Angie and I left Friday after work. Our sons did not want to go, deciding to stay back with Grandma and Grandpa. We arrived at Mark Twain Lake after 9pm. We set the pace for the weekend and took our time rigging Galactica for the water.
It was a magnificent and clear night with so many stars and planets visible. We had about a 7-8 mile trip to the cove we were to use for our anchorage. We slowly putted that way. I alternately navigated using constellations and the shadows of the shoreline with occassional checks with a GPS for positioning in narrow channels and sighting buoys and markers with my night vision scope.
After setting our Danforth anchor, Angie cleaned up and retired to the vberth to read. I spent quite awhile in the cockpit star gazing, playing with my night vision scope and enjoying Sam Adams Octoberfest beer. Eventually, the temperature dropped significantly and I headed in.
We slept in, enjoying the cove to ourselves. There were a lot of critters to watch so we kicked back and enjoyed the morning and a great breakfast.
Amazing how good food tastes when your out traveling.
The trees are beginning to rust towards their Autumn colors.
There is a sand beach at the Indian Creek recreation area which was closed for the season so I took the opportunity to beach Galactica for the first time! Standing in the 68 degree water was chilly!
It's odd t see a sailboat on the shore! Angie and I enjoyed the warm sand in our bare feet. We decided to hike up a rocky trail to see if a bathhouse was available (open). We unaffectionately dubbed the trail, "Tenderfoot Trail"
While returning to the boat for lunch, a half dozen recreational boats began showing up. There had been a constant 4-5 knot wind all morning so we hoisted Galactica's sails and left the buoyed anchorage. Naturally, the winds dropped and were practically non-existent most of the rest of the day. The web had predicted 5-8 mph winds all day. The winds didn't actually pick back up until after we had furled the sails for the last time and decided to head home.
We spent a couple hours at BlackJack marina enjoying ice cream and talking with Alan, a sail association member who had sold his MacGregor 26S and is looking at a 26X or a 26M like Galactica.
We sailed the rest of the afternoon in 1-2 mph winds. After ghosting by a group of young men preparring to water ski, we decided to head home, furled the sails and rocketed back to the ramp.
Murphy's Law, When the ramps are busy, it seems that we are less than graceful tying up to the dock and loading Galactica on her trialer. When it's empty, things run so smoothly we look like mariner pros. The ramp was empty as we we approached it for the last mile. Then a fish-and-ski swooped in and tied up to the side ramp we were on final approach towards with fenders out and Angie on the bow line. Additionally, a pontoon boat pulled up towing an overloaded and out of gas bass boat. That group was having a devil of a time including nearly crushing a guy between boat and trailer wench. The first fish-and-ski boat forgot to lift his motor and drug his motor up the ramp. We came in, docked picture perfect. Gawd, what old salts we appeared to be. I jogged up and backed the tow beast and trailer down with no issues. The dead bass boat's driver wasn't a good trailer driver and was still jack-knifing and having a bad time getting into the water... Angie and I walked Galactica onto her trailer and I decided to back in a bit further so that I wouldn't have to do the 'mac bump' to finish sliding the boat up to the wench. We looked professional. I glanced at the bass boat fiasco, smiled to myself and did something I'd never done before...I slipped off the trailer tongue...SHWACK...splash!!! My leg hit the trailer hard and swelled up something fierce immediately...so much for mariner gods....
Here is a YOUTUBE video from this lazy weekend on the water:
VIDEO, Lazy Cruise on a MacGregor 26M -- Galactica
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