So, the 2010 sailing season got off to a slow start for Obsession, but it is now underway. Although we launched the boat on May 30th, the weather was miserable for the first week of June. We also were waiting for our new Harken roller furler to arrive. It finally arrived and was installed on June 16th. Our jib was in Dartmouth for a few small repairs and to make sure the sail would fit the new roller furler system, so we had no foresail for a couple of weeks. Between having no foresail and the weather we were tied to the dock. Jay also didn't bother properly adjusting the shrouds as he was waiting for the new forestay and furler, so we wouldn't have wanted to raise the main without tightening and adjusting the stays. But now, stays have been adjusted, forestay and furler have been installed and we can furl the sail from the cockpit. What a treat!
We were never a big fan of the Isofurl system that was on the boat. The system was designed so there was no forestay with the furler itself acting as the stay, so if there was any pressure on it all in any kind of wind, it was difficult to furl. In fact we also almost lost our mast when the whole thing backed off and came apart last year (see blog post April 28, 2010 and Dec 9, 2009 for more details).
We went for our first sail on Friday. It was 25 degrees, warm, sunny and a nice 10-14 knots wind. We took about a 23NM round trip out the Montague River into the Northmberland Strait and back. The most difficult decision we made was to turn back! We both wanted to keep going. Cape Breton was on the horizon,tantalizing us. However, we are planing a trip to Charlottetown, Summerside and Shediac, NB soon. And, hopefully, one to Cape Breton later this summer.
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