Great Weekend

[vabuckeye]

Finally launched my Hunter 22 this past Sunday and was able to go sailing. We had 25 knot gusts, 1-2 ft waves in the river, and a small craft advisory. Gusting a little too much for the level of expertise of the cap't, so we used only the jib. Uncertain of the speed we were cruising at due to all the electronics are not wired. After a rough start, we settled back and enjoyed the afternoon.

First mistake I made was not turning into the wind to raise the sail. The excitement of the moment took over. Another mistake I know I made was sailing on the windward side of the river. We were getting beat for awhile and had trouble tacking. Also should have checked the engine out better and caught the pump issue. We clipped a pole on the way back in and scraped my new paint. (I was not at the helm)

Some people might say going out with those gusts was a mistake, but using only the jib gave me alot of control and confidence. The boat handled unbelievable. We were only heeled over 15-20 degrees and moved right along. Drop the winds down to under 15 knots and I will use the main.

Overall we had a great sail for the maiden voyage. My daughter who thought that sailing was a waste has fallen in love with it as long as I keep the power boat. I hope to spend a few more weekends out before the weather turns. Worth all the sweat and time it has taken to reach this point.

Jim

Also, the Bucks beat Penn State

Go Bucks!