RESPITE's season ends tomorrow

[M. R. Bober]

I hate this time of year.

The water and holding tanks are empty. The fuel tank is full. Sails have not been removed, yet. Seacocks need to have their drain screws removed. Winterize engine and hot water heater. Find and install the winter cover. Remove a few tons of personal "stuff."

Spring is just ahead.

Mitchell Bober
Sunny Lancaster (where winter is a quaint tradition,) VA

[Warren Kaplan]

Ugh! Mine's already all done. So how come I don't feel any better!!!

[Ed Haley]

Mitch:
It's funny how perspectives differ in various parts of our CDSOA. As you begin the process of getting your boat ready for a cold-weather pause in Virginia and begrudgingly release your grasp of the sheets, the warmer upcoming sailing season seems a long way off. But you're already inspiring in us faith that, indeed, the season will arrive and it's "Just around the corner." Your "corner," albeit an easy period of inactive transition, allows other activities to bide your time.

Up here in the northern climes, our boats have been tucked in and protected for months already as we await the next sailing season. Our "corner" is a prolonged deep freeze that penetrates even our spirit. We turn into curmudgeons and shiver at the low sun that lives behind a veil of ice crystals. Our speech and even our thoughts slow down to a crawl.

So we yearn for other "corners" to await the spring and head south for that time of the year to while away our time. We look for a living place where there are no "corners." A niche where the past, present and future is a straight line - the shortest time between two points.

[Oswego John]

Durn it Ed, that reply was amazingly good. I'm afraid that you've been holding back on us with your writing talent.

Bummer. Now I have to break out my dictionary to find out just what it is that you are saying.

Excellent.
O J

[Michael Heintz]

Dec. 1st Macht Nichts to be hauled today......

Had my last sail over the weekend. And then set to work. Although I had most of it done, still had to remover sails and winterize the engine.

Another great season, and looking forward to April...

[M. R. Bober]

Mitch:
It's funny how perspectives differ in various parts of our CDSOA. As you begin the process of getting your boat ready for a cold-weather pause in Virginia and begrudgingly release your grasp of the sheets, the warmer upcoming sailing season seems a long way off. But you're already inspiring in us faith that, indeed, the season will arrive and it's "Just around the corner." Your "corner," albeit an easy period of inactive transition, allows other activities to bide your time.

Up here in the northern climes, our boats have been tucked in and protected for months already as we await the next sailing season. Our "corner" is a prolonged deep freeze that penetrates even our spirit. We turn into curmudgeons and shiver at the low sun that lives behind a veil of ice crystals. Our speech and even our thoughts slow down to a crawl.

So we yearn for other "corners" to await the spring and head south for that time of the year to while away our time. We look for a living place where there are no "corners." A niche where the past, present and future is a straight line - the shortest time between two points.

Ed, northern sailors such as you, OJ, and the others always cause me to perform a gut check (i.e. would/could I sail the short season and endure the extra maintenance associated with that cold clime?) Fortunately I will never know.
OBTW: the sails came off today.

Warm wishes to all,
Mitchell Bober
Sunny Lancaster (where only our drinks are cold,) VA

[mgphl52]

Ed, northern sailors such as you, OJ, and the others always cause me to perform a gut check (i.e. would/could I sail the short season and endure the extra maintenance associated with that cold clime?) Fortunately I will never know.
OBTW: the sails came off today.

Short season? Sails come off? Geez, we only take sails off for H-things and repairs...

-mike & Toni
in Niceville FL - waiting for work to let us go sailing...