Sailtember has begun

So just in time for Labor Day weekend and the start of Sailtember, the weather has taken a turn for the worst the last two days.  Yesterday (Day 1) I awoke to rain shower after rain shower.  I finally dragged my but out of the house to go sailing at 2pm.  It was still blowing hard from the earlier storms and my Windfinder App was telling me the seas would be rough and winds 18-25.  That kind of wind is towards my upper comfort range for a laser and especially a laser that I have not had a real veteran check out yet.  The mast step (base for the mast that is in the hull) was replaced by a previous owner and so much of the stress of the boat is channeled to that small area that I makes me worry.

Upon watching the water from the parking lot in Clark's Cove, I decided that the 25 minute drive to Wareham, where I could launch from a more protected spot in calmer waters, was well worth it.  The chop from the bay was making it kind of rough even at the dock.  I could see myself suddenly needing a hand when one wasn't going to be present and possibly breaking something.  That being said, I need to protect my own neck and the laser's too since I need to make it out another 30 consecutive days to meet my challenge.

So I launched from Tempest Knob in the Wareham River.  It really is a perfect little boat ramp.  Port-a-potty's, fresh water wash off, two floating docks attached to the pier directly adjacent to the ramp.  Every two with a navigable body of water could learn something from good ol Wareham.  It also has a nice mix of people from the family crabbing on the pier to the monster motor boaters, we all paid the same 5 bucks and the place has a nice big tent democratic feel.

When I was rigging up a teenager in his Sunfish came by and apparently had never seen a laser before.  I watched me through a little rigging lesson and then we played cat and mouse around the harbor, making out to the last sandbar where the monster wooden bench is.  We beached and he let me borrow his boat for a second.  So I sailed a sunfish and it wasn't as bad as I though it was going to be!

So Day 1 = 2 boats (laser+sunfish) @Tempest Knob (no passengers)

Onto day 2! The weather sucks again but who knows what the day will bring...


1 comment:

  1. Well done. It is very important that Laser sailors educate Sunfish sailors about Laser sailing. They will eventually realize they really want a Laser.

    And thanks for letting us know about that Tempest Knob launch site.

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