The Scoundrel

As fall time is setting in I was thinking of the past, back in Duluth, and what I may be up to on a Wednesday night. My buddy David, captain David that is, sent me a picture of 'The Scoundrel' the other day and it brought back many memories. This is a San Juan 24 sailboat that I learned how to sail on and how to refine my beer drinking skills. Every Wednesday night(during the sailing season) for about 8 years I would head down to the marina with beer, sailing gloves, and life jacket ready for a good time out on Lake Superior. I usually ran foredeck and got worked by the jib sail and spinnaker. I loved running around up there just trying to keep myself on the boat by hanging on the life line, mast, and baby stays, while we would bust through huge waves and I would get drenched! There were other nights when the wind was from the south, where I was just trying to catch any wind I could in the spinnaker, riding the curl of the sail.

Sailing is such a great activity! The thought of getting all your energy from the wind (with a little help from Mrs. Johnson once in awhile) to propel yourself and this tank of a boat through the water for a couple of hours was amazing. The other aspect of racing that is so fun is the live chess match that plays itself out on the lake. You never know who is going to catch the best little strip of wind or who will get stuck in the doldrums. I could write on and on about all the different things going on in a sailboat during a race or just cruising but then you readers would get bored.Thanks David and Susan for all the lessons you taught me out on The Gitche Gumme!!