blue skies and grey, a sailing debt repaid

A mixture of overcast and blue skies yesterday with a constant NE breeze.  Just a great day to be on the water.  I spent a lot of time taking photographs, trying to better understand the new Fuji X-20 camera.  I'm finding one of the tendencies of the camera is to under expose backlit situations, something easily solved by using the exposure compensation dial. (I'm not including the photo above when I say that.  That photo, to my eye, is just right.)

The clouds broke just as I got on the water, unseasonably cool, dry air giving us a hint of fall.

Late morning one of the SailNauticus came out of the small basin behind Nauticus.  We crossed paths, exchanging greetings before they headed down river.  On board I recognize Daniela, one of the sailing instructors who had taken me out for a sail last June when they were introducing the new sailing school to the public.  At the time she was nervous about taking a passenger out on the boat.  It was not her sailing skills that were in question - she captained a 65 foot sailboat in her native Germany - but she was new to Harbor 20 having sailed it only once or twice.  I told her I had a sailboat and could help with the lines.  That sail on the Harbor 20 went just fine.

A couple hours later, as the SailNauticus boat headed back in, we sailed side by side.  I reminded Daniela that on our June sail I had told her that I would repay her with a sail on Spartina, inviting them to join me for a little while.  Once the Harbor 20 was tied to the dock, all three - left to right in the photo below, Peter, Daniela and Liz - hopped on board.  

Having sailed fiberglass sloops all summer, Daniela seemed delighted to be on the wooden yawl.  As I raised the sails she announced that she would take the tiller and handle the sailing.  Just fine with me as I sat up forward and relaxed.  It was a nice little sail, with a steady breeze and talk of small boats and the beautiful river.

Daniela, Peter and Liz, thanks for joining me for awhile.  Having company on board made a good day on the water even better.

steve