32. The first sail of the season, the first hassle and the first triumph

Eve photographs me with my camera in the wee boatee captains cabin after the triumph relieved we were to be there.

We'd been out to make sure all the bits of the boat were ok - clean and tidy with all the bits of string in the right place and the big blanket things going up and down well.  All was well.  We had a cup of green tea and a Tunnocks so we thought we'd go for a wee sail- the first of the season. There was a little breeze and the sun shone from time to time despite the cold wind from the north.

We started up the Parsun outboard and pootled out beyond the parked ferry in the harbour, raised a reefed mainsail and,,,,, the motor just died. Couldn't start the thing again either and fuel was leaking out it seemed! So undaunted we raised a bit of genoa, turned on our heals and tacked back and back again [and again etc] across the harbour to get back to the mooring - only to get there was straight into the wind. We took a close line past the harbour wall, the ferry and the fishing boats and as luck would have it we managed to get across to the other side of the harbour where we doused the mainsail and quietly genoa 'd to the mooring. What a relief and triumph [for us]. Pain in the pervberbial about the outboard - hopefully it will work again. However, need to get the Honda 2.3 sorted first!