High Winds
Debbie joined my on the boat today. It’s the first time she’s been on and, I think, the first time she’s been on a sailboat this size. I recall her saying that she had sailed before on a yacht. Ah well! To come so far down in the world!
It was quite breezy and choppy. I settled for doing some motoring and bringing out the mainsail, but not the jib.
I’m still pretty nervous when the winds are high. Part of it, I’m sure, was the fated Cock Island trip home. Part of it, too, is that, although I feel comfortable, and actually enjoy, heeling over so the rails on on the water when someone else is in charge, I’m still not comfortable doing it when I am. I know – and keep reminding myself – that a sailboat is quite stable; it takes alot to tip it over. But I still am uncomfortable when I get it at more than a 30 degree angle.
I probably would have been more comfortable, too, if Debbie were a seasoned sailor. But it was one of those occasions when I was going to have to sail it myself, since she was going to not going to understand what to do.
So the trip was short. And I did let her steer for a bit once we got the mainsail down and were headed back to the docks. And I told her next time, hopefully, we’d have more warm bodies to help out, and we’d be able to do more.
