What are your Seasonal Sailing Milesones?

[wingssail]

Today the air conditioner has been off for 24 hours! Yea! This means winter is on its way with good winds and cool days. It occurred to me that we have some milestones each year that mark the sailing seasons.

• Winter Arrives: Air Conditioner stays off for 24 hours, Mid November
• Middle of winter: Racing twice a week in January
• Spring time: Banderas Bay Regatta Beach Party March, Now We Take Off for a Long Cruise
• Summer: Back in Port, July, Air Conditioner comes out of it's locker, Time for Boat Work
• Fall: Hunkered Down in the Heat & the most Hurricanes, September

What are your seasons?

[Flod]

Late april: the ice in the harbour cracks. I do bottom paint and cleaning with the boat on the hard. It’s freezing
May: splash the boat and go for the first sail of the season. Still freezing. Diesel heater 24/7. Water temp near freezing temp so the boat feels like a refrigerator even if air temp is ok
June/July vacation period and nice sailing
Sept: haul the boat before autumn and winter storms hit. And before the snow and ice.

So we have short but very nice seasons

[rbk]

June-beer stays colder in the fridge vs the cockpit
September-beer stays colder in cockpit than in the fridge
November- beer goes in cooler in the cockpit to avoid freezing
March-beer goes back in cockpit sans cooler.

[thinwater]

November. Frost on the deck if you get to the boat too early.
January. Expect to lose a few weeks to ice. Go ice climbing. Go sailing when it melts.
March. Why in the heck are all these weenies still on the hard?

Projects. Squeeze them in while you can, preferably on no-wind days. Haul every two years.

[thomm225]

I honestly don't think you really understand seasons anymore where you are.

We had 27 degrees over at the house a couple days ago and the winds here were about 40 knots N-NE. Temp 32-34 degrees F.

We spent today burning excess debris in the back yard and it was nice to have the heat from the fire since it was 50 degrees

Fall is nice though up here with the trees.

It was so tough at first when I came back up here from Florida to understand how folks could be laughing and joking while waiting for a bus in 40 degree temps then I remembered I used to wait in 25 degrees.

In the end, it was very nice to get to enjoy the seasons again. (as I type this with a toboggan on and hood up. I hate wasting money on creature comforts)

2nd pic shows Spring starting about the time of the Vernal Equinox. Trees still mostly bare.

[AKA-None]

Pull out mid October then thaw in June. Drop in July 1st
Sail for a day then start winterizing. Rinse and repeat. It was 2F day before yesterday and won’t hit 40 for the next 5 months. Ice out maybe late April

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

Pull out mid October then thaw in June. Drop in July 1st
Sail for a day then start winterizing. Rinse and repeat. It was 2F day before yesterday and won’t hit 40 for the next 5 months. Ice out maybe late April

You are one tough SOB, how do you do it?

[gamayun]

Seasons?

[mglonnro]

Originally Posted by Flod

Late april: the ice in the harbour cracks. I do bottom paint and cleaning with the boat on the hard. It’s freezing
May: splash the boat and go for the first sail of the season. Still freezing. Diesel heater 24/7. Water temp near freezing temp so the boat feels like a refrigerator even if air temp is ok
June/July vacation period and nice sailing
Sept: haul the boat before autumn and winter storms hit. And before the snow and ice.

So we have short but very nice seasons

Hey, this is a lot like over here. Where are you located?

[Flod]

Sweden!

[mglonnro]

Originally Posted by Flod

Sweden!

Indeed!

[Flod]

Actually hauled my RIB out of the water today. I was the only boat in the marina (it have over 300 slots). This winter is late!

[thomm225]

So we've been having some heavy weather along with low temps lately.

It gets real interesting retying your boat after your gloves get wet and your hands won't work properly anymore in 35 degree temps when just a few weeks ago we did the same thing in 70 degrees

[wingssail]

Just a follow-up for all you guys looking at shutting down for the winter.

Racing season is just kicking off here in Mexico; the temps are coming down from barely tolerable to wonderful and the air-conditioner is about to be stowed. We've taken the solar panels and the last load of cruising equipment to the storage locker, loaded the racing sails and bent on the carbon main. The big Bruce anchors and the chain are in the dockbox. The diver has cleaned the bottom again and tomorrow he'll wax the topsides (but that's just for looks).

One by one the crew have drifted back into town and stopped by to check in, and they each inspected the results of our summer's work. I have to say it's generally nods of approval I see as they stand on the dock and stroke their chins scanning the new hardware, running rigging, and fresh deck paint.

We've tested everything that can be tested, even the new navigator has been doing his navigation exercises with the tablet computer. Now we just need to get out of the berth and shake out the cobwebs.

Weds well put on supplies of beer and water and see if this ole' girl can still go.

Yahoo, it's sailing season again in Mexico

[CassidyNZ]

October/November - boat gets seasonal maintenance, repair attrition from last trip.
January/February - one or two sailing trips around NZ North Island east coast with family/friends (up to 4 boats).
March/April - do a few jobs to top up the kitty, haul the boat for a bottom job.
Late May - look for weather windows, leave for the tropics.
June to end September - a tough 4 months of finding new ways to do nothing in paradise (up to 4 boats)