Sail - Friday Afternoon - July 2nd

 

Marcia and her sister and friend Rosa went to Benson early in the morning to honor her mother, Nelly, who passed away this time last year.

I took the afternoon off thinking they would be back by 1:30 or 2:00pm, but ...

So, I decided to leave for Empty Pockets, pick up the mainsail cover for the new banner, measure some things for the engine and come back.

On the way, Tom TM'd me and suggested we go sailing.

We went sailing.

When we left the slip, the wind was probably 15-20. But manageable. We headed on a close reach straight for Pepin, hull speed all the way. Then, to Maiden Rock on a broad reach, hull speed all the way. Then, at the point at HokSiLa, we turned back. Wind heavy, but just breaking whitecaps.

Then, things turned bad. Alotta wind, a ways to go, a full main up with 120% jib, we furled the jib down to 85% or so and struggled with the main. Indeed a challenge. Finally we doused the jib and sailed on the main by itself. To the harbor entrance.

There, calamity followed us on deck too. The pin that attaches the boom to the mast came undone. I removed the adapter, swapped it end for end, and replaced the pin. The main was next. One of the cord for the batton pockets wrapped about the rear stay. Could not get that ll the way down. Bagged it as best we could. The bilge was filling with water too - add one more thing.

Then, motoring to our slip, a neighboring boat came out of the canal by the slips so fast, we both thought he would not be able to turn, but ram in to the pier. We, reversed the transmission and let them go by.

We docked, and removed the sail cover and sail and called it a day.

I am going to look into a better arrangement for the mast and boom.

 

Later ...