We've been wanting to get back to the Lake for some time. Alright. I HAVE been wanting to get back to the Lake. We didn't have a lot of wind a couple of weeks ago and it would be nice to really do some sailing instead of motoring. Our work life has been a little crazy lately... OK, consuming everything like a huge, black hole.... and we tried to leave Dayton early Friday afternoon. Before you know it, early afternoon became late afternoon, but we finally left, leaving the dog at the first mate's brother's house. We arrived at Herl's Harbor around 8pm and with sunset this time of year at 8:30, it was too late to venture out. There wasn't a breath of wind to be had, so leaving would have meant motoring. Oh well, we'll get a good night's sleep at the dock and head out in the morning. |
Saturday came and with it a freshening and steady breeze from the southwest. Should be perfect for sailing here in the southwest corner of Lake Erie. With no destination in mind, we sailed where the wind took us, northwest along the southern tip of South Bass Island, around Rattlesnake Island, then around Middle Bass Island. Once on the Lake, the wind was blowing a very steady 14 knots on our beam and our speed ranged from 6 to 7.2 knots, occasionally dipping the top rail in the water much to the First Mate's displeasure. I was giggling like a schoolgirl.
We dropped anchor at Schoolhouse Bay for a late lunch and contemplated staying for the evening. Without a strong cellphone signal, we couldn't pick up the weather radar but the NOAA radio talked about a 50% chance of thunderstorms that night. Erring on the side of safety, and with clouds rolling in, we decided to sail back to Catawba for the evening. The breeze was still about 14 knots and I knew we would have another good ride. Little did I know, however, that as we rounded the green buoy at Buckeye Reef past Ballast Island, the wind kicked up to 18 knots... then 20 knots... then 22 knots... then 24 knots! We reefed the mainsail down about half and took it on... determined to sail our way through it. Waves were building quickly and spray was coming over both sides of the bow. The First Mate sat on the floor of the cockpit to keep from falling overboard. I had one foot on the floor and the other foot on the bench, which normally is about a foot and a half higher than the floor but now, given the 35 degree heel, was about at the same height. We continued that way for the four mile trip back to Catawba; the wind calming a little as we neared the shore.
Sure enough, the rain moved in around 2am and continued through the morning. Making the right decision saved us from a wet motor ride.