Sailing... with wind and everything!

Unlike my recent outing with my beloved friend Michelle, Central Air had the opportunity to play with some actual wind on Saturday morning! My brother Bob and sister-in-law Leah were here for the weekend from Beckley, WV, and we all experienced some 'firsts'. It was Bob and Leah's first sail... and it was Central Air's first sail of the season with wind present! It was fabulous!

After a brief encounter with a "fellow boater" while in line for the ramp - one that almost involved me opening up a can of whoop you-know-what -we were underway with the new (to me) trolling motor that was purring like a kitten. The tiny little plastic paddle that Michelle poked fun at was stowed away in the cubby, where it generated just as much forward momentum as it does when used for paddling.

There was a fair amount of wind, so your brave (hee hee) skipper decided to fly just the jib (the sail on the front of the boat) and leave the mainsail bungy-ed to the boom. (Why clutch the edges of the boat screaming if you don't have to?) Bob unfurled the jib very efficiently, and away we went (after Bob and I switched seats momentarily so that he could tilt the trolling motor out of the water and rescue me from my flailing. Thanks, my hero!)

And we were off! It was an incredible ride! Perfect, even!! It was a beautiful day, the wind was perfect, Central Air was in fine form, and who could ask for better company - or better crew members - than Bob and Leah? They both handled the jib sheets like pros, and we came about quite smartly despite my skills at the helm! We sailed a large triangle across the lake and back to the ramp. I could have happily stayed out with them all day.

Ahhhhh... a fine morning of sailing with my best friends. Thank you, Bob and Leah, for a happy and memorable weekend!