Sometimes you just have to do it. Throw caution to the wind and go for it! Well, we threw caution to the calm today because there wasn't a puff of wind and not only that, we had a new tow-toy for the kids to enjoy. Before leaving home Morwenna's mast was pitched into the garden and she became a pure motor boat for the day. A few kilogrammes lighter and a lot quicker to get into the water, we left harbour just before 10:30 and set off down towards Safa Island. Both boys had a turn at helming before we got the air pump out to inflate the double doughnut and streamed it on the new rope. Jumping in, Robert took the front hole and Luke the aft hole. All set? Go!
Morwenna responded well to the reduced weight of no mast and the ballast tank empty, spinning up to 15knots with the kids in tow. Round and round we went, crossing our own wake and bouncing the boys until they were grinning like cereal packet pictures. After a while Rachel was also feeling the effect of the bouncing so we moored up and had a swim on the seaward beach of Safa Island followed by lunch. Even now it is warming up - once we pass the equinox and there is more time to heat up in the day than to cool down at night, it is like turning on the oven. Daytime temperatures are already over 30degC and it's only going to get worse so another swim was in order before more motoring.
At first Rachel claimed that she didn't want to try out the toy but when it came to her turn she didn't show much reluctance in jumping in. Of course I had to have a go too. Good fun, especially when the toy 'accidentally' tipped up and deposited us in the warm sea.
By 1430 it was time to head back to DOSC since Rachel had to complete her Level 1 sailing assessment. The wind was very light but it had returned in the afternoon and she passed, albeit not very quickly. Well done Rach!