A Couple Nice Sailing Days
On Friday (the 8th) the crew from Fraser Yacht Sales, along with ourselves and a couple friends, took Aurora out to give the sails and rigging a test in some actual wind. Up until now we've only had the sails up in barely enough of a whiff of wind to give any of the sails shape, but it looked like we were having a run of sunny weather with outflow winds for the week, so we booked the Friday for all of us to head out.
Well, the forecast changed and instead we got a dump of snow on Thursday (note the fresh snow on the mountains in the photos), but it looked like it might clear sometime on Friday. We had a cold start Friday morning as we motored out through Burrard Inlet, but by the time we got past Ambleside it started looking like there might be some wind to catch. We could see a few other sailboats with sails up, and just off Point Atkinson we found a bit of wind. Not much, at first only 5 knots, which later turned to 7, but enough to get the sails up and test out all the systems. With the Code 0 and main we managed to consistently make wind speed, 5 knots in 5 knots wind, then up to 7 knots in 7 knots wind. Nothing too exciting, but definitely very zen. So nice to finally feel Aurora comfortably cruising along silently with billowing sails. The clouds parted, leaving us with crystal clear blue skies and sunshine, and the stunning surrounding of mountains and city. We sailed back to Lions Gate with the spinnaker, motored through the harbour, then raised it again on the other side of the train bridge and sailed almost to Deep Cove.
Raising the Asymmetrical Spinnaker
Walkthrough of owner's cabin, through the salon & out to the aft deck
(I was admiring the view from the bed while under sail and decided to take some video)
Feeling all confident with the sailing systems, and seeing a sunny forecast for the weekend, we decided to get some family together and head out on a maiden sailing voyage up the Arm. We had an aunt and uncle in town from up north who are catamaran enthusiasts (the uncle built a 50' cat), and who also have a good deal of sailing experience. Their kids, A's cousins, were also keen to join, along with A's parents. So we had an enthusiastic crew of mixed abilities, all keen on spending a full long day on the water.
They all arrived at our house at 9am, then we headed to the marina where there was a good deal of oohing and aaahing before we were able to give a basic orientation and then finally depart from the dock. There wasn't a whiff of wind to be had to begin with, but the wind always picks up to some degree on the Arm, so we raised the main and jib just to be ready. We killed the motor and at first drifted at around 2 knots (against the tide), as the wind slowly picked up and we hunted around for the best pockets. There was cheering with every knot gained in speed. When we reached 5 knots, my mother-in-law came up to the bridge looking concerned, "I notice the wind's picking up, should we put on our life jackets?"!
There was a good deal of trial and error (lots of errors!) in literally figuring out the ropes ourselves, but considering 4 of the 6 guests were teachers, there was lots of determination, teamwork and patience. Everyone stayed calm, there were no harmful errors made (Aurora is very forgiving), the sun was out, and the scenery breathtaking. In very light winds we managed to sail the entire length of the Arm, then anchored off the Wigwam Inn (which belongs to the RVYC) and took the guys out for a rip on Borealis. The ladies opted to stay in the warm salon; except for myself, I can never pass up ripping around on the water. I was right there at the bow of the boat, taking the full force of the cold wind as A opened up the motor all the way and we skimmed the water past bald eagles and harbour seals. This also made for a nice opportunity to get some photos and video of Aurora anchored in a wilderness setting, and a setting that is intimately familiar to us. As we rounded Croker Island and made our way back to the ship, seeing her anchored at the head of the bay raised goose bumps on my skin and brought tears to my eyes. A decades long dream realized.
Anchored at the end of Indian Arm
Unfortunately a weather change was slowly beginning to move in; clouds began rolling in and no matter how we tried, we couldn't find enough wind to bring us over 2 knots. Considering we had only 2 hours of daylight left, we had to start the motors and cruise back under power. But we put her on autopilot and simply lounged on the foredeck and on the trampolines, occasionally pressing a button to adjust our angle. Not too tough. Docking was uneventful, which still always feels like a significant achievement at this stage! A fantastic day this was, thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.
Well, the forecast changed and instead we got a dump of snow on Thursday (note the fresh snow on the mountains in the photos), but it looked like it might clear sometime on Friday. We had a cold start Friday morning as we motored out through Burrard Inlet, but by the time we got past Ambleside it started looking like there might be some wind to catch. We could see a few other sailboats with sails up, and just off Point Atkinson we found a bit of wind. Not much, at first only 5 knots, which later turned to 7, but enough to get the sails up and test out all the systems. With the Code 0 and main we managed to consistently make wind speed, 5 knots in 5 knots wind, then up to 7 knots in 7 knots wind. Nothing too exciting, but definitely very zen. So nice to finally feel Aurora comfortably cruising along silently with billowing sails. The clouds parted, leaving us with crystal clear blue skies and sunshine, and the stunning surrounding of mountains and city. We sailed back to Lions Gate with the spinnaker, motored through the harbour, then raised it again on the other side of the train bridge and sailed almost to Deep Cove.
Flying the Code 0 off Point Atkinson
I'd been watching dolphins from the dolphin-viewing chair!
Raising the Asymmetrical Spinnaker
Walkthrough of owner's cabin, through the salon & out to the aft deck
(I was admiring the view from the bed while under sail and decided to take some video)
Sailing off Cates Park
They all arrived at our house at 9am, then we headed to the marina where there was a good deal of oohing and aaahing before we were able to give a basic orientation and then finally depart from the dock. There wasn't a whiff of wind to be had to begin with, but the wind always picks up to some degree on the Arm, so we raised the main and jib just to be ready. We killed the motor and at first drifted at around 2 knots (against the tide), as the wind slowly picked up and we hunted around for the best pockets. There was cheering with every knot gained in speed. When we reached 5 knots, my mother-in-law came up to the bridge looking concerned, "I notice the wind's picking up, should we put on our life jackets?"!
There was a good deal of trial and error (lots of errors!) in literally figuring out the ropes ourselves, but considering 4 of the 6 guests were teachers, there was lots of determination, teamwork and patience. Everyone stayed calm, there were no harmful errors made (Aurora is very forgiving), the sun was out, and the scenery breathtaking. In very light winds we managed to sail the entire length of the Arm, then anchored off the Wigwam Inn (which belongs to the RVYC) and took the guys out for a rip on Borealis. The ladies opted to stay in the warm salon; except for myself, I can never pass up ripping around on the water. I was right there at the bow of the boat, taking the full force of the cold wind as A opened up the motor all the way and we skimmed the water past bald eagles and harbour seals. This also made for a nice opportunity to get some photos and video of Aurora anchored in a wilderness setting, and a setting that is intimately familiar to us. As we rounded Croker Island and made our way back to the ship, seeing her anchored at the head of the bay raised goose bumps on my skin and brought tears to my eyes. A decades long dream realized.
My in-laws, cousin R & myself on the foredeck; myself at the helm with A (in black) and his dad in foreground
Anchored at the end of Indian Arm
Unfortunately a weather change was slowly beginning to move in; clouds began rolling in and no matter how we tried, we couldn't find enough wind to bring us over 2 knots. Considering we had only 2 hours of daylight left, we had to start the motors and cruise back under power. But we put her on autopilot and simply lounged on the foredeck and on the trampolines, occasionally pressing a button to adjust our angle. Not too tough. Docking was uneventful, which still always feels like a significant achievement at this stage! A fantastic day this was, thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.
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