It's the most wonderful time of the year

Phil Herring

Alien
Mar 25, 1997
4,918
- - Bainbridge Island
Any sailor in a homeport north of Alabama feels a particular excitement in March because commissioning season is just around the corner.

What have you got planned this year? A little maintenance, a quick, simple splash, or a major project or two?

Share your commissioning plans here. And if you're lucky enough to sail year-round, try not to be too smug.

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Jan 7, 2011
4,723
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Yeah, I’ll say...

every spring, a local boatyard puts on “Yacht-palooza” to kick off boating season...sale on bottom paint and other boat bits, seminars on various boating topics, a boat part flea market, etc. I look forward to it each season, get some bottom paint and shaft anodes, rake in a seminar or 2...

But this year, they had to cancel due to the state‘s social distancing rules.

I put my boat in early, before the state shut down...thinking I would still be able to access the boat at the marina (even if the yard was shut down.....but instead, they locked everyone out.:banghead:

So now, I cannot do any work on the boat, and I am very uncomfortable not being able to check the boat in the water.

if they don’t open the marina soon...I think I am going to have her pulled out :(

What a bummer.

Greg
 
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Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
I planned on routine maintenance, then splashing. Right now, the yacht club is closed and not planning on launching any boats this season.:(
 
Jan 25, 2011
2,391
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
I nave a brand new jib in the bag just itchin to get hoisted. Maybe Mon or Tue when the temps get to 60. WA waters are still open!
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I feel your pain Mark. My new sails arrived about the 15th of January. I had time to Get them to the boat then I had to close up the boat and head home. Wondering when I can get back to setting her up for 2020.

At least for now, I have my health.
 
Jan 25, 2011
2,391
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
Working on my boat at the end of the dock is isolated. Nobody around for 100s of feet. How much more isolated can you get? And if I decide to sailing? Very isolated..Risk is if I have a problem and need help but that risk is pretty low. With the boat at the dock, I can drive home every day with no other type of human contact. And I carry hand sanitizer in my truck. I live on a private golf course. I don’t even know how to hold a club. But, it's amazing the number of golfers that go through. WA guidelines specifically state that golf is not an essential service and nobody practicing social distancing. So, with the temps warming up next week, I may just go out for a few days (anchoring)...
 
Dec 5, 2011
550
Catalina Catalina 22 13632 Phenix City
I feel for you guys. I live in one of those sail year round places and worked a bit on my boat getting ready for the sailing, camping and fishing I love to do in the spring. Then came the second injury to my already painful right shoulder and I finally gave in and had a specialist look at it since therapy and anti inflammatories weren't working. Next thing I know, I've got a diagnosis of a small bicep tear and a 3/4 rotator cuff tear and I'm headed to surgery. At least I got my "elective" operation in before the COVID-19 virus turned everything upside down. So here I sit: No sailing, no work, no reloading, no shooting, not much fun at all......BUT, at least I'm not at work.
 
Mar 2, 2019
433
Oday 25 Milwaukee
hopAfter not sailing last season due to a concern about the starboard bulkhead. I found replacing the bulkhead wasn't as difficult as I has thought That made the port side bulkhead look old and tired . Replacement is imminent..
I had shoulder surgery scheduled for the second week of April. Now that has been postponed indefinitely .
I can now understand how some folks can lose interest and stop sailing
 

DArcy

.
Feb 11, 2017
1,690
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
My floor replacement project was progressing until the club shut the boat yard down. I focused on home projects and finished making shelves for the front hall and now I'm making shelves for my daughter's room.
 
Jan 7, 2011
4,723
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
I also have a new sail in a bag, and a new sail track on the mast.

i put it on the last week I had the boat in the water in the fall to make sure everything fit.

was really looking forward to sailing it.

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Greg
 
Jul 13, 2010
1,097
Precision 23 Perry Hall,Baltimore County
Although I can get to my boat(on a trailer thankfully) in the marina,I am reluctant to drive the 5 miles to the marina under essential travel only rules , but my resolve is fading fast! Won't take much of a warm sunny day for me to load up the power washer and go!
 

capta

.
Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
We're quarantined aboard the boat in Tyrrel Bay Carriacou. Fortunately, there are nice people ashore filling grocery and necessity orders and giving them to us on the beach, keeping the social distancing recommended. No suspected or confirmed cases here.
It is a great time to get to all those little (and a few bigger ones) jobs we've been putting off for various reasons. As a couple of pack rats, we seem to have most of what we need, and what we don't we seem to be MacGyvering for the moment.
At least Skipping Stone is getting some benefit from this pandemic, even if her crew would rather be meeting new friends and sailing with them through the Grenadines each week.