Oct 28, 2018 | Flotsam
Haul-out 2018.
It’s usually a very sad time of year, putting our dear R.E.D. to bed for the long winter months but this year we are at least a month later than usual to pull her from the water and it felt right…and kind of fun..with an energy we haven’t found in past years.
Hooking Up HIS Trailer
Maybe it’s because we had a much longer season, or maybe it could be that we now have a special place right in our own yard and the process is so much easier. There was no going back and forth through all of that depressing congested Montreal traffic.
Fall Colours
She spent her summer here, just six kilometres from our home, at a small co-op-type club. It meant just one trip too. Trailer hooked up to the tow beast and within a few minutes we were ready for our annual ritual.
Ballast Empty
First, a chilly outing on the bay to empty her belly of salt water.
Winterizing MY Engine
Next, Francois put the motor through it’s winterizing paces.
Installing Mast Extension
The mast extension makes for a much better shape when tarping.
Waiting
R.E.D. waited patiently at the service dock while the trailer was brought to the loading ramp
Haul-out
Then came the offical haul-out. So easy for two of us to handle, all completed with no incident.
Power Wash
Power wash came next before all the accumulated ‘yuck’ from a summer in the water had dried. Demasting with all of the lines secured and we were ready to head for home.
The Skeleton
This year’s tarp skeleton is Francois’ best creation to date. It makes the job so much easier too when there is a small hardware store down at the corner to buy extra tie wraps and PVC piping.
Winter Tarp
Even covering and threading the lines under R.E.D.’s belly seemed less of a chore this year.
The Igloo
All liquids and other essentials removed from the cabin and lines flushed through with anti-freeze, she will rest all cozy and ready for whatever winter storms will throw our way.
For those who prefer to read our story in a language other than English, please forgive the automatic translation.
Oct 18, 2015 | Flotsam
This will actually be our last four days onboard R.E.D.
for this 2015 sailing season.
For the past several days we have been enjoying
our cozy warm cabin
…a little candle light…
…a little wine…
…amidst near freezing night time temperatures.
We sit here, looking at each other,
wrapped in layers of fleece and blankets
in our tiny cabin on the water
when we could be at our land home
surrounded by all the conveniences
that land-based living offers
and we ask ourselves ‘why are we here?’
…and the answer is always the same…
‘because this is where we would rather to be’.
During our Canadian Thanksgiving dinner prep at our land home base
I managed to add a slice of my own finger to my
vegetable scallop.
Trip to hospital…
dinner cancelled…
Mandolin in the garbage where it belongs.
In spite of what we have heard about long wait times at hospital emergency rooms,
(18-24 hours in some cases)
we found that when you arrive with an amputated part of your body,
packed in ice in a plastic food baggy,
the triage nurse tends to fast track you.
In and out within two hours
but sadly my finger bit wasn’t worthy of re-attaching.
Second visit two days later for dressing change,
and sent home with a goody bag…
…and what do we do as soon as we can?
…return to R.E.D.
This latest accident pretty much guarantees
that any further winterizing boat chores
will be limited to a supervisory level for me…
…including washing of dishes (yay!)
…and Captain is also in charge of dressing changes (I’m a lefty)
…as if he didn’t have enough things to take care of.
My Captain has been a Prince though.
…his biggest challenge keeping me from doing things for myself,
independent Kat that I am.
Snow forecast for the weekend
and wouldn’t I just love to snap a picture of us on the boat
with white stuff falling all around?
…this is the best I could do…a little snow dandruff on the helm cover.
On our second to last day onboard,
the winds went from a frisky west direction…
…to black skies and squall conditions, winds from the north…
…to easterly and back to westerly, within minutes…
Only a handful of boats left to be tucked away for the season
and we chose to be amongst the last of the last.
Temperatures dipping below freezing at night made us realize that it’s time.
…and yet we will stay onboard until the bitter cold end.
I’d say from our CPS Fundamentals of Weather Course,
that this sky is a definite indication of a cold front approaching.
Today we woke to sub zero temperatures
raw winds and yes, snow…
At 07:30 Francois stood in line at the club office
(sort of like the Seinfeld Soup Nazi).
You stand there expectedly holding out your hand,
receive your ticket for haul out order,
nod thankfully and walk away.
We scored #3…
..because my injury makes docking difficult
and because the surface was super slick with morning frost,
I met Francois at the service dock.
…the guys prepared the straps…
…R.E.D. was hoisted high into the air…
…Francois remained ever-present throughout…
…and she was carried away to her special place.
Finishing the winterizing and enveloping R.E.D. in her winter coat
will have to wait a few more days
but for now she is secure on dry land.
This will be her sweet place for the next six months…
last out…
first in.
Francois went back to the dock to remove our lines
and returned saying: ‘it’s ballistic cold down there!’
So what exactly does ‘ballistic cold’ mean?
I went down to the empty docks
and found out just what ‘ballistic cold’ means.
…a cold that blows straight to the heart of your bones
and sends you shivering uncontrollably back to shelter.
We left the essentials on board,
some heat,
a little ambiance,
a sip of scotch for the next chilly evening onboard
and of course first aid for the clumsy one…
Back at our land home base,
we unpacked another huge load of boat gear…
an oh so cold, long and very tiring day complete.
I looked in the cupboard and saw not a lot of anything interesting for supper.
Then I remembered ‘Touski’
(explanation here)
Not too bad for having ‘nothing’ for supper…
I poured the wine
because for the foreseeable future
I’m not allowed to use anything sharp
in the galley.
Almost time to begin our dreaming and planning,
maybe a few modifications thrown into the mix.
