RKYC is located on the Kennebecasis River close to its confluence with the St. John River. As we set sail we gradually drifted east upriver with the breeze past the Millidgeville to Kingston Peninsula ferry. As we were sailing at a gentle pace, the crew decided to swim and race my sleek hull over 50 yards. Despite the nearly non-existent wind the crew was convincingly beaten.
As the morning progressed so the wind built and we sailed passed Long Island's southern coast and by boats sailing upwind from Rothesay Yacht Club. Upriver, the commuter town of Rothesay blended seamlessly into the commuter town of Quispamsis. The Gondola Point ferry, at the point where the world's first underwater cable ferry was originally located, links Quispamsis to the Kingston Peninsula. This was negotiated as we continued upriver.
Beyond the Gondola Point ferry we sailed parallel to the northern bank of the river and around Murphy Cove. Here the river, although still wide, was shallower and buoys marked the navigable channel. Due to this it was decided to go no further and instead head across the river to Meenans Cove.
The peace and quiet of Murphy Cove contrasted with the boisterous activities taking place on Meenans Cove. Seadoos zipped around in the sheltered waters, and the public beach was full of people milling around. We sailed around the edge of the cove and waved greetings at people before heading back out into the river.
Once out of the shelter of the cove the winds heeled me and I was tightly hauled into the wind. After the first couple of tacks back down river, with waves crashing over my bow, there was a searing pain and a crack on my starboard as my chainplate that helps support my mast lifted through my deck. On the following tack my patched up chainplate on my port also painfully moved. My side-stays were now hanging notably loosely on my leeward sides as we continued to move against the wind down river.
In my weakened state, the first mate and crew decided to set a course for the more sheltered Kingston Peninsula side of Long Island. My effectiveness at sailing into the wind had been badly affected by my damaged rigging and progress was slow as we cautiously tacked back and forth.
We eventually made our way into the less sheltered waters of the Kennebecasis River passing so close to the beaches that my keel was tickled by sand bars. It was now evening and the wind strength was dropping as we tacked back to RKYC.
I was certainly going to require significant surgery before I could face the river once again.
