a pail fed by the raw water intake, and feed it to the motor. Incredibly, it worked.
6. On the way back, the wind was so strong (20 knots gusting 30), we had to shorten the main to the second reef, because the boat was getting dragged sideways. We did manage to keep the genoa on, instead of the small no. 3.
7. Despite speeds in water of 6 to 7 knots (we were heeled over 45° and throwing quite a wake), the tide was directly against us, so our actual progress over ground was 2-3 knots at best.
8. We were forced to take a longer route, East to the coast of Cavite, then hugging the coast, where the current wasn't as bad, maybe because of laminar flow. This improved our speed over ground to 3-4 knots, and then, as the tide started to ebb, to 5 knots. It still took us over 7 hours to get home.
9. I need to put cushions in the cockpit for long trips, my butt hurts. I stood for a lot of it, so my back also hurts. The wind was really cold as well, so my neck hurts. My sunburn hurts, but that's my fault.
10. I wrestled with that tiller for about 11 hours, so don't tell me sailing isn't exercise. It's like swinging a 10 lb. kettle bell, just try that for 11 hours.
11. Surefire is a great boat, especially considering the design was launched 40 years ago this year, in the middle of the flawed IOR era. I raise my glass to the designer, Mr. Stephen Jones. You, sir, are a genius.

02/02/2021

This trip was a real adventure

09/12/2020

Not much wind, but enough good whisky!

20/10/2020

Surefire is now officially in the Philippine Registry! It's been a long and tough journey, lobbying since 2016, drafting the proposed regulations, then tough negotiations with the MARINA, but we finally did it! From now on, Surefire will proudly fly the flag of the Philippines from her stern... and carry her Official Number at the bow— we will find some way to do this that does not spoil her lines.