What to do when week after week of bleak, chilly and soggy weather unexpectedly gives way to three or four beautiful days of almost too-bright sun, unseasonably 80-90 degree temperatures and just enough wind to whisper, "drifter..." Go day-sailing, of course... More to the point was to give Deanna's long-suffering grandson, Rory, a little taste of what his year and a half worth of assistance made possible.

Rory was appointed Skipper-for-a-Day once we cleared the marina; however, once in the Potomac it still took an hour or so to work free of the lee of the shore. It was an exercise in patience weaving in and out of dozens of crab pot floats, but avoiding them was not an altogether unwelcome means of working out some of the kinks (both boat and crew) accumulated over the winter.

The usual skipper, an increasing rotund and still lame gallute following a winter motorcycle mishap, filled in where he could, but Rory and Deanna shepherded Wings back and forth until we got enough room to begin to pick up a breeze... then it was Katy Bar the Door... the GPS zoomed right up to 1.5 knots for awhile, then teased us with blistering 2.0 knots and then fell back as the wafts disappeared again- eventually, however, Rory coaxed Wings up to nearly 4.0 knots during a fleeting interval of more obliging wind... all in all a wonderful day of modest sun-burn, some low key deck scrubbing and just enjoying the water and each others company...