Saturday was a perfect day for sailing; my first of the season. I approached JudyToo with some trepidation, not having sailed her since last October. Sailing is similiar to flying. I felt like I was bobbing along as a vague, mystical figure in a Renoir painting. Wind northerly between 5 and 10 knots, temperature 76F. Perfect is such a definitive comparative. Maybe it s best described by not so perfect. Perfect in every way marked only except when it was not so perfect. Imperfect described by, I suppose, what I forgot. Like flying, sailing is uneventful most of the time when the product of good planning. Maybe I should write up a check list, just like pilots do. I forgot to put the rudder down. I forgot to check the main halyard lines un- tangled. I forgot to clear the jib downhaul line. I forgot the radio. Yes. Maybe I need a checklist. But most importantly the day was ultimately defined by what I didn't forget: the beer and cigars. Sails rigged, covers stowed, mooring lines tossed, I fired up the Tohatsu and tiller in hand began backing out of the slip. Before I figured out why the rudder wasn't responding we, JudyToo and I, were headed at a not a gentle speed toward the opposite slipped boats. Then the rudder hawser became tangled as I struggled to lower the rudder into the water, all the while the boat is headed, stern first, toward the inevitable collision with the opposing dock. "AHHH!" Motor to idle, forward gear and full throttle. Now, still with no rudder we are headed full throttle toward the forward dock. I hope no one was watching what must have appeared to be a maritime disaster just trying to get JudyToo out of the slip. If they had I wonder if they were scratching their chins wondering if they will ever see us again.
Hawser finally untangled and rudder down, we proceeded, JudyToo and frazzled skipper to the big water. Although light and variable, the wind was all over the place. I like to set the sails and sail the wind, wherever that takes me tither and yon. Yesterday that proved to be a busy busy process, only slightly complicated because I also forgot to lower her center board. I suppose if it wasn’t for all this, sailing would be boring. Still, I managed to get through two beers and a cigar.
There were about 4 other sail boats on the lake. I had sailed quite a bit down wind and being too bright to tell time by my iphone, watched for them to disappear. With their sails disappearing one by one and the sun well past its apogee, I spent another hour beating my way back up wind before giving up, stowing the sails waking up JudyToo’s six horses. By the time we returned to her slip it was 5:30. Like flying, a good approach for a good landing. With a north wind I approached at idle hugging the south side of the channel, then cut the motor about 100 feet from the slip and glided in pretty as you please. It was a pleasant change from trashing the dock with JudyToo's bow as on previous attempts. I gave her a much needed spring scrubbing atop decks, dressed her for beddie byes and got out of there at 6:30, very sore and aching for some beddie byes myself. I and every muscle in my body limped to the parking lot, hopped on the Goldwing and headed for the sack. What a great, unforgettable day.
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