We had a rare day yesterday. The last 3 weeks every time I've gone out the wind has been above 25kts sometimes gusting to 40 with steep waves when we were able to leave the river. The sailing was fun but also a lot of work. Yesterday though, was a real treat. The wind was a gentle 7-12 kts and the seas were gently rolling swells of 2-3'. The sun was shining and it was warm enough that we were comfortable in shorts and tee shirts. The bar was flat as we sailed past the fishing fleet (and I do mean fleet, we counted about 50 boats). We cleared the danger area at the mouth of the river and turned north relaxing in the gentle breeze about a mile offshore. We soon turned west and my mind of course wandered to tropical islands beyond the horizon. The breeze freshened a bit and soon we were making 3.5 to 4 kts in conditions that will lull you to sleep. All too soon it was time to turn back but 15 minutes after turning I spotted a whale spout then another and another and Roberta said "dinner can wait, get this boat pointed toward the whales!" So now we're heading south with the wind at our backs and 5 or 6 whales a mile or so ahead. As we closed on them one split off and came our way passing within 150 yds. Some of the others headed further offshore but this one hung around for several minutes diving down for long periods of time and then surprising us in a new location. After a while he also began to drift away and we turned back for home. It was a perfect day of relaxed sailing with my wife on a gentle sea in the sunshine topped off with the blessing of a whale encounter. It just doesn't get much better than that. We came home relaxed, happy, amazed by the beauty of God's creation and thankful that we were so blessed to be able to enjoy it together. I hope your sailing provides the same kind of experience for you. We'll smile over this one for a while. Cheers. Mark & Roberta M23 Faith