I went out on Wednesday, November 23rd. Beautiful day, 65-70 degrees, partly cloudy, winds out of the south at 15 to 30.

This was one of those days that tested my limit skills as a sailor. I went out and should have known I was in for more than I could handle when the boat was moving at a pretty good clip without the sail or motor.

I got the main up and flew down the lake but had so much trouble heading back I dropped the sail and tried to motor in. I say tried because the motor was not as strong as the wind and after about 20 minutes of going backwards I put up the main again.

By this time the wind had become very gusty. A north wind was coming in and fighting with the south wind with me in the middle. I clawed my way back to Fisherman’s Point. I have the bruises to prove the fight.

Lessons learned:

1. One person in a 21 foot boat in a 30 knot wind is not an even match.
2. Keep the sail up and your hull down.
3. Maybe bigger is better when it comes to boat motors.
4. Crazy is not always safe but it is fun. If you survive.

On the way home I tried the Fairfield State Park Lake. This lake is mush smaller but really nice. The launch and dock are just right for a sailboat. The floating dock is made of recycled plastic (nice and soft). When I came in there were five boats tied to the dock. It is a busy dock.

The lake is a good sailing lake. I had a 5 to 20 knot wind out of the south. I spent about two hours on the water. It was a good day.

Sailing at Fairfield State Park

Once on the lake it was fine. I went about 4 or 5 miles down west on the lake. Nice. On the way back the wind had moderated and was just about perfect for the boat. I spotted a 20-30 foot Hunter about half way back to Fisherman’s Point. I am pretty proud that I only had to make two tacks on the way back.

As I entered the marina under sail, I was greeted by a couple of families camping out. The kids were really impressed and called out to me. The wanted to take a ride. I said maybe next time and brought the boat in under their watchful eyes.

It was a great day to be sailing.

Ashley on top of the world.

Great day, great crew, just the way it should be.

The world reflected in my eyes.

Video from late afternoon.

Video 2

We are coming to the end of Spring Break. Ashley has had a good time and her parents have too. She played two softball games and won both, she spent time with best friends, shopped and bought new clothes, and sailed. What more could you ask for?

Rain, rain, rain. At least the boat is getting washed.

Cynthia and I took the boat out on Lake Richland Chambers near Fairfield on Friday, March 6. That is 27 days after I bought the boat. The wind was between 10 and 20 mph and we had a great time.

We launched at Fisherman’s Point Marina. It is a nice ramp and dock with a small store and restaurant. It took almost an hour to get rigged up, loaded and underway. The Mini Kota electric motor really does a great job moving the boat away from the dock and into open water.

We sailed for a couple of hours getting use to the boat using just the main sail. This was the first time I’ve sailed  in about 20 years. The boat is fast and light. With the keel down there is a hum from the cable that lowers the keel.

After I dropped Cynthia off at the dock I went out again and hoisted the main and the jib. In these winds and with my inexperience it was quite a ride. I will have fun mastering the use of the jib over the summer.

Sailing is as much fun as I remember. Being on the water and using the wind is an incredible rush.

Here is a short video taken with my iPhone.

By next week the mini Kota Motor and battery will be installed so everything is probably working out for the best. I bought a MiniKota 50-42 for $188 from Amazon with free shipping. The little electric should be fine for moving in and out of the boat ramp area.

This delay also gives me time to rework the running lights. Not required for day use but you never know.

Old Winch Support

I forgot to take a before picture but this is the old support.

The Winch

The old winch was frozen up so I took it apart, cleaned the mechanism, and oiled it. It works fine now.

New Winch Support

This is the finished job. A new support and an operational winch.