It's early Sunday morning and we're once again anchored off Shell Island. This place was hopping yesterday but most of the boats left before dark and now all that remain are a few sail boats. The wind has been relentless and sometimes I have to duck in the cabin just to get out of it for a while. It's blowing about 17 now with gusts to 20. I actually got a good nights sleep and only woke up a couple of time to check. Maybe I'm starting to get used to this sleeping on the hook. I think it helps being in an anchorage where the worst that could happen is you get stuck in the sand - much less worry than being hit by a tow :-)
I had the most amazing sail on the way here yesterday! The winds were 15-17 and gusty. I had one reef in and about 3/4 of the jib out. The bay waters were a moderate chop and as we got closer to the pass they were a bit wild. She handled like a dream. There were a few times it felt like I was flying.I really enjoyed using the autopilot. It was so easy just to let it take control while I adjusted the sails. It made the crew happier too as I could make quick adjustments so we didn't heel excessively. We finally managed to get things right in the cabin too and didn't have anything flying around!
I put the bimini down before we left the marina and my GPS worked great the entire way - not one lost signal. I actually like sailing better without the bimini as I can get a good view of the sails. The only problem is I sunburn easily - so it's a hat and long sleeves for me. I did have a slight hitch with the autopilot and I'm not sure yet if it's a user issue or something I need to adjust in the set up. I just couldn't get it to tack correctly. Every time I used the autopilot to tack she stalled out. After 4 or 5 tries and one that involved a close encounter with a bouy - I gave up and tacked the old fashioned way.
Our friend Mike rafted up with us and a few other boats from the marina showed up too. Mike grilled some shrimp and bread and I made rice and broccili to go with it - yummy! I had a quiet evening fishing off the back of the boat while Coleen spent nearly all day making jewlry. Her friend Goldie gave her all sort of supplies for jewlry making as a going way gift. i fear for little beads in my bilge - but what can you do - she's having a ball.
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January 2019
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