Haul out was scheduled for Monday September 29. I got to the boat on Sunday to enjoy one last day on the boat. I'm a firm believer in pulling boats out early on a nice day. Why make any boating day a miserable one.
I motored over the the fuel dock to pump out the holding tanks one last time and to align the boat head into the wind to pulled down the sails and packed them into bags once the breeze died to nearly a dead calm. I was happy to have such nice weather for handing the big sails as they react to the slightest breeze and keeping them on deck and dry prior to bagging them for the winter is very important.
Next was all the canvas (dodger bimini etc.). All is done, engine was winterized last weekend, it's time for bed for both Panta Rhei and I.
I was down below listening to a podcast with all the ports open in the still of the evening cooling the boat off from an unusually nice 80 degree day when all of a sudden the boat started talking. Halyards banging and singing in the wind. Through the ports came northern air 25 degrees cooler than just a minute ago.
It was great sleeping weather as I closed up ports with no need to turn on the heater since the boat would stay warm for most of the night. There is nothing better than wrapping up in the cozy berths on a cool evening. I stuck my head out of the companionway to be greeted with 35 mph wind gusts and high 40's for temps. So much for a nice haul out day.
I spent the day finishing up the very last of my to-do list for the season. I finally got around to installing a screen on the forward v-berth hatch. We found we did not need the screens in the marina as there are no mosquitoes or other pests over the lake (a very pleasant surprise). Susan and spent a few nights stargazing with the large hatch open as we drifted off to sleep earlier this summer. But we will need the screens once we anchor in the protected leeward side of the islands where the mosquitoes also find protection from the wind.
The morning was much too windy to haul but as you can see from the mear whitecaps in the bay, the wind died down just enough to haul.
I winterized the heads and water system once the boat was on land and filled the car with bedding , clothes, and food to take home. I'll spend one more day covering the boat sometime this month or early november.
I motored over the the fuel dock to pump out the holding tanks one last time and to align the boat head into the wind to pulled down the sails and packed them into bags once the breeze died to nearly a dead calm. I was happy to have such nice weather for handing the big sails as they react to the slightest breeze and keeping them on deck and dry prior to bagging them for the winter is very important.
Next was all the canvas (dodger bimini etc.). All is done, engine was winterized last weekend, it's time for bed for both Panta Rhei and I.
I was down below listening to a podcast with all the ports open in the still of the evening cooling the boat off from an unusually nice 80 degree day when all of a sudden the boat started talking. Halyards banging and singing in the wind. Through the ports came northern air 25 degrees cooler than just a minute ago.
It was great sleeping weather as I closed up ports with no need to turn on the heater since the boat would stay warm for most of the night. There is nothing better than wrapping up in the cozy berths on a cool evening. I stuck my head out of the companionway to be greeted with 35 mph wind gusts and high 40's for temps. So much for a nice haul out day.
I spent the day finishing up the very last of my to-do list for the season. I finally got around to installing a screen on the forward v-berth hatch. We found we did not need the screens in the marina as there are no mosquitoes or other pests over the lake (a very pleasant surprise). Susan and spent a few nights stargazing with the large hatch open as we drifted off to sleep earlier this summer. But we will need the screens once we anchor in the protected leeward side of the islands where the mosquitoes also find protection from the wind.
The morning was much too windy to haul but as you can see from the mear whitecaps in the bay, the wind died down just enough to haul.
I winterized the heads and water system once the boat was on land and filled the car with bedding , clothes, and food to take home. I'll spend one more day covering the boat sometime this month or early november.