Angelina Gets Feisty 20260513

Devin McGuire

Skipper Chris Gaal invited me, Devin, to sail on his re-finished 24ft boat, the beautiful Angelina. The day was partly sunny with good 'gray bottom' sailing clouds. We sailed NE toward the causeway where we jibed and headed south through the 'LM Bermuda Triangle' almost to Fairfax Beach near Hardin Ridge boat ramp. From there we tacked and headed back north sailing through 'the channel' with remarkably few tacks, maybe just one. As we were half way back to the causeway, the jib started to behave funny, so Skipper Cris, after furling the jib failed, went forward to lower the jib. when it was half way down, the wind caught the jib in a way that the jib started to wack the Skipper on his backside. It was as though Nessie, the Lochness, was was trying to pull him into her lair. After a harrowing moment, the jib was down and we motored about 15 minutes back to Dock A. It was an exceptional sailing day on Lake Monroe.