Since it was a balmy 45 degrees out, had planned to just take the Genoa off, in prep for winter storage, but found it wasn’t too bad out, so went out in 5-10 knots of breeze from the SW. Went around Saint Helena island, and as I did so, wind started gusting into the high teens.
Made my way back up towards home on Valentine Creek and stupidly kept both sails up as I came through the narrow entrance. Hit w gusts in 20’s that came with a wind shift that threw me from port to starboard tack and fouled the Genoa as I was heading for the two story boat dock/swim platform to port by a pool barge.
Managed to get the Genoa unfouled just in time to avoid the mast and main coming into contact w the upper deck, and the hull to avoid a piling at the base of the platform. A front was now coming through with rain and steady winds high teens and gusts low 20’s. Managed to furl Genoa, but wind kept laying me over, so went back out into the Severn (at nearly 6 knots w just the main) and found a place in the lee of the wind so I could finally drop it.
Easy enough to then motor home, and the front had blown through by the time I went to dock, but it certainly was an exciting way to end the season. Glad the boat is all in one piece. All I lost overboard was the stocking cap I was wearing; wild to have it blown off my head.