Gale Winds in San Juan Channel

You know how the forecasted Gales never show up? Well today the weatherman was right. We clocked 33 knots downwind (apparent).

This is by far the most wind Cupcake has ever sailed in. Glad we were going downwind.

PZZ133-030500-
 NORTHERN INLAND WATERS INCLUDING THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS-
 300 PM PST MON JAN 2 2012
 
 ...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING...
 ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM
 PST TUESDAY...
 ...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TUESDAY TO 4 PM PST
 WEDNESDAY...
..S WIND 25 TO 35 KT...EASING TO 15 TO 25 KT AFTER 
 MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 6 FT. A CHANCE OF RAIN.

We had left the anchorage at high tide around 11am in  fairly calm weather. We took time to anchor up again outside Fisherman's Bay  collect rocks and walk on the beach. Around noon the winds started picking up so we returned to the boat and started home. It's only a couple of miles from Lopez to Friday Harbor. Outside the Lee of Lopez the white caps were short and choppy thanks to wind vs current which was now ebbing.

With Dean onboard  and Cupcake's Iverson Full Enclosure it was a cake-walk.  We were sailing about 4 to 5 knots downwind with 2 knots of current against us. We were using just a tiny bit of the jib and no mainsail (of course). We preset the genoa's furling line so only a bit could come out and it could not roll out uncontrolled. We started wtih just a couple of feet out  and then let out a bit more.

I got to practice steering in a following sea. It's such a difference having experienced crew onboard. Way less stressful even though I am taking on much bigger challenges.

We sat in the back fully enclosed cockpit and despite the weather it was still comfy enough for cheese and crackers.