Maiden Voyage on the Fair Weather Flaneur

June 17, 2011

First OFFICIAL day of sailing on the Flaneur, our 16" O'day Daysailer II circa 1979.

Woohoo!

We actually tried in April one weekend and nothing would work. The engine started to work when tested but cut off as soon as we were out in open water. As if that wasn't enough, our centerboard wouldn't fall down either (found out later that a build up of mud-dobber's nests in the centerboard compartment were to blame). We called in for a tow, all was well, but a great sailing day was lost..:(

This time around it was the weekend after sail school. We were good, ready, confident, possibly a little cocky, had our game faces on. BUT, as with everything in sailing and in life, nothing is for certain. The motor was switched by the repairshop to another evinrude 2hp owner earlier that week. Once we got ours back and tried it out at the dock found that the pull had no recoil. Awesome. Super-TOed at the repairshop-that-will-not-be-named in North Little Rock.

But after sail school, we were confident little sailors: "we don't need no stinkin' motors!"

We launched off sans motor and I was so happy to be sailing that I forgot everything I learned. This was great help to Matt who was manning the jib and main and was desperately trying to plant the boat advantageously to the dying wind as I sit there "oooh, look at the pretty bird!"

As you can see in the pictures, Matt came to the rescue with a paddle to slowly help us back to the dock.

So it didn't go totally perfect, but it was a great first try and we had some good fun and terrible champagne!

GMSC Hooked on Phonics Sailing Edition - Adults Only

It was work on Friday at 3:00 pm and my cell phone sounded off. I usually don't take calls from my cell phone at work, part of the reason being I don't hear it or I'm not by my desk, but the other part being my work is run like a well oiled viking slave ship most days.

Fatefully I answered and was invited to Grand Maumelle Sailing Club adult learn to sail, with class starting that night at 7:00. Nicole, the coordinator, called everybody on the waiting list, 10 people, and I was the only one that managed to answer. Sailing on club members' 24-30 foot keel boats all weekend.... Yes, please!

Super proud of Matt and I for surviving our first day of school. First part of the day we learned as much as we could with hands on experience, had varied shifting wind and came in safely. Start off great in the afternoon until a harrowing random little popcorn storm developed over Lake Maumelle with 40 MPH wind and waves so forceful they broke the welding on the dock. This was a good time to have 40 foot metal mast in the middle of the lake....

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of this madness; my camera was stuck on board Captain Drew's J boat when our whole crew left everything to literally outrun the lightening hitting the water. 20 minutes in, with the waves crashing the other boats into the docks, Drew's mooring line came loose with his excellent J 24 steadily on course to run aground. At the last minute Drew saved her by running the Jib halyard as quickly as possible. Epic save!

Again, too bad I didn't have any photographic record of this, only the goofy pictures afterward where it would look like any normal day but Matt and I are so plainly rocked and soaked by the crazy events.

Second day was opposite with zeeero wind, but it was good to know the tricks of low wind sailing. Pop open a cold one, yer gonna be here a while...

Thanks to Jon, Nicole, Bruce, Jeff and Drew of GMSC for letting us novice greenhorns a chance at the helm!