Talking to the Wind

October is a perfect month to sail and it has been a great for me this year. New places, new challenges and good friends.

I drove back to Mathews yesterday morning, picked up Annie at Winter Harbor and met my friend Frog at the county ramp at Put In Creek. We rigged, launched and headed south down the 'mighty' East River toward Mobjack Bay. I pressed Frog into service at the helm while I piddled around on deck and below. With a soft NW breeze we worked well against the incoming tide. Making the point at Mobjack village we headed west on a reach. A beautiful, crisp day.

Frog at the helm

The tide slacked as we tacked across the Mobjack and up the North River. I was thinking our friend Jim Brown lived on Blackwater Creek.  Jim is the designer of Sea Runner trimarans that many built and sailed bluewater in the 70s and 80s mostly. We had seen Jim a couple weeks back and I wanted to see Scrimshaw that has brought the four Browns from California to North, Virginia over 30 years ago.

We ran out of wind as we snaked up Blackwater and I sculled us over to dock where a man offered a mooring. We accepted, had pasta that Frog packed and turned in early. Frog set up in the cockpit (without the tent to sleep under the stars) and I crawled into my warren down below. I awoke this morning and found Frog deep in his sleeping bag that was pretty much soaked on the outside with heavy dew. We dried up a bit and had a breakfast of granola bars and bananas.

Morning fog on the creek

Note: Frog remembered that Jim lived on the East River! Oh well maybe a visit next time when I have more time.

We headed south with an outgoing tide and downwind run. It was another beautiful cool day.  A reach across the north reach of the Mobjack and short tacks up the East River luckily with an incoming tide. Frog talked to wind as we tacked and it seemed to respond. We hauled out and I took Annie to our friends Denise and Van's house to store off Pepper Cove. I decided this new home will be better for the winter. Maybe we will go back to Winter Harbor Haven again for a stay sometime...

Blue Sky Days

A deadrise workboat on the East River

Pink going, yellow returning. 36 miles