06/20/2008, AC
I use that word perfect alot don't I? This summer has had strangely perfect condictions for sailing. Last summer I found myself looking despirately for wind everytime I went out.
Today was just fun and pushing the boat to 6 knots and upwards. I felt like working so I tried to stay close hauled and see how long we both could take it. I came in exhaused in 3 hours and little did I know at the time, she was flooding in 3 hours. I have yet to determine if it was the watertank that leaked into the bilge or the rail on the port side letting in water but when I docked, the bilge was full and there was 3 inches under each seatee. I imagine it was the water tank but I know the two holes where the ripped out stanchion base was contributed a bit to her dampening spirit.
Patched up the holes on deck and pumped her out.
Main lesson learned today: Although it is glorious sailing 6 knts in 85 degree weather with your toes stearing as you lay back in the cockpit and enjoy a greek shrimp wrap, Get over it!!!, cause when you get to port and are docking, your going wish you had listened to the first rule of sailing - Always where shoes on deck! Broke my toe on the damn Hunter protruding portlight over the V-birth!
Sunday was spent on the dock - Great whether, fat toe!
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06/13/2008, AC
Perfect day as the winds blew 10 knts steady...steady inshore that is. Not a puff to be found on the ocean and the day was a bust.
Had a great time watching schools of flying fish (beats me what kind) moving up the coast. The noise of them slapping on the water constantly was unique and great company on a quiet, windless day.
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06/08/2008, AC
So the weather looked deceptively perfect for a sail on Saturday. I could tell there was fog but it was difficult to determine if it was a coastal fog or intermitant. Had a perfect sail out of the inlet and the boat sailed herself to the 3 mile mark. Fog was patchy but not troublesome. At 3 mile mark the fog rolled in thick and visability was 100 yrds or so. Tacked and headed in.
Important lessons learned...GPS doesn't always work in thick fog. Who knew?!!! As I entered the Abscecon Inlet the GPS had me at the last bouy a quarter mile away. I then did not have time/room to lower the sails since 5 other boats were following me in thinking "Oh look, she must know what she is doing and where she is going cause her sails are stil up and no-one shy of a complete idiot would sail through the fog and into the channel with both sails up!" Winds had increased to 20 kts in the channel (a freak of nature I never experienced before - the wind always dies in the channel).
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