Long Pond in February

I have now been out on the water in every month of the year except January.  Mind you, I keep telling myself I have nothing to prove--and then I go out and prove things.  "Do I contradict myself?  Then I contradict myself.  I am large, I contain multitudes..."  (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

I had planned several winter trips without accomplishing any: a daytime float in Bebe down the Nemasket River, or maybe an overnight on Long Pond, Lakeville in Surprise.  (The Nemasket I first encountered as a major tributary when floating down the upper Taunton River amongst snow and ice last March.  Long Pond I found in looking about for freshwater venues that would be safer and more comfortable in winter than salt water.)  Events intervened, though,or weather, or sometimes I just didn't feel like going.  But on Tuesday, with no ice in evidence, I settled on a Long Pond day trip, and the boat I settled on was Bebe.  This would not only be my official sail for February, but also the first time Bebe sailed in over a year. 

Bebe is a good little boat: nimble, quick, handy but is at least as time-consuming to rig as the big boat (it's heavy, yet rides on top of the van).  It is also a rather wet boat, and its broad bow transom doesn't handle chop well.  It has lately been abandoned for the bigger and more sea-worthy Beatrice Ann, and the fully-enclosed Surprise, not to mention the kayaks.  But though a windy day, the wind on the north-south trending pond was forecast from the west, so it would give a nice ride, and would have little fetch in which to build up real waves. 

I arrived at the nice ramp to find the wind stiff and gusty from the north-north-east.  This would make it uphill leaving the ramp but downhill coming back.  It also sent me home after two hours of sailing.  I was nervous negotiating the gusts, knowing that I had (stupidly) never test-capsized this boat to make sure I could self-rescue it.  There was also near-constant spray when sailing hard on the wind, and though well-equipped for cold in my ski pants, down coat, muffler, hat and water-proof gloves, I was ill-equipped for spray.  I'm glad I packed the bailer!

I took no photos until running back to the ramp--I couldn't spare a hand or attention.  Here are a few as I cruised south between islands and the eastern shore, and then drawn up at the ramp.