One More Time

[Mark Gudschinsky]

In our part of the world, winter is fast descending. We're headed out to the lake this weekend to pull in the dock ahead of snow and ice. There will be hip boots involved to keep the cold off. The Flyer is under cover at the lake, so if there is any wind at all I'll bundle up and take her out one more time. After that we'll watch the forum and live through southern sailors like Buck.

The rest of the Alaska fleet is invited out also, but I suspect they may have enough sense to stay in the warm.

[Mike Pennington]

[Tim Diebert]

I won't ever complain about how far north I am. You guys live in the real North......or the True North, as they say.

Good thing is there are not too many hurricanes up here. :roll:

I expect to sail until the water gets too hard....but around here, the lake only freezes every ten years or so. This winter is forecasted to be fairly mild.

But you can bet your best polyester underwear I won't be out there in freezing temps. I can handle it fine down to about 45f or so, maybe a bit colder. Try and head out on the sunny days.

I too sail mostly through my computer for about half the year. It just makes the first sail in the spring all that more wonderful.

I wish I could borrow your hip boots today, I want to mark a new waterline on my boat....looks like I might have to get a little wet. I figure on doing this when I retrieve and not when I launch...see, I am thinking ahead.

I hope you get a final sail. Have fun.

[Mike Pennington]

Well spoken Tim :wink:

[adla]

i am amazed at our climate differences....all summer long i was completely envious of the sailing going on with all of you! Don't you know it is 120degrees here!.It is just now becoming decent - mid 90's or 80's. The summer here is as prohibitive as your winter there....for me that is. (there are alot of people who enjoy frying like fish in the summer)

thanks for the videos and pics...

a.

[Mark Gudschinsky]

Well it looks like the rest of the fleet missed out!

We'd heard rumors that an early snow had knocked out power around our homeport of Harding Lake, but we left town amid fall colors and the lawn looking like it needed a final mowing. So we were still surprised as we drove along to see snow appearing along the road and patches carpeting areas of the forest floor. When we got to our cabin, the tarp covering The Flyer was three inches deep with snow. We crunched through the snow to open the cabin and make sure the heat was on, then we headed down to look at the beach.

Where the trees thinned, the sun had done its work, the snow on the ground tapered off to nothing and there were waves lapping at the beach pushed by a steady breeze. The sailing prospects looked promising.

Back at the cabin we did our normal chores to set up for the weekend plus an hour or so of shoveling off decks, kids having snowball fights, and warming them back up with hot chocolate.

I swept off The Flyer as the kids finished wearing out the excitement from the first snow of the year. On the lake, there was one boat in the distance heading for shore. The only sounds were the hiss of waves rushing to shore, and a few birds casting about.

We launched with the steady breeze and the sun breaking through the clouds. The whole lake was ours. We were out for hours. Laura sailed, Alexander was at the bow hanging onto the rigging and the mast. Occasionally the wind would rise to threaten but mostly it would oblige and send us dashing across the lake. When I took over the wheel and the main, Laura joined Alexander forward, both calling out their sightings. A floatplane coasted down to land aways off our bows. Just behind us, a bird raced across the water at wave top height a hawk in close pursuit. The wind drove us on as we watched the furious wings of the prey followed by the power of the hawk. For a full minute we watched the spectacle until the hawk pulled up and away leaving the other bird to continue the race alone.

It was like that till hunger drove us back to the cabin. We left The Flyer tied to the dock in anticipation of going out again in the morning.

Sunday broke with some clouds, and white caps on the lake. There was no one on the water. We built a fire on the beach, and watched. The wind would ease a bit, but only long enough to tease us. Soon it would freshen and white would show across the lake. We had a cook out and played with the four wheeler and waited. The wind held and the waves tipped white. After a few hours my brother Steve came down the beach from his cabin. He and I had been out in similar conditions this summer, but as we looked across the empty gray lake Steve pointed out how the boat looked a lot smaller with an empty lake and a blustery wind.

We did launch Swimmer, but that's Alexander and Laura's story so we'll leave it to them.

[Stump]

Nice story, almost felt like I was there. Thank you