[Rhodes22-list] 1st Sail of the Season

[Mike Cheung]

Lee,

You're making me feel better .....

I, too, am one-handed at present due to an inconsiderate Dodge pick-up truck
which picked a fight with my Cougar in February.  Fractured elbow, screws,
plates .....  the whole nine yards (a phrase which curiously has its origins
from aviation not sailing).  So, I've been sweating whether I'd be fit to
single hand anytime soon.  Sounds like it's worth a try.  Of course, I get
to trailer Muireann, so there's a little extra challenge.

On the bright side, Lake Erie does now look ice free!  Actually, we're
thinking of the Chesapeake for our first longish outing this year; probably
the second week in May.  I'll be bugging the list for cruising ideas
shortly.

Mike Cheung
s/v Muireann 1993/2008 Rhodes 22



Leland wrote:
> 
> Whenever my boat is dry-docked, we seem to get unseasonably perfect
> sailing weather.  This year I decided to keep my boat in the water and
> haven't been sailing once since early November.  Today I swore I'd go out
> come hell or high water.
> 
> The hellish part was mostly that my motor wouldn't start, but after losing
> a socket and screwdriver bit in the water (I need a big magnet to fish
> those things out), I was able to pull start the motor to life.
> 
> Temperatures in and out of the water were about 45 degrees, although even
> with the wind chill I was quite comfortable in ski clothes.  We had some
> gusts but the wind was pretty steady between 10 and 12 knots, and chop was
> manageable at about 2 to 3 foot.
> 
> I had forgot how much fun sailing is.  I had the poptop up and too much
> sail out for the conditions, but I never broached and the excessive
> heeling rarely slowed me down below 5 knots.  It was that exciting kind of
> sailing where it's more fun than scary.
> 
> As easy as the Rhodes is to sail it's still a two-handed job.  I'm
> recovering from some minor hand surgery and it was not a pretty sight when
> it came time to furl-in the sails.  Now that I know I can use my teeth to
> hold a furling line, I may never need to put my beer down again.
> 
> Weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday looks even better.
> 
> Life is good.
> 
> Lee
> 1986 Rhodes22  At Ease
> Kent Island, MD
> 
> 

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