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October 05, 2008
Fall Sailing in the Sound
Friday was a beautiful day. Bright sunshine, a little breeze, a perfect fall day. The forecast for the weekend was for plenty of wind and cool, especially at night. As we count the remaining weekends available for sailing on the fingers of one hand, we decided to make the best of it. Last weekend we were rained out, but spent the weekend at the dock anyway.
I arrived at the boat around 5pm and got things opened up, groceries put away, etc. I finally sat down around 6:30 and decided to take another stab at Ken Follett's epic take "Pillar of the Earth". I climbed under a fleece blanket and curled up in the corner. By 7pm I was chilled. We have heat and air-conditioning on the boat, which I find slightly unworthy of true seamanship. But I caved and turned it on. It warmed up quickly. Chis arrived around 8pm and agreed that the heat was a welcome spoil. We turned it off to have dinner and watch a movie on the laptop.
In addition to the winter duvet on the berth, we added a quilt. Without the heat, the thermometer in the boat said it was 62 degrees. Perfect for sleeping.
I awoke Saturday morning around 5:30 (this happens everyday, partly age, partly the way my clock is wound.) It was cold. Wanting to be a puritan, I added a second layer of fleece, long underwear, and hovered over the stove while I boiled the kettle for coffee. I ran hot water into the sink, added some suds, and washed a few dishes. The hot water felt wonderful.
The breeze had started picking up, and we decided to head out for a sail. The clouds started to clear, and we put up the sails. It was fabulous. Chilly, but wonderful sailing conditions. The sound was calm, the wind picked up to 10 knots, and we sailed all the way into Oyster Bay on Long Island. We dropped the anchor and sat in the cockpit with our books, enjoying the cool autumn sun. As the sun set, the air cooled instantly. We ran below like mice.
On anchor, we have no heat or air conditioning. It got cool fast, but we simply layered up and enjoyed it.
We woke Sunday morning to driving rain. This was not in the forecast from Friday, and I admit I was remiss in checking the forecast again. I checked the morning's weather forecast, and the rain was expected to stop by 9am. At 9:01, the rain stopped. Around 11, the skies still threatened rain, so we put on our foul weather gear, pulled up anchor and set out for Stamford. The winds were incredible again, and we had a fantastic sail.
There is something wonderful about fall. The long shadows, the stiff breeze, the cool air, and the warm sun. It takes a day or two to acclimatize, but once you've done it, it is so enjoyable. This was our weekend to acclimatize, and I can tell from the warmth in my face, and the tingle in my toes and fingers that this is a magical time of the year to sail.
Next weekend is the Columbus Day long weekend, and we plan to sail again.
The following weekend we do the newfie shuffle of our Manhattan storage room, a few things from the apartment, and a few things from the boat, to a new storage locker in Stamford. For about one-fifth the cost of the Manhattan storage room. The weekend after that we are in Washington, DC to cheer Chis' sisters Katie and Juli do the Marine Corps Marathon.
And the weekend after that, Prana comes out of the water to hibernate for the winter.
I miss her already.
Posted by dave at October 5, 2008 07:04 PM