It's been dodgy weather around here since our return from Thailand, but I've managed a couple of daysails anyway. Had one great day on Pete Wilson's Mizan and practised a lot of the skills that I'd developed during the training course. We did snag some sunshine that day, and it was a successful outing.
Pete and I have been planning a couple of trips, one up the bay to Melbourne, and another out through the heads and up to Westernport Bay. I cancelled out last week on the Melbourne run cos the weather was dodgy and I had a nasty cold to boot. Basically, I was just feeling slack and the weather probably would've been quite acceptable once we got out there and rugged up.
For Westernport, we not only need a nice weather window, but need to keep an eye on the tide charts as well.
Despite snuffling around with a cold, we took Endurance out on Saturday with a reef in the mainsail and had a practise at heaving-to in stronger, 30-knot winds. Not terribly successful, so I read up about it once I came home and warmed up, so should perform better the next time.
I WAS pleased with the way the boat handled the 30 knots. We furled up the foresail while were were playing around with heaving-to and she still sailed comfortably with one reef in the main, plus the staysail. Thanks to our extra crew on the day, Paul Rose, who knocked up the bacon and egg sangas and did more than his share of the deck work, and Terry Brown for the extra muscles.
Anyway, let's see what this week holds. I've kicked the cold sufficiently to have had my first surf since the Thailand trip today, so now I'm ready to rock n' roll.
Pete and I have been planning a couple of trips, one up the bay to Melbourne, and another out through the heads and up to Westernport Bay. I cancelled out last week on the Melbourne run cos the weather was dodgy and I had a nasty cold to boot. Basically, I was just feeling slack and the weather probably would've been quite acceptable once we got out there and rugged up.
For Westernport, we not only need a nice weather window, but need to keep an eye on the tide charts as well.
Despite snuffling around with a cold, we took Endurance out on Saturday with a reef in the mainsail and had a practise at heaving-to in stronger, 30-knot winds. Not terribly successful, so I read up about it once I came home and warmed up, so should perform better the next time.
I WAS pleased with the way the boat handled the 30 knots. We furled up the foresail while were were playing around with heaving-to and she still sailed comfortably with one reef in the main, plus the staysail. Thanks to our extra crew on the day, Paul Rose, who knocked up the bacon and egg sangas and did more than his share of the deck work, and Terry Brown for the extra muscles.
Anyway, let's see what this week holds. I've kicked the cold sufficiently to have had my first surf since the Thailand trip today, so now I'm ready to rock n' roll.
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