Day Sail

I told Lorie just a week ago or so how funny the idea of "going on a day sail" sounds. At one time it made perfect sense and would make for a fun day. If cruising full time, however, when you sail you are going somewhere and you don't stop where you started. Wrong.

The day started like any other day that we were "on the move." Button down the cabins, prepare coffee, snacks, remove sail covers, engine on, anchor up, leave anchorage, engine off and sails up. We were ready to leave after being holed up for a week, maybe a little too ready. The forecast was for light winds out of the east, which turned out to be south of east.

After tacking into the wind for five hours or so, I found our progress to be five miles. I didn't even need the calculator for this one, one mile per hour made good and 55 miles to our destination. Looking at other options I decided on an anchorage 10 miles to the south. With the wind from the ESE there would be no tacking and I should be able to make it by sunset. Wrong. The wind eased and so did our boat speed. Just as well, the anchorage is exposed to the south and passageweather was forecasting more Southeast winds. If it clocked around too far south it would be rough enough to spill the rum cocktail that was now firmly on my mind.

I guess I will swallow my pride and head back where I started the day. But even this wanted my sanity. With a heading straight downwind, light winds and seas that rolled Sanibel every which way I had to drop all her sails but just a scrap of jib sail. Otherwise, the flapping and flogging the sails were taking would have had me sewing for two days (actually, anymore I glue my sails together with 5200).

And here we sit, back where we started the day. At anchor, pointed ENE in 15 knots of wind. Perfect for our original destination. Thats okay, it is 9pm and this rum cocktail sure tastes good.