[Rhodes22-list] Le Menagerie:SPI Texas-After shakedown

[Jim White]

Hi ya'll
Haven't had a chance to post since putting Le Menagerie in the water. We 
had to replace some of the standing rigging, and make some small changes, 
but finally got through the shakedown about two weeks ago. WHAT A BOAT! The 
R-22 is about the friendliest boat I've ever handled!!! Even with our old 
blown out sails, it still points decently high, and downwind with the big 
genny is tons of fun.

Fathers day, I took it out into the open Gulf (Winds: 12 g 20 / seas-2,3') 
and had a blast. It was a maze of shallow water, and other boats (both sail 
and power, some large), to get out of the bay, not to mention beating the 
whole way, but she never missed a tack. The Gulf was blue and fresh, and we 
trolled for kingfish for awhile, before heading in on the run, 
wing-on-wing, and then a long reach to Port Isabel. Motored into our harbor 
(the entrance is a nightmare at low tide, it's only about 75' wide, and so 
shallow that even we have to stay to the far port side to enter....channel 
is silted in). BTW the 9.9, 4-stroke Honda is sweet, more than enough for 
the boat....

We're locked into the summer pattern here, light winds and small seas 
(barring a hurricane "event").  Hoping to sail up to Corpus Christi in July 
(about 120 miles up the coast). Right now I'm thinking of adding a vang? Is 
there something in the archives about that, or has anyone else added one 
(I'm sure you probably have!)...hope I'm not listing redundantly!

Thanks for all of your help and guidance with this great boat....

Jim White