There is Bruce at the tiller of Spartina just as we left Wysocking Bay and sailed out onto Pamlico Sound on Day Two of the SkeeterBeater. I like that early morning light on Bruce and the sails. Those clouds in the background were the front edge of a little squall that reached us a few minutes later.
We had seen the dark clouds come down from the Outer Banks so we had our foul weather gear on when the rain arrived. It was dark, breezy and very rainy for a few minutes, then just as quickly returned to blue skies and sunshine. 
I'm heading out to my hometown of San Diego in a few days, a chance to see my Mom and some friends. I'll bring some charts along and at some point Bruce and I will sit down and talk about possible trips for next year.
It was barely warm enough to varnish today but I did get a third coat on the mast as the temperature hovered around 50 degrees. I did the painting on our west facing porch in the afternoon, the reflected light on the porch keeping things just a little bit warmer. If I'm lucky I'll get another coat on tomorrow.
I while I was getting some new brushes at Home Depot I went ahead and picked up a 36 pack of double "a" batteries. Good price I thought with each battery costing just 39 cents (I've seen four-packs for sale where each battery cost $1.40). These batteries, along with the dozen or so left over from last year, will see me through next year. But I still need some lithium batteries (which I've noticed don't go on sale very much).
And as winter approaches I start counting the days until I can get back out on the water. Counting those days will be easier this year as Dawn has added a countdown to her blog for the 2011 Watertribe Everglades Challenge. That event - scheduled to start March 5 of next year - usually coincides with the first sunny warm days that we get in the Mid-Atlantic. So less than a hundred days to go and hopefully I'll have some nice weather to get out on the water.
steve
2 comments:
March 5, huh? Hmmm...
Had my last sail of the year today. My wife came with me for a little day sail. Just down to the mouth of the Piankatank River and back. We would have gotten farther if the wind had cooperated more. Not only was it not coming from the most favorable direction, but there just wasn't enough of it. I originally had wanted to go out yesterday, when there was a small craft advisory all day, but she would not have enjoyed that as much as today's much more mild-mannered sailing (although I would have).
Once back at the slip, I took the sails off, we winterized the fresh water tank and I'll be heading back out there this coming Saturday to do the necessary gyrations and incantations to winterize the engine (and replace the leaking head gasket).
Wondering how early next year to have her hauled (the boat, not the wife). I plan on eliminating a couple of old, abandoned through-hull fittings, and also scrape and paint the hull and rudder.
A smaller, simpler boat (ala Spartina) is looking good right about now...
I wish I had gotten in one or two more sails this year, but then again wanted to get started on some boat work.
The first week or two of March has been my earliest sail of the year. I hope to have the boat ready to go by late Feb. We'll see.
steve
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