So here it is, the end of August and it's been quite a busy summer. Where we left off the boat was ready for delivery to Newport for the Bermuda 1-2 race. Carol and Dan, my crew for the double handed leg and myself left on Wed May 20 for Newport. Without the new mainsail I might add. The delivery itself was pretty uneventful; Thursday afternoon brought light air and rain off and on but Friday was delightful. Friday night as we passed to the northwest side of Block Island we squeezed between numerous race boats in the Round Block Island race. We pulled in to Newport Harbor around 4am and prudently grabbed a mooring so as not to be motoring around an unfamiliar harbor in the dark in 15-20 knots of wind. Got some shut eye and then went to Newport Yacht club to arrange dockage for the next two weeks.
Saturday was spent making the boat orderly and Sunday we got a rental car and drove back to Maryland.
Sail STILL hadn't arrived.
So the next week was spent pulling out what hair I have left because the sail hasn't arrived from S. Africa and all the other stuff I have to do to get ready. The Iridium GO unit I ordered arrives and of course it won't pair up with my Samsung phone but does work (sorta) w/ the Ipad I bought Carol for her birthday. (But I won't let her have it til after my race!) So FINALLY the mainsail arrives in the states and the sailmaker checks it over, puts the numbers on, etc and sends it to Providence on Southwest air freight and even makes arrangements for me to get a cab service when I fly up the next day so I can pick up the sail and go to Newport. Fine. That works.
So I get to Newport and the next day (Sunday) it's blowing pretty briskly so I can't raise the new sail. I did get my pre-race inspection done and with the exception of a question about the gear that was in the life raft package I rented, I passed with flying colors. Damn right. I obsessed over that requirement list all winter long and made certain I had it all. Monday and Tuesday it's raining off and on; so I still can't get the main up. I did get together with some old sailing buddies, a couple that are crewing on an OYSTER 655 just like the one we sailed across the Atlantic a year and half ago. Had dinner with them and another old crewmate.
Wednesday dawns absolutely gorgeous, not too cool, not too hot, no humidity. I had emailed the previous owner of DIANTHUS and told him I was back in RI with the boat and invited him to come visit. He was going to be nearby on business so we made arrangements to meet up. We had a really nice visit and I heard all about his plans for cruising up the St. Lawrence river in his Bristol 402.
Afterwards I finally got around to raising the main and as I was lowering it to check the reefing points, a sail slug popped out of the mast track. Hmmmm. Lowered it a bit more and another slug pops out. Well, WTH? I know the mast gate is closed properly. I go take a look and it appears the slugs are just barely in the track. So I grab a handful of sail and pull and two more pop out! The sail had the wrong damn size slugs on the luff! Good thing I wasn't out sailing in some wind. A frantic call back to Annapolis and I get the sailmaker on the phone. We figure out what the correct size is and he says he'll overnight me the right ones and make arrangements for someone to sew them on.
Meanwhile Carol has arrived after driving up from Philly where she spent the night at her daughter's place. We decide to go find a sailmaker in Newport and try to get the slugs there. Found a guy who had ONE of the correct size so we take it back to the boat to make absolutely certain it was the right size. Fortunately yes.
Thursday morning FEDEX shows up w/ the slugs but now I hear the guy who is coming to sew them on can't come until after 5pm. Carol gets into a conversation with one of the other racers who knows a sailmaker guy in Connecticut. We call him and he says sure, I can help you out. So Carol drives an hour to Stonington while I go to the racer's weather and pre race briefings.
Five o'clock rolls around, she's back with the sail and we bend on the sail. It looks good. I breathe a sigh of relief and we head off to a nice dinner with my friends from the Oyster. Maybe I'll make the starting line after all.
Next up: The race.
