Association Forum - Ready for a break?

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Ready for a break?

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

Member Avatar

USA
3704 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/11/2008 : 19:45:53

A topic in the C250 forum got me thinking. Up here in Oregon the sailing season is over and the Nauti Duck is in winter storage. To be honest I am ready for a break. We did a lot of sailing this summer and then topped it of with a great two week cruise. When we got back I felt ready to clean the boat up, put her away until spring, and focus on other activities. So, am I a sailing wuss or do others of you feel the same way - that there is a time to focus on other things and then rebuild the excitement about next season's sailing?

We cannot direct the winds but we can adjust our sails.

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2008 : 07:47:53

I am going with wuss

I look at it this way, if you have a short season - yes every weekend becomes about the boat. Every weekend you have to go to a wedding or some other committment takes away from your sailing. You stress about it. Then there is bad weather, so you stress about losing another good weekend. Then the season is over and whew - there just went the stress. Southern sailors don't have this problem. They just sail longer and it reigns over their lives less. It's more of a "it's there" thing than a mandate.

As the resident cruiser here, I can assure you that life afloat 24/7/365 is challenging. That being said, if I had to take 6-8 months OFF every year as I did in the past - I might go wacko...

Sten

DPO Zephyr - '82 C25, FK, SR
SV Lysistrata - C&C 39 - Annapolis MD, snowbirding it again

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2008 : 20:42:55

Well, our season ended today. We get pulled out on Wednesday. I might sail tomorrow night if everything lines up but, it's unlikely. We were out yesterday afternoon for about 3 hours and again this afternoon for 2-3. The weather was perfect. Just enough wind to move us pleasantly through the water without causing the helmsman (me) too much work. More wind yesterday than today.

We also looked at a 1995 C36 MkII yesterday. It's a lovely boat that has been lovingly maintained and the price is pretty good. I mention that only to say that I came to the realization as I sailed today that my C250 is really the boat for me.

We're hoping that the weather will hold through next weekend so that we can clean/wax and ready the boat for next spring. That way, we can be sailing as soon as the weather breaks rather than using those early warn spring weekends buffing and polishing.

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
4300 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2008 : 21:37:26

I'm with Sten on this one. The best part of the season is just starting.

Late yesterday I finally got to go sailing for the first time since late July. I'm tired of heat,hurricanes, and insurance adjusters that are so exhausted they don't remember the conversation they had with me the day before.

The winds and temperature was perfect, 12kts gusting to 15, 80 degrees with low humidity, and almost a full moon over the lake after dark.

It was actually much darker that these pictures show.

No way I'm ready for a break!

Edited by - GaryB on 10/12/2008 21:43:03

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

Members Avatar

USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2008 : 21:56:59

Pearl came out of the water this week and I'm going up to get her on wednesday. Closing her up for the last time is a little depressing - it means another summer is gone. But it is good to have the time to take care of things at home without distractions. Sailing is joy, not a schedule to guide my life, there are many things to do and sailing is only one of them. I have a lot of those things to do before I head south and start the winter season in Florida. For northerners, I think the cycle of seasons and changes in activities become ingrained and essential signposts in the progress of our lives. Don't overstay and you will eagerly anticipate next summer.

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2008 : 22:52:27

I'm ready for the best sailing of the year. I have sailed 1435 miles since March 11, 2008. I've got to really lite the fuse to get my 2000 by next March. I've been doing far too much work on the boat lately. Today we saw winds around 20+, I was reefed with the 110 up for the first time in about 9 months.

Edited by - on

joemireur
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
33 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2008 : 23:21:52

<i>...and it reigns over their lives less.</i>

For me sailing reigns over my life more because the season never ends here in Texas. In the winter, I might get to go out anytime it warms up a little AND I can get away from my office. And I will go anytime I get the chance. I agree with GaryB, the best part of the season is just starting, especially the low humidity. My boat and I have been out of the water since August 5th, hiding from Edouard and Ike etc. Now I'm champing at the bit to get the mast back up and get back on the water!

Edited by - on

JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

1520 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2008 : 23:23:38

Never enough!

I'm keeping my boat in the water all winter this year for the first time. Last year there were so many beautiful days in December and January and early March when I would have loved to fly over the waves of the Chesapeake.

Just this evening I walked the docks at Redondo Beach, CA where there are dozens of C-27's, C-30's and larger, and the odd C-25 tied up with winds in the 15-20 range, temp around 70, and the full moon rising at 6pm. Whew!!! Good conditions to go sailing.

I'm getting ready for a 3-day sail on the Bay in mid-November with 2 and maybe 3 old friends from out of state. That will be under a full moon like tonight's.

Edited by - on

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2008 : 07:19:47

The season is just getting good here in Daytona Too. The summer is very hot, the winds are just about always south and 5 to 10mph. Fall and Spring are a lot cooler with better wind and lower humidity.

Edited by - on

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1768 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2008 : 08:37:10

I know how you feel and I WAS there -- about to remove all items so she could be hauled next week. Then, we were blessed with a perfect fall weekend - and a long one at that. So, have been (and today will be) enjoying the last hurrah's of the season THEN will be ready to close up shop, get the shrink wrap out and settle in for the long winter. As the dog days of summer wear on I get that "lets end the season now" feeling however when autumn arrives I want to extend the season as long as possible. The god news for my boat budget and other commitments is that in New England, even with "global warming" it is a very fine line between perfect autumn weekend and the gales of November!

Edited by - on

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2008 : 10:53:31

We're taking a chance w/ the weather and not hauling until end of Oct, just to squeeze another few weekends...

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

2402 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2008 : 11:17:07

My home is certainly ready for some attention. I pulled Cheapseats home Saturday. 30 minutes to drop the mast and rig it for the highway, 10 minutes at home putting a customized cover on it; done. No winter projects, no spring projects. I will sail several more weekends on other people's keel boats; is there any thing better than OPB?

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.