IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT . . . . .

SHIP'S LOG:

It was a dark and stormy night . . . . . .not quite. It was a hot and sunny day. A great day for a sail and so I sailed. . . . . . solo! Having spent most of my time sailing singled handed, it wasn't as big a deal as I thought it was going to be. ABISHAG made it easy, tracking straight and balancing easily. The wind was light, 5 - 10 knots, and she tacked slowly but once she started she completed the tack and didn't stall half way. She had a surprising turn of speed in the light wind, surprising because she isn't "light." If I had my druthers, I would have placed the winches in a slightly different spot, but then they were placed on the assumption that there would be more than one person handling the boat. They'll stay where they are as there are little"winch islands" on the cockpit coaming to hold them and the coaming isn't wide enough to place them any where else. I'll learn to live with it. I'll have to.

The repair of the tear in the suncover of the Genoa didn't last. The sail repair tape didn't adhere well to the SUNBRELLA cloth. I will have to actually stitch it and make the repair permanent. It's not a big deal though I would have been happier if the tape repair had worked.

I had to put another set of shroud roller on the forward shrouds. The Genoa sheets were rubbing on them and to keep the shrouds from cutting through the sheets, the rollers were required.

I have discovered that working the boat with the safety harness on takes some thought and planning. Clip on. Unclip. Coming to the end of the jackline and shifting to another. Getting pulled up 2feet short of your goal and having to unclip and clip onto a new spot. I am sure that It will become easier and automatic in time but it is just a bit irritating, but I will continue to wear it. A little irritating is far more acceptable than falling overboard and watching the boat sail away!

MASTER'S PERSONAL LOG:

It was an incredibly relaxing sail today. I could have napped it was so comfortable. I am getting more comfortable moving on the boat as the "sealegs" start to come back. I am beginning to get itchy for a little voyaging . . .even if it is only to Napatree or Block Island. I don't think I'll be ready for Tenants Harbor in August but there is another Rendezvous in the Chesapeake in September. But I am not tied to any schedule . . . .except for the one that gets me out of New England before the onset of Fall.