Once upon a midnight …

Dreary indeed! Mid-winter always feels that way. The holiday season is over, along with the novelty and joy of magical snowy landscapes. Snow and cold are fast becoming old – as are the regular pictures of sun and sand from luckier friends who have sailed south to warmer latitudes. The pesky groundhog managed to find his shadow, though it was pretty grey here when I looked.

“Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December…”

As a boy, I grew up in the northern snow belt of upstate NY but am only partly relieved by being in the more moderate mid-Atlantic climate now. Waiting now, not so patiently, for Spring and conditions suitable for re-commissioning – still a few weeks off – six, if you believe the furry prognosticator.

More optimistically, it IS only a few weeks now till sailing season. Days are getting imperceptibly longer. The list of winter boat chores is slowly shrinking. Canvass removed for the winter has received minor repairs in the hope of extending its life another year or two. Bright work sits in the shop waiting to be sanded, stained and varnished. Sails are cleaned, folded neatly and stowed back aboard.
As soon as we’re clear of persistent sub-freezing temps, sails will get bent on, followed quickly by a thorough cleaning of top side and below. Fresh water system will get flushed and engine serviced, including oil change and all new filters.

Meanwhile, other sailing-related activities keep up the spirits. Sailing clubs have winter parties, and seminars are aimed at sharpening skills and enticing new sailors into the fold. That will do for now, and any such distraction helps make the waiting seem shorter.

So, with the season’s sailing calendar filling with club cruises and other on-the-water activities already announced, there’s time to plan. It’s always fun to re-live last season’s time on the water. Spinsheet magazine initiated the Century Club in 2014 to recognize those sailors who managed 100 days or more on the water. Lucky to have made the grade at 149 days, and enjoy the celebration. Look for those new Century Club burgees out there this year!

See you on the water soon!