If you summon up sailing in your imagination all sorts of experiences — possibly even memories, if you’re lucky — trigger a tidal wave of endorphins and adrenaline and dopamine. Casting off with close friends, powering through pulse-pounding jibes, nostalgic sundowners on the hook…

While “burying the rail” might be one of the most common visuals we associate with sailing, I find that it’s more exception than norm. More often, sailing conditions are variable, sometimes even mellow. Today definitely fits into the latter category.

I find myself holding back on near-windless days. Why head out for the day on Errant, or even a few hours, if there isn’t much wind?

Yesterday reminded me that even light wind days can be perfect under sail. I dinghied my ungainly punch list and digital devices out to Errant with the notion that I might just try to get some work done on the mooring and see if the wind picked up. It only took the most subtle freshening, visible on the water surface a dozen boat lengths out into Lake Champlain to change my mind. Why drift on the mooring when you can drift at sea?

As you can see, I unfurled only the genoa and settled into a remarkably productive day at the office. Errant practically sailed herself!