Felicity is back in her slip with a clean bottom and fresh antifoulant 6 layers of fiberglass over the worn holes, centerboard repaired and operational with a stainless cable this time. The trip back with small craft advisories out was pretty rough. I returned under bare poles using the iron sail, and riding high and empty she was a target for the 25 mph+ winds and the waves. Into the wind the bow would split the waves and the spray would spread out high and then fall back over the cabin with me sitting hugging the rear of it with my hood up over my hat. with the bow off the wind about 15 degrees the waves would pound the bow then spray me as if by a fire hose and the hood of my coat over my hear sounded like electronic crackeling, off the beam the wind was actually causing the boat to heel about 15 degrees, and off the aft quarter the roll was like a circus ride. Thank god for a dependable outboard. I cannot imagine having to heave the anchor to bend on the sail in order to let enough out to navigate which would probably have been under a drastically reefed main, not sure I would have set the Jib under those conditions the luffing would have had the jib flapping violently and would have been very loud! Making the slip was difficult but I did a reasonable job single handed though I did have to throw the engine into reverse once. The slip is on the southern shore and the wind was blowing steady out of the north west over a mile and three quarters of open water, even in the slip the boat was rolling and sending spray over the stern (I need the stern in the deepest part of the slip). Exposure to these kind of elements burns energy and fluids, I was a little drained but I thought it was supposed to rain today?? Sunny and calm what gives??
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 14:01:03 +0000