As I radio for an opening of the Cambridge Creek Bridge, I wonder about the people living in the condos right next door. The bridge tender tells me to keep on coming as the traffic bell goes DING DING DING and let's everyone know I am on my way down the creek. With openings from well before dawn to after dark, the residents must be used to it by now.
Just outside the creek I see the SULTANA. I smile knowing that I will be sailing alongside her in a little over a month at the Downrigging Festival in Chestertown.
Blue skies and a north wind, I tweak the outhaul on my brand new mainsail. I am pleased with the sail's shape but know I will be making adjustments for a while.
This is the first main I have had with tell tales on the leech. I try to adjust the sail to get them flowing aft. Not having any success, I choose to ignore the tell tales and adjust the sail by feel. When I look up at the red ribbons, I see them streaming perfectly. I smile. Making 2.2.
11:00 less wind, 1.1. 11:15 motorsailing. 11:20 wind returns, 3.6, then fails. The wind returns, now out of the west, tacking down the Choptank. Making 3.6 to Howell Point. 12:15 making 4.0 off LaTrappe Creek. 12:30 tack, 4.6. 12:50 tack, 4.1 to 5.4 in building wind. 1:15 off Island Creek, 4.7 and feeling very pleased with the sails. 1:40 Bachelor Point, making 4.2 until the wind falls off just past the yacht club.
1:40 Bachelor Point, making 4.2 until the wind fails off just past the boat yard. 2:10 wind fills in over the port quarter. It is early afternoon and I could easily make Tilghman Island. Instead we fall off to the Tred Avon River. I have friends to see. 2:30 turn to starboard onto Trippe Creek. Looking to port I see Snug Harbor and a beautiful white ketch tied to a dock. Soon Michael is putting out fenders so I can raft up to the ketch.
I spend the afternoon with my cruising friends Michael and Sheila, then get an invite up to the house for a dinner of melon soup, roast chicken and squash. How nice!
15.15 NM
1 comment:
Haha! I can relate to your observation that it's so often better to trim the sail by feel, then confirm with the tell-tales. Especially on my overgrown dinghy (O'Day Daysailor 17). Actually, it's a continual challenge, as my "feel" and the indicators sometimes don't match, then I'm looking around to figure out what's going on. Often, an incoming wind shift....
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