Cruising

Couldn't have asked for better weekend to take my basic coastal cruising class: windy, dry and sunny.  The wind was blowing at 15-20 knots Saturday so conditions on Commencement Bay were perfect to practice reefing.  With sailboats all over the Bay our instructor was able to show us plenty of examples what not to do: "See that guy over there?  Didn't I tell you the worst combination in these conditions is a full mainsail and no jib?  He's heeled way over and is probably fighting an extreme weather helm!"  Mike Rice, owner of Puget Sound Sailing Institute, has sailed over 85,000 nautical miles and crossed the Pacific Ocean seven times.  He's also an excellent instructor.  The pictures are from today after the wind had died down quite a bit.  It gave us a chance to work on navigation and anchoring.