Sailing Fern Ridge
June 17, 2019

One of the hardest things about sailing is that it is a lonely activity. Unless you sail, you don't sail. I invite anyone and everyone to join me. I'll be at Fern Ridge, Richardson Point, at about 4:3pm every Monday. I'll leave the dock at about 5pm and return sometime after 7. I'll be on the road no later than 8 and back in Salem by 9. It's free. You can even use your own car.

No one takes me up on it. So I sail alone.

The True North, is a lovely little bluewater boat kind of out of place on an inland lake. I thought it was a Folkboat, but no, it's whoever bought the rights after Nordic. Anyhow, it's a boat you could spend the rest of your life in.

In contrast, Good Girl is a straight-up lake sailer. The cabin has a lot of positive flotation and I don't think there is a case of one ever being capsized.

Single-handed launching is a task. I only fell in once. That reminded me that wallet and cell phone goes in the drybag BEFORE launch.

Winds were light and variable and dead on my head (as they always are.) Gawd, look at that crappy jib clew. How did I get my lines tangled? I have to pay more attention.

See my jib halyard? I don't like it like that. I think I might mount a deck block near the mast to divert the line off to the swivel block. Good Girl is my adventure boat. She's going to be set up for adventuring.

Fern Ridge has a floating bathroom. Way back when, the first year I ever sailed here, a guy in hip waders stepped off his boat, onto the floating bathroom, fell over, and drowned. I will A) never wear hip waders and 2: hold it.

This is the dam that makes Fern Ridge a reservoir. Thanks, Army Corps of Engineers. I appreciate your efforts.

Back, packed, and ready to roll.