Ah, Under Sail Again

Shelburne Bay, VT

NoLL

Saturday was very nice.   We didn't have the boom rigged or the mainsail mounted yet.  Nevertheless, the wind blew from the SW.  That allowed us to sail up the lake under sail once again.   It felt so good.    If we ever switch to the dark side with a trawler, we'll have to have a sailing dinghy so that we can experience the joy of sailing once in a while. 

We sailed 45 miles from Ticonderoga all the way to Burlington.   That took us past the most beautiful parts of the lake.   Our pleasure was blunted though by the very hazy conditions.  The mountains were almost totally obscured.   It has always been true that the emotional highs one gets in the Burlington area are associated with glimpses of the mountains on clear days.  Now, Sunday, it looks more promising.

Right now we're motoring over to Burlington.  Well meet Jenny there and spend the day with her.    

I'm preparing for my next adventure.  On Tuesday, I'm flying to Las Vegas to meet Dave.   From there, Dave and I will visit the Grand Canyon and everything else between there and here that interests us.  I think it is going to be a great trip.    Dave called the other day.  

He was overwhelmed by awe and admiration for a spot he found on the trip.  I didn't catch the name of the place.   Dave said it was 1/2 hour from the Alcan Highway and in the Alaska Panhandle.  First he found a spot with a platform to watch the bears catching salmon.   Best bear watch in North America said Dave.  Then, a ranger told him that he could drive 17 miles up a logging road and see a galcier.   He did that, and when he got there he was 4,000 feet above the glacier looking down.    Just too beautiful to describe.   Then he drove another 10 miles to a different valley and found an even more beautiful glacier.   We're so happy that Dave is having so much fun.

Libby however is a bit nervous.  She realizes that this is the first time she ever had full custody of Tarwathie for an extended period.   It will be up to her to watch the weather, make all the decisions, execute those decisions, and handle anything that goes wrong.   She realizes that there are a whole lot of things that she's never done before.   She has been peppering me with questions and practicing things for several days.

This morning I felt guilty.   We were anchored among a cluster of 40 Canadian Cruising boats (at least 38 out of the 40 were from Montreal).  For practice, Libby insisted on hauling in the 120 feet of chain and raising the anchor herself.   That's a heavy job.  I get exhausted doing it.  One can't simply hand crank it up with the windlass.   That's so slow that without someone at the help, the boat can drag a long way before the anchor is secured.  Our Canadian neighbors looked on with amazement as I stood and watched Libby toil.  I could read their thoughts; "Why does that jerk just stand there and make that woman do all the work? Why doesn't he have an electric windlass?"

I should feel guilty for something more substantial.   As captain, it was my responsibility to not only run the boat, but to see to the training needs of my crew.   5 years on the boat were more than enough for Libby to be well trained and completely confident in all aspects of operation.   I'll resolve to do better in the future.

Libby prefers to stay in Burlington while I'm gone.  She wants to spend most of her time with Jenny.  There is no affordable place in the area to leave Tarwathie at a slip.   Even the moorings are super expensive ($0.75/foot for a mooring with no services.)  Therefore, she's going to anchor out.  If bad weather comes, she'll take a mooring or move to a sheltered bay.   The trouble with that plan is that there is a chance of thunderstorms almost every day.   That means bad weather could arrive with little advance warning.