First sail 2025

Day 1, May 30th It took me almost 6 months to get to the boat, but I've finally made it. Weather still sheit tho. Arrived on May 28th, did a big cleanup(white raining) on the 29th, and today I finally made it out of the harbor. Tried something new, wrapped a Line around the poller and connected it to aft and other end to misdship, so that I can turn around the poller in the right direction when reversing - worked somehow, since bow got stuck on opposite poller, but once I got it free worked well with a bit of revs.Need to play around with the line length so that bow doesn't get stuck. Blowing a stiff WSW force 5, gusting 6, so I was able to test my reefing system. Started off with a full main and a Genoa 3, put a first reef when autopilot complained that it can't cope, and a 2nd reef 30 mins later since it kept complaining. Both reefs while sailing, for the first one I just let the main sheet go, the 2nd one while heaving to - same procedure letting the main go out. Maintained over 6+kn even with 2 reefs, so it was the right call. Boat girlfriend behaved A all throughout. Now finally found a nice anchorage near Oude Zeug, 25m from shore, only 2 other boats here. Took the main down while sailing(main sheet all the way), but foresail just engine. Of course, force 6 with thick clouds and come wind, anchorage sunny to sunburn danger. Some dinner, ankerdram, and now will play around with the GOPro. 

20.3nm, 4h30, avg speed 4.5kn, Bft 5-6WSW

Day 2, May 31st: great night, quiet and I was rocked in my sleep like a baby. Wind kept it's promise and didn't change directions. Woke up to a great weather, sunshine and warm. Def missing my hat - got a sun burn already. Leisurely breakfast and reading, left anchorage around 11.30 under engine so that I don't crash any neighbors. Very weird situation, wind forecast was WSW, wind mills turning to W wind, on the lake E wind. It took me a while to grasp it, and later on the wind turned all over the place, but very weak no matter which direction. So weak that I took the foresail off, and attempted to set up the Spinnaker - which worked beautifully. No idea if I connected it properly, with one end on the bow, one on the foresail sheet, and rhe top on a spare halyard (I need to remember to buy some bigger snap shekels to accommodate these sails), but it went off as a charm and even gifted me 5kn.ut the wind started turning again, so took it off and lay on the lake unmoving till the wind picked up again. Joined the WSV de Kreupel bunch at their yearly het Rondje in Den Oever (no wind means easy mooring, rite?), shower and now going for fritjes. Tomorrow trip to Andijk and then Germany. 

PS. Of course, got neighbours at 8-9pm, which asked me if they can moor behind me instead of the visitor's pier.

5.2nm 3.30hrs avg speed 1.5kn, Bft near zero from all over

Day 3, June 1st great night in the harbour, but woke up to a force 5 pressing me against the pier. Of course the later joiners behind me woke up at 10, and I had no chance to squeeze between them and a pole. I helped them get off the dock without a scratch, and I had to follow, albeit singlehandedly without any help on pier. I tried to keep the bow line connected and motor the aft away from pier, but wind was too strong. So I reverted to pulling the boat by the mooring lines to the end of the pier, and then reversing with a big push against the pier, which worked wonders. Great Stb beam reach Bft5-6  all the way to Andijk with virtually no swell due to the windward shore being just 50m away, and did around 5kn constantly. Getting into the box in Andijk was a tad less successful, with me taking the turn into the box too early, and wind pushing me into the lee pole. No marks associated with the bang, so all good. 

12.8nm 3hrs avg speed 4.2kn, Bft 5-6 W

You can see all manoevers explained here: https://youtu.be/8lgC1Q4fGXI