Back On Board

The weather is warming up, all the ice is gone, and My Obsession is back in the water.

And we’re back on board for the season.

Over the past few days, we’ve shifted our life once again, out of the condo we had rented for the winter, and back on board our own boat.  Leading up to the boat going into the water was a busy time, although it seems to get a bit easier each year.  Before the boat goes in the water, there is a full inspection, particularly around the through-hulls.  Also, the bottom of the boat has to be prepared.  Last year’s paint job held up very well over the summer, so this year was just a touch-up in the places that most needed attention.  Next year will probably be a full paint job again.

On Thursday, the crane arrived at the marina to lift us into the water.  After he set up and got the straps on, My Obsession took a short flight and was lowered into the water.  First task is a quick inspection to make sure that there is no water leaking in (everything was fine) and then some quick preparation.  The marina where we stored the boat is a few miles from our home marina, so the plan was to leave immediately to head to our slip in Collins Bay.  It’s still pretty cool out on the water, so first we took the time to put on the full enclosure, making the trip a bit warmer. 

Starting the engine for the first time in the spring is always a bit of a nervous time, since things can go wrong over the winter.  However, everything worked out fine and the engine turned over on the first try.  Once the enclosure was set up, I took the first boat trip of the season – an hour long motor to Collins Bay.

Now comes the time-consuming part.  Moving onto the boat always takes longer than planned, mostly with sorting through everything we own.  Of course, winter clothing is no longer needed (at least I hope it isn’t), so that goes into storage.  And all of the summer clothing we had put away has to come back out again and moved onto the boat.  All of the boat equipment, which had been put into storage bins for the winter, has to come out again and be moved onto the boat.  The full-sized fridge and freezer that we had for the winter has to be emptied out and pared down to fit inside our mini-sized on-board fridge.  Sails, safety equipment, and our dingy had to be transported down to the boat.  The boat stands had to be picked up and put into storage for the winter. 

All told, from Thursday evening through Sunday afternoon was non-stop packing, unpacking, sorting, moving, stowing, inspecting, cleaning, installing, fixing, and inflating.  Many thanks to our friend Alison who spent a couple of days helping us get ready and moved.

But, now we’re settled in, and looking forward to another year of exploring Kingston, the Thousand Islands, and Lake Ontario.