[bblument]

So, today is my last day off in quite a long while. I had most of Saturday clear, too. We had to haul the boat out for the season on one of those days. Since I was working Saturday night, on that day we had time to either prep the boat for hauling or go sailing, but not both. Today, we could have gone for one last sail AND prepped the boat since I have tonight off, too, but the forecast has been calling for rain and winds on the high side of our comfort level, with small craft advisories out a few miles from our home base. Sooo... we hauled on Saturday.

Of course, I get up this morning, check the weather for our area, and the day's forecast indicates cloudy, no rain, and 12 knots. ARRGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

Oh well. We had a beautiful day on Saturday for removing the sails, lines, and various stuff, and we always enjoy being on the boat for any reason. Sure wish we had sailed instead, though! Dang weather....

OK, I feel better now... at least a little...

Barry

 

[Minnewaska]

Would you rather be here, wishing you were out there? Or out there wishing you were here?

Making the safe call is always better. Cheers. We're winterizing now too. Bummer.

 

[Rhapsody-NS27]

On a beautiful day with good winds, I was going to take the wife out on her first sail. I go to turn the engine on and... Nothing.
This was 4th of July weekend.

So, because of dead batteries, possibly due to a bad shore power charger, pending deployment, upcoming move in the Spring, I ended up hauling out at the end of July.

So, I started my refit earlier than I expected.

I wasn't too happy with how things turned out but I still get to spend time on the boat.

 

[Dave_E]

I REALLY feel for you guys that don't have year round "in the water" capability. If you happen to have to be in the Seattle area over the winter, look me up, and we'll go out.

 

[Minnesail]

I mis-marked my calendar with the city's mandatory boat-out day. I thought it was Monday the 5th, so I pulled my boat last weekend. It's actually today, the 13th, and of course this weekend was gorgeous, breezy, sunny, and would have been some fantastic sailing. Oh well.

 

[capta]

So, today is my last day off in quite a long while. I had most of Saturday clear, too. We had to haul the boat out for the season on one of those days. Since I was working Saturday night, on that day we had time to either prep the boat for hauling or go sailing, but not both. Today, we could have gone for one last sail AND prepped the boat since I have tonight off, too, but the forecast has been calling for rain and winds on the high side of our comfort level, with small craft advisories out a few miles from our home base. Sooo... we hauled on Saturday.
Of course, I get up this morning, check the weather for our area, and the day's forecast indicates cloudy, no rain, and 12 knots. ARRGGHHHHHH!!!!!!
Oh well. We had a beautiful day on Saturday for removing the sails, lines, and various stuff, and we always enjoy being on the boat for any reason. Sure wish we had sailed instead, though! Dang weather....
OK, I feel better now... at least a little...
Barry

I've always said that if I was as good at my job (captain) as the weather people are at theirs, I'd sink the boat several times before I even got it out of the slip!
It must be great to be wrong so often and still not get fired.

 

[CalebD]

I hear ya' Barry. There are lots of things on a boat that either suck or blow, especially engine related components. Weather forecasts mostly suck; only when there is wind do they blow.
However, at least the deed is done and you don't have to worry about your boat being effected by strong autumn winds.

When we first got our boat I had picked out an October weekend day to take our boat the 5 miles to where I planned to keep her over the winter. My unnamed boat partner came along with 2 of his boys. The selected day turned out to be gorgeous, mid 70's (F), sunshine with some wind. It did not suck at all. My boat partner convinced me to just use the day for one final sail - despite the little voice in my head that was telling me the boat needed to be hauled and soon. We enjoyed the day sailing and left the boat on it's mooring until...

A few days later a strong fall storm came up, complete with 40 knot westerly winds which helped to chafe the single mooring pennant we had (always double now). Our boat got loose and got her nose caught under a dock causing considerable damage - enough for insurance to total it (constructive total loss in marine insurance parlance). New bow pulpit, new furler, new jib & some fancy fiberglass work and we had our boat back.

The point of all this rambling? My take away from this was that I need to always listen to that little voice inside my head: we knew our mooring was sub-par, we knew that fall was in the air and we knew that it was darn near time to have her hauled and scheduling that effort was not so easy. Being seduced by one last lovely sail when there was real work to be done and we played the odds and lost.

Please don't lament the loss of one more day on the boat but do try to get your boat in earlier than July next year!

Cheers!