Sailing on Buzzards Bay

Modern sailing is often very much like it was in the old days.

The same when it comes to trimming sail but GPS and fish finders, etc.  make it even more fun. More toys = more fun.

My sailing companion on this trip, Capt Scott Dehainaut is at his tiller on his sloop the "Beg to Diffah".

So... you are out in the bay and trying to return to port against a wind that is coming right at you at about 2 knots.

We won't mention tide or the river current that feeds out into the bay from the harbor.

Well there is a huge advantage here that old time sailors didn't have.

Start your motor and cruise on back home in time for a margarita.. Sounds familiar?

The old whaling and merchant ships were heavy cumbersome wooded things.


They had lots of sail but no motor would have had to anchor out in the bay and wait for the wind and tide.

I once spent 2 and a half hours in a sloop trying to tack back about 1 mile into port against wind tide and current.

Hopefully never again. I really like the little outboard.

A final thought.

 I wonder if I could talk Capt. Scott into a trip to Nantucket?   Hmmmmm.