We motored out just far enough to raise the sails and we were off. The winds were gentle, but enough to give us a steady 4 knots of hull speed to play around with. The forecast was for a beautiful afternoon with nothing but sunshine. We enjoyed it while it lasted, because that was the last steady sunshine we would see all weekend. We ate a simple supper as we sailed and just enjoyed the experience of wandering around Lake Mendota. We used up all the daylight we could as we dropped our anchor off Picnic Point while the sun was setting. There was one other sailboat anchored in the bay as well. We were later joined by a third sailboat just after dusk. We had our sundowners in the cockpit enjoying a gorgeous evening with the awesome smell of campfires floating in from the shore.
The cozy cabin was inviting as the Weems and Plath lantern was warming and drying everything out inside. LED lights are great, but you still need to have at least one good lantern. A couple of good books finished off a great start to the weekend.
We awoke to the sound of rain on the deck, so we slept in and later made oatmeal, coffee and tea on our little one burner butane stove. We sat in the cockpit for a while to enjoy the morning sights and sounds. The ducks always find the anchored boats and come begging for scraps. These two were really persistent, but they looked really pretty floating in the clear water.
We pulled the anchor and ventured out to get some sailing in. The winds were stronger and the longer we sailed the gustier they became. It was an active sail as we really had to watch the water for signs of each approaching gust We were planning on stopping for a late lunch break when our son, Matt, called to say that he and his girlfriend Kelly wanted to come join us. We sailed over to the Memorial Union and anchored just 75 yards from shore in 8 feet of water. We climbed into Squint The Famous Racing Dinghy and rowed to shore for lunch with the kids at State Street Brats.
After lunch Mike rowed Brenda, Kelly and then Matt out to Wrinkles to go sailing. Kelly grew up around sailboats and was excited to be aboard one again. As soon as we got Wrinkles away from the moored boats Mike walked away from the tiller and told Kelly, "She's all yours." Kelly was grinning non-stop as she maneuvered Wrinkles around the lake.
We anchored up later in the afternoon to rest, fish and watch Matt eat everything on board. He may be trim, but he has the appetite of a sumo wrestler. Only one fish wanted to play, so the fishing was pretty uneventful.
We motored dead into the wind to do a touch-n-go landing for Matt and Kelly before sailing back to Picnic Point for another night aboard. The evening was cold and damp, so the evening was spent in the cabin reading and snacking.
It rained on and off all night which is great for sleeping, and sleep we did. Rising late we had our usual breakfast and then decided to sail despite the yucky weather. Strong steady winds kept Brenda busy at the helm as Mike relaxed and enjoyed the sail. Later we anchored up in the lee of the wind near the Warner Park boat launch for some lunch . Mike messed around with the dinghy and fishing rod while Brenda lounged aboard with her ever present book.
The afternoon sailing was cut short by the next approaching storm front that brought strong winds and lots of rain. Our Gill sailing jackets and our Bimini made the experience much more enjoyable. Sailing in the rain isn't our favorite, but it is OK with the right equipment and attitude. Once again over to the shelter of Picnic Point to anchor for the night. The forecast for Monday was promising, so we stayed the night in the rain. The highlight of the evening was Mike actually winning at Cribbage. This happens VERY rarely.
The forecast was wrong, as we awoke to more rain, fog and generally lousy conditions. We had just decided to have a quick yogurt for breakfast and sail back to Marshall Park where we could load Wrinkles back up on her trailer when we received a call from some friends to meet for lunch. We sailed directly downwind with one reef in the mainsail and a preventer rigged for safety as the waves were white capping and the winds were really gusty.
Our friends met us at the pier to catch our lines and assist in loading Wrinkles on her trailer. After a couple of misses (keel outside the keel guides) we got her on dry land. Off to the Great Dane Brew Pub for a nice lunch with good friends. A neat way to cap off our latest sailing adventure.
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