Update

Henrywood
Melvin Magnall
Fri 6 Jun 2008 21:59
Well, how do I start this update? Do you want to hear the good news or the bad news first?
 
We left the marina at 1100 hrs with friends and well-wishers bidding us farewell. The trip out to the Delaware River was pleasant even though the engine / transmission / prop astern was fine, but fwd was intermittent. The trip down the Delaware  was enjoyable with not too much traffic. With the intermittent problem with the power unit, we decided to go to sail. Wow !already we're sailing. The Henry Wood was magnificent- 8 knots, stbd gunwale in the water, wind in the face and dolphins port and starboard as an escort.
 
Unknown to the novice crew, we were maxed out and needed to haul in a little sail before heading out into the Atlantic, and that's where all went pear shaped. We were unable to get the jib in. We tried everything and nothing worked. Much time was lost, sundown was approaching, and so it was decided not to stick our noses out into the big pond until we sorted out the workings of the sails. After all it's a sailboat. We talked and worked and drifted and talked and worked and drifted well into the night. Just before sunup we found ourselves aground on a sand bar, an hour before the start of flood tide, but alas we didn't float off until 5 mins before the tow boat arrived. Cut to the chase,  we were towed back to same marina 24 hour after we had left with tails between our legs, feathers ruffled, absolutely knackered (spell check will love that one). So rather than try to make sense of the situation having had little sleep,  we had a beer, left the marina and in the words of Scarlett O'Hara,  we'll think about it tomorrow.