Took a break and took a sail

After a couple of weeks of either boat work or tropical storms, we said, “enough is enough!” and had to get out on the water for some sailing. Our friend Denise who likes anything and everything that has to do with the water came to visit for the weekend, and we set out into Tampa Bay.

The wind was nice and out of the east, so we were able to raise the sails while we were still in the Intracoastal just after going under the Anna Maria bridge. After we got the sails raised, Lindy helped me check the trim, and we shut off the engine for my favorite part: that moment there is silence except for the sound and the feel of being pushed along by the wind alone. Denise checked out the foredeck, and we all relaxed and just sailed to nowhere in particular.

Out in the bay, we set a heading and sailed along on a single tack for hours. The wind was great, always filling the sails, and ranging from slowly ghosting along to galloping and well heeled over. We made three long tacks across the bay and watched the many other sailboats crisscrossing the bay as well on this fine sailing day.

On our last tack we neared Egmont Key and then headed back for the Bulkhead to re enter the Intracoastal. When we entered the narrow bulkhead, the wind was dead behind us, and we got to practice wing on wing sailing where the head sail is pushed to one side of the boat and the main sail is pushed to the other. Pretty cool! What a wonderful day of sailing and also great to spend some time with Denise!