[Public-List] Misery Cruise part II

[Gordon Laco]

Well we are back from the second Misery Trip of the season.  This time all
expectations were fulfilled.

Sailed from Midland Bay Sailing Club Saturday morning; took our lines with
us this time...very much an indication that we would not be back until
spring.

Spirits were heightened by a cold but favourable wind from the NW, close
reached all the way down Severn Sound.  Once abreast Adams Point, and it
being only lunch time (loads of daylight left...) all hands resolved to
celebrate the last trip of the year with a circumnavigation of Giant's Tomb
Island.  

The wind now increased and hauled more north, so we galloped down the coast
heading for the southern limb of the Tomb.  As we neared it and entered the
channel between it and the mainland, the wind headed us (more west) and we
fell to beating up, finally clearing Bennett Rock buoy off the island.
Bennett is one of those critical marks that is always somewhere other than
were it is expected we swear moves itself in order to cause maximum
inconvience.  

Bore away in a rising west wind (traces of Gordon Lightfoot's song could be
heard in the scream in the rig...not the one about Christian Island!)
Lurched and leapt north reaching along windward side of the Tomb in rising
seas, were boarded several times.

Once on the safe bearing to approach the northern limb of the island, bore
away again onto a very broad reach  and hurtled into the shoal waters
trusting to memory and the chart that all would be well... At last saw the
red and green off Turtle Rock, crash gybed and glided into lee.

Or rather what was the lee... The wind now went south (?!) and we were faced
with a fairly savage beat the length of Giant's Tomb in order to clear Minos
Bank and then scram for our anchorage.

Arrived Frying Pan Harbour at 16:00hrs - glided into empty anchorage and
moored to the park wharf adjacent the woodstove in shelter ashore.   Had
dinner, got hot fire going ashore and told stories until midnight, snug and
warm.  

Had a rude shock back aboard SURPRISE - very cold and clammy inside. Got
woodstove in boat going - big expectations of coal fuel (almost as gladly
anticipated as new Prez in Yankydom to the south of us...)  Discovered that
coal is damned tough to light.  Got one batch burning that lasted three
hours - a best ever for a load of fuel in that stove, but could not get any
more to burn,  I have a lot to learn about burning coal.

Woke up this morning, pouring rain, 30kts of wind.  Will do away with sail
home as pure wet cold misery.  Fast, wet sailing, wind, spray and rain in
our faces all the way.

SURPRISE is now tee'd up and ready for haul-out tomorrow morning.

Season of 2008 - finis.


Gord #426 SURPRISE


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