SAILING WITH MARK

My friend Mark, from Austin, had not been sailing in many, many years. He drove down and we took Idris out on Galveston Bay. We got her in the water and off the dock about 2:30. The wind was light, but good enough to fill our sail and scoot us on across the bay.



I got Mark on the tiller briefly. Long enough to put my feet up for a few minutes, and long enough for him to get the feel of the tiller.

My outboard is still not broken in completely. After a while, I thought we should drop the sail and motor for a while. We motored at half throttle toward the Kemah Boardwalk. The gas tank was full when we started out, and got us from Bacliff almost to the channel in front of the boardwalk. So, now I know how long .26 gallons will take me. I refilled the tank, and we continued past the Boardwalk, under the bridge and into Clear Lake. While heading back to the bay, we took a side tour of one of the canals. My outboard doesn't have a reverse, but it does swivel 360 degrees. Using this feature will take some practice. I turned around and didn't hit any boats that were in my way. But it was touch and go for a moment. I may have scared Mark a little. Sorry Mark.






Just as we got back to the dock, we witnessed a beautiful sunset. I didn't plan to stay out that long, but we were having a great time. I never stop smiling when I'm on the water.