Sigh. The sails are now in the barn after a m0rning that graced us with sunshine and breeze – perfect for drying sails that had just been soaked by a big front that flew through a few days ago. A little too much breeze for the boat at the dock, but hey, things are dry now. And with that, there’s no more chance for a last minute change of the mind. We are well and truly done for the season.
The end to a season is always met with a mixture of emotions that sway back and forth. There’s the satisfaction and relief to have completed a happy, healthy summer – safe, well-feed, relaxed, ebullient people left our boat time and time again. There’s the looking forward to winter – time, quiet and creative, to work on the business part of the business, birth new ideas, finish unfinished ones, and frankly nap often. (At least that’s what I dream about.) This is the time when I stay on the couch and read one more chapter with the girlies instead of disciplining and structuring my time so much. The end is also a little pensive feeling. We’ve created this terrific team of crew members who all work in concert with each other, learning their part in the orchestra so well, and then we need to let that team separate – to maybe form again next year and perhaps not to be experienced in the same way ever again.
Also, while we do get tired and the season ends just exactly when we are feeling “done,” we also say goodbye to those pieces of being on the water every day that we won’t live again until the days lengthen and the breezes warm. For me it’s the quiet very early in the morning when I awake to light the stove and then watch the sun rise; the coming up on deck to get something from the refrigerator and opening my arms wide to take in the ever-changing, stunning view; the sound of frequent, raucous laughter; singing in the galley; the smell of “wooden boat” which is a mixture of sea and pine tar; and the giddy excitement when the CSA shares arrive at the beginning of every trip.
Annie
So I will say goodbye old friend, we will see you in the spring to sail another season.
1 Comment
Harold Hoffman
October 25, 2010 at 9:38 pmMs. Annie,
I am reading this having just come home from dropping the spar of our 33′ sloop and motoring her to nearby Bolles Harbor for haul-out. All the emotions you expressed are relevant. The process of decommissioning also makes me pensive about the great cycle of the seasons and the fact that they are the milestones of our lives. What a wonder that we can spend so much of our time enjoying the wind, the sea, and the sky, surely amongst the greatest of nature’s gifts.
To keep the cycle going I have to mention that Eileen and I are working on a deal to buy a Marshall Sandpiper, a 15′ catboat, that we will use in FL during our stay there in the month of March. Life is good!
Hugs to all from your friend Harold.