Kieth was keen, Mitch was exited, I was thinking about a reef in the main.. Trev was thinking about going home...(smart man that Trevor)
Digger is too YOUNG to be mowing lawns. Trev doesnt have any lawns to mow!..so we went sailing.....sort of.
Getting out of the harbour backwards was tricky but, as the saying goes "third time lucky". Out into the wild brown yonder we motored.
The main shot up...the jib shot up...the main came down...the small reef went in...NO PROBLEMS!
Call from somewhere up on the bouncing bow "Do you want the spinnaker halyard back there?" " ERr...Aagh....no, might as well leave it there."
"we should head down to the start.....eeyyharr didn't know a Noelex could go this fast with a reef"
"well, that was fun ,do you want to drop the headsail now,.... and the main?"
"Yeah, good idea"
Perhaps "Seabreeze.com" was right afterall.
Sighs of relief all round and signs of "I told you so" from the 2 wiser skippers.
Back to the ramp, tricky manouver around the cardinal mark, surf into the placid confines of the harbour, bump the jetty and we're ready to put the boat on the trailer...sort of!
"Is the keel up?" "...errr,..uh NO"
"Is the rudder blade up?" "...errr,..uh NO"
"Is the boat on the trailer correctly?" "...errr,..uh NO"
OOOPS...So there goes the QA
..One day, somewhere, someone, will come up with a "Sailing in a Southerly Checklist"
PLEASE TELL ME WHEN IT IS AVAILABLE.
Happy Sailing,
Poppy Dave,
Offshore Account.