Annual Lament

[M. R. Bober]

I have begun the ritual. The fresh water tanks & lines have been drained and filled with the good tasting pink stuff.

I always start this way. I may find another short cruise (maybe two) before winterizing the engine and everything else, but I alway start with the fresh water. If I do get to go out, I can bring bottled water and it's too cold to shower and who sweats when it gets cold?

I envy our southern brethen and sisteren.

Mitchell Bober
Sunny Annapolis (where water freezes at about 32F), MD

[Duncan Maio]

Mitch:

I never winterize anything before the last sail, but this may work for you: most years, I use vodka for the fresh water tank anti-freeze. It works just as well as the pink stuff, leaves a more pleasant taste (and so requires less rinsing, especially in the years when the tank gets a cleaning in the fall) and can be used as internal anti-freeze during winterizing activities. Might come in handy during your last cruise as well.

And yes, I have been the guy waiting for the package store to open on Saturday morning, wearing torn jeans and an old sweatshirt, unshaved and not yet showered (because I've been working on the boat for two hours already), buying two big bottles of the cheapest hooch in the place. Isn't yachting glamorous?

[Warren Kaplan]

I went up to Oyster Bay for what I hoped would me my last sail of the season. Not even a zephyr to make the telltales stir on the shrouds.

What's bad for sailing is perfect for removing sails, when you are alone and still on the mooring. Its a pleasure when you can drop a 140% genny on a CD27 and not have half of it blow overboard when doing this solo.

So the big genny and mains'l are bagged and in the back seat of my car, ready to go to the sailmakers after the weekend. I'm kinda glad I did this today, because tonight, all day Saturday and most of Sunday there are gale warnings with winds predicted to gust over 50K. Better the sails are in the bag instead of rigged.

[Cathy Monaghan]

I went up to Oyster Bay for what I hoped would me my last sail of the season. Not even a zephyr to make the telltales stir on the shrouds.....

Hey Warren,

The wind's been blowing like mad around here for days though it was pretty still today - expecting 40-45 with higher gusts tonight and tomorrow (and lots of rain). The weatherman says winds may gust around 60. Hard to believe there was no wind on the Sound though, especialy this time of year.


Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[Warren Kaplan]

Cathy,

The wind has been blowing pretty hard around here too...except for today. Unfortunately, this Sept and Oct have been colder than normal and when the wind blows up on a cold day, sailing for more than a short time to the unacclimated body becomes uncomfortable, even with many layers of clothes on. Lets just say it hasn't been the greatest fall sailing season, for me anyway, around these parts.

I took the mains'l off myself today, thanks to your instructions last year about using sail ties to control the sail while still on the boom. I just slid it off the boom, folded it and put it in the bag.

I did the same with the big 140% genny using a modification suggested to me by Carter Brey. I dropped the sail and pulled it out on the leeward deck between the coachroof and the stanchions. Then I took the loop from the genny's head and shackled it to the furling drum along with the tack. Pulling the sail back makes for almost a tube that is contained nicely between the coachroof and the stanchions. I then put about 6 or 7 sail ties around the sail from front to back to keep it under control. Then I just folded up the sail, towards the furling drum, removed the sail from the drum shackle and put the nice folded sail into the bag.

Carter actually brings the clew to the furling drum also, after removing the genny sheets, and shackles it with the head and tack. Then he puts the ties around the "bag" of the sail and folds it towards the furling drum and bags it.

Sure beats having all that sailcloth blowing around the deck uncontrollably or stuffed down into the cabin wear you can go crazy trying to find out which end is up.

It wait 'til next year time again! Phooey!

[Ray Garcia]

We missed sailing our CD27 this year but look forward to hopefully next year. You know how refit's go, "while I am at it I might as well fix..."

Looking back at this past year I can only fondly remember our charter from Rock Hall, MD. We were talking about it tonight over dinner, of all places. Even though we had our moment and lived through the horror we managed to have pretty good time sailing the Chesapeake.

I think the best part of going through our winterizing rituals is the memories of our summer sailing adventures as we put that last fold in the sail. How we reflect on that perfect breeze filling our sails and moving us along at what seems like the most perfect of days. Days you know you will always remember. Yes, it may seem like drudgery getting everything together for the haul out but take a moment and think of the fun that got you there.

Mitch, I just put my down payment on my new sailing outfit...
[img]http://www.dqeready.com/images/146/norm ... .image.jpg[/img]

Ray

Rainy, windy, New York where we put the stink in stinkpot.
or
Two heads are better than one, I don't think so.

