the Chesapeake Bay Wayfarer Cruise 2008
Thursday 29 May: Tangier & Watts Island - 3
photos by Uncle Al, Gary & Jeremy Hirsch

Our day's sail: Tangier to Watts Island (red line) and back (green line)
...

Getting out from between the posts would again be a fun challenge. Once we were clear of those, however, things were easy enough.
...

Today would be Gary's and Jeremy's first time out in Solje on their own - a nice, light-air day to start them off.
...

Hans and Al (r) are out at last, and now the fleet heads east, out the channel - back the way we came in yesterday.
...

Gary looks quite comfortable.
...

Patti Paige. A name that fits right in with the fact that stepping into life in Tangier is like time travel back to the 50s.
...

A perfect day with ...
...

... a perfect breeze
...

Aboard The Nutshell Hans and Al pop the chute, figuring to kill two birds with one stone: impress anyone watching and catch up!
...

See? Already we're getting closer. (l to r) Gary, Tony, Dick
...

Gary makes sure he doesn't stray too far out of the channel. He, too, saw the wading gulls yesterday!
...

Our jib and deck frame the other three W's as we meet ...
...

... one of the many tour boats. This one may have been crammed with ...
...

... the Chesapeake Bay Foundation youngsters we saw at supper last night, and who are spending a week or two at ...
...

... the Foundation's ...
...

... Environmental Education ...
...

... Center.
...
Our fleet seen from The Nutshell as we cut the corner near the eastern end of the channel to run SE towards Watts.
...

Watts Island off the leeward bow, Tony and Dick (r) straight ahead
...




A quick study is our Gary: after just one morning's lessons from Uncle Al yesterday, Gary already demonstrates expert technique!!
...

Dick demonstrates the classic "cruising position" and use of the whisker pole. This is one area where North American English has it all over the usually very imaginative Brits who boringly call this a jib stick. Sounds too much like dipstick to me, as in "You dipstick!!"
...

A perfect illustration of the cruising position from Dick here: windward elbow propped on the deck, leeward elbow resting on the tiller, back resting against the aft bulkhead (preferably cushioned!) Textbook stuff, Dick!! Well done! Of course, it is called the "cruising position" because it places crew weight too far aft for optimal performance, causing transom drag. Which is why this position is a no-no when you are racing!
...

Tony and Mary, too, seem to have mastered ...
...

... the technique. Naturals!!!!
...

But while Tony and Mary's lounging technique rates perhaps an 8.6, I feel that I can't
let such an educational occasion pass without showing you the genuine ...
...

... 10!!! First performed by Uncle Al and Marc Bennett between races in Ottawa at the 2005 Ontarios,
this classic combination of form and function may never be equalled!!
...

Despite the wind's nearly total disappearance for some time, we did make it to Watts not too much after noon.
Here Hans is about to step ashore after checking that the anchor rode is properly fastened to The Nutshell.
...

There are a fair lot of sunken stumps and other underwater obstructions here, and Tony is scouting out a clear area for W4105.
...

the Hirschmobile at extreme zoom
...

Tony warns Gary about the stuff under the water.
...

The Nutshell approach to Watts as recorded by ...
...

... Jeremy.
...

Some of the large stumps were also visible at the water's edge.
...
next pictures page
return to 2008 Cruise index