things with wings

[MrSkeet]

Emily Dickerson wrote "hope is a thing with feathers" and Woody Allen's "my uncle herbie is a thing with feathers": I say our boats are things with wings. Today, after a windy Monday launch with a hairy mooring pick-up and Tuesday's boat sponge bath (funny how my capri can go from pristine to salt-encrusted in one day), today was the sail that makes it all worth while, a ten knot wind close hauled and reaching around the Miserys to Manchester then broad reaching back to Salem. A perfect three beer boat ride. I even got my mooring on the first go (unlike Monday's seven tries in 30 kt wind). With a few white caps at first, I had no jib and a tight main, outside of the harbor some jib and a looser main had my boat sprouting wings, flying to the islands. Can't wait to do it all again tomorrow.
Wooster w/wings

 

[jerrymlewis]

Where is the "LIKE" button?

 

[sinnettc]

Briefly passed by your neighborhood a couple weeks ago. Enroute from Maine to Logan, then down to Florida and finally home to Oregon.

 

[MrSkeet]

Yesterday was more "things with wings", light wind, (8 kts ?), no white caps yet clearly defined ripples/wavelets. With a very loose main (no Cunningham, no outhaul - clew ten inches forward of boom end) and all 135% jib, gave me a satisfying 4,5 knots. Close hauled/reaching out of Salem harbor, past Haste and Coney islands, beyond Bowdich ledge then between Misery and Baker's islands. Once past these barrier islands the cold Atlantic had a gentle three foot swell making the ride rhythmic and entertaining all the way to Magnolia/Gloucester. Then as if to compensate me for good things I've yet to do, nature shifted the wind from ESE to S, with a 4 knot close reach back to Salem. Orion covered 20 miles in four hours; barring tacking out/in of Salem harbor, I had one jibe off Rafe's Chasm, my turn around point. Heading home, I looked over my shoulder at the rolling ocean's expanse, wishing this could go on for ever; however, today family and I board a bigger ship in Boston for a Bermuda cruise. Fun of a different sort.
Wooster

 

[shnool]

Super jealous of your sailing venue dude... nice writeup.