Last weekend I paid another visit to Ebony in her winter quarters along side Clive Pickles’ Dragon at his farm in Alexandra. Although I has snuck aboard several times over the winter it was always with a layer of snow on the tarp and everything within was frozen solid. This time the spring winds had been blowing and without their burden of snow the tarps had been flapping in the breeze having broken their grommets and snapped a few of the lines lacing them to the trailer. The stanchions had also punched through the cheap woven plastic tarp. (Reminder to self – collect a few used tennis balls to mount on the stanchions to serve as reinforcement next year.)
It was time to shrug off the winter overcoat. The only damage was some marks where the grommets had rubbed on the hull. Looks worse than it is and I know that the marks will disappear with a good polish. In the interior, which I had completely stripped and emptied over the winter all seems well with the not-unexpected 2 inches of water in the locker under the sink which has somehow snuck in through an as yet un-discovered deck leak. Sponged out without problems. The only issue standing between Alexandra and the Yacht Club is the little matter of a flat tire on the trailer which I hope will respond to an air pig when the time comes.
Sailstrait 