Update
Henrywood
Melvin Magnall
Fri 6 Jun 2008 21:59
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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.
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