How was Your Sail?

[crazycarl]

Im on several sailing forums.  The members post about their sails and maintenance's. I don't see many posting here about trips or day sails. I will admit I don't post a lot here either, because I'm out 2-3 times a week and usually they're unplanned last minute sails. Those would read alike and repetitive. Last evening's sail was a bit different. The pressure from my sinus infection waned just enough for me to go out. As I tried to make my way up Kershaw creek, it seemed no matter what direction I headed, it was into the wind. Our neighbor Bob joined me in his sailing dinghy for a bit. I wasn't getting to where I wanted to go so I headed back down the creek and once again was straight into the wind. Then I took notice of the flags flying from all the docks. They were heading all directions. The tall pines were swirling the winds in this thin part of the creek. Now heading towards the Oriental bridge I decided to take a break and sailed into a deep cove. After a not so refreshing thermos of warm water and some addictive dried mangos, bananas, & strawberries, I started out of the cove only to find the winds had shifted from east to north so now they were, yep, on the nose. A smart sailor would have known to start up the o/b and motor out, but I was captaining this ship. I stopped counting tacks at 14 and still had a good 100 yards to go. Trying to get the most out of each tack, we came dangerously close to docks, piers, and pilings. On one tack the starboard shrouds pulled pine cones and needles off a tree cascading them onto the deck. Finally out on the creek again we headed to the bridge with the "Bean", our local coffee shop across the street from the free docks, our destination. Before I head to the docks, I check the webcam to make sure there is space for me. The view showed the water was up and over the wall, flooding the street. I like my coffee, but not if I have to get my feet wet, so we entered a port tack that a sudden gust had us spinning around at an uncomfortable heel.
Then as quick as it came, the wind subsided and we ghosted our way up the creek to the entrance of our cove. With the genny furled I went forward to drop and gather the main. That is when the wind returned. Working fast with my head spinning around making sure we don't drift into a collision with a dock or the shore, I secured a single tie to the sail and started the o/b. Now all tied up to the dock, my wife called from the back porch "Are you heading out"? I explained I was coming in, in which she replied "You know there is a small craft warning until 8pm"? Yes, I knew. I even left the dock with a reef in the main, but shook it out once out there. We have a SCA several times a month, but that is for the river, and even then I have taken "Miss Adventure" out to practice reefing and sailing in nasty weather.

Okay, that's it. Now, who's been out sailing?

[Christopher]

Thank-you for sharing this adventure.  My adrenaline intensity increased since I could envision this since I sailed there last year.