Sailing Home-Restoring Lena-Contact- sailing logs

A bit of a Learning Curve.


It had been blowing up a bit earlier, just like Sat - and going down the Axe it was getting up to 18 kts or more. Entering the open water there was some fierce chop going - so initially I just put out the genoa - to keep her from rolling around. Cut the engine and moved away to the north to get out further into the bay and deeper water.

It all started then to die down - so I really thought it was going to be just the same as Sat - it was down to 10 kts or so. So I put up the full main - with a few difficutlies, with the halyard wrapping itself around the spreader end, then a lanyard blew in between the slugs as the main went up.

By the time it was up it was getting decidedly stronger - maybe I should have sussed from the amount of sea going - anyway, I soon had 24 kts, and that was on a beam reach, with the rail nearly in the water. All a bit fraught really - so easy to mess up. I did try giving her a bit less genoa - but that was no good at all, leaving her very hard to control. I really should have reefed the main - even if it meant getting engine on, autopilot on, genoa in - and head her into the sea.
That's how I would have done it - whether right or wrong.

Anyway - I sort of felt I could go in any time I wanted - so stuck with it. It did drop a bit, just after I let the genoa back out. Kept her going for two hours, tacking her about five times - so good experience, just a 'little' more than I felt like at the time.

Went in on the tide at 6.30 pm - getting the main down was a bit of a rodeo ride - and, no, I did not get any pics ! From now on, I go out with a first reef in the main - and it only comes out when I'm pretty damn sure it not needed.

Much learned - makes you realise to be cautious of this area - and that I've a good deal to learn yet about sailing a boat. But I was on my own - so some brownie points for that I think.

Still made a mess of the mooring - stiff NW wind desroyed my normal method - so resorted to grabbing what I could.

Just took me over the hundred miles in total in Lena now.