When I arrived just after noon on Monday, I got a call from the folks installing my cook top asking if they could come work on it. I was hoping they meant that day since the winds were not looking very promising, but they meant Tuesday morning. I said fine as long as I could have the afternoon for sailing. They arrived as arranged and got it installed, hooked up and working. It not only looks great, but it works like a real gas cooktop, not that campground type alcohol stove that came with the boat which is tempermental to light and to regulate. (I won't elaborate on the burning curtains episode!)
While they worked below decks, I spent some time repairing my jib furler so that I was ready to sail after lunch. The weather had been alternating between light rain and a beautiful Fall day all morning, but I was not going all the way up there and not sail, so I made myself a sandwich, got my foul weather gear ready, and set out. The winds ranged from very light to enough to give me a 4+- knot boat speed, which made for a pleasant, but sometimes boring, sail.
I only got one little short sprinkle and even was treated to a bit of blue sky on occasion. It wasn't the kind of sail that I'd hoped to end my season with, but to paraphrase the old fishing bumper sticker, "a bad day sailing beats a good day at work"!
I reflected as I sailed that I've come a pretty long way since I acquired "the Goob". I may elaborate on that in a later post, but as one of the guys who works in the boat yard said in one of my many question asking sessions: "You're getting to the point that you're not nearly as stupid as you look." I took that as a compliment and I'm pretty sure he meant it that way! I think what he was saying was that I'm becoming a sailor, which is nice to hear. I've got a long way to go and lots to learn, but that's part of what I love so much about the whole enterprise!
