In this case, the "Charlie Gibson" I am referring to is the real one not the dinghy. Last fall, we took our friends Becky and Charles sailing. The day was cloudy, cold and overcast. The sailing was fair and at least they got a taste of what sailing on the Neuse River is like. We told them at the time that we wanted them to come back when the weather was better for a proper sail where we could deploy all our canvas and have a more enjoyable experience. Early last week, we detected a weather window between the rainy periods we had been experiencing in recent weeks. By mid week we were as sure as we could be of the weather so they made a reservation at the Oriental marina and Inn for the weekend. Of course, immediately after plans were made the forecast changed for the worse, then for the better and soon it was apparent that the forecasters had no idea what the weather would be like, as usual. We were hopeful that we would be able to go sailing on at least one day during the weekend.

Friday April 3, 2009
Since Judy is gainfully employed now, we could not leave until nearly 7 pm on Friday night. Becky and Charles were enjoying a leisurely dinner at the M&M in Oriental during our drive time. We arrived at about 11:30 after making really good time. We missed Raleigh's rush hour completely. We were surprised that the water was higher than we expected. With the strong Southwest winds that had been blowing all day Friday, we expected low water conditions. The only chore I had before going to bed was the bed itself. I had made a new foam mattress for my side of the v-berth. I had replaced the mattress twice before because when the foam gets compressed it causes my back to ache. Judy who is a much smaller person has not had as much trouble, but even for her the old foam is beginning to pack down. I took the cover off the old cushion and put it on the new cushion and we were able to turn in before too late. The wind was howling when we went to bed but we hoped for the best on Saturday.

Saturday April, 4 2009 (Matthew's Birthday)
When we emerged form the cabin on Saturday morning we found beautiful weather and everything covered in a coat of yellow dust. Yes it's the time of year for pine pollen and Pamlico County North Carolina is the pine capitol of the world. Pollen covered everything and it was so thick you could see footprints on the dock. The wind had diminished during the night but sunrise brought it back.
Don and Trish from Ragtop was present for the weekend as well as Motivation's Robert and Tammy who we had not seen them in a long time. They are beginning the process of moving back to Carolina from the great frozen north. We wish luck in finding a house and maybe even a new boat.

We contacted Becky and Charles and arranged to have breakfast with them at the Oriental Harbor Deli. The forecast was for the wind to steadily decrease all day. I wanted to take a look at the river from Oriental before I made a decision about going sailing. Breakfast was great as usual and the conditions on the river were calm enough that we decided we would go for a sail.

We left the dock at around noon. The water level was about average and we had no trouble getting out to Broad Creek. I had already prepared the lazy jacks so getting under sail was a simple matter of heading to wind and raising the main and deploying the jib. I pulled the diesel kill switch and we were sailing in no time. We had some wave action and the wind was still at least 10 knots. There were some whitecaps but generally the conditions were good. A broad reach allowed us a nice flat ride. We sailed for over an hour before we started thinking about refreshments. Although conditions were fairly good, the helmsman needed both hands to steer. In order to have a few minutes intermission Judy and I brought the boat up to a close reach and moved into what is known as a "heave to" position. That maneuver caused the little ship to sit quietly broadside to the wind. There was a significant angle of heel but not enough to make anyone uncomfortable. We maintained this position for about half an hour while snacks were served. When we were ready to start sailing again, I turned the wheel hard to starboard, jibed the boom through the wind and headed back the way we came. When Judy and I attended the Oriental School of Sailing, our instructor told us that learning how to heave to was almost worth the price of the school. I don't know if it's that valuable but it sure is a handy trick if you need to break for refreshments or go to the head.

The wind had built steadily while we were out but our return trip was very calm because the wind was from astern. Judy and I put the boat on a wing and wing run and we headed back toward Broad Creek marker 1. When we got near the mark we started the diesel, dropped the main into the lazy jacks and furled the jib. Back at the dock we encountered a fairly unusual situation. A stiff westerly breeze was blowing toward the dock. This foiled my normal docking routine because the wind on the starboard side would not allow the bow to go to starboard while in reverse. Luckily, several of our dock mates were around to help. Knowing I had plenty of help, I abandoned my attempt to motor into the slip and allowed Richard and Don to help me wrestle her into her slip. The landing caused no damage to the vessel, her crew or the landing crew and was judged a smashing success.

After covering the sail, we put the Whortonsville Yacht and Tractor Club's cockpit to use. We relaxed and visited with Becky and Charles for a while until it was time for dinner. We were delighted when they gave us a beautiful pair of antique brass and silver wine goblets. They look like something that would be found on one of Captain Nelson's British Ships of the Line.

Regular readers will not be surprised to learn that our dinner menu was grilled salmon, brown rice and cold bean salad. For my taste, it's the best meal ever. We were just finishing dinner when Richard and Frances joined us. They had arrived while we were out sailing. I was glad our friends were able to meet each other. The day on the water started to take it's toll on us and the party broke up at a reasonable hour.

Sunday April, 5, 2009
There were no cases of insomnia report on Sunday morning. The new bed worked great although it is considerable firmer than the old bed. We called Becky and Charles and decided we would meet them at the M&M in Oriental for lunch. After a very tasty meal, Becky and Judy went in search of lodging in the town of Oriental. We hope to be entertaining more guests later this summer, including Becky and Charles, and it's always nice to know what is available. Charles and I went to the Provision Company so that I could pick up a few of the items on my endless want list.

We all left Oriental before 2 pm. Becky and Charles reported an uneventful trip home and we enjoyed the same. Judy and I stopped by to see her parents who had been on an extended vacation. We found them well and glad to be home.