The winds started to rise Sunday afternoon and just kept building up to 40 knots with gusts to 55+ by Monday afternoon. All this time the barometric pressure continued to fall to 29.22″ or 992 mb. Not hurricane levels but pretty low for around here. The waves built to nearly 20′ with a period of 4 to 6 seconds and were breaking out as far as we could see and there were little ripples on the far horizon which is a sure indicator of big seas.

We had lots more details but it somehow got lost ………….Sorry.

What a great day sailing!  We hit the lake about 1200 hrs local and with all sails raised we went no where fast towards the WSW.  After about a half hour we saw some ripples on the water and headed for them.  The breeze picked up to about 7 knots from the NW.  I tightened her up a bit more towards the West and trimmed the sails.  After a minute or two we were going about 3.5 kts or better.  This tack was held for an hour or more and we were gaining on Moon Dance who was way out there.

I was sort of playing around with the wind and I tacked to the NE and then tightened her up a few points and we got 3.9 kts out of a 7.2 kt breeze.  This heading was taking us to a point just south of Holland.  It seemed like kind of a cool direction to go and with the waves less than a foot who could complain?  Certainly not the First Mate who was sleeping like the dead in the midships bunk.

After an hour or so I changed course for a beam reach or slightly aft and held her until it was time to turn to the south to go back to port.  What a great day in great weather and seas.  We were back at the slip at 1700 hrs local.