The Unexpectedly Perfect Sail

[scgunner]

Some of my most memorable sail days have just come out of the blue. One in particular, maybe my best, comes to mind. It didn't start out that way, it just happened. I was taking Top Gun to Avalon for a week to meet family and friends. It's about a 4 1/2hr trip and a couple of friends volunteered to go with me to help out and keep me company.

The trip didn't start well, first the friends flaked out so I'd be singling over, next I had to leave early, which in these parts means no wind, so I'd have to motor all the way. Since the idea was just to get the boat over there neither would be much of a problem, but it certainly wouldn't be much fun.

I departed my slip assuming I'd be motoring all the way as I've done many times before. As I cleared the harbor an unusual breeze kicked up from nowhere. I thought fine, it won't last long but I rolled out the jib to take advantage of it and do a little motor sailing. Strangely the breeze held and actually freshened to 15 to 20 knots, I thought what the hell so up went the main and off went the motor, I'll enjoy it while it lasts, plus the sails were making a knot and a half on the motor. I didn't drop the sails until I arrived in Avalon.

It was a fast trip(under 4hrs) and a smooth trip. At a certain point I shut off the auto pilot so I could sit high side and hand steer the boat, fully enjoying the sensations of a boat flying along in perfect conditions. Sadly, all too soon I arrived at my destination.

While I've had many great sail days I've never repeated this one, that was about 25yrs ago. Maybe that's why I've kept my boat for so long, because while I've never repeated that memorable sail, there's always the possibility that I might.

[ewengstrom]

GREAT story Kevin, thanks for sharing!!!! I'd bet we all have at least one of those moments that pop right up when reading this. It sure brings a satisfied smile to my face when I recollect one...then another....then maaaaybe one more..... 
You're just going to have to keep the boat though, you have to keep working at it to get another "perfect sail" in......someday.

[Kyle Ewing]

For me, the best sail is when the end of year sail to the yard for haul-out is fantastic.  It makes the anticipation for spring that much stronger!

My best perfect sail was on a Chicago-Mac race.  We'd been without wind for several hours so the lake was like glass with not another boat in sight.  The wind picked up just before dinner and we ended up sailing at hull speed under cruising spinnaker while one of my friends cooked.  I'll never forget how stable, smooth and perfectly flat the boat felt going 7+ knots and how good the homemade pizza tasted!  I don't think it'll be possible to reproduce that perfect mix of company, a good cook, perfect wind and flat water.

[Stu Jackson]

This was our log from our last day of our cruise from San Francisco to Maple Bay, British Columbia:

Sunday, September 18, 2016     Day 41    Sidney, BC to Maple Bay

Sunny skies and light winds at 0805.  Neither one of us wanted any breakfast.  Underway at 1137 into a nice building breeze from the southeast, fluffy white clouds on a blue sky, a regatta going on outside the marina, and "fair winds and following seas."

We made "some mention" of when we might sail past the house, but this trip had no schedule and we weren't going to start now.

What we did do, though, was to start SAILING!!!  We raised the reefed main, and then GASP!!! unfurled the jib and started scooting along.  Conditions were so perfect that we raised the full main for the first time since last April!   We identified and passed Coal Island and went through Shute Passage on the way to Saltspring Island and Satellite Channel, gybing to miss the Saltspring Island ferry while two of the "big guys" from the mainland came and went into Swartz Bay.  Soon we sailed off our Garmin US charts into a simple-blue-for-water background on the handheld.

We'd caught the building flood and as we turned the corner of Saltspring there was a large freighter anchored pretty much in front of Opa's house.  "Darn," I said, "he'll ruin our picture."  Because of the flood his bow was pointing our way and it turned out he was far enough away to not get in the way.  The wind was peaking at 15-18 from astern and we sailed by the house, turned around for another pass upwind, then turned back and sailed into Samsun Narrows.  The wind died close to the first turn, so we furled the jib, dropped the main and motored to Maple Bay.

[crieders]

great story
I write my perfect sail days on a 3 by 5 card and save them to look back on
Enjoy!

[scgunner]

After reading and enjoying some of my fellow 34er's stories it occurs to me some of my most memorable sails have been when it's just me, the boat, the sea, and the wind. Some have been enjoyable, some have been challenging, some have been downright scary.

[jonathanc34]

I just bought my boat, but I had an incredible experience moving it.

'Owenoke' is a 1988 C34 that was in Norfolk VA, and I needed to move her up to Worton Creek MD, ~150NM.

The first long weekend in November had an incredible forecast: lows in the fifties, highs in the sixties, and no wind to speak of. Ordinarily, the windless forecast would have been terrible, but when you have a tight timeline and a decent distance, it's exactly what you need.

My father and I drove the boat, completing the purchase Friday morning and arriving in her new slip by mid afternoon Monday. We had a wonderful time navigating fog, had breakfast with a pod of twenty dolphin in a dense sunlit mist, graced by crystal clear nights and beautiful mornings.

By definition, it was terrible sail, but it was an incredible trip and a wonderful way to begin my boat owning experience. https://youtu.be/qgtv8R4bSF8

[waughoo]

Very cool video.  I hear ya on the journey.  Sometimes it is the experience as a whole, rather than just a small part of it that makes it great.