Rowing and Sailing a Chesapeake Light Craft Northeaster Dory

The first ten days of December have been delightfully warm, and we have put our new Chesapeake Light Craft Northeaster Dory in the water a number of times. Here is the track of our course as Sue and I did a 6-mile tandem row on the lake:

Our fastest sustained pace was about 3.9 mph, but I'm sure we were often going much faster. On a previous solo row/sail I was able to sustain 4.1 mph and I know that tandem rowing is easier and faster:

The zigzag lines out into the center of the lake and across the cove are tracks of my route under sail, but the day was close to being a drifter, and I really didn't feel that I had gotten a feel for how the Dory would work under sail.

Yesterday my chance to test the boat under sail came. By 2 in the afternoon there were sustained winds of 15 mph and gusts into the 20's. The open water was showing small whitecaps. It was not, in fact, wise weather for a December sail in an open boat, but the cove is fairly small and the temperature was over 60. I decided that I could give the boat a good test sail within the cove and would always be close to shore if I were knocked down. 

The boat sails very well -- both stable and speedy. I zipped back and forth across the cove, both close-hauled and on reaches. The only difficulty I had was in bringing the boat about. It is so light that it's easily brought to a halt and pushed into irons as one heads into the wind. I came about successfully about half the time and went into irons about the same amount. I'll be able to master the trick of sustaining forward momentum, but yesterday was just too windy (and hence risky) to practice for long. Before hauling out, however, I did try several broad reaches and jibes. I was pleased with the boat speed and really delighted with its stability as one jibed.

This is going to be one great boat for rowing and sailing!