After too many f--ing hours on the A4 -- long story, ended up replacing the
intake/exhaust manifold -- we (wife and I) finally had a short sail in Fischer's
Island Sound Monday. Moved to a mooring this year instead of a slip, and moved
to a Marina at the mouth a different river. (Mystic) Much nicer -- just drop
the mooring line and we're underway and no dock lines and fenders to mess with.
Sailed west against wind and current for a couple hours and probably made less
than a mile headway!

Need to work on our communication skills a bit. While the engine running much
cooler due to vastly improved water flow, the Admiral had trouble getting the
choke and throttle setting right. She wasn't able to get it above idle without
it starting to stall. I ran back to cockpit, set throttle and gas it up to
crusing RPM, look up and find that she's let go of the tiller to grab boat hook
to fend hitting another boat!

There was also the time when I asked her to head up so I could (try to) tighten
the outhaul. We inadvertently went into a tack, and she moved as she normally
does to cross over but I couldn't because the outhaul was uncleated...



S/V Cat's Meow
http://www.catsmeow.org