At long last, my 50th sail on the Javelin had arrived. Saturday morning, I had had about all of my job that I could stand. I had to get away. The forecast was for 8 mph winds @ 11:00 then 9 mph for the rest of the day, all out of the NW. The downer was a prediction of 97 degrees, but PC with only a 20% chance of rain. Sounded delicious! When I hear 9 mph, I usually see 10-12 mph on the lake, which is the sweet spot for the javelin.
I was delayed somewhat because a Wildlife officer set up shop in the parking lot checking safety equipment on boats. Beth at home, and I on site, spent some time looking for the boat registration. We never found it. The wildlife officer did not ask for the registration or check my boat. I did get him to take my picture sitting in the boat. I launched a little after 11:00 with a strange new problem. 
The wind was blowing off the land straight down the dock. When I set up for port tack, it shifted to starboard. When I crossed to starboard, it shifted to port. I finally just let go of the dock, drifted out, found a broad reach, and sailed out. I gradually changed from broad reach, to beam to close haul. I was under the lee of the point until I reached the channel, where I saw the white caps. The chop was 18” to 24”. Winds varied from 10-13 mph out of the NW. During the trip, I faced 3 foot waves that slapped the bow up and down. The spray as the boat cut through the waves was thrilling! During the trip the bumpers were knocked off and the bow line was rocked into the water. I recovered it during a lull.
There were a lot of wind shifts and puffs were in the mid to upper teens. I was able to start on the west side of the lake and tack at a long angle across to the east. Then I would tack almost straight across, then back to the long angle. I was spilling a little air because of the strong puffs. Sometimes I could sail on a beam reach. I moved rapidly NE passing Gordon’s Island about 11:30 and the next island about 11:45. By 12:30 I had reached the Lake Norman Yacht Club. There were few boats on the lake by then. The winds were becoming increasingly variable. Lulls were down to 8 or 9 mph with stronger puffs in the upper teens. Then, a little passed the yacht club, I had my first potential knock down. The water was up to the gunwale. I kept turning the boat into wind, but the wind shift was huge. I finally sensed that I may be going over. I yanked the jib sheet and the boat settled. I rode out the puff, then continued NE. The winds became more variable, dropping to 4-5 mph and then blowing to the upper teens. I had another potential knock down and I yanked the jib sheet again! On my map, I saw that I was reaching the end of the wide part of the lake. I saw a mile marker. I decided that I would pass the marker then turn for the dock. Several times, I tacked to sail up stream and every time, the wind would shift and I would end up sailing almost straight across the lake, making little progress up wind. Finally, I decided to give it one more try. I tacked in the middle of the lake and it worked (almost). I was sailing on a close haul, straight toward the marker with land to starboard. I was between a rock and a hard place. The wind shifted slightly and I sailed between marker D 10 and the shore.
After several hundred yards, I came about, jibed (my only successful jibe of the trip) and started toward the dock. It was just after 2:00 pm.
Shortly thereafter, the wind died for the first time. I bobbed around for a few minutes, then I was on my way, under shifting winds of 7-9 mph with higher puffs. I would sail about a ½ mile anywhere between a broad reach and a close haul, mostly on a beam, then the wind would die again. As I approached the Lake Norman Yacht Club, I was running out of water again. I decided to jibe. Winds were about 9 mph. I pulled in the main sheet, started the jibe and the boom crossed over. About the time that the jibe was complete, there was a huge wind shift and a blow. The boat swung around 18O degrees and pointed into the wind. I was pretty violent!! I sailed on, on a close haul. Then the wind died in front if the yacht club. Two teen agers in 12’ Lasers approached me. I talked with them awhile, trading info about our boats. It was then about 3:00. Then I headed toward the dock. The winds continued to lull to almost nothing and puff into the teens, but generally around 8 or 9 mph. My hike out pads had ridden up in my pants to where they were ineffective. I could not get them down. I spent the rest of the trip, sitting on the gunnel bruising my bottom. I was pretty sore.
Nearing marker D5 I was running out of water again. I had the D5 marker and the shoal marker to starboard. I decided to jibe. The jibe again appeared to be successful, the same thing happened again. I had a huge wind shift. The jib sheet slipped off the cleat and the figure eight knot failed! The jib went flogging off into the wind!. The boat swung violently around and pointed into the wind. It had also drifted about 100 yards away from the marker. I had to pull in the starboard jib sheet in until I could grab the reach the port sheet that was flogging in the wind. I reset the sheet in the cleat and continued the journey on close haul.
I sailed across the channel, setting course to round the point, sailing mostly on a beam. Once around the point, I sailed in on a close haul. I dropped the main a couple hundred yards out and sailed in on the jib. The wind died a couple of times. I had to hail a boat that was about to take my leeward slot on the dock. They were kind enough to move the windward side. With one more slight puff, I glided into the dock for a perfect landing around 4:00 pm. What a ride!! I was sore and tired, with a headache and a sore bottom, and extremely dehydrated.
I pulled the boat out and parked beside another much larger sailboat being derigged. I started up a conversation with the guy who was wearing a hat and shirt from an unmentionable school. We discussed the trip on the lake. I found out that he had been given the boat that very day. He had sailed on smaller boats but never one this large before. It was an O’Day 222 1986. Then he saw my Calvary Church sticker on my truck and asked me if I go to Calvary. I told him yes and asked his name. It was Kyle, the son of a friend at church. I warned him about the trees in front of him in case he was about to pull forward with his mast up. He then admitted that he had planned to drive the boat down the street to find a storage place. He asked if there would be trees on the way out. I responded: Power lines!. I then met his wife Margaret. She asked me if I was Hope’s dad. She and Hope had been in youth group together. Small world.
Weather stats: Maximum sustained wind: 18 mph. Maximum gust: 25 mph. So much for 9 mph!
The Jubilee sail was quite an adventure. I will need to recover a few days before I try it again. My pressure job continues. While on the boat, I received a call from a restaurant that we finished a month ago saying that there was a leak in the kitchen again. I dispatched a plumber while on the lake. Today, Sunday, they called again to say that the water heater had quit for the 4th time. Tomorrow will be another day in paradise.