Enjoying the "Off" season.

[omaho5]

Up here in New Hampshire there is no sailing to be done until mid April or May.
I was wondering if any of you enjoy the time away from the water, too.
On nice days,above freezing and sunny I may go up to be boat on the "hard"
and do a little work..waxing the hull or scraping the bottom of old paint.
Other than that , we love to go snow shoeing, skiing, or doing outside winter things... looking forward to the sailing adventure to begin again.
We actually love winter. That first Spring sail is always a great time to be sailing with snow on the nearby mountains.
Now many of you warm climate people will think we are crazy.

[BubbleheadMd]

I don't "enjoy" it, I just kind of get through it. I get gratification from working on the boat, which helps.

[rayncyn51]

There was a time when I really enjoyed winter. I still enjoy the beauty of the snow and the clear air and all, but the cold just makes me ache. So we are "enjoying" this winter by making plans to be somewhere warmer soon.

[glassdad]

I am one of the "warm climate people". I enjoy skiing, a two hour drive, and hiking in the snow, a one to two hour drive. But I love sailing. On Christmas eve day, my wife and two of the three kids joined me for a day sail out to Anacaps Island and back. It was sunny with a 10 to 15 knot wind. The seas were 2 feet building to 4 feet. It was cold for us, about 55 degrees. It was perfect. This is what sailing is about.

We don't have the White Christmas and the snow covered trees that you do but nothing beats a 6 knot sail for 3 hours almost alone on the ocean.

[omaho5]

I sure won't post anything this stupid again.....BRRRRR !!

[Bene505]

I've been sailing just about every week. It's a lot of fun.

In the summer everyone wants to go to the beach and I end up going with them. Not so in the winter.

Regards,
Brad

[TomMaine]

My family just got back from skiing and snowboarding(daughter skis, wife son and I snowboard). We're never far from the ocean or the boat here on the coast of Maine. But I enjoy the off season doing other things, I like the break.

We can see Penobscot Bay from the chair lift of our ski area, just 4 miles away so winter is a time I think about sailing. I walk by the boat almost daily walking the dogs around the harbor. I like to see it safely under tarps, waiting for spring.

We've spent a couple of winters cruising in warm waters. I'll admit I didn't miss those winters years ago, but I think as a family we may these days.

If I didn't enjoy winter in a place like Maine, to take advantage of what it offers in other forms of recreation and enjoyment, then it would be an unpleasant life for me. I'd have to move.

Both seasons are too short for me.

[Vasco]

What off season? Just painted another bottom and am off sailing again. At least it's getting warmer.

[Sabreman]

I enjoy the offseason. Even though each sailing season has it's own rhythm, by the end of November I'm ready for the boat to come out of the water and allow me to explore some other interests. As some of you know by my website, I'm as involved in woodworking as in sailing. I don't build much during the summer because it's sailing season. Nov - April is building season.

Mark Maiocco Woodworking and Design It's not about matching the carpet ....

Work also gets in the way of both interests. As some of you know, my work takes me to sea or pierside. For instance, nearly all of May was spent off Hawaii, so no sailing (I've received no sympathy on this one). Next May and July is a similar story.

And then there are family matters which take priority over sailing and building.

So by winter, I'm ready to shed some of the stress of deciding which to honor. But by March, I'm recharged and ready to go again.