This time of year can be lovely at the coast. October is one of our favorite months. We had planned a trip last weekend but rain kept us home. This week we watched the weather all week and made the final decision about Thursday. The forecast was for sunny skies with a high temperature of not quite 70 degrees. The good news is that the water is still fairly warm in October. We made the decision to go enjoy the sunshine and sail if the first mate deemed it warm enough.

Friday October 25, 2013
This was a typical weekend trip. The car was packed so we were on our way shortly after I finished work at 4:30. We stopped for dinner at Smithfield Barbeque in Siler City. Not great food but better than some and it is fast and hot. We made our usual couple of stops and watched the car thermometer temperature drop steadily the whole way. When we arrived it did not seem as cold as the temperature suggested and again, I think it is because the water is still warm. We also noticed an unusual number of cars in the parking lot. Stefan was in the cockpit trying to surf the Internet. We had not seen him in a while. Later we found that our "next slip" neighbors Ken and Jan were there as well as Art from the classic Tartan 30 Resolute and John from the Westsail 32 were there as well. Robert from Motivation arrived after we went to bed along with his friend Mike.

Saturday October 26, 2013
The big news at Ensign Harbor is that John is the new owner of a Bristol 35 yawl. (Picture of the new Bristol 35 above). He seems very proud of her and he should be. Bristol yachts are some of the best production boats ever built. The 35 has beautiful lines and long overhangs typical of her mid seventies vintage. Nick and John brought her to Brown Creek from Oriental on Friday in a stiff blow and reported that, although they resisted the urge to put her rail in the water, she sails like a dream. This is a serious blue water vessel and will take a crew anywhere they can go by water. The boat has an amazing amount of equipment, everything from refrigeration to radar. John told me he was going to rename her Sarah (not sure about the "h") after his mom. I have never sailed a yawl. Maybe I will get invited to go out on the river sometime. Since John is now the owner of two boats. The Westsail 32 is for sale. If anyone is interested in a classic blue water sailboat, get in touch with me and I will get you in touch with John.

After the tour of the Bristol 35 Judy went to consult with Jeanette on a knitting project while I started getting Southern Star ready for an outing. I had replaced the sheave in the jiffy reefing cheek block. The sheave does not turn as smoothly as the old one but it does turn and only gets used about once every two years when we find the need to reef the mainsail. We had decided earlier that it was a bit cool but the forecast gave us nice easy winds and the sun was bright. Judy bundled up for the trip but I never needed more than a flannel over-shirt. What a gorgeous day! Motivation left the dock about 20 minutes ahead of us. In the light air the C-30 managed to catch the much larger Hunter 35 but it took a while. Mike seemed to be enjoying his first sailing experience. We spoke for a few minutes then veered off. Southern Star's course was a triangle from Broad Creek #1 to Piney Point #4 to Gum Thicket #6 and back to Broad Creek. It took a couple of hours with the light air but we did manage to get up to about 4 knots a couple of times in a puff. There was a lot of relaxing and enjoying the weather and none of the excitement and drama that can be part of the mix. The temperature was in the high sixties the wind was about 5 knots skies were clear and the sun made the water sparkle. This is the kind of sailing experience that reminds you why you own a sailboat in the first place. Unfortunately there are aspects of sailing that are not quite so rewarding. At about 4pm the sun began to drop along with the temperature, and the wind picked up. We had had a great sail and were ready to return to the dock. Art and Ken helped us land. We can land the boat by ourselves and have done it many times, but it is always nice to have help from folks who know how to land a keelboat.

After I got the boat tied up and covered Art invited me over to see his new water supply line installation made possible with adapter couplings he bought on line. I should do the same thing because our supply lines are original equipment clear plastic lines. Oh well, I will put it on the list.

Dinner was salmon patties, brown rice and green beans, one of my favorite meals. After dinner we went to the cockpit and had a great time catching up with folks we had not seen in a while. Jeanette brought a delicious desert that everyone enjoyed. Our small propane heater made the cockpit comfortable enough for Judy and Jeanette. The canister did not last long but it was long enough. We had a great time telling (to use Art's term) "unlikely stories". We turned in at a reasonable hour. It was not quite as cold out as Friday night. The boat was comfortably warm and we slept well.

Sunday October 27, 2013
We were up at the usual time. Breakfast was coffee and cereal but not on deck because it was a little "crisp" for that. I had done most of the "buttoning up" on Saturday so we had plenty of time for packing and visiting. Judy says I always drag my feet when it is time to go home. I guess she is right even if I don't realize I am doing it. We left a little before noon with plans to stop along the way for lunch. This was an exceptionally good sailing weekend made even better by the presence of so many good friends. We are looking forward to a weeklong trip in November. I just hope the weather holds. We have not been on a long trip all season.