A Pleasant Cruise on Lake Erie

We had a chance to get out on Saturday for a little daysail on the lake on Pinniped, our Jason 35. We awoke early, checked the weather again to verify the wind forecast, prepped the boat, and slipped our lines around 08:30. There were a few lulls early in the day, but the wind built in as predicted. Our close reach back to Erie was smooth as silk. It was one of those moments when everything was aligned just right: The sail trim was perfect, Pinniped’s helm was balanced nicely and was practically sailing herself, we were making good way, and Jenny and I just had a great time talking and listening to music and the sound of the water rushing past the hull. The only casualty of note was that the pin that secures the autopilot to the tiller sheared off early in the trip, so we hand-steered the whole way. Jenny got a good amount of helm time herself, allowing me to make a sandwich and have some lunch after she had hers! The next day we had a storm roll through early, then I got out for a bike ride around the peninsula, and came across a bunch of ducks hanging out on a tree trunk poking out of the water. Jenny enjoyed some pool time. After my ride, I was able to come back and get a few new lights installed on the boat. It was a good weekend to recharge.