Had a race this weekend. A private race we call the "1890s Classic: Sail vs Steam". There where two legs to the race - 1.4 mile each leg - from Point Chautuauqua NY to Mayville Ny and back. Tea had to be made on the first leg to stop your time. Team steam being Nyitra, a friend who had never been a fireman before, and myself. Team sail being my friend steve, his girl friend and Circe a 22' Catalina.
The conditions were much more favorable for Team Sail this year. Just starting to get white caps most of the race. Wavey - and cutting across the starboard in the way Nyitra is least stable. Good wind, team sail was doing 3-5 knots most of the time.
Team Steam had a brand new fireman - first timer. My friend Nick. He did very well, took him a while for him to get the hang of it - but with bone dry tight grain soft maple cut into mango sized chunks, manually controlled steam draft, using both injectors (not at the same time, but you can do that!), and some pacing he was increasing the pressure every ~5min fuel/water cycle up from 50psi to 150psi average over the 1.4mile leg - so he was getting the control game. Incidentally, Nicks master thesis was in control theory - I don't know if that helped him. So we were doing 2-3 knots.
So by speed alone, Circe was faster and got to the finish line in the first leg, but ...
When we got to mayville - end of the first leg -We both forgot about the tea. - I had brought my windemere kettle. I decided to avoid the setup of windemere kettle and simply drain the sight glass. I had had a large cup of coffee before the race and really had to find a bathroom. Therefore I only put in what I sprayed out of the boiler sight glass, not a mug filled to the brim. About 1/3 full. I took a sip and then quickly walked to the gas station across the lake road to use the bathroom. In the mean time my buddy steve decided that 1/3 of a mug was not a "cup of tea" and started their little gas stove onboard. I came back and Team Sail declared victory! All in being in the interest of having fun and enjoying lower tech hobbies - he later conceded. This meant that Nyitra won the first leg!
On the way back we were using a different fuel that was wet. Wet 2x4 pine scraps - and almost ran out. Went down to 50psi, 1-2 knots at the end. Circe practically lapped us - so Steam Sail won the second leg.
So the 2017 Winner: Draw
For video, and pictures:
https://nyitra.blogspot.com/
-CB
P.S. Nyitra is certainly entertaining and those at Point Chautauqua seemed to enjoy the whistling. I have picked up the custom that I have always observed and participated with the Chautuauqua Belle - if the Captain/Pilot sees someone on land or in another vessel who is signaling the whistle pull signal or giving a lot of directed happy waving - from those of any age - and it seems appropriate - a whistle blast or two is given. I remember being like 5 years old waving to the Belle as she passed and she gave me a whistle!
Also if you watch the video - you can see a little bit of the oscillation of the roll of Nyitra. It can be quite intense, but it doesn't feel scary - the hulls, frame, deck, and boiler all seem to be staying together without complaint. like a buoy that's self righting.
It got a bit much with the wind from port on the way back to Point Chautauqua because of the tack and the direction the firedoor swings.The wind was blowing fine ash and glowing embers out, some across the deck into water - some caught on the stern railing and guided down the starboard side and started lighting on fire on anything that was cotton!!!
I don't know if I was always smiling, but I was always smiling inside the whole race.