Windrose is swinging on her mooring in South Creek.
Not without some tips and dips.....arrrgh!
Left out of the huge, very busy marina for the sail up the Bay to the mooring. Pulled out of the slip, easing up to the fairway. I gave one long blast, no return, so I start my move out into the fairway and here comes this 30' stink pot blasting up the fairway (no wake zone--HA) with an idiot at the helm and a "for sale". I had to back down hard to keep from T boneing the ^%$#@!*. S&^% hemorrage number one completed!
The sail was glorious... small craft advisory 15-20 with gust to 25+, the old gal was stretching her legs. Spray over the bow in my face and her shoulder down. Wind from the west, it's all a reach and my old boat and I are having the time of our lives. Some weather helm, she needed a little less main, but with no lifelines, yet, I was a little hesitant to go forward (false sense of security?). However, my mate was not having nearly as much fun.... sea sick and heaving over the rail in the 3-4 ft. chop. Skin that horrible whiteish green color that is so easily recognized.
We made it up into the West River beautifully, I got the sail down and started motoring the final mile or so to the mooring. I was busy patting myself on the back and prasing my old boat when I ran her aground right on the edge of the channel I felt us touch and went right to the trottle but it was too late, we were in the mud and the dinghy was tied to the mooring for when we arrived. (West Marine dropped the ball on the transducer, so it did not make the launch).
Luckily it was low low tide. Shortly, we had a little more water under our keel and a big power boat came by and as it's wake rolled under us I eased her back into the channel and waved at the folks aground on the other side of the channel who happened to get free on the same wake.
Eased the ol gal on down to her mooring and rowed ashore just as the sun slipped below the horizon. My heart was singing.
Windrose's maiden voyage
Hey, you finally get to post in the "Sailing and Cruising" section! And there's still lots of good weather to enjoy, too.
Great to hear about your first sail, and looking forward to more tales of Windrose days on the water.
--- Rachel
PS I was itching to see a photo of her on that mooring at sunset :-)
Great to hear about your first sail, and looking forward to more tales of Windrose days on the water.
--- Rachel
PS I was itching to see a photo of her on that mooring at sunset :-)