Removing the Winter Cover

Spring is here... time to remove the cover.

Aside from cleaning the boat during the season (Vicky's hobby) the one job that we regularly do is to put the cover on in the autumn and take it off again in the spring.  It's a job we can do, we don't get too messy and it's hard to screw it up.

So yesterday morning, we made the trip up the NJ Turnpike and got to Pedersen's just before 10:00.

I climbed up and inside the cover and opened the hatch.  This step is always a little unnerving... how did she fair over the winter?  I looked in, and it looked like a cyclone had struck with open drawers all over the place, mattresses upturned, and things in general disarray.

Which is exactly how I left her.  Excellent!

(Mattresses are upturned, doors and drawers are left open over the winter to allow for maximum air circulation and reduce the chance for mold and mildew growth.)

With that, we started working on the cover... Vicky made her way around the edge, clipping off the wire ties, and I worked from the bottom, untying the ropes that secure the cover to Seas The Day.

NOTE TO SELF:  A couple of the ropes are starting to fray... get a spool of replacement to take with you in the fall.  (Yes, I read my own blog, and part of the reason to blog is to make notes for future reference.)

The work went surprisingly fast.  In no time (less than one hour), Vicky had made her way around the edges and I had wound up all the ropes and we were ready to fold (well sort of fold) the covers and toss them down to the ground.

About that time John showed up (he offered to get coffee, which got him out of working - the coffee was appreciated) and we went to his place to wash up a bit before going to lunch at Nemo's.

But not before I grabbed a selfie... a day on your boat is a great day - even if the boat is still on the ground.

After lunch, we had a quick trip back down the Turnpike and spread out the cover parts, refolding in a much better manner according to Vicky's strict guidelines.

A job well done (and completed by early afternoon)!

Winter - Knee update and winter checks

Well, it hasn't been a typical winter for this sailor.  My knee issue developed after closing down last season and eventually resulted in surgery in early December.  A skilled surgeon, a new procedure for treating stress fractures (among other ailments in the same knee) and an incredible physical therapist have resulted in my getting clearance from Doc to start sailing next month.  One thing I learned is that when you seem to have a set-back in a recovery, don't wait... head back to Doc.  (I had some fluid build up in March that once drained, gave me a great leap forward.)

So the first couple of trips back to Keyport resulted in me just checking Seas The Day from the ground (more of a "is she still there" sort of trip - yes, I also stopped by and visited John).

I also got some nice shots of the dock in winter...

Eventually, in March, I was able to climb the two ladders and get on-board...

She seemed to weather the winter OK.  We will probably go up this weekend (Easter Saturday) to pull off the winter cover.

Of course, that means that spring expenses started... yacht club launch fees, boat yard fees to prep the boat, clean her up and paint the bottom, etc. and a surprise (well... not really, known about it since December) cost to fix up my mooring.  But we'll save the mooring discussion for another day.