Oh my god, you mean I'm incharge of this boat and sail today ... me ... little ol' me?
Well my first day as a Day Skipper went tremendously well, and the boat is still in one piece. We sailed to the first marina east of Albufeira. That is Vilamoura. Spent the morning verifying my passage plan and then Mark basically let me take the lead. I didn’t get this at first, but his daughter Alice was with us too so at one point I turned to her and said, “He’s not going to tell me anything is he, he’s going to leave the decision making up to me?” “Yup” she said, “Unless you are going to do something that is dangerous.”
Wes helps John learning the knots
Well I am proud to say, that he did not have to stop me once. Well that’s not entirely true. My second docking the boat alongside a pontoon, I had the challenge of the wind and tide oncoming, and having the dock the boat on the starboard side when the prop kick was to the left. Also, the cleats were quite far spaced. In anycase, I came in not too badly but didn’t go far enough along for the aft spring to have enough line to hit the appropriate cleat so being too long the stern was wanting to swing out. “Power her forward,” Mark says, and I almost t-bone the boat into the pontoon – BUT I didn’t. I did it right. I acted in enough time to swing it around and luckily both Wes and Alice are very capable mooring line handlers.
Mark and Alice ... "Should we really let her take the helm?"
So heading toward Vilamoura, we had the wind from behind starting us off on a a beam reach until it came all the way around and provided us with a broad reach. We even had the main sail and genoa goosed, as they call it, on opposite sides.
Docked at Vilamoura - yes my stern and aft spring lines are a little long - Oops
Wes handles the helm in close haul
As the day wore on and we returned from Vilamoura, we sailed with the wind having us tack back and forth at a close haul. Winds kept increasing and when the wind finally hit 21 knots, just shy of force 6 winds, we had to reef the main sail and jib right in and still heeled over to almost 30 degrees and hitting 7 knots. It was so amazing. And I was in charge for the most part making the right decisions around tacking, sails and rights of ways. It was a great learning experience.
John handles the helm in calmer downwind waters. Wes and Alice stand ready ... :o)
Vilamoura Marina reception
I have homework tonight as I have to plan the passage to the west to Portimao, where Mark is going to take me up the river there as well where there is barely enough room to turn around. Ahhh. We will stay overnight there tomorrow. All of it is great and giving me great confidence as I finally have to make decisions and take action all on my own. Loving it, loving every minute of it. Just with my friend was here … :o)
Heeled over at almost 30 degrees - lovin' every minute of it!!
I love all the nautical lingo and sounds as though you are doing a very good job for your first time in charge – very proud of you. Wish I could be there. Love Mum
Well have a bigger trip planned for today – so each day more, I will get better!