[Public-List] First real sail of the year...

[Gordon Laco]

Hello gang - 

Well we took SURPRISE out for her first real sail of the year.  We sailed a bit on the way back to the club from our winter berth at Penetanguishene, but that was only for locomotion and not for the pure joy of it as tonight was.

We motored out of the club, seeing a turtle, which is always a treat but by no means a rare one.  Around the spit, then a few hundred meters to windward into Midland Bay.  We cut the engine back to a low idle, and up went the main.  I shut down the mill and used the boats forward way to let her fall onto port tack.  As the main filled and we heeled a few degrees, out came the genny and away we went.  SURPRISE began close reaching and smoothly accelerated to over six knots while heeling about ten degrees.   What sweet things new sails are.  

We set course for Snake Island and in what seemed only minutes found ourselves actually climbing to weather of it… the ruins of the never-finished stone cottage on it were invisible but I knew that ruin was there and I nodded in memory of the fellow who built it until he was lost bringing stone and mortar out to it one fall day.

Past Snake, we bore off then gybed around and scooted back toward Midland with the boom way out and a foaming bow wave.  Did I mention what sweet things new sails are?  The boat felt like she was on rails and her helm was light and scarcely demanding my attention to keep her to her work.

Too soon we were past the shoal buoy a mile out from the club, and we rounded up and to furl.  Under power we went back into the club, nudged into our jetty and that was that.  

First sail of the year.

Gordon Laco
#426 Surprise