Location: Orient Harbor, Long Island, NY
Today we awoke to the smell of pumpkin and spices coming from the salon. We had a breakfast of pumpkin bread and slowly realized that today was the day we would finally use the sails and practice for our journey across the Atlantic. We ate and finished our chores quickly before mustering in the cockpit. We helped raise the anchor, which proved to be a muddier task than anticipated. Soon after, we motored out of the sound we were anchored in and into the open water. Once we had gone an acceptable distance, Captain Tim manned the helm, and we all got to work on raising the sails. We broke off into small groups and learned how to use all sorts of lines, pulling with all our might to get those sails up. After a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, we finally got all the sails up. And then, in the name of the practice, we took them all back down. We put them back up again (this time for real), and Tim cut the engine. Suddenly, we were sailing! Everyone was very excited and enjoyed the cruise with a lunch of chicken caesar salad wraps. After lunch, we practiced steering and changing direction (Tacking and Gybing) and then headed home. When we got back to our little sound, we dropped anchor and took the sails down one last time, feeling accomplished and exhausted. What a day we had!
Pictured:
Everyone getting a delicious breakfast before a big day
Checking the jib to make sure everything is in order
Picking up the anchor is dirty work
Smash’s boots and a big wrench
Manning the helm (and moral support)
Getting ready to raise the sails
Proud of a job well done 🙂