Today was a very difficult day to go sailing. I should have done it first thing in the AM but I wanted to go for a day sail w a friend on his 32footer and one delay after another and we found ourselves ready at 2pm just as it started to rain. For the next five hours it rained at various levels if intensity from drizzle to absolutely crazy. Lightning too. We watched the radar constantly and finally around 630pm it was clear that we were approaching the end.
By the time we were casting off it was 730. We motored a few minutes out of the mooring field and then rolled out the genoa. We made a good pace to windward and suddenly after 30 minutes we were well past Ned's Point lighthouse and ready to cross the harbor to make a long circle back towards port. Suddenly flashes that were well away from us on the horizon before seemed to start coming from directly above us. It seemed like inter-cloud lightning and I did not hear thunder so my impression was that as scary as it is, it's not even close enough to hear. I'm not sure if this was a correct assumption but I wanted to err on the side if caution and suddenly I was also dealing w two sailing companions that were really nervous and wanted to get back ASAP. If they could have run on water, they would have taken off and left me to deal w the boat. They made me nervous too even though I felt confident that we were still in a relatively low risk situation. The radar had all the rain well the the south of us over Martha's Vinyard and tracking North East.
We got back and rolled that genny up so fast. Everyone dealt with what they needed to and no longer than unites after we tied up, we were motoring off the the dingy. At that moment, it occurred to me that as much as this sucked, it was a good drill and hopefully I will use the experience in the future.
Mantra for sailing nerves: The better I do at this task, the safer I am. Focus on the avoidable and prepare for the next.
I didn't get many pics (no moon and it was cloudy) but here are a few....
Boat yard employee (and sailing buddy of mine) having his dingy pumped out by a yard customer who needed a ride, LOL
Oh, yeah it looks like it is clearing up. Radar says so too. 
This may be the last photo I ever take of myself so I better be smiling dammit. Delete the other two! Dockside post-storm pre-sailing "selfie". 
Well done.
ReplyDeleteMonday and Tuesday were difficult weather days. I wimp out from sailing my Laser on days like that. You are an inspiration!