A few weeks ago I introduced you all to SV Blue Goose, a 1920's wood cat boat here in Beaufort, NC. This week my parents are in town along with some wonderful fall weather including fresh NNE winds. Sounds like the perfect recipe for a day sail out to Cape Lookout.
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| Blue Goose motoring windward to raise sails in Taylors Creek - photo credit: S Lovett |
The Blue Goose has no winches so raising the sail is a 3 person job. Once under way she is easy to handle, with a person on the helm and a second person to tend the sheet.
North winds and a slack tide served us an easy passage out Beaufort Inlet. We transited the inlet on a reach with myself on the helm and Bud tending the sheet.
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| Jeff at the helm and Bud on the sheet - photo credit: M Lovett |
Once offshore of Shackleford Banks Bud took the helm. He held a course close hauled toward the Cape as the winds increased to 17+ knots. Blue Goose's windward performance proved better than we anticipated. Our initial port tack took us from the inlet to the rock jetty along the southern shore of the cape. The following starboard tack took us along Power Squadron Spit and over to the beach along Shackleford Banks. On the next tack we entered the bight.
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| Blue Goose entering Cape Lookout Bight with lighthouse off our starboard bow. - photo credit: J Lovett |
After a "sail by" and shouted greeting to our friends on SV Pearl anchored in the bight, we turned back west towards Beaufort Inlet. With the winds now over our shoulder Blue Goose sprinted the 7NM offshore along Shackleford Banks. A flooding tide ushered us through Beaufort Inlet and onward to town.
Thanks to the Lovett's for joining us on a wonderful day sail...
