Weekend of perfect sailing

This weekend I had intended to sail non-stop from Saturday morning until Sunday evening. Unfortunately, there had to be a last minute change of plans. However, that didn't stop me having a great sailing weekend. On Saturday Yolande and I sailed out to Cape Ann and back, a trip of about 55nm which took a total of 9 hours. The winds and wind direction were perfect. We sailed on a close reach in both directions and for large portions of the return journey at hull speed. When we got back we had a corn rissoto dish on the boat that Yolande had made. Every day of good weather we now take to our advantage, as the season is getting close to an end.

You may get bored with my keep putting pictures of the approach to Boston. However, no matter how many times I see this view I still can't get over its beauty.

On Sunday I sailed with a sailing friend Bob. This was an important trip as it was leg 70 of the season - but more about that later. Bob's boat Fujin is about 5 slips from ours and we sail together when we can, and when not we share sailing stories (just like with fishing, they can get bigger and better with each recollection). We sailed out along the main chain, down lower middle towards Deer island where the winds dropped. So we turned and sailed around Spectacle island and back home. The winds were fickle - as we were leaving along the main channel we were having 90 degree wind shifts which resulted in a couple of accidental gibes. On the way back as we were tacking along the main channel this wind shift was revealed again in our path. On the southern side of the channel the wind was about 45 degrees different from the northern side with winds shifting from 5-20 knots.

As Bob said in an earlier text message between us - "it would have been a crime not to sail".

Bob has also given me the urge to get my captain's license. For this I need to have documented 360 legs on a boat. If I don't include legs on chartered boats, just those that are in Prairie Gold's log book then I need to complete 85 legs in 2012 an 2013. Only 15 to go this season and about 5 weeks to do it. Its going to be close because as the weather starts to turn colder, there will be less incentive to get out.