Log for Glissando's  Labor Day Cruise--August 30 - September 4, 2001 (Continued)

Day 3--Saturday, September 1

The rain ended by 7:00, leaving only a few light showers.  Tired from being up several times during the night, the last time around 5:30, I slept in till 8:30 or so--unheard of for me, an early riser.  (Heidi slept even later...)  We had no plans to leave our anchorage today, so it was a nice, relaxing morning.  I made coffee (I love boat coffee cooked on the stove...) and relaxed with a book until Heidi woke, and then made a great breakfast around 9:30.  By this time, the skies had begun clearing, and it was apparent that it was going to be a great day.  Sven, the computerized voice of NOAA weather, was calling for strong winds out of the northwest--25 knots or so.  By mid-morning, the winds had begun to blow as the cold front continued past, heralding a positive change in the weather, with lower humidity and crisp, clear air.  By late morning, the wind was gusting past 25 knots.  We were somewhat exposed in our location, although the fetch was still minimal, so we were secure.  I still made a practice of checking the anchor and rode every so often, and kept a sharp eye on our position as the gusts rocked us back and forth.  Several other boats had come in the previous evening, but none had anchored close to us.  The winds ushered in sparkling skies and whipped up whitecaps in the narrow bay.

The strong winds continued through the day.  This was the sort of day I seem to always remember trying to have a picnic or something when I was a kid--trying to keep tablecloths, napkins, plates and food in place on a table while the wind threatened to blow everything across the park.  Fun!  Several boats entered the harbor during the day, including a couple large power boats that picked up the mooring closest to our anchoring position.  Stifling an audible groan, I kept a close eye on them throughout the afternoon, but we never seemed to be overly close.  And, perhaps more fortunately, they were not loud or obnoxious people in the least, so their proximity didn't end up being a problem.

We read, napped, and I bailed 6" of rainwater out of the dinghy.  A typical day of cruising.  The wind remained brisk most of the day, finally dying off by about 9 PM.  As darkness fell, the full moon rose over our transom, galvanizing me into action in an always unsuccessful attempt to capture the beauty on film (well, pixels, really.)  We went to sleep early, as our day had been so strenuous.  What a life, this cruising!

Day 4--Sunday, September 2

I rose before 7:00, unable to stay in bed any longer on what was obviously an absolutely perfect morning.  The wind was light, the sky cloudless and bright, and everything was beautiful.  The pleasure of being on board on a morning like this simply cannot be explained--if you haven't experienced it, all I can say is I hope you will someday.  This is what cruising is all about--mornings like this in a beautiful, safe harbor.  The early morning light is some of the best lighting available, highlighting boats and shoreline in a glowing display.  The white yawl moored nearby that I liked was brightly enhanced even further by the morning sun.

Because we were extremely comfortable, we decided to stay yet another day here.  After all, cruising is about much more than simply sailing from one port to another, dropping anchor only to sleep; rather, it's more of a mentality, at least for us, and the best mode of relaxation known.  With an unfortunately limited amount of time available for a cruise, we find it's often best to take things one day at a time, and worry less about destinations and more about enjoying where we are at any given moment.  Of course, it certainly helps to be in a beautiful location.  However, we seem to be in the minority in this respect, and several boats left early in the morning--admittedly, what a great day for a sail!  I caught this 28' Sea Sprite slowly sailing out of the anchorage early in the morning.

Later in the morning, I decided to go for a sail in our Fatty Knees.  It was the perfect opportunity, with pleasant winds and calm seas, in a beautiful harbor.  Click here for details and photos describing our maiden sailing voyage in the dinghy.

While I was sailing about in the dinghy, several powerboats that had been nearby overnight decided to rearrange themselves on the nearby moorings, more or less surrounding us.  The horror!  The horror!  When I returned to the boat after my sail, Heidi mentioned that she had overheard the crews talking, and that at least one more boat was scheduled to arrive later in the day.  At this point, we decided to raise the anchor and move more into the eastern leg of the harbor, where several sailboats had anchored the previous night--now departed.  We had no desire to be in the midst of a big party, so we headed for a more secluded spot.

Continued on Page 3