Amy, Jason, Jim, and I took only a short sail yesterday. It was around 50F, but there was light rain off and on, so we got quite cold and headed back in by about 3 pm.

Despite being cold, we had a good time. It was interesting to see such variable conditions, lots of dramatic clouds and a little blue sky. I really need to bite the bullet and buy that foul weather gear!

The wind was from the south at first, quite strong, so we sailed downthe channel at about 6 knots, with no tacking. There were swells from the south, opposite the usual direction, as we headed in the direction of the red barrel, which we never did see.

We turned around and sailed back up the channel, with only one tack, until the wind died under the powerlines. We drifted with the flood current for awhile, then started the engine and motored back out of the channel until the wind returned around Marker 7.

At Marker 3, we turned around again, and again the wind died right around the powerlines, so we motored back to the dock.

We were on M-9, which Mike says the beer can racers fight over as the fastest. I can’t speak to that, but all the equipment worked, and it has cushions in the cabin, so it’s a good boat to choose if you’re going out. The motor mount is a different type from many of the others. It lifts the motor very high out of the water. Just be sure to raise the trapezoid mount before tilting the engine.

Amy, thanks for coming down from San Francisco. Jim, thanks for the ride back to the train station!