Saved by the Yellow Pages

Sunday in Waukegan – After arriving Friday night (October, 1991) we spent the weekend exploring the town and the Larson yard. Sunday dawned perfect and so Adele called Dan
to ask him would he like to join us for the trip back to Chicago. He would and he did. Around 1pm we cast off and Dan proposed to sail out as the wind was behind us. We raised the whole rig. With a light wind cruising down the fairway, Dan chose to hold the sheets by hand - and one in his mouth.

 

Wind picks up – Entering the lake, we passed the last of the trees lining the north pier. As we got the full force of the wind, Dan suddenly fell, face down on the cockpit sole. He lost control of the sheets including the one in his mouth. The boat began to veer with the whole rig including the wishbone trysail slamming from one side to the other. As we regained control of our wits and the boat, all seemed well except for Dan: one tooth was projecting mostly forward from his jaw.

 

A Dentist on Sunday – Back to the dock: under dentists in the Yellow Pages, we finally found one willing to perform emergency repairs. Dan rejoined us in a couple of hours,
chastened but repaired and not much the worse for wear.

 

Sailing home
Repairs completed we raised the rig and headed out to the Lake around 6pm. With a steady northwest wind we began cruising South at hull speed down the Western shore. With a full Hunter’s Moon backlighting the sails, we rolled past Great Lakes, Lake Forest, Highland Park, Winnetka and Evanston. Around midnight we came boiling into Montrose, rounding the turn into the harbor to end one of the finest sails we ever logged.