First-time Solo, Round 2

[Scott MacCready,Marion Ma]

Yesterday was my first time out alone on my newly acquired CD26. I was successful at not making it as memorable as my first solo sail this past year on my CD25 (ie. lost main sheet, broken tiller,ect...). I had a beautiful sail just for a few hours on buzzards Bay. Very calm water, light winds, and many,many other sailboats which is something I'm unaccustomed to only previously sailing in NC. Once I remembered the "rules of the road" I was much more at ease. The boat handles very well. It's everything I hoped it would be.
Only had two "slight" mishaps. The first was during my first tack. As I was trimming the sheet on my roller furling jenny, the knot came loose from the tack. Lesson #1--never trust anyone else's knots. I hadn't inspected the previous owner's knots. The starboard sheet came loose and as I pulled in the sail to tie it again, I found the port sheet only hanging by a half-hitch. Would've been a lot worse if it had left loose also.
The 2nd Mishap was after arviving back at my mooring. I had left my dinghy tied to the mooring. When I got back, I untied the dinghy and tied up the boat. then went along with other tidying-up duties. A half hour went by when I realized the dinghy was gone. It had drifted a few hundred yards toward an unimproved shore. I could've used the sailboat to retrieve it but wasn't shore of the depths so i dove in. It's amazing how hard it is to get into a 6' inflatable when your arms and legs are tired. I wasn't in any danger, the water was calm and there were many other moored boats along the way. Just another lesson learned.
this is a beautifull place to sail. too bad the season's so short.



capedorysailor@earthlink.net

[Gary L.]

Yesterday was my first time out alone on my newly acquired CD26. I was successful at not making it as memorable as my first solo sail this past year on my CD25 (ie. lost main sheet, broken tiller,ect...). I had a beautiful sail just for a few hours on buzzards Bay. Very calm water, light winds, and many,many other sailboats which is something I'm unaccustomed to only previously sailing in NC. Once I remembered the "rules of the road" I was much more at ease. The boat handles very well. It's everything I hoped it would be.
Only had two "slight" mishaps. The first was during my first tack. As I was trimming the sheet on my roller furling jenny, the knot came loose from the tack. Lesson #1--never trust anyone else's knots. I hadn't inspected the previous owner's knots. The starboard sheet came loose and as I pulled in the sail to tie it again, I found the port sheet only hanging by a half-hitch. Would've been a lot worse if it had left loose also.
The 2nd Mishap was after arviving back at my mooring. I had left my dinghy tied to the mooring. When I got back, I untied the dinghy and tied up the boat. then went along with other tidying-up duties. A half hour went by when I realized the dinghy was gone. It had drifted a few hundred yards toward an unimproved shore. I could've used the sailboat to retrieve it but wasn't shore of the depths so i dove in. It's amazing how hard it is to get into a 6' inflatable when your arms and legs are tired. I wasn't in any danger, the water was calm and there were many other moored boats along the way. Just another lesson learned.
this is a beautifull place to sail. too bad the season's so short.

Scott,

While you are there, scoot across the bay towards Pocassett. Anchoring off Bassett Island and going ashore for lunch is a
real treat, and a quick trip.

The good thing about being on the bay is that when the weather picks up, there are no jetskis to bother you.

Gary Lapine
Red Witch III
CD30C, #339



dory26@attbi.com

[Tod Mills]

I had just rowed to the boat and climbed aboard but had forgotten to tie the dinghy up before getting out. Fortunately it was within lunging distance still, but I did get a bit of a sore spot on the ribs from the gunwale.



htmills@bright.net

[Bill]

Yesterday was my first time out alone on my newly acquired CD26. I was successful at not making it as memorable as my first solo sail this past year on my CD25 (ie. lost main sheet, broken tiller,ect...). I had a beautiful sail just for a few hours on buzzards Bay. Very calm water, light winds, and many,many other sailboats which is something I'm unaccustomed to only previously sailing in NC. Once I remembered the "rules of the road" I was much more at ease. The boat handles very well. It's everything I hoped it would be.
Only had two "slight" mishaps. The first was during my first tack. As I was trimming the sheet on my roller furling jenny, the knot came loose from the tack. Lesson #1--never trust anyone else's knots. I hadn't inspected the previous owner's knots. The starboard sheet came loose and as I pulled in the sail to tie it again, I found the port sheet only hanging by a half-hitch. Would've been a lot worse if it had left loose also.
The 2nd Mishap was after arviving back at my mooring. I had left my dinghy tied to the mooring. When I got back, I untied the dinghy and tied up the boat. then went along with other tidying-up duties. A half hour went by when I realized the dinghy was gone. It had drifted a few hundred yards toward an unimproved shore. I could've used the sailboat to retrieve it but wasn't shore of the depths so i dove in. It's amazing how hard it is to get into a 6' inflatable when your arms and legs are tired. I wasn't in any danger, the water was calm and there were many other moored boats along the way. Just another lesson learned.
this is a beautifull place to sail. too bad the season's so short.

My rememberance of Buzzards Bay is that when you get wind and tide in opposite directions that it was one of the choppiest pieces of water I had sailed on. Be carefull.
Bill



wpark7@yahoo.com