09 July 2007

Spinnakers & Mothballs!

Wow, what a great sail! Vanguard Dean and his son Jake joined me on Sunday for cruise from the Benicia Marina down to Suisun Bay to check out the Mothball Fleet. Mothra the Mariner really scoots under spinnaker, and proved to be ridiculously easy to control despite the high winds. We had enough wind to require a reef in the main upwind, but the spinnaker was well behaved down.

Click on the photo here to check out the video footage and have a good look at the USS Iowa. Old BB-61 is biding her time waiting for enough sponsorship to move out of mothball status and on display at Mare Island, Vallejo.

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yo David, What fun you and Dean and Jake ( where was he.. in the cabin?) had on MOTHRA. It was fun seeing the Mothball fleet too. I remember seeing those when we cruised up the Delta in Scotch Mist. The Mariner goes like gangbusters. When are you going to enter it in a race?!

Mum and Bill

David said...

Jake was quite the tired puppy. He was asleep in the cabin while all the excitement was going on! Yep, the same ships we used to sail past over 30 years ago. We were careful to stay clear of the big sandbar that we found ourselves "camped" on that one year!

Anonymous said...

OK. I'm glad to hear that Jake was indeed still ONBOARD!!!!

I rememebr when you enjoyed sacking out down in the cabin on the way to Ensenada!! Good place to be when the going gets rough!!!


Mum