The windlass came back today and Mark and Andy put it back into place and for the first time in about 30 days, we have a trustworthy mechanical way of lowering and raising the anchor. With a reliable windlass, we can move to the marina dock where we can stern tie Southern Star and have access to power and water.
Mark asks me if I wanted to drive (since there was plenty of room on the dock and not much chance of hitting another boat) and I gladly agree. He gives me instructions in advance for changing the position of the boat as the wind swings it so that it gets to the intended place. Southern Star is heavy and has a “barn door” rudder and is not as quick to respond as the little racing machines with their spade rudders. Also, because the prop is rotating in one direction, the stern tends to move to port (to the left) when backing up with the wheel in the center position. As a result steering the stern the way I used to steer my outboard does not work with the same precision.
The good news is that everything goes according to plan and I am pleased that I am able to bring the Star to its intended position on the dock.
With the windlass repaired we can think about a few side trips if we want while we wait for the right weather to venture south. Also, being on the dock allows us to come and go more easily as we do not need dinghy access.
The Santa Barbara yacht Windekind is next to us with our young friends Eric and Will so we know this will mean movies, card games and night -time entertainment for the younger set. Apparently, the surf must be down or Windekind would not be at the marina
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