Winter Wraps: Exploits on the Hard

Cottage Closing

Finally!  Got the cottage closed for the winter.  We had a massive storm surge sometime in the last couple of weeks because the bottom 5 feet of our stairs is missing along with a lot of armor rock on the bank.  Nice to have it done tho.

Stopped by and checked on the boat.  Everything looks OK.  I need to get a tarp or two on the boat tomorrow and do the last little bit of winterizing.

Started the day honoring our War Vets at the service in Truro. 

Lest We Forget.

Winterized...Check

Jude and I visited the boat today.  I got the water system drained, the engine winterized and the cushions are all neatly stored at the cottage for the winter.  It was a nasty day.  Cold and windy.  The good news is....there was snow in the air.  We dropped by the ski hill for a look on the way home.

Let the sliding begin!

Exploits Standing By on...errr...the Hard

October 3, 2010.  Oh whatta day for a sail!

Jude and I headed out ahead of the tide.  The day looked like a bust as we bobbed around in Tatamagouche Bay. We could see some wite caps beyond Malgash Point so we decided to sail out of the Sound.  It turned out to be the perfect day to sail down the back side of Malagash Point towards Jost Vineyards,something we hadn't done all summer.

We enjoyed a nice steady breeze and cruised down the coast munching on our lunch and enjoying the last few moments of our first sailing season.  We shared the water with a couple of very large seals.  We had an equally enjoyable trip back to BHYC.  The total trip was 27 nm over 6 hours and 20 minutes at an everage speed of 4 knots.  Out top speed was 6.5 knots per hour which was respectable.  An absolute perfect end to the sailing season.

Whew...Let's Give Thanks!

Wait...the season isn't quite over yet, but the latest "Boat Haulout" email from the marina means that the end is definitely...near.  We are hopefully hanging in there for one, maybe two more weekends, but the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend will be our last time in the water for 2010.

What a season it has been.  In the spirit of Thanksgiving and in honor of our first year sailing lets reflect:

-  we've been out 38 times since Easter weekend and logged over 525 nautical miles to date;
-  we gained some valuable race experience and improved each race (well the arguing was less, but we still lack sailing expertise);
-  our names are engraved on a plaque at the Barrachois Harbour Yacht Club for WINNING the Saturday race series (gotta love the mystery of handicapping).  And oh what company...Shand, Hoyt...big names in BHYC sailing;
-  we won the cruising class for the Amet Island Race; but most importantly of all,
- we have spent hours aboard Exploits with our kids, family and extended family; and,
- we've met many interesting new people who I am sure will be friends for life.

Thanks Exploits...yah done good!

Isn’t It Ironic!

And isn't it ironic... don't you think
A little too ironic... and yeah I really do think...

Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out
Helping you out

I’m sure Alanis Morissette won’t mind me borrowing a few lines from her song Ironic to describe our first official sailing season.

Several years ago (20 or more…I’ve lost track), after attempting a self rescue during windsurfing race that went horribly bad, I drifted 5 nautical miles off shore on my 12 foot BIC Rock board for over 7 hours. At the risk of being dramatic, it was in May and the water temperatures were…cool, at best.

I eventually washed up on the shores of Amet Island, off the northern coast of Nova Scotia. Fortunately the tide was at an extreme low and I hit a long gravel bar on the lower side, otherwise my next stop was Prince Edward Island, another 30 nm to the north east. Obviously the story has a happy ending and I was rescued by a local fisherman after Jude discovered I was missing (another long story...).

Events like this change you. In my case, I never “enjoyed” windsurfing the same way again, but my love of sailing and being on the water never left me. Dingy sailing just didn’t have the same appeal, although there are days I miss the “Board Alternative” (appreciate the double meaning and the symbolism of the name?) our Laser II, which got unceremoniously beaten on the rocks in freak summer storm.

Where’s the irony in this?

Well, over 2 decades later, we bought “Exploits” and in August, won the cruising class race around…wait for it…AMET ISLAND!  Had I never drifted out to sea so many years ago, who knows, I still might be windsurfing and we won’t have our first race flag!

Isn’t it ironic?

A Picture of Relaxation!