Lots of Sun, Plenty of Wind

Ellie and I bopped over to Gwynns late on Saturday and gave Annie some needed care. A bit of Sikkens on the rails was readily soaked up. As the day wore on... quite hot for sure... we opted to head back with our croakers. I was encouraged to return on Sunday.

Got out the next morning around 7 and arrived back at the marina at 8:30. Grabbed some gas and headed across the bridge to put in. A young dad and his daughter took the lines and kept the fresh rails off the gnarly pilings. The 6 horse slowly moved Annie southeast toward The Hole in the Wall where the creek opens into the bay. She took to the breeze under full sail and it continued to freshen as we got further 'offshore' in the Chesapeake. Great sailing. The best yet in Virginia!

After a couple hours we returned stopping on a white sand beach just inside The Hole in the Wall. Approaching a beach in a Drascombe goes like this... drop most sail (I used the roller reefing jib to keep headway), pull up the rudder, steer with the sculling oar as you listen for the centerplate to scrape. I then slowly pull up the plate and continue until it is almost up, furl the jib and walk forward and drop anchor. Upon returning to the cockpit I sheet the mizzen tight and she swings and heads into the wind to ride without fishing about. 

I took a dip and some snaps with my phone. Was getting little too much sun so headed back. The marina has a great shower and it helped bring the heat down before the starting back to Richmond.  Ellie's encouragement paid off...

Mizzen as a steadying sail

Homemade swim ladder (from Douglas Hopwood design)

Ladder stowed

A good look at Annie's transom and the outboard well cutout

This is fun!