October 25, 2004
By mid October the Northeast Monsoon sets in along the China coast and the sailing gets better in the South China Sea. The wind is cooler, steadier, and skies more clear, or as clear as it gets in smoggy Hong Kong, and you just need to go sailing.
We've had some of that nice cool monsoon this week, and Wings tugged at the mooring lines, ready to go. The sailing was definitely calling to us, but work sometimes gets in the way of sailing. Saturday, though, after chores and bill paying, and some other boring domestic duties, we finally were able to cast off the dock-lines and head out of the marina.
That first moment after clearing the breakwater, with the main flapping as it went up and the bow lifting to the swell, and nothing but the sea ahead, that's when we really feel the excitement. We saw Epic coming around the point, her black mast giving away her identity before her hull came into sight, and there was Neal, bare-chested and in a baseball cap at the helm, and Andrea, in shorts, on the foredeck. We bore off to intercept them, and hailed as they came into earshot, "Ahoy Epic, where are you bound from?"
Neal and Andrea both waved, "From Sai Kung," they answered, "up the coast". We wanted to hear all about their trip, but it would have to wait until later. We turned Wings back into the sea breeze and hoisted the jib. Wings heeled to the wind and we put our backs into it, and hardened up, close hauled.
This is our kind of sailing, our kind of wind; 17 knots of northeast monsoon, sails sheeted home, and a nice lift as we clear Peng Chau Island and set our sights on Lamma Island in the distance. We are using the racing sails these days, and seven knots is within reach, even hard on the wind. The helm is light and the telltales are streaming off the leech of the main. In these waters the islands cut the chop, so there are no waves to slow us down. It is glorious sailing.
We crossed the West Lamma Channel, and in the lee of Lamma's tall hills the wind became gusty. In the lulls between the gusts we stood straight up, but we worked the breeze and when the dark cat's paws of wind came down on us and Wings heeled over and accelerated, we took a bite to windward, and then coasted until the next one.
At the South tip of Lamma and we felt the Pacific swell rolling in, the wind grew stronger and showed some muscle. The day was late. We took a few photos, turned the boat downwind, and poured a glass of wine as we surfed for home, watching the red sun set in the West over Macao.
It's good to be alive, and sailing in Hong Kong.
On Sunday we went to a Rock Concert. The music was great, the moshing was a bit much, and the crowd watching was superb.
Fred & Judy, SV WINGS
Attachment: Composite Photo, from left: The Regurgitators, Lamma Island, Hong Kong Music fans
