Woodwind Takes to the Wind at Megunticook

Our second family voyage in our GP 14, Woodwind. As we were coming back to the launching ramp (with about 5 or 6 other 4th of July boating expeditions, it was a bit zoo-y) a woman in a motor boat snapped a picture of us, and here it is!

It all went off without a big hitch, except when we got to the launching ramp, we discovered that we had lost a shackle that holds one shroud in place. Maybe even the turnbuckle, too, thinking about it now. So Guy rigged up a rope assemblage, which worked great, so off we went.

But, unbeknownst to those who amble through the wind and waves with carefree abandon, the rope assemblage was being gradually sawed away by the sharp edges of the ring that should have been holding the missing shackle and pin. With a big snap, our rope jury rig snapped when we were halfway through the beat back.

Guy, being a good Boy Scout, had remembered to bring a Ricotta Cheese bucket full of odds and ends, so, finding another shackle with a smooth surface, he tied up another turnbuckle arrangement with a bit of spectra while I held Woodwind into the wind, and then we were off again.

I think it may have been one of our more successful family yachting occasions. I still get nervous steering dinghies, but not as nervous as I used to. If it were just me, I wouldn't mind so much, because if I capsize on my own, I don't really care. Obviously, a much bigger pain in the butt in Woodwind, since she is big and heavy, and I would have a job getting her flipped back up again, much more so than an Opti or a 420. I think it is just the fact that I worry about it a little with our 10 year old son Rory on board. But, the second time I steered, it was very fun. I love being the jib person, though, so I can sit up on the rail when we are beating and hike over. Dinghy sailing goes so quickly...especially on the lake, where the wind is so varied, pouring down from the mountains, warming and cooling, swirling around, creating so many little shifts. Very different from sailing on the Bay or in the Ocean, where the wind is much slower to change her attitude.