Shaking it Out

The Cambridge dictionary defines shake out in the following ways:

1. To hold something, such as a piece of cloth, at one end and shake it to remove creases and folds
2. Beginning to work normally after a period of confusion
3. To remove parts of an organization in order to make it work more efficiently

In sailing, the shake out is the first outing of the season, to check everything out. The expression probably comes from the first definition, referring to hoisting sails after being folded and stored all winter. In our case, all of the definitions apply.

We had a fair amount of confusion due to technical issues last year and (touch fake teak) everything is working as it should thanks to the repairs we made underway last season, and work done over the winter by the boatyard.

We haven’t removed parts of the organization in terms of crew. After all, with only two of us, there’s not much opportunity for downsizing! But we were able to offload a lot of gear, freeing up storage space and lightening her up. Last year, we took delivery of the boat in Florida and sailed home to Maine one-way. Therefore, we had to carry everything that came with the boat. For example, there were sun tents, sunbathing cushions, and scuba gear, not exactly useful in Northern New England. We didn’t want to sell or discard them because they might be valuable should we go to the Caribbean or Mediterranean someday or, ultimately, when we sell the boat in the future. We also had to carry a large inventory of spare parts, motor oil, and other items required to repair and maintain things during a longer passage. As we’re staying regional this season, we can leave many things ashore. We’re always within a few days’ sail of our base in Camden.

Alex joined me for this year’s shake out sail. I picked him up at Portland airport. Another advantage of staying regional is that we are able to keep our vehicle here, making airport trips, provisioning, and the inevitable trips to the hardware and marine stores much easier. In the past, we relied on Ubers, marina courtesy vehicles and public transportation.

We enjoyed a hike up Mount Battie, the 600-foot hill overlooking Camden and the Penobscot Bay. The next morning, we set out to cover 45 nautical miles from Camden to Boothbay Harbor. Everything worked as expected, I’m pleased to report.

Confident everything was working nicely, we sailed on to Portland so that Alex could catch his flight home to New York without another round trip by road.

I sailed Fregata back to Camden solo, enjoying a perfect 15 knot wind off the beam. Here the boatyard team finished a few small items they didn’t have time for before the shake out sail, and I cleaned her up and got ready for the Arrival of Admiral Sandy on Friday.