Sighs and smiles

The season is in near full swing at Boulder marina.  Boats are splashing making room for the cars filling up the parking lot each weekend. Saturday morning I was sitting on the porch having coffee with the assembled, watching as one boat after another puttered out into the lake for what must have been a first sail of the year for some, and was overcome by a giant internal sigh...it will be many weeks yet before Kintala can join the parade.

Instead I went back to work on a  couple of minor projects since the V-drive is still somewhere on the East Coast.  While wielding the palm sander someone asked, "Don't you ever stop working?"

The only answer I had was, "Is the boat ever fixed?" Sigh.

Later though, Friend Thor asked us along as he was taking his Grey Hound out for a run. Eleven people scrambled onto tramps and amas but the massive expanse of a 33' tri handled the crowd with ease. Five of the group were kids while only four of the adults had any crew experience, but the winds were easy and the sailing was grand. We even tossed the hook for a little swimming. It was near 90 degrees on May the 5, the water was perfect, the kids were laughing, we were on a fantastic boat...

Smiles.

Sunday Grey Hound made play of the lake for much of the day with just Thor, Deb and I on board. It was easily one of the top 3 day sails I have ever enjoyed. The winds were on the light side and from the wrong direction, forcing multiple tacks and jibes to get down the length of the lake toward the dam. Once there we got a good view of a race, lots of little boats charging around. Friend Cort was crew on one of those boats and, as his race ended while we were in the vicinity, headed over to check out Thor's new ride. Keeping station just a couple of feet aft and off our

leeward side he wondered if we might have a couple cold ones on board we could spare for thirsty competitors. As it turned out we did and a few minutes later, sailing in close formation, I tossed them over.

More smiles.

Oh, and one of my little jobs this weekend was painting the aft hatch red. I think it looks pretty good, if I do say so myself. (And I do, since the Admiral happens to think I am daft on this one.)

Smile.