[Rhodes22-list] Artic Sail

[Leland]

My marina was sold to a Sea Ray dealer and all sailboats were told to vacate
before the 1st of April.  Yesterday was the only day I had available before
the deadline to move her to my new marina.

By 8:00 a.m. the temperature had risen to 32 degrees.  Winds were predicted
at 15 to 18 m.p.h. until mid afternoon.  Perfect sailing weather.  The new
marina was only three miles north of the old marina by land, but twelve
miles by sea.  Naturally, the wind was directly from the north.

As bad as this sounds, it was a wonderful day of sailing.

The first hour was mostly a broad reach with little sail out.  I left the
motor hanging down in the water and the wind was still pushing me at over
five knots the entire time.

The second hour was motoring directly into the wind and chop.  I was dressed
for skiing to include polar mittens and a neck gator over my face, but my
front was soaking wet by the time I reached the Kent Narrows.  This wasn't
part of the wonderful day of sailing.

The most challenging part of the day was waiting for the drawbridge.  Since
I was the only idiot in the water, I assumed the troll operating the bridge
would raise it when he saw me.  I was told that the current at Kent Narrows
was strong but had no idea how difficult it would be to keep a boat
stationary in that kind of wind and current.  By the time I got to my cell
phone and called him I must have done half a dozen 360s.  He told me he
couldn't open the bridge until I let him know my intent, which I can
understand because he probably couldn't figure out what the heck I was
doing.

When I got through the Narrows, the wind was decreasing and the temperature
was increasing and life was good.  Spent the afternoon sailing in about 8
knot winds and nearly 50 degrees with not a cloud in the sky or a care in
the world.

I should have bought a sailboat a long time ago.

Lee
1986 Rhodes22  At Ease
Kent Island, MD
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