Sailing Old Muddy

The plan was simple - get everything ready to go on Friday night so we could pick up Mandy from her slumber party in the morning with the trailer hitched up and drive down to Lake Pepin. But we all know what happens to the best laid plans. So I did pick her up with the trailer hitched up, but that was just so we could get air in the trailer tires. I did let a few of her friends check out the boat though.

In addition to not having the trailer ready, we hadn't provisioned, loaded gear or filled the water tank. And we overslept. Bah. It's over an hour to Hansen's Harbor on Lake Pepin, and it would have taken another hour or more to get ready. So on this gorgeous day with 10-20 mph winds, we decide to abort and try for Sunday. We spent some time working on the playhouse we're building for the kids in the backyard, and did other miscellaneous jobs. And we did get the boat and trailer completely ready to go on Saturday night.

So we get up just a little late on Sunday and get to Hansen's Harbor on Lake Pepin before noon. Rig and launch without trouble, motor out the narrow harbor entrance and find... no wind. Well, there was a little wind, but not enough to have fun with. We spotted some sails drawing well to the south, so we motored over. It seems the wind saw us coming and left before we got there. All around us, sails were flapping aimlessly. More motoring produced the same effect. I figure the rest of the sailors were getting pretty upset with us chasing the wind away.

We decided to find a beach and let the kids swim. We spotted a likely area on the northeast shore and motored over after dropping the sails. As we got closer, we brought the daggerboard partway up and released the rudder downhaul line so it could kick-up if we grounded. Still closing the beach, we noticed a few boats dragged up onto the sand and some cabins just inside the treeline. It looked like a private beach now, so at the last moment we decided to bear off and find another spot.

About this time, Julie got fed up with all the futility and went below for a brief nap. Dan joined her while Mandy and I scouted for a beach. We spotted a place with some small stones lining the sand, the best spot in sight. No one else was nearby, indicating a less than perfect place, but it looked good enough for us. We beached gently and I went forward to emplace the anchor up on land. The rattle of the chain being pulled from its locker got Julie out of the cabin. After securing the anchor I did a little exploring around the area while the others stayed near the boat. After I returned, we walked the beach for a bit before deciding to just sit and watch the kids swim. I dig out our collapsable chairs and we just settled in when I heard yelps of pain from behind the boat where the kids had gone.

Mandy had gashed her knee on something on the bottom. I carried her over to my chair, then got the first aid kit from the boat. Julie took care of the wound, which looked like it might need a stitch or two. After that, we figured the day was just not to be. The wind had picked up just a bit, but was still not very steady. It was almost 4pm, and we decided to call it a day. Julie steered us back while I got most of the running rigging coiled and ready for the boom to come off. On the way, we made a close pass by a pretty ketch under a bright yellow spinnaker and mizzen. The kids waved at the captain while I got a picture. When we got back to the harbor, another boat was ahead of us in line. Julie made a close pass to a finger pier and I hopped off with aplomb to go get the van while she circled around.

Without my car keys.

Oops! Answering my shout, Necessity returned and Mandy handed over my butt-pack as she passed the pier. I got the van down to the ramp and the boat positioned, but Julie forgot to secure the rudder in the "up" position. Her shout alerted me to the problem as I pulled up the ramp. The rudder was jammed against the ramp, so I had to inch forward while she pulled on the kick-up line. Finally we were parked and got the rig down in good time. On the way back home, we stopped at DQ in Red Wing for treats. In the parking lot, I noticed a rather dirty boot stripe had appeared on the boat, courtesy of Old Muddy. A good washdown at home took care of that, and the decks as well.

Here's hoping for a little wind next time out.

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