The first of  autumn’s low-pressure systems came to Lake Tahoe this weekend, so Debbie and I went up to Tahoe City Marina on Saturday morning to get in a quick sail before the stormy weather hit. We sailed down to the area around Sunnyside, enjoying the balmy temperatures and blue skies on the west side of the lake, and keeping a watchful eye on the darkening sky in the southeast. Winds were light and variable with a few gusts to around 25, so we got in some good sailing. After about an hour, and with memories of last fall’s squall, I decided we’d better head back, as the winds were starting to swirl, and the dark clouds were quickly moving north and west. Within minutes of getting back on the buoy, the rain began, and gusty winds that boxed the compass had Splendido spinning around the buoy one way, then back in the opposite direction. We went below and discussed our end-of-season strategy, as the boat needs to come out of the water around October 2. It was actually quite cozy hanging out in the gently rocking boat, so I stretched out on the port cushions and dozed a bit. Debbie was a bit more restless, though she finally crawled into the aft berth to nap for a while. Around 4:30 p.m., we decided it was time to pack up and go. We’re hoping that our Indian Summer will come back and last at least another week so we can get a few more sails in before Splendido needs to be winterized and trailered down to Reno for her long winter’s rest.

Fair winds and smooth sailing! DB