When do you reef? In this wind, you reef as you hoist the main.

So we’re back from Mexico, sort of. At least Mike is back, since he had to go to work the following day. I am still hunkered down, still technically on vacation, not being able to face the long, long list of things ‘to do’. I just cannot get back into the groove at all so far. The cell phone is still turned off, I’ve given email only a cursory glance. At least I got the yard mowed. When people complain about how much work it is to be on a boat, I really want them to just move in with me for a week so they can get a little perspective.

The only solution to this kind of ennui: sailing. Yesterday was a pretty much perfect sailing day for PNW waters. I started out the day in the garden, but soon realized I was going to waste a perfectly great Friday afternoon working outside when I could be meeting Mike down at the boat after work. Of course, on Friday afternoon, if I don’t leave the house by 2:30, It’s going to take me an hour to get to the boat due to simply incredible traffic. If you don’t live here, there’s no way to relate. So I packed up the crockpot dinner and a ton of bottled water and beer, put Skippy in the car, and called Mike on the way to the boat.

Me: “Hey, baby! We have strong, steady wind  and no rain.”

Him: “I’ll meet you at the boat in a couple of hours.”

Got to love a man who understands exactly what you’re saying without you having to say it. Around here, if you have steady wind and no rain, that’s all you can really afford to ask of the weather gods, and if you DON’T go out in the boat on a day such as that, you risk bad boat karma for being ungrateful. So we went. Here are some videos for your viewing pleasure.

This Island Packet 40 slowly crept up on us from behind. I didn’t begrudge them since this is such a beautiful boat, it’s bigger than us, and it has more sail power. Just a lovely vessel.

And, because this is a working port, there be tugboats!