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April 29, 2007
Hodges Creek Marina to Cooper Island
I woke early in the morning, immediately back to my ritual of waking with the sun. I had packed our favourite coffee and set myself to the task of making some. The boat has a percolator, which I haven’t used since I was a kid at the cottage. The propane stove was a challenge, but at last, sweet nectar of the morning. I sat in the cockpit watching the big white clouds blow by, and the waves crashing on the reef just outside the breakwater. I couldn’t wait to get underway.
The image rolls out in front of me. The stern of the boat, the dock, another row of cookie-cutter boats, more boats out on moorings, the breakwater, and a smattering of islands to the south, just about to be kissed by the early morning sun. Today, we will sail to one of those islands, one called Cooper, a brief 6 mile trip into the wind. We will get comfortable with the boat, shake out some sails, and see what she can do. I haven’t dared turn on the equipment yet, but my spidey senses tell me about 15 knots of wind from the east. 15 knots of salty, humid, fresh breeze.
Our technical briefing was important. Chis, of course, deviated to all things mechanical, we both focused on safety, and I focused on navigation and rigging. We fell instantly back into our strengths, and found again that we could finish each other’s sentences. Perfect compliments.
We left the Sunsail base shortly before noon. Once clear of the reef and in deep water, we turned into the wind to set the main. On Platina, this was done with the carefully choreographed push of two buttons. On Santana, this was work. With only two of us, and an autopilot that turned out to be unreliable, Chis eased the main sheet, and began hoisted the main halyard. Without me to tail the halyard, he started grinding it up on the winch. I just kept the boat pointed into the wind. Chis did all the hard work. Once set, we turned off the wind, and set our course. Then, the jib. Once again, Chis did all the hard work. I just looked at the sails and suggested the appropriate trim.
Flying along doing 6.5 knots in about 10 to 15 knots of fluky winds, we sat back and enjoyed the exhilaration. Two brilliantly executed tacks later, and we were there. It was time to put away the sails. On Platina, we’d cast of the jib sheet and push a button to furl the jib. On Santana, with manual furling, Chis started to bell-ring the furling line. The jib would not budge. After trying a few things, and rapidly approaching a really rocky point of land, we decided to set the jib and tack away from the island. Once away from the pointy bit of land, we looked things over. The blocks for the jib sheets had jam cleats, so even though we had cast off the sheet, it was not running freely. Once we released the jam cleat, the jib sheet ran freely, and the jib furled in nicely. We wouldn’t be making that mistake again. Down came the main, on went the engine, and we motored slowly into the anchorage. Chis did a spectacular job picking up the mooring pennant and getting us fixed for the night.
We found ourselves going through our normal routine, as if it were Platina, putting lines away, zipping up the main sail bag, etc. Once settled, we hopped in the dinghy and went ashore to the Cooper Island Beach Club. We found a shady table under the seagrapes, and settled down for a cold beer and some conch fritters, listening to the waves lick the beach. We returned to the boat, grabbed our books and the chart, and settled down to watch the sun set. Chis snoozed, I read, and after sundown, it was time to figure out dinner. The was not the palatial galley of Platina. This requires skill to coordinate fridge openings, cupboard openings, and cooking. And, in virtual darkness because the boat had one battery (unlike the 12 we had on Platina). I don’t think either of us made it much past 9pm – sun, fresh air, wind, no noise – this is so not New York!
Posted by dave at April 29, 2007 08:10 PM