Tagged: spring
Shifting Sands
Last night I had dinner with a friend at a local brew pub. While we sipped on a couple of cold beverages, we observed the river below winding its way out through the marshes to Ipswich Bay. Now, the Essex River has likely flowed in roughly the same path for at least 100 years, so the overall picture was not surprising. But, what was surprising was the large sand bar which seemed to be protruding into the narrow main channel between the town docks. It appeared some careful piloting was going to be required to avoid dinged props in this [...]
Spring Transition
Well, it’s getting closer to the season. Winter is starting to relax its icy grip on everything from harbors to boat covers. Granted it feels a little early still, but it’s a good time to start planning ahead. A checklist of necessary products, covering everything from boat paint to electrical spray, always comes in handy. Right now, some marine retailers are running sales to encourage pre-season purchases. Local workshop and speaker events can help get you in the mood, while staying out of the brisk spring winds. It won’t be long before you’re behind the wheel once more.
Early Winter Check-In
It’s the last day of November and temperatures have dropped significantly since Halloween. The harbor waters are largely empty, and shrink-wrapped boats form groups of white figures huddled on the edge. Most boaters have left for warmer, greener pastures, namely the living room couch and big screen TV. But, now is not the time to let your guard down as little things, left unattended, can lead to sizeable bad outcomes in the spring. For example, are the edges of the transom where cover contact is made, protected from chafing by soft towels or other materials? Are all the drain [...]
Three to Six
The other day, while at the fuel dock, I asked the attendant what the sea conditions were and he stated, “rough, 3-6’ steep waves”. Not exactly thrilled with this news, I asked the guy next to me at the dock what he knew, and he stated “it’s very rough, I just took one over the bow and decided to come back in”. Now, I had a problem. I felt the need to rendezvous with another boater that morning, but didn’t want to risk sinking in the process. I have a seaworthy small boat and a bunch of experience at the [...]
Summer Holiday Kick-Off
Well, the kick-off of the Northeast boating season, Memorial Day weekend, is coming into sight and the pace is quickening within local boat yards. Around here, both the water and ambient temperatures are still decidedly on the brisk side which will dampen enthusiasm among some in-water skippers, while others soldier ahead. The end result is a double-edged sword – less traffic to contend with, but also fewer boaters to lend a hand in adverse situations. The trade-off is usually a favorable one, but it’s critically important that your boat and accessories be in top notch condition to avoid pressing your [...]
Spring Commissioning Bargains
Currently, we’re in middle of the COVID-19 pandemic which is causing global issues along many lines, including: personal, social, and economic health. And, with travel restrictions becoming increasingly restrictive, the whole situation casts a somewhat dark cloud over the spring commissioning process. However, there might be a bright spot, namely, special retail sales. With retailers suffering in general, marine suppliers are offering extraordinary deals, with discounts of up to 50% off featured on their websites. All you need to do to take advantage of the special prices is to enter your order online and wait for the products to arrive [...]
Checking In
Here in New England, we’re in middle of winter doldrums. Fortunately, it’s been a relatively mild season so far, which is good and bad. It’s good because the number of days with high snowfall accumulations or sub-freezing temperatures has been low. It’s bad because this type of weather can cause otherwise vigilant boaters to “fall asleep at the switch”, ignoring their boats in perhaps their most critical time. It doesn’t take a continual string of record-breaking snowfalls to find the weak spot in an outside cover, allowing snow and water to unexpectedly flow in. And, in similar fashion, it can [...]