Stockton Sailfest Messabout 2016
I splashed my canoe and myself on Friday evening, immediately upon arrival at the lake. It's not meant to paddle while kneeling, found that out the damp way. But, it paddles quite well from a seated position. I paddled out and watched the sun go down. It was absolutely perfect. Later that evening, I hung out around the campfire till midnight with new friends Nathan and Nick, brothers up from Springfield with a beautiful strip-built canoe that Nathan built. It was a super clear night with a lot of stars twinkling above in the lack of light pollution. Stockton, although close, isn't a very big town, so doesn't throw much light upward on a clear night.
Nathans's canoe from back in July. I somehow didn't get a pic of it this weekend, but it is in the video above, briefly.
Up Saturday for coffee and to try my hand at sailing the canoe I dumped the day before just paddling. With a 45-square-foot lateen sail and a shoddy 30-square-foot tarp sprit sail in the car, I opted to go with the smaller sprit rig for a little while. I sailed enough to get a feel for things and rigged up the larger lateen. There were a few "Oh, crap!" moments on the back side of an island close to the quarry boat ramp that I circumnavigated. Wind funneled straight down a narrow channel on the back side of the island and it made for an interesting and barely controllable sleigh ride down wind. Fun, though!
That night, solo dinner at Orleans Trail Marina and back to camp to chat with others till about midnight.
Up Sunday, more coffee! Ate breakfast at Orleans Trail, again, with Bruce and Seth. We drove out on the dam on the way back.
I did a couple of sketches and cleared up my gear as the clouds on the horizon looked grumpier and grumpier. About noon, I said my goodbyes and headed back to town. True to form, I hit up 7C's Winery in Walnut Grove for a bottle of Chambourcin for The Mrs. Wives are less annoyed with you being gone several days when you bring them something on your return, especially a decent bottle of dry red vino.
As I was taking off, Bruce showed me a neat cigar box uke he had made. Lots of character, I love stuff like that.
A great weekend, really! Messabouts are one of my favorite things. I get to talk boat for a few days and no one complains or has their eyes glaze over in disinterest. The boat sailed well, happy to have finally gotten it in the water. I do think I'll make it a trimaran over the winter months, though. Flying a large sail kind of begs for it. I'll have to figure out a way to make them skin-on-frame, as well.
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