Hard Working A4

[edwardc]

This past weekend we were at a club rendezvous on the Chesapeake Bay about 40 miles south of our home port. On Sunday morning, when we started North for home, the winds were light but unfavorable, so we were motoring. But they quickly built to 20-25 out of the NW, slowing us to a crawl. We unfurled half of our jib only, to approximate a storm jib, and were able to motor sail about due North at 6 - 7 kts. Great fun while it lasted.

But past the Bay Bridge, our course lay NNW, too close to the wind to sail. We didn't want to continue sailing North and end up on the eastern shore because we would then have to pound back through the chop that would have 15 miles of fetch. So we furled our jib, hugged the western shore for shelter and called on our trusty A4 to get us through. The winds built to over 30, with gusts up to 40. The NWS issued a Gale warning. The short steep 3 ft chop kept pounding us to a standstill, and I kept calling on the A4 to put out more and more. It performed like a champ, eventually running continuously at 2800 RPM (800 above our regular cruise) for hours without a complaint. This is just 300 short of our WOT. The temp ran a mere 2-3 degrees above our usual 180, but there was no other outward indication of just how hard our little gem of an engine was working.

Once back in our home creek and out of the weather, our usual 2000 RPM setting sounded like idle by comparison!

We arrived home safely without incident in time for dinner ashore.

[Mo]

I drove a 323 in chop that had an A4...not sure if you remember but it was a few years back. Heavy boat and the engine did the job...not quite as windy as you experienced...20-25 kts. Did you check your oil Ed. Might find her down about a pint after that.

[Marian Claire]

Good to hear and a statement about your efforts in maintaining her. Sometimes when I get tired of pounding into a headwind I have to remind myself that I'm just riding the A-4 is doing all the work.

Dan S/V Marian Claire

[Oldlaxer1]

This past weekend we were at a club rendezvous on the Chesapeake Bay about 40 miles south of our home port. On Sunday morning, when we started North for home, the winds were light but unfavorable, so we were motoring. But they quickly built to 20-25 out of the NW, slowing us to a crawl. We unfurled half of our jib only, to approximate a storm jib, and were able to motor sail about due North at 6 - 7 kts. Great fun while it lasted.

But past the Bay Bridge, our course lay NNW, too close to the wind to sail. We didn't want to continue sailing North and end up on the eastern shore because we would then have to pound back through the chop that would have 15 miles of fetch. So we furled our jib, hugged the western shore for shelter and called on our trusty A4 to get us through. The winds built to over 30, with gusts up to 40. The NWS issued a Gale warning. The short steep 3 ft chop kept pounding us to a standstill, and I kept calling on the A4 to put out more and more. It performed like a champ, eventually running continuously at 2800 RPM (800 above our regular cruise) for hours without a complaint. This is just 300 short of our WOT. The temp ran a mere 2-3 degrees above our usual 180, but there was no other outward indication of just how hard our little gem of an engine was working.

Once back in our home creek and out of the weather, our usual 2000 RPM setting sounded like idle by comparison!

We arrived home safely without incident in time for dinner ashore.

Glad you made it Ed. We were tied up in the slip and couldn't believe how hard the gusts were in the inner harbor. I've never seen white caps on the water in the little area between Captain James and the Anchorage.

[JOHN COOKSON]

This past weekend we were at a club rendezvous on the Chesapeake Bay about 40 miles south of our home port. On Sunday morning, when we started North for home, the winds were light but unfavorable, so we were motoring. But they quickly built to 20-25 out of the NW, slowing us to a crawl. We unfurled half of our jib only, to approximate a storm jib, and were able to motor sail about due North at 6 - 7 kts. Great fun while it lasted.

But past the Bay Bridge, our course lay NNW, too close to the wind to sail. We didn't want to continue sailing North and end up on the eastern shore because we would then have to pound back through the chop that would have 15 miles of fetch. So we furled our jib, hugged the western shore for shelter and called on our trusty A4 to get us through. The winds built to over 30, with gusts up to 40. The NWS issued a Gale warning. The short steep 3 ft chop kept pounding us to a standstill, and I kept calling on the A4 to put out more and more. It performed like a champ, eventually running continuously at 2800 RPM (800 above our regular cruise) for hours without a complaint. This is just 300 short of our WOT. The temp ran a mere 2-3 degrees above our usual 180, but there was no other outward indication of just how hard our little gem of an engine was working.

Once back in our home creek and out of the weather, our usual 2000 RPM setting sounded like idle by comparison!

We arrived home safely without incident in time for dinner ashore.

All this and no supercharger. WOW.

Ed: IIRC you have 2:1 reduction?

TRUE GRIT

[Administrator]

That was as nasty as I have seen the Bay in a long time.

Thankful I was observing from the dock....

Bill

[edwardc]

I drove a 323 in chop that had an A4...not sure if you remember but it was a few years back. Heavy boat and the engine did the job...not quite as windy as you experienced...20-25 kts. Did you check your oil Ed. Might find her down about a pint after that.

Yes, I remember. Gerry Blackwood's boat.

I know I'll be down some oil. Was too tired after 8 hrs of that to do anything but pack up. I'll check it when I'm up there tomorrow to work on a solar panel mounting. I know from experience that my oil consumption goes up dramatically above 2200, but uses nothing if I stay below.

Ed: IIRC you have 2:1 reduction?

Yes, I have a 2:1 V-Drive, and a 15x8 3-bladed prop.. I was really grateful for the extra horsepower those higher RPMs give me access to. It's really nice to have some storm reserve.

[romantic comedy]

Ed, what is the boat speed at your normal cruise RPM? What RPM?

[edwardc]

At our normal cruise RPM of 2000, we do 5 kts.
At WOT, we get 3100 RPM and 6.8 kts in a flat calm.
This is a little under our hull speed of 7 kts.

[joe_db]

I looked at the weather Sunday afternoon and elected to stay in Annapolis one more day. Last night the wind was too light to sail. but otherwise a very pleasant trip home. Sounds like a good thing I did, I have no reduction gear. It would have been a slow trip.
I was SO tempted to take off south around Kent Island and get a great run in and then reach up to the Narrows in the lee of the island, but I was afraid the strong NW wind would leave me no water in the narrows.

[edwardc]

I think you did the right thing. The tide was ebbing in the afternoon, and with the NW winds pushing water thru the narrows too, you would likely have seen currents in excess of 5 kts against you.

My wife and I are (mostly) retired, and if it was just us, we would have stayed put another day, or at least bailed out to Galesville or Annapolis. But we had a crewmember aboard who had to get back to her job on Monday, so we pushed ahead.

I've often said that the most dangerous thing on a sailboat is a calendar.

[joe_db]

My son had finals Monday and my mother lives in Annapolis, so I just called mom-taxi and got him sent home on time