A glorious day. Sunny and warm. In the 70sF/low 20sC.
I dropped the mooring at 10:00 a.m. in calm conditions and rode the tide north at 1 knot for a half hour before any wind came up. GANNET went from 1 to 5 faster than I can write the words. We stayed mostly between 5 and 6 knots, but, still being helped by the tide, did see some 6s and 7s in not more than 5 knots of wind.
I let the replacement Raymarine tiller pilot steer some, but I mostly steered myself. No problem steering with my left arm. I even hand held the jib sheet with a single wrap around the winch for a while in my left hand.
I turned around near a cruise ship anchored north of Russell.
On the way back the wind dropped and it took me an hour to cover the last half mile. I passed a moored sailboat three times both forward and reverse, forward with wind, back by tide. I thought about digging out the Torqeedo, but didn’t, and finally a slight breeze carried us to the mooring which I picked up under mainsail alone.
My shoulder aches, but not much more than usual.
Steve sailed SPARTINA on the Pasquotank River.
Ken sailed on the Swan River in Perth, Australia.
Tom sailed on Tokyo Bay.
Shelton sailed on a lake in Georgia.
Rik sailed off Aruba.
Shelton sailed on a lake in Georgia.
Rik sailed off Aruba.
I expect that Bill and Roger will sail in the Bristol Channel.
A tennis player did play.
A runner and music lover ran and listened to Bach whose 330rd birthday it was.
And sailing friends near Chicago where marinas don’t open until May 1 enjoyed martinis.
I trust more joy will be found before the weekend is over.
After I post this, I’m moving on deck to listen to music and sip Laphroaig.
Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ would seem appropriate, but is too boisterous. I’ll find something more serene.
Contrast the above with the last photo I took this month.