Every weekend for the past several, I've wanted to get back out in the boat and do some sailing, but every time, something else has come up. A shame, because the winds have been great the past month. November probably is the best sailing month on the Chesapeake. Bummer.

So I decided that I would make it out there this weekend, knowing that this would be the last sail of the year.

I had planned on heading out on Saturday. I couldn't scare up a sailing companion, so I decided to just give it a go single-handed. My wife didn't like that idea so much and said she could go with me if I we sent on Sunday instead. O.K. then! We headed out today (Sunday).

Well, it was a beautiful day (if a bit brisk), but I could have used a bit more wind. If the National Weather Service is to be believed (and the jury seems still to out on that), Saturday was a pretty breezy day out there. Today, Sunday - not quite so much. There was enough wind to move the boat around a bit, but not the kind of "energetic" sailing I would have preferred. Still and all, a very nice day to be out on the water in any case.

It was a little cool out there -



But a nice day overall. Here is Gwynne Island over the starboard rail:



A little aft of the starboard beam is lovely view of Hills Bay:



And dead astern is infamous Stove Point Neck:



Dead ahead is the mouth of the Piankatank River and beyond that, the Chesapeake Bay:



The captain:



The wind, current and short daylilght hours conspired against us and prevented us from getting farther than the mouth of the Piankatank before turning around and heading back to the dock. Once there, I took the sails off the boat and winterized the fresh water system. Next week I'll head back out there to replace the head gasket on the engine (which has a slight leak), change the oil and winterize the engine.

Looking forward to spring...