Saturday 12 September 2020

Since it's been awhile and also because we're running out of recorded movies, mobile data for Netflix in the anchorage is very slow and anyway costs a bundle now that Google Fi has reduced its limited, unlimited plan to very limited, unlimited, we re-watched Groundhog Day. It remains a classic and mimics our current activities not to mention that of many others. Northeastish wind, into our direction of travel, has kept us snuggled into this very cozy hideout for now, but may ease this afternoon to allow fourteen NM slog to south end of Cape Cod Canal from whence to make our final push tomorrow into Provincetown. Expect to be there until at least Tuesday as another nor'east blow comes in Monday. It's getting that time of year up here with attendant crisp temperatures. We don't do crisp.

NOAA has just predicted that a more active than normal Atlantic storm season is possible. We're just over halfway through, already at Sally with likely two more, Teddy and Vicki, in train. After next one, Wilfred, we're out of names and go into the phonetic alphabet with two and a half months left. Mighty bold assessment for our boys in the National Hurricane Center. Perhaps they'll get it right this year.

Sunday

Wind remained fresh from the east until late. Full forty four NM run to Cape Cod today. No worries as current in Canal is against until after noon thus no rush getting to it. Started early (for us that's 0900) so plan to stop short for breakfast and meantime enjoying an easy beam reach across Buzzards Bay flying everything but a white flag of surrender.

Sailing can be a psychologically elevating and ennobling experience. It can help one appreciate life at its most basic and throw off that inner A type to relax and feel pure enjoyment. However, it is often said that anytime there are two boats going in the same direction it's a race. This is not accurate. It's only a race for the boat that's winning. After being squirted out of the Canal doing almost eight knots with following current, wind picked up and sail across Cape Cod Bay was a romp to P'town along with another sailboat. We were racing.

*** Rant Alert ***

As US slouches toward a national election, entertainment opportunities will certainly increase apace. Rabid ends of the political spectrum will provide some, but clearly not all, the fun. Universities full of little snowflakes who are terrorized by their own shadows have decided that they should indoctrinate their charges in the one right way instead of encouraging individual thinking. Hollywood has decided to judge the Academy Awards based on skin color rather than quality, going about more minority inclusion in the most perverse way. The idea that riots, destruction and theft are moral is given serious consideration. Police have been militarized and given duties far outside the need for lethal force plus bad cops cannot be fired and are given what amounts to an unlimited pass to abuse their authority. And it's virtually impossible to get unaccented news as even outlets claiming to be unbiased display ever more obvious agendas. Everyone is playing to his tribe as the rest of humanity is judged worse than wrong, they're evil. One interesting bit is that, unlike polls, betting lines, which are often more accurate, show the presidential race even. If we get four more years of the USS Trump (feel free to use your own perspective and imagination for words attendant to the letters) or indeed if Biden wins, expect everyone including those on the winning side to lose his !@#$%^&* mind (strength of adjective at your discretion). Although there are, of course, legitimate and serious problems, don't expect much movement toward constructive solutions any time soon. But hey, let's face it, good sense and adequate governance are awfully boring.

Jack & Jan