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This time of year is great for sailing as long as you dress for the weather. Yesterday was a little over 50 degrees F, but the wind was a steady 15mph with gusts to 20. We were out for a little over three hours and covered 19 miles at an average speed of 6mph. The only draw back was the shot across our bow from a worried duck hunter that was floating in the middle of the mouth of the Detroit River with about 50 duck decoys in tow. I am thinking about mounting a cannon on my bow so that I can return fire (only kidding). I had a great sailing season with the boat slipped for the whole season. Went out forty-two times and covered nearly 660 miles so far. We are going out again on Friday before pulling it out for the season. Sad time for "Good Times" and me.

Perhaps, for this time of year, twin .50s on the bow may be helpful... or at least awesome looking. Sort of a PT Boat-ish look. (Ammo's pricey, tho.)

At this time of year I am jealous of those out sailing in the crisp air of Fall. Nice Aft is sitting in our driveway waiting for the tarps.

Ray
~~~_/)~~~

Nice.

dthiesmeyer wrote:This time of year is great for sailing as long as you dress for the weather. Yesterday was a little over 50 degrees F, but the wind was a steady 15mph with gusts to 20. We were out for a little over three hours and covered 19 miles at an average speed of 6mph. The only draw back was the shot across our bow from a worried duck hunter that was floating in the middle of the mouth of the Detroit River with about 50 duck decoys in tow. I am thinking about mounting a cannon on my bow so that I can return fire (only kidding). I had a great sailing season with the boat slipped for the whole season. Went out forty-two times and covered nearly 660 miles so far. We are going out again on Friday before pulling it out for the season. Sad time for "Good Times" and me.

NiceAft wrote:At this time of year I am jealous of those out sailing in the crisp air of Fall. Nice Aft is sitting in our driveway waiting for the tarps.

Ray
~~~_/)~~~

I just finished the Winter shelter for Y.B.NORMAL, my 26M. The low last night here in WI was 34*.
No snow yet, only a few flurries last weekend.

I wish I could say the same. We have been flooded off Ole Miss. river over the 4th, most of Sept, and now all of Oct. Fall is amazing along the river bluffs. Now the current is running 4-8knts. I had to pull the boat before they pulled the ramp docks 5 weeks ago. Lost the entire fall. No worries. I'm selling the company this year then off to sail the inside of the USA.

My phone is showing rain for a week. The mast is folded and secured, but I'm not much interested in going out in 40F rain to haul the boat, or even go for a joy ride.

But you're right - fall sailing can be nice, often with more steady winds that are conducive to sailing.

Y.B.Normal wrote: I just finished the Winter shelter for Y.B.NORMAL, my 26M. The low last night here in WI was 34*.
No snow yet, only a few flurries last weekend.

Ha! I always wait until the coldest, wetest, windiest day of November til I put my to winter rest. At least thats the way it turns when I shake out the tarp!!

K9Kampers wrote:

Y.B.Normal wrote: I just finished the Winter shelter for Y.B.NORMAL, my 26M. The low last night here in WI was 34*.
No snow yet, only a few flurries last weekend.

Ha! I always wait until the coldest, wetest, windiest day of November til I put my to winter rest. At least thats the way it turns when I shake out the tarp!!

Same here. The oil filter has a November date written on it from last fall, and will again this fall.

My FIL likes to remind me of the time they flew up here from Florida for Thanksgiving, and I asked if he'd help me lay the mast down on an Aquarius I used to own that I stored at a marina 40 minutes away. "Sure", he says, "as long as it's not snowing." He hates the cold and especially the snow.

And to this day it's a running joke because it was very windy and the snow was blowing sideways so hard I had to have my oldest son hold the main halyard upwind to keep the mast from going over sideways as I lowered it by hand (no baby stays and MRS on that boat - one of the best things about this boat ). My poor FIL will never let me forget it, though when he gives me grief I threaten to give his daughter back.

Almost December on the south shore of Lake Ontario - who'd a thunk it would be snowing in late November?