Finally, some wind

We almost made a spontaneous overnighter out of this one, but lack of planning held us up until morning. We got out more or less on time (for once), heading for Beanie's Resort in Lakeland. Beanie's is just south of the I-94 bridge over the St. Croix, and is one of very few places we've found in the area that will allow overnight parking. They charge $10 on weekends and holidays, have a small ship's store and parking for around 20 rigs. They ask that you leave your keys with them in case your vehicle needs to be moved.

The ramp is good, though we discovered a dip that tilted the trailer to the left and made the recovery a little challenging later in the day. The ramp is wide enough for two rigs, but there is only one long dock. The dock has plenty of cleats and is in good shape. The ramp has good traction with groves formed in it for drainage. You need to thread your way through some pilings once you cast-off from the dock, but it's an easy job. We were away around 11:15 and considered our options.

We'd had a smallish breakfast, and our stomachs were grumbling in protest. We motored north under the bridge and picked a spot in the almost-vacant anchorage outside the Hudson marina. The wind was blowing a good 10-15 mph, but we were well protected by the dike that runs from the main channel to the shore. While eating, we were visited by a duck that enjoyed some cracker crumbs and pretzel pieces that were tossed over. We had brought our younger cat, Cleo, along. She spent most of the trip snoozing on top of some clutter on the v-berth, not even coming out to look at the duck. The kids wanted us to ask our neighbor, Kyle, if he wanted to sail with us. We didn't see their boat beached in its customary spot on Beer Can Island, but with binoculars we spotted him playing with some friends. We broke out the anchor, intending to beach and see if he wanted to come, but managed to run around in some shallows ten yards from the island. No wonder there were no boats beached there. We hailed him from the boat, but he declined to join us. Julie powered us off in reverse and we motored in a gentle circle into the wind.

The wind was out of the north - perfect for reaching south or even running downwind. It was blowing pretty well - a little strongly for full sails, so we hoisted the main and turned downriver. We sailed under the I-94 bridge and gybed our way south. And we were moving! Most of the other boats had less than full sails up, though most had a bit of jib unfurled. We continued under full main, enjoying the sun. The temperature was around seventy degrees, and was actually a little chilly with the strong wind. Julie went up to the foredeck to take full advantage of the sun; I had fun nosing through some powerboat wakes to see if she'd get wet. The wind built and we moved even faster, but I was getting concerned that it would continue to build. I called Julie back into the cockpit, and we took a double reef to be on the safe side. After we got underway again, that seemed like a bit much so we let out about half the jib.

We passed close to a sloop heading downwind under genoa alone. Julie got out the digital camera and took a few shots before getting a little cold and going below to warm up. I took Necessity through a few more gybes, fighting more powerboat wakes now that traffic was building. A few gusts heeled us over a bit, bringing squeals from Mandy until I eased the sheet. Pretty soon, I was getting a little cold, too, and we decided to turn north. The wind was, of course, blowing directly from our destination; we decided to motor back. Once again, the topping lift line wrapped around the head of the furler, preventing me from taking the jib in. I brought the main down first to put maximum tension on the lift line and keep it taught. That worked, and the jib furled cleanly. I think it's time to put a fairlead on the mast to keep the line away from the furler; this has happened a few times this year.

Under motor, we were taking a bit of spray in the cockpit. I went up to the foredeck to see if shifting some weight might help. It sure helped me stay dry, but the complaints from the cockpit got a little more strident. I was nice and dry on the bow, and I stayed up there for a few minutes before returning. Julie's glasses were rather, umm... damp, and she didn't look pleased that I'd taken my time in returning aft. Oh, well. We took a lot of spray on the way back, which would have been fun if it had been warmer. With the wind and the relatively cool temperature, it was a little uncomfortable. Julie draped a warm shirt over herself, the kids retreated to the cabin, and I just rode it out in a t-shirt. Back at Beanie's parking lot, we warmed up quickly in the sun.

Fighting the wind and the chop tired us out more than we had realized, and we napped when we got home. Then it was time to attend to the boat and put her away for the week. Only five days until the weekend...

Nutfarm Index | The Boat | Sailing Adventures | Hotlist