Got out late last Friday and the gods aligned. In the area where we where located up til this year, there is not usually a lot of room to get a good steady breeze, minimal boat traffic and without having to tack every 5 minutes to avoid rocks. The new area there is a stretch of more open water we go through to get to our favorite anchorage and has very little boat traffic.
Wind was 11 - 14 knots from the East, which gave me a broad reach for 1 1/2 hours without tacking. Boat averaged 6.5 - 6.8 knots ( GPS) and max. 7.2 ( ST-60 speed.)
Also got me to wondering what this boat could do without the 250 lbs sea anchor dinghy, full water tank, full fuel tank, half-full waste tank, 2 anchors, chain, rode, full cooler of ice and beer, fridge full of food, clothing and gear for several days etc. etc. etc.
Wind was 11 - 14 knots from the East, which gave me a broad reach for 1 1/2 hours without tacking. Boat averaged 6.5 - 6.8 knots ( GPS) and max. 7.2 ( ST-60 speed.)
Also got me to wondering what this boat could do without the 250 lbs sea anchor dinghy, full water tank, full fuel tank, half-full waste tank, 2 anchors, chain, rode, full cooler of ice and beer, fridge full of food, clothing and gear for several days etc. etc. etc.
