Night Sailing on Lake Mendota

[Greene]

B and I just love night sailing.  Here is a short video from a recent sail on Lake Mendota with the State Capitol lit up under a beautiful moon. Just click on the photo.



Mike and B

[skip1930]

I agree. I's luv's to sail at night. It's off the dock at dusk and center gong buoy by dark in 88 foot of water, and out into the Bay of Green Bay. Oh about 3 for miles and come about. Home around midnight.

skip.

[Greene]

I agree completely Skip.  Night sailing is quickly becoming our favorite part of this sport.  With the nearly silent boat slipping along and the lights along the shore creating beautiful scenery we find ourselves whispering to each other as we go along.  Something magical about the feeling.

Mike

[crazycarl]

My first night sail was some years ago with our youngest daughter on our Bristol 22.  The two of us had left Winthrop Harbor about noon and sailed northeast until 9:30pm.  An easy tack northwest and we headed for shore.  The night was ebony and the stars were bright.

Natalie brought the little 8" tv out of the cabin and placed it on top of the companionway hatch and watched the olympics as we sailed towards the lights of Milwaukee. 

About 12:30am we turned off the tv and listened to the water curl off the bow as it sliced through the water.  You could hear the bubbles as they passed along the hull, and the slapping of the halyards on the mast.

It was at at moment I decided that I would never again have a tv or radio on while sailing at night.

Some times I'll take our little 15'r out at dusk and sail to a solitude spot, drop the hook and lay in the cockpit to listen to the the night and the water as it kisses the the hull.                               

Night sailing , is sailing at it's best.   Carl

[kickingbug1]

  carl hopefully you will have some night sailing time at carlyle. mike and brenda sailed at night last year. i have only done it once at mark twain lake in missouri. i must say its pretty cool. the stars are the best.

[Billy]

Mike,
What do you have going on with your mainsheet?
It looks like it's tied to you stern cleat.

[Greene]

Boy you guys are good!  I can't even sneak something past you at night.

Yup, it is tied off on the stern cleat.  We've struggled with the mainsheet cam since we bought the boat.  It tends to bind up which is pretty unsettling when you have to dump wind in a gust.  I need to replace the cam, but it seems to get pushed down our list of items to buy.  With the end cleated off the cam will grudgingly feed the sheet, so that is how we are using it for now.  

Here is the model on our 19. (Sorry for the poor quality pics -must have been a 2 martini lunch)  Any suggestions for a really good replacement?



 

Mike and B

[skip1930]

When I was a kid some where around 1964~65? my dad got me a ride on THE l2 US l9 Nefertiti out of Marblehead, Massachusetts for a 33 hour triangle non-racing course. Just for fun.

Wow! If remembered correctly I think we averaged about 14 knots the whole course. The swishy noise of the ocean working on the hull was somewhat frightful for a tasty fat youngster who had no desire to swim with the sharks. The crew was teasing me.

I had permission from skipper Warren to put on my 'oils' and flotation on and lash myself to her bow pulpit for some wave cutting experiences. That smile will never wiped off my face as I think back.

What a nice old retired lady of a boat. Not one human comfort below deck could be found as she was still light of weight. She was huge and empty inside.
Best part was freezing in the cockpit at night, eating Triscuits and cheese spread and so dark you could not see your hand in front of your face. And above a carpet of stars.

Yes the cam cleat for the for the main sheet, yours a Ronstan? Might look into a Harken, but even that needs to be 'held up' with a light line from the cleat to the stern pulpit. It's just not the right angle of the dangle for a comfortable reach or adjustment. I have no cure, and I certainly don't care for a mid-boom tac on a cruising boat.

skip.