Continuing

I keep forgetting to post here after a sail, so once again it is several weeks since the last one.

Still doing OK, though. I can get out of the marina, through the drawbridge, and out into the lake. Even more important, I can get back! Those other boats can be pesky, however, and the drawbridge operator seems to be waiting longer and longer to open it.

I still need a lot of practice, though, in almost all aspects of it. My last couple of trips out, I've had problems pointing very high into the wind. When you can only tack through 180 degrees, you can't make much progress upwind! I did much better over the weekend at one point, but had trouble at others, especially when the wind was light. I think I figured out one reason, so I'll need to try it out, perhaps on Saturday or so. At least now I can get some of the practice that I
need.

I still find the scariest part getting in and out of the slip. There are too many things to try to do at once. It took me several minutes on Sunday to get things together as I was getting out of the slip and waiting for the bridge. The problem with that are all the things I can hit! I'm hoping that I'll get more skilled at the whole process and will look and feel less incompetent. Haven't hit anything yet, though, so that's good. Coming back in has gone pretty well, right up to the time when I am at the dock. Putting the motor in neutral (or even reversing it first to come to a stop) and tying up a couple of temporary lines are things that have to be done pretty much simultaneosuly, which can be tough. I'm especially nervous about getting out onto the dock, since my fear is that it will drift away with the wind without me on it. I think what I need to do is rig two lines--a bow line and a stern line--while I am out on the lake and bring them both to the same place in the cockpit. Then I should be able to pick them up, step off the boat and hold it in place while I tie them off temporarily.