WE hadn't managed to get out on Saturday and so on Sunday we set off with a definite plan.  WE were going to sail across to look into Esquimalt harbour and then head down to Pedder bay.  Getting out of our birth was a nightmare again.  We thought we had it sorted this time.  We singled up on the bow and stern lines then used the bowline to pull in the  bow.  I pointed the stern at the gap between two boats and applied power as Heidi let the bowline go... And instead of going straight back the stern just kicked into the dock, almost crushed our neighbours dinghy and then we swung round again, out of control!!!! - how do you do this??

Once out though we cruised through the inner and middle harbour until we rounded the marker into the outer harbour.  There was quite a chop now though and with both wind and waves against us we were not making much headway, in fact I wondered whether our little 20 HP engine was going to let us get out to the harbour!  Puttering along at less than a knot though we finally got clear enough to put up the mainsail and then we took off close hauled heading west towards Fisgard lighthouse.  With just the mainsail up it was a pleasant, if slow sail close into the coast.  AS we got close to the lighthouse we turned south and, being chased by another yacht we decided to also put up the Genoa.  With both sails up and closed hauled we were well heeled over although we were both pretty comfortable after our experiences last year in Nova Scotia where we had regularly been beating with the safety rail in the water.  We did however find out that we had a natural warning device built in to remind us that we were not racing and should be enjoying things.  Our dinghy, attached to the davits on the back of the yacht, would start dragging in the water if we heeled uncomfortably.  We now have a ready signal that we should perhaps be taking in some sail (unless we are in a racy mood!).  We tinkered about with the sail plan (furling, unfurling and partially furling the Genoa) but in the end reduced sail to just the main and pottered on. 

As we got abreast of Albert point we tacked for the shore and came in close.  The weather looked threatening though, and rather than push on down to Pedder bay we decided to call it a day, turned onto a broad reach and headed for home.  The sail back to harbour was sweet.  All the excitement of beating to windward died away and we cruised pleasantly back in, even putting the Genoa back up and making a good turn of speed back in.

Heidi brought the boat back into dock and thankfully our plan for getting back worked.  She kissed the dock gently and I jumped off with the bow line and we were back home, safe and happy after another pleasant sail. 

We were both pretty shocked though when we realised yet again we had not managed to get past Albert point as we felt we had had a long sail today.  One day we will go further!!

The big things we realised from today was that

1. We needed to get comfortable with reefing.  I know we had set up the slab reefing when we first put the mainsail up (and mighty proud of ourselves we were at that!) but we had not done it since.  It would have been a good exercise today to put in a single reef on the main and then have the Genoa out partially furled.  I think we would have sailed a little more comfortably
2. We still need to work out how this darn thing handles at slow speeds. We haven't got the measure of close in maneuvering at all!