Winter Hawk's First Sail with Its New Owner
- Thursday, October 17, 2002
- 9pm, South Boston Yacht Club Transfer of title from Peter, the previous owner. Winter Hawk now belongs to the Groleaus. My friend Don, Peter, and I have a drink to christen the transfer. Soon after, Don and I settle in for the night. We are well prepared and ready for tomorrow's 110-mile sail to Yarmouth, Maine.
- Friday, October 18, 2002
- 6am - 2pm We leave South Boston Harbor. If all goes well, we should arrive at Yarmouth in 30 hours.
We experience an exciting day of sailing. There's a small craft advisory, with the wind blowing from the west as high as 25 knots. We sail with the main reefed and the jib partly furled. The boat heels 20-30 degrees (even with the reduced sail), sometimes more in the gusts. Still, felt relatively safe on the boat.
- 4pm After passing Cape Ann, the waves are 5-6 ft and steep, and the wind more intense. The conditions drive us into Rockport Harbor. We debate whether or not we should continue. The forecast calls for gale force winds for tomorrow (before we would arrive?), and Sunday is predicted to be windy. Also, the harbormaster isn't pleased that we picked up a mooring (although there's not a sailboat in the harbor and we're surrounded by 50 empty moorings), and he doesn't want us to stay there more than a day. We decide to head up the coast as far as we can make it and to try to beat the gale. We hastily eat some beef stew, then set back out.
- 9pm The wind has decreased to 15-20 knots. I am startled when three dolphins suddenly appear alongside, a few feet away. They keep us company for a few minutes, then disappear. The compass sticks about half the time, rendering it unreliable and therefore useless. I have a GPS receiver, but I'm too queasy to spend five minutes looking at its tiny screen, entering waypoints. But it's a clear night, so we navigate by lighted buoys and lighthouses.
- Saturday, October 19, 2002
- 12am - 4am The air temperature drops to the low 30s. Wind speed also drops. I take two one-hour naps; Don takes one.
- 4am - 6am There is little wind, so we start the Atomic 4 and sail under power.
- 7am The wind picks up. We enter Casco Bay sailing downwind. Don deflects the boom upward when we accidently gybe, saving my head from a large bump.
- 10am The wind really picks up, as predicted, but no matter -- we are at the mouth of the Royal River and Winter Hawk is about 30 minutes from its new home.
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