Sunday Sailing
We awoke early Sunday morning: squalls were on the horizon to our south and windward, too. Grey, but it would be sunny soon. The previous day's bike ride had been great, and we all slept very well in the gentle surge of Anegada Harbour.
Breakfast, coffee.
My friend Tim departed on his Beneteau 32 from just to weather of us: we followed shortly. Our boat tidy; the anchor brought short, we raised the main. While Kim leaned against the boom to starboard and my son held the tiller over to port; I broke the anchor free by windlass and we slipedp away onto port tack. Out of the harbour, we sailed using only our main. Kim was driving our Westsail 32 as I set the blue spinnaker up on the foredeck and ran the sheets.
As soon as we crossed the last channel marks, Kim gybed for Scrub Island and I hoisted the kite. She already had the sheet trimmed so the set was easy and painless. Absolutely another perfect day for sailing as we ran from Anegada in smooth seas. The boat handled very well under just main and spinnaker. We found that the genoa tended to collapse and snap when sailing deep; whereas, the spinnaker remained full while better balancing the pressure on the hull to require less rudder correction. In short, Kim was happy to drive with kite and main in 15-18kts. So I was happy, too.
Before we gybed around Scrub we sailed by another small cruising boat enjoying the same superb day on the water here in the BVI. If you want some pictures of your boat, Bambouche, email me. You looked great out there!
As we had taken our bikes up to Anegada and back on deck, a stop into Marina Cay to wash them (and the boat) seemed responsible. Our friend Jerome was there getting water, so we took a mooring and went in for lunch ashore; awaiting an open dock. Chris and Karen Simpson were on island, the place was hopping and we had lunch. A Prindle 17 sailed in, and out too. Our bellies full, we motored onto the dock for water and a wash—boats and bikes alike. Then onward, by mainsail alone to Trellis, where we put the boat away again. Weekends spent doing this, on days like this. That's is why we live here, own a boat and sail here. I hope to see you on the water soon. I'll take your photo, you take mine, too!
