one fine day

A boat named this post about Sunday's sail.

One candidate for a title would have been this weathered ketch, above and below, called PRECIOUS TIMES.  That could have been a description for the day, but maybe it is a better description of the time I get to spend out on the water on Spartina.

I was up before 6, out on the water by 7:30.  Clear skies and cool enough for an extra layer of clothing, with a steady northwest wind.  I motored down past bridge and raised sail off the Waterside Marina then headed to Crawford Bay to visit the fleet of six or eight snow birds.

Precious Times, anchored with the fleet, appears to be a local boat.  I hope to see it again during the season.  The smallest sailboat on the bay, you can see she needs not only varnish but also some tender loving care.  I expect she will get both.

After an hour and a half sailing solo I pulled into Freemason Harbor to pick up my friend Jim for a morning sail.  I had not seen him in a long while and we had to catch up on the Navigator he is building and the Schooner Virginia, for which he crews.

Late morning we sailed back to Freemason Harbor where I dropped off Jim and picked up my co-worker Aaron and his son Monroe for an afternoon sail.  Kate, the wife/mom, was running late, we picked her up an hour later on the Portsmouth waterfront.

The steady breeze continued, the day warmed and we sailed with a steady stream of snowbirds heading north.  Monroe, at the ripe age of two, has been out on Spartina three times now, each time feeling more comfortable on the boat.  I don't know what was more fun - watching Monroe enjoy being on the boat or watching his parents delight in his joy.  
 

It was one of those beautiful days on the water, the kind that is perfect to share with friends.  Breezy, not too hot and a rich blue sky.

Late morning it was this ketch above that summed up the day - ONE FINE DAY, out of Dungannon, heading north on the ICW.

There is a Dungannon, Virginia, but it is well inland.  I suspect this boat comes from a Dungannon farther north, possibly the one in Canada.  I watched them coming around the river bend past Portsmouth and timed my crossing to pass close by so I could get a better look at the pretty boat.  They were looking back at Spartina too.  We waved, I took a photograph, the woman made a gesture as if she were taking a photograph and shouted a greeting that was lost to the wind.  But they were kind enough to leave behind an apt description of the day.  Thank you, One Fine Day, for that.

steve