Around Toronto Island

By Keith on June 13, 2016 • ( Leave a comment )

The sailing season started 2016-05-03 when Baffin was launched. The first sail though didn’t happen until 2016-05-22. I set myself a goal of going out 35 times this season. There were only 23 weeks left, so that worked out to three times every two weeks. Manageable. As of today, 2016-06-13, I have been out nine times, which is ahead of schedule. All the trips have been four hours or less with no goal in mind other than getting out and enjoying the wind, if its actually blowing.

Yesterday was the biggest trip so far, actually my biggest trip solo ever. I sailed from the home port of Bronte, Ontario to Toronto, around the islands, and back again, 43 miles. From sails up, to sails down was 8 hours. Not bad for my little 27 foot cruiser.

The wind was blowing 15-20 knots NW, perpendicular to my route, so it was a reach the whole way there, port tack, and the same coming back, starboard tack. The return trip was much gustier, so I kept rounding up towards the end of the trip. If I wasn’t in a hurry to get home, I probably would have taken a reef in the main.