rock you like a... really strong breeze

Saturday was another outing with the Puget Sound Sailing Group, this time out of Shilshole in Ballard. Our flotilla consisted of a posh Elite 32 and 2 J24's. Ken W. skippered the schmancy Elite 32 with her furnace, galley, couches and berths while Ken V. and I each skippered an extremely bare - and in Ken's sake, partially functioning - J24.

The winds were, lessee... big. Really big. The 32 registered a high of 27 knots apparent wind. That's almost twice the previous max speed I'd ever sailed in. We left the main up and piled the jib on the bow for most of the day.

Ken V. had the same idea, but apparently the J24 they were on - Slicker Than Snot - wasn't particularly slick raising the main in gonzo wind. After a frustrating hour of doing "crazy ivans" trying to stay into the wind to get the main raised, they pulled the boat around and headed in to shore for a spot of bar sailing.

Christy and Cathy, her friend from her racing days in Cleveland, got our main hoisted and we flew out into the wind on a close haul heading south around Magnolia. We got bounced around a bit and soaked but it was wicked fun. Christy and Cathy were both super comfortable and really helpful teaching me things like how to surf the boat down a wave to keep the bow from slapping. We made it down to the Elliot Bay Marina before turning around for a broad reach downwind.

On coming back into Shilshole Bay, we circled by the sea lions to say hey. They were unimpressed and a few of them were right pissed off. Eesh, cranky. Since we were the last to arrive and everyone was hanging out on the 32 when we pulled in, I got to dock the boat with EVERYONE watching. I can't begin to tell you how much fun I wasn't having when the engine quit on me about thirty feet from the end of the slip.


Ken W., Mat, Tammy, Katherine and Nancy hanging out in the first class accomodations aboard "Quintessence".


Cathy, Christy and Sherri hanging in the steerage accomodations aboard "Slicker than Snot". You saw Titanic, us po' folk have better parties.


Skipper Ken keeps a weather eye.


Christy at the helm.


Cathy at the ready.


I asked Christy to get some shots with my camera as water came up over the bow. This is the last picture I have that doesn't have a big blob of water on the lens. Huh, didn't see that coming.


Fun.


More water onto the lens. At this point, the camera is now turning itself on and off and operating the zoom sans operator input. I think something in the water re-animated my camera. Just like in Pet Cemetary only with digital cameras, not creepy children. Stupid zombie camera.


This is the part where I'd really like to not gybe.


The reason I'd like to not gybe is that Cathy prefers the contents of her skull to stay in her skull. She can be such a princess.


Contemplating the Nalgene bottles on board full of handmade margaritas.


Cathy steering us this way and that.


"27 knots? Meh."