A Day of Sheer Calm

We went out to the Margaret Ann for the afternoon and evening to do some small fixes and tune the rigging. This means adjusting the steel cables that hold the mast and the foresails in place. We've been having some trouble getting things tight enough, as the cables are quite stretched out. Some of the adjustments will probably require taking the mast down and adjusting some things at the top.

We'll only have her in the water another week or so, and so we're not too worried about getting it all perfect right now. However, it's not good to have the rigging too loose, as sudden gusts of wind can smack the mast around and really wrench on the boat where the cables are attached.

It was dead calm. We took the dinghy this time, and the kids spent a good 5 hours puttering around the lake. It's a decent-sized critter, with a 2 HP outboard. We put Spazz in charge of navigation, and the four of them went out together.

It felt like a rite of passage to me. They always stayed in sight, but they went almost all the way across to the far shore. (Granted, our "lake" is really just a ravine full of water, not even as big as some rivers.) I watched them experiment with the excitement of being so independent, and at the same time, cling somewhat close. I saw the responsibility we've been trying to teach them actually get exercised.

We decided to let the sailboat be a motorboat for the evening, and took supper out on the water. It was like glass, and we just let her drift. The kids pulled up alongside, to parental cries of, "Oh, no! Pirates!" We bribed the raiders with sandwiches and juice boxes. Then we gave them a bag of chips and let 'em loose. They were very careful not to get any garbage in the lake.

Dave snoozed on one of the cockpit seats, while I watched the clear sky, the drift of the boat, and the children whizzing in a large circle around us. The fun was finished when Brat Boy decided he needed to go potty. It is hard spending half a day in and out of a dinghy when you're 5. Spazz poured it on when the girls started shrieking, "Oh, no, he's dribbling! We've gotta get back there fast!" This turned out to be hyperbole, for which the girls are infamous. However, it ended Dave's nap.

We came back ashore feeling very satisfied with the relaxation of the day. It really did feel like a day off.

Ship Log of the Margaret Ann Aug 26th

We were out on the lake for about 2 hours this afternoon. We sailed up the lake this time, where it was broader but shallower. There were a few times the depth alarm went off. However, the wind was easier to work with up there, because it wasn't gusting off the hills or blocked by patches of trees.

We were about to turn around when we saw a powerboat coming up behind us. We decided to wait till they'd gone past, but the boat headed toward us, slowing. We soon realized it was our friends from north of town. they had a camera with them, and took several pictures of Margaret Ann over the course of the afternoon.

We greatly enjoyed seeing the jaw-drop effect among some of the fishermen on shore as we sailed back past the launch. The boat generates a certain amount of excitement.

The kids had great fun riding on the bowsprit today. We had just the right wind direction to allow us to reach up and down the lake with almost no tacking needed, so they were able to perch right under the staysail without having to get out of the way every few minutes.

I had the pleasure of hauling and furling the sails today. I like having the chance to get to know the boat better.

We measured our time, and with a leisurely jib dropped here and a mainsail there, it took us about 25 minutes to furl and prepare to dock. We were not scrambling, by any means--the jib came down and we ran her sloop-rigged back towards the docks, saving us some hassle while trying to park and roller-furl the boom in the midst of all the fishing craft that were out today.

Ship Log of the Margaret Ann

We met at the launch as David came off the day shift, and set sail immediately. I had the tiller for a bit, but found my mate to be an incorrigible backseat driver, so I went below, informing him that he was welcome to drive. Supper was served on board, consisting of salami sandwiches. Snacks this time were apples and carrots, as I spent 5 hours cleaning out the boat on Tuesday.

Granted, some of that cleaning involved the nastiness of disinfecting the head area and mopping up the remnants of bilge water in the saloon area. However, nary a pretzel shall ever set foot on my ship again.

After supper, I took the tiller again, courtesy of a repentant Only Mate (calling him my First Mate will only spark another tiff over who is in fact the captain). The evening was calm and cool. There was almost no wind, and it was coming across the width of the lake, making steady sailing a little difficult. We found out some wonderful technical aspects about our boat. First, she can reach incredibly close into the wind with all sails up. Second, she really does find wind where there is none. We made our way towards the dam, struggling to find a good angle to the poor wind direction. But on the way back to the launch, she glided along in the tiny breeze, making her way about 30 degrees off the wind.

We brought warm jackets, and ended up thankful for them. Dave went and sat up in front of the mast, greatly enjoying the view and the feel of the boat from there. He helped each of the youngest three kids take a turn riding the bowsprit. They found that completely cool.

As I tacked back up the lake, I faced the occasional helpful comment from my less-experienced Only Mate, who was convinced we could round the point back to the launch with shorter tacks than I was inclined to take. I knew full well this wasn't true, but humoured him. The more tacks, the longer it would take to dock.

We loosened the sheets and let the boat drift in the middle of the lake, opposite the dock, as we practiced roller-furling the mainsail on the boom. The staysail is on a furler, a spring-loaded contraption that rolls the sail for us. The jib (second sail, directly in front of the mainsail) comes with no such luxuries.

Spazzerific sat at the tiller and attempted to keep the boat's nose into the wind while we furled the main. Having the jib up and the main essentially reefed resulted in a fair bit of lee helm, and the boat wanted to turn with the wind. This made Spazz a bit nervous, but he did fine.

With the sails furled and the keel raised, Dave started the outboard and took us in to the dock. We discovered that the keel was not fully raised when the boat grounded. However, this was not a major emergency, and was easily fixed.

Banana took the following photo of me standing on the foredeck as we prepared to dock. I love riding in to the dock Jack Sparrow-style.

Ship Log of the Margaret Ann

We launched the Margaret Ann around 9:30 this morning. It took us some time to step the mast, but was much easier than our dry run ashore yesterday, as all the grey Great Lakes sand had fallen out of its hollow core. Without the sand pouring out and jamming the bottom, fastening the front stay was a relative breeze.

We began by sailing with the mainsail only. When we raised the clubfoot jib, we quickly realized how much of a difference it made to the balance of the boat. No more fighting the helm. Dave insisted on trying to install the bimini overtop my head and in the midst of the rigging as I was attempting to pilot the boat, which resulted in a few territorial words being exchanged.

We allowed the kids to have snacks on board--Doritos and pretzels. Never again. The whole cabin was littered with them. The boat is just not big enough for that kind of mess to be even a bit bearable.

The kids decided that they loved sailing, until it began to rain; the wind died; and the boat threatened to drift aground in a shallows while Dave struggled to get the outboard going. However, they were able to shelter below while Dave and I got a soaking. The bimini provided some protection, but shed water right onto my seat so that I ended up wet from the waist down. I didn't care. It was too much fun.

In spite of thunder and lightning, Dave was determined to sail her back to the dock. It took a lot of convincing to talk him into putting it under motor power, and a few good cracks right overhead.

We went back to town and got permission to moor her at the launch, and also a padlock for the cabin. We were able to store rudder and outboard below and tie up over at the pilings, off both the docks and away from the beaten paths. This made us a bit nervous, leaving her there, but she'll be coming out for the winter next Tuesday.

I went through two changes of clothes (foolishly thinking the worst of the rain was over, when in fact it was yet to come) and spent the evening shivering under a blanket, but without the slightest discontent. There truly is nothing better than mucking about in a boat.