S/V Passage - Refitting a Classic (& Building Our Skills) Before Cutting the Docklines

When we first bought Passage and started telling people what a gem we'd snagged, we were told multiple times "they don't make boats like that any more." At first we'd just smile and agree with them, but we didn't really realize what that meant. Having been researching sailboats for a while, and seeing other boats in the harbor perform in different sailing conditions, I can't help but take a moment to broadcast just how right they are!

We went out yesterday in barely any wind, and then again today even though I was really nervous about having never been out in such strong winds. But my mom was in town with Tony (my stepdad) and we wanted them to experience how great Passage truly is. We'd made plans the day before to have our friends Lauren, Brian, Liz and Beth also join us so I was a bit concerned that we'd taken on more than we could handle and invited an audience to see us crash into the sailboat behind us as we tried to get off the can. However, seeing the waves as we drove down Lake Shore Drive made me feel a bit better about the conditions and Lake Michigan didn't look so overwhelming.

The harbor itself was calm but I could see boats heeled over at a significant angle, and while my mom was (a bit too) excited to "sail like a racing boat", I wasn't sure how we would do and several people took dramamine to prevent seasickness-including Tony who had gotten seasick in the suprisingly big swells the day before. Today, we saw what our boat can do in decent winds and I am even more excited to get Passage back on the oceans where she belongs!

There are two safety precautions I've learned in my plethora of reading in the last 20 months, which I've told David and our friends who sail with us often:
1) Schedules Sink Ships
2) Step up to Your Liferaft

The first one we lived yesterday when we cancelled our sail to Michigan City, IN to shop at the outlet mall due to intense thunderstorms predicted for the afternoon (which ended up being a smart decision). The second one we didn't experience this weekend (you sadist!) but seeing Passage cut through small swells, sail over larger ones and easily right herself when we were hit sideways during a tack made me realize that our boat will really be able to hold her own during foul weather. Comparing Passage's smaller heeling angle to those observed in the newer, fin keeled Hunters and Beneteaus made me truly believe that they really DON'T make sailboats like that any more!

When I came home and used my new login information to join the Pearson365.com website I discovered a short video that reinforced this even more...I hope I never have to find out if my boat is as tough as this Pearson 365...