Doom, Despair, and Agony on me...

Silvio · #1 (**permalink**) 02-12-2012

How do northern sailors manage the cold winter months of no sailing? This is getting depressing.

I left our boat in south Florida in December and made my way to Maryland to rejoin my wife and our one kid still at home. Now I sit here in 20 degrees, windy, with snow on the ground as my daughter (at University in Florida near the boat) tells me how nice it is to have the boat docked near her for weekend visiting.

Back to quoting Hee-Haw. Doom, despair and agony on me... Can't wait for May when I get to finish bringing the boat around Florida and up to the Chesapeake. Until then I guess I wil keep thumbing through magazines and wishing I were at least knocking out those projects that I never seem to get to when the weather is good.

Lake Superior Sailor · #2 (**permalink**) 02-12-2012

I'm crying with you! Hard water all around here, boat on the trailer under the snow , things to do on boat but far to cold. Broke from shopping on Ebay. Tired of reading sailing mags. ...Dale

Squidd · #3 (**permalink**) 02-12-2012

Heck, was getting so bad here, I was gonna iron my sails...

BubbleheadMd · #4 (**permalink**) 02-12-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silvio

How do northern sailors manage the cold winter months of no sailing? This is getting depressing.

I left our boat in south Florida in December and made my way to Maryland to rejoin my wife and our one kid still at home. Now I sit here in 20 degrees, windy, with snow on the ground as my daughter (at University in Florida near the boat) tells me how nice it is to have the boat docked near her for weekend visiting.

Back to quoting Hee-Haw. Doom, despair and agony on me... Can't wait for May when I get to finish bringing the boat around Florida and up to the Chesapeake. Until then I guess I wil keep thumbing through magazines and wishing I were at least knocking out those projects that I never seem to get to when the weather is good.

Chin up, I'm here in Maryland with you and the snow has already melted away this morning. Spring will be here before you know it, regardless of what that rodent in Pennsylvania has to say.

DRFerron · #5 (**permalink**) 02-12-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silvio

How do northern sailors manage the cold winter months of no sailing? This is getting depressing.

Buy boat stuff.

Seriously, I use the winter to work on boat projects (although, in all honestly I've yet to start one as of yet), work on boat lists, trip planning and research, inventory paper charts (geeky enough to keep a spreadsheet for charts but stopped myself before I made one for the lines-but only barely), keep up with the LNM and download updated electronic charts, make our sailing calendar for the season (kept on Google Calendar so my SO never has to wonder what we're doing and when), take and teach boating courses with the USCG Aux, get involved in local boating advocacy stuff, keep up with my duties as one of the Mainsheet (Catalina owners mag) editors, attend meetings and functions for two boat clubs and help plan the upcoming season's trips for one, volunteer for SSCA.

In between all that I work full time and manage to get in some good whines about the cold and snow.

travlineasy · #6 (**permalink**) 02-12-2012

The older I get the colder I get. I've been trying to get my wife to move south for the better part of 45 years, but for some reason she wants to stay in Maryland so sh'll be close to her family. When the roads clear, I'll be inside the boat with the space heater running full blast, working on plumbing, install a new ball valve on a thru-hull, fixing the oven, changing out some lights to LEDs, things that you hate to think about when it's time to go sailing. I guess if I lived in the Florida Keys none of that stuff would ever get done because I would be sailing, snorkeling or fishing all the time. And, if absolutely necessary, I guess I would be earning some money by playing Jimmy Buffett songs in some Tiki Bar, or writing magazine articles on my laptop.

Cheers up, the boat goes back in the water in just 8 weeks.

Gary

Lake Superior Sailor · #7 (**permalink**) 02-12-2012

More like 14 weeks around here! Must be nice, 8 weeks, you got it good!..Dale

PaulinVictoria · #8 (**permalink**) 02-12-2012

I go sailing. Love the mild climate here

Faster · #9 (**permalink**) 02-12-2012

I feel for you guys.. so does it help? or hurt? for us to post photos of warmer days or warmer climes - or perhaps worse still - pics from sailing today or yesterday?

KnottyGurl · #10 (**permalink**) 02-12-2012

Projects keep me busy, and working out the excursions planning the trips, scheduling work around all the sailing days and if all else re pack my bailout bag.

then wake up and start over again lol