Minnesota pottering on December 14th 1998

Mike Calva (mcalva@ix.netcom.com)
Wed, 16 Dec 1998 06:59:02 -0600


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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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It was early afternoon and I was at the office. I received a call from the
first-and-only mate telling me the temps had reached 55 today and we had
wind, lets go sailing...

We headed for home and converged on Panacea, and we where in the water in a
record 40 minutes including travel time. I give the kids my standard cold
water speech:
"Always wear life jackets, younger kids tie off. If you fall in, no adult
will be jumping in after you. We will come back and get you!" (works every
time, everyone is very careful). It wasn't the longest sail in our history
as the temperature dropped when the sun went down. The compensations where
worth it, as we sailed across the lake taking pictures of Christmas lights
on the lake. As we headed for the far side of the lake I noticed a huge
sheet of ice that the wind had blown to the lee side. It made quite the
crackling sound as the waves where attempting to flex the ice that looked to
be a couple of inches thick in places. "No" I answer my adventurous son, "We
can't land on the ice and walk on it!". We settle for a beam reach as we
parallel the ice. The wind was steady, and we are in full control under main
alone so I feel safe as we skim along at about 3 knots 20 feet from the ice.
The first-and-only mate takes pictures of the kids with ice and Christmas
lights in the background.

Since we have to tack soon and Panacea doesn't like to tack under main
alone. I take no changes and have my Mate raise the working jib. Panacea
responds well and we tack up the north side of the lake without difficulty.
By now we have enjoyed the winter sunset and its getting too dark to see so
I stay well away from shore and the ice that could be there, and we head
back to the ramp.

In the car, warming up, we thumb our noses are the non-existent attendant
who can't collect the exorbitant fee normally charged for launching on this
small lake. We are talking about the fact that we set another Calva record
by sailing in Minnesota on December 14th 1998.

Panacea is now truly bedded down for the winter, unless we get another
chance like this...
Arkansas is starting to look pretty good about now, maybe we'll break her
out again in January!

Mike Calva
"Panacea" P19 #719