My horrible, embarrassing confession...

[HukilauMike]

I spent two hours today taking down my sails, removing the battery and generally making my boat ready to be hauled for the winter. As awful as that sounds, that is not the confession I am referring to. No, I have to admit that when I pull the boat for the season, a part of me feels not sadness, but relief. I spend June through September worrying about when I can go sailing; I feel stress when other obligations prevent me from sailing even though the conditions are perfect; I feel guilt when I do go sailing without my family along with me (they don't like it as much as I); I worry that I won't use my boat enough during the short season.Don't get me wrong; I had a great season. I did a couple of wonderful overnight trips, bought new sails and will be pining away until the spring and I can go sailing again. Its just that I also feel relief that sailing is one less thing I have to juggle in my busy life for the next six months. Am I the only one who feels this way, or are there others out there who secretly welcome a break?

 

[r.w.landau]

Mike, There has to be time for the honey do list.

Yes I need the break also but never like it to come. r.w.landau

 

[Andy]

Good Therapy

I consider my "selfish sailing time" as good therapy and in the long run its probably cheaper than drugs. In time the family may learn to like it but in the meantime, your just learning to be more prepared to take them when they are ready. Keep the faith of following seas!

 

[Patrick Lombard]

Same Boat Kinda!

I Have a 1987 Hunter 31 and retired three years ago at the age of 52. My wife and I are empty nesters, our two girls are on their own. The wife stills works. Three more years for her. If its not pouring rain I am on the boat. Wife loves sailing on days with light winds, so most of my sailing is solo on Long Island Sound. Everything else is in a standby mode during sailing season. The rainy days takes care of landside problems. I start my season the second week in March and pull it out in the second week in November, almost time. Sometimes I feel like you, but it passes very quick. My fear is the four dark cold months with little to do. Mike from Branford, is that Connecticut?

 

[Dale Wile]

Thoughts in rhyme

My feelings about this are expressed in the poem I wrote several years ago. Sailboat of Summer By Dale WileO Sailboat of Summer, Your nemesis named Autumn stalks the land. The wind is chilled, motion slows to the cadence of the stilted drummer, marking time's at hand.O Sailboat of Summer, You've slipped your moorings; flesh ripped from bone. Wrested from your natural element, you're placed unceremoniously in a cradle of steel and left alone.O Sailboat of Summer, Reflect in a time warp, rest in your tarp wrap. Remember warm days, soft breezes, sleighrides on whitecaps! Becalmed, settle down for a long winter's nap.O Sailor of Summer Sailboat, Resist temptation, don't change her name. Belay!  Sailboat of Winter lacks alliteration  and dulls anticipation of another sailing season, though six months away!O Summer Sailor, The indentation in gone; all signs of  form and substance depart. The watery void from your lady's leaving quickly fills; hopefully the same for the hollow in your heart.

 

[George]

saddest day,

of this guys pathetic life! Have been dreding it for a month now. Finnaly pulled boat this saturday, after procrastinating for awhile.I have lots of things to do over the winter, mostly work, but my thoughts are always on sailing, mostly that last great day, and it was great!

 

[Dennis]

Wheres the Moxie

I remember an article about a guy who sailed to Maine in the middle of winter. Ice on his decks and all. Now there is a real dedicated sailor!

 

[Capt Jim24025]

Very nice Dale!

Thanks for sharing your love with us.Dennis, where is the Moxie now. I haven't had a drink of that in neigh on 40 years. It was a little stout for a knee-high waif, but I'ld like to try it now.

 

[Bob Keller]

Mixed Emotion Day

Well it is that time of the year. Saturday on the LIS was windy, cold and grey. Spent the day at the dock doing little projects on board. Sunday comes and the day slowly becomes beautiful. Ahh the dilema, go sailing or take advantage of the day and remove the sails and start the process of putting her to bed. Due to be hauled in two weeks - early this year as we are traveling away for Thanksgiving for the first time. Made up the mind to remove the sails as I watched a few boats go out for the day. Mixed emotions, damn, but maybe it is time and who knows what the weather will be next week. The holidays are coming, work is busy and April is not that far away, well so I keep telling myself and we do have a trip planned for the BVI in the middle of March. So the process begins and yes, still the mixed emotions and a little sadness.Thinking of Spring Just a side note to make it worse......I few years back on my old O'Day 27, we spent a wonderfull few hours sailing in mid December. We had to brush a little snow out of the cockpit and away we went. The only other vessel we saw was a lonely tug hauling her gaggle of barges. It was a wonderful piecefull day. The sun was warm and the temperature not cold, maybe 45 or so. Dropped the sails into the cabin as we came into the harbor and by the time it was dark we were done winterizing her and said goodbye for the winter.See ya in the spring.But I bet Mystic Blue II was out though Bob Kellersv Kathryn 2, Stamford, Ct

 

[HukilauMike]

Patrick

Yes, Patrick, I sail out of Branford, Conn. Yesterday was a gorgeous day, and I almost convinced myself that I should use the day for one last sail instead of winterizing. Practicality won out however, as my Dad and daughter were there to help and who knows when I will get another chance to break down the boat? Oh well, sadness and stress that I didn't take the opportunity to sail one last time, regret that the season is over, relief that I won't have to deal with the stress of juggling sailing in with the rest of my too-busy life for six months.

