Took the boat out alone last night. Left around 1830 hours for a short sail. Motored past my traditional sail raising area to the turning basin. Supposedly to exercise the diesel, but in truth I just wanted to make the restaurant patrons envious. There’s a guy going out alone, look how easy he makes it seem.

I think I pissed off the sea gods.

Winds light on a close reach beat through a steep chop. Every few dozen waves would hit a wall slowing a full knot.

Saw another boat ahead and windward maybe a half mile off. The race is on. He’s footing nicely, I’m disadvantaged having to point higher and deal with chop. We’re closing, I congratulate the crew with a beer. Probably a mistake.

Gotta hold course until the beer is done. This puts me in the bow wave of the point. Wind is slower and becomes a header. Exactly opposite of what is wanted. Way past time to tack. Now Mr Sea God decides to chuckle. The tack goes smoothly right up to the point of helms alee. Crew turns newbie. MIs-sets the traveler; struggles hauling the jib sheet; and over steers both ways. Result: back winded and pushed by chop into a hove to position on the original course. Not exactly the intention.

Captain berates crew individually while falling off into a 360 turn. Back on course. Chop is worse. Need more power. Jib looks too flat, need to move the jib sheet car forward or tighten a tweaker. As car is under load; that is impossible. Also its way over there and crew is too lazy to adjust it. So its the tweaker.

The tweaker is new, even experimental. Its a 2 handed operation. So let go the tiller and put your back into it. Tweaker really needs a block or two. Ah, damn, back winded again, and another 360. Though all alone, I’m embarrassed. Choice words for the crew.

It may have been my imagination, but I swore I heard laughter from high.

Lesson learned (again), if you gotta use 2 hands, you gotta steer with your butt or put the rubber on the tiller. The “rubber” is a line attached to surgical tubing I use to lash the tiller. Primitive but effective – when it wants to be.

Oh that boat I’m chasing, must be a mile off. The tweaker added 0.2 kts. Captain orders helm to falloff 10 degrees. Added 0.5 kts. Now we’re catching him. Only a mile to close.

Crew lashes helm. She’s making 5+ knots. All balanced just a matter of time before we catch him.

Sun’s peeking below the clouds. Never get tired of the sight. A bit blinded but not tired.

What? He’s tacked away! The coward, just doesn’t want to be beaten. Maybe I should radio him to tell him about the race he was in.

Well the sun is well down. Wind is lightening. Crew wants to go home, so does captain.

Gybe around to a broad reach. Now the chop is helping out. The motion is easy, the swishing hypnotic. Alas the wind is going home. Decide to sail a zigzag. Pick up speed on the zig, find a larger wave, and zag to surf it. Over and over.

Getting dark. That black line is the breakwater. Somewhere are the port lights. Somewhere. Ah, the green. No its just a street signal. Fair channel buoy where are you? I’d just once like to see it a mile off; instead of after passing it. Could use the GPS; but where is the fun in that?

Red light to port moving fast. No danger. Red light to starboard, pretty far off. Bearing isn’t changing, better keep an eye on it, and the break water, and find that buoy.

Fifteen minutes, still no buoy. Bearing remains same. Likely also heading for the buoy. There amongst the yellow lights, is that one it? Yep, it is blinking Morse code A.

Clouds gone; quarter moon out. That red light to starboard is still there, but now there is a ghostly ship attached. Just barely see a sail. It must be that boat we were racing. Bring it on, I’m ready for you.

Getting close, I can hear wave breaking. Now I can feel waves bouncing off the breakwater. There’s the bell. Gybe around the bell well ahead of my rival.

Time to put the sails away. Always too soon. Furl jib tightly. Head up. Drop main. Fold, pull, fold, pull, fold, pull, lash a sail tie, fold, pull…3 more ties. My rival is just entering the harbor.