The 3rd Annual Small Boat Sailing Rendezvous was a great success. Plenty of sailors, plenty of beer, plenty of laughter. Michael was there with his Windrider and Sailing Canoe with a whopping 75 sq. ft. of sail. Steve showed up with his Windrider and Happy Cat from Grabner (Inflatable cruising Catamaran). Lonzo and The Vest Pocket Yacht Club were well represented with a wide assortment of sailing canoes. A.D. Long brought along his homebuilt Micro Cruiser (In Camo green of course). Then there was Brian with his Kruger Seawind with 1 sq. meter Pacific Action Sail, motor sailing throughout the day.
I spent the better part of the day on the water, as happy as a clam sailing around 10,000 acre Lake Mendota enjoying every bit of the 70 degree weather. As always more wind would have been nice, but then it was somewhere in between two years ago with dead calm, and last year where small craft warnings and thunderstorms ruled the day. This year no boats imploded from the undo strain of 30 m.p.h. winds. There was quite a bit of boater talk, including technical descriptions of how and why we rig things the way we do. Then there was my rigging the hammock onto my sailing canoe (below), so I can sleep aboard just like the people on their 40 ft. yachts. Hopefully Steve's recording of my first attempt and swim will show up on You Tube, or at least this website to prove that the idea went from infancy stage to reality after a couple of cam buckle straps secured the frame to the canoe. Next year an overnighter was suggested. What a perfect idea. Anchored offshore on some leeshore of some point on the lake. Rafting up, cooking, and sleeping on our Small Boats.

(Pictures and hopefully video are on the way).

Mark your calendar for next year. June 12th, 2010.