Raise The Sail

Today we managed to do something that can often be in short supply while cruising - we actually went sailing just for fun.

We arrived in Halifax a couple of days ago and decided to stay for a few days. It was a chance to see friends and do a little bit of work. In fact, our time in Halifax is the longest we've been in any one port since Portland, Maine.

This afternoon, we were planning on meeting a friend for lunch, but at the last minute it was postponed until tomorrow. We are meeting other friends for dinner later, but we had a few hours to ourselves. The sensible thing would be to get some work done, but it was a really nice day. So, we dropped our mooring and motored down and out of the Nothwest Arm. Once we were a little ways out, we shut off the engine and raised a sail.

The wind is coming down the harbour right now at about 15 knots. It is hitting on our forward starboard quarter as we are about to enter the arm again. My Obsession is heeling slightly, casually channeling the breeze and propelling us forwards at 4 to 5 knots. We can see a collection of small school sailboats a mile or so off our starboard, going round and round, racing each other. A handful of other sailboats are also out on the water, taking advantage of the perfect conditions to play on the water.

These days are all too rare when you are trying to get from place to place.
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