Hit a Tree...

NOTE: This was last Wednesday, I think

14 MPH winds + 20 MPH gusts.  It sounded like a blast

I can't hardly wait to get out on the water.  The trees are rustling and, while I'm sure I won't be able to use all 150% of my Genoa, the wind is blowing and we are gonna be MOVING.

I start the motor, and we head out of the creek to the Ohio.  But you know what?  The wind pushes boats pretty hard.  Which is fine.  I'm used to powering a boat around in the wind.  But it turns out a 25' MacGregor/Venture does not handle like a 26' Chaparral deck boat.  This fact will shock no one but me-from-4-days-ago. 

The wind takes the boat and all H-E-Double-hockey-sticks breaks loose.  The bow starts turning to port (toward the trees), so I have to up the power on the outboard (which, also-not-shockingly...isn't as responsive as the giant mercury inboard on my dad's Chaparral).  Which was good, because a Bass boat was coming down the stream right toward us.  I ask about the fishing, he responds enthusiastically, and I turn back around abruptly because dodging this boat has put us on a path toward the low-lying branch...on the WRONG size of where it is cut off.

So, I back the motor and slow down.  Gonna have to adjust and try it again.  No big deal.  Better than to hit it with the mast trying to save face.

I cut the motor back around and put it in forward- as fast as I can because the bow is being pushed back again and we are very swiftly heading toward the bank.  I power up, but the motor doesn't want to stay down!  It's not pushing!  The man in the Bass boat very helpfully asks if it has a lock.  It does, but I already locked it down so this is quite baffling. 

I figure it couldn't be anything else so I adjust it again, just in time to miss- no wait, I meant to say hit- a big cut off trunk sticking out of the bank.  It strikes the bow on the port side just as I get the motor locked down (again...I've now figured out that it can vibrate loose).  This, after a frenzied minute or so of my wife frantically (well, frantically for her...she's a pretty cool customer most of the time...less so while pregnant) updating me about the location of our boat relative to said tree and bank.

But anyway, I hit it.  It was fine.  There's a teensy little scratch, but you wouldn't even notice it.  Right after, I maneuvered us back and away and then (outboard at full power) pushed our bow back toward the Ohio river.  The boat was fine, but my pride was wounded (seriously, why did it have to be in front of the only other sailor there? Lol).

Still and all, we got out onto the Ohio and hoisted sail.  That didn't turn out too well either.  We heeled that way, and heeled this way, almost always having to go right back into the wind.  And all the while my wife is getting frustrated and crying (she had been pretty emotionally stable- especially for being pregnant- until today...but it had been a long day) and we just aren't getting the headsail situated fast enough to do anything right.

I gave up.  I took down our sails, motored us back, and docked...only to find out that I was in the wrong spot (the wrong slip number was on the form I signed).  So I moved and docked again- and AGAIN (wrong place the second time)- and finally made everything ship shape and left.

WHEW!

Lesson of the day: little outboards need a lot of power to overcome the wind sometimes; the wing nut that locks down the motor mount can jiggle loose.  Keep tightening it!