Spring arrived early this year and I was happy to get an early start on the boat. As usual, Samalot Marine helped me with the bottom and did a great job. They had the bottom done and I was in the water the last week of March. Unfortunately, I got sick shortly after and my early prep plans got delayed.
Over the last week, I have gotten back on track. My windows have been leaking again, so I spent a day working on all 8 of them. I am no expert, so I just took apart the windows and put silicone anywhere I could. I am hoping this holds for a couple of years. Since I just got new cushions this year, I want to make sure they do not get moldy right away.
There are a bunch of other changes I am making to get the boat ready for some overnights with the family. Rowan is now 6 and Hazel will be 4 shortly. They have sailed on Jazz since they were born and now is the time to begin to extend their sailing experience to overnights. Everyone is looking forward to some extended trips on the boat this season.
I purchased this boat right after Rowan was born to make sure my kids were raised in a sailing environment. I wanted them to think sailing was just a part of life as it was for me. Now that they are old enough to walk around the boat on their own, I am excited to take the next steps.
You may have noticed a new HCYC member around the marina this spring. My brother Chris recently bought a Beneteau 47.7. He is outfitting the boat for a year long cruise with his family along the east coast and down to the Caribbean. It has been a very busy Spring for him. It was a busy winter too as he was up at the boat at least once a week.
It has been exciting for me to watch his family prepare for the trip. I was able to help him do a mid November delivery from Essex, CT to Haverstraw. That trip was a tough slog at the beginning with 30 knots on the nose, but it settled down once we neared the Western end of the Sound. Since then, he has been very busy with all the preparation one needs to do for a trip of this duration.
His family has launched their own sailing blog for the trip. You can find it by clicking here. It is an exciting time for his family and mine. I am trying to help as much as I can, but they have quickly passed my limited knowledge of cruising and boat systems. I am looking forward to following their adventures and learning about the trip.
