My Wife and I took my 14 year old niece Anne and her cousin, my 16 year old niece Sydney out for a sail last night. The weather in Boston was forboding, with a dark sky to the west over the whole of the Boston skyline, however with the wind from the south west and a recent series of showers that I felt had defused the front a little we went out anyway. The marine weather report had made things seem like they might be a little dicey, but as usual, you have to get out there and see reality.
We sailed for about three hours and fetched a starboard tack out of the harbor mouth in a steady ten knot wind. I had the main up but the 130 genoa furled to about a jib. Triple Play performed great and we averaged five knots most of the trip out and a little less on the way back. It was cloudy, but the front passed to the north and the wave height was a foot or less. It turned out to be a really nice day for a sail and we followed it up with dinner at the club and ice cream on the ride home.
Anne, a ballerina, surprised me by handling the wheel like an old hand on the return trip. We were close hauled on the port tack and she held the wheel steady with 15-20 knots of heel even though she probably weighs all of 85 lbs. She didn't even panic when we caught a few good gusts and I had to reach around her to let the main out a bit. What a good sailor! I had taken a few minutes to give my standard explanation that the worse thing that could happen would be that we would round up, lose the wind and sit flat...that we had the equivalent weight of Sydney's Honda Civic below the hull in lead and coudn't turtle...but she is a fast learner for sure!
My Wife surprised me too...this was her third trip this year. Usually she is good for once or twice at best.
We sailed for about three hours and fetched a starboard tack out of the harbor mouth in a steady ten knot wind. I had the main up but the 130 genoa furled to about a jib. Triple Play performed great and we averaged five knots most of the trip out and a little less on the way back. It was cloudy, but the front passed to the north and the wave height was a foot or less. It turned out to be a really nice day for a sail and we followed it up with dinner at the club and ice cream on the ride home.
Anne, a ballerina, surprised me by handling the wheel like an old hand on the return trip. We were close hauled on the port tack and she held the wheel steady with 15-20 knots of heel even though she probably weighs all of 85 lbs. She didn't even panic when we caught a few good gusts and I had to reach around her to let the main out a bit. What a good sailor! I had taken a few minutes to give my standard explanation that the worse thing that could happen would be that we would round up, lose the wind and sit flat...that we had the equivalent weight of Sydney's Honda Civic below the hull in lead and coudn't turtle...but she is a fast learner for sure!
My Wife surprised me too...this was her third trip this year. Usually she is good for once or twice at best.
