You would think that cold weather would determine my last sailing weekend of the season. With temps in theupper 80's this weekend I won't be able to use that as an excuse. Unfortunately it's my busy work schedule that determines this is my final weekend. For this weekend, Chris decided to bring his Mariah up and dock next to me, which proved to be a good idea. In addition, my partner Aymie brought her family up for a day sail.
We arrived in Sandusky early Saturday morning. My marina was kind enough to allow Chris to dock next to me free of charge for the weekend (because I'm a member and it as so late in the season). After venturing to the public ramp to launch Chris' boat, Sarah and I drove back to the marina to meet him there. After getting him situated we headed out to grab some provisions. It was already in the low 80s at 11 am (remember, this is Sandusky in October). The flags were not moving. I immediately worried about Aymie and her family coming up. They were expecting a sail and there is NO WIND!!!! After we got back, I did notice some boats moving a bit out there and thought, "well if nothing else we'll fire up the Tohatsu and motor around a bit."
Aymie and her family arrived around 1pm, just as I was preparing the boat for departure. Her family got situated as I rigged the jib and fired up the outboard. Chris and Sarah decided it would be best if they drove around in their boat separately since we had a large crowd (I also think Chris was eager to get his first taste of the lake in his own boat). Once we were ready I slowly eased the 6500 lb beast out of its slip and headed out into the bay.
As we motored into open water I began to feel something. There was something else in the warm apparent wind: a hint of cold air. I eased off the throttle and the Columbia slowed to a stop. The slower I went the cooler the air became. It was wind, fresh off the lake! Cool, consistent wind! Not enough for my taste, but perfect for my somewhat green crew! We raised the sails, killed the motor and sure enough we were doing 4.4 knots in no time! While at first I was bummed that Chris and Sarah wouldn't be joining us, I as thrilled after he took these shots:
I returned the favor and took several shots of his boat as well.
After a decent sail out into Lake Erie and past Cedar Point we decided to head back in (BTW when children are feeling restless and bored, give them the helm and watch it all go away). Chris was already in for the day (fuel is much more expensive for him). We quickly put the sails away and headed to Clinker's at Lyman Harbor (the old Lyman boat factory) for dinner. It was our first introduction to lake perch. Amazingly good!
The next day proved to be even hotter than the last. Highs in the 90s and winds less than 5 MPH. Since I was in no mood for a bake fest we decided it would be a good day for power boating. We hopped into Chris' Mariah and drove up to Put in Bay, which was nice because it's usually a 4 hour sail (vs a 1 hour boat ride). While many of my fellow sailors find it necessary to dismiss all powerboaters as not being real boaters, Chris is a skilled mariner and is considerate to sailors and otehr boaters. As a sailor I have to say that the best way to boat is to find a friend who has a powerboat. They get free boating aboard yours and gain a new appreciation for sailing, and you have a way of getting out on the water when the wind dies down (unless you like frying in the summer sun). So while there are powerboaters (and sailors for that matter) who can ruin a day on the water, remember that many of them share our same passion for the water.
