Well I finally got around to sailing yesterday. As I had posted, no real wind on the fourth, and not much wind to speak of since...excepting the freight train that blew through last Wednesday...I had been thinking about sailing that evening but didn't. My Wife was supposed to go out with some hens and didn't because of the storm. It was a wild one with several microbursts reported. Just shy of tornado weather which is rare for New England. I attached a couple of photos from the local newspaper taken by locals in Winthrop. Wouldn't have been fun to be out in that.
I went out for about four hours yesterday. Started out on a nice close reach, one tack to squeak out past the Deer Island light then a 180 and back. Lazy sail with the wind dying down at the end. Nice and relaxing and boy I needed that. Felt great.
When I was leaving the mooring there was a guy next to me working on a very nice Freedom. Gary Mull vintage 32 I believe. I think he was surprised that I was going out alone. Boy am I glad that I am beyond that point. During the transition I can remember days when I had to grit my teeth to drop the mooring and get out there. Days when I drove to the boat with butterflies in my stomach. In particular a day with rough seas in my mooring fiend when I caught the mooring pendant on my rudder. I was exhausted by the time I had freed it (cut it) and gotten off the boat.
Perseverance has been well rewarded. I know my boat now. I know enough about sailing now to think things through and to avoid putting myself in a bad situation. Equally important is to remain calm when the unexpected does happen. It all allows me to do what I really want to do when I sail...relax. Last night I sailed for four hours and only tacked twice. I did decide to drop the sails a bit early on the return so I could meet my Wife for dinner on time. Then I picked up my mooring perfectly. A looping turn to come upwind...a single burst of throttle...tranny in neutral...locked the wheel...and a casual walk to the bow to grab the pick up stick. I capped off my relaxing sail with an ice cold beer and a few pages of my latest book then made my way home. Reduced my stress and blood pressure far more effectively than any medication ever could.
I went out for about four hours yesterday. Started out on a nice close reach, one tack to squeak out past the Deer Island light then a 180 and back. Lazy sail with the wind dying down at the end. Nice and relaxing and boy I needed that. Felt great.
When I was leaving the mooring there was a guy next to me working on a very nice Freedom. Gary Mull vintage 32 I believe. I think he was surprised that I was going out alone. Boy am I glad that I am beyond that point. During the transition I can remember days when I had to grit my teeth to drop the mooring and get out there. Days when I drove to the boat with butterflies in my stomach. In particular a day with rough seas in my mooring fiend when I caught the mooring pendant on my rudder. I was exhausted by the time I had freed it (cut it) and gotten off the boat.
Perseverance has been well rewarded. I know my boat now. I know enough about sailing now to think things through and to avoid putting myself in a bad situation. Equally important is to remain calm when the unexpected does happen. It all allows me to do what I really want to do when I sail...relax. Last night I sailed for four hours and only tacked twice. I did decide to drop the sails a bit early on the return so I could meet my Wife for dinner on time. Then I picked up my mooring perfectly. A looping turn to come upwind...a single burst of throttle...tranny in neutral...locked the wheel...and a casual walk to the bow to grab the pick up stick. I capped off my relaxing sail with an ice cold beer and a few pages of my latest book then made my way home. Reduced my stress and blood pressure far more effectively than any medication ever could.
