It was sixty degrees and sunny yesterday so I decided to take time off from working on my new boat and actually take it for its first solo daysail. Winds were only about 5 knots from the southwest in West Sound when I left the marina, and I got a chance to practice my light air sail trim. The wind died totally by the mouth of West Sound so I furled the genny and fired up to engine. After a short run with the engine into Harney Channel, I picked up 10 knot easterlies and short tacked through the channel dodging both the interisland ferry and the ferry to the mainland in the process. As soon as I left the channel the wind died again. But I could see wind about a mile ahead so I furled the genny again and motored over to the wind. This wind was blowing through Obstruction Pass from the east at about ten knots so I had an enjoyable close hauled sail. The when I got to the mouth of East Sound, the wind shifted to the North and funneled between the mountains, increased to 15-20 knots with whitecaps. This gave me an opportunity to practice my closehauled reefing drill which was a "breeze" with the battcars and single line reefing. After playing in the wind for awhile, I started back and was becalmed again shortly after leaving the mouth of East Sound. Motoring into Harney Channel where the wind had been from the east an hour and a half earlier, I found it blowing from the west at 5 knots or so right on my nose. Once back into West Sound the wind which had been from the southwest when I left, was now blowing at about twelve knots from the northeast! All in all a fun day with lots of chances for sail trim adjustments. My question is this: Why can't these meteorologist types get their weather forecasts right? Gary Wyngarden S/V Wanderlust H37.5