Talkin' Shit About A Pretty Sunset

On my birthday yesterday, I took off work and sailed in the coldest weather of my boating career. It was awesome.

Why don't I sail more often in cold weather? It's quite nice, especially when I hove to in the middle of all the whitecaps on the Chesapeake Bay and cooked up two cans of Dinty Moore Chicken Stew --- a mediocre stew when eaten on land, but on a cold sea with salt spray in the air, the steaming gravy, soft carrot slices, and grade D meat tasted amazing. And chased with a few nips of Wild Turkey, life was quite nice, no question.

When preparing to sail in the cold, just remember that there's no such thing as bad weather --- only bad clothes. Steven and I suited up in multiple layers early Wednesday while the weatherman was predicting a small craft advisory --- a type of warning issued when winds are expected to reach a speed just less than gale force (22 to 33 knots). But to avid sailors like me and Steven, "small craft advisory" means "We advise you to sail. Powerboats should stay home." The temps on the Bay were in the 30s, with wind chills at 23F. But with winds blowing in the 20-knot range --- gusting to higher --- and my spirits soaring having just turned age 35, we headed out.

The boat handled great with full reefs and my small headsail. No problem. We rarely heeled more than 15-20 degrees. And there was nearly no one out there --- just an anchored towering car-carrier from Japan and a big catamaran who was calling for a tow on the VHF because he'd snagged a crab pot line --- just bobbing there in the icy waves and wind. Bummer.

That's it: my next sailing feat is to sail while it's snowing. Man, that would be NUTS. Anyone wanna join me? I'm not waiting for a wood stove to go. I now declare my sailing season is 12 months long.