Gus,
Been kinda... away from the boat since Pirates last year, doing some backpacking and other land-y things. Finally relaunched Windward a week ago, and just now getting her rigged. How embarrassing!
I have a couple of weeks blocked off for Pirates this year, and am absolutely intending to be there.
Spent a couple of weeks there last year and covered about 400 nm, poking out past the end of Cape Lookout Shoals in small craft advisories, running the Bogue Inlet (apparently there are not many sailboats that go through there... imagine!), and sailing three days of SCAs in the sound that saw her making almost hull speed upwind with the third reef in. Ya know, the Sound is just plain nasty when winds are north above 25 kt, and slow tacks mean a washed deck. Trashed the tillerpilot and cracked both cheek plates on the rudder while surfing (hit 8.4 kt with triple reef and about 50 sq ft of heavy wx jib rolled out), took some water in through the towing eye, hull/deck joint and previously watertight portlights while pounding into the bigguns, listened to several maydays, got tired and cold, and had an absolute blast.
And, sadly, the red paint looks like someone flogged the starboard quarter with a wire halyard. Don't know what's up there, although some of the barnacle-encrusted pilings at the Beaufort gas dock probably played a role. Just look at her from 15 feet away (or come below for dinner and a drink or two) and you won't really notice.
Not sure exactly what my itinerary is yet: probably get there the week prior, sail like crazy that week, hit Pirates with the fam, sail some with my buddy Sam, then grab a few days solo (ah, blissful, self-indulgent sailing) prior to trucking her home at the end of the following week.
Work for the past 6 months has hit an all-time low. I think Douglas Adams said it best: "to summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem." I am planning some time where I'm accountable to no one but me, and whatever bloody mess I find myself in will be an affair of my own design, for which I'll take complete responsibility. But I digress...
After any time at all in that sandbox, you deserve more than a little time to bum around. Dinner and a bottle of red (or white, or iced tea... you can be picky), rafted up to a lovely red floating cafe, is on me. You can reach me at
jeff@lizards.net, or 423-647-2671. Hope we can hook up for some or all of the time, although as I mentioned I'll probably be in the "it's all about me" mode after Pirates. I'd really like to make the loop outside from Ocracoke to CLO, but really depends on wx and crew (or lack thereof). You may be less, or more, motivated to do stupid things.
Fair Winds,
J
I might have time to bum around for a while if you decide to stay longer (I need time off after a long year here in the sandbox)