Last ride

[All U Get]

Hi all,

I took our boat Dalmatian for the last ride this week carrying the buyer, surveyor, and broker aboard. It performed beautifully under power and sail getting 8.5 kts under power and 7.5 kts in light winds. There was an unforeseen problem with squirrels getting into the stackpack while it was on the hard getting the bottom work done, they chewed some of the main sail and furling line to the foresail. We spent a good deal of time emptying all the extra tools and personal items selling some, giving some, and bringing the rest home.

We left the new buyer all he would need for the boat for many years and hope he will find Dalmatian to be the comfortable cruiser that we had. One of our friends asked when did we decide to sell. I told him it was like reefing, if you think you should it’s probably getting too late.

 

[kappykaplan]

Tom, glad things turned out well. Is a new-to-you smaller boat in your future?

 

[Bob S]

Sad day but she will carry years of memories. Trawler?
Love the analogy

 

[PaulK]

We had trouble with squirrels this summer too. Not with sails, however. They got all our pears.

 

[jssailem]

Fruit squirrels.
We have squirrels in the yard. They are nut and bird seed munchers.

 

[rgranger]

I once had mice get into a sail I had stored in the shed. Half dollar sized hole and lots of stains….

 

[31seahorse]

I took our boat Dalmatian for the last ride this week carrying the buyer, surveyor, and broker aboard.

Best Wishes for the next adventure you choose to pursue! Your comments are often useful.

 

[jssailem]

All you get…. Love your insight on sailing. Do not be a stranger. Live life fully. Sail often.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Fruit squirrels.We have squirrels in the yard. They are nut and bird seed munchers.

My stepdaughter gave me a book one Christmas titled "Defeating Squirrels." It took the author 90 pages to say what he could have said in two words: "You can't."

 

[dLj]

@All U Get whats your next adventure? More boating? Land sailing? Something else? Don't know yet?

This decision is on the horizon for all of us - just different time frames....

dj

 

[smokey73]

My stepdaughter gave me a book one Christmas titled "Defeating Squirrels." It took the author 90 pages to say what he could have said in two words: "You can't."

Oh contrair (sp?) You can, but many people won't like the solution. You might not be able to get rid of all of them but you can make a significant dent in the population. By the way, correctly prepared they are pretty good. Grew up hunting squirrel in Indiana.

Maybe you could get together others at your location and try trapping them and releasing them way out in the country?

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

My mistake...the actual title of that book was "Outwitting Squirrels."

--Peggie

 

[smokey73]

My mistake...the actual title of that book was "Outwitting Squirrels."

--Peggie

Outwit - probably not. Ingenious little critters.

 

[smokey73]

Tom, sorry to hijack your thread. I know it is a gut-wrenching decision and I trust Dalmatian found a loving owner who will enjoy her as much as you have. To everything there is a time and that time comes for all of us. I can't believe I've had Song of the Sea for 10 years now. I'm looking a the clouds on the horizon and the time to consider reefing is approaching faster than I'd like.

Don't be a stranger on the board here. I always enjoyed your perspectives and nothing says you have to own a boat to be here!

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Squirrels hate mothballs. Use to put them under mainsail cover and inside Doyle Stack pack mainsail covers. After three months, those squirrels never came back