Too often when we are on the boat heading someplace there is a tight time schedule and little wind: we motor. Sunday, returning to Olympia after the joint OYC/SSSS Cruise to Island Home we had little wind but lots of time. Fresh from Andrew Kerr’s Light Wind Sailing presentation at the last Meeting, Rod and I decided to take our time and sail home if possible.

We drifted at the north end of Squaxin Island for quite awhile, going backwards and at one point totally turned around and heading back towards the Hartstene Bridge. Joel Rett in Maranatha motored by to make sure that we were drifting intentionally and not because we’d lost our engine.

I announced that if we didn’t get some wind by the time we finished our lunch that I would be ready to start the engine. Rod decided to try for the east side of Squaxin. This strategy paid off. We got those little puffs that kept the boat moving. I had lots of fun playing the head sail, remembering Andrew’s advice to ease whenever possible. As we crossed Dana Passage the following breeze picked up enough that we were doing 7 or 8 knots at times. One short gibe at Dofflemeyer and we had a straight run down Budd Inlet.

We sailed until past the Reserve Fleet, when I went below to warm up and the wind became lighter. We were back at the dock before 1600. What a lovely afternoon!

Susan McRae & Rod Tharp, Pax the Space Spider