9/2/2024: Seas too rough, wind too strong for the Ida May at the 65th Annual Deal Island-Chance Lion's Club Skipjack Race

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Unfortunately, the Tangier Sound was too rough and the winds were too strong for the Ida May to sail today.  Capt. Shawn Ridgley and mates, Lee Daniels and Keith Whitelock, were at the helm today.  We had already put one reef in both main and jib before we left the harbor because the wind was so strong.  After raising the sail, we realized one reef was not going to do it. It was still too much wind for us!  So we lowered sail and put a second reef in.  We raised the sail again and again realized that even two reefs was not enough.  We lowered sail again and tied a third reef.  Still not enough!  The boat would heel over mightily in the wind, and that was without even raising the jib sail!  The seas were at least three feet and pounding the hull.  Our block for the main sheet busted in the wind and we were just using rope.  We decided that enough was enough and time to get in before something worse happened.  Captain Shawn writes, "We live to sail another day! After putting the third reef in the main sail and still taking water over the deck we made the decision to put safety first, dropped sail and head back to the dock. After making a few small repairs we look forward to heading to the Maryland Seafood Festival at Sandy Point in a couple weeks and then back to racing in Cambridge at the end of the month."

Photo of the Ida May leaving the harbor before the race

https://www.wboc.com/news/windy-conditions-challenge-sailors-at-65t...