Century Club: Tom Dean

Got to the marina about 10:30.  Had to clean the speed paddlewheel and check the water in the batteries before I could head out.  Also had to take my opsprey deterrence thing off my solar panels. Got that all done quickly - along with setting up a different spring line, and I was off. Saw some watermen on Langford Creek - didn't get too close as I raised the main.  Wind was out of the NE, so a little behind me as I went down Langford creek towards the Chester.  Since it was light wind, I decided to go ahead and set a preventer for the main and then put the genoa out so I could run wing on wing - gotta practice!.

Got that all set and drifted a bit faster down towards the Chester. Once out past the daymarks, I set course to run a broad reach and went forward to take down whisker pole and take off the main preventer.  Ran a broad reach towards reed creek - where I jibed and headed towards Easetern Neck Wildlife Preserve on a beam reach.  Saw a sailboat come out of Reed creek, put up their sails and head down the Chester towards Kent Island. Tacked back across the Chester on a beam reach again, ending up closer to piney point.

Started to head back at this point - pretty much running close reaches and closes hauls. Dropped the centerboard - which helped and had a fun time tacking up the Chester and Langford creeks. 

Since I am still fighting with the osprey - or better, trying to undermine their attempts to set up "home" on my solar array, I backed the boat into the slip - something we normally don't do! 

Fun day all and all - glad I got out!

Got to the marina - hoping that the wind would pick up... there were some gusts, but nothing sustained, so decided to go for a SUP outing instead. First though, I had to take care of my continuing saga with the osprey. - reconfigured the scare bird balls on the solar array - and then took the boat out of the slip and backed it in - hoping that not having the solar over the water would deter the little bastards. After that - had a lovely paddle all the way to the headwaters of Davis Creek. Lovely day!

It was supposed to be a lovely day - there were good winds forecast after 1, so I headed down to the marina and out! Temps ranged from 54 - 64, Barometer was at 30.16 - so mostly sunny skies. Winds were out of the SW 5 knots at first, then got a bit swirly - sometimes shifting to the S - but wind speed picked up to 5-10... with a few little gusts here and there.  Noticed some dimming of the sun while I was out - right in the 2:15 - 3:15 range, but not dark at all. Had a nice sail especially after the winds picked up... but even with light winds - like to practice just in case!!

A chilly day, but a fun day! Temperature when we left the dock was 53 - didn't get much warmer.  Winds were out of the West at 5-10, so a comfortable sail. Barometer was at 29.92. Left the dock right about 11 and got back in about 4 - so a nice long sail. Went down the Chester a bit.. wind stalled, but we had enough to put up the Gennaker and fly her home. A fun day sailing - we even saw another sailor out - in a little lazer - having a ball!!