60 Degrees, 20% Chance of Rain
[gallery=”116_1633″ title=”Natasha” class=”left”] Such was the forecast for Saturday morning when Joel, Scott, and about 20 Krispy Kreme (down 15%) doughnuts, courtesy of Joel, arrived at the dock. Earlier in the week the forecast had been 50% chance of rain, and so all things considered, the weather was pretty pleasant - I didn’t feel one drop of rain. We disembarked in perhaps close to record time: winds were a gentle 5 knots and we were able to nimbly back out and get the bow around and pointed to the channel (narrowly missing the dock) where we hoisted the sails.
[gallery=”116_1644″ title=”Heeling and doughnuts” class=”right”] Fueled on the nutrients of raspberry jelly and chocolate & sprinkles doughnuts, Natasha (the Cal 22, the same boat we took out last week) brought us between the islands in the middle of the main channel, taking us around to an area of the lake I haven’t explored much. The wind was gusting close to 10kts, giving us a nice heel as we threaded the islands and worked our way toward the Lake Lanier Islands area.
Wanting to sneak up for a closer look, we tacked toward the shore until the wind died out. I sighed and cursed my inexperience, thinking that we had simply gotten too close to land. We drifted a bit and then cranked the engine to head back out where we might find more wind. As it turned out there wasn’t any. We killed the engine and confirmed that, indeed, it was quite still out.
[gallery=”116_1643″ title=”Scott” class=”right”] Drifting slowly back toward the dock (it was 11:30am by this point, and we should think about getting back in in order to make our 1pm return time), we decided to crank the engine. This decision being made, we tried for the next ten minutes to get the blasted thing started. Joel educated me on choke operation, and even lent his hand to the task. (Choking the engine, not me) Still it refused to so much as sputter.
When it seemed we might have to crank up a cell phone and call in for a tow - without wind and an engine, we were hard pressed to get anywhere - the wind gave us a couple knots, enough to loosen the sheets and make our way back on a gentle run. As we got closer to the dock the wind was getting nice enough to make me wish we didn’t have to go in, and of course at this point Joel got the engine running. If I suggested that we cut it off and sail the rest of the way in, of course we wouldn’t be able to crank it again, so we dropped the sails and sputtered back to the dock.
Thanks to Scott and Joel for joining me - of my little circle of friends, they’re probably the two who are most interested in sailing. On the boat we talked of future trips more extravagant than Lake Lanier. A day with gentle wind like Saturday is the kind of day that gives you false confidence in your abilities - lets you forget the time a few months back that you thought you’d just capsized the boat and say, “You know, I think I could handle a boat in the British Virgin Islands without a class.” People who’ve never been out on a boat tell me I’m right (neither Joel nor Scott commented). What does that say?