In preparation for the upcoming Mitchell Regatta, which I am responsible for organizing, I needed to make sure my new (to me) boat Yamp Swankee was ready to go. This vessel has quite a history of voyaging in southern New England, having been part of Marsh and Bay Expeditions fleet. It was fully functional as I bought it, though I chose to refresh some cosmetics, including painting the topsides Sun Yellow, and the woodwork white.
The afternoon was unseasonably warm, with temps in the 80s and plenty of sun. I drove to the nearby Marina Park ramp to launch on the upper end of Point Judith Pond, a familiar ramp. Rigging and launching went fairly smooth, although it was a bit of a challenge to get the boat over to the adjacent dock with the wind being on-shore. I hoisted the main at the dock and attempted to bear away, but just couldn't get speed. I knew I needed the jib, so I hoisted it quickly and beat my way south.
The wind was almost zero in the narrows, but once I was into the open part of the middle pond there was more than enough wind, with gusts to 20 knots. I realized I missed the lowest batten in the main, and the leech fluttered as a result, but it was an excellent sail overall! I struggled a bit to get the boat aligned and onto the trailer, but once it was, cleanup was familiar. I really love this boat and look forward to summer adventures!
