First Sail on the New Boat!

The couple who sold us the boat were nice enough to take us out on a 'training run' today. Courtney and I met them at Ebenezer Point at Jordan Lake near Wilsonville NC. It was an absolutely beautiful day for a sail, a bit chilly but not shivering cold. They walked us through the rigging process in the parking lot and then we dropped her in the drink. She floated, so the first test was passed. The motor cranked right up and we piloted her out into the wind. The wind was mild and a bit inconsistent, but I think this was probably perfect for our first time out. Bob helmed her for a tack or two and then I took control of the tiller. I got the hang of it pretty quick, but like I said, it was pretty easy going out there. We tooled around with a few tacks and a jibe and then brought her in to drop off Bob and Poem. They were great and we really appreciate them taking us out. It must be odd to drive off with your old boat in the background, but they are racing J24's now so they are still active in the sport. I think that racing fast boats appeals more to Bob who is an engineer and is thus very in tune with the physics of the boat. I hope that I understand it as well one day. So then Courtney and I got our first one on one time with the boat. It went a bit better than I expected, and way better than Courtney expected. This boat is very forgiving and comfortable. We got through six to eight tacks and got better every time. It was a bit harder going downwind, especially because the wind kept dying and changing directions. Anyway, we got her back to the dock and up on the trailer without a hitch. It took us a while to derig her, but I think that we will get much faster once we both understand what we need to do. In conclusion, a wonderful day out on the lake! My face hurts from grinning so much, and Courtney liked it a lot more than she thought she would. We can't wait to take her out again (maybe tomorrow!).