Yesterday was the last sail of the season, and maybe longer, for my oldest son. He flies back to college on Saturday and overseas study and post graduation plans could make this our last sail for a long time. Nature occasionally rises to the occasion and certainly did this time for a day that will be so significant in memory.
We set out down the bay in a brisk NNW wind and almost immediately put a reef in the main. The day was notable not only for perfect temperature but for the incredible light that shines on late summer days after a frontal passage in Maine. The colors of the rocks and tidal shorelines had the kind of intensity that seems almost digitally enhanced. Mount Washington, two hours drive away, could be clearly seen under the few clouds in the sky.
Strider was slightly overpowered under the full jib and single reef but we were enjoying feathering her along in the perfectly smooth water in the lee of Clapboard Island. Shortly after passing the lee, we were struck by one of those sudden gusts that doesn’t run far enough along the surface to give you much time to anticipate. We were slow after luffing up around a lobster pot and heeling sharply before I could react to the slight warning of the twitch in the wind and sudden darkening of the water just a couple boat lengths away. The cockpit coamings went under, something I’ve only done a couple of times before on this boat. Strider’s finest characteristic is her behavior during moments like this. I eased her up and she took a grip, accelerating out of the knockdown without throwing herself aback like so many boats I have sailed. Mike and I both got a laugh out of seeing the winch handle pocket filled with water while trying to figure out how far over we had gone.
The short, sharp gusts continued as we worked our way up into the lee of Cousins Island. If the calm that always exists in that stretch during a west wind wasn’t just a few minutes ahead, we would have been making major sail reductions. It’s been a long time since I got to work Strider in conditions like this and it was wonderful to remember how decisive her steering is and how easy she is to keep right on the line. The helm is heavy but, if you move it, she will do exactly what you need her to do.
We ate lunch as we ghosted through the calm and fickle puffs along the island. The sail up along the islands to the mouth of Merepoint Bay was in the perfect wind velocity for the single reefed main and full jib slightly eased with Strider romping along on a close reach. Mike was seeing parts of the bay he has never seen at possibly the most beautiful afternoon of the entire summer.
The wind was backing as we ran down between Upper Goose and Birch islands so that we were on a close reach again by the time we had turned 180 degrees for home.
The sail back down the bay was a good as it gets. Close reaching between the Whaleboat Islands, close hauled up to the passage between Chebeague and Hope where we had to do some short tacking; then, a long close reach down to the harbor entrance. Somewhere near the Goslings, we put the other coaming under but the wind was generally steady and just right for the sail we were carrying.
We didn’t talk much this day. It was so beautiful, all the mind needed to do was just take it in and watch the boat work.
I needed a good long run on the engine to get the oil dried out and we had worked plenty over the long day so we furled the sails off Ram Island and powered up the harbor. Just before entering the marina, we passed Carolyn and Nick in Neto Nomade heading out for a late afternoon sail. You’ll be hearing a lot more about them as we head south. Mike and I had been out sailing on their boat a couple days before so seeing them under full sail was a fine ending to a great day.
http://www.themoderndaynomads.blogspot.com/
Daysailing doesn’t get much better than this.
We set out down the bay in a brisk NNW wind and almost immediately put a reef in the main. The day was notable not only for perfect temperature but for the incredible light that shines on late summer days after a frontal passage in Maine. The colors of the rocks and tidal shorelines had the kind of intensity that seems almost digitally enhanced. Mount Washington, two hours drive away, could be clearly seen under the few clouds in the sky.
Strider was slightly overpowered under the full jib and single reef but we were enjoying feathering her along in the perfectly smooth water in the lee of Clapboard Island. Shortly after passing the lee, we were struck by one of those sudden gusts that doesn’t run far enough along the surface to give you much time to anticipate. We were slow after luffing up around a lobster pot and heeling sharply before I could react to the slight warning of the twitch in the wind and sudden darkening of the water just a couple boat lengths away. The cockpit coamings went under, something I’ve only done a couple of times before on this boat. Strider’s finest characteristic is her behavior during moments like this. I eased her up and she took a grip, accelerating out of the knockdown without throwing herself aback like so many boats I have sailed. Mike and I both got a laugh out of seeing the winch handle pocket filled with water while trying to figure out how far over we had gone.
The short, sharp gusts continued as we worked our way up into the lee of Cousins Island. If the calm that always exists in that stretch during a west wind wasn’t just a few minutes ahead, we would have been making major sail reductions. It’s been a long time since I got to work Strider in conditions like this and it was wonderful to remember how decisive her steering is and how easy she is to keep right on the line. The helm is heavy but, if you move it, she will do exactly what you need her to do.
We ate lunch as we ghosted through the calm and fickle puffs along the island. The sail up along the islands to the mouth of Merepoint Bay was in the perfect wind velocity for the single reefed main and full jib slightly eased with Strider romping along on a close reach. Mike was seeing parts of the bay he has never seen at possibly the most beautiful afternoon of the entire summer.
The wind was backing as we ran down between Upper Goose and Birch islands so that we were on a close reach again by the time we had turned 180 degrees for home.
The sail back down the bay was a good as it gets. Close reaching between the Whaleboat Islands, close hauled up to the passage between Chebeague and Hope where we had to do some short tacking; then, a long close reach down to the harbor entrance. Somewhere near the Goslings, we put the other coaming under but the wind was generally steady and just right for the sail we were carrying.
We didn’t talk much this day. It was so beautiful, all the mind needed to do was just take it in and watch the boat work.
I needed a good long run on the engine to get the oil dried out and we had worked plenty over the long day so we furled the sails off Ram Island and powered up the harbor. Just before entering the marina, we passed Carolyn and Nick in Neto Nomade heading out for a late afternoon sail. You’ll be hearing a lot more about them as we head south. Mike and I had been out sailing on their boat a couple days before so seeing them under full sail was a fine ending to a great day.
http://www.themoderndaynomads.blogspot.com/
Daysailing doesn’t get much better than this.
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