 

[Brian Hanna]

Sunday was a BEAUTIFUL day on Lake Erie

I had the same dilemma on Sunday on my boat, waffled back and forth about it and finally said what the heck and went out for a fantastic sail. 15 knots of wind consistently from one direction, waves less then 2 feet. Sailed along under full sails (although they were depowered) doing about 8 to 8.5 knots. Sailed for about 3 hours and only came in when the sun was starting to go down. Probably one of the best sails of the year. My boat is due to come out of the water in 2 weeks so for me there is plenty of time left to do all the other stuff.

 

[Franklin]

I understand

a little. When I was searching for my boat, I wanted to get something I would enjoy for a long long time without having to go through the painful sell buy routine again. I settled on a H376. It is a pain in the pocketbook, but it's kept me happy this past year. Now, I take a girl out on the second date to find out quickly if she's hip with sailing because there is no way I'm going to let my boat stay in the marina for a month without use, even in winter. When I was looking for a new job, I refused to look anyplace that wasn't within an hour of the coast and I couldn't do year round sailing. It would kill me in two ways: a) the guilty feeling you get b) the withdraws I would get for not sailing. Some may say I have my priorities mixed up, but I don't think so.

 

[Rick9649]

Condo living helps!

I, too, dread the end of the season, which comes early here on Lake Michigan. Although it;s been in the 60's the water temp in down in the 40's already...NOT a 'fun" sail..so we take out in early Oct, do our winter preps before it turns real cold. (I HATE smashing my knuckles on nuts/bolts, etc. when it's cold, damp..the blood runs so quickly and makes a real mess!) However, winter is the time to read the sailing magazines that have been piling up and surfing the sailing sites on the web. However,we DID move to a condo which solves the painting, grass cutting, tree trimming and lawn fertilizing issues and ends all the guilt and nagging!

 

[tom habanek]

oh yeah

Yes I can understnad it. s/v Tom's Foolery came out two weeks ago when it was warm. Two years ago we had snow at this time, but this fall it is warmer. I have a backup 19' Mouette that is ready to go and a 12' Penguin. The Penguin is a little scary in that if she goes over, thats it. The 19' though, it's a blast and the only winterizing is the rum the captain drinks to ward off the chills. She only cost $600 or so and is trailerable, and fast (60 mph on the trailer!) She helps lengthen the season, especially when we have days like yesterday, low 60's and good wind.

 

[adr]

after the last month.....

After the last month's weather I can honestly say I am relieved to have the boat out of the water and safe. I saw 5 boats that broke from their moorings in the last month from our general area. Looked like someone blew them up after a week on the rocks. I feel relief now, but I'll be a depressed landlubber in about another week.

 

[Tim McCarty]

Brian H...I too was out on the Lake...

on my brother-in-law's boat. It was really a great of autumn sailing, and probably my last until springtime. Great way to end it though. Yes, it is a bit of a bummer to end the season looking at my boat in the cradle with nothing on it. The way I see it though, it makes us here on the Great Lakes appreciate sailing that much more (knowing we only have 5 to 6 months of sailing). The real bummer is making a boat payment in the middle of winter!

 

[Scott]

Sunday was fun!

It was too warm and sunny to end the season yesterday! Between the deluges and gales this last month, we actually had some exciting days to sail, yesterday being the best. A protected, inland lake sometimes gives us more opportunities on those days when 30 to 50 knots on LIS keeps you coastal guys hunkered down. We did have some wind though. With a reef in the main and working jib, we had some potential knockdowns. Westerlies can bring the worst of gusty conditions due to the terrain around us.The rain actually helped us in October. The boat needed to come out a month ago because of low water. Now it's so high, we won't take it out until after next weekend. This week looks like great weather but we're ready to pack it up now.

 

[Paul]

No need to feel sad!

I know exactly how you feel! I just don't feel guilty any more. It used to be that I did not go rather then leave the family! Now, I don't care. If I want to go, I go, and they can stay at home. Hence, I sail alone most of the time. I also solved the problem of having to pack the boat away for the winter. I moved to Florida! I kid you not, sailing was the main reason for the move.I got a very deadly form of cancer just over 2 years ago. I now know what is important and what is not! The family is very important, but just as important to your health is the things you want to do. I seldom do anything I don't want to do, whether I can afford it or not. Except for leaving because of Hurrican Wilma. I had to leave because I had no roof, no phone and no power. NOT A LOT OF FUN!Keep the wind in your sails!Paul"Fine As Frog's Hair"