Happy Birthday!

Yesterday was the Indian Summer’s birthday.  Or at least, the day when I celebrate it.  Two years ago yesterday, I acquired the Indian Summer, sometime during its 37th year.  Now, its approaching 40 and still cranky as ever.

Winds were very high yesterday, but I went out for a short spin anyway.  Winds were 18 knots at the GG Bridge, gusting to 33 by Angel Island.  I sailed on the jib with a severely reefed main so that I could have a little more control.   Lots of heeling!  At one point, we heeled so far that the gas tank fell over.  That hasn’t happened since the first summer, when I figured out a better way to secure it in place.  Luckily, almost none spilled out.

Sabine (the other Tink) came with me – she’d never been sailing on  SF Bay, but had quite a bit as a kid in France.  She didn’t tell me till half way through the sail that she was a little frightened of sailing, having once been on a dinghy that demasted, capsized, and sank, leaving her and another kid clinging to a breakwater while helicoptors tried to rescue them!  I’m quite impressed that she has gone sailing again after that.

My boat got a little belligerent (or maybe I got cocky) and tried to ram a big boat (100 feet or so) in swirling winds.  It was a near miss, and in fact, I think my forestay might have kissed a line on the other boat’s bow sprit.  Luckily, no damage to either boat.

Still, had a nice sail and boat bonding, then today went out and boat the fiberglass and other things I’m going to have to use to set up the mount for the new swim ladder.  Can’t wait for those late summer afternoons in the lee of Angel Island.