So I finally decided to go after rounding up some friends to join me, and after getting stuck for half an hour in traffic we made it to the boat by about 4:30.  After walking the 150 yards to the end of the pier (our deep-draft Cal's tend to sit near the ends I guess), I remembered that I needed to add oil after yesterday's change, so I got to run back to the chandlery and pick up two quarts (one for reserve).  But that gave me time to run the blower a little longer, and I'm certainly happy to do that.

  With winds from the SW at 15, temps in the upper 70s, a few clouds in the sky, and the distant haze indicative of a later afternoon thunderstorm, we cast off at  5:00.  The two with me had been on boats before, but never a sailboat.  After making it out to the Middle River channel, and with a mostly West wind now, we raised the main.  It quickly became apparent that there was more wind then I was used to, as when we fell off the wind heading South towards the Bay, our speed quickly picked up to 4.5 and we were heeled over at a little over 5 degrees - just under main.  So I went ahead and unfurled the jib, and Bay Retriever smoothly accelerated to 6.5 knots with 20 degrees of heel.  The autohelm was having difficulty handling the boat, as we were on between a close reach crossing 2-3' of chop.  I felt more comfortable with the tiller in my hand anyway, as the rig hasn't really been stressed at all in the past several years, and I'm unsure of the tension in my stays. 

  When I saw just how loose the leeward stays were, I furled the jib back up.  Four and a half knots was plenty for me today. 

  When it was time to head back, rather then jibe unnecessarily (I know my rig is strong, I just want some one else to tell it to me before I go and stress things any more then I have to), I did the 270 degree tack, and proceeded back upriver on a broad reach with quartering waves. 

  It's good to see other boats on the water now, knowing that other people are using them and enjoying the beautiful days, but I long for the days of winter when it was just us and the ducks.  Stinkpots and their darn wake...

  Docking was again an interesting experience.  I'm still getting used to handling a slip with just over a foot on each side, and today was the stiffest wind I've worked with in a while.  But now that the water's warmer, my A4 doesn't stall when I put it under load in reverse, and that's a big confidence booster.  The first time I missed and the wind was pushing me towards the next slip, but the second approach was dead-on and we glided gently to a stop as my friends grabbed the bow lines. 

  Well the thunderstorm has finally arrived, along with 40 knot winds and a good deal of, well, thunder, so I'm going to log off now.  But it was a good day to be out on the water.

  Kevin Sherwood
Cal 2-30 Bay Retrieve