Demo Sail with Ed and Joanne

Windrider Nickels Boatworks asked me to host a demo sail for Ed and Joanne from Michigan. They were interested in a Astus 22 or 24 and would be in Florida in September. Was planning a camp sail in the Ft. Desoto are about that time, so that would not be a problem. Well then Hurricane Irma made a ripping dash up from the keys right up the west gulf coast and central Florida. At my household, we actually evacuated to GA then NC.

Ed and Joanne continued to monitor the weather news and made it to Florida about 2 weeks after Irma. Ft. Desoto was closed for down trees for a while. My group canceled the camp sail trip. But on that Saturday for Ed and Joanne, I did bring the s/v embouchure to the Ft. Desoto ramp for the demo sail.

photo by Joanne Ed and Joanne were very interested in the rigging up of the boat, so it took a little longer to put the mast up and stuff, as this exercise became a teaching moment for everything to put the boat up and get into the water. I have single handed this boat from day one. Takes maybe an hour to get wet after arriving at the ramp. This took twice as long to show-and-tell the parts, explain the rigging, hoist the mast and answer questions along the way.

photo by Joanne

The winds were from the NE at about 10 to 15. So we sailed a run out Bunces Pass out in to the Gulf. Saw a few friends from West Coast Trailer Sailing Squadron, as was the place and time for the annual September gathering. We tacked about in the Gulf for a bit before heading back as the weather was forecast to precipitate later in the after noon. The wind shifted to be coming out of the north, but with the new rudder, was able to pinch the reach high enough to make all of the favorite waypoints without a double back tack. The Bunces pass channel is ok, not that wide, but falls off into very skinny water quickly. Making it back on the one tack was nice. I like the new rudder through these waters.