[Dean Abramson]

This de-commissioning thing is a bit of a bummer. This year it is worse, because boat problems got our season off to a late start. And since it was a new boat this year, I particularly hate to see the season end.

My mast is down, and I've mostly winterized her. The trucker hauls her inland on Monday. I take some consolation in that learning how to construct my new cover next weekend will be better than doing it during Maine's December.

One thing I do like about the off-season is that I get to spend more time on this board and more time reading sailing books (and, yes, catalogs). Also, it is easy to fantasize that next year I will soon have everything right on the boat, whereas when I am actually on her, that task seems more daunting...

My resolution for next year is to be more fastidious about the actual sailing of the boat. I will have new sails, and I really look forward to that; I think it will be easier to tell what subtle sail trim tweaks do on my boat with new sails. Except for the J-22 I first learned to sail on, I have never sailed a boat with decent sails.

Six months ain't that long. Meanwhile, Sail On, you southern Dorians!

Dean

[Neil Gordon]

One thing I do like about the off-season is that I get to spend more time on this board

No kidding. I hate when it's perfect sailing weather and the boat drags me away from here.

Winter's not that long in New England. Sailing season ends when the boat is under wraps and that's not for a month more, perhaps. Then it's just December and January, February is short and another week or so in March and the cover is off again.

The shortest term project is just to take care of what needs to be done to haul the boat and drop the mast. So sails off, dodger down, holding tank empty and rinsed, etc.

[Len]

Dean says-"it is easy to fantasize that next year I will soon have everything right on the boat",

I have waited and worked years and get no closer to getting everything right. As soon as i think aha I am there something breaks, goes wrong etc. Do we all share this fantasy and do any of us ever get there?

[Neil Gordon]

Do we all share this fantasy and do any of us ever get there?

Yes and no.

It's not about the arrival. It's about the journey.

[Dick Barthel]

I have waited and worked years and get no closer to getting everything right. As soon as i think aha I am there something breaks, goes wrong etc. Do we all share this fantasy and do any of us ever get there?

Its sort of like painting a big house...once you get the last board painted its just about time to repaint the first.

Dick

[Warren Kaplan]

I have waited and worked years and get no closer to getting everything right. As soon as i think aha I am there something breaks, goes wrong etc. Do we all share this fantasy and do any of us ever get there?

Ya' see, ya' just haven't reached the inexorable behavior of the sailor that finally DOES get everything just the way he wants it on his boat. As soon as that happens, the inexorable behavior dictates that he sell his now perfect boat, that cost him thousands of dollars and thousands of hours to make that way, and purchase a larger boat, with a myriad of problems he knows about and many that he doesn't know about, so he can spend countless more thousands of smackers and countless more hours making himself crazy all over again. Psychiatrists could make a pretty penny off of us sailors (if we had any pennies left). And so it goes.

[RonE58]

Hello Cathy and Warren,
Those winds were fierce last weekend, and left my boat along with many others at my Gateway Marina here in Brooklyn tattered and torn. Of the 5 dock lines I had secured only one survived, fortunately a couple of other boaters were around to fasten my anchor lines to the dock or my CD would have faired worse, other boats broke free and either hit other boats or were beached. As it is my port side toe rail just off the stern had a 6 inch chunk taken out. I felt stupid I didn't move the boat in from the outer bulk head or applied better and heavier dock lines but I 'll chalk it up and be better prepared in the future.
After Tuesday's cleanup I took a half day from work and had a great fall sail wednesday. It was great to get out on another beautiful autumn day but it makes you wonder if you should be more conservative and pull the boat out earlier...
Ron

[Carter Brey]

I have waited and worked years and get no closer to getting everything right. As soon as i think aha I am there something breaks, goes wrong etc. Do we all share this fantasy and do any of us ever get there?

Ya' see, ya' just haven't reached the inexorable behavior of the sailor that finally DOES get everything just the way he wants it on his boat. As soon as that happens, the inexorable behavior dictates that he sell his now perfect boat, that cost him thousands of dollars and thousands of hours to make that way, and purchase a larger boat, with a myriad of problems he knows about and many that he doesn't know about, so he can spend countless more thousands of smackers and countless more hours making himself crazy all over again. Psychiatrists could make a pretty penny off of us sailors (if we had any pennies left). And so it goes.

Haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about, WK.

[Warren Kaplan]

Carter,

Now you know why I ...ahem....purposely leave projects undone, primarily down below in the cabin. Crazy, to be sure.....not doing what needs to be done.

Though this be madness there's method in it
(WS, Hamlet)