08-08-2006, 08:11 AM
To borrow a phrase from a Canadian beer company, â a whole lot can happen out of the blue. Let me explain.
My son Keenan, and I planned a sailing trip this past August long weekend. We also heard that the local cruising club was having a race from Yellowknife to Moose Bay, on Great Slave Lake, on Saturday. Our friend Keith Shergold had been flying up north in the eastern Arctic for the past three weeks and returned to YK on Friday evening. We got together and I persuaded him to join us with his Weekender Made Merry.
We launched his vessel on Saturday morning, then proceeded to the start point on the lake. Upon arriving we found only two larger cruisers preparing to race. The winds were calm, less than 2 knots, from the northwest. The race commenced at 11:00AM, we all moved off slowly. The cruisers began to open the gap between us. It less than a mile the winds changed direction, from the south, and picked up to 4â5 knots. The lead cruiser heeled slightly and entered a close hauled port tack. The second vessel reached the wind, and followed the lead. Keith was moving ahead of me, probably due to fact I had my engine hanging in the water, and was trailing a 12-foot tender. These collectively cost me about a knot of speed. We were both into the wind and sailing close reached.
I looked to the starboard stern and saw a familiar sight a gaff-rigged vessel. Having a better look with my binoculars, I confirmed it to be a Weekender. I hailed Keith on his cellphone (a significant improvement to flags), and told him of my sighting. We both changed course and headed toward the other Weekender. As I got closer, I confirmed that it was Ken Frew, and his Weekender named Kestrel. Keith and I had seen him on the water several times last season, and lost contact at the end of the sailing year. We exchanged greeting, and began sailing beam reaches together across the bay. My son Keenan hopped in our tender, and took some group photos of the fleet.
Many power boaters slowed down to admire this collection of gaff rigged boats. After several hours of sailing around, Ken said he had some other evening plans, and could not join us this time around. So we departed and agreed to meet Sunday afternoon.
At this point Keith and I realized that the race was a distant memory by now. So with a further 6 miles to sail, our wind dissipating, and hour being late, we chose to sail to Horseshoe Island a mere 2 miles away. The backside of it offered a sheltered mooring for the night. Keith and I decided to have a visit on the Ginny Rae, enroute to the mooring. My son Keenan took the helm of Keithâs Weekender, and looked quite happy sailing it. So happy in fact, that he is considering shelving the Skipjack plans we have, in order to build a Weekender. I told him that he should start putting some cash away for this winter, and Keith and I offered or knowledge and help on the future build. After a nice dinner, we sat in the Ginny Raeâs cockpit, and reflected on a great day of sailing. We also anticipated what tomorrow would bring.
Sunday morning we awoke to light winds, that strengthened to southwesterly of 5-6 knots by 12:00 noon. We made ready to sail, and got underway by 1:00PM. Closer to town we met with Ken, and had some more fun sailing around. Ken expressed an interest in sailing on my Vacationer, so we exchanged phone numbers, and agreed to meet on Monday afternoon.
Monday Keith called me to both thank me for talking him into the trip, and say he was off to the job up north for two more weeks. I said he should call me upon is return so we can get on the water again. Ken came over in the afternoon, and I gave him the tour of Ginny Rae. I showed him the similarities, and differences between it and the Weekender. He was considering a future build of a bigger vessel, and thought the Vacationer might do well. We hoisted the sails and beam reached across the bay in steadily strengthening winds. At a few points we were sailing up to 5 knots, on the GPS. Ken approved of the stability of the boat in rougher water, and liked the binnacle steering system I installed. Several hours later we returned to the dock, and secured Ginny Rae to her moorings. Ken borrowed my plans to study the future feasibility of building a Vacationer.
A little info about the Krestrel, it is an older style Weekender, built with a centreboard. It was launched in 1989, yes 17 years ago, and looks in fine shape. It is a testimony to the care and maintenance practices of Ken. The boat spends most summers moored in the lake, and gets plenty of sailing use.
