I had a choice, I could change the oil in the boats engine, then go down to the storage place and organize it…..or I could go sailing. Tawn was at work until 9pm, and I really did’nt feel like changing oil or cleaning out the storage shed. So sailing it is.
This would be the first time I took the boat out Single Handed. I’d taken our old boat StrangeCrew out on my own a few times, but there is a huge difference between a 27 foot Catalina and a 38 foot Hans Christian. Alot of which is the fact that not only is it a big ass boat, but also because it was our home. *gulp*….whatever….lets go sailing.
I had my plan of action all lined up and was just about ready to cast off the lines when my dock neighbor, Hye, pops his head out of his boat and offers a hand with the lines.
Leaving the dock was easy, I had no worries about that. Motored out into Shilshole Bay with about 10 knots of wind out of the NorthWest. I headed into the wind, hit the AutoPilot to hold the course and hoisted the mainsail. Once that was up, I fell off the wind and put up the Foresail.
The wind built up to about 15-16 knots, and stayed NW. It was a perfect sail, the seas built a little from flat calm to about a foot or so. Just as I made the bouy at the entrance of Eagle harbor the wind died slightly and I dropped all sail, turned on the engine and motored into Eagle Harbor on BainBridge Island. As I was motoring in I once again set the Auto pilot to hold me on a course so i could get the anchor ready to deploy. Unfortunatly, there was absolutly no room to anchor inside the harbor, and instead of anchoring out side in the wind and waves, I found a city mooring ball that was not being used. Not sure how legal it was to use it but I decided to use it anyway. After all, whats the use of flying a Pirate flag if I’m not willing to ignore a few laws now and then.
I called Tawn and told her she would need to take the ferry over to Bainbride from downtown if she wanted to find home tonight. :)
