Sail #2015 - 1: Frostbite Cruise

Oddly enough, while the last of the snow only melted a few weeks ago, we managed to get out on Exploits for our first sail of 2015 in early June.  Sadly, most boats are still on the hard.

The conditions were great, which is surprising given the 30 plus mph gusts the day before.  It was a cool but very comfortable cruise down towards Bayhead.  This is one of our favorite parts of the Bay, with green rolling hills that seem to drop into the water.  We were joined by some old friends, Gaila and Fly-Bye-Wire and some new sailors on Trade Winds and Kittiwake.  The statistician aboard Gaila reported an average sailing speed of 5 knots. .

Exploits performed well and seems to be in good working order.

Great start to 2015.

Sail #2015 - 1.  My favorite view.

Truck Power

Decided to repower Exploits with 2 new truck batteries.  With 950 cca they should provide loads of power to fire up the iron jib.  Truck batteries are also a heck of lot cheaper than any battery that has "marine" in it's name.

Sail #3: Firsts and Lasts (for now)

After a few days of high wind warnings and cold wet weather, the sun came out on Sunday.  The Skipper from Fly-Bye-Wire gave me a hand with the start-finish markers and some of the race markers, in preparation of another racing season on the Bay.

I had a little trouble starting Exploits and eventually had to try out my new Christmas present (booster pack) and jump start her.  I have suspected the batteries were getting worn out so I guess it's time to replace them.

After a break to watch the last little bit of French Open tennis final, Exploits, Fly-Bye-Wire, and Gaila headed out for an afternoon sail.  It was Fly-Bye-Wire's shakedown cruise and the last sail for the crew of Gaila for a few weeks while they recover from some health related repairs scheduled for later this week.

It was a very light wind, overly relaxing day.  However, it's always good to get out on the water with good friends.

It was a good day.

Sail #2: Ultimate Therapy

The weather on Sunday was much improved which made for a busy day in the gardens for the First Mate.  After some power planting and digging and a modest amount of arm twisting, we headed out for a relaxing afternoon sail in Tatamagouche Bay.

The winds were ideal and the temperatures comfortable.  We tracked down Gaila who was the only other boat in the Bay.  They had a full crew on board including a new boyfriend for Cindy, so we were on our best behavior.

We tracked across towards Malagash, turned and headed down across Jollimore's Reef, past the cottage and back to BHYC.  Back on the hard, the garden was calling so I was on kitchen duty, yet again!

Very nice and extremely productive weekend.

Sail #1: Hooray, Hooray 'tis the 31st of May

We took advantage of the first semi-nice weekend to get out for a shakedown cruise on Exploits. It was sunny, but cool. Water temperatures were 13.9 C. Great wind out of the north west.

We set the sails after leaving the channel and made a steady 6.2 knots per hour out past Jollimore's Reef. There were lots of lobster traps to dodge. The buoys painted black made the

task more challenging. After one tack we took a straight line back to BHYC.

Abigale was the only other sailboat out. There we a couple of fishing boats finishing the day. Ever After chatted with us over the VHF from the hard.

After dropping the crew off to resume garden detail back at the cottage, i went back to BHYC to prep the Club gazebo for the season. With the help of the Skipper from Scot Free and the Bros we took off the shutters, installed the wind screens and set up the furniture.

All before June 1st!

Dull Weather and Bright Work

Much to the disbelief of my BC relatives, after launching Exploits last weekend, we made an implusive trip to Ottawa to see family in the Nation's Capital. Admittedly, the motivation for the trip started with the knowledge that Joe Bonamassa was playing at the National Arts Centre. The highlight of the trip was definitely the time spent with family, who we don't see enough it seems.

The Joe Bonamassa show was an amazing 2 part show that featured an acoustic set followed by an electric set. The venue was equally impressive with its opera style balconies and plush seating. For an added treat, we spent the evening at the Swiss Hotel in downtown Ottawa, a short 10 minute walk from the NAC.

As I checked the weather back in good old Brule Point today, I reflected on how lucky I was to get 6 days of warm sunny weather in row last week to get the boat ready for the season. It’s nice to know that Exploits is sitting comfortably at the dock at BHYC and is ready to go.

I completely restored the brightwork, repainted the bottom, installed a new entertainment system and repaired the rudder. Altho, regarding the rudder repair, I had to eat a fair bit of humble pie since I was told how to fix it and ignored the advice. After reversing the mess I made, I followed the instructions given. I had my fill of humble pie that day!

I have a photo in my office of Exploits taken by a previous owner right after she was prepped for an eventual sale to the folks we bought her from. The boat looks great and I have always been envious of the brightwork in the photo. The latest photo suggests that Exploits might look as good, if not better this year. It obviously has made a difference given that several people have asked about the brightwork.

We were treated to hot summer like weather while we were in Ottawa, but like many areas, this spring has been painfully long. We are several weeks behind which has delayed garden work in addition to making the boat yard a quiet place. All the more reason for me to feel grateful for the weather I had last week.

2014 Race Schedule for the BHYC

http://ccredline25.angelfire.com/schedual-of-events.html