forecast - rain - fog visibility 1-3... it's time...

      This is what it looked like as we motored out of the boatyard at Tennants Harbor.  Not scared... just another day to learn the lessons yet to be unfolded.       I'm sure you are all jealous of my nice fish hat?        Getting ready to reef. Trying to decide what sail configuration to start with.       Ben in Maine's harbor... Camden Maine One excited man.  I think this should be his next profile!       Our first morning moored in Camden's harbor... fog...        More Fog in the morning... it just keeps rolling in all morning till afternoon!

Our first day sail in the rain…

Our first sail in the fog…

Our first sail to Camden Maine…

We left Tennant Harbour which was just a quick stop to get a shower since I had not had one in 10 days.  Ben could careless about a shower but it is hard to have long hair and it be greasy which by the way was not half as bad as I thought it would be. I think I could have gone another 2 days or so.  We arrived in Tennant boatyard to get showers and to eat at Cod End a restaurant known for lobster – no frills and cheap and a bunch.  All was true!  Thanks Bill and the 2 slugs for that suggestion!

We each had two lobsters! With corn, bisquit, coleslaw and salad for $24 each! Can’t go wrong there!

I had been watching NOAA weather for marine coast and the next day was to be rainy but it also said that the winds would be 10-20knots plus no mention of thunderstorms.  So I was confident now was the time to learn about rain and wind and sailing.  Ben I think was surprised I didn’t say, “Oh dear can we wait one more day.” Like I had the last 2 times we were to leave on thunderstorm days.  I know the time is coming and I was ready … even excited … I like to learn new sailing techniques under favorable circumstances and this seemed like the perfect bad time.

Off we went in the morning… I got on all my rain gear plus long underwear… I’m amazed at how cold I get in only 60 degrees and rain and wind!!! BUT this time I had on my bib-overalls for rain… my rain rubber boots that go to the knees, with thick socks, a winter hat that I bought while in Portland, plus wool gloves with the fingers cut out… warm I was! But not too hot either… just right.

When we put up the sail Ben asked if we should reef… he read my mind… I nodded yes! Cuz it is perfect weather to reef 18 knots and in rain it will have gusts up to 30 possibly and we want to be ready for that. 

We learned a lesson that we knew was true but were too lazy to do it…. Our lesson was… here was 20k winds and we were not fighting the weather helm (the wheel turning hard into wind cuz there was too much wind) we did not fight the motion of the boat cuz the boat was in harmony with the wind… and we were traveling close to the same speed we would be if we had full sails.  Here we were reefed withonly the staysail out (not our big jib).  Perfect harmony… perfect sail…. Ready for the gusts of wind… the boat did not heel far over but was pretty upright.  Many lessons learned.  When you don’t reef when you should that should not be called lazy that should be called stupid… it is easier to reef than to fight a wheel for hours.  I guess we knew that but had not put it into practice… so I’m going to try reefing the main in calm winds to get practice… ya-know I need to figure out the best way for my tiny muscles to get that big sail lowered and tied off by myself.

We sailed and this time we could not see more than 1 mile and sometimes ¼ mile.  I could hear the lobster boats but knew not where they were… I knew which direction but not how far… I popped on radar to see them.  I saw most but a few were not on radar… grrr I hate when that happens (why cant I be 100% at finding boats? I guess there is more to learn)… one time a sailboat snuck up on us… they make no noise, it was fine… but made me pop on radar every 10 minutes… Ben for excitement got to blow our fog horn! He is worse than a kid or as fun as kid however one looks at the excitement in a grown mans face being able to blow a fog horn. And blow he did! Of course we consulted the Eldridge book of tides and charts to see the appropriate blow pattern.

He asked me if I wanted to blow? Why would I deprive him the joy of blowing? It was more fun to watch him blow than me trying… until we were ready to enter Camden’s Harbor and Ben was in the bow looking forward and blow hard I did… just to surprise him and to show him that the kid in me is not gone or void but that I can wait my turn.  And blow I did.

Thanks to our Creator for again a safe voyage! amen