Kelly IV took part in a Bon Voyage
Party for Captain Troy Cain and only a week later bid adieu to
Captain Joe Reed and his crew. Each Captain has great plans for
their cruise although the adventure each will enjoy will vary widely.
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| Sail track followed by Bill, Sarah, Guy, Jack, Jim and CaptMurph |
Captain Cain is singlehanding
“Relentless,” his Irwin 34, the length of the Intracoastal
Waterway from the Chesapeake Bay through six states and about
2,000nm. Although he welcomes crew for any leg they care to join
him, he expects he'll be singlehanding, if you don't count his full
size, shiny black poodle, “HoHo.”
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| "Relentless", on the hard |
October 18-20 Kelly IV hosted the
largest crew we recall including Bill & Sarah Paviol, Guy
Stewart, Jack VanArsdale, Jim Clark and Maggie, Jim's second dog of
that name. It wasn't until the wee hours of Saturday morning that
the entire crew was on board. Jack, Bill & Sarah slept aboard
one of the charter boats so everyone had room to catch some Zs. The
day's coming excitement and sunshine roused the crew earlier than
expected so we took a new Leopard 39 out for a brief test.
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| Captains Clark and VanArsdale Helm the new Leopard Catamaran |
Kelly IV enticed the crew back with
promises of great food and camaraderie at the party planned for
Captain Cain's cruise departure. A short trip to Whitehall Creek and
the crew piled into the dinghy taking plenty of food and drink to
ensure a terrific party. Don and Donna Hekler
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| Captain Don Hekler and his beloved EVELYN MARIE |
Sunday proved to be a terrific day of
sunshine and autumn breezes so the sailing was grand. We sailed
under the Bay Bridge and reached all the way back covering the miles
quickly, no motor necessary. It was a grand weekend to bid farewell
as Troy began his cruising adventure.
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| In the past, "Relentless" was sometimes a bit cluttered |
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| Captain Cain at the helm of Relentless |
Joe Reed his adventure a year ago just
as Hurricane Sandy was battering the seas offshore of Virginia,
arriving in Hampton on 40 knot winds and 10 foot waves. Then he
skippered his crew and J42, “Keep It Simple,” to win both his
class and the entire fleet, sailing the Caribbean 1500 to Tortola,
BVI.
Today, Joe departed on “Keep It
Simple” with crew headed first for Virginia, then the BVI, but this
time he doesn't stop cruising until either he is done cruising or
circumnavigates the entire planet and ends up where he started!
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| "Keep It Simple" crew, Captain Reed on right |
We'll keep both Captains in our prayers
as they press on with their sailing adventures. I only wish Kelly IV
could follow in their wakes. Maybe sooner than I know?
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I added this last photo of "Keep It Simple" sometime later. Here she is in Annapolis the previous spring, 2013, on arrival from the Caribbean. Of course, they also arrived safely in the BVI in the autumn of 2013. That's Captain Reed on the left and Captain Hekler on the right.
