On Sunday afternoon, Caitlín, Daniel, Rebecca, Stu, Skipper Shay, and Steve Alexander took Amanda Grace for another shakedown sail. This time she actually sailed.
We put our ship flag up and got the cabin organized while we were docked. Then we checked the engine. The first time we tried to start it, nothing happened. Captain Alexander checked the batteries, and found that a bolt was loose. As soon as he tightened that, the engine started and we were able to motor out of the marina, put the sails up, and enjoyed the afternoon on the water. Everyone got a chance to be at the helm. About halfway through the sail, the flies started to swarm around our legs in the cockpit. Captain Alexander used the new chart to swat the bugs. We decided that we should have one fly swatter for each person on board.
The Amanda Grace is a great sailboat. She responds to the slightest movement of the wheel, and has good balance. We almost had the railings under water, but each time we tried, the wind would change. At one point, a power boat sped up when it got next to us, leaving a big wake. The Amanda Grace rocked from side to side, but held her course fairly well.We all hope to have many more sails on Amanda Grace. Stay tuned for more updates.
No comments:
Post a Comment