Lord of all he surveys

The kids are sailing the boat, and I'm feeling smug. The unbuttoned bottom button of the shirt is of course an unfortunate lapse from nautical propriety, and tends to bring Mister Yachtsman back to human scale.

This was a little 'umble afternoon harbor sail. My daughter took a number of pictures -- will this link work?

We are still getting to know the boat. Really sails very differently from the Scapegrace, and the unreefed main is too much in anything like a wind. I need to figure out that reefing thing.

Sometimes the instruments work, and sometimes they don't. Bad connections? Fouled sensors? The lack of a knotmeter doesn't bother me, but I am very unhappy with the on-and-offness of the depth finder. 

Regime change

Ginger's former owner -- let's call him Tom -- was understandably sad to see her go. He came down to the pier on Sunday, showed me a few things on the boat -- which was very helpful -- and then took this photo when I finally cast off and headed for the Hudson.

Back in the Hudson

Ginger and I made it from Port Washington back to the Hudson today. Above, up top, approaching the Brothers -- you can just see South Brother to port, and North Brother, the bigger brother, to starboard. Below, approaching the Whitestone Bridge. Dull subject, ugly bridge, but I was bored.

In one way, it's become routine, this trip, though I always enjoy it more than I expect to. And there's always something a little different.

This time it was weird short steep standing waves in the East River. I think these may have been because the current was ebbing strongly but the wind was blowing upriver. Ginger shouldered them aside in fine style; once or twice I got a refreshing whisper of spray on my cheek, but that was it.

I like the boat a lot. It's a little strange, though -- as if one's wife had died and one promptly married her sister.

Afloat again (well, almost)

Meet Ginger, named obliquely after a very important person in my life (as Scapegrace beatae memoriae also was). Ginger's new name has yet to be painted on, and she will probably operate, as far as the outer world is concerned, under her former alias until she's back on dry land for the winter.

Sorry for the crummy phone pictures. More will be forthcoming. 

Ginger is a 1983 Pearson 303, with a 13 hp Yanmar diesel inboard auxiliary, which (with its 22 gallon fuel tank) will someday, I hope, help get me to and from Maine a bit more expeditiously than I could do before. I'd rather sail than motor, but when motor you must, it's good to be able to.

I am her third owner, and the very pleasant chap from whom I bought her has had her since '84.

And yes, I spent more than I could really afford. But I'm not sorry. Not a bit sorry.

She's in Port Washington, Long Island, at the moment, and now I have to find a time to bring her round to the Hudson.