Do I know something yet?

Friday was a hoot, made us actually feel like we had learned something this year.

No pictures or video due to some busy sailing, so you’re stuck with my ramblings.

Similar conditions to the heavy day that worked me in beginning of July: blowing 8-15 but very variable direction and gusting up to 20+ (measured one gust w/ my handheld wind meter at 21kts apparent, and I was running downwind at 5kts according to the GPS… does that mean a gust of 25+??).

Unlike the last windy day we felt much more comfortable this time… motoring went better using the mizzen to weather vane the stern, then up goes double reefed main (probably could have done single reef, but…), then jib, cruised for about 2 hours, all went pretty smoothly… all over the place in terms of trying to get anywhere because of the wind shifts so it’s not like we set any distance records, but all in all felt very comfortable even in the squirrely conditions.

Relatively small adjustments to the mizzen had a very direct effect on weather helm (or lack thereof), will have to remember that in the future.

Went with full life jackets / all companionway boards in which made us feel a little more secure.

Rounded up hard once when we caught a big gust close hauled but I think the wind was shifting as we rounded up so we kept rounding up and heeling even when I dumped the sheets… don’t have a lot of experience with it but to me it seemed like a very well behaved thing for Turnstone to do, she simply rounded up and we stood back up… we didn’t have the rail in the water or anything but it was still more heel than I’ve had in her before, didn’t really rattle us though.

Did start getting gustier and scooted back down lake running at 5kts under jib and mizzen, you could really feel the pulsing of the wind, it was pretty cool.

Motored in and felt, well, a little less panicked than two months ago, feel like perhaps we have gained some experience this year… which of course means next day out will be a totally brutal “humbler”.