The snow is melting! And that means I'll be sailing soon (ish)

Apr 3, 2020
191
Hunter 23.5 Frenchtown, MT
OK, maybe not really soon but I'm starting to get the bug again for sure. As soon as the temps get warm enough I'll finish up my little project from last fall and Serenade will be ready for the water again.
Who else from the land of hard water in the winter is getting excited to be back on the soft water? :)
 

Tom J

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Sep 30, 2008
2,325
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
I'm definitely suffering from winteritise, and running needed projects through my head, but won't be launching 'til end of May.:(
 
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Jan 7, 2011
5,695
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
@Tom J , you are in paradise!

I came back from Maui to single digit temperatures and 16” of snow ;-(

I did go check on Tally Ho when I got back…she is still under cover and I have some projects to finish up before I launch (but I need it to warm so I can apply bottom paint and some epoxy work.

my marina opens April 1, and I am usually the first sailboat in. Some salmon fishermen usually beat me, but only the charter boats :)

Spring is coming….I can feel it.


Greg
 
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May 1, 2011
5,076
Pearson 37 Lusby MD
My dry storage marina reached out to me last week to confirm what bottom paint to use - launch is not far away! Looking forward to another season. :beer:
 
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Mar 2, 2019
609
Oday 25 Milwaukee
After two years on the hard ,I'm launching as soon as the water is soft enough ! I was planning on replacing the port bulkhead to match the starboard one . Seeing as it's only cosmetic ,I figure it can wait ..
 
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DougM

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Jul 24, 2005
2,242
Beneteau 323 Manistee, MI
This is going to be a different Spring for me. I don’t have to hurry to get up north, uncover the boat, clean it up, wax the topsides and cabin top, paint the bottom, charge the batteries, change the water pump impeller, and everything else on the list. No yard bills, sold the boat last fall after 17 years.
There will be fewer sailboats in our marina, I know of three others at least that sold, and a couple more that likely will go on the market. Age is creeping up on us.

Hopefully my golf handicap will improve, although I have my doubts.
 
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Apr 3, 2020
191
Hunter 23.5 Frenchtown, MT
Man, I guess I angered the Man Upstairs: This morning it's 15°, blizzarding and wind chill is -5°, with expected single digits the rest of the week. BUT...spring is coming!
Greg/Tally Ho, I have the same temperature issue: Need to finish fairing out some epoxy, apply barrier coat then bottom paint. Once I have a couple days above 50° I'll get that finished up.
At my marina we have a group that pools together to have a mobile crane come in and launch us. I tried launching from the trailer last year and it was a debacle. Fall haul out was MUCH easier with the crane, so that's my plan for launching this year. I just need to make certain the boat is ready before that date.
GH
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,496
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
We're supposed to reach 70 degrees today but only a high of 20 tomorrow as a "polar pulse comes down from the great white north. `Patience` is the phrase here in Oz.
 

Tom J

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Sep 30, 2008
2,325
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
@Tom J , you are in paradise!

I came back from Maui to single digit temperatures and 16” of snow ;-(
Ouch, I don't miss that kind of winter, Greg. I do appreciate living here in Maui. We are going out on a whale watch today, and it feels great to be on the water when we do. But I miss my own boat very much by this time of year. I'm actually heading back a little early this year to catch up on some maintenance, and looking forward to it. I read yesterday about the arctic blasts hitting the mainland today.
Stay warm!
 

jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
23,360
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
What did you do @Orbweaver ? no sooner than I started reading your post than the skys opened and rain is filling the gutters. Man talk about a bummer. 35º and .25" per hour rain is no fun. What did that furry rodent say... 6 more weeks...

Now that rain is mixed with snow.

I am looking to next week as an opportunity to finish up the DC electrical upgrade. Planning on a haul and bottom paint in March.
 
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Apr 3, 2020
191
Hunter 23.5 Frenchtown, MT
While attempting a trailer launch last spring I managed to crack some gelcoat below the waterline. After haul out last fall I ground it out, found the top layer of fiberglass had a crack as well, so I went all in and ground the area down to the Coremat (I think that's what it's called) below. Built back up with fiberglass, and got two layers of fairing compound in and sanded before temps dropped below 50F. Just have to get one more layer to finish fairing it out, then barrier coats/bottom paint.
My first time doing fiberglass, and it turned out to be much easier than I imagined. Thanks to Jamestown for being there when I had lots of questions.
 
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Jan 7, 2011
5,695
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Ouch, I don't miss that kind of winter, Greg. I do appreciate living here in Maui. We are going out on a whale watch today, and it feels great to be on the water when we do. But I miss my own boat very much by this time of year. I'm actually heading back a little early this year to catch up on some maintenance, and looking forward to it. I read yesterday about the arctic blasts hitting the mainland today.
Stay warm!
It is a 2-edged sword for you! Sunny paradise when many of us are in winters grasp….but you boat is 5,000 miles away! You need to come up with a way to sail in Maui! Maybe you can salvage that 44-footer on the beach…

F36753E5-58FA-4CF6-80AE-9503B3846CF2.jpeg 756F1F9C-6DCD-4F2D-9CF5-57692FA3F082.jpeg

Cheers,

Greg
 
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Tom J

.
Sep 30, 2008
2,325
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
It is a 2-edged sword for you! Sunny paradise when many of us are in winters grasp….but you boat is 5,000 miles away! You need to come up with a way to sail in Maui! Maybe you can salvage that 44-footer on the beach…

View attachment 202811 View attachment 202812

Cheers,

Greg
Yeah, Greg, I'm thinking a trailer sailer would be nice. I helped a friend set up his Corsair 24 at the Kihei boat ramp, and we took the wives for a quick sail to Maalaea and back. Man, that tri could fly!
 
May 28, 2021
13
catalina Catalina34 Henderson Harbor
Got all the way up to 30 here with some actual sun in the frozen hell of upstate NY. 12" of snow coming tomorrow, but I allowed myself to start dreaming of the spring to come anyway Got out the main and started repairs, counted the broken slugs and looked into maybe replacing them all if it would make the sail go up easier. Then made a long list of all the 'winter' projects not yet done, replacing the isenglass in the dodger being the worst. Somehow I just couldn't allow myself to think of sailing when it was still single digits and gloomy- just too depressing.
 
Apr 3, 2020
191
Hunter 23.5 Frenchtown, MT
And over here yesterday morning it got down to -12F in the morning, and with single digit highs in the afternoon for the last couple of days. I guess that'll learn me to mention spring on here!