Sailing on Windermere with Dave

On Sunday of last week I went sailing on Windermere with Dave, the guy who did the RYA level 2 course with us.
His boat is a WildFire, an Ian Proctor designed boat, nearer 20 ft than 15 fit in length, and with a removable keel rather than a centreboard.  The keel is lowered in place, and the weighted down by 6 pairs of bags containing weights, that drape over a central divider, so that they can be lifted out again.
It is berthed just south of Bowness, near the Hawkeshead chain ferry, very close to the footpath that runs along the lakeside, so that you are in view of the passers by as you are floundering around / coping expertly with the cover and rigging etc.
Unlike Glenridding, where it is all sailing and canoes, here there are motor boats and yaughts, and sailing dinghies are very much in the minority.  There is a ramp with space for two boats to be launched at any one time, and a jetty to tie the boat to after launching and parking the car.  There are toilets, and a snack bar, with some tables, and some picnic tables overlooking the slip way and the extended jetty area, where there were many fine yaughts to be admired.
We wore our wetsuits, which was totally unnecessary, as the wind was barely noticeable as we set up. But because I had left my car at Dave's house, I had a choice between the wetsuit and a rather unsuitable pair of trousers I was wearing, and Dave gallantly joined me in wearing a wetsuit.
When we got out to the middle of the lake the wind was reasonably OK, and we had a gentle sail upwind to the south, before we started getting a slightly stronger wind which made it nice sailing.
This was Dave's first time in the boat for several weeks, and after he felt he had got the hang of it, he let me take the helm, and it felt very nice.  After a while we turned back to get some lunch, and it certainly seemed to have a good turn of speed travelling with the wind.
Windermere is very beautiful, and there are some very admirable properties along the banks.  It was certainly a very nice experience, and a little more like going on a public highway, with lots of crafts of various types parading along the same stretch of thoroughfare. All the boats have a permit number in white letters on black background on their side, a bit like number plates on a car.
We ate our lunch back on the side where we launched from, and several folk Dave had met before came over and had very pleasant and encouraging conversations.  I had thought Windermere was all to do with yaughts and quite snooty, so I was quite encouraged.
What I was a bit taken aback with was how long it took to set up and pack away. I was hoping for a further afternoon session, but I had to be back to meet Ann by four, so we called it a day.  It was frustrating that the wind was quite a bit stronger by then, but it was a good sail, and we can always do it again another day.

Thanks for a good day, Dave