Ahoy mates!
As planned we boarded the 24' Martin "PDQ" on the morning of July 16, 2011.
I almost cancelled; the rain was falling. However, we decided to drive out to the marina and decide what to do only after looking at conditions on the water.
When we arrived, the bay was blanketed in a fog; a condition of much greater concern than was the rain. As the boat was paid for and ours for the morning, we decided to head over to the Poodle Dog, a local cafe, and wait out the weather.
After a couple of cups of coffee and splitting an order of biscuits and gravy with my son, we headed out again. Exiting the cafe, we were bedazzled by how quickly conditions had improved. The clouds were slowing breaking up, with brilliant, white highlights beckoning us on. More importantly, the fog had dissipated and the bay was empty of boats - ours for the taking.
After introducing my sister to the basics of what I needed from her to crew the boat (and doing a little refresher with my wife and kids), we were off. Exiting the dock went brilliantly - with none of the problems that I experienced last month. There were boats docked on either side of the channel, so exiting the marina produced a fair amount of anxiety, but ultimately, we made it to the bay without incident.
Now, never in my life have I ventured to Puget Sound beaches and not experienced wind, so it seemed odd that my second time out without an instructor was as windless as the first. Clouds of smoke from the factory across the bay formed perfect vertical columns, ninety degrees to the horizon. Occasional gusts spun the masthead fly around, never finding clear direction. But we decided to raise the main anyway.
All went smoothly except for failing to notice that the previous charter had reefed the main on my initial hoisting of the sail. Occasionally, we'd catch a breeze but mostly we cruised along like a turtle in the sand - making about 1-2 knots at the most. It wasn't very exciting, but it did help build confidence in my ability. It also helped to alleviate my wife's fear of the water, so I guess our befriending the doldrums has served its purpose. I do miss the wind, though.
Next trip - July 28, leaving dock at 8am.
Take good care, me-hearties!
After a couple of cups of coffee and splitting an order of biscuits and gravy with my son, we headed out again. Exiting the cafe, we were bedazzled by how quickly conditions had improved. The clouds were slowing breaking up, with brilliant, white highlights beckoning us on. More importantly, the fog had dissipated and the bay was empty of boats - ours for the taking.
After introducing my sister to the basics of what I needed from her to crew the boat (and doing a little refresher with my wife and kids), we were off. Exiting the dock went brilliantly - with none of the problems that I experienced last month. There were boats docked on either side of the channel, so exiting the marina produced a fair amount of anxiety, but ultimately, we made it to the bay without incident.
Now, never in my life have I ventured to Puget Sound beaches and not experienced wind, so it seemed odd that my second time out without an instructor was as windless as the first. Clouds of smoke from the factory across the bay formed perfect vertical columns, ninety degrees to the horizon. Occasional gusts spun the masthead fly around, never finding clear direction. But we decided to raise the main anyway.
All went smoothly except for failing to notice that the previous charter had reefed the main on my initial hoisting of the sail. Occasionally, we'd catch a breeze but mostly we cruised along like a turtle in the sand - making about 1-2 knots at the most. It wasn't very exciting, but it did help build confidence in my ability. It also helped to alleviate my wife's fear of the water, so I guess our befriending the doldrums has served its purpose. I do miss the wind, though.
Next trip - July 28, leaving dock at 8am.
Take good care, me-hearties!
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