Well as I said in my opening, a whole lot can happen out of the blue. We have the basis to get our True North Fleet operational
![[Image: normal_August_06_messabout_013_WEB.jpg]](http://byyb.org/cpg143/albums/userpics/10025/normal_August_06_messabout_013_WEB.jpg)
Greg
My son Keenan, and I planned a sailing trip this past August long weekend. We also heard that the local cruising club was having a race from Yellowknife to Moose Bay, on Great Slave Lake, on Saturday. Our friend Keith Shergold had been flying up north in the eastern Arctic for the past three weeks and returned to YK on Friday evening. We got together and I persuaded him to join us with his Weekender Made Merry.
We launched his vessel on Saturday morning, then proceeded to the start point on the lake. Upon arriving we found only two larger cruisers preparing to race. The winds were calm, less than 2 knots, from the northwest. The race commenced at 11:00AM, we all moved off slowly. The cruisers began to open the gap between us. It less than a mile the winds changed direction, from the south, and picked up to 4â5 knots. The lead cruiser heeled slightly and entered a close hauled port tack. The second vessel reached the wind, and followed the lead. Keith was moving ahead of me, probably due to fact I had my engine hanging in the water, and was trailing a 12-foot tender. These collectively cost me about a knot of speed. We were both into the wind and sailing close reached.
I looked to the starboard stern and saw a familiar sight a gaff-rigged vessel. Having a better look with my binoculars, I confirmed it to be a Weekender. I hailed Keith on his cellphone (a significant improvement to flags), and told him of my sighting. We both changed course and headed toward the other Weekender. As I got closer, I confirmed that it was Ken Frew, and his Weekender named Kestrel. Keith and I had seen him on the water several times last season, and lost contact at the end of the sailing year. We exchanged greeting, and began sailing beam reaches together across the bay. My son Keenan hopped in our tender, and took some group photos of the fleet.
Many power boaters slowed down to admire this collection of gaff rigged boats. After several hours of sailing around, Ken said he had some other evening plans, and could not join us this time around. So we departed and agreed to meet Sunday afternoon.
At this point Keith and I realized that the race was a distant memory by now. So with a further 6 miles to sail, our wind dissipating, and hour being late, we chose to sail to Horseshoe Island a mere 2 miles away. The backside of it offered a sheltered mooring for the night. Keith and I decided to have a visit on the Ginny Rae, enroute to the mooring. My son Keenan took the helm of Keithâs Weekender, and looked quite happy sailing it. So happy in fact, that he is considering shelving the Skipjack plans we have, in order to build a Weekender. I told him that he should start putting some cash away for this winter, and Keith and I offered or knowledge and help on the future build. After a nice dinner, we sat in the Ginny Raeâs cockpit, and reflected on a great day of sailing. We also anticipated what tomorrow would bring.
Sunday morning we awoke to light winds, that strengthened to southwesterly of 5-6 knots by 12:00 noon. We made ready to sail, and got underway by 1:00PM. Closer to town we met with Ken, and had some more fun sailing around. Ken expressed an interest in sailing on my Vacationer, so we exchanged phone numbers, and agreed to meet on Monday afternoon.
Monday Keith called me to both thank me for talking him into the trip, and say he was off to the job up north for two more weeks. I said he should call me upon is return so we can get on the water again. Ken came over in the afternoon, and I gave him the tour of Ginny Rae. I showed him the similarities, and differences between it and the Weekender. He was considering a future build of a bigger vessel, and thought the Vacationer might do well. We hoisted the sails and beam reached across the bay in steadily strengthening winds. At a few points we were sailing up to 5 knots, on the GPS. Ken approved of the stability of the boat in rougher water, and liked the binnacle steering system I installed. Several hours later we returned to the dock, and secured Ginny Rae to her moorings. Ken borrowed my plans to study the future feasibility of building a Vacationer.
A little info about the Krestrel, it is an older style Weekender, built with a centreboard. It was launched in 1989, yes 17 years ago, and looks in fine shape. It is a testimony to the care and maintenance practices of Ken. The boat spends most summers moored in the lake, and gets plenty of sailing use.
Well as I said in my opening, a whole lot can happen out of the blue. We have the basis to get our True North Fleet operational
